Estima-se que atualmente 80% dos remanescentes florestais de Mata Atlântica estejam localizados em propriedades particulares, o que torna evidente a necessidade da conservação dessas áreas por entidades engajadas. A avaliação e o monitoramento das florestas restauradas são essenciais para o aperfeiçoamento das técnicas de restauração, contribuindo dessa forma para a manutenção e a permanência da biodiversidade nessas áreas. O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a influência do tempo de restauração florestal em áreas plantadas com espécies arbóreas nativas e suas características estruturais sobre a riqueza e abundância da anurofauna de serapilheira. Os dados da presente pesquisa foram obtidos entre abril de 2011 e fevereiro de 2012, em parcelas de 5 × 5 m dispostas em 12 fragmentos localizados em três áreas de vegetação nativa e uma cronossequência (cinco meses e quatro e 11 anos de idade) de áreas restauradas, totalizando três fragmentos por idade. Em cada fragmento foram instaladas seis unidades amostrais, cada uma composta por quatro parcelas, perfazendo 288 parcelas de esforço amostral. Além da contagem de anuros, em cada parcela, com a intenção de caracterizar os micro-habitats disponíveis para os anuros dentro das diferentes florestas, foram medidas as seguintes variáveis abióticas: temperatura e umidade relativa do ar aprisionado na serapilheira, profundidade da serapilheira e cobertura do dossel. Observouse a presença de cinco espécies distribuídas em cinco famílias. A maior riqueza de espécies e abundância foram registradas nos fragmentos com 11 anos de restauração, seguida pela área de floresta nativa e pelo fragmento com cinco meses de idade. Na área com quatro anos de restauração nenhum indivíduo foi capturado. A análise de correlação de Spearman indicou que a riqueza foi significativamente correlacionada com a profundidade de serapilheira e a cobertura do dossel. Foi observada correlação positiva entre as variáveis cobertura do dossel e profundidade de serapilheira e correlação negativa entre umidade relativa do ar e temperatura relativa do ar. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis indicou diferença significativa entre os diferentes tipos de fragmentos avaliados. O teste de Wilcoxon revelou que os fragmentos de cinco meses e quatro anos não diferiram entre si, mas foram significativamente diferentes dos fragmentos de 11 anos e de floresta nativa. Ressalta-se, no entanto, a necessidade de estudos de médio e longo prazo para que se possa melhorar a compreensão dos processos envolvidos na sucessão ecológica e da ocupação desses habitats pelas espécies de anuros. / It is estimated that currently 80% of the remaining Atlantic forest are located on private properties, which makes evident the need for conservation of these areas by engaged entities. Evaluation and monitoring of restored forests are essential to improve restoration techniques, thereby contributing to the maintenance and persistence of biodiversity in these areas. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of time of forest restoration in areas planted with native tree species and their structural characteristics on the richness and abundance of leaf litter frogs. The data set of this study was obtained between April 2011 and February 2012, on 5 × 5 m plots arranged in 12 fragments located in three areas of native vegetation and a chronosequence (five months, and four and 11 years old) of areas restored with native species, totaling three fragments by age. Four sampling stations with six sampling units were installed in each fragment, totaling 288 plots of sampling effort. In addition to counting the frogs in each plot the following abiotic variables were measured: temperature and relative humidity of the air trapped in the litter, litter depth and cover canopy. Five anuran species belonging to five families were recorded. The highest species richness and abundance were obtained in forested fragments with 11 years old, followed by the native forest area and the fragment with five months old. No individual was captured at the four years old area. The Spearman correlation analysis indicated that anuran richness was significantly correlated with the depth of leaf litter and canopy cover. Canopy cover and litter depth were positively correlated, and relative humidity and temperature of the air were negatively correlated. The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated a significant difference among different types of fragments evaluated. The Wilcoxon test revealed that five old months and four years old fragments did not differ, but they were significantly different from 11 years old and native forest fragments. It should be noted, however, the need for medium and long term studies to improve our understanding about processes involved in ecological succession and occupation of these habitats by anurans.

