Article
Soil Science
Sebastian Blunk, Jennifer Bussell, Debbie Sparkes, Martine I. de Heer, Sacha J. Mooney, Craig J. Sturrock
Summary: Different tillage operations significantly impact seed-soil contact, but differences in seedbed porosity do not lead to significant differences in seed-soil contact and subsequent establishment.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Martin Faucher, Seraphine Grellier, Clemence Chaudron, Jean-Louis Janeau, Gabrielle Rudi, Fabrice Vinatier
Summary: The Mediterranean region is expected to experience more intense rainfall events and severe droughts due to climate change, leading to an increase in runoff and erosion rates in agrosystems. Vegetation cover can help reduce erosion and the soil seed bank can provide cost-effective vegetation. This study assessed the effect of vegetation cover on seed loss in vineyards and evaluated the differences in the soil seed bank along a transect. The results suggest that vegetation may not protect interrows from runoff-induced seed loss.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2024)
Article
Ecology
Taylor M. Sparbanie, Rebecca S. Snell
Summary: This study investigates the influence of disturbance, particularly tree harvesting, on seedling establishment rates in the eastern forests of the USA. The results show that harvesting promotes seedling establishment and species turnover. Bird-dispersed species have a higher probability of establishing outside their range.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Plant Sciences
Galina Smolikova, Sergei Medvedev
Summary: The transition from seed to seedling is a crucial stage in the life cycle of plants, involving tissue hydration, mobilization of nutrients, and activation of metabolic activity in seeds. This process requires extensive reprogramming of genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal switches, leading to the activation of vegetative growth genes and silencing of seed maturation genes.
Article
Forestry
Lirong Yang, Xiaobo Lv, Xiaobo Yang, Guofeng Zhang, Donghai Li
Summary: This study found that light can initiate seed germination of certain species in the soil seed bank when a gap is formed in closed-canopy forests. However, temperature alone cannot trigger seed germination. The combined effect of light and temperature can initiate seed germination of more species.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joanna M. Garaventa, V. Thomas Parker
Summary: The research revealed a clear relationship between A. fasciculatum and resident and migratory granivores in the chaparral, as well as the significant role of seed banks in vegetation recovery following fires. The 8-month seed rain duration with over 1 million seeds per square meter, multiple seed predators including passerines and rodents, and the potential role of native ants in seed dispersal were documented. The study also showed that a 39-year-old stand had higher germination rates than stands of different ages, emphasizing the importance of seed banks in ensuring resilience.
Article
Agronomy
Senlin Xiao, Tianjun Xu, Yuandong Wang, Jinfeng Xing, Ronghuan Wang, Aiguo Su, Shuaishuai Wang, Wei Song, Jiuran Zhao
Summary: This study found that cold-tolerant maize varieties have higher germination rates and growth potential under low temperature conditions, with lower hydrogen peroxide content and higher activity of enzymes related to AsA-GSH recycling. Transcription profile analysis revealed increased expression of ZmVTC2 gene in cold-tolerant varieties, suggesting coordinated improvement of AsA biosynthesis and AsA-GSH recycling can increase total antioxidant capacity to alleviate oxidative stress during maize seed germination under low temperature.
Review
Plant Sciences
Shubhpriya Gupta, Karel Dolezal, Manoj G. Kulkarni, Ervin Balazs, Johannes Van Staden
Summary: The application of biostimulants is an innovative and promising strategy to improve crop productivity by promoting seed germination. This technique is considered simple, beneficial, and sustainable. However, the mechanisms involved in regulating seed germination and seedling establishment by non-microbial biostimulants are still unclear.
