Performance of established native seedlings in relation to invasive Lantana camara, rainfall and species' habitat preferences in a seasonally dry tropical forest

Native species' response to the presence of invasive species is context specific. This response cannot be studied in isolation from the prevailing environmental stresses in invaded habitats such as seasonal drought. We investigated the combined effects of an invasive shrub Lantana camara L. (lantana), seasonal rainfall and species' microsite preferences on the growth and survival of 1,105 naturally established seedlings of native trees and shrubs in a seasonally dry tropical forest. Individuals were followed from April 2008 to February 2010, and growth and survival measured in relation to lantana density, seasonality of rainfall and species characteristics in a 50-ha permanent forest plot located in Mudumalai, southern India. We used a mixed effects modelling approach to examine seedling growth and generalized linear models to examine seedling survival. The overall relative height growth rate of established seedlings was found to be very low irrespective of the presence or absence of dense lantana. 22-month growth rate of dry forest species was lower under dense lantana while moist forest species were not affected by the presence of lantana thickets. 4-month growth rates of all species increased with increasing inter-census rainfall. Community results may be influenced by responses of the most abundant species, Catunaregam spinosa, whose growth rates were always lower under dense lantana. Overall seedling survival was high, increased with increasing rainfall and was higher for species with dry forest preference than for species with moist forest preference. The high survival rates of naturally established seedlings combined with their basal sprouting ability in this forest could enable the persistence of woody species in the face of invasive species.

Long-Term Environmental Correlates of Invasion by Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest

Invasive species, local plant communities and invaded ecosystems change over space and time. Quantifying this change may lead to a better understanding of the ecology and the effective management of invasive species. We used data on density of the highly invasive shrub Lantana camara (lantana) for the period 1990-2008 from a 50 ha permanent plot in a seasonally dry tropical forest of Mudumalai in southern India. We used a cumulative link mixed-effects regression approach to model the transition of lantana from one qualitative density state to another as a function of biotic factors such as indicators of competition from local species (lantana itself, perennial grasses, invasive Chromolaena odorata, the native shrub Helicteres isora and basal area of native trees) and abiotic factors such as fire frequency, inter-annual variability of rainfall and relative soil moisture. The density of lantana increased substantially during the study period. Lantana density was negatively associated with the density of H. isora, positively associated with basal area of native trees, but not affected by the presence of grasses or other invasive species. In the absence of fire, lantana density increased with increasing rainfall. When fires occurred, transitions to higher densities occurred at low rainfall values. In drier regions, lantana changed from low to high density as rainfall increased while in wetter regions of the plot, lantana persisted in the dense category irrespective of rainfall. Lantana seems to effectively utilize resources distributed in space and time to its advantage, thus outcompeting local species and maintaining a population that is not yet self-limiting. High-risk areas and years could potentially be identified based on inferences from this study for facilitating management of lantana in tropical dry forests.

Isolation and characterization of biofumigant from leaves of Lantana camara for control of stored grain insect pests

Due to environmental concerns, health hazards to man and the evolution of resistance in insect pests, there have been constant efforts to discover newer insecticides both from natural sources and by chemical synthesis. Natural sources for novel molecules hold promise in view of their eco-friendly nature, selectivity and mammalian safety. We have isolated one natural bioactive molecule from the leaves of Lantana camara named Coumaran, based on various physical-chemical and spectroscopic techniques (IR, H-1 NMR, C-13 NMR and MS). Coumaran is highly toxic and very low concentration is needed for control of stored product insects. This molecule has potent grain protectant potential and caused significant reduction in F1 progeny of all the three species in the treated grain and the progeny was completely suppressed at 30 mu g/l. The differences in germination between the control and treated grains were not significant. The lack of any adverse effect of Coumaran on the seed germination is highly desirable for a grain protectant, becoming a potential source of biofumigant for economical and environmentally friendly pest control strategies against stored grain pests during storage of grains or pulses. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) invasion along streams in a heterogeneous landscape

Streams are periodically disturbed due to flooding, act as edges between habitats and also facilitate the dispersal of propagules, thus being potentially more vulnerable to invasions than adjoining regions. We used a landscape-wide transect-based sampling strategy and a mixed effects modelling approach to understand the effects of distance from stream, a rainfall gradient, light availability and fire history on the distribution of the invasive shrub Lantana camara L.(lantana) in the tropical dry forests of Mudumalai in southern India. The area occupied by lantana thickets and lantana stem abundance were both found to be highest closest to streams across this landscape with a rainfall gradient. There was no advantage in terms of increased abundance or area occupied by lantana when it grew closer to streams in drier areas as compared to moister areas. On an average, the area covered by lantana increased with increasing annual rainfall. Areas that experienced greater number of fires during 1989-2010 had lower lantana stem abundance irrespective of distance from streams. In this landscape, total light availability did not affect lantana abundance. Understanding the spatially variable environmental factors in a heterogeneous landscape influencing the distribution of lantana would aid in making informed management decisions at this scale.

