Ambrosia and bark beetles (Scolytidae : Coleoptera) in pine and eucalypt stands in southern Brazil

More than 95% of the reforested area in Brazil is covered by exotic Eucalyptus and Pinus plantations. Native Scolytidae, mostly ambrosia beetles, appear to be rapidly adapting to these exotic trees, and reports of economic damage are becoming frequent. The objectives of our research were to survey, characterize and compare the Scolytidae fauna present in a P. taeda and an E. grandis stand in Telemaco Borba, Parana state, Brazil. Beetles were caught in ethanol baited ESALQ-84 vane traps in weekly collections from July 1995 until July 1997. In all, 87 species were trapped, 62 in the pine and 75 in the eucalypt stand. The most abundant beetle species in the pines were Hypothenemus eruditus, Xyleborinus gracilis, Cryptocarenus sp. and Xylosandrus retusus, while the most frequent were H. eruditus, Cryptocarenus sp., H. obscurus, Ambrosiodmus obliquus, and X. gracilis. In the eucalypt stand, H. eruditus, X. retusus, H. obscurus, X. ferrugineus and Microcorthylus minimus were the most abundant species, and H. eruditus, H. obscurus and M. minimus were the most frequently trapped. The majority of the species, regardless of the forest community, were most active between August (end of winter) and October (mid-spring). Significantly more H. eruditus, X. gracilis, Cryptocarenus sp., Corthylus obliquus, Hypothenemus bolivianus, A. obliquus, Sampsonius dampfi and Xyleborus affinis were trapped in the pine stand, while X. retusus, H. obscurus, X. ferrugineus, Xyleborinus linearicollis, Corthylus sp, and Corthylus convexicauda were caught in higher numbers in the eucalypt stand. Approximately 50% of the species trapped were found in both communities. Morisita's similarity index indicates the composition of the two communities is very similar, suggesting that most of the beetles are polyphagous. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. B.V. All rights reserved.

Mamíferos não voadores do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho, Continuum florestal do Paranapiacaba

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

Herpetofauna do Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho, São Paulo, Brasil

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

Geochemical Assessment of a Subtropical Reservoir: A Case Study in Curitiba, Southern Brazil

Suspended particles and dissolved substances in water provide reactive surfaces, influence metabolic activity and contribute to the net sediment deposition. It therefore plays an important part in the ecology and quality of the water mass. The water quality in reservoirs is crucial and it is naturally maintained by flushing and sedimentation, which continuously remove phosphorus from the water. In some reservoirs, however, these removal processes are countered by recycling of ions which could play a key role to start and/or maintain the eutrophic state. The combination of macro-, trace- and microanalysis techniques can be useful to trace pollution sources through a chemical fingerprint, whether be during an acute environmental disaster or a long-term release of pollutants. The water quality and total metal content of reservoir sediments were assessed in a reservoir, situated in the capital of the Parana State, in the South-Eastern part of Brazil. The goal of this paper was to determine the metal presence in the sediment and metal and ionic speciation in the Green River reservoir water. Water and bed sediment samples, collected from various sites during 2008 and 2009, were investigated using XRF, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, XRD and zeta potential measurements. Based on the results, the heavy metal concentration and chemical composition of the suspended matter in the water samples, as well as the sediment's chemical composition will be discussed.

Razao Sr:Ba:Rb e tipologia de zircao em granitoides dos Estado de Sao Paulo, Parana e Minas Gerais

Chemical (Sr:Ba:Rb) and zircon typology data from the Nazare Paulista, Mairipora/Cantareira, Cunhaporanga, Tres Corregos, Morungaba, Socorro, Itu, Graciosa and Serra Carambei granitoid complexes from the states of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo and Parana (SE/S Brazil) are presented and discussed. By the zircon typology method these complexes are refered, respectively, to the 2nd crustal, 3rd crustal/low temperature C-A, low temperature C-A, medium temperature C-A, medium/light temperature C-A, K-SA/Alkaline and alkaline series which are considered as generated under increasing temperature associated with a progressive major participation of mantle material. All these series display different positions and behaviour in the Sr:Ba:Rb diagram which reinforces the use of the zircon typology method in the study of granitoids. -from English summary

Wetland projects developed in Brazil

The first studies with constructed wetlands undertaken in Brazil were the result of observations made from the Amazon flood plains. The first attempt to use this capacity to change the quality of the water, in the sense of purification performed in Brazil using constructed wetland systems, was made by Salati et al. After that, new technologies were developed in a focused attempt to increase the efficiency of the system and reduce investments. Over these 18 years, persuading the Brazilian scientific community as well as the environmental control agencies to give due attention to this kind of research has required endless efforts. Only in recent years have major institutions responsible for sewage treatment and potable water supply been concerned with this type of technology for solving real problems. These institutions are as follows: SABESP (Basic Sanitation Company of Sao Paulo State), SANEPAR (Sanitation Company of Parana State) and CESP (Electric Company of Sao Paulo State). One of the private institutions that has systematically worked in the design and projects of constructed wetlands is the Institute of Applied Ecology. This institution has enhanced and developed a water depuration system based on the purifying capacity of the soil. The wetlands with filtering soils are systems formed by overlapping layers of crushed stone, gravel and soil planted with rice. This technology has been used in sewage treatment and also in water supply systems.

