Cecropia Hololeuca Research Articles

Effects of Iron on oxidative stress of Cecropia hololeuca and Carica papaya plants.

Iron is essential to plant development. However, its excess can provoke an increase in reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in plants. The objective of this work was to verify the effects of high concentrations of iron on the oxidative stress of seeds and young plants of Cecropia hololeuca and Carica papaya. The species were submitted to concentrations of 0.045, 4 and 8mM of iron in the form of ferrous sulfate and FeEDTA. The experiments of germination and initial growth took place in a growth chamber, with temperature of 25ºC and 12h photoperiod. We performed the lipid peroxidation test by extraction and quantification of malonaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide. The application of iron did not cause a significant elevation in the contents of malonaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide in the germination of C. hololeuca and C. papaya. In the young plants, the hydrogen peroxide did not change in any of the treatments. However, it was possible to observe an expressive increase in malonaldehyde concentration in both species when exposed to FeEDTA 4 to 8mM. The results indicate a sensibility of C. hololeuca and C. papaya to high iron levels, amplifying the oxidative stress process that can harm their growth and initial development.

In vivo anti-inflammatory action evaluation of protease inhibitors from Cecropia hololeuca and their protein profile by electrophoretic and spectroscopic techniques

This work describes the electrophoretic and spectroscopic assessment of bioactive proteins from Cecropia hololeuca through SDS-PAGE, CE-UV, FT-IR and NMR, and their anti-inflammatory potential. In vitro assays were performed on murine macrophages J774A.1 and RAW 264.7 cells, and the in vivo anti-inflammatory potential on acute carrageenan edema in mice. The protein extract significantly inhibited the levels of NO, TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6, and the expression of NF-κB in J774A.1 and RAW 264.7 cells, without causing toxicity to cells. In in vivo and ex vivo assay, the protein extract also reduced the formation of paw edema in animals, and the expression of IL-12 in macerate in the soft tissue of the paw. In the analysis of genotoxicity, the protein extract decreased the frequency of micronucleated erythrocytes when compared to the group treated with Dexamethasone. The analysis by SDS-PAGE, CE-UV, FT-IR and NMR corroborated the presence of proteins in the analyzed samples.

Iron Toxicity on Germination and Early Growth of Cecropia hololeuca Miq.

O ferro (Fe) é um nutriente essencial para as plantas, sendo insubstituível ao metabolismo. Todavia, o aumento em sua concentração leva ao acúmulo de espécies reativas de oxigênio e estresse oxidativo que resultará em prejuízos aos vegetais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar o efeito de elevadas concentrações de Fe na germinação e desenvolvimento de Cecropia hololeuca Miq. A espécie foi submetida às concentrações de 0,045, 4 e 8mM aplicados na forma de sulfato ferroso e Fe-EDTA. Foram analisadas a porcentagem de germinação, índice de velocidade de germinação, comprimento da parte aérea, radicular, massa fresca e seca. Para a análise de desenvolvimento foi analisado a área folhar o comprimento do caule, comprimento radicular, massa fresca e seca, os pigmentos cloroplastídeos, fluorescência da clorofila, e análise dos teores de elementos via EDS. Foi verificado a atividade enzimática (SOD, CAT, POX). Ambas as fontes de Fe resultaram em danos à germinação e desenvolvimento. O tratamento com Fe-EDTA mostrou efeitos mais significativos na germinação, crescimento aéreo e radicular e biomassa das sementes. O mesmo tratamento se mostrou mais prejudicial nas plântulas jovens com quedas na clorofila a, crescimento radicular, aéreo, área folhar e biomassa. As plântulas expostas ao Fe apresentaram queda no desempenho fotossintético e no teor de cálcio (Ca) folhar. Não foi observado aumento na atividade da CAT e SOD. A POX apresentou elevação quando submetida ao Fe-EDTA 8mM. Tais resultados evidenciam que a espécie C. hololeuca se mostra sensível a toxidez por ferro, acarretando danos ao metabolismo e crescimento inicial. 
 
