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Master of Science / Division of Biology / John M. Blair / Temperate grasslands are among the most threatened biomes in the world, with the largest historical losses due to conversion to agricultural land. While much of this biome has already been converted, there is concern the last remaining remnants in North America will be converted in response to increasing demand for crops used for ethanol production. Thus, restoring grasslands post-anthropogenic disturbance is increasingly important for conserving grassland biodiversity. Two major challenges for prairie restorations are establishing the many subdominant and rarer species found in native prairie, and offsetting the typical decline in richness and diversity over time as restorations age. Repeated seed addition of targeted species is commonly used to override low and declining plant richness and diversity. While this is generally effective early in restoration (i.e., as communities are establishing), its effectiveness in later stages (i.e., when established communities are often losing diversity) remains unknown. I investigated plant community responses to combinations of resource manipulations and disturbances coupled with a seed addition in a 15-yr old restored grassland to test the hypothesis that spatial resource heterogeneity increases the rate of colonization into established prairie restoration communities. Seeds were added to a long-term restoration experiment involving soil depth manipulations (deep, shallow) crossed with nutrient manipulations (reduced N, ambient N, enriched N). Seedling emergence was generally low and only 8 of the 14 forb species added were detected in the first growing season. I found no effect of increased resource heterogeneity on the abundance or richness of seedlings. There was a significant nutrient effect (p<0.1, α=0.1) on seedling abundance, with higher emergence in the enriched N than the ambient N treatment. I also found unexpected nutrient effects on richness, diversity and Mean C (Mean C = Σ CoCi*Ai, where CoC=Coefficient of Conservatism and A=relative abundance of the ith species). All values, except Mean C, were higher in the enriched N treatment than in either the reduced or ambient N treatments. Mean C was lowest in the enriched N treatment, and highest in the whole-plot control, suggesting that the majority of species contributing to higher richness and diversity in the enriched N treatment were “weedier” species. In a separate experiment, I found no effect of small-scale disturbances (aboveground biomass removal or soil disturbance) on seedling abundance or seedling richness. I did find a marginal effect of disturbance type on seedling richness (p=0.11, α=0.1), with higher seedling richness in the soil disturbance than the aboveground biomass removal treatment. I did not find any disturbance effects on community response variables. These results indicate that recruitment from seed additions into well-established restored communities is relatively low in the first year following a seed addition, regardless of resource availability and heterogeneity. Follow-up studies to determine recruitment rates in subsequent years are needed to elucidate whether recruitment responses are driven more by individual species differences or by environmental mechanisms.

Vegetation in the San Cristobal Valley of Barry M. Goldwater Range-East was mapped using a combination of field surveys and aerial imagery interpretation to contribute to ongoing inventory of natural resources for the BMGR-East as well as assist in resource management decisions. Eighteen vegetation associations were identified and mapped through collection of 186 samples to characterize vegetation associations. The most common vegetation association was Larrea tridentata monotype, covering 29% of the area mapped. Larrea tridentata is a widely spread shrub throughout the Sonoran, Chihuahuan and Mojave deserts; therefore understanding germination and seedling survival patterns is crucial. Ambrosia dumosa and A. deltoidea exhibit nurse plant-protégé interactions with L. tridentata. Seed density of L. tridentata was studied under Ambrosia species to determine factors controlling germination and seedling density. As expected seed density was greater under Ambrosia canopy than areas with no canopy. Ambrosia species and canopy type did not affect seed density.

The objectives of the thesis: • to analyse evapotranspiration of Norway spruce seedlings in irrigated and non-irrigated fields by applying lysimetric method; • to determine crop coefficient of spruce seedlings; • to measure dynamics of soil humidity during vegetation period; • to determine influence of irrigation regime on qualitative indices of spruce seedlings; • to determine optimal irrigation regime; • to set economic advantage of irrigation of Norway spruce seedlings. / Darbo uždaviniai: • ištirti paprastosios eglės sodinukų suminį išgaravimą drėkinamuose ir nedrėkinamuose plotuose lizimetriniu metodu; • nustatyti eglės sodinukų biologinius koeficientus; • įvertinti dirvožemio drėgmės dinamiką vegetacijos laikotarpiu; • nustatyti drėkinimo režimo įtaką eglės sodinukų kokybiniams rodikliams; • nustatyti optimalų drėkinimo režimą; • nustatyti paprastosios eglės sodinukų drėkinimo ekonominį efektyvumą.

