abstract: Human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) influences nearly all of Earth's ecosystems through processes such as urbanization. Previous studies have found that urbanization influences biodiversity patterns, often yielding an increase in the abundance of a few urban-adapted taxa at the expense of native species diversity. The western black widow spider, Latrodectus hesperus, is a medically-important pest species that often forms dense urban subpopulations (i.e., infestations) relative to the low-density subpopulations found throughout undisturbed, desert habitat. Here, I employ field and laboratory studies to examine the population ecology and stoichiometry of this urban pest to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying its success. The population ecology of ten black widow subpopulations spread across metropolitan Phoenix, AZ was examined during the peak breeding season (June-August). This study revealed that arthropod prey abundance, female mass and population density of females showed significant spatial variation across the ten subpopulations. Additionally, prey abundance and foraging success, measured as the number of carcasses found in webs, were a strong determinant of female mass and population density within each subpopulation. To test the mechanisms that drive black widow infestations, I used ecological stoichiometry to examine the nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) composition of spiders and arthropod prey from urban habitat, desert habitat and a laboratory diet regime. These studies revealed that (1) spiders are more nutrient rich than cricket prey in the field, (2) spider subpopulations exhibit significant spatial variation in their nitrogen composition, (3) nutrient composition of urban spider subpopulations does not differ significantly from Sonoran desert subpopulations, (4) laboratory-reared spiders fed a diet of only laboratory-reared crickets are more nitrogen and phosphorus limited than field-captured spiders, and (5) cannibalism by laboratory-reared spiders alleviated phosphorus limitation, but not nitrogen limitation, when compared to field-captured spiders. This work highlights the need to examine the population ecology of species relationships, such as predator-prey dynamics, to fully understand the fecundity and population growth of urban pest species. Moreover, the integration of population ecology and stoichiometry illustrates the need to address mechanisms like nutrient limitation that may explain why urban pest populations thrive and native species diversity suffers following HIREC. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biology 2012

Este trabalho está dividido em dois capítulos. O primeiro aborda a distribuição espacial de microcrustáceos planctônicos nas zonas litorânea e limnética do lago Monte Alegre, situado em Ribeirão Preto, estado de São Paulo, e a influência de fatores abióticos e bióticos sobre o desenvolvimento e a distribuição. Este capítulo utiliza dados de Ferreira (2013) referentes à zona limnética e constitui um manuscrito, que deverá ser submetido para publicação; os dados coletados e analisados neste trabalho foram os referentes à zona litorânea, bem como todo tratamento estatístico para a comparação entre as duas zonas. Foram analisadas amostras semanais do zooplâncton e seus predadores invertebrados, obtidas no mesmo período nas zonas litorânea e limnética, durante um ano, com o objetivo de estudar a flutuação ao longo do ano, sua reprodução e quais espécies de microcrustáceos planctônicos ocupam o litoral do lago; os fatores físicos e químicos avaliados no mesmo período das coletas foram utilizados para determinar as condições em que os organismos se encontram nas duas zonas. A distribuição das espécies planctônicas mais abundantes ocorreu em ambas as zonas, sendo que Bosmina tubicen e Diaphanosoma birgei mostraram preferência pela zona litorânea, enquanto Daphnia gessneri foi mais abundante na zona limnética e Ceriodaphnia richardi e Daphnia ambigua foram indiferentes quanto a sua distribuição nas zonas litorânea e limnética. Os copépodos distribuíram-se preferencialmente na zona pelágica. Maior concentração de carbono algal foi registrada na zona limnética em relação à zona litorânea, porém algumas algas podem apresentar características indigestas. Nossos dados indicam que o litoral possui condições favoráveis para o desenvolvimento de cladóceros planctônicos, sendo que a preferência de algumas espécies por essa zona poderia ser uma adaptação para diminuir a predação por invertebrados limnéticos. Embora o litoral tenha outros predadores, a mortalidade na zona limnética deve ser maior. O capítulo dois apresenta a distribuição horizontal da comunidade de microcrustáceos, especialmente os cladóceros, em três zonas do lago Monte Alegre - no banco de macrófitas, na borda do banco de macrófitas e na zona limnética - e o efeito desta distribuição sobre sua reprodução e tamanho. As amostragens de zooplâncton e medições de fatores físicos e químicos foram realizadas durante 18 dias, em intervalos de 3 dias. Também foram realizados experimentos em laboratório para analisar a influência da quantidade e qualidade do alimento sobre os parâmetros de tabela de vida de duas espécies de cladóceros encontradas no lago, utilizando o séston de cada zona. Fatores físicos e químicos do séston também foram avaliados no período dos experimentos. D. birgei mostrou preferência pela zona litorânea e D. ambigua pela zona limnética, enquanto C. richardi e D. gessneri não apresentaram preferência significativa. A qualidade do alimento não influenciou de maneira negativa o desenvolvimento de C. richardi e D. birgei, no período dos experimentos, podendo não ser o fator responsável por sua distribuição no lago. Já D. birgei apresentou diferenças significativas entre as zonas, quanto ao total de neonatos por fêmea, fecundidade média e máximo de neonatos por prole. Dessa maneira, a zona litorânea do lago Monte