 Palavras-chave: Embaúba. Estresse. Metal Pesado. Toxidez. 
 Abstract
 Iron (Fe) is as an essential nutrient for plants and is irreplaceable in many metabolic processes. However, the increase in its concentration leads to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress that will result in damage to plant. The objective of this work was to verify the effect of high Fe concentrations on germination and initial development of Cecropia hololeuca Miq. They were submitted to concentrations of 0.045, 4 and 8mM applied as ferrous sulfate and Fe-EDTA. Germination percentage, germination speed index, shoot length and root, fresh and dry mass were analyzed. For the initial developmental the following variables were analyzed: Leaf area, stem length, root length, fresh and dry mass, chloroplast pigments, chlorophyll fluorescence analysis, analysis of element contents via EDS. The activity of enzymes (SOD, CAT, POX) was verified. Both sources of Fe resulted in damage to germination and development. Fe-EDTA treatment showed the most significant negative effects on germination, root and air growth and seed biomass accumulation. The same treatment was more detrimental in the establishment of young seedlings with decreases in chlorophyll a, root growth, aerial growth, leaf area and biomass accumulation. Seedlings exposed to Fe showed a decrease in photosynthetic performance and a decrease in leaf calcium (Ca) content. No increase in CAT and SOD enzymes activity was observed. POX increased its activity when submitted to 8mM Fe-EDTA. These results show that the species C. hololeuca is sensitive when exposed to toxic levels of Fe, causing damage to metabolism and initial growth.
 
 Keywords: Embauba. Stress. Heavy Metal. Toxicity.

Inducing seed dispersal by generalist frugivores: A new technique to overcome dispersal limitation in restoration

Abstract Dispersal limitation severely impairs the trajectory of restoration, mainly due to the lack of seed vectors bringing seeds from nearby habitats; a role played by many frugivorous vertebrates that can be absent or reduced in restored or degraded sites. Here we propose a new technique named Induced Seed Dispersal, that amplifies the role that many generalist frugivores have in seed dispersal. It consists in the offering of seeds embedded in the pulp of commercial fruits or whole native fleshy fruits in feeders to generalist frugivores, which ingest the seeds and defecate them elsewhere. We set feeders in a restored site and monitored the visiting pattern of these frugivores with cameras‐traps. We also set seed traps to retrieve seeds dispersed by frugivores and offered around 1,500 seeds of Cecropia hololeuca (Urticaceae) per week for 1 year. We recorded at least 24 generalist frugivore species of terrestrial mammals, bats and birds, which ingested/removed the seeds/fruits from the feeders. Seeds of C. hololeuca dispersed by marmosets were retrieved in the seed traps and germinated. We estimated a potential seed rain of more than 600 C. hololeuca seeds ha−1 mo−1. Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates that this new technique can make use of generalist frugivores to assist restoration or regeneration into sites where seed dispersal is compromised by the lack of dispersers or limited seed arrival. Inducing seed dispersal by generalist frugivores is a low‐cost and easy‐managed technique that can be applied year‐round in restoration and forest enrichments at all scales.

Oral treatments with a flavonoid-enriched fraction from Cecropia hololeuca and with rutin reduce articular pain and inflammation in murine zymosan-induced arthritis

