Diurnal variation in transect counts of birds in a cerrado landscape in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

The general statement that birds are recorded more often on morning than on afternoon counts is quite common and widespread among ornithologists. Although many investigators have reported temporal variations in bird detections using Point Counts in temperate regions, few researches regarding the same objectives have been conducted in Neotropical habitats or used transect counts as field method. We used transect counts to test the hypothesis that birds are evenly recorded between times of day in a predominantly open Cerrado landscape in southeastern Brazil. Although not always significantly, the number of species and individuals were consistently greater during the morning counts, which corroborates the fact that birds can be more detectable during this time of day. However, a few families as well as a small percentage of species were more likely to be recorded during either one of the two periods we analyzed. Our results suggest that morning counts should detect higher number of both species and individuals in our study area, but specific taxa show distinct patterns of detection which should be acknowledged prior to sampling.

Engenharia nos sertões nordestinos: o Gargalheiras, a Barragem Marechal Dutra e a comunidade de Acari, 1909-1958

In Brazil, between the late nineteenth and early decades of the twentieth, polytechnic engineers assumed an important role in discussing the establishment of a modern country. The problem of drought in northeastern Brazil gave the professionals performance, within an interventional process more mounts, the conception plans and measures for the purposeful integration of the territory afflicted. With the foundation of Inspetoria de Obras Contra as Secas (IOCS), in 1909, the actions to combat drought and would be institutionalized, them, studies performed out by technical and scientific committees would be systematically applied in the Brazilian Northeast. So, This work was central objective understand the historical process inplantation of a whole infrastructure of modern character by professional technical and their consequences within the Northeast Geographic space, in specific, in the municipality of Acari in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, in the first half of the twentieth century. The politics of the government, through technical education and scientific engineers polytechnics, would emphasize, during the twentieth century, the building of dams, and irrigation canals, wells, railways, highways, between other elements, that would soon transform the physical space-northeast, specifically, the territory acariense. These works began to contribute to the setting of man backcountry their land, promote the regular practice of agriculture even in periods of drought and, the integration, especially, economic of territory acariense the other producing regions of Rio Grande do Norte and the Northeast as well as promoting the modification of the landscape of the world backcountry. These actions functioned as elements of modernity and progress that transformed the space by favoring by favoring the formation of urban networks (urban) in this space

A Família do tesouro: a monumentalização da família Albuquerque Maranhão e a luta pelo poder no Rio Grande do Norte (1889-1914)

The objective of this study is to discuss the process of building a family monumentalization Albuquerque Maranhão showed that both the traditional historiography of Rio Grande do Norte, represented by Tavares de Lyra, Rocha Pombo e Câmara Cascudo, as reflected in urban areas of Natal. To understand this process, we intend to analyze the production of the aforementioned authors as well as more recent studies, trying to discern or identify an attempt to link them to the family name to the history of Albuquerque Maranhão State, which ended up giving visibility to this group, making it the characters featured in the scenario of local history, investing them with a monumental character. In addition to historical analysis, we observe changes in the urban landscape of the city of Natal in the early twentieth century orchestrated by members of this family, which tied his line to public spaces for a new and modern city. Through this review, we will be able to realize that such practices turned out to be a stage of political disputes between Albuquerque Maranhão and opposition groups who were anxious to remove them both from the center of historical narratives on the Rio Grande do Norte, as well as the political space of the State environment exclusive domain of this group for nearly twenty years

A produção do espaço rural no município de Ceará-Mirim

This research intended to study the process of production of the rural space in the municipal district of Little Ceará-Mirim, looking for to identify the transformations in him happened, above all in the last thirty years. Since the beginning of your historical formation, the area in study had as element modelador and transformer of the physiognomy of your territory the culture canavieira that printed in your economy and in your society marks of a powerful nobility. The sugar-cane is covered of a cyclical character facing acme phases and decadence, as the one that it happens at the present time. Simultaneously, the sphere rural cearimirinense is going by changes by the implantation of modern companies gone back to the papaya production destined to the internal market and more precisely to the external market. Of this context they also consist the supplying farms of this same product. In the group of the establishments in the rural landscape here analyzed, they still interfere the mixed farms, the ones that practice agriculture, the ones that were devoted to the livestock, as well as the farms and the ranches. Another innovation is the caprinocultura developed in modern molds, using the system voisin of pasture rodízio being constituted in a pioneering experience in Brazil. Of that reality they announce other elements, to example of the establishments, being configured as new forms of use of the soil. In the perspective of turning them productive, the challenge resides of overcoming the difficulties in them existent. The reality of the space in screen is replete of lacks in all the instances. It is inferred that the municipal district possesses an enormous potential, however the performance of the administrative components is seen as deficient. He becomes urgent that the municipal public power promotes changes, mainly in what it respects to the social area, with a better attendance to the rural communities, for them to act positively in the process of the development of this municipal district

THE EXTENT of SEED PREDATION BY BRUCHINE BEETLES (COLEOPTERA: CHRYSOMELIDAE: BRUCHINAE) IN A HETEROGENEOUS LANDSCAPE IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

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

Use of forest fragments by blue-winged macaws (Primolius maracana) within a fragmented landscape

