Heterogeneity of fern communities in riparian forest remnants from the South Brazilian Campos (Pampa) / Heterogeneidade de comunidades de samambaias em remanescentes de mata ciliar nos campos (Pampa) sul do Brasil

Abstract Riparian forests present biotic and abiotic factors that influence environmental dissimilarity, which reflect specific fern distribution. The purpose of this this study was to evaluate the environmental heterogeneity associated to the terrestrial fern communities in riparian forest remnants in the grasslands southern half of Rio Grande do Sul state . We sampled ten 5×5 m plots in each site (AI, AII and AIII), totaling 30 plots. In each plot, fern species were inventoried and vegetative, microclimatic and edaphic parameters were collected. A total of 24 species were surveyed in the three riparian forest remnants, distributed in 19 genera and 10 families. The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) showed that plots of AI had the highest temperature and aluminum values, while humidity was the lowest, which was reflected in the decrease of ferns richness. Soil moisture and air humidity were variables more related to the plots of AII and AII, indicating that these plants were favored in these environments. The floristic identity characteristic of each site suggests that many species are dependent to certain local environmental conditions. In this sense, even in very geographically close sites, riparian remnants deserve conservation attention, since they are capable of harboring high diversity in this grassland phytophysiognomy in southern Brazil. The results of this integrated study, with vegetation, climatic, and edaphic parameters, suggest, as expected, that ferns categorically respond to the heterogeneity shown by riparian environments, even when fragments are geographically very close to each other.

Resumo As florestas ripárias apresentam fatores bióticos e abióticos que influenciam a dissimilaridade ambiental, e que refletem a distribuição específica de samambaias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a heterogeneidade ambiental associada às comunidades de samambaias terrícolas em remanescentes de mata ciliar dos campos da metade sul do estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Pampa). Foram amostradas dez parcelas de 5×5 m em cada sítio (AI, AII e AIII), totalizando 30 parcelas. Em cada quadro, foram inventariadas as espécies de samambaia, além de outros parâmetros vegetacionais, microclimáticos e edáficos. Um total de 24 espécies foram identificadas nos três remanescentes de mata ciliar, distribuídas em 19 gêneros e 10 famílias. A Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA) mostrou que as parcelas de AI apresentaram os maiores valores de temperatura e alumínio, enquanto a umidade foi a menor, o que se refletiu na diminuição da riqueza de samambaias. A umidade do solo e a umidade do ar foram as variáveis ​​mais relacionadas às parcelas de AII e AIII, indicando que essas plantas foram favorecidas nesses. A identidade florística característica de cada local sugere que muitas espécies são dependentes de certas condições ambientais locais. Nesse sentido, mesmo em sítios geograficamente próximos, remanescentes de matas ciliares merecem atenção no que se refere a conservação, uma vez que são capazes de abrigar grande diversidade nesta fitofisionomia exclusiva do sul do Brasil. Os resultados deste estudo integrado, com parâmetros vegetacionais, climáticos e edáficos, sugerem, que as samambaias respondem categoricamente à heterogeneidade mostrada pelos ambientes ripários, mesmo quando os fragmentos estão próximos.

Density and diversity of filamentous fungi in the water and sediment of Araçá bay in São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil / Densidade e diversidade de fungos filamentosos na água e sedimento da Baía do Araçá, São Sebastião (SP), Brasil

