This study investigates the reproductive strategies of the pill-box crab, Halicarcinus cookii on the Kaikoura Peninsula, New Zealand. Various aspects essential to understanding reproductive strategies were examined including growth, population dynamics, reproductive biology and mating behaviour. H. cookii exhibits obvious sexual dimorphism such that females develop wide abdomens forming brood chambers, and males tend to grow larger than females and have larger chelipeds in relation to body size. H. cookii allocates energy into growth and reproduction in separate phases of its life cycle where growth ceases as reproductive maturity begins due to a terminal/pubertal moult. Despite the presence of ovigerous females throughout the 15 month sampling period, the population was highly seasonal, with peaks in recruitment and growth occurring primarily during the winter months and peaks in numbers of mature individuals during the summer months. Reproductive output increased with body size in H. cookii, as larger females produced more eggs and larger males transferred more sperm than their smaller counterparts. Ovaries matured prior to the terminal/pubertal moult (anecdysis) and, in multiparous females, in synchrony with brood development, allowing females to produce broods in quick succession, maximising their reproductive output in their short life span (approximately 12-18 months, 6 months as an adult). Incubation duration of broods decreased as seawater temperature increased, suggesting that temperature is the primary cause of the seasonal population cycling. Sperm storage allowed females to produce at least 4 fertilised broods without re-mating. Some sperm mixing in the spermathecae appeared to occur and the ventral-type structure implies last male sperm precedence. Males therefore preferentially mated with females closest to laying a new brood and guarded them longer than other females to ensure their paternity. Guarding duration varied according to the sex ratio allowing males to maximise their reproductive output.

The reproductive strategies of four intertidal grapsid crabs, Hemigrapsus sexdentatus, H. crenulatus, Cyclograpsus lavauxi, and Helice cressa, were studied in the field and laboratory, with emphasis on mating behaviour, duration of female receptivity, and sperm competition. Mating occurred in all species during the intermoult on the days prior to oviposition, when the gonoporo opercula of females became temporarily mobile. Female Helice crassa mated up to three weeks after oviposition, but in all other species mating typically ceased at egg-laying. Male Hemigrapsus pp. used a female-centered competition strategy in which they searched for and defended receptive females until they laid eggs. In contrast, male C. lavauxi searched for and intercepted receptive females only for the duration of copulation and then pursued other receptive females (a mating system termed encounter rate competition with pure search and interception). Male Helice crassa searched for receptive females in their immediate neighbourhood and mated with them briefly on the substrate or in the burrow after which the female left (a mating system termed encounter rate competition with neighbourhoods of dominance). The mating season was short and highly synchronous for Hemigrapsus exdentatus and Cyclograpsus lavauxi and asynchronous for Hemigrapsus crenulatus and Helice crassa. In the laboratory, the mean duration of receptivity for females housed with three males varied between 4.1 and 12.4 days, and the copulation frequency of females varied before oviposition between 2.1 and 24.3 times (mean) depending on the species. Female Hemigrapsus spp. isolated from males stayed receptive significantly longer than females held continuously with males. This suggests that females are able to control the duration of their receptivity, and therefore the time available for mating, according to the absence or presence of males. The operational sex ratio (OSR) had no effect on the duration of female receptivity, but female Hemigrapsus crenulatus mated more often when several males were competing for access. Therefore, male-male competition increased the number of matings per female and hence sperm competition within the female spermathecae. Larger males mated significantly more often than smaller males in all species. However, male size did not affect ejaculate size, meaning that small and large males transferred similar-sized ejaculates, e.g., in Hemigrapsus spp. Males of the two Hemigrapsus species followed a different strategy of sperm allocation. Male H. crenulatus, which are typically confronted with a high mating frequency of the female and a long, asynchronous mating season, distributed similar-sized ejaculates, irrespective of female size. By contrast, male H. sexdentatus, which experience a comparatively lower risk of sperm competition during a short, synchronised mating season, invested larger ejaculates for larger females than for smaller females. In addition, the size of the first and second ejaculates transferred to a female by a male H. crenulatus were not significantly different, whereas the first was larger than the second for H. sexdentatus. A parasitological survey was undertaken of the four grapsid crabs and the presence, seasonal variation and relationship with host gender and size of parasites determined. Four internal parasites were discovered: Nectonema zealandica n. Sp. (Nematomorpha: Nectonematoidea), portunion sp. (Isopoda: Entoniscidae), Profilicollis novaezelandensis n. sp. and profilicollis antarcticus (Acanthocephala: P olymorphidae). Portunion sp. castrated its female hosts, but not the males thereby creating a more male-biased sex ratio. Males parasitised with portunion sp. were equally successful during male-male competition and the number of matings they achieved. The above findings are important for our current understanding of mating strategies in Grapsidae, which are more diverse than previously thought. Females with a restricted duration of sexual receptivity have some control over their receptive period and can therefore influence the OSR and the extent of male-male competition. As females mated multiple times during their receptive period, sperm competition is a common feature in Grapsidae. However, males employed different tactics in regards to sperm competition such as longer mating duration (e.g., C. lavauxi), high number of matings (Helice crassa), or post-copulatory mate guarding until oviposition (Hemigrapsus spp.).

