Time of exposure and oil dosage affecting biomass production of the Amazonian semi-aquatic grass <i>Echinochloa polystachya</i>

Lopes, Aline; Piedade, Maria Teresa Fernandez

doi:10.1590/S2175-78602011000400015

Abstract

The effects of Urucu crude oil on growth and biomass production of Echinochloa polystachya were studied experimentally. Young plants contaminated with 5 oil doses (0 to 2.64 l.m^-2) were monitored at 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20 days after exposure. A significant reduction was observed in leaf humidity and the ratio of live aerial/ total biomass related to the increase in oil dosage. Increased exposition time caused a reduction in the number of leaves, aerial biomass, proportion of live aerial/total biomass, total biomass, and an increase of dead aerial biomass. However, root biomass and leaf length were not affected by exposure to oil. The low tolerance of E. polystachya to Urucu crude oil has lead to the mortality of 90% of the plant population in 20 days at the 2.64 l treatment. The death of young individuals of E. polystachya by relatively low dosages of Urucu oil indicates that, in the case of an oil spill in the Amazon varzea, this species would be severely affected, endangering, consequently, the entire environment.

Key words:
floodplains; aquatic macrophytes

Resumo

Os efeitos do petróleo cru de Urucu sobre o crescimento e a produção de biomassa da herbácea aquática amazônica Echinochloa polystachya foram estudados experimentalmente em casa de vegetação. Plantas jovens de E. polystachya foram contaminadas com 5 dosagens de petróleo (0 to 2,64 L.m^-2) e avaliadas após 1, 5, 10, 15 e 20 dias da exposição. Ao término do experimento foi verificada uma significativa diminuição da proporção de biomassa aérea viva/total, da umidade das folhas e aumento do número de folhas com comprometimento fitossanitário, em resposta ao aumento da dosagem do petróleo. O aumento do tempo de exposição levou à diminuição do número de folhas, biomassa aérea, proporção de biomassa aérea viva/total, biomassa total e um aumento do número de folhas comprometidas e biomassa aérea morta. Contudo, a biomassa de raízes e o comprimento das folhas não foram afetados pela exposição ao petróleo. A baixa tolerância de E. polystachya ao petróleo de Urucu levou à mortalidade de 90% da população de mudas em 20 dias com o tratamento de 2,64 L.m^-2. A perda de indivíduos jovens de E. polystachya em doses relativamente baixas do petróleo de Urucu indica que, no caso de um derramamento de óleo na várzea amazônica, esta espécie seria severamente afetada e, consequentemente, todo o ambiente.

