Variação na cobertura vegetal nativa em São Paulo: um panorama do conhecimento atual

Studies in several countries have shown the occurrence of forest transition, when forest cover increase overcomes the loss by deforestation. In Brazil, although deforestation is still higher than afforestation, this relationship may be inverse in some regions. Recent assessments suggest the tendency of the state of São Paulo towards forest transition. Aiming to analyze forest transition evidence and facilitate the use of existing information, we review data on native vegetation cover variation in São Paulo from four data sources (Instituto Florestal, SOS MataAtlântica/INPE, IBGE and CATI/IEA). Our results indicate that discrepancies among these assessments may be accounted by differences in methodologies and objectives. We highlight their common grounds and discuss possibilities to harmonize their information.

Análise de aspectos socioeconômicos e tecnológicos da agropecuária na Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Mogi Guaçu

Currently, owing to the occurrence of environmental problems, along with the need of environmental preservation, both the territory management of Hydrographic Basin and the conservation of natural resources have proven to have remarkable importance. Thus, the mean goal of the research is to raise and scrutinize social-economic and technologic data from the Mogi Guaçu River Hydrographic Basin (São Paulo, Brazil). The aim is to group municipalities with similar characteristics regarding the collected data, which may direct joint actions in the Hydrographic Basin Management. There were used both the methods of factorial analysis and automatic hierarchical classifications. Additionally, there is going to be applied a Geographical Information System to represent the outcomes of the methods aforementioned, through the evolvement of a geo-referenced database, which will allow the obtainment of information categorically distributed including theme maps of interest. The main characteristics adopted to group the municipalities were: agricultural area, sugar cane production, small farms, animal production, number of agriculture machinery and equipments and agricultural income. The methodology adopted in the Mogi Guaçu River Hydrographic Basin will be analyzed vis-à-vis its appropriateness on basin management, as well as the possibility of assisting the studies on behalf of the São Paulo Hydrographic Basin groups, to regional development.

Saúde dos adolescentes: um estudo de base populacional em Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil

We estimated the prevalence of chronic diseases and other health problems reported by adolescents in relation to social and demographic variables and nutritional status. This cross-sectional population-based survey analyzed data from the Health Survey in Campinas, São Paulo State, Brazil, 2008. We used descriptive statistics and associations between variables with the chisquare test. Prevalence of chronic diseases among adolescents was 19.17%, with asthma showing the highest prevalence (7.59%), followed by heart disease (1.96%), hypertension (1.07%), and diabetes 0.21%. Prevalence rates were 61.53% for health problems, 40.39% for allergy, and 24.83% for frequent headache or migraine. After multivariate analysis using Poisson regression, the factors associated with chronic disease were age 15 to 19 years (PR = 1.38), not attending school (PR = 1.46), having children (PR = 1.84), and obesity (PR = 1.54). Female gender (PR = 1.12) was statistically associated with health problems. The study illustrates that adolescence is a life stage in which chronic disease and health problems can occur.

Factors associated with the prevalence of hypertension and control practices among elderly residents of São Paulo city, Brazil

The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of hypertension and control practices among the elderly. The survey analyzed data from 872 elderly people in São Paulo, Brazil, through a cluster sampling, stratified according to education and income. A Poisson multiple regression model checked for the existence of factors associated with hypertension. The prevalence of self-reported hypertension among the elderly was 46.9%. Variables associated with hypertension were self-rated health, alcohol consumption, gender, and hospitalization in the last year, regardless of age. The three most common measures taken to control hypertension, but only rarely, are oral medication, routine salt-free diet and physical activity. Lifestyle and socioeconomic status did not affect the practice of control, but knowledge about the importance of physical activity was higher among those older people with higher education and greater income. The research suggests that health policies that focus on primary care to encourage lifestyle changes among the elderly are necessary.

Composição florística da floresta semidecídua de altitude do Parque Municipal da Grota Funda (Atibaia - Estado de São Paulo)

A floristic survey was carried out in the Grota Funda Municipal Park, Atibaia Municipality, Sao Paulo State (45º45 - 46º 45'W and 23º10 - 23º15'S), a mountainous region from 900 to 1400 meters above sea level. The climate is characterized by two seasons a hot, moist period from October to March and a dry, cold period from April to August, with frequent frosts. The sandy soil is low in fertility and highly acid at the surface. The study was done from April 1987 to November 1988. A total of 415 species were collected and identified: 362 dicotyledons belonging to 84 families and 224 genera, and 53 monocotyledons beloging to 15 families and 43 genera. Species richness in Atibaia can be attributed to environmental diversity, edaphic variation, and slight disturbance of the vegetation. A comparison with other floristic surveys in mountain forests was made and a list of the most common species of this kind of forest is presented.

