Short‐term environmental changes in Lake Morenito (41°S, 71°W,Patagonia, Argentina) from the analysis of sub‐fossil chironomids

• 1. A short sediment core from Lake Morenito was studied to assess the impact of environmental changes on chironomid communities occurring during the last ca 100 yr.
• 2. Lake Morenito (41°S, 71°W) is located 20 km west of the city of Bariloche, in northern Patagonia, Argentina. Before 1960, this lake was a branch of Lake Moreno; by that time, an artificial dam closed the system, establishing the new lake. Another human disturbance that took place during the time span of the core was the introduction of salmonids to the area ca 1910.
• 3. The most important natural events that occurred in the area during the last 100 yr were related to volcanic episodes. One of them, occured in Chile in 1960 affecting the Argentinian side, coincided with the dam's construction.
• 4. Changes in the chironomid community were recorded by studying the sub‐fossil remains (the chitinized head capsule of the larvae) present in the sedimentary sequence. The results show that volcanic tephra layers deposited along the core led to a sharp instantaneous drop in the diversity and abundance of chironomid assemblages. Human activities are also associated with a change in chironomid community composition.
• 5. Chironomus reached its maximum abundance values in 1910 and 1960. The organic matter content also increased at the same time. The increase of Chironomus after 1910 is clearly related to an increase in the trophic status of the lake. However, owing to the synchronicity of events in 1960, i.e. the volcanic event and the dam's construction, it is difficult to establish whether the change in the chironomid assemblage was in response to an increase in trophic enrichment, to natural disturbance, or both.

Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improving weaning strategies for Senegalese sole: effects of body weight and digestive capacity

To optimize Senegalese sole‐weaning strategies, three experiments were performed. The first trial tested four weaning strategies with a 10 mg sole. Artemia‐fed sole grew threefold less than fish fed an inert diet. Sudden weaning (abrupt change from Artemia to inert diet) and weaning with co‐feeding produced larger sole than did a late weaning treatment; delayed weaning negatively affected fish growth. In the second experiment, the digestive capacity of early‐weaned 1, 2 and 4 mg sole was investigated. The highest growth was observed in sole weaned at 4 mg. Digestive enzyme profiles suggest that sole have an adaptation period to inert diets, with reduced feed intake. This adaptation period is inversely proportional to post‐larvae weight. The third experiment examined weaning with co‐feeding at different weights (2, 5 and 11 mg). These studies demonstrate that sole of 5–10 mg can be weaned, with high survival rates. On the basis of the digestive enzyme profiles, the early introduction of inert diets in co‐feeding with Artemia seems to affect intestinal processes in smaller postlarvae. This study also suggests that trypsin and alkaline phosphatase may be used as indicators of nutritional status in sole of <5 mg.     

Daily rhythms of cortisol and glucose and the influence of the light/dark cycle on anaesthesia in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): Does the timing of anaesthetic administration affect the stress response?

Although daily variations in drug pharmacokinetics have been reported for a variety of teleost species, the influence of this daily variation on the cortisol response following anaesthesia remains poorly understood. To address this, two experiments were performed. The first experiment described the daily patterns of cortisol and glucose secretion in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). The second experiment investigated how the timing of anaesthetic administration (specifically at mid‐light [ML] or at mid‐dark [MD]) affects the induction and recovery times and plasma cortisol and glucose levels of juvenile Nile tilapia exposed to benzocaine, clove oil or tricaine methanesulphonate (MS‐222). The results revealed that the effect on the stress response associated with the moment when anaesthesia took place (ML or MD) varied according to the treatment (p < 0.05). Cortisol levels were significantly higher at ML for MS‐222 (ML = 116.23 ± 25.55; MD = 48.25 ± 22.33 ng/dl) (p < 0.05) and clove oil (ML 59.73 ± 14.27; MD 38.26 ± 12.07 ng/dl) (p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences were found between ML and MD cortisol levels for the control treatment (ML = 72.91 ± 18.42; MD = 64.80 ± 10.68 ng/dl) (p > 0.05) or in the benzocaine‐treated group (ML = 38.7 ± 4.90; MD = 38.60 ± 3.69 ng/dl) (p > 0.05). The highest plasma cortisol level in ML was found in the MS‐222‐treated group. All the tested anaesthetics had similar cortisol levels at MD (p > 0.05).     

Simultaneous infection with distinct strains of Torque teno sus virus (TTSuV) in healthy slaughter-age pigs

The aims of this study were to evaluate torque teno sus virus (TTSuV) infection in healthy slaughter-age pigs and to compare the similarities of the untranslated region (UTR) nucleotide (nt) sequences obtained from different biological samples of the same animals. Fifty-eight pigs were evaluated by PCR assay for the presence of TTSuV in paired samples of liver and serum (Group 1, n?=?27) and lung and serum (Group 2, n?=?31). All the pigs were positive for TTSuV infection in the organs sampled and 94.8 % (n?=?55) presented with viraemia. The nt sequence similarities between the Groups 1 and 2 varied from 91.7 % to 96.6 % (TTSuV1) and 91 % to 95 % (TTSuV2). In Group 1, the nt sequence similarities were 93 % (TTSuV1) and 95.4 % (TTSuV2). In Group 2, the nt sequence similarities were 95 % (TTSuV1) and 91 % (TTSuV2). These results revealed the simultaneous infection with distinct strains of TTSuV1 and 2 in healthy pigs at slaughter age.     

