High levels of genetic differentiation and selfing in the Brazilian cerrado fruit tree Dipteryx alata Vog. (Fabaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

How is a fruit tree like you? Using artistic metaphors to explore and develop emotional competence in children

Counselling children often requires the use of supplementary strategies in order to interest and engage the child in the therapeutic process. One such strategy is the Metaphorical Fruit Tree (MFT); an art metaphor suited to exploring and developing self-concept. Quantitative and qualitative data was used to explore the relationships between children’s ability to use metaphor, age, gender, and level of emotional competence (N = 58). Quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed a significant negative relationship between self-reported emotional competence and ability to use the MFT. It is proposed that children rely on different processes to understand self and as children’s ability to cognitively report on their emotional capabilities via the Emotional Competence Questionnaire (ECQ) increases, their ability to report creatively on those capabilities via the MFT is undermined. It is suggested that the MFT may be used, via creative processes and as an alternative to cognitive processes, to increase understanding and awareness of intrapersonal and interpersonal concepts of self in the child during counselling.

Long-term conditioning of soil by plantation eucalypts and pines does not affect growth of the native jarrah tree

Plant species can condition the physico-chemical and biological properties of soil in ways that modify plant growth via plant–soil feedback (PSF). Plant growth can be positively affected, negatively affected or neutrally affected by soil conditioning by the same or other plant species. Soil conditioning by other plant species has particular relevance to ecological restoration of historic ecosystems because sites set aside for restoration are often conditioned by other, potentially non-native, plant species. We investigated changes in properties of jarrah forest soils after long-term (35 years) conditioning by pines (Pinus radiata), Sydney blue gums (Eucalyptus saligna), both non-native, plantation trees, and jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata; dominant native tree). Then, we tested the influence of the conditioned soils on the growth of jarrah seedlings. Blue gums and pines similarly conditioned the physico-chemical properties of soils, which differed from soil conditioning caused by jarrah. Especially important were the differences in conditioning of the properties C:N ratio, pH, and available K. The two eucalypt species similarly conditioned the biological properties of soil (i.e. community level physiological profile, numbers of fungal-feeding nematodes, omnivorous nematodes, and nematode channel ratio), and these differed from conditioning caused by pines. Species-specific conditioning of soil did not translate into differences in the amounts of biomass produced by jarrah seedlings and a neutral PSF was observed. In summary, we found that decades of soil conditioning by non-native plantation trees did not influence the growth of jarrah seedlings and will therefore not limit restoration of jarrah following the removal of the plantation trees.

Testing the Performance of Fourteen Native Tropical Tree Species in Two Abandoned Pastures of the Lacandon Rainforest Region of Chiapas, Mexico

The rainforest of Mexico has been degraded and severely fragmented, and urgently require restoration. However, the practice of restoration has been limited by the lack of species-specific data on survival and growth responses to local environmental variation. This study explores the differential performance of 14 wet tropical early-, mid- or late-successional tree species that were grown in two abandoned pastures with contrasting land-use histories. After 18 months, seedling survival and growth of at least 7 of the 14 tree species studied were significantly higher in the site with a much longer history of land use (site 2). Saplings of the three early-successional species showed exceptional growth rates. However, differences in performance were noted in relation to the differential soil properties between the experimental sites. Mid-successional species generally showed slow growth rates but high seedling survival, whereas late-successional species exhibited poor seedling survival at both the study sites. Stepwise linear regressions revealed that the species integrated response index combining survivorship and growth measurements, was influenced mostly by differences in soil pH between the two abandoned pastures. Our results suggest that local environmental variation among abandoned pastures of contrasting land-use histories influences sapling survival and growth. Furthermore, the similarity of responses among species with the same successional status allowed us to make some preliminary site and species-specific silvicultural recommendations. Future field experiments should extend the number of species and the range of environmental conditions to identify site generalists or more narrowly adapted species, that we would call sensitive.

The fruit tree leaf roller and its control under Illinois conditions /

Issued originally as Entomological series, circular 9.

Fruit tree survey in Lake Ontario area, New York, 1957 : summary report.

Mode of access: Internet.

Fruit tree and grape vine pruning, with an appendix on modern methods for pest and disease control.

Mode of access: Internet.

The British fruit-gardener; and art of pruning: comprising, the most approved methods of planting and raising every useful fruit-tree and fruit-bearing-shrub: etc., the true successful practice of pruning, etc., and full directions concerning soils, situations, and exposures.

Mode of access: Internet.

Fruit tree survey, commercial orchards, New York, 1962. Supplemental report.

Cover title.

