Elements of the water - food - environment nexus for integrated sustainability analysis.

Water and food security are constantly on the sustainable development agenda since they are interrelated with anthropogenic and ecosystemic issues present in the economic, environmental, and social spheres. The non-integrative management of these issues points to unsustainable futures. In this context, nexus approaches deserve considerable attention in the search for integrative management solutions capable of contributing to leveraging synergies that increase agricultural productivity, while simultaneously reducing environmental impacts, including water resources. This systematic literature review article aims to analyze the integration factors from the perspective of the water - food - environment nexus in the context of water and agricultural sustainability. The systematic methodology, including a content analysis, allowed the identification of analytical categories composed of the most present integrating factors and discussed in the scientific scope and how they are correlated from the perspective of the nexus. Among the extensive number of factors, the systemic management inserted in the integrated management of watersheds, the sustainable intensification from the perspective of food security and the demand for water resources, categorized in water security, presented higher frequency of occurrence when compared with the other factors. It is proposed that these factors can be considered as indicators of sustainability in the context of integrated water resources management and agricultural food production, since their synergistic effects have consequences in the water, agricultural and environmental management sectors. Thus, this study stands out for identifying trends and gaps in the water - food - environment nexus that can contribute to the development of innovative decision-making tools, in order to assist in the management of the watershed, where agriculture plays a key role in socio-environmental issues.

Distribution and diversity of earthworms in different land use systems in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, includes both the Pampa and Atlantic Forest biomes, and covers an area of around 284 thousand km2. Since the last checklist for the state, published in 2012, many additional sites have been sampled. Hence, we provide here a full list of earthworm species and their distribution in different municipalities and land use systems in the state. Data were obtained from the literature, museums, and other earthworm collections and recent sampling efforts. Records for 19 additional species are reported here for the first time, raising the total to 78 species/subspecies currently known from Rio Grande do Sul, from the families Acanthodrilidae (5), Benhamiidae (3), Lumbricidae (13), Megascolecidae (11), Ocnerodrilidae (22), Almidae (2), Glossoscolecidae (18) and Rhinodrilidae (5). Alexidrilus Righi, 1971 is synonymized with Urobenus Benham, 1886, as both species in the genus (A. littoralis Ljungström, 1972 and A. lourdesae Righi, 1971) have similar morphology to the type species Urobenus brasiliensis Benham, 1886. Most of the native species/subspecies in the state (39), including an important number of new species, were found in native vegetation with lesser disturbance, such as swamps, native forests and pastures. On the other hand, the three peregrine and 27 exotic species (especially Pontoscolex corethrurus, Eukerria spp., lumbricids, megascolecids, Dichogaster spp., and Microscolex spp.) dominated in disturbed sites, such as compost piles, urban areas, rice and other crops, and cultivated pastures. Considering the geographic extension and the many unsampled sites in the state, further collection efforts are necessary and will certainly reveal new species, as evidenced here.

Pesticides in a case study on no-tillage farming systems and surrounding forest patches in Brazil.

With the growing global concern on pesticide management, the relationship between its environmental recalcitrance, food security and human health has never been more relevant. Pesticides residues are known to cause significant environmental contamination. Here, we present a case study on long-term no-tillage farming systems in Brazil, where Glyphosate (GLY) has been applied for more than 35 years. GLY and its main breakdown product, aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were determined in topsoil (0-10 cm) samples from no-tillage fields and nearby subtropical secondary forests by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a fluorescence detector. In addition, the presence of carbamates, organochlorines, organophosphates and triazines were also screened for. GLY and AMPA were present in all soil samples, reaching values higher than those described for soils so far in the literature. A significant decrease for AMPA was observed only between the secondary forest and the farm's middle slope for site B. GLY and AMPA were observed respectively at peak concentrations of 66.38 and 26.03 mg/kg soil. GLY was strongly associated with forest soil properties, while AMPA associated more with no-tillage soil properties. Soil texture was a significant factor contributing to discrimination of the results as clay and sand contents affect GLY and AMPA retention in soils. This was the first study to report DDT and metabolites in consolidated no-tillage soils in Brazil (a pesticide fully banned since 2009). Based on human risk assessment conducted herein and the potential risk of GLY to local soil communities, this study offers a baseline for future studies on potential adverse effects on soil biota, and mechanistic studies.

Earthworm species in Musa spp. plantations in Brazil and worldwide.

