Brazilian Amazon Biome Research Articles

Two new species of Metrichia Ross 1938 (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from the Brazilian Amazon biome

Two new species of Metrichia Ross 1938 (Trichoptera: Hydroptilidae) from the Brazilian Amazon biome

Evaluation of chemical constituents in Norantea guianensis aubl. Extracts, embryotoxicity, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory potential in Danio rerio.

Norantea guianensis Aubl., commonly referred to as the parrot flower or macaw-tail vine, is a plant species found in the Brazilian Amazon, Caatinga, and Cerrado biomes. It is used in folk medicine for its anxiolytic properties, as well as its ability to alleviate headaches and reduce fever. Nevertheless, despite its therapeutic benefits, the impact on embryonic development has yet to be fully explained. The objective of this study was to evaluate chemical constituents by HPLC-DAD, UV-visible and classical phytochemistry and the LC50 of ethanolic extracts from the stem and leaves of N. guianensis in Danio rerio after 96h and to investigate their effect on developmental morphology. The findings were then related to both Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and the plant's chemical composition. Zebrafish embryos were exposed to 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100mg/L concentrations of stem and leaves extracts. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the stem extract contained predominantly phenolic compounds, tannins, and anthraquinones, while the leaf extract contained alkaloids and flavonoids. The LC50 values for the stem and leaf extracts were 64.55mg/L and 7.16mg/L, respectively, being the stem extract was more toxic than the leaf extract. Induced malformations and alterations in the zebrafish development in different concentrations for both extract including pericardial edema, increased heart rate, spinal malformation and equilibrium disruption. Unlike to stem extract, the leaf extract delayed larval hatching and inhibited AChE activity. The findings indicate that the leaf extract possesses higher embryotoxicity and its use should be avoided during pregnancy.

Amazon severe drought in 2023 triggered surface water loss

Abstract The Amazon underwent a severe austral springtime drought attributed to the onset of El Niño in 2023 and the warmer North Atlantic, Indian, and North Pacific Oceans. The Amazon rivers, lakes, small streams, wetlands, and reservoirs quickly lowered their water level below historical records due to decreased rainfall and warmth in the region. Based on satellite imagery, this study presents the first estimate of the water loss extent in the 4.2 million km2 of the Brazilian Amazon biome (∼62% of the Amazon total biome) in 2023. We estimated the loss of 3.3 million hectares of surface water relative to 2022, with an overall accuracy of 92%. The surface water losses were concentrated in the states of Amazonas (59.4%) and Pará (25.5), adding up to 2.8 million hectares. The warmer and drier climate in the region affected the main rivers in the Amazon. Among them, the Solimões, Negro, Purus, Acre, and Branco suffered extreme drops in their levels in some regions, resulting in a high negative impact on the aquatic biodiversity, yet estimated only in local areas. A total of 1.14 million hectares of surface water loss (i.e. 35%) was detected within protected areas territories, affecting extractivist, indegenous, African-Brazilian, and fishing and traditional communities. Proximity analysis revealed that 75% of the 2023 surface water loss was within 25 km of small towns, 48% and 65.8% at 50 km from indigenous villages and urban areas, respectively. Our results reinforce people’s vulnerability to climate change, anticipating a plausible adverse impact scenario in the Amazon region and urging solutions to adaptation and mitigation. Therefore, an integrated monitoring system based on climate and water dynamics from satellite and ground stations is necessary to improve understanding of the problem for timing response of climatic change negative impacts.

Zoonotic assemblages A and B of Giardia duodenalis in Chiroptera from Brazilian Amazon biome

Bats are important reservoirs and spreaders of pathogens. Giardia duodenalis is a globally important protozoan that infects humans and other mammals with considerable public health burden, particularly on the child development. Based on genetic variation and host specificity, G. duodenalis is categorized into eight genotypes/assemblages A-H. Assemblages A and B are widespread globally and are associated with human and animal disease. There is evidence of Giardia in the bat feces from diverse geographic regions, but the G. duodenalis assemblages are unknown, which is a key point for the One Health view. Here, we successfully amplified the BG/GDH/DIS3/HCMP2/HCMP3 targets of G. duodenalis from five bat species captured in the Brazilian Amazon biome revealing the presence of zoonotic G. duodenalis assemblages A and B in the feces of these flying mammals. Our study reveals that bats may play a role in transmission of zoonotic G. duodenalis, at least in this biome.