Abstract Araçá Bay, located in the city of São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil, is a protected area of substantial complexity. It represents the last remaining mangrove swamp preserve between the cities of Bertioga and Ubatuba on the northern coast of São Paulo State. This mangrove swamp has specific physical and chemical properties, and it shelters a wide variety of life, including fungi. These microorganisms are present in a variety of species with different morphophysiological features, and they have the ability to produce enzymes of biotechnological importance. The goal of this study was to quantify, isolate, and identify filamentous fungi in water and sediment samples from the Araçá Bay mangrove swamp in São Sebastião. Two samplings were performed in the summer and two were performed in the winter. The samples were collected from intertidal zones, and dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, salinity, and pH were measured in situ. The spread plate technique was used to inoculate the samples collected on plates with a potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium. A total of 208 colonies (68 from water samples and 140 from sediment samples) were isolated, and they were identified based on their morphological characteristics. Filamentous fungus density was higher in the sediment than in the water, and the samplings performed in the winter revealed a higher density than those performed in the summer. Though some of the environmental parameters were not ideal for fungal development, a high quantity of growth was nevertheless observed. When the isolated colonies were analyzed, the greatest diversity and species richness were found in the summer samples. The genera identified in all of the samples were Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Fusarium. The pathogenic species found from these genera were Aspergillus fumigatus, A. terreus, Penicillium citrinum, and P. chrysogenum. These species are also able to produce enzymes that offer a variety of applications. The fungal community described herein represents the diversity found in this mangrove swamp during the period studied. Many of the fungus species found are pathogenic and may be useful due to their ability to produce specific enzymes applicable in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries.

Resumo A Baía do Araçá, localizada no município de São Sebastião (SP), é uma região protegida, de grande complexidade, mantendo o último remanescente preservado de manguezal entre Bertioga e Ubatuba, litoral Norte do Estado de São Paulo. Manguezal caracteriza-se com propriedades físico-químicas específicas e abriga grande diversidade de seres vivos, entre eles os fungos. Estes microrganismos apresentam grande variedade de espécies e diferentes características morfofisiológicas com capacidade de produzir algumas enzimas de importância biotecnológica. Este trabalho teve como objetivo quantificar, isolar e identificar fungos filamentosos em amostras de água e de sedimento do manguezal da Baía do Araçá, São Sebastião, (SP). Foram realizadas 2 coletas no verão e 2 no inverno na região entremarés, medidos "in situ" os parâmetros oxigênio dissolvido (OD), temperatura, salinidade e pH. Utilizou-se a Técnica "Spread Plate" para inocular os materiais coletados, em placas com meio Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). Foram isoladas 208 colônias (68 das amostras de água e 140 das amostras de sedimento) e identificadas pelas características morfofisiológicas. As densidades de fungos filamentosos foram maiores no sedimento em relação à água e nas coletas realizadas no inverno demonstraram maiores densidades do que no verão. Apesar de alguns parâmetros ambientais não se apresentarem ideais para o desenvolvimento dos fungos, observou-se alta quantidade de crescimento nas amostragens. Analisando as colônias isoladas, a maior diversidade e riqueza foram observadas na amostragem coletado no verão. Foram observados os gêneros Aspergillus sp, Penicillium sp, Cladosporium sp e Fusarium sp em todas as amostragens, dos quais as espécies Aspergillus fumigatus, A. terreus, Penicillium citrinum e P. chrysogenum identificados neste trabalho são considerados patogênicos mas também são espécies capazes de produzir enzimas aplicáveis em diversas atividades. A comunidade fúngica descrita apresenta a diversidade encontrada neste manguezal em relação à variedade ambiental no período estudado, sendo que muitos apresentam patogenicidade e podem ser uteis pela sua capacidade de produzir enzimas específicas aplicáveis nos estudos biotecnológicos e farmacêuticos.

Influence of Peanut Cultivars and Environmental Conditions on the Diversity and Community Composition of Pod Rot Soil Fungi in China

Peanut yield and quality are seriously affected by pod rot pathogens worldwide, especially in China in recent years. The goals of this study are to analyze the structure of fungal communities of peanut pod rot in soil in three peanut cultivars and the correlation of pod rot with environmental variables using 454 pyrosequencing. A total of 46,723 internal transcribed spacer high-quality sequences were obtained and grouped into 1,706 operational taxonomic units at the 97% similarity cut-off level. The coverage, rank abundance, and the Chao 1 and Shannon diversity indices of the operational taxonomic units were analyzed. Members of the phylum Ascomycota were dominant, such as Fusarium, Chaetomium, Alternaria, and Sordariomycetes, followed by Basidiomycota. The results of the heatmap and redundancy analysis revealed significant variation in the composition of the fungal community among the three cultivar samples. The environmental conditions in different peanut cultivars may also influence on the structure of the fungal community. The results of this study suggest that the causal agent of peanut pod rot may be more complex, and cultivars and environmental conditions are both important contributors to the community structure of peanut pod rot fungi.

