Brazilian Ecosystems Research Articles

All Deforestation Matters: Deforestation Alert System for the Caatinga Biome in South America’s Tropical Dry Forest

This study provides a comprehensive overview of Phase I of the deforestation dryland alert system. It focuses on its operation and outcomes from 2020 to 2022 in the Caatinga biome, a unique Brazilian dryland ecosystem. The primary objectives were to analyze deforestation dynamics, identify areas with highest deforestation rates, and determine regions that require prioritization for anti-deforestation efforts and conservation actions. The research methodology involved utilizing remote sensing data, including Landsat imagery, processed through the Google Earth Engine platform. The data were analyzed using spectral unmixing, adjusted Normalized Difference Fraction Index, and harmonic time series models to generate monthly deforestation alerts. The findings reveal a significant increase in deforestation alerts and deforested areas over the study period, with a 148% rise in alerts from 2020 to 2022. The Caatinga biome was identified as the second highest in detected deforestation alerts in Brazil in 2022, accounting for 18.4% of total alerts. Hexagonal assessments illustrate diverse vegetation cover and alert distribution, enabling targeted conservation efforts. The Bivariate Choropleth Map demonstrates the nuanced relationship between alert and vegetation cover, guiding prioritization for deforestation control and native vegetation restoration. The analysis also highlighted the spatial heterogeneity of deforestation, with most deforestation events occurring in small patches, averaging 10.9 ha. The study concludes that while the dryland alert system (SAD-Caatinga—Phase I) has effectively detected deforestation, ongoing challenges such as cloud cover, seasonality, and more frequent and precise monitoring persist. The implementation of DDAS plays a critical role in sustainable forestry by enabling the prompt detection of deforestation, which supports targeted interventions, helps contain the process, and provides decision makers with early insights to distinguish between legal and illegal practices. These capabilities inform decision-making processes and promote sustainable forest management in dryland ecosystems. Future improvements, including using higher-resolution imagery and artificial intelligence for validation, are essential to detect smaller deforestation alerts, reduce manual efforts, and support sustainable dryland management in the Caatinga biome.

Entrepreneurial potential in digital transformation: scale development using item response theory

PurposeThis study aims to develop a scale using item response theory (IRT) to assess the entrepreneurial potential for digital transformation in Brazilian companies.Design/methodology/approachIRT was used to develop a scale for entrepreneurial potential in digital transformation. This scale was constructed from a questionnaire, covering the domains: (1) data-driven culture, (2) openness to knowledge and adaptation to change, (3) connectivity and (4) creativity and innovation. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of 216 entrepreneurs from small business enterprise (SBE) and startups in Brazil.FindingsA questionnaire was developed and validated to assess the latent trait of entrepreneurial potential within the context of digital transformation. Additionally, a three-level scale of entrepreneurial potential was established: low (level I), intermediate (level II) and high (level III). The interpretation of this scale provides valuable information on which domains, such as data-driven culture, innovation, among others, can be enhanced to improve the potential of entrepreneur for digital transformation.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample was limited to small Brazilian companies and startups, which may restrict the applicability of the results to other business or geographic contexts. Additionally, the items evaluated in the scale may not fully capture all nuances of entrepreneurial potential for digital transformation. Future research should consider including new items that cover a broader range of entrepreneurial characteristics.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study have significant practical implications for the Brazilian entrepreneurial ecosystem, the entrepreneurs themselves, public policy makers and entrepreneurship support institutions. These results can guide digital transformation strategies, adjustments in public policies and investments, thereby promoting economic development and innovation in the country.Originality/valueThis study stands out for using IRT as a robust methodology to develop an interpretative scale to assess entrepreneurial potential in the digital transformation era. By focusing on Brazilian SBEs and startups, the study offers an original contribution on how these companies are handling the challenges of digitalization and identifying areas for improvement to further promote digital transformation among entrepreneurs.