Alegre mostrou- se propícia ao desenvolvimento de cladóceros planctônicos; a qualidade do séston nesta zona não influencia de maneira negativa os parâmetros de tabela de vida de C. richardi e D. birgei. / This work is divided into two chapters. The first deals with the spatial distribution of planktonic microcrustaceans in the littoral and limnetic zones of the Lake Monte Alegre, located in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, and the influence of abiotic and biotic factors on the development and distribution. This chapter uses data from Ferreira (2013), concerning the limnetic zone and is a manuscript to be submitted for publication; the data analyzed in this study were those related to the littoral zone, as well as all the statistical analysis for comparison between the two zones. Weekly samples of zooplankton and their invertebrate predators, obtained in the same period in both zones were analyzed for one year, with the aim of studying the fluctuation throughout the year, its reproduction and which species of planktonic microcrustaceans occupy the littoral; physical and chemical factors were evaluated in the same period of the plankton samples to determine the conditions for the organisms in the two zones. The most abundant planktonic microcrustaceans distributed in both zones, Bosmina tubicen and Diaphanosoma birgei showing preference for the littoral, while Daphnia gessneri was more abundant in the limnetic zone and Ceriodaphnia richardi and Daphnia ambigua were indifferent, regarding both zones. Copepods occupied preferentially the pelagic zone. Higher concentration of algal carbon was recorded in the limnetic zone in relation to the littoral zone, but some algae may have indigestible features. Our data indicate that the shoreline of the lake has favorable conditions for the development of planktonic cladocerans, and the preference of some species for this area could be a strategy to reduce predation by limnetic invertebrates. Although the littoral has other predators, mortality in the limnetic zone might be higher. Chapter two presents the horizontal distribution of planktonic microcrustaceans, especially cladocerans, in three areas of the Lake Monte Alegre - within macrophyte stands, the edge of macrophyte stands and in the limnetic zone - and the effect of this distribution on their reproduction and size. Zooplankton samples and measurements of physical and chemical factors were carried out for 18 days at intervals of 3 days. Laboratory experiments were also performed to analyze the influence of the food quantity and quality on the life table parameters of two species of cladocerans from the lake, using the seston of each zone. Physical and chemical factors of the seston were also assessed during the experiments. D. birgei showed preference for the littoral and D. ambigua for the limnetic zone, while C. richardi and D. gessneri were indifferent. The food quality did not influence negatively the development of C. richardi and D. birgei and could be not the main factor responsible for their distribution in the lake. D. birgei showed significant differences between zones, such as the total neonates produced per female, average fertility, and maximum offsprings per clutch. Thus, the littoral zone of the Lake Monte Alegre was favorable to the development of planktonic cladocerans at the time of the experiments, the seston quality not influencing negatively the life table parameters of C. richardi and D. birgei.

Distintos padrões de composição e diversidade de espécies podem ser observados ao longo de comunidades que variam em relação ao ambiente e à posição geográfica, sendo possível a identificação de potenciais espécies indicadoras destas mudanças. Diversos estudos sobre a variação na diversidade de espécies têm demonstrado a influência de condições ambientais (teoria de nicho) e/ou da limitação na dispersão (teoria neutra), com diferentes proporções de explicação. Esta dissertação aborda a especificidade de espécies arbóreas no sudeste da Mata Atlântica e alguns padrões de variação da diversidade beta em Florestas com Araucária, na região nordeste do Rio Grande do Sul. Na abordagem de especificidade de espécies, analisamos um gradiente ambiental e espacial a partir de 21 trabalhos abrangendo diferentes tipologias florestais: Floresta de Restinga (3), Floresta Ombrófila Densa (7), Floresta Ombrófila Mista (8) e Floresta Nebular (3). Foram observados diferentes níveis de riqueza e de espécies indicadoras para cada tipo florestal. Além disso, a altitude foi a principal variável ambiental associada aos padrões florísticos observados neste estudo, que formam um continuum de substituição de espécies ao longo do gradiente. Para a abordagem da diversidade beta, foram realizados levantamentos quantitativos do estrato inferior e superior em três áreas de conservação de Floresta com Araucária, onde foram explorados a partição aditiva da diversidade em diferentes escalas espaciais e o papel do ambiente e do espaço na substituição de espécies. Ao todo foram registradas 86 espécies, contemplando 22% do pool de espécies da região sul para esta formação. A partição aditiva da diversidade revelou que a diversidade beta é significativa apenas na maior escala para ambos os estratos. Pela Análise de Redundância parcial, o espaço foi responsável pela maior fração de explicação (21%) para o estrato inferior, enquanto para o superior, o ambiente estruturado pelo espaço obteve a maior fração de explicação (36%). Sugere-se que para o estrato inferior algumas espécies da encosta apresentam limitação de dispersão em relação à distância das áreas da encosta ou mesmo pelo padrão de deposição de diásporos pelos dispersores. Para o estrato superior, a relação do ambiente com o espaço está na distância entre as áreas e como ela atua na variação do ambiente, sendo a distância destas em relação ao mar provavelmente a variável mais correlacionada, pois esta influencia a temperatura e o regime de chuvas. / Distinct