Ecology as the main way for sustainable development in agriculture

Based on these facts, it is clear that agriculture has a detrimental impact on the environment at this stage of development. Taking into account the negative consequences of its activities, it can be concluded that, in today’s world, there should be tendencies to create ecological equilibrium, soil recovery, restoration of biogeochemical cycles, improvement of the resilience of agro-ecosystems to ensure the cleanliness of all agricultural products. Their successful solution can only be based on environmental management, a comprehensive system of measures to conserve wildlife, and increased agricultural and livestock productivity. Positioning Russia as a country with good and clean lands for the production of food materials, with rich genetic resources, the good environmental situation in many agricultural regions will contribute to the creation of a favorable investment climate in such industries as ecological agriculture, production of environmentally friendly products, development of environmental, agricultural, and gastronomic tourism, service and restaurant sectors. Making the ecologization of agriculture a priority will help to address problems such as increasing soil fertility at the expense of soil-forming organisms, preserving the biodiversity of plants, animals, increasing the sustainability of agro- and biocenoses and it will ultimately lead to the restoration and preservation of human health.

Semicarbazide Accumulation, Distribution and Chemical Forms in Scallop (Chlamys farreri) after Seawater Exposure

Semicarbazide is a newly recognized marine pollutant and has the potential to threaten marine shellfish, the ecological equilibrium and human health. In this study, we examined the accumulation, distribution, and chemical forms of semicarbazide in scallop tissues after exposure to 10, 100, and 1000 μg/L for 30 d at 10 °C. We found a positive correlation between semicarbazide residues in the scallops and the exposure concentration (p < 0.01). Semicarbazide existed primarily in free form in all tissues while bound semicarbazide ranged from 12.1 to 32.7% and was tissue-dependent. The time for semicarbazide to reach steady-state enrichment was 25 days and the highest levels were found in the disgestive gland, followed by gills while levels in gonads and mantle were similar and were lowest in adductor muscle. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of semicarbazide at low exposure concentrations was higher than that at high exposure concentrations. These results indicated that the scallop can uptake semicarbazide from seawater and this affects the quality and safety of these types of products when used as a food source.

Community composition of microbial microcosms follows simple assembly rules at evolutionary timescales

Managing and engineering microbial communities relies on the ability to predict their composition. While progress has been made on predicting compositions on short, ecological timescales, there is still little work aimed at predicting compositions on evolutionary timescales. Therefore, it is still unknown for how long communities typically remain stable after reaching ecological equilibrium, and how repeatable and predictable are changes when they occur. Here, we address this knowledge gap by tracking the composition of 87 two- and three-species bacterial communities, with 3–18 replicates each, for ~400 generations. We find that community composition typically changed during evolution, but that the composition of replicate communities remained similar. Furthermore, these changes were predictable in a bottom-up approach—changes in the composition of trios were consistent with those that occurred in pairs during coevolution. Our results demonstrate that simple assembly rules can hold even on evolutionary timescales, suggesting it may be possible to forecast the evolution of microbial communities.

Punctuated ecological equilibrium in mammal communities over evolutionary time scales

The study of deep-time ecological dynamics has the ability to inform conservation decisions by anticipating the behavior of ecosystems millions of years into the future. Using network analysis and an exceptional fossil dataset spanning the past 21 million years, we show that mammalian ecological assemblages undergo long periods of functional stasis, notwithstanding high taxonomic volatility due to dispersal, speciation, and extinction. Higher functional richness and diversity promoted the persistence of functional faunas despite species extinction risk being indistinguishable among these different faunas. These findings, and the large mismatch between functional and taxonomic successions, indicate that although safeguarding functional diversity may or may not minimize species losses, it would certainly enhance the persistence of ecosystem functioning in the face of future disturbances.

Environmental variables affect the diversity of adult damselflies (Odonata: Zygoptera) in western Amazonia

Our study evaluated the effects of environmental variables on the assemblages of the suborder Zygoptera, and tested the hypothesis that environmental variables are more important determinants of the structure of these assemblages than limnological variables in streams. We sampled 17 streams in the Carajás National Forest and tested our hypothesis using a linear regression analysis, with the zygopteran species composition, richness, and abundance as the response variables. Our findings indicate that both limnological and physical variables influence, independently, the characteristics of the zygopteran assemblages. The riparian forest maintains the stability of the environment and provides dispersal corridors, along which the zygopterans can reach alternative, suitable environments. The small scale of this study also implies that the continuity of the vegetation is essential for the dispersal of the zygopterans among different landscapes. The high levels of abundance recorded in the better-preserved environments may reflect the maintenance of specific habitats and resource availability. Riparian forest is crucial to the ecological equilibrium of the stream systems, although further research at a broader spatial scale that focuses on a greater diversity of variables should provide more robust insights into the phenomenon.

