Social and financial aspects of the artisanal fisheries of Middle Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The presence or absence of motorized boats, partnerships and multispecies catches characterize the fisheries of Sao Francisco River, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Fishing activity based on 109 interviews, carried out in the wet (high water: February and March) and dry (low water: July and August) seasons, with professional fishermen are described. Aiming to identify the fishery income components, a covariance model was proposed, with the income as the response variable, related to the factors: fishing ground, use of motorized or paddle boat; seasonality; presence of fishing assistant, and the following covariates: capture in weight in the week Frier to the interview, fisherman experience in yrs; and distance (km) travelled for fishing. The results indicated that the main contributions to income were the absence of an engine (because of high price of the fuel), the absence of a partner (because of low capture) and the amount of fish caught by the fishermen.

Obtenção e uso das plantas medicinais no distrito de Martim Francisco, Município de Mogi-Mirim, SP, Brasil

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

Social organization of marine Tucuxi dolphins, Sotalia guianensis, in the Cananeia Estuary of southeastern Brazil

Social organization is an important component of the population biology of a species that influences gene flow, the spatial pattern and scale of movements, and the effects of predation or exploitation by humans. An important element of social structure in mammals is group fidelity, which can be quantified through association indices. To describe the social organization of marine tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) found in the Cananeia estuary, southeastern Brazil, association indices were applied to photo-identification data to characterize the temporal stability of relationships among members of this population. Eighty-seven days of fieldwork were conducted from May 2000 to July 2003, resulting in direct observations of 374 distinct groups. A total of 138 dolphins were identified on 1-38 distinct field days. Lone dolphins were rarely seen, whereas groups were composed of up to 60 individuals (mean +/- 1 SD = 12.4 +/- 11.4 individuals per group). A total of 29,327 photographs were analyzed, of which 6,312 (21.5%) were considered useful for identifying individuals. Half-weight and simple ratio indices were used to investigate associations among S. guianensis as revealed by the entire data set, data from the core study site, and data from groups composed of <= 10 individuals. Monte Carlo methods indicated that only 3 (9.3%) of 32 association matrices differed significantly from expectations based on random association. Thus, our study suggests that stable associations are not characteristic of S. guianensis in the Cananeia estuary.

A NEW SPECIES of ISCHNOCNEMA (ANURA) FROM THE SAO FRANCISCO BASIN KARST REGION, BRAZIL

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

Skin diseases in Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) from the Paranagua estuary, Brazil: A possible indicator of a compromised marine environment

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

Resources Taken to the Nest by Protopolybia exigua (Hymenoptera, Vespidae) in Different Phases of the Colony Cycle, in a Region of the Medio Sao Francisco River, Bahia, Brazil

The present study aimed to identify what resources were taken to the nest by workers of Protopolybia exigua (de Saussure), to verify if there is a relationship between physical factors of weather and phases of colony development and the collection of different resources and also to observe if the wasps carry macerated prey in the crop. The species collected nectar (62.8%), wood pulp for nest building (6.1%), water(2.9%), prey (0.8%) and resin (0.2%). Moreover, workers of P exigua do carry macerated prey in the crop. There was a positive correlation (r = 0.85, p = 0.0004) between the presence of larvae in the nest and the carrying of solid contents in the crop, which provides strong evidence that this species macerates its prey while still in the field, before taking it to the nest. There was positive influence of the temperature on the collection of nectar (r = 0.89, p = 0.0001) and water (r = 0.46, p = 0.0066) and negative influence of relative air humidity on the collection of the same resources (r = - 0.88, p = 0.0001 and r = - 0.37, p = 0.0160, respectively). Luminosity influenced the gathering of water (r = 0.43, p = 0.0089) and Pulp for nest building (r = 0.31, p = 0.0274) and the wind speed did nor influence the collection of any resources. Nectar is the main item taken to the nest during all phases of the colony.

Community structure of aquatic insects (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera) in Cerrado streams of Paraguay, Paraná, and São Francisco river basins

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

Testing the ecomorphological hypothesis in a headwater riffles fish assemblage of the rio São Francisco, southeastern Brazil

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

Feeding associations between Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénèden, 1864) and seabirds in the Lagamar estuary, Brazil

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

Guiana dolphins (Sotalia guianensis) displaying beach hunting behavior in the Cananéia Estuary, Brazil: social context and conservation issues

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

Shell utilization pattern of the hermit crab Clibanarius vittatus (Crustacea, Anomura) in an estuary at São Vicente, State of São Paulo, Brazil

