Desarrollo ontogénico de plántulas de Guazuma ulmifolia (Sterculiaceae)

Guazuma ulmifolia is as popular reforestation tree all over Latin America. It is characteristic of the initial stages of the secondary sucession and presents potential utility in the restoring of degraded areas. There is no information about fruit, seed and seedling morphology, which is of fundamental importance for identification, extraction, management and seed germination as well as for the characterization of post-seminal development and normal seedling pattern. To obtain such information, external fruit, and external and internal seed structures were studied considenng shape, size, micropile and embryo localization, and tegumentar structures. All stages of this work were conduced in the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Campus of Jaboticabal city. The fruits were collected in a mixed plantation in Jaboticabal city, State of São Paulo, Brazil. For the biometric study eight repetitions of ten fruits and eight repetitions of 100 seeds were utilized. For seed internal traits study, 50 seeds were drenched in a distiled water, cut, and observed with a scanning electron microscope and a stereomicroscope. For post-seminal study ten repetitions of seven seeds were scarificated chemically with sulphuric acid during 50 min, and placed to germinate in a culture medium, at 30°C, and eight hours of photoperiod. We found elipsoid, woody, indehiscent, pentacarpelar fruits, with a mean lenght of 22.61 mm (diameter 24.88 mm) and 64.0 seeds per fruit. Seed shape varies, mean length is 3.07 mm (width of 2.36 mm).The seed is bitegumented, tegmic, with a continuous, axial and curved embryo. The germination is epigeal and the seedlings are fanerocotiledoneus. Drawings of all stages are included.

Regeneração da vegetação arbórea nativa no sub-bosque de um povoamento de Eucalyptus saligna Smith. Localizado no Estado de São Paulo

This study evaluate the native species naturally regenerating in Eucalyptus saligna stand understory. This stand is located at Itatinga Experimental Station, of the Forest Sciences Department (ESALQ/USP). The experimental area encompasses two sites separated from each other around 250 m, differing 30 m in altitude. These two sites are different mainly in land slope and soil fertility and soil hydric retention capacity. Eight permanent plots of 625 m2 in each site were randomly sampled. The woody species Individuals with height equal or bigger than 1,5 m and the Eucalyptus saligna coppicings were surveyed in each plot. A total of 107 species were Identified and 7 species were common to both sites, distributed into 72 genera and 34 families. Based upon the results It is possible to conclude that the Eucalyptus saligna trees do not preclude the natural regeneration of the native species in the stand understory, however the floristic structure of the community is also influenced by edaphic factors and vicinity of seed sources.

Diversidade florística de plantas vasculares no município de Januária, Minas Gerais, Brasil

The vegetation in north Minas Gerais State is poorly known, and for some authors it is the southern limit of natural occurrence for 'carrasco' and 'caatinga' species. Floristic sampling was made in different areas of Januária municipality, Minas Gerais, including physiognomies of 'carrasco' (tree-shrub 'caatinga'), deciduous forest, 'cerrado', floodable field and riparian vegetation ('vereda'), besides calcicolous vegetation. Six-hundred-eight species in 114 families were found, the five most diverse families were Fabaceae (87 species), Asteraceae (35 species), Euphorbiaceae (28 species), Bignoniaceae (25 species), and Malpighiaceae (21 species). The sampled vegetation included a diversity of vegetation forms. The most diverse areas were the 'carrasco' and the deciduous forest (274 species), secondary vegetation along roads and trails, and pastures (160 species), 'cerrado' (105 species), 'vereda' (98 species), and calcicolous vegetation and riparian vegetation (78 species each). Compared to other floristic surveys performed in northeastern Brazil, even considering only the woody component (tree and shrubs with 323 species), these results highlight the floristic and physiognomic diversity of the studied area. © 2005 Instituto de Ciências Biológicas - UFMG.

