Recovery of soil physical properties by green manure, liming, gypsum and pasture and spontaneous native species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Revegetation and Soil Management Effects on Chemical Properties of a Saprolite Resulting from Deep Soil Removal

During the building of a hydroelectrical power plant at Ilha Solteira in the Parana River (Brazil), materials of a highly weathered soil Oxisol were extracted from a depth between 5 and 8 m for engineering works. This resulted in an abandoned depression area. The topsoil was not salvaged and the open pit was not backfilled, and as result vegetation hardly or not at all recovered. on the residual saprolite materials, an experimental field was established to assess different soil rehabilitation treatments. Field experiments were initiated in 1992. After soil tillage, two different crops and three different liming strategies were compared, giving six combinations. In addition, two uncropped control treatments, tilled and no-tilled, were established so that a total of eight treatments were assessed. The experimental design consisted of four randomized experimental blocks, which included a total of 32 plots with a plot area of 100 m(2). This experiment was used to study the effectiveness of the soil-reclamation treatments after a 9-year period. Soil samples were taken at three different depths (0-10, 10-20, and 20-40 cm), and they were analyzed routinely for pH, organic-matter content, and cation exchange capacity (CEC). Revegetation of the abandoned saprolite material increased soil organic-matter content and cation exchange capacity (CEC), and to some extent small differences between treatments were evidenced. Exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) recovered faster than organic-matter content. A significant linear relationship was found between organic-matter content and CEC, suggesting continued addition of organic material will further approach the value of these parameters to those levels corresponding to natural soils under "Cerrado" vegetation.

Tectônica rúptil e sismicidade na área de inundação do açude do Castamhão (CE): implicações para o risco sísmico

This study describes brittle deformation and seismicity in the Castanhão Dam region, Ceará State, Brazil. This reservoir will include a hidroeletric power plant and will store about 6,7 billions m3 of water. Five main litostratigraphic unit were identified in the region: gneissic-migmatitic basement, metavolcanosedimentary sequence, granitoid plutons of Brasiliano age, Mesozoic basaltic dike swarm, and Cenozoic fluvial terraces of the Jaguaribe river. The region has experienced several faulting events that occurred at different crustal levels. Faults formed at depths less than about 12 km present left-lateral movement and are associated with epidote and quartz infillings. Faults formed at depths less than 7 km are mainly strike-slip present cataclastic rocks, fault breccia and gouge. Both fault groups form mainly NE-trendind lineaments and represent reactivation of ductile shear zones or new formed faults that cut across existing structures. Seismically-induced liquefaction fractures take place in Cenozoic terraces and indicate paleoearthquakes that may have reached at leat 6,8 MS. In short, this work indicate that the level of paleoseismicity is much greater than one observed in the instrumental record. Several faults are favourably oriented for reactivation and induced seismicity should be expected after the Castanhão Dam impoudment

Reprodução em cativeiro do jurupecê Sorubim lima (Siluriformes, Pimelodidae) por meio de indução hormonal

Sorubim lima is a migratory catfish that do not reproduce in lenthic environments such as those formed after construction of hydroelectric power plants. An alternative for conservation of the species in these environments is the stocking with fingerlings produced in captivity. The technique used to reproduce it in captivity was the induction by carp pituitary hormone, with dosage of 5 mg.kg(-1) for females (1 mg.kg(-1) in the first dose and 4 mg.kg(-1) in the second) and 3 mg.kg(-1) for males (1 mg.kg(-1) in the first dose and 2 mg.kg(-1) in the second), with an interval of 14 hours. The determination of extrusion moment of oocytes was made by monitoring the migration of nucleus from central to peripheral position. After UTA 264.5 (accumulated thermal units) the oocytes were obtained by compression of the ventral region of the female, and male were sacrificed for extraction of sperm. The eggs were kept in an incubator and the time of hatching of larvae was 370 UTA. The larvae were initially fed with plankton and showed no cannibalism. Moreover, they were not demanding about the food, accepting prepared rations after fifteenth day of life. The weight gain of larvae was very low even close to 20 mm in length (14 days), not exceeding 0.05 mg per day. After that both weight and length increased rapidly.

