Distribution of molluscs on the Atlantic continental shelf off Southern Spanish Sahara, West Africa

Two hundred and seventy five mollusc species from the continental shelf off Southern Spanish Sahara (depth: 32-60 m) were identified. Their distribution pattern is strongly influenced by the nature of the bottom (firm substrate, shelter, stability of sediment) rather than other factors at that depth interval. This faunal assemblage shows great affinity to the Mediterranean and Lusitanian faunas, and comprises only few (22 %) exclusively Senegalese and species living south of Senegal.

Antarctic sympagic meiofauna in winter

This study of Antarctic sympagic meiofauna in pack ice during late winter compares communities between the perennially ice-covered western Weddell Sea and the seasonally ice-covered southern Indian Ocean. Sympagic meiofauna (proto- and metazoans > 20 µm) and eggs > 20 µm were studied in terms of diversity, abundance and carbon biomass, and with respect to vertical distribution. Metazoan meiofauna had significantly higher abundance and biomass in the western Weddell Sea (medians: 31.1 * 10**3/m**2 and 6.53 mg/m**2, respectively) than in the southern Indian Ocean (medians: 1.0 * 10**3 /m**2 and 0.06 mg/m**2, respectively). Metazoan diversity was also significantly higher in the western Weddell Sea. Furthermore, the two regions differed significantly in terms of meiofauna community composition, as revealed through multivariate analyses. The overall diversity of sympagic meiofauna was high, and integrated abundance and biomass of total meiofauna were also high in both regions (0.6 - 178.6 * 10**3/m**2 and 0.02 - 89.70 mg/m**2, respectively), mostly exceeding values reported earlier from the western Weddell Sea in winter. We attribute the differences in meiofauna communities between the two regions to the older first-year ice and multi-year ice that is present in the western Weddell Sea, but not in the southern Indian Ocean. Our study indicates the significance of perennially ice-covered regions for the establishment of diverse and abundant meiofauna communities. Furthermore, it highlights the potential importance of sympagic meiofauna for the organic matter pool and trophic interactions in sea ice.

Foraminiferal assemblage and statistical analysis of surface sediment samples from the Golfe d'Arguin, Mauritania

With the growing pressure of eutrophication in tropical regions, the Mauritian shelf provides a natural situation to understand the variability in mesotrophic assemblages. Site-specific dynamics occur throughout the 1200 m depth gradient. The shallow assemblages divide into three types of warm-water mesotrophic foraminiferal assemblages, which is not only a consequence of high primary productivity restricting light to the benthos but due to low pore water oxygenation, shelf geomorphology, and sediment partitioning. In the intermediate depth (approx. 500 m), the increase in foraminiferal diversity is due to the cold-water coral habitat providing a greater range of micro niches. Planktonic species characterise the lower bathyal zone, which emphasizes the reduced benthic carbonate production at depth. Although, due to the strong hydrodynamics within the Golf, planktonic species occur in notable abundances through out the whole depth gradient. Overall, this study can easily be compared to other tropical marine settings investigating the long-term effects of tropical eutrophication and the biogeographic distribution of carbonate producing organisms.

From traditional resource to global commodities: a comparison of Rhodiola species using NMR spectroscopy - metabolomics and HPTLC

The fast developing international trade of products based on traditional knowledge and their value chains has become an important aspect of the ethnopharmacological debate. The structure and diversity of value chains and their impact on the phytochemical composition of herbal medicinal products has been overlooked in the debate about quality problems in transnational trade. Different government policies and regulations governing trade in herbal medicinal products impact on such value chains. Medicinal Rhodiola species, including Rhodiola rosea L. and Rhodiola crenulata (Hook.f. & Thomson) H.Ohba, have been used widely in Europe and Asia as traditional herbal medicines with numerous claims for their therapeutic effects. Faced with resource depletion and environment destruction, R. rosea and R. crenulata are becoming endangered, making them more economically valuable to collectors and middlemen, and also increasing the risk of adulteration and low quality. We compare the phytochemical differences among Rhodiola raw materials available on the market to provide a practical method for Rhodiola authentication and the detection of potential adulterant compounds. Samples were collected from Europe and Asia and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis software and high performance thin layer chromatography techniques were used to analyse the samples. A method was developed to quantify the amount of adulterant species contained within mixtures. We compared the phytochemical composition of collected Rhodiola samples to authenticated samples. Rosavin and rosarin were mainly present in R. rosea whereas crenulatin was only present in R. crenulata. 30% of the Rhodiola samples purchased from the Chinese market were adulterated by other Rhodiola spp. Moreover, 7 % of the raw-material samples were not labelled satifactorily. The utilisation of both 1H-NMR and HPTLC methods provided an integrated analysis of the phytochemical differences and novel identification method for R. rosea and R. crenulata. Using 1H-NMR spectroscopy it was possible to quantify the presence of R. crenulata in admixtures with R. rosea. This quantitative technique could be used in the future to assess a variety of herbal drugs and products. This project also highlights the need to further study the links between producers and consumers in national and trans-national trade.

