Regional hydroclimatic variability and Brazil's 2001 energy crisis

Purpose - This paper seeks to address the issue of persistent and widespread drought conditions during 2000 and 2001, which were the apparent cause of the decline of water levels in the reservoirs of Brazilian hydroelectric power plants. Design/methodology/approach - This issue is addressed here through a case study of the hydroclimatology of the Paraíba river basin, in Southeast Brazil, home to four large multi-purpose operational reservoirs. Findings - The data analysis shows that neither changes in the frequency nor magnitude of extreme hydrological events (droughts and floods) nor in annual rainfall amounts can be detected from the existing climate record. The explanation is consistent with the fact that the terrestrial water and energy cycles are tightly, and non-linearly, coupled through evapotranspiration. Research limitations/implications - Therefore small change in the seasonality of rainfall can have a significant impact on the basin's overall hydrologic regime, and thus on the availability of water resources. Originality/value - Often, adaptation and resilience to climate variability are discussed in the context of catastrophic events such as floods and droughts. This study suggests that a different type of impacts, those associated with subtle, yet persistent changes of seasonality in the terrestrial water cycle, cannot be ignored in studies of long-term sustainability of water resources. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Local and regional ecological drivers of fish assemblages in Brazilian estuaries

Spatial patterns in assemblage structures are generated by ecological processes that occur on multiple scales. Identifying these processes is important for the prediction of impact, for restoration and for conservation of biodiversity. This study used a hierarchical sampling design to quantify variations in assemblage structures of Brazilian estuarine fish across 2 spatial scales and to reveal the ecological processes underlying the patterns observed. Eight areas separated by 0.7 to 25 km (local scale) were sampled in 5 estuaries separated by 970 to 6000 km (regional scale) along the coast, encompassing both tropical and subtropical regions. The assemblage structure varied significantly in terms of relative biomass and presence/absence of species on both scales, but the regional variation was greater than the local variation for either dataset. However, the 5 estuaries sampled segregated into 2 major groups largely congruent with the Brazilian and Argentinian biogeographic provinces. Three environmental variables (mean temperature of the coldest month, mangrove area and mean annual precipitation) and distance between estuaries explained 44.8 and 16.3%, respectively, of the regional-scale variability in the species relative biomass. At the local scale, the importance of environmental predictors for the spatial structure of the assemblages differed between estuarine systems. Overall, these results support the idea that on a regional scale, the composition of fish assemblages is simultaneously determined by environmental filters and species dispersal capacity, while on a local scale, the effect of environmental factors should vary depending on estuary-specific physical and hydrological characteristics © 2013 Inter-Research.

Secretariat note on proposal for a multi-national enterprise in fishing for the CDCC countries

Expone los antecedentes de un proyecto regional de desarrollo de la industria pesquera para los paises del CDCC. Contiene un breve informe sobre la situacion existente de la pesqueria en Barbados, Republica Dominicana, Montserrat y San Cristobal-Nieves.

Planejamento e despacho ótimo de reativos (VAr) em sistemas de energia elétrica multi-áreas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Qualidade de vida em Porto Velho, Rondônia: perspectivas do processo de desenvolvimento regional

Esta tese de doutorado nasceu da escassez de estudos referentes aos efeitos das grandes obras, sobre a qualidade de vida das cidades. Nesse sentido, visando estudar exatamente esse problema dentro de um cenário amazônico, propôs-se pesquisar os efeitos das usinas hidrelétricas de Jirau e de Santo Antônio, em seu processo de construção, às margens do rio Madeira, em Rondônia e, assim, analisar a qualidade de vida dentro do perímetro urbano da cidade de Porto Velho, o que constituiu o objeto de estudo da presente investigação. Para tanto, buscou-se aporte na teoria do “Fetiche”, de Marx, na obra “O capital” (1980). Assim, procurou-se explicar a migração de trabalhadores, na busca por melhores salários e oportunidades de ganhos econômicos, nas obras das hidrelétricas mencionadas. A perspectiva teórica do “fetichismo da mercadoria”, de Marx (1967), desencadeou a inter-relação com os aspectos diretamente ligados ao âmago da presente tese, que se constitui numa Pesquisa de natureza qualitativa. Essa foi desenvolvida com base no método de Análise Fatorial, utilizando o programa estatístico SPSS, versão 17. Para isso, foram aplicados 1.449 questionários, distribuídos igualitariamente, em grupos de 21, para cada um dos 69 bairros da cidade. E, dessa forma, construir os índices de IQVU (índices de qualidade de vida urbana), segundo Santos e Martins (2002) e, para análises multifatoriais, de acordo com Hair et al. (2005) e com Santana (2007; 2005). A partir disso, os resultados obtidos permitiram concluir que o índice de qualidade de vida de Porto Velho, no período correspondente à fase anterior a chegada das usinas, à região, era de 0,452. Portanto, classificado como um índice de desempenho regular. Em relação à fase atual, esse índice apresentou uma queda de 15,31%, alcançando um valor de 0,392. Por consequência, considerado de ruim desempenho. Desse modo, permitiu-se concluir que a qualidade de vida de Porto Velho, conforme a opinião dos entrevistados, literalmente, piorou com a chegada das usinas hidrelétricas do rio Madeira, em Porto Velho/Rondônia. A relevância do presente estudo reside na análise do espaço intramunicipal e na integração dos dados provenientes da pesquisa de campo, com a informação gerada durante as análises. Isto levou a deduções lógicas, fundamentadas nos critérios adotados e decorrentes dos resultados das avaliações. Consequentemente, esse poderá servir como suporte às decisões políticas, sobre o planejamento de ações a serem executadas, para gestão do território no âmbito municipal.

