Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:23:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-08-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:29:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 goncalves_tap_me_botfca.pdf: 2550368 bytes, checksum: 024d4159f78f351a8b6ce296e16b0311 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A Antracologia é uma ciência que se baseia na anatomia da madeira para realizar a análise e identificação de carvão vegetal. No Brasil, ela visa tradicionalmente obter dados paleoecológicos e paleoetnobotânicos, mas também conservacionistas e tecnológicos. As análises antracológicas são possíveis porque a estrutura do lenho se mantém no carvão, entretanto, variações morfométricas podem ocorrer. O presente estudo visa contribuir para um melhor entendimento do efeito da carbonização no lenho através da análise estrutural da anatomia antes e após carbonização. A escolha de espécies do cerrado deveu-se ao forte impacto que este bioma sofre pela devastação e, principalmente, pelo uso de suas espécies para a produção de carvão vegetal. A anatomia do lenho e do carvão obtido a 400ºC foram analisadas em amostras de Copaifera langsdorffii, Dalbergia violacea, Dimorphandra mollis, Stryphnodendron polyphyllum, Caryocar brasiliense, Couepia grandiflora, Tapirira guianensis, Qualea grandiflora, Vochysia tucanorum e Pouteria torta, todas provenientes do cerrado e apresentando tipos anatômicos distintos. Todos os resultados quantitativos foram comparados estatisticamente. A contração anisotrópica nos carvões foi evidenciada principalmente na redução do diâmetro tangencial dos vasos, que ocorreu em 70% das espécies, mas não foi o suficiente para aumentar significativamente sua frequência; o diâmetro da abertura das pontoações intervasculares praticamente se manteve; a frequência dos raios aumentou ligeiramente; a altura e a largura dos raios variaram bastante, sendo que os raios mais largos contraíram mais que os estreitos; o parênquima axial manteve, no carvão, características semelhantes às do lenho; as fibras dos carvões perderam a distinção das camadas das paredes celulares presentes no lenho, mas mantiveram dimensões semelhantes... / Anthracology, or charcoal analysis, is a science based on wood anatomy. In Brazil it traditionally studies palaeoenvironment and palaeoethnobotany, as well as nature conservancy and forestry technology. Anthracological analyses are possible due to the maintenance of wood structure in charcoal. The present study aims to contribute to a better knowledge of carbonization on wood anatomy. Fresh and charred cerrado woods samples were analyzed. The Brazilian cerrado is highly impacted by devastation, while its species are widely used for charcoal production. The latter were charred under 400ºC. The selected species present different anatomical characteristics: Copaifera langsdorffii, Dalbergia violacea, Dimorphandra mollis, Stryphnodendron polyphyllum, Caryocar brasiliense, Couepia grandiflora, Tapirira guianensis, Qualea grandiflora, Vochysia tucanorum, and Pouteria torta. All the quantitative data between wood and charcoal were statistically analyzed. The anisotropic pattern of contraction in charcoals was evident as 70% of the species presented a reduction in vessels tangential diameter. Vessel frequency increase, however, was not statistically significant. Intervessel pits apertures diameters were very closely between wood and charcoal. Rays frequency slightly increased; rays height and width were extremely variable. Larger rays contract more than narrow ones. Axial parenchyma retained, in charcoal, the same dimensions and shape of wood. Charcoal fibres presented indistinct cell wall layering, but retained similar dimensions of wood fibres. Carbonization under 400ºC caused only few changes between wood and charcoal, corroborating the assumption that wood anatomy and anthracology are two closely related sciences