Ethnopharmacological relevanceCecropia Loefl. species (Urticaceae) are widely spread across the rainforest in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. Inhabitants of different regions of Brazil employ leaves, fruits and sprouts of Cecropia hololeuca Miq. mainly as anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, expectorant, fever suppressant, and against cough. Aim of the studyTo evaluate the antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities of an aqueous leaf extract of C. hololeuca in a murine model of zymosan-induced arthritis (ZIA) and characterize compounds contributing to these effects. Materials and methodsThe crude aqueous extract of C. hololeuca (CAE) was obtained by infusion, screened for antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory activities, and fractionated (solvent partition; RP-2 and Sephadex G-25 column chromatography), yielding fractions that were chemically and pharmacologically investigated. TLC, HPLC-DAD, HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS/MS and NMR analyses were peformed. The antinociceptive activity was assessed by means of acetic acid-induced writhing, hot-plate and rota-rod tests. ZIA was used to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of oral treatment with CAE, butanolic (BF) and aqueous fraction (AF), as well as the fractions obtained from BF (F2, F2-A and F2–B). Rutin, a flavonoid found in C. hololeuca, was also tested. Mechanical hypernociception, joint edema, local neutrophil recruitment and articular TNF-α quantification were performed to measure the severity of arthritis and identify the anti-inflammatory potential of C. hololeuca. ResultsCAE (0.03–1 g/kg, p.o.) showed a dose-related inhibitory effect on acetic acid-induced writhing test, but did not change the pain latency in the hotplate test, nor the first fall time on the rota-rod test. In addition, CAE (1 g/kg, p.o.) inhibited by 65% the mechanical hypernociception, 46% the joint edema, 54% the neutrophil recruitment and 53% the articular TNF-α concentration levels in ZIA. BF (0.4 g/kg, p.o.), AF (0.6 g/kg), F2 (0.1 g/kg) and F2-A (0.045 g/kg), but not F2-B (0.055 g/kg), inhibited the mechanical hypernociception, joint edema and neutrophil recruitment in ZIA. Rutin (0.001–0.03 g/kg, p.o.) produced dose-related inhibitory effects in the mechanical hypernociception, joint edema and neutrophil recruitment, and at 0.03 g/kg also inhibited articular TNF-α synthesis after intra-articular zymosan injection. Isoorientin, isovitexin, rutin and isoquercitrin were identified in the most active fraction (F2-A), along with luteolin and apigenin derivatives, tentatively identified as isoorientin-2″-O-glucoside and isovitexin-2″-O-glucoside. ConclusionThis study corroborates the popular use by oral route of aqueous preparations of C. hololeuca against joint inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Our results demonstrated for the first time that oral administration of rutin shows antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects in ZIA, indicating that this flavonoid is one of the immunomodulatory compounds involved in the anti-arthritic activity of C. hololeuca.

Mapping Atlantic rainforest degradation and regeneration history with indicator species using convolutional network.

The Atlantic rainforest of Brazil is one of the global terrestrial hotspots of biodiversity. Despite having undergone large scale deforestation, forest cover has shown signs of increases in the last decades. Here, to understand the degradation and regeneration history of Atlantic rainforest remnants near São Paulo, we combine a unique dataset of very high resolution images from Worldview-2 and Worldview-3 (0.5 and 0.3m spatial resolution, respectively), georeferenced aerial photographs from 1962 and use a deep learning method called U-net to map (i) the forest cover and changes and (ii) two pioneer tree species, Cecropia hololeuca and Tibouchina pulchra. For Tibouchina pulchra, all the individuals were mapped in February, when the trees undergo mass-flowering with purple and pink blossoms. Additionally, elevation data at 30m spatial resolution from NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and annual mean climate variables (Terraclimate datasets at ∼ 4km of spatial resolution) were used to analyse the forest and species distributions. We found that natural forests are currently more frequently found on south-facing slopes, likely because of geomorphology and past land use, and that Tibouchina is restricted to the wetter part of the region (southern part), which annually receives at least 1600 mm of precipitation. Tibouchina pulchra was found to clearly indicate forest regeneration as almost all individuals were found within or adjacent to forests regrown after 1962. By contrast, Cecropia hololeuca was found to indicate older disturbed forests, with all individuals almost exclusively found in forest fragments already present in 1962. At the regional scale, using the dominance maps of both species, we show that at least 4.3% of the current region's natural forests have regrown after 1962 (Tibouchina dominated, ∼ 4757 ha) and that ∼ 9% of the old natural forests have experienced significant disturbance (Cecropia dominated).

Cecropia hololeuca: A new source of compounds with potential anti-inflammatory action

Our objective is to investigate the phytochemical components, antioxidant capacity and in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory action from Cecropia hololeuca bark aqueous extract (AECh). The chemical characterization of AECh was performed through CE-UV, FTIR and NMR Spectroscopy. In vitro assays were performed with the AECh on murine macrophages J774A.1 cells in order to analyse cell viability, NO, TNF-α and IL-1β productions and the in vivo anti-inflammatory potential in acute carrageenan paw oedema in mice. The AECh showed a decrease in the production of NO, TNF-α and IL-1β, without altering the cell viability and reduction of the paw thickness in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th hour. The extract presented 72% free radical scavenging, 0.60% flavonoid content and showed the presence of gallic acid, caffeic acid and catechin as major constituents. The C. hololeuca bark extract showed important antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, emphasizing the industrial and pharmacological potential of this plant.