Heterogeneity of fern communities in riparian forest remnants from the South Brazilian Campos (Pampa)

Abstract Riparian forests present biotic and abiotic factors that influence environmental dissimilarity, which reflect specific fern distribution. The purpose of this this study was to evaluate the environmental heterogeneity associated to the terrestrial fern communities in riparian forest remnants in the grasslands southern half of Rio Grande do Sul state . We sampled ten 5×5 m plots in each site (AI, AII and AIII), totaling 30 plots. In each plot, fern species were inventoried and vegetative, microclimatic and edaphic parameters were collected. A total of 24 species were surveyed in the three riparian forest remnants, distributed in 19 genera and 10 families. The Principal Components Analysis (PCA) showed that plots of AI had the highest temperature and aluminum values, while humidity was the lowest, which was reflected in the decrease of ferns richness. Soil moisture and air humidity were variables more related to the plots of AII and AII, indicating that these plants were favored in these environments. The floristic identity characteristic of each site suggests that many species are dependent to certain local environmental conditions. In this sense, even in very geographically close sites, riparian remnants deserve conservation attention, since they are capable of harboring high diversity in this grassland phytophysiognomy in southern Brazil. The results of this integrated study, with vegetation, climatic, and edaphic parameters, suggest, as expected, that ferns categorically respond to the heterogeneity shown by riparian environments, even when fragments are geographically very close to each other.

Resumo As florestas ripárias apresentam fatores bióticos e abióticos que influenciam a dissimilaridade ambiental, e que refletem a distribuição específica de samambaias. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a heterogeneidade ambiental associada às comunidades de samambaias terrícolas em remanescentes de mata ciliar dos campos da metade sul do estado do Rio Grande do Sul (Pampa). Foram amostradas dez parcelas de 5×5 m em cada sítio (AI, AII e AIII), totalizando 30 parcelas. Em cada quadro, foram inventariadas as espécies de samambaia, além de outros parâmetros vegetacionais, microclimáticos e edáficos. Um total de 24 espécies foram identificadas nos três remanescentes de mata ciliar, distribuídas em 19 gêneros e 10 famílias. A Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA) mostrou que as parcelas de AI apresentaram os maiores valores de temperatura e alumínio, enquanto a umidade foi a menor, o que se refletiu na diminuição da riqueza de samambaias. A umidade do solo e a umidade do ar foram as variáveis mais relacionadas às parcelas de AII e AIII, indicando que essas plantas foram favorecidas nesses. A identidade florística característica de cada local sugere que muitas espécies são dependentes de certas condições ambientais locais. Nesse sentido, mesmo em sítios geograficamente próximos, remanescentes de matas ciliares merecem atenção no que se refere a conservação, uma vez que são capazes de abrigar grande diversidade nesta fitofisionomia exclusiva do sul do Brasil. Os resultados deste estudo integrado, com parâmetros vegetacionais, climáticos e edáficos, sugerem, que as samambaias respondem categoricamente à heterogeneidade mostrada pelos ambientes ripários, mesmo quando os fragmentos estão próximos.