An Analysis of the Eco-Efficiency of the Agricultural Industry in the Brazilian Amazon Biome

An Analysis of the Eco-Efficiency of the Agricultural Industry in the Brazilian Amazon Biome

Performance and projections of the NEX‐GDDP‐CMIP6 in simulating precipitation in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes

AbstractThe objective of this work is to provide projections of mean annual and monthly precipitation for the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes, in the near‐term (2021–2040), medium‐term (2041–2060) and long‐term (2081–2100). The intermediate and most pessimistic Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) greenhouse gas emissions scenarios were considered. Thus, 34 high‐resolution global climate models (GCMs) from the NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX‐GDDP) Phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) were evaluated. The base period evaluated was from 1981 to 2010. The NEX‐GDDP simulations are bias‐corrected and spatially disaggregated. The Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station v2.0 was chosen as the source of observed data due to low availability in situ data. The Kling‐Gupta efficiency (KGE) and the global performance indicator were implemented in Google Earth Engine to evaluate the GCMs. The results show that the GCMs perform satisfactorily, except for KACE‐1‐0‐G and IITM‐ESM. The median KGE is 0.86 for the biomes. Thus, the Ensemble Model of 32 GCMs (EM‐32) indicates a reduction in precipitation in the biomes, except the northern Cerrado. In the most pessimistic scenario, changes in annual precipitation range from 3% to −33% until the end of the century. The north‐central Amazon and the northwestern Cerrado are the most affected regions. In general, the monthly precipitations between September and November show the most intense decreasing rates. It is estimated that 91% and 23% of areas in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes, respectively, show robust signs of reduction in mean annual precipitation. Thus, EM‐32 shows more intense and robust climate projections, in comparison to the total annual precipitation of the subset of 33 raw CMIP6 models from Working Group I of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report. Therefore, the EM‐32 precipitation projections can be applied to future hydrological and hydrosedimentological investigations.

Levels of Potentially Toxic and Essential Elements in Water and Estimation of Human Health Risks in a River Located at the Interface of Brazilian Savanna and Amazon Biomes (Tocantins River).

The Tocantins-Araguaia basin is one of South America's largest river systems, across three Brazilian states (Maranhão, Tocantins, and Pará), within the Legal Amazon region. Despite draining extensive Cerrado savanna and rainforest ecosystems, it has suffered significant degradation, notably in the past 40 years. Human activities, including agricultural expansion, deforestation, and the introduction of non-native species, have worsened the environmental damage, which is alarming since many residents and villages along the middle Tocantins River rely on it for water supply, recreation, and fishing. This study assessed the concentration of potentially toxic and essential elements in water samples from four sampling sites distributed along the middle Tocantins River. The monitoring occurred throughout 2023, involving the measurement of parameters both on-site and in the laboratory. Water quality and its health implications were evaluated using the Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI), the Water Quality Index (WQI), and the health risk assessment index. The levels of aluminum, copper, iron, magnesium, and selenium exceeded legal standards. Seasonal fluctuations indicate a complex dynamic influenced by climatic or seasonal factors, with February showing the highest values. Site P1, located in urban areas, exhibited elevated mean concentrations for conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), and chlorophyll, indicating the need for continuous monitoring. The nitrogen concentrations at P1 raise concerns regarding drinking water quality, which is a concern for the region's residents who use untreated river water. Despite seasonal variations in element concentrations, the overall WAWQI categorized all sections as "Excellent," and the WQI rated as "Good." Human health risk assessments detected no risks, but continuous monitoring and interventions are crucial for sustained water quality improvement.

First report of Colletotrichum siamense causing anthracnose in Oenocarpus bacaba in Brazil.

Bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba Mart.) is a native palm tree from Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes. This tree produces a small, rounded fruit with dark skin and approximately 1.5 mm thick pulp, extensively utilized for palm heart extraction, juices, and jellies (De Cól et al. 2021). However, several diseases can adversely impact fruit yield and quality. During the 2021 growing season, anthracnose symptoms were observed in Bacaba fruits, with a disease incidence of 58% in fruits collected from the Abreulândia (9°37'15″ S, 49°9'3″ W) and Gurupi (12°25'46" S; 49°16'42" W) municipalities in Tocantins state, Brazil. A total of 198 fruits exhibiting anthracnose symptoms, characterized by deep necrotic spots, were collected. In the laboratory, symptomatic fruits had their external surfaces sterilized for 30 seconds in 70% ethanol, 1 min in 1.5% NaOCl, and then rinsed with sterile distilled water. Sterilized pieces of the fruit tissue were transferred to PDA medium and incubated for 7 days at 28 ºC with a 12 h photoperiod. After this period, two isolates were obtained from the colonies and were identified both macroscopically and microscopically as Colletotrichum sp. The colonies grown at PDA showed a white to grey cottony mycelia, with straight and fusiform conidia, ranging from 14.0 to 21.0 (mean value of 15.8 ± 1.8) µm in length and 4.0 to 7.0 (mean value of 5.5 ± 0.7) µm in width, (n = 50). For species identification, the intergenic spacer between DNA lyase, mating-type locus MAT1-2-1 (APN2/MAT-IGS), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), glutamine synthetase (GS), and β-tubulin (TUB) loci were amplified and sequenced. Resulting sequences were deposited in GenBank (OR333843, OR333844, OR333845 and OR333846). BLAST analysis of the partial APN2/MAT-IGS (99%), GAPDH (99,48%), GS (99,32%) and TUB (99,48%) sequences showed highly similarity to C. siamense isolates (IIFT223 and CBS130147). Maximum likelihood multilocus analysis placed the isolate UFTC16 within the C. siamense clade with 98% bootstrap support, clearly assigning the isolate to this species. Morphological features were consistent with the description of C. siamense (Prihastuti et al., 2009). Inoculation of Bacaba fruits and seedlings was conducted to confirm pathogenicity. The surface of uninjured Bacaba fruits was inoculated with two drops (20 μL) of conidial suspension (106 conidia mL-1). The same methodology was adopted to placed healthy leaves of 35-day-old seedlings grown in plastic tubes. Two drops of sterile distilled water were inoculated on nonwounded healthy fruits and seedlings as a negative control. The fruits and seedlings were incubated for five days in a controlled chamber at 28 °C, 70-80% humidity and a "12-h photoperiod". The experiment was conducted with five replicates (five fruits and five seedlings inoculated per isolate) and repeated once. Typical symptoms of anthracnose were observed in the fruits and leaves of Bacaba seedlings five days after inoculation. No symptoms were observed in the negative control. The pathogen was reisolated from symptomatic fruits and leaves, showing similar morphological characteristics as the original isolate, fulfilling Koch's postulates. The identification of C. siamense as the causal agent of Bacaba anthracnose helps in the diagnosis and disease control strategies of the disease. Colletotrichum siamense is a cosmopolitan species and easily found in cultivated and non-cultivated species (Batista et al. 2023). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. siamense causing anthracnose on Bacaba.

Cutaneous Mucormycosis in Buffalos in the Brazilian Amazon Biome.

This is the first description of cutaneous mucormycosis in buffalo in the Brazilian Amazon biome. All buffalo showed apathy, inappetence, weight loss, reluctance to move, and prolonged sternal decubitus. Of the four affected animals, two died 15 and 30 days after the appearance of clinical signs. In the initial phase, the skin lesions were rounded areas with dry central regions, sensitive to palpation, with protruding edges and diameters ranging from 8 cm to 15 cm. These areas of necrosis were isolated or coalescing and present mainly on the limbs and sides. In an advanced stage of the disease, there was detachment of the skin from the necrotic areas with extensive wound formation, which sometimes exposed the subcutaneous tissue. The histopathology of the skin showed a multifocal inflammatory infiltrate composed of intact and degenerated eosinophils surrounded by epithelioid macrophages. At the center of these areas was a focally extensive area of epidermal ulceration characterized by intact and degenerated neutrophils, the necrosis of epithelial cells, and the accumulation of fibrin and erythrocytes. The mycological culture was positive for Rhizopus sp. The diagnosis of cutaneous dermatitis caused by Rhizopus sp. was based on clinical signs, macroscopic and histopathological findings, and the identification of the fungus by mycological and molecular techniques.