Levantamento florístico em remanescente de floresta ripária no alto rio Paraná: Mata do Araldo, Porto Rico, Paraná, Brasil

The purpose of this study was to realize a floristic survey in riparian forest remains of the Upper Paraná River, under domain of the submontane seasonal semideciduous forest, located in Porto Rico, Paraná, Brazil (53°19'3 W e 22°47'37 S). Within and in the neighborhood of 10.000 m2 area (100 m × 100 m), 165 species were surveyed, in 124 genera and 60 families, distributed in arboreous, shrubs, herbs, climbers and hemiparasites. Leguminosae, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae, and Bignoniaceae were the families with the highest species' richness, showing together 33.33%, and the genera more representative were Eugenia, Casearia, Guarea, Inga, Panicum, and Solanum, with 12.73% of the species. Though the perturbations verified in the forest remains, eight species were rare for this type of vegetation and 12 were listed as fishes natural food.

Efeito da temperatura na germina̧ão de sementes de Sebastiania commersoniana (Baillon) Smith & Downs separadas pela colora̧ão do tegumento

Sebastiania commersoniana (Euphorbiaceae) is a tree species of riparian forests in Brazil. Seeds of this species released from mature fruits have heteromorphy in coat colour: dark (dark-brown to black), striated (dark with light-grey stria) and clear (light-grey to whitish). In this work two experiments were carried out in order to study the effect of temperature on seed germination in interaction with coat colour. Germination final percentage and speed index were evaluated. In the first experiment seeds of the three colours were submitted to constant (30°C) and alternating (20-35°C) temperatures. For all the seed colours, best results were obtained at alternating temperature. Physiological quality of striated seeds was greater than those clear seeds and dark seeds were intermediate. In the second experiment striated and clear seeds were submitted to three amplitudes of alternating temperature: 5°C (20-25°C and 25-30°C), 10°C (20-30°C and 25-35°C) and 15°C (20-35°C). Both germination percentage and speed were higher in striated seeds and for the two seed colours, best results were obtained at 20-30°C and 20-35°C. These temperatures are recommended for the germination test.

Reflorestamento compensatório com vistas à retençãode água no solo da bacia hidrográfica do Córrego Palmital, Jaboticabal, SP

This work had as objective to quantify the reforestation for water retention in the Palmital Stream watershed, County of Jaboticabal, SP, by using the methodology of compensatory forestation for retention of water in watersheds. This methodology esteems the retention of water in watersheds considering the world medium value of destiny of the water in the hydrologic cycle, the use/occupation of the soil (forest, pasture and agriculture) and its permeability. The watershed in this study presents an area of 10,625.21 ha, being 237.75 ha at forest, 467.01 ha in pasture and 9,237.57 ha in agriculture. The medium values of the permeability identified in the soils were of 94.81 mm h -1 in forest, 8.99 mm t -1 in pasture and 36.01 mm h -1 in agriculture (sugar cane). Considering that should infiltrate in the soil 20.55% of the water that precipitates on the watershed, and, that the losses of water in forest areas is considered standard, the total estimated volume to compensate the excessive loss that occur in the areas of pasture and agriculture is 12.21 million of m 3ano. The compensatory forestation to retain that volume of loss should contemplate an area of 942.73 ha (8.87% of the area of the watershed). The reforestation can be priority in permanent conservation area or in areas of Legal Reserve.

Germinação de sementes de pinho-cuiabano sob deficiência hídrica com diferentes agentes osmóticos

The species Schizolobium amazonicum (Huber ex Ducke) commonly known as pinho-cuiabano or paricá, is one of the trees in Amazonian area used for plantings in degraded areas, reforestations and agroforestry systems. The present work evaluated the germinative behaviour of seeds of Schizolobium amazonicum in relation to the hydric stress, defining their levels of tolerance to those limitations in the environment. The seeds were collected from 30 trees in Alta Floresta-MT and submitted the dormancy treatment by submersion into water at 100°C for 1 minute; followed by treatment with fungicide Ridomil and Cercobin 0,25% each, then being left to germinate in a BOD camera at 30°C under a photoperiod of 12 hours. For evaluating the effect of different water potentials in the germinative process, polyethylene glicol (PEG 6000) was used and the salts NaCI and CaCl 2 used to simulate saline stress. The seeds were put to soak in potentials of 0 (control); -0.1 ; -0.2; -0.3; -0.4 and -0.5MPa. For each treatment 5 repetitions of 20 seeds were used in gerbox, placed between filter paper moistened with 20 mL of PEG, NaCI and CaCl 2 solutions. The solutions were changed at intervals of 24 hours for maintenance of the potential. The evaluations of percentages and germination speed were carry out daily for 8 days, being considered germinated the seeds that presented a 2mm root extension or longer. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and averages compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. It was concluded that osmotic potentials between -0.4 and -0.5MPa inhibited the germination of seeds of Schizolobium amazonicum completely. The osmotic stress caused by CaCl 2, and PEG injured the germination more than did the stress caused by NaCl.