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a utilização de conchas de gastrópodes por Clibanarius vittatus (Bosc, 1802), na Praia dos Pescadores, em São Vicente (SP), Brasil. Foram realizadas amostras mensais no período de maio de 2001 a abril de 2003, na região intertidal durante a maré baixa. Todos os animais foram pesados e tiveram o comprimento de seu escudo cefalotorácico mensurados, suas conchas identificadas e medidas quanto ao comprimento (mm), abertura (mm) e peso (g). Capturamos 2.344 ermitões (644 machos, 1.594 fêmeas não-ovígeras, 45 fêmeas ovígeras e 61 em intersexo), utilizando 13 espécies de conchas de gastrópodes, das quais Stramonita haemastoma (Linnaeus, 1767), Cymatium parthenopeum (Von Salis, 1793) e Achatina fulica (Bowdich, 1822) representaram mais de 98% das conchas utilizadas. Obteve-se significativa diferença de tamanho entre os sexos, com machos e indivíduos em intersexo atingindo maior porte físico do que fêmeas. Este padrão influenciou fortemente na ocupação e utilização de conchas, principalmente em A. fulica, que foi a maior concha obtida por C. vittatus, utilizada somente por machos e indivíduos em intersexo. Cymatium parthenopeum foi a única espécie de concha em que se obtiveram elevados coeficientes de determinação para todas os parâmetros analisados. Stramonita haemastoma apresentou elevados e significativos coeficientes de determinação, indicando que esta espécie é o principal recurso de concha ocupada na Praia dos Pescadores.

Horizontal distribution of megalopae of Brachyura (Crustacea, Decapoda) in a South American tropical estuary

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Amino Acids on Mango Yield and Fruit Quality at Submedio Sao Francisco Region, Brazil

Farmers of the Submedio Sao Francisco Region (Brazil) have been spraying amino acids on mango trees with the objective of increasing panicle length and improving fruit retention and quality. This study, done in two experiments, tested the effect of amino acids sprayings at concentrations of 0.0%; 0.02%; 0.04% and 0.06%, on mango plants, 'Tommy Atkins', on the budding phase (panicles with 5 cm), fruit set and fruit growth (5 cm diameter). They were carried out from June to October in 2003, that is the natural period for harvest in the region, and from January to May, in 2004. There were no statistical differences in the first experiment among treatments regarding panicle length and fruit production, probably due to an appropriate management of nutrition, water and plant growth regulators, besides climatic conditions, mainly temperature and solar radiation. In the second experiment, significant increments in the panicle length of 13.37%, 11.70% and 21.4% were observed with amino acids concentrations, compared to the control. Increasing amino acids doses also enhanced the number of fruits per plant, thirty days before the harvest, in 16.17%, 45.32% and 37.38%, respectively, compared to the control, but there were no significant statistical differences. Characteristics of fruit quality during storage, as weight loss, total soluble solids, total titratable acidity and pulp firmness were not significantly affected by amino acids spraying. Changes on those variables were registered as a consequence of fruit ripening. Amino acids sprays lightly delayed the evolution of skin luminosity and Hue of pulp, but the differences could not be visually identified. The concentrations of amino acids were not efficient for improving the natural concentrations of these substances in the leaves, which could be the reason for the non significant effects on the variables analyzed.

Adubação organomineral e biofertilização líquida na produção de frutos de pinheira ( Annona squamosa L.) no submédio São Francisco, Brasil

The organic production systems based on natural processes do not allow the use of synthetic fertilizers with a high solubility, so it is required the use of technologies in accordance with the organic production legislation in order to make the technical, economical and environmental sustainable activities viable. To evaluate the effects of the usage of mineral and organic natural fertilizers, associated with liquid biofertilizers (BLE= enriched liquid biofertilizer and BF= leaf biofertilizers) on the production of the sugar apple fruit crop Annona squamosa L., replacing totally the chemical fertilizers, used by conventional farming systems, a nine year old orchard was driven in the irrigated plot n degrees 1295, irrigated project Nilo Coelho, district of Petrolina - PE. The experiment was carried out from September 2005 to February 2006. The experimental design was done through randomized blocks with eight treatments and four replications in plots of three plants each, with 96 plants in total. The treatments were the following: T(1) - plants with no fertilizer; T(2) - 60 g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O; T(3) - 90g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O; T(4) - 30 g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O + 15 L de BLE + BF a 5 %; T(5) - 60g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O + 30 L de BLE + BF a 5 %; T(6)- 90g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O + 45 L de BLE + BF a 5 %; T(7) - 120g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O + 60 L de BLE + BF a 5 %; T(8) - 150 g de N + 32 g de P(2)O(5) + 48 g de K(2)O + 75 L de BLE + BF a 5 % The fruit growth analyses (diameter and average length), total yield, productivity, average fruit weight, average number of fruits, fresh weight of the skin and pulp and dry weight of the fruits were used to evaluate the experiment. The results were relevant to the total production, fresh weight of the skin and dry weight of the fruits. The use of organominerals associated with liquid fertilizers increased significantly the productivity in values ranging from 10.44% (T(5) = 1.98 t ha(-1)) to 24.52 % (T(7) = 12.34 %). The treatment T(3) stood out (90g de N + 32g de P(2)O(5) + 48g de K(2)O) with a higher production than the control. The fruit weight increased in the fertilized treatments, with values increasing from treatment (T(2) = 5.26 %) to the treatment (T(7) = 12.34 %) in relation to the control. The fruit development was characterized by an average growth increase of 82 % in length and 84 % in diameter until the 56(th) day, with a sigmoidal growth pattern.