ABSTRACT Patterns of species diversity are essential to understand community structure. We aimed to determine species diversity and patterns of beta diversity in different spatial scales. We sampled three thousand individuals between the coordinates 22°10'S to 22°16'S and 47°47'W to 48°00'W to assess species diversity in three spatial scales (maximum distances of 80 m, 1,400 m, and 12,000 m), using the point-centered-quarter method. We partitioned gamma diversity into alpha and beta components. Beta diversity was partitioned into dissimilarities produced by spatial species turnover and nestedness. The contribution of beta diversity to gamma diversity was greater than that of alpha diversity in all scales, although the patterns of species diversity were similar for the evaluated scales, and was similar to that described for larger spatial scales. The sampled fragments presented means of 15 exclusive species and 47.5 species per fragment, and dissimilarities [β(SØR)=0.7] almost completely explained (94 %) by spatial species turnover. The results indicate that the remnant fragments are residual patches of an originally heterogeneous vegetation. The fragmentation processes could have progressed differently in each portion of the original vegetation, producing the current heterogeneous vegetation. Thus, there is a potential of high local species extinctions if the remnant fragments are deforested.

This work involved the validation of a multiresidue method according to the Normative Instruction 24/2009-MAPA for determining 25 analytes, among fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim in samples of poultry and porcine kidney. The extraction procedure was based on a QuEChERS approach. A liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method was developed using the selected reaction monitoring mode (SRM) and ESI+ ionization. All of the validated figures of merit were evaluated as satisfactory. Accuracy was assessed by recovery studies, varying from 82.7 to 115.5% for porcine kidney and from 91.5 to 110.4% for poultry kidney. Relative standard deviations were lower than 25.5% for porcine kidney, and 29.8% for poultry kidney. Decision limits (CCα) comprised values from 10.37 to 3298.43 µg kg-1 for porcine kidney and 10.08 to 3176.59 µg kg-1 for poultry kidney. Detection capabilities (CCβ) varied from 10.73 to 3396.86 µg kg-1 for porcine kidney and 10.67 to 3253.19 µg kg-1 for poultry kidney. The developed method has been successfully employed in the routine analysis of incurred samples.

This work presents an optimization of a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) extraction approach of eleven fluoroquinolones in poultry muscle and kidney using a 33 Box-Behnken factorial design. All the data treatment was performed using Microsoft Excel® 2010. The suitability of the developed method was confirmed by two proficiency tests for ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin.

Fatores de risco que afetam a produção de sementes em Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. (Convolvulaceae) foram avaliados em 10 praias da Ilha de Santa Catarina, SC. Ipomoea pes-caprae é auto-incompatível, possui longos estolões, com difícil individualização dos genetas em campo. Assim, manchas de I. pes-caprae foram monitoradas, sendo definidas como áreas ocupadas pela espécie, descontínuas entre si. Nestas, 9,4% a 76,0% das inflorescências estavam abortadas. Soterramentos causaram perda de botões e frutos, mas a ineficiência de polinização parece explicar a grande taxa de abortos após a floração. A predação de sementes pelas larvas dos bruquídeos Megacerus baeri e M. reticulatus e por lagartas da mariposa Ephestia kuhniella foi expressiva. Os bruquídeos ovipõem preferencialmente em frutos em amadurecimento, danificando até 65,7% das sementes produzidas nas manchas. Ephestia kuhniella danificou até 57,4% das sementes em 1996 e até 5,4% em 1997, ano com menor abundância de frutos. Frutos com mariposa não abrem para dispersão, permanecendo três meses e meio presos à planta. As sementes intactas destes frutos são viáveis e com sobrevivência de plântulas similar às provindas de frutos sem infestação. Os danos registrados podem reduzir as sementes viáveis a 9% do total produzido, estimando-se de 0,5 a 30,6 sementes viáveis m-2 nas manchas estudadas. As maiores densidades de sementes viáveis ocorreram nas manchas com mais frutos, reforçando como vantajosa, uma alta produção de frutos. A baixa densidade de sementes viáveis encontradas em algumas localidades talvez possa comprometer a regeneração local da espécie.

We analyzed factors that affect Ipomoea pes-caprae (L.) R. Br. (Convolvulaceae) seed production within the vegetation of 10 beaches on Santa Catarina Island, state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Ipomoea pes-caprae is a self-incompatible reptant psamophyte, with long stolons. Thus, genets are difficult to distinguish in the field. We therefore monitored patches of Ipomoea pes-caprae, defined as discontinuous areas, colonized by the plant. Abortion occurred in 9.4% to 76.0% of the inflorescences of all sites. Abortion after flowering was the major cause of these losses, probably due to ineffective pollination. Sand burrowing had damaged buds and fruits. Seed predation by larvae of the bruchids Megacerus baeri and M. reticulatus and by caterpillars of the moth Ephestia kuhniella was expressive. The bruchids had laid their eggs on fruits near maturation and had damaged as much as 65.7% of the seeds. Ephestia kuhniella damaged up to 57.4% of seeds in 1996, but only 5.4% in 1997, a year with lower fruit abundance. Fruits damaged by the moth did not open in order to disperse their seeds and remained attached to the plant for about three and a half months. The seeds not attacked by the moth were viable, and their seedling survival was similar to that of uninfested fruits. The types of damage observed were capable of reducing the viable seeds of Ipomoea pes-caprae to 9.0% of the total production. Densities from 0.5 to 30.6 viable seeds m-2 were estimated, with the highest densities in patches with a greater abundance of fruit. We therefore concluded that a strategy of high fruit production might prove to be advantageous. The low density of viable seeds in some locations could represent a limitation on local regeneration.

Estudos sobre regeneração e mortalidade de plântula de espécies de árvores raras são importantes, porém escassos. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a variação anual no recrutamento, crescimento e mortalidade de juvenis de Enterolobium glaziovii Benth., uma espécies de árvore rara da mata Atlântica. Todas as plântulas e juvenis ao redor de quatro árvores reprodutivas foram marcadas e acompanhadas de 1996 a 1999. Não houve variações anuais no recrutamento de juvenis embaixo ou fora da copa da árvore parental, mas a sobrevivência e crescimento dos juvenis foram menores embaixo do que fora da copa da planta parental. Indivíduos pequenos (< 15 cm de altura) apresentaram maior mortalidade e menor crescimento, seguidos pelos indivíduos médios (entre 15 e 50 cm de altura) e grandes (> 50 cm de altura). Indivíduos grandes estavam mais afastados do indivíduo parental do que os médios e pequenos. Estes resultados sugerem que a mortalidade dependente de distância de juvenis, mediada pelas árvores parentais, é uma das mais importantes causas de mudanças espaciais associadas com o crescimento de indivíduos pequenos de E. glaziovii a indivíduos grandes. Os juvenis com maior distância dos adultos podem escapar da alta mortalidade associada com patógenos, herbívoros ou predadores de sementes concentrados ao redor de adultos coespecíficos. A influência negativa da planta parental sobre os juvenis pode explicar a distribuição esparsa dos adultos desta espécies na floresta.

Studies on the regeneration and seedling mortality of rare tree species are important, but scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate the annual variation in recruitment, growth and mortality of juveniles of Enterolobium glaziovii Benth., a rare tree species from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. All seedlings and juveniles around four reproductive trees were labeled and their fate was followed from 1996 to 1999. There were no annual differences in juveniles' recruitment below and beyond the parental crown, but juveniles' survival and growth were lower below than beyond of the parental tree crowns. Small individuals (< 15 cm tall) showed the greatest mortality and the lowest growth, followed by medium (from 15 to 50 cm tall) and large ones (> 50 cm tall). Large juveniles were more widely dispersed from the conspecific parental tree than were medium and small ones. This suggests that distance dependent mortality of juveniles mediated by the parental tree is an important cause of spacing shifts associated with the growth of small individuals of E. glaziovii into large ones. Widely dispersed juveniles may escape the high mortality associated with pathogens, herbivores or seed predators concentrated around adult conspecifics. The negative influence of the parental tree on its juveniles may explain the sparse distribution of its adults in the forest.

Este estudo foi desenvolvido no Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy (23° 27’ S, 51° 15’ W), região Sul do Brasil. O Parque apresenta grande heterogeneidade ambiental quando as partes norte (espigão) e sul (fundo de vale) são comparadas. A floresta é classificada como tropical semi-decidual. As variações espaciais e temporais no grau de cobertura do dossel foram comparadas em sítios esporadicamente alagáveis e não alagáveis do Parque. Leituras foram realizadas sazonalmente, em parcelas de 100 m², com um densiômetro esférico, da primavera de 1995 até o inverno de 1996. A área alagável apresentou maior variação espacial e temporal na cobertura do dossel do que as áreas não alagáveis, indicando ser mais aberta e mais iluminada. Esta maior heterogeneidade da área alagável pode ser devido às características estruturais do dossel (maior espaçamento entre indivíduos arbóreos, dossel mais baixo e menos estratificado), distúrbios naturais mais freqüentes e maior grau de deciduidade. Estas causas parecem estar relacionadas à presença do rio e ao alagamento e suas conseqüências.

This study was developed in the Mata dos Godoy State Park (23° 27’S, 51° 15’W) South Brazil which present great environmental heterogeneity when its north portion (ridge) is compared with the southern portion (valley), where there are some flooded areas. The forest formation is classified as tropical semi-deciduous forest. Spatial and temporal variations in the degree of the canopy cover were compared at flooded and unflooded sites. The measures were taken seasonally in 100m² plots using a spherical densiometer from spring 1995 to winter 1996. The flooded area was more open and lighter and had a greater spatial and temporal variation in the canopy cover than the unflooded areas. The greater heterogeneity in the flooded area could be due to structural characteristics of the canopy (greater spacing between individual trees, lower canopy and less stratified canopy), more frequent natural disturbances and a greater degree of deciduousness. These causes seemed to be related to the presence of the river and flooding.