Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-10-17T21:40:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 MoniqueRibeiro.pdf: 2880408 bytes, checksum: f8dedc19319b8c2a0065599d3d0097d0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-17T21:40:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MoniqueRibeiro.pdf: 2880408 bytes, checksum: f8dedc19319b8c2a0065599d3d0097d0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico do Maranhão / We analyzed the pollen spectrum of one hundred and thirty geopropollis samples of the following species of Melipona: M. fasciculata, M. flavolineata, M. seminigra and M. subnitida. Samples were collected in the municipality of Santa Luzia do Paruá, in the Alto Turi region, which belongs to the Amazon region, in the state of Maranhao. The objective of this study was to recognize the phytogeographic and chemical profile of the Melipona geopropolis samples and to help characterize the resin supplying vegetation for these bees. The geopropolis samples were collected monthly from December/2013 to December/2014 from nests kept in wooden boxes in a particular meliponary. The palynological analysis was done according to the standard methodology proposed by Barth (1998). The chemical profile of the samples was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (CLAE), liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC / MS) analysis. And also included quantification of the content of total polyphenols (TPT) through the use of Folin-Ciocalteau reagents and sodium carbonate 20%; total flavonoids (TFT) by the photocolorimetric method with methanolic solution of aluminum chloride (AlCl3) 5%, and the antioxidant activity of the hydroalcoholic extracts of geopropolis by the DPPH free radical assay (Brand-Williams et al). A total of 148 pollen types were identified, distributed in 49 families, 108 genera and two unidentified types. In the geopropolis samples of M. subnitida 107 pollen types were distributed in 40 families and 72 genera. In the M. seminigra, 93 pollen types, 37 families and 70 genera were observed. For M. flavolineata were 98 pollen types, belonging to 33 families and 72 genera. In M. fasciculata there were 64 pollen types, 28 families and 53 genera, being therefore the one with the lowest pollen richness in the samples. Fabaceae presented the highest richness of pollen types (39 types), followed by Rubiaceae (11 types). The pollen types most common to Melipona species were: Attalea speciosa, Anacardium, Borreria verticilatta, Baccharis, Clusia, Chamaecrista, Croton, Euterpe/Syagrus, Eucalyptus, Hyptis, Mauritia, Mimosa pudica, M. caesalpinaefolia, Mouriri, Myrcia /Psidium, Protium And Symphonia globulifera, which characterized the phytogeographic profile of the geopropolis of this region. Aniardium, Ardisia, Baccharis, Caryocar, Clusia, Clusia grandiflora, Eucalyptus, Eupatorium, Hyptis, Myrcia/Psidium, Platonia insignis, Protium, Spondias, Symphonia globulifera, Tapirira and Vismia were the possible resin species suppliers for the Melipona geoprópolis . The presence of various compounds which have been tentatively characterized as quinic acid, benzophenone derivatives, O-glycosylated flavonoid and xanthones have been disclosed. The mangiferin compound was present in all samples. It was also verified the presence of benzophenones that appear to be involved in the biosynthesis of glycosylated xanthones. The extracts presented flavonoid contents above 2%, which allows them to be classified according to Brazilian legislation as a geopropolis with a high content of flavonoids. For the antioxidant activity a variation of 2.20 to 44.35% occurred. There was a variation in the content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids among the different samples of the four Melipona species analyzed. The results indicate that the bee species and the collection season, as well as the interaction between these factors, influence the concentration of bioactive compounds in the geopropolis. Thus, we believe that the results obtained contribute significantly to the geopropolis characterization of stingless bees from Amazonia Maranhense and show the importance of expanding the studies of chemical characterization