Sistemática integrativa de Cichlasoma orientale Kullander 1983 e Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg 1991 (Teleostei: Cichlidae) das bacias hidrográficas do Nordeste do Brasil

Understanding the historical and ecological relationships which are influent in current biological diversity is one of the most challenging tasks of evolutionary biology. Recent systematics emphasizes the need of integrative approaches to delimit different lineages and species. The northeastern Brazil, mostly placed in Caatinga biome, is characterized by a semi-arid weather, low precipitation and seasonal behavior of rivers. This region is regarded lacking as ichthyological knowledge and one of the most threatened by anthropic activities. Further, will be affected by a massive water diverpsion work that will transfer waters from São Francisco basin, to other major four basins: Jaguaribe, Apodi-Mossoró, Piranhas-Açu and Paraiba do Norte. Loss of diversity and richness, hibridizitation, community interactions changes, population homogenization, changes in water quality and flow regime, are examples of environmental impacts already related with similar works. The present study aims to investigate morphological and molecular variation of Cichlasoma orientale Kullander 1983 and Crenicichla menezesi Ploeg 1991, two cichlid species present in northeastern Brazil basins. Further, the study aims to evaluate the influence of geomorphological and climatic processes in this variation, and point some possible impacts of the artificial connectivity which can be brought by São Francisco interbasin water transfer to their population dynamics. Geometric morphometrics and phylogeographical analysis were used to investigate the populations from three different hydrological regions. Our results showed a significant morphological variation of populations from basins that are involved in the São Franscisco s diversion project, not related to an ancient separation between populations, emphasizing morphological variation which could represent a set of plastic responses to the variable hydrological regime in Northeastern Brazil. The role of plastical responses in naturally variable habitats as well as the potential disturbs that could be brought by the interbasin water transfer works are discussed here. Further, our molecular data allowed us to make inferences about species distribution and their taxonomy, and identification of a potential new species of Crenicichla for São Francisco river basin. Our data also allowed to identify some shared haplotypes for both species, which could be related to lineage sorting scenarios or recent gene flow between populations. However a strong structure in most of the pairwise comparisons between populations for both species was revealed. Climatic events such as Atlantic forest regression during the Pleistocene, sea level fluctuations and dispersion by paleorivers in the mouth of Apodi-Mossoró river, and neotectonic events regulating the connection between drainages are likely to have had a contribution for the actual lineages distribution in northeastern Brazil. Further, analysis of molecular variation (AMOVA and SAMOVA) showed that the actual basin s isolation is an important factor to molecular variation, in spite of the signal of recent contact between some basins. Different genetic diversity patterns between species could be related to multiple historic events of colonization, basins landscapes or biological differences. The present study represents the first effort of integrative systematics involving fish species of northeastern Brazil, and showed important morphological and molecular patterns which could be irrecoverably affected by the artificial connection that might be caused by the São Francisco interbasin water transfer

GESTÃO AMBIENTAL E COMPETITIVIDADE EM DESTINOS TURÍSTICOS: percepção dos gestores de pequenos meios de hospedagem de Natal/RN sobre o uso de práticas ambientais como fator de competitividade

The present work aimed at investigating the small hotel managers perceptions from Natal/RN concerning the environmental practice uses as a competitive factor. This study is characterized as a descriptive exploratory research that used an aleatory probabilistic sample followed by the application of collect data instrument (questionnaire). The small hotels located in Natal/RN were the study participants and the specific location where 35 questionnaires were answered. Based on the data and on the mangers point of view, it is possible to comprehend that, among the presented indicators, the development of environmental programs in the hotel enterprise is showed as the least important for the client s choice. As the main conclusion it is relevant to argue that, according to the small hotel managers, the guests do not still search for hotels that implement environmental practices. On the other side, the interviewed managers believe that the use of these practices can generate a great competitive advantage in relation to their competitors. The information obtained by this present research will be able to contribute to establish a contemporary panorama in relation to the importance attributed by the managers concerning the use of environmental practices in small hotel enterprises in Natal/RN. In addition the correct use of this information can generate possibilities of major competitiveness in this segment

Estudo das percepções ambientais e de ações educativas promotoras da biodiversidade em unidade de conservação no Rio Grande do Norte