Bananas and plantains are major commodity/food crops that represent an important habitat for earthworms, although so far, no review is available on earthworm communities associated with banana/plantain crops worldwide. The Vale do Ribeira region is among the largest banana producing areas in Brazil, but little is known of the earthworms living there. Hence, the present study assessed earthworm populations and species in three banana plantations and adjacent Atlantic forest fragments along the Ribeira de Iguape River using standard (hand sorting) methodologies. Furthermore, we review earthworm populations reported in banana/plantain plantations worldwide. Only two species (Pontoscolex corethrurus, Amynthas gracilis) belonging to two families (Rhinodrilidae, Megascolecidae) were found in the Ribeira River valley, occurring concurrently. Abundance was low (< 13 indiv. m-2) compared with other banana plantations worldwide, that frequently surpassed 100 indiv. m-2. More than 70 studies reported earthworms from >200 banana plantations in 28 countries, and mean species richness was 2.7 per site, ranging from 1 to 10 species. Exotics predominated in most sites and P. corethrurus was the most prevalent species encountered. Overall, more than 104 species from 10 families were reported, with around 61 native and 43 exotic widespread species, mainly of the Megascolecidae, Lumbricidae and Acanthodrilidae families. Richness was highest in India (27 spp.) and the Canary Islands (25 spp.), but native species dominated only in a few countries and sites, while exotics were prevalent especially in island countries and Brazil. Lower-input practices appear to be important for earthworm communities and banana plantations can have large earthworm populations in some cases, which may be contributing to soil processes and plant production, topics that deserve further attention. However, many important banana-producing countries have not yet been evaluated, so further work is warranted, both in terms of applied ecology and biodiversity.

Accessing the subterranean ant fauna (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in native and modified subtropical landscapes in the Neotropics / Avaliação da mirmecofauna subterrânea (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) em paisagens nativas e modificadas na região subtropical do Neotrópico

Abstract: Several studies have characterized and delimited subterranean ant assemblages. Soil extraction, one of the methods employed to access this fauna, employs the removal of monoliths. One of the most widely used methods for the extraction of soil sampling is called TSBF (developed by the Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Programme). This method provides relevant data about the species associated with the soil. In the present study we characterized assemblages of subterranean ants using the TSBF method in different subtropical areas of the Neotropics. We considered two sampling designs in different localities. The first design resulted in 315 TSBF samples obtained from layers at distinct depths. The second design resulted in 270 TSBF samples and 270 epigaeic pitfall trap samples. This material was used to delimit the species that occur exclusively in the subterranean stratum (TSBF) and that are not found on the soil surface. A total of 281 species were recorded. Of these, 57 can be considered subterranean, based on their occurrence in subterranean strata. We also verified that the highest occurrence of ants was in the first 10 cm of soil depth. Due to the importance of using methods that efficiently extract the subterranean ant fauna in studies, we suggest the TSBF method should be used to sample ants or to associate this method with epigaeic pitfall traps to delimit strictly subterranean assemblages in specific community stratification studies.

Resumo: Vários estudos têm caracterizado e delimitado assembleias de formigas subterrâneas. A extração de solo, um dos métodos utilizados para amostragem dessa fala, implica na remoção de monólitos. Um dos métodos mais utilizados na extração de monólitos é chamado TSBF (desenvolvido pelo Programa Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility). Esse método fornece dados extremamente relevantes sobre as espécies associadas ao solo. No presente estudo, nós caracterizamos as assembleias de formigas subterrâneas usando o método TSBF em diferentes áreas subtropicais do Neotrópico. Utilizamos dois delineamentos amostrais distintos. O primeiro delineamento resultou em 315 amostras de TSBF obtidas a partir da estratificação do solo. O segundo resultou em 270 amostras de TSBF mais 270 provenientes de armadilhas pitfall epigeicas. Esse material foi utilizado para delimitar espécies que ocorrem exclusivamente no estrato subterrâneo (TSBF) e não são encontradas na superfície do solo. Registramos um total de 281 espécies. Destas, 57 podem ser consideradas subterrâneas (baseado na ocorrência no respectivo estrato). Também verificamos que a maior ocorrência de formigas se deu nos primeiros 10 cm de profundidade. Devido à importância do uso de métodos que coletem eficientemente formigas subterrâneas, sugerimos o uso do método TSBF em estudos de estratificação de comunidades ou sua associação a armadilhas do tipo pitfall epigeica para delimitar assembleias estritamente subterrâneas.