Les virus zoonotiques sont une menace pour les humains à cause de leur capacité à passer des réservoirs animaux à l'homme. La rage est provoquée par un virus zoonotique (Virus de la Rage) qui a de multiples réservoirs animaux. La rage est contractée lors de la morsure par un animal infecté et est incurable et létale après l'apparition des premiers symptômes. Un défi visant à éradiquer la rage chez les chiens à l'horizon 2030 a été proposé. Il imposera de stopper la transmission du virus aux populations de chiens à partir des autres réservoirs animaux. Pour cela, il est essentiel de comprendre les mécanismes de transmission entre hôtes potentiels du virus. Dans notre thèse, nous faisons l'hypothèse que le passage d'un hôte à un autre est lié à la diversité des populations virales chez un hôte donné, appelée "hétérogénéité virale".Pour étudier cette hétérogénéité virale, des méthodes de séquençage des populations virales ont été développées. La transmission du virus de la rage entre chiens a été analysée et un évènement de transmission entre chien et renard a été étudié. Une plus importante hétérogénéité virale a été observée chez le renard après sa contamination par le chien en comparaison avec d'autres renards infectés par des congénères de la même espèce. Ceci suggère que l'hétérogénéité virale est importante dans le phénomène de transmission inter-espèce. Ces résultats sont importants pour améliorer notre compréhension de l'évolution du virus de la rage chez un nouvel hôte et pourront aider les efforts d'éradication de la maladie. / Zoonotic viruses are a threat to humans, jumping from animal reservoirs into humans. Rabies is caused by rabies virus (RABV), a zoonotic virus, with many animal reservoirs. Rabies is contracted from a bite of infected animal and once symptoms appear, death is inevitable. A challenging target date of 2030 to eliminate rabies in dogs has been set. One challenge will be stopping RABV re-entering the dog population from other animal reservoirs. Understanding how RABV switches hosts is important to prevent it happening. In this thesis, I hypothesise that successful host switching is due to the diverse population of viruses within the host termed ‘viral heterogeneity’. To investigate viral heterogeneity, methods to sequence the virus populations within clinical samples were developed. Transmission of RABV within dogs was analysed and a host shift event from dogs to foxes was investigated. High viral heterogeneity was seen in foxes after the host shift than in other foxes, suggesting it is important for a successful host shift. These data will be important to improve our understanding of how viruses evolve in new hosts, helping governments to eradicate disease.

Orientador: Harold Gordon Fowler / Resumo: O presente trabalho estuda a distribuição geográfica das espécies arbóreas que ocorrem nas Matas Ombrófilas da Costa Atlântica Brasileira, a partir da avaliação da interferência dos fatores ambientais. As espécies arbóreas foram compiladas a partir de levantamentos florísticos e fitossociológicos utilizando-se as bases cartográficas do Projeto RADAMBRASIL. Os dados climáticos foram obtidos a partir dos Projetos RADAMBRASIL e INMET. Foi realizado o mapeamento e a análise da distribuição das espécies arbóreas, dos fatores climáticos, geomorfológicos e da vegetação utilizando-se Sistema de Informação Geográfica (software SPRING 3.6 e IDRISI 32). A partir da sobreposição dos mapas temáticos, foram feitas análises de regressão linear simples e múltipla visando testar o índice de correlação dos dados cruzados em SIG (índice V CRAMERþS). Também foram realizadas análises fatoriais de correspondência. As análises estatísticas dos dados de distribuição geográfica das espécies cruzadas com os dados das variáveis ambientais apresentaram alta correlação, destacando-se insolação (hs) e médias anuais de temperatura (0C). A repartição das espécies arbóreas mostrou alta heterogeneidade ao longo dos Estados que compõem a Costa Atlântica Brasileira, onde, do total de 1837 espécies, 1078 ocorrem em apenas um Estado; 440 em apenas dois; 173 em apenas três Estados; 88 em apenas quatro; 33 em apenas cinco Estados; 17 em apenas seis Estados e 8 espécies estão presentes em sete Estados, sendo que, nenhuma das espécies é comum a todos os Estados. Os resultados obtidos indicam características de alta heterogeneidade e complexidade da composição florística das Matas Úmidas, ressaltando-se que, localmente, a diversidade da flora é muito expressiva e ainda existe uma grande lacuna nas informações a respeito dos fatores condicionantes destas características. / Abstract: The present work studies the distribution of arboraceous species which occur over the Wet Forest of Brazilian Atlantic East-Coast, from evaluating the interference of environmental factors. The arboraceous species data were obtained from floristic and fitosociological surveys using cartographical basis of RADAMBRASIL Project. For obtaining climatic data, it was used RADAMBRASIL and CEPETC/INMET Projects. By using geographical information system (GIS - SPRING 3.6 and IDRISI 32 software), it was mapped and analyzed arboraceous species, climatic, geomorphologic and vegetation factors distribution. Simple linear and multiple regression analyze were carried out aiming to test the correlation index of overlaid map data (index V CRAMERþS), from thematic maps overlapped on GIS. Corresponding factorial analyze also were carried through. The statistical analyses of species geographical distribution overlaid with environmental variables map data, presented high correlation, detaching the data referring to insolation (hs) and annual temperature averages (mm). Arboraceous species distribution showed high heterogeneity along the Brazilian States, which compose Brazilian Atlantic East-Coast, where, from a total 1837 species, 1078 occur at only one State; 440 at two States; 173 at three States; 88 species at only four States; 33 at five States; 17 at only six States and 8 species are found at 7 States, being that, none species are common to all States. The obtained results indicated characteristics of high heterogeneity and complexity of the Wet Forest floristic composition, standing out itself that flora diversity, locally, is very expressive and there is a large gap over the information despite to the conditioning factors of these characteristics / Doutor

