Cynthia Fernandes Pinto da Luz

MELISSOPALYNOLOGICAL DATA OBTAINED FROM A MANGROVE AREA NEAR TO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

SUMMARYWe performed palynological analyses of honey and pollen samples from Apis mellifera situated in a mangrove belt in Guanabara Bay, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Laguncularia racemosa is the most abundant species in this area; some individuals of Avicennia tomentosa also occur. Pollen analysis showed that the bees visited ruderal plant species, grasses and crops for pollen. We recognized 27 pollen types that belong to 22 plant families. The most frequent pollen types from polliniferous species belong to Asteraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Arecaceae. The most frequent pollen types from nectariferous species were Croton sp., Eucalyptus sp., Eupatorium maximilianii, Gochnatia polymorpha, Mimosa bimucronata, Mimosa pudica, Spondias sp. and Sapindaceae. Pollen from typical mangrove vegetation, except Laguncularia racemosa, was rare in both honey and pollen samples. This fact reflects the local environmental disturbance, as well as the value of the ‘invader’ plant species to bees.

Recursos tróficos de Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera, Apidae) na região de Morro Azul do Tinguá, Estado do Rio de Janeiro

The original vegetation in the Morro Azul mountain region, northwest of Rio de Janeiro city, was the Atlantic tropical rain forest. Anthropic activities transformed the vegetation into pastureland and patches of the original forest. In addition, there are reforested areas of Pinus, Eucalyptus and others of non native plant species. The aim of the present research was to estimate the contribution of nectar and pollen from each type of vegetation for Apis mellifera bees, using pollen analysis. Eleven monthly collected honey samples and nine samples of pollen loads were obtained in a control-hive and prepared for pollen analysis following the standard European methodology without application of acetolysis. Six honey samples were considered monofloral, as of Baccharis (March), Gochnatia (April and November), Eucalyptus (September and October) and Castanea (August). Three were considered bifloral ones, as of Mimosa scabrella pollen type and Piptadenia (January), Eucalyptus and Eupatorium (June) and Phytolacca and Machaerium pollen type (October). Heterofloral honeys occurred in July (Arecaceae, Eucalyptus and Allophylus) and in December (Anadenanthera, Eupatorium and Eucalyptus). The dominant pollen loads comprised the pollen types of Arecaceae, Baccharis, Castanea, Cecropia, Eucalyptus and Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth. The results provided a pollen spectrum that reflected the nectariferous and polliniferous contribution of field vegetation and of introduced plant species in the study region.

Sugestões para padronização da metodologia empregada em estudos palinológicos do Quaternário

A metodologia detalhada a seguir foi definida pelos autores durante reunioes organizadas em Belo Horizonte por ocasiao do 3f? Congresso da Associacao Brasileira de Estudos do Quatemario (ABEQUA) em 1991. Consiste na padronizacao dos metodos de coleta e dos tratamentos fisico-quunicos a serem aplicados na preparacao das amostras destinadas a estudos em Palinologia. E recomendada para estudos palinologicos relacionados com o Quatemario e devera ser utilizada sempre que for possivel, com a finalidade de permitir uma comparacao entre os trabalhos dos diversos autores e a utilizacao dos dados publicados pela comunidade cientifica. Caso as condicoes de conservacao ou a natureza do material nao permitirem o uso desta metodologia, o autor devera descrever detalhadamente o seu procedimento.

Pollen morphology of Brazilian species of Cayaponia Silva Manso (Cucurbitaceae, Cucurbiteae)

The pollen morphology of 30 species of Cayaponia (Cucurbitaceae) from Brazil and one from Mexico is described. Pollen grains are large to gigantic in size (50–>200 μm diameter), spheroidal or suboblate, 3‐ to 8‐zonoporate or 4‐ to 10‐pantoporate. The pori are operculate and have an annulus. The sexine is ornamented by variously sized spines and numerous interjacent pila; in some species the capita of the pila are fused. The sexine (pila) and the nexine 1 (foot layer) together are thicker than the nexine 2 (endexine). The species can be grouped based on pollen grain size, number of apertures, as well as pollen wall ornamentation into three pollen types and four subtypes. In addition to interspecific variation, intraspecific variation was also observed. Pollen identification is provided for species based on light microscopy.

Palynological analysis of Brazilian red propolis samples

Summary Seven samples of Brazilan red propolis were analyzed using palynological methods. The samples originated from the northeastern coastal region of Brazil; three from Alagoas, three from Bahia and one from the Paraíba state. Glandular trichomes were absent in the red propolis, as were sand, earth, quartz and starch grains that normally occur in geopropolis. The presence of pollen grains of Schinus (“aroeira”) was considered characteristic in the red propolis sediments. The quantity of pollen grains of Protium (Burseraceae), another possible resinous plant taxon, was very small when compared with that of Schinus. This tree also occurs beyond the intertide mangrove vegetation. The three characteristic pollen types of mangrove vegetation, Rhizophora, Laguncularia and Avicennia, were recognized only in one sample from Bahia. Pollen grains of Dalbergia ecastophyllum, another red-resinous plant species occurring in the coastal areas of Alagoas, were not detected in the sediment of the propolis samples. Cocos pollen grains were frequent. The palynological analysis was therefore confirmed by the multivariate analysis. The red propolis may be related mainly to resin of Schinus in the studied samples.

