Riparian forest potential to retain sediment and bromophenol concentrations in fish

Rech, Elibio; Galembeck, Fernando

doi:10.1590/S0001-37652009000200001

EDITORIAL NOTE

Riparian forest potential to retain sediment and bromophenol concentrations in fish

Elibio Rech; Fernando Galembeck

Editorial Board

Biodiversity conservation has attracted growing concern and importance for global stability. The data presented byLuiz F. Pires and colleagues in this issue of the Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (AABC) may soon earnsome praise regarding a more effective stability of biodiversity. Their study aimed to check the efficiency of a riparianforest in trapping sediments coming from an upland sugarcane field, using the ¹³⁷Cs technique aided by soil carbonisotopic ratio analysis. Riparian zones are ecotons located between aquatic and terrestrial systems, considered keyareas for the stability of global biodiversity, serving as protection niches for wildlife, and acting as ecological corridorsbetween forest fragments (Kajeyama et al. 2002, Rodrigues and Gandolfi 2001). Besides their ecological function,these "buffer zones" are considered important for waterway protection, being responsible for improving surface waterquality. The main mechanisms involved in this function are the filtering and trapping of sediments which resultfrom erosion on upland agricultural fields. These mechanisms are related to changes in surface roughness, waterinfiltration rates into litter layers, the presence of roots, and the improved structure of soil matrix caused by intensemicrobiologic activity in the soil (Ampontuah et al. 2006, Izidorio et al. 2005). The results obtained by the ¹³⁷Cs technique and soil carbon isotopic ratio analysis indicated the efficiency of riparian vegetation in trapping sedimentscoming from agricultural lands and its importance as a conservation measure on the watershed scale. The results allowthe statement that the minimum forest width of 30 m would not be enough to ensure the sediment trapping functionof riparian vegetation for the local conditions of soil, climate, land use, topography, and kind of riparian vegetation, contradicting Brazilian Environmental Law (Law 4.771/65) if adopted for such conditions. Although the report of Pires et al. (2009) will undoubtedly be appreciated as a technical advance in the evaluation of the riparian zonesrelated to the stability of global biodiversity, the results will likely generate even greater interest among Brazilianlegislators as a significant indication regarding the necessity to reevaluate Brazilian Environmental Law according to the recent scientific evidence.

In another important study published in this issue of the AABC, Jailson B. de Andrade and his group present a detailed analysis on the occurrence of bromophenols in the flesh and gut in two species of the Lutjanidae family (Oliveira etal. 2009). Bromophenols have attracted much attention in recent years for their contribution to the flavor of fish and other seafood, and they are often held responsible for making an advantageous contribution to the taste of fish, prawns and other important marine products (Boyle et al. 1992). The authors find significant concentrations of them withina broad range in the muscle and stomach of the lutjanid species Lutjanus synagris and Ocyurus chrysurus (popularlyknown as the "vermelho" fish) purchased in Salvador, one of the major coastal cities in Brazil.

The data presented is essential to strengthen our understanding of many complex matters: food chains, metabolicroles of somewhat unexpected substances and the formation in natural environments of some molecules that wetend to associate to technological products. Moreover, monitoring the concentrations of substances like the variousbromophenols may be helpful to understand environmental changes, both anthropic or associated to global climate changes. Since these brominated compounds are produced in sargassum, some authors have seriously considered the possibility to use this marine vegetation as a nutrient for cultivated species, contributing as a natural source of valuableflavors. Knowledge on flavor substances transported across the food chain can certainly help fish and prawn breedersto make their product more satisfactory to consumers just by feeding them with natural sources of the flavors (Chunget al. 2007). This is an intelligent approach to the use of natural resources and adds value to otherwise neglectedabundant raw materials like sargassum, that is often viewed as a nuisance when it is thrown by waves on beachescovering the sand and undergoes decomposition. The use of sargassum may thus contribute to increase the productionof quality food for humans while transforming deject into a functional animal food, which certainly contributes to sustainable aquiculture. The reader of this paper will certainly be led to appreciate the importance of new analyticaltechniques because the need for the kind of information presented by the authors is always increasing, and the growing demands can only be satisfied by faster and more powerful techniques.