Habitat use by Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) in intertidal zones of a subtropical estuary, Brazil / Uso do habitat por Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) nas regiões intertidais de um estuário subtropical, Brasil

Habitat use is different along the ontogenetic development of some species and may be influenced by environmental parameters. This study described the interaction of Atherinella brasiliensis caught in intertidal areas of the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex with environmental parameters. We caught 10024 individuals between August 2010 and July 2011, with total mean length of 44.32 mm (SD ± 25.37 mm), variation range between 12 and 142 mm, and weight between 0.01 and 73 g, averaging 1.35 g (SD ± 2.66 g) and ages estimated between 1 and 22 months. Significant differences were detected between sectors and periods for number of individuals and weight at capture, with higher mean values in the mean sector during the rainy period. The spatial and temporal distribution of ages was statistically different, individuals between 1 and 3 months were more abundant in the sector 2 during the rainy period, and individuals older than 7 months were evenly distributed throughout the sampling area, and with higher mean abundance at the beginning and end of the dry period. Environmental variables that most influenced the distribution of age classes were temperature and salinity.

O uso do habitat é diferenciado ao longo do desenvolvimento ontogenético em algumas espécies, podendo ser influenciado pelos parâmetros ambientais. O presente estudo descreve a interação da Atherinella brasiliensis capturada nas regiões intertidais do Complexo Estuarino de Paranaguá (CEP) com os parâmetros ambientais deste ambiente. Foram capturados 10024 indivíduos entre agosto de 2010 e julho de 2011, com comprimento total médio de 44,32 mm (DP = ± 25,37 mm), amplitude de variação entre 12 e 142 mm, e pesos entre 0,01 e 73 g, com média de 1,35g (DP = ± 2,66 g) e idades estimadas entre < 1 e 22 meses. Foram evidenciadas diferenças significativas entre setores e estações do ano no número de indivíduos e peso da captura, com maiores médias no setor mediano e na estação chuvosa. Diferenças estatísticas foram observadas na distribuição espaço-temporal das idades, com os indivíduos entre < 1 e 3 meses em média mais abundantes no setor 2 e período chuvoso, e os com indivíduos com idades acima de 7 meses igualmente distribuídos em toda a área amostral e com maior abundância média no início e final da seca. As variáveis ambientais que mais influenciaram na distribuição das classes etárias foram a temperatura e a salinidade.

Habitat use by Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) in intertidal zones of a subtropical estuary, Brazil / Uso do habitat por Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) nas regiões intertidais de um estuário subtropical, Brasil

Habitat use is different along the ontogenetic development of some species and may be influenced by environmental parameters. This study described the interaction of Atherinella brasiliensis caught in intertidal areas of the Paranaguá Estuarine Complex with environmental parameters. We caught 10024 individuals between August 2010 and July 2011, with total mean length of 44.32 mm (SD ± 25.37 mm), variation range between 12 and 142 mm, and weight between 0.01 and 73 g, averaging 1.35 g (SD ± 2.66 g) and ages estimated between < 1 and 22 months. Significant differences were detected between sectors and periods for number of individuals and weight at capture, with higher mean values in the mean sector during the rainy period. The spatial and temporal distribution of ages was statistically different, individuals between < 1 and 3 months were more abundant in the sector 2 during the rainy period, and individuals older than 7 months were evenly distributed throughout the sampling area, and with higher mean abundance at the beginning and end of the dry period. Environmental variables that most influenced the distribution of age classes were temperature and salinity.

O uso do habitat é diferenciado ao longo do desenvolvimento ontogenético em algumas espécies, podendo ser influenciado pelos parâmetros ambientais. O presente estudo descreve a interação da Atherinella brasiliensis capturada nas regiões intertidais do Complexo Estuarino de Paranaguá (CEP) com os parâmetros ambientais deste ambiente. Foram capturados 10024 indivíduos entre agosto de 2010 e julho de 2011, com comprimento total médio de 44,32 mm (DP = ± 25,37 mm), amplitude de variação entre 12 e 142 mm, e pesos entre 0,01 e 73 g, com média de 1,35g (DP = ± 2,66 g) e idades estimadas entre < 1 e 22 meses. Foram evidenciadas diferenças significativas entre setores e estações do ano no número de indivíduos e peso da captura, com maiores médias no setor mediano e na estação chuvosa. Diferenças estatísticas foram observadas na distribuição espaço-temporal das idades, com os indivíduos entre < 1 e 3 meses em média mais abundantes no setor 2 e período chuvoso, e os com indivíduos com idades acima de 7 meses igualmente distribuídos em toda a área amostral e com maior abundância média no início e final da seca. As variáveis ambientais que mais influenciaram na distribuição das classes etárias foram a temperatura e a salinidade.