Preliminary data on the feeding habits of the freshwater stingrays Potamotrygon falkneri and Potamotrygon motoro (Potamotrygonidae) from the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil

As raias da família Potamotrygonidae representam um grupo singular da ictiofauna Neotropical. Apesar de serem antigos os relatos sobre o grupo, ainda são muitas as questões que permanecem sem resposta, sobretudo no que diz respeito à biologia das espécies que ocorrem na Bacia do Paraná-Paraguai. No presente trabalho foi analisada a dieta de Potamotrygon falkneri e Potamotrygon motoro, capturadas no Alto Rio Paraná, a jusante da Usina Hidrelétrica Engenheiro Souza Dias (UHE Jupiá). As duas espécies de raias apresentaram dieta diversificada, ingerindo 14 itens, entre moluscos, crustáceos, insetos e peixes, porém com predominância de insetos aquáticos em diversidade e abundância. Somente um indivíduo de cada espécie ingeriu peixe. Potamotrygon motoro consumiu principalmente Ephemeroptera, enquanto P. falkneri, principalmente Mollusca, Hemiptera e Trichoptera. Os dados aparentemente indicam uma dieta mais especializada de P. motoro, com maior consumo de Ephemeroptera (Baetidae), e uma dieta mais generalizada de P. falkneri. A análise dos indivíduos capturados em três micro-hábitats, que diferem quanto ao tipo de substrato e presença de vegetação marginal, sugere diferenças nos tipos de alimentos consumidos.

Custo de bombas centrífugas funcionando como turbinas em microcentrais hidrelétricas

A implantação de microcentrais hidrelétricas é uma das alternativas para suprir com energia comunidades pequenas e isoladas, situadas normalmente na área rural. O aproveitamento de potenciais hidráulicos de pequeno porte é uma alternativa cada vez mais viável devido não só à falta de recursos financeiros para os grandes empreendimentos, mas também pelo imenso potencial de geração em centrais de pequeno porte, que pouco tem sido aproveitado. O objetivo deste trabalho foi de apresentar uma metodologia simples de engenharia para estimar o custo das Bombas Funcionando como Turbinas (BFTs) utilizadas em microcentrais hidrelétricas, que possam ser usadas em estudos preliminares de novos aproveitamentos hidrelétricos, sem uma investigação detalhada dos lugares onde se pretende implantar. Os custos foram obtidos consultando-se diretamente os fabricantes de equipamentos e o mercado da praça de Ponta Grossa - PR. Os resultados mostraram que, para as microcentrais hidrelétricas, sempre que os custos constituírem o aspecto dominante, e para potências até 50 kW, a opção por Bombas Funcionando como Turbinas (BFTs) deve ser considerada em lugar das turbinas hidráulicas.

Potential of municipal solid waste (MSW) as a source of energy in São Paulo: Its impact on CO2 balance

Energy generation is needed in São Paulo and MSW represents a promising alternative, although it is more expensive than hydroelectric power. About 14 900 t/day of MSW is generated, of which 8433 t/day is domestic and commercial MSW. From this amount, 1800 t will be destined to generate 30 MW of power. The eco-balance of CO2 has been considered for incineration and recycling. The recycling program of plastics, metals, paper and glass would represent a significant reduction in energy and CO2 emission. The total CO2 released is 3.34 x 10(5) t/yr without recycling. and is 1.25 x 10(5) t/yr with a recycling program. Most of the CO2 comes from plastics and paper production. Economic aspects could probably favor Incineration with energy production as the best option. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

RAPD analysis in the Neotropical fish Brycon lundii: Genetic diversity and its implications for the conservation of the species

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to examine the genetic variability on an endangered Neotropical fish species, Brycon lundii, collected on two regions with distinct environmental conditions in the São Francisco River (Brazil), downstream from a hydroelectric station. Using decamer oligonucleotides as single primers in Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), genetic similarity index, mean allele frequency and mean heterozigosity were estimated, revealing variations between samples from the two regions. Moreover, a fragment of about 1200 base pairs was found in 100% of the examined animals collected at the region closer to the hydroelectric dam, while its frequency was much lower (27.3%) within the sample from the second collecting site, 30 km downstream from the dam, indicating a possible correlation between genetic variation and geographical area. A dendogram representing the relationships among genotypes was obtained, demonstrating at least two major clusters of animals. Based on the data, a model of population structuring in Brycon lundii is suggested. The described approach holds great promise for further analyses and gives support to biodiversity maintenance and recovery efforts of B. lundii.

