Tropical montane cloud forests (TMCF) have unique climatic conditions, which allow the coexistence of plant lineages with different phytogeographical origins from tropical versus temperate climates. ...Future climate projections suggest TMCFs will be subjected to increasing drought stress due to fog uplift and higher temperatures, possibly leading to tree mortality and local extinctions, and consequently changes in forest composition and functioning. Characterizing community functional composition, trade‐offs among traits and the drivers of community assembly is of utmost importance to improve our capacity to predict the response of montane plant communities to forecast climate change.
Here, we aimed to test whether species from different phytogeographical origins (i.e. tropical – evergreen × deciduous − and temperate) differ in drought vulnerability and how the coexistence of these groups change the hydraulic composition of TMCFs. We used a framework based on measurements of key hydraulic traits (i.e. xylem embolism resistance, hydraulic safety margin, stomata control, turgor loss point, minimum water potential) of 16 dominant species (>70% of the forest basal area) within a TMCF in the Atlantic Rain Forest Domain in southeast Brazil. We used community‐weighted means to model whether removing each species group would change the community hydraulic functional composition.
Temperate, tropical deciduous and tropical evergreen groups differ in their hydraulic functioning and these differences explain forest functional composition and taxa dominance. Temperate and tropical deciduous taxa were consistently more vulnerable hydraulically (i.e. lower safety margins and embolism resistance). The coexistence of different phytogeographical lineages is a key determinant of TMCF hydraulic composition. We also used models including phylogeny to evaluate the variation of hydraulic traits across phytogeographical groups, and the results suggest some niche conservatism associated with plant hydraulic functioning.
Our results provide evidence of the importance of species phytogeographical origin on TMCF functioning, and niche conservatism in the evolution of hydraulic traits. The higher drought vulnerability observed in temperate group might be a mechanistic explanation for the restriction of temperate taxa distribution to wetter places during past colder and drier climate. Thus, we suggest hydraulic functional traits may be useful to predict future dynamics of TMCFs under changing climatic conditions.
Resumo
Florestas nebulares tropicais (TMCF) têm condições climáticas únicas, que permitem a coexistência de linhagens de plantas com diferentes origens fitogeográficas em climas tropicais e temperados. Projeções climáticas futuras sugerem que Florestas Nebulares estarão sujeitas a crescente estresse hídrico, devido a temperaturas mais elevadas e a mudança na zona de ocorrência de neblina, possivelmente levando à mortalidade de árvores e extinções locais e, consequentemente, mudanças na composição e no funcionamento dessas floresta. Caracterizar a composição funcional dessas comunidades, entender os trade‐offs entre atributos e os fatores envolvidos na montagem de comunidades são de extrema importância para melhorar nossa capacidade de prever respostas das comunidades de plantas montanas diante às mudanças climáticas previstas.
Neste estudo, nosso objetivo foi testar se espécies de diferentes origens fitogeográficas (ou seja, tropicais ‐ perenes × decíduas ‐ e temperadas) diferem na vulnerabilidade à seca e como a coexistência desses grupos altera a composição hidráulica de TMCFs. Para isso, avaliamos atributos hidráulicos essenciais (dentre eles a resistência do xilema ao embolismo, a margem de segurança hidráulica, controle estômático, ponto de perda de turgor, potencial hídrico mínimo) de 16 espécies dominantes (>70% da área basal da floresta) dentro de uma TMCF, na Mata Atlântica no sudeste do Brasil. Usamos a média ponderada pela comunidade para modelar se a remoção de cada grupo de espécies mudaria a composição funcional hidráulica da comunidade.
Grupos temperados, tropicais decíduos e tropicais perenes diferem em seu funcionamento hidráulico e essas diferenças explicam a composição funcional da floresta e a dominância dos táxons. Táxons temperados e tropicais decíduos foram consistentemente mais vulneráveis hidraulicamente (ou seja, margem de segurança mais baixa e menor resistência ao embolismo). A coexistência de diferentes linhagens fitogeográficas é um fator determinante da composição hidráulica de TMCF. Também usamos modelos incluindo filogenia para avaliar a variação de características hidráulicas entre os grupos fitogeográficos, e os resultados sugerem algum conservadorismo de nicho associado ao funcionamento hidráulico das plantas.
Nossos resultados fornecem evidência da importância da origem fitogeográfica das espécies no funcionamento de TMCF e do conservadorismo de nicho na evolução das características hidráulicas. A maior vulnerabilidade à seca observada no grupo temperado pode ser uma explicação mecanicista para a distribuição dos táxons temperados se restringir a locais mais úmidos durante o clima mais frio e seco do passado. Assim, sugerimos que as características funcionais hidráulicas podem ser úteis para prever a dinâmica futura de TMCFs sob mudanças nas condições climáticas.
