A seleção de biótipos de plantas daninhas resistentes ao herbicida glyphosate no Brasil vem crescendo a cada ano em conseqüência principalmente da dependência dos principais sistemas de produção a este herbicida. Este fenômeno é evidente na citricultura brasileira, onde o glyphosate é o principal herbicida utilizado no controle de plantas daninhas há anos. As infestações da planta daninha conhecida como buva na citricultura é composta da mistura de duas espécies, Conyza canadensis e C. bonariensis, que apresentam ciclo de vida anual ou bianual, e são espécies altamente adaptadas a agroecossistemas com baixo distúrbio mecânico no solo, sendo nos sistemas de produção citrícolas altamente prolíficas. A suspeita de seleção de biótipos de buva resistente ao herbicida glyphosate motivou o desenvolvido desta pesquisa com o objetivo de comprovar a existência de biótipos resistentes, identificar suas principais características de crescimento e estudar alternativas de controle desses biótipos. A comprovação da existência dos biótipos resistentes ao glyphosate foi feita através de curvas dose-resposta, onde se verificou que o nível de resistência (GR50 do biótipo resistente (R) dividido pelo GR50 do biótipo suscetível (S)) está entre 6,15 a 10,79 para os biótipos da espécie Conyza canadensis e entre 1,52 a 14,75 para os biótipos da espécie Conyza bonariensis. Com relação ao estudo de herbicidas alternativos ao glyphosate no seu controle, comparando a aplicação dos herbicidas estudados em plantas de buva sob dois estádios fenológicos, verificou-se que os níveis de controle (%) em plantas com até 10 folhas de desenvolvimento foram de 88, 81,5 e 76,6% respectivamente para os tratamentos com glyphosate + bromacil + diuron (1.440 + 1.200 + 1.200 g ha-1), glyphosate + atrazina (1.440 + 1.500 g ha-1) e glyphosate + diuron (1.440 + 1.500 g ha-1), considerados como mais eficazes; já em plantas em estádio de desenvolvimento reprodutivo, as melhores alternativas de controle foram os tratamentos que continham o herbicida amônio glufosinato 400 g ha-1. O crescimento vegetativo, baseado na biomassa seca de raízes e parte aérea e área foliar, dos biótipos resistentes de ambas as espécies comparados com o seu respectivo biótipo suscetível foi menor que o das plantas resistentes. A umidade demonstrou-se como o principal fator de interferência da germinação de buvas na região de Matão-SP. Dessa maneira, a presente pesquisa comprovou a resistência dos biótipos estudados ao herbicida glyphosate, destacando as diferenças de crescimento entre os biótipos; a eficácia dos herbicidas alternativos de manejo dos biótipos resistentes de buva ao glyphosate é dependente do estádio fenológico de desenvolvimento da planta daninha, sendo o herbicida amônio-glufosinato excelente alternativa de controle do biótipo resistente ao glyphosate. / The selection of weed biotypes resistant to glyphosate in Brazil has been increasing each year, as a consequence of the over reliance of the main cropping systems to this herbicide. This phenomenon is observed in citrus production systems, where glyphosate is the main herbicide used for weed control for several years. The infestation of the weed known as horseweed is composed by the mixture of two species, Conyza canadensis and Conyza bonariensis, that present annual or biannual life cycle, and adaptation to agroecossystems with low mechanical disturbance in the soil, being in the citrus production systems highly prolific. The suspicion of glyphosate resistant biotypes of horseweed motivated the development of this research with the objective of detecting the existence of resistant biotypes, identifying the main characteristics of growth and development and studying alternatives of control of these resistant biotypes. By using dose-response curves it was possible to verify that the level of resistance (GR50 of the resistant biotype (R) divided by the GR50 of the susceptible biotype (S)) is between 6,15 and 10,79 for the biotypes of the species Conyza canadensis and between 1,52 and 14,75 for the biotypes of the species Conyza bonariensis. With regard to the best control herbicide alternatives of control, comparing horseweed plants at different phonological stages, it was observed that the control level (%) in plants at 10 leaves of development were of 88.0, 81.5 and 76.6% respectively for the treatments with glyphosate + bromacil + diuron (1,440 + 1,200 + 1,200 g ha-1), glyphosate + atrazina (1,440 + 1,500 g ha-1) e glyphosate + diuron (1,440 + 1,500 g ha-1), considered as the most effective treatments; for the plants at reproductive stage, the best alternatives of control were the treatments with ammonium glufosinate. The growth based on shoot and root dry biomass and leaf area of the resistant biotypes of both species compared to the susceptible biotype of the respective species were lower than of the resistant plants, but the resistant plants have higher seed production potential, The humidity was the main factor to interfere the germination on Matão-SP. Therefore, it is possible do conclude from this research that the biotypes studied are resistant to glyphosate, and they have the same competitiveness compared to the susceptible ones; the efficacy of the alternative herbicides for management of the resistant biotypes of horseweed to glyphosate depends on the development stage of the weed.

