What can tree plantations do for forest birds in fragmented forest landscapes? A case study in southern Brazil

Despite the fact that tree plantations are not able to completely replace the ecological function of natural forests, the present study proposes to evaluate for which bird species or avian groups tree plantations act as habitat in fragmented landscape in southern Brazil. We compared the richness and abundance of bird species in a natural forest to adjacent plantations of Araucaria, a native tree species and of pine, an exotic plant in South America. Moreover, we evaluated the impact of tree plantations on richness of avian groups with different levels of dependence on forest habitat, feeding habits and foraging strata as well as on threatened species. The fixed 100 m radius point-counts method was used. A total of 114 bird species were recorded in all areas. Of those, 93 occurred in natural forest, 87 in Araucaria plantations and 81 in pine plantations. These results indicate that richness and abundance were lower in the pine plantations than in the natural forest and in the Araucaria plantations. Araucaria plantations can be used by a high number of bird species and their richness was not significantly lower than that observed in the adjacent natural forest. Our results suggest that Araucaria plantations could act as habitat for a large number of bird species, especially for forest-dependents species, insectivores, frugivores and species at different threat categories.     

Diversity of filamentous fungi in leaf litter and aerial litter in semi-deciduous forest,Bahia, Brazil

The fungi have wide distribution in ecosystems and can be found colonizing various substrates,where they act as efficient decomposers,participating in cycling of nutrients.The present study aimed to assess the diversity,richness and composition of filamentous fungi in leaf litter and aerial litter in a semi-deciduous forest in the Chapada Diamantina,Bahia,Brazil.Samples of leaf litter and aerial litter were collected monthly from October/2009 to September/2010 in eight installments in the studied area.Those samples were washed,placed in moist chambers and incubated.47 taxa were identified,37 in leaf litter and 35 in aerial litter,with 25 species common to both.A similarity of 69 % according to Sorensen index.The similarity was considered low when the sample points were compared to the same litter.Most fungi showed sporadic intervals.     

Identification of origin and analysis of population structure of field-selected imidazolinone-herbicide resistant red rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis>)

Several red rice biotypes have evolved resistance to imidazolinone herbicides. The origin of resistance has been attributed to gene flow from the herbicide-resistant rice cultivars, but independent evolution of spontaneous mutation can also contribute to the herbicide resistance. The objective of this study was to quantify the occurrence of gene flow and independent selection as the mechanisms of origin of imidazolinone-resistance in red rice to correctly define the management practices for red rice control. Three single nucleotide polymorphism markers were used to identify acetolactate synthase (ALS) gene mutations, and four simple sequence repeat markers were used to identify hybrids of imidazolinone-resistant rice cultivars and red rice. In addition, genetic diversity and population structure analyses were performed. Artificial hybrids were used as controls. Gene flow was the main origin of imidazolinone herbicide resistance, but independent selection occurred in 1.1 % of the evaluated red rice plants. Two red rice plants that independently evolved herbicide resistance had the ALS gene mutation, Gly₆₅₄Glu. Population structure analysis also indicated intense gene flow from rice cultivars to red rice, but some populations maintained a high genetic identity based on a small amount of gene introgression from the rice cultivars. These results indicate the importance of adopting controls of red rice escapees to avoid gene flow from the imidazolinone-resistant rice, and the necessity of biotechnological approaches to mitigating gene flow in the development of new herbicide-resistant rice cultivars.     

Genetic control of low temperature tolerance in germination of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Summary Cultivars tolerant to low temperature during the germination and emergence stages and carriers of the grain quality standards demanded by consumers are needed to increase the success of irrigated common bean in Southern Minas Gerais State. To study the genetic mechanisms controlling these traits and assess the possibility of generating the desirable materials, a diallel cross involving ten cultivars including introductions and pure lines from the breeding program of ESAL was carried out. Speed of germination of the F₂ generation from the crosses was assessed under laboratory conditions at 12°C. The diallel analysis was carried out using Griffing's method IV (1956) and predictions of the cross potential were made by the methodology developed by Jinks & Pooni (1986). The results indicated that the parents differed in germination speed at low temperatures with Small White, A-488 and Rio Vermelho being the most tolerant and Carioca, ESAL 591 the most sensitive. No effect of the reciprocal crosses was observed either for germination percentage or germination speed. The parents A-488, Small White and Rio Vermelho showed the greatest general combining ability. Additive genetic effects predominated for both traits. Our results suggest that cold tolerance can be bred successfully into commercially acceptable cultivars.     

Temporal stability of multivariate genetic divergence in cacao ( Theobroma cacao L.) in Southern Bahia conditions

Stability of the genetic divergence among five non-commercial cacao cultivars at advanced ages was investigated over a five-year period (1986–1990). Cluster analysis was performed on five yield components measured on harvests from each crop year and on the data pooled over five years. The temporal stability was assessed by using clustering procedure, which involved the calculation Mahalanobis distance (D²) and of Tocher's algorithm applied to the distance matrix. The comparison of D² and of clusters based upon pooled analysis, and taken as the standard, with D² values and clusters obtained from each year showed a stable clustering pattern in the most favourable year. For the rest of the years, inconsistency in number and composition of clusters formed was observed. An optimum environment was shown to be important for better expressing divergence by D². Consequently, the evaluation of the genetic divergence among the studied cultivars may be conducted based on a single favourable year. This will result in considerable savings in man power, financial resources, and time which would be wasted should the evaluation be extended for several years.