Important issues involving the awakening to the need for conservation of biodiversity and the importance of establishing protected areas as a strategy in pursuit of environmental protection, are increasingly being developed in biological and social investigative fields. In this sense, this research aimed to emphasize the use of environmental perception of social agents are significant elements for the understanding of the man / nature, and develop educational activities aimed at raising awareness and changing attitudes towards environmental issues thus promoting reflections on Environmental Education (EE) as a critical and transformative tool for conservation of rich biological diversity. This research covers as a place of study, schools located in the Environmental Protection Area Jenipabu (APAJ), Rio Grande do Norte. Methodology in general, we highlight the use of questionnaires and mind maps as generators of the contents of empirical research, and execution of content analysis for the treatment of data collected. This dissertation has two chapters in the form of scientific articles, where the first is entitled: "Study of the perceptions and evaluation of interactions concerning environmental education in schools in a conservation area of Rio Grande do Norte - Brazil", obtaining thus a primary diagnosis for analysis about the visions that students and teachers from two schools located in APAJ have on the environment. The second article, entitled: "Effective and analysis of educational activities that promote biodiversity in a coastal area of Environmental Protection Northeast - Brazil" provides an analysis of the educational use of biodiversity as a way to raise awareness of the need for environmental conservation. It appears from research that there is a lack of training in EA by teachers, but there is a need for greater involvement of students in conservation areas, however, from the analysis of educational activities, we observed that the effectiveness of such actions acts to promote awareness and change in actors involved. Thus, environmental education needs to take into account the different perceptions found in each individual, and it can not be based solely on transmission of knowledge, so that we reach a model of conservation.

A incorporação de preceitos ambientais no sistema de gestão de resíduos sólidos do município de João Câmara - RN Brasil

The reality points to the global environmental sustainability as the only viable option for addressing the crisis at hand. The move towards sustainability calls for the generation / evaluation systems in their direction, through the incorporation of environmental requirements and in line with the National Policy on Solid Waste. Therefore, the proposed research supports the importance of social and environmental vision, complementing the technical view, the system for management of solid waste from East London, which is a municipality that has a system whose inadequacies are configured in environmental risk and health. Therefore, by observing, applying the model of sustainability indicators and content analysis of interviews, this research proposes to investigate the principles of sustainability and social participation are presented and what is the perception of risk about the inadequacies in the system. The results confirmed the hypotheses of the study and draw a picture of worrying data, such as very unfavorable indicators of sustainability, lack of channels of participation, uncommitted investments with the management system, devaluation of the collector of waste and differing perceptions about the risk by making actors act in isolation. This worrying situation is eased by the appearance of a series of elements are configured as opportunities for the integration of environmental principles in the system. And despite the inability of managers to participate in the research system, yet it behaves as an opportunity to implement public policies in the area of solid waste such as: the preparation of the municipal waste, the institutionalization of selective collection and organization of cooperative with the support of companies present in the city and educational institutions as the Federal Institute. The research is an opportunity for the implementation of policies in the area of solid waste and will collaborate with the building instruments for the quality of life of residents, for the socioeconomic conditions of collectors and the move towards a sustainable society

Alterações ambientais em Parelhas, Rio Grande do Norte: metais pesados em sedimentos de drenagens e percepção de comunidades rurais em relação a mudanças na paisagem

The conservation of natural resources is essential and constitutes the main subject of many researches, which characterize important aspects concerning the environmental alterations in the ground, water, landscape and socioeconomic information. This study aimed to investigate the anthropogenic input of heavy metals in the environment, in the area of the Parelhas dump site and in part of the Seridó River and to determine the concentration of heavy metals in the sediments. This can result in risk to the environment and human health. In addition, we sought to establish the socioeconomic profile of rural communities adjacent to Seridó River and to comprehend the perception of these dwellers about the changes in the places they live. The area of this study is located in the city of Parelhas/RN, in the centralsouthern part of the State, in the micro-region of the Oriental Seridó. This area comprehends the place where the dump site is located, next to RN 086, the Caldeirão dam, the Quintos river called by local citizens Caldeirão creek and part of Seridó river, perpetuated by the Boqueirão dam, which crosses the city and it includes the rural communities of Almas, Domingas, Sussuarana II and Colonos. Regarding the study with bottom sediments, the samples were collected and taken to the laboratory of geochemistry, where they were dried, sieved, weighted and submitted to weak acid attack. The analysis of heavy metals was held by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer - Flame AAS. We applied 23 closed questionnaires constituted by 38 questions to collect informations in the rural communities, oriented to establish the socioeconomic profile and the environmental perception of the participants. The participants were distributed in the communities of Almas (1), Domingas (2), Sussuarana II (10) and Colonos (10). Most of them presented similar socioeconomic profiles. They are from 45 to 60 years old and live in these localities for 20 to 30 years or more. The families are composed by 3 or 4 people; the agriculture is the main activity, livestock is the secondary and 48% of them earn the minimal wage. Regarding the environmental perception, the participants can realize some changes in vegetation, soil, water and landscape. People living longer in the community, and with more years of experience on the local reality can perceive the depletion of the soil, pastures and changes in the landscape. These changes portray how the place was previously and what it represents today. The perception of these changes, besides the environmental ones, includes others concerning the increasing number of dwellers in the last years, as well as the number of houses. The changes happened through activities developed by the dwellers over the years, including agricultural practices, livestock, grass planting and even the cultivation of cotton. The study provided the acquisition of new data about the environmental reality of this region. It can subsidize the definition of public policies that can be implemented from the perspective of conservation of water resources and of the coexistence and survival of man in the semi-arid

