In tropical areas worldwide, more than 1000 terrestrial species of invertebrates are used as food. For populations of Amazonian areas, different species of insects and other invertebrates serve as nourishing food sources. Here, we document the composition and nutritional quality of some invertebrates consumed in Venezuelan Amazonia, including termites (Isoptera) and earthworms (Glossoscolecidae) eaten by the Ye'Kuana (Makiritare) and caterpillars (Lepidoptera) and grubs (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) consumed by the Yanomamo. Consumption of 100 g of any of these invertebrates contributed 1.2–9.4 percent of the daily fat requirement and 26–144 percent of the protein daily requirement for an adult male. The sample of caterpillars regularly eaten by these peoples was rich in beta carotene (provitamin A), and a 100 g ingestion guaranteed 323 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A. The greatest amount of alpha tocopherol was provided by the consumption of the smoked earthworms (36.7%). Earthworms and termites contained high levels of sterols, mainly cholesterol. The consumption of these animals by tropical human populations represents not only an important traditional habit but also, considering their nutritional composition, a substantial contribution to the human diet.
RESUMENLa región centro norte de Venezuela está caracterizada por lluvias de naturaleza ácida, cargadas de contaminantes que incluyen nutrientes, debido a la intensa actividad industrial y agrícola de la zona. Esta región presenta a su vez grandes extensiones de plantaciones de caña de azúcar. Una vez que la lluvia pasa por el dosel de bosques o de ecosistemas agrícolas, su composición química cambia, ya sea por absorción, lixiviación o lavado de iones depositados en el dosel. Este documento describe los cambios en la química de las aguas de lluvias después de pasar por el dosel de una plantación de caña de azúcar. En cuatro parcelas de 300 m 2 ubicadas en un área experimental de 4.5 ha, plantadas con Saccharum officinarum, se instalaron colectores de agua de lluvia y de escurrimiento foliar. El estudio corresponde al análisis de crecimiento de la tercera soca del cultivo. El pH del agua de lluvia se incrementa cuando pasa por el dosel. La magnitud de los cambios fue importante y se relacionó parcialmente con las cantidades significativas de cationes que se lavan del dosel. Las entradas de N en el agroecosistema fueron altas (25.25 kg ha 1 a -1 ) como consecuencia de la fertilización y quema local de la caña antes de su cosecha y la actividad industrial (petroquímica y fertilizantes) desarrollada en la zona. Las precipitaciones (húmeda y seca) representan una importante fuente de entradas de nutrientes a la plantación. En el caso de los macronutrientes (N, P y K) las entradas fueron altas y suplen una significativa fracción de los requerimientos del cultivo, lo mismo ocurre en el caso del zinc y del cobre.
ABSTRACTAs a consequence of high industrial and agricultural activities, acidic rains loaded with pollutants-including nutrients-are characteristic of northern central Venezuela, a region dominated by sugar cane plantations. Canopies of forest and agricultural crops can modify the chemistry of rainfall through uptake, leaching and outwash of deposited ions. This paper describes the change in the chemistry of acid rains after passing through a sugar cane canopy. Four plots of 300 m 2 within a 4.5 ha experimental area, planted with Saccharum officinarum had rain and throughfall collectors installed. The study corresponds to the analysis of the growing season of the third ratoon. The pH of the rain in the agroecosystem increased after passing through the canopy. The magnitudes of the changes were important and partially related to the significant amount of cations leached from the leaves or washed out from dry deposition to the leaves. N inputs for wet and dry deposition in the agroecosystem were high (25.25 kg ha -1 yr -1 ) as a consequence of the agricultural activity in the area, the local burning of sugar cane before cropping, and the location of the experimental area close Atmósfera 26(3), 337-348 (2013) 338 D. López-Hernández et al. to petrochemical and fertilizer industries. Rainfall constitutes an important source of nutrient inputs to the sugar cane system. In the case of macronutrients (N, P and K...
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