Altered dynamics of forest recovery under a changing climate

Forest regeneration following disturbance is a key ecological process, influencing forest structure and function, species assemblages, and ecosystem–climate interactions. Climate change may alter forest recovery dynamics or even prevent recovery, triggering feedbacks to the climate system, altering regional biodiversity, and affecting the ecosystem services provided by forests. Multiple lines of evidence – including global‐scale patterns in forest recovery dynamics; forest responses to experimental manipulation of CO₂, temperature, and precipitation; forest responses to the climate change that has already occurred; ecological theory; and ecosystem and earth system models – all indicate that the dynamics of forest recovery are sensitive to climate. However, synthetic understanding of how atmospheric CO₂ and climate shape trajectories of forest recovery is lacking. Here, we review these separate lines of evidence, which together demonstrate that the dynamics of forest recovery are being impacted by increasing atmospheric CO₂ and changing climate. Rates of forest recovery generally increase with CO₂, temperature, and water availability. Drought reduces growth and live biomass in forests of all ages, having a particularly strong effect on seedling recruitment and survival. Responses of individual trees and whole‐forest ecosystems to CO₂ and climate manipulations often vary by age, implying that forests of different ages will respond differently to climate change. Furthermore, species within a community typically exhibit differential responses to CO₂ and climate, and altered community dynamics can have important consequences for ecosystem function. Age‐ and species‐dependent responses provide a mechanism by which climate change may push some forests past critical thresholds such that they fail to recover to their previous state following disturbance. Altered dynamics of forest recovery will result in positive and negative feedbacks to climate change. Future research on this topic and corresponding improvements to earth system models will be a key to understanding the future of forests and their feedbacks to the climate system.     

Cryopreservation of hybrid Cymbidium protocorm-like bodies by encapsulation–dehydration and vitrification

Cryopreservation can be a stable, long-term method of germplasm conservation, but successful application can be challenging for tropical material. To optimize survival and re-growth from cryopreserved tissues derived from protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) of hybrid Cymbidium Twilight Moon ‘Day Light’, the effects of explant type (intact PLBs, half-PLBs, or PLB longitudinal thin cell layers) and various explant treatments were studied. Encapsulation in alginate beads was essential, and intact PLBs were best for cryopreservation, based on survival and ability to form neo-PLBs and/or percentage re-growth. Osmotic hydration of intact PLBs in 2% sucrose for 24 h increased neo-PLB formation and re-growth, with the best responses seen when PLBs were excised from alginate beads prior to re-growth after cryopreservation. Both non-transgenic and transgenic PLBs were amenable to cryopreservation for up to 1 year using these methods. This optimized protocol will improve the viability of hybrid Cymbidium germplasm after long-term cryopreservation.     

Bio-hydrolysis of used soybean oil: environmental-friendly technology using microbial consortium

Biodegradation - In this work, strains of Bacillus subtilis were inoculated in consortium with Rhodotorula mucilaginosa into spent soy oil as aiming to biological treatment and low-cost reuse. The...     

Polyhydroxyalkanoates and pigments coproduction by Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis cultivated in crude glycerol

Journal of Applied Phycology - Valorization of industrial waste as an alternative carbon source for microalgae mixotrophic cultivation and co-production of high-value compounds are strategies to...     

Integrating life cycle assessment and life cycle cost: a review of environmental-economic studies

The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment - The purpose of this document is to carry out a critical review of the existing literature by specifically addressing the following: (i) the...     

Influence of genetic polymorphisms in glutathione-S-transferases gene in response to imatinib among Brazilian patients with chronic myeloid leukemia

Polymorphism in metabolizing enzymes can influence drug response as well as the risk for adverse drug reactions. Nevertheless, there are still few studies analyzing the consequence of polymorphisms for the Glutathione-S-transferases (GST) gene to drug response in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This study reports, the influence of GSTP1*B and GSTT1/GSTM1null polymorphisms in response to imatinib in CML patients in a Brazilian population. One hundred thirty-nine CML patients from the Clinical Hospital of Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil, treated with imatinib were enrolled in this study. Genotyping of GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes deletions were performed by qPCR and of GSTP1 gene was performed by RFLP-PCR. The frequency of GSTP1*1B, GSTT1 and GSTM1null polymorphisms were determined for all patients. The influence of each patient’s genotypes was analyzed with the patient’s response to imatinib treatment. Brazilian CML patients revealed GSTT1 and GSTM1 genes deletions. GSTT1 deletion was found in 19.3% of patients and GSTM1 deletion in 48.7% of patients with CML. GSTT1/GSTM1 deletion was found in 11.7% in Brazilian CML patients. The “G allele” of GSTP1*B, is associated with later cytogenetic response in imatinib therapy. While, the gene presence combined with GG genotype (GSTM1 present/GSTPI-GG) conferred a tend to a later cytogenetic response to patients. GSTP1*B and GSTT1/GSTM1null polymorphisms influence treatment response in CML. Brazilian CML patients presenting GSTP1 AA/AG genotypes alone and in combination with GSTT1 null reach the cytogenetic response faster, while patients presenting GSTP1-GG and GSTMI positive genotypes may take longer to achieve cytogenetic response. As a result, it allows a better prognosis, with the use of an alternative therapy, other than reducing treatment cost.

     

Length–weight relationship for ten native fish species captured in the streams of the Contas River basin,Northeastern Mata Atlântica freshwater ecoregion,Brazil

This work describes the length-weight relationship (LWR) of ten fish species from the Contas River Basin, Bahia State, Brazil. Sampling was conducted quarterly between November 2012 and November 2013 in 18 wadeable streams (nine in the Diamantina Plateau, Caatinga biome, and nine in the Atlantic forest biome). The fishes were caught using electrofishing (800V DC) and hand nets (2.0 mm mesh size) in 50 meters stretch by the sample unit. Collected fishes were fixed in formalin and preserved in alcohol, and thus some shrinking probably occurred. The values of parameter b of the LWR (W = aL^b) ranged between 2.763 and 3.267. It is the first record of LWR parameters for nine species, all endemic to Northeastern Mata Atlântica freshwater ecoregion (NMAF). Moreover, new maximum lengths are presented for five species.     

A new species of sexually dimorphic and rheophilic ghost knifefish (Apteronotidae: Gymnotiformes) from the Amazon basin

A new species of ghost knifefish, Apteronotus, is described from high-energy environments in the Rios Mapuera and Trombetas (at Cachoeira Porteira waterfalls), Brazil. X-ray microcomputed tomography (μCT scan) was used to access the internal anatomy of the type series. The new species is distinguished from all congeners by the anteriormost position of the anus, with its posterior margin extending less than one eye diameter beyond the vertical through the caudal limit of the posterior nostril, the low number of anal-fin rays (117–125) and the reduced number of branchiostegal rays (three). A series of modifications associated with secondary sexual dimorphism on the preorbital region of mature males are depicted and discussed. In addition, comments on homologies of the branchiostegal rays in Apteronotidae are provided.