Colonization of Onions by Endophytic Fungi and Their Impacts on the Biology of Thrips tabaci

Endophytic fungi, which live within host plant tissues without causing any visible symptom of infection, are important mutualists that mediate plant-herbivore interactions. Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) is one of the key pests of onion, Allium cepa L., an economically important agricultural crop cultivated worldwide. However, information on endophyte colonization of onions, and their impacts on the biology of thrips feeding on them, is lacking. We tested the colonization of onion plants by selected fungal endophyte isolates using two inoculation methods. The effects of inoculated endophytes on T. tabaci infesting onion were also examined. Seven fungal endophytes used in our study were able to colonize onion plants either by the seed or seedling inoculation methods. Seed inoculation resulted in 1.47 times higher mean percentage post-inoculation recovery of all the endophytes tested as compared to seedling inoculation. Fewer thrips were observed on plants inoculated with Clonostachys rosea ICIPE 707, Trichoderma asperellum M2RT4, Trichoderma atroviride ICIPE 710, Trichoderma harzianum 709, Hypocrea lixii F3ST1 and Fusarium sp. ICIPE 712 isolates as compared to those inoculated with Fusarium sp. ICIPE 717 and the control treatments. Onion plants colonized by C. rosea ICIPE 707, T. asperellum M2RT4, T. atroviride ICIPE 710 and H. lixii F3ST1 had significantly lower feeding punctures as compared to the other treatments. Among the isolates tested, the lowest numbers of eggs were laid by T. tabaci on H. lixii F3ST1 and C. rosea ICIPE 707 inoculated plants. These results extend the knowledge on colonization of onions by fungal endophytes and their effects on Thrips tabaci.

Crecimiento, acumulación de biomasa seca y nutrientes en los frutos de café (Coffea arabica L.) variedad Pacas, Masatepe, Nicaragua

De abril a diciembre de 2012, en un ensayo ya establecido se realizó un estudio en el cultivo de café variedad pacas, con el objetivo de determinar las curvas de crecimiento, acumulación de biomasa seca y acumulación de nutrientes (N, P, K, Ca y Mg) en los frutos de café uva. El ensayo fue establecido en el año 2000 en el Jardín Botánico hoy conocido como Centro Nacional de Educación y Cooperativis mo (CENECCOP), Masatepe, Nicaragua. Se seleccionaron cuatro parcelas grandes con combinación de árboles de sombra maderables y de servicio y una parcela a pleno sol. Los tratamientos en estudio fueron a) Inga laurina y Simaruba glauca, b) Samanea saman y Tabebuia rosea, c) Samanea saman e Inga laurina, d) Tabebuia rosea y Simaruba glauca y e) una parcela a pleno sol. Las parcelas fueron distribuidas en un diseño de bloques completos al Azar (BCA). Las variables evaluadas en los frutos de café fueron diámetro polar, diámetro ecuatorial y peso seco. Los frutos se secaron en el horno a 70 °C y posteriormente se utilizó un molino Foss Tecator Cyclotec para obtener una muestra fina. De la muestra molida de los frutos, en el laboratorio de suelo y agua de la UNA se determinaron las concentraciones de N, P, K, Ca y Mg. Los datos fueron colectados cada 30 días. Para el análisis estadístico se utilizó SAS 9.1. Las curvas de crecimiento del fruto y la acumulación de peso seco se ajustaron a regresiones no lineales simples y dobles exponenciales. Se realizó una correlación entre el diámetro polar y diámetro ecuatorial de los frutos dando un coeficiente de determinación r de 98% (Pr>F= 0.0001). Para el ajuste de la curva de aumento de peso seco se utilizó el modelo Probit normal. El mayor crecimiento de los frutos se dio durante los primeros 90 días y la mayor acumulación de nutrientes se dio entre los 90 y 210 días. La combinación de árboles leguminosos presentó el diámetro polar y ecuatorial más alto. También la acumulación de biomasa seca fue mayor en el tratamiento con sombra de leguminosas.

Sistematización del proceso de producción de plantas forestales en el jardín botánico y vivero Santa Elena, periodo 2009-2013, Managua, Nicaragua

El presente estudio fue realizado en El Jardín Botánico y Vivero Santa Elena perteneciente a la Alcaldía de Managua, del departamento de áreas verdes de la Dirección General de Ornato el cual se encarga de la reproducción y producción de plantas. El propósito del mismo fue evaluar los procesos de producción de plantas Forestales en el período 2009-2013, Para la realización del trabajo investigativo se establecieron tres etapas metodológicas, siendo la primera etapa la organización del trabajo la que abarca desde la planificación del trabajo, visitas, revisión documental, elaboración de instrumentos de campo, identificación del personal clave, estableciéndose en la segunda etapa la recopilación de la información para llevar a cabo la investigación a través de la revisión del inventario de plantas forestales de los 5 años en estudio y la digitalización de los registros manuales de producción, también se obtuvo información adicional realizando entrevistas a los informantes claves del vivero. La tercera etapa es la de procesamiento y análisis de toda la información esta se fundamentó en la elaboración de la base de datos de los registros de producción de plantas en el programa Microsoft Excel, analizando la información recopilada de los registros y entrevistas realizadas, según los resultados del inventario de la producción de plantas forestales durante el estudio fue de 2,829,930 comprendiendo las etapas de producto proceso y producto terminado en ambos casos se producen en bolsas plásticas de polietileno y a terrón, siendo las plantas de bolsas plásticas las de mayor producción con un total de 2,791,170 plantas y las plantas a terrón con un total de 38,760 , las especies con más demanda son el Roble (Tabebuia rosea (Bertol.) DC.), Caoba del pacifico (Swietenia humilis Zucc.), Cortez (Tabebuia chrysantha. (Jacq.) Nicholson), Madroño (Calycophyllum candidissimum (Vahl.) DC.), y Malinche (Delonix regia (Bojer ex Hook.) que se utilizan para reforestar pistas, avenidas, boulevares, siendo la producción de plantas del vivero destinadas principalmente a la alcaldía misma a través de la dirección de Ornato para las áreas verdes de Managua; el método que utilizan para el registro de las plantas en el vivero es de forma manual lo que no garantiza que la producción de plantas registrada sea la correcta.