DISTRIBUTION OF CAPYBARAS IN AN AGROECOSYSTEM, SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL, BASED ON ECOLOGICAL NICHE MODELING

Southeastern Brazil has seen dramatic landscape modifications in recent decades, due to expansion of agriculture and urban areas; these changes have influenced the distribution and abundance of vertebrates. We developed predictive models of ecological and spatial distributions of capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) using ecological niche modeling. Most Occurrences of capybaras were in flat areas with water bodies Surrounded by sugarcane and pasture. More than 75% of the Piracicaba River basin was estimated as potentially habitable by capybara. The models had low omission error (2.3-3.4%), but higher commission error (91.0-98.5%); these ""model failures"" seem to be more related to local habitat characteristics than to spatial ones. The potential distribution of capybaras in the basin is associated with anthropogenic habitats, particularly with intensive land use for agriculture.

Small rivers in the southwestern Amazon and their role in CO(2) outgassing

A recent estimate of CO(2) outgassing from Amazonian wetlands suggests that an order of magnitude more CO(2) leaves rivers through gas exchange with the atmosphere than is exported to the ocean as organic plus inorganic carbon. However, the contribution of smaller rivers is still poorly understood, mainly because of limitations in mapping their spatial extent. Considering that the largest extension of the Amazon River network is composed of small rivers, the authors` objective was to elucidate their role in air-water CO(2) exchange by developing a geographic information system ( GIS)- based model to calculate the surface area covered by rivers with channels less than 100 m wide, combined with estimated CO(2) outgassing rates at the Ji-Parana River basin, in the western Amazon. Estimated CO(2) outgassing was the main carbon export pathway for this river basin, totaling 289 Gg C yr(-1), about 2.4 times the amount of carbon exported as dissolved inorganic carbon ( 121 Gg C yr(-1)) and 1.6 times the dissolved organic carbon export ( 185 Gg C yr(-1)). The relationships established here between drainage area and channel width provide a new model for determining small river surface area, allowing regional extrapolations of air - water gas exchange. Applying this model to the entire Amazon River network of channels less than 100 m wide ( third to fifth order), the authors calculate that the surface area of small rivers is 0.3 +/- 0.05 million km(2), and it is potentially evading to the atmosphere 170 +/- 42 Tg C yr(-1) as CO(2). Therefore, these ecosystems play an important role in the regional carbon balance.

Microsatellite Polymorphisms in Cassava Landraces from the Cerrado Biome, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Using nine microsatellite loci, we investigated genetic structure and diversity in 83 Brazilian cassava accessions, including several landraces, in the Cerrado biome in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. All nine loci were polymorphic, averaging 6.00 alleles per locus. Treating each of seven municipalities as a cassava group or population, they averaged 3.5 alleles per locus, with 97% polymorphic loci, high values for observed heterozygosity (0.32) and gene diversity (0.56). Total genetic variability was high (0.668), and most of this genetic variability was concentrated within municipalities (0.577). Cluster and structure analyses divided accessions into two major clusters or populations (K = 2). Also, a significant genetic versus geographic correlation was found (r = 0.4567; P < 0.0260). Migratory routes in the Cerrado are considered main contributors to the region`s high cassava diversity and spatial genetic structure, amplifying interactions between traditional farmers and the evolutionary dynamics of this crop.

Rare canopy species in communities within the Atlantic Coastal Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Rare species are one of the principal components of the species richness and diversity encountered in Dense Ombrophilous Tropical Forests. This study sought to analyze the rare canopy species within the Atlantic Coastal Forest in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Six different communities were examined: Dense Ombrophilous alluvial Forest; Dense sub-montane Ombrophilous Forest; Dense Montane Ombrophilous in Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira. In each area the vegetation was sampled within forty 10 x 25 m plots alternately distributed along a linear transect. All trees with DBH (1.3 m above ground level) a parts per thousand yen5 cm were sampled. The canopy was characterized using the allometric relationship between diameter and height, and included all trees with BDH a parts per thousand yen10 cm and height a parts per thousand yen10 m. A total of 64 families, 206 genera, and 542 species were sampled, of which 297 (54.8%) represented rare species (less than one individual per hectare). The percentage of rare species varied from 34 to 50% in each of the different communities sampled. A majority of these rare trees belonged to the Rosidae, and a smaller proportion to the Dilleniidae. It was concluded that there was no apparent pattern to rarity among families, that rarity was probably derived from a number of processes (such as gap formation), and that a great majority of the rare species sampled were consistently rare. This indicates that the restricted geographic distribution and high degree of endemism of many arboreal taxa justifies the conservation of even small fragments of Atlantic Forest.