Magistro baigiamąjame darbe tiriamas biohumuso poveikis paprastųjų eglių (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) sėjinukų augimui atvirame grunte. Tyrimo objektas - vienerių metų paprastosios eglės sėjinukai. Tyrimų tikslas: nustatyti ekologiškos organinės trąšos - biohumuso įtaką paprastosios eglės sėjinukų augimui, vystymuisi, išlikimui, išeigai iš ploto vieneto, ekonominiam efektyvumui. Tyrimo metodai. Loginė mokslinės literatūros apžvalga, apskaitos aikštelių ir duomenų statistinio apdorojimo metodai. Darbo uždaviniai. Nustatyti biohumuso įtaką paprastosios eglės vienmečių sėjinukų augimui ir vystymuisi. Įvertinti vermikomposto įtaką sėjinukų išlikimui ir išeigai iš ploto vieneto. Atlikti biohumuso panaudojimo ekonominį įvertinimą. Darbo rezultatai. Paprastosios eglės vienamečių sėjinukų antžeminės dalies augimą, iš šešių tirtų biohumuso normų, labiausiai įtakojo 20 t/ha norma. Ji esmingai padidino sėjinukų aukštį, spyglių skaičių ir jų ilgį, o jos poveikis sėjinukų skersmeniui, šoninių ūglių skaičiui bei jų ilgiui, šoninių pumpurų skaičiui buvo analogiškas kaip ir mineralinių trąšų. Lyginant sėjinukų šaknų sistemas, biohumuso 10, 20 ir 30 t/ha normos patikimai padidino eglaičių pagrindinės šaknies ilgį (labiausiai – 20 t/ha), o pirmos eilės šoninių šaknų skaičių teigiamai įtakojo tik biohumuso 20 t/ha norma, palyginti su mineralinėmis trąšomis. Efektyviausiai sėjinukų bendrąją, antžeminės dalies ir šaknų masę padidino biohumuso 20 t/ha norma. Be to, biohumusas labiau skatino... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The effect of biohumus on the growth of the seedling of Norway spruce in the open soil is researched in this master thesis. The object of the research – the one year old seedling of Norway spruce. Research aim is to test the influence of biohumus on the growth, development, survival, amount of the seedling of Norway spruce from 1 hectare and its economikcal effect. Research methods. The review of logical scientific literature, the methods of statistic analysis of the data of the examined areas. Research objectives. To define the influence of biohumus on the growth and development of one year old seedling. To assess the influence of vermicompost on the seedling survival and harvest from one hectare. To perform the economical evaluation of the use of biohumus. Research results. The growth of a year old seedling from the six tested norms with biohumus was mostly influenced by 20 t/ha norm. It eesentially encreased the height of the seedling, the number and length of the needles. Its effect on the widh of the seedling, the number of the side branches, their length and the amount of the side buds was equivalent to the mineral fertilizers. By comparising the systems of the roots, the norms of biohumus 10, 20 and 30, evidentally encreased the length of the main roots of the Norway spruce (mostly 20 t/ha). However, the number of the side roots of the first row was positively effected only by the 20 t/ha norm if compared to the mineral fertilizers. The whole weight of the... [to full text]

The release of the seed eating beetle Sulcobruchus subsuturalis for biological control of Caesalpinia decapetala in South Africa has been ongoing since 2000. This is the first post release evaluation of the efficacy of the agent against the weed. The study assessed the phenology of C. decapetala and S. subsuturalis at two sites and included determining the establishment of the beetle on the target weed at 25 study sites. In addition, the effects of S. subsuturalis on seed densities as well as seed germination and seedling recruitment were examined. Furthermore predation by native ants and attacks by native parasitoids were also examined at two release sites. Mature filled pods were available on the tree from September (spring) to March (summer) when the beetle is expected to be reproductively active. The majority of beetle releases by Working for water took place in summer. However the proportion of beetle infested seeds, which were only