Sero-prevalence and risk indicators for canine ehrlichiosis in three rural areas of Brazil

Ehrlichia canis has a worldwide geographic distribution, occurring particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. In Brazil, the main vector in urban areas is believed to be the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus, but little is known about the occurrence, transmission and other epidemiological aspects of canine ehrlichiosis in rural areas, where Amblyomma ticks are found more frequently than R. sanguineus. A sero-prevalence study of canine ehrlichiosis was carried out in three distinct rural regions of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Serum samples were collected from 226 dogs living on farms in Lavras (n=85), Belo Horizonte (n=45), and Nanuque (n=96) and were analyzed by an indirect fluorescent antibody test for the detection of anti-Ehrlichia canis antibodies. Age, breed, sex, presence of ticks and packed cell volume were also recorded. There were 65.6% positive dogs in Nanuque, 37.8% in Belo Horizonte, and 24.7% in Lavras. Animals living in Nanuque were 4.6 times more likely to be serologically positive than dogs living in the other two regions and antibody titres were considerable higher in this area. Male dogs, dogs >5 years of age, those infested with ticks, and mongrels all showed higher rates of positivity. The results point to the importance of canine ehrlichiosis in rural areas and indicate the need for further studies on natural transmission and maintenance of the disease.     

Leucopaxillus giganteus mycelium: effect of nitrogen source on organic acids and alkaloids

The aim of this work was to find the most useful inorganic nitrogen source to enable Leucopaxillus giganteus to become a more nutritious mushroom, regarding organic acid and phenolic composition and total alkaloids content. For these, the influence of NH 4NO 3,NaNO 2, KNO 3,, and (NH 4) 2HPO 4 on the organic acid production was determined by HPLC-UV and total alkaloid content was assessed by a spectrophotometric method, after precipitation by Dragendorff's reagent. The results showed that L. giganteus presented an organic acid profile composed of oxalic, cis-aconitic, citric, and fumaric acids, citric acid being the major one. The quantitative organic acid profile and total alkaloid content were affected by the nitrogen source and depended on the developmental stage of mycelium and nitrogen availability. Despite being present in all samples, no phenolic compound could be identified.     

Pine wilt disease: detection of the pinewood nematode (Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) as a tool for a pine breeding programme

The pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is a serious quarantine pest first detected in Portugal and Europe in 1999. It is the causal agent of pine wilt disease (PWD). A resistance breeding programme has been initiated to contribute to control the evolution of the disease. Five hundred and four adult maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, trees were phenotypically selected as candidate trees for this programme from an area affected by PWD. To identify tolerance to the nematode, the selected trees were monitored monthly. Over the course of 1 year, 57 candidate trees died and were tested for the presence/absence of the PWN. As accuracy of detection is of major importance, an ITS‐PCR‐based method applied directly to wood from adult maritime pine trees was tested and compared with a standard morphological identification method. The results showed that the use of PCR to detect the pathogen provided more rapid and accurate results in comparison with the standard morphological identification. Thus, this method is suitable to be used in the survey of the breeding population for resistance/tolerance to PWD.     

Carbon and nitrogen in a Ferralsol under zero‐tillage rotations based on cover,cash or hay crops

To identify crop rotation systems capable of sequestering C and N to 1 metre depth in a subtropical Ferralsol of Southern Brazil managed under long‐term zero‐tillage (21 yrs), we evaluated six crop sequences: wheat (Triticum aestivum)–soybean (Glycine max) [W‐S], the baseline; oat (Avena strigosa, as cover crop)–maize (Zea mays)–wheat–soybean [O‐M‐W‐S]; vetch (Vicia villosa, as legume cover crop)–maize–wheat–soybean [V‐M‐W‐S]; vetch–maize–oat–soybean–wheat–soybean [V‐M‐O‐S‐W‐S]; ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum, for hay)–maize–ryegrass–soybean [R‐M‐R‐S]; and alfalfa (Medicago sativa, for hay)–maize [A‐M]. Compared to W‐S and to 1 metre, the hay‐based system of A‐M showed the largest C and N sequestration rates (0.50 and 0.06 Mg/ha/yr, respectively). Alfalfa, being a perennial legume under cut‐regrowth cycles, possibly added more C and N through roots. The other hay system, R‐M‐R‐S, also sequestered C efficiently (0.27 Mg/ha/yr), but not N (0.01 Mg/ha/yr). The legume‐based system of V‐M‐W‐S sequestered significant amounts of both C (0.29 Mg/ha/yr) and N (0.04 Mg/ha/yr). The grass‐based system of O‐M‐W‐S showed the lowest sequestration of C (0.09 Mg/ha/yr). In all systems, a positive relationship (R² = 0.71) occurred between estimated addition of root C and soil C stock to 1 metre. Whenever C and N sequestration occurred, more than half of that occurred below 20 cm depth. Results suggest that adoption of legume‐based systems, perennially as A‐M or annually as V‐M‐W‐S, is efficient for C and N sequestration in subtropical zero‐tillage soils and that roots possibly contribute more to that sequestration than aboveground biomass.