Dairy goat performance in two grazing regimes: silvopastoral rangeland or abandoned agricultural land, and two supplementation treatments in central Mexico.

Twenty Saanen third parturition dairy goats were used in an on-farm 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that ran for 12 weeks, with two grazing regimes and two concentrate types. The grazing regimes evaluated were an extensive silvopastoral native rangeland (SPR) and grazing in an abandoned agricultural land (AAL). Grazing happened between 9:00 and 17:00 h. The two types of concentrate supplement were a high protein concentrate (HP = 180 g CP/kg DM and 13 MJ ME/kg DM) or high energy concentrate (HE = 110  g CP/kg DM and 14.3 MJ ME/kg DM). Goats were milked once a day, providing 250 g of concentrate supplement per goat and day. Animal variables were fat and protein corrected milk yield recorded every day, and milk composition determined for two consecutive days at the end of each experimental week. Flora in the experimental paddocks was characerised and sampled, including grasses, shrubs, trees, legumes and cacti. The data was analysed with the R software using a mixed model with day nested in period as random effect and goat as repeated measure. The SPR had greater (P = 0.002) fat and protein corrected milk yield than AAL, with no differences between concentrate type and no interaction (P > 0.05). There was an interaction (P < 0.01) between grazing regime and concentrate type for fat content in milk, where a reduction in fat content was notorious in the SPR regime. Protein content of milk was greater (P < 0.01) in SPR with no significant effects of concentrate type or the interaction. The number of plant species in SPR was greater. The native silvopastoral system supplemented with the high energy concentrate was the strategy with higher milk yield, and protein and milk fat content, although the interaction between grazing regime and supplement was significant only for milk fat content.

Modeling population dynamics of invasive pines to optimize their control in native grasslands of Argentina.

The spread of invasive alien species over natural environments has become one of the most serious threats to biodiversity and the functioning of ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the population attributes that allow a given species to become invasive is crucial for improving prevention and control interventions. Pampas grasslands are particularly sensitive to the invasion of exotic woody plants. In particular, the Ventania Mountains undergo the advance of alien woody plants; among which the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis) stands out due to the extension of the area it covers and the magnitude of the ecological changes associated to its presence. Using a model that describes the population dynamics of the species in the area, we evaluated the expected behavior of the population under different environmental conditions and different management scenarios. When the effect of stochastic fires was simulated, the growth rate was greater than 1 for all the frequencies considered, peaking under fires every nine years, on average. When evaluating the effect of periodic mechanical control of the adult population, the reduction in growth rate was insufficient, except for cutting intensities that significantly exceeded the current operational capacity of the area. Under prescribed fire scenarios, on the other hand, burning frequencies greater than seven years resulted in population reductions. The results highlight the importance of fire in regulating the population of P. halepensis in the Ventania Mountains, with contrasting effects depending on the frequency with which it occurs, which allows considering it as an effective environmental management option for the control of the species.

Dung beetles in South American pasturelands / Besouros rola-bostas em pastagens sul-americanas

Abstract Pasturelands are characterized as grasslands utilized for cattle raising and consist of natural or exotic vegetation, predominantly grasses. In the context of sustainable production, the biodiversity of insects within grazing environments holds significant value. Dung beetles play a crucial role in sustaining pasturelands as the burial of feces by these beetles fosters ecological services indispensable for maintaining a robust and healthy environment. Given that different dung beetle species contribute to distinct environmental benefits, a comprehensive understanding of the species present in pasturelands, their origins, and the ecological services they provide is imperative. This study endeavors to compile comprehensive information on dung beetle species native to South America, emphasizing taxonomic precision and a confirmed affinity for cattle dung. Our findings are derived from a synthesis of literature and observational data, incorporating location information obtained from taxonomic revisions and specimen labels of specimens housed at CEMT. In South America, a total of 57 dung beetle species are documented that inhabit grazing areas and actively feed on cattle manure. These areas span diverse biomes encompassing native and/or introduced grasslands, which may include deforested sections within forest biomes such as Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, Atlantic Forest, Amazon Forest, Paramo, Puna, Llanos, and Patagonia. The preponderance of species identified fall within the paracoprid category, recognized as particularly vital for the sustainability of pasturelands. Despite their acknowledged importance, a noticeable knowledge gap impedes the effective conservation of these species. This gap is a focal point of discussion in this study, addressing the challenges and opportunities for enhancing conservation efforts. The species documented in this research exhibit notable economic and environmental relevance in the context of sustainable livestock production, emphasizing the urgency and significance of initiatives that prioritize their conservation.