Palavras-chave:
áreas alagáveis; macrófitas aquáticas

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References

ANP - Agência Nacional no Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis. 2008. Despacho do Diretor-Geral nº 683. Anexo II: relação de tipos de petróleo nacional. P.13.
Ayres, M. & Ayres Jr., M.A. 1998. BioEstat: aplicações estatísticas nas áreas das ciências biológicas e médicas. Sociedade Civil Mamirauá/CNPq, Belém. 193p.
Burk, C.J. 1977. A four year analysis of vegetation following an oil spill in a freshwater marsh. The Journal of Applied Ecology 14: 515-522.
Furch, K. & Junk, W.J. 1997. The chemical composition, food value, and decomposition of herbaceous plants, leaves, and litter of floodplain forests. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The Central Amazon Floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer-Verlag, New York. Pp. 187-205.
Glick, B.R. 2003. Phytoremediation: synergistic use of plants and bacteria to clean up the environment. Biotechnology Advances 21: 383-393.
Hutchinson, S.L.; Banks, M.K. & Shwab, A.P. 2001. Phytoremediation of age petroleum sluge: effect of inorganic fertilizer. Journal of Environmental Quality 30: 395-403.
Irion, G.; Junk, W.J. & Mello, J.A.S.N. 1997. The large Central Amazonian river floodplain near Manaus: geological, climatological, and geomorfological aspects. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The central Amazon floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer Verlag, New York. Pp. 23-46.
Junk, W.J. & Piedade, M.T.F. 1997. Plant life in the floodplain with special reference to herbaceous plants. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The central Amazon floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer Verlag, New York. Pp. 147-181.
Junk W.J.; Bayley P.B. & Sparks R.E. 1989. The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. In: Dodge D. (ed). Proceedings of the International Large River Symposium, Ottawa. Canadian Special Publications of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 106:110-127.
Ko, J.Y. & Day, J.W. 2004. A review of ecological impacts of oil and gas development on coastal ecosystems in the Mississippi Delta. Ocean, Coastal Management 47:597-623.
Lin, Q. & Mendelssohn, I.A. 1996. A comparative investigation of the effects of Louisiana crude oil on the vegetation of fresh, brackish, and salt marsh. Marine Pollution Bulletin 32: 202-209.
Lin, Q.; Mendelssohn, I.A.; Suidam, M.T.; Lee, K. & Venosa, A.D. 2002. The dose-response relationship between No. 2 fuel oil and the growth of the salt marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 897-902.
Lopes, A. 2007. Respostas de herbáceas aquáticas amazônicas ao petróleo cru de Urucu (Coari - AM). Dissertação de Mestrado. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia/Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus. 129p.
Lopes, A. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2009. Estabelecimento de Echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) Hitchcock (Poaceae) em solo de várzea contaminado com petróleo de Urucu. Acta Amazononica 39: 583-590.
Lopes, A. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2010. The period of contamination with petroleum influences the regrowth of Echinochloa polystachya (HBK) Hitchcock in várzea soil in Central Amazon? Biota Neotropica 10: 142-148.
Lopes, A.; Rosa-Osman, S.M. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2009. Effects of crude oil on survival, morphology, and anatomy of two aquatic macrophytes from the Amazon floodplains. Hydrobiologia 636: 295-305.
Mendelssohn, I.A. & McKee, K.L. 1988. Spartina alterniflora dieback in Louisiana: time-course investigation of soil waterlogging effects. The Journal of Ecology 76: 509-521.
Petrobras. 1997. Características do petróleo Urucu. CNPES, SEPESQ:DIQUIM:SETAV Anexo V. 10p.
Petrucio, M.M. & Esteves, F.A. 2000. Uptake rates of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water by Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia auriculata Revista Brasileira de Biologia 60: 229-236.
Pezeshki, S.R. & DeLaune, R.D. 1993. Effect of crude oil on gas exchange functions of Juncus roemerianus and Spartina alterniflora Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 68: 461-468.
Pezeshki, S.R.; Hester, M.W.; Lin, Q. & Nyman, J.A. 2000. The effect of oil spill and cleanup on dominant US Gulf coast marsh macrophytes: a review. Environment Pollution 180: 129-139.
Piedade, M.T.F.; Junk, W.J. & Long, S.P. 1991. The productivity of the C₄ grass Echinochloa polystachya on the Amazon floodplain. Ecology 72: 1456-1463.
Piedade, M.T.F.; Junk, W.J. & Mello, J.A.S.N. 1992. A floodplain grassland of the Central Amazon. In: Long, S.P.; Jones, M.B. & Roberts, J.M. (eds.). Productivity of grass ecosystems of the Tropics and Sub-Tropics. Chapman, Hall/UNEP, London. Pp. 127-158.
Rivera-Cruz, M.C; Ronald Ferrera-Cerrato, R.; Haller, V.V.; Vázquez, R.R. & Linares, L.F. 2002. Adaptacion y seleccion de microorganismos autoctonos en medios de cultivos enriquecidos con petroleo crudo. Terra Latinoamericana 20: 423-434.
Rivera-Cruz, M.C. & Trujillo-Narcía, A. 2004. Estudio de toxicidad vegetal em suelos com petróleos nuevo e intemperizado. Interciencia 29: 369-376.
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Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Oct-Dec 2011

History

Received
05 Apr 2011
Accepted
23 Aug 2011

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

[1] ANP - Agência Nacional no Petróleo, Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis. 2008. Despacho do Diretor-Geral nº 683. Anexo II: relação de tipos de petróleo nacional. P.13.

[2] Ayres, M. & Ayres Jr., M.A. 1998. BioEstat: aplicações estatísticas nas áreas das ciências biológicas e médicas. Sociedade Civil Mamirauá/CNPq, Belém. 193p.

[3] Burk, C.J. 1977. A four year analysis of vegetation following an oil spill in a freshwater marsh. The Journal of Applied Ecology 14: 515-522.

[4] Furch, K. & Junk, W.J. 1997. The chemical composition, food value, and decomposition of herbaceous plants, leaves, and litter of floodplain forests. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The Central Amazon Floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer-Verlag, New York. Pp. 187-205.

[5] Glick, B.R. 2003. Phytoremediation: synergistic use of plants and bacteria to clean up the environment. Biotechnology Advances 21: 383-393.

[6] Hutchinson, S.L.; Banks, M.K. & Shwab, A.P. 2001. Phytoremediation of age petroleum sluge: effect of inorganic fertilizer. Journal of Environmental Quality 30: 395-403.

[7] Irion, G.; Junk, W.J. & Mello, J.A.S.N. 1997. The large Central Amazonian river floodplain near Manaus: geological, climatological, and geomorfological aspects. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The central Amazon floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer Verlag, New York. Pp. 23-46.