Hidden in plain sight: the identity of the white-leaved snakewood species from southeastern Brazil, Cecropia candida Snethl. and Cecropia hololeuca Miq. (Urticaceae)

The identity of Cecropia candida, a misidentified snakewood species from Brazil, are also discussed. Its relationships to Cecropia hololeuca, another white-leaved species from Brazil, are also discuted.

Induced seed dispersal of Cecropia hololeuca (Urticaceae) by birds and mammals in a restored area at APA Campinas, Campinas - SP

Seed dispersal is an important natural process in the restoration of degraded ecosystems. The aim of this project is to identify the frugivorous fauna with potential for the induced dispersal of Cecropia hololeuca (Urticaceae) seeds, immersed in banana pulp and offered in a feeder located in a restored area, and to evaluate its role in the enrichment of this area. The frugivorous species visiting the feeder were filmed by self-firing cameras and their behavior were analyzed in relation to the frequency of occurrence, as well as their relative efficiency in the dispersal of these seeds. It is expected that the evaluation of birds and mammals as restoration tools through the induced seed dispersal will represent an alternative and efficient technique for the enrichment of restoration sites. The Black-tufted marmoset Callithrix penicillata was the most frequent species in the video sequences, with more individuals per sequence but with the lowest latency time, that is, with the lowest interval between the placement of the bananas and the arrival of the species at the feeder. Visits were more frequent when fruit was available at the feeder, than when fruit was absent. C. penicillata seems to have the greatest dispersal potential among the frugivores in the studied community, although it is currently an invasive primate species in the Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil.

Aleyrodidae in three forest fragments in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT: Studies that analyze the occurrence of whiteflies in forest environments are virtually non-existent, which is not justifiable given the ecological and agronomic importance of this insect group. The study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of Aleyrodidae collected from May/2013 to May/2014 in three Atlantic forest fragments in state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Of all, 1,212 puparia were collected, and five genera and seven species of whiteflies occurring in nine hosts were identified. Aleuropleurocelus cecropiae was the only aleyrodid registered simultaneously occurring in Cecropia hololeuca in the three environments, with lower records in the two fragments considered as less anthropized. For the first time, Aleurothrixus floccosus was registered on Handroanthus ochraceus and Mangifera indica. In addition, it was observed the first register of Bemisia tabaci on Commelina benghalensis and Caesalpinia pluviosa. Minutaleyrodes minuta on Syzygium cumini was also the register of a new occurrence.

Phytoremediation Capacity of Forest Species to Herbicides in Two Types of Soils

Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the potential of forest species for herbicide phytoremediation. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse with a randomized block design and a 2x3x3 factorial scheme, using two soils (Red-Yellow Latosol - RYL and Quartzarenic sandy soil - QN), three herbicide solutions (without herbicides/water, 2,4-D and atrazine), and three forest species (Cecropia hololeuca, Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla and Hymenea coubaril), with four replications. After the experiment, Cucumis sativus was cultivated in order to investigate possible herbicide residues in the soils. The evaluated forest species reduced atrazine and 2,4-D residues in most treatments, except for the Jatoba (Hymenaea coubaril ) cultivated in the RYL soil. Eucalyptus was the species that showed the greatest tolerance to herbicide action, demonstrating the potential for phytoremediation of atrazine and 2,4-D. Cecropia hololeuca and Hymenaea coubaril presented the greatest potential for 2,4-D and atrazine, respectively.

TRIAGEM FITOQUÍMICA E AVALIAÇÃO DAS ATIVIDADES TROMBOLÍTICA E CITOTÓXICA DE CECROPIA HOLOLEUCA MIQ. (URTICACEAE), LIPPIA ALBA (MILL.) N.E.BR. EX P. WILSON (VERBENACEAE) E ZANTHOXYLUM RHOIFOLIUM LAM (RUTACEAE)

