Periphoba hircia (lepidoptera: saturniidae) defoliating plants of acacia mangium in the state of roraima, Brazil

Larvae of Periphoba hircia (Cramer) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) defoliated Acacia mangium in the state of Roraima, Brazil. This is the first report of this species defoliating A. mangium in Brazil. The damage to the foliage was substantial and P. hircia should be monitored to ascertain its significance as pest of this plant. The larval stage of this species had 6 instars. Its cocoons were woven either on A. mangium leaves or in the soil. The pupal period of P. hiricia reared on A. mangium lasted 6 months. Its adults were dimorphic with females larger and having more prominent abdomens than males.

Transpiração e eficiência de uso da água em plantios puros e mistos de eucalyptus grandis e acacia mangium

Pós-graduação em Ciência Florestal - FCA

Microbial, physical, chemical and sensory properties of Minas Frescal Cheese with inulin and acacia gum

Minas frescal cheese is a semi-skimmed product with high moisture and simple preparation and one of the most consumed in Brazil. Thus, the aim of this study was to combine the characteristics of inulin and gum acacia (by having fibers and being prebiotic) to produce a minas frescal cheese. Were evaluate the characteristics physical and chemical, microbial and sensory acceptance (hedonic scale) of each cheese. Three cheeses were prepared; one as a standard (QP) without inulin, and others with 0.49% (QI25) and 0.98% (QI50) inulin, the amount of gum acacia was maintained. The yield of the formulations with gum acacia and inulin were 9.76% for (QI25) and to 20.03% (QI50) higher than the standard sample. In relation to moisture content, samples containing inulin and gum acacia showed values greater than the standard sample. The sensory analysis indicated no differences between scores for color, aroma and texture, but significant differences were detected for flavor, in which (QI25) received the highest acceptance. Regarding the energy value, it was obtained 276 kcal (QP), 215 kcal (QI25) and 190 kcal (QI50). Therefore, the developed product presents satisfactory results for sensory, microbiological and physical- chemical analyses.

Comparative in vitro evaluation of forage legumes (prosopis, acacia, atriplex, and leucaena) on ruminal fermentation and methanogenesis

Two experiments in vitro were conducted to evaluate four Egyptian forage legume browses, i.e., leaves of prosopis (Prosopis juliflora), acacia (Acacia saligna), atriplex (A triplex halimus), and leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala), in comparison with Tifton (Cynodon sp.) grass hay for their gas production, methanogenic potential, and ruminal fermentation using a semi-automatic system for gas production (first experiment) and for ruminal and post ruminal protein degradability (second experiment). Acacia and leucaena showed pronounced methane inhibition compared with Tifton, while prosopis and leucaena decreased the acetate:propionate ratio (P<0.01). Acacia and leucaena presented a lower (P<0.01) ruminal NH3-N concentration associated with the decreasing (P<0.01) ruminal protein degradability. Leucaena, however, showed higher (P<0.01) intestinal protein digestibility than acacia. This study suggests that the potential methanogenic properties of leguminous browses may be related not only to tannin content, but also to other factors.

Phylogeography of Rift Valley Fever Virus in Africa Reveals Multiple Introductions in Senegal and Mauritania

Rift Valley Fever (RVF) virus (Family Bunyaviridae) is an arthropod-borne RNA virus that infects primarily domestic ruminants and occasionally humans. RVF epizootics are characterized by numerous abortions and mortality among young animals. In humans, the illness is usually characterized by a mild self-limited febrile illness, which could progress to more serious complications. RVF virus is widespread and endemic in many regions of Africa. In Western Africa, several outbreaks have been reported since 1987 when the first major one occurred at the frontier of Senegal and Mauritania. Aiming to evaluate the spreading and molecular epidemiology in these countries, RVFV isolates from 1944 to 2008 obtained from 18 localities in Senegal and Mauritania and 15 other countries were investigated. Our results suggest that a more intense viral activity possibly took place during the last century compared to the recent past and that at least 5 introductions of RVFV took place in Senegal and Mauritania from distant African regions. Moreover, Barkedji in Senegal was possibly a hub associated with the three distinct entries of RVFV in West Africa.