The effects of biocides on the growth of aerophytic green algae (Chlorella sp.) isolated from a cave environment

Lampenflora communities of bacteria, cyanobacteria, algae, mosses and lichens colonize illuminated show-caves as a consequence of disturbances to the caves? ecological equilibrium. These communities have unesthetic impacts and can cause the biodeterioration of limestone. A 15% hydrogen peroxide solution was proposed for use as an ecological agent for the safe removal of these microorganisms. This study tested the effects of three different biocides (hydrogen peroxide, a commercial solution containing salicylic acid and a product containing chlorine dioxide as the active component), on the growth of green algae (Chlorella sp.), which are frequently encountered in lampenflora communities. Chlorella sp. was treated with the biocides under laboratory condition, and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations were measured 1 h, 3 days, 7 days and 10 days after treatment. The change in Chl a concentration was compared to the untreated control group at each time point. All three biocides prevented the growth of green algae and the product containing chlorine dioxide appeared to be the most effective growth inhibitor. Hydrogen peroxide is known to suppress lampenflora growth in caves, and further studies on other biocides remain necessary to identify a solution that is both ecologically safe and economically feasible.

Novel trophic interactions under climate change promote alpine plant coexistence

Herbivory and plant defenses exhibit a coupled decline along elevation gradients. However, the current ecological equilibrium could be disrupted under climate change, with a faster upward range shift of animals than plants. Here, we experimentally simulated this upward herbivore range shift by translocating low-elevation herbivore insects to alpine grasslands. We report that the introduction of novel herbivores and increased herbivory disrupted the vertical functional organization of the plant canopy. By feeding preferentially on alpine plants with functional traits matching their low-elevation host plants, herbivores reduced the biomass of dominant alpine plant species and favored encroachment of herbivore-resistant small-stature plant species, inflating species richness. Supplementing a direct effect of temperature, novel biotic interactions represent a neglected but major driver of ecosystem modifications under climate change.

Community composition of microbial microcosms follows simple assembly rules at evolutionary timescales

Managing and engineering microbial communities relies on the ability to predict their composition. While progress has been made on predicting compositions on short, ecological timescales, there is still little work aimed at predicting compositions on evolutionary timescales. Therefore, it is still unknown for how long communities typically remain stable after reaching ecological equilibrium, and how repeatable and predictable are changes when they occur. Here, we address this knowledge gap by tracking the composition of 87 two- and three-species bacterial communities for ~400 generations. We find that community composition typically changed during evolution, but that the composition of replicate communities remained similar. Furthermore, these changes were predictable in a bottom-up approach - changes in the composition of trios were consistent with those that occurred in pairs during coevolution. Our results demonstrate that simple assembly rules can hold even on evolutionary timescales, suggesting it may be possible to forecast the evolution of microbial communities.

Dispersion Pattern of Giant Cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in a Brazilian Coffee Plantation

The giant cicada Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) is a major pest of coffee plants in Brazil. To ensure the rational management and ecological equilibrium, information about the behavior, dispersion, and reproduction of giant cicada is fundamental. The present work was conducted in an area of 97 ha planted with Coffea arabica L. to investigate adult dispersion as well as mating and oviposition behaviors of Q. gigas. A sound trap was placed at a ‘release point’ used for the attraction, marking, and release of adults in the area. The recapture of insects was performed with the same sound trap positioned at 20 points distributed at 100, 250, 400, and 1,000 m from the release point. The highest recapture rates of Q. gigas were observed at 100 m from the release point, and the lowest recapture rates were observed at 1,000 m. The presence of Eucalyptus plants in the area apparently influenced dispersion, as high recapture rates were observed at the sites close to Eucalyptus plants. One copulation of Q. gigas lasted 41.6 ± 0.43 min, and the period of a single oviposition bout was 30.0 ± 0.20 min. Quesada gigas adult longevity in the field was estimated to be 49 d. Both males and females were observed performing multiple matings.