As algas marinhas representam uma rica fonte de compostos bioativos, algumas delas precurssoras de ferramentas farmacológicas e de substâncias potencialmente úteis para o desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. A macroalga Bryopsis pennata , Cloroficea pertencente à ordem Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales é uma espécie tropical encontrada em diversos costões rochosos. É uma pequena alga de cor verde-musgo, plumosa, que geralmente forma agrupamentos homogêneos e vive fixada em superfícies sólidas como corais e rochas. Essa espécie produz uma defesa química tóxica para organismos herbívoros, além de promover alelopatia e se reproduzir facilmente a partir de pequenos fragmentos. Possui um potencial de se tornar invasiva e dominante em condições ambientais favoráveis como águas ricas em nutrientes. A ausência aparente de predadores conhecidos, indicaram a presença de possível defesa química nesta espécie. Por ser uma espécie que possui aparentemente pouco ou nenhum predador, uma vez que esta se encontra, na maioria das vezes, intacta no ambiente, o presente da continuidade a um trabalho anteriormente realizado que versa sobre a investigação de um efeito farmacológico cardiotônico, inotrópico positivo, da fração polar do extrato metanólico oriundo dessa alga marinha. Inicialmente foi feito um breve estudo farmacológico da atividade citotóxica e hemolítica do extrato polar. Posteriormente evidenciamos o efeito cardiotônico da fração polar de algas cultivadas e coletadas em tiras ventriculares de anuro, comparamos com a resposta cardiotônica quando submetido a ação do propranolol e finalmente evidenciamos algumas características bioquímicas das frações ativas. Nas atividades citotóxicas a fração polar da alga coletada provocou deformações na morfologia dos ovos de ouriço-do-mar e não apresentou atividade hemolítica em eritrócitos de camundongo. O efeito cardiotônico em tiras ventriculares de anuros ficou fortemente evidenciado nos testes com extratos polares de algas coletadas e cultivadas. Estudos comparativos realizados com extratos de algas coletadas e de algas cultivadas em laboratório, demonstraram efeitos farmacológicos similares entre os extratos, demonstrando não haver influencia dos contaminantes, tais como cianobacterias, nas respostas cardiotônicas. O propranolol antagonizou o efeito da fração polar dessa alga e enzimas endopeptidases não reagiram com o extrato metanólico de Bryopsis pennata. Testes bioquímicos demonstraram que a fração polar de peso molecular menor que 10.000 daltons de caráter iônico ácido foi a fração que manteve os efeitos inotrópicos cardíacos. / Marine algae are a rich source of bioactive compounds and some of them have shown to be useful for the development of new pharmacological tools and medicines. Bryopsis pennata , (Clorofícea, Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales) is a marine algae that can be found in the Southeastern Brazilian coast and some other oceans. It is a small green moss algae, feathery, generally forming homogeneous groups fixed upon solid surface such as corals. The species produces a toxic chemical defense to the herbivorous organism, besides promoting allelopathy and easily reproducing itself from tiny fragments. They possess a potential to become invasive and dominant in favorable environmental conditions like waters with rich nutrients. The absence of true epibionts and known predators indicated the presence of chemical defense mechanisms in this species. As it is a species that apparently has little or none predator, since usually it is found intact in its environment, the present is a complement of a previously study and it is about the investigation of the cardiotonic pharmacological effect, positive inotropic effect, of the methanolic extract from this marine algae. Initially it was done a brief pharmacological study of the cytotoxic and hemolytic activity of the polar extract. Then we showed the cardiotonic effect of the polar fraction from the cultivated and collected algae, the cardiotonic results of the explosive of a propranolol and finally some evidences from a biochemistry character of theses fractions. In the cytotoxic activities, the metanolic extract of the collected algae, promoted disfiguration in the egg\'s morphology and did not show hemolytic activity in the mouse erythrocytes. The cardiotonic effect in the anurou\'s ventricular strips was strongly unequivocal when it was tested with the polar extracts from the collected and cultivated algae. Comparative studies performed with the collected algae extracts and the ones cultivated in laboratory showed similar effects between them appearing not having cardiotonic influences by the contaminants. The propranolol antagonized polar tahe polar effects of these algae and the endopeptidase enzyme was not reacting with the methanolic extracts of Bryopsis pennata. Biochemical tests showed that the polar fraction of weight less than 10.000 Daltons and with acid character is the one that kept the inotropic cardiac activity