Human exposure to elements through consumption of raw and cooked fish in an urban region of the central Brazilian Amazon biome: Health risks

Fish is an important source of animal protein for local communities in the Amazon basin, whose food safety must be assured. However, certain potential toxicants elements, can bioaccumulate in fish species, which inhabit anthropogenically polluted waters, ultimately posing a risk to human health. In the present study, the concentrations of nine elements (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) were determined in raw and cooked samples of eight fish species consumed in Santarém (northern Brazil, Amazon biome). The potential for non– carcinogenic human health risks linked to the consumption of cooked fish were evaluated for adults and children in two different scenarios. Four carnivores, three omnivores and one detritivore, all of them regularly marketed and consumed by the Santarém population, were the target species. The safety reference values set by national and international guidelines for humans, in both raw and cooked preparations, were used. In most cases, the cooking process showed a trend to increase elements concentrations compared to raw samples, however the differences were not significant. Moreover, the risk assessment showed danger for children in relation to Hg from the consumption of fish, in both scenarios evaluated. For adults, in one of the scenarios, there was a health risk associated to Hg as a result of carnivorous fish consumption. In a context of combined exposure to all elements, children were at risk when consuming fish, especially carnivorous and omnivorous species. For adults, the mixture of elements posed a risk to health human only for carnivorous fish consumption. The results reveal an environmental scenario of Hg contamination, which requires monitoring actions to preserve the aquatic biodiversity and human health in the Brazilian Amazon biome.

Morphometry, Water Availability and Sediment Transport in the River Renato Watershed, Southern Amazon

The reduction in surface water availability in the Brazilian Amazon biome is associated with anthropic activities and climate change, facts that have driven hydrological monitoring studies. Such studies seek to understand the hydrological responses to changes in land use and land cover, aiming at the proper management of water resources in Amazonian river basins. Thus, the objective of the present study was to determine the physiographic characteristics and establish liquid and solid rating curves of the Renato river sub-basin, a tributary of the Teles Pires river, under conditions of restricted data. Measurements of quota, liquid flow (QL) and solid flows in suspension (Qss) and drag (Qsa) took place monthly between February 2019 and November 2022, composing 28 and 16 (fluviometric station 1) and 21 and 16 (station fluviometric 2) measurements of QL, Qss and Qsa, respectively. Physiographic characteristics were determined using the QGIS 3.16.11 software. The Renato River sub-basin had a regular drainage density = 0.505 km km-2, an elongated shape and low probability of flooding (Kf = 0.19; Kc = 2.17 and Ic = 0.21) and the relief varied from flat to strongly undulating (0 to 30%). Regardless of the hydrological section, the statistical performance of the regression models for suspended and total solid flows (Qst) could have been better. It is concluded that the Renato River watershed is little susceptible to extreme flood events due to its elongated shape and regular drainage density. The evaluated regression models adjusted satisfactorily for QL and unsatisfactorily for Qss and Qst. Therefore, there is still a need to continue studies with hydrosedimentological monitoring to build rating curves that accurately estimate the liquid and solid flows.

Correction to: Farmers’ perceptions of climate change affect their adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies in the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes

Correction to: Farmers’ perceptions of climate change affect their adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies in the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes

Emerging berries from the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes: new sources of bioactive compounds with potential health benefits.

