MICROCRUSTACEAN ASSEMBLAGES AND WATER QUALITY IN A HIGH-ALTITUDE POND IN SOUTH BRAZIL (PARANÁ)

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (01) ◽  
pp. 154-158
Author(s):  
Renê Skarabotto ◽  
◽  
Julia Madrid Urbano ◽  
Jorge Laço Portinho ◽  
Gilmar Perbiche-Neves ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to assess the abundance and richness of microcrustacean, and water physical and chemical characteristics of a high-altitude pond in the Serra do Mar at State of Paraná. Water samples were collected quarterly between August 2015 and August 2016. Environmental conditions of pond were characterized by small pond size and depth, cold and well oxygenated water, and neutral or slightly acid pH. Mean total microcrustacean density was 945.0 ind m-3, whereas total taxon richness was 3.40. The most abundant species was Tropocyclops prasinus. The small size and the isolament of the pond, and the low temperatures were related to the low species richness and abundance. This study is unprecedented to the State of Paraná. Future studies attempt to understand the environmental conditions and distribution of microcrustaceans from high-altitude ponds.

Author(s):  
Dean Jacobsen ◽  
Olivier Dangles

Chapter 5 is focused on how organisms cope with the environmental conditions that are a direct result of high altitude. Organisms reveal a number of fascinating ways of dealing with a life at high altitude; for example, avoidance and pigmentation as protection against damaging high levels of ultraviolet radiation, accumulation of antifreeze proteins, and metabolic cold adaptation among species encountering low temperatures with the risk of freezing, oxy-regulatory capacity in animals due to low availability of oxygen, and root uptake from the sediment of inorganic carbon by plants living in waters poor in dissolved carbon dioxide. These and more adaptations are carefully described through a number of examples from famous flagship species in addition to the less well-known ones. Harsh environmental conditions work as an environmental filter that only allows the well-adapted species to slip through to colonize high altitude waters.


2002 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Flann ◽  
Pauline Y. Ladiges ◽  
Neville G. Walsh

A study of morphological variation in Leptorhynchos squamatus (Labill.) Less. across its range in south-eastern Australia was undertaken to test the hypothesis that L. squamatus includes two taxa. Phenetic pattern analyses of both field-collected and herbarium specimens on the basis of morphology confirmed two major groups. Bract, cypsela, pappus bristle and leaf characters were particularly important in separating the two groups. The taxa are separated by altitude differences with one being a low-altitude plant found in many habitats and the other being a high-altitude taxon that is a major component of alpine meadows. Lowland plants have dark bract tips, fewer and wider pappus bristles than alpine plants, papillae on the cypselas and more linear leaves. A somewhat intermediate population from the Major Mitchell Plateau in the Grampians shows some alpine and some lowland characters but is included in the lowland taxon. Seeds from five populations (two alpine, two lowland and Major Mitchell) were germinated and plants grown for 18 weeks under four controlled sets of environmental conditions. The experiment showed that leaf size and some other characters are affected by environmental conditions, but that there are underlying genetic differences between the lowland and alpine forms. Leptorhynchos squamatus subsp. alpinus Flann is described here to accommodate the highland taxon.


Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3599 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
ITAMAR A. MARTINS ◽  
HUSSAM ZAHER

A new species of the genus Holoaden is described from the Atlantic forest of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, being restricted to primary or slightly disturbed high altitude cloud forests along the northeastern portion of the Serra do Mar. The typelocality is determined as Estação Ecológica de Bananal, in the Municipality of Bananal, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The new species is characterized by its moderate body size (female 42.6–44.2 mm SVL; male 37.2–38.5 mm SVL) with long and slender limbs, a head wider than long, a highly glandular dorsum, covered by well developed macroglands that extend to the internasal region, thigh and tibia, and an intense dark brown dorsal coloration and dark grey ventral surface.


2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo Henrique C. Marques ◽  
Haydée Torres de Oliveira ◽  
Eunice da Costa Machado

The Piraquara river basin (Upper Iguaçu River basin - Brazil) was studied as an ecological system throughout a complete seasonal cycle, comprising the rainy and dry season. Analyzes of 16 physical and chemical water variables (dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, temperature, pH, conductivity, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ortophosphates, nitrite, nitrate, ammonium, reagent silicate, total suspended solids, chlorophyll - a, flow velocity and depth) showed correlations between water composition and watershed physiographic features, and the Principal Component Analysis allowed to evidence spatial gradients and seasonal differences. The sampling points were clustered in patches with homogeneous behavior, according to ecologycal concepts: patch 1, with strong influence of Serra do Mar mountains; patch 2, medium course, under Piraquara Dam influence and patch 3, under wetlands influence. Two main factors of serial discontinuity were identified: the Piraquara dam effect and the influence of wetlands. The watershed zoning based on limnological characteristics seeks to subsidize research and biomonitoring for this public springs area.


