scholarly journals The Chrysidoidea Wasps (Hymenoptera, Aculeata) in Conventional Coffee Crops and Agroforestry Systems in Southeastern Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 ◽  
pp. e20206058
Author(s):  
André Luis Martins ◽  
José Ricardo Assmann Lemes ◽  
Paulo Rogério Lopes ◽  
Angélica Maria Penteado Dias
Keyword(s):  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Agricultural Crops ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Conventional Systems ◽  
Agricultural Impact ◽  
Do So

Agroforestry systems represent the integration of agricultural crops with native vegetation. These systems are of great importance to minimize the agricultural impact in the land through intercropping of these vegetations. Despite of the importance of Chrysidoidea as parasitoids wasps associated with different groups of insects, there is no study comparing the assemblages of these hymenopterans in conventional and agroforestry systems in Brazil. The “Pontal do Paranapanema”, located in the extreme west of the state of São Paulo (Brazil), has historically been occupied by coffee crops and some small areas of agroforestry systems. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the abundance and composition of Chrysidoidea wasp fauna in different conventional coffee crops and agroforestry systems located in this region. To do so, we collected in six different localities in the “Pontal do Paranapanema” using a Malaise trap in each locality with collections occurring monthly between June 2011 and July 2012. A total of 3,623 Chrysidoidea specimens of three families were collected: Bethylidae, with four genera and a total of 3,396 individuals, representing 93.73% of the total collected; Chrysididae with 11 genera and 151 individuals (4.16%), and Dryinidae with five genera and 76 individuals (2.09%). In terms of abundance, the agroforestry was responsible for most of the individuals collected (n = 2029), followed by the conventional systems with 1,406 individuals and the transitional with 188. The most abundant genera were Epyris and Dissomphalus, responsible for about 92% of the total of Chrysidoidea collected. Most of the genera of Chrysididae were collected in the conventional systems alone or in both conventional and agroforestry systems. For Bethylidae and Dryinidae, no genera were found exclusively in the conventional system. It is expected that the structural complexity of each one of the different ecosystems impact directly in the fauna of Chrysidoidea parasitoids associated.

Heat Compensation in Buildings Using Thermoelectric Windows: An Energy Efficient Window Technology

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys-Sheffer Birthwright ◽  
Achille Messac ◽  
Timothy Harren-Lewis ◽  
Sirisha Rangavajhala
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Coefficient Of Performance ◽  
Building Structures ◽  
Practical Applications ◽  
Current Input ◽  
Flow Through ◽  
Conventional Systems ◽  
Window Design ◽  
Absorption Power ◽  
Do So

In this paper, we explore the design of thermoelectric (TE) windows for applications in building structures. Thermoelectric windows are equipped with TE units in the window frame to provide a heat absorption power, given a direct current input. We explore the design performance of the TE window to compensate for its own heat gains. While existing energy efficient windows have made advances towards reducing the heat transfer through them, they still depend on the building’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to compensate for their heat gains. Our research explores the design of a window that can actively compensate for the passive heat flow through the window panes, and to do so with a better coefficient of performance (COP) than conventional HVAC systems. We also optimize the TE window design, and present results of the potential performance for practical applications in the building structure. For the geographic locations considered (Hawaii and Miami), the results are promising. Interestingly, the proposed TE window design actively compensates for the conduction heat gains with a COP greater than three, while that of conventional systems is typically less than three.

scholarly journals Progress of soybean charcoal rot under tillage and no-tillage systems in Brazil

2003 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Álvaro M. R. Almeida ◽  
Lilian Amorim ◽  
Armando Bergamin Filho ◽  
Eleno Torres ◽  
José R. B. Farias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Disease Incidence ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Macrophomina Phaseolina ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Survival Times ◽  
Charcoal Rot ◽  
No Till ◽  
Four Seasons ◽  
Conventional Systems