Resumo Pastagens são áreas formadas por vegetação nativa ou exótica, principalmente gramíneas, e são utilizadas na pecuária. A diversidade de insetos em áreas de pastagens é muito valiosa, especialmente quando consideramos os métodos de produção sustentável. Besouros rola-bostas são importantes para a sustentabilidade em pastagens porque o enterrio de esterco promove benefícios essenciais para a manutenção do ambiente pastoril. Espécies diferentes exercem diferentes serviços ecossistêmicos, logo é necessário saber quais espécies estão presentes em áreas de pastoreio para saber quais são os benefícios que elas podem proporcionar. Aqui reunimos todas as informações disponíveis para as espécies taxonomicamente bem definidas de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul e que são conhecidas por utilizar fezes bovinas como recurso para alimentação e nidificação. Usamos dados encontrados na literatura, em observações de campo e em etiquetas de espécimes depositados na CEMT. São registradas 57 espécies de rola-bostas nativos da América do Sul que se alimentam e nidificam em fezes bovinas, e estas estão distribuídas nos seguintes biomas: Chaco, Pantanal, Cerrado, Caatinga, Pampa, áreas abertas da Mata Atlântica e da Floresta Amazônia, Paramo, Puna, Llanos e Patagônia. A maioria das espécies são de paracoprídeos e estes são considerados os mais importantes para as áreas de pastagem. No entanto, existe uma grande lacuna de conhecimento em história natural, o que dificulta a efetividade da conservação dessas espécies. Todas as espécies listadas neste trabalho têm potencial relevância econômica e ambiental na pecuária sustentável e, portanto, o estudo e conservação delas devem ser priorizadas.

Legume Overseeding and P Fertilization Increases Microbial Activity and Decreases the Relative Abundance of AM Fungi in Pampas Natural Pastures.

Natural grasslands provide a valuable resource for livestock grazing. In many parts of South America, legume overseeding and P fertilization are commonly used to enhance primary productivity. The effect of this practice on the plant community is well established. However, how this management regime affects the soil microbiome is less known. Here, to contribute to filling this knowledge gap, we analyzed the effect of Lotus subbiflorus overseeding, together with P fertilization, on soil microbial community diversity and activity in the Uruguayan Pampa region. The results showed that plant communities in the natural grassland paddocks significantly differed from those of the managed paddocks. In contrast, neither microbial biomass and respiration nor microbial diversity was significantly affected by management, although the structure of the bacterial and fungal communities were correlated with those of the plant communities. AM Fungi relative abundance, as well as several enzyme activities, were significantly affected by management. This could have consequences for the C, N, and P content of SOM in these soils, which in turn might affect SOM degradation.

Evaluating the potential of biodiversity offsets to achieve net gain.

Evaluating the outcomes and tracking the trajectory of biodiversity offsets is essential to demonstrating their effectiveness as a mechanism to conciliate development and conservation. We reviewed the literature to determine the principles that should underpin biodiversity offset planning and the criteria for offset evaluation at the project level. According to the literature, the core principles of equivalence, additionality, and permanence are used as criteria to evaluate conservation outcomes of offsets. We applied the criteria to evaluate offsets of a large iron ore mining project in the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We examined equivalence in terms of the amount of area per biodiversity value affected and fauna and flora similarity, additionality in terms of landscape connectivity, and permanence in terms of guarantees to ensure protection and restoration offsets lasting outcomes. We found an offset ratio (amount of affected area:offset area) of 1:1.8 for forests and 1:2 for grasslands. Ecological equivalence (i.e., similarity between affected and offset areas) was found for forested areas, but not for ferruginous rupestrian grasslands or for fauna. Landscape metrics showed that connectivity improved relative to the preproject situation as a result of locating restoration offsets in the largest and best-connected forest patch. Permanence of offsets was addressed by establishing covenants and management measures, but financial guarantees to cover maintenance costs after mine closure were lacking. Offsets should be equivalent in type and size, provide conservation outcomes that would not be obtained without them (additionality), and be lasting (permanence). To monitor and evaluate offsets, it is necessary to determine how well these 3 principles are applied in the planning, implementation, and maintenance of offsets. Achieving measurable conservation outcomes from offsets is a long-term endeavor that requires sustained management support, and is information intensive. Thus, offsets require ongoing monitoring and evaluation as well as adaptive management.

