Spatial distribution of trachoma cases in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, detected in 2006: defining key areas for improvement of health resources

Introduction: The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial behavior of the occurrence of trachoma cases detected in the City of Bauru, State of São Paulo, Brazil, in 2006 in order to use the information collected to set priority areas for optimization of health resources. Methods: the trachoma cases identified in 2006 were georeferenced. The data evaluated were: schools where the trachoma cases studied, data from the 2000 Census, census tract, type of housing, water supply conditions, distribution of income and levels of education of household heads. In the Google Earth® software and TerraView® were made descriptive spatial analysis and estimates of the Kernel. Each area was studied by interpolation of the density surfaces exposing events to facilitate to recognize the clusters. Results: of the 66 cases detected, only one (1.5%) was not a resident of the city's outskirts. A positive association was detected of trachoma cases and the percentage of heads of household with income below three minimum wages and schooling under eight years of education. Conclusions: The recognition of the spatial distribution of trachoma cases coincided with the areas of greatest social inequality in Bauru City. The micro-areas identified are those that should be prioritized in the rationalization of health resources. There is the possibility of using the trachoma cases detected as an indicator of performance of micro priority health programs.

Determination of the optimal quantity of crop residues for energy in sugarcane crop management using linear programming in variety selection and planting strategy

The aim of this work was to present organizational models for optimizing the reduction of crop residue generated by the sugarcane culture. The first model consisted of the selection of varieties of sugarcane to be planted meeting the mill requirements and, at the same time, to minimize the quantity of residue produced. The second model discussed the use of residue to produce energy. This is related to the selection of variety and quantity to be planted, in order to meet the requirements of the mill, to reduce the quantity of residue, and to maximize as much as possible the energy production. The use of linear programming was proposed. The two models presented similar results in this study, and both may be used to define the varieties and areas to be cultivated. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier B.V. Ltd.

Population size and survivorship for juvenile lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) on their nursery grounds at a marine protected area in Brazil

Os tubarões enfrentam muitos obstáculos para sobreviver nos primeiros anos de vida e muitas espécies ocupam áreas de berçário. Embora estimativas de sobrevivência, particularmente para jovens, sejam essenciais para acessar, monitorar e manejar efetivamente populações animais, existem poucos cálculos destas estimativas para populações de tubarões e poucas estimativas baseadas em métodos diretos para estes animais em suas áreas de berçário. Métodos de marcação e recaptura foram utilizados no presente estudo para estimar o tamanho populacional e a sobrevivência de jovens tubarões-limão (Negaprion brevirostris) em uma área de berçário na Reserva Biológica do Atol das Rocas, Brasil. Os indivíduos foram amostrados entre 1999 e 2003 e as estimativas de tamanho populacional variaram entre 12 a 100 indivíduos jovens e a taxa de sobrevivência entre 24 e 54%, com média de 44,6% durante o período de amostragem mais robusto. A população destes tubarões jovens diminuiu ao longo de nosso estudo, ainda que as taxas de sobrevivência tenham aumentado durante o mesmo período. Mesmo um nível moderado de pesca e a remoção de fêmeas maduras em áreas adjacentes podem afetar dramaticamente pequenas populações de tubarões num berçário pequeno e isolado como o Atol das Rocas. As taxas de sobrevivência e tamanho populacional relativamente mais baixos em Rocas podem ser resultado das diferenças nas características físicas deste berçário, comparadas a outros utilizados pela espécie no Atlântico norte-ocidental. Tais parâmetros comparativamente mais baixos no Atol das Rocas sugerem a fragilidade da população jovem de tubarões-limão neste berçário.