Submitted by Marilene Donadel (marilene.donadel@unioeste.br) on 2017-08-26T00:42:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna_Fitarelli_2017.pdf: 1036139 bytes, checksum: 9afee945c38ba8969285caeb05124bdf (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-08-26T00:42:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Bruna_Fitarelli_2017.pdf: 1036139 bytes, checksum: 9afee945c38ba8969285caeb05124bdf (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-04-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Assuming the presumption that the anthropic impacts influence benthic macroinvertebrates, this study aimed to verify, through the analysis of the colonization by benthic macroinvertebrates in the artificial substrate, possible influences of different degrees of impact on the attributes of community, colonization And ecological succession and composition of functional trophic groups. Specifically, this study sought to answer the following questions: i) will there be changes in community attributes and functional groups at the sampling points and over the exposure period of the artificial substrates? Ii) Does the degree of impact influence the process of colonization and ecological succession and the distribution of functional trophic groups? Samples were collected in the Toledo river (Toledo-PR) between March and May 2016 at three sampling points distributed in the nascent-foz direction (P1 – Nascente, P2 - Meio and P3 – Foz). It was verified the colonization of 2,019 individuals (ind) being the highest occurrence of Chironomidae (1044 ind) followed by Oligochaeta (475 ind) and Glossiphoniidae (347 ind). Although the equitability had lower values temporarily in P3, the community attributes did not have significant influence, both in the points as in the exposure period of the substrate. In relation to the distribution of the taxa temporally and spatially, it was possible to observe a process of ecological succession mainly in the points with the lowest degree of impact and, together with the higher occurrences of tolerant species in P3, indicates an influence of the environmental degradation on the distribution of the taxa . However, the distribution of the functional trophic groups did not show any influence on the time of exposure of the substrate, but in relation to the collection points, the degree of impact may have influenced the occurrences, since it changed the proportion of the occurrence of these groups, due to the increase of Organisms belonging to tolerant groups. / Partindo do pressuposto que os impactos antrópicos exercem influência sobre os macroinvertebrados bentônicos, este estudo teve como objetivo verificar, através da análise da colonização por macroinvertebrados bentônicos em substrato artificial, possíveis influências de diferentes graus de impacto sobre os atributos de comunidade, colonização, sucessão ecológica e na composição dos grupos tróficos funcionais. Especificamente, este estudo buscou responder as seguintes questões: i) haverá alterações nos atributos de comunidade e de grupos funcionais nos pontos de amostragem e ao longo do período de exposição dos substratos artificiais? ii) O grau de impacto influencia no processo de colonização e sucessão ecológica e na distribuição dos grupos tróficos funcionais? As amostragens foram realizadas no rio Toledo (Toledo-PR) entre março e maio 2016 em três pontos amostrais distribuídos no sentido nascente-foz (P1 – Nascente, P2 - Meio e P3 - Foz). Foi verificada a colonização de 2.019 indivíduos (ind) sendo que a maior ocorrência de Chironomidae (1044 ind) seguido de Oligochaeta (475 ind) e Glossiphoniidae (347 ind). Embora a equitabilidade tenha tido menores valores temporalmente no P3, os atributos de comunidade não sofreram influência significativa, tanto nos pontos como no período de exposição do substrato. Em relação à distribuição dos táxons temporal e espacialmente, foi possível observar um processo de sucessão ecológica principalmente nos pontos com menor grau de impacto e, aliado com as maiores ocorrências de espécies tolerantes no P3, indica uma influência da degradação ambiental sobre a distribuição dos táxons. Já a distribuição dos grupos tróficos funcionais não evidenciou influências do tempo de exposição do substrato, porém em relação aos pontos de coleta, o grau de impacto pode ter influenciado, uma vez que alterou a proporção da ocorrência destes grupos, devido ao aumento de organismos raspadores pertencentes a grupos tolerantes.