Nativa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 706
Author(s):  
Vitor De Andrade Kamimura ◽  
Rodrigo Ferreira Morais ◽  
Carlos Alfredo Joly ◽  
Marco Antonio Assis

FLORÍSTICA, ESTRUTURA E GRUPOS ECOLÓGICOS DE UMA COMUNIDADE ARBÓREA NA FLORESTA ATLÂNTICA, SERRA DO MAR, SP, BRASIL Neste trabalho, avaliamos a composição florística e estrutural de uma comunidade arbórea em um contínuo da Floresta Atlântica das Terras Baixas no sudeste brasileiro, acessando a distribuição das espécies entre grupos ecológicos. Para tanto, foram amostrados todos os indivíduos arbóreos com PAP≥15 cm, incluindo palmeiras e samambaias arborescentes, em um hectare, dividido em sub-parcelas de 10x10 m. A comunidade foi analisada por meio do índice de diversidade de Shannon e equabilidade de Pielou, e distribuição de suas espécies entre síndromes de dispersão e classes sucessionais. Registramos 1.120 indivíduos vivos distribuídos em 133 espécies de 41 famílias. As famílias mais ricas em espécies foram Myrtaceae (32 espécies), Fabaceae (12) e Rubiaceae (11), e Euterpe edulis a espécie mais abundante (11,1% do total). Na área de estudo, foram encontradas quatro espécies na lista espécies ameaçadas do Livro Vermelho da Flora do Brasil, e registrada uma dominância de espécies Zoocóricas (86,7% das espécies classificadas) e Não Pioneiras (73,5%). Os resultados gerais da estrutura e composição de espécies da comunidade foram similares à de outros levantamentos realizados na mesma região deste estudo. Por fim, nossos resultados corroboram a grande diversidade arbórea e uma dominância de espécies Zoocóricas e Não-Pioneiras em contínuos de Floresta Atlântica.Palavras-chave: classe sucessional, floresta ombrófila densa, diversidade, síndrome de dispersão. ABSTRACT:The present study evaluated the floristic and structural composition of a tree community in a Lowland Atlantic Rainforest along a forest continuum in Brazilian southeast, assessing the species distribution among ecological groups. For this purpose, we sampled all trees with PBH≥15 cm, including palm trees and tree ferns, in a total area of one hectare, divided into subplots of 10x10 m. The studied community was also analyzed through the Shannon diversity index and Pielou equability, and its species distribution among dispersal syndromes and successional classes. We recorded 1,120 living individuals distributed in 131 species of 40 families. The richest families were Myrtaceae (32 species), Fabaceae (12) and Rubiaceae (11), and Euterpe edulis was the most abundant species (11.1% of the total). In the study area, there were found four species on the Livro Vermelho da Flora do Brasil and recorded a dominance of zoochoric species (86.7% of species classified) and non-pioneers (71.6%). The general results of the community structure and species composition were similar with other surveys carried out in the same region of this study. Finally, our results corroborate the great diversity of trees and a dominance of zoochoric and non-pioneer species in the Atlantic Rainforest continuous.Keywords: dispersal syndromes, diversity, ombrophilous dense forest, successional groups.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohan Dandage ◽  
Rajesh Pandey ◽  
Gopal Jayaraj ◽  
Kausik Chakraborty

AbstractUnder the influence of selection pressures imposed by natural environments, organisms maintain competitive fitness through underlying molecular evolution of individual genes across the genome. For molecular evolution, how multiple interdependent molecular constraints play a role in determination of fitness under different environmental conditions is largely unknown. Here, using Deep Mutational Scanning (DMS), we quantitated empirical fitness of ∼2000 single site mutants of Gentamicin-resistant gene (GmR). This enabled a systematic investigation of effects of different physical and chemical environments on the fitness landscape of the gene. Molecular constraints of the fitness landscapes seem to bear differential strengths in an environment dependent manner. Among them, conformity of the identified directionalities of the environmental selection pressures with known effects of the environments on protein folding proves that along with substrate binding, protein stability is the common strong constraint of the fitness landscape. Our study thus provides mechanistic insights into the molecular constraints that allow accessibility of mutational fates in environment dependent manner.Author SummaryEnvironmental conditions play a central role in both organismal adaptations and underlying molecular evolution. Understanding of environmental effects on evolution of genotype is still lacking a depth of mechanistic insights needed to assist much needed ability to forecast mutational fates. Here, we address this issue by culminating high throughput mutational scanning using deep sequencing. This approach allowed comprehensive mechanistic investigation of environmental effects on molecular evolution. We monitored effects of various physical and chemical environments onto single site mutants of model antibiotic resistant gene. Alongside, to get mechanistic understanding, we identified multiple molecular constraints which contribute to various degrees in determining the resulting survivabilities of mutants. Across all tested environments, we find that along with substrate binding, protein stability stands out as the common strong constraints. Remarkable direct dependence of the environmental fitness effects on the type of environmental alteration of protein folding further proves that protein stability is the major constraint of the gene. So, our findings reveal that under the influence of environmental conditions, mutational fates are channeled by various degrees of strengths of underlying molecular constraints.


