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Convergent evolution of tree hydraulic traits in Amazonian habitats: implications for community assemblage and vulnerability to drought
No full textEvaluation of extruded corn breakfast cereal enriched with whole peach palm (Bactris Gasipaes, Kunth) flour
Full text linkThe present study aimed to develop extruded corn breakfast cereal enriched with whole peach palm flour. A 22 central composite rotatable design was used, and the cereal was processed in a ZKS-30 co-rotational twin-screw extruder (Werner and Pfleiderer), followed by its physicochemical, technological and microbiological characterization. The technological analysis revealed higher expansion and lower hardness as well as adequate lightness and water-absorption and water-solubility indices of the breakfast cereal at low moisture and intermediate peach palm flour contents. Moreover, 3.84% moisture, 0.63% ash, 6.09% protein, 0.39% lipids, 85.94% carbohydrates, 3.11% fiber and 246 RE of total carotenoids were found in the physicochemical analysis, and the microbiological parameters were in accordance with the Brazilian legislation (Resolution RDC 12/01). These results show that extruded corn breakfast cereal partially substituted with peach palm flour is an alternative product with good characteristics and market potential. The most recommended operational conditions to obtain products with good technological characteristics were a peach palm flour concentration of 25% and feed moisture of 16.2%. © 2020, Sociedade Brasileira de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Alimentos, SBCTA. All rights reserved
Effect of habitat amount and complexity on social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae): implications for biological control
No full textAgricultural expansions have major negative impacts on terrestrial biodiversity, directly affecting ecosystem services. Social wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae: Polistinae) actively participate in trophic balance in natural ecosystems and biological control of agricultural pests. In this work, we evaluated the richness and composition of social wasps in the interior of the native habitat, edge, and adjacent soybean cultivation area. We also evaluated the effect of the amount and complexity of habitat structure on the richness and composition of social wasps, considering two scales (buffer 5000 and 1000 m). We sampled 42 sites distributed in eight municipalities, in the Midwest region of Brazil, using Malaise trap. In total, we collected 288 individuals distributed in 43 species and 10 genera. The richness of social wasps did not differ among the points (interior, edge, and culture) in the three vegetation categories (Forest, Ecotone, and Cerrado). However, species composition differed between edge and crop, only in areas categorized as Forest. The amount of native habitat influenced social wasp richness and composition only in the Forest areas and social wasp richness was positively related to the complexity of the habitat structure at both scales (buffer 5000 and 1000 m), which had no significant effect on species composition. Social wasps are generalists regarding foraging sites but rely on structurally more complex habitats to nest. Thus, the maintenance of native habitats favors the richness of social wasps in adjacent soybean areas. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG
A conceptual model to understand the drivers of change in tropical wetlands: A comparative assessment in India and Brazil
No full textTropical wetlands are amongst the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth and have immense socioecological value. However, tropical wetlands are considered exploitable resources and continue to be drained and converted to other “productive” uses. It is therefore urgent to identify and understand the interactions between various drivers of change triggering degradation of such wetlands. In the present study, we systematically reviewed and analyzed the existing literature on wetlands in two tropical countries namely India and Brazil with special reference to inland wetlands, and proposed a conceptual model illustrating the intricate linkages of such wetlands with different drivers of change. We also developed the Nature Futures’ Framework to depict the diverse values of inland wetlands contributing to human wellbeing in the two tropical countries. Findings revealed similar drivers of change triggering the degradation of Indian and Brazilian wetlands. These include changes in climate & land use, population growth, poor land governance due to weak policies, besides other anthropogenic activities such as deforestation, and overexploitation of wetland resources. Among these, land-use change such as agriculture intensification and infrastructure development were the major direct drivers; whereas, institutional and governance factors such as the absence of concrete policy measures were the major indirect drivers threatening the inland wetlands in India and Brazil. Results also revealed some contrasting drivers of change such as illegal human settlements, and land grabbing by the brick industry for Indian wetlands; while, gold mining and intensification of bovine systems for Brazilian wetlands. Our paper also provides an insight into the status of wetland conservation in India and Brazil. We recommend the promotion of community-based conservation practices while adopting sustainable livelihood strategies by the local people for the conservation and wise use of inland wetlands in India and Brazil. The arguments raised in the paper have the potential to assist the stakeholders and/or decision-makers towards implementing sustainable management strategies for inland wetlands in the two countries, and tropical wetlands in general. © 2020, Universidade Estadual de Campinas UNICAMP. All rights reserved
Evaluation of fatty acid and mineral profiles and bioaccessibility of diosgenin in different types of Peruvian maca (Lepidium meyenii Walp)
No full textDiversity of biting midges Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), potential vectors of disease, in different environments in an Amazonian rural settlement, Brazil
