Repositório RCAAP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

The caprellid amphipods are small crustaceans, usually with 0.1 to 3 cm long, belonging to the suborder Caprellidea. The caprellids have an important ecological function, because in addition to providing the connection between primary producers and higher trophic levels, they are sensitive to environmental variations, toxins and pollutants. Among these pollutants, organotin compounds, such as the tributyltin (TBT) stands out. The TBT is commonly used as active ingredient in biocides. Its wider application, however, is in the hulls of vessels due to its anti-fouling effect. Due to these factors, TBT and its derivatives (dibutyltin - DBT and monobutyltin - MBT) have caused environmental contamination in the marine environment, especially in the sediment and water, from areas with high boat traffic, like marinas and harbors. As the detection limits of organotins, such as TBT, through the normal analytical methods are relatively high, the use of marine organisms in the monitoring of these compounds are interesting because, besides accumulating these compounds, lower trophic level organisms such as caprellid amphipods, have higher concentrations of TBT. Therein, the aim of this study was evaluate the potential use of caprellids as bioindicators of OTs in the northern coast of São Paulo State. For this, two samplings were performed (December 2009 and March 2010) at three beaches (Fortaleza, Lázaro and Lamberto) from Ubatuba, SP. Ten individual fronds of Sargassum were collected per beach in each period to characterize the structure of caprellid assemblages. The environmental conditions of the beaches were evaluated by measurements of hydrodynamics, temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and organic matter in water. The fronds were fixed, washed and examined and the organisms were identified to species level. For organotin evaluation, fifty fronds of Sargassum were collected, per beach, in each sampling period, from which caprellids were removed for analysis. In laboratory, the caprellids were stored in aluminum foil, frozen and sent to the organotin compounds analysis. The samples were then homogenized, and passed through an analytical procedure before analysis in a gas chromatography with pulsed flame photometric detector (GC-PFPD). To describe the caprellid assemblages, the density, species richness and indexes of diversity and evenness were calculated. Some differences in environmental conditions among beaches and between sampling periods were recorded. A total of 384 caprellids of nine different species were collected. The Lázaro beach had the highest density, richness, and diversity. Despite this species richness, only two species (Caprella danilevskii and Caprella dilatata) could be used in the organotin analyses, because of the amount of mass required by the method. High concentrations of TBT were found in the samples of C. danilevskii (above 200 ng Sn/g), whereas for C. dilatata the values were from below the detection limit up to 35 ng Sn/g. It is expected that with the implementation of new legislation in Brazil, there is a decrease in concentrations of TBT in the coastal areas of the country. However, the monitoring of TBT concentrations is still needed and the results obtained indicate that caprellids C. danilevskii stands out as an efficient bioindicator of TBT contamination in littoral north of São Paulo and another areas of Brazilian littoral, because this species besides concentrating this compound, can be easily collected, occurs in a wide variety of environmental conditions and is widely distributed in the country.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

The Brazilian Merganser (Mergus octosetaceus) is a critically-endangered species whose largest wild populations can be found at conservation units in Brazil. Habitat loss and degradation due to anthropic interference are the main threats to its survival. I used nine different niche modeling algorithms to build a consensus model composed of the best five models to predict Mergus octosetaceus potential geographical distribution in Brazil. I also employed a multicriteria analysis technique (weighted linear combination) in a GIS environment to map anthropic pressure levels over the species potential range. Modeling of the potential geographical distribution resulted in a habitat suitability map which indicated 17.3% of the national territory as suitable to occurrence of M. octosetaceus. Two hundred and nineteen integral protection conservation units were identified as protecting 2.66% of the species potential range. Besides indicating new potential occurrence areas, the habitat suitability map confirmed current and historical occurrence records. Application of the weighted linear combination resulted in a map of three anthropic pressure levels (low, medium, and high), with high level prevailing over 40.8% of M. octosetaceus potential range. Brazilian Merganser s occurrence points tended to be associated with areas of low anthropic pressure, supporting the notion that interference of anthropic factors lead to its exclusion from altered habitats.

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Universidade Federal de Uberlândia

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais

The main this study was investigate how may shrub-woody species richness be the effected by sensu stricto cerrado fragmentation. We hypothesized that species richness may be influenced by size, fragment shape and degree isolament, with zoocoric species being more strongly affected by fragmentation. The Landsat 7 satellite image (11/out./2002) was used to produce digitized maps of each fragment. The land use and land cover maps were produced using in the program SPRING 4.1 and the fragmentation index area, perimeter, shape, distances to nearest neighbor and isolation were determined for each fragment. The floristic inventories were conducted in a total of nine cerrado fragments. In each fragment 50 plots were established. All individuals com CAP > 15cm were identified and their height and perimeter were measured in 50 plots of 10 x 10m. To the individuals with CAP <15cm and > 1m height the plots of 10 x 10m were subdivided in plots of 5 x 10m and all individuals were identified and counted in these. A total of 16.714 individuals belonging to in 170 species, 107 generous and 50 botanical families was surveyed in the nine cerrado fragment studied. The multiple linear regression indicated that the richness shrub-woody species was affected by fragment area, but not by fragment shape and degree of isolation. Negative relationship was founded between percentage of autocoric species and fragment size (rs= -0,790), and isolation was correlated with the percentage of zoocoric species (rs = 0,755). The percentage of autocoric individual was negatively correlated with shape fragmen (r = -0,719). Anemocory did not relationship with the other variables considered this study. This study suggests that larger fragments are necessary to conservation of shrub and tree species of the sensu stricto cerrado, however, small fragments are also important elements of the landscape because increase the connection between fragments or areas of continuous habitat.