Spatial-temporal distribution of fire-protected savanna physiognomies in Southeastern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Priority areas for the conservation of Atlantic forest large mammals

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Feeding habits of the ichthyofauna in a protected area in the State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil

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

Aplicação da geologia de engenharia na redução de risco geológico urbano em Itapecerica da Serra - SP: estudo de caso

O município de Itapecerica da Serra, Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP), possui uma população de 162 mil habitantes e cerca de 150 km² de área. As características geológicas e geomorfológicas do seu território e o fato de localizar-se quase inteiramente em área de proteção aos mananciais que abastecem a RMSP implicam restrições ao uso do solo e à expansão da ocupação nos moldes em que vem ocorrendo. O diagnóstico das áreas de risco geológico do município foi uma das atividades implementadas para a execução do Plano Municipal de Redução de Riscos (PMRR) do município. O PMRR tem por objetivo apresentar os resultados da identificação e da análise das situações de risco geológico-geotécnico, criando propostas de intervenções estruturais para a sua eliminação e/ou redução, estimativas de custo e estratégias para a gestão de risco no município. O mapeamento do risco geológico foi realizado em 35 áreas, onde foram identificados 66 setores de risco englobando, 419 moradias, sendo 175 moradias em setores cujo grau de risco foi classificado como alto ou muito alto. As propostas de intervenção estrutural buscaram a aderência entre o processo geodinâmico atuante e a tipologia de intervenção sugerida para estabilização e controle. A definição de critérios para a hierarquização das intervenções propostas contribuiu para a inserção das propostas do PMRR no planejamento plurianual do município de Itapecerica da Serra.

Flow rate and hydrochemistry in areas of sand mining activities

This investigation reports the results of a study realized in areas related to the development of sand mining activities, which belong to CRS-Mineragao Industria e Comercio Ltd. and Sibelco Mineracao Ltd. Both areas are located around Analandia municipality, nearly in the center of São Paulo State, Brazil. Flow rate and hydrochemical analyses were realized over different periods of time, with the aim of evaluating the possibility of release of several constituents to the liquid phase, which may be a source of pollution of the surface hydrological resources. This is because some tributaries from the Corumbatai River may be suffering contamination, implying on the impoverishment of the water quality that is a very important resource in the region, as it is extensively used for drinking purposes, among others.

Protected cerrado fragments grow up and lose even metapopulational birds in central São Paulo, Brazil

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

The hydraulic management of the Barra Bonita reservoir (SP, Brazil) as a factor influencing the temporal succession of its fish community

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

A review on soil carbon accumulation due to the management change of major Brazilian agricultural activities

Áreas agrícolas trocam enormes fluxos de CO2, oferecendo uma oportunidade para mitigar o efeito estufa. Neste trabalho, estudou-se o potencial de sequestro de carbono em razão da conversão no manejo das principais atividades agrícolas do Brasil. Dados de vários estudos têm indicado que no sistema soja/milho e nas respectivas rotações, ocorre um sequestro de carbono no solo significativo ao longo dos anos de conversão do plantio convencional para o plantio direto, com uma média de 0,41 Mg C ha-1 ano-1. O mesmo efeito tem sido observado nos canaviais, porém há maiores acúmulos de carbono no solo quando as áreas de cana-de-açúcar são convertidas da colheita baseada na queima para a mecanizada, em que grandes quantidades de palha são deixadas na superfície do solo (1,8 Mg C ha-1 ano-1). Esse maior potencial de acúmulo de carbono no solo nos canaviais, comparado com outras culturas, está diretamente relacionado com a maior produção primária dessa cultura. Apesar disso, muito desse potencial de sequestro é perdido, uma vez que os canaviais são reformados, sob preparo intensivo do solo. As áreas de pasto mostram uma depleção nos estoques de carbono, quando convertidas de áreas naturais; porém, a integração dessas áreas com agricultura pode promover o aumento nos estoques de carbono do solo. Os trabalhos têm mostrado que as principais atividades agrícolas do Brasil possuem um grande potencial de mitigação, especialmente na forma de acúmulo de carbono no solo, sendo uma oportunidade para estratégias futuras.