PLANT GROWTH REGULATION
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Cristina Gasperini, Elisa Carrari, Sanne Govaert, Camille Meeussen, Karen De Pauw, Jan Plue, Pieter Sanczuk, Thomas Vanneste, Pieter Vangansbeke, Giovanni Jacopetti, Pieter De Frenne, Federico Selvi
Summary: The research revealed a high proportion of generalist species in both the edge and interior forest seed banks, with variations in seedling density, species diversity, and mortality based on region and elevation. The warming simulation experiments showed thermophilization effects on forest seed banks, while edge conditions shifted seedling composition towards more light-demanding communities.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yingchun Su, Zhonghao Liu, Jiahui Sun, Chenglai Wu, Yan Li, Chunqing Zhang, Linmao Zhao
Summary: This study identified and analyzed ZmAQPs and determined their expression patterns during seed germination and early seedling development. It found that ZmTIP3-1 improved seed vigor and played a positive role in seed germination and seedling growth. These findings provide valuable insights into the function and regulation of ZmAQPs.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pil Joon Seo, Hong Gil Lee, Hye-Young Choi, Sangmin Lee, Chung-Mo Park
Summary: Karrikins (KARs) are small butenolide compounds found in burning vegetation smoke, with stimulating effects on seed germination and regulation of seedling growth and adaptive behaviors. The SMAX1 signaling repressor plays central roles in these processes, integrating multiple growth hormone signals to optimize seedling establishment. This article summarizes the versatile roles of SMAX1 and discusses the evolutionary relevance of the SMAX1-mediated signaling pathways during the colonization of aquatic plants to terrestrial environments.
TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Fei Yu, Linjun Zhang, Yang Wang, Xianfeng Yi, Shuang Zhang, Jianmin Ma, Zimei Dong, Guangwen Chen, Keming Ma
Summary: Research has shown that small rodents in mountainous environments play a significant role in the dispersal of plant species. This study examined the composition and abundance of seed dispersers, seed dispersal, seed bank abundance, and seedling recruitment for Quercus wutaishanica along different elevations in the Taihang Mountains, China. The results revealed complex patterns of asymmetric seed dispersal and seedling regeneration along the elevational gradient, with higher abundance of rodents and seed removal rates at lower elevations. Interestingly, the number of individual seeds in the seed bank and seedlings increased with elevation, even in the absence of rodents. These findings suggest that rodents may act as antagonistic seed predators rather than mutualistic seed dispersers at lower and middle elevations, which has implications for community assembly and ecosystem functions on a large spatial scale.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Ernesto Badano, Erik J. Sanchez-Montes De Oca
Summary: Climate change can impact tree recruitment by affecting post-dispersal seed fates and impairing seedling development. Seed biomass plays a crucial role in tree recruitment processes, especially in harsh environmental conditions. The study findings suggest that climate change may alter seed-parasite interactions and favor larger seeds over smaller seeds during the recruitment of certain tree species.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Atique-ur Rehman, Zartash Fatima, Rafi Qamar, Fizza Farukh, Mona S. Alwahibi, Mubshar Hussain
Summary: Boron deficiency is a major constraint for mungbean productivity and grain biofortification in Pakistan. Seed priming with boron can improve mungbean growth and yield, but the dosage needs to be optimized.
Article
Zoology
Hui Yao, Yanpei Bai, Yuan Chen, Haochun Chen, Wanji Yang, Xiangdong Ruan, Zuofu Xiang
Summary: Research suggests that colobine monkeys mainly disperse small seeds through potential endozoochory, especially seeds from multi-seeded fruits, which enhances plant recruitment by promoting seedling growth.
INTEGRATIVE ZOOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Leda Naiara Pereira Costa, Samuel Novais, Yumi Oki, G. Wilson Fernandes, Magno Augusto Zaza Borges
Summary: Understanding the distribution of mosquito communities in relation to time and human-modified landscapes is crucial for assessing the risk of vector-borne diseases. A study conducted in the Cerrado biome, Southeastern Brazil, revealed that the diversity of mosquitoes varied throughout a rainy season, with higher abundance in the middle of the season and at the forest edge. The findings suggest that the risk of mosquito-borne diseases is greatest during the middle of the rainy season at the riparian forest-pasture edge.