Environment and dispersal paths override life strategies and residence time in determining regional patterns of invasion by alien plants

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Áreas prioritárias para conservação e restauração da paisagem utilizando multi-caminhos e informações de avifauna

Habitat loss and fragmentation of landscapes endanger the planet’s biodiversity. Strategies for identify priority areas for conservation and restoration of biodiversity rich areas becomes essential for the planning of the management of these landscape become successful. This study aims to propose a novel, transparent and replicable method for choosing priority areas for restoration, and includes the following steps: (a) identification of regional biodiversity hotspots for conservation; (b) identification of priority areas for restoration with the greatest potential to increase the connectivity of the fragments already existing; (c) estimate the potential richness of understory birds before and after restoration, analyzing the gain of species for the future scenario. In order to identify the corridors to be restored in a future scenario we considered the approach of multiple corridors, which aimed to connect the main fragments within the region through analysis of multi-paths. Already existing regression models were applied to estimate the richness of the landscape considering three models: a) species richness as a function of patch area of the fragment selected as hotspots; b) richness as a function of areas connected by structural corridors and c) connected area for species which are able to access nearby fragments within 20m. The gain of species for future scenario which consider the potential restoration of selected areas was estimated. Based on our results we observed that species that use corridors showed the highest increment of species richness of understory birds. As a result it had to restore corridors to model species with the ability to use forest corridors was the highest gain potential species richness of understory birds. The methods proposed method in this study appears provide new ways to ensures a better cost / benefit relationship for restoration projects by increasing the chances of better reach high levels of...

Políticas de desenvolvimento regional-territorial e governança: uma análise recente sobre o Estado do Maranhão (Brasil)

Pós-graduação em Geografia - IGCE

Evolução morfológica do Rio do Peixe: estudo de uma avulsão na planície aluvial, a partir de uma análise regional integrada - Oeste Paulista (SP)

Pós-graduação em Geografia - FCT

Evolução morfológica do Rio do Peixe: estudo de uma avulsão na planície aluvial, a partir de uma análise regional integrada - Oeste Paulista (SP)

Pós-graduação em Geografia - FCT

Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulations (FORMS) for the western South Atlantic: Southeastern Brazil region

The multi-scale synoptic circulation system in the southeastern Brazil (SEBRA) region is presented using a feature-oriented approach. Prevalent synoptic circulation structures, or ""features,"" are identified from previous observational studies. These features include the southward-flowing Brazil Current (BC), the eddies off Cabo Sao Tome (CST - 22 degrees S) and off Cabo Frio (CF - 23 degrees S), and the upwelling region off CF and CST. Their synoptic water-mass (T-S) structures are characterized and parameterized to develop temperature-salinity (T-S) feature models. Following [Gangopadhyay, A., Robinson, A.R., Haley, PJ., Leslie, W.J., Lozano, C.j., Bisagni, J., Yu, Z., 2003. Feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (forms) in the gulf of maine and georges bank. Cont. Shelf Res. 23 (3-4), 317-353] methodology, a synoptic initialization scheme for feature-oriented regional modeling and simulation (FORMS) of the circulation in this region is then developed. First, the temperature and salinity feature-model profiles are placed on a regional circulation template and objectively analyzed with available background climatology in the deep region. These initialization fields are then used for dynamical simulations via the Princeton Ocean Model (POM). A few first applications of this methodology are presented in this paper. These include the BC meandering, the BC-eddy interaction and the meander-eddy-upwelling system (MEUS) simulations. Preliminary validation results include realistic wave-growth and eddy formation and sustained upwelling. Our future plan includes the application of these feature models with satellite, in-situ data and advanced data-assimilation schemes for nowcasting and forecasting the SEBRA region. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geological and hydrogeological features affecting migration, multi-phase partitioning and degradation of chlorinated hydrocarbons through unconsolidated porous media.

