ABSTRACT Ants can influence soil fertility and the spatial distribution of seeds, with possible effects on seedling recruitment. The ant species Pachycondyla striata Fr. Smith, 1858 and Odontomachus chelifer (Latreille, 1802) co-occur in many forest areas in the Neotropics. We assessed soil fertility and seed bank structure in soil samples close and distant (control) from ant nests in forest fragments. We also assessed the richness and abundance of seedlings on nests and control sites. In soil samples from ant nests, the concentration of phosphorus and potassium were respectively 55.6% and 36% higher than in control sites. Aluminium was 11-15% lower in soil samples from ant nests. In the greenhouse, soils from ant nests had higher plant abundance and species richness, but the same species composition in comparison with control sites. Although more plants emerged from soil samples of O. chelifer nests, in the field, the density and richness of seedlings were similar for the two ant species studied. Seedlings in the nest sites were, on average, 1.8 times more abundant and 1.6 times richer in species than in control sites. Our results showed that ant species can play a key role in seedling recruitment in forest fragments, where other animals with equivalent and positive effects, such as mammals, are missing.

Firewood can act as a long-distance dispersal vector for wood-infesting insects both within and among countries. Recently, we detected the alien carpenter ant Camponotus mus in firewood transported from central Argentina to Patagonia. This species generates significant economic losses in its native range and has invader potential. Moreover, global warming and the increasing anthropogenic disturbance in Patagonian ecosystems make them highly susceptible to insect invasions. This is especially alarming considering the current lack of sanitary controls of incoming goods into the region. To prevent insect introductions via firewood, it is crucial to implement a joint efort among the scientific community, control organisms, government and end user.

La leña puede actuar como vector de dispersión de insectos a larga distancia, tanto dentro como entre países. Recientemente encontramos en Patagonia a la hormiga carpintera exótica Camponotus mus en leña transportada desde el centro de la Argentina. Esta especie tiene potencial invasor, y en su rango nativo genera pérdidas económicas signifcativas. Además, el calentamiento global y el incremento de los disturbios antrópicos en los ecosistemas Patagónicos los vuelven muy susceptible a las invasiones de insectos. Esto es especialmente alarmante dada la falta de controles sanitarios en el transporte de bienes hacia la región. Para prevenir introducciones de insectos a través de la leña es necesario un esfuerzo conjunto de la comunidad científica, los organismos de control, el gobierno y los usuarios finales.

Volcanic eruptions are natural disturbances that impose multiple changes in ecosystems. Arthropods are among the most diverse organisms on the planet and play key functional roles in all ecosystems. Existing information on the effects of volcanic disturbances on arthropods is scattered. The aim of this review is to fnd generalities in the responses of arthropods from terrestrial and aquatic environments to volcanism. Mainly (1) what effects do volcanic disturbances have on arthropods?, (2) what characteristics make certain species more or less susceptible to volcanic disturbances?, and (3) how do arthropod communities reassemble after a volcanic disturbance? Terrestrial and aquatic arthropods show similar responses to volcanic disturbances. Volcanism can affect arthropod populations, communities, and ecosystems through the functions that arthropods perform. Most studies evaluated the effect of volcanic ash as the primary volcanic disturbance type and found that most species have higher mortality than controls, but species show different susceptibility to volcanism. However, mortality of a certain species varies by the amount of ash, how the species was exposed to ash (i.e. body contact, contaminated food, modification of the habitat), and relative humidity. In the few arthropod communities studied, richness, composition and abundance of species are affected to some degree by volcanic eruptions. I gathered information on a number of morphological, physiological, behavioral and life-history traits that seem important to determine species responses to volcanic disturbance. However, current knowledge of arthropod responses to volcanism is limited, and limited to few volcanic eruptions. More broadly, studies of volcanic events may provide ecosystem-scale insights on how climate change and human-induced changes, such as higher concentration of particles in suspension or gas emission to the environment, might affect arthropod communities.

Vulcanismo y artrópodos: una revisión: Las erupciones volcánicas son disturbios naturales que imponen múltiples cambios en los ecosistemas. Los artrópodos se ubican entre los organismos más diversos del planeta y desempeñan un papel clave en el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas. Sin embargo, la información existente sobre los efectos de los disturbios volcánicos sobre ellos es dispersa. El objetivo de esta revisión es identifcar generalidades en las respuestas de los artrópodos al vulcanismo. Principalmente, (1) ¿qué efecto tienen las erupciones volcánicas sobre los artrópodos?, (2) ¿qué características hacen que ciertas especies sean más resistentes al vulcanismo?, (3) ¿cómo se ensamblan sus comunidades después de una erupción? Los artrópodos terrestres y acuáticos muestran respuestas similares al vulcanismo, que afecta a sus poblaciones y comunidades, y los ecosistemas a través de las funciones que los artrópodos realizan. La mayoría de los estudios que evaluaron el efecto de la ceniza volcánica encontraron efectos negativos sobre la mortalidad y diferente susceptibilidad entre especies. La mortalidad en una misma especie varía según la cantidad de ceniza y la forma de exposición (contacto con el cuerpo, alimentos contaminados, modificación del hábitat), y la humedad relativa. En las pocas comunidades de artrópodos donde se estudiaron los efectos de las erupciones volcánicas, la riqueza, composición y abundancia de las especies son afectadas de alguna forma. Identifiqué rasgos morfológicos, fisiológicos, comportamentales y de historia de vida que parecen importantes para determinar respuestas de las especies al vulcanismo. Sin embargo, los conocimientos actuales son limitados y acotados a pocas erupciones volcánicas. Los estudios de eventos volcánicos pueden proporcionar una validación a escala del ecosistema de las predicciones sobre cómo el cambio climático y los cambios inducidos por el hombre, como una mayor concentración de partículas en suspensión o de emisión de gases al ambiente, pueden afectar a las comunidades de artrópodos.

