Occurrence of Norovirus GIV in Environmental Water Samples from Belém City,Amazon Region,Brazil

Noroviruses are the major cause of non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in humans, with few reports about the occurrence of the norovirus GIV strain. We investigated the presence of norovirus GIV in surface water (river, bay, and stream) and untreated sewage, and we determined a positivity rate of 9.4 % (9/96). The strains genotyped were GIV.1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of GIV in Brazil.     

Conservation value of an exotic species: the case of coconuts on the Kayapo indigenous lands, south-eastern Amazonia

In a meeting between FUNAI (the Brazilian Indian National Foundation) and the Kayapo in the Kayapo village of Aukre, in October 2005, the Kayapo Indians requested support to increase the culture of coconuts (Cocos nucifera) in their lands. The introduction of exotic species is a cause of biological diversity loss throughout the world. However, this is by no means applicable to all kinds of exotic species. We argue that the culture of coconuts may actually be a useful tool for the conservation of this country’s indigenous lands, despite criticism to the contrary. It may also be useful as source for raw material for the indigenous people who are presently experiencing a population boom. For the Kayapo of south-eastern Amazonia, such a demographic explosion, coupled with their increasing dependence on money to purchase industrialized goods, tend to substantially increase the pressure on their lands, which still contain a substantial amount of well-preserved seasonally-dry Amazonian forests. We investigated the actual economic relevance of coconuts for the Kayapo by measuring human and coconut populations and found that this exotic palm is not important for the subsistence of these Indians, due to coconut scarcity, and that such importance is not forthcoming. In the Amazon, coconuts may be particularly useful for the Indians’ nutrition due to the high energetic value of the solid endosperm of the mature fruit. Therefore, given the importance of indigenous lands for the conservation of the Amazonian forests, the encouragement of subsistence coconut cultures in indigenous lands is defensible as a measure for the conservation of biodiversity.     

Foraging behaviour and habitat use by brown skuas Stercorarius lonnbergi breeding at South Georgia

Top predators are critical to ecosystem function, exerting a stabilising effect on the food web. Brown skuas are opportunistic predators and scavengers. Although skuas are often the dominant land-based predator at seabird colonies, this is the first detailed study of their movements and activity during breeding. The study was carried out at Bird Island, South Georgia (54°00′S, 38°03′W), in the austral summer of 2011/2012 and included GPS data from 33 breeding adults tracked during the late incubation and early chick-rearing periods. Brown skuas spent on average more than 80 % of time in the territory, and it was extremely rare for both partners to leave the territory simultaneously. Much more time was spent foraging at the coast than in penguin colonies and, based on saltwater immersion data, adults never foraged at sea. None of the tracked birds appeared to specialise in catching small petrels at night. Fewer foraging trips were made per day, and hence, more time was spent in the territory, during incubation than chick-rearing. Despite the pronounced sexual size dimorphism, there were no effects of sex on territorial attendance, foraging time or habitat use. Skuas at Bird Island show higher territorial attendance and are less likely to leave the territory unattended than those breeding elsewhere, suggesting closer proximity to more diverse or abundant food resources than at other colonies. The results tie in with previous diet studies, indicating that brown skuas at this site feed mostly on seal placentae and carrion and that birds may rely on a broader range of food resources as the season progresses.     

A geochemical study of overbank sediments in an urban area (Madrid,Spain)

Overbank and stream sediments have been studied in the Community of Madrid. Four vertical profiles have been sampled corresponding to Guadarrama, Jarama, and finally Manzanares River, where two profiles have been studied upstream (El Pardo profile) and downstream (Rivas profile) Madrid city. Sieved samples (<63 µm) were subjected to total (ICP-MS/ICP-OES and INAA) and partial analysis (ICP-MS). AMS radiocarbon dating techniques revealed a young age (170 ± 40 years BP) at 2.40–2.65 m depth for Rivas profile. It has not been possible to detect pristine or pre-industrial overbank sediments, since in the rest of the studied profiles, anthropogenic wastes were found even in the lower levels. Three main sources of sediment have been detected in the area. Granitic and arkosic geology, located in the northern part of Madrid (U, Th, W, K, Na, or rare earth elements); clays located in the southeast of Madrid (Ni, Cr, or V), and finally an anthropogenic source has been identified (Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, or Sb) in Rivas profile. The influence of the anthropogenic activity has been established based on the contents distribution of contaminant elements in the profile. This can be associated to the growth of industrial activities and population in the city of Madrid during the last decades. The comparison of the profiles by a k-means cluster analysis showed some similarities for these samples that could have analogous sources (anthropogenic and geological).     

Ultraviolet reflectance influences female preference for colourful males in the European serin

Avian plumage colouration is one of the most impressive displays in nature and is frequently used as sexual signal. There is now considerable evidence that females consistently prefer males with the most elaborated colour displays. Bird colour vision expands into the ultraviolet (UV) range, which prompted several studies to test the importance of UV in mate choice, revealing that females are affected by the UV light component. These studies were mostly performed on structural plumage, whereas carotenoid-based plumage was rarely considered, although it also has a typical reflection peak in the UV. Our study tested the female choice over male yellow colouration, and whether it is influenced by UV removal, in the European serin (Serinus serinus), a sexually dichromatic cardueline finch, with males showing a conspicuous carotenoid-based yellow plumage. We shows that females preferred yellower males and that male attractiveness was lost when the UV colouration was blocked, with either of the UV-blocking techniques used. The results of our study indicate that the UV component of carotenoid colouration is important in the female mate assessment in serins and highlights the importance of considering colour perception in avian mate choice.