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One-third of all Neotropical forests are secondary forests that regrow naturally after agricultural use through secondary succession. We need to understand better how and why succession varies across environmental gradients and broad geographic scales. Here, we analyze functional recovery using community data on seven plant characteristics (traits) of 1,016 forest plots from 30 chronosequence sites across the Neotropics. By analyzing communities in terms of their traits, we enhance understanding of the mechanisms of succession, assess ecosystem recovery, and use these insights to propose successful forest restoration strategies. Wet and dry forests diverged markedly for several traits that increase growth rate in wet forests but come at the expense of reduced drought tolerance, delay, or avoidance, which is important in seasonally dry forests. Dry and wet forests showed different successional pathways for several traits. In dry forests, species turnover is driven by drought tolerance traits that are important early in succession and in wet forests by shade tolerance traits that are important later in succession. In both forests, deciduous and compound-leaved trees decreased with forest age, probably because microclimatic conditions became less hot and dry. Our results suggest that climatic water availability drives functional recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in a convergence of community trait values with forest age when vegetation cover builds up. Within plots, the range in functional trait values increased with age. Based on the observed successional trait changes, we indicate the consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling and propose an ecologically sound strategy to improve forest restoration success.

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This experiment aimed at evaluating the effects of the supplementation of different vegetable oils at different levels to the diet of commercial layers on egg cholesterol levels and nutritional composition (proteins, total solids, lipids, and ashes) for 112 days. Birds were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design with 10 treatments (T1-control; T2-inclusion of 2.5% rapeseed oil; T3-inclusion of 2.5% canola oil; T4-inclusion of 2.5% soybean oil; T5-inclusion of 5% rapeseed oil; T6-inclusion of 5% canola oil; T7-inclusion of 5% soybean oil; T8-inclusion of 2.5% rapeseed oil + 2.5% soybean oil; T9-inclusion 2.5% canola oil + 2.5% soybean oil; T10-inclusion of 2.5% rapeseed oil + 2.5% canola oil) of six replicates of eight birds each, totaling 480 birds. Yolk cholesterol levels and nutritional composition were determined on days 20, 60 and 112 days of the experimental period. Data obtained during the experimental period were submitted to analysis of variance. Egg yolks produced by layer fed oils presented lower cholesterol levels after 20 days of inclusion in the experimental diets. On days 60 and 112, cholesterol levels were higher. It was concluded that supplementing layer diets with vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids does not change the nutritional composition of egg yolks. The supply of diets containing oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids does not reduce yolk cholesterol content.

To adapt commercial poultry production to a new scenario of energy savings and to develop specific practices for quail production aimed at reducing costs while maintaining or improving productivity, four experiments were conducted. In the first experiment, birds were allocated to four treatments (photoperiod

Beak Trimming Methods and Their Effect on the Performance and Egg Quality of Japanese Quails (Coturnix japonica) During Lay

The experiment was carried out with the objective of evaluating a methodology to estimate the angulation and equilibrium condition, relating them to gait score and the main diseases of the locomotion system in males and females of commercial broiler strains. A completely randomized experimental design in a factorial arrangement (2x2) was applied, consisting of two sexes and two genetic strains, with five replicates of 53 chickens each. The following characteristics related to broiler locomotion were studied: gait score (GS); incidence of Valgus (VAL) and Varus (VAR) deformities and of pododermatitis (POD); body angle relative the ground (ANG); equilibrium condition (EC); body weight (BW) and breast weight (BrW); and incidence of femoral degeneration (FD), tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and spondylolisthesis (SPO). GS, and VAL and VAR were assessed inside a broiler house. Birds were then photographed to estimate ANG and EC. Birds were sacrificed at 42 days of age and analyzed for FD, TD, and SPO. Breast percentage was not influenced by sex or strain. Males showed better ANG than females, regardless of strain. Overall, the strains studied showed prostrated EC. The correlation between GS and the evaluated traits was low. There was a moderate to high association between EC and ANG both in males and females. GS showed low correlation with locomotion problems, and therefore, it is a poor indicator of skeletal diseases. On the other hand, the moderate to high correlations of ANG and EC with locomotion problems make them better indicators of bone diseases than gait score, which is possibly more related to EC and body posture than to bone pathologies.

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