Earthworms in the conversion of natural grasslands to agropastoral systems-a preliminary study in Vale Verde, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Soils, in addition to supporting agricultural production, are the source of a wide diversity of essential ecosystem functions and services performed by invertebrate organisms. Earthworms play a key role as ecosystem engineers, but little is known about the diversity of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and even less concerning land-use conversion scenarios. Earthworms were sampled using the TSBF method in natural grassland (NG1) in July 2018 and subsequently converted to soybean in an agropastoral system (AP) in December 2018 and July 2019.

Effects of rare earth elements (REE) on terrestrial organisms: current status and future directions.

Rare Earth Elements (REE) are becoming increasingly important economically and highly exploited, thus contributing to REE increases in ecosystems. The ecotoxicological effects of REE on the terrestrial environment are, however, not fully understood and information on the biological effects of REE is urgently required for environmental risk assessments. In this review, studies and gaps in the existing scientific literature regarding the toxicological effects of REE on terrestrial organisms are presented.

Sustainability issues in a tropical mega trail.

Sustainability is a target that involves many socio-ecological questions, depends on opportunities and combines different initiatives. This can be especially difficult in regions with high biodiversity scores, mega cities, high level of human populations and an intense and long-standing land use. Here, we show how a mega trail, named Atlantic Forest Trail, within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest can join the protection of biodiversity and sustainable tourism through a 4270 km corridor connecting protected areas and crossing a variety of landscapes.

Ecotoxicity of imidacloprid to soil invertebrates in two tropical soils with contrasting texture.

Imidacloprid is one of the most commercialized insecticides in agriculture in the world, with a broad spectrum of action. However, little is known about the effects of commercial formulations containing this active ingredient (a.i.

Bioassays for the evaluation of reclaimed opencast coal mining areas.

This study aimed to use bioassays (single and multispecies) with organisms from different trophic levels to assess soil quality in reclaimed coal mining areas. Soil samples were collected from four sites: two sites with recent reclaim processes (one using topsoil and other using clayey soil), an natural attenuation site, and a control soil. The evaluated parameters were divided into (1) ecotoxicological tests (avoidance test with Eisenia andrei (earthworms) and Armadillidium vulgare (isopods); germination test with Sinapis alba seeds (mustard); reproduction tests with Folsomia candida (collembolans); bacterial toxicity test); (2) population and community assessments (a fungal count; microbial community analysis using Biolog EcoPlates); (3) microcosms scale evaluation (the MS-3 multispecies system); and (4) chemical analysis (soil parameters, soil metal, and cations and anions in soil leachate).

Ecological risk assessment of trace metals in soils affected by mine tailings.

Environmental impacts caused by mine dam ruptures or inappropriate tailing depositions represent a global concern. An ecological risk assessment was performed in 18 areas affected by the collapse of a major mining dam in southeastern Brazil, in two monitoring periods (2015 and 2018). In these areas, pedogeochemical surveys, and ecological risk levels were determinate.

Are there any risks of the disposal of pesticide effluents in soils? Biobed system meets ecotoxicology ensuring safety to soil fauna.

The biobed is a purification system, which reduces soil pollution for receiving pesticide residues from handling and washing machinery in agricultural areas. The aims of this study were (1) to assess ecotoxicity effects over time to soil fauna, posed by Lorsban 480 BR (Chlorpyrifos) and Dithane NT (Mancozeb) residues when disposed of in a biobed system compared with two subtropical soils, and (2) to assess ecotoxicity effects over time to soil fauna simulating an accidental spillage with Lorsban 480 BR at the biobed. A semi-field experiment was conducted for 420 days in southern Brazil, testing continuous disposal of washing pulverization tanks in biobeds, Typic Haploperox or Typic Hapludults.

Destination of pesticide residues on biobeds: State of the art and future perspectives in Latin America.

Land-use intensification with a high demand for pesticides is a consequence of human population increase. Feasible alternatives for correct concentrated residues discharge are necessary to avoid soil and water resources contamination. Biobeds are in situ bioreactors for treating pesticide residues, used by several European and American countries due to its low cost and simple construction, whose efficiency has been scientifically proved for over 20 years.

Planning forest restoration within private land holdings with conservation co-benefits at the landscape scale.