and standardization of product quality parameters, since thisis a rich source of bioactive compounds with great pharmacological potential. / Analisou-se o espectro polínico de cento e trinta amostras de geoprópolis das seguintes espécies de Melipona: M. fasciculata, M. flavolineata, M. seminigra e M. subnitida. As amostras foram coletadas no município de Santa Luzia do Paruá, na região do Alto Turi, que pertence ao domínio amazônico, do estado do Maranhão. Este estudo teve como objetivo reconhecer o perfil fitogeográfico e químico de amostras da geoprópolis de Melipona e auxiliar na caracterização da vegetação fornecedora de resina para estas abelhas. As amostras de geoprópolis foram obtidas mensalmente de dezembro/2013 a dezembro/2014 a partir de ninhos mantidos em caixas de madeira em meliponário particular. A análise palinológica foi feita de acordo com a metodologia padrão proposta por Barth (1998). O perfil químico das amostras foi determinado por meio das análises de cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência (CLAE), cromatografia líquida acoplada a espectrometria de massa (CL-EM) e cromatografia gasosa acoplada a espectrometria de massa (CG/EM). Também foram quantificados o teor de polifenóis totais (TPT), por meio do uso dos reagentes Folin-Ciocalteau e carbonato de sódio a 20%; de flavonoides totais (TFT) por meio do método fotocolorimétrico com solução metanólica de cloreto de alumínio (AlCl3) a 5%, e da atividade antioxidante dos extratos hidroalcoólicos de geoprópolis pelo ensaio do radical livre DPPH (Brand-Williams et al. 1995). Foram identificados 148 tipos polínicos, distribuídos em 49 famílias, 108 gêneros e dois tipos não identificados. Nas amostras de geoprópolis de M. subnitida identificou-se 107 tipos polínicos distribuídos em 40 famílias e 72 gêneros. Nas de M. seminigra foram observados 93 tipos polínicos, 37 famílias e 70 gêneros. Para M. flavolineata foram 98 tipos polínicos, pertencentes a 33 famílias e 72 gêneros. Já em M. fasciculata foram 64 tipos polínicos, 28 famílias e 53 gêneros, sendo, portanto, a que apresentou menor riqueza de pólen nas amostras. Fabaceae apresentou a maior riqueza de tipos polínicos (39 tipos), seguida de Rubiaceae (11 tipos). Os tipos polínicos mais comuns às espécies de Melipona foram: Attalea speciosa, Anacardium, Borreria verticilatta, Baccharis, Clusia, Chamaecrista, Croton, Euterpe/Syagrus, Eucalyptus Hyptis, Mauritia, Mimosa pudica, M. caesalpinaefolia, Mouriri, Myrcia/Psidium, Protium e Symphonia globulifera, que caracterizaram o perfil fitogeográfico da geoprópolis dessa região. Enquanto Anacardium, Ardisia, Baccharis, Caryocar, Clusia, Clusia grandiflora, Eucalyptus, Eupatorium, Hyptis, Myrcia/Psidium, Platonia insignis, Protium, Spondias, Symphonia globulifera, Tapirira e Vismia foram as possíveis espécies vegetais fornecedoras de resina para a geoprópolis de Melipona. Revelou-se a presença de vários compostos, que foram tentativamente caracterizados como ácido quínico, derivados de benzofenonas, flavonoide O-glicosilado e xantonas. O composto mangiferina esteve presente em todas as amostras. Também foi verificada a presença de benzofenonas que parecem estar envolvidas na biossíntese de xantonas glicosiladas. Os extratos apresentaram teores de flavonoides acima de 2% que permitem classificá-los, de acordo com a legislação brasileira como geoprópolis com alto teor de flavonoides. Para a atividade antioxidante ocorreu uma variação de 2,20 a 44,35%. Houve uma variação no teor de compostos fenólicos e flavonoides entre as diferentes amostras das quatro espécies de Melipona analisadas. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a espécie de abelha e a época de coleta, bem como a interação entre esses fatores, influenciam a concentração de compostos bioativos na geoprópolis. Desta forma, acreditamos que os resultados obtidos contribuem significativamente para a caracterização da geoprópolis das abelhas sem ferrão proveniente da Amazônia Maranhense e evidenciam a importância de ampliarmos os estudos de caracterização química e padronização dos parâmetros de qualidade do produto, visto que este constitui uma rica fonte de compostos bioativos com grande potencial farmacológico.