A tectônica meso-cenozóica de parte da borda nordeste da Bacia do Paraná: traços de fissão em apatita

The possible development of thermal events in the central portion of São Paulo state was described based on apatite fission track analysis. Using apatites of sedimentary rocks of the Paraná Basin, modeling the thermal history was made possible due to the homogeneity of the data. Every thermal history begins with a total annealing of fission tracks, related to the Serra Geral magmatism, evolving into a cooling period. In addition to cooling after the magmatism (Early Cretaceous) two other periods of cooling were also detected, registered in the Late Cretaceous/ Paleocene and Eocene, driven as much by uplift with tectonic denudation as by faulting. The nearest portion of the edge of the basin (external to the Dome of Pitanga), registered a period of warming over the Paleocene that can be attributed to the increase in the geothermal gradient. The periods of cooling have a regional and temporal relationship with the tectonic events that occurred in the southeastern Brazil and were described in the crystalline basement. The period of warming, registered in the Late Cretaceous/ Paleocene, has local occurrence and can be found only in the southern portion of the studied area.

Litogeoquímica E aspectos Petrogenéticos dos basaltos da Província Magmática do Paraná na porção centro-norte do Estado de São Paulo

The petrographic and geochemical characterization of flood basalts of Serra Geral Formation are here presented. The investigated areas are situated in four different regions of São Paulo state: Jaú, Ribeirão Preto, Franca and Fernandópolis. They represent almost the total area of outcrops of basalts in the São Paulo State. The petrographical data reveals that these rocks are constituted mainly by plagioclase (30-40%), pyroxenes, augite and pigeonita (20-30%) and magnetite (5-15%), and show a intergranular texture and its varieties intersertal, hialophitic and pilotaxitic. The geochemical data show a basic and tholeiitic affinity of the studied basalts, with high-Ti content (TiO2 > 1.8%), typical of the northern region of Paraná Basin. Three different magma-types were recognized: Paranapanema, Urubici and Pitanga. The first magma-type is concentrated in the Fernandópolis region, the second in the Franca region, and the Pitanga occurs in the Ribeirão Preto and Jaú regions. The distribution patterns of these magma-types and the detailed study of geochemical data showed that they are, probably, generated by a melting of a continental lithospheric mantle.

Levantamento da herpetofauna do Parque Municipal Nascentes de Paranapiacaba, Santo André, SP

Pós-graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia) - IBRC

Occurrence of Mycobacterium bovis and non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in raw and pasteurized milk in the northwestern region of Paraná, Brazil

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

Fishery of the Uçá Crab Ucides Cordatus (Linnaeus, 1763) in a Mangrove Area in Cananéia, State of São Paulo, Brazil: Fishery Performance, Exploitation Patterns and Factors Affecting the Catches

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

Feeding habits of Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, from south-eastern Brazil: new items and a knowledge review

This study presents new information on feeding habits of Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, in south-eastern Brazil, together with new regression equations to evaluate the weight and length of fish from otoliths, showing an overview on the knowledge about this species' diet in this area. Eighteen stomach contents had been analysed and compared to 180 samples collected in another eight feeding studies. The analysed specimens were either incidentally caught in gillnets used in coastal waters by the fleet based in the Cananeia main harbour (25 degrees 00'S 47 degrees 55'W), south of Sao Paulo State, or found dead in inner waters of the Cananeia estuary between 2003 and 2009. Based on the index of relative importance analysis, the most important fish species were the banded croaker, Paralonchurus brasiliensis. Doryteuthis plei was the most representative cephalopod species. Stellifer rastrifer was the most important fish species observed in dolphins in inner estuarine waters and P. brasiliensis in recovered dolphins from coastal waters. Loliguncula brevis is the only cephalopod species reported from dolphins found in inner estuarine waters up to date. Doryteuthis plei was the most important cephalopod species observed in coastal dolphins. When considering other feeding studies, the most representative fish family in the diet of S. guianensis was Sciaenidae, which is mainly represented by demersal fishes. The main preys of S. guianensis are abundant in the studied areas, which may indicate an opportunistic feeding habit. The majority of them are not the most important target species by the commercial fishery in south-eastern Brazil.