Evaluación del potencial de las compensaciones por biodiversidad para obtener ganancias netas Resumen La evaluación de resultados y el rastreo de la trayectoria de las compensaciones por biodiversidad son esenciales para demostrar su efectividad como mecanismo de conciliación entre el desarrollo y la conservación. Revisamos la literatura para determinar los principios que deberían sustentar los planes de compensación y los criterios para evaluarla a nivel de proyecto. Según la literatura, se usan los principios nucleares de equivalencia, adicionalidad y permanencia como criterio para evaluar los resultados de conservación de las compensaciones. Aplicamos este criterio para evaluar las compensaciones de un gran proyecto minero de mineral de hierro en el Bosque Atlántico de Brasil. Analizamos la equivalencia en términos de cantidad de área por valor de biodiversidad afectado y similitudes entre la flora y fauna; la adicionalidad en términos de conectividad de paisaje; y la permanencia en términos de las garantías que aseguran que las compensaciones tengan resultados longevos de restauración y protección. Descubrimos una proporción en las compensaciones (cantidad del área afectada:área de compensación) de 1:1.8 para los bosques y de 1:2 en los campos naturales. Encontramos equivalencias ecológicas (es decir, la similitud entre las áreas afectadas y las de compensación) para las áreas boscosas, pero no para los campos rupestres ferruginosos ni para la fauna. Las medidas del paisaje mostraron que la conectividad mejoró en relación a la situación previa al proyecto gracias a la ubicación de las compensaciones por restauración en los fragmentos de bosque más grandes y mejor conectados. Establecimos Contractos y medidas de manejo fueron establecidos la permanencia de las compensaciones, pero las garantías económicas para cubrir los costos de mantenimiento después del cierre de la mina no están suficientemente garantizadas. Las compensaciones deberían ser iguales en tipo y tamaño (equivalencia), proporcionar resultados de conservación que no se obtendrían en su ausencia (adicionalidad) y ser duraderas (permanencia). Se necesita determinar cómo se aplican estos tres principios en la planeación, implementación y mantenimiento de las compensaciones para poder monitorearlas. Si se quieren lograr resultados medibles de conservación, se necesita que el manejo cuente con un apoyo mantenido y a largo plazo que contenga con información intensiva. Por lo tanto, las compensaciones requieren un monitoreo y evaluación continua además del manejo adaptativo.

Supplement feed efficiency of growing beef cattle grazing native Campos grasslands during winter: a collated analysis.

Supplementing growing cattle grazing native subtropical Campos grasslands during winter improves the low, even negative, average daily weight gain (ADG) typical of extensive animal production systems in Uruguay. Nonetheless, to render the practice profitable, it is crucial to control supplement feed efficiency (SFE), that is, the difference in ADG between supplemented and control animals (ADGchng) per unit of supplement dry matter (DM) intake. Little has been studied specifically on how SFE varies in these systems. The objective of this study was to quantify the magnitude and variation in SFE of growing beef cattle grazing stockpiled native Campos grasslands during winter and assess putative associations with herbage, animals, supplements, and climatic variables. We compiled data from supplementation trials carried out in Uruguay between 1993 and 2018, each evaluating between one and six supplementation treatments. The average ADG of unsupplemented and supplemented animals were 0.13 ±â€…0.174 and 0.49 ±â€…0.220 kg/animal/day, respectively. In both cases, ADG decreased linearly as the proportion of green herbage in the grazed grassland was lower, but the ADG of unsupplemented animals was further reduced when winter frosts were numerous. Estimated SFE were moderately high, with an average of 0.21 ±â€…0.076 ADGchng/kg DM, resulting from average ADGchng of 0.38 ±â€…0.180 kg/animal/day in response to an average supplementation rate of 1.84 ±â€…0.68 kg supplement DM intake/animal/day (0.86%  ±â€…0.27% body weight). No association was found between SFE and supplementation rate or type (protein vs. energy-based; P > 0.05), but forage allowance negatively affected it, and herbage mass positively affected it, yet in a smaller magnitude, suggesting that a balance is needed between the two to maximize SFE. Weather conditions during trials affected SFE (P < 0.05), with greater SFE in winters with lower temperatures and more frosts. Daytime grazing time was consistently lower in supplemented animals compared to their unsupplemented counterparts, whereas ruminating time during the day was similar, increasing as the proportion of green herbage decreased. Herbage intake estimated from energy balance suggested the existence of some substitution effect. This agrees with the moderately high SFE and with the total digestible nutrients-to-protein ratio of these subtropical humid grasslands being higher than in semi-arid rangelands and dry-season tropical pastures but lower than in sown pastures.