The increase in incidence of charcoal rot caused by Macrophomina phaseolina on soybeans (Glycine max) was followed four seasons in conventional and no-till cropping systems. In the 1997/98 and 2000/01 seasons, total precipitation between sowing and harvest reached 876.3 and 846.9 mm, respectively. For these seasons, disease incidence did not differ significantly between the no-till and conventional systems. In 1998/99 and 1999/00 precipitation totaled 689.9 and 478.3 mm, respectively. In 1998/99, in the no-till system, the disease incidence was 43.7% and 53.1% in the conventional system. In 1999/00 the final incidence was 68.7% and 81.2% for the no-till and conventional systems, respectively. For these two seasons, precipitation was lower than that required for soybean crops (840 mm), and the averages of disease incidence were significantly higher in the conventional system. The concentration of microsclerotia in soil samples was higher in samples collected in conventional system at 0 - 10 cm depth. However, analysis of microsclerotia in roots showed that in years with adequate rain no difference was detected. In dry years, however, roots from plants developed under the conventional system had significantly more microsclerotia. Because of the wide host range of M. phaseolina and the long survival times of the microsclerotia, crop rotation would probably have little benefit in reducing charcoal rot. Under these study conditions it may be a better alternative to suppress charcoal rot by using the no-till cropping system to conserve soil moisture and reduce disease progress.

scholarly journals Postharvest quality of strawberry fruits produced in organic and conventional systems

2011 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 577-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Letícia KP Camargo ◽  
Juliano Tadeu V de Resende ◽  
Tânia T Tominaga ◽  
Sonia Maria Kurchaidt ◽  
Cristhiano K Camargo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Titratable Acidity ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Soluble Solids ◽  
Postharvest Quality ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Camino Real ◽  
Sensorial Attributes ◽  
Solids Content ◽  
Conventional Systems

The aim of this study was to determine some physicochemical characteristics of fruits of eight strawberry cultivars (Aromas, Camino Real, Campinas, Dover, Oso Grande, Toyonoka, Tudla-Milsei and Ventana) cultivated in organic and conventional systems. The evaluated characteristics were soluble solids (SS), titratable acidity (TA), SS/AT ratio and anthocyanins. Evaluated sensory characteristics were flavor and appearance. The cultivars had a differential performance between themselves and among the systems for the evaluated characteristics. Generally, the conventional system produced fruit with higher levels of soluble solids and, organic system produced higher concentrations of anthocyanins. The fruits of the cultivar Toyonoka had the best soluble solids content in both systems and the anthocyanins content of 'Tudla-Milsei' and 'Camino Real' were proeminent in comparison to the other cultivars. The fruits from the organic system of production were preferred by judges on the sensorial attributes. The highest notes were given to the appearance of the cultivar Ventana in the conventional system and 'Tudla-Milsei' in the organic system.

scholarly journals Soil water dynamics and litter production in eucalypt and native vegetation in southeastern Brazil

2014 ◽  
Vol 71 (5) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique Muller da Silva ◽  
Fabio Poggiani ◽  
Walter de Paula Lima ◽  
Paulo Leonel Libardi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Dynamics ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Litter Production ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Soil Water Dynamics

scholarly journals Benthic macroinvertebrates and degradation of phytomass as indicators of ecosystem functions in flooded rice cropping

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilian Terezinha Winckler ◽  
Angélica Konradt Güths ◽  
Pâmela Rodrigues Gayer
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
Trophic Group ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Natural Wetland ◽  
Wetland Area ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Flooded Rice ◽  
Rice Area ◽  
Conventional Systems

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the ecosystem functions of a natural wetland and of artificially flooded rice areas, managed under organic and conventional systems, by phytomass degradation and by the colonization of this material by benthic macroinvertebrates. The experiment was carried out in a natural wetland area, and in two flooded rice areas managed under organic and conventional systems. Twenty-five decomposition bags filled with 10 g of dry vegetation were installed in each site. At 14, 28, 42, 56, and 70 days after the beginning of the experiment, five bags from each site were collected. Macroinvertebrates were identified and classified by functional trophic group. The number of species of benthic macroinvertebrates increased: natural wetland > organic system > conventional system. The Chironomidae group was present in all areas, confirming its food plasticity and adaptability to different substrates and environmental stress situations. The Amphipoda group was present only in the artificially flooded rice area, and the Acari, only in the natural wetland. The diversity of species in the natural wetland area was higher than in the artificially flooded rice area. Nutrient cycling, provided by phytomass decomposition, is affected by the management system, and the delay in this process causes a reduction of the ecosystem functions in the conventional system.

scholarly journals Canopy cover and structural complexity affect the phylogenetic composition of a pond-dwelling Neotropical anuran metacommunity