Optimization of Process Parameters for Improved Production of Bioactive Metabolites by Streptomyces tritolerans DAS 165T.

Aims: To optimize the process parameters for enhanced production of bioactive metabolites by Streptomyces tritolerans DAS 165T. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Botany and Microbiology, April 2012 to August 2012. Methodology: Agar well diffusion assay was employed to study the effect of environmental parameters such as incubation period, pH, temperature and salt concentration and influence of various nutrients such as carbon and nitrogen sources and minerals on the bioactive metabolite production by Streptomyces tritolerans DAS 165T.  Results: The production of antimicrobial metabolite was high when the strain was cultured for six days at 35ºC in medium (pH 7.5) with sucrose at the concentration of 2% (carbon source), soya peptone at the concentration of 1% (nitrogen source) and sodium chloride at the concentration of 5%.  Conclusion: This is the first report on the optimization of bioactive metabolite production by Streptomyces tritolerans DAS 165T. As the strain exhibited potent antimicrobial activity, it may be explored for biotechnological purposes.

Optimization of Culture Conditions for Enhanced Antimicrobial Activity of Rhodococcus erythropolis VLK-12 Isolated from South Coast of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Aims: To Isolate and characterize the antimicrobial actinomycetes from the marine habitats of south coast of Andhra Pradesh, India. Place and Duration of the Study: Marine habitats of south coast of Andhra Pradesh, India, between June 2011 and July 2012. Methodology: The soil samples were collected, pre-treated and plated on yeast extractmalt extract dextrose agar medium. Identification of the strain was carried out by employing the polyphasic taxonomical studies including the 16S rRNA sequence based analysis. Phylogenetic tree was constructed using the Molecular Evolutionary Genetic Analysis (MEGA) version 5. The influence of culture conditions and the effect of environmental factors on the biomass and antimicrobial activy\ity of the strain was the focus of this study. Results: A total of 20 actinobacteria were isolated from the marine habitats of south coast of Andhra Pradesh, India, and screened for antimicrobial activity against test bacteria and fungi. The potent bioactive metabolite producing strain was designated as VLK-12. Further polyphasic studies revealed that the Isolate VLK-12 belongs to the genera Rhodococcus. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA sequencing studies revealed that the strain is closely related to Rhodococcus erythropolis. The crude ethyl acetate extract obtained by culturing the strain on YMD inhibited Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria along with fungi. Conclusion: Rhodococcus erythropolis isolated from the marine habitats of south coast of Andhra Pradesh exhibited antimicrobial activity against pathogens.

A review of influence of environment and process parameters on glucosinolate-myrosinase system from Brassica.

The family Brassicaceae has been very studied due to the pharmacologic properties of the glucosinolates (GLS) and their hydrolysis products, which are associated with the action of an endogenous thioglucosidase myrosinase. Factors such as climate, soil, genotype, seasonal variation, processing, extraction quantification can affect the enzyme activity and stability, leading to increase or decrease the hydrolysis of GLS. Based on this aspect, the main objective of this work is present a review concerning the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, influence of climate and genotype to seasonal variation in the glucosinolate-myrosinase system, effect of thermal and high hydrostatic pressure treatments on the GLS content, as well as, the isolation and quantification of GLS from Brassica.

