Phenology of two co-occurring Piper (Piperaceae) species in Brazil

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 581 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriano Valentin-Silva ◽  
Milene F. Vieira
Keyword(s):  
Rainy Season ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Sequential Flowering ◽  
Leaf Flush ◽  
Piper Gaudichaudianum

The co-occurrence of some species, including members of the Piper genus, has been shown to be associated with phenological factors. In the present study we analysed vegetative (sprout production and leaf flush) and reproductive phenophases (spike production, flowering, spike abortion, fruiting and dispersed spikes) of the co-occurring species Piper gaudichaudianum Kunth and Piper vicosanum Yunck. and checked the influence of abiotic factors on their phenological behaviour. Our study addressed natural populations in a semi-deciduous seasonal forest in south-eastern Brazil. In both species, the phenophases occurred mainly in the rainy season, were seasonal and associated with environmental variables, especially day length. However, sequential flowering and fruiting isolated them temporally from each other. Other differences were the growth of sexually reproductive sprouts (45.7% of the total sprouts) and the production of latent spikes in P. vicosanum; in P. gaudichaudianum, only 7.1% of the sprouts produced spikes that were not latent. Spike abortion was high: 73.8% (n = 474) in P. vicosanum and 84.8% (n = 231) in P. gaudichaudianum. The remaining spikes with fruits dispersed, on average, 293 and 1168 seeds per spike respectively. Although annual phenological behaviour of the species is regulated by similar environmental variables, their distinct reproductive strategies seem to favour the maintenance of the co-occurring populations.

scholarly journals Fenologia e modos de polinização e dispersão de Fabaceae em floresta ciliar, Chapada Diamantina, Nordeste do Brasil

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isys Mascarenhas Souza ◽  
Ligia Silveira Funch
Keyword(s):  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Day Length ◽  
Leaf Fall ◽  
Chapada Diamantina ◽  
Immature Fruit ◽  
Dispersal Syndromes ◽  
Leaf Flushing ◽  
Leaf Flush ◽  
Reproductive Events

Phenological patterns have been described based on frequency, period and duration of the events and analyzed as a function of biotic and abiotic factors with the vegetative and reproductive cycles of plant species commonly related to the precipitation and day length. In this work, we describe the phenological strategies of 11 Fabaceae species present in gallery forests along the Lençóis River, Chapada Diamantina, Bahia State, Brazil, and investigate the environmental factors influence and pollination and dispersal modes on the phenological patterns. Observations of vegetative (leaf flushing and leaf fall) and reproductive (bud, flower, immature fruit and mature fruit) phenology were made among a group of 75 individuals based on Fournier index (24 months). Interspecific synchrony was determined based on the presence or absence of each phenophase in the individuals. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate the influence of environmental variables on the phenophases, and Pearson correlation analysis between vegetative and reproductive events. Pollination and dispersal syndromes were defined based on field observations and literature. The species demonstrated non-seasonal vegetative and reproductive events, different of the expected for the family. However, the flowers and mature fruits (i.e., resources for pollinators and dispersal agents) were seasonal. The correlation with precipitation was positive to the leaf flush and negative to leaf fall and diaspore propagation. The leaf flushing, flowering and fruit maturation are correlated to day length. Our study reveals the occurrence of different groups of Fabaceae with distinct flowering and fruiting peaks related to pollination and dispersal syndromes, which minimize the niche overlapping among them.

Implications of body condition and seasonality on morphological and functional parameters of testes of Myotis nigricans (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1029
Author(s):  
Marcelo Ferreira ◽  
Aline Soldati ◽  
Sirlene S. S. Rodrigues ◽  
Laércio dos Anjos Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Reproductive Strategies ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
The Body ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
The Mean

