Amazon landforms and soils in relation to biological diversity

Thirteen main landform units are distinguished for the whole of the forested Amazon region, each with its specific soil pattern and vegetation structure. These landform-soil-vegetation units are delineated on a small-scale map and illustrated by a schematic cross-section. Floristic diversity of the gamma type is to be highest on the steepland-and-valley complexes of the Andean fringe, on the crystalline shield uplands, on the inselberg complexes, and on the eutric variant of the western sedimentary plains. Endemism is expected to be highest on the sandy plains, and parts of the table lands and inselberg complexes. Speciation, linked to the concept of forest refuge areas, is likely to be highest on the sandstone table lands, on the stretches of Amazon planalto, and in the areas of relict valleys, in view of the prolonged geomorphological stability of these units.

Analysis of toxicity on Bacillus sphaericus from amazonian soils to Anopheles darlingi and Culex quinquefasciatus larvae

Bioassays under laboratory conditions aiming to determine the larvicidal activity of Bacillus sphaericus were carried out on Anopheles darlingi and Culex quinquefasciatus. In order to estimate the toxicity through median lethal concentration (LC50) and the relative potency of the strains to B. sphaericus standard strain 2362, probit analysis was performed utilizing the POLO-PC program. The findings of LC50 pointed out high effectiveness on strains IB15 (0.040 ppm), IB19 and S1116 (0.048 ppm), IB16 (0.052 ppm) and S265 (0.057 ppm). Strain IB15 presented nearly 50% more potency than strain 2362 in bioassays conducted on A. darlingi. It was observed that IB16 and S1116 strains were the most powerful against C. quinquefasciatus, showing to be about 300-400% stronger than 2362 strain. The results show that laboratory conditioned evaluation can be an important way to select promising bacteria with entomopathogenic action on biolarvicides production for use on mosquitoes breeding sites.

Bioremediation of diesel contaminated soils : an investigation into the effects of biosurfactant and organic matter amendments

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of biosurfactants and organic matter amendments on the bioremediation of diesel contaminated soil. Two strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with the ability to produce biosurfactant were isolated from a water and soil sample in Co. Sligo. The first strain, Isolate A, produced a biosurfactant which contained four rhamnose containing compounds, when grown in proteose peptone glucose ammonium salts medium with glucose as the carbon source. Two of the components were identified as rhamnolipid 1 and 2 whilst the other two components were unidentified. The second strain, Isolate GO, when grown in similar conditions produced a biosurfactant which contained only rhamnolipid 2. The type of aeration system used had a significant effect on the abiotic removal of diesel from soil. Forced aeration at a rate of 120L 02/kg soil/ hour resulted in the greatest removal. Over a 112 day incubation period this type o f aeration resulted in the removal o f 48% o f total hexane extractable material. In relation to bioremediation of the diesel contaminated sandy soil, amending the soil with two inorganic nutrients, KH2PO4 and NÜ4N03, significantly enhanced the removal of diesel, especially the «- alkanes, when compared to an unamended control. The biosurfactant from Isolate A and a biosurfactant produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIMB 8628 (a known biosurfactant producer), when applied at a concentration of three times their critical micelle concentration, had a neutral effect on the biodégradation o f diesel contaminated sandy soil, even in the presence o f inorganic nutrients. It was deduced that the main reason for this neutral effect was because they were both readily biodegraded by the indigenous microorganisms. The most significant removal of diesel occurred when the soils were amended with two organic materials plus the inorganic nutrients. Amendment of the diesel contaminated soil with spent brewery grain (SBG) removed significantly more diesel than amendment with dried molassed sugar beet pulp (DMSBP). After a 108 day incubation period, amendment of the diesel contaminated soil with DMSBP plus inorganic nutrients and SBG plus inorganic nutrients resulted in 72 and 89% removal of diesel range organics (DRO), in comparison to 41% removal of DRO in an inorganic nutrient amended control. The first order kinetic model described the degradation of the different diesel components with high correlation and was used to calculate Vi lives. The V2 life, of the total «-alkanes in the diesel was reduced from 40 days in the control to 8.5 and 5.1 days in the presence of DMSBP and SBG, respectively. The V2 life o f the unresolved complex mixture (UCM) in the diesel contaminated soil was also significantly reduced in the presence o f the two organics. DMSBP and SBG addition reduced UCM V2 life to 86 and 43 days, respectively, compared to 153 days in the control. The component of diesel whose removal was enhanced the greatest through the organic material amendments was the isoprenoid, pristane, a compound which until recently was thought to be nonbiodegradable and was used as an inert biomarker in oil degradation studies. The V2 life of pristane was reduced from 533 days in the nutrient amended control to 49.5 and 19.5 days in DMSBP and SBG amended soils. These results indicate that the addition o f the DMSBP and SBG to diesel contaminated soil stimulated diesel biodégradation, probably by enhancing the indigenous diesel degrading microbial population to degrade diesel hydrocarbons, whilst the addition o f biosurfactants had no enhanced effect on the bioremediation process.

