Ecologia comportamental de tropidurus Hispidus e Tropidurus Semitaeniatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) em Simpatria, em área de caatinga do nordeste do Brasil.

This study evaluated the spatial, time and alimentary niches of Tropidurus hispidus and Tropidurus semitaeniatus in sympatry in a caatinga of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, as well as their foraging and termoregulatory behaviors, the activity body temperature and their reproductive and fat body cycles. Monthly excursions, from October 2006 to May 2008, were conducted at the Ecological Station of the Seridó (ESEC Seridó), Serra Negra do Norte municipality, using specific methodology for investigation of the aforementioned objectives. The two species presented similarities in space niche use, mainly in rocky habitat, however they differed in vertical microhabitat use with T. hispidus using a larger vertical microhabitat range. In the dry season the time of activity of both species was bimodal. In the wet season T. semitaeniatus showed a unimodal activity period, while T. hispidus maintained an bimodal activity period. In terms of importance in the diet, to both species, Hymenoptera/Formicidae and Isoptera predominated during the dry season. In the wet season, although Hymenoptera/Formicidae had larger importance among the prey items, lizards opportunistically predated on Lepidoptera larvae, Coleoptera larvae/adults and Orthoptera nymphs/adults. The foraging intensity revealed differences between the species, mainly in the wet season, when T. semitaeniatus was more active than T. hispidus. The mean activity body temperature of T. semitaeniatus was significantly higher than that of T. hispidus. The thermoregulatory behavior showed that during the dry season T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus spent more time in shade or under filtered sun. In the wet season, T. hispidus did not show differences in the amount of time spent among the light exposure locations, however T. semitaeniatus spent most of their time exposed to direct sun or filtered sun. The reproductive cicle of T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus occurred from the middle of the dry season to the beginning of the wet season. In both species, female reproductive activity was influenced by precipitation, whereas males exhibited spermatozoa in their testes throughout the year, and their reproductive activity was not related with any of the climatic variables analysed. In the two species, the fat storage varied inversely with reproductive activity, and there was no difference in fat body mass between females and males. We concluded that the segregation between T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus in this caatinga area occurs in vertical space use, in the largest vagility of T. hispidus in microhabitat use and larger range size of their alimentary xviii items. Additionally, significant seasonal differences in relation to the activity period, body temperature, and foraging and termoregulatory behaviors between these two Tropidurus species facilitate their coexistence.

Unidades geoambientais e áreas de preservação permanente como instrumentos de auxílio para o planejamento ambiental - o caso da via costeira de Natal-RN

Brazilian law provides a series of rules and policies which regulate space use and occupancy as well as guide environmental planning. Among those are the Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) which purpose is to ensure the preservation of elements that are essential to maintain the environmental function and landscape. Another important instrument identifier of spaces are geoenvironmental units, which are synthesis elements grouping areas of similar characteristics and can be used for the analysis of risk, fragility and potential use of spaces. The geoenvironmental units are defined by more complex processes (information integration), focusing not only on individual elements, but being determined from a systemic analysis. Is It possible to identify and delineate APPs from the identification and determination of geoenvironmental units? The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of geoenvironmental units in the process of identification and delineation of APPs a see how much of the study area, the area by the Coast line in Natal/RN, is still good for occupation. It was used the physiognomic method, in which the limits of the units are plotted on a synthetic document (aerial photographs), valuing aspects of relief in a range of detail by the analysis of systemic categories (element, structure, function and interaction), observed. The methodology used allowed the identification and delineation of eleven geoenvironmental units and, from these, it was possible to identify and delineate four out of the five PPAs occurring in the study area. Only a small space of 1.2 ha of the study area is not considered APP by law. Thus, the occupation of the unoccupied area by the Coast line is not feasible from a legal standpoint. The geoenvironmental units as well as the identified and delineated APPs in the area by the Coast line are spaces which preservation is guaranteed by law in various scopes and are necessary to maintain the environmental functions of the area. The planning for the use and occupation of the area should involve the recovery of degraded areas and the creation of elements that make possible the use as well as attract the community, as provided in the initial planning, by ensuring the public utility and social interest in the Project.