Rotational Grazing Modifies Rhipicephalus microplus Infestation in Cattle in the Humid Tropics.

Rotational grazing has been mentioned as a potential tool to reduce losses caused by high tick loads. This study aimed: (1) to evaluate the effect of three grazing modalities (rotational grazing with 30- and 45-day pasture rest and continuous grazing) on Rhipicephalus microplus infestation in cattle, (2) to determine population dynamics of R. microplus in cattle under the three grazing modalities mentioned in the humid tropics. The experiment was carried out from April 2021 to March 2022 and consisted of 3 treatments of grazing with pastures of African Stargrass of 2 ha each. T1 was continuous grazing (CG00), and T2 and T3 were rotational grazing with 30 (RG30) and 45 d of recovery (RG45), respectively. Thirty calves of 8-12 months of age were distributed to each treatment (n = 10). Every 14 days, ticks larger than 4.5 mm were counted on the animals. Concomitantly, temperature (°C), relative humidity (RH), and rainfall (RNFL) were recorded. Animals in the RG45 group had the lowest count of R. microplus compared to the RG30 and CG00 groups; these results suggest that RG45 days of rest could be a potential tool to control R. microplus in cattle. Yet, we also observed the highest population of ticks on the animals under rotational grazing with a 30-day pasture rest. A low tick infestation characterized rotational grazing at 45 days of rest throughout the experiment. The association between the degree of tick infestation by R. microplus and the climatic variables was nil (p > 0.05).

Human land-uses homogenize stream assemblages and reduce animal biomass production.

Human land-use change is a major threat to natural ecosystems worldwide. Nonetheless, the effects of human land-uses on the structure of plant and animal assemblages and their functional characteristics need to be better understood. Furthermore, the pathways by which human land uses affect ecosystem functions, such as biomass production, still need to be clarified. We compiled a unique dataset of fish, arthropod and macrophyte assemblages from 61 stream ecosystems in two Neotropical biomes: Amazonian rainforest and Uruguayan grasslands. We then tested how the cover of agriculture, pasture, urbanization and afforestation affected the taxonomic richness and functional diversity of those three species assemblages, and the consequences of these effects for animal biomass production. Single trait categories and functional diversity were evaluated, combining recruitment and life-history, resource and habitat-use, and body size. The effects of intensive human land-uses on taxonomic and functional diversities were as strong as other drivers known to affect biodiversity, such as local climate and environmental factors. In both biomes, the taxonomic richness and functional diversity of animal and macrophyte assemblages decreased with increasing cover of agriculture, pasture, and urbanization. Human land-uses were associated with functional homogenization of both animal and macrophyte assemblages. Human land-uses reduced animal biomass through direct and indirect pathways mediated by declines in taxonomic and functional diversities. Our findings indicate that converting natural ecosystems to supply human demands results in species loss and trait homogenization across multiple biotic assemblages, ultimately reducing animal biomass production in streams.

Assessing multiple limiting factors of seasonal biomass production and N content in a grassland with a year-round production.

There is little evidence on the extent that multiple factors simultaneously limit ecosystem function of grasslands with year-round production. Here we test if multiple factors simultaneously limit (i.e., more than one factor at a time) grassland functioning in different seasons and how they interacted with N availability. In a Flooding Pampa grassland, we ran a separate factorial experiment in spring, summer, and winter with several treatments: control, mowing, shading, P addition, watering (only in summer), and warming (only in winter), each of them crossed with two nitrogen treatments: control and N addition. Grassland functioning was assessed by aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), green and standing dead biomass, and N content at the species group level. Out of 24 potential cases (three seasons by eight response variables), 13 corresponded to just one limiting factor, 4 to multiple limiting factors, and the other 7 to no evidence of limitation. In conclusion, grassland functioning in each season was most often limited by just one factor, while multiple limiting factors were rarer. Nitrogen was the prevailing limiting factor. Our study expands our knowledge of limitations imposed by factors associated with disturbance and stress, such as mowing, shading, water availability, and warming in grasslands with year-round production.

Germination of grass species from dry and wet grasslands in response to osmotic stress under present and future temperatures.