<em>Cecropia hololeuca</em>, <em>Lippia alba</em>, e <em>Zanthoxylum rhoifolium</em> são espécies vegetais de ocorrência natural no Brasil, características de regiões de Mata Atlântica e, dentro de suas finalidades medicinais, estão incluídas ação anti-hipertensiva, digestiva e no tratamento de malária. Neste estudo, foram avaliados o perfil químico e as atividades citotóxica e trombolítica do extrato etanólico das folhas destas espécies vegetais. O perfil químico dos extratos foi obtido através de ensaios fitoquímicos clássicos, a fim de identificar as classes químicas presentes. A atividade citotóxica foi avaliada frente a <em>Artemia salina</em> e a atividade trombolítica foi determinada <em>in vitro</em> a partir da lise em coágulo de sangue humano. Os testes fitoquímicos indicaram a presença de alcaloides e flavonoides nos três extratos investigados. Saponinas, triterpenos e naftoquinonas foram detectados apenas em <em>C. hololeuca</em>. Esta não demonstrou citotoxicidade frente <em>Artemia salina</em> (DL<sub>50</sub> >1000 ppm), enquanto <em>Z. rhoifolium</em> apresentou DL<sub>50</sub> igual a 719,44 ppm e <em>L. alba</em> <250 ppm, o que indica atenção quanto a segurança no uso desta planta medicinal. A atividade trombolítica de <em>L. alba</em> e <em>C. hololeuca</em> foi de 6,43 ±2,08 e 9,64 ±1,83 %, respectivamente, demonstrando baixa atividade. Já <em>Z. rhoifolium</em> alcançou lise de 24,71 ±10,52 %, indicando promissora atividade (p <0,001). A atividade trombolítica de <em>Z. rhoifolium</em> justifica novos estudos, a fim de investigar os componentes responsáveis pela atividade. Perante a literatura, este é o primeiro relato da avaliação da atividade trombolítica destas espécies vegetais. Os resultados encontrados neste trabalho contribuem para o conhecimento químico-biológico das respectivas espécies.

Colobura dirce dirce(Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Larvae DamagingCecropia hololeuca(Rosales: Urticaceae) in the Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Summary The Atlantic Forest biome includes the middle region of the Zona da Mata (MRZM) in southeastern Minas Gerais, Brazil. Cecropia hololeuca Miq. (Rosales: Urticaceae) is an arboreal plant endemic to Brazil. Species of Colobura Billberg (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) are common in forested habitats in the Neotropical Region. The aims of this study were to report damage by C. dirce dirce L. larvae on C. hololeuca in the MRZM, and to review host plants of Colobura spp. Two hundred fifty-two larvae were found damaging twenty 50 cm tall C. hololeuca plants on the campus of the “Universidade Federal de Vicosa” in Vicosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and brought to the “Laboratorio de Controle Biologico de Insetos (LCBI).” Adults and exuviae of these larvae were deposited at the LCBI and identified in the “Departamento de Zoologia” of the “Universidade Federal do Parana” in Curitiba, Parana, Brazil, as C. dirce dirce. This is the first report of this lepidopteran on C. hololeuca in the MRZM. Seventeen species from 6 p...

English

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are obligatory biotrophs that have a symbiotic evolutionary relationship with about 80% of all terrestrial plant species. The fungus mainly supplies water and nutrients to the plant and receives photoassimilates. The AMF diversity affects both the competition among species and floristic composition of an area. Fluctuations in the population of this group of microorganisms can cause fluctuations in plant populations above ground. In this work, the AMF community profile in areas with different ages of revegetation was evaluated by morphological identification of spores and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) techniques. We found 12 AMF species and dominance of the species Glomus macrocarpum determined by spore density. Since the richness level observed in each plot was low and there was predominance of one species of AMF, it can be concluded that these areas still present a high degree of disturbance. It was possible to detect complex band profiles by DGGE analyses for the two plant species studied, Visnia latifolia and Cecropia hololeuca. No relationship between AMF diversity and revegetation time was observed in these areas. Key words: Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), symbiosis, succession, survey.