patterns of species composition and diversity can be observed throughout communities that change in relation to environment and geographic position, making possible to identify potential indicator species of these changes. Several studies on species diversity variation have demonstrated the influence of environmental conditions (niche theory) and / or dispersal limitation (neutral theory), with different proportions of explanation. This thesis emphasizes tree specificity in southern Atlantic forest and some patterns of beta diversity variation in Araucaria forests in northeastern Rio Grande do Sul. In the approach of species specificity, we analyzed environmental and spacial gradients from 21 studies covering different forest types: Restinga forest (3), Tropical Rainforest (7), Araucaria forest (8) and Cloud forest (3). We observed different richness levels and different indicator species for each forest type. Furthermore, altitude was the main environmental variable associated to the floristic patterns observed in this study, which form a continuum of species turnover along the gradient. For the approach of beta diversity, quantitative surveys of the inferior and superior strata were taken out in three conservation units of Araucaria forest, where additive diversity partitioning were exploited in different spatial scales, as well as the role of environment variables and the space in species turnover. Altogether, 86 species were recorded, comprising 22% of the southern region species pool for this forest type. The additive partitioning revealed that beta diversity is significant only in larger scale for both strata. Through partial Redundancy Analyses, the space was responsible for the largest fraction of explanation (20.70%) for the inferior stratum, while the environment structured by space had the most fraction of explanation (36.43%) for the superior one. It is suggested that some colonizing species from the inferior stratum show dispersal limitation in relation to distance from the slope or even due to seeds deposition patterns. For the superior stratum, the presented relationship between environment and space seems to indicate that the distance between areas acts on the environmental variation, where the sea distance is probably the most correlated variable, since it affects temperature and rainfall.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-06-21T12:16:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Juarez Ferreira Monteiro.pdf: 2239176 bytes, checksum: 5a89e66cf91071885cbfd8673514de7d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-21T12:16:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jose Juarez Ferreira Monteiro.pdf: 2239176 bytes, checksum: 5a89e66cf91071885cbfd8673514de7d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-02-26 / The genus Trichodesmium Ehrenberg is very common in the plankton of the tropical and subtropical oceans, and its colonies consist in aggregate filaments which can be seen by naked eye during the flourish period. The genus is composed by 11 species having been the Trichodesmium erythraeum Ehrenberg the only species reported in the continental shelf from Northeast, Brazil sometimes occurring in dense flourishes. This study reports the occurrence of Trichodesmium thiebautii Gomont ex Gomont in tropical waters from the Pernambuco State and it analyzes the spatial and temporal variations in the tricomas density at several points of the platform. Samplings were performed during the rainy period(July, 2005) and dry weather period (November, 2006) at six stations distributed along two profiles perpendiculars to the coast, with distance to the coast of 5, 10 and 20 miles, respectively in the beach of Gaibú (8º18'S and 34º56'W) and in the beach of Serrambi (8º32'S and 35º00'W). The samples for the qualitative and morphological study were collected in superficial drags using 20 μm mesh nets. The samples destined to the quantitative analyses (filament.L-1) were collected with Niskin bottles and the counting accomplished in inverted microscope, using 10 ml sedimentation chambers. Water samples were also collected to identify hydrological variables (temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrite,nitrate and phosphate). T. thiebautii was observed during the two annual periods and at the six sampling sites forming colonies in tuft form or rarely bunches, having been observed significant differences in thesize of the cells in relation to the sampling sites and enter the annual periods. However, significant differences were not observed among the tricomas of a same colony. The density of the filaments presented minimum values at sites near the coast (5 miles) and higher values at more distant sites (20 miles) during the dry weather period. Hydrological variables presented short variations noting subtle differences between the surface and bottom, contributing for a wide species distribution along the study area. The registration of T. thiebautii in the continental shelf of Pernambuco enlarges the speciesdistribution for the Brazilian Northeast region. / O gênero Trichodesmium Ehrenberg é muito comum no plâncton dos oceanos tropicais e subtropicais, e suas colônias consistem em filamentos agregados que podem ser vistos macroscopicamente durante o período de floração. O gênero é composto por 11 espécies entre as quais apenas Trichodesmium erythraeum Ehrenberg havia sido assinalada na plataforma continental do Nordeste do Brasil, às vezes ocorrendo em densas florações. Este estudo relata a ocorrência de Trichodesmium thiebautii Gomont ex Gomont em águas tropicais do estado de Pernambuco e analisa as variações espaciais e temporais da densidade dos tricomas em vários pontos da plataforma. As coletas foram realizadas durante o período chuvoso (julho de 2005) e período de estiagem (novembro de 2006), em seis pontos distribuídos ao longo de dois perfis perpendiculares à costa, com distância à costa de 5, 10 e 20 milhas,respectivamente na praia de Gaibú (8º18'S e 34º56'W) e na praia de Serrambi (8º32'S e 35º00'W). As amostras para o estudo qualitativo e morfológico foram coletadas em arrastos superficiais com redes de malha de 20 μm de abertura. As amostras destinadas às análises quantitativas (filamento.L-1) foram coletadas com garrafas de Niskin e as contagens realizadas em microscópio invertido, utilizando-se câmaras de sedimentação de 10 mL. Foram também coletadas amostras de água para análises das variáveis hidrológicas (temperatura, salinidade, oxigênio dissolvido, pH, amônia, nitrito, nitrato e fosfato). T. thiebautii foi encontrada durante os dois períodos anuais e nos seis pontos de coleta, formando colônias em forma de tufos ou raramente em feixes, tendo sido observadas diferenças significativas no tamanho das células em relação aos pontos de coleta e entre os períodos anuais. Entretanto, diferenças significativas não foram observadas entre os tricomas de uma mesma colônia. A densidade dos filamentos apresentou valores mínimos em locais próximos à costa (5 milhas) e valores maiores em locais mais afastados (20 milhas), durante o período de estiagem. As variáveis hidrológicas apresentaram pequenas variações, notando-se pequenas diferenças entre a superfície e o fundo,contribuindo para uma ampla distribuição da espécie ao longo da área pesquisada. O registro de T.thiebautii na plataforma continental de Pernambuco amplia a distribuição da espécie para a região Nordeste brasileira.

Orientadores: Paulo Sergio Moreira Carvalho de Oliveira, André Victor Lucci Freitas / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T09:43:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 SendoyaEcheverry_SebastianFelipe_D.pdf: 4690629 bytes, checksum: f883a676253d94c96241592710afbae4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: As formigas são organismos dominantes em muitos ecossistemas tropicais, dentre os quais se encontra o Cerrado. É sabido que no dossel de florestas tropicais a maioria das formigas é altamente dependente de alimentos líquidos derivados das plantas (como nectários extraflorais ou secreções de insetos produtores de exsudatos), sendo considerada funcionalmente como herbívora. A alta abundância destes recursos na folhagem do Cerrado é considerada um incentivo para visitação de formigas, entretanto, não sabemos qual é o grau de dependência da comunidade de formigas de Cerrado por estes recursos. Algumas formigas podem se comportar como predadores oportunistas enquanto forrageiam nas plantas, de forma que para algumas plantas de Cerrado foi comprovado que a presença das formigas pode afetar os níveis de infestação de insetos fitófagos. Neste estudo avaliamos a influência das formigas sobre as larvas de lepidópteros que habitam a folhagem das plantas, tanto para os padrões de uso de hospedeiro como para as estratégias de defesa. Testes de laboratório mostraram que a construção de abrigos foi a estratégia mais frequente e eficiente para evitar o ataque de formigas. Outras características como o tamanho da larva foram importantes para predizer o ataque das formigas, mas seu efeito varia dependendo da espécie de formiga. Dependendo do conjunto de defesas presentes nas larvas os lepidópteros podem responder negativamente à presença de alguns grupos de formigas agressivas, ou não responder caso estejam interagindo com grupos de formigas menos agressivos ou inócuos. Realizamos também levantamentos de larvas e formigas em plantas de quatro fragmentos de Cerrado (no sudeste brasileiro) e encontramos que a quantidade de formigas forrageando numa planta tem um efeito negativo sobre a presença de larvas de lepidóptero. Da mesma forma, lugares com maior densidade de formigas foram também lugares com baixa abundância de larvas. A presença de recursos líquidos alimentícios nas plantas pode ser um fator mediador deste efeito e os grupos de formigas que melhor respondem à presença destes recursos (Camponotus e Pseudomyrmex) foram também os que têm maiores efeitos negativos na presença de larvas. Neste estudo demostramos que o papel das formigas como protetoras das plantas e por tanto a natureza da interação fomrigaplanta varia no espaço. Por um lado, a resposta das formigas à presença de recursos líquidos nas plantas pode ser dependente das condições locais e varia no espaço. Por outro lado, quais formigas estão presentes em cada lugar e a forma em que estas formigas usam os recursos das plantas pode afetar localmente o uso de plantas de Cerrado por larvas de lepidóptero, bem como as estratégias de defesa que ditas larvas podem apresentar. Desta forma, o resultado da interação entre formigas e plantas e especificamente os possíveis benefícios de redução de herbivoria para as plantas são também variáveis no espaço / Abstract: Ants are dominant organisms in tropical ecosystems such as Cerrado savanna. It is well known that most ants in forest canopy are highly dependent on liquid food sources derived from plants (such as extrafloral nectaries and secretions from honey-dew producing insects), being functionally considered as herbivores. The high abundance of those resources in Cerrado is an incentive for ants to visit the foliage, although, we still do not know how dependent the ant community is on those resources. While foraging on plants, some ants can behave as generalist predators, thereby, for some Cerrado plants it has been proved that ant presence may reduce infestation levels of phytophagous insects. In the present study we evaluated the importance of ants visitation for lepidopteran larvae, for both host plant use as well as for the defense strategies. In laboratory tests we showed that shelter construction was the more frequent and most efficient defense of Lepidoptera larvae to avoid ant attack. Other traits such as larval body size were important to predict ant attack, but its effect varied with ant species. Larvae may negatively respond to the presence of some aggressive ant groups and not be affected by innocuous ants, but this response