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo B. Provete
Keyword(s):  
Structural Complexity ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Lineage Sorting ◽  
Phylogenetic Structure ◽  
Larval Amphibians ◽  
Principal Coordinates ◽  
Floating Vegetation ◽  
Phylogenetic Composition

AbstractPhylogenetic information has been increasingly included into (meta)community assembly studies. However, recent studies have challenged the framework commonly used to infer processes from phylogenetic structure. Amphibians are good model organisms to study processes promoting structure in metacommunities, since they are subjected to different environmental and spatial processes throughout their biphasic life cycle. Pond canopy cover is one of these environmental factors that strongly influence the distribution of species and traits of several freshwater taxa, including larval amphibians (e.g., behavior, color, fin height, and length of intestine). Here, I tested the influence of pond canopy cover, floating vegetation, and pond morphology on the phylogenetic structure of an anuran metacommunity in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil. I sampled tadpoles in 13 ponds and marshes from June 2008 and July 2009 in the Serra da Bocaina National Park, São Paulo. After building a metacommunity phylogeny, I used an eigenvector-based technique to describe the metacommunity phylogenetic composition (Principal Coordinates of Phylogenetic Structure, PCPS). I then run a db-RDA to evalute whether a subset of these eigenvectors can be explained by environmental variables. I found that pond canopy cover and floating vegetation were the main variables influencing lineage sorting in this metacommunity. Canopy cover separated hylid lineages from other families that were associated with open areas. Floating vegetation separated two hylid tribes (Cophomantini and Dendropsophini). Our results mainly suggest that the effect of canopy cover and floating vegetation on the structure of anuran metacommunity may affect not only species, but also entire lineages.

scholarly journals IDENTIFIKASI PENGARUH PENGGUNAAN RAIL CLIMBING SYSTEM PADA PEKERJAAN KONSTRUKSI COREWALL

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Redaksi Tim Jurnal
Keyword(s):  
Conventional System ◽  
Work Effectiveness ◽  
Structural Work ◽  
Work Duration ◽  
Two Systems ◽  
Conventional Systems ◽  
Over Time

In structural work, especially corewall, the use of conventional formwork systems decreases work effectiveness over time. PT. Total Bangun Persada, one of the stakeholders that applies innovation to increase the effectiveness of that is by using the rail climbing system as a solution to the problems faced. This study will compare the time effectiveness of conventional systems using corewall using the rail climbing system which was analyzed using cyclone to obtain effective repeat cycles. From the two systems, the results show that the corewall work using the rail climbing system is more effective with a work duration of 78 days compared to conventional system formwork with 84 days of work duration.

scholarly journals Traditional Agroforestry Systems and Conservation of Native Plant Diversity of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4600
Author(s):  
Francisco J. Rendón-Sandoval ◽  
Alejandro Casas ◽  
Ana I. Moreno-Calles ◽  
Ignacio Torres-García ◽  
Eduardo García-Frapolli
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Agroforestry Systems ◽  
Native Vegetation ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Gamma Diversity ◽  
Randomized Sampling ◽  
Total Species Richness ◽  
Alpha Beta ◽  
Beta And Gamma Diversity ◽  
Traditional Agroforestry

Traditional agroforestry systems (TAFS), which integrate crops with wildlife, are important reservoirs of human culture and technical experiences with a high capacity for biodiversity conservation. Our study aimed to evaluate the capacity of TAFS to conserve the floristic diversity of tropical dry forests (TDF) in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley, Mexico. We compared TAFS and TDF by measuring their forest cover, floristic composition, and structure, in addition to documenting the motivations of people to maintain native vegetation in their agricultural fields. We conducted a restricted randomized sampling of perennial plant species, including nine sites of TAFS and nine of TDF to determine the alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. Furthermore, we conducted semi-structured interviews with peasants who managed the agricultural plots we studied. We also performed workshops with people of the communities where surveys were performed. Our findings show that TAFS can maintain, on average, 68% of the species (95% of them native to the region) and 53% of the abundance of individuals occurring in the adjacent TDF. TAFS harbour 30% (39 species) of plants endemic to Mexico. Total species richness of TDF and TAFS were similar, as well as the effective number of species or communities estimated for the alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, but differed in the abundance of individuals. The high species turnover recorded in TDF (72%) and TAFS (74%) has profound implications for conservation, suggesting that it would be necessary to maintain several sites in order to conserve the regional diversity of native vegetation. Material, non-material, and regulatory contributions were reported to be the reason that peasants take into account maintaining natural vegetation. TAFS associated with TDF in the region (also called “Apancles”) contain an important richness, diversity, and endemism of components of natural ecosystems, as well as provide multiple socio-ecological contributions. These systems could represent a viable alternative to reconcile biological conservation with social well-being.