Pittosporum undulatum Vent. (Sweet Pittosporum) is a densely foliaged tall shrub or small tree, native to the wet forests of south east Australia, This species now functions as a serious environmental weed in a range of habitats in Australia and on other continents and islands throughout the temperate, sub-tropical and tropical zones. This study investigated some of the ecological causes and consequences of P. undulatum invasion across a range of habitat types in south east Australia. Key aspects of P. undulatum biology and ecology investigated in the current study include; patterns of morphological variation across the range of habitats occupied (as a measure of the species’ plasticity), dispersal ecology and seed germinability, population structure and spatial pattern, community relationships and the ecological impacts of invasion. Phenotypic plasticity is considerable in P. undulatum. No clear patterns of geographic variation emerged from a study of leaf morphological attributes across the current range of this species on mainland south east Australia. The pattern of morphological variation is particularly complex in Victoria, where the invasion of this species is most advanced. The species’ adaptability to a range of environments and environmental conditions will likely promote further range expansion. The abundant winter fruit crop produced by functionally female P. undulatum plants attracts a suite of generalist opportunistic frugivores, which feed on P. undulatum fruits and seeds at various stages of fruit dehiscence, thereby enhancing dispersal opportunities for this species. P. undulatum seed collected from natural and invasive populations, at two stages of fruit maturity and from the scats and pellets of dispersal agents, displayed high germinability. European Blackbirds and Pied Currawongs are implicated as the main avian dispersal agents of P undulatum in south east Australia. The broader ecological implications of developing relationships between invasive fleshy-fruited bird-dispersed plant species and adaptive frugivores are likely to be considerable. The distribution of P. undulatutn seedlings was significantly negatively correlated with adult conspecifics and significantly positively correlated with trees and shrubs of other genera. This pattern reflects the importance of both firugivorous dispersal agents and the species’ germination and establishment requirements, in shaping the contagious distribution pattern typical of this species. These analyses suggest that recruitment opportunities for conspecific seedlings are limited beneath the canopy of adult conspecifics. Densities of P. undulatum were on average, 2.7 times higher in invaded populations, compared to the natural populations sampled. A male-bias was evident in all populations and no relationships between reproductive activity and the density of seedlings and juveniles were evident. Invading populations of P. undulatum impose substantial changes on ecosystem-level properties and functions. Mean species richness and cover-abundance declined notably once P. undulatum cover-abundance exceeded 20% at the invaded sites and 60% at the natural sites sampled. The natural communities sampled displayed comparatively greater resilience to the competitive effects of P. undulatum, but community attributes were affected at high densities and cover-abundance of this species. The cover-abundance of herbs and grasses declined most substantially with increasing P. undulatum at invaded sites, whereas, at the natural sites sampled, the species’ structural analogues appeared to be most affected by increasing P. undulatum cover-abundance. This study has demonstrated that the ecological consequences of P. undulatum population expansion are substantial and contribute to changes in the composition and successional trajectory of affected communities. These processes ultimately lead to the loss and simplification of biodiversity values and the homogenisation of affected habitats. P. undulatum has the potential to emerge as one of south east Australia's most serious environmental weed species.

The genus Fimbristylis in Taiwan was taxonomically revised based on morphological, phytogeographical, and ecological evidences. In this study, style and achene morphologies are the most valuable characters for the classification within the genus in Taiwan. The ornamentation of achene surface could be divided into 5 types, which are transversely rugulose, verruculose, smooth, reticulate, reticulate- verruculose. The results showed that these types are taxonomic characters for classification of section, series and species. Twenty-three species, three varieties, and one uncertain species as recognized in conclusion. Fimbristylis microcarya var. tainanensis (Ohwi) H. Y. Liu was elevated to specific status F. tainanemsis Ohwi. F. tomentosa Vahl and F. umbellaris (Lam.) Vahl do not occur in Taiwan in fact, which are previously erroneous identification of F. dichotoma (L.) Vahl and F. littoralis Guad., respectively. Additionally, F. macassarensis Steud. is treated as uncertain species due to insufficiency of evidence.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2003. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.139-160).

No description available.

No description available.

There is an ongoing and increasing interest in the significant and essential role that food plays in the health and survival of all people. As masticatory efficiency diminishes drastically in edentulous patients, many researchers in the past two decades have been studying how dietary intake varies when different types of oral rehabilitation are provided. Since the use of implants to support prostheses in edentulous mandibles has been shown to significantly improve masticatory performance, the question remains as to whether this improvement will influence nutritional status. In the present study, we used several nutritional markers to compare the nutritional status of edentulous patients who randomly received either mandibular conventional dentures or implant-supported overdentures one year previously. Although the conventional denture wearers reported having more difficulty chewing hard foods, no significant differences were detected in any of the nutritional markers. Therefore, even though chewing is more difficult for the patients wearing conventional dentures, it appears that the nutritional status of these two groups is similar.

The methods currently used to evaluate cultivator weed control are imprecise and often biased. A new method was tested. An experiment was carried out at two sites in 1993 and again in 1994, using a split-plot design with four repetitions. Cultivation was carried out on weed populations simulated with rye grass (Lolium spp L.) and mustard (Sinapis alba L.) in 1993 and on both simulated and natural weed population in 1994 with Rabe Werk, Hiniker and Kongskilde cultivators. Weed control was assessed by the effective weed kill and the percentage of the area of the simulated weed population which was affected, and by counts and visual observations on the natural weed population. The new method provided an objective assessment of the cultivation treatments, especially by the effective weed kill index. The area affected approach was not suitable for all cultivation treatments. There was agreement between the proposed method and the conventional methods. This validated the proposed new method. Overall, the Hiniker with ridgers performed the best. The Hiniker without ridgers, and the Kongskilde with or without ridgers performed similarly. The Rabe Werk without goosefoot attachment resulted in the poorest weed control. The degree of weed displacement varied among the cultivators and was associated with weed density. The degree of weed displacement onto the crop row from the inter-row area was low ($<$1% in 1993 and up to 3.4 in 1994). The weed displacement distance was related to weed density and the degree of weed uprooting produced by cultivation.