Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Utilização de biofilme comestível na conservação de pimentão 'Magali R' em duas condições de armazenamento Use of edible biofilm in the conservation of sweet pepper 'Magali R' under two conditions of storage

A fim de promover a conservação pós-colheita de frutas e hortaliças, as embalagens biodegradáveis à base de amido, pectinas, celulose e outros polímeros, revelam resultados variáveis a depender dos vegetais tratados. Assim, o presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito de biofilme à base de fécula de mandioca na conservação dos frutos de pimentão 'Magali R', armazenados à temperatura ambiente e sob refrigeração. Os frutos foram selecionados, lavados, desinfetados, revestidos com biofilme de fécula de mandioca nas concentrações de 3%, 4% e 5% e armazenados por até 20 dias a 24,5 &plusmn; 3 ºC e 60,5 &plusmn; 12% UR e a 10 &plusmn; 1 ºC e 90 &plusmn; 5% UR. Os efeitos dos tratamentos foram avaliados por meio da perda de massa, da firmeza do fruto e do teor de sólidos solúveis, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições e dois frutos por parcela, no esquema fatorial 4 x 6 x 2. Pelos resultados, verifica-se que o uso de biofilme de fécula de mandioca nas concentrações utilizadas não foi eficiente em retardar o metabolismo pós-colheita e prolongar a conservação de pimentões 'Magali R' refrigerados ou não; o uso de refrigeração a 10 &plusmn; 1 ºC e 90 &plusmn; 5% UR, sem associação com biofilme, foi eficiente em manter os pimentões Magali R com perda de massa inferior aos 15%, estabelecido como limite para a vida útil, por até 20 dias de armazenamento, enquanto em temperatura ambiente a vida útil foi de apenas por oito dias.<br>Trying to promote the conservation postharvest of fruits and vegetables to the biodegradable packings the base of starch, pectins, cellulose and other polymeric, show results variables to depend on the vegetables treaties. The present work had as objective evaluates the biofilm effect to the base of cassava starch in the conservation of sweet peppers Magali R, stored to room ambient and under cooling. The fruits were selected, washed, disinfected, covered with biofilm of cassava starch in the concentrations of 3, 4, and 5% and stored for up to 20 days to room ambient with 24,5 &plusmn; 3ºC e 60,5 &plusmn; 12% RU and to 10 &plusmn; 1ºC and 90 &plusmn; 5% RU. The effects of the treatments were appraised through the mass loss, of the firmness of the fruit and tenor of soluble solids, in entirely randomized design, with three repetitions and two fruits for parcel, in the factorial outline 4 x 6 x 2. The results indicate that the use of biofilm of cassava starch was not efficient in to delay the metabolism postharvest and to prolong the conservation of sweet peppers Magali R refrigerated or not; the use of cooling to 10 &plusmn; 1ºC and 90 &plusmn; 5% RU, without association with biofilm, was efficient in maintaining the sweet peppers Magali R with mass loss inferior to the 15%, established as limit for the self life for up to 20 days of storage, while in room temperature the self life was of just eight days

Physico-chemical characterization of 'Zarco HS' yellow bell pepper for different ripeness stages Caracterização físico-química de pimentão amarelo 'Zarco HS' em diferentes estádios de maturação

The bell pepper presents alterations in its composition and its properties with the process of senescence during ripening. These composition and textual factors are part of the quality of the fruit and therefore of the selection. This permits the correct knowledge of the factors necessary for post-harvest measures, so that they can be adequately applied. The aim of this study is to analyze the 'Zarco HS' yellow pepper at various levels of ripeness taking into account its physico-chemical properties (titratable acidity, pH, total soluble solids, water content, and ascorbic acid), in order to understand this behavior during the ripening process. Bell peppers were separated based on their yellow percentage, which varied from 0% to 100%, and for each percentage five fruits were chosen as replicates. They were compared to 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% levels of ripening, due to the difficulty of the methodology in identifying the smaller differences between coloring. The 'Zarco HS' yellow bell pepper presents greater levels of soluble solids and lower levels of malic acid as the percentage of external yellow coloring increases. The yellow bell peppers, especially when totally yellow, represent an important source of vitamin C.<br>O pimentão apresenta, durante seu amadurecimento, alterações com o processo de senescência. Estes fatores de composição e propriedades texturais fazem parte da qualidade de frutas e hortaliças e, portanto da seleção. Isto faz com que seja necessário o correto conhecimento destes fatores, para que, através de testes físico-químicos, as tecnologias de conservação após a colheita possam ser adequadamente aplicadas. Este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar o pimentão amarelo 'Zarco HS' com vários graus de maturação quanto às propriedades físico-químicas (acidez titulável, pH, sólidos solúveis totais, teor de umidade e ácido ascórbico), para conhecimento deste comportamento durante o processo de amadurecimento. Os pimentões foram separados pela porcentagem de amarelo, que variou de 0% a 100%, e para cada porcentagem foram escolhidos 5 frutos, sendo cada fruto uma repetição. Os frutos foram comparados por faixas de amadurecimento, 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% e 100% devido à dificuldade de metodologia para identificar diferenças menores entre as colorações. O pimentão amarelo 'Zarco HS' apresenta níveis maiores de sólidos solúveis e níveis menores de ácido málico conforme aumenta a porcentagem externa de coloração amarelo. Pimentões, principalmente os totalmente amarelos, representam importante fonte de vitamina C