Pollen record and paleoenvironment of a 4210 years B.P.old sediment in the Bay of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pollen analysis of a sediment sample obtained at 222 cm from the top of a drilling core collected in the Bay of Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, was used as a tool to obtain more knowledge about pre-historical human living and environment. 14C datation revealed the age of 4210 years B.P. Most frequent pollen grains came from plants like Alchornea (Euphorbiaceae), Celtis (Ulmaceae), Lecythidaceae, Meliaceae, Ochnaceae and spores from forest Pteridophyta. Palynology and environmental studies revealed that agricultural activities could not be detected. The dense tropical rain forest was the dominant vegetation occurring in this region.

Comparative pollen preferences by africanized honeybees Apis mellifera L. of two colonies in Pará de Minas, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The aim of this study was to investigate the polliniferous floral sources used by Apis mellifera (L.) (africanized) in an apiary situated in Pará de Minas, Minas Gerais state, and evaluate the pollen prefences among the beehives. Two beehives of Langstroth type with frontal pollen trap collectors were used. The harvest was made from September 2007 to March 2008, with three samples of pollen pellets colected per month per beehive. The subsamples of 2 grams each were prepared according to the European standard melissopalynological method. A total of 56 pollen types were observed, identifying 43 genus and 32 families. The families that showed the major richness of pollen types were: Mimosaceae (8), Asteraceae (6), Fabaceae (3), Arecaceae (3), Euphorbiaceae (3), Rubiaceae (3), Caesalpiniaceae (2), Moraceae (2) and Myrtaceae (2). The most frequent pollen types (> 45%) were Mimosa scabrella, Myrcia and Sorocea. The results demonstrated a similarity regarding the preferences of floral sources during the major part of the time. There was a distinct utilization of floral sources among the pollen types of minor frequency. In spite of the strong antropic influence, the region showed a great polliniferous variety, which was an indicative of the potential for monofloral as well as heterofloral pollen production.

Analysis of pollen load based on color, physicochemical composition and botanical source

Pollen load samples from 10 hives of Apis mellifera (L.) were analyzed based on their physicochemical composition and botanical source, considering color as a parameter for quality control. In seven samples it was possible to establish the occurrence of more than 80% of a single pollen type, characterizing them as unifloral but with protein content variation. One of the samples was exclusively composed of saprophytic fungi (Cladosporium sp.). Comparing the mean results of the fungi loads with those of the nutritional components of pollen load, the former presented higher protein, mineral matter and dry matter and lower organic matter, ethereal extract and total carbohydrate values. The monochromatic samples met the physicochemical specifications regulating pollen load quality. The results showed that homogeneous coloration of the pollen load was not found to be a good indication of unifloral pollen, confirming the importance of physicochemical analysis and melissopalynological analysis for characterization of the quality of commercial pollen load.

Flora de importância polinífera para Apis mellifera (L.) na região de Viçosa, MG

The objective of this work was to study flora of polliniferous importance for Apis mellifera (L.) in the region of Vicosa-MG, during the period between honey harvests from August to December, 2005. The experiment was carried out in two different apiaries, each one with five beehives. The pellets retained in the pollen collectors in the beehives were analyzed with respect to their botanical origin. The flowering plants surrounding the apiaries were collected and identified. Most plants of polliniferous importance for the bees in the Vicosa region were native, located in gardens and with arboreal habitus. The palynological analysis showed that species such as Anadenanthera colubrina, Arecaceae sp., Baccharis dracunculifolia, B. melastomaefolia, Coffea spp.s are potential polliniferous resources to be used during the period between honey harvests. The results indicate the importance of plants located in open areas for pollen scavenging by A. mellifera, confirming the polliniferous potential of the studied area during the period between honey harvests.

Palynological evidence of the replacement of the hygrophilous forest by field vegetation during the last 7,000 years B.P. in the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Historians claim that European colonizers of the northern coast of Rio de Janeiro State found vast herbaceous fields when arrived in this region. Hypotheses about the origin of these fields include forest burning by the Goitacás indians and periodical floods by the Paraíba do Sul River and the lagoon system. The palynologycal analysis of two lake cores obtained in the municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes revealed opening episodes of hygrophilous forest and the establishment of field vegetation, recorded at ca. 6,500 and ca. 4,000 (14)C yr BP. The partial replacement of forest by field vegetation in the first episode was probably caused by floods of the lower areas during the development of the Holocene lagoon phase. During the second episode, successions of vegetational patterns occurred due to lowering of the sea level. Drying and enlarging of the coastal plain have allowed its colonization by herbs and heliophyte plants. The palynological analysis does not provide any evidence that sustains the theories of use of fire and agricultural activities by indigenous groups during these periods.