Fotossíntese, condutância estomática e transpiração em pupunheira sob deficiência hídrica

Resultados de pesquisa envolvendo aspectos fisiológicos da pupunheira (Bactris gasipaes Kunth), fruteira nativa da América Tropical, são escassos. Procurando completar essa lacuna, um experimento sob deficiência hídrica foi conduzido em casa de vegetação, durante um período de 13 dias, utilizando plantas de 12 meses de idade. O objetivo principal foi avaliar as respostas da pupunheira à deficiência hídrica. As variáveis observadas foram: taxa de assimilação de CO2, transpiração, condutância estomática e potencial de água das folhas. As coletas dos dados foram realizadas diariamente em laboratório e sob fluxo de 1200 mim-2 s-1. Os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e de regressão. Verificou-se decréscimo no potencial de água da folha e nas trocas gasosas quando a irrigação foi interrompida por mais de seis dias. Valores mínimos foram obtidos no décimo dia, com redução de 92% da fotossíntese líquida, 87% da condutância estomática e 70% da transpiração. O menor potencial de água nas folhas (-1,9 MPa) foi também observado nesse período. Houve recuperação total de todas as variáveis dois dias após reirrigação, com exceção da condutância estomática. A diminuição da condutância estomática e a queda mais rápida da taxa de transpiração que a queda na fotossíntese, indicam a existência de mecanismos de aclimatação em pupunheira, no sentido de diminuir as perdas de água, quando sob condição de estresse hídrico moderado.

Germinação e vigor de sementes de Talisia esculenta (St. Hil) Radlk em função de diferentes períodos de fermentação

The present study had the aim of testing the effect of different fermentation periods on the germination and vigour of pitomba seeds. The experiment was carried out in the greenhouse of the Seed Section of the Agrarian Sciences Center of the Federal University of Paraiba, Areia, PB. The fruits were picked directly from maternal trees located in the same municipal district, peeled manually and fermented for 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours, in addition to seeds with pulp (without fermentation). The experiment was entirely randomized with four replications of 25 seeds per treatment. After each fermentation period, the seeds were washed in tap water and left in the laboratory environment for 24 hours on paper towels. Water content, germination and vigor (germination velocity index, seedling length and dry mass., relative frequency and medium time of germination) were measured. Less water content was shown in the seeds fermented for 96 hours (38.5%), while the largest germination percentages were observed after 76 hours of fermentation (93%). In relation to vigour, the best values occurred with 86 and 105 hours of fermentation. Fermentation is recommended for up to 105 hours as appropriate to removal of the pitomba seed aril.

Rede de conservação on farm para fruteiras nativas da fitofisionomia floresta com araucária: levantamento de informações

Currently, the biodiversity is considered as a powerful food security strategy, ecological and economical for humanity. Brazil is one of the main centers of genetic diversity of native fruit in the world. However, little is known about most of these species. In southwestern Paraná region, this diversity can be found, however, due to human action to increase genetic erosion, it is losing genotypes with potential for use. Thus, the conservation of genetic resources is essential for reduction strategies for damage caused to the environment and the lack of tech-nical information to increase the use of them. This study aimed to obtain information for cre-ating on farm net conservation in four citties this region. This study was carried out in rural properties from Dois Vizinhos, Itapejara D’Oeste, Verê and São Jorge D'Oeste citties, Paraná State, Brazil. It was action plan was established with the rural communities through gathering information with agents considered key in the process, it seeking the greatest number of farm-ers who had their properties in the native fruits as pitanga, jabuticaba, uvaia, cereja-do-mato, guabiroba, guabiju, sete capote, goiaba serrana, araça amarelo e vermelho trees. Semi-structured questionnaire was applied, which concerned issues of presence, handling and use of Myrtaceae fruit trees on their properties and informed consent term. There was a survey of the number and native fruits present in each property. The characterization of each household in terms of diversity handled and used in native fruit was performed. It was realized the soil col-lect in 200 properties with the presence of at least some native fruit tree naturally occurring, in order to determine the preference of the species for the chemical characteristics of the soil. The four citties have native fruits trees in quantity and diversity for the creation of on farm net conservation, with farmers demonstrating knowledge of their role as guardians of this heritage of humanity.

Designing mixed species tree plantations for the tropics : balancing ecological attributes of species with landholder preferences in the Philippines

A mixed species reforestation program known as the Rainforestation Farming system was undertaken in the Philippines to develop forms of farm forestry more suitable for smallholders than the simple monocultural plantations commonly used then. In this study, we describe the subsequent changes in stand structure and floristic composition of these plantations in order to learn from the experience and develop improved prescriptions for reforestation systems likely to be attractive to smallholders. We investigated stands aged from 6 to 11 years old on three successive occasions over a 6 year period. We found the number of species originally present in the plots as trees >5 cm dbh decreased from an initial total of 76 species to 65 species at the end of study period. But, at the same time, some new species reached the size class threshold and were recruited into the canopy layer. There was a substantial decline in tree density from an estimated stocking of about 5000 trees per ha at the time of planting to 1380 trees per ha at the time of the first measurement; the density declined by a further 4.9% per year. Changes in composition and stand structure were indicated by a marked shift in the Importance Value Index of species. Over six years, shade-intolerant species became less important and the native shade-tolerant species (often Dipterocarps) increased in importance. Based on how the Rainforestation Farming plantations developed in these early years, we suggest that mixed-species plantations elsewhere in the humid tropics should be around 1000 trees per ha or less, that the proportion of fast growing (and hence early maturing) trees should be about 30–40% of this initial density and that any fruit tree component should only be planted on the plantation margin where more light and space are available for crowns to develop.