Geologos ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danuta Drzymulska

Abstract A review of literature data on the degree of peat decomposition – an important parameter that yields data on environmental conditions during the peat-forming process, i.e., humidity of the mire surface, is presented. A decrease in the rate of peat decomposition indicates a rise of the ground water table. In the case of bogs, which receive exclusively atmospheric (meteoric) water, data on changes in the wetness of past mire surfaces could even be treated as data on past climates. Different factors shaping the process of peat decomposition are also discussed, such as humidity of the substratum and climatic conditions, as well as the chemical composition of peat-forming plants. Methods for the determination of the degree of peat decomposition are also outlined, maintaining the division into field and laboratory analyses. Among the latter are methods based on physical and chemical features of peat and microscopic methods. Comparisons of results obtained by different methods can occasionally be difficult, which may be ascribed to different experience of researchers or the chemically undefined nature of many analyses of humification.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1170-1176
Author(s):  
Sara E. Hocker ◽  
Ali Daneshmand

Toxins and environmental exposures may result in central or peripheral nerve dysfunction. Toxins may be purposely ingested (eg, substance misuse), or exposure may be accidental (eg, occupational exposure or terrorism). Certain environmental exposures (eg, lightning or high altitude) may also result in neurologic injury. This chapter reviews neurologic clinical syndromes associated with toxins and the physical effects of certain environmental conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Rodrigues da Silva ◽  
Mariana Lúcio Lyra ◽  
Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad ◽  
Denise de Cerqueira Rossa-Feres

Abstract The vegetation cover in the Atlantic Forest has been converted to human use or degraded by human activities, which declined the vegetation to 16% of its original extent. Although several protected areas have been created in this Neotropical biome over the past decades, our knowledge of the amphibian species within these areas is still far from adequate. Here, we present lists of anuran species from three different areas of Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar: núcleos Curucutu, Santa Virgínia and São Sebastião. To survey anuran species, we visited six sampling units (two ponds, two streams and two trails inside forest fragments) in each locality. Samplings were accomplished from December 2014 to February 2015, December 2015 to February 2016 and December 2016 to February 2017, totalizing 27 days of field samplings in each sampling unit. We recorded 34 anuran species in the Núcleo Curucutu, 44 species in the Núcleo São Sebastião and 42 species in the Núcleo Santa Virgínia, totalizing 65 species belonging to 12 families (number of species in parentheses): Bufonidae (5), Brachycephalidae (6), Centrolenidae (1), Craugastoridae (1), Cycloramphidae (2), Hemiphractidae (1), Hylidae (29), Hylodidae (3), Leptodactylidae (12), Microhylidae (2), Odontophrynidae (2), and Phyllomedusidae (1). We hope that these lists can be useful for future studies as well as helping in the management and conservation planning of these protected areas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3448
Author(s):  
Valme Jurado ◽  
Yolanda del Rosal ◽  
Jose Gonzalez-Pimentel ◽  
Bernardo Hermosin ◽  
Cesareo Saiz-Jimenez

Cyanobacteria and microalgae are usually found in speleothems, rocks and walls of show caves exposed to artificial lighting. These microorganisms develop as biofilms coating the mineral surfaces and producing aesthetic, physical and chemical deterioration. A wide number of physical, chemical and environmental-friendly methods have been used for controlling the biofilms with different results. Natural biological control has been suggested by some authors as a theoretical approach but without direct evidence or application. Here we report the finding of a natural biological control of phototrophic biofilms on the speleothems of Nerja Cave, Malaga, Spain. The formation of plaques or spots where the phototrophic microorganisms disappeared can be assumed on the basis of processes of predation of bacteria, amoebas and some other organisms on the phototrophic biofilms. This study aims at investigating the potentialities of the biological control of phototrophic biofilms in caves, but the originality of these data should be confirmed in future studies with a larger number of biofilm samples in different ecological scenarios.


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