Earthworm diversity in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

The knowledge regarding earthworm species richness in subtropical Brazil is limited, particularly in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), where only a few sites have been sampled. In this study we assessed earthworm richness in different ecosystems of RS, prioritizing un-sampled regions. Fifteen ecosystems, including native vegetation and other ecosystems with variable levels of disturbance were sampled in 30 counties in RS, totaling 77 sampling points, mainly in the Pampa biome. Qualitative sampling was performed by handsorting soil monoliths and fixing the earthworms in 4% formalin solution. Species identification was based on morphological characters, and species richness and Shannon (H) and McIntosh (U) diversity indices were calculated for each ecosystem. Twenty-one earthworm species were identified, belonging to seven families: Glossoscolecidae (8), Rhinodrilidae (2), Ocnerodrilidae (4), Megascolecidae (4), Acanthodrilidae (1), Lumbricidae (1) and Criodrilidae (1). From these, ten are new species belonging to the genera: Glossoscolex (6), Fimoscolex (1), Kerriona (1), Eukerria (1), and one aquatic species of the Criodrilidae family, belonging to a new genus. Most of the native species (Urobenus brasiliensis, Fimoscolex n.sp.1 and the Glossoscolex spp.) predominated in ecosystems little altered by human activity, while exotic (Amynthas gracilis, Amynthas rodericensis, Metaphire californica, Aporrectodea trapezoides) and peregrine species (Pontoscolex corethrurus) predominated in areas with more human disturbance. Native ecosystems with lower disturbance, particularly forests and native pastures had higher diversity than disturbed sites. This is the first record of A. rodericencis for Brazil and most sites represent new collection records for the known species in RS.

Economic and soil quality indicators in soybean crops grown under integrated crop-livestock and winter-grain cultivation systems / Relação entre indicadores econômicos e edáficos de qualidade do solo em lavouras de soja com ILP ou produção de grãos no inverno

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between economic indicators of soybean crops ( Glycine max L.) cultivated with Crop-Livestock Integration (CLI) or with grain production in winter, and the chemical, physical and biological attributes of the soil. It was selected ten agricultural sites in Santa Catarina to measure economic results and edaphic attributes, data was submitted to a Principal Components Analysis (PCA). Results indicated that soybean production in the summer and grain production in the winter yielded better economic results compared with summer soybean and CLI in winter. This reflects the higher productivity of the crops (9.1%) and the improved chemical, physical, and biological attributes of the soil (with the exception of organic matter content and macroporosity, which were better under the soybean system with CLI).

RESUMO: O estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a relação entre resultados econômicos de lavouras de soja ( Glycine maxL.) cultivadas com Integração Lavoura-Pecuária (ILP) ou produção de grãos no inverno e atributos químicos, físicos e biológicos do solo. Foram selecionadas dez propriedades rurais, consideradas referência em Santa Catarina, para a determinação dos resultados econômicos das lavouras de soja e dos atributos edáficos, que foram submetidos à análise de componentes principais (ACP). Os resultados indicam que o sistema de produção de soja no verão e grãos no inverno apresentou melhores resultados econômicos em comparação com o sistema de soja no verão e ILP no inverno. Este resultado decorre da maior produtividade das lavouras (9,1%), devido às melhores condições químicas, físicas e biológicas do solo, com exceção do teor de matéria orgânica e da macroporosidade, que ficaram mais associadas ao sistema soja com ILP.

Toxicity of AMPA to the earthworm Eisenia andrei Bouché, 1972 in tropical artificial soil.

Aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) - one of glyphosate's main metabolites - has been classified as persistent in soils, raising concern regarding the widespread use of glyphosate in agriculture and forestry. Glyphosate may have negative or neutral effects on soil biota, but no information is available on the toxicity of AMPA to soil invertebrates. Therefore our aim was to study the effect of AMPA on mortality and reproduction of the earthworm species Eisenia andrei using standard soil ecotoxicological methods (ISO). Field-relevant concentrations of AMPA had no significant effects on mortality in acute or chronic assays. Except at the highest concentration tested, a significant biomass loss was observed compared to controls in the chronic assay. The number of juveniles and cocoons increased with higher concentrations of AMPA applied, but their mean weights decreased. This mass loss indicates higher sensitivity of juveniles than adults to AMPA. Our results suggest that earthworms coming from parents grown in contaminated soils may have reduced growth, limiting their beneficial roles in key soil ecosystem functions. Nevertheless, further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying the sublethal effects observed here.