FEEDING HABITS OF THE ATLANTIC SPOTTED DOLPHIN, Stenella frontalis, IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

This study presents new information on the feeding habits of the Atlantic spotted dolphins, Stenella frontalis, in the Western South Atlantic. Nine stomach contents of S. frontalis incidentally caught in fishing operations conducted by the gillnet fleet based on main harbour of Cananeia (25 degrees 00' S; 47 degrees 55'W), southeastern Brazil, were analyzed. These specimens were captured between 2005 and 2007. A total of 1 422 cephalopod beaks, 147 otoliths and three crustaceans were recovered from the stomach contents. The dolphins assessed preyed on at least eight different fish species of the families Trichiuridae, Carangidae, Sparidae, Merluccidae, Engraulidae, Sciaenidae, Congridae and Scombridae, five cephalopod species of the families Loliginidae, Sepiolidae, Tremoctopodidae and Thysanoteuthidae, and one shrimp species of the Penaeidae family. Based on the analysis of the Index of Relative Importance (IRI), the Atlantic cutlassfish, Trichiurus lepturus, was the most important fish species represented. Of the cephalopods, the squid Doryteuthis plei was by far the most representative species. Several items were reported for the first time as prey of the S. frontalis: Xiphopenaeus kroyeri, Tremoctopus violaceus, Semirossia tenera, Merluccius hubbsi, Pagrus pagrus and Paralonchurus brasiliensis. S. frontalis presented teuthophagous and ichthyofagous feeding habits, with apparent predominance of the first, and preyed mainly on pelagic and demersal items.

Hepatitis B virus genotypes from European origin explains the high endemicity found in some areas from southern Brazil

Southern Brazil is considered an area of low Hepatitis B endemicity, but some areas of higher endemicity have been described in the Southwest of Parana and Santa Catarina states. The aim of this study was to evaluate viral genotypes circulating throughout Parana state. PCR amplification and partial sequencing of the S gene was carried out in 228 samples from HBsAg positive candidate blood donors. Samples have been collected in seven different counties (Cascavel, Curitiba, Foz do Iguacu, Francisco Beltrao, Matinga Londrina and Paranagua). The most common HBV genotype in Parana state was D (82.9%; 189/228), followed by A (14.1%; 32/228). Genotypes F (1.3%; 3/228), C (1.3%; 3/228) and H (0.4%; 1/228) were also found. Distribution of genotypes was different in the studied counties, but genotype D was the most frequent in all of them. In Francisco Beltrao, all studied samples belonged to genotype D. The high prevalence of HBV genotype Din South of Brazil is explained by the intense migration of settlers from Europeans countries. Subgenotypes A1 and A2 were identified circulating in all cities where HBV/A was found. As observed in other areas of Brazil, HBV/A1 is more frequent than the HBV/A2 in Parana state and its presence was significantly larger in black and mulatto individuals. Genotype C was found only in individuals with Asian ancestry from Londrina and Maringa. Most HBV/F sequences identified in this study were classified as subgenotype F2a that was previously described in Brazil. The sole case of subgenotype F4 was from Foz do Iguacu city, near to Northern Argentina, where F4 is highly prevalent. The single genotype H sample was from Curitiba. This is the first case of this genotype described in Brazil. Further studies should be carried out to determine if more genotype H samples can be found in other populations from Brazil. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phylogeographic Analysis of HIV-1 Subtype C Dissemination in Southern Brazil

The HIV-1 subtype C has spread efficiently in the southern states of Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana). Phylogeographic studies indicate that the subtype C epidemic in southern Brazil was initiated by the introduction of a single founder virus population at some time point between 1960 and 1980, but little is known about the spatial dynamics of viral spread. A total of 135 Brazilian HIV-1 subtype C pol sequences collected from 1992 to 2009 at the three southern state capitals (Porto Alegre, Florianopolis and Curitiba) were analyzed. Maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods were used to explore the degree of phylogenetic mixing of subtype C sequences from different cities and to reconstruct the geographical pattern of viral spread in this country region. Phylogeographic analyses supported the monophyletic origin of the HIV-1 subtype C clade circulating in southern Brazil and placed the root of that clade in Curitiba (Parana state). This analysis further suggested that Florianopolis (Santa Catarina state) is an important staging post in the subtype C dissemination displaying high viral migration rates from and to the other cities, while viral flux between Curitiba and Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul state) is very low. We found a positive correlation (r(2) = 0.64) between routine travel and viral migration rates among localities. Despite the intense viral movement, phylogenetic intermixing of subtype C sequences from different Brazilian cities is lower than expected by chance. Notably, a high proportion (67%) of subtype C sequences from Porto Alegre branched within a single local monophyletic sub-cluster. These results suggest that the HIV-1 subtype C epidemic in southern Brazil has been shaped by both frequent viral migration among states and in situ dissemination of local clades.