Os modelos metapopulacionais são uma ferramenta muito importante nos estudos de habitats fragmentados. Sendo a natureza bastante diversificada, a análise de ambientes heterogêneos e primordial para a construção de uma dinâmica mais próxima da realidade. Com isso, buscou-se construir um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies, cujo objetivo e encontrar um critério de estabilidade assintótica de orbitas de sincronização parcial. Para tanto e descrito um ambiente com n patches ou sítios conectados por movimentos de migração divididos em conjuntos, que apresentam diferentes características de sobrevivência e reprodução de cada espécie. Obteve-se uma representação para matriz Jacobiana do sistema, al em de um critério para o cálculo do expoente de Lyapunov. Sendo possível, então, uma generalização para um modelo metapopulacional heterogêneo de múltiplas espécies. / The metapopulational models are an important appliance in the fragmented habitats studies."The nature is very diversi ed, so the heterogeneous environments analysis is primordial for close construction of dynamics realities. Therefore, this research aimed to construct a metapopulational heterogeneous model of multiple species in order to nd an asymptotic stability standard of partial synchronization of orbits. Hence an environment with n patches or connected sites by migration movements were described, whose were divided into groups with di erent survival and reproduction characteristics of each species. A Jacobian matrix of system representation was obtained, as well as a Lyapunov exponent calculation criteria. Thus, a generalization for a heterogeneous metapopulational model of multiple species was possible.

In this thesis I investigated various factors that might affect species diversity and the relations between predator/parasitoid and host, using mainly insects as a model group. These factors were agricultural practices, landscape composition, climate change and invasive species.