may be affected by the specific defensive set of larvae. We also carried out field samplings of both lepidopteran larvae and foraging ants in four fragments of Cerrado (southeastern Brazil), and we found that the foraging intensity of ants had a negative effect on the probability of finding larvae on plants. We show here that interactions between ants and plants vary across space both in how ants use resources present on plants but also in how they affect herbivorous presence. Localities with higher ant density were also places with low larval abundance. The presence of liquid food resources on plants may be a factor mediating ant effects, and the groups of ants that better responded to those resources were also the ones with higher effect on caterpillar presence. However, ant response to liquid food resources on plants are dependent on local conditions and vary across space. Which ants are present locally and the way that they use plant resources may affect host plant use by lepidopteran larvae, as well as the defensive sets that those larvae may present. This evidence suggest that the importance of the ant-plant mutualism in terms of benefits for both organisms is highly dependent on the characteristics of local communities and vary on space. As consequence, the outcome of ant-plant interaction and specifically the function of ants as plant body guards and the potential benefits for plants of herbivory reduction may highly in some communities and small or even null in others / Doutorado / Ecologia / Doutor em Ecologia

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(工学) / 甲第23170号 / 工博第4814号 / 新制||工||1752(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院工学研究科都市社会工学専攻 / (主査)教授 CRUZ Ana Maria , 教授 宇野 伸宏, 准教授 横松 宗太 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering) / Kyoto University / DFAM

A gravel-bed stream's grain size distribution plays an important role in determining a river's depth, sediment transport rates, and stream bed stability as well as the survival rates of mussels and salmonids. Unfortunately, the material found in gravel-bed rivers exhibits vertical stratification as well as spatial variation in the horizontal direction and is difficult to sample. Previous research has largely dealt with the ability of grid, areal, and bulk sampling techniques to sample a single spot within a river. Little has been done in characterizing an entire river reach. Of the methods suggested, none is adequate because they are either inherently biased or are incapable of describing the spatial variations within a sampled region. The present research proposes a method that overcomes these problems. It shows that a single large grid sample, or composite grid sample, can be used to obtain an unbiased estimate of an area's overall grain size distribution at a known accuracy level. It then suggests that the arithmetic mean is a suitable parameter to characterize the coarseness of individual sediment deposits within a sampled area. Thus, by recording the size and location of each stone taken in the composite grid sample one can use statistical hypothesis testing to systematically analyze local means throughout the sampled area and locate sediment boundaries. Once the boundaries are located, stones from the composite grid sample falling within the boundaries of a particular deposit can be analyzed as separate grid samples representative of the individual deposits present and describe the local variability. / Master of Science

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To estimate nutrient budgets and model nutrient cycling at a whole ecosystem level on sub-Antarctic Marion Island requires information on the spatial variability of plant nutrient concentrations on the island. The complexity of constructing budgets and models will also be reduced if, instead of considering each plant species individually, the species can be grouped on the basis of their similarities/differences in nutrient concentrations. This thesis presents the results of an investigation into both these aspects. Altitude and distance from the sea are highly correlated with each other and thus influence the concentrations of all the nutrients considered (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na) very similarly. Concentrations of N, P and Na in living leaves, dead leaves, stems and roots decrease going inland, due to a decline in the influence of animal manuring and of sea spray. Ca concentration increases going inland, away from the organic peats characteristic of the lowland regions toward the mineral rawmark inland soils. Declining sea spray and increasing soil minerality going inland both affect plant Mg concentration; the net effect is a slight decrease in Mg concentration going away from the coast. K concentration in living leaves and roots did not change going inland; dead leaf and stem K concentrations showed a weak decline. Bryophyte shoot nutrient concentrations do not show such marked patterns of change going inland. Considering the bryophyte species as a whole, the only significant effect is that shoot Na concentration decreases, and Ca concentration increases, going inland. Although information on nutrient concentrations in all plant organs from all four (N, E, W and S) sides of the island was available for only a few species, and in many instances the between-side effect was not significant for individual species, the pattern of between-side differences is quite clear. Living leaf N, P and Mg concentrations are higher in west side than east side plants, with south and north side plants having intermediate concentrations. Leaf K concentrations are highest on the north and lowest on the west side, with east and south side concentrations being intermediate. Leaf Ca concentrations are highest on the south side and lowest on the north side, with east and west side Ca concentrations being intermediate. Leaf Na concentration declines more sharply with distance inland on the island's western and southern