Geomorfologia e distribuição da vegetação ripária na ilha Mutum, rio Paraná - PR/MS

Conectivity between the hydrologic regimen and the distribution of the vegetation there is already a lot is recognized by several researchers in the works of fluvial ecology. It can be affirmed that the geomorphology of the alluvial plain has an important paper in the constitution of the riparian vegetation. On the proposed study, traverse topographical profiles were elaborated in the island, recognition of the distribution of the vegetation and the zoning geomorphologic presented in profiles for the Mutum Island. It's located in the upper course of the Parana River, between the mouth of the Paranapanema River and the mouth of the Ivinhema River. It elapses of this study the succession of the strata of the riparian vegetation and the relationship with the morphology of the surface, in this case the relief as the main controller abiotic and selective of the species in the environmental. For the whole island it was possible to define three classes: Mutum Upper Unit, Mutum Lower Unit and Paleochannel. The presented discussion is resulted partial of the project called Processes of Conectivity and the Riparian Vegetacion in the high course of the Parana River, PR/MS.

Variação genética para compostos bioquímicos em sementes de duas populações naturais de Genipa americana L.: 1-análises individuais e univariada

Brazil is one of the world's richest countries in forest biodiversity. This has a great importance for humanity for sheltering essential scientific potential for the improvement in the quality of living beings. It also contributes to the preservation of natural resources and the environment. Among Brazil's forest species, jenipapo (Genipa americana L.) is commonly found in riparian vegetation. The objective of this work was to quantify the genetic variability of biochemical traits of seeds, as a support for in situ and ex situ conservation of natural populations of G. americana L. Two populations of the species were studied: one from Ilha Solteira, SP region (ISA) and other from Mogi Guaçu, SP (MOG). In the ISA population, seeds were collected from 30 trees, and in the MOG population, from 22 trees. These seeds were analyzed for chemical composition: content of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and starch. The two populations of G. americana studied had a great genetic variation for these traits. The population ISA had an additive and phenotypic correlation, which was negative and high for starch with lipid; and positive and medium, for lipid with prolamine, as well as for globulin with prolamine. The population MOG presented additive and phenotypic correlations: positive and medium for gluteline with globulin. In these populations, narrow sense heritability estimates of progenies were moderate (0.69 for carbohydrates in the population ISA) to high (0.81 to 0.99 for the other traits in the two populations), indicating that much progress can be expected with selection strategies.

Análise temporal do uso e ocupação do solo na microbacia hidrográfica do córrego da Fazenda Glória, Município de Taquaritinga, SP

The role of environmental concern is important due to the disorganized land occupation and intense exploitation of natural resources which lead to the degradation and exhaustion of the environment. Remonte sensing techniques allow identifying, recognizing and mapping areas modifiers besides estimating the extension of alterations made by man. Thus, the objective of this study was to map land use and occupation in order to evaluate the development of the Gloria Farm Stream watershed in Taquaritinga, SP, Brazil, from 1983 to 2000. The drainage network and agricultural and natural vegetation areas were identified by stereoscopic analyses of 2000 aerial photographs and by data analyses of the field and cartographic documents. The results verified that sugarcane became predominat in 2000 and it is distributed in relatively large areas with detriment to citrus orchards and other crops. The presence of dams, which is not noted in 1983 data, and the increase of forest and natural vegetal fragment areas in the analyzed period was observed. Recovered areas dur to reforestation with native species were identified along the streams and springs of Jabuticabal Mountain Range.

