A "Dirty" Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils

Amazonian rainforests, once thought to be pristine wilderness, are increasingly known to have been widely inhabited, modified, and managed prior to European arrival, by human populations with diverse cultural backgrounds. Amazonian Dark Earths (ADEs) are fertile soils found throughout the Amazon Basin, created by pre-Columbian societies with sedentary habits. Much is known about the chemistry of these soils, yet their zoology has been neglected. Hence, we characterized soil fertility, macroinvertebrate communities, and their activity at nine archeological sites in three Amazonian regions in ADEs and adjacent reference soils under native forest (young and old) and agricultural systems. We found 673 morphospecies and, despite similar richness in ADEs (385 spp.) and reference soils (399 spp.), we identified a tenacious pre-Columbian footprint, with 49% of morphospecies found exclusively in ADEs. Termite and total macroinvertebrate abundance were higher in reference soils, while soil fertility and macroinvertebrate activity were higher in the ADEs, and associated with larger earthworm quantities and biomass. We show that ADE habitats have a unique pool of species, but that modern land use of ADEs decreases their populations, diversity, and contributions to soil functioning. These findings support the idea that humans created and sustained high-fertility ecosystems that persist today, altering biodiversity patterns in Amazonia.

Systematic review of soil ecosystem services in tropical regions

Soil ecosystem service (SES) approaches evidence the importance of soil for human well-being, contribute to improving dialogue between science and decision-making and encourage the translation of scientific results into public policies. Herein, through systematic review, we assess the state of the art of SES approaches in tropical regions. Through this review, 41 publications were identified; while most of these studies considered SES, a lack of a consistent framework to define SES was apparent. Most studies measured soil natural capital and processes, while only three studies undertook monetary valuation. Although the number of publications increased (from 1 to 41), between 2001 and 2019, the total number of publications for tropical regions is still small. Countries with the largest number of publications were Brazil (n = 8), Colombia (n = 6) and Mexico (n = 4). This observation emphasizes an important knowledge gap pertaining to SES approaches and their link to tropical regions. With global momentum behind SES approaches, there is an opportunity to integrate SES approaches into policy and practice in tropical regions. The use of SES evaluation tools in tropical regions could transform how land use decisions are informed, mitigating soil degradation and protecting the ecosystems that soil underpins.

Pedogenetic processes in anthrosols with pretic horizon (Amazonian Dark Earth) in Central Amazon, Brazil

Anthrosols known as Amazonian Dark Earth (ADE) have borne witness to the intensification of sedentary patterns and the demographic increase in Central Amazon. As a result, a recurring pattern has been observed of mounds with ADE arising from domestic activities and the disposal of waste. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the relationship of these anthropic activities with pedogenetic formation processes of ADE in the municipality of Iranduba, Brazil. Disturbed and undisturbed soil samples were taken from two areas of ADE (pretic horizon) and from a non-anthropic pedon. Physical, chemical, micromorphological and SEM-EDS analyses were performed. The coarse material of the pretic horizons consisted predominantly of quartz, iron nodules, ceramics and charcoal fragments, and the fine material is organo-mineral. There was a direct relationship between the color of pretic horizons and the number of charcoal fragments. The thickness of the ADE results from the redistribution of charcoal at depth through bioturbation, transforming subsurface horizons into anthropic horizons. ADE presents granular microaggregates of geochemical and zoogenetic origin. Degradation of iron nodules is intensified in pretic horizons, promoting a reverse pedogenic process contributing to the xanthization process. Surprisingly the anthropic activities also favor clay dispersion and argilluviation; clay coatings on the ceramic fragments and in the pores demonstrate that this is a current process. Processes identified as contributing to ADE genesis included: i) addition of organic residues and ceramic artifacts (cumulization) with the use of fire; ii) mechanical action of humans, roots and macrofauna (bioturbation); iii) melanization of deeper horizons as a result of bioturbation; iv) argilluviation and degradation of iron nodules. This study offers new support to archaeological research in respect to ADE formation processes in Central Amazon and confirmed the hypothesis that ancient anthropic activities may trigger and/or accelerate pedogenetic processes previously credited only to natural causes.