Addressing bee diversity through active learning methodologies enhances knowledge retention in an environmental education project

The Brazilian ecosystems harbor a significant portion of global bee diversity. Despite their magnitude as pollinators, Brazilian native bees are mainly unknown. Considering the importance of scientific literacy in fostering environmental responsibility, we analyzed the BeeDiversity project’s impact on the scientific knowledge of eight to nine-year-old students. This study outlines the challenges of implementing the BeeDiversity project as a curricular component, including live bee observation and active learning methodologies. Students’ knowledge about bees significantly improved after participating in the project. Although the students mastered the concept of the ecological role of bees as pollinators, they were unaware that this ecosystem service is operated mainly by solitary bees. Learning retention was confirmed after five months. Active learning proved more effective than traditional methods. Handling a live hive and learning about solitary bees’ pollination roles generated high enthusiasm and engagement. Therefore, focusing on educational strategies addressing bee diversity beyond the typical honeybee (<i>Apis mellifera</i>) might effectively stimulate a broad environmental consciousness.

The Role of Equity Crowdfunding in the Brazilian Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: An Empirical Analysis

This research provides the first deep and empirical look into Brazil’s increasing equity crowdfunding, or crowdinvest, market, and examines its peculiarities. It is a pioneering work dedicated to understanding which characteristics most impact the success of offers in the country, and whether there is any representative movement pointing to the inclusion of gender, firm age, and location or participation of small investors. We employ descriptive and quantitative research techniques and analyses all the offerings derived through this mechanism from 1 January 2017 to 31 December 2020—totaling 234 operations, considering successful offers (the ones that received investment) and unsuccessful offers (those that failed in raising funds), registered by 24 platforms in the country according to CVM (Comissão de Valores Mobiliários), the Brazilian SEC, under regulation Instruction 588. Furthermore, we use empirical and publicly available data from several sources. The findings reveal that mutual offers are more attractive to investors than those of equity, impacting the dependent variable of success. Besides this, firm location is the only inclusion aspect with representativeness among the independent variables tested. The main contributions of the research lie in providing the first empirical study that (1) consolidates a consistent database of the equity crowdfunding industry in Brazil, (2) reveals the role of crowdinvest in Brazil, related to bank credit to SMEs, and (3) provides recommendations to the main stakeholders that can improve the whole ecosystem.

Diversity of Calliphoridae and Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Oestroidea) in a forested area in the municipality of Macaé, RJ, Brazil

Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae are families of Diptera that cover, respectively, about 3,100 and 1,000 species described worldwide. The species of these families have medical and veterinary importance, due to their role as vectors of pathogenic agents. The Diptera fauna is little known in many Brazilian ecosystems, including some phytophysiognomies of the Atlantic Forest. In the present study, two expeditions were carried out, one in the rainy season and the other in the dry season, using four traps baited with fish and exposed for 48 hours in the field in the Parque Natural Municipal Atalaia in the municipality of Macaé. The collected material was sorted and assembled at Instituto de Biodiversidade e Sustentabilidade - NUPEM/UFRJ and transported to Laboratório de Biodiversidade e Sistemática de Diptera - Museu Nacional, UFRJ (MNRJ), for later identification. A total number of 712 specimens of Calliphoridae and 27 of Sarcophagidae were collected. The sampling effort for Sarcophagidae collection was average, since the species accumulation curve continues to rise, unlike the Calliphoridae curve, which remains stable. The study included species considered asynanthropic, as Hemilucilia semidiaphana (Rondani, 1850) (Calliphoridae), but also invasive species, like those of the genus Chrysomya Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Calliphoridae). Therefore, the present study contributed to expand knowledge about both families in the Atlantic Forest, in Rio de Janeiro, and emphasized the importance of continuing studies in the region, as many species are asynanthropic, while others are invasive, which can result in the inhibition of the native ones.

Electric underwater tools for sun coral management

Sun coral, identified as Tubastraea coccinea and Tubastraea tagusensis, are invasive marine species originally from the Pacific Ocean that have become a significant threat to native biodiversity and ecosystems in Brazil. The rapid growth and unique reproduction strategies of Tubastraea species have facilitated their success as invasive species. In the past two decades, Brazil has experienced a notable loss of biodiversity, partially attributed to invasive species, as reported by the Brazilian Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Current management efforts primarily involve manual removal, often employing sledgehammers and chisels, carried out by environmental government agencies, in partnership with NGOs and volunteers. However, the need for more efficient management strategies emphasizes the important role of engineering and technology in improving environmental management. To address this issue, our work focuses on the development and prototyping of two underwater tools: an impact hammer and a rotating brush. These tools are designed with ergonomic features, operating time, and size considerations suitable for use by SCUBA divers. Our prototypes have successfully met the required specifications and offer potential for large-scale manufacturing, promising more effective measures for controlling invasive sun coral in Brazil.