Os Répteis do Município de São Paulo: Diversidade e ecologia da fauna pretérita e atual

The reptile fauna in the municipality of São Paulo is well sampled due to intensive collection in the last 100 years. In the present work we provide a checklist of reptile species in São Paulo municipality based on preserved specimens in scientific collections. The reptile fauna was also characterized by three ecological parameters: habitat use, substrate use, and diet. We recorded a total of 97 reptile species (two turtles, one crocodilian, 19 lizards, seven amphisbaenians, and 68 snakes). Approximately 70% of the lizards and 40% of the snakes are typical of forest habitats of the Serra do Mar mountain range. Other squamates are typical of open formations that occur mainly on inland Cerrado habitats. All turtles and the crocodilian are associated to riparian habitats. Approximately 63% of the lizards are predominantly terrestrial, and the remaining species are arboreal. Most species of snakes are terrestrial (38%) or subterranean/criptozoic (25%) whereas a smaller proportion are arboreal (18%) or aquatic (9%). Lizards feed upon arthropods. Almost 50% of the snake species are specialized or feed mainly upon anuran amphibians. Other important items consumed by snakes are mammals (24%), lizards (18%), subterranean vertebrates (10%), and invertebrates (earthworms, mollusks and arthropods; 15%). A total of 51 reptile species have not been recorded for the last six years. Probably many of these species are extinct in the region due the intense local urbanization and habitat loss. The survey of species collected in São Paulo municipality and received in the Instituto Butantan in recent years allowed the identification of 10 lizards at least 42 snake species already occurring in the region. The high species richness of the original fauna seems related to the geographic location of the municipality, in a contact zone between forested areas of the Atlantic Forest (ombrophilous forest) and open formations (savannas, high-altitude grassland). Thus, the original habitat composition probably allowed sympatry among different species pools typical of both open and forested formations. The extant snake fauna recorded in the last three years indicates a higher loss of the species in open formations when compared to the forested areas.

Análise geoambiental da região de marília, SP: Suscetibilidade a processos erosivos frente ao histórico de ocupação da área

The study area comprises the western portion of the Marília Plateau, State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The geological substrate encompasses Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Bauru Group and local Neocenozoic units like colluvium aprons, fluvial terrace deposits, in situ regoliths, and modern alluvial deposits. In a geomorphologic sense, the study area might be characterized as showing two main pediplanes, viz. P1 Surface (upper) and P2 Surface (lower), both surfaces are presently under dissecation processes. After the 1920's the expansion of the railroad system fostered the removal of the natural vegetation, which in turn was followed by the introduction of coffee, peanut, corn and cotton crops. This intense exploitation was conducted without respect to the soil carrying capacity and its natural susceptibility to erosional processes, including an aggressive form known as voçoroca. As a result, the study shows that the most susceptible material includes colluvium aprons, in situ regoliths, and colluvium-alluvium or alluvium deposits. The most critical situation is in the P2 Surface context, near the bottom of the Marília Plateau scarpment, where surface runoff can be very strong. Another point of active erosion is represented by the exposed walls of gullies and voçorocas, mainly in fluvial reaches subjected to talweg lowering. In a general sense, this study shows current evidence of erosional stability due to the ìntroduction of pastures as a predominant type of land occupation and to a series of erosion control procedures. Among these actions are terrace implantation, construction of small pits for runoff control, natural or induced reforestation by land owners. Despite these efforts, some erosion points remain chiefly in steeper country roads and trail stretches, in areas of concentration of cattle tracks (e.g., near cattle ponds), gullies or voçorocas exposed walls, and badly planned urbanization. The permanence of these erosion points demonstrates the necessity of a continuous monitoring of surface dynamics as well as a rapid and effective intervining measures of erosion and/or silting control.

