Plasticidade anatômica da folha de taro cultivado sob diferentes condições de sombreamento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Seed removal by ants from faeces produced by different vertebrate species

Ants frequently harvest seeds from faeces of frugivorous vertebrates. By transporting these seeds to nests, ants may influence seed dispersal success of plants. Seed removal by ants from vertebrate faeces is influenced by the seed species involved. Faeces from different vertebrates differ in chemical composition and physical characteristics. It remains unclear, however, whether the faeces itself affects the ant-seed interaction. In this study experimental seed-containing faecal portions were prepared using defecations of birds, marsupials, and monkeys and seeds of two aroids (Philodendron corcovadense and P. ppendiculatum, Araceae) and one liana species (Schlegelia parviflora, Bignoniaceae). Faecal portions were arranged along a transect established in the understory of a lowland rainforest in southeast Brazil. For P. appendiculatum the probability of detection and the proportion of seeds removed were identical between marsupial and monkey faeces. For P. corcovadense and S. parviflora, the probability of detection was affected by seed species and, apparently, also by the interaction between seed species and type of faeces (P = 0.097), but not by the type of faeces itself (bird or monkey). Both factors (i.e., seed species and type of faeces) affected the proportion of seeds removed (faeces type was marginally significant; P = 0.08), whereas the interaction between them was not significant. The results indicate that seed species affects seed removal by ants, while the type of faeces probably interacts with seed traits to influence faeces detection.

Levantamento florístico de Floresta Atlântica no sul do Estado de São Paulo, Parque Estadual Intervales, Base Saibadela

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Frugivoria em morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) no Parque Estadual Intervales, sudeste do Brasil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Reguladores vegetais e teores endógenos de poliaminas durante o desenvolvimento de taro cultivado in vitro

Neste trabalho foi investigada a assepsia para obtenção de explantes oriundos de tubérculos e a ação das poliaminas espermidina e espermina exógenas associadas aos reguladores vegetais AIA e BA no desenvolvimento, na tuberização in vitro e nos níveis endógenos de putrescina (Put), espermidina (Spd) e espermina (Spm) de taro (Colocasia esculenta). Plantas crescidas em meio contendo espermidina e espermina mostraram tuberização e a associação dessas poliaminas com AIA e BA induziu aumento do número de brotações. Para o estímulo da rizogênese, não foi necessário o uso de reguladores vegetais. Altos teores de putrescina foram encontrados durante a emissão de brotações, enquanto que altos teores de espermidina foram observados durante a formação de rizomas in vitro.

In vitro prostate cancer cell growth inhibition by Brazilian plant extracts

In the present study, 1220 plant extracts obtained from 352 plants belonging to 73 families that grow in the Amazon and Atlantic rain forests were screened for cytotoxicity against PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. Extracts were tested in the single dose of 100 mu g/mL. Activity was observed in 17 aqueous or organic extracts belonging to Annonaceae, Apocynaceae, Araceae, Capparaceae, Commelinaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Lecythiclaceae, Leguminosae, Passifloraceae, Rutaceae, and Violaceae.

Utilization of epiphytes by birds in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes constitute a great part of the vegetation biomass in Neotropical forests, offering a large variety of resources to birds. Despite their structural and ecological importance, few studies investigated the use of epiphytes by birds in the Neotropical region. We studied the bird species that exploit vascular epiphytes (and hemi-epiphytes) in an Atlantic forest site in southeastern Brazil. The resources exploited, seasonal variation in the use of epiphytes, the frequency of foraging and selectivity in epiphytes, and the relationship between the use of epiphytes and the participation in mixed-species bird flocks were investigated. After 360 h of observations along trails crossing the forest, 24 bird species (12 families) were recorded in a total of 74 events of epiphyte exploitation. Thamnophilidae (four species), Trochiliclae, Thraupidae and Furnariidae (three species) were the richest bird families in our sample, while Furnariidae and Dendrocolaptidae were the more frequently recorded families. Plants in the Bromeliaceae and Araceae families were the most abundant and more frequently exploited epiphytes. Nectar, water, nest material and invertebrates were the most frequently exploited resources, mainly from Bromeliaceae. None of the species for which we had enough data revealed to be a frequent user of epiphytes for foraging or selective to any epiphyte group. The White-eyed Foliage-gleaner (Automolus leucophthalmus; Furnariidae), a common participant of understory mixed-species flocks, exploited epiphytes more frequently when associated with mixed-species flocks. The utilization of epiphytes was opportunistic for most of the bird species recorded and occurred throughout the year with no seasonal variation.