Discrimination of Degraded Pastures in the Brazilian Cerrado Using the PlanetScope SuperDove Satellite Constellation

Pasture degradation poses significant economic, social, and environmental impacts in the Brazilian savanna ecosystem. Despite these impacts, effectively detecting varying intensities of agronomic and biological degradation through remote sensing remains challenging. This study explores the potential of the eight-band PlanetScope SuperDove satellite constellation to discriminate between five classes of pasture degradation: non-degraded pasture (NDP); pastures with low- (LID) and moderate-intensity degradation (MID); severe agronomic degradation (SAD); and severe biological degradation (SBD). Using a set of 259 cloud-free images acquired in 2022 across five sites located in central Brazil, the study aims to: (i) identify the most suitable period for discriminating between various degradation classes; (ii) evaluate the Random Forest (RF) classification performance of different SuperDove attributes; and (iii) compare metrics of accuracy derived from two predicted scenarios of pasture degradation: a more challenging one involving five classes (NDP, LID, MID, SAD, and SBD), and another considering only non-degraded and severely degraded pastures (NDP, SAD, and SBD). The study assessed individual and combined sets of SuperDove attributes, including band reflectance, vegetation indices, endmember fractions from spectral mixture analysis (SMA), and image texture variables from Gray-level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). The results highlighted the effectiveness of the transition from the rainy to the dry season and the period towards the beginning of a new seasonal rainy cycle in October for discriminating pasture degradation. In comparison to the dry season, more favorable discrimination scenarios were observed during the rainy season. In the dry season, increased amounts of non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV) complicate the differentiation between NDP and SBD, which is characterized by high soil exposure. Pastures exhibiting severe biological degradation showed greater sensitivity to water stress, manifesting earlier reflectance changes in the visible and near-infrared bands of SuperDove compared to other classes. Reflectance-based classification yielded higher overall accuracy (OA) than the approaches using endmember fractions, vegetation indices, or texture metrics. Classifications using combined attributes achieved an OA of 0.69 and 0.88 for the five-class and three-class scenarios, respectively. In the five-class scenario, the highest F1-scores were observed for NDP (0.61) and classes of agronomic (0.71) and biological (0.88) degradation, indicating the challenges in separating low and moderate stages of pasture degradation. An initial comparison of RF classification results for the five categories of degraded pastures, utilizing reflectance data from MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI)/Sentinel-2 (400–2500 nm) and SuperDove (400–900 nm), demonstrated an enhanced OA (0.79 versus 0.66) with Sentinel-2 data. This enhancement is likely to be attributed to the inclusion of shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral bands in the data analysis. Our findings highlight the potential of satellite constellation data, acquired at high spatial resolution, for remote identification of pasture degradation.

Soil carbon stocks as affected by land-use changes across the Pampa of southern Brazil

ABSTRACT The “campos” of the Pampa are unique Brazilian ecosystems, which provide key environmental services, including C storage. These grassy ecosystems have been rapidly converted to intensive land-uses, mainly intensive grain crops (soybeans) and Eucalyptus silviculture. These new land-uses could decrease soil C stocks, depending on soil management. This study aimed to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) changes after the conversion of native grasslands to cropland (soybeans/cover crops under no-tillage) and forestry (Eucalyptus). Eight representative sites in this biome were selected for soil sampling (Alegrete-ALE, Aceguá-ACE, Jari-JAR, Jaguarão-JAG, Pinheiro Machado-PIM, Lavras-LAV, Santo Antônio das Missões-SAM, São Gabriel-SAG). Soil sampling was conducted in dug pits (0.30 m wide × 0.30 m long × 0.40 m depth) spaced by 50 m at each site, to 0.30 m depth. Soil bulk density and SOC were obtained by samples obtained with volumetric rings. Soil organic C was analyzed by dry combustion. Soil C stocks were calculated per layer and cumulatively (0.00-0.20 and 0.00-0.30 m). Soil C content was higher under grasslands in soils from sites with finer, clayey texture (ACE, JAG), and lower in soils at sites with sandier topsoil. Land-use conversion to silviculture and cropland minimally affected SOC stocks. The same pattern was observed with soil N, because of the tight connection between C and N cycles. Soil bulk density was similar across sites and layers, but higher values were measured in sites with coarser texture. Mean SOC stock of the grassland sites was 62 ± 24.6 Mg ha -1 , similar to 66 Mg ha -1 reported for grasslands soils of Rio Grande do Sul State, and higher than that reported by IPCC for this region (55 ± 4.4 Mg ha -1 ). Adopting these default values would lead to underestimation of baseline SOC stocks in the region. Land-use conversion to cropland did not affect SOC stocks significantly, probably because of the adoption of no-tillage system with winter cover crops. Soil C stocks were lower in Eucalyptus stands in the 0.00-0.30 m soil layer, which could be attributed to intensive soil management at planting and lower soil fertility in some sites. This lack of effect of conversion on soil C was attributed to the short time since conversion and adoption of soil conservation practices (no-tillage) in cropland. The study contributed to reduce existing soil data gaps in the region and supports Brazilian public initiatives like the ABC Program and National Greenhouse Gas Inventories.