A comparative study of the physical, chemical and microbiological status of soils, as influenced by conventional and reduced tillage

Historically, shifts to reduced and no-tillage management for production of crops were fostered by needs to decrease soil erosion and loss of organic matter, reduce fuel and labour costs and conserve soil water, as compared with conventional fallow tillage management. Recent interest in maintaining soil quality has been stimulated by a renewed awareness of the importance of soil condition to both the sustainability of agricultural production systems and environmental quality (Doran and Parkin, 1996). The aim of this project was to determine the impact on the physical, chemical and microbiological status of the soil of conventional and reduced tillage. It has been suggested that the reduced soil disturbance associated with the tine cultivator improves soil structure, increases nutrient content in the top 10cm of soil, increases microbial activity and improves physical characteristics. From this study it was determined that the environmental benefits linked to reduced tillage in literature, did not develop in the first two years of this programmes implementation. The results of this study determined that soil nutrients did not increase in concentration in the top 10 cm of soil under reduced cultivation. The only exception was exchangeable potassium. As potassium is not a mobile nutrient its movement is dependent on soil disturbance, therefore under reduced cultivation its concentration was allowed to accumulate in the upper horizon of the soil profile. Microbial activity was greater in the conventionally tilled treatments, as determined by total aerobic bacterial numbers. This could be due to the increased rates of soil aeration in this treatment. Numbers of aerobic bacteria were greater in the conventional tillage treatments at both incubation temperatures of 22 and 32° C. The physical characteristics of the soil determined, indicate that below the depth of soil cultivation, cone penetration resistance increases. Therefore the reduced cultivation treatments would be more prone to soil compaction, higher in the soil profile.

Sulfur fractions and carbon-nitrogen-phosphorus-sulfur relationships in some Brazilian and Iowa soils

O atual conhecimento relativo à distribuição em percentagem das várias frações de enxofre nos solos provem principalmente dos estudos dos solos de regiões temperadas. Em vista disso, este estudo foi conduzido para determinar as frações do S e as relações C-N-P-S em alguns solos da região subtropical dos Estados de São Paulo e do Paraná, Brasil, e comparar estes valores nestes solos com aqueles nos solos do Estado de Iowa, dos Estados Unidos da América do Norte. As análises das frações de enxofre nos solos dos dois países, indicaram que os solos do Brasil contem sulfato inorgânico adsorvido. Expressos como percentagem do S total, os solos do Brasil acusaram de 5 a 23% (média 11%) de S-sulfato inorgânico, de 20 a 65% (média 40%) de S-ester sulfato, de 5 a 12% (média 7%) de S-ligado ao Carbono e de 24 a 59% (média 42%) de S orgânico não identificado. As percentagens correspondentes nos solos de Iowa foram de 2 a 8% (média 5%) de S-sulfato inorgânico, de 43 a 60% (média 50%) de S-ester sufato, de 7 a 18% (média 11%) de enxofre ligado ao carbono e de 30 a 39% (média 34%) de S orgânico, não identificado. Outrossim, não foi encontrado o enxofre inorgânico não-sulfato em nenhum dos solos analisados. Houve grandes variações nas relações C, N, Ρ e S entre solos brasileiros quando comparados com aqueles do Iowa.

Factors affecting phosphate fixation in soils of the state of São Paulo

A laboratory experiment was carried out to study the effects of chemical and physical characteristics of the soil on the phosphate fixing capacity. One hundred samples collected from various localities were at first characterized chemically and their particlesize distribution determined. They were then tested as to their phosphate fixing capacities. The results obtained were statistically analysed by means of both simple linear and multiple correlation. The following conclusions could be drawn: 1. simple linear regression analysis indicated that % C, exchangeable Al+3, CEC, % clay, pH and % sand were the soil characteristics which significantly affected phosphate fixing capacity of São Paulo State soils; 2. multiple linear regression analysis indicated that % C, exchangeable Mg(+2)9 exchangeable- Al+3 and % clay were the soil characteristics which significantly affected the phosphate fixing capacity of São Paulo State soils; 3. the phosphate phonomena fixing as they occur in the soils of the São Paulo State can be best described by the following equation: Y = -2,266 - 3,484 + 3,514 + 5,559 + 1,005 %C Mg+2 Al+3 % clay exchangeable exchangeable 4. phosphate fixation in the soil is affected by the combined effects of both soil chemical and physical characteristics.