PREMISE: Seed germination is controlled by the soil microclimate, which is expected to change with the temperature increase and rainfall irregularity predicted for the future. Because changes in soil characteristics directly affect species recruitment, vegetation dynamics and resilience, we investigated how caryopses of native grasses from dry and wet grasslands respond to water stress under current and future temperature regimes. METHODS: Caryopses were collected from 10 grass species in dry and wet grasslands, subjected or not to a fire event, and tested for germination at increasing osmotic potential (0 to -1.0 MPa) at current (17°/27°C night/day) and future (23°/33°C) simulated temperatures. RESULTS: The viability and germination percentages of caryopses from both dry and wet grassland species were progressively reduced as osmotic stress increased, irrespective of temperature regime. The viability of caryopses from wet grassland species was reduced under the future temperature regime, irrespective of osmotic potential. The slow germination of caryopses of dry grassland species at the present temperature regime was absent when they were incubated in the future temperature regime. CONCLUSIONS: More intense water stress reduced the survival of caryopses for both dry and wet grassland grass species. The predicted future temperature regime reduced the viability of wet grassland species and altered the germination strategy of dry grassland species. These results indicate that increasing water stress and temperature predicted for the future may compromise the recruitment potential of dry and wet grassland species and directly impact the dynamics and resilience of these ecosystems.

El gato andino Leopardus jacobita y otros mamíferos en el sitio prioritario Andenes de Cuyocuyo, Puno, Perú / The Andean cat Leopardus jacobita and other mammals in the priority site Andenes de Cuyocuyo, Puno, Peru

Resumen El gato andino es uno de los gatos más raros en Sudamérica. Si bien tiene una distribución amplia en los Andes, hay pocos registros confiables y muchos sitios cuya presencia no ha sido confirmada. El objetivo del estudio fue confirmar la presencia del gato andino (Leopardus jacobita) en el sitio prioritario Andenes de Cuyocuyo, ubicado al sureste del Perú. En el 2018, con un esfuerzo de 1275 cámaras-trampa/día, se obtuvo 123 detecciones de 11 mamíferos, los más frecuentes fueron: Lagidium viscacia, Leopardus jacobita, Hippocamelus antisensis y Leopardus garleppi. El índice de abundancia relativa del gato andino resultó en 9.09 (N= 12, DE= 32.20) y el patrón de actividad indica que tienen hábito diurno (Fr= 0.42) y nocturno (Fr= 0.33). La confirmación de presencia del gato andino en el sitio prioritario Andenes de Cuyocuyo resalta que es necesario implementar mecanismos de conservación con las comunidades campesinas que aseguren la conservación del gato andino y de los otros mamíferos en esta región del Perú.

Abstract The Andean cat is one of the rarest cats in South America. Although it has a broad distribution in the Andes there are few reliable records and many sites whose presence has not been confirmed. The objective of this study was to confirm the presence of the Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) in the Andenes of Cuyocuyo priority site, located in southeast Peru. In 2018, with an effort of 1275 camera-traps/day, 123 detections of 11 mammals were obtained, the most frequent being: Lagidium viscacia, Leopardus jacobita, Hippocamelus antisensis, and Leopardus garleppi. The relative abundance index of the Andean cat was 9.09 (N= 12, DE= 32.20) and the period of activity indicates that they have diurnal (Fr= 0.42) and nocturnal (Fr= 0.33) habits. The confirmation of the Andean cat in the priority site highlights the need to implement conservation mechanisms with the human communities that ensure the conservation of the Andean cat and other mammals in this region of Peru.

The cultural role played by the ethnomycological knowledge of wild mushrooms for the peoples of highlands and lowlands in Tlaltenango, Zacatecas, Mexico.