Enablers for circular ecosystem transformation: A multi-case study of Brazilian circular ecosystems

Although a growing research stream indicates that many firms have transformed their ecosystems toward a circular ecosystem, the current scholarship provides limited theoretical and empirical insights into the enablers of this transformation process. In order to clarify some of these enablers, our research settings consisted of 7 focal firms engaged in transforming their business ecosystems into circular ecosystems. We adopted a theoretical sampling to perform longitudinal research from 2008 until 2023. Building on rich multiple case studies, we identify four categories of enablers: affiliation, interdependence, alignment, and ecosystem engineering. Based on these themes, we propose a new theoretical framework that characterizes theoretical and empirical insights regarding how to facilitate circular ecosystem transformation. The proposed framework opens up new opportunities to explore potential enablers to leverage circular ecosystem configurations, which are unique and whose multidirectional value alignment is much more challenging than a single firm's structures.

University innovation ecosystems and innovation channels

Universities play a fundamental role in the economy and social development. In this role they use different channels for the inception of innovations in markets. It is still necessary a systematic view capable of identifying the existent innovation channels and their relationship with the university innovation ecosystem. Drawing upon the university-industry literature, this article outlines a conceptual framework about the university innovation channels, the main agents of university innovation ecosystems and their respective roles in the technology-transfer process. This framework is based on three layers: 1 – macro-context; 2 – micro-context; and 3 – internal-context. There are identified three types of innovation channels: 1 – university spin-offs; 2 – cooperation with external agents; and 3 – licensing of patents. This framework is validated by a qualitative approach through visits and interviews with nine agents (4 spin-offs; 1 technology center; 2 science parks; and 2 business incubators) of three different university innovation ecosystems in Brazil. This article contributes to the theory presenting an integrative perspective about the agents of university innovation ecosystems, explaining how they contribute to the university innovation channels insert innovations in markets. For the practice this article can guide the assessment and planning of the improvement of university innovation ecosystems.

The interrelationship between Lean 4.0 and value co-creation: an empirical study in the dairy sector

PurposeThis study aims to examine the impact of Lean 4.0 practices on value co-creation in the dairy ecosystem.Design/methodology/approachData collection were carried out through a questionary application with 126 professionals linked to the dairy ecosystem, including milk producers, milk cooperatives and milk transporters. The data were analyzed using Cluster Analysis, Mann-Whitney test and Chi-Square test.FindingsA strong relation was found between the use of Lean 4.0 tools and the increase in operational performance, in addition to milk quality. Moreover, it can be noted that the use of digital technologies from Industry 4.0 has a strong relation with dairy production optimization, in other words, it is possible to be more efficient in the dairy process via Lean 4.0 adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to analyzing the Brazilian dairy ecosystem. The results presented may not reflect the characteristics of the other countries.Practical implicationsOnce the potential empirical impacts of the relation between Lean 4.0 and value co-creation are elucidated, it is possible to direct strategies for decision-making and guide efforts by researchers and professionals to deal with the waste mitigation present in the dairy sector.Social implicationsLean 4.0 proves to be a potential solution to improve the operational performance of the dairy production system. Lean 4.0, linked to value co-creation, allows the integration of the production sector with consumers, through smart technologies, so new services and experiences can be provided to the consumer market. Additionally, the consumer experience can be stimulated based on Lean 4.0, once the quality specification is highlighted based on data science and smart management control.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that analyzes the interrelationship between the Lean 4.0 philosophy and the value co-creation in the dairy ecosystem. In this sense, the study reveals the main contributions of this interrelation to the dairy sector via value co-creation, which demonstrates a new perspective on the complementarity of resources, elimination of process losses and new experiences for the user through digital technologies integrated with the Lean Thinking approach.