Parrots are the most threatened group of birds in the world, mainly because of the reduction and fragmentation of their natural habitats. However, few studies have investigated the dynamics of parrot populations in disturbed landscapes on a broad scale. In this paper, we studied the ecological interactions of the vulnerable blue-winged macaw (Primolius maracana) in a fragmented landscape surrounding a large protected park in southeastern Brazil. We sampled 36 forest fragments that varied in size, characteristics, degree of isolation and type of surrounding matrix in order to assess the importance of habitat features on the maintenance of these birds. Blue-winged macaws were recorded in 70% of the satellite remnants that were sampled, which included large and small blocks of forest. These areas were used as sites for feeding, nesting or overnight rests, and also provided connectivity for birds' displacements. However, the frequency of macaw visits varied among the remnants, and this was related to habitat features such as patch size, human use of surrounding land, and the proximity to the protected park, to urban areas and to the birds' roosting areas. In general, landscape-scale parameters explained more of the variation in the frequency of visits by macaws than did patch-scale parameters. These results demonstrate the importance of landscape mosaics for the survival of blue-winged macaws.

Frugivory and habitat use by fruit-eating birds in a fragmented landscape of southeast Brazil

To investigate the movement of seeds transported by fruit-eating birds in an agricultural, fragmented landscape of the Atlantic forest of southeast Brazil, I asked which bird species are the main seed dispersers in such environment, and how they use the available habitats (small forest fragments, forest thickets, live fences, isolated trees, and active pastures) where they are most likely to drop the seeds they swallow the relative importance of fruit-eating birds as seed vectors was evaluated based on the number of fruit species eaten, the number of visits, and visitation rate to fruiting plants. Habitat use was accessed by recording the habitats where birds were seen or heard during walks conducted throughout the study area. Sixteen plant species were observed during 308.3 plant-hours. Forty-one bird species were observed eating fruits in a total of 830 visits to fruiting plants. Sayaca Tanagers (Thraupis sayaca) and Pale-breasted Thrushes (Turdus leucomelas) ate the greatest number of fruit species, were the most frequent plant visitors in terms of number and rate of visits, and had a broad range of habitat use. These two species and the Rusty-margined Guan (Penelope superciliaris), which is able to swallow large fruits with large seeds that smaller bird species cannot cat, likely have a great contribution to the movement of seeds throughout this highly degraded landscape.

Experimental assessment of Heliconia acuminata growth in a fragmented Amazonian landscape

1 Fragmentation severely alters physical conditions in forest understories, but few studies have connected these changes to demographic impacts on forest species using detailed experimental examination at the individual and population levels.2 Using a 32-month, reciprocal-transplant experiment, we show that individuals of the Amazonian understory herb Heliconia acuminata transplanted into forest fragments lost over 20% of their vegetative shoots, while those transplanted to continuous forest showed a slight gain. The leaf area of plants in fragments also increased at half the rate it did in continuous forest sites.3 It appears that the normal dry season stresses to which forest understorey plants are exposed are greatly exacerbated in fragments, causing plants to shed shoots and leaves.4 the observed shifts in size could help explain why populations in fragments are more skewed towards smaller demographic stage classes than those in continuous forest. These shifts in size structure could also result in reduced abundances of flowering plants, as reproduction in H. acuminata is positively correlated with shoot number.5 Fragmentation-related changes in growth rates resulting from abiotic stress may have significant demographic consequences.

Successful carnivore identification with faecal DNA across a fragmented Amazonian landscape

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

The influence of landscape characteristics and home-range size on the quantification of landscape-genetics relationships

A common approach used to estimate landscape resistance involves comparing correlations of ecological and genetic distances calculated among individuals of a species. However, the location of sampled individuals may contain some degree of spatial uncertainty due to the natural variation of animals moving through their home range or measurement error in plant or animal locations. In this study, we evaluate the ways that spatial uncertainty, landscape characteristics, and genetic stochasticity interact to influence the strength and variability of conclusions about landscape-genetics relationships. We used a neutral landscape model to generate 45 landscapes composed of habitat and non-habitat, varying in percent habitat, aggregation, and structural connectivity (patch cohesion). We created true and alternate locations for 500 individuals, calculated ecological distances (least-cost paths), and simulated genetic distances among individuals. We compared correlations between ecological distances for true and alternate locations. We then simulated genotypes at 15 neutral loci and investigated whether the same influences could be detected in simple Mantel tests and while controlling for the effects of isolation-by distance using the partial Mantel test. Spatial uncertainty interacted with the percentage of habitat in the landscape, but led to only small reductions in correlations. Furthermore, the strongest correlations occurred with low percent habitat, high aggregation, and low to intermediate levels of cohesion. Overall genetic stochasticity was relatively low and was influenced by landscape characteristics.

Frugivory, Post-feeding Flights of Frugivorous Birds and the Movement of Seeds in a Brazilian Fragmented Landscape

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

An experimental assessment of landscape configuration effects on frog and toad abundance and diversity in tropical agro-savannah landscapes of southeastern Brazil

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

Breeding Habitat and Landscape Correlates of Frog Diversity and Abundance in a Tropical Agricultural Landscape

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

The character of pure spinors

The character of holomorphic functions on the space of pure spinors in 10, 11 and 12 dimensions is calculated. From this character formula, we derive in a manifestly covariant way various central charges which appear in the pure spinor formalism for the superstring. We also derive in a simple way the zero momentum cohomology of the pure spinor BRST operator for the D = 10 and D = 11 superparticle.

How the interplay between individual spatial memory and landscape persistence can generate population distribution patterns

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