recovered inside pods in the tree canopy at study sites, was low (0 to 15.5%). Consequently high seed densities and seedling recruitment were observed in the field. In the laboratory, S. subsuturalis did not lay eggs on buried seeds, however seed infestation levels were generally high. Only 8.3% of the seeds containing adults germinated and 6.3% emerged into seedlings. Of the seeds containing larvae, only 14.6% germinated and 2.1% emerged into seedlings. Thus far, S. subsuturalis has failed to maintain high populations on the target weed, possibly due to egg predation by native ants (Crematogaster species, Pheidole megacephala, Messor natalensis and Tetramorium avium) and attacks by native parasitoids. Egg predation reached 100% within 10 days. Egg parasitism by unknown parasitoids ranged between 80 and 93.1% in Limpopo. The parasitic wasp Dinarmus altifrons was recovered once developing inside a C. decapetala seed infested with S. subsuturalis. Further investigations regarding attacks by indigenous parasitoids on S. subsuturalis are required to determine the extent of this problem. Meanwhile releases of S. subsuturalis against C. decapetala should continue. However release efforts need to be improved by (a) using inundative rather than inoculative releases (b) Releasing every year between September and March (summer) and (c) involving land owners, farmers and nature reserve authorities in release activities. Ultimately an additional agent should be sought for release against C. decapetala as the weed may not be the preferred host for S. subsuturalis.

O manejo da irrigação na produção de mudas de hortaliças é caracterizado como uma atividade complexa, pois são cultivadas, em um mesmo ambiente, diversas espécies com necessidades hídricas e estádios fenológicos diferentes. Além disso, este setor está inserido em um mercado extremamente competitivo, o que faz com que a melhoria contínua dos processos se torne essencial para a sobrevivência do negócio. Em função da importância do sistema de medição de desempenho como instrumento de auxílio à gestão, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo propor um conjunto de indicadores de desempenho que permita a avaliação dos processos operacionais de produção de mudas de hortaliças folhosas. O estudo, classificado como uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo exploratória, foi desenvolvido a partir do referencial teórico e de informações técnicas obtidas nos viveiros. O trabalho foi dividido, basicamente, em três etapas: na definição dos objetivos da produção de mudas, no mapeamento dos processos envolvidos e, por último, na seleção dos indicadores de desempenho que mais se adequam aos processos. Foram identificados quarenta e cinco indicadores de desempenho na literatura, sendo que seis foram selecionados como indicadores-chave. / Irrigation management in the production of vegetable seedling is characterized as a complex activity, since several species with different water needs and different phenological stages are cultivated in the same local. In addition, this sector is embedded in an extremely competitive market, which means that the continuous improvement of processes becomes essential for the survival of the business. Due to the importance of the performance measurement system as an aid to management, the present work had the objective of proposing a set of performance indicators that allow the evaluation of the operational processes of vegetable\'s seedlings production. The study, classified as a qualitative research of the exploratory type, was developed based on the theoretical reference and the technical information obtained from the nurseries. The work was basically divided in three stages: the definition of the objectives of the production of seedlings, the mapping of the involved processes and, finally, the selection of the performance indicators that best suit the processes. Forty five performance indicators were identified in the literature, of which six were selected as key indicators.