Submitted by Sandro Camargo (sandro.camargo@unipampa.edu.br) on 2015-05-07T22:43:52Z No. of bitstreams: 1 126110038.pdf: 2182930 bytes, checksum: 1d0e56324e775d985abbaf5cea8f4038 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-05-07T22:43:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 126110038.pdf: 2182930 bytes, checksum: 1d0e56324e775d985abbaf5cea8f4038 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-21 / As abelhas apresentam uma combinação de características individuais e ainda de cooperação animal não encontrada no restante do reino animal. São insetos sociais e participam da polinização de diversas plantas que fornecem alimento para o homem. No Brasil com a africanização das abelhas, essas tornaram-se altamente produtoras e enxameadoras, o que vem tornando o país uma potência na produção de mel e outros produtos originados da atividade apícola. Muitas doenças podem afetar as abelhas, dentre elas muitas causadas por vírus. Controlar as infecções virais é essencial para a manutenção ecológica das abelhas e da produção apícola. Ao mesmo tempo, existe a possibilidade de relacionar vírus que infectam humanos com os vírus que infectam as abelhas, visto que os tratamentos utilizados para os seres humanos poderiam ser utilizados em colméias e, ao mesmo tempo, utilizar as abelhas como modelo de estudo para o desenvolvimento de novos antivirais. Na busca por um ponto em comum analisamos filogeneticamente a protease 3C, que ocorre nos vírus da super-família Picorna-like, onde encontram-se os vírus que parasitam as abelhas. Essa protease tem a capacidade de clivar a poliproteína viral nas proteínas maduras do vírus e ainda causar a degradação proteolítica das proteínas do hospedeiro. Até hoje não foi encontrada uma forma de utilizar a protease 3C em estudos filogenéticos pois existe muita divergência das suas sequências entre os vírus. O objetivo dessa pesquisa foi identificar uma forma de analisar filogeneticamente a protease 3C. As sequências da protease 3C e da RdRp de 55 vírus foram coletadas do NCBI ( National Center of Biotechnology Information) e submetidas ao MEME ( Multiple Em for Motif Elicitation), onde foram obtidos quatro sítios conservados. Após foi realizada a análise filogenética dos sítios conservados por Máxima Verossimilhança e análise da distância entre os sítios por parcimônia e ainda foi construída uma árvore com base na RdRp. As árvores dos sítios 1 e 2 apresentaram uma melhor robustez estatística e agrupamento dos vírus. Essas regiões conservadas da protease 3C-Pro podem ser o início para estabelecermos uma relação entre as proteases dos picornavírus e vírus picorna-like na busca da compreensão do seu mecanismo de infecção viral e também uma alternativa de estudo para outras sequências com alta variabilidade. O uso dos domínios 1 e 2 proporcionou a árvore com maior robustez apresentada até o dia de hoje para esta proteína viral. / The bees have a combination of individual features and animal cooperation is not yet found in the rest of the animal kingdom . They are social insects and participate in the pollination of many plants that provide food for man . In Brazil with the africanization of bees , these have become highly producing and swarm , which is making the country a power in the production of honey and other products derived from beekeeping . Many diseases can affect bees , among them many caused by viruses . Control viral infections is essential for ecological maintenance of bees and beekeeping . At the same time , it is possible to relate viruses that infect humans and viruses that infect the bees , whereas the treatments for humans could be used in beehives and at the same time using the bees as a model for development of new antiviral agents. In the search for a common point analyzed phylogenetically 3C protease , which occurs in the superfamily Picorna -like, which are viruses that parasitize bees virus. This protease is capable of cleaving the polyprotein, the mature viral proteins and viruses also cause the proteolytic degradation of host proteins . Until today there a way to use the 3C protease was found in phylogenetic studies because there is much divergence of their sequences between virus.The objective of this research was to identify a way to analyze phylogenetically 3C protease . The 3C protease and RdRp sequences of 55 viruses were collected from the National Center for Biotechnology Information , submitted to MEME , where four conserved sites were obtained . Upon phylogenetic analysis of the conserved sites and by maximum likelihood analysis of the distance between sites by parsimony was performed and was still a tree constructed based on the RdRp . Trees of sites 1 and 2 had a better statistical robustness and clustering of virus. These conserved regions of the 3C protease - Pro may be the start to establish a relationship between the proteases of the picornavirus and Picorna-like viruses in the quest to understand the mechanism of viral infection and also an alternative study for other sequences with high variability . The use of domains 1 and 2 provided the tree with greater robustness displayed until today for this viral protein.