The insectivorous bat Myotis nigricans is widely distributed throughout the Neotropics, including Brazil, and has a reproductive biology that is affected by climate and food availability. To evaluate the reproductive capacity of this species, morphofunctional parameters of the testes were correlated with environmental variables and the body condition of individuals captured. After bats had been killed, their testes were removed, fixed in Karnovsky’s fluid for 24 h and embedded in resin for evaluation by light microscopy. The mean annual tubulosomatic index (0.58%) and the percentage of seminiferous tubules in the testes (88.96%) were the highest ever recorded for the Order Chiroptera. The percentage of Leydig cells and volume of the cytoplasm of Leydig cells were higher in the rainy than dry season (80.62 ± 3.19% and 573.57 ± 166.95 μm, respectively; mean ± s.d.). Conversely, the percentage of nuclei of the Leydig cells in the dry season (26.17 ± 3.70%; mean ± s.d.) and the total number of Leydig cells (6.38 ± 1.84 × 109; mean ± s.d.) were higher in the dry season. The results of the present study could help in future conservation of these bats because they provide a better understanding of the bats’ reproductive strategies and how the species can adapt to changes.

scholarly journals Distribution of paracalanidae species (Copepoda, Crustacea) in the continental shelf off Sergipe and Alagoas States, Northeast Brazil

2006 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hortência Maria Pereira Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Continental Shelf ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Seasonal Distribution ◽  
Northeast Brazil ◽  
Oceanic Water ◽  
Density Values ◽  
Oceanic Species ◽  
Parvocalanus Crassirostris

The spatial and seasonal distribution of the Paracalanidae species were studied in eighteen stations in the continental shelf off Sergipe and Alagoas States, northeast Brazil, in December, 2001 and 2003, and in June, 2002 and 2003. The Paracalanidae family was constituted by coastal and shelf species such as Parvocalanus crassirostris, Paracalanus quasimodo, P. indicus and P. aculeatus and oceanic species, Calocalanus pavo and Acrocalanus longicornis. Density values were higher in stations located at 10 m isobath with respect to those located at 20 and 30 m depths. Paracalanidae abundance presented differences between seasons with values higher in June (2002, 2003) than in December (2001, 2002). All species were more abundant in the rainy season except Parvocalanus crassirostris. Paracalanus quasimodo was the dominant species with average densities of 949, 740 and 41 ind.m-3 in December months and 4231, 2389 and 1185 ind.m-3 in June months, at stations with local depths of 10, 20 and 30 m, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that salinity and temperature were the environmental variables that presented significant correlation with the distribution of Paracalanidae species, probably because these variables are influenced by the estuarine waters and by the dynamic of oceanic water masses in the continental shelf.

Temporal partitioning of reproductive activity in a neotropical anuran community

2004 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brigitte Gottsberger ◽  
Edith Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Reproductive Mode ◽  
Reproductive Activity ◽  
Active Species ◽  
South American ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Calling Activity

The phenology of calling activity and reproduction of a neotropical anuran community in French Guiana was studied during one rainy season. We investigated the correlation between calling activity, rainfall, temperature and water level in two ponds and recorded the occurrence of tadpoles of pond-breeding species. The study site contained 31 calling frog species, which were divided into groups according to reproductive mode. Increased rainfall was associated with increased reproductive activity in all groups, but temporal patterns in calling activity varied significantly between groups. Species with aquatic oviposition exhibited sporadic acoustic activity, aggregating into explosive breeding events following heavy rainfall. Species laying eggs in foam nests had the peak of calling activity at the start of the rainy season. Taxa with embryonic development on vegetation called mainly from middle to late wet season, being the only group which showed a significant correlation of calling with increasing water level. Dendrobatids with terrestrial oviposition and subsequent parental tadpole transportation were continuously active. Species with direct development or with non-feeding larvae were mainly active at the beginning of the rainy season. It is concluded that phenologies of calling activity in South American tropical anuran species are strongly influenced by abiotic factors like rainfall and availability of breeding sites. The temporal limitation of the rainy season forces species to adjust calling and reproductive activity according to their reproductive modes.

scholarly journals Spatial-temporal analysis of the diet of a non-native fish in the Santa Cruz Reservoir, Brazilian semi-arid

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jônnata Fernandes de Oliveira ◽  
Jean Carlos Dantas de Oliveira ◽  
José Luís Costa Novaes ◽  
Antonia Elissandra Freire de Souza ◽  
Marla Melise Oliveira de Sousa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Arid Environment ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Environmental Data ◽  
Animal Origin ◽  
Santa Cruz ◽  
Main Item ◽  
Semi Arid