New Meliolaceae from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest 2: species on host families Annonaceae, Cecropiaceae, Meliaceae, Piperaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae and Tiliaceae

Continuing the study of black mildews in fragments of the Atlantic forest, three new species and five new records are described herein. Irenopsis luheae-grandiflorae, Meliola vicosensis and Meliola xylopia-sericiae are new species. Cecropia hololeuca, Piper gaudichaudianum and Trichilia lepidota are new hosts for Asteridiella leucosykeae, Asteridiella glabroides and Meliola trichiliae respectively. Asteridiella obesa and Meliola psychotriae var. chiococcae are reported for the first time from Brazil. The new species are described and illustrated based on light and scanning electron microscopy and tables with main characteristics of morphologically similar specimens with species collected in Viçosa are provided. Other species belonging to Meliolaceae collected on hosts belonging to the Annonaceae, Meliaceae and Tiliaceae in Brazil also were studied.

Distribution of the herbicide atrazine in a microcosm with riparian forest plants

Pesticides applied on sugarcane reach the subsoil of riparian forests and probably contaminate the river water. This work was conducted to learn about the phytoremediation of atrazine and subsoil contamination using the common riparian forest species of Cecropia hololeuca Miq. and Trema micranta (L.) Blum. These plants were grown in soil microcosms where 14C-atrazine at 1/10 of the field-recommended dose was applied at the bottom of the microcosm simulating the movement from contaminated ground water to the upper soil layers and into plants. Residues of 14C-atrazine were detected in all parts of the microcosm including soil, rhizosphere and the roots in different layers of the microcosm, stem and leaves. Atrazine mineralization was higher (10.2%) in the microcosms with plants than the control microcosms without plants (1.2%). The upward movement of this pesticide from deeper to more superficial soil layers occurred in all the microcosms with plants, powered by evapotranspiration process. From the atrazine applied in this study about 45% was taken up by C. hololeuca and 35% by T. micrantha. The highest amount of radioactivity (%) was found in the fine roots and the specific radioactivity (% g−1) showed that thick, fine roots and leaves bioaccumulate atrazine. The enhanced mineralization of atrazine as well the phytostabilization effect of the tree biomass will reduce the bioavailability of these residues and consequently decrease the hazardous effects on the environment.

Avaliação do potencial de utilização da madeira de Schizolobium amazonicum "Paricá" e Cecropia hololeuca "Embaúba" para produção de painéis cimento-madeira

Nesta pesquisa, objetivou-se avaliar o potencial de utilização da madeira de Schizolobium amazonicum "Paricá" e Cecropia hololeuca "Embaúba" para produção de painéis cimento-madeira. Foram produzidos painéis experimentais com densidade nominal de 1.200 kg/m³, utilizando cimento CP V ARI como aglutinante mineral e partículas de madeira sem tratamento e com tratamentos de imersão em água fria 12 horas, em água quente 6 horas e em hidróxido de sódio 2 horas. Os painéis foram prensados com pressão específica de 40 kgf/cm², a temperatura ambiente, tempo de prensagem / grampeamento de 24 horas e tempo de maturação de 28 dias. Os resultados das avaliações de propriedades de absorção de água, inchamento em espessura, ligação interna, módulo de elasticidade e módulo de ruptura demonstraram que as madeiras de Schizolobium amazonicum "Paricá" e Cecropia hololeuca "Embaúba", são tecnicamente viáveis para a produção de painéis cimento-madeira. Constatou-se também que os painéis de embaúba apresentam algumas propriedades superiores aos de paricá, e as partículas não necessitam obrigatoriamente de tratamentos.

Fatores edáficos e as variações florísticas de um trecho de Mata Ciliar do Rio Gualaxo do Norte, Mariana, MG