Submitted by Ricardo Cedraz Duque Moliterno (ricardo.moliterno@uefs.br) on 2015-08-07T22:20:38Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Patr?cia Oliveira Fiuza_DISSERTA??O.pdf: 30896151 bytes, checksum: b11de629f19a7cd5583ce2b2f1afbd36 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-08-07T22:20:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Patr?cia Oliveira Fiuza_DISSERTA??O.pdf: 30896151 bytes, checksum: b11de629f19a7cd5583ce2b2f1afbd36 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-26 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / Ingoldian fungi are aquatic hyphomycetes that presents conidia sigmoid or branch and occur in lotic and lentic environment, being easily found in foam of water bodies. Aiming to contribute to the knowledge of the biodiversity of Ingoldian fungi in semiarid region, was conducted an inventory in water bodies of areas of extreme biological importance of the Brazilian semiarid. In a single expedition, samples of foam and submerged leaves were collected in water bodies of four localities in semiarid region (Brejo Paraibano-PB, Serra da Jib?ia-BA, Chapada do Araripe and Serra de Ibiapaba-CE). The samples of foam were collected and packaged in plastic bottles of 250 mL and the submerged leaves were packaged in plastic bags. In ?Laborat?rio de Micologia?(LAMIC), the foam was homogenized and 200 ?L of each sample were transferred to 30 slides, which were exposed at room temperature to evaporation. After evaporation, was addition of one drop of lactic acid and sealed with nail polish. Samples of submerged leaves were subjected to the technique of washing in flowing water and cut into pieces of 1 cm?, that were placed in petri dishes containing distilled sterile water for observation of fungi. The bottles and slides were deposited in the ?Herb?rio da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana? (HUEFS). The pure cultures were deposited in the ?Cole??o de Cultura de Micro-organismos da Bahia? (CCMB). The first chapter presents all 27 taxa of Ingoldian fungi found in the study, 23 of these taxa present description, geographic distribution, taxonomic comments and illustration; 22 are new records: american continent (3), Neotropics (1), South America (3), Brazil (5), Brazilian semiarid region (7), Cear? (2) and Para?ba (1). The second chapter shows all species of the genus Campylospora with descriptions, comments, geographical distribution, a key to the genus and illustrations. The water body with the highest number of taxa of Ingoldian fungi was the river Miss?o velha. / Os fungos ingoldianos s?o hifomicetos aqu?ticos que apresentam con?dios sigmoides ou ramificados e ocorrem em ambientes l?ticos e l?nticos, sendo encontrados facilmente nas espumas de corpos d??gua. Visando contribuir com o conhecimento da biodiversidade de fungos ingoldianos na regi?o semi?rida foi realizado um invent?rio em corpos d??gua de ?reas de extrema import?ncia biol?gica do semi?rido brasileiro. Em uma expedi??o, amostras de espuma e folhas submersas foram coletadas em corpos d??gua de quatro localidades na regi?o semi?rida (Brejo Paraibano-PB, Serra da Jib?ia-BA, Chapada do Araripe e Serra de Ibiapaba-CE). As amostras de espuma foram coletadas e acondicionadas em frascos pl?sticos de 250 mL e as amostras de folhas submersas foram acondicionadas em sacos pl?sticos. No Laborat?rio de Micologia (LAMIC), a espuma foi homogeneizada e 200 ?L de cada amostra foram transferidos para 30 l?minas, as quais ficaram expostas ? temperatura ambiente para evapora??o. Ap?s a evapora??o, foi adicionada uma gota de ?cido l?ctico e vedada com esmalte. Amostras de folhas submersas foram submetidas ? t?cnica de lavagem em ?gua corrente e cortadas em peda?os de 1 cm?, os quais foram colocados em placas de Petri com ?gua destilada esterilizada para observa??o dos fungos. Os frascos e l?minas foram depositados no Herb?rio da Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (HUEFS). As culturas puras foram depositadas na Cole??o de Cultura de Microrganismos da Bahia (CCMB). O primeiro cap?tulo apresenta todos os 27 t?xons de fungos ingoldianos encontrados no estudo, 23 destes t?xons apresentam descri??o, distribui??o geogr?fica, coment?rios taxon?micos e ilustra??o; 22 representam novos registros: continente americano (3), Neotr?pico (1), Am?rica do Sul (3), Brasil (5), regi?o semi?rida brasileira (7), Cear? (2), Para?ba (1). O segundo cap?tulo apresenta todas as esp?cies do g?nero Campylospora, com descri??es, coment?rios taxon?micos, distribui??o geogr?fica, chave taxon?mica para o g?nero e ilustra??es. O corpo d? ?gua que apresentou o maior n?mero de t?xons de fungos ingoldianos foi o rio Miss?o Velha.