A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Bamboos play an important role in forest dynamics, but management strategies are needed to avoid monodominance. Understanding how climate change would influence the geographic distribution of bamboos ...could provide management tools for habitat conservation, as well as prevent the expansion of this group. We investigated the distribution patterns of
Merostachys
species that are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, under current and future climate scenarios. We obtained occurrence records based on field collection, herbaria data and online databases. We used the Maxent algorithm to model potential distribution. Future scenarios considered the IPCC forecasted climate for 2070. Our models showed that a reduction in suitable areas for
Merostachys
species will likely occur, but the existence of suitable areas under climate changes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest indicates climatic stability in some areas of occurrence of these species in their richness center. Since the fact that in places with local dominance of woody bamboos there is a decrease in the diversity of other plant species, the occurrence of
Merostachys
throughout the suitable areas may represent risks to biodiversity conservation. Investigations of the synergistic effects of climate change and the local dominance of woody bamboos are required. Therefore, management measures may be very important to control the occurrence of woody bamboos in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, mainly in climatically stable areas.
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened tropical forests in the world. Leguminosae, by its great richness and dominance among arboreal stratum elements, is of major importance in the ...floristic composition and structure of this forest. We investigated the distribution of legume species on an altitudinal gradient to find out the altitudinal zones with higher richness of species; the altitudinal zones with greater floristic similarity; the possible presence of species that may be exclusive to certain vegetation types and the altitudinal amplitudes of those species, as well as the occurrence of species substitution along the altitudinal gradient. Therefore, thirty one studies conducted in different altitudinal levels between 5° S and 29° S were analyzed. A matrix with 142 tree species distributed in altitudinal zones (every 100 m) from sea level to 2100 m was built. The greatest species richness was observed in the Submontane Forest (50–500 m) with 92 species. The cluster analysis revealed a strong dissimilarity of the 1400–2100 m (Upper Montane) and 0–10 m zones (Restinga Forest). The Submontane and the Montane Forest share the highest number of species (38 ssp.). Forty species are unique to Submontane. Substitution of species was verified. Some species have their preferred habitat located at a specific altitudinal amplitude, as is the case of Inga laurina and I. subnuda (0–10 m), I. lanceifolia and Machaerium scleroxylon (800–1200 m). The Leguminosae, although well adapted to the first colonization and establishment of diverse environment, was poorly represented above 1500 m altitude.
Persea pumila, a new species of Lauraceae from a Brazilian high-altitude grassland is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to Persea subg. Eriodaphne. It is distinguished from other ...neotropical Persea species by the shrubby habit in combination with obovate, glabrous, abaxially papillose leaves densely overlapping each other, glabrous inflorescences, and sparsely pubescent flowers. Its morphological distinctiveness and its relationships with probable allied species are discussed.
In this study a temporal analysis (2008-2017) was conducted to examine the occurrence of droughts and the spatial distribution of livestock herds in the Brazilian semi-arid region. Maps of vegetation ...cover, classes of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference drought index (NDDI) were used. Image processing took place on the Google Earth Engine platform along with QGIS Software (2.18). Two historical series were created to compare the variation between two herds and the dry monitoring, one called the 1st series (2008-2012) and 2nd series (2013-2017) which were compared using a paired t-test. The comparative analysis showed that the classes of extreme drought and exceptional drought covered the greatest land areas in the 2nd series, while abnormal drought covered the greatest land area in the 1st series. The analysis of herds, a reduction in the cattle herd and an increase in goat and sheep herds were noted. This study considers the efficacy of NDDI and NDVI indices to monitor the distribution of droughts in the Brazilian semi-arid region. The geoprocess of Sidra data enabled an analysis of the spatial distribution and temporal variation of the herds in the semi-arid region and how drought may have impacted livestock dynamics.
De junho de 1998 a dezembro de 1999, cinco eventos reprodutivos do falcão-de-coleira Falco femoralis foram registrados e monitorados no município de Juiz de Fora, Estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste ...brasileiro. Dois ninhos encontrados em 1998 foram monitorados por duas estações reprodutivas (1998/99), enquanto um terceiro, encontrado em 1999, foi monitorado apenas em uma estação reprodutiva. Todos os ninhos estavam situados em árvores isoladas, localizadas em áreas de pastagens, e a altura em relação ao solo, variou entre 5,1 a 7,2 m. A estação reprodutiva ocorreu, nos dois anos, no final da estação seca e no início da estação chuvosa (posturas efetuadas em agosto e setembro).Dos 15 ovos colocados, três foram predados e outros três foram abandonados pelo casal, possivelmente por perturbação antrópica. A média de postura foi de três ovos por ninho e a taxa de eclosão dos filhotes foi de 1,6 ( 1,5. Oito filhotes eclodiram do total dos ovos colocados. A média de filhotes por ninho que alcançaram o primeiro vôo foi de 1,4 ( 1,5, representada por sete filhotes (seis no primeiro ano e um no segundo ano do estudo). Com exceção de um casal que abandonou o sítio reprodutivo em 1999, todos os indivíduos permaneceram durante todo o monitoramento, em seus territórios. Foi constatada a utilização de um ninho abandonado e o maior ninho possuía 77 cm de diâmetro, 32 cm de altura e 25 cm de profundidade da cuba interna. A biologia reprodutiva do falcão-de-coleira nesse estudo foi similar ao registrado em outras regiões, sendo que variações de latitude e condições climáticas parecem não afetar o padrão reprodutivo da espécie.