Prevalência, sazonalidade e intensidade de infecção por Diplostomum (Austrodiplostomum) compactum Lutz, 1928 (Digenea, Diplostomidae), em peixes do reservatório de Volta Grande, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil

The present study was conducted in the Aquaculture Station of Hydroeletric Power Station situated in Volta Grande Reservoir, MG, Brazil. Seventy freshwater corvinas, Plagiscion squamosissimus, and 66 tucunarés, Cichla ocellaris were captured bimonthly from April 2000 through April 2001 with net and hook. The helmints were identified as Diplostomun (A.) compactmn which showed the highest prevalence in the corvina's eyes in April 2000 (70%), February 2001 (80%) and April 2001 (60%), while in tucunaré occurred in April 2000 (33.3%), August 2000 (18.2%) and October 2000 (18.2%). Nevertheless, increase in the mean intensity of parasites was related in April (6.6), June (6.0), August (18.5) 2000 and February (5.7), April (4.8) 2001 for corvina and in August (16.0) and October (7.0) 2000 for tucunaré. Corvina's females showed infection during all period, while males did not show the same prevalence in June 2000 and April 2001. On the other hand, tucunare's males were infected in all months while females in August and October 2000. The highest prevalence in corvina was observed in the months which presented elevated water temperature (April, October, December 2000 and April 2001). The number of parasites collected in corvina on February 2000 was higher than the one observed in August 2000. The same was not observed for tucunaré. This work demonstrate corvina's high susceptibility to metacercariae of Diplostomum.

Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on Wild Marsh-Deer (Blastocerus dichotomus) from Southeast Brazil: Infestations before and after Habitat Loss

The lake from Porto-Primavera hydroelectric power station inundated an area of 2,200 km2 at the border of São Paulo and Mato-Grosso do Sul States, Brazil. Infestations by ticks were evaluated on 135 marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus (Illiger), captured before and after inundation. Ticks were collected for identification, and infestation level of animals was assessed by scoring. Deer were divided into four groups according to capture location and temporal relation to the inundation. Groups 1, 2, and 3 were captured before inundation. Group 4 was captured after inundation. Four tick species were found: Amblyomma cajennense (F.), Amblyomma triste Koch, Anocentor nitens (Neumann), and Boophilus microplus (Canestrini). Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 had 30, 45, 100, and 96%, respectively, of animals carrying B. microplus ticks. A. triste was observed on 16, 22, 22, and 88% of animals from groups 1,2,3, and 4, respectively. A. nitens and A. cajennense were observed only on group 4, on 32 and 16% of the animals, respectively. Groups 1 and 2 had only 4.8 and 6.1% of animals with high infestation levels, respectively, and no ticks on 46.8% and 45.5% of the animals, respectively. Conversely, groups 3 and 4 lacked noninfested animals and had high infestation levels on 77.8 and 50% of deer, respectively. Marsh area shrinkage was blamed for higher infestation levels on deer from groups 3 and 4. The widespread presence of A. triste on marsh deer, a Neotropical tick species, raises the possibility of a natural host-parasite relationship.

