The impact of land-use changes and management intensification on bacterial communities in the last decade: a review.

In the last decade, advances in soil bacterial ecology have contributed to increasing agricultural production. Brazil is the world leading agriculture producer and leading soil biodiversity reservoir. Meanwhile, there is still a significant gap in the knowledge regarding the soil microscopic life and its interactions with agricultural practices, and the replacement of natural vegetation by agroecosystems is yet to be unfolded. Through high throughput DNA sequencing, scientists are now exploring the complexity of soil bacterial communities and their relationship with soil and environmental characteristics. This study aimed to investigate the progress of bacterial ecology studies in Brazil over the last 10 years, seeking to understand the effect of the conversion of natural vegetation in agricultural systems on the diversity and structure of the soil microbial communities. We conducted a systematic search for scientific publication databases. Our systematic search has matched 62 scientific articles from three different databases. Most of the studies were placed in southeastern and northern Brazil, with no records of studies about microbial ecology in 17 out of 27 Brazilian states. Out of the 26 studies that examined the effects of replacing natural vegetation with agroecosystems, most authors concluded that changes in soil pH and vegetation cover replacement were the primary drivers of shifts in microbial communities. Understanding the ecology of the bacteria inhabiting Brazilian soils in agroecosystems is paramount for developing more efficient soil management strategies and cleaner agricultural technologies.

Substitution of petrochemical compounds for polyphenols of natural origin reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils to formulate adhesives for wood bonding.

Vegetable tannins are excellent options to produce adhesives for the panel industry since they have the capacity to reduce formaldehyde emissions and are derived from renewable sources. They also allow for the possibility of increasing the resistance of the glue line through the use of natural reinforcements such as cellulose nanofibrils. Condensed tannins, polyphenols isolated from tree bark, are widely studied for the production of natural adhesives as an alternative to commercial synthetic adhesives. So, the purpose of our research is to show a natural adhesive alternative for wood bonding. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the quality of tannin adhesives of different species reinforced with different nanofibrils and thus predict which adhesive is the most promising at different concentrations of reinforcement and with different types of polyphenols. To meet this objective, polyphenols were extracted from the bark, nanofibrils were obtained, and both processes followed the current standards. Then, the adhesives were produced, their properties were characterized, and they were chemically analyzed via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). A mechanical shear analysis of the glue line was also performed. According to the results, the addition of cellulose nanofibrils affected the physical properties of the adhesives, mostly the content of solids and the gel time. In the FTIR spectra, the OH band of the 5% Pinus and 5% Eucalyptus (EUC) TEMPO in the barbatimao adhesive and the 5% EUC of the cumate red adhesive were reduced, possibly due to their higher moisture resistance. Mechanical tests of the glue line showed that barbatimao with 5% Pinus and cumate red with 5% EUC performed best in the dry and wet shear tests. The control was the best-performing sample in the test of the commercial adhesives. The cellulose nanofibrils used as reinforcement did not change the thermal resistance of the adhesives. Therefore, the addition of cellulose nanofibrils to these tannins is an interesting means of increasing the mechanical strength, as occurred in commercial adhesive with 5% EUC. Thus, the physical and mechanical properties of tannin adhesives were better with reinforcement, making it possible to expand the use of these adhesives in the panel industry. At the industrial level, it is important to replace synthetic products with natural ones. Besides environmental and health issues, there is the question of the value of petroleum-based products, which have been widely studied so that they can be replaced.

Land use and land cover changes and their impacts on surface-atmosphere interactions in Brazil: A systematic review.

Major land use and land cover changes (LULCC) have taken place in Brazil, including large scale conversion of forest to agriculture. LULCC alters surface-atmosphere interactions, changing the timing and magnitude of energy fluxes, impacting the partitioning of available energy, and therefore the climate and water balance. The objective of this work was to provide a detailed analysis of how LULCC has affected surface-atmosphere interactions over the Brazilian territory, particularly focusing on impacts on precipitation (P), evapotranspiration (ET), and atmospheric humidity (h). Our systematic review yielded 61 studies, with the Amazon being the most studied biome followed by the Cerrado. P was the most analyzed variable, followed by ET. Few papers analyzed LULCC impacts on h. For the Amazon biome, decreasing dry season P and in annual ET were reported. In the Cerrado biome, decreasing P in the wet and dry seasons and decreasing dry season ET were the most common result. For the Atlantic Forest biome, increasing annual P and increasing wet season ET, likely due to reforestation, were reported. Few studies documented LULCC impacts on surface-atmosphere interactions over the Brazilian biomes Caatinga, Pantanal and Pampa. Therefore, new research is needed to assess impacts of LULCC on these biomes, including assessments of atmospheric moisture recycling, and interactions of LULCC with global climate and climate extremes including droughts.

