Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2017-02-10T16:17:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 NirleiHirachyCostaBarros_TESE.pdf: 12776288 bytes, checksum: f3c2a425124d468f7ce21b82896639ad (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-02-10T20:19:32Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 NirleiHirachyCostaBarros_TESE.pdf: 12776288 bytes, checksum: f3c2a425124d468f7ce21b82896639ad (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-02-10T20:19:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 NirleiHirachyCostaBarros_TESE.pdf: 12776288 bytes, checksum: f3c2a425124d468f7ce21b82896639ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-07-12 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / Estrat?gia reprodutiva do peixe hermafrodita mussum, Synbranchus marmoratus (Bloch, 1795) (Osteichthyes: Synbranchidae) foi verificada, com exemplares capturados no per?odo de julho de 2011 ? outubro de 2013, em duas bacias hidrogr?ficas do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Foram verificados as medidas morfom?tricas, a taxonomia, propor??o sexual, rela??o peso-comprimento, primeira matura??o sexual (L50), est?gios de desenvolvimento gonadal, ?ndice gonadossom?tico (IGS), o fator de condi??o (K), ?ndice hepatossom?tico (IHS), fecundidade e per?odo reprodutivo da esp?cie, al?m das vari?veis ambientais e analises de ot?litos. Os resultados desta pesquisa geraram dados que est?o apresentados sob a forma de seis artigos cient?ficos, um capitulo de livro e quatro resumos internacionais. O primeiro artigo abordou aspectos sobre a biologia reprodutiva de S. marmoratus, que confirmou quatro tipos sexuais na sua popula??o, sendo caracterizado como um hermafrodita protog?nico di?ndrico. O segundo artigo verificou as mudan?as sazonais do fator de condi??o, dos ?ndices gonadossom?tico e hepatossom?tico de S. marmoratus durante um periodo anual, mostrando que o crescimento foi do tipo alom?trico negativo e o per?odo reprodutivo foi compreendido entre julho e agosto, quando o IGS teve seus maiores valores. O terceiro artigo explica sobre a estrat?gia reprodutiva de equil?brio (K) adotada por S. marmoratus. O quarto artigo descreve a histologia do desenvolvimento gonadal e invers?o sexual de S. marmoratus, mostrando que durante a inver??o sexual acontece uma etapa de mudna?as histologicas nas g?nadas das f?meas. O quinto artigo descreve e compara a estrategia reprodutiva de seis especie de peixes do semiarido incluindo S. marmoratus, um estrategista de equil?brio, que apresenta baixa fecundidade e desova total. O sexto artigo indica a idade m?dia em que as f?meas mudam de sexo e crescimento de S. marmoratusatrav?s da analise de ot?litos, mostrando que as f?meas mudam de sexo entre cinco e seis anos e o crescimento da esp?cie ? lento. O capitulo de livro, aborda a din?mica de mudan?a de sexo das f?meas de S. marmoratus, mostrando que os indiv?duos intersexos s?o os que apresentam tecido masculino e feminino nas suas g?nadas. Os quatro resumos internacionais abordam a din?mica temporal da reprodu??o do peixe neotropicalS. marmoratus, bem como a propor??o sexual, fator de condi??o (K), rela??o peso-comprimento, IGS, IHS, L50 e fecundidade. S. marmoratus e uma esp?cie hermafrodita sequencial protog?nica di?ndrica, que apresenta uma estrat?gia reprodutiva de equil?brio que mostra ? adapta??o da esp?cie a regi?o semi?rida. / Reproductive strategy of the hermaphroditic fish, the marbled swamp eel, Synbranchus marmoratus (Bloch, 1795) (Osteichthyes: Synbranchidae) was verified, with individuals captured from July, 2011 to October, 2013, from two hydrographic basins of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The following aspects of the study species were verified, morphometric measurements, taxonomy, sex ratio, length-weight relationship, body size at first sexual maturity (L50), gonadal development stages, gonadosomatic index (GSI), the condition factor (K), hepatosomatic index (HSI), fecundity and the reproductive period, besides the environmental variables and otolith analyses. The data obtained from the results of this research are presented in the form of six articles, one book chapter and four international abstracts. The first article deals with the reproductive biology of S. marmoratus, which confirmed four different sexual types of individuals in the sampled population, and characterized the species as a protogynic hermaphrodite with diandria. The second article presents the seasonal changes of the condition factor, gonadosomatic and hepatosomatic indices of S. marmoratus during an annual period. The growth was negatively allometric and the reproductive period was during July and August, when the GSI had its peak values. The third article explains about the equilibrium strategy (K) adapted by S. marmoratus. The fourth article describes the histological aspects of gonad development during sex reversal of S. marmoratus. The fifth article presents and compares the reproductive strategies adapted by seven fish species including S. marmoratus of the semi-arid region. S. marmoratus presentes equilibrium strategy with low fecundity and total spawning. The sixth article indicates that sex reversal ocourrs in females at a mean age of five and six years based on otolith studies. The book chapter is based on sex change dynamics of S. marmoratus females, showing that the transitional individuals presented both ovarian and testicular tissues in their gonads. S. marmoratus is a sequential hermaphroditic species, exhibiting protogyny, and diandry, presenting an equilibrium reproductive strategy. This strategy renders the species well adapted to the semi-arid region.