Full text linkThe Culicoides transmit a variety of pathogens. Our aim was to survey the Culicoides species occurring in an Amazonian rural settlement, comparing abundance, richness, and diversity in different environments. METHODS: Culicoides were captured using CDC light traps. The Shannon-Wiener (H') and Rényi indices were used to compare species diversity and evenness between environments, the equitability (J') index was used to calculate the uniformity of distribution among species, and similarity was estimated using the Jaccard similarity index. A permutational multivariate analysis of variance was applied to assess the influence of environment on species composition. A non-metric dimensional scale was used to represent the diversity profiles of each environment in a multidimensional space. RESULTS: 6.078 Culicoides were captured, representing 84 species (45 valid species/39 morphotypes). H' values showed the following gradient: forest > capoeira > peridomicile > forest edge. The equitability J' was greater in capoeira and forests compared to peridomiciles and the forest edge. The population compositions of each environment differed statistically, but rarefaction estimates indicate that environments of the same type possessed similar levels of richness. Species of medical and veterinary importance were found primarily in peridomiciles: C. paraensis, vector of Oropouche virus; C. insignis and C. pusillus, vectors of Bluetongue virus; C. filariferus, C. flavivenula, C. foxi, and C. ignacioi, found carrying Leishmania DNA. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that diversity was higher in natural environments than in anthropized environments, while abundance and richness were highest in the most anthropized environment. These findings suggest that strictly wild Culicoides can adapt to anthropized environments
Effects of forest fragmentation on the lekking behavior of White-throated Manakins in Central Amazonia
No full textForest fragmentation can affect various aspects of population dynamics, but few investigators have assessed possible effects on the behavior of a species. Loss of habitat may limit population recruitment and abundance, which may alter breeding dynamics in forest remnants. We examined the lekking behavior of White-throated Manakins (Corapipo gutturalis) in a fragmented landscape to determine if forest fragmentation affected the spatial distribution of display courts and male behavior at courts. We captured and observed males at 19 courts located in 11 primary forests of different sizes in forest habitats of the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project area, an experimentally fragmented landscape located in the central Brazilian Amazon, and estimated their spatial distribution as the distance to the nearest court in the landscape. We quantified habitat loss using the proportion of forest cover surrounding courts and their distances to forest edges. No courts were detected in 1-ha forest fragments, suggesting direct effects from habitat loss following fragmentation that affected connectivity and thus recruitment and persistence of courts in the smallest fragments. The spatial distribution of display courts in forests larger than 10 ha remained unaltered, compared to display courts in continuous forests, but adult males were less numerous on courts with a higher percentage of forest cover and they displayed less on courts closer to forest edges. The spatial distribution of courts also contributed to variation in male social behavior, with more juvenile males present and adult males displaying at lower rates at more isolated courts. Although White-throated Manakins are locally common, the observed behavioral changes in response to habitat loss may affect their population dynamics. Our results show the importance of assessing behavioral changes in conservation programs and, in particular, of including biologically relevant measures of habitat loss in addressing its possible effects on species persistence in fragmented landscapes. © 2020 Association of Field Ornithologist
Atriadops macula (Wiedemann) inhabiting the canopy: The first record of Nemestrinidae (Diptera) in the Amazon Basin
No full textThis is the first record of the family Nemestrinidae in the Amazon Basin, based on three females identified as Atriadops macula (Wiedemann, 1824). The specimens were collected in the canopy using flight interception traps. This species was previously known to inhabit understory open areas. The canopy, the new habitat record, is an open area stratum with higher insolation, higher temperature and less humidity. As the adults of A. macula have the mouthparts greatly reduced, they probably do not feed and their occurrence in the canopy probably is more likely related to the distribution of their hosts as well as the environmental factors. Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Pres
Phylogeny of Neotropical Seirinae (Collembola, Entomobryidae) based on mitochondrial genomes
No full textSeirinae is one of the most diverse subfamilies of Collembola. To date no detailed phylogeny of Seirinae has been proposed, which leads to difficulties in the understanding of evolutionary patterns regarding this taxon. The main aim of this study is to clarify the phylogenetic relationships within the Neotropical Seirinae, by generating and analysing the mitochondrial genomes of 26 terminal taxa of Entomobryidae, and one species of Paronellidae. Specifically, we first generated Illumina HiSeq 2000 shotgun sequence data from each species, then reconstructed the mitochondrial genome of each species using two methods: MitoZ and MIRA/MITOBim. Using these data, we were able to generate a well-supported phylogeny that combined all the above species as well as three publicly available mitogenomes from other species. Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods were applied using all 13 protein coding genes. In this way, monophyly for the internal groups of Seirinae was obtained based on molecular evidence for the first time, as was the potential validity of three main internal taxa of the subfamily. We furthermore validated that Tyrannoseira is a distinct lineage and propose the elevation of Lepidocyrtinus to genus. Lastly, we anticipate that these newly available mitogenomes will serve as a useful dataset for future studies on the evolution of the Collembola and Hexapoda. © 2020 Royal Swedish Academy of Science
Description of the last-instar larva of Zenithoptera lanei Santos, 1941 (Odonata: Libellulidae)
No full textThe larva of Zenithoptera lanei Santos, 1941 is described and illustrated based on three exuviae of reared larvae collected in Misiones, Argentina, Roraima and Amazonas, Brazil. A comparison with the larva of Z. anceps Pujol-Luz, 1993 is included. Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Press