The phosphate fixing capacities of two soils from the Piracicaba municipality: latosol and sands

An essay was carried out under laboratory conditions in order to know the phosphate fixing capcity of a Latosol and a Sands from the municipality of Piracicaba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The results showed that they were able to fix about 1,588 and 274 kg/ha of P2O5> respectively.

Soils / by Henry W. Nichols, Assoc. Curator of Geology.

no.5(1925)

Technological trampolines for new venture creation in Catalonia: the case of the University of Girona

Recent trends in technology transfer show an intensification of spin-off creation as a modality of university research commercialisation, complementary to the conventional ones, contract research and licensing. In this paper we analyse the evolution, objectives, resources and activities of a specialised unit –Technological Trampoline (TT) - in charge of new venture creation at the University of Girona (Catalonia-Spain). Based on two theoretical frameworks, Resource-based-view and Institutional Theory, we adopt a multi-dimensional approach to study the strategy of spinning-off new ventures at the University of Girona in terms of resources and activities, how this process is organised and if the outputs fit with this UdG’s objectives and the local environment. Our main contribution is an in-depth analysis of the spin-off creation unit with special emphasis on its variety of resources and activities. The results have a series of implications and recommendations at both university and TT level.

Milk, from medicine to food Mediterranean Europe: Catalonia, 19th-20th centuries

The spread of milk consumption was a significant change in the diet of Europeans, however it is one that has not been greatly studied with regard to the populations of Mediterranean Europe. In this article we shall analyse the ain circumstances that conditioned that process in Catalonia between the middle of the 19th century and 1936. In our study we shall argue that the consumption of milk in this area was only relevant in the 19th century in situations of illness or old age, and that it subsequently increased and acquired a new significance as a result of various factors. In particular, we shall emphasise: (a) the scientific advances in microbiology and nutrition, (b) the activities carried out by doctors and various public institutions to promote the consumption of fresh milk, and (c) the technological innovations in the milk producing sector. In Appendix 1 we show two maps representing the main territorial references that we shall mention.

The Total fiscal cost of indirect taxation: an approximation using Catalonia's recent input-output table

In this note we quantify to what extent indirect taxation influences and distorts prices. To do so we use the networked accounting structure of the most recent input-output table of Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, to model price formation. The role of indirect taxation is considered both from a classical value perspective and a more neoclassical flavoured one. We show that they would yield equivalent results under some basic premises. The neoclassical perspective, however, offers a bit more flexibility to distinguish among different tax figures and hence provide a clearer disaggregate picture of how an indirect tax ends up affecting, and by how much, the cost structure.

Del despoblament a la revitalització demogràfica: els canvis en el comportament de la població al Pirineu català (1860-2006) : el cas de l’Urgellet i el Baridà (Alt Urgell-Cerdanya)

El treball es centra en l’estudi de l’evolució demogràfica de dues subcomarques del Pirineu català, l’Urgellet i el Baridà, entre mitjans del segle XIX i la darrera explotació estadística del padró d’habitants (2006). En la primera part del treball s’aporten bases teòriques sobre el procés de despoblament que han experimentat les àrees de muntanya catalanes i sobre el lent procés de recuperació que part d’aquests territoris experimenten en l’actualitat. A continuació es realitza un anàlisi estadístic en profunditat de les diferents etapes del despoblament, del canvi de tendència que es produeix a partir de la dècada de 1980 i de la recent revitalització demogràfica. Per últim, es presenten alguns dels factors explicatius d’aquest procés de recuperació demogràfica que afecta a determinats indrets del Pirineu català.

Ecologia de serveis, càmping i medi ambient, ecoetiquetes: Parc Natural de l'Alt Pirineu

El present projecte té per motiu l’anàlisi de l’estat ambiental dels càmpings a l’entorn del Parc Natural de l’Alt Pirineu. L’estudi del Distintiu de Garantia de Qualitat Ambiental (DGQA) suposa en aquest àmbit una eina d’estudi més que una finalitat, en la qual es basa el projecte per l’anàlisi proposat.