The release of biological control agents into the environment is inherently risky: assessment of those risks through on-going, post-release monitoring is very important. Herbivores have the potential to inflict multiple impacts on a host plant’s performance and reproduction. Previous research demonstrates that the effects of herbivory on plants include changes to plant architecture, biomass allocation, flowering time and reproductive success, to list a few. Moreover, when herbivory significantly impacts the population ecology of a dominant community member, other species can be indirectly affected, ultimately influencing plant community ecology. Here I describe an investigation into the impacts of two introduced herbivorous biological control agents: the leaf beetle Galerucella calmariensis (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), and the flower-feeding weevil, Nanophyes marmoratus (Coleoptera: Brentidae) on several characteristics of the host plant species, invasive purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), and its surrounding community. I collected data on 18 invaded communities from around eastern Ontario, including information on feeding damage and the density of each species of biological control, along with data on purple loosestrife’s height and biomass, inflorescence length, inflorescence number and fruit production. The history of each site’s colonization by Galerucella was also considered. I discovered that the density of both Galerucella and Nanophyes at a site was negatively associated with Lythrum fruit production. However, herbivore density was not significantly associated with Lythrum biomass, height or the species richness of the surrounding plant community. This study, conducted 20 years after the initial Ontario release of Galerucella, demonstrates that although vegetative traits of Lythrum do not appear to be significantly impacted by the presence of Galerucella or Nanophyes, reproductive traits are. Twenty years is likely too short a time period to adequately assess the impacts of the release on community species richness, although my data indicate that communities with smaller Lythrum plants tend to have higher species richness. This study covered a small geographical area and data collection was conducted for a single season only; adding additional years and/ or sites is recommended.

Understanding the mechanisms that generate shared morphologies across closely related taxa is important when identifying distinct evolutionary lineages using morphological characters. Desmognathus salamanders are an ideal group for testing hypotheses concerning the correlation between morphological similarity and genetic exchange within and among nominal species due to a pattern of high discordance between the two. Phylogeographic hypotheses are tested for populations of the D. quadramaculatus species complex throughout southern Appalachia by combining phylogenetic and population genetic methods with geographical information. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic inferences are then assessed in conjunction with morphological characteristics that have traditionally diagnosed taxonomic entities to understand the genetic basis of shared morphology in this complex, and to assess species boundaries. A history of fragmentation followed by range expansion is suggested as a recurrent pattern that has shaped the current population structure within this complex. The current taxonomy is found to unite populations that share similar morphologies due to parallel evolution rather than ancestry. We suggest revisions in taxonomy that will better reflect the evolutionary history of these lineages. Appreciation of the hidden genetic variation and homoplasious morphological variation often present in and among salamander species can foster the implementation of more appropriate methods for detecting and recognizing the complex history of these organisms.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-02T13:55:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 CelioLuizBernardes-Dissertacao.pdf: 591497 bytes, checksum: 3c6604ea02d2ceebbbe446b5f072e787 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-03-05 / This study evaluated the influence of different carbohydrate/lipid ratios (CHO:L) in the diet of hybrid catfishes, carnivorous Pseudoplastitoma reticulatum x omnivorous Leiarius marmoratus, on the performance, body composition and nutrient utilization. Four isoproteic diets were formulated containing 43% crude protein, with increasing levels of lipids with CHO: diet I, 1.3; diet II, 1.1; diet III, 0.9; diet IV, 0.8. The fishes were fed at 5% of the living body weight (LBW) for the triplicate groups of 6 fishes (18 ± 1.5 g) during 8 weeks. Although the final weight and the absolute weight gain decreased with the increase of lipids in the diet, no significant difference was found in the ration daily consumption (DC) between the treatments. In addition, the viscerosomatic index (VSI) and the hepatosomatic index (HIS) showed no statistic difference between the dietary treatments. Protein efficiency retention (PER), lipid efficiency retention (LER) and protein gain (PG) were higher in the 1.3 CHO:L group, but no significant difference was found between the 0.9 and 0.8 CHO:L groups. In conclusion, high CHO:L ratios around 1.3 produced great benefit due to the best growth performance in the studied hybrid model. / Avaliou-se a influência de diferentes níveis de carboidratos / lipídios na dieta de peixes (CHO/ L) sobre o desempenho , composição corporal e utilização de nutrientes de híbrido, carnívoros (Pseudoplastistoma