Homegreens - Aquaponics System as an Educational Tool towards a Sustainable Future

Aquaponics is an integrated production practice that emerges from the combi-nation of two farming techniques: hydroponics and aquaculture. It consists in a simulation of a natural ecosystem that grows plants without soil substrate in the nutrient enriched waters recirculated from aquaculture systems. This type of production offers several advantages, namely economic and ecological ones. Homegreens is a project that aims to create small saltwater and freshwater aquaponic sys-tems, which can be installed in schools and serve as a didactic tool for introducing contents such as biology and sustainability to a juvenile audience. Implemented by a designers, biol-ogists and agronomists’ multidisciplinary team, the methodology was based on the develop-ment and quantitative validation of prototypes, and the installation and qualitative analyses of user’s interaction. These small scale aquaponic systems consists on a grow bed, an aquarium with a capacity for 45L, a protection barrier for the plant’s roots, aeration, biofilters and a thermostat. Sever-al simplified models were developed, presented and installed in two primary schools. Labor-atory tests were conducted to validate the use of a cork grow bed and a 3D printed polya-cid lactic (PLA) aeration and biofilter system. Children’s engagement and interaction with these simplified models, indicates that these systems will provide a biology and sustainability related group learning opportunity.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Age mediates access to landfill food resources and foraging proficiency in a long-lived bird species

Human activities have altered the availability of resources for wildlife. Landfill sites now provide abundant and predictable anthropogenic food subsidies worldwide, sustaining increasing numbers of opportunistic species and shaping their foraging behaviour. However, although individuals may differ in their ability to use these resources, the factors influencing this variability within species are still poorly known. Using GPS data from 68 adult and 67 juvenile white storks, Ciconia ciconia, tracked during their premigratory periods between 2018 and 2020, we investigated whether age determines landfill attendance and the ability to compete for space and food. Additionally, using video recordings of 165 adults and 124 juveniles obtained in the 2020 premigratory period, we investigated whether age influences landfill foraging proficiency and dominance over resources. Adult storks visited landfills on 57% of the days, while juveniles only visited landfills on 29% of the days. There was strong competition for food at landfills, with adults exerting dominance over juveniles, foraging predominantly in areas with higher food availability and outcompeting juveniles in food acquisition. Juveniles had significantly lower food intake rates in the best foraging areas and showed less aggressiveness, being forced to use adjacent lower quality areas. Overall, juveniles had limited access to landfill resources, suggesting that landfill diet specialization is mediated by age-related improvements in foraging expertise and increased competitiveness developed during maturation. Thus, landfill use is shaping foraging strategies and species behaviour from an early age, with potential consequences for population dynamics

Fisher's perceptions about a marine protected area over time

The perceptions of fishers towards the Arrábida Marine Park, a marine protected area (MPA) in the west coast of Portugal, were studied through face-to-face interviews in two different moments of the MPA life cycle. Fishers' perceptions about the MPA and the impact it had on the fishing activity over time were identified just before the full implementation of the zoning and regulations of the management plan and 10 years later. This study aimed to investigate fishers' knowledge, acceptance and perceptions about the MPA changed with time, if support for the MPA was linked to the impact of the MPA on the fishing activity, and if fishers' perceptions about the impact of the MPA on the fishing activity match with local landings trends. Results show that although knowledge about the marine park significantly improved over time, fishers' acceptance did not. A decrease on fishers' support was not substantial but occurred. Issues such as the disagreement with regulations reinforced concerns raised during the implementation of the marine park, particularly in relation to the top-down decision-making, which commonly confers minor participation, recognition and legitimacy to fishers. Apparently, fisheries benefits were still not perceived by local fishers, though they are central for fishers' support. Further, the perceived negative impacts of the park seemed to be more related to social aspects and individual interests than to impacts on catches. Addressing adequate management, enforcement and participation of local fishers is still possible and are advocated here as to contribute to the expected socioecological outcomes and respective support, leading to the future successful performance of the Arrábida Marine Park. Assessing fishers’ perceptions towards an MPA over time is central and should be included on periodical socioecological monitoring and inform an effective adaptive managementFudação ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio

Star-Shaped Gold Nanoparticles as Friendly Interfaces for Protein Electrochemistry: the Case Study of Cytochrome c

UID/QUI/50006/2019 POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐007265 UID/Multi/04378/2019 POCI‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐007728 PTDC/NAN‐MAT/30589/2017 grant NORTE‐01‐0145‐FEDER‐000011 SFRH/BD/132057/2017Gold nanostars with an average tip-to-tip length of 52±6 nm were functionalized with different capping agents and used as electrode modification materials for protein electrochemistry. Direct electron transfer between cytochrome c and nanostar-coated pyrolytic graphite electrodes was observed with the protein in solution. The electrochemical response was improved at nanostars functionalized with a 1 : 1 mixture of 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid in comparison with gold nanospheres coated with a similar functionalization. Further immobilization of cytochrome c on pyrolytic graphite while conjugated with the same nanostars guaranteed the maintenance of the protein's native properties, whereas direct adsorption on the bare or nanostar-modified electrodes resulted in an altered conformational state. The pseudo-peroxidase activity of the altered cytochrome c was enhanced in the presence of the nanostars.publishe

