Development Of Preservation Strategies Research Articles

Distinct taxonomic composition of soil bacterial community across a native gradient of Cerrado-Ecotone-Caatinga

Biodiversity underlies ecosystem functioning, and the soil microbiome plays a crucial role in these functional processes. A better understanding of the soil microbiome and the relationship between microbial diversity and environmental parameters would increase our ability to set conservation priorities. In recent years, ecotones have been considered an important issue in ecological studies since they are ecosystems located in the transition between two biomes where communities meet and integrate. Here, we hypothesized that each area of the environmental gradient Cerrado-Ecotone-Caatinga would harbor a distinct bacterial community mainly shaped by the differential environmental factors. To test this hypothesis, the bacterial community was assessed using the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and correlated with environmental parameters. Our analysis revealed that each area presented a distinct community structure and composition that was related to changes in environmental parameters such as pH, Al, and temperature. Although we did not find significant differences in the microbial diversity, the network analysis showed a gradient with a decreased complexity from the Cerrado to Caatinga also as a response of the soil characteristics, with changes in the number of correlations and the proportion of co-occurrence and competition. Also, the compositional analysis revealed that the most abundant bacterial group in each area is related to functional adaptation to soil properties. Overall, our findings expand our knowledge about the microbiome of these areas and add important information that can be suitable for future ecosystem exploration and the development of preservation strategies.

Convenient meat and meat products. Societal and technological issues

In past and contemporary foodscapes, meat and meat products have not only been following convenience trends, they have been at the heart of them. Historically, the first substantial demands for meat convenience must have been for the outsourcing of hunting or domestication, as well as slaughtering activities. In its turn, this prompted concerns for shelf-life stabilisation and the development of preservation strategies, such as meat fermentation. Demands for ease of preparation and consumption can be traced back to Antiquity but have gained in importance over the centuries, especially with the emergence of novel socio-cultural expectations and (perceived) time scarcity. Amongst other trends, this has led to the creation of ready meals and meat snacks and the expansion of urban fast food cultures. Additionally, contemporary requirements focus on the reduction of mental investments, via the “convenient” concealment of slaughtering, the optimisation of nutritional qualities, and the instant incorporation of more intangible matters, such as variety, hedonistic qualities, reassurance, and identity. An overview is given of the technological issues related to the creation of meat convenience, in its broadest sense, along with their societal implications.