Forest loss is mainly due to the conversion of forest to agriculture, mostly in private lands. Forest restoration is a global priority, yet restoration targets are ambitious and budget-limited. Therefore, assessing the outcome of alternative decisions on land-use within private lands is paramount to perform cost-effective restoration.

Treated produced water in irrigation: Effects on soil fauna and aquatic organisms.

Produced water (PW) is a mixture of formation water and injected water from oil and gas reservoirs, which contain a complex composition of dissolved and particulate organic and inorganic chemicals. High quantities of PW are extracted with the oil, which can be discharged into the environment, re-injected into the wells or treated for reuse. The present study aimed to evaluate the soil ecotoxicity under an irrigation system using treated PW (water-oil separation, sand filter, activated charcoal filter, reverse osmosis) for sunflower production, predicting conditions for PW reuse in the semi-arid region of Brazil.

Environmental risk assessment of pesticides in tropical terrestrial ecosystems: Test procedures, current status and future perspectives.

Despite the increasing use of pesticides in tropical countries, research and legislative efforts have focused on their temperate counterparts. This paper presents a review of the literature on environmental risk assessment of pesticides for tropical terrestrial agroecosystems. It aims at evaluating potential differences in pesticide risk between temperate and tropical regions as well as to highlight research needs in the latter.

The fungicide mancozeb affects soil invertebrates in two subtropical Brazilian soils.

Mancozeb is a dithiocarbamate non-systemic fungicide widely used to control fungal diseases of plants, commonly applied in apple orchards in Brazil. Instead of its common use, there are no reports about the risk to non-target organisms in Brazilian soils. We studied the risk of Mancozeb (in the commercial formulation Dithane NT) for standard invertebrate species (Folsomia candida, Eisenia andrei and Enchytraeus crypticus) in two subtropical Brazilian soils, Oxisol and Ultisol, which are representative of apple production areas in Brazil.

Laboratory and field tests for risk assessment of metsulfuron-methyl-based herbicides for soil fauna.

Metsulfuron-methyl is one of the most used sulfonylurea herbicides, being applied alone in pre-emergence and with a mineral oil (as adjuvant) in post-emergence. In risk assessment of pesticides, ecotoxicity tests have been applied to assess the effects of products and mixtures under laboratory conditions, but they are limited in their ecological relevance when compared to field assessments. Considering the differences between laboratory and field exposure, and the lack of data on the effects of metsulfuron-methyl in natural soils, this study consisted in a set of tests to assess the ecotoxicity of this herbicide applied alone, combined with an adjuvant (mineral oil) and the adjuvant applied alone, both under laboratory and field exposure, with artificial and natural soil respectively.

Screening effects of metsulfuron-methyl to collembolans and earthworms: the role of adjuvant addition on ecotoxicity.

Metsulfuron-methyl is a common active ingredient recommended for use in pre- and post-emergence control of annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in crops, usually applied with mineral oil as adjuvant to enhance its efficiency. Despite the increasing use of this herbicide, there are no information on its ecotoxicity effects to soil fauna. Avoidance and lethality tests were performed with earthworms and collembolans using tropical artificial soil contaminated with formulated products Ally® (600 g L metsulfuron-methyl) and Assist® (756 g L mineral oil) as adjuvant.

Boric acid as reference substance for ecotoxicity tests in tropical artificial soil.

Reference substances are recommended to evaluate the quality of laboratory test species and the reliability of ecotoxicity data. Boric acid (BA) has been recommended as reference substance in some standardized tests in OECD soil, but no data are available for Tropical Artificial Soil (TAS). For this purpose, avoidance tests with Eisenia andrei, lethality tests with E.

Do recommended doses of glyphosate-based herbicides affect soil invertebrates? Field and laboratory screening tests to risk assessment.

Despite glyphosate-based herbicides are widely used in agriculture, forestry and gardens, little is known about its effects on non-target organisms. The present work evaluated the ecotoxicity of four formulated products (Roundup Original, Trop, Zapp Qi 620 and Crucial) on soil invertebrates. Screening ecotoxicity tests were carried out with soil and oat straw collected in a field experiment, besides laboratory-spiked soils.

Soil ecotoxicology in Latin America: Current research and perspectives.