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar a influência do volume e da granulometria do substrato comercial, utilizado na produção de mudas em tubetes, sobre o crescimento vegetativo das plantas de café, bem como o tempo de formação das mudas e a estabilidade ao manuseio do conjunto muda-substrato. O experimento foi conduzido no viveiro do Centro de Café do IAC, localizado na Fazenda Santa Elisa, Campinas, SP, utilizando a cultivar Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144 (Coffea arabica L.). Foram adotados nove tratamentos com quatro repetições, com delineamento de blocos ao acaso em esquema fatorial 3 x 3, formado pela combinação de três volumes de substrato (50, 120 e 200 cm3) e três granulometrias proporcionadas pelas seguintes composições granulométricas: 100% de substrato comercial na granulometria original, 100% de substrato comercial finamente moído e pela mistura, em volume, de 50% de substrato na granulometria comercial com 50% de substrato moído. A influência das variáveis (volume e granulometria) do substrato no crescimento das mudas de café foi avaliada por meio das determinações dos parâmetros biométricos vegetativo da parte aérea e raízes como: número de pares de folhas, altura da planta, diâmetro do caule, matéria seca da parte aérea e das raízes, área foliar total, área foliar média, área do 1o par de folhas, comprimento e superfície de raízes. Em complemento aos objetivos do trabalho foram, também, avaliados o tempo de formação das mudas e a estabilidade ao manuseio do conjunto muda-substrato. O crescimento das plantas depende do volume e da granulometria do substrato, sendo maior com a utilização de 200 cm3 de substrato e a diminuição da granulometria pela mistura, em partes iguais, do substrato finamente moído com o substrato comercial na granulometria original. O tempo de formação das mudas correlacionou com o volume de substrato, demandando 134, 124 e 81 dias para a emissão do 4o par de folhas, quando as plantas cresceram nos recipientes com 50, 120 e 200 cm3 de substrato, respectivamente. A estabilidade ao manuseio do conjunto mudasubstrato varia com o tamanho do recipiente, sendo maior nos tubetes com 50 e 120 cm3 de substrato, e a redução parcial da granulometria, pela mistura granulométrica, aumentou a aderência das partículas com as raízes e, portanto, a estabilidade do conjunto. / The objectives of this research are the evaluation of substrate volume and granulometer influence - used in production of coffee seedlings in plastic tubes - on coffee plants growth, the time of seedlings development and also seedling-substrate handling stability. The investigation was carried out in a nursery at Coffee Experimental Center of IAC, SP, Brazil, with the cultivar Catuaí Vermelho IAC 144 (Coffea arabica L.). Nine treatments were tested with 4 replicates and the experimental design used was randomized blocks with 3x3 factorial composed by 3 substrate volumes (50, 120 and 200 cm3) and 3 granulometer substrate levels obtained by the following granulometer compositions: 100% of substrate on original granulometer, 100% of crushed substrate and the mix, in volume, of 50% of substrate on original granulometer and 50% of crushed substrate. The substrate volume and granulometer influence on coffee seedlings growth was evaluated by determination of growth parameters of shoot and root as: number of leaves, seedling height, stem diameter, root and shoot dry matter, total leaf area, average leaf area, first leaf area, root length and surface. In addition to these parameters, the time of seedlings development and seedling-substrate handling stability were also investigated. The seedlings growth depend on substrate volume and granulometer, being higher when 200 cm3 of substrate volume are used keeping an equal proportion of the different substrate granulometers (original and crushed). The time of seedlings growth did show a correlation with the substrate volume demanding 134, 124 and 81 days for developing the 4th leaf pair when the plants developed in 50, 120 and 200 cm3 of substrate, respectivelly. The seedling-substrate handling stability differs with recipient size, while the granulometer reduction increases the seedling-substrate stability.