Reconhecida pela sua megadiversidade, mas também pelo alto nível de desmatamento e perda de espécies que vem ocorrendo nas últimas décadas, a Mata Atlântica é um dos biomas mais ameaçados do planeta, recebendo a denominação de hotspot mundial. As abelhas exercem papel fundamental para a manutenção da vegetação por meio da polinização e o conhecimento sobre a composição do táxon contribui para ações de conservação. Abelhas da tribo Euglossini podem atuar como bioindicadoras da qualidade ambiental e exercem uma estreita relação com determinadas plantas, principalmente da família Orchidaceae, sendo fundamentais para a perpetuação de muitas espécies desta família. A tribo Euglossini apresenta riqueza de espécies nas florestas tropicais decaindo em direção às latitudes altas. Este estudo propôs investigar e reconhecer a fauna de Euglossini presente na região norte do estado de Santa Catarina, no sul do Brasil, a partir de coletas mensais em seis localidades, distribuídas ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal entre o nível do mar e 800 metros, nos municípios de Joinville e São Francisco do Sul. Duas localidades são constituídas por morros remanescentes de Mata Atlântica, inseridos na malha urbana de Joinville, com extensões de aproximadamente 390 e 525 hectares. As demais localidades compõem áreas contínuas de floresta na costa litorânea e Serra do Mar. Em cada local houve um dia de coleta por mês nos períodos de setembro/2013 até abril/2014 e de setembro/2014 até abril/2015. As iscas odoríferas disponibilizadas foram: benzoato de benzila, cineol, eugenol e vanilina. Nos últimos seis meses do estudo foi testada uma nova fragrância à base de menta: o mentol. O estudo registrou 794 machos de Euglossini dos gêneros Eufriesea, Euglossa e Eulaema, distribuídos em dez espécies válidas e uma potencialmente nova. As localidades com maiores riquezas foram os remanescentes no Morro do Finder e Morro do Boa Vista, e as maiores diversidades ocorreram na Vila da Glória e Mutucas. As espécies Eufriesea violacea Blanchard 1840, Euglossa annectans Dressler 1982 e Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 foram registradas nas seis localidades estudadas. Ef. violacea, Eg. annectans Eg. stellfeldi representaram 91,56% da comunidade amostrada, sendo 66,87% somente da primeira espécie. O cineol atraiu 299 abelhas, o eugenol 190 e vanilina 165, mas em relação à riqueza, os mais atrativos foram o benzoato de benzila, cineol e vanilina, com seis espécies cada. O mentol mostrou eficácia, atraindo 75 abelhas de quatro espécies. A distribuição das abelhas em relação a variação altitudinal demonstrou que as maiores riqueza e abundância ocorreram entre o nível do mar e 200 metros de altitude com diminuição do número de indivíduos e espécies acima desta cota. Interações entre as abelhas e oito espécies de orquídeas foram registradas a partir de polinários aderidos às abelhas. Apesar da ocupação humana no entorno dos fragmentos da área urbana, os Morros do Finder e do Boa Vista apresentaram bom estado de conservação para a comunidade de Euglossini. Novos esforços e utilização de outras metodologias podem enriquecer os dados obtidos contribuindo para uma melhor caracterização ambiental da região. A partir dos dados existentes na literatura sobre a tribo Euglossini em Santa Catarina, nota-se uma riqueza significativa nos municípios de Joinville e São Francisco do Sul. / Recognized for its megadiversity, but also the high level of deforestation and species loss