Oviposition site selection has been recognized as critical both for the survival and population dynamics of mosquitoes. Volatile substances released from larval habitats have been implicated as potential olfactory cues mediating oviposition. In our continuing studies of cues involved in oviposition site selection, we collected material from the larval habitats of Anopheles albimanus Wiedemann a...

Biological indices based on the biomass (dry weight, ash content, and chlorophyll-a) of the periphyton in a natural (submersed leaves of Typha domingensis Pers) and in an artificial (plastic hoses) substrate were compared, in experiments performed in summer and winter, in two sampling stations of Imboassica Lagoon, Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. The periphytic community exhibited low biomass at the beg...

The objective of this study was to investigate the biosorption of an azo dye (Methylene blue) by a wetland phytomass (Typha angustata) under post-phytoremediation scenario. Thus, the phytomass was used without any chemical modification. The batch adsorption experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of contact time and temperatures (25–45 C) on the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from...

The growth of the aquaculture industry has been associated with negative environmental impacts through the discharge of raw effluents into the adjacent receiving water bodies. Macrophytes from natural saline lakes, which have adaptability to the high salinity, can be suitable for saline effluent treatment. Eight emergent species from natural saline area were planted in an experimental gravel be...

Vegetation management for constructed treatment wetlands often involves knocking down emergent vegetation with heavy equipment and inundating the dead vegetation after a period of drying. Such practices create favorable conditions for larval mosquitoes. We studied the relationship between length of the drying period for an emergent macrophyte, Typha sp., and the abundance of aquatic invertebrat...

A new procedure was developed for the study of lignin biodegradation by pure or mixed cultures of microorganisms. Natural lignocelluloses were prepared containing C in primarily their lignin components by feeding plants l-[U-C]phenylalanine through their cut stems. Lignin degradation was observed in numerous soils by monitoring evolution of CO(2) from [C]lignin-labeled oak (Quercus albus), mapl...

Loss of nitrogen from the soil-plant system has raised environmental concern. This study assessed the fluxes of nitrous oxide (N2O) in the subsurface flow constructed wetlands (CWs). To better understand the mechanism of N2O emission, spatial distribution of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) in four kinds of wetlands soil were compared. N2O emission data showed large temporal and spatial variati...

Hydrophytes are established bio-filters for a spectrum of pollutants and as such remediate gaseous contaminants as well. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) by virtue of aquatic plants at a local scale may manifest as invalid at the outset but the marine and inland water stretches do contribute a lot globally. A study pertaining to 15 emergent macrophytes represented by 10 families exhibited...

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) growers in North Dakota and South Dakota harvested 593,522 ha in 2012, valued at $US600 million. Blackbirds, numbering about 75 million, annually damage 2 to 3% of the crop. Damage tends to be clumped around cattail (Typha spp.) dominated wetlands with standing water. In an attempt to reduce sunflower damage, three general population management strategies have been...

Participation of planktonic and benthic bacteria in accumulation of polyphosphates in conditions of nitrates and phosphates overload was investigated in model mesocosms with natural water containing hydrobionts and curtains of Typha angustifolia. Experiments were performed in seasonal dynamics. Dynamic of number of bacterioplankton and benthic bacteria was studied in ecosystems of water and gro...