Parasitoids of the endangered leafcutter ant Atta robusta Borgmeier in urban and natural areas. Hosts of parasitoids in urban areas may suffer from a double threat of habitat destruction by urbanization and parasitism pressure. Moreover, the parasitoids themselves might be at risk if they are specialists. Here, we studied whether Atta robusta (Hymenoptera, Formicidae), which is on the red list of Brazilian threatened species, suffers from higher parasitism pressure in an urban area compared to a natural one. In addition, we determined whether their specialist parasitoids, Eibesfeldtphora breviloba and Myrmosicarius exrobusta (Diptera, Phoridae), are in risk and evaluated whether they are influenced by habitat structure, temperature, humidity, ant traffic, and time of the day. The study was carried out in an urban park and in a natural protected area in the city of Rio de Janeiro. In each site we chose an open area and a closed area (forest) and sampled nine nests in each area. We found that parasitism pressure was similar in urban and natural areas, with the same two parasitoid species present in both areas. The main difference was related to habitat structure, since M. exrobusta was mainly present in open areas while E. breviloba was almost exclusively found in closed areas. Myrmosicarius exrobusta was not present during the hottest midday times, and its abundance was negatively correlated to vapor pressure deficit. These results suggest that green areas can be an important component in efforts to conserve diversity in urban areas. However, the complexity of the habitats in those areas is a fundamental issue in designing urban parks.

Background Cardiovascular events in women increase after menopause. In order to reduce their impact on morbidity and mortality, vascular risk factors should be detected and controlled. Objectives The aim of the study was to analyze cardiovascular risk factors in climacteric women comparing differences between pre and postmenopausal women, and to evaluate the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and/or dyslipidemia in association with age and/or postmenopause. Methods This crosssectional study included all the women who consecutively attended the Multidisciplinary Climacteric Clinic for symptoms related to alterations and/or cessation of menstruation between 2004 and 2009. Age, blood pressure, waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), blood glucose levels, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C, triglycerides, metabolic syndrome (MS), sedentarism, smoking and depression symptoms were evaluated. Results A total of 440 women, 62.5% postmenopausal, with mean age 51.4 ± 5.2 years, and median age 51.0 years were analyzed. Hypertension was found in 22.1% of women, diabetes in 4.2%, total cholesterol = 200 mg/dL in 67.7%, HDL-C < 50 mg/dL in 20.6%, hypertriglyceridemia in 28.5%, WC > 88 cm in 45.0%, WC > 80 cm in 75.1%, BMI > 25 in 64.5%, MS in 19.4%, seden-tarism in 51.7%, smoking in 22.5% and depression symptoms in 69.8%. Postmenopausal women had higher total cholesterol levels and lower weight. Those with more than 5 years of amenorrhea had both higher total cholesterol and weight. Smokers were younger. Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia were associated with older age but not with postmenopause. Conclusions Dyslipidemia, overweight, sedentarism and depression symptoms were prevalent across all groups. Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia were associated with aging.

Introducción En las mujeres, la aparición de eventos vasculares se incrementa luego de la menopausia. Para disminuir su impacto en relación con la morbimortalidad, se deben detectar y controlar los factores de riesgo vascular. Objetivos Analizar los factores de riesgo vascular en mujeres climatéricas. Investigar las diferencias de estos factores entre las premenopáusicas y las posmenopáusicas. Evaluar la presencia de hipertensión arterial, diabetes mellitus y/o dislipidemia en asociación con la edad y/o la posmenopausia. Material y métodos Estudio de corte transversal de mujeres que consultaron consecutivamente al Consultorio Multidisciplinario de Climaterio entre 2004 y 2009 por síntomas relacionados con alteraciones y/o cese de la menstruación. Se evaluaron: edad, presión arterial, perímetro de la cintura (PC), índice de masa corporal (IMC), glucemia, colesterol total, C-HDL, C-LDL, triglicéridos, síndrome metabólico (SM), sedentarismo, tabaquismo (TBQ) y síntomas depresivos. Resultados Se analizaron 440 mujeres, edad 51,4 ± 5,2 años, mediana 51,0 años; el 62,5% eran posmenopáusicas. Se halló hipertensión arterial en el 22,1%, diabetes mellitus en el 4,2%, colesterol total = 200 mg/dl en el 67,7%, C-HDL < 50 mg/dl en el 20,6%, hipertrigliceridemia en el 28,5%, PC > 88 cm en el 45,0%, PC > 80 cm en el 75,1%, IMC > 25 en el 64,5%, SM en el 19,4%, sedentarismo en el 51,7%, TBQ en el 22,5% y síntomas depresivos en el 69,8%. Las posmenopáusicas tuvieron más colesterol total y menor peso. Aquellas con más de 5 años de amenorrea presentaron mayor colesterol total y mayor peso. Las fumadoras fueron más jóvenes. La hipertensión arterial, la diabetes mellitus y la dislipidemia se asociaron con la mayor edad y no con la posmenopausia. Conclusiones Se observaron prevalencias elevadas de dislipidemia, sobrepeso, sedentarismo y síntomas depresivos. La hipertensión arterial, la diabetes mellitus y la dislipidemia se asociaron con el envejecimiento.