The economic basis of the Brazilian midwest is agriculture, concentrating most of the grain production in the country. With the purpose of increasing yield, farmers have intensified land use and the use of atrazine among other pesticides, which can supposedly compromise human health and photosynthetic metabolism of plant species from Cerrado, such as Handroanthus heptaphyllus. The aim of this study was to determine experimentally the sensitivity level of H. heptaphyllus to atrazine, by measuring gas exchange, chlorophyll a fluorescence, chloroplastidic pigments, and membrane permeability. The experiment was conducted in a factorial scheme. Nine‐month‐old H. heptaphyllus plants were treated with six realistic doses of atrazine: 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 g a.i. ha–1 (corresponding to 10, 20, 40, 80, and 100% of the commercial dose recommended for corn crops, respectively), with five replications. Evaluations were performed at 12, 36, 84, 180, and 276 h after treatment application. Photosynthesis, the effective quantum yield of photosystem II, and electron transport rate were gradually reduced by the action of atrazine. On the other hand, the nonphotochemical quenching increased gradually, which indicates that this mechanism was not sufficient to avoid oxidative stress and cellular damage in H. heptaphyllus treated plants. Based on these results, we concluded that the action of the herbicide in the photosynthetic reduction occurs by the electron transport rate limitation. Therefore, H. heptaphyllus trees are at risk in Cerrado areas next to agricultural lands. 相似文献
Incubation of guanosine and Sudan III induces the formation of a stable adduct, which may be identified using a spectrophotometric technique and mass spectroscopy. The high nucleophilicity of the C8 position and its proximity to N7 makes the site susceptible to a nucleophilic attack, which explains the SN2 reaction detected between guanosine and Sudan III dye. In addition, direct interaction of Sudan III with calf thymus DNA was monitored using a simple spectrophotometric technique. The results presented indicate that a simple modification of the chemical structure of Sudan I (monoazo dye) to Sudan III (diazo dye) markedly alters reactivity towards nitrogenous DNA bases. 相似文献
ABSTRACTKnowledge about phytoplankton communities is important for aquaculture due to their influence on environmental variables. The goal of the study was to evaluate the ecological effect of seaweed Gracilaria birdiae at three different densities: 2.5 (LG2.5); 5.0 (LG5.0) and 7.5?kg m?3 (LG7.5), on water quality variables and the phytoplankton communities in integrated aquaculture systems (shrimp and seaweed) with a control (without seaweed) (LB) using biofloc technology. Settleable and total suspended solids were significantly correlated with the phytoplankton groups. In addition, orthophosphate was the main variable controlling phytoplankton growth and gross primary production. No significant differences were identified among the treatments in terms of the phytoplankton assemblages (p?>?0.05) but differences were found between the communities (ANOSIM, R global?=?0.873) in relation to the days of the experiment. However, the LG2.5 treatment had higher diversity and lower species dominance, as well as higher productivity and final shrimp weight. The results indicate that seaweed inhibit phytoplankton growth, mainly of toxic species. They suggest that phytoplankton composition in integrated aquaculture systems in the presence of seaweed at a density of 2.5?kg m?3 is more diversified and provides better water quality and shrimp performance by inhibiting the abundance of harmful species. 相似文献
Nest and territory defence are risky and potentially dangerous behaviours. If the resolution of life history trade-offs differs between individuals, the level of defence may also vary among individuals. Because melanin-based colour traits can be associated with life history strategies, differently coloured individuals may display different nest and territory defence strategies. We investigated this issue in the colour polymorphic tawny owl (Strix aluco) for which plumage varies from dark to light reddish melanic. Accordingly, we found that (1) our presence induced a greater response (flying around) from dark-coloured than light-coloured females and (2) dark reddish males suffered lower nest predation rates than light-coloured males. In experimentally enlarged broods, the probability that females reacted after we played back the hoot calls of a stranger male was higher if these females were lighter reddish; the opposite pattern was found in experimentally reduced broods with dark parents being more reactive than light parents. Finally, darker females alarmed more frequently when paired with a light than with a dark male, suggesting that partners adjust their behaviour to each other. We also tested whether colouration is used as a signal by conspecifics to adjust the level of their defensive behaviour. Accordingly, breeding females responded more vigorously to a dark than a light reddish stuffed tawny owl placed beside their nest. We conclude that melanin-based colouration is a signal of alternative nest and territory defence behaviour that depends on ecological factors. 相似文献
The diet of 50 juvenile green turtles Chelonia mydas live-captured incidentally by fixed fishing traps between January and June 2009 in Cananéia Estuarine–Lagoon complex, Brazil,
was studied through analysis of esophageal lavage samples. Green turtles consumed an omnivorous diet, with 18 food components
identified and grouped into 4 categories as follows: terrestrial plants, algae, invertebrates, and seagrass. Black mangrove
leaves were of the greatest importance to diet. Turtles incidentally get into fixed traps probably because these devices are
located on mangrove margins, where they forage. The additional foods suggest that green turtles also feed opportunistically
on material adhered to the trap structure and/or on items that cross into its interior. Green turtle diet in estuarine environments
appears to be determined by the availability of food components, with some selectivity toward items of apparently greater
nutritional value. 相似文献