Breeding period in the mangrove crab Goniopsis cruentata (Decapoda: Grapsidae) in Northeast Brazil

The brachyuran crabs are iteroparous species which present a high diversification of reproduction patterns, which may have evolved as a species-specific response to environmental conditions. Tropical species commonly present a year-round reproduction due to stable environment conditions. Goniopsis cruentata is a crab species widely distributed along the Western Atlantic, inhabiting practically every microhabitat in the mangrove ecosystem. The aim of the present study is to determine the breeding period of the crab Goniopsis cruentata in Northeastern Brazil and also to evaluate the influence of water salinity, rainfall and air and water temperature on it. A total of 71 ovigerous females, captured from August-2007 to July-2008, were used to assess the breeding period of this species. It was analyzed by the monthly proportion of ovigerous females. A correlation was applied to verify the influence of the abiotic factors on the breeding period. The present population bred seasonal-continuously with peaks in the dry period, which was not associated with monthly variations of salinity, rainfall and air and water temperatures. Therefore, according to statistical analyses, our hypothesis was refuted. However, breeding was intensified in the dry period, when salinity and temperatures were higher and rainfall was lower. We conclude that, even though breeding is not related to monthly variation of environmental factors, it occurs in periods of higher salinity and temperatures and lower rainfall.

Los cangrejos Brachyura son especies iteróparas, que presentan alta diversificación en los patrones de reproducción, que pueden haber evolucionado como una respuesta específica de la especie a las condiciones ambientales. Las especies tropicales frecuentemente presentan una reproducción en todo el año debido a las condiciones estables del medio. El cangrejo Goniopsis cruentata es una especie ampliamente distribuida en largo del Atlántico occidental, y que habita prácticamente cada micro-hábitat en el ecosistema de manglar. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar el periodo de reproducción del cangrejo G. cruentata en el noreste de Brasil. Un total de 71 hembras ovadas, fueron capturadas entre agosto 2007 y julio 2008, y utilizadas para obtener el periodo de reproducción de esta especie. Nuestra hipótesis es que, ya que las zonas tropicales no presentan gran variación de las temperaturas, las oscilaciones temporales de la salinidad son el principal factor que influye en la actividad reproductiva de G. cruentata. Se analizó el período reproductivo mediante la proporción mensual de hembras ovadas. Una correlación fue aplicada para evaluar la influencia de los factores abióticos limitantes (salinidad, pluviosidad, temperatura del aire y del agua) en la época de crianza. La población se reproduce continuamente con picos estacionales en el período seco, lo que no fue asociado a las variaciones mensuales de salinidad, precipitación y temperatura del aire y del agua. Por lo tanto, nuestra hipótesis fue refutada. Sin embargo, la reproducción se intensificó en el período seco, cuando la salinidad y las temperaturas fueron más altas y la precipitación fue menor. Se concluye que, a pesar de que la reproducción no está relacionada con la variación mensual de los factores ambientales limitantes, ella ocurre en períodos de mayor salinidad y temperatura, y baja precipitación.

Assessment of soft bottom polychaete diversity in Thondi, Palk bay, India.

Polychaete assemblages are relatively poorly known in comparison to other components from Indian waters. In the present study, the spatial and seasonal distributions of polychaetes were investigated in the Thondi coastal area. Polychaete assemblage structure seems to be influenced by environmental parameters, such as temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and total organic carbon. A total of 34 polychaete species were found, of which 26 species were in station I while 22 species in station II. There was a pronounced variation in diversity of polychaetes between the studied sites. Among the families maximum percentage of species constituted by Glyceridae (12%) and minimum Owenidae (4%) at station I and in station II, the Eunicidae (14%) was maximum and Pisinidae as (4 %) minimum. The population density varied from 1456 to 2456 no m-2 in station I; 2120 to 4424 in station II and diversity index varied from 1.96 to 2.48 in station I; 2.01 to 2.53 in station II. Species richness varied from 1.21 to 1.65 in station I; 1.36 to 1.69 in station II and evenness index varied from 0.9 to 0.97 in station I; 0.91 to 0.98 in station II. BIO-ENV analysis showed that salinity, TOC and temperature as the key variables in influencing the faunal distribution.