Arctic ecosystems are sensitive to climate change and this biome is experiencing accelerated warming. Climate change in the arctic is projected to further alter precipitation and temperature patterns, which may influence land-water interactions in the future. Such changes have the potential to affect aquatic biofilm communities (i.e., algae, bacteria, and fungi) that form the base of riverine food webs, yet are sensitive to changes in thermal and light regimes, and are potentially limited by macronutrients like carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This study investigated the patterns of resource limitation for autotrophic and heterotrophic biofilms in the Arctic using nutrient diffusing substrata (NDS) in a river network in northern Sweden (Miellajokka). Continuous NDS deployments (March until September) in a birch forest stream were combined with a spatial survey of nutrient limitation in late summer across 20 sites that encompassed a variety of nutrient, light, and temperature combinations. Results show that nutrient limitation of autotrophic processes was common during summer, but also that light inhibited algal growth in early season, and that temperature accelerated rates of activity throughout the growing season. By comparison, heterotrophic processes were less influenced by temperature, unless experimentally supplied with N and P. Alongside persistent N limitation, co-limitation by macronutrients (NP: autotrophic and heterotrophic biofilm, or CNP: heterotrophic biofilm) dominated the overall pattern of limitation over time and space. However, results from the spatial survey suggested that the identity of the primary limiting nutrient can change from N to P, based on differences in chemistry that arise from varying catchment features. As arctic studies are often conducted at individual sites during summer, they may miss shifts in the drivers of stream productivity that arise from variable nutrient, temperature, and light regimes. This study attempted to capture those changes and identify conditions where one might expect to see transitions in the relative importance of physical and chemical factors that limit biofilm development. These results also highlight the challenge of identifying the single most important limiting nutrient (e.g., N versus P) in streams and rivers across the Arctic, as I found that both nutrients could play this role within a single, relatively small drainage system.

O conceito \"plataforma\" tem sido explorado em pesquisas sobre desenvolvimento de produtos, estratégia tecnológica e economia industrial. O uso de plataformas dentro das empresas e, mais recentemente, para mediar atividades de aglomerados ou ecossistemas de empresas têm sido reconhecidos como de grande importância na gestão de novos negócios, no desenvolvimento de novos produtos e na inovação. Google, Facebook, SAP, Microsoft e Apple são exemplos de empresas do setor de software cujas plataformas têm inspirado muitas outras empresas a desenvolverem produtos e serviços complementares. Ao analisar sistematicamente a literatura sobre plataformas, combinando análises bibliométricas e de conteúdo, foi possível verificar a existência de lacunas a serem estudadas no que se refere à teoria da evolução das plataformas e às adaptações organizacionais das empresas que se baseiam em plataformas para o desenvolvimento de seus produtos. Visando estender essa teoria, o objetivo desta tese foi investigar capacitações vinculadas ao relacionamento entre proprietárias de plataformas e desenvolvedores que complementam estas plataformas, como meio para compreender como elas evoluem de internas para externas. A abordagem metodológica escolhida foi a pesquisa qualitativa realizada mediante estudo de casos múltiplos em empresas nacionais e internacionais que atuam no setor brasileiro de software. Foram analisadas seis plataformas em organizações que são proprietárias de plataformas de software, e dezesseis empresas desenvolvedoras que contribuem com produtos ou serviços complementares a estas plataformas. Os resultados trouxeram algumas contribuições; a revisão sistemática da literatura, por exemplo, permitiu uma melhor compreensão e clareza sobre a evolução do conceito plataforma com identificação de tendências e temas emergentes para pesquisa. O estudo de casos realizado contribuiu com a identificação e a classificação de um conjunto de capacitações por tipo de plataforma, considerando a perspectiva do proprietário da plataforma e dos desenvolvedores. E como principal contribuição deste trabalho, tanto para teoria como para prática, fica a proposição de um quadro teórico estendido, que indica que para evoluir de uma