Este trabalho teve como objetivo verificar a correlação entre a distribuição de espécies arbóreas ciliares do rio Gualaxo do Norte (S20°16'31,9" W43°26'15,3" e S20°16'30,6" W43°26'07,3") com fatores edáficos, assim como se existem espécies de ocorrência restrita à área de depleção ciliar que possam ser indicadas para recuperação de matas ciliares. As parcelas foram alocadas em 1 ha dividido em três blocos com declividades distintas. Todos os indivíduos com circunferência do tronco a 1,30 m do solo igual ou superior a 15 cm foram registrados e identificados. Foram coletadas cinco amostras simples de solo em cada parcela para análises químicas de fertilidade. A ordenação dos dados de solo e vegetação foi realizada pela análise de correspondência canônica (CCA), que indicou que variações na fertilidade, na acidez do solo e na altitude estavam influenciando a distribuição da vegetação arbórea ao longo do gradiente topográfico. Albizia hassleri, Bathysa meridionalis, Cariniana estrelensis, Casearia gossypiosperma, Casearia sp., Cecropia hololeuca, Himatanthus lancifolius, Luehea grandiflora, Picramnia sp., Platypodium elegans, Pseudopiptadenia contorta, Tibouchina candoleana e Virola oleifera são espécies adaptadas a condições edáficas com elevada acidez e fertilidade muito baixa, apresentando potencial para utilização em projetos de recuperação de áreas degradadas, principalmente de encostas e topo de morros. Já Casearia sylvestris, Dalbergia villosa, Dendropanax cuneatus, Machaerium aculeatum, Machaerium stiptatum, Ocotea odorifera, Ocotea pulchella, Rollinea longifolia, Schinus terebinthifolius, Tibouchina granulosa, Vernonia piptocarphoides e Vismia sp. estavam correlacionadas com solos menos ácidos, mais férteis e mais próximos ao rio, apresentando potencial para a restauração florestal em áreas ciliares.

Avaliação do potencial da transposição da serapilheira e do banco de sementes do solo para restauração florestal em áreas degradadas

Este estudo teve por objetivo testar a viabilidade da transposição da serapilheira e do banco de sementes do solo como metodologia de restauração florestal de áreas degradadas. Amostras de 1x1 mdeserapilheira e de solo superficial foram coletadas num fragmento de floresta estacional semidecidual secundária no campus da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, em Viçosa, MG. As amostras de solo e de serapilheira foram depositadas em canteiros, nos quais o solo superficial (10 cm) foi previamente retirado, no Viveiro de Pesquisas da UFV. Foram comparados três tratamentos e uma testemunha com cinco repetições cada, totalizando 20 amostras. O primeiro tratamento (T1) foi a transposição apenas da serapilheira, o segundo (T2) apenas do banco de sementes do solo e o terceiro (T3) da serapilheira juntamente com o banco de sementes do solo. Durante um período de seis meses, foram registrados 327 indivíduos de espécies arbustivo-arbóreas e 864 de espécies herbáceas. Entre as espécies arbustivo-arbóreas, 74% foram pioneiras e 26% de outros grupos ecológicos. A espécie arbórea mais frequente foi Cecropia hololeuca com 151 indivíduos. Entre as herbáceas, Oxalis corniculata foi a mais abundante, com 329 indivíduos. As diferenças de densidade e riqueza de espécies entre os tratamentos foram significativas, sendo maior riqueza obtida no tratamento T3 e maiores densidades nos tratamentos T2 e T3. Portanto, conclui-se que a transposição do banco de sementes é uma metodologia promissora para estimular a restauração florestal em áreas degradadas, sendo mais eficiente quando se utiliza o solo superficial juntamente com a camada de serapilheira.

Composição do banco de sementes de uma floresta semidecidual secundária considerando o seu potencial de uso para recuperação ambiental

Este estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar o banco de sementes de um fragmento florestal na região de Viçosa, MG, bem como inferir se esse indicador pode garantir a sustentabilidade caso seja utilizado para recuperação de áreas degradadas e, ainda, comparar sua composição florística com aquelas descritas em outros estudos com bancos de sementes. Para isso, foram coletadas 20 amostras do banco de sementes em pontos escolhidos ao acaso, sendo cada amostra composta de quatro subamostras. Para a instalação do experimento no viveiro, foram utilizadas 20 caixas de madeira no formato de 50 x 50 x 15 cm. Após 90 dias, encontraram-se 508 indivíduos, dos quais foram identificadas 38 espécies, pertencentes a 34 gêneros e distribuídas em 22 famílias. O índice de diversidade (H') foi de 2,11; já a eqüabilidade (J) de 0,67 foi considerada alta quando comparada com as de outros bancos de sementes. Cecropia hololeuca (28,91%) e Solanum erianthum (18,67%) foram as espécies mais importantes e que podem atuar diretamente na dinâmica do processo de regeneração da mata. Verificou-se, portanto, que o banco de sementes estudado pode atuar na recomposição da vegetação de uma área degradada em condições semelhantes ao fragmento estudado, agilizando e garantindo a dinâmica do processo sucessional.