reticulatum ) x onívoros (Leiarius marmoratus) . Quatro dietas isoproteicas foram formuladas contendo proteína bruta a 43%, com aumento dos níveis de lipídios na dieta, usando-se o CHO com os seguintes índices: L: dieta 1, 1,3; dieta 2, 1,1; dieta 3, 0,9. e dieta 4, 0,8. Os peixes foram alimentados a 5% do peso vivo (PV) para os grupos triplicados, de 6 peixes (18 ± 1,5 g) durante 8 semanas. Apesar do peso final e do ganho em peso absoluto ter diminuído com o aumento de lipídios na dieta, não houve diferença significativa no consumo diário de ração (CD) entre os tratamentos. Além disso, o índice viscerossomático (IVS) e índice hepatossomático (IHS) não apresentaram nenhuma diferença estatística entre os tratamentos dietéticos. O teor de proteína muscular foi alto e significativo para os peixes alimentados com a dieta 1. Contudo, houve a diminuição de umidade e lipídios nos peixes alimentados com a dieta 4. A retenção de eficiência protéica (ERP), a retenção de eficiência lipídica (ERL) e o ganho de proteína (GP) foram superiores no grupo 1,3 CHO/L, mas nenhuma diferença significante foi encontrada entre os grupos 0.9 e 0.8 CHO:L. Em conclusão, CHO alta: cerca de 1,3 L relações apresentaram grande benefício, pelo melhor crescimento no modelo estudado no híbrido.

In this thesis, I combined field, common-garden and greenhouse experiments to examine the ecological and evolutionary consequences of plant-herbivore interactions in the perennial herb Lythrum salicaria. More specifically I examined (1) whether resistance and tolerance to damage from herbivores vary with latitude and are positively related to the intensity of herbivory in natural populations, (2) whether effects of herbivory on plant fitness vary with latitude, (3) whether populations are locally adapted and whether herbivory influences the relative fitness of populations, and (4) whether the intensity and effects of insect herbivory on reproductive output vary locally along a disturbance gradient and are associated with differences in plant resistance. A common-garden and a greenhouse experiment demonstrated that plant resistance decreased whereas plant tolerance increased with latitude of origin among populations sampled along a latitudinal gradient in Sweden. Oviposition and feeding preference in the greenhouse and leaf damage in the common-garden experiment were negatively related to natural damage in the source populations. Experimental removal of insect herbivores in three populations sampled along the latitudinal gradient demonstrated that intensity of herbivory and its effects on plant fitness decreased towards the north. A reciprocal transplant experiment among the same three populations showed that herbivory affected the relative fitness of the three populations, but did not detect any evidence of local adaptation. Instead the southernmost population had the highest relative fitness at all three sites. A herbivore-removal experiment conducted in nine populations in an archipelago in northern Sweden demonstrated that insect herbivory strongly influenced among-population variation in reproductive output. However, variation in resistance was not related to differences in intensity of herbivory at this spatial scale. Taken together, the results demonstrate that resistance and tolerance to herbivory vary with latitude but in opposite directions, that intensity of herbivory is a major determinant of flowering and seed output, and that the strength of herbivore-mediated selection varies among populations in Lythrum salicaria. They further indicate that both physical disturbance regime and latitudinal variation in abiotic conditions may strongly influence the performance and abundance of perennial herbs because of their effects on interactions with specialized herbivores.

The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is listed as threatened in both Canada and the United States due to logging of old-growth forest stands, their primary nesting habitat. Existing research is primarily focused on this terrestrial aspect of the species’ ecology. Our understanding of their at-sea foraging ecology, however, is limited to broad-scale studies of population abundance and dynamics. In order to further understand the spatial and temporal variations of marbled murrelet at-sea foraging behaviour and habitat use, bi-weekly surveys of marbled murrelets were conducted in Clayoquot Sound, BC, between May 1 and September 1, 2007 and 2008. Data were first analysed using a Getis-Ord Gi* spatial analysis to identify high-use foraging areas. Total marbled murrelet presence was consistent between years, but spatial distribution varied significantly in both years. A subsequent analysis of oceanic environmental variables found that temperature, salinity and phytoplankton densities (measured as chl a) were spatially ubiquitous, with no significant variation in measures across the study area. Chl a levels showed significant temporal variation, though similar trends in marbled murrelet abundance over time in both seasons suggest that phytoplankton levels do not directly affect murrelet presence. Marbled murrelets were also observed foraging within several metres of gray whales (Eschrictius robustus) feeding on epibenthic zooplankton in 2006 and 2008, a previously undocumented relationship. Join count statistics identified significant clustering of murrelets up to 300m from 39 feeding gray whales in 2006, and no association with 5 gray whales in 2008, marking a foraging association conditional on the abundance of both gray whales and their prey, but potentially significant to marbled murrelet survival and fecundity.