that has occurred in recent decades, the Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened biomes on the planet, getting the global name hotspot. Bees play a crucial role in the maintenance of vegetation through pollination and knowledge about the taxon composition contributes to conservation actions. The tribe Euglossini can act as bioindicators of environmental quality and exert a close relationship with certain plants, particularly the orchid family, being fundamental to the perpetuation of many species of this family. The tribe Euglossini has a species richness in tropical forests which decreases in the higher latitudes. This study aimed to investigate and identify the Euglossini fauna present in the northern state of Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, from monthly collections in six locations distributed along an altitudinal gradient between sea level and 800 meters, in the cities of Joinville and São Francisco do Sul. Two locations are composed of remnants of Atlantic Forest hills, situated in the urban area of Joinville, with extensions of approximately 390 and 525 hectares. Other locations comprise continuous areas of forest on the coastline and Serra do Mar. At each site there was one collection day per month in the period from September / 2013 to April / 2014 and September / 2014 to April / 2015. The available scent baits were: benzyl benzoate, cineol, eugenol and vanillin. In the last six months of the study a new mint-based fragrance was tested : menthol. The study recorded 794 Euglossini males of the genera Eufriesea, Euglossa and Eulaema, distributed in ten valid species and one potentially new species. The localities with the greatest richness were in Morro do Finder and Morro do Boa Vista, and the largest diversity occurred in the Vila da Glória and Mutucas. The species Eufriesea violacea Blanchard 1840, Euglossa annectans Dressler 1982 e Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier, 1841 were recorded in the six studied locations. Ef. violacea, Eg. annectans and Eg. stellfeldi represented 91.56% of the sampled community, with the first species making up 66.87% of that figure. The cineole attracted 299 bees, eugenol 190 and vanillin 165, but in relation to richness, the most attractive were the benzyl benzoate, cineole and vanillin, with six species each. The menthol was effective, attracting 75 bees from four species. The distribution of bees in relation to altitudinal variation showed that the greatest richness and abundance occured between sea level and an altitude of 200 metres, with a decrease in the number of individuals and species above this altimetry quota. Interactions between bees and eight species of orchids were recorded from pollinaria adhered to the bees. Despite the surrounding human occupation of urban fragments, Morros Finder and Boa Vista showed good conditions for the community of Euglossini. New efforts and using other methodologies can enrich the data, contributing to a better environmental characterization of the area. From the literature data on the tribe Euglossini in Santa Catarina, there is a significant richness in the cities of Joinville and São Francisco do Sul.

This master thesis focused to create a proposal of business plan for development of cur-rent bee farm. The work is composed of theoretical part which is concentrated on review of professional literature. The practical part including analysis of current situation in the company and proper proposal of business plan.