Thesis (Ph. D)--UCLA, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 2003. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 289-296).

Thesis (D. Min.)--Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia, 2003. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 289-296).

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at New Paltz, 2007. / Also issued in electronic version. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 64-74). Online version available via the SUNY New Paltz Sojourner Truth Library : http://hdl.handle.net/1951/42568

A erva-mate, Ilex paraguariensis, é uma espécie dioica, clímax com ampla área de distribuição natural. A despeito de sua importância econômica e ecológica são escassos os estudos de conservação e genética da espécie. O objetivo geral do trabalho foi estudar a diversidade genética, a estrutura genética espacial e o fluxo gênico por dispersão de sementes em duas populações naturais de I. paraguariensis na área do entorno do Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, com uso de marcadores moleculares microssatélites. Foram encontrados baixos níveis de diversidade genética em oito loci analisados, com divergência genética maior entre do que dentro das populações. A I. paraguariensis apresentou baixa densidade populacional, com 0,27 a 0,29 árvores por ha-1 e distribuição espacial agregada, entretanto não foi observado evidência de estrutura genética espacial. A média da distância da dispersão de pólen foi de 393 m e a dispersão de sementes atingiu distância próximas a 2.000 m. Os resultados obtidos, sugerem que a base genética da espécie não é ampla, o que pode dispor a I. paraguariensis a um estado crítico de conservação, devido a de erosão genética provocada pela destruição de seus ambientes naturais. / The yerba mate, Ilex paraguariensis, is a species dioecious, climax with wide natural range. Despite their economic and ecological importance are few studies of genetics and conservation of the specie. The overall objective this work was to study the genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure and gene flow by seed dispersal in two natural populations of I. paraguariensis around the National Park of Iguassu, using microsatellite molecular markers. It found low levels of genetic diversity at eight loci analyzed, and greater genetic divergence between populations than within population. The I. paraguariensis showed low population density with 0.27 to 0.29 trees per ha-1 and spatial clustered distribution, however was not observed evidence of spatial genetic structure. The average distance of pollen dispersal was 393 m and seed dispersal reached near 2,000 m. The results suggest that the genetic basis of species is not large, which may carry the I. paraguariensis to critical state of conservation due to genetic erosion caused by the destruction of their natural environments.