The greatest diversity of culturally relevant fungi in Mexico has been recorded in temperate forests. Likewise, it has been proven that people who live in such environments possess greater ethnomycological knowledge, compared with people in the lowlands. In this study, we investigated whether the uses and perceptions of fungi were different between people living near forests in highlands and those living in lowlands near grasslands and subtropical scrublands. We selected seven communities from the municipality of Tlaltenango, Zacatecas, Mexico, where we conducted guided tours, 35 semistructured interviews, and free lists to 420 people. Since highlands surrounded by temperate forests give rise to high species diversity, we expected that the inhabitants, in comparison with those of the lowlands where there is less diversity, would recognize a larger number of fungi. To test this hypothesis, we employed discriminant function analysis, principal coordinate analysis, Mann-Whitney U test, and linear regression. The cultural importance of each species was calculated based on the frequency with which it was mentioned and the first principal coordinate. Although the highlanders have a deeper knowledge of mushrooms, lowlanders and highlanders had similar fungal backgrounds and preferred the same species, regardless of the fungi surrounding their territory. The lack of differences among communities was due in part to the fact that the most culturally important species were those that grew in grasslands and subtropical scrub areas. Agaricus campestris was the most culturally prevalent and only commercialized species both in the highlands and lowlands, followed by Pleurotus djamor and Volvariella bombycina. None of the mushrooms growing in the pine-oak forest had a high cultural importance value, even for the communities living in the vicinity of this forest, forcing them to travel long distances to collect Agaricus campestris. Further investigations are needed in order to assess the relevance of sociocultural factors, and their potential influence in the preference for particular mushrooms in this region.

Global trends in grassland carrying capacity and relative stocking density of livestock.

Although the role of livestock in future food systems is debated, animal proteins are unlikely to completely disappear from our diet. Grasslands are a key source of primary productivity for livestock, and feed-food competition is often limited on such land. Previous research on the potential for sustainable grazing has focused on restricted geographical areas or does not consider inter-annual changes in grazing opportunities. Here, we developed a robust method to estimate trends and interannual variability (IV) in global livestock carrying capacity (number of grazing animals a piece of land can support) over 2001-2015, as well as relative stocking density (the reported livestock distribution relative to the estimated carrying capacity [CC]) in 2010. We first estimated the aboveground biomass that is available for grazers on global grasslands based on the MODIS Net Primary Production product. This was then used to calculate livestock carrying capacities using slopes, forest cover, and animal forage requirements as restrictions. We found that globally, CC decreased on 27% of total grasslands area, mostly in Europe and southeastern Brazil, while it increased on 15% of grasslands, particularly in Sudano-Sahel and some parts of South America. In 2010, livestock forage requirements exceeded forage availability in northwestern Europe, and southern and eastern Asia. Although our findings imply some opportunities to increase grazing pressures in cold regions, Central Africa, and Australia, the high IV or low biomass supply might prevent considerable increases in stocking densities. The approach and derived open access data sets can feed into global food system modelling, support conservation efforts to reduce land degradation associated with overgrazing, and help identify undergrazed areas for targeted sustainable intensification efforts or rewilding purposes.

Relationship between pest grasshopper densities and climate variables in the southern Pampas of Argentina.

Grasshoppers are one of the most predominant insects in the grasslands of the southern Pampas. In this region, Dichroplus elongatus, Dichroplus maculipennis, Dichroplus pratensis and Borellia bruneri are the most abundant species and have the greatest economic importance. This study aimed to assess the relationship between temporal changes in the density of these species and climate variables associated with temperature and rainfall over an 11-year study period., We monitored 22 sites in different areas of Laprida county from 2005 to 2016. A total of 25 grasshopper species were collected. The most abundant species were D. maculipennis and B. bruneri which reached the highest densities from 2008-2009 to 2010-2011. The rainfall accumulated from September (RAS) to the sampling date and the number of rainy days (RD) largely explained the density variation of B. bruneri. Besides RD and RAS, winter rainfall, rainfall accumulated from October to the sampling date, and thermal amplitude of October (TAO) influenced the density of D. maculipennis. Our results indicated that seasons with less rainfall and fewer RD favored these two species' abundance. We identified that the RD and TAO contributed significantly to variations in the density of D. elongatus. In contrast to the other two species, we recorded D. elongatus in seasons with high rainfall and high RD. A better understanding of the climate influence on the life cycle of these economically important insects may identify key factors in their population dynamics which in turn may improve management options.