Effects of Seasonal Variation on Nitrogen Use in Brazilian Cerrado Grass Communities

In savanna ecosystems, the seasonal effects of nitrogen forms and availability, as well as their utilization by plants, influence the abundance and distribution of herbaceous species in grassland communities. This study examines seasonal effects on nitrogen availability and utilization by native grass species in the Cerrado, a savanna ecosystem in Brazil. Ammonium and nitrate levels in soil, nitrate acquisition and transport, and Nitrate Reductase Activity (NRA) in different plant parts during dry and wet periods were assessed. Results indicated higher soil nitrate availability during the wet period, influenced by precipitation, with leaves showing a higher nitrate content compared to roots. There was seasonal modulation in nitrate reduction, with leaves being the primary site during the dry period and roots during the wet period. The studied grass species exhibited heterogeneous responses to seasonal nitrogen availability, potentially affecting community abundance patterns. Findings suggest that edaphoclimatic seasonality plays a crucial role in nitrogen distribution and utilization capacity by grass plants in the Cerrado, contributing to the understanding of these ecosystems’ ecology.

Thermodegradation of organic matter in soils of different mineral composition in Brazil

Thermodegradation is an analytical tool that quantifies the loss of organic carbon under increasing temperatures. The degradation process is related to chemical functions and provides data on the stability of soil organic matter (SOM). There needs to be more information about SOM stability in different Brazilian ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate SOM stability under three tropical environments: Dry Forest, Brazilian Savanna, and Atlantic Forest. Thus, we related thermal stability to soil mineral composition and SOM quality and quantity. We analyzed samples of the surface horizon of four illitic soil profiles sampled in Dry Forest (P1 to P4), three soil profiles in Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna), with predominant 2:1 clay (P5), iron oxide (P6), and gibbsite (P7), and a kaolinite profile from Atlantic Forest (Rainforest) (P8). Mineralogical, chemical, and physical analyses of the soils were studied to better comprehend soils' behavior under thermodegradation. The thermic treatment was performed by heating air-dried fine earth (ADFE) samples at 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 °C for 2 h. The results were submitted to sigmoidal regression with four points and presented a good curve fit (r2 > 0.99). Dry Forest soils with the most humified SOM presented greater resistance to loss of SOM by the thermic process. However, P7 (gibbsitic clayey soil) stood out and was the most resistant to thermodegradation. P4 was the sandiest soil and showed the curve most affected by the thermal process, indicating the importance of clay content to SOM stability. The results suggest that the TOC (content and quality), calcium content, and clay (content and type) play essential roles in determining the thermostability of SOM in different ecosystems.

Multiple aspects of tree beta diversity in coastal ecosystems in Brazil

AbstractAimPatterns of beta diversity reflect the formation dynamics of ecological communities. Here, we integrated geographic, phylogenetic, and phenotypic information of coastal woody vegetation to investigate (1) whether the observed dissimilarity between assemblages differs from that expected by chance, examining the roles of spatial and deterministic processes; (2) the relative contribution of beta‐diversity components (turnover and nestedness) for taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity; and (3) what environmental factors drive the differences in composition between assemblages for all these dimensions.LocationBrazil.TaxonAngiosperm trees.MethodsWe built dissimilarity matrices and partitioned the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional beta diversity from an incidence matrix, a phylogeny including the region's plants, and a matrix expressing functional distances. Using linear regressions, we tested the effects of different environmental predictors representative of the effects of water availability, thermal energy, habitat heterogeneity, edaphic constraints, climatic stability, and human influence on beta‐diversity patterns.ResultsTaxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional dissimilarities exhibited a typical pattern of greater dissimilarity with distance (i.e., as expected by chance). However, these patterns showed different contributions of beta‐diversity components, predominating turnover in taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarity, and nestedness in functional dissimilarity. Water availability had a slight effect on patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic dissimilarities.Main conclusionsThe Brazilian coastal woody vegetation appears to have emerged through a dynamic of colonisation of evolutionarily distinct but functionally similar lineages that originated from adjacent phytogeographic domains, proportional to their diversity. This is consistent with a combination of both neutral and non‐neutral processes. Our findings underscore the complementary roles of different dimensions of beta diversity in explaining the dynamics of these vegetation communities.