Estudio de caso de los efectos toxicológicos de las hojas de la planta 5 negritos (Lantana camara L.) en ovinos

Las intoxicaciones en los animales de producción, constituyen un problema que el productor se enfrenta día a día. Con el presente estudio de caso se valoró los efectos tóxicos de las hojas de la planta Lantana cámara L. conocido como cuasquito o cinco negritos,que provoca lesiones en hígado, riñones y foto dermatitis en rumiantes, para el presente ensayo se tomaron 6 ovinos hembras de una año de edad aproximadamente y con un peso promedio de 30 kg y se organizaron en tres grupos de dos individuos cada uno a los cuales se les suministró pasto jaragua a razón de 3kg/pv/día, el primer grupo de control solamente con pasto, al segundo grupo se le suministró 8g de hojas de la planta / kg p.v. y al tercer grupo se le suministró 12g de hojas de la planta / kg de p.v. y su respectiva cantidad de pasto por día, durante 21 días para finalizar con la necropsia, dando como resultado en el examen de BHC (Biometría Hemática completa) en los grupos tratados que no existe alteración significativa en los valores hemáticos, los síntomas y signos clínicos predominantes fueron hipernea, postración, conjuntiva con enrojecimiento marcado, diarrea, búsqueda de sombra, disminución del consumo del alimento, pelo opaco y piel seca, micción frecuente con orina amarilla oscuray las principales lesiones observadas a través de la necropsia revelóque en el grupo número 2, los hígados presentaron adherencias, bordes irregulares y petequias hemorrágicas, en la región de la pelvis y médula renal se observó ictericia, petequias hemorrágicas y en vesícula biliar formación de residuos en bilis y en el grupo número 3 se observó una marcada ictericia en la región de la pelvis y médula renal, también se observaron adherencias en hígados, petequias en riñón e hígado y abundante residuo biliar.

Intoxicación experimental en terneros Holstein con Ageratum houstonianum Mill (Celestina azul) y Lantana camara L. (Filigrana, Verbena Morada, Cinco negritos)

La fotosensibilización hepatógena se estudia por los servicios veterinarios desde el siglo pasado, estableciéndose una de las causales de ésta enfermedad la Lantana camara (verbena morada), donde los animales presentaban hemorragias y dermatitis, no reportándose la presencia de plantas fotosensibilizadoras, ni dermatitis ocasionada por otra causa según los resultados laboratoriales, sólo la evidencia del consumo junto al forraje de la planta Ageratum houstonianum Mill. El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar algunos efectos tóxicos de las plantas A. houstonianum y L. camara en terneros y se realizó a partir de la formación de dos grupos de animales (terneros) intoxicados experimentalmente con A. houstonianum y L. camara basado en las regulaciones de bienestar animal para los casos estudiados. Se estudiaron aspectos relacionados con la triada, tiempo de sangramiento y de coagulación en los que hubo evidencias de alteración para los parámetros fisiológicos de la especie en los animales tratados. Los análisis estadísticos se basaron en t student y regresión lineal.

Fatores que influenciam a ocorrência de ácaros em flores de Lantana camara L.

2007

Efeitos de um extrato aquoso de lantana camara (Cambará de espinho) na marcação de constituintes sanguíneos com técnecio-99m e na morfologia de hemácias de ratos-wistar

Medicinal plants have been studied and used in the world. Lantana camara has medicinal properties and it has been used in folk medicine. The aim was to verify the effect of a lantana extract on the labeling of blood constituents with 99mTc, and to evaluate the effect of an aqueous extract of Lantana camara on the morphology of RBC withdrawn from Wistar rats. The results showed that lantana extract has decreased the fixation of radioactivity on the IF-P. This effect was not observed in the BC compartment and in IF-BC. The BC-%ATI was decreased in all concentrations tested when the BC was washed. The osmotic fragility assay and morphological analysis were carried out. In presence of the extract, the data obtained indicated that (i) an increase of the hemolysis and (ii) modifications on the morphology of RBC. These effects of the Lantana camara could be associated with some pharmacological properties of the chemical compounds of this studied extract

Toxicidade de Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) em operárias de Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Aplicação de DNA Barcode na identificação de espécies dos gêneros Senna, Lantana e Casearia

Pós-graduação em Biotecnologia - IQ