Regional hydroclimatic variability and Brazil's 2001 energy crisis

Purpose - This paper seeks to address the issue of persistent and widespread drought conditions during 2000 and 2001, which were the apparent cause of the decline of water levels in the reservoirs of Brazilian hydroelectric power plants. Design/methodology/approach - This issue is addressed here through a case study of the hydroclimatology of the Paraíba river basin, in Southeast Brazil, home to four large multi-purpose operational reservoirs. Findings - The data analysis shows that neither changes in the frequency nor magnitude of extreme hydrological events (droughts and floods) nor in annual rainfall amounts can be detected from the existing climate record. The explanation is consistent with the fact that the terrestrial water and energy cycles are tightly, and non-linearly, coupled through evapotranspiration. Research limitations/implications - Therefore small change in the seasonality of rainfall can have a significant impact on the basin's overall hydrologic regime, and thus on the availability of water resources. Originality/value - Often, adaptation and resilience to climate variability are discussed in the context of catastrophic events such as floods and droughts. This study suggests that a different type of impacts, those associated with subtle, yet persistent changes of seasonality in the terrestrial water cycle, cannot be ignored in studies of long-term sustainability of water resources. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Transferability of microsatellite loci from Cervidae species to the endangered Brazilian marsh deer, Blastocerus dichotomus

Blastocerus dichotomus, the marsh deer, is the largest Brazilian Cervidae species. The species is endangered because of hunting and loss of its natural habitat, i.e., flood plain areas, because of hydroelectric power station construction and agricultural land expansion. In the present study, we tested 38 microsatellite loci from four Cervidae species: Odocoileus virginianus (7), Rangifer tarandus (17), Capreolus capreolus (7), and Mazama bororo (7). Eleven loci showed clear amplification, opening a new perspective for the generation of fundamental population genetic data for devising conservation strategies for B. dichotomus. © FUNPEC-RP.

Avaliação preliminar do potencial turístico do município de rifaina (SP) e os impactos decorrentes do uso público de seus atrativos paisagísticos

This paper attempts to assess both the touristic potential of scenic attractions and the environmental impacts resulting from the public use of such attractions in the Rifaina Municipality, State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. In the recent past, this municipality had its economy concentrated in rural activities (livestock, corn, rice and bean crops) and in the ceramic industry (production of bricks, tiles and shackles),which was largely developed in the floodplain of the Rio Grande before the construction of the Jaguara Power Plant Dam. The impacts resulting from touristic activities were evaluated by applying the VIM - Visitor Impact Management method, with emphasis on biophysical indicators. The main touristic attractions analyzed were: (1) Rifaina artificial beach; (2) Jaguara Reservoir; (3) Morro do Chapéu (scenic hill); (4) Touristic railroad; and (5) Cuestas cliffs. Attractions (1) and (2) are the most exploited ones, including, in the second case, nautical sports, sportive and craft fishing, and summer lodging. Although currently disabled, the touristic railroad presents potential conditions to be re-explored. Attractions (3) and (5), despite keeping high landscape and ecological ecotouristic potential, are the least visited places. In the present paper, a preliminary characterization of the major issues of tourism industry in the Rifaina municipality is made, including suggestions for the sustainable exploitation of tourism resources. The final results of the environmental impact evaluation of the tourism activities include small impacts in attractions (4) and (5) and moderate impacts to the three first attractions. In order to keep the sustainable touristic potential for that municipality this study proposes the improvement of the following measures: to foster research projects on technical or scientific aspects of the touristic attractions, improvement of tourism infrastructure and the creation of an Environmental Protection Area (APA) of the cuestas' scarps.

Public-private partnerships in renewable energy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Incluye Bibliografía

Helminths of lizards from the municipality of Aripuanã in the southern Amazon region of Brazil

Ninety-five specimens from 13 species of lizard collected during a herpetofaunal monitoring programme of the Faxinal II power plant, municipality of Aripuanã, state of Mato Grosso, Brazil (southern Amazon region) were examined for helminths. A total of 21 helminth species (16 Nematoda, 1 Cestoda and 4 Trematoda) were recovered, with an overall prevalence of 67.37%. Seventeen new host records and seven new locality records are reported. A low number of specialists and core helminth species were found. Lizard body size was positively correlated with both the total number of helminth species and individuals. Active foragers exhibited higher helminth diversity. However, sit-and-wait foragers, especially Plica plica, had similar diversity values as active foragers and harboured more helminth species. The degree of similarity in helminth fauna was higher among closely related host species. Copyright © 2011 Cambridge University Press.