O manejo da irrigação na produção de mudas de hortaliças é caracterizado como uma atividade complexa, pois são cultivadas, em um mesmo ambiente, diversas espécies com necessidades hídricas e estádios fenológicos diferentes. Além disso, este setor está inserido em um mercado extremamente competitivo, o que faz com que a melhoria contínua dos processos se torne essencial para a sobrevivência do negócio. Em função da importância do sistema de medição de desempenho como instrumento de auxílio à gestão, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo propor um conjunto de indicadores de desempenho que permita a avaliação dos processos operacionais de produção de mudas de hortaliças folhosas. O estudo, classificado como uma pesquisa qualitativa do tipo exploratória, foi desenvolvido a partir do referencial teórico e de informações técnicas obtidas nos viveiros. O trabalho foi dividido, basicamente, em três etapas: na definição dos objetivos da produção de mudas, no mapeamento dos processos envolvidos e, por último, na seleção dos indicadores de desempenho que mais se adequam aos processos. Foram identificados quarenta e cinco indicadores de desempenho na literatura, sendo que seis foram selecionados como indicadores-chave. / Irrigation management in the production of vegetable seedling is characterized as a complex activity, since several species with different water needs and different phenological stages are cultivated in the same local. In addition, this sector is embedded in an extremely competitive market, which means that the continuous improvement of processes becomes essential for the survival of the business. Due to the importance of the performance measurement system as an aid to management, the present work had the objective of proposing a set of performance indicators that allow the evaluation of the operational processes of vegetable\'s seedlings production. The study, classified as a qualitative research of the exploratory type, was developed based on the theoretical reference and the technical information obtained from the nurseries. The work was basically divided in three stages: the definition of the objectives of the production of seedlings, the mapping of the involved processes and, finally, the selection of the performance indicators that best suit the processes. Forty five performance indicators were identified in the literature, of which six were selected as key indicators.

Submitted by Mario BC (mario@bc.ufrpe.br) on 2017-03-20T14:09:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Sheylla Cristiny Alves da Silva.pdf: 930193 bytes, checksum: 6479c6df5d48434d77f83fe239c22811 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-20T14:09:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sheylla Cristiny Alves da Silva.pdf: 930193 bytes, checksum: 6479c6df5d48434d77f83fe239c22811 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The Sapindus saponaria L. commonly known as soap belongs to the Sapindaceae family, it is a forest that has ornamental and medicinal purposes, and is used in folk medicine for a long time. The objective was to evaluate the effect of different levels of shading and depth in the production of seedlings of S. saponaria. After removal of seed from the fruit, they were placed in sulfuric acid 98% for 60 minutes, and dormancy breaking method, then seeded in polypropylene bags containing as soil substrate and goat manure in the proportion of 4: 1 in the depths of one and two cm. The bags were placed at 0, 50 and 75% shading. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block in a factorial 3 x 2 (shading x depth), with four replications. The following variables were evaluated: percentage, first count and emergence speed index, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, root volume, leaf area, length and dry mass of roots and shoots. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared by Tukey test at 5% probability. The production of S. saponaria L. seedlings can be performed under shading (50 and 75%) with seeding at 1 and 2 cm deep. As well as the shading of 0% at a depth of 2cm. / A Sapindus saponaria L. conhecida popularmente como saboneteira, pertencente à família Sapindaceae, é uma florestal que possui fins ornamentais e medicinais, sendo utilizada na medicina popular há muito tempo. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de diferentes níveis de sombreamento e profundidades na produção de mudas de S. saponaria. Após a retirada das sementes dos frutos, as mesmas foram postas em ácido sulfúrico a 98% por 60 minutos, como método de quebra de dormência, em seguida semeadas nos sacos de polipropileno contendo como substrato solo e esterco de caprino na proporção de 4:1 nas profundidades de um e dois cm. Os sacos foram acondicionados em 0, 50 e 75% de sombreamentos. O experimento foi realizado em blocos casualizados em esquema fatorial 3 x 2 (sombreamento x profundidade), com quatro repetições. Foram avaliadas as variáveis: porcentagem, primeira contagem e índice de velocidade de emergência, altura de plantas, diâmetro caulinar, número de folhas, teor de clorofila, volume de raiz, área foliar, comprimento e massa seca da raiz e parte aérea. Os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância e as médias comparadas pelo teste de Tukey, a 5% de probabilidade. A produção de mudas de Sapindus saponaria L. pode ser realizada sob sombreamento de 50 e 75% independente da profundidade de semeadura e a 0% na profundidade de 2 cm.