The domestication of Amazonia before European conquest

During the twentieth century, Amazonia was widely regarded as relatively pristine nature, little impacted by human history. This view remains popular despite mounting evidence of substantial human influence over millennial scales across the region. Here, we review the evidence of an anthropogenic Amazonia in response to claims of sparse populations across broad portions of the region. Amazonia was a major centre of crop domestication, with at least 83 native species containing populations domesticated to some degree. Plant domestication occurs in domesticated landscapes, including highly modified Amazonian dark earths (ADEs) associated with large settled populations and that may cover greater than 0.1% of the region. Populations and food production expanded rapidly within land management systems in the mid-Holocene, and complex societies expanded in resource-rich areas creating domesticated landscapes with profound impacts on local and regional ecology. ADE food production projections support estimates of at least eight million people in 1492. By this time, highly diverse regional systems had developed across Amazonia where subsistence resources were created with plant and landscape domestication, including earthworks. This review argues that the Amazonian anthrome was no less socio-culturally diverse or populous than other tropical forested areas of the world prior to European conquest.

Pouchitis: extracolonic manifestation of ulcerative colitis?

Pouchitis is the most frequent complication of ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for treatment of ulcerative colitis. There are several possible explanations. Among them, we focus on the one that considers pouchitis as an extracolonic manifestation of ulcerative colitis. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between pouchitis and extra-intestinal manifestations (EIM), which are frequent in these patients. Sixty patients underwent restorative proctocolectomy with an ileal J pouch (IPAA) from September 1984 to December 1998. Pouchitis was defined by clinical, endoscopic, and histologic criteria. The following extra-intestinal manifestations were studied: articular, cutaneous, hepatobiliary, ocular, genitourinary, and growth failure. Thirteen patients, of which 10 were female (76.9%), developed one or more episodes of pouchitis. Twelve patients of this group (92.3%) presented some kind of extra-intestinal manifestation, 4 pre-operatively (exclusively), 2 post-operatively (exclusively), and 6 both pre- and post-operatively (1.7 per patient). Twenty patients (42.7%) of the 47 without pouchitis did not present extra-intestinal manifestations; 10/35 (28. 5%) of females had pouchitis, compared to 3/35 (12.0%) of men. Pouchitis was more frequent among females, though not statistically significant. EIM increases the risk of pouchitis. Pouchitis is related to EIM in 92.3 % of cases, corroborating the hypothesis that it could be an extracolonic manifestation of ulcerative colitis.

[Colonic Crohn's disease: results of treatment]

Sixty patients with Crohn's colitis were separated into 2 groups: A) without perianal lesions, 12 patients; B) with perianal lesions, 48 patients. The mean age at the beginning of symptomatology was 41.4 years in group A and 31.7 in B. The number of patients that underwent surgical treatment were similar in both groups. Fifty eight operations were performed in 29 patients, mean 0.33 operations/patient in group A and 2.16 in B. Ileal pouch anal anastomosis were performed in 5 patients, with loss of reservoir in one. There was no difference in need of hospitalization between the 2 groups. At mean follow-up of 8.9 years, 37 patients presented at least one extra-intestinal manifestation, 21 a perianal lesion, 39 were taking drugs and 31 were symptomatic. In the group of 31 patients that received only medical treatment, 24 (77.4%) are still on drugs and only 9 are assymptomatic. In the group of 29 patients that were operated on, 12 (41.4%) are taking drugs and 19 (65.5%) are assymptomatic. The difference concerning results of treatment between patients on medical treatment and operated were statistically significant. A permanent ileostomy was performed in 19(65.5%) patients. Two patients died during clinical treatment and one of postoperative complications.