plataforma interna para uma plataforma externa, as proprietárias de plataformas desenvolvem determinadas capacitações vinculadas ao relacionamento com desenvolvedores de software, de acordo com o tipo de plataforma. Em relação aos desenvolvedores, esse quadro aponta para o desenvolvimento de capacitações adaptadas ao tipo de plataforma. Espera-se que este trabalho contribua para o debate sobre plataformas e capacitações. / The concept of \"platform\" has been explored in many studies on product development, technology strategy, and industrial economy. The use of platforms within companies and, more recently, in mediating the activities within clusters or ecosystems of businesses, has been recognized as highly significant for the management of new businesses, for the development of new products, and for innovation. Google, Facebook, SAP, Microsoft and Apple are examples of companies in the software industry whose platforms have inspired many other businesses to develop complementary products and services. By systematically analyzing the literature on platforms, combining bibliometric analyses with content analyses, it was possible to observe the existence of gaps to be filled concerning the theory of the evolution of platforms, and the processes of organizational adaptation that platform-based companies undergo in the development of their products. Aiming at extending the theory, the objective of this work has been that of investigating capabilities associated to the relationships between platform owners and developers as a means to understand how platforms evolve from internal platforms to external platforms. The methodology chosen for this work was a qualitative study conducted via case study of multiple cases with national and international companies present in the Brazilian software industry. Six examples of software platform owners were examined, along with sixteen developers that contribute with products and services that extend those platforms. The results of the study make a few contributions to this topic; the systematic review of the literature, for example, allows a better, clearer understanding of the evolution of the concept of platform, identifying trends and emerging themes for research. The case studies contribute to identify and classify a set of capabilities by type of platform, considering the perspective of the owner and that of the developers. And as the main contribution of this work, both for theory and for practice, we have the proposition of an extended theoretical framework that indicates that, in order to evolve from an internal platform to an external one, the platform owners develop certain capabilities associated to their relationship with software developers, according to the type of platform. Regarding developers, this framework points to the development of capabilities adapted to the type of platform. We hope that this work will contribute to the ongoing debate about platforms and capabilities.

Estudaram-se a estruturas taxionômica e trófica e determinaram-se os índices de maturidade de comunidades de nematóides ocorrentes em áreas contíguas de mata natural preservada e de culturas perenes (bananeira, citros, pessegueiro) e anuais (milho x leguminosas) em rotação em Piracicaba (SP). Três amostras compostas de solo (volume aproximado de um litro) foram coletadas de cada área em duas épocas (\"seca\", agosto/2004 e \"chuvosa\", março/2005) e profundidades (0-15 e 15-30 cm). Para cada amostra, extraíram-se os nematóides de volume de 500 ml pela técnica de peneiramento combinado com flotação em centrífuga com solução de sacarose, sendo depois fixados em formalina, contados e infiltrados com glicerina. Para o cálculo das abundâncias, indicadores de diversidade e os índices de maturidade, 150 exemplares foram coletados ao acaso por amostra e identificados ao nível de gênero. Assinalaramse 61 gêneros, filiados a 32 famílias. As abundâncias totais foram maiores à menor profundidade, nas duas épocas de coleta. Os maiores valores de número e riqueza de gêneros, à menor profundidade, ocorreram na mata; à maior profundidade, tal se deu na área de anuais e de citros, nas primeira e segunda épocas de coleta, respectivamente. Os índices de diversidade de Shannon- Weaver e de Simpson e respectivos índices de eqüitatividade foram menos eficientes que o número e a riqueza de gêneros na discriminação dos sistemas estudados. Os parasitos de plantas constituíram o grupo trófico prevalente em todos os sistemas avaliados, nas duas épocas e profundidades de coleta, seguidos no geral pelos bacteriófagos. Todavia, não foi possível separar cultivos anuais de perenes com base nas abundâncias de parasitos