Percepção de riscos ambientais de populações vulneráveis a inundações e deslizamentos de dunas em Natal-RN

In urban, flooding and landslides are among the troubles that most bring human and material loss. Therefore, this study objected to perform an analysis on the risk perception on the population living in social environmental vulnerable places in order to understand what is the way this population realize the risks they are exposed to and what are the outbrave strategies the develop. The first analyzed area was Complexo Passo da Pátria for the flooding risk problematic and then the Cidade Nova neighborhood threatened by the dunes slides. The areas locate, respectively, in the West and East zones of Natal-RN. Using an interview screenplay adapted from risk perception researches from different brazilian cities, it was collected primarily data on the variables: perception, evaluation and choice, safety threshold, adjustment, decision and participation. Due to the studied areas characteristics the qualitative approach adjusted itself to the difficulties for accessing the areas. The studied places characterize for its insecure situation like selling/using drugs, robbery and murder among others. Due to this situation the interviewed individuals were the ones that could be found more accessibly and available in the moment and the interviews were made in the community leader presence of each area. Through the discourse of the respondents analysis it was able to conclude that the interviewed population is exposed to a high vulnerability grade and risks. However it was identified substantial differences between the perception and risks of Complexo Passo da Pátria and bairro Cidade Nova, because in the first area the intervied ones can recognize the high risk they are exposed to in a more emphatic way to the interviewed ones for the Cidade Nova neighborhood. Furthermore, there is a heavy dissatisfaction for the population of the two places about the city hall positions relating to the present problems in the studied areas. It was also identified the strategy development of acquaintanceship with the risk in the research places beyond a feeling of belonging and affection between the dwellers and the places, yet it was more evident for Complexo Passo da Pátria. Though this analysis it was possible to understand and perceptions and the behavior of the individuals or social groups facing the risks as acceptance and rejection of determined risks beyond adaptation measures of living together with the persistence presence of risks. Therefore, qualitative nature researches emphasizing the perception approach are in the fundamental importance in the studies about risks making it possible to offer aids to the urban planning and management in the implement of effective preventive measures and compatible with the population aims

Processos sócio-ambientais relacionados às situações de degradação na região do Rio Doce, Natal/RN

Natal is a medium-sized coastal city (800.000 inhabitants), capital of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, in the Northeast of Brazil. According to statistics published by the IBGE (2000), the area of Natal that stretches from Redinha to Lagoa Azul holds about 12% of the municipal population. Part of this area is bordered by a watercourse, the Rio Doce, which has been afflicted by a range of socio-environmental problems over the years. This study was carried out with the aims of 1) identifying the socio-environmental processes related to urban expansion, with an emphasis on those causing environmental degradation in this region; b) analysing the perception of the target population in relation to the environment it occupies; and c) determining the socioeconomic profile of the local residents and the sanitary facilities available to them. A survey was carried out by conducting interviews and completing questionnaires with the residents to assess the situation both qualitatively and quantitatively in the communities of Caiana, Pajussara Sítio, Gramoré Povoado and Gramoré Sítio, as well as by conducting bibliographical and documentary research. It was discovered that the sanitary conditions of the riverside dwellers are precarious and only 1% of the houses in the suburbs mentioned are connected to the public sewers. It was established that the Rio Doce is intensively exploited through the extraction of sand for the building trade, irrigation of riverside vegetable plots and use of the water for bathing, washing of clothes and leisure. It was also found that about 40% of the population resident in this area has migrated from the rural zone, which is one of the factors rendering it difficult for them to adapt to the urban setting. Such information can be of use to the authorities in the environmental planning of these districts and their sustainable development

Impactos sócio-econômicos e ambientais da introdução da Tilápia do Nilo, Oreochromis niloticus, em açudes públicos do semi-árido nordestino, Brasi