sides than on its eastern and northern sides, so that closer than 450 m from the shore leaf Na concentration is higher on the west and south than on the east or north sides, but further inland than that the difference lessens. There was sufficient information for dead leaf, stem and root nutrient concentrations only for the west and east sides of the island. West-east differences in nutrient concentrations of dead leaves are the same as for living leaves. Stem and root west-east concentration differences are also similar to those for living leaves, except for P and Mg concentrations, which were similar on the two sides. All organs showed the same steeper decline in Na concentration on the west than on the east side of the island. Bryophytes show somewhat different between-side nutrient concentration patterns to the vascular plants. South side (not west) bryophytes have highest N and P concentrations but, like for the vascular plants, east side bryophytes have the lowest N and P concentrations. Also similar to the vascular plants, bryophyte K concentration is highest on the north side and lowest on the west side, although south side concentrations are nearly as high as the north side ones. Unlike the vascular plant leaves, bryophyte Mg concentration is highest on the south (not west) side and lowest on the north (not east) side, with east and west side concentrations being intermediate. South side bryophytes have highest Ca and Na concentrations, similar to the vascular plant pattern. Ordination and clustering analyses of leaf nutrient concentrations suggested five nutrient type clusters amongst the island's plant species. The clusters differ in the amount (low, moderate or high) of N, P, K and Na versus the amount of Ca and Mg. Species membership of the clusters is strongly related to what major taxonomic group (bryophyte, pteridophyte, monocot or dicot) the species belongs to, but habitat factors, especially the intensity of animal manuring, also play a role. Plant guilds compiled previously for the island and which have been suggested might prove useful for modeling nutrient standing stocks on a whole island basis associate poorly with the clusters. Where a particular guild does associate closely with a cluster it is mostly an effect of taxonomic group (the guild members are all from a single taxonomic group) or habitat (the guild members are typical for a particular habitat). It is suggested that in order to reduce the complexity and arduousness of constructing whole island plant nutrient standing stock budgets, the species should be grouped according to their taxonomy – as bryophytes, dicots, monocots, club mosses or pteridophytes (the ferns proper). Subgroups of these taxonomic groups can be constructed on the basis of habitat. Mostly, this will be necessary to distinguish plants from manured habitats from plants of the same species from unmanured ones. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ten einde die voedingstofvoorrade en modelvoedingstofsiklus op die sub-Antarktiese Marioneiland op 'n algehele ekosisteemvlak te raam, word inligting oor die ruimtelike variasie in plantvoedingstofkonsentrasies op die eiland benodig. Die raming van voorrade en die konstruksie van modelle sal ook minder ingewikkeld wees indien plantspesies op grond van hul ooreenkomste/verskille in voedingstofkonsentrasies gegroepeer word eerder as om elke spesie individueel te beskou. Hierdie tesis bied 'n uiteensetting van die ruimtelike variasie (hoogte, afstand van die see én kant van die eiland) in die chemiese samestelling (N, P, K, Ca, Mg en Na) van plante, en probeer die plantspesies op grond daarvan in voedingstoftipes klassifiseer. Hoogte en afstand van die see is nou verwant en beïnvloed dus voedingstofkonsentrasies op feitlik dieselfde manier. N-, P- en Na-konsentrasies in lewende blare, dooie blare, stingels en wortels neem af in die rigting van die binneland weens 'n afname in die invloed van dierebemesting en seesproei. Ca-konsentrasies styg weer namate daar vanaf die organiese veengrondkenmerke van die laagliggende streke na die mineraalryke binnelandse grond beweeg word. Sowel die afname in seesproei as die toename in grondmineraalgehalte in die rigting van die binneland beïnvloed die Mg-konsentrasie in plante; die netto uitwerking is 'n effense afname in Mg-konsentrasie namate daar wegbeweeg word van die kus. Die K-konsentrasie in lewende blare en wortels verander nie in die rigting van die binneland nie, terwyl dié in dooie blare en stingels 'n geringe afname toon. Die voedingstofkonsentrasies in briofietspruite toon egter nie dieselfde merkbare veranderingspatrone in die rigting van die binneland nie. Wat die briofietspesie in die geheel betref, is die enigste beduidende uitwerking dat die Na-konsentrasie in spruite afneem en die Ca-konsentrasie toeneem namate daar na die binneland beweeg word. Die N-, P- en Mg-konsentrasies in lewende blare is hoër by plante in die weste as in die ooste van die eiland, en plante in die suide en noorde toon tussenkonsentrasies. K-konsentrasies in blare is die hoogste in die noorde en die laagste in die weste, met tussenkonsentrasies in die ooste en suide. Ca-konsentrasies in blare is weer die hoogste in die suide en die laagste in die noorde, met tussenkonsentrasies in die ooste en weste. Aan die weste- en suidekant van die eiland toon Na-konsentrasies in blare 'n skerper afname namate daar verder van die see beweeg word as aan die ooste- en noordekant. Verskille in die voedingstofkonsentrasies van dooie blare in die weste en ooste is dieselfde as vir lewende blare. Konsentrasieverskille in stingels en wortels in die weste en ooste is ook soortgelyk aan dié in lewende blare, buiten P- en Mg-konsentrasies, wat dieselfde was aan albei kante. Alle plantorgane toon dieselfde skerper afname in Na-konsentrasies in die weste as in die ooste van die eiland. Die voedingstofkonsentrasiepatrone tussen die verskillende kante van die eiland was ietwat anders vir briofiete as