As algas marinhas representam uma rica fonte de compostos bioativos, algumas delas precurssoras de ferramentas farmacológicas e de substâncias potencialmente úteis para o desenvolvimento de novos fármacos. A macroalga Bryopsis pennata , Cloroficea pertencente à ordem Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales é uma espécie tropical encontrada em diversos costões rochosos. É uma pequena alga de cor verde-musgo, plumosa, que geralmente forma agrupamentos homogêneos e vive fixada em superfícies sólidas como corais e rochas. Essa espécie produz uma defesa química tóxica para organismos herbívoros, além de promover alelopatia e se reproduzir facilmente a partir de pequenos fragmentos. Possui um potencial de se tornar invasiva e dominante em condições ambientais favoráveis como águas ricas em nutrientes. A ausência aparente de predadores conhecidos, indicaram a presença de possível defesa química nesta espécie. Por ser uma espécie que possui aparentemente pouco ou nenhum predador, uma vez que esta se encontra, na maioria das vezes, intacta no ambiente, o presente da continuidade a um trabalho anteriormente realizado que versa sobre a investigação de um efeito farmacológico cardiotônico, inotrópico positivo, da fração polar do extrato metanólico oriundo dessa alga marinha. Inicialmente foi feito um breve estudo farmacológico da atividade citotóxica e hemolítica do extrato polar. Posteriormente evidenciamos o efeito cardiotônico da fração polar de algas cultivadas e coletadas em tiras ventriculares de anuro, comparamos com a resposta cardiotônica quando submetido a ação do propranolol e finalmente evidenciamos algumas características bioquímicas das frações ativas. Nas atividades citotóxicas a fração polar da alga coletada provocou deformações na morfologia dos ovos de ouriço-do-mar e não apresentou atividade hemolítica em eritrócitos de camundongo. O efeito cardiotônico em tiras ventriculares de anuros ficou fortemente evidenciado nos testes com extratos polares de algas coletadas e cultivadas. Estudos comparativos realizados com extratos de algas coletadas e de algas cultivadas em laboratório, demonstraram efeitos farmacológicos similares entre os extratos, demonstrando não haver influencia dos contaminantes, tais como cianobacterias, nas respostas cardiotônicas. O propranolol antagonizou o efeito da fração polar dessa alga e enzimas endopeptidases não reagiram com o extrato metanólico de Bryopsis pennata. Testes bioquímicos demonstraram que a fração polar de peso molecular menor que 10.000 daltons de caráter iônico ácido foi a fração que manteve os efeitos inotrópicos cardíacos. / Marine algae are a rich source of bioactive compounds and some of them have shown to be useful for the development of new pharmacological tools and medicines. Bryopsis pennata , (Clorofícea, Caulerpales, sin. Bryopsidales) is a marine algae that can be found in the Southeastern Brazilian coast and some other oceans. It is a small green moss algae, feathery, generally forming homogeneous groups fixed upon solid surface such as corals. The species produces a toxic chemical defense to the herbivorous organism, besides promoting allelopathy and easily reproducing itself from tiny fragments. They possess a potential to become invasive and dominant in favorable environmental conditions like waters with rich nutrients. The absence of true epibionts and known predators indicated the presence of chemical defense mechanisms in this species. As it is a species that apparently has little or none predator, since usually it is found intact in its environment, the present is a complement of a previously study and it is about the investigation of the cardiotonic pharmacological effect, positive inotropic effect, of the methanolic extract from this marine algae. Initially it was done a brief pharmacological study of the cytotoxic and hemolytic activity of the polar extract. Then we showed the cardiotonic effect of the polar fraction from the cultivated and collected algae, the cardiotonic results of the explosive of a propranolol and finally some evidences from a biochemistry character of theses fractions. In the cytotoxic activities, the metanolic