Impact on soil quality of a 10-year-old short-rotation coppice poplar stand compared with intensive agricultural and uncultivated systems in a Mediterranean area

Bioenergy crops play an ecologically and economically fundamental role as an alternative to agri-food productions and as renewable energy sources. Little attention has been focused on soil quality following conversion of agricultural lands to biomass crops. Here, we assessed the impact of a 10-year-old short-rotation coppice (SRC) poplar stand on the main soil chemical parameters, microbial biomass carbon, soil respiration, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), compared with intensive agricultural and uncultivated systems. Three different harvest frequencies of poplar SRC (annual T1, biannual T2 and triennial T3 cutting cycles) were evaluated. Multivariate analysis showed that poplar SRC improved soil quality compared with intensive agricultural and uncultivated systems. T1 and T2 positively affected AMF inoculum potential and root colonisation of a co-occurring plant species, while T3 improved the majority of soil chemical and biochemical parameters. Moreover, three different AMF morphospecies belonging to the genera Glomus and Scutellospora were found in poplar SRC, while morphospecies belonging exclusively to genera Glomus were recorded in intensive agricultural and uncultivated systems. Such aspects have agro-ecological implications, since the positive changes of soil nutrient availability and carbon content together with a high abundance and diversity of soil biota show clear soil sustainability of poplar SRC.     

Factors influencing survival duration and choice of virgin queens in the stingless bee Melipona quadrifasciata

In Melipona quadrifasciata, about 10 % of the females develop into queens, almost all of which are killed. Occasionally, a new queen replaces or supersedes the mother queen or heads a new colony. We investigated virgin queen fate in queenright and queenless colonies to determine the effects of queen behaviour, body mass, nestmate or non-nestmate status, queenright or queenless colony status, and, when queenless, the effect of the time a colony had been queenless, on survival duration and acceptance. None of 220 virgin queens observed in four observation hives ever attacked another virgin queen nor did any of 88 virgin queens introduced into queenright colonies ever attack the resident queen. A new queen was only accepted in a queenless colony. Factors increasing survival duration and acceptance of virgin queens were to emerge from its cell at 2 h of queenlessness, to hide, and to avoid fights with workers. In this way, a virgin queen was more likely to be available when a colony chooses a new queen, 24-48 h after resident queen removal. Running, walking or resting, antennating or trophallaxis, played little or no role, as did the factors body mass or nestmate. “Queen choice” took about 2 h during which time other virgin queens were still being killed by workers. During this agitated process, the bees congregated around the new queen. She inflated her abdomen and some of the workers deposited a substance on internal nest surfaces including the glass lid of the observation hive.     

Clay charge reversal effects on aqueous polymer sorption on lateritic soils

The effects of charge reversal about the measured point of zero charge (pH(0) approximately 5.2) of untreated and treated Sete Lagoas lateritic soil of Brazil on aqueous polymer sorption was investigated. The polymers are anionic sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCA), nonionic polyethylene oxide (PEO), and cationic polyacrylamide (PAM). They were prepared at aqueous concentrations and pH ranges of 0.1-2.0 g l(-1) and 2-9, respectively. Soil treatment involved the removal of iron oxides by treatment with dithionate-bicarbonate-citrate. Batch sorption test results show that the presence of iron oxides in lateritic soil tends to suppress sorption of CMCA (especially at pH=pH(0)) and PEO (for the whole pH range) but has uncertain effects on cationic PAM sorption. CMCA sorption on the untreated soil improves on either side of pH(0), in direct proportionality to solution concentration, except at pH<4.0, where disassociation of the polymer molecules may decrease sorption energy. Increase in the sorption of non-cationic polymers (CMCA and PEO) at pH>pH(0) is attributable to dispersion of clay, cation bridging and polymer molecular reconfiguration. For cationic PAM, electrostatic bonding to negatively charged soil particle surfaces accounts for the sorption increase. For treated soil samples, polymer sorption pattern is similar to those expected for the montmorillonitic clayey soils of temperate zones. These results indicate that the pH(0) of lateritic soils, within the regime that exists in the field, should be considered in assessing the potential effectiveness of polymer dust suppressants for tropical lateritic soils.     

Effect of clomazone herbicide on biochemical and histological aspects of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) and recovery pattern

The effects of the herbicide, clomazone, on acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase and TBARS formation in teleost fish (Rhamdia quelen) were studied. The fish were exposed to 0.5 or 1.0 mg L⁻¹ of clomazone for 12, 24, 48, 96 and 192 h. After 192 h of exposure period, fish were transferred to clean water and kept in the same for 192 h to study the recovery response. Same parameters as that of exposure period were assayed after 96 and 192 h of recovery period. Specific AChE activity was reduced in the brain and muscle after treatments, reaching a maximum inhibition of 47% in the brain and 45% in the muscle after 12 h of exposure. Fish exposed to clomazone increased TBARS production in the liver for all exposure periods. The brain presented elevated TBARS levels after 12, 24 and 48 h, but after 96 and 192 h, these levels decreased. The decrease of TBARS levels persisted in brain tissue after 96 h of recovery and returned to the control value after 192 h in clean water. Catalase activity was reduced for all periods of exposure. Histological analysis showed vacuolation in the liver after herbicide exposure. Some of the alterations observed were completely restored after recovery period.     