de plantas. Os valores de T (diversidade trófica) não se prestaram à clara distinção entre os cinco sistemas, mas os de MI, mMI e PPI indicaram menor ocorrência de distúrbios na mata e no pomar cítrico em relação às demais áreas cultivadas. A herbivoria foi o canal prevalente de decomposição nos diferentes sistemas, exceto no pomar de citros. Dentre os microbiófagos (FF/BF), a predominância foi da via bacteriana. / The taxonomic structure, trophic structure and maturity index of nematode communities occurring in neighbouring areas of native forest and four different agroecosystems were studied in Piracicaba, São Paulo State, Brazil. Agroecosystems were three perennial (banana, citrus and peach orchards) and one annual (corn, rotating with leguminous plants or followed by fallow) crops. Three soil samples (one liter approximately) were collected per area at two different times (August/2004 and March/2005) and depths (0-15 and 15-30 cm). Nematodes were extracted from 500 cc of soil by a sieving and sugar flotation technique, fixed with formalin, counted and infiltrated with glycerin. Subsequently, 150 specimens randomly picked were identified to the genus level. A total number of 61 genera affiliated to 32 families was recorded. Total abundance was higher at lower depth irrespective of the sampling time. At depth 0-15 cm, higher values of genus number and genus richness were calculated for the forest in both sampling times; at 15-30 cm, the highest values were assigned to annual crop and citrus areas, respectively. Shannon- Weaver and Simpson indexes were less efficient than genus number and genus richness in discriminating the studied ecosystems. Plant-parasitic nematodes prevailed as a trophic group in all systems at both sampling times and depths, the bacterivorous usually ranking second position. However, the data of relative abundance of phytonematodes did not allow annual and perennial crop areas to be statistically differentiated. The studied systems also were not clearly distinguished with basis on the T values, but according to the MI, mMI and PPI data the forest and the citrus orchard were the less disturbed areas. Herbivory was the predominant decomposition channel in all systems, with exception of the citrus orchard. In terms of microbial decomposition (FF/BF), the process was usually dominated by bacteria.

A Amazônia é tida como a região de maior biodiversidade do Planeta. No entanto, pouco se sabe a respeito da diversidade de ácaros plantícolas nesta região. Dentre estes ácaros estão espécies fitófagas, generalistas e predadoras. Este último grupo é de grande interesse, pois pode haver espécies promissoras para uso em programas de controle biológico de pragas. Já os fitófagos são indesejados devido ao dano que algumas espécies podem causar como é o caso do ácaro-branco Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), o principal ácaro praga na região de Manaus, sobretudo em pimentão. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a diversidade de ácaros associados às frutíferas nativas da região Amazônica e testar formas alternativas e sustentáveis para o controle do ácaro-branco em pimentão nesta região. Foram realizadas coletas no campus da Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), na fazenda Experimental da UFAM e no município de Anamã, Iranduba e Manacapurú. Os ácaros retirados de cada amostra foram montados, identificados e quantificados. Para o controle do ácaro-branco foram feitos testes com ácaros predadores nativos da região e com extratos aquoso de folha e inflorescência de Piper aduncum L. Foram coletadas 81 espécies de ácaros das famílias Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Tarsonemidae, Phytoseiidae e Ascidae. Nenhum dos predadores estudados mostrou-se eficiente para o controle do ácaro-branco, apresentando baixa sobrevivência e taxa de oviposição, quando alimentados com esta praga. Extratos aquosos a base de P. aduncum em altas cocentrações mostraram-se promissores para o controle de P. latus, sendo seletivo ao ácaro predador Amblyseius largoensis (Muma). / The Amazon region is considered the most biodiverse on the planet. In however, little is known about the diversity of plants mites in this region. Among these mites are phytophagous species, generalist and predators. This latter group is of great interest because there may be promising species for use in biological control programs of pests. Since the phytophagous are unwanted because of the damage that some species can cause as is the case of broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), the main mite pest in the Manaus region, especially in pepper. Thus, the objective was