Chlorinated solvents are the most ubiquitous organic contaminants found in groundwater since the last five decades. They generally reach groundwater as Dense Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (DNAPL). This phase can migrate through aquifers, and also through aquitards, in ways that aqueous contaminants cannot. The complex phase partitioning to which chlorinated solvent DNAPLs can undergo (i.e. to the dissolved, vapor or sorbed phase), as well as their transformations (e.g. degradation), depend on the physico-chemical properties of the contaminants themselves and on features of the hydrogeological system. The main goal of the thesis is to provide new knowledge for the future investigations of sites contaminated by DNAPLs in alluvial settings, proposing innovative investigative approaches and emphasizing some of the key issues and main criticalities of this kind of contaminants in such a setting. To achieve this goal, the hydrogeologic setting below the city of Ferrara (Po plain, northern Italy), which is affected by scattered contamination by chlorinated solvents, has been investigated at different scales (regional and site specific), both from an intrinsic (i.e. groundwater flow systems) and specific (i.e. chlorinated solvent DNAPL behavior) point of view. Detailed investigations were carried out in particular in one selected test-site, known as “Caretti site”, where high-resolution vertical profiling of different kind of data were collected by means of multilevel monitoring systems and other innovative sampling and analytical techniques. This allowed to achieve a deep geological and hydrogeological knowledge of the system and to reconstruct in detail the architecture of contaminants in relationship to the features of the hosting porous medium. The results achieved in this thesis are useful not only at local scale, e.g. employable to interpret the origin of contamination in other sites of the Ferrara area, but also at global scale, in order to address future remediation and protection actions of similar hydrogeologic settings.

Projected 21st century decrease in marine productivity: a multi-model analysis

Changes in marine net primary productivity (PP) and export of particulate organic carbon (EP) are projected over the 21st century with four global coupled carbon cycle-climate models. These include representations of marine ecosystems and the carbon cycle of different structure and complexity. All four models show a decrease in global mean PP and EP between 2 and 20% by 2100 relative to preindustrial conditions, for the SRES A2 emission scenario. Two different regimes for productivity changes are consistently identified in all models. The first chain of mechanisms is dominant in the low- and mid-latitude ocean and in the North Atlantic: reduced input of macro-nutrients into the euphotic zone related to enhanced stratification, reduced mixed layer depth, and slowed circulation causes a decrease in macro-nutrient concentrations and in PP and EP. The second regime is projected for parts of the Southern Ocean: an alleviation of light and/or temperature limitation leads to an increase in PP and EP as productivity is fueled by a sustained nutrient input. A region of disagreement among the models is the Arctic, where three models project an increase in PP while one model projects a decrease. Projected changes in seasonal and interannual variability are modest in most regions. Regional model skill metrics are proposed to generate multi-model mean fields that show an improved skill in representing observation-based estimates compared to a simple multi-model average. Model results are compared to recent productivity projections with three different algorithms, usually applied to infer net primary production from satellite observations.

Managing water resources in dynamic settings: A multi-level, multi-stakeholder perspective

The aim of the present article is to contribute to the debate on the role of research in sustainable management of water and related resources, based on experiences in the Upper Ewaso Ng’iro and Pangani river basins in East Africa. Both basins are characterised by humid, resource-rich highlands and extensive semi-arid lowlands, by growing demand for water and related resources, and by numerous conflicting stakeholder interests. Issues of scale and level, on the one hand, and the normative dimension of sustainability, on the other hand, are identified as key challenges for research that seeks to produce relevant and applicable results for informed decision-making. A multi-level and multi-stakeholder perspective, defined on the basis of three minimal principles, is proposed here as an approach to research for informed decision-making. Key lessons learnt from applying these principles in the two river basins are presented and discussed in the light of current debate.

A multi-proxy approach for revealing recent climatic changes in the Russian Altai

For the first time we present a multi-proxy data set for the Russian Altai, consisting of Siberian larch tree-ring width (TRW), latewood density (MXD), δ13C and δ18O in cellulose chronologies obtained for the period 1779–2007 and cell wall thickness (CWT) for 1900–2008. All of these parameters agree well between each other in the high-frequency variability, while the low-frequency climate information shows systematic differences. The correlation analysis with temperature and precipitation data from the closest weather station and gridded data revealed that annual TRW, MXD, CWT, and δ13C data contain a strong summer temperature signal, while δ18O in cellulose represents a mixed summer and winter temperature and precipitation signal. The temperature and precipitation reconstructions from the Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments were used to investigate the correspondence of different independent proxies. Low frequency patterns in TRW and δ13C chronologies are consistent with temperature reconstructions from nearby Belukha ice core and Teletskoe lake sediments showing a pronounced warming trend in the last century. Their combination could be used for the regional temperature reconstruction. The long-term δ18O trend agrees with the precipitation reconstruction from the Teletskoe lake sediment indicating more humid conditions during the twentieth century. Therefore, these two proxies could be combined for the precipitation reconstruction.