Serosurvey of anti-Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum antibodies in hunting dogs and hunters in Brazil.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although wild boar hunting activities and the hunting dog trade in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes of Brazil overlap both with endemic and with non-endemic areas for visceral leishmaniasis, no study to date has focused on Leishmania spp. exposure among hunting dogs and hunters. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of Leishmania spp. antibodies in hunting dogs and hunters in different anthropized areas of two Brazilian biomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 170 hunting dogs and 46 hunters between October 2016 and May 2018. The presence of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in hunting dogs was screened through a dual-path platform immunochromatographic test (DPP rapid test; Bio-Manguinhos/Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and in hunters through an rK39-based rapid immunochromatographic test. Both tests were used in accordance with Brazilian Ministry of Health recommendations. RESULTS: Overall, although antibodies were detected through the immunochromatographic test in 3/170 (0.02%) of these female asymptomatic hunting dogs, all living in anthropized areas of the Atlantic Forest biome in South Brazil, no sample was confirmed through the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All the hunters were non-reactive in the rapid immunochromatographic test. CONCLUSION: Our study on three suspicious hunting dogs has suggested that Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum may circulate both in endemic and non-endemic areas in Brazil. In addition, a high rate of hunting dog replacement due to death and trade may have led to less chance of infection and transmission between animals and between animals and humans, which would corroborate the outcomes reported here. Further studies should be conducted to fully establish whether hunting dogs and hunters may be used as sentinels in other areas endemic for Leishmania spp.

Trypanosoma rangeli Genetic, Mammalian Hosts, and Geographical Diversity from Five Brazilian Biomes.

Trypanosoma rangeli is a generalist hemoflagellate that infects mammals and is transmitted by triatomines around Latin America. Due to its high genetic diversity, it can be classified into two to five lineages. In Brazil, its distribution outside the Amazon region is virtually unknown, and knowledge on the ecology of its lineages and on host species diversity requires further investigation. Here, we analyzed 57 T. rangeli samples obtained from hemocultures and blood clots of 1392 mammals captured in different Brazilian biomes. The samples were subjected to small subunit (SSU) rDNA amplification and sequencing to confirm T. rangeli infection. Phylogenetic inferences and haplotype networks were reconstructed to classify T. rangeli lineages and to infer the genetic diversity of the samples. The results obtained in our study highlighted both the mammalian host range and distribution of T. rangeli in Brazil: infection was observed in five new species (Procyon cancrivorous, Priodontes maximum, Alouatta belzebul, Sapajus libidinosus, and Trinomys dimidiatus), and transmission was observed in the Caatinga biome. The coati (Nasua nasua) and capuchin monkey (S. libidinosus) are the key hosts of T. rangeli. We identified all four T. rangeli lineages previously reported in Brazil (A, B, D, and E) and possibly two new genotypes.

Crithidia mellificae infection in different mammalian species in Brazil.

Crithidia mellificae, a monoxenous trypanosomatid considered restricted to insects, was recently reported to infect a bat. Herein, C. mellificae has been demonstrated to have a wider range of vertebrate hosts and distribution in Brazilian biomes than once thought. Parasites isolated from haemocultures were characterized using V7V8 SSU rDNA and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes. Coatis (Nasua nasua) in the Cerrado; marmosets (Callithrix sp.) and bats (Carollia perspicillata, Myotis lavali, M. izecksohni, Artibeus lituratus) in the Atlantic Forest; crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) in the Pantanal biomes were infected by trypanosomatids that displayed choanomastigote forms in haemoculture in Giemsa-stained slide smears. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic inference confirmed the infection of C. mellificae in these animals. Moreover, slight differences in C. mellificae sequences were observed. Crithidia mellificae growth curves were counted at 27°C, 36°C and 37°C, and the morphotypes were able to grow and survive for up to 16 days. Serological titers for C. mellificae were observed in nonhuman primates, demonstrating that this parasite is able to induce a humoral immune response in an infected mammal. These results showed that host specificity in trypanosomatids is complex and far from understood.