Abstract Aim The diet of Plagioscion squamosissimus present in the Santa Cruz Reservoir, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, was investigated, evaluating the influences of spatial and temporal variations and abiotic factors in the utilization of food resources. Methods The samplings were performed quarterly between February 2011 and November 2014. Of the 525 specimens captured, 375 presented food items in the stomachs. The diet was determined using: (i) Feeding Index (IAi); (ii) and the graphical interpretation of the food strategy through non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyzes, the differences in diet being tested from Permutational Multivariate Analyzes of Variance (PERMANOVA). To verify if environmental variables influence the Canonical Correspondence Analyzes (CCA) were used, using the data from the IAi the environmental data, being the significance of the axes tested through Monte Carlo simulations. Results The species feed mainly on items of animal origin, vegetable being a resource ingested accidentally. The diet was composed of shrimp, fish, insect, mollusk and vegetable, the latter rarely found. The shrimp was the main item (92.57%) and the insects (7.24%) accessory items. Spatial and temporal ordering demonstrated that the species didn’t present variation in diet composition, as well as a low association between diet and environmental variables. Conclusion P. squamosissimus is characterized as carcinophagous, due to the predominance of shrimp in its diet, evidencing that the species is adapted to the conditions offered by the Brazilian semi-arid environment.

scholarly journals Reproductive Assurance Maintains Red-Flowered Plants of Lysimachia arvensis in Mediterranean Populations Despite Inbreeding Depression

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Jiménez-López ◽  
Pedro L. Ortiz ◽  
María Talavera ◽  
Montserrat Arista
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Inbreeding Depression ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Flower Color ◽  
Selfed Progeny ◽  
Mediterranean Populations ◽  
Mediterranean Areas ◽  
Flower Color Polymorphism

Flower color polymorphism, an infrequent but phylogenetically widespread condition in plants, is captivating because it can only be maintained under a few selective regimes but also because it can drive intra-morph assortative mating and promote speciation. Lysimachia arvensis is a polymorphic species with red or blue flowered morphs. In polymorphic populations, which are mostly Mediterranean, pollinators prefer blue-flowered plants to the red ones, and abiotic factors also favors blue-flowered plants. We hypothesize that the red morph is maintained in Mediterranean areas due to its selfing capacity. We assessed inbreeding depression in both color morphs in two Mediterranean populations and genetic diversity was studied via SSR microsatellites in 20 natural populations. Results showed that only 44–47% of selfed progeny of the red plants reached reproduction while about 72–91% of blue morph progeny did it. Between-morph genetic differentiation was high and the red morph had a lower genetic diversity and a higher inbreeding coefficient, mainly in the Mediterranean. Results suggest that selfing maintaining the red morph in Mediterranean areas despite its inbreeding depression. In addition, genetic differentiation between morphs suggests a low gene flow between them, suggesting reproductive isolation.

Reproductive phenology of sympatric taxa of Chamaecrista (Leguminosae) in Serra do Cipó, Brazil

1999 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-479 ◽  
Author(s):  
João A. Madeira ◽  
G. Wilson Fernandes
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Plant Architecture ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Reproductive Phenology ◽  
Biotic Factors ◽  
Selective Force ◽  
Monthly Average ◽  
Serra Do Cipó ◽  
Mature Seeds

Reproductive phenology of 13 sympatric taxa of Chamaecrista in three sections was surveyed at Serra do Cipó, south-east Brazil. Mean abundance of flowers and fruits per plant and mean number of aborted, predated, and surviving seeds per fruit were estimated. Monthly average number of developed seeds per fruit multiplied by the monthly mean number of fruits per plant gave the monthly average number of seeds produced by a plant of each taxon. Five types of phenological behaviour were differentiated by cluster analyses according to the season during which each species produced most of its mature seeds. This behaviour was related to the taxonomic section to which the taxa belong, to plant architecture, to geographical range, to seed predation and to local climatic seasonality. Herbs were more affected by variation in rainfall than shrubs and trees. Two species did not show any clear seasonal behaviour. Widespread taxa produced most of their mature seeds in the rainy season or immediately after it, and all but one of the narrowly distributed species produced most of their mature seeds in the dry season or in the transition from dry to rainy season. Seed predation is probably not an important selective force affecting reproductive phenology of larger taxa, while the smaller taxa seemed too constrained by abiotic factors for biotic factors to influence their phenology significantly.