Na região do Alto Uruguai do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, desde meados da década de 1970 agricultores e suas entidades vêm construindo alternativas aos efeitos “dolorosos” do processo de modernização da agricultura. Na arena da construção do conhecimento agroecológico, uma das ações mais significativas implementadas nos últimos 15 anos está relacionada aos sistemas agroflorestais. Nesse contexto, o objetivo geral dessa pesquisa foi analisar o papel do conhecimento local na construção do conhecimento agroecológico (CCA) e na produção de novidades em sistemas agroflorestais de erva-mate e de frutíferas nesta região. Esta pesquisa tem sua base teórica, principalmente, na Perspectiva Orientada ao Ator, complementada pela Perspectiva Multinível. Nos municípios gaúchos de Aratiba, Itatiba do Sul, Severiano de Almeida e Viadutos foram realizadas 18 entrevistas semiestruturadas durante a pesquisa, sendo 13 com agricultores, três com técnicos e duas com tarefeiros. Os principais resultados obtidos com a pesquisa foram os seguintes: a família, a experimentação e os intercâmbios entre os próprios agricultores foram as principais facetas caracterizadas da arena da CCA; os agricultores realizam uma série de experimentos em suas unidades de produção, sempre “filtrando” aquilo que lhes interessa; a partir dos quatro modos de conversão do conhecimento foi possível analisar a dinâmica da CCA entre os agricultores entrevistados; o conhecimento local dos agricultores relacionado aos SAFs se manifesta nas escolhas e no manejo das espécies visando principalmente o sombreamento das culturas; os agricultores consideram o próprio sistema agroflorestal de erva-mate ou de citros uma novidade nos últimos 15 anos; outra novidade observada foi o Grupo de Poda, considerado uma retro-inovação; o Circuito Sul de Comercialização da Rede Ecovida é uma novidade que tenciona os mercados convencionais e o próprio regime sociotécnico da agricultura. Embora a pesquisa tenha apontado os sistemas agroflorestais como uma novidade, alguns limites para sua expansão ficaram evidentes. Assim, é importante promover ações na região do Alto Uruguai de aproximação entre os agricultores que trabalham com vários tipos de SAFs, a partir das suas práticas, estimulando o seu protagonismo. Nesse sentido, é necessária a realização de um amplo diagnóstico para “descobrir” os experimentos “escondidos”. Um elemento importante a ser mais amplamente investigado está relacionado à própria construção do conhecimento agroecológico e sua relação com as dinâmicas entre o conhecimento tácito ou local e conhecimento codificado ou científico. Um desafio que ainda permanece é quanto à comercialização das frutíferas nativas oriundas dos sistemas agroflorestais. / In the Upper Uruguay region of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, since the mid-1970s, farmers and their entities have been building alternatives to the "painful" effects of the modernization process of agriculture. In the agroecological knowledge construction arena, one of the most significant actions implemented in the last 15 years is related to agroforestry systems. In this context, the general objective of this research was to analyze the role of local knowledge in the construction of agroecological knowledge (CCA) and in the production of novelties in agroforestry systems of yerba mate and fruit trees in this region. This research has its theoretical base, mainly, in the Perspective Oriented to the Actor, complemented by the Multilevel Perspective. In the municipalities of Aratiba, Itatiba do Sul, Severiano de Almeida and Viadutos, 18 semi-structured interviews were carried out during the research, 13 with farmers, three with technicians and two with workers of mate. The main results obtained with the research were the following: family, experimentation and exchanges among the farmers themselves were the main facets of the CCA arena; the farmers perform a series of experiments in their production units, always "filtering" what interests them; from the four modes of knowledge conversion it was possible to analyze the dynamics of the CCA among the farmers interviewed; the local knowledge of farmers related to SAFs is manifested in the choices and management of the species aiming mainly at the shading of crops; the farmers consider the agroforestry system of yerba mate or citrus a novelty in the last 15 years; another novelty observed was the Pruning Group, considered a retro-innovation; the Southern Circuit of Commercialization of the Ecovida Network is a novelty that intends the conventional markets and the own sociotechnical regime of the agriculture. Although the research has pointed agroforestry systems as a novelty, some limits to its expansion have become evident. Thus, it is important to promote actions in the Upper Uruguay region to approach farmers who work with various types of SAFs, based on their practices, stimulating their protagonism. In this sense, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive diagnosis to "discover" the "hidden" experiments. An important element to be more widely investigated is related to the very construction of agroecological knowledge and its relation to the dynamics between tacit or local knowledge and codified or scientific knowledge. A challenge that still remains is the commercialization of native fruit from agroforestry systems.

Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas. / Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-15T22:24:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0Bitstream added on 2016-01-08T14:42:23Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 147682.pdf: 7002053 bytes, checksum: 38ce6e1d6fe4d4c55fae256bb0241ad6 (MD5)

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciencias Agrarias, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência dos Alimentos, Florianópolis, 2009 / Made available in DSpace on 2012-10-24T13:19:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 269456.pdf: 7049042 bytes, checksum: 6a8fec0b923447742d2bba8f8bf8dc8d (MD5) / A seleção de matéria-prima para as indústrias de erva-mate contribui para a geração de resíduos sólidos, dentre eles, ramos de diâmetro (Æ) maior que 10 mm da Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. Este trabalho teve como objetivo investigar a microestrutura da casca dos ramos descartados no campo da árvore erva-mate e avaliar as suas propriedades químicas, comparando com as das folhas de erva-mate #in natura# do município de Catanduvas, SC, Brasil. A microestrutura da casca foi investigada utilizando microscopia ótica e de fluorescência. As cascas e as folhas #in natura# de árvores de Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil., plantadas em erval adensado em área de subbosque de floresta de araucárias, foram avaliadas quanto ao teor dos constituintes químicos proteína, lipídios, resíduo mineral fixo, minerais, açúcar total, fibras alimentares solúveis e insolúveis, lignina e ácido urônico; composição monossacarídica; taninos condensados; óleos essenciais; metilxantinas; além de polifenóis totais, composição fenólica e atividade antioxidante pelo método 2,2-difenil-1-picrilhidrazila (DPPH), em extratos aquosos e metanólicos. As análises de microscopia possibilitaram conhecer as estruturas que compõem a casca, resíduo, e a localização de parte dos seus constituintes químicos. A casca de erva-mate apresentou, comparado à folha #in natura#, concentração superior de fibras alimentares e minerais, com destaque para o zinco, cobre, ferro, manganês e o cálcio. Apenas proteína, lipídeo, potássio e taninos condensados foram identificados em maior concentração na folha. Os açúcares neutros (monossacarídeos) em maiores proporções nos tecidos em estudo foram glucose, xilose e arabinose, indicando a presença de celulose e xilanas na casca e folha. A identificação de ácido urônico, ramnose, arabinose e galactose nas amostras, revela a existência de pectina e confirma a sua identificação na micrografia de fluorescência da casca. A composição de óleos essenciais entre as amostras apresentou ampla variação, sendo que apenas cinco constituintes dos dezoito identificados foram comuns à folha e casca da Ilex paraguariensis; tendo a casca se diferenciado pela elevada concentração de ésteres. Metilxantinas, cafeína (0,61 # 0,82 mg/100 mg), teobromina (0,30 # 0,56 mg/100 mg) e teofilina (0,13 # 0,09 mg/100 mg) foram encontradas nas amostras em concentrações consideráveis, revelando ser também, a casca, fonte dessa classe de compostos. Extratos metanólicos e aquosos revelaram elevado teor de polifenóis totais e atividade antioxidante na casca, significativamente superior (p < 0,05) à folha #in natura#. Nas amostras, o ácido clorogênico e o ácido 4,5 dicafeoilquínico foram os que se destacaram; tendo estes sido encontrados em quantidades superiores na casca, em extrato metanólico. Neste resíduo também foi constatada a presença de ácido ferúlico, ácido p-cumárico e ácido siríngico, não detectados no tecido foliar da Ilex paraguariensis. Os dados sobre a composição química da casca dos ramos de erva-mate apresentados neste trabalho contribuem para, em futuros estudos, detectar a sua funcionalidade para a saúde humana e aplicações industriais.