Environmental Preservation Area Research Articles

Urban climate assessment in the ABC Paulista Region of São Paulo, Brazil

This article aims to map the urban climate in the ABC Paulista (ABCP) region, which is located in the southeast area of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP), Brazil. More than 80% of the ABCP urban area comprises the municipalities of Santo André (SA), São Bernardo do Campo (SBC), São Caetano do Sul (SCS), Mauá (MA), Diadema (DIA), and Ribeirão Pires. Considering a four-year dataset (2015–2018), higher urban heat island (HI) intensities were found in the spring (3.7 °C) and summer (3.2 °C), in DIA and SCS, and these HI intensities were associated with extreme thermal discomfort in the afternoon. More intense and concentrated rainfall patterns over a shorter period were identified in ABCP, especially in DIA and SCS. An analysis of O3 and PM10 at fixed pollutant monitoring stations identified SBC as having the largest number of days with O3 concentrations beyond the standards; meanwhile, SCS significantly exceeded the PM10 standards. The traffic and transportation simulation tool, Equilibre Multimodal/Multimodal Equilibrium which was used to estimate emissions from mobile sources, identified SCS as having the highest emissions rates for CO2, CO, HC and PM10. Analysis of the rainwater composition in Capuava (located along boundary of SA and MA) and Paranapiacaba (an environmental preservation area of SA) identified that a major contribution of strong acids and heavy metals in Capuava possibly originated from the Capuava Petrochemical Complex. Meanwhile, the main source of pollutants in Paranapiacaba was from the industrial city of Cubatão. Principal component analysis identified the first three components, which explained 80.7% of the total variance of the data and the main urban climate processes. The HI intensity was associated with thermal discomfort; moreover, the PCA showed the inverse correlation between the number of days that O3 and PM10 exceeded the limits with low relative humidity and no precipitation.

Public Open Spaces Urbanity: A Confrontation Between the Physical and Social Dimension at the Parque Germânia

Public open spaces have historically been places of political action. Contemporary life, on the other hand, raises challenges to the city and its places of urbanity: they need to meet multiple demands, which indirectly include political action, but also involve leisure, entertainment, sport and social interaction, for example. Understanding the city as a place of encounter, and public open spaces as essential facilities for social interaction, leads to an approach to public open spaces from the perspective of urbanity. This article analyses the case study of Parque Germânia in Porto Alegre, Brazil. The case study considers a confrontation between the built environment as a physical dimension and appropriation as a social dimension. The study analyzes public use of the park through non-participant observation focusing on the following concepts: diversity and tolerance; visibility and flexibility. Diversity and tolerance is considered as a way of understanding the dynamic of appropriation by different social groups and their relationships; visibility is considered as a concept related to urban security, and flexibility is analyzed from the seasonal nature of different scenarios of use in the same space. The study analyzes the physical dimension by presenting a layered map that focuses on urban insertion, environmental aspects and design. Urban insertion is considered from the perspective of urban planning, such as use of the surrounding areas, access points and mobility; the environmental aspects consider areas of environmental preservation and hydrography; design considers the design of the park and its facilities as support for community activities and its multifunctional ability to serve different uses. The article presents a possible approach to public open spaces from the perspective of urbanity by considering both physical and social dimensions, and specifically builds a structured analysis of Parque Germânia.

Towards an Urban-Rural-Environmental Relationship in the Metropolis: The case of Vila Bela

This paper presents principles, methods and results of a Final Graduation Work in which teaching, research and university extension are considered as an indivisible whole. This method is been realized though several years, where our choice of territory intervention constantly consists of look for locations on extreme edges of Sao Paulo’s metropolitan peripheral regions, with deep social fragility, contiguous to rural places and environmental preservation areas and impacted by the existence of at least one large metropolitan infrastructure. The search for alternative pacts in urban-rural-environmental relations begins with the understanding that these systems are inseparable and complementary. The experiment of sustainable development models in the field of higher education encompasses urban guidelines, territorial plans in diverse scales and architectural projects compromised with the site. All the work’s phases are articulated to commitments with the actual territory and its inhabitants, seeking to break through perverse conditions of the centre-periphery binomial and for new possibilities in the urban-rural-environmental relations in the metropolis. The work essays new paradigms in the relation between man-man and man-nature, assuming as urgent the environmental imbalance situation and the planetary social inequality, whose need for proposition is imperative and irreversible – regarding landscape, public spaces, habitat’s quality of life and infrastructure supply. The engagement is inseparable, constituting bonds of realizable commitments. The approach to the field is established through meetings and alignment with the community leaders and representatives, building close ties. The results of learning experience are the final research products, guidelines, an urban design of an exemplar cut and architecture projects realized, which are carried out under the guidance of this article’s authors, that are presented as a collection of alternatives to the region’s demands and priorities, and the complementary extra-disciplinary actions that are also established on voluntary bases, according to the emergences or wishes expressed.

Field and remote observations to determine the environmental impact of agrarian reform in the Brazilian Midwest.

Brazil's Midwest is composed of four biomes, the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah), predominant in the region; the Pantanal, the largest irrigated plain on the planet; the Amazon biome; and the Atlantic Forest. The Midwest is the largest producer of grains and livestock in Brazil, activities that have a negative impact on environmental preservation. Agrarian reform redistributes land and reinforces small family farming, which many authors consider as favorable to environmental protection. The objective of this study is to characterize the impact of agