Demography,population dynamics and sustainability of the Patagonian sheep flocks     

Marcos Texeira  Jose M. Paruelo 《Agricultural Systems》2006

Sheep production is the main agricultural activity in Patagonia. Since the middle of the 20th century, sheep numbers have declined steadly. We used historical records of stock numbers in four ranches to analyze the importance of regional factors so as to explain the decline of the Patagonian sheep flocks. We found that the stocks of all the four ranches declined with a similar trend but fluctuated independently, thus reflecting a complex interaction between regional and local factors. Aboveground net primary production (ANPP) and vegetation physiognomy explained most of the differences in the flocks declining rates. We estimated demographic parameters for two ranches differing in their average annual growth rates. From these demographic parameters, we constructed deterministic and stochastic matrix models to establish the relative contribution of demographic processes to the observed decline. Matrix models projected a faster decline than that observed in the ranch used to calibrate the model. This suggests that the recorded demographic parameters could drive most stocks to extinction in less than 100 years. We concluded that the observed dynamics would be generated by demographic processes, but extinction is delayed or avoided by a continuous intake of animals. Ewe survival was the most important parameter in controlling the growth rate of the flocks. The environmental stochastic model showed that the growth of the stocks was highly sensitive to increases in the frequency of good years (those that produce a positive growth) and in the transition from normal years to bad years. All these evidences point out the existence of biological constraints to sheep production in Patagonia: ANPP and vegetation structure would control flock population dynamics throughout its effects on key demographic parameters, ewe survival and marking rate (a recruitment measure). Our model results suggest that the decline in sheep numbers, and hence the sustainability of the activity, is driven, to a large extent, by the demographic characteristics of the flocks.  相似文献   

Tomato fruit quality as influenced by the interactions between agricultural techniques and harvesting period          下载免费PDF全文

Marcos Hernández  Francisco Espinosa  Purificación Galindo 《植物养料与土壤学杂志》2014,177(3):443-448

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill) is an important crop in terms of its economic and nutritional value. Many factors, including cultivar, climate, geography, geochemistry, and agricultural practice, can affect its nutrient concentrations. An HJ‐biplot study was performed to examine the effects of cultivar (Dorothy, Boludo, Dominique, Thomas, and Dunkan), agricultural practices, climatic factors, and their interactions. Significant differences were analyzed using a one‐way ANOVA. All samples were collected and assayed at the same degree of ripeness. In the conventional and organic tomato samples, those harvested from December to April had the highest concentrations of fructose, glucose, citric acid, malic acid, ascorbic acid, protein, Na, and Mg, while those harvested in October had the highest concentrations of lycopene and hydroxycinnamic acid. There were high concentrations of Ca, P, Zn, and Cu in the no‐soil tomatoes. Conventional and organic cultivation practices showed similar results with respect to the collection period, both presenting high organic compound concentrations, while high mineral concentrations seemed to correspond to the no‐soil practice. No clear pattern was observed among the different cultivars, perhaps due to all the samples having been collected at the same degree of ripeness.  相似文献   

Aroma potential of two bairrada white grape varieties: Maria Gomes and Bical     

Rocha S  Coutinho P  Barros A  Coimbra MA  Delgadillo I  Dias Cardoso A 《Journal of agricultural and food chemistry》2000,48(10):4802-4807

Maria Gomes and Bical are the main white grape varieties in Portuguese Bairrada Appellation, which represent 80% and 15%, respectively, of white vineyard. To estimate their aroma potentialities, free and potential volatile components from the musts were examined. The free volatile components were extracted using a liquid-liquid continuous method and were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The potential volatile compounds were determined after elimination of the free components by heat and enzymatic treatments. Principal component analysis was used to establish relations between the compounds and the varieties and also the form (free or in potential). Maria Gomes has 11.5 mg/L volatile compounds, of which 33% are in free form; Bical has 4.4 mg/L volatile compounds, of which 46% are in free form. A total of 59 compounds was identified and quantified. In Maria Gomes, the sum of the terpenoids is within the perception limits for hotrienol (0.21 mg/L) and linalool (0.20 mg/L). In Bical, benzyl alcohol and phenylethylethanol represent 20% of the volatile compounds. Considering that the volatile composition pattern of Maria Gomes and Bical varieties are different, wine-making technologies should be developed specifically for each variety.  相似文献   

Prediction of Genetic Gain in Sweet Corn using Selection Indexes     

da Silva  Isadora Gonçalves  Castoldi  Renata  de Oliveira Charlo  Hamilton César  de Souza Miranda  Mateus  Nunes  Thaíssa Dias Cardoso  Costa  Luciene Lacerda  Lemes  Ernane Miranda 《Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology》2020,23(2):191-196

Journal of Crop Science and Biotechnology - The cultivation of sweet corn is expanding in Brazil, but there are serious constraints about the availability of commercial cultivars. The selection of...  相似文献   

Porosity and capillarity of weft knitted spacer structures     

G. B. Delkumburewatte  T. Dias 《Fibers and Polymers》2009,10(2):226-230

A geometrical model of weft knitted spacer structures made with mono-filament yarn has been analysed to understand the spacer yarn path. Theoretical models have been created to predict the porosity and the radius of the capillaries of a knitted spacer structure depending on their geometrical parameters, such as course spacing, wale spacing, stitch length, fabric thickness, count of yarn and fibre density. Polyester knitted spacer fabrics were produced with different parameters; their porosity was determined by measuring the weight and compared with the theoretical porosity. The validity of the model was confirmed by experimental results. The porosity of knitted spacer structures made out of mono-filament yarn can be maintained above a certain level by adjusting the fabric parameters such as fabric thickness, course spacing and wale spacing.  相似文献   

Effects of no‐take area size and age of marine protected areas on fisheries yields: a meta‐analytical approach     

Frederic Vandeperre  Ruth M. Higgins  Julio Sánchez‐Meca  Francesc Maynou  Raquel Goñi  Pablo Martín‐Sosa  Angel Pérez‐Ruzafa  Pedro Afonso  Iacopo Bertocci  Romain Crec’hriou  Giovanni D’Anna  Mark Dimech  Carmelo Dorta  Oscar Esparza  Jesús M. Falcón  Aitor Forcada  Ivan Guala  Laurence Le Direach  Concepción Marcos  Celia Ojeda‐Martínez  Carlo Pipitone  Patrick J. Schembri  Vanessa Stelzenmüller  Ben Stobart  Ricardo S. Santos 《Fish and Fisheries》2011,12(4):412-426

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are often promoted as tools for biodiversity conservation as well as for fisheries management. Despite increasing evidence of their usefulness, questions remain regarding the optimal design of MPAs, in particular concerning their function as fisheries management tools, for which empirical studies are still lacking. Using 28 data sets from seven MPAs in Southern Europe, we developed a meta‐analytical approach to investigate the effects of protection on adjacent fisheries and asking how these effects are influenced by MPA size and age. Southern European MPAs showed clear effects on the surrounding fisheries, on the ‘catch per unit effort’ (CPUE) of target species, but especially on the CPUE of the marketable catch. These effects depended on the time of protection and on the size of the no‐take area. CPUE of both target species and the marketable catch increased gradually by 2–4% per year over a long time period (at least 30 years). The influence of the size of the no‐take area appeared to be more complex. The catch rates of the entire fishery in and around the MPA were higher when the no‐take areas were smaller. Conversely, catch rates of selected fisheries that were expected to benefit most from protection increased when the no‐take area was larger. Our results emphasize the importance of MPA size on its export functions and suggest that an adequate, often extended, time frame be used for the management and the evaluation of effectiveness of MPAs.  相似文献   

Historical spatial baselines in conservation and management of marine resources     

Massimiliano Cardinale  Valerio Bartolino  Marcos Llope  Luigi Maiorano  Mattias Sköld  Jacob Hagberg 《Fish and Fisheries》2011,12(3):289-298

Increased knowledge on the spatial distribution of marine resources is crucial for the implementation of a true ecosystem approach to management and the conservation of marine organisms. For exploited fish species characterized by aggregation behaviour during spawning time, the identification and tracking of spawning areas is essential for a correct assessment of their productivity and population abundance. To elucidate this concept, we reconstructed the spatio‐temporal distribution of adult plaice (Pleuronectes platessa, Pleuronectidae) during spawning time along the 20^th century. Historical data reveal that not only the abundance but also the former population richness was much higher than previously estimated and has declined because of protracted over‐exploitation during the last 30 years. We conclude that forecast of stock recovery to former levels of abundance neglecting spatial reorganizations might be over‐optimistic and shaded by a lost memory of the past population richness. These results reinforce the importance of managing exploited marine resources at a greater spatial resolution than has been carried out in the history of fishery management.  相似文献   

Phosphorus rather than nitrogen enhances CO2 emissions in tropical forest soils: Evidence from a laboratory incubation study     

Dafeng Hui  Wesley Porter  Jana R. Phillips  Marcos P.M. Aidar  Steven J. Lebreux  Christopher W. Schadt  Melanie A. Mayes 《European Journal of Soil Science》2020,71(3):495-510

  相似文献   

Effect of dietary carbohydrate-to-lipid ratios on growth, lipid deposition and metabolic hepatic enzymes in juvenile Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis, Kaup)   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Jorge Dias  Rebeca Rueda-Jasso  Stephan Panserat  Luis E C da Conceição  Emidio F Gomes  & Maria T Dinis 《Aquaculture Research》2004,35(12):1122-1130

A study was undertaken to determine the effect of various dietary carbohydrate‐to‐lipid ratios on growth performance, whole‐body composition and tissue lipid content in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) juveniles. Data on the dietary regulation of key hepatic enzymes of the lipogenic and glycolytic pathways (glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase, G6PD; malic enzyme, ME; fatty acid synthetase, FAS; pyruvate kinase, PK and glucokinase, GK) were also generated. Four isonitrogenous (crude protein: 52% dry matter (DM)) diets were formulated to contain one of two lipid levels (11% and 21% DM). Within each dietary lipid level, the nature of the carbohydrate fraction (raw or extruded peas) was varied. Triplicate groups of 54 sole (initial body weight: 23.6±1.2 g) were grown in recirculated seawater over 67 days. Fish were fed using automated feeders. At the end of the study, whole‐body, liver, viscera and muscle samples were withdrawn for analyses. During the experimental period, the mean fish weight about doubled in all treatments. No significant differences were found in growth performance (ranging from 1.1% to 1.4% body weight day^?1) among dietary treatments. High‐fat diets increased whole‐body fat content. Similarly, daily fat gain ranged from 0.54 to 0.78 g kg^?1 day^?1 and highest values were found in fish fed high‐lipid diets. Dietary treatments also affected tissue lipid content (liver, viscera and muscle), with highest values in fish fed high‐fat diets. The nature of dietary carbohydrates had little influence on performance criteria, but affected tissue lipid deposition. The activities of G6PD, ME and FAS were depressed by elevated levels of dietary lipid, confirming the inhibitory effect of dietary fats on lipid biosynthesis. At both dietary lipid levels, ME and FAS activities were little affected by dietary carbohydrate. Activities of PK and GK were not affected by the starch level of the diets. In Senegalese sole juveniles, the lipogenic pathway is more susceptible to modulation by dietary means (particularly through lipid intake) than the glycolytic pathway.  相似文献   

Secreted phosphatase activities in trypanosomatid parasites of plants modulated by platelet-activating factor     

Dutra PM  Dias FA  Santos MA  Rodrigues CO  Romeiro A  Attias M  De Souza W  Lopes AH  Meyer-Fernandes JR 《Phytopathology》2001,91(4):408-414

ABSTRACT The secreted phosphatase activities of two trypanosomatid parasites were characterized and compared with supernatants of living cells. The plant parasite Phytomonas fran?ai and the phytophagous hemipteran parasite Herpetomonas sp. hydrolyzed p-nitrophenylphosphate at a rate of 15.54 and 6.51 nmol Pi/mg of protein per min, respectively. Sodium orthovanadate (N(a)VO(3)) and sodium fluoride (NaF) decreased the phosphatase activities. The phosphatase activity of P. fran?ai was drastically diminished (73% inhibition) in the presence of sodium tartrate, whereas the phosphatase activity of Herpetomonas sp. was inhibited by 23%. Cytochemical analysis showed the localization of these enzymes on the external surface and in the flagellar pocket of the two trypanosomatids. Sodium tartrate inhibited this reaction, confirming the biochemical data. Platelet-activating factor modulated the phosphatase activities, inhibiting P. fran?ai activity and stimulating Herpetomonas sp. phosphatase activity.  相似文献