Mapping oil spill environmental sensitivity in cardoso island state park and surroundings areas, São Paulo, Brazil

This study presents an environmental oil spill sensitivity map of Cardoso Island State Park, located in São Paulo state, Brazil, including some of its surrounding areas. This map was designed following the procedures determined by the Brazilian Federal Environment Organ (Ministry of the Environment), which separates coastal habitats in different littoral sensitivity indexes (LSI) to oil spills. We have also analysed some seasonal variations in morphologic and textural parameters at the local marine beaches that could affect their sensitivity, having found that they are more sensitive during summer due to a wider foreshore zone during these periods. Local most sensitive habitats are estuarine mangroves (LSI 10) and estuarine mud banks (LSI 9). Marine beaches were ranked LSI 3, and littoral rocky shores were subdivided in exposed flat rocky shores (LSI 1), boulder rocky shores (LSI 6) and sheltered rocky shores (LSI 8). Due to the elevated sensitivity of an estuarine system in the area, we considered necessary the installation of an Environmental Emergency Centre and the design of an emergency plan for the region in case of an accident resulting in oil spills within its vicinities. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nitrogen management in maize cover crop rotations

Winter cover crops can affect N nutrition of the following maize crop. Although legumes have been recommend for maize rotations, in tropical areas grasses may be more interesting because they provide a longer protection of soil surface. Legumes can add N to the system and grasses can compete with maize for the available nutrient. An experiment was conducted in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, to study N dynamics in the soil surface straw-maize system as affected by N fertilization management and species included in the no-till rotation. Treatments were fallow, black oat (Avena strigosa), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum), white lupins (Lupinus albus), black oat fertilized with N. and pearl millet fertilized with N. Maize was grown afterwards in the same plots, receiving 0.0, 60.0 and 120.0 kg ha(-1) of N sidedressed 30 days after plant emergence. Soil, straw and maize samples were taken periodically. The highest corn yields were observed when it was cropped after pearl millet fertilized with N. Nitrogen side dressed application up to 120 kg ha(-1) was not able to avoid corn yield decrease caused by black oat. Grasses can be recommended in maize rotations in tropical areas, provided they receive nitrogen fertilizer and show no allelopathy. Due to its higher ON ratio and dry matter yield they are better than legumes, protecting the soil surface for a longer period. Pearl millet is particularly interesting because it enhances N use efficiency by the following maize crop. For a better N availability/demand synchronism, the cover crops should be desiccated right before maize planting.

Bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments and Eucalyptus plantations around an Atlantic forest reserve, Brazil

Little of Brazil's remaining Atlantic forest is protected, so it is important to assess how well the region's wildlife can persist in areas/habitats outside reserves. We studied bird diversity and abundance during 546 point counts in the Sooretama/Linhares reserve, 200 point counts in 31 forest fragments (10-150 h), and 50 point counts in < 30-year-old Eucalyptus plantations, within 7 km of the reserve. Only eight bird species were recorded in Eucalyptus, and this impoverishment, as compared to some Eucalyptus plantations elsewhere in Brazil may be a result of intensive clearance of understory vegetation. Species diversity in forest fragments was significantly lower than in the reserve. Twelve, mostly non-forest or edge species, were significantly commoner in the fragments, but nineteen species were frequent in the reserve but rare or absent in forest fragments. These included two Pyrrhura parakeets, a Brotogeris parakeet, a trogon Trogon, a jacamar Galbula, woodpeckers Piculus and Campephilus, Myrmotherula antwrens, and Hemithraupus and Tachyphonus tanagers. Bird species richness at points in forest fragments did not decline with fragment size, distance from the reserve, or forest quality. However, forest in fragments was more heavily degraded than forest within the reserve and poor forest quality may be the cause of declines in some species. Whilst protection of forest within reserves is a priority, management of forest fragments may aid conservation of some threatened species.

A QUANTITATIVE APPROACH TO SUBSIDIZE THE PRECAUTIONARY MANAGEMENT of THE SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES IN ITAIPU RESERVOIR, BRAZIL

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)