Chez les pollinisateurs sociaux, comme l'abeille domestique (Apis mellifera L.) et le bourdon terrestre (Bombus terrestris L.), mes deux modèles d'étude, différents individus sont spécialisés dans différentes tâches. Il est admis que différents types de comportement de butinage contribuent à une optimisation des performances de la colonie. Actuellement, les populations de pollinisateurs sont exposées à des stress environnementaux, qui sont connus pour perturber le comportement des individus en visant directement leur cognition. Il est ainsi crucial de mieux comprendre comment les colonies d'abeilles et de bourdons maintiennent une activité de butinage efficace, et quels sont les effets de stress environnementaux sur les butineuses. Dans cette thèse, j'ai donc examiné les différentes stratégies de butinage pour différentes sources de nourriture, pollen et nectar, et les variabilités interindividuelles dans le comportement de butinage. Je me suis aussi intéressé à l'impact de stress tels que les pesticides sur l'efficacité de butinage. J'ai utilisé la technologie RFID pour suivre le comportement des abeilles tout au long de leur vie. J'ai trouvé que les colonies d'abeilles et de bourdons reposent sur un petit groupe d'individus très actifs qui fournissent la majorité de la nourriture pour la colonie. Chez les abeilles, ces individus très actifs sont aussi plus efficaces pour collecter nectar et pollen. J'ai aussi identifié l'existence de différentes stratégies pour la collecte de pollen ou de nectar. Ensuite, j'ai pu montrer que les bourdons ont des différences interindividuelles très marquées dans un test de navigation, une tâche cruciale dans le comportement de butinage. Finalement, j'ai testé l'effet néfaste de pesticides sur l'apprentissage visuel chez l'abeille. Cette thèse a pour but de mieux comprendre les causes de vulnérabilité des pollinisateurs aux stress environnementaux. Mes résultats soulignent le besoin de considérer la diversité comportementale comme une adaptation des espèces de pollinisateurs sociaux, mais aussi comme une potentielle cause de vulnérabilité de la colonie vis-à-vis des stress. / In social insects, such as bees, different individuals specialise in the collection of different resources, and it is assumed that natural behavioural variability among foragers contributes to a self-organised optimisation of colony performance. Currently, bee populations are facing an increasing number of environmental stressors, known to disturb the behaviour of individuals, presumably upon their impact on cognitive capacities. Hence it is important to learn more about how stressors impact on individual foraging behaviour to understand how a colony maintains effective nutrition and development. In this thesis in cognitive ecology, I examined the different foraging strategies for the different macronutrient sources, pollen and nectar, and the inter-individual variation in bee foraging performance. I also looked at how stressors, such as pesticides, can impact on bee foraging efficiency. I compared two social Hymenoptera that vary in their level of social complexity: the European honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) and the buffed-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris L.). I used Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to automatically track the foraging behaviour of bees throughout their life. I found that honey bee and bumblebee colonies rely on a subset of very active bees to supply the whole colony needs. In honey bees, these foragers are more efficient and collect more pollen. I also identified different strategies for pollen or nectar collection in both species. Using manipulative experiments, I then showed that bees exhibit consistent inter-individual different behaviours in a spatial learning task and that pesticides impair visual learning. My thesis aims at better explaining the causes of vulnerability of pollinators to sublethal pesticides and other environmental stressors. The results highlight the need for considering behavioural diversity as an adaptation for social insects, as well as a potential dimension of colony-level vulnerability to environmental stressors that can impair the whole colony nutritional balance.

A importância do Cerrado é devido a sua diversidade biológica e alto grau de endemismo, e demanda uma maior compreensão das formas de interação entre seus componentes. Atualmente, encontramos parte de sua estrutura original modificada pelo intenso processo de urbanização e pelo aprimoramento das práticas de agricultura intensiva. Por isso, uma relevante ferramenta disponível para o estudo qualitativo deste bioma são as estimativas de conectividade funcional, que consiste em quanto o ambiente facilita ou impede o movimento de organismos e propágulos entre as manchas de recursos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a conectividade funcional para a abelha sem ferrão Scaptotrigona depilis em dois fragmentos florestais periurbanos de Cerrado, na cidade de Ribeirão Preto/SP, região com grande relevância ambiental e formada por mosaicos heterogêneos