[8] Junk, W.J. & Piedade, M.T.F. 1997. Plant life in the floodplain with special reference to herbaceous plants. In: Junk, W.J. (ed.). The central Amazon floodplain. Vol. 126. Springer Verlag, New York. Pp. 147-181.

[9] Junk W.J.; Bayley P.B. & Sparks R.E. 1989. The flood pulse concept in river-floodplain systems. In: Dodge D. (ed). Proceedings of the International Large River Symposium, Ottawa. Canadian Special Publications of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 106:110-127.

[10] Ko, J.Y. & Day, J.W. 2004. A review of ecological impacts of oil and gas development on coastal ecosystems in the Mississippi Delta. Ocean, Coastal Management 47:597-623.

[11] Lin, Q. & Mendelssohn, I.A. 1996. A comparative investigation of the effects of Louisiana crude oil on the vegetation of fresh, brackish, and salt marsh. Marine Pollution Bulletin 32: 202-209.

[12] Lin, Q.; Mendelssohn, I.A.; Suidam, M.T.; Lee, K. & Venosa, A.D. 2002. The dose-response relationship between No. 2 fuel oil and the growth of the salt marsh grass, Spartina alterniflora Marine Pollution Bulletin 44: 897-902.

[13] Lopes, A. 2007. Respostas de herbáceas aquáticas amazônicas ao petróleo cru de Urucu (Coari - AM). Dissertação de Mestrado. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia/Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Manaus. 129p.

[14] Lopes, A. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2009. Estabelecimento de Echinochloa polystachya (H.B.K.) Hitchcock (Poaceae) em solo de várzea contaminado com petróleo de Urucu. Acta Amazononica 39: 583-590.

[15] Lopes, A. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2010. The period of contamination with petroleum influences the regrowth of Echinochloa polystachya (HBK) Hitchcock in várzea soil in Central Amazon? Biota Neotropica 10: 142-148.

[16] Lopes, A.; Rosa-Osman, S.M. & Piedade, M.T.F. 2009. Effects of crude oil on survival, morphology, and anatomy of two aquatic macrophytes from the Amazon floodplains. Hydrobiologia 636: 295-305.

[17] Mendelssohn, I.A. & McKee, K.L. 1988. Spartina alterniflora dieback in Louisiana: time-course investigation of soil waterlogging effects. The Journal of Ecology 76: 509-521.

[18] Petrobras. 1997. Características do petróleo Urucu. CNPES, SEPESQ:DIQUIM:SETAV Anexo V. 10p.

[19] Petrucio, M.M. & Esteves, F.A. 2000. Uptake rates of nitrogen and phosphorus in the water by Eichhornia crassipes and Salvinia auriculata Revista Brasileira de Biologia 60: 229-236.

[20] Pezeshki, S.R. & DeLaune, R.D. 1993. Effect of crude oil on gas exchange functions of Juncus roemerianus and Spartina alterniflora Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 68: 461-468.

[21] Pezeshki, S.R.; Hester, M.W.; Lin, Q. & Nyman, J.A. 2000. The effect of oil spill and cleanup on dominant US Gulf coast marsh macrophytes: a review. Environment Pollution 180: 129-139.

[22] Piedade, M.T.F.; Junk, W.J. & Long, S.P. 1991. The productivity of the C₄ grass Echinochloa polystachya on the Amazon floodplain. Ecology 72: 1456-1463.

[23] Piedade, M.T.F.; Junk, W.J. & Mello, J.A.S.N. 1992. A floodplain grassland of the Central Amazon. In: Long, S.P.; Jones, M.B. & Roberts, J.M. (eds.). Productivity of grass ecosystems of the Tropics and Sub-Tropics. Chapman, Hall/UNEP, London. Pp. 127-158.

[24] Rivera-Cruz, M.C; Ronald Ferrera-Cerrato, R.; Haller, V.V.; Vázquez, R.R. & Linares, L.F. 2002. Adaptacion y seleccion de microorganismos autoctonos en medios de cultivos enriquecidos con petroleo crudo. Terra Latinoamericana 20: 423-434.

[25] Rivera-Cruz, M.C. & Trujillo-Narcía, A. 2004. Estudio de toxicidad vegetal em suelos com petróleos nuevo e intemperizado. Interciencia 29: 369-376.

[26] Systat Inc. 2002. SYSTAT 10.2. SYSTAT Software Inc. 203p.

[27] Val, A.L. & Almeida-Val, V.M., 1999. Effects of crude oil on respiratory aspects of some fish species of the Amazon. In: Val, A.L. & Almeida-Val, V.M.F. (eds.). Biology of tropical fishes. INPA, Manaus. Pp. 277-291.

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