Serosurvey of anti-Neospora caninum antibodies in wild boars (Sus scrofa), hunting dogs and hunters of Brazil.

The protozoan Neospora caninum is an important cause of abortion in cattle worldwide, with domestic dogs serving as the definitive hosts. Although hunting activities have been indicated as a potential risk factor for N. caninum infection in dogs, no serological evidence has so far been reported in hunting dogs, wild boars (Sus scrofa), and hunters. A total of 98 wild boars, 168 hunting dogs, and 15 hunters from three Brazilian regions were sampled and tested for anti-N. caninum antibodies by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test, resulting in 15/168 (9%) seropositive hunting dogs, and 0/98 wild boars, and 0/15 hunters seropositive. The absence of N. caninum antibodies in wild boars may suggest low exposure to oocysts shed by hunting dogs and wild canids in three different Brazilian regions. Finally, the absence of hunter seropositivity supports the current lack of evidence that N. caninum is a zoonotic parasite.

Trace elements and machine learning for Brazilian beef traceability.

Brazilian livestock with a herd of more than 215 million animals is distributed over a vast area of 160 million hectares, leading the country to the first position in the world beef exports and second in beef production and consumption. Animals risen in the biomes Amazônia, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pampa and Pantanal were selected for this study. Beef samples were analyzed for their elemental content by neutron activation analysis and classified according to their origin by three machine learning algorithms (Multilayer Perceptron, Random Forest and Classification and Regression Tree). Significant differences (p < 0.0001) were observed between the beef elemental content from the different biomes for all multivariate contrasts using NPMANOVA. The highest classification performance was obtained for the biomes Amazônia and Caatinga using Multilayer Perceptron. Results showed the feasibility of combining trace element content and machine learning approaches for the Brazilian beef traceability.

Assessing insect biodiversity with automatic light traps in Brazil: Pearls and pitfalls of metabarcoding samples in preservative ethanol.

Automated species identification based on data produced with metabarcoding offers an alternative for assessing biodiversity of bulk insect samples obtained with traps. We used a standard two-step PCR approach to amplify a 313 bp fragment of the barcoding region of the mitochondrial COI gene. The PCR products were sequenced on an Illumina MiSeq platform, and the OTUs production and taxonomic identifications were performed with a customized pipeline and database. The DNA used in the PCR procedures was extracted directly from the preservative ethanol of bulk insect samples obtained with automatic light traps in 12 sampling areas located in different biomes of Brazil, during wet and dry seasons. Agricultural field and forest edge habitats were collected for all sampling areas. A total of 119 insect OTUs and nine additional OTUs assigned to other arthropod taxa were obtained at a ≥97% sequence similarity level. The alpha and beta diversity analyses comparing biomes, habitats, and seasons were mostly inconclusive, except for a significant difference in beta diversity between biomes. In this study, we were able to metabarcode and HTS adult insects from their preservative medium. Notwithstanding, our results underrepresent the true magnitude of insect diversity expected from samples obtained with automatic light traps in Brazil. Although biological and technical factors might have impacted our results, measures to optimize and standardize eDNA HTS should be in place to improve taxonomic coverage of samples of unknown diversity and stored in suboptimal conditions, which is the case of most eDNA samples.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on wild raptors in Brazil