de vegetação nativa, com diferentes graus de fragmentação. Para tanto, realizamos a translocação, a diferentes distâncias, de 2348 indivíduos forrageiros através de dois fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecidual, e em suas respectivas matrizes. O registro do retorno às suas colônias dos indivíduos translocados, e respectivos tempos, nos permitiu avaliar as taxas de sucesso em função da distância através da análise de sobrevivência de Cox, em conjunto à fatores como tipos de ambiente, temperatura, umidade e exposição solar. Modelos de regressão de Cox, comparados através de AIC, apontaram a temperatura como principal fator de influência, reduzindo a taxa de sucesso de retorno, de acordo com seu aumento em graus Celsius. Os tipos de ambientes, distância e umidade, também exerceram influência inversamente proporcional em relação às taxas de sucesso de retorno, reduzindo seus valores conforme estas variáveis aumentavam. Entretanto, as análises de variância da temperatura e umidade apontaram haver diferenças significativas entre os diferentes locais. Estas análises corroboraram a temperatura como principal variável de influência, e sugerem que as diferenças verificadas se devem às características de cada local. Desta forma, identificamos que diferentes tipos de uso e cobertura do solo influenciam diretamente os fatores ambientais como temperatura e umidade e, assim como a distância, impactam o retorno de indivíduos de S. depilis nestas paisagens. Isso nos sugere que, para ampliarmos estratégias de conservação baseadas nos processos ecológicos que desempenham, devemos utilizar alternativas que busquem uma maior arborização da matriz como forma de amenizar temperaturas muito elevadas, bem como uma redução das distâncias entre os fragmentos, que permita uma maior conectividade funcional do ambiente. / The importance of Cerrado due to its biological diversity and high level of endemism demands a greater understanding of the forms of interaction between its components. Currently, we find part of its original structure modified by the intense urbanization process and the increase of intensive farming practices. Therefore, a relevant tool available for the qualitative study of this biome are the estimates of functional connectivity, which consists of how much the environment facilitates or prevents the movement of organisms and propagules between resource patches. The objective of this work was to estimate the functional connectivity for the stingless bee Scaptotrigona depilis in two peri-urban forest fragments of Cerrado, in the city of Ribeirão Preto / SP, a region with great environmental relevance and composed of heterogeneous mosaics of native vegetation, with different levels of fragmentation. For this, we performed the translocation, at different distances, of 2348 individuals through two fragments of semideciduous seasonal forest, and in their respective matrices. The recording of the return of translocated individuals to their colonies, and their respective times, allowed us to evaluate the success rates as a function of distance through the Cox survival analysis, together with factors such as environment, temperature, humidity and sun exposure. Cox regression models, compared through AIC, pointed to temperature as the main influence factor, reducing the rate of return success, according to its increase in degrees Celsius. The types of sites, distance and humidity also had an inverse proportional influence on the success rates of return, reducing their values as these variables increased. However, analyzes of variance of temperature and humidity indicated that there were significant differences between the different sites. These analyzes corroborate temperature as the main influence variable, and suggest that the differences verified are due to the characteristics of each site. In this way, we identify that different types of land use and cover directly influence environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, as well as distance, which impacts the return of S. depilis individuals in these landscapes. This suggests that, in order to expand conservation strategies based on the ecological processes they perform, we must use alternatives that seek higher arboreal cover of the matrix as a way of mitigating very high temperatures, as well as a reduction of the distances between the fragments, allowing a higher connectivity of the environment.

This essay argues that literature enhances the discussions of sensitive issues in a Swedish EFL classroom. Building on reader-response theory and Judith A. Langer's envisionment building, the themes affinity, suicide and discrimination found in Sue Monk Kidd's novel The Secret Life of Bees could be discussed. The reader-response theory gives the pupils an emotional outlet that the envisionment builds on. However, the identified themes also need to be critically analysed to create rewarding discussions, and to be able to fulfil Langer's envisionment. This will hopefully make the pupils think more deeply about these social issues and question their own possible prejudices.