extract of the collected algae, promoted disfiguration in the egg\'s morphology and did not show hemolytic activity in the mouse erythrocytes. The cardiotonic effect in the anurou\'s ventricular strips was strongly unequivocal when it was tested with the polar extracts from the collected and cultivated algae. Comparative studies performed with the collected algae extracts and the ones cultivated in laboratory showed similar effects between them appearing not having cardiotonic influences by the contaminants. The propranolol antagonized polar tahe polar effects of these algae and the endopeptidase enzyme was not reacting with the methanolic extracts of Bryopsis pennata. Biochemical tests showed that the polar fraction of weight less than 10.000 Daltons and with acid character is the one that kept the inotropic cardiac activity

El “suri” Rhea pennata es un ave de importancia nacional y en “peligro crítico”, con una distribución nacional restringida a ecosistemas altoandinos del sur del Perú. El estudio sobre su dieta para conocer la biología de la especie, puede ser fundamental para los programas de conservación y/o aprovechamiento. Para el estudio de la dieta se analizó fecas que fueron colectadas en el Primer Censo Nacional del 2008, todas pertenecientes al distrito de Moquegua. Siendo el objetivo, a partir del análisis y posterior identificación, conocer las especies de plantas y ecología respecto a sus hábitos alimenticios. El análisis de las fecas se llevó a cabo entre el 2010 al 2012 en el Laboratorio de Biogeografía y Ecología terrestres. De la totalidad de fecas analizadas se encontró que predominaron los componentes orgánicos (Vegetales 96% de volumen), y un porcentaje pequeño de componentes inorgánicos entre los que se encontraban piedras que ayudarían a la digestión del material vegetal. Las estructuras más abundantes fueron hojas de monocotiledóneas como: Festuca spp, Poa spp., Cyperaceae Indet., Distichia muscoides y restos de frutos de las especies Oxychloe andina, Sisyrinchium sp. y Silene sp. Los índices de densidad, peso y volumen reflejaron que Oxychloe andina predomina en su dieta; las especies más frecuentes fueron Oxychloe andina, Onagraceae Indet. y Poa spp. Las especies con mayor Índice de Valor de Importancia fueron Oxychloe andina, Poa spp., Festuca spp.; todas éstas, herbáceas y dentro del grupo de monocotiledóneas. El Índice de diversidad (Índice Shannon–Wiener H =2,48) para plantas en la dieta fue mayor a estudios similares para la dieta de esta ave, pero el índice de nicho (Índice Levins = 0,03) arrojó un valor mínimo cercano a cero que indica una estrecha amplitud de nicho, y además la pondría en la categoría de especialista por preferir una especie (Oxychloe andina) sobre las diferentes especies encontradas, resultado que debería complementarse en el futuro con la disponibilidad de los alimentos de una época similar. / *** The Lesser Rhea, Rhea pennata is a bird of national importance and “critically endangered", with a national distribution restricted to Southern high-Andean ecosystems of Peru. The study on diet to know the biology of the species can be fundamental to conservation programs and or use. For the study of the diet were analyzed feces that were collected in the first national census of 2008, all belonging to the district of Moquegua. The purpose of study, based on the analysis and subsequent identification, was determined the components, plant species and ecology about their foraging habits. Feces analysis was carried out between 2010 and 2012 in the Laboratory of Terrestrial Biogeography and Ecology. From the total of feces were found predominant organic components (Vegetable 96% of volume), and a small percentage of inorganic between them stones that would help the digestion of vegetable material. The structures that were more abundant were leaves with a greater volume of monocots such as Festuca spp, Poa spp., Cyperaceae Indet., Distichia muscoides and remains fruits as Oxychloe andina, Sisyrinchium sp. and Silene sp. The indices of density, weight and volume showed that Oxychloe andina prevails for these indices, and the most frequent species were Oxychloe andina, Onagraceae Indet. and Poa spp. The species with the highest Importance Value Index or IVI were Oxychloe andina, Poa spp., Festuca spp, them all herbaceous and within the monocots group. The diversity index (Shannon-Wiener index H = 2,48) for plants in the diet was higher than similar studies for the diet of this bird, but the niche index (Levins index B’= 0,03) showed a minimum value close to zero indicating a narrow niche breadth, and it would put it in the category of specialist for preferring one species like Oxychloe andina, above different species found, a result which should be complemented with future food availability for a similar time. / Tesis