This research reports ticks on wild raptors in Brazil. Between the years 1936 and 2019, 127 larvae, 230 nymphs and 34 adult ticks were collected on 92 raptors (among 27 different species) from 35 localities in distinct Brazilian biomes. Additionally, an extensive literature review on ticks on wild raptors has been carried out, demonstrating that from 1993 to 2016, 29 larvae, 81 nymphs, 29 adults and 186 indeterminate immature ticks (larvae or nymphs) were collected on 41 raptors (16 different species) in 17 distinct localities in the Brazilian territory. The following tick species were identified on wild raptors in the country: Amblyomma aureolatum (Pallas, 1772), Amblyomma auricularium (Conil, 1878), Amblyomma brasiliense Aragão, 1908, Amblyomma cajennense (Fabricius, 1787) sensu stricto, Amblyomma calcaratum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma coelebs Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma dubitatum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma longirostre (Koch, 1844), Amblyomma nodosum Neumann, 1899, Amblyomma ovale Koch, 1844, Amblyomma parkeri Fonseca & Aragão, 1952, Amblyomma sculptum Berlese, 1888, Haemaphysalis juxtakochi Cooley, 1946, Rhipicephalus microplus (Canestrini, 1888), and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) sensu lato. This study is therefore a significant contribution to our knowledge of the ticks associated with Brazilian raptors.

Genetic diversity, population structure and rickettsias in Amblyomma ovale in areas of epidemiological interest for spotted fever in Brazil.

Amblyomma ovale (Ixodida: Ixodidae) Koch, 1844 is widely-reported in the neotropical region and is the main vector in the epidemic cycle of Rickettsia parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest, a bioagent of a milder variety of spotted fever (SF). Because species with wide geographical distributions are known to exhibit variations that influence their vectorial capacity, the present study aimed to analyze genetic diversity and rickettsia infection of A. ovale collected during the investigation and surveillance of SF cases in the Cerrado and Atlantic rainforest (ARF) Brazilian biomes. Samples had their DNA extracted, amplified and sequenced for 16S rDNA, 12S rDNA, cytochrome oxidase subunit II and D-loop markers for tick analyses, as well as the gltA, htrA, ompA and ompB genes for rickettsia detection. Between 11 and 33 A. ovale haplotypes were identified, all of them exclusive to areas within individual analyzed biome areas. The A. ovale populations appeared to be structured, with Cluster I restricted to Cerrado + ARF isolated in Caatinga and Cluster II to ARF continuous area. Rickettsia bellii, R. parkeri strain Atlantic rainforest (first report for Goiás state, Cerrado), Rickettsia asemboensis (first record in A. ovale for Brazil) and Rickettsia felis (first detection in this ixodid) were identified. A. ovale clusters were not associated with rickettsia types.

Remote sensing of vegetation: evolution and state of the art - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i4.5868 / Sensoriamento remoto da vegetação: evolução e estado-da-arte - DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v30i4.5868

Systematic surveys of the vegetative cover in Brazil include the semi-detailed mappings conducted within the scope of the Radam and Radambrasil projects, between 1971 and 1977, based on side-looking airborne radar images, and more recently, the assessments, based on Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery, of the remnant vegetation cover of the Brazilian biomes (MMA/PROBIO), finished in 2006. In a little more than 30 years, many changes have occurred, both in vegetation cover as well as in orbital remote sensing. In this review article, we discuss, from a conceptual and technological perspective, the evolution and the state of the art of imager sensors, as well as some of the enhancement techniques utilized for decoding (e.g., in biophysical parameters, etc.) and classifying the spectral response of vegetation. Likewise, we present the main current (pioneering) initiatives for land cover monitoring of the Brazilian biomes.

Levantamentos sistemáticos da cobertura vegetal no Brasil, à escala de semidetalhe, incluem aqueles realizados no âmbito dos projetos Radam e Radambrasil, no período de 1971 a 1977, tendo por base imagens de radar aerotransportadas e, mais recentemente, os mapeamentos, com base em imagens Landsat 7 ETM+, dos remanescentes da cobertura vegetal nos biomas brasileiros (projeto MMA/PROBIO), concluídos em 2006. Nestes pouco mais de 30 anos, muitas mudanças ocorreram, tanto na cobertura vegetal do país quanto no sensoriamento remoto orbital. Neste artigo de revisão, apresentamos, do ponto de vista conceitual e tecnológico, a evolução e o estado-da-arte dos sistemas sensores e discutimos algumas das técnicas mais utilizadas para decodificar (ex. em parâmetros biofísicos etc.) e classificar a resposta espectral da vegetação. Da mesma forma, apresentamos as principais iniciativas, históricas ou em curso, voltadas ao monitoramento da cobertura vegetal dos biomas brasileiros.