Brazil has a broad geographic biodiversity spread across its six different biomes. However, it has been suffering from the abusive exploitation of its resources, which poses a threat to the local fauna and flora. The Amazon and Atlantic Forest, for example, are birthplaces to rare and edible native species, such as bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba, Arecaceae) and camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia, Myrtaceae), and cereja-do-Rio Grande (Eugenia involucrata, Myrtaceae) and grumixama (Eugenia brasiliensis, Myrtaceae), respectively. These plants produce fruits which are sources of macro and micronutrients, including sugars, dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and/or lipids. Nutritionally, their consumption have the ability to reach partially or totally the daily recommendations for adults of some nutrients. More recently, these fruits have also been exposed as interesting sources of minor bioactive compounds, such as carotenoids, terpenes, and/or polyphenols, the latter which include anthocyanins, phenolic acids, and tannins. Particularly, bacaba stands out for being a rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (around 22%, dry weight) and dietary fibers (6.5-21%, dry weight); camu-camu has very high contents of vitamin C (up to 5000 mg per 100 g of pulp, dry basis); and cereja-do-Rio-Grande and grumixama are abundant sources of anthocyanins. Although they are still underexplored, several in vitro and in vivo studies with different parts of the fruits, including the peel, seed, and pulp, indicate their health potential through anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, antihyperglycemic, antidyslipidemic, antimicrobial, and/or anticancer effects. All things considered, the focus of this research was to highlight the bioactive potential and health impact of native fruits from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes.

Farmers’ perceptions of climate change affect their adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies in the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes

Farmers’ perceptions of climate change affect their adoption of sustainable agricultural technologies in the Brazilian Amazon and Atlantic Forest biomes

Updated Land Use and Land Cover Information Improves Biomass Burning Emission Estimates

Biomass burning (BB) emissions negatively impact the biosphere and human lives. Orbital remote sensing and modelling are used to estimate BB emissions on regional to global scales, but these estimates are subject to errors related to the parameters, data, and methods available. For example, emission factors (mass emitted by species during BB per mass of dry matter burned) are based on land use and land cover (LULC) classifications that vary considerably across products. In this work, we evaluate how BB emissions vary in the PREP-CHEM-SRC emission estimator tool (version 1.8.3) when it is run with original LULC data from MDC12Q1 (collection 5.1) and newer LULC data from MapBiomas (collection 6.0). We compare the results using both datasets in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes during the 2002–2020 time series. A major reallocation of emissions occurs within Brazil when using the MapBiomas product, with emissions decreasing by 788 Gg (−1.91% year−1) in the Amazon and emissions increasing by 371 Gg (2.44% year−1) in the Cerrado. The differences identified are mostly associated with the better capture of the deforestation process in the Amazon and forest formations in Northern Cerrado with the MapBiomas product, as emissions in forest-related LULCs decreased by 5260 Gg in the Amazon biome and increased by 1676 Gg in the Cerrado biome. This is an important improvement to PREP-CHEM-SRC, which could be considered the tool to build South America’s official BB emission inventory and to provide a basis for setting emission reduction targets and assessing the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.

Protecting Life and Lung: Protected Areas affect fine particulate matter and respiratory hospitalizations in the Brazilian Amazon Biome.

There is growing recognition of the connection between ecosystem conservation and human health. For example, protection of tropical forests can affect the spread of infectious diseases, water quality, and dietary diversity, while forest loss can have important consequences for respiratory health due to the use of fire for converting land to alternative uses in many countries. Studies demonstrating links between ecosystems and health often conclude with recommendations to expand policies that protect natural ecosystems. However, there is little empirical evidence on the extent to which conservation policies actually deliver health benefits when they are implemented in real contexts. We estimate the effects of protected areas (PAs), the dominant type of conservation policy, on hospitalizations for respiratory illness in the Brazilian Amazon biome. We find that doubling upwind PAs reduces PM2.5 by 10% and respiratory hospitalizations by 7% in the months of most active biomass burning. Brazil has an extensive network of PAs, but investments in management and enforcement have declined in recent years. Forest fires have increased dramatically over the same period. We estimate that the value of the health benefits exceed current average expenditures on PA management for the 1/3 of PAs with the largest local populations, although not for PAs in more remote locations. Our findings highlight how quantifying the contributions to the wellbeing of local populations can support conservation objectives, even if global environmental benefits are not a high priority for decision makers.