Article
Plant Sciences
Fabiola Mendes dos Santos, Michellia Pereira Soares, Gesline Ferreira Guimaraes, Renata Moreira dos Santos, Lorena Ashworth, Ramiro Aguilar, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: Knowledge on pollination biology is important for understanding plant reproduction and long-term survival. In this study, we characterized the floral biology and identified the pollinators of a micro-endemic species in Brazil. A wide range of flower visitors, including bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and wasps, were observed. Euglossine bees and hummingbirds were classified as pollinators. Nectar robbers and thieves were also identified. Further research should investigate nectar secretion patterns and the contribution of different visitors to the species' reproductive success.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Natalia Viveiros Salomao, Leovandes Soares da Silva, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Danielle Piuzana, Anne Priscila Dias Gonzaga, Evandro Luiz Mendonca Machado
Summary: The study aims to analyze the potential areas for ecological corridor implementation in a fragmented transition area between the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado domains. Geographic Information System was used to determine suitable areas based on ecological and structural potential. Multi-criteria classification and landscape metrics analysis were performed to generate the final ecological map and assess the area's suitability. The results identified ecologically and structurally suitable areas for establishing ecological corridors in the study area.
Article
Plant Sciences
G. Wilson Fernandes, Ana Maria O. Paschoal, Wesley D. Da Rocha, Leandro R. Pires, Nelson A. S. T. Mello, Ana C. S. Amoroso Anastacio, Mauricio Quesada Avendano, Juan Arroyo, Arista Montserrat, Rodrigo L. Massara, Ramiro Aguilar, Lorena Ashworth
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of the holoparasitic species Pilostyles blanchetii on Mimosa maguirei. The holoparasite negatively affected the height of M. maguirei, but had a positive effect on the number of branches and leaves, possibly indicating resource manipulation. In terms of reproductive performance, parasitized individuals showed a reduction in the number of fruits and seeds. Overall, this study highlights significant changes in host plant architecture and reproductive performance caused by the holoparasitic plant.
Article
Entomology
G. W. Fernandes, Y. Oki, D. Negreiros, R. Constantino, S. Novais
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of fire on termites in a tropical mountain ecosystem in Brazil. The findings showed that fire did not have a significant impact on termite species richness and bait colonization at different elevations. Despite their sensitivity to environmental changes, termites exhibited high tolerance to fire.
Article
Agronomy
Julia Leticia Silva, Germano Leao Demolin Leite, David Lopes Teixeira, Reginaldo Arruda Sampaio, Alcinei Mistico Azevedo, Patricia Ferreira Santos Guanabens, Jose Cola Zanuncio, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Marcus Alvarenga Soares
Summary: The use of dehydrated sewage sludge as fertilizer for S. saponaria saplings in degraded areas leads to an increase in the abundance and diversity of phytophagous and predatory arthropods, as well as tending ants. This creates a balance between different arthropod groups and is beneficial for biodiversity.
Editorial Material
Biodiversity Conservation
Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Fabio de Oliveira Roqueb, Stephannie Fernandes, Carlos Eduardo de Viveiros Grelle, Jose Manuel Ochoa-Quintero, Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma, Evaldo Ferreira Vilela, Philip Martin Fearnside
Summary: Divergent political viewpoints in Brazil pose a threat to sustainable agendas. The 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda faces numerous challenges and relies on the protection of institutions and democracy itself. Strengthening the connection between democracy and governance is crucial for megadiverse countries like Brazil.