Colonization and extinction of land planarians (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) in a Brazilian Atlantic Forest regrowth remnant

Long-term assessments of species assemblages are valuable tools for detecting species ecological preferences and their dispersal tracks, as well as for assessing the possible effects of alien species on native communities. Here we report a 50-year-long study on population dynamics of the four species of land flatworms (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Terricola) that have colonized or become extinct in a 70-year-old Atlantic Forest regrowth remnant through the period 1955-2006. On the one hand, the two initially most abundant species, which are native to the study site, Notogynaphallia ernesti and Geoplana multicolor have declined over decades and at present do not exist in the forest remnant. The extinction of these species is most likely related with their preference for open vegetation areas, which presently do not exist in the forest remnant. On the other hand, the neotropical Geoplaninae 1 and the exotic Endeavouria septemlineata were detected in the forest only very recently. The long-term study allowed us to conclude that Geoplaninae 1 was introduced into the study area, although it is only known from the study site. Endeavouria septemlineata, an active predator of the exotic giant African snail, is originally known from Hawaii. This land flatworm species was observed repeatedly in Brazilian anthropogenic areas, and this is the first report of the species in relatively well preserved native forest, which may be evidence of an ongoing adaptive process. Monitoring of its geographic spread and its ecological role would be a good practice for preventing potential damaging effects, since it also feeds on native mollusk fauna, as we observed in lab conditions.

Logistics information systems adoption: an empirical investigation in Brazil

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine whether the level of logistics information systems (LIS) adoption in manufacturing companies is influenced by organizational profile variables, such as the company`s size, the nature of its operations and their subsectors. Design/methodology/approach - A review of the mainstream literature on US was carried out to identify the factors influencing the adoption of such information systems and also some research gaps. The empirical study`s strategy is based on a survey research in Brazilian manufacturing firms from the capital goods industry. Data collected were analyzed through Kruskall-Wallis and Mann Whitney`s non-parametric tests. Findings - The analysis indicates that characteristics such as the size of companies and the nature of their operations influence the levels of LIS adoption, whilst comparisons regarding the subsectors appeared to be of little influence. Originality/value - This is the first known study to examine the influence of organizational profiles such as size, nature of operations and subsector on the level of US adoption in manufacturing companies. Moreover, it is unique in portraying the Brazilian scenario on this topic and addressing the adoption of seven types of LIS in a single study.

Assessment of groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System, Brazil

The groundwater recharge and water fluxes of the Guarani Aquifer System in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil were assessed through a numeric model. The study area (6,748 km(2)) comprises Jacar,-Gua double dagger A(0) and Jacar,-Pepira River watersheds, tributaries of the Tiet River in the central region of the state. GIS based tools were used in the storage, processing and analysis of data. Main hydrologic phenomena were selected, leading to a groundwater conceptual model, taking into account the significant outcrops occurring in the study area. Six recharge zones were related to the geologic formation and structures of the semi-confined and phreatic aquifer. The model was calibrated against the baseflows and static water levels of the wells. The results emphasize the strong interaction of groundwater flows between watersheds and the groundwater inflow into the rivers. It has been concluded that lateral groundwater exchanges between basins, the deep discharges to the regional system, and well exploitation were not significant aquifer outflows when compared to the aquifer recharge. The results have shown that the inflows from the river into the aquifer are significant and have the utmost importance since the aquifer is potentially more vulnerable in these places.

Development of new rapid prototyping process

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to identify the key elements of a new rapid prototyping process, which involves layer-by-layer deposition of liquid-state material and at the same time using an ultraviolet line source to cure the deposited material. This paper reports studies about the behaviour of filaments, deposition accuracy, filaments interaction and functional feasibility of system. Additionally, the author describes the process which has been proposed, the equipment that has been used for these studies and the material which was developed in this application. Design/methodology/approach - The research has been separated into three study areas in accordance with their goals. In the first, both the behaviour of filament and deposition accuracy was studied. The design of the experiment is described with focus on four response factors (bead width, filament quality, deposition accuracy and deposition continuity) along with function of three control factors (deposition height, deposition velocity and extrusion velocity). The author also studied the interaction between filaments as a function of bead centre distance. In addition, two test samples were prepared to serve as a proof of the methodology and to verify the functional feasibility of the process which has been studied. Findings - The results show that the proposed process is functionally feasible, and that it is possible to identify the main effects of control factors over response factors. That analysis is used to predict the condition of process as a function of the parameters which control the process. Also identified were distances of centre beads which result in a specific behaviour. The types of interaction between filaments were analysed and sorted into: union, separation and indeterminate. At the end, the functional feasibility of process was proved whereby two test parts could be built. Originality/value - This paper proposes a new rapid prototyping process and also presents test studies related to this proposition. The author has focused on the filament behaviour, deposition accuracy, interaction between filaments and studied the functional feasibility of process to provide new information about this process, which at the same time is useful to the development of other rapid prototyping processes.