Paratelmatobius mantiqueira Pombal & Haddad, 1999 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): New specimens and rectification of the type locality of a rare species from the Serra da Mantiqueira, southeastern Brazil

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4845 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-450
Author(s):  
ELSIE ROTENBERG ◽  
EDELCIO MUSCAT ◽  
DANIEL RODRIGUES STUGINSKI ◽  
LUÍS FELIPE TOLEDO ◽  
MATHEUS DE TOLEDO MOROTI
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Type Locality ◽  
Southeastern Brazil ◽  
Congeneric Species ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
Serra Do Mar ◽  
Mountain Ranges ◽  
Type Series ◽  
Species Type

There are currently seven species of small frogs (up to 30 mm in snout-vent length) in the genus Paratelmatobius Lutz & Carvalho 1958 (Frost, 2020). They are all endemic to mountain ranges in the Atlantic Forest, occurring in the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira, southeastern Brazil (Santos et al. 2019). Most congeneric species are considered rare and their distribution is restricted to small areas (Domenico et al. 2014; Santos et al. 2020). Paratelmatobius mantiqueira Pombal & Haddad 1999 is one of the most enigmatic species in the genus. It hadn’t been seen from 1953, when the type series was collected, until 2005, when one specimen was found in the municipality of Resende, state of Rio de Janeiro (Vrcibradic et al. 2010). Recently, we found a new population of P. mantiqueira in the state of São Paulo. While reviewing the scattered information available about the species, we noticed inconsistencies related to the species’ type locality. We propose its rectification in this manuscript. 

scholarly journals Soil fertility and crop yields in long-term organic and conventional cropping systems in Eastern Nebraska

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam E. Wortman ◽  
Tomie D. Galusha ◽  
Stephen C. Mason ◽  
Charles A. Francis
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Animal Manure ◽  
Conventional System ◽  
Organic System ◽  
Organic Systems ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Conventional Systems

AbstractOrganic agriculture aims to build soil quality and provide long-term benefits to people and the environment; however, organic practices may reduce crop yields. This long-term study near Mead, NE was conducted to determine differences in soil fertility and crop yields among conventional and organic cropping systems between 1996 and 2007. The conventional system (CR) consisted of corn (Zea maysL.) or sorghum (Sorghum bicolor(L.) Moench)–soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merr.)–sorghum or corn–soybean, whereas the diversified conventional system (DIR) consisted of corn or sorghum–sorghum or corn–soybean–winter wheat (wheat,Triticum aestivumL.). The animal manure-based organic system (OAM) consisted of soybean–corn or sorghum–soybean–wheat, while the forage-based organic system (OFG) consisted of alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.)–alfalfa–corn or sorghum–wheat. Averaged across sampling years, soil organic matter content (OMC), P, pH, Ca, K, Mg and Zn in the top 15 cm of soil were greatest in the OAM system. However, by 2008 OMC was not different between the two organic systems despite almost two times greater carbon inputs in the OAM system. Corn, sorghum and soybean average annual yields were greatest in either of the two conventional systems (7.65, 6.36 and 2.60 Mg ha−1, respectively), whereas wheat yields were greatest in the OAM system (3.07 Mg ha−1). Relative to the mean of the conventional systems, corn yields were reduced by 13 and 33% in the OAM and OFG systems, respectively. Similarly, sorghum yields in the OAM and OFG systems were reduced by 16 and 27%, respectively. Soybean yields were 20% greater in the conventional systems compared with the OAM system. However, wheat yields were 10% greater in the OAM system compared with the conventional DIR system and 23% greater than yield in the OFG system. Alfalfa in the OFG system yielded an average of 7.41 Mg ha−1annually. Competitive yields of organic wheat and alfalfa along with the soil fertility benefits associated with animal manure and perennial forage suggest that aspects of the two organic systems be combined to maximize the productivity and sustainability of organic cropping systems.

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