Valor nutritivo de macrófitas aquáticas flutuantes (Eichhornia crassipes, Pistia stratiotes e Salvinia molesta) utilizadas no tratamento de efluentes de aqüicultura

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritive value of free-floating aquatic macrophytes, Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Pontederiaceae), Pistia stratiotes (L.) (Araceae) and Salvinia molesta (Mitchell) (Salviniaceae) used in a Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) waste treatment, and these species biomass potential uses. The vegetal biomass samples were collected from 0.25 m 2 floating squares and divided in aerial and submerse parts, to determine the concentrations of cell wall fraction, soluble carbohydrates, polyphenols, lipids, crude protein and total phosphorus. The higher nutritive value was observed in E. crassipes and S. molesta aerial parts, and in P. stratiotes total biomass, due to their lower cell wall fraction mean rates (60.7; 64.2 and 56.9 % dry mass, respectively) and to the higher rates of: crude protein (10.1; 9.1 and 8.8 % dry mass, respectively), soluble carbohydrates (26.6; 18.7 and 12.4 mg.g -1 dry mass, respectively) and lipids (7.6; 4.5 and 4.4% dry mass, respectively). It may be concluded that P. stratiotes total biomass, and E. crassipes and S. molesta aerial biomass have nutritive values with potential use for ruminant feeding or as ration ingredients.

Acute toxicity and environmental risk of teflubenzuron to Daphnia magna, Poecilia reticulata and Lemna minor in the absence and presence of sediment

This study aimed to estimate the acute toxicity of teflubenzuron (1-(3,5-dichloro-2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-(2,6-difluorobenzoyl)urea) (TFB) for Daphnia magna, Lemna minor and Poecilia reticulata, in the absence and presence of sediment; evaluate the effect of sediment on the TFB bioavailability; and to classify this insecticide according to its environmental poisoning risk for agricultural and aquaculture uses. The tests of TFB acute toxicity were conducted in static system in a completely randomized design with increasing TFB concentrations, and a control group. The TFB has been classified according to the estimated values of EC50 and LC50 by its acute toxicity and environmental risk. The sediment significantly reduced toxicity and bioavailability of TFB in water column. Therefore, the insecticide can be classified as being highly toxic to Daphnia magna, which means the agricultural and aquacultural uses of TFB pose a high risk of environmental toxicity to non-target organisms. However, it was practically non-toxic to L. minor and P. reticulata. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Florística e distribuição de epífitas vasculares em floresta alta de restinga na planície litorânea da praia da fazenda, núcleo Picinguaba, parque estadual Serra do Mar, município de Ubatuba, SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Biologia Vegetal) - IBRC

O uso de plantas epífitas por aves em uma região de mata atlântica no sudeste do Brasil

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

Caracterização física, química e nutricional dos frutos da Aninga

Montrichardia linifera, conhecida popularmente como aninga, pertence à família Araceae e forma grandes populações às margens dos rios e igarapés da Amazônia, principalmente de águas brancas (barrentas). Seus frutos fazem parte da dieta alimentar de peixes, tartarugas e de grandes herbívoros, como peixe-boi e búfalo, havendo, portanto, a hipótese de seu aproveitamento na nutrição animal. Entretanto, apesar de sua vasta distribuição na paisagem amazônica, não existem dados na literatura sobre a composição nutricional desses frutos. Com os objetivos de avaliar o seu potencial nutricional e contribuir para o conhecimento dessa espécie, foi realizada, neste trabalho, a caracterização física, química e nutricional dos frutos. A infrutescência pesa em média 500 g, com um conjunto de aproximadamente 80 frutos. O seu valor nutritivo se resume, basicamente, ao seu valor energético (≅ 350 kcal), devido principalmente ao teor de carboidratos (≅ 80%), possuindo baixo valor proteico (< 0,5%). As concentrações de manganês (≅ 1.800 mg kg^-1) foram consideradas tóxicas, extrapolando o limite máximo tolerável em nutrição de bubalinos (1.000 mg kg^-1).

Growth and yield of anthurium in response to gibberellic acid

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Caracterização fitoquímica e ensaios biológicos de Syngonium podophyllum

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Plantas ornamentais em quintais urbanos de Rio Branco, Brasil

Ornamental plants are important in the culture and welfare of city dwellers in the Amazon. This study aimed to perform a characterization of species of ornamental use in urban backyards of Rio Branco and relation with social aspects of the respondents. Semi-structured interviews featuring ornamental species along with analysis of social aspects of urban respondents of the 132 backyards in Rio Branco, Acre, Amazon between 2009 and 2011. Selected for this study were neighborhoods Aeroporto Velho, Placas and Novo Horizonte, located on the periphery of the municipality. Were detected 140 ornamental species belonging to 49 different botanical families, especially Euphorbiaceae (7%), Arecaceae (6.4%) and Araceae (5%). Ornamental species recorded, 57.5% are exotic, 16% have medicinal use and 44% herbaceous. Regression analysis of data across the diversity of species, area and social parameters of the respondents was not significant. The cultivation of ornamental plants in urban backyards Rio Branco assists in the ambience of the residence, landscape improvement, generates welfare for residents at leisure space beyond the conservation of genetic resources.