The occurrence of rhizobacteria from Paspalum genotypes and their effects on plant growth

ABSTRACT This work aimed to isolate and characterize plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from 10 Paspalum genotypes and evaluate the effect of their inoculation on P. regnellii, P. atratum, and P. malacophyllum genotypes. The bacterial population ranged from undetectable to 107 bacterial cells per gram of fresh matter in the Paspalum genotypes. Initially, we isolated 164 bacteria from rhizospheric soil and roots of the Paspalum genotypes using media N-free LG agar plate, semi-solid NFb, and LGI. The isolates were characterized genetically and physiologically. The sequencing of 16S rRNA showed the presence of many genera, and some are new in association with Paspalum. The most common was Bacillus followed by Rhizobium, Paraburkholderia, Enterobacter, Cupriavidus, Pseudomonas, Dyadobacter and Acinetobacter. Thirty-eight per cent of isolates produced siderophores, 25 % produced solubilized phosphate, and only 9 % produced indolic compounds. Three greenhouse experiments were performed in randomized blocks with six replicates using representative bacterial strains isolated from P. regnellii, P. malacophyllum and P. atratum cv. Pojuca. We also included strain Sp245 (Azospirillum baldaniorum), uninoculated control, and nitrogen control (150 kg N ha1). There was an increase of up to 53 % in shoot dry matter in P. regnellii inoculated with strain Sp245 and the shoots accumulated more N. In contrast, only small effects were observed for the other Paspalum genotypes inoculated with PGPR from the host genotypes. This study shows a high diversity of diazotrophic rhizosphere bacteria and suggests no strain specificity between the bacterial isolates and the Paspalum genotypes.

The occurrence of rhizobacteria from Paspalum genotypes and their effects on plant growth

This work aimed to isolate and characterize plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from 10 Paspalum genotypes and evaluate the effect of their inoculation on P. regnellii, P. atratum, and P. malacophyllum genotypes. The bacterial population ranged from undetectable to 107 bacterial cells per gram of fresh matter in the Paspalum genotypes. Initially, we isolated 164 bacteria from rhizospheric soil and roots of the Paspalum genotypes using media N-free LG agar plate, semi-solid NFb, and LGI. The isolates were characterized genetically and physiologically. The sequencing of 16S rRNA showed the presence of many genera, and some are new in association with Paspalum. The most common was Bacillus followed by Rhizobium, Paraburkholderia, Enterobacter, Cupriavidus, Pseudomonas, Dyadobacter and Acinetobacter. Thirty-eight per cent of isolates produced siderophores, 25 % produced solubilized phosphate, and only 9 % produced indolic compounds. Three greenhouse experiments were performed in randomized blocks with six replicates using representative bacterial strains isolated from P. regnellii, P. malacophyllum and P. atratum cv. Pojuca. We also included strain Sp245 (Azospirillum baldaniorum), uninoculated control, and nitrogen control (150 kg N ha–1). There was an increase of up to 53 % in shoot dry matter in P. regnellii inoculated with strain Sp245 and the shoots accumulated more N. In contrast, only small effects were observed for the other Paspalum genotypes inoculated with PGPR from the host genotypes. This study shows a high diversity of diazotrophic rhizosphere bacteria and suggests no strain specificity between the bacterial isolates and the Paspalum genotypes.

The occurrence of rhizobacteria from Paspalum genotypes and their effects on plant growth

This work aimed to isolate and characterize plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) from 10 Paspalum genotypes and evaluate the effect of their inoculation on P. regnellii, P. atratum, and P. malacophyllum genotypes. The bacterial population ranged from undetectable to 107 bacterial cells per gram of fresh matter in the Paspalum genotypes. Initially, we isolated 164 bacteria from rhizospheric soil and roots of the Paspalum genotypes using media N-free LG agar plate, semi-solid NFb, and LGI. The isolates were characterized genetically and physiologically. The sequencing of 16S rRNA showed the presence of many genera, and some are new in association with Paspalum. The most common was Bacillus followed by Rhizobium, Paraburkholderia, Enterobacter, Cupriavidus, Pseudomonas, Dyadobacter and Acinetobacter. Thirty-eight per cent of isolates produced siderophores, 25 % produced solubilized phosphate, and only 9 % produced indolic compounds. Three greenhouse experiments were performed in randomized blocks with six replicates using representative bacterial strains isolated from P. regnellii, P. malacophyllum and P. atratum cv. Pojuca. We also included strain Sp245 (Azospirillum baldaniorum), uninoculated control, and nitrogen control (150 kg N ha−1). There was an increase of up to 53 % in shoot dry matter in P. regnellii inoculated with strain Sp245 and the shoots accumulated more N. In contrast, only small effects were observed for the other Paspalum genotypes inoculated with PGPR from the host genotypes. This study shows a high diversity of diazotrophic rhizosphere bacteria and suggests no strain specificity between the bacterial isolates and the Paspalum genotypes.

Pollination generalization and reproductive assurance by selfing in a tropical montane ecosystem.