vir vaatplante. Briofiete in die suide (nie die weste nie) het die hoogste N- en P-konsentrasies. Soos die vaatplante, het die briofiete in die ooste die laagste N- en P-konsentrasies. Óók soortgelyk aan die vaatplante, is die K-konsentrasie van briofiete die hoogste in die noorde en die laagste in die weste, hoewel konsentrasies in die suide bykans so hoog is as dié in die noorde. In teenstelling met die blare van vaatplante, is die Mg-konsentrasie van briofiete die hoogste in die suide (nie die weste nie) en die laagste in die noorde (nie die ooste nie), met tussenkonsentrasies in die ooste en weste. Briofiete in die suide het die hoogste Ca- en Na-konsentrasies, wat weer ooreenstem met die vaatplantpatroon. Ordinasie- en trosvormingsontledings van voedingstofkonsentrasies in blare dui op vyf voedingstoftipes onder die plantspesies op die eiland, op grond van die (klein, matige of groot) hoeveelheid N, P, K en Na teenoor die hoeveelheid Ca en Mg. Die klas waartoe 'n spesie behoort, hou sterk verband met sy hoof- taksonomiese groep (briofiet, pteridofiet, monokotiel of dikotiel), hoewel habitatfaktore (veral die intensiteit van dierebemesting) ook 'n rol speel. Die plantgildes wat voorheen vir die eiland opgestel is, toon weinig ooreenkoms met die klasse wat uit hierdie studie na vore kom.

A leishmaniose visceral é uma zoonose de grande importância para a saúde pública, com ampla distribuição geográfica e epidemiologia complexa. Apesar de diversas estratégias de controle, a doença continua se expandindo, tendo o cão como principal reservatório. Levando em consideração que análises espaciais são úteis para compreender melhor a dinâmica da doença, avaliar fatores de risco e complementar os programas de prevenção e controle, o presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a distribuição da leishmaniose visceral canina e relacionar sua dinâmica com características ou feições espaciais no município de Panorama (SP). A partir de dados secundários coletados em um inquérito sorológico entre agosto de 2012 e janeiro de 2013, 986 cães foram classificados como positivos e negativos de acordo com o protocolo oficial do Ministério da Saúde. Posteriormente uma análise espacial foi conduzida, compreendendo desde a visualização dos dados até a elaboração de um mapa de risco relativo, passando por análises de cluster global (função K) e local (varredura espacial). Para avaliar uma possível relação entre o cluster detectado com a vegetação na área de estudo, calculou-se o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI). A prevalência da doença encontrada na população de cães estudada foi de 20,3% (200/986). A visualização espacial demonstrou que tanto animais positivos quanto negativos estavam distribuídos por toda a área de estudo. O mapa de intensidade dos animais positivos apontou duas localidades de possíveis clusters, quando comparado ao mapa de intensidade dos animais negativos. As análises de cluster confirmaram a presença de um aglomerado e um cluster foi detectado na região central do município, com um risco relativo de 2,63 (p=0,01). A variação espacial do risco relativo na área de estudo foi mapeada e também identificou a mesma região como área significativa de alto risco (p<0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças no padrão de vegetação comparando as áreas interna e externa ao cluster. Sendo assim, novos estudos devem ser realizados com o intuito de compreender outros fatores de risco que possam ter levado à ocorrência do cluster descrito. A prevalência, a localização do cluster espacial e o mapa de risco relativo fornecem subsídios para direcionamento de esforços do Setor de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Panorama para áreas de alto risco, o que pode poupar recursos e aperfeiçoar o controle da leishmaniose visceral no município. / Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis of great importance for public health, having worldwide distribution and complex epidemiology. Despite several control strategies, the disease continues to expand, being dogs its main reservoir. Considering that spatial analysis is useful to better understand the disease dynamics, to evaluate risk factors and to complement prevention and control programs, this study aimed to characterize the distribution of canine visceral leishmaniasis and relate it to spatial features in Panorama, an endemic city of São Paulo State, Brazil. Using secondary data collected in a serological survey between August 2012 and January 2013, 986 dogs were classified as positive and negative for leishmaniasis. Later, a spatial analysis was conducted comprising from data visualization to the elaboration of a relative risk map, undergoing global (K function) and local cluster analysis (spatial scan). To evaluate a possible relation between the detected cluster and vegetation in the study area, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated. The prevalence in the studied dog population was 20.3% (200/986). Spatial visualization showed that both positive and negative animals were distributed throughout the study area. Intensity map of positive animals showed two sites of possible clusters compared to the intensity map of negative animals. A cluster was detected in a central region of the city, with a relative risk of 2.63 (p=0,01). The spatial variation of the relative risk in the study area was mapped and the same region was identified as a significant high risk area (p<0.05). No differences were observed in the vegetation pattern comparing the cluster internal and external areas. Therefore, further studies should be conducted in order to understand other risk factors that may have led to the occurrence of the described cluster. The prevalence data, the cluster location and the relative risk map provide subsidies for the efforts of the city epidemiological surveillance department towards high risk areas. This can save resources and improve control of visceral leishmaniasis in the study area.