Understanding the rapid increase in drought stress and its connections with climate desertification since the early 1990s over the Brazilian semi-arid region

The aridity-related drought studies have been carried out extensively in Brazilian semi-arid ecosystems, although there is no report on relating aridity with different drought indices over the recent decades. Due to drought impact on agriculture and natural ecosystems, it has attracted extensive attention in the academic community. In this study, the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity-derived Soil Water Deficit Index (SWDI), the Meteosat Spinning Enhanced Visible and InfraRed Imager (SEVIRI) radiance-derived solar and infrared estimates, and the SEVIRI-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) datasets were employed to investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of the drought episodes and the vegetation dynamic responses. An approach was implemented for identifying drought using a combination of mathematical and statistical features derived from the SPEI. The results showed that: (1) The frequency, duration, and intensity of drought severity identified by the SPEI and SWDI from 1990 to 2022 showed different characteristics in the Brazilian semi-arid region from 1990 to 2022. The frequency of moderate, severe, and extreme drought ranged from 5% to 92%, the duration was mostly concentrated in 5–6 dry months. (2) The whole Brazilian semi-arid region exhibited an overall drying tendency. (3) The NDVI-derived vegetation in the Brazilian semi-arid ecosystems exhibited an overall decreased trend during 2004–2022, indicating a degrading trend of the vegetation cover. The region where degrading trend of NDVI was negatively correlated with SPEI accounted for approximately 13% of the region. (4) The frequency, and average duration of the flash drought were 21% concentrated in 6 pentads, during the region growing season. (5) The spatial and temporal trends with the significance test of the rainfall, air temperature, and SEVIRI radiance-based estimations suited well with those of the SPEI data. These research results were significant for the region to respond to and prevent drought through human-induced land degradation.

A Dive Into the State of the Practice of the Brazilian Game Software Ecosystem

The software ecosystem strategy dominated the digital games industry. The leading game companies adopted ecosystem dynamics, forcing external actors (or developers) to adapt to a highly competitive scenario. Given the Brazilian digital games industry's growth, this study aims to characterize and understand the game software ecosystem scenario. We conducted an online survey research to identify positives, negatives, and opportunities from different ecosystem actors. The survey received 200 responses from different actors from both industry and academia. Three researchers applied qualitative analysis procedures to extract codes and relationships from the answers. We identify twelve aspects (i.e., network, financial sustainability, market opportunity etc.) and their relationships that describe the Brazilian ecosystem. We also investigated these aspects in three analysis groups (i.e., positives, negatives, and opportunities) and compared them against the Brazilian games censuses. Next, we classified codes based on the software ecosystem dimensions (i.e., technical, business, and social) to point out research needs. The codes' relationships allowed us to understand some concerns about the Brazilian context. The qualitative analysis procedures and the discussion on the software ecosystem dimensions provide an overview of a complex scenario, including a list of aspects to support further academic research and industrial techniques.

What do we know about plastic pollution in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems?

Due to the increasing use and inadequate disposal of plastic by humans, aquatic environments have become receptacles for pollutants such as plastic. This study aimed to perform an analysis of plastic particles pollution in Brazilian aquatic ecosystems with special attention to inland aquatic environments and fish in order to identify information gaps in this field. Manuscripts published in the last 21 years and indexed in the Web of Science database were consulted. A total of 185 met the proposed inclusion criteria, such as having empirical data, being conducted in Brazil, and dealing with plastic pollution. In general, the number of studies increases over the years, and this increasing number of publications is accompanied by declared financial support; the Southeast and Northeast regions are the regions that publish the most on the topic, with São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Pernambuco being the main states; the main focus of the studies is the detection of plastic particles mainly in biota (51%) and sediment (34%), and the most frequent ecosystem is the marine (89%); regarding the taxa, the majority is about plastic detection in fish (75%). Only 18% of the papers studying fishes consider their bio-ecological data, and only 17% of the manuscripts carried out the chemical characterization of the particles. However, 99% of the papers considered the shape of the plastic particle. We emphasize the need for more research and grants for studies with Brazilian inland aquatic ecosystems on the effects of plastic particle pollution on freshwater fish. Regional and national research funding agencies are very important to encourage an increase in the number of grants and specific calls for studies on plastic pollution and its impact on freshwater biota, considering the different macro-regions in Brazil, especially in the northern region.