to determine the diversity mites associated with fruit native to the Amazon region and test alternative and sustainable ways to control the mite in peppers in this region. Collections were made on the campus of Universidade Federal do Amazonas-UFAM (Federal University of Amazon), in the experimental farm of UFAM and at the municipality of Anamã, Iranduba and Manacapuru. Mites removed from each sample were mounted, identified and quantified. To the broad mite control, were tested native predatory mite and aqueous extracts of leaf and inflorescence of Piper aduncum L. We collected 81 species of mites of the families Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Tarsonemidae, Phytoseiidae and Ascidae. None of the predators studied was efficient to control the mite, with low survival and oviposition rate when fed with this pest. Aqueous extracts the basis of P. aduncum in high cocentrações proved promising for the control of P. latus, being selective to predatory mite Amblyseius largoensis (Muma).

Human activities worldwide have altered nature in ways that create new combinations of species and environmental processes. To understand so-called "novel ecosystems" it is important to consider both the natural and the societal factors that shape them, and how those factors are interconnected or "coupled." We used such an approach to explore options for managing a non-native invasive frog, the coqui, which has become established on the island of Hawaii and threatens to spread to other parts of the state. The nighttime calls of the coqui create a nuisance for property owners when populations become dense enough, as often occurs in Hawaii where the frogs have no natural enemies. Humans have tried various ways to eliminate coqui on the island of Hawaii with little success. Therefore we studied how property owners cope with their presence, both through management practices and psychological coping strategies. We also examined results of those efforts. People whose properties had more frogs were more likely to take action to reduce their numbers, but also attitudes toward the coqui were less negative when people had grown used to having to share their properties with the frogs. For those who cannot cope psychologically, we found it would be possible to manage properties to reduce densities but only when leaf litter and low shrubs were completely removed from near a home. Information campaigns about managing coqui should be different when targeting people that already host frogs and those that do not.

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to enhance the understanding of what capabilities that are required by actors in a business ecosystem depending on what role they enact. To fulfill this research purpose, the following research questions were derived: RQ1: What key activities underpin different ecosystem roles? and RQ2: What capabilities allow actors to perform key activities? Method – This study was conducted as an abductive single case-study of a business ecosystem that evolves around Internet-of-Things-based solutions in the automotive and transportation sector. In total, four companies and one expert company took part in the research, all participating in, or have knowledge of, the ecosystem of inquiry. In total, 20 interviews were conducted, and results were generated through the use of a thematic analysis. Findings – The findings from the study are summarized in a framework that illustrates what key activities actors perform to enact either an ‘Enabler’, ‘Leader’ or ‘Direct Value Creator’ role, and more specifically, what capabilities that allow actors to perform those key activities. The findings also show that actors must be able to leverage ‘ecosystem intelligence capabilities’, regardless of role, to be successful in a business ecosystem. Theoretical and practical implications – The study provide implications for research on business ecosystem by empirically explicating the key activities that underpin different ecosystem roles, and, by highlighting that actors must not only possess a set of role-specific capabilities, but also some generic capabilities that allow them to operate in a business ecosystem. Our framework assists managers to better evaluate if their firm can leverage the capabilities required to perform the activities of the role they aspire. Limitations and future research – The study is limited by a single case-study of a business ecosystem currently in the early phases. Hence, future research is recommended to validate and extend our findings in other contexts than of ours, as well as to study if the capabilityrequirements vary among different stages of ecosystem evolvement.