This thesis studies connections between disorder type in tree polymers and the branching random walk and presents an application to swarm site-selection. Chapter two extends results on tree polymers in the infinite volume limit to critical strong disorder. Almost sure (a.s.) convergence in the infinite volume limit is obtained for weak disorder by standard theory on multiplicative cascades or the branching random walk. Chapter three establishes results for a simple branching random walk in connection with a related tree polymer. A central limit theorem (CLT) is shown to hold regardless of polymer disorder type, and a.s. connectivity of the support is established in the asymmetric case. Chapter four contains a model for site-selection in honeybee swarms. Simulations demonstrate a trade-off between speed and accuracy, and strongly suggest that increasing the quorum threshold at which the process terminates usually improves decision performance. / Graduation date: 2013

Part 1: Visitation of potential pollinators to Cornus florida and C. kousa flowers was assessed in East Tennessee in 2008 and 2009. Data regarding insect visitation rates to multiple trees per location were gathered throughout the flowering period. Diurnal and seasonal variations in visitation were recorded. Pollen coverage was assessed on portions of captured insect exoskeletons that were most likely to contact the stigma. Eleven families in four insect orders were collected from C. florida and 26 families in five orders from C. kousa. The most important pollinators in eastern Tennessee were bees in the Andrenidae and Halictidae. The most common visitors to C. kousa flowers were scarab, cerambycid and cantharid beetles. Halictid bees were also frequent visitors to C. kousa. Part 2: Dispersion of flowering dogwood pollen in an orchard was evaluated by performing parentage analysis on open pollinated seedlings collected from a single maternal tree. Pollen source for 45 seedling trees were established using three polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The expected leptokurtic distribution was not seen. Although the majority of paternal trees were within the 12 m radius of the study area, the trees most likely to donate pollen were some of the furthest away. Unusual pollen movement may be a product of lack of synchronization of flowering times between the mother tree and potential pollen donors in the area. Additionally relative proportions of certain pollinating insects (andrenid and halictid bees) may have moved pollen further than expected. Appendix 1: Pollen from 6 species in the genus Cornus was analyzed with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy to determine the utility of this tool to identify pollen grains to species. Although there were differences visible in the spectra, principal components analysis coupled with cluster analysis could not consistently identify pollen grains. Appendix 2: Floral volatile emissions from 6 species of Cornus were collected in a headspace chamber and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine if differences between emitted volatiles of C. florida and C. kousa explain differences in floral insect visitation. The relationship between floral volatile emission and the phylogeny of Cornus was also examined.

Part 1: Visitation of potential pollinators to Cornus florida and C. kousa flowers was assessed in East Tennessee in 2008 and 2009. Data regarding insect visitation rates to multiple trees per location were gathered throughout the flowering period. Diurnal and seasonal variations in visitation were recorded. Pollen coverage was assessed on portions of captured insect exoskeletons that were most likely to contact the stigma. Eleven families in four insect orders were collected from C. florida and 26 families in five orders from C. kousa. The most important pollinators in eastern Tennessee were bees in the Andrenidae and Halictidae. The most common visitors to C. kousa flowers were scarab, cerambycid and cantharid beetles. Halictid bees were also frequent visitors to C. kousa.Part 2: Dispersion of flowering dogwood pollen in an orchard was evaluated by performing parentage analysis on open pollinated seedlings collected from a single maternal tree. Pollen source for 45 seedling trees were established using three polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The expected leptokurtic distribution was not seen. Although the majority of paternal trees were within the 12 m radius of the study area, the trees most likely to donate pollen were some of the furthest away. Unusual pollen movement may be a product of lack of synchronization of flowering times between the mother tree and potential pollen donors in the area. Additionally relative proportions of certain pollinating insects (andrenid and halictid bees) may have moved pollen further than expected.Appendix 1: Pollen from 6 species in the genus Cornus was analyzed with Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy to determine the utility of this tool to identify pollen grains to species. Although there were differences visible in the spectra, principal components analysis coupled with cluster analysis could not consistently identify pollen grains.Appendix 2: Floral volatile emissions from 6 species of Cornus were collected in a headspace chamber and analyzed with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to determine if differences between emitted volatiles of C. florida and C. kousa explain differences in floral insect visitation. The relationship between floral volatile emission and the phylogeny of Cornus was also examined.