Taxogenomic analyses of Starmerella gilliamiae f.a, sp. nov. and Starmerella monicapupoae f.a., sp. nov., two novel species isolated from plant substrates and insects.

Four yeast isolates collected from flowers from different ecosystems in Brazil, one from fruit of Nothofagus alpina in Argentina, three from flowers of Neltuma chilensis in Chile and one obtained from the proventriculus of a female bumblebee in Canada were demonstred, by analysis of the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and D1/D2 domains of the large subunit rRNA gene, to represent two novel species of the genus Starmerella. These species are described here as Starmerella gilliamiae f.a, sp. nov. (CBS 16166T; Mycobank MB 851206) and Starmerella monicapupoae f.a., sp. nov. (PYCC 8997T; Mycobank MB 851207). The results of a phylogenomic analysis using 1037 single-copy orthogroups indicated that S. gilliamiae is a member of a subclade that contains Starmerella opuntiae, Starmerella aceti and Starmerella apicola. The results also indicated that S. monicapupoae is phylogenetically related to Starmerella riodocensis. The two isolates of S. monicapupoae were obtained from flowers in Brazil and were probably vectored by insects that visit these substrates. Starmerella gilliamiae has a wide geographical distribution having been isolated in flowers from Brazil and Chile, fruit from Argentina and a bumblebee from Canada.

Start-ups in the Brazilian Innovation Ecosystem

The article analyses the dynamics of start-up growth in Brazil highlighting the role of government, companies, venture capital and the innovation system in start-up policy. The most significant recent change in the Brazilian start-up ecosystem was the rise of growth-oriented entrepreneurship and start-ups. The 2021 Brazilian Legal Framework of Start-ups and Innovative Entrepreneurship is a milestone as it establishes mechanisms for the acquisition of products/services by the government provided by start-ups.

Carbon storage and sequestration in a eucalyptus productive zone in the Brazilian Cerrado, using the Ca-Markov/Random Forest and InVEST models

Tropical ecosystems in Brazil, particularly Mato Grosso do Sul, possess substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potential through carbon sequestration in tree forests. However, the expansion of agricultural activities poses a threat to this potential. Notably, eucalyptus forests could enhance carbon sequestration and reduce GHG emissions. This study focused on Três Lagoas, known as Brazil's cellulose capital, and aimed to evaluate carbon stock and sequestration for 2030 under business as usual (BAU) and protected forest (PF) scenarios. Combining Cellular Automata (CA) and Random Forest models implemented in Patch-Generating Land Use Simulation (PLUS) and the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, we simulated land use scenarios and assessed ecosystem services generated by carbon sequestration. The results showed that the PF scenario indicated a higher total carbon stock than the BAU scenario, with a difference of 2.48 Tg. Carbon sequestration varied by period and scenario. Between 2010 and 2020, 3.88 Tg of carbon were sequestered. However, in the next period (2020–2030), the BAU scenario estimated 2.45 Tg in total carbon sequestration. In contrast, the PF scenario predicted 4.93 Tg of carbon sequestration for 2020–2030, surpassing the previous decade. Monetarily, carbon sequestration in 2010–2020 amounted to $92.48 million, decreasing to $58.49 million for 2020–2030 in the BAU scenario. In the PF scenario, sequestration for 2020–2030 increased to $ 117.43 million, nearly double that of the BAU scenario. In conclusion, combining the Ca-Markov/Random Forest and InVEST models revealed the spatiotemporal dynamics of carbon stock and sequestration in the municipality with the largest eucalyptus-planted area in Brazil. The results underscore the significant variability in carbon stocks and sequestration based on classes, periods, and scenarios analyzed. This study contributes valuable insights into the potential for carbon mitigation in this critical region.