Soils from some Latin American countries support the highest biodiversity levels on the planet and simultaneously have some of the most serious environmental impacts attributed to both historical and current agricultural practices and industrial activities. Soil contamination has resulted from intensive use of pesticides, extensive mining and other industrial activities, and uncontrolled management of waste within inappropriate regulatory frameworks. The present study presents an overview of the scientific research on soil ecotoxicology conducted in Latin America, summarizing the recent advances and highlighting the needs for further refinements in this research field.

Ecotoxicological assessment of biosolids by microcosms.

Biosolids have been applied as soil amendments to improve and maintain the soil fertility and faster plant growth. In spite of its beneficial use, the potential risks of land disposal should be analyzed, considering potential ecological receptors in soil and water. This work describes the use of an early warning laboratory microcosm system to evaluate the integrated ecotoxicological potential of two biosolids: BIO-1 and BIO-2 (18 and 28 months after landfarming, respectively), from an effluent treatment station in a petrochemical and industrial district.

Soil ecotoxicology in Brazil is taking its course.

Soil ecotoxicology has been motivated by the increasing global awareness on environmental issues. Northern Hemisphere has been the main driver of this science branch; however, the number and quality of contributions from the Southern Hemisphere are increasing quickly. In this case study, Brazil is taken as an example of how soil ecotoxicology has developed over the last 30 years.

Ecotoxicity of mercury to Folsomia candida and Proisotoma minuta (Collembola: Isotomidae) in tropical soils: Baseline for ecological risk assessment.

Mercury (Hg) is a highly toxic nonessential trace metal. Despite its natural occurrence in the Earth's Crust, its concentrations have been steadily increasing in the environment due to anthropogenic sources. Recent studies have showed great concern about soil fauna, once the potential adverse effects of mercury concentrations in the environment of these invertebrates are still poorly understood, especially when linked to forest soils and tropical biota.

Ecological Risk Assessment of a Metal-Contaminated Area in the Tropics. Tier II: Detailed Assessment.

This study presents data on the detailed evaluation (tier 2) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment (ssERA) in a former smelter area contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Combining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical (ChemLoE), ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE) and ecological (EcoLoE), in the Triad approach, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites and confirm the potential risk disclosed with tier 1. Risk values were calculated for the habitat and for the retention functions in each sampling point.

Inducible expression of p50 from TMV for increased resistance to bacterial crown gall disease in tobacco.

The dominant tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) resistance gene N induces a hypersensitive response upon TMV infection and protects tobacco against systemic spread of the virus. It has been proposed to change disease resistance specificity by reprogramming the expression of resistance genes or their corresponding avirulence genes. To reprogramme the resistance response of N towards bacterial pathogens, the helicase domain (p50) of the TMV replicase, the avirulence gene of N, was linked to synthetic promoters 4D and 2S2D harbouring elicitor-responsive cis-elements.

Differential expression of the TMV resistance gene N prevents a hypersensitive response in seeds and during germination.

The dominant tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) resistance gene N confers a hypersensitive response (HR) at the site of TMV infection and protects tobacco against systemic spread of the virus. To study N gene activity in seeds and early seedling development, the avirulence gene of N, the helicase domain (p50) of the TMV replicase, was constitutively expressed in a tobacco genotype without N (nn). Transgenic F1 expressing N and p50 were generated by crossing with an NN genotype.

Integration of bioinformatics and synthetic promoters leads to the discovery of novel elicitor-responsive cis-regulatory sequences in Arabidopsis.

A combination of bioinformatic tools, high-throughput gene expression profiles, and the use of synthetic promoters is a powerful approach to discover and evaluate novel cis-sequences in response to specific stimuli. With Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) microarray data annotated to the PathoPlant database, 732 different queries with a focus on fungal and oomycete pathogens were performed, leading to 510 up-regulated gene groups. Using the binding site estimation suite of tools, BEST, 407 conserved sequence motifs were identified in promoter regions of these coregulated gene sets.

Factors required for the high CO2 specificity of the anaerobically induced maize GapC4 promoter in transgenic tobacco.

Flooding, a natural cause of anaerobiosis, is often accompanied by high CO(2) concentrations in the flood water. Plants need to respond to these environmental conditions. Strong anaerobic reporter gene activity in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) controlled by the glycolytic glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GapC4) promoter from maize (Zea mays) depends on the presence of CO(2) and light.