A leishmaniose visceral é uma zoonose de grande importância para a saúde pública, com ampla distribuição geográfica e epidemiologia complexa. Apesar de diversas estratégias de controle, a doença continua se expandindo, tendo o cão como principal reservatório. Levando em consideração que análises espaciais são úteis para compreender melhor a dinâmica da doença, avaliar fatores de risco e complementar os programas de prevenção e controle, o presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a distribuição da leishmaniose visceral canina e relacionar sua dinâmica com características ou feições espaciais no município de Panorama (SP). A partir de dados secundários coletados em um inquérito sorológico entre agosto de 2012 e janeiro de 2013, 986 cães foram classificados como positivos e negativos de acordo com o protocolo oficial do Ministério da Saúde. Posteriormente uma análise espacial foi conduzida, compreendendo desde a visualização dos dados até a elaboração de um mapa de risco relativo, passando por análises de cluster global (função K) e local (varredura espacial). Para avaliar uma possível relação entre o cluster detectado com a vegetação na área de estudo, calculou-se o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada (NDVI). A prevalência da doença encontrada na população de cães estudada foi de 20,3% (200/986). A visualização espacial demonstrou que tanto animais positivos quanto negativos estavam distribuídos por toda a área de estudo. O mapa de intensidade dos animais positivos apontou duas localidades de possíveis clusters, quando comparado ao mapa de intensidade dos animais negativos. As análises de cluster confirmaram a presença de um aglomerado e um cluster foi detectado na região central do município, com um risco relativo de 2,63 (p=0,01). A variação espacial do risco relativo na área de estudo foi mapeada e também identificou a mesma região como área significativa de alto risco (p<0,05). Não foram observadas diferenças no padrão de vegetação comparando as áreas interna e externa ao cluster. Sendo assim, novos estudos devem ser realizados com o intuito de compreender outros fatores de risco que possam ter levado à ocorrência do cluster descrito. A prevalência, a localização do cluster espacial e o mapa de risco relativo fornecem subsídios para direcionamento de esforços do Setor de Vigilância Epidemiológica de Panorama para áreas de alto risco, o que pode poupar recursos e aperfeiçoar o controle da leishmaniose visceral no município. / Visceral leishmaniasis is a zoonosis of great importance for public health, having worldwide distribution and complex epidemiology. Despite several control strategies, the disease continues to expand, being dogs its main reservoir. Considering that spatial analysis is useful to better understand the disease dynamics, to evaluate risk factors and to complement prevention and control programs, this study aimed to characterize the distribution of canine visceral leishmaniasis and relate it to spatial features in Panorama, an endemic city of São Paulo State, Brazil. Using secondary data collected in a serological survey between August 2012 and January 2013, 986 dogs were classified as positive and negative for leishmaniasis. Later, a spatial analysis was conducted comprising from data visualization to the elaboration of a relative risk map, undergoing global (K function) and local cluster analysis (spatial scan). To evaluate a possible relation between the detected cluster and vegetation in the study area, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was calculated. The prevalence in the studied dog population was 20.3% (200/986). Spatial visualization showed that both positive and negative animals were distributed throughout the study area. Intensity map of positive animals showed two sites of possible clusters compared to the intensity map of negative animals. A cluster was detected in a central region of the city, with a relative risk of 2.63 (p=0,01). The spatial variation of the relative risk in the study area was mapped and the same region was identified as a significant high risk area (p<0.05). No differences were observed in the vegetation pattern comparing the cluster internal and external areas. Therefore, further studies should be conducted in order to understand other risk factors that may have led to the occurrence of the described cluster. The prevalence data, the cluster location and the relative risk map provide subsidies for the efforts of the city epidemiological surveillance department towards high risk areas. This can save resources and improve control of visceral leishmaniasis in the study area.