scholarly journals Linear and geometric morphometrics as tools to resolve species circumscription in the Pseudolaelia vellozicola complex (Orchidaceae, Laeliinae)

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Menini Neto ◽  
Cássio Van den Berg ◽  
Rafaela Campostrini Forzza
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Multivariate Methods ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Morphometric Data ◽  
Elliptic Fourier Analysis ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Species Circumscription ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Sufficient Magnitude

Background and aims – Pseudolaelia is a genus endemic to eastern Brazil, with 12 accepted species predominantly distributed across granitic inselbergs of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The aim of the present study was to distinguish between the very similar taxa P. aguadocensis, P. oliveirana, P. regentii and P. vellozicola, using morphometric data acquired as linear measurements and outlines capture with Elliptic Fourier Analysis (EFA) of the floral parts. Material and methods – We sampled 208 specimens from 11 natural populations of the above taxa. We measured 20 floral variables and for the EFA, and we extracted 24 shape variables from the Fourier coefficient matrices, which describe the outlines of the floral parts. In both cases the data were analyzed with multivariate methods (both ordination and clustering). Key results – We could not find morphological discontinuities with sufficient magnitude to consider P. aguadocensis, P. oliveirana and P. regentii as distinct species from P. vellozicola. Conclusions – We propose that P. vellozicola should be considered a polymorphic and widely distributed species, generally supported by both methods.

Seed bank and seed rain in a seasonal semi-deciduous forest in south-eastern Brazil

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 759-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Tereza Grombone-Guaratini ◽  
Ricardo Ribeiro Rodrigues
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Rainy Season ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Seed Rain ◽  
Seasonal Effects ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Brazil ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Dry Seasons

To examine the influence of seasonality on the abundance and composition of species in the community, we studied the seed rain and the seed bank in a seasonal, semi-deciduous forest in south-eastern Brazil. Soil samples (depth 3 cm, 0.25 m2) were collected within a 1-ha plot in the dry seasons of 1996 and 1997 and the rainy season of 1997 (84 samples per collection). Thirty-five seed traps (0.25 m2 each) were placed randomly in the forest from March 1997 to February 1998. The greatest density of seeds in the soil occurred in samples collected during the rainy season, the period which coincides with the main fruiting period in this forest. The Sørensen similarity index values for the seed bank composition among the three periods were high (> 0.50). The fallout of propagules was strongly seasonal, with more than half of the annual total number of seeds being caught in the two months around the end of the dry season and beginning of the rainy season. The mean density of seeds in the soil bank was nearly 86% lower than the seed rain density. There was no clear evidence of seasonal effects on species density and richness in this forest.

Dietary Variation in a Freshwater Fish Species: Relative Contributions of Biotic Interactions, Abiotic Factors, and Spatial Structure

1994 ◽  
Vol 51 (12) ◽  
pp. 2856-2865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre Magnan ◽  
Marco A. Rodríguez ◽  
Pierre Legendre ◽  
Sylvain Lacasse
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Structure ◽  
Freshwater Fish ◽  
Fish Species ◽  
Environmental Variables ◽  
Brook Trout ◽  
Diet Composition ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biotic Interactions ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Dietary Variation

We used multivariate analyses to examine which variables among the environmental and spatial components can best account for dietary variation in a freshwater fish, brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis. The diet composition of brook trout was quantified in 37 lakes of the Laurentian Shield, Québec, Canada. Among the 25 measured environmental variables, fish species composition, sampling date, macrophyte abundance, and trout body length were the best predictors of diet composition. The total variation in diet composition was partitioned into four components: pure environmental 21.6%, pure spatial 23.2%, shared 19.9%, and unexplained 35.3%. A significant spatial trend in diet composition existed even after accounting for the main effects measured by the environmental variables. The two sets of spatial variables, when combined with the environmental descriptors, extracted different components of the dietary variation. The study allowed us to (1) highlight the role of spatial structure in diet variation of brook trout, (2) determine the relative contribution of both environmental and spatial components, and (3) generate testable hypotheses concerning mechanisms underlying the observed structure. Dependent variables other than diet composition, such as the density of different species at different sampling sites, can be used within the same statistical framework in studies of community ecology.

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