Combining remote sensing and tracking data to quantify species' cumulative exposure to anthropogenic change

Identifying when and where organisms are exposed to anthropogenic change is crucial for diagnosing the drivers of biodiversity declines and implementing effective conservation measures. Accurately measuring individual-scale exposure to anthropogenic impacts across the annual cycle as they move across continents requires an approach that is both spatially and temporally explicit—now achievable through recent parallel advances in remote-sensing and individual tracking technologies. We combined 10 years of tracking data for a long-distance migrant, (common cuckoo, Cuculus canorus), with multi-dimensional remote-sensed spatial datasets encompassing thirteen relevant anthropogenic impacts (including infrastructure, hunting, habitat change, and climate change), to quantify mean hourly and total accumulated exposure of tracked individuals to anthropogenic change across each stage of the annual cycle. Although mean hourly exposure to anthropogenic change was greatest in the breeding stage, accumulated exposure to changes associated with direct mortality risks (e.g., built infrastructure) and with climate were greatest during the wintering stage, which comprised 63% of the annual cycle on average for tracked individuals. Exposure to anthropogenic change varied considerably within and between migratory flyways, but there were no clear between-flyway differences in overall exposure during migration stages. However, more easterly autumn migratory routes were significantly associated with lower subsequent exposure to anthropogenic impacts in the winter stage. Cumulative change exposure was not significantly associated with recent local-scale population trends in the breeding range, possibly because cuckoos from shared breeding areas may follow divergent migration routes and therefore encounter very different risk landscapes. Our study highlights the potential for the integration of tracking data and high-resolution remote sensing to generate valuable and detailed new insights into the impacts of environmental change on wild species

Behavior and biological aspects of <i>Acanthoscelides obtectus</i> (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in common landraces bean, <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>

O feijão é uma fonte natural de proteínas e constitui um produto de grande importância econômica e social. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se estudar a influência de diferentes cultivares “crioulas” de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) de polinização aberta, sobre o comportamento e a biologia do caruncho do feijão Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento completamente casualizado com grãos de 22 cultivares crioulas de feijão, composto por 16 repetições, oferecidos aos carunchos em teste com chance de escolha. Utilizaram-se parcelas com 13 g de grãos de cada cultivar e liberados cinco casais adultos por cultivar. Foi avaliado a atratividade, a oviposição, a viabilidade de ovos, a emergência e o peso de adultos, o período de desenvolvimento e a perda de peso das sementes. Em média, 77,8% dos adultos alojaram-se entre os grãos. Os cultivares BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 e 192 foram significativamente menos atrativos e menos preferidos para a oviposição. Já os cultivares BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 foram aqueles em que os adultos preferiam alojar-se e consequentemente depositaram maior número de ovos. Significativa redução na emergência foi observada nos cultivares BAFs 3, 97 e 192. Insetos oriundos dos cultivares BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 mostraram menor consumo da massa de grãos, mas não diferiram no peso quando comparados aos insetos emergidos nos demais genótipos. Conclui-se que os cultivares BAFs 3, 192 e 97 foram menos atrativos e também aqueles em que menos adultos de A. obtectus emergiram.Bean is a natural source of proteins and has a high economic and social importance. The objective of this research was to study the influence of different common landrace beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the behavior and biology of bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). In a statistical randomized design with sixteen repetitions, grains of twenty two common beans landraces were offered to the bean weevil in a free choice test. Plots with 13 g of each variety and a proportion of 5 adult pairs/plot were used. The attractiveness, oviposition, emergence and adult weight, developmental period and seed weight loss were assessed. An average of 78 % of adults beetle were attracted for the tested genotypes. The varieties BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 and 192 were significantly less attractive and less preferred to oviposition. However the varieties BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 attracted a major number of adults and consequently the number of eggs laid was higher. Significantly less bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 3, 97 and 192. Bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 showed less food consumption but did not differed on body mass from the bean weevil emerged of the others beans grain varieties.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Behavior and biological aspects of <i>Acanthoscelides obtectus</i> (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in common landraces bean, <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>