Use of acute-phase proteins (APPs) for assessment of health and disease in animals has increased greatly within the last decade. The objective was to determine the normal concentration of APPs in the ...serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of healthy cattle by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fifty crossbred animals (350±70kg of BW and 18±1.2 months of age), 25 heifers and 25 steers were used. CSF samples were collected from atlanto-occipital (AO) site and blood samples were obtained from the jugular vein. CSF and serum protein electrophoresis were performed by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Thirty-seven proteins with molecular weights ranging from 7 and 37kDa were identified in CSF of all animals. These eight were nominally identified with immunoglobulin A and G, celuloplasmin, transferrin, albumin, α1-antitripsin, acidic glycoprotein, and haptoglobin. All protein fractions in CSF did not differ between heifers and steers. In sera, 34 proteins with molecular weights between 7 and 244kDa were identified in heifers and steers. Similar proteins were nominally identified in the sera, but only the CSF presented α1-antitripsin. The serum values of acidic glycoprotein and immunoglobulin G were significantly higher in steers compared with heifers. In conclusion, measurement of CSF acute phase protein concentrations can be useful in diagnosing and monitoring the progression of bovine neurological diseases, perhaps even to guide therapeutic procedures. The CSF electrophoretic profile of healthy cattle does not change depending on gender.
RESUMO: O uso de proteínas de fase aguda (PFAs) para a avaliação da saúde e da doença em animais de produção tem aumentado consideravelmente na última década. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar a concentração normal de PAFs no soro e no líquido cefalorraquidiano (LCR) de bovinos sadios por meio da eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida. Foram avaliados cinquenta animais mestiços (350±70kg de PV e 18±1,2 meses de idade), 25 novilhas e 25 novilhos. As amostras de LCR foram colhidas no espaço atlanto-occipital (AO) e as amostras de sangue obtidas da veia jugular. As PAFs do soro e do LCR foram determinadas através da eletroforese em gel poliacrilamida. Trinta e sete proteínas com pesos moleculares que variaram entre 7 e 37kDa foram identificadas no LCR de todos os animais, independente do sexo. Estas oito proteínas foram nominalmente identificadas como imunoglobulina A e G, ceruloplasmina, transferrina, albumina, α1-antitripsina, glicoproteína ácida, e haptoglobina. As frações de proteínas presentes no LCR não diferiram entre novilhas e novilhos. No soro de machos e fêmeas, 34 proteínas com pesos moleculares entre 7 e 244 kDa foram identificadas. As proteínas do soro foram similarmente identificadas, entretanto a α1-antitripsina foi identificada somente no LCR. Os valores séricos de glicoproteína ácida e imunoglobulina G foram significativamente mais elevados nas novilhas em comparação aos novilhos. Em conclusão, a determinação das concentrações de proteínas de fase aguda presentes do LCR pode ser útil no diagnóstico e monitoramento da progressão de doenças neurológicas bovinas, talvez possa ainda direcionar procedimentos terapêuticos. O perfil eletroforético do LCR de bovinos hígidos não se altera em função do sexo.
To describe the epidemiological profile, presented deformities, associated comorbidities, and impact on quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. This study was conducted in a ...philanthropic hospital in Fortaleza from 2014 to 2015.
Data were collected from medical records, epidemiological forms, and by applying the Lequesne index questionnaire, which contains several questions related to pain, discomfort and functional limitation to assess the severity of symptoms.
Females were more prevalent (76.7%), as were patients over 65 years of age (61.6%) and non-whites (81.6%). As for comorbidities, 83.3% had hypertension and 31.7% had diabetes. Of the total, 76.5% cases were genu varum, and 23.5% genu valgum. According to the Lequesne index findings, 61.6% cases were "extremely severe," and women had higher scores.
Females were more prevalent and whites were less prevalent. The most frequent comorbidity was hypertension. Female and elderly patients have more severe disease according to Lequesne index score, and these findings were statistically significant.
A new regulatory statement was issued concerning the eye lens radiation protection of persons in planned exposures. A debate was raised on the adequacy of the dosimetric quantity and on its method of ...measurement. The aim of this work was to establish the individual monitoring procedure with the EYE-D™ holder and a MCP-N LiF:Mg,Cu,P thermoluminescent chip detector for measuring the personal dose equivalent Hp(3) in workers of a Positron Emission Tomography Radiopharmaceutical Production Facility.
•New regulatory statement was issued concerning eye lens radiation protection.•The calibration procedure of dosimeters for measuring Hp(3) was studied on a slab and cylindrical phantoms.•Hp(3) measurements in workers in a radiopharmaceutical production facility were done.
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