Growth model analysis of wild hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) nestlings based on long-term monitoring in the Brazilian Pantanal.

Studies on the breeding of vulnerable and endangered bird species are hindered by low numbers of individuals, inaccessible location of nests, unfavourable environmental conditions, and complex behavioural patterns. In addition, intraspecific variation may emerge only following long-term, systematic observations of little-known patterns and processes. Here, data collected over 30 years were used to determine growth model of hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) chicks in the Pantanal biome of Brazil. During this period, the speed of growth and body mass of chicks varied widely. Four growth models were tested: logistic, Gompertz, Richards, and cubic polynomial. They were fitted using three biometric measurements: body mass, total length, and tail length. The best-fitting growth curves were identified using Akaike's information criterion. The best models were the cubic polynomial for body mass, Richards for total length, and Gompertz for tail length. We confirmed the occurrence of dwarf individuals, whose body mass, total length, and tail length were 20%, 22%, and 70% smaller, respectively, than in the overall population. The dwarfs remain small in size after having fledged and are easily identified as adults. We discuss the importance of long-term studies to identify windows of opportunity for further research that will help in the conservation of endangered macaw species.

Los intereses creados / The bonds of interest

En 1936, al estallar la guerra civil española, Don Jacinto Benavente y Martínez, premio Nobel de literatura en 1922 (1), fue evacuado de Madrid a Valencia, en donde el legítimo gobierno republicano había instalado la capital luego del alzamiento de los nacionalistas de Franco. Allí permanecería hasta la victoria del bando sublevado en 1939. En el intervalo, en una entrevista que concedió en 1938 al diario comunista francés L'Humanité, declaró que preferiría "caer de inanición, o morir aplastado por las bombas, antes que postrarse a los pies de los invasores". Sin embargo, en 1939, cuando llegaron "los invasores", Benavente esperó con aire digno el ingreso triunfal a la ciudad del General Aranda, director del Cuerpo de Ejército de Galicia, y al verlo se le abrazó trémulo diciéndole: "¡Ya sabe usted, mi general!, ¡me obligaron!, ¡me obligaron!" (2). Lo cierto es que, con 70 años y siendo ya proverbial su ambigüedad política, había tratado durante esos años de la guerra civil de congraciarse con los republicanos acomodándose a cualquiera de los partidos políticos que permanecieron fieles a la República, pero, puesto que los comunistas y los socialistas contaban en sus filas con suficientes figuras intelectuales como para querer a su lado al ambiguo Benavente, este tuvo que limitarse a colaborar, esto sí abiertamente, con la prensa anarquista.

Root tip chromosome karyotype analysis of hyacinth cultivars.

Karyotype analysis in plants helps to reveal the affinity relationships of species and their genetic evolution. The current study aimed to observe chromosome karyotypes and structures of Hyacinthus orientalis. Twenty hyacinth cultivars were introduced from Holland, and their water-cultivated root tips were used as experimental samples. A solution of colchicine (0.02%) and 8-hydroxyquinoline (0.02 M) was used as a 20-h pre-treatment. Subsequently, Carnot I was used for fixation and 45% acetic acid was used for dissociation. The squash method was selected to prepare chromosome spreads for microscopic observation. The basic chromosome number of the hyacinth cultivar was 8, and the number of chromosomes in the diploid, triploid, tetraploid, and aneuploid cultivars was 16, 23, 24, 31, and 32, respectively. The L-type chromosome was predominant in the chromosomal composition. The hyacinth satellite was located on the short arm in numbers equivalent to the ploidy. This satellite is located on the middle-sized chromosome in the fourth group of chromosomes, demonstrating that Hyacinthus has a more primitive evolution than Lilium and Polygonatum. Among 20 hyacinth cultivars, 'Fondant' had the highest level of evolution and a maximum asymmetric coefficient of 61.69%. Moreover, the ratio between the shortest and longest chromosomes in this cultivar was 4.40, and its karyotype was type 2C. This study may elucidate long-term homonym and synonym phenomena. It may also provide a method of cytological identification as well as direct proof of the high outcross compatibility between hyacinth cultivars.

The effect of water hyacinths for wastewater treatment under Cuban climatic conditions.

The purification capacity of systems using floating aquatic plants depend on the climatic conditions under which they are used. This study from Cuban conditions evaluate the effects of the organic loading rate, hydraulic loading rate and water depth on the purification capacity of water hyacinths, as well as the effect of some climatic variables on the kinetics of the treatment processes. The experimental system consisted of two consecutive tanks simulating a system of ponds in series. The water depths used were 0.5 m and 1.12 m. In the shallower system with shorter retention times and greater superficial organic loading higher removal efficiencies are obtained. With the data obtained, empirical relations were sought. From these correlations it is possible to determine the values for some parameters used in the design of aquatic treatment systems with water hyacinths. The results revealed a relationship between the purification capacity of the water hyacinth and its velocity of growth. The specific velocity of growth varied with the months of the year and was associated with the temperature and the solar radiation. A multiple correlation equation describing these relations was obtained.

La bora (Eichhornia crassipes) (mart.) solms-laub): alternativa para la eliminación de fenol en aguas residuales / The water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (mart.) solms-laub): alternative to the phenol removal in waste water

Eichhornia crassipes, planta acuática vascular ampliamente distribuida en las regiones tropicales y subtropicales del mundo, ha sido muy utilizada para el tratamiento de aguas residuales domésticas. Se presenta como una alternativa para la remoción de compuestos orgánicos tóxicos como el fenol y sus derivados, muy frecuentes en los efluentes de origen industrial. En el presente trabajo, la planta mostró tolerancia a altas concentraciones de fenol (25, 50 y 100 ppm), muy por encima de las concentraciones usualmente presentes en las aguas residuales industriales. Tanto en sistemas experimentales funcionando en condiciones estáticas como dinámicas, la planta demostró no solo una alta remoción del fenol, sino también para remover altas cargas de materia orgánica. Se propone la participación en el proceso tanto del sistema radical de la planta como de los microorganismos asociados. Se dá particular relevancia a las interacciones planta-microorganismos