Production and carbon allocation in monocultures and mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium in Brazil

Introducing nitrogen-fixing tree species in fast-growing eucalypt plantations has the potential to improve soil nitrogen availability compared with eucalypt monocultures. Whether or not the changes in soil nutrient status and stand structure will lead to mixtures that out-yield monocultures depends on the balance between positive interactions and the negative effects of interspecific competition, and on their effect on carbon (C) uptake and partitioning. We used a C budget approach to quantify growth, C uptake and C partitioning in monocultures of Eucalyptus grandis (W. Hill ex Maiden) and Acacia mangium (Willd.) (treatments E100 and A100, respectively), and in a mixture at the same stocking density with the two species at a proportion of 1 : 1 (treatment MS). Allometric relationships established over the whole rotation, and measurements of soil CO2 efflux and aboveground litterfall for ages 4-6 years after planting were used to estimate aboveground net primary production (ANPP), total belowground carbon flux (TBCF) and gross primary production (GPP). We tested the hypotheses that (i) species differences for wood production between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures were partly explained by different C partitioning strategies, and (ii) the observed lower wood production in the mixture compared with eucalypt monoculture was mostly explained by a lower partitioning aboveground. At the end of the rotation, total aboveground biomass was lowest in A100 (10.5 kg DM m(-2)), intermediate in MS (12.2 kg DM m(-2)) and highest in E100 (13.9 kg DM m(-2)). The results did not support our first hypothesis of contrasting C partitioning strategies between E. grandis and A. mangium monocultures: the 21% lower growth (delta B-w) in A100 compared with E100 was almost entirely explained by a 23% lower GPP, with little or no species difference in ratios such as TBCF/GPP, ANPP/TBCF, delta B-w/ANPP and delta B-w/GPP. In contrast, the 28% lower delta B-w in MS than in E100 was explained both by a 15% lower GPP and by a 15% lower fraction of GPP allocated to wood growth, thus partially supporting our second hypothesis: mixing the two species led to shifts in C allocations from above- to belowground, and from growth to litter production, for both species.

Introducing Acacia mangium trees in Eucalyptus grandis plantations: consequences for soil organic matter stocks and nitrogen mineralization

Background and aims Eucalyptus plantations cover 20 million hectares on highly weathered soils. Large amounts of nitrogen (N) exported during harvesting lead to concerns about their sustainability. Our goal was to assess the potential of introducing A. mangium trees in highly productive Eucalyptus plantations to enhance soil organic matter stocks and N availability. Methods A randomized block design was set up in a Brazilian Ferralsol soil to assess the effects of mono-specific Eucalyptus grandis (100E) and Acacia mangium (100A) stands and mixed plantations (50A:50E)on soil organic matter stocks and net N mineralization. Results A 6-year rotation of mono-specific A. mangium plantations led to carbon (C) and N stocks in the forest floor that were 44% lower and 86% higher than in pure E. grandis stands, respectively. Carbon and N stocks were not significantly different between the three treatments in the 0-15 cm soil layer. Field incubations conducted every 4 weeks for the two last years of the rotation estimated net soil N mineralization in 100A and 100E at 124 and 64 kg ha(-1) yr(-1), respectively. Nitrogen inputs to soil with litterfall were of the same order as net N mineralization. Conclusions Acacia mangium trees largely increased the turnover rate of N in the topsoil. Introducing A. mangium trees might improve mineral N availability in soils where commercial Eucalyptus plantations have been managed for a long time.

Evolución de la nueva desembocadura del Río Senegal mediante imágenes Landsat

La charla corresponde al trabajo fin de Máster de la autora

Resolución de "pequeños" conflictos en zonas de "grandes" conflictos. Una aproximación desde la antropología a las nociones endógenas de paz en Casamance (Senegal)

[ES] A menudo, las grandes instituciones internacionales aplican políticas de resolución de conflictos a gran escala sin fijarse en los sistemas y estrategias endógenos de las poblaciones implicadas. En este artículo intentaremos presentar algunos valores, prácticas e instituciones locales que intentan resolver conflictos de todo tipo a pequeña escala en la región de Casamance, donde se vive uno de los conflictos más duraderos del continente africano. Para ello, presentamos los diferentes grupos étnicos que habitan en Casamance y algunas de sus instituciones más características a la hora de mediar entre familias, pueblos o comunidades. Y finalmente invitamos a reflexionar sobre si estas estrategias endógenas podrían ser utilizadas de forma coordinada como contribución al proceso de paz en Casamance.