A reference business process for ecological niche modelling

Ecological niche modelling combines species occurrence points with environmental raster layers in order to obtain models for describing the probabilistic distribution of species. The process to generate an ecological niche model is complex. It requires dealing with a large amount of data, use of different software packages for data conversion, for model generation and for different types of processing and analyses, among other functionalities. A software platform that integrates all requirements under a single and seamless interface would be very helpful for users. Furthermore, since biodiversity modelling is constantly evolving, new requirements are constantly being added in terms of functions, algorithms and data formats. This evolution must be accompanied by any software intended to be used in this area. In this scenario, a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is an appropriate choice for designing such systems. According to SOA best practices and methodologies, the design of a reference business process must be performed prior to the architecture definition. The purpose is to understand the complexities of the process (business process in this context refers to the ecological niche modelling problem) and to design an architecture able to offer a comprehensive solution, called a reference architecture, that can be further detailed when implementing specific systems. This paper presents a reference business process for ecological niche modelling, as part of a major work focused on the definition of a reference architecture based on SOA concepts that will be used to evolve the openModeller software package for species modelling. The basic steps that are performed while developing a model are described, highlighting important aspects, based on the knowledge of modelling experts. In order to illustrate the steps defined for the process, an experiment was developed, modelling the distribution of Ouratea spectabilis (Mart.) Engl. (Ochnaceae) using openModeller. As a consequence of the knowledge gained with this work, many desirable improvements on the modelling software packages have been identified and are presented. Also, a discussion on the potential for large-scale experimentation in ecological niche modelling is provided, highlighting opportunities for research. The results obtained are very important for those involved in the development of modelling tools and systems, for requirement analysis and to provide insight on new features and trends for this category of systems. They can also be very helpful for beginners in modelling research, who can use the process and the experiment example as a guide to this complex activity. (c) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Collaboration intensity in the Brazilian supermarket retail chain

Purpose - This paper seeks to identify collaboration elements and evaluate their intensity in the Brazilian supermarket retail chain, especially the manufacturer-retailer channel. Design/methodology/approach - A structured questionnaire was elaborated and applied to 125 representatives from suppliers of large supermarket chains. Statistical methods including multivariate analysis were employed. Variables were grouped and composed into five indicators (joint actions, information sharing, interpersonal integration, gains and cost sharing, and strategic integration) to assess the degree of collaboration. Findings - The analyses showed that the interviewees considered interpersonal integration to be of greater importance to collaboration intensity than the other integration factors, such as gain or cost sharing or even strategic integration. Research limitations/implications - The research was conducted solely from the point of view of the industries that supply the large retail networks. The interviews were not conducted in pairs; that is, there was no application of one questionnaire to the retail network and another to the partner industry. Practical implications - Companies should invest in conducting periodic meetings with their partners to increase collaboration intensity, and should carry out technical visits to learn about their partners` logistic reality and thus make better operational decisions. Originality/value - The paper reveals which indicators produce greater collaboration intensity, and thus those that are more relevant to more efficient logistics management.

Floristic composition of seasonal riparian forests in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil

(Floristic composition of seasonal riparian forests in Mato Grosso do Sit] State, Brazil). This Study aimed to characterize the floristic composition in two stretches of seasonal semideciduous forest associated with the Formoso River, Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul State, and in three stretches of seasonal deciduous and semideciduous forests associated with the Salobra, Salobrinha and Perdido rivers in Bodoquena Plateau National Park (76,481 ha) - the only Federal Conservation unit with Integral Protection in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The floristic survey was carried out monthly from October/2004 to March/2006, where flowering and fruiting phanerogams were collected by the method of evaluation time. The floristic survey resulted in 56 families, 184 genera and 307 species. Of the total number of species, 68% were trees, 17% shrubs, 14% lianas and only 1% palms. The Fabaceae family (Leguminosae), represented by 51 (16.6%) species, was the most species-rich. These results increase our knowledge of the Mato Grosso do Sul flora and its geographic distribution, thus emphasizing the need for conservation of these riparian forests and providing subsidies for restoration projects of the degraded areas around the conservation unit and permanent protection areas (APPs) of regional rivers.

