Knowledge and use of fungi by a mycophilic society of the Venezuelan Amazon

This paper reports on the knowledge and useful applications of various fungi by the Hotï, a recently contacted Native American society inhabiting the Sierra Maigualida region of the Venezuelan Amazon. At least 31 folk taxa of fungi are esteemed as sources of nutrition, powerful media for hunting magic, protective charms against black magic, human medicinal agents, or body adornments. Even though the results presented here probably do not exhaust the total number of species known and used by them, they nevertheless suggest that the Hotï constitute one of the rare mycophilic societies in the Venezuelan Amazon. Further research is needed in order to obtain a more complete picture of the complexity of humanfungi relationships in this society.     

Role of Godavari mangroves (India) in the production and survival of prawn larvae

The Godavari estuarine system extending over approximately316 km² has significant annual variation of salinity dueto seasonal flooding which is mainly monsoon fed. This areahas dense vegetation of mangroves and is characterised bypredominance of Avicennia sp. Excoecaria agallochaand Rhizophora sp. In the coastal waters adjacent to themangroves three economically important species of prawns occur(Penaeus monodon, P. indicus and Metapenaeusmonoceros). Their larvae migrate and dwell in the mangroveenvironment. By analysis for the natural stable carbon isotoperatios, it was possible to establish the primary carbon sourcefrom the mangroves to that of larvae and juveniles of P. indicus and P. monodon. This information can be usedto exploit the mangrove habitat as prawnnurseries.     

Fish of the Amazonian IgapÔ: stability and conservation in a high diversity-low biomass system

Water depth in the Amazon basin can differ by more than 11 m between low and high water periods in the annual cycle. When the water is high, the forest streams inundate the surrounding low-lying forest creating vast lakes. Where the water originates from the forest it is rich in humic acids and low in dissolved nutrients. Such waters are termed blackwaters. Igapó is the specialized inundation forest of blackwater regions. Until recently it was generally held that the blackwater fauna was impoverished and of low biomass. However, recent studies have shown that these waters hold a specialized fauna living within and upon allochthonous input from the forest. Within submerged litter banks a diverse ichthyofauna forming dense local populations has been found.
Information on the spatial organization, population density and food web of this fauna will be presented. It is argued that this community is highly vulnerable to deforestation and its long-term future can only be assured if the forest is conserved. This is not to suggest that these fish are not adaptable to disturbance as the community has evolved to live with changing water levels and the loss of submerged wood and leaf-litter habitat. It is a remarkable example of a climax community exhibiting high diversity and low total population sizes within a variable habitat. Its conservation is of economic importance to the local human population whose diet includes a high proportion of fish.