A interação espontânea entre pirita e íons mercúrio foi acompanhada por meio de voltametria cíclica. Eletrodos de carbono grafite e parafina sólida recobertos com grãos de pirita foram mergulhados em soluções contendo íons mercúrio, retirados, lavados e introduzidos na solução de trabalho (solução tampão de ácido acético 0,25M e acetato de sódio 0,25M). Eletrodos que previamente estiveram imersos na solução contendo íons Hg(II) apresentaram um potencial de circuito aberto maior que o potencial típico da pirita na mesma solução. Com o elevado número de novos processos eletroquímicos detectados verifica-se a complexidade do sistema pirita/íons Hg(II) e que mais de uma espécie de mercúrio se deposita espontaneamente sobre o mineral. A possibilidade de formação de sulfeto de mercúrio sobre a pirita foi investigada construindo eletrodos com duas espécies de sulfeto (HgS(preto) e HgS(vermelho)). A resposta eletroquímica do HgS(preto) apresenta processos catódicos e anódicos semelhantes aos processos observados no voltamograma da pirita, após sua interação com íons Hg(II). Entretanto, o perfil eletroquímico do HgS(vermelho) não apresenta qualquer semelhança com voltamograma do sistema pirita/íons Hg(II). Realizou-se estudos para verificar a influência de variáveis químicas (concentração e pH) e físicas (tempo, temperatura e transporte de massa). Observou-se que o transporte de massa acelera o processo de adsorção de espécies de mercúrio sobre a pirita e determinou-se a melhor condição experimental de retirada de íons mercúrio. / The spontaneous interaction between pyrite and mercury ions was studied employing cyclic voltammetry. The electrodes, consisting of solid paraffin and graphite covered by pyrite particles, were immersed in solutions containing mercury ions. After mineral/mercury ions interaction, the electrode was washed and introduced in the working solution (acetic acid 0,25M and acetate of sodium 0,25M). Eletrodes which were immersed in the solution containing mercury ions, presented a open circuit potential more positive than that of the pyrite in the same solution. The high number of new electrochemical processes detected denotes the complexity of the system pyrite/mercury ions and indicates that several species of mercury may deposit spontaneously on the mineral surface. The possibility of formation of mercury sulfide on the pyrite was investigated employing electrodes constructed with HgS(Black) and HgS(red). The electrochemical response of HgS(black) presents cathodic and anodic processes similar to that observed in the voltammogram of pyrite, after interaction with mercury ions. The potentiodynamic profile of HgS(red) it does not present any similarity with the voltammogram of the system pyrite/mercury ions. Studies were carried out to verify the influence of chemical (concentration and pH) and physical variables (time, temperature and mass transport). It was observed that the mass transport accelerates the adsorption process of mercury species on the pyrite surface and the optimal experimental condition for scavenging mercury ions was determined.

Historically, the tallgrass prairie (TGP) was the largest ecosystem in North America, but today only about 10-15% of the original extent exists today. Some areas have experienced more extreme loss, for example in the state of Illinois less than 0.01% of high-quality native tallgrass prairie remains. Non-native invasive species are a recent phenomenon that threatens the integrity of surviving TGP communities. Ecotypes of dominant C4 grasses are the basis of numerous cultivars, many of which are utilized in prairie restorations. In this study, the effects of three invasive species (Bromus inermis, Schedonorus phoenix, and Poa pratensis) on two lowland (`Alamo' and `Kanlow') and three upland (`Blackwell', `Cave in Rock', and `Trailblazer') cultivars of the dominant C4 grass Panicum virgatum were tested. Two simple pair-wise greenhouse experiments were established in which cultivars were sown as a monoculture or as a mixture of the cultivars with one of three invasive species. Pots were subjected to one of two water treatments with three replicates of each treatment combination. Response variables (height, number of leaves, tiller density, and biomass) and resources (soil moisture, soil pH, soil electrical conductivity, and light intensity) were measured. The greenhouse studies showed that response variables were affected by the presence of invasive species and that the time of growth affected resource levels. Resources are allocated to different areas (i.e growth and reproduction) when competition and stress are implemented on the dominant species. This study was the first to experimentally test for the presence of the physiological stress marker, trigonelline, in a prairie grass. Trigonelline was highest in upland cultivars under low moisture and highest in lowland cultivars under low moisture treatments. The results of these greenhouse studies suggest that invasive species may differentially affect cultivars of Panicum virgatum that may be sown in a prairie restoration. Performance of the P. virgatum cultivars was dependent on the timing of growth, the pot size, the invasive species, as well as soil moisture level. Therefore, when choosing a cultivar source for restoration, resources (i.e. soil moisture) should be looked into to maximize the output of the cultivar.