Morphological variation and reproductive incompatibility of three coconut-mite-associated populations of predatory mites identified as Neoseiulus paspalivorus (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Predatory mites identified as Neoseiulus paspalivorus DeLeon (Phytoseiidae) have been considered as agents for classical biological control of the coconut mite, Aceria guerreronis Keifer (Eriophyidae), in Africa and elsewhere. Preliminary identification of geographically distinct populations as belonging to the same species (N. paspalivorus) was based on their morphological similarity. However, laboratory studies recently conducted have shown large differences in feeding behaviors and biological characteristics among individuals collected from three geographic origins: Brazil (South America), Benin and Ghana (West Africa). As morphologically similar specimens do not necessarily belong to the same species, we evaluated under laboratory conditions, reproductive compatibility between the specimens from three geographic locations to ascertain their conspecificity. Morphological measurements were also made to determine whether there is a means of discriminating between them. Inter-population crosses showed complete reproductive isolation between the three geographic populations, but interpopulation discontinuities in morphometric characters were absent. These results indicate that the tested specimens are distinct biological entities despite morphological similarity. Further molecular genetic studies are therefore proposed, including screening for endosymbionts and assessment of genetic differentiation, to determine the cause of reproductive incompatibility and to clarify the taxonomic relationship between those populations.

Definition of priority areas for forest conservation through the ordered weighted averaging method

The general objective of this study was to evaluate the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) method, integrated to a geographic information systems (GIS), in the definition of priority areas for forest conservation in a Brazilian river basin, aiming at to increase the regional biodiversity. We demonstrated how one could obtain a range of alternatives by applying OWA, including the one obtained by the weighted linear combination method and, also the use of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to structure the decision problem and to assign the importance to each criterion. The criteria considered important to this study were: proximity to forest patches; proximity among forest patches with larger core area; proximity to surface water; distance from roads: distance from urban areas; and vulnerability to erosion. OWA requires two sets of criteria weights: the weights of relative criterion importance and the order weights. Thus, Participatory Technique was used to define the criteria set and the criterion importance (based in AHP). In order to obtain the second set of weights we considered the influence of each criterion, as well as the importance of each one, on this decision-making process. The sensitivity analysis indicated coherence among the criterion importance weights, the order weights, and the solution. According to this analysis, only the proximity to surface water criterion is not important to identify priority areas for forest conservation. Finally, we can highlight that the OWA method is flexible, easy to be implemented and, mainly, it facilitates a better understanding of the alternative land-use suitability patterns. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic Diversity and a PCR-Based Method for Xanthomonas axonopodis Detection in Passion Fruit

Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. passiflorae causes bacterial spot in passion fruit. It attacks the purple and yellow passion fruit as well as the sweet passion fruit. The diversity of 87 isolates of pv. passiflorae collected from across 22 fruit orchards in Brazil was evaluated using molecular profiles and statistical procedures, including an unweighted pair-group method with arithmetical averages-based dendrogram, analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), and an assigning test that provides information on genetic structure at the population level. Isolates from another eight pathovars were included in the molecular analyses and all were shown to have a distinct repetitive sequence-based polymerase chain reaction profile. Amplified fragment length polymorphism technique revealed considerable diversity among isolates of pv. passiflorae, and AMOVA showed that most of the variance (49.4%) was due to differences between localities. Cluster analysis revealed that most genotypic clusters were homogeneous and that variance was associated primarily with geographic origin. The disease adversely affects fruit production and may kill infected plants. A method for rapid diagnosis of the pathogen, even before the disease symptoms become evident, has value for producers. Here, a set of primers (Xapas) was designed by exploiting a single-nucleotide polymorphism between the sequences of the intergenic 16S-23S rRNA spacer region of the pathovars. Xapas was shown to effectively detect all pv. passiflorae isolates and is recommended for disease diagnosis in passion fruit orchards.

Macrogeographic Genetic Variation in Broad-Snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris)

Broad-snouted caiman`s (Caiman latirostris) geographic distribution comprises one of the widest latitudinal ranges among all crocodilians. In this study we analyzed the relationship between geographic distance (along the species latitudinal range) and genetic differentiation using DNA microsatellite loci developed for C. latirostris and Alligator mississippiensis. The results suggest that there is a consistent relationship between geographic distance and genetic differentiation; however, other biogeographical factors seem to be relevant. The Atlantic Chain (Serra do Mar) seems to be an effective geographic barrier, as well as the relatively narrow (<= 1.5 km) sea channel between Cardoso Island and the continent. In addition, coastal populations seem to have been well connected in recent geological time (Pleistocene 16,000 years ago) all along the eastern Brazilian coast. Further studies should focus on the Sao Francisco River drainage, which is still poorly known for this species. J. Exp. Zool. 30.9A:628-636, 2008. (C) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.