Regeneração natural de espécies da Mata Atlǎntica em sub-bosque de Eucalyptus saligna Smith. em uma antiga unidade de produção forestal no Parque das Neblinas, Bertioga, SP

This study aimed at characterizing the potential for natural regeneration of native vegetation in the under-story of an earlier Eucalyptus saligna Smith production stand. The study was carried out at the Parque das Neblinas, Bertioga municipality, SP, in a 45 ha third rotation stand; which had been abandoned 15 years ago for natural regeneration to occur. The sampling was done in 24 plots of 20 × 40 m. The sampled area was of 19,200 m2, with inventory made of 100% of the eucalyptus trees. All regeneration trees with a height ≥ 1.30 m and DBH ≥ 5.0 cm were measured, as well as adult individuals with DBH ≥ 5.0 cm; surveyed in two size classes. 1,417 individuals of E. saligna were measured, with a density of 738,02 individuals/ha and a basal area of 22.69 m2/ha. Among 2,763 natural regeneration individuals, 111 species belonged to 66 genera and 34 botanical families. The species represented 43.7% of the tree richness of neighboring native forest fragments. The total estimated density and the basal area were respectively 1,052.6 individuals/ha and 6.4 m2/ha of autochthonous trees with DBH ≥ 5.0 cm (Class 1); while for regeneration there were 3,864.58 individuals/ha, and 2.76 m2/ha of individuals with a height ≥ 1.30 m and DBH < 5.0 cm (Class 2). Shannon diversity (H') was 2.83 and 3.68, respectively, for Classes 1 and 2, and the corrected species richness for a 1000-individual sample (R1000) were 75.6 and 87.29 (Fisher's a index) for the same classes. The majority of the species (34.84%) was typical from the understory of wet tropical forest and had zoochoric fruit dispersal (67.57%). The results indicate that, under these conditions, a eucalyptus forest is able to provide adequate regeneration niches for native vegetation, and may represent a sink habitat for local populations.

Using tree population size structures to assess the impacts of cattle grazing and eucalypts plantations in subtropical South America

To evaluate the effects of distinct management of the matrix in which forest fragments are found upon plant populations thriving in forest remnants in south Brazil, we assessed the conservation status of populations of four woody species (Campomanesia rhombea, Diospyros incontans, Myrciaria cuspidata and Sebastiania commersoniana) through analyses of size structure. Analyzes were carried out at two scales. At a local scale, we consider populations in fragments surrounded by pastures or eucalypts forest plantations, and at a regional scale we also consider larger forest tracts taken as reference areas (Rio Grande do Sul Forest Inventory databank). Population size structures were summarized using the symmetry of height distributions. Small individual size classes prevailed at the local scale in fragments surrounded by eucalypts plantations, whereas in areas exposed to cattle ranching, populations of the same species consistently lack small individuals. At the regional scale, populations in fragments surrounded by pastures presented greater skewness (prevalence of small plants) than populations in reference areas, while populations surrounded by eucalypts plantations presented intermediate skewness. These results reinforce the notion that plantations have a higher conservation value for forest ecosystems than other commercial land uses, like cattle ranching. © 2010 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Portable Hardness tester for timber classification

Hardness is a property largely used in material specifications, mechanical and metallurgical research and quality control of several materials. Specifically for timber, Janka hardness is a simple, quick and easy test, with good correlations with the compression parallel to grain strength, a strong reference in structural classification for this material. More recently, international studies have reported the use of Brinell hardness for timber assessment which resumes the advantages previously mentioned for Janka hardness and make it easier to be performed in the field, especially because of the lower magnitude of the involved loads. A first generation of an equipment for field evaluation of hardness in wood - Portable Hardness tester for wood - based on Brinell hardness has already been developed by the Research Group on Forest Products from FCA/UNESP, Brazil, with very good correlations between the evaluated hardness and several other mechanical properties of the material when performing tests with different species of native and reforested wood (traditionally used as ties - sleepers - in railways). This paper presents results obtained in the experimental program with the first generation of this equipment and preliminary tests with its second generation, which uses accelerometers to substitute the indentation measurements in wood. For the first generation of the equipment functional and calibration tests were carried out using 16 native and reforestation timber lots, among there E. citriodora, E. tereticornis, E. saligna, E. urophylla, E. grandis, Goupia glabra and Bagassa guianenses, with different origins and ages. The results obtained confirm its potential in the classification of specimens, with inclusion errors varying from 4.5% to 16.6%.