The timing of biological events in autumn, or autumn phenology, is an important factor in many ecosystem processes. Leaf senescence terminates the growing season, fruiting is important for seed dispersal and frugivorous wildlife, bird migration concludes the breeding season and is a high-mortality event, and insect diapause ends the active season for insects. Climate change and the spread of invasive species have the potential to shift autumn events and ecological processes. However, autumn has been neglected in the phenology literature, and there are many gaps in our knowledge of basic phenological patterns in this season, as well as how they are affected by anthropogenic changes. To address these gaps, I first synthesized the literature on how climate change affects autumn phenology. I found that shifts in autumn phenology can alter reproductive capacities, exacerbate invasions, increase disease transmission rates, reshuffle enemy-prey dynamics, and alter interactions between species. With a focus on autumn interactions between birds and fleshy-fruited plants, my colleagues and I then observed patterns of fruit phenology, using herbarium specimens of 55 species collected across New England, and over 400 species in the living collections of 5 international botanical gardens. Last, I monitored fleshy fruit phenology and abundance at Manomet, a migratory stopover site in coastal Massachusetts, and compared those patterns to seeds identified from landbird fecal samples collected across the autumn season. I found that the sequence of fruiting is moderately consistent from year to year and place to place, and has a significant phylogenetic signal. In wild plants, invasive species fruit, on average, nearly one month later than native species. Considering many landbirds are migrating through New England later over time and in warm years, this suggests birds are increasingly likely to encounter invasive fruits during late-autumn migration. However, bird diets do not reflect the increased availability of invasive fruits in late-autumn; rather, birds show a preference for native fleshy fruits throughout the autumn season. These findings add to our knowledge of how climate change and species invasions affect autumn synchrony, and highlight the importance of native, rather than invasive, fruits as a food source for migratory landbirds. / 2019-11-07T00:00:00Z

Rapid biodiversity change at a global scale requires enhanced monitoring tools to predict how shifting environmental conditions might alter species’ extinction risk. Emerging remote sensing tools are essential to these efforts and provide the sole mechanism to detect environmental changes and their potential consequences for biodiversity rapidly. Here, I assess the extent to which remote sensing measurements predict species richness globally and within regions, facilitating the establishment of a single framework for monitoring diversity worldwide. I assembled global remote sensing metrics and data on diversity gradients to construct and cross-validate models predicting species richness of birds and mammals within and among the world’s biogeographic zones. Enhanced vegetation Index (EVI), land surface temperature (LST), the first principal component of habitat heterogeneity, and an interaction between energy and habitat heterogeneity are important remotely-sensed environmental measurements for predicting trends of species richness of birds and mammals at all scales, although the intensity of the relationship differs between groups and grain sizes. However, a global model does not explain differences in species richness of birds between distinct zoogeographical realms, indicating a possible threshold in biodiversity change prediction before onset of novel environmental conditions. Measuring potential nonlinear changes in species richness is a useful application of the essential biodiversity variables (EBV) framework for operational monitoring of global and regional biodiversity. The continued production of reliable and consistent remote sensing will facilitate further exploration of current and upcoming drivers of biodiversity change and will help improve macroecological models.

The main claim of this thesis is that value-judgments should play a profound role in the construction and evaluation of species classifications. The arguments for this claim will be presented over the course of five chapters. These are divided into two main parts; part one, which consists of the two first chapters, presents an argument for a radical form of species pluralism; part two, which comprises the remaining chapters, discusses the implications of radical species pluralism for the role of values in species classification. The content of the five chapters is as follows. Chapter 1 starts with a discussion of the theoretical assumptions concerning species and natural kinds that form the broad framework within which the arguments of the thesis are placed. The aim of this chapter is to introduce a set of relatively uncontroversial assumptions that frame the rest of the thesis. On the basis of these assumptions, chapter 2 presents an argument for radical species pluralism. The chapter substantiates this argument with a broad range of examples, and compares this position to other forms of species pluralism. Chapter 3 returns to the main interest of the thesis, namely, the role of values in species classification. It introduces the notion of values and presents an argument for the value-ladenness of taxonomy on the basis of the considerations in the first two chapters. It then sketches three important views on values in science in the literature. Chapter 4 argues that the case presented in chapter 3 provides strong support for one of these views, called the ‘Aims View’, and against two other prominent views, called the ‘Epistemic Priority View’ and the ‘Value-Free Ideal’. The resulting view, in line with the Aims View, is that value-judgments should play a particularly substantial role in species classification. Chapter 5 then considers the popular assumption that these value-judgments in taxonomy commonly take the shape of generally accepted classificatory norms, and argues that this assumption is not tenable. Finally, a brief concluding chapter points at some implications of the claims and arguments in this thesis.