Climate seasonality limits leaf carbon assimilation and wood productivity in tropical forests.

The seasonal climate drivers of the carbon cy- cle in tropical forests remain poorly known, although these forests account for more carbon assimilation and storage than any other terrestrial ecosystem. Based on a unique combina- tion of seasonal pan-tropical data sets from 89 experimental sites (68 include aboveground wood productivity measure- ments and 35 litter productivity measurements), their asso- ciated canopy photosynthetic capacity (enhanced vegetation index, EVI) and climate, we ask how carbon assimilation and aboveground allocation are related to climate seasonal- ity in tropical forests and how they interact in the seasonal carbon cycle. We found that canopy photosynthetic capacity seasonality responds positively to precipitation when rain- fall is < 2000 mm yr-1 (water-limited forests) and to radia- tion otherwise (light-limited forests). On the other hand, in- dependent of climate limitations, wood productivity and lit- terfall are driven by seasonal variation in precipitation and evapotranspiration, respectively. Consequently, light-limited forests present an asynchronism between canopy photosyn- thetic capacity and wood productivity. First-order control by precipitation likely indicates a decrease in tropical forest pro- ductivity in a drier climate in water-limited forest, and in cur- rent light-limited forest with future rainfall < 2000 mm yr-1.

Development of super early genotypes for the dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) as affected by nitrogen management.

The super early genotypes (SEG) of dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) have a shorter life cycle (65-75 days) when compared with the season length of traditional cultivars (90-100 days). Timing of nitrogen top-dressing fertilization could be different because of this reduction in length of the SEG life cycle. This study aimed at characterizing, by using growth analysis and vegetation index, super early genotypes of dry bean development as affected by timing of nitrogen application. Field experiments were conducted in the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons in central Brazil with a randomized block experimental design with split plots scheme and four replicates. The plots comprised the dry bean genotypes (Colibri ? check cultivar, CNFC 15873, CNFC 15874, and CNFC 15875), and subplots comprised applications of N at different timings: 90 kg of N at sowing, 90 kg N at top-dressing; 45 kg of N at sowing plus 45 kg at top-dressing, with urea as the source of N. We also used a control treatment without N application. The CNFC 15874 super early genotype of dry bean had the higher grain yield (2776 kg ha-1) and differed from the CNFC 15873 genotype (2492 kg ha-1). Nitrogen fertilization allowed higher grain yield (2619 kg ha-1, when applied N at sowing, 2605 kg ha-1, when applied N at sowing and at top-dressing, and 2680 kg ha-1, when applied N at top-dressing) than the control, 2360 kg ha-1 (no N fertilization). The time of N fertilization in super early genotype of dry bean did not affect grain yield.

Avaliação temporal de sistemas pecuários usando o Índice de Vegetação NDVI derivado de imagens Landsat.

A pecuária é responsável por mais de 6% do Produto Interno Bruto. Manejos pecuários têm sido estudados para buscar meios mais eficientes de produção. Nosso objetivo neste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de sistemas pecuários sobre o índice de vegetação Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), para indicar os sistemas mais produtivos em temos de forragem. Duas áreas de produção de gado de corte e uma de gado de leite, localizadas na Embrapa Pecuária Sudeste (São Carlos, SP), foram avaliadas no período de abril de 2013 a agosto de 2015. Na área 1, os maiores valores de NDVI ocorreram no sistema integração lavoura-pecuária-floresta em todos os períodos. Os sistemas integrado pecuária-floresta e intensivo apresentaram valores similares, principalmente nos períodos de seca. Nas situações em que a cobertura principal eram as pastagens foi possível, na maior parte do tempo, separar os sistemas mais produtivos (intensivos) do sistema menos vigoroso (extensivo). Na área 2, o sistema intensivo e de alta lotação animal apresentou os maiores valores de índices de vegetação ao longo de todos os períodos avaliados e foi o mais produtivo. Na área 3, os sistemas de produção intensivo em recuperação e intensivo irrigado apresentaram os maior valores de NDVI na maior parte dos período avaliados, o que indica maior produtividade desses sistemas. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, séries temporais de NDVI têm o potencial de discriminar, entre os sistemas pecuários de produção não integrados, os sistemas mais produtivos (intensivos) dos sistemas menos produtivos (extensivos), principalmente nos períodos de seca.