Those are only two of the interesting studies published in this issue of the AABC, which was exceptionally sponsoredby the Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ).

AMPONTUAH EO, ROBINSON JS AND NORTCLIFF S. 2006. Assessment of soil particle redistribution on two contrasting cultivated hillslopes. Geoderma 132: 324-343.
BOYLE JL, LINDSAY RC AND STUIBER DA. 1992. Bromophenol distribution in salmon and selected seafoods of fresh and saltwater origin. J Food Sci 57: 918-922.
CHUNG HY, ANG PO, WOO YSN, MA WCJ. 2007. Additive Composition for Feeding Aquaculture Animals and FeedContaining the same. US Patent Application 11/669, 741.
IZIDORIO R, MARTINS FILHO MV, MARQUES JUNIOR J, SOUZA ZM AND PEREIRA GT. 2005. Perdas de Nutrientes por erosão e sua distribuição espacial em área sob cana-de-açúcar. Eng Agric 25: 660-670.
KAJEYAMA PY, GANDARA FB, OLIVEIRA RE AND MORAES LFD.2002. Restauração da Mata Ciliar Manual para recuperação de áreas ciliares e microbacias. Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento sustentável, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
OLIVEIRA AS, SILVA VM, VELOSO MCC, SANTOS GV AND ANDRADE JB. 2009. Bromophenol concentrations in fish from Salvador, BA, Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 81: 165-172.
PIRES LF, BACCHI OOS, CORRECHEL V, REICHARDT K AND FILIPPE J. 2009. Riparian forest potential to retain sediment and carbon evaluated by the ¹³⁷Cs fallout and carbon isotopic ration techniques. An Acad Bras Cienc 81: 271-279.
RODRIGUES RR AND GANDOLPHI S. 2001. Conceitos, tendências e ações para a Recuperação de Florestas Ciliares. In: RODRIGUES RR AND LEITÃO FILHO HF (Eds), Matas Ciliares: Conservação e Recuperação. São Paulo: EDUSP/FAPESP. 320 p.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
26 May 2009
Date of issue
June 2009

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

[1] AMPONTUAH EO, ROBINSON JS AND NORTCLIFF S. 2006. Assessment of soil particle redistribution on two contrasting cultivated hillslopes. Geoderma 132: 324-343.

[2] BOYLE JL, LINDSAY RC AND STUIBER DA. 1992. Bromophenol distribution in salmon and selected seafoods of fresh and saltwater origin. J Food Sci 57: 918-922.

[3] CHUNG HY, ANG PO, WOO YSN, MA WCJ. 2007. Additive Composition for Feeding Aquaculture Animals and FeedContaining the same. US Patent Application 11/669, 741.

[4] IZIDORIO R, MARTINS FILHO MV, MARQUES JUNIOR J, SOUZA ZM AND PEREIRA GT. 2005. Perdas de Nutrientes por erosão e sua distribuição espacial em área sob cana-de-açúcar. Eng Agric 25: 660-670.

[5] KAJEYAMA PY, GANDARA FB, OLIVEIRA RE AND MORAES LFD.2002. Restauração da Mata Ciliar Manual para recuperação de áreas ciliares e microbacias. Secretaria do Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento sustentável, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.

[6] OLIVEIRA AS, SILVA VM, VELOSO MCC, SANTOS GV AND ANDRADE JB. 2009. Bromophenol concentrations in fish from Salvador, BA, Brazil. An Acad Bras Cienc 81: 165-172.

[7] PIRES LF, BACCHI OOS, CORRECHEL V, REICHARDT K AND FILIPPE J. 2009. Riparian forest potential to retain sediment and carbon evaluated by the ¹³⁷Cs fallout and carbon isotopic ration techniques. An Acad Bras Cienc 81: 271-279.

[8] RODRIGUES RR AND GANDOLPHI S. 2001. Conceitos, tendências e ações para a Recuperação de Florestas Ciliares. In: RODRIGUES RR AND LEITÃO FILHO HF (Eds), Matas Ciliares: Conservação e Recuperação. São Paulo: EDUSP/FAPESP. 320 p.