<p>Biodiversity in forests depends on long canopy continuity and existence of different elements which function as substrates for varying organisms. Bryophytes often occupy specific substrates with a patchy distribution. The aim of this thesis was to increase the ecological knowledge about two threatened moss species; <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i>, inhabiting decaying wood, and <i>Neckera pennata</i>, inhabiting bark of base-rich deciduous trees. </p><p>Establishment from spores was investigated in <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> and <i>Neckera pennata</i> and models were created to predict germination of spores as a function of pH and water potential. The effects of pH, phosphorus and nitrogen concentration were studied in <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i>, both on spore germination and on sporophyte occurrences in the field. Colony growth in relation to precipitation and microhabitat variables was studied in <i>Neckera pennata</i>, and a model was used to predict growth of colonies over time. Metapopulation dynamics of <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> were analyzed as an effect of precipitation, habitat quality and patch quantity. A spatial explicit patch occupancy model was constructed to simulate metapopulation sizes and extinction risk over 100 years.</p><p>The quality of the substrate was very important for spore establishment. Germination success increased with increasing pH in both species. <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> was less sensitive to low pH than <i>Neckera pennata</i> when water was freely available. However, there was a strong interaction between pH and water potential in prediction of the final cumulative germination: the spores reacted positively to one factor only when the other factor was in a favourable range.</p><p>Precipitation, moisture holding capacity and interference competition were the main factors affecting colony growth of <i>Neckera pennata</i>. <i>Buxbaumia viridis</i> showed large fluctuations in number of occupied patches among years. Both colonizations and extinctions were highly related to precipitation. Spore germination and sporophyte occurrences in the field were positively related to phosphorus concentration and pH of the substrate.</p>

Biodiversity in forests depends on long canopy continuity and existence of different elements which function as substrates for varying organisms. Bryophytes often occupy specific substrates with a patchy distribution. The aim of this thesis was to increase the ecological knowledge about two threatened moss species; Buxbaumia viridis, inhabiting decaying wood, and Neckera pennata, inhabiting bark of base-rich deciduous trees. Establishment from spores was investigated in Buxbaumia viridis and Neckera pennata and models were created to predict germination of spores as a function of pH and water potential. The effects of pH, phosphorus and nitrogen concentration were studied in Buxbaumia viridis, both on spore germination and on sporophyte occurrences in the field. Colony growth in relation to precipitation and microhabitat variables was studied in Neckera pennata, and a model was used to predict growth of colonies over time. Metapopulation dynamics of Buxbaumia viridis were analyzed as an effect of precipitation, habitat quality and patch quantity. A spatial explicit patch occupancy model was constructed to simulate metapopulation sizes and extinction risk over 100 years. The quality of the substrate was very important for spore establishment. Germination success increased with increasing pH in both species. Buxbaumia viridis was less sensitive to low pH than Neckera pennata when water was freely available. However, there was a strong interaction between pH and water potential in prediction of the final cumulative germination: the spores reacted positively to one factor only when the other factor was in a favourable range. Precipitation, moisture holding capacity and interference competition were the main factors affecting colony growth of Neckera pennata. Buxbaumia viridis showed large fluctuations in number of occupied patches among years. Both colonizations and extinctions were highly related to precipitation. Spore germination and sporophyte occurrences in the field were positively related to phosphorus concentration and pH of the substrate.