Assessment of sugarcane harvesting residue effects on soil spectral behavior

When the harvesting of sugarcane involves a mechanized process, plant residues remain on the soil surface, which makes proximal and remote sensing difficult to monitor. This study aimed to evaluate, under laboratory conditions, differences in the soil spectral behavior of surface layers Quartzipsamment and Hapludox soil classes due to increasing levels of sugarcane?s dry (DL) and green (GL) leaf cover on the soil. Soil cover was quantified by supervised classification of the digital images (photography) taken of the treatments. The spectral reflectance of the samples was obtained using the FieldSpec Pro (350 to 2500 nm). TM-Landsat bands were simulated and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and soil line were also determined. Soil cover ranged from 0 to 89 % for DL and 0 to 80 % for GL. Dry leaf covering affected the features of the following soil constituents: iron oxides (480, 530 and 900 nm) and kaolinite (2200 nm). Water absorption (1400 and 1900 nm) and chlorophyll (670 nm) were determinant in differentiating between bare soil and GL covering. Bands 3 and 4 and NDVI showed pronounced variations as regards differences in soil cover percentage for both DL and GL. The soil line allowed for discrimination of the bare soil from the covered soil (DL and GL). High resolution sensors from about 50 % of the DL or GL covering are expected to reveal differences in soil spectral behavior. Above this coverage percentage, soil assessment by remote sensing is impaired.

Produto modis associado à condição hídrica no solo para diferenciar padrões na vegetação no município de Dom Eliseu, Pará.

Objetivou avaliar a dinâmica de padrões na vegetação usando NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) associado à oferta hídrica no município de Dom Eliseu, no Pará com base na reflectância em áreas com cultivos anuais de grãos e plantios florestais, nos períodos de maior e menor deficiência de água no solo. Foram analisados dados meteorológicos para calcular balanços hídricos (CAD = 300 mm) e respostas em NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) extraídos do sensor MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). As imagens-índice (NDVI) referentes aos meses de janeiro a dezembro de 2012 foram processadas no aplicativo Envi 4.7 e reclassificadas no ArcGIS10.1. Os resultados apontaram variações temporais ao longo do ano, tanto relacionados aos sistemas de agrícolas de produção, quanto aos remanescentes florestais os quais indicavam associações à oferta hídrica na região e possíveis respostas fenológicas. Em Dom Eliseu, o mês de maior valor em NDVI foi em abril com mais 60% do município expressando manutenção das folhas e da capacidade fotossintética das plantas, pois os valores em NDVI foram superiores a 0,6. No período de agosto a setembro ocorrem as menores cotas pluviais, ocasionando déficits hídricos que atingem valores superiores a 70 mm. Observou-se que as respostas em NDVI foram mais expressivas no mês de outubro, totalizando 16% da área de estudo com valores entre 0,2 a 0,3, evidenciando reduzida expressão em resposta espectral na biomassa dos remanescentes de vegetação e plantios florestais. Conclui-se que existe sensibilidade do NDVI em resposta à condição hídrica no solo. Ao contabilizar-se as diferenças entre a reflectâncias no infravermelho próximo e no vermelho divididos pela soma dessas reflectância, os baixos valores de NDVI, reforçam que no período de maior deficiência hídrica há queda de folhas, pois a superfície imageada, responde com valores mais elevados no solo do que na vegetação.

Spatial scale effects of sampling on the interpolation of species distribution models in the southwestern Amazon.

Knowledge of the geographical distribution of timber tree species in the Amazon is still scarce. This is especially true at the local level, thereby limiting natural resource management actions. Forest inventories are key sources of information on the occurrence of such species. However, areas with approved forest management plans are mostly located near access roads and the main industrial centers. The present study aimed to assess the spatial scale effects of forest inventories used as sources of occurrence data in the interpolation of potential species distribution models. The occurrence data of a group of six forest tree species were divided into four geographical areas during the modeling process. Several sampling schemes were then tested applying the maximum entropy algorithm, using the following predictor variables: elevation, slope, exposure, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and height above the nearest drainage (HAND). The results revealed that using occurrence data from only one geographical area with unique environmental characteristics increased both model overfitting to input data and omission error rates. The use of a diagonal systematic sampling scheme and lower threshold values led to improved model performance. Forest inventories may be used to predict areas with a high probability of species occurrence, provided they are located in forest management plan regions representative of the environmental range of the model projection area.