Crop-livestock-forestry systems as a strategy for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing the sustainability of forage-based livestock systems in the Amazon biome

Intensification of livestock systems becomes essential to meet the food demand of the growing world population, but it is important to consider the environmental impact of these systems. To assess the potential of forage-based livestock systems to offset greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the net carbon (C) balance of four systems in the Brazilian Amazon Biome was estimated: livestock (L) with a monoculture of Marandu palisade grass [Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst. ex A. Rich.) R. D. Webster]; livestock-forestry (LF) with palisade grass intercropped with three rows of eucalyptus at 128 trees/ha; crop-livestock (CL) with soybeans and then corn + palisade grass, rotated with livestock every two years; and crop-livestock-forestry (CLF) with CL + one row of eucalyptus at 72 trees/ha. Over the four years studied, the systems with crops (CL and CLF) produced more human-edible protein than those without them (L and LF) (3010 vs. 755 kg/ha). Methane contributed the most to total GHG emissions: a mean of 85 % for L and LF and 67 % for CL and CLF. Consequently, L and LF had greater total GHG emissions (mean of 30 Mg CO2eq/ha/year). Over the four years, the system with the most negative net C balance (i.e., C storage) was LF when expressed per ha (−53.3 Mg CO2eq/ha), CLF when expressed per kg of carcass (−26 kg CO2eq/kg carcass), and LF when expressed per kg of human-edible protein (−72 kg CO2eq/kg human-edible protein). Even the L system can store C if well managed, leading to benefits such as increased meat as well as improved soil quality. Moreover, including crops and forestry in these livestock systems enhances these benefits, emphasizing the potential of integrated systems to offset GHG emissions.

Remarks on Oligotoma saundersii (Westwood, 1837), an invasive species of Embioptera in Brazil

There are five families of Embioptera recorded in Brazil, namely: Anisembiidae, Archembiidae, Clothodidae, Teratembiidae, and Oligotomidae, the latter represented by Oligotoma saundersii (Westwood, 1837), an invasive species with worldwide distribution. In this work, we provide an update on O. saundersii distribution for three Brazilian states and the first record for Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes. Additionally, we provide photographs of both sexes, a differential diagnosis for other families, and a distribution map with all records of O. saundersii for the country.

Streamflow prediction based on machine learning models and rainfall estimated by remote sensing in the Brazilian Savanna and Amazon biomes transition

Streamflow prediction based on machine learning models and rainfall estimated by remote sensing in the Brazilian Savanna and Amazon biomes transition

Life Cycle Assessment for Soybean Supply Chain: A Case Study of State of Pará, Brazil

Brazil has emerged as the world’s largest soybean producer and exporter in recent years. In the Brazilian Amazon Biome, the state of Pará has become a new agricultural frontier over the last two decades due to a significant increase in soybean cultivation throughout its territory. However, it is essential to understand the associated effects on the environment at every point in the supply chain. This research aims to measure the effects on the environment of the soybean supply chain of two production poles utilising openLCA software and the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology in the northeast (Paragominas) and south (Redenção) of the state of Pará in Brazil. In addition, we determine which is the most efficient route between the shipment port and the ultimate destination. The Recipe Midpoint (H) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methods of environmental impact categories were used in accordance with the cradle-to-grave scope. The BRLUC regionalised model (v1.3) was used to quantify land use change (LUC). According to the observed results, LUC was primarily responsible (between 3.8 and 32.69 tCO2 Eq·ha−1·year−1) for the global warming potential (GWP) of the soybean supply chain when rainforest-occupied land was converted into cropland. The soybean harvest in the Redenção pole is better loaded through the port of Itaqui (TEGRAM), which is in São Luis (state of Maranhão), due to the use of multiple modes of transport (lorry + train), allowing for better logistical performance and less impact on the environment, despite the longest distance (road + railway = 1306 km). Due to the short road distance (approximately 350 km) and consequently lower environmental impact, soybean harvested in the Paragominas pole is better loaded through the ports around Barcarena in the state of Pará.