O feijão é uma fonte natural de proteínas e constitui um produto de grande importância econômica e social. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se estudar a influência de diferentes cultivares “crioulas” de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) de polinização aberta, sobre o comportamento e a biologia do caruncho do feijão Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento completamente casualizado com grãos de 22 cultivares crioulas de feijão, composto por 16 repetições, oferecidos aos carunchos em teste com chance de escolha. Utilizaram-se parcelas com 13 g de grãos de cada cultivar e liberados cinco casais adultos por cultivar. Foi avaliado a atratividade, a oviposição, a viabilidade de ovos, a emergência e o peso de adultos, o período de desenvolvimento e a perda de peso das sementes. Em média, 77,8% dos adultos alojaram-se entre os grãos. Os cultivares BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 e 192 foram significativamente menos atrativos e menos preferidos para a oviposição. Já os cultivares BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 foram aqueles em que os adultos preferiam alojar-se e consequentemente depositaram maior número de ovos. Significativa redução na emergência foi observada nos cultivares BAFs 3, 97 e 192. Insetos oriundos dos cultivares BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 mostraram menor consumo da massa de grãos, mas não diferiram no peso quando comparados aos insetos emergidos nos demais genótipos. Conclui-se que os cultivares BAFs 3, 192 e 97 foram menos atrativos e também aqueles em que menos adultos de A. obtectus emergiram.Bean is a natural source of proteins and has a high economic and social importance. The objective of this research was to study the influence of different common landrace beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the behavior and biology of bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). In a statistical randomized design with sixteen repetitions, grains of twenty two common beans landraces were offered to the bean weevil in a free choice test. Plots with 13 g of each variety and a proportion of 5 adult pairs/plot were used. The attractiveness, oviposition, emergence and adult weight, developmental period and seed weight loss were assessed. An average of 78 % of adults beetle were attracted for the tested genotypes. The varieties BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 and 192 were significantly less attractive and less preferred to oviposition. However the varieties BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 attracted a major number of adults and consequently the number of eggs laid was higher. Significantly less bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 3, 97 and 192. Bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 showed less food consumption but did not differed on body mass from the bean weevil emerged of the others beans grain varieties.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Behavior and biological aspects of <i>Acanthoscelides obtectus</i> (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in common landraces bean, <i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i>

O feijão é uma fonte natural de proteínas e constitui um produto de grande importância econômica e social. Neste trabalho, objetivou-se estudar a influência de diferentes cultivares “crioulas” de feijão (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) de polinização aberta, sobre o comportamento e a biologia do caruncho do feijão Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). O experimento foi conduzido sob delineamento completamente casualizado com grãos de 22 cultivares crioulas de feijão, composto por 16 repetições, oferecidos aos carunchos em teste com chance de escolha. Utilizaram-se parcelas com 13 g de grãos de cada cultivar e liberados cinco casais adultos por cultivar. Foi avaliado a atratividade, a oviposição, a viabilidade de ovos, a emergência e o peso de adultos, o período de desenvolvimento e a perda de peso das sementes. Em média, 77,8% dos adultos alojaram-se entre os grãos. Os cultivares BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 e 192 foram significativamente menos atrativos e menos preferidos para a oviposição. Já os cultivares BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 foram aqueles em que os adultos preferiam alojar-se e consequentemente depositaram maior número de ovos. Significativa redução na emergência foi observada nos cultivares BAFs 3, 97 e 192. Insetos oriundos dos cultivares BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 mostraram menor consumo da massa de grãos, mas não diferiram no peso quando comparados aos insetos emergidos nos demais genótipos. Conclui-se que os cultivares BAFs 3, 192 e 97 foram menos atrativos e também aqueles em que menos adultos de A. obtectus emergiram.Bean is a natural source of proteins and has a high economic and social importance. The objective of this research was to study the influence of different common landrace beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on the behavior and biology of bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say). In a statistical randomized design with sixteen repetitions, grains of twenty two common beans landraces were offered to the bean weevil in a free choice test. Plots with 13 g of each variety and a proportion of 5 adult pairs/plot were used. The attractiveness, oviposition, emergence and adult weight, developmental period and seed weight loss were assessed. An average of 78 % of adults beetle were attracted for the tested genotypes. The varieties BAFs 3, 47, 68, 97, 121 and 192 were significantly less attractive and less preferred to oviposition. However the varieties BAFs 4, 7, 23, 75 e 102 attracted a major number of adults and consequently the number of eggs laid was higher. Significantly less bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 3, 97 and 192. Bean weevil emerged from the grains of the varieties BAFs 13, 55, 84 e 192 showed less food consumption but did not differed on body mass from the bean weevil emerged of the others beans grain varieties.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestale

Testing alternative methods for estimation of bird migration phenology from GPS tracking data

The development and miniaturization of GPS tracking devices has enabled a better understanding of migration phenology, but it can be challenging to identify where and when migration starts and ends, and researchers rely on multiple methods to infer it. Here, we use GPS tracks of 18 trans-Saharan migrant White Storks Ciconia ciconia to determine how the choice of method influences the estimation of migratory timing and discuss its implications. We evaluate and provide R code for the implementation of five alternative methods: spatial threshold, absolute displacement, spatio-temporal displacement, net squared displacement and change point analysis. Spatial threshold, absolute displacement and spatio-temporal displacement methods produce, in most cases, significantly different estimates of migration timing and duration as compared with net squared displacement and change point analysis