Atta robusta is a narrow endemic leaf-cutting ant restricted to restinga habitats along Brazil’s southeastern coast. Despite its conservation status, little is known about its evolutionary history and genetic structure. Here, we investigate patterns of genetic variation in A. robusta using mitochondrial (COI–IGS–tRNALeu–COII) and nuclear (EF1alpha copy one) DNA markers sampled across its known range. We assess genetic diversit...

Aim We investigate the distribution of dispersal modes — endozoochory (via animal ingestion), synzoochory (via animal seed accumulation) and anemochory (via wind)—and seed mass of woody plants across Brazilian ecosystems, testing whether their relative abundance in local plant communities could be predicted by climate, edaphic factors and dispersal agents (e.g., the main vectors moving seeds). We expected climate to be the mai...

Potato yield is highly dependent on phosphorus (P) availability. Although high rates of P fertilizers are commonly applied to potatoes even in high P test soils, the efficiency of these practices is questionable. Foliar P fertilization, particularly during the tuber bulking stage, has emerged as a potential complementary strategy. This study aimed to evaluate whether adjusting the conventional P application rate at planting an...

The 2024 catastrophic floods that devastated the southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul also affected the coastal environment of the world’s largest choked lagoon, the Patos Lagoon (PL). Given its size, satellite imagery presents an incomparable advantage to evaluate the effects of the floodwaters entering this ecosystem. To obtain a general overview of the event in the lagoonal water body, this research utilized Sentin...

The body size spectrum (or individual size distribution) is a simple yet widely recognized approach that links individual and population traits to community structure and ecosystem functions, making it a valuable indicator of anthropogenic effects. However, the assessment of size spectra in the context of biological invasions remains poorly explored. We investigated the impacts of non‐native (NN) fish invasions on the size str...

Cynara cardunculus inflorescence plays a significant role in cheese manufacturing and human consumption due to the milk-clotting capacity and the production of edible immature capitula. Consequently, it is crucial to understand the complex cellular and molecular processes involved in the development of cardoon flowers. The current study used western wild cardoon in two developmental stages, vegetative and reproductive, to unde...

Rotating machinery are essential elements in industrial systems and strongly present aboard vessels and maritime platforms, whose unexpected failure can lead to significant economic and operational losses, both for the maritime industry and for industry in general. Condition Monitoring (CM), through the analysis of specific parameters, aims to assess equipment health and enable the early detection of deviations from normal ope...

Leaf herbivory is a ubiquitous ecological interaction that varies significantly in intensity across species, habitats, and biogeographic regions. Although quantification of leaf damage is crucial for understanding many ecological processes, the accuracy and precision of various damage estimation methods used by researchers, including visual estimation, digital image analysis, and artificial intelligence, have not been evaluate...

The sustainable supply of n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids ( n -3 LC-PUFA) remains a major challenge for global aquaculture. Although plant oils, microalgae, genetically modified crops, insects, krill, and fish by-products have been explored as alternative sources, none currently provides a stand-alone solution for meeting the growing demand of n -3 LC-PUFA in aquafeeds’ production. Here, we present marine gammarids...