PERSPECTIVES IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Marcilio Fagundes, Zaura Couto Fernandes, Frederico Siqueira Neves, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Pablo Cuevas-Reyes, Tatiana Cornelissen
Summary: Characterising host selection mechanisms and insect performance on different hosts is important for ecology and entomology. In this study, we tested two hypotheses regarding seed-predating insects on three species of Copaifera trees. We found that the large-sized Copaifera langsdorffii had greater seed mass, contradicting our hypothesis. Rhinochenus brevicollis preyed on a higher percentage of seeds than Apion sp., and their dispersal ability may be driving differential seed predation among Copaifera species. Adult insects from larger seeds had higher body mass and lipidic content. These findings highlight the need to understand insect performance on different host-sized seeds to understand host selection by beetles.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Flavio Camarota, Wesley Dattilo, Pedro Giovani da Silva, Flavio Siqueira de Castro, Marina do Vale Beirao, Lucas Neves Perillo, Erick Corro, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Frederico de Siqueira Neves
Summary: Understanding community assembly in habitat patches requires considering local and regional factors as well as organisms' dispersal abilities. Assessing the degree of species overlap between patches can provide valuable information. In a study conducted in forest patches in southeast Brazil, we collected insects and investigated the potential role of forest island attributes in shaping insect community nestedness. We found that all studied taxa exhibited a significantly nested pattern of species distribution, indicating the potential role of vegetation matrix permeability in shaping organism distribution in the studied forest archipelago.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Catarina Dias De Freitas, Samuel Novais, Jose Eustaquio Dos Santos Junior, Fernando M. Resende, Yumi Oki, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: This study examines the distribution and richness of orchid bees in xeric and mesic habitats in Espinhaco mountains, Brazil. It finds that mesic habitats are more favorable for insect maintenance, particularly orchid bees, which are speciose in humid tropical forests. The study also reveals that species richness decreases with increased elevation and that beta-diversity is mainly driven by species turnover among elevations and between seasons.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Pedro Giovani da Silva, Marina do Vale Beirao, Flavio Siqueira de Castro, Lucas Neves Perillo, Flavio Camarota, Ricardo R. C. Solar, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Frederico de Siqueira Neves
Summary: This study evaluates the effects of forest island size, isolation, and area on temporal changes of insect biodiversity in a mountaintop forest archipelago. The results show that different insect groups undergo distinct homogenisation and heterogenisation processes according to their dispersal capabilities, while the distance to neighbouring forest islands and forest amount in the landscape affect the temporal beta-diversity of insect groups. Conserving forest amounts and maintaining forest connectivity among forest islands are important for the temporal dynamics of local insect biodiversity.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Barbara Stephanie Silva Ferreira, Yumi Oki, Jose Eugenio Cortes Figueira, Ramiro Aguilar, Vinicius Abreu Baggio, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: In the last 20 years, fire frequency in the Cerrado has increased by 41%. Stryphnodendron adstringens, a tree species in the Cerrado, shows low resistance but high resilience to fire. Large individual trees have more and larger resprouts, but the survival probability of resprouts decreases with their number. Frequent fires can reduce the recruitment and persistence of the species.
BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Marcela Sofia Vaca-Sanchez, Pablo Cuevas-Reyes, Israel Munck, Yumi Oki, Natalia Moia, Thamires Freitas, Aline Almeida, Kamilla Castelan, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Summary: This study investigated the morphological and symmetric adjustments of Eulaema nigrita bees along an altitudinal gradient in the rupestrian grassland of Serra do Cipo, Brazil. The results showed that wing size decreased and vein fluctuating asymmetry increased with increasing altitude. There were significant changes in wing morphology, with bees at lower altitudes having longer and wider wings compared to bees at higher altitudes.
NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Juliana Kuchenbecker, Flavio Camarota, Pedro Giovani da Silva, Lucas Neves Perillo, Marina do Vale Beirao, Flavio Siqueira de Castro, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Mario Marcos do Espirito-Santo, Natalia Correia Santos, Iaciara Georgia Silveira Cardoso, Frederico de Siqueira Neves
Summary: Recent investigations suggest a decline in insect diversity. Altimontane forest islands may serve as valuable refuges for species diversity. Our study found that fire affects the species composition changes of less vagile insect groups while having no influence on highly vagile insects. Species turnover is the primary driver of interannual variation in all insect taxa examined.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Letter
Parasitology
Servio Pontes Ribeiro, Mariana Moncassin Vale, Jose Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Alexandre Barbosa Reis, Carlos Eduardo de Viveiros Grelle
REVISTA DA SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE MEDICINA TROPICAL
(2022)