The stocking of exotic fish, especially the tilapia, has become a common practice in the public reservoirs of the Brazilian semi-arid region. The stocking of tilapias has had as its main aim the improvement of the fisheries in the reservoirs and consequently the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the families that have fishing as the main source of income. However, the environmental risks associated with this practice are high and can lead to a loss in aquatic biodiversity and to changes in the quality of the water. The object of this work was to quantify the socio-economic and environmental effects of the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the public reservoirs of the semi-arid northeastern Brazil. The analysis of the fish yield of 100 public reservoirs from 1970 to 2000 demonstrated that the introduction of the Nile tilapia apparently contributed to an increase in the total fish yield from the late 1970 s until the mid-1980 s. Nevertheless, from that time onwards the fish yield in these reservoirs has fallen into decline to levels inferior to those observed prior to the introduction of the tilápia. The analysis of the fishing activity statistics of the Gargalheiras reservoir located in the city of Acari, Rio Grande do Norte, demonstrated that the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the reservoir has not significantly increased the fish yield, the gross overall income, the gross per capita income nor the number of fishermen actively fishing in the reservoir. On the other hand, the analysis of the fishing activity statistics of the Gargalheiras reservoir has revealed a significant reduction in the captures of other commercially important fish species after the introduction of the tilapia. This result suggests that the Nile tilapia could have negatively affected other species of fish in the reservoir, contributing to the decline in their stocks. In order to assess the perception of the fishermen concerning the effects of the Nile tilapia over other species of fish and the quality of the water, questionnaires containing open and multiple choice questions were applied with 30 fishermen from the colony of the Gargalheiras reservoir. The great majority of the local fishermen stated that the tilapia is currently the most important species of fish to those who depend on fishing as a source of income and that they have not caused damage to other species of fish nor to the quality of the water in the reservoir. However, the results of the present work indicate that the alleged socio-economic benefits, employed to justify the introduction of the Nile tilapia in the reservoirs, are overestimated while the environmental impacts of the introduction of this exotic species are underestimated

Sistemas computacionais espaço-temporais para toma de decisão em questões ambientais relacionadas à indústria de petróleo e gás

The area between São Bento do Norte and Macau cities, located in the northern coast of the Rio Grande do Norte State is submitted to intense and constant processes of littoral and aeolian transport, causing erosion, alterations in the sediments balance and modifications in the shoreline. Beyond these natural factors, the human interference is huge in the surroundings, composed by sensitive places, due to the existence of the Guamaré Petroliferous Pole, RN, the greater terrestrial oil producing in Brazil, besides the activities of the salt companies and shrimp farms. This socioeconomic-environmental context justifies the elaboration of strategies of environmental monitoring of that coastal area. In the environmental monitoring of coastal strips, submitted to human impacts, the use of multi-sources and multitemporal data integrated through a Spatio- Temporal Database that allows the multiuser friendly access. The objective was to use the potential of the computational systems as important tools the managers of environmental monitoring. The stored data in the form of a virtual library aid in making decisions from the related results and presented in different formats. This procedure enlarges the use of the data in the preventive attendance, in the planning of future actions and in the definition of new lines of researches on the area, in a multiscale approach. Another activity of this Thesis consisted on the development of a computational system to automate the process to elaborate Oil-Spill Environmental Sensitivity Maps, based on the temporal variations that some coastal ecosystems present in the sensibility to the oil. The maps generated in this way, based on the methodology proposed by the Ministério do Meio Ambiente, supply more updated information about the behavior of the ecosystem, as a support to the operations in case of oil spill. Some parameters, such as the hydrodynamic data, the declivity of the beach face, types of resources in risk (environmental, economical, human or cultural) and use and occupation of the area are some of the essential basic information in the elaboration of the sensitivity maps, which suffer temporal alterations.In this way, the two computational systems developed are considered support systems to the decision, because they provide operational subsidies to the environmental monitoring of the coastal areas, considering the transformations in the behavior of coastal elements resulting from temporal changes related the human and/or natural interference of the environment

A erosão costeira e sua influência sobre a atividade petrolífera: alternativas sustentáveis na mitigação de impactos ambientais

