Bruno Eleres Soares

Resource partitioning and ecomorphological variation in two syntopic species of Lebiasinidae (Characiformes) in an Amazonian stream

ABSTRACT Resource partitioning is important for species coexistence. Species with similar ecomorphology are potential competitors, especially when phylogenetically close, due to niche conservatism. The aim of this study was to investigate the resource partitioning among populations of two species of lebiasinids ( Copella nigrofasciata and Pyrrhulina aff. brevis ) that co-occur in a first-order Amazonian stream, analyzing the trophic ecology, feeding strategies and ecomorphological attributes related to the use of food and space by these species. Fish were captured in May and September 2010. The stomach contents of 60 individuals were analyzed and quantified volumetrically to characterize the feeding ecology of both species. Eleven morphological attributes were measured in 20 specimens and combined in nine ecomorphological indices. Both species had an omnivorous-invertivorous diet and consumed predominantly allochthonous items. Both showed a tendency to a generalist diet, but intrapopulational variation in resource use was also detected. Overall feeding niche overlap was high, but differed between seasons: low during the rainy season and high in the dry season. In the latter, the food niche overlap was asymmetric because

The regionalization of medicalized vernacular names of medicinal plants in Brazil

In the last three decades, several vernacular names of medicinal plants related to manufactured drugs names have been recognized in ethnobotanical surveys throughout Brazil. The medicalization may be the primarily responsible process for the rise of that type of vernacular names of Brazilian medicinal plants differentially for each geopolitical region of Brazil. We attempt to trace the regionalization of medicalization on vernacular names of medicinal plants through ethnobotanical studies carried out in Brazil since the 1980s. Articles were consulted in nine journals published between 1980 and 2014. Richness estimation by Jackknife 1 and correspondence analysis by contingency tables were performed, both by the occurrence of medicalized names collected in the surveys for each region. The South region presented the highest number of reported and estimated medicalized names, in addition to present the highest number of medicalized names in exclusive occurrence. Northeast and Southeast regions presented a great similarity of medicalized names probably due to the migration flows occurring in both regions over the twentieth century.

Rockpool ichthyofauna of Amazon coastal zone: spatial and environmental effects on species distribution

The present study analysed the effects of environmental and spatial variables on the structure of fish communities inhabiting rockpools in the Amazon coastal zone to test the hypothesis that environmental characteristics and spatial distribution are the principal factors responsible for community structure. In all, 80 pools were sampled, 40 in the rainy season and 40 in the dry season. The pools were located on five sandy beaches of the Amazon coast. In all, 1303 fish were collected, representing 20 taxa distributed in nine orders and 14 families. The abundance and occurrence of different taxa varied considerably, as did β diversity, ranging from identical to completely different communities. Differences were found in taxa abundance between seasons (rainy and dry) and beach locality. However, for species richness, only differences between seasons were found, showing the effects of spatial and environmental variation in the structure of fish assemblages. This corroborates both spatial and environmental hypotheses of community structure, and reinforces the role of the extreme dynamic conditions, such as tidal range and influence of the rivers that flow into this estuary, in the intertidal zone fish on the Amazon coast.

Effect of flood pulses on the trophic ecology of four piscivorous fishes from the eastern Amazon

This study investigated the effect of hydrological periods on the feeding activity and trophic interactions of four piscivorous fishes from the middle Xingu River, Brazil: pike-characid Boulengerella cuvieri, dogtooth characin Hydrolycus armatus, dogtooth characin Hydrolycus tatauaia and South American silver croaker Plagioscion squamosissimus. Repletion Index (IR %), Alimentary Index (IAi %) and food web properties were calculated for each species. A total of 825 specimens were collected. The IR showed changes in feeding intensity of B. cuvieri, H. armatus and H. tatauaia among hydrological periods. Flood pulse showed no influence on composition and importance of food items consumed. Trophic connections showed that connectivity ranged from 0.025 to 0.038. The highest number of trophic connections (75) occurred in the high-water period, when 51 food items were recorded and the lowest number of trophic connections (43) occurred in receding water, with 31 food items. In all food webs, over 45% of food items were consumed by only one species (ultra-peripheral items), which is common in piscivorous fishes.

The rise of medicalization of plants in Brazil: A temporal perspective on vernacular names

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Brazilian plant species used in folk medicine have acquired several popular names related to commercial medicines in recent decades. This fact has directly effect to the medicalization process. AIM OF THE STUDY Evaluate the rise of medicalized popular names of medicinal plants in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS Medicalized popular names of medicinal plants were recorded from 314 ethnobotanical articles in eleven scientific journals published between 1980 and 2017. RESULTS The review included 141 ethnobotanical articles containing medicalized names from 314 articles consulted. The presence of medicalized names in Brazilian ethnobotanical studies has increased significantly since the 2000s. A total of 85 medicalized popular names were recorded according with phonetic and graphical similarity. The most cited medicalized names were Anador, Insulin, Terramycin, Vick, Novalgin and Penicillin. The prevalence of medicalized name citations in ethnobotanical surveys over non-medicalized names for several species indicates the existence of medicalized plant species. CONCLUSION Since the 2000s, an increasing number of ethnobotanical studies revealed the appropriation of drug names by folk medicine through the changes of vernacular names of medicinal plants. This medicalization process is mostly related to the expansion of the Brazilian Unified Health System, pharmaceutical industry marketing and Non-Governmental Organizations in the last decades.

Temporal variations in the feeding of the endangered Neotropical fish Brycon orthotaenia (Characiformes: Bryconidae) in the middle São Francisco River

ABSTRACT We analyzed the diet and seasonal variation in diet composition of Brycon orthotaenia, an endangered and endemic species of the São Francisco River Basin, in the middle stretch of the São Francisco River. Brycon orthotaenia had an herbivorous diet, with occasional consumption of animals, mainly in the dry season. Variation among dry and wet seasons in diet composition may be related to the species’ reproduction and energy allocation, since some items (e.g. insects, fishes) may support gonadal development.