Estrutura de um curso de taxonomia de campo: o modelo aplicado em Ubatuba, São Paulo

The field activities are essential for the education of a good taxonomist. The most common problems found in field activities are: a) large number of students, b) heterogeneous educational background and unlevelled knowledge of the participants, c) repetitions and tendency of collecting the more evidents life-forms. The causes and consequences of such problems are discussed herein. The proposed solution is a methodology, based on many years of experience in field courses for undergraduate and graduate courses. Topics about the ideal number of participants, area of coverage, period of activity, division of work and the necessary material and equipment are discussed. According to the number of species collected at the same place, this methodology may result in a list of local species with precise information about the life-forms, habitat, common names, frequency, uses, phenology and further information in this kind of work. The results of the aplication of this metodology in a field course held in the region of Ubatuba-SP are presented.

As Apocynaceae s. str. da região de Bauru, São Paulo, Brasil

The present study describes a survey of the Apocynaceae in different types of vegetation, in the region of Bauru, in the Center-West of São Paulo State. Of the 25 species encountered, distributed into 15 genera, representation ranges as follows: Forsteronia G. Mey, five species; Aspidosperma Mart., four species; Mandevilla Lindl., three species; Prestonia R. Br., two species; and Condylocarpon Desf., Hancornia Gomez, Himatanthus Willd. ex Roem. et Schult., Macrosiphonia Müll. Arg., Mesechites Müll. Arg., Odontadenia Benth, Peltastes Woodson, Rhodocalyx Müll Arg., Secondatia A. DC., Tabernaemontana L. and Temnadenia Miers, one species each. In addition to both distribution data, and flowering and fruiting times, identifications keys, descriptions and illustrations of the species are presented.

Flora arbustivo-arbórea do fragmento de floresta estacional semidecidual do Ribeirão Cachoeira, município de Campinas, SP

An inventory of the woody flora (trees and shrubs), was carried out in the Ribeirão Cachoeria forest (233.7ha, 650m high, 46°55'58''W, 22°50'13''S), the second largest and best conserved fragment of semideciduous tropical forest in the municipality of Campinas, São Paulo state, Southeastern Brazil. The soil is a red-yellow podsol and the climate is of Köppen's Cwag type. Collections were made from August/1996 to September/1997. Only fertile individuals with a perimeter at breast height of 9cm or greater were included in the survey. One hyndred and seventhy five species were identified, belonging to 119 genera and 49 families. The most important families were Myrtaceae (14 species), Rutaceae and Fabaceae (13), Caesalpiniaceae (11), Solanaceae (9), and Rubiaceae (8). Some species were found for the first time in the region: Tachigali multijuga Benth. and Schoepfia brasiliensis A.DC. The flowering peak for most species was from August to October. Maximum fruit production was from August to November. Most species are zoochoric (58%), but 23% were anemochoric and 19% autochoric. The floristic composition of this forest and another 20 forests from São Paulo state were compared. The results obtained indicate the existence of distinct groups of forests. The most homogeneus group contains forests from the municipality of Campinas with similarity of 40%. This suggests that these forests are possibly fragments of a original continuous forest in the Campinas region.

Lianas da estação ecológica do Noroeste Paulista, São José do Rio Preto/Mirassol, SP, Brasil

Lianas are characteristic, abundant and ecologically important members of tropical forest but they have been neglected in floristics and phytossociological studies. This work presents a floristic survey of the lianas species at Estação Ecológica do Noroeste Paulista (EENP), and a comparison of the list of species recorded in this work with those reported for other fragments of São Paulo state. The EENP (20º48'36'' S and 49º22'50'' W) is at 468 m of altitude and comprises an area of 168,43 ha, divided into three fragments of vegetation. Samples of lianas were collected in the interior and along the edges of the forest fragments. It was identified 105 species: 99 Magnoliopsida (60 genera and 22 families); six Liliopsida (three genera and three families). The richest families in species comprised 59% of the total of lianas sampled. The dendrogram of similarity showed a low similarity between the forest situated in the littoral (Atlantic Forest) and those located in the interior of the state of São Paulo. Some other authors, also analysing the similarity of forest of the interior and Atlantic Forest of São Paulo state, but considering only the trees reported similar result.