Pollination and reproduction are important processes for understanding plant community dynamics. Information regarding pollination and reproduction is urgent for threatened ecosystems, such as tropical montane ecosystems. In tropical mountains, pollination patterns are expected to conform to the reproductive assurance theory (due to low pollinator activity) and old, climatically buffered and infertile landscapes (OCBIL) theory (due to restricted plant range size). For 82 plant species of the Itatiaia National Park (including endemic and endangered species), we evaluated at least one of the following features: pollinator identity, flower color and size, flowering phenology, and pollinator dependence. Most plant species (ca. 60%) were pollinated by two or more functional groups of pollinators (generalized pollination), with high importance of flies as pollinators. There was low pollinator activity overall (less than one visit per flower per hour). Notably, the invasive honeybee Apis mellifera L. performed half of the visits to this entire plant community, suggesting an impact on the native pollinator fauna and consequently on the native flora. Most endemic plants were generalized with white and small flowers, while endangered species were pollination-specialized with colorful and large flowers. Thus, endangered species are susceptible to changes in pollinator fauna. Flowering seasonality reflected the importance of climatic constraints in this environment. One-third of the plant species were autogamous. Our data suggest that pollinator scarcity may have promoted reproductive assurance strategies such as generalization and pollinator independence. Our community-level study highlighted consistent pollination patterns for tropical mountains and emphasized threats for specialized endangered species.

Quadrat-based monitoring of desert grassland vegetation at the Jornada Experimental Range, New Mexico, 1915-2016.

The data set covers a 101-yr period (1915-2016) of quadrat-based plant sampling at the Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico. At each sampling event, a pantograph was used to record the location and perimeter of living plants within permanent quadrats. Basal area was recorded for perennial grass species, canopy cover area was recorded for shrub species, and all other perennial species were recorded as point data. The data set includes 122 1 × 1 m permanent quadrats, although not all quadrats were sampled in each year of the study and there is a gap in monitoring from 1980 to 1995. These data provide a unique opportunity to investigate changes in the plant community over 100 yr of variation in precipitation and other environmental conditions. We provide the following data and data formats: (1) the digitized maps in shapefile format; (2) a data table containing coordinates (x, y) of perennial species within quadrats, including cover area for grasses and shrubs; (3) a data table of counts of annual plant individuals per quadrat; (4) a species list indicating growth form and habit of recorded species; (5) a table of dates when each quadrat was sampled; (6) a table of the pasture each quadrat was located within (note that pasture boundaries have changed over time); (7) a table of depth to petrocalcic layer measurements taken at quadrat locations; (8) a table of particle size analysis of soil samples taken at quadrat locations; (9) a table of topographic characteristics of quadrat locations (e.g., concave or convex topography). Pantograph sampling is currently conducted at 5-yr intervals by USDA-ARS staff, and new data will be added periodically to the EDI Data Portal Repository (see section V.E.2). This information is released under the Creative Commons license-Attribution-CC BY and the consumer of these data is required to cite it appropriately in any publication that results from its use.

Two new annual fishes (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae) unexpectedly discovered in the highlands of southern Brazil.

Two new species of Austrolebias are described based on specimens collected from temporary pools located in natural grassland landscape within the Araucaria Forest domain at exceptionally high altitudes (~1000 meters a.s.l.). Austrolebias botocudo sp. n. and Austrolebias nubium sp. n. occur, respectively, in drainages of upper rio Apuaê-Inhandava (upper rio Uruguay basin) and upper rio Taquari-Antas (upper rio Jacuí, Laguna dos Patos basin), in the Meridional Plateau of southern Brazil. Despite an intensive survey conducted in the area, only two populations of each species were recorded. Both new species occurs at altitudes that are among the higher recorded for species of the genus, and both are assigned to the subgenus Acrolebias. The new species described herein are easily distinguished for its congeners by the colour pattern of males, by presence of melanophores irregularly distributed in different parts of the body, contact organs cover the body and anal fins, position of fins related with vertebrae, by preopercular and mandibular series of neuromasts united, by a series of morphometric features and by larger maximum standard length. Austrolebias botocudo and A. nubium are distinguished from each other by colour pattern of males, length of contact organs in the flank and number of contact organs in scales of lateral line, dorsal profile of head, number of neuromasts in the preopercular + mandibular series, body depth in females, and by basihyal cartilage length. Additionally, we discuss the conservation status of the new species, and provided an identification key for the species of the subgenus Acrolebias.