Diesel engine railway traffic causes atmosphere pollution due to the exhaust emission which may be harmful to the passengers as well as workers. In this study, the air quality and PM10 concentrations were evaluated around a railway station in Northeast India where trains are operated with diesel engines. The gaseous pollutant (e.g. SO2, NO2, and NH3) was collected and measured by using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The advanced level characterizations of the PM10 samples were carried out by using ion chromatography, Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray diffraction, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry , X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy techniques to know their possible environmental contaminants. High-performance liquid chromatography technique was used to determine the concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to estimate the possible atmospheric pollution level caused by the rail traffic in the enclosure. The average PM10 concentration was found to be 262.11 µg m−3 (maximum 24 hour) which indicates poor air quality (AQI category) around the rail traffic. The statistical and air mass trajectory analysis was also done to know their mutual correlation and source apportionment. This study will modify traditional studies where only models are used to simulate the origins.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology - Due to the reduced conspicuousness of female signals, their evolution has traditionally been interpreted as a by-product of sexual or natural selection in... 相似文献
The Brazilian Amazon is known to be a region with high levels of mercury (Hg) in the environment and studies point to an association between high levels of natural mercury in the mother rock and the vast number of clandestine gold mines. Other studies already report the contamination of fish in this region, as well as high levels of Hg in biological material from environmentally exposed populations. On the other hand, this is one of the least developed regions of the planet and it is necessary to understand the vulnerability factors in these populations that may be intoxicated by this element. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the vulnerability factors in communities from Xingu River—Amazon basin probably exposed to Hg. A cross-selection study in two cities localized in Xingu River was conducted, and the sample contained was 268 individuals. sociodemographic questions, lifestyle, diet habits and health conditions were collated. The majority of the sample was female, between 30 and 59 years old, had less than 3 years of educational level and lived in the local of study more than 240 months. There was regular fish consumption (95.9%), principally carnivorous species (80.5%). The visual problem has a highest prevalence (43.3%) between the health problems and about the symptoms of Hg intoxication, memory loss (42.9%), weakness (35.1%), fatigue (34.3%), mood changes (28.7%) and difficulties in concentration (27.2%) was most reported. The female sex, age over 60, educational level below 3 years of study, did not had flush toilet, smoke and least one chronic non-communicable disease represent higher probability to had symptoms of Hg intoxication. Lack of access to health services, low education level and income evidence the susceptibility of this community to diseases and injuries. The vulnerable groups identified in this study should be a priority in public health and environmental health policies. 相似文献
Phylogeographic patterns in Uca annulipes sampled from 30 locations across an East African latitudinal gradient were investigated using mitochondrial DNA cytochrome
oxidase I sequences and analysed together with patterns of morphometric differentiation. Four hundred and four specimens along
the east African coast were sampled, and 18 haplotypes were encountered. Haplotype and nucleotide diversity values were very
low and the phylogenetic analysis did not reveal any clear phylogeographic structure. Furthermore, the analysis of molecular
variance and pairwise ΦST values showed no significant spatial population differentiation. Mismatch analyses and tests of neutrality supported the
hypothesis that this species has undergone a fairly recent demographic expansion. Our results, therefore, failed to demonstrate
significant geographical structure in the pattern of genetic variation, indicating that populations of U. annulipes are capable of extensive gene flow among mangroves along the coast. The genetic structure of this species could be panmictic
due to a high amount of gene flow along the geographical gradient in study during the planktonic larval phase, when larvae
are carried along stream by the dominant currents. Moreover, the morphometric analysis performed did not reveal differences
of shape differentiation according to a geographical pattern, although significant differences among the sampling areas were
found. 相似文献
Sympatric species sharing requirements are competitors, but recent evidence suggests that heterospecifics may also be used
as a source of information. The heterospecific habitat copying hypothesis proposes that individuals of one species might use
information inadvertently produced by the breeding performance of individuals of other species to assess habitat quality whenever
the two species share needs. In this study, we provide the first experimental test of this hypothesis by examining whether
the manipulated reproductive success of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) is used as heterospecific inadvertent social information (ISI) in breeding-habitat selection by sympatric great tits (Parus major). The reproductive success of blue tits was manipulated 1year at the scale of patches by transferring nestlings from decreased
to increased patches. No evidence was found of great tits using the reproductive success of blue tits as a source of heterospecific
ISI. However, dispersal decisions by adult great tits correlated with information on con- and heterospecific densities, which
constitute other sources of ISI. As density and breeding performance are tightly intertwined forms of information, the difficulty
in distinguishing between them might lead great tits to use heterospecific ISI more in the form of density than breeding performance
when making dispersal decisions. 相似文献