O Complexo Vegetacional da Zona Litorânea no Ceará: Pecém, São Gonçalo do Amarante

Due to its geographical location, the northeastern Coast of Brazil (Litoral Setentrional do Nordeste - LSN) is a hotter and drier climate than the eastern coast. In addition, because of its proximity to caatinga and cerrado, the LSN contains species from these vegetation biomes and from the restinga on the coast, which comprise different plant formations and creates a vegetation complex. Despite the great importance of this ecotone, there are few studies about its flora. The objective of this work was to contribute to what is known about the floristic and phytosociological composition of this region. We made a floristic survey in the area (between 2007 and 2011), consulted herbaria data from the region and made a phytosociological study in a stretch of coastal semideciduous forest (mata de tabuleiro). The study recorded 382 plant species from 96 families. In the phytosociological survey (0.32 ha) we recorded 2,970 individuals and 52 species. The most abundant plants surveyed were the trees Manilkara triflora, Chamaecrista ensiformis and Guapira nitida and the shrubs Cordiera sessilis and Maytenus erythroxyla (average height 3.8 m, average diameter 6.2 cm, basal area 39.28 m²/ha). The local flora includes floristic elements of caatinga, cerrado and restinga, corroborating the idea that the plant community of the coastal region of Ceará has an ecotonal nature.

Structure of the understory community in four stretches of Araucaria forest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

We analyzed the structure of the understory community in the Atlantic Forest sensu lato, for which phytosociological descriptions of the understory are lacking. We delineated 50 plots of 10 × 20 m each at four sites within an Araucaria forest (a subtype of Atlantic Forest), located in the municipalities of Bananal, Campos do Jordão, Itaberá and Barra do Chapéu, all of which are in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. To sample the resident species of the understory, we randomly selected five 1 × 1 m subplots within each plot, resulting in a total sampling area of 250 m² at each site. We identified differences among the locations, mostly due to proportional differences in growth forms, in terms of species richness and the importance values within the community. Factors potentially influencing the understory structure include macroclimatic and microclimatic conditions, as well as forest fragmentation, the abundance of deciduous trees in the canopy, the surrounding vegetation and geographic location.

Prolongamento da amamentação após o primeiro ano de vida: argumentos das mães

This paper aims to identify and analyze the reasons pointed by mothers to prolong breastfeeding beyond the first year of the child s life. The study involved 40 mothers whose children were treated in the Preventive Program of Research and Dental Treatment Center for Special Patients - Dental School of Piracicaba - UNICAMP. The group consisted of mothers who prolonged the breastfeeding beyond the baby s first year of life. All mothers were surveyed by a researcher using a specific questionnaire. In order to avoid information loss, the interviews were taped, then transcripted. Results showed that the main cause of the extended breastfeeding was maternal pleasure. It was also observed that the mother and infant attachment favors prolonged breastfeeding occurrence. Further studies should be carried out for more accurate functional analyses of variable that lead to extend breastfeeding or to wean.

A COMPETÊNCIA LEXICAL DE ALUNOS UNIVERSITÁRIOS APRENDENDO A LER EM INGLÊS COMO LÍNGUA ESTRANGEIRA

This article presents a characterization of the lexical competence (vocabulary knowledge and use) of students learning to read in EFL in a public university in São Paulo state. Although vocabulary has been consistently cited as one of the EFL reader´s main source of difficulty, there is no data in the literature which shows the extent of the difficulties. The data for this study is part of a previous research, which investigates, from the perspective of an interactive model of reading, the relationship between lexical competence and EFL reading comprehension. Quantitative as well as qualitative data was considered. For this study, the quantitative data is the product of vocabulary tests of 49 subjects while the qualitative data comprises pause protocols of three subjects, with levels of reading ability ranging from good to poor, selected upon their performance in the quantitative study. A rich concept of vocabulary knowledge was adapted and used for the development of vocabulary tests and analysis of protocols. The results on both studies show, with a few exceptions, the lexical competence of the group to be vague and imprecise in two dimensions: quantitative (number of known words or vocabulary size) and qualitative (depth or width of this knowledge). Implications for the teaching of reading in a foreign context are discussed.

Intercompreensão de texto escrito por falantes nativos de português e de espanhol

The aim of this paper is to verify the level of text comprehension (reading and translation) in Portuguese, by native speakers of Spanish and vice-versa. The subjects are freshmen, from different fields (300 native speakers of Portuguese and 300 of Spanish), who have never studied the other language neither as a second (L2) nor as a foreign language (FL). The results show that, in each group of subjects, there is a high level of comprehension of the foreign language, which varies from 58% to 94%, depending on the context and on the lexical/semantic similarity (or difference) between the key-words in the texts used in this research.

As relativas que são fáceis na aquisição do português brasileiro

The acquisition of Portuguese by two Brazilian children (aged 2;0 -5;0) is discussed in an attempt to describe and explain the first relative clauses produced in naturalistic, observational studies, according to the framework of generative syntax theory. The results show that at around 3;0: a) the child starts to deal with relative clauses as modifiers of N; b) cleft sentences appear before relative clauses, and c) the first relatives confirm the prevalence of the vernacular strategy of relativization in Brazilian Portuguese identified by other studies based on adult data.