The study area consist in high sensitivity environments located on the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Northeast Brazil. The barrier island are the main geomorphological features on the coastal landscape, being naturally instable and surrounded by industrial activities like oil fields, salt industry, shrimp farms and urban areas sometimes installed parallel to the coast, combined with coast engineering interventions. High energy hydrodynamic process are responsible for the morphological instability of the coast. The study was based on remote sensing data obtained between 1954 and 2007 which consist in orbital images from Landsat, CBERS and Ikonos satellites and aerial photos. With all data integrated on GIS environment it was possible to update thematic maps of geology, geomorphology, vegetation, soil and landuse and development of multitemporal maps pointing areas with erosion and depositions of sediments, defining the critical erosion process on this region. The bigger morphological changes are related to changes on wind patterns during the year, terrestrial and sea breezes during the day, with spits and barrier island migration, opening and closing of channels like the one parallel to the coast on the area of Serra and Macau oil fields. These factors combined with the significant reduction on sediment budgets due to the loss of natural spaces to sediment reworking contribute to the low resilience which tends to be growing on the area of Serra and Macau oil fields. In front of such scenery a detailed monitoring was done in order to find technological possibilities for coastal restoration. A pilot area was defined to start the project of mangrove restore together with beach nourishment in order to minimize the effect of the erosion caused by the channel parallel to the coast, contributing to stabilize the northeast channel as the main one. It s expected that such methodology will aid the coastal environments restoration and the balance between industrial activities and coastal erosion

Estudo multitemporal da dinâmica espacial do estuário Potengi/RN, utilizando como base os dados de Sensoriamento Remoto.

This work was developed in the Potengi river estuary, northern coastal city of Natal, located in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. The objective was to study the dynamics of Multitemporal Space in that estuary, however, analyze how this environment has behaved during the years 1988, 1994 and 2006. The definition of that, there was the fact that during that period, which occurred in that area and more intensive space exploration to practice economic activities as well as a greater and more rapid expansion of urban area. This study was supported by the Remote Sensing, who have been shown today, as an efficient analysis of the environmental studies, through geoprocessing techniques. From the performed analysis it was found that occurred during the period of study (1988 to 2006), a huge change in the design of the estuary of Potengi river. The figures showed the area of vegetation was decreased 65.22%, the deforested area increased by 70.44% and the shrimp activity grow 452.07% and the urban area was increased in 52.65% along that period described. Considering the numbers shown there that the process of occupying space in that area requires attention, because it is an environment that represents a huge contribution to the ecological balance.

Educação ambiental e educação em valores em livros didáticos de ciências naturais

Os valores têm sido considerados importante conteúdo de ensino, sobretudo ao tratarmos de certas temáticas, como a ambiental. Procurando analisar o tratamento dado à dimensão valorativa da temática ambiental em três coleções de Ciências Naturais voltadas às séries finais do Ensino Fundamental verificamos a predominância da visão antropocêntrica, sendo a natureza valorizada em função de sua utilidade para o ser humano. O predomínio da valorização do conhecimento científico em detrimento de outras formas de conhecimento, da ação humana individual em detrimento da coletiva e a simples apresentação de leis ambientais foram outros aspectos problemáticos encontrados. Uma das coleções, entretanto, além de valorizar o trabalho coletivo dos alunos, também se destacou pela maior ênfase dada à dimensão estética, implicando uma visão de mundo menos utilitarista e um tratamento mais adequado do conteúdo valorativo da temática ambiental.

Leitura e Interpretação de Dados Prontos em um Ambiente de Modelagem e Tecnologias Digitais: o mosaico em movimento

Neste artigo, analisamos a leitura e a interpretação de dados prontos coletados por alunos para desenvolverem projetos de modelagem. Consideramos dados prontos as informações coletadas na Internet, como um gráfico ou uma fórmula, sem maiores explicações de como foram geradas. Com isso, repensamos o mosaico de pesquisas do GPIMEM, grupo de pesquisa ao qual pertencemos e que desenvolve pesquisas sobre modelagem e informática há cerca de vinte anos. Na análise, privilegiamos a apresentação oral e o relatório escrito de um grupo de alunas do Curso de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Os dados prontos sugerem uma nova faceta na relação entre tecnologias digitais e modelagem: eles parecem ser tratados de maneira idêntica a dados empíricos usualmente coletados em outros trabalhos de modelagem encontrados na literatura. Assim, o mosaico de pesquisas sobre o tema ganha novas dimensões na medida em que a Internet parece modificar a própria noção do que são dados.

Analysis of tectonic-controlled fluvial morphology and sedimentary processes of the western Amazon Basin: an approach using satellite images and digital elevation model

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Formação dos educadores ambientais e paradigmas em transição

Este artigo trata dos pressupostos teóricos presentes na formação dos educadores ambientais nos cursos de graduação das universidades e resulta da tese de doutorado da autora. Esses pressupostos definem um quadro teórico analisado a partir do referencial metodológico do materialismo históricodialético. Esse quadro teórico pode ser organizado, pelo núcleo das representações dos professores, em concepções naturais, racionais e históricas da relação homem-natureza e da educação. A análise dessas tendências revela um movimento de superação dos paradigmas tradicionais presentes na organização curricular na universidade.