Humic substances are macromolecules that naturally occur in all environments in which vegetation matter are present. In general, humic acid is part of humic substances which form the major fraction of the dissolved organic matters in surface water and represents 90% of dissolved organic carbon. Humic acid plays a fundamental role in many ecosystems since it interacts with toxic metal ions present in the system, resulting in a decrease in the bio-availability of such ions. Moreover, the availability of humic acid in water can react with other chemical compounds, such as chlorine to form trihalomethanes (including chloroform) and causes an increasing risk of cancer and may be linked to heart, lung, kidney, liver, and central nervous system damage. Therefore, humic acid removal in water treatment processes is very important in order to achieve the drinking water standards. Heavy metals are significant contaminants in aqueous system. All heavy metals can produce toxicity when ingested in sufficient quantities, but there are several important ones such as lead, mercury, copper, cadmium, arsenic, nickel and silver. These heavy metals are so pervasive and produce toxicity at low concentrations. Moreover, they may build up in biological systems and become a significant health hazard. / Adsorption is approved as an effective and simple method for water and wastewater treatment process. Many adsorbents then are developed for use in adsorption process such as montmorillonite, peat, activated carbon, etc. In this research, humic acid and heavy metals were mainly selected for adsorption study. In the sorption experiment, several adsorbents such as synthesised zeolite (SZ), natural zeolite (NZ), powdered activated carbon (PAC) and fly ash (FA), were selected to examine the application of HA and heavy metals both in individual and simultaneous adsorption, The characteristics and interactions of the adsorbents with HA and heavy metals were systematically studied by batch laboratory experiments. In the beginning, the adsorption of HA onto SZ, NZ, PAC and FA was investigated and their adsorption capacity was compared. The equilibrium adsorption of HA on SZ, NZ, PAC and FA was found to be 84.1, 67.8, 81.2 and 34.1 mg/g, respectively, at 30 oC and pH 5.0. Dynamic adsorption data show that these adsorbents could reach their adsorption equilibrium after 50 hours. From pH analysis, HA adsorption is favoured at low pH and an increase in pH will lead to the reduction of HA adsorption. SZ and NZ adsorption capacity were affected by the changing of solution temperature; however, in PAC and FA sorption study, there was no significant effect observed. Two heavy metal ions (Cu, Pb) removal by the adsorbents was then conducted. The results showed that the equilibrium sorption capacity of Cu and Pb ions on SZ, NZ, PAC and FA were 43.5, 24.2, 19.7, 28.6 and 190.7, 129.0, 76.8 mg/g, respectively at 30 oC and a pH value of 5. The appropriate pH for Cu and Pb removal was found to be 5 and 6. In most dynamic cases, these adsorbents needed at least 50 hours to reach the adsorption equilibrium. Only adsorption on FA required more than 150 hours to reach the equilibrium. / In simultaneous adsorption experiments, the influences of HA and heavy metal concentration (in the range of 10 to 50 mg/L for HA and 10 to 30 mg/l for heavy metals) on the HA-heavy metal complexation were investigated. The results demonstrated that increasing HA concentration mostly affected Cu adsorbed on SZ, FA and PAC and Pb adsorbed on SZ, NZ and PAC. For HA adsorption, the adsorption rate decreased rapidly with increased initial metal ion concentration. Moreover, the adsorption of heavy metals increased with increased heavy metals concentration in the presence of HA. In the presence of heavy metal ions, the order of HA adsorption followed PAC > FA > SZ > NZ. According to the results, the individual and simultaneous adsorption of HA and heavy metals on each adsorbent achieved a different trend. It mainly depended on the adsorption property of both adsorbates (HA and heavy metals) and adsorbents (SZ, NZ, PAC and FA) and also the operation factors such as pH, concentration, temperature and operation time. Even though this experiment could not obtain high adsorption performance, especially in coadsorption, as compared with other adsorbents, the adsorbents in this study represented a higher adsorption capacity and provide the potential for further development.