Ectoparasitos associados a aves de um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Decidual no Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

This study to aimed investigate the community of ectoparasites associated with birds in the Mata do Olho D água, in the municipality of Macaíba, Rio Grande do Norte (RN), Brazil, its structure and the ambiental and hosts influential variables on it, and to verify microhabitats preferences by species of chewing lice and feather mites. We examined 172 individuals belonging to 38 species of Passeriformes and non-Passeriformes. 12 new geographic records are reported and 11 host-parasite associations not yet known for chewing lice and feather mites species. Significant relationship was found between the abundance of chewing lice and the variables total length (r = 0.29, p <0.05) and exposed culmen (r = 0.38, p <0.05) of the hosts. A principal component (PC1) accounted for 90.1% of the hosts morphological variation was significantly influential on the abundance of chewing lice (p <0.05), indicating that the morphological characteristics of the hosts may be positively influencing the abundance of these ectoparasites. Significantly higher frequency of individuals with high loads of chewing lice was detected during the dry period (x ² = 8.5, p <0.05), corroborating studies that propose that birds of arid environments suffer as much pressure as those of parasitic humid environments. Analyses of null models of co-occurrence and niche overlap showed a high degree of structure in the feather mites and chewing lice assemblies, when compared with other groups, and preferences in the use of microhabitats by taxa identified. These results corroborate ecological theories in host-parasite systems, contribute to the knowledge of ectoparasites associated with neotropical birds, and the need for experimental studies, as well as further deepening the biology of these arthropods

Variação da qualidade da água do escoamento superficial de duas bacias de drenagem de Natal/RN - Brasil

The urban drainage is one of the powers of environmental sanitation and its scope is the quantitative and qualitative aspects. In decision making of managers and the engineering aspects of design are almost always taken into account only the quantitative aspects. However, the waters of the runoff have the highest concentrations of pollutants at the beginning of precipitation. Thus, if the plot pollution removed, the remaining portion can be used for other purposes. This work has aimed to present the variation of water quality of two drainage basins in the city of Natal / RN-Brazil to support the implementation of drainage to consider the qualitative aspect, and identify potential for the use of water. The basins (M and C) are analyzed closed-type, are in the urban area, are predominantly residential occupation and its waters are used for detention ponds and infiltration. The samples were divided into three phases, the first two direct to final points in a basin and the third in traps distributed over the surface drainage. The parameters had been analyzed were pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, Color, Turbidity, COD, Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, orthophosphate, Sediments solids, total solids, chloride, sulfate, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, Heavy Metals (Chromium, Cadmium, Lead, Zinc and Copper), Eschichia coli and total coliforms. The parameters studied showed high initial pollution load, events and located in different proportions, except nitrite, heavy metals and biological indicators. The size of the surface drainage and topographic its features influence the quality of water. However, the form of sampling is crucial in the qualitative study in the basin. The samplers developed at work, were generated economic and representative results. The urban rainwater presents organic faecal indicators. The runoff of water from both basins shows no risk of salinity and sodicity for use in irrigation, should be noted the content of chloride in the choice of method of irrigation