Correction to: Effect of biosolid hydrochar on toxicity to earthworms and brine shrimp

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Unfortunately, in the original publication of the article, Prof. Yong Sik Ok’s affiliation was incorrectly published. The author’s affiliation is...     

Population density and conservation status of the teiid lizard <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cnemidophorus littoralis</Emphasis>, an endangered species endemic to the sandy coastal plains (restinga habitats) of Rio de Janeiro state,Brazil

The threatened lizard Cnemidophorus littoralis occurs in only four restinga habitats of Brazilian coast and its current conservation status is “endangered”. Due to its restricted distribution, the effects of habitat degradation are especially harmful to them. To prevent a local or even total extinction, we analyzed changes in population density and in amount of disturbances of three restinga areas during a seven-year gap. This study took place in three restingas of Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil: Maricá, Jurubatiba and Grussaí. We compared C. littoralis current density with the one registered in 2005 by Menezes and Rocha (2013) with 2 ha transections in each restinga. We also made another group of transects to estimate population density along the entire extension of the restingas. Conservation index of each site was based on satellite images and field samplings. Data showed a decreasing trend of Cnemidophorus littoralis population density over the years. Grussaí had the lowest population density and the highest degradation index among the three sites, whereas Jurubatiba had the lowest degree of disturbance, the largest area and the highest lizard population density. Data showed an increase in the amount of disturbance in restingas over the years, which seemed to have a negative effect in C. littoralis population density. Improvement of surveillance and implementation of education programs in the protected areas and its surroundings, and periodic monitoring of C. littoralis populations to follow their density changes, are essential for the maintenance of the species.     

Reliability of groundwater vulnerability maps obtained through statistical methods

Statistical methods are widely used in environmental studies to evaluate natural hazards. Within groundwater vulnerability in particular, statistical methods are used to support decisions about environmental planning and management. The production of vulnerability maps obtained by statistical methods can greatly help decision making. One of the key points in all of these studies is the validation of the model outputs, which is performed through the application of various techniques to analyze the quality and reliability of the final results and to evaluate the model having the best performance. In this study, a groundwater vulnerability assessment to nitrate contamination was performed for the shallow aquifer located in the Province of Milan (Italy). The Weights of Evidence modeling technique was used to generate six model outputs, each one with a different number of input predictive factors. Considering that a vulnerability map is meaningful and useful only if it represents the study area through a limited number of classes with different degrees of vulnerability, the spatial agreement of different reclassified maps has been evaluated through the kappa statistics and a series of validation procedures has been proposed and applied to evaluate the reliability of the reclassified maps. Results show that performance is not directly related to the number of input predictor factors and that is possible to identify, among apparently similar maps, those best representing groundwater vulnerability in the study area. Thus, vulnerability maps generated using statistical modeling techniques have to be carefully handled before they are disseminated. Indeed, the results may appear to be excellent and final maps may perform quite well when, in fact, the depicted spatial distribution of vulnerability is greatly different from the actual one. For this reason, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the obtained results using multiple statistical techniques that are capable of providing quantitative insight into the analysis of the results. This evaluation should be done at least to reduce the questionability of the results and so to limit the number of potential choices.     

Genetic population structure in the black-spot sea bream (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pagellus bogaraveo</Emphasis> Brünnich, 1768) from the NE Atlantic

The depletion of shallow-water fish stocks through overexploitation has led to increasing fishing pressure on deep-sea species. Poor knowledge of the biology of commercially valuable deep-water fish has led to the serial depletion of stocks of several species across the world. Data regarding the genetic structure of deep-sea fish populations is important in determining the impact of overfishing on the overall genetic variability of species and can be used to estimate the likelihood of recolonisation of damaged populations through immigration of individuals from distant localities. Here the genetic structure of the commercially fished deep-water species the blackspot sea bream, Pagellus bogaraveo is investigated in the northeastern Atlantic using partial DNA sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt-b) and D-loop regions and genotyping of microsatellite loci. An absence of variation in cyt-b and low genetic variation in D-loop sequences potentially indicate that P. bogaraveo may have undergone a severe bottleneck in the past. Similar bottlenecks have been detected in other Atlantic species of fish and have possibly originated from the last glaciation. P. bogaraveo may have been particularly vulnerable to the effects of low temperature and a fall in sea level because stages of its life history occur in shallow water and coastal sites. However, there are other explanations of low genetic variability in populations of P. bogaraveo, such as a low population size and the impacts of fishing on population structure. Analysis of population structure using both D-loop and microsatellite analysis indicates low to moderate, but significant, genetic differentiation between populations at a regional level. This study supports studies on other deep-sea fish species that indicate that hydrographic or topographic barriers prevent dispersal of adults and/or larvae between populations at regional and oceanographic scales. The implications for the management and conservation of deep-sea fish populations are discussed.Communicated by J.P. Thorpe, Port Erin     

Magnetic Nanocrystalline Cellulose: Azithromycin Adsorption and In Vitro Biological Activity Against Melanoma Cells

Journal of Polymers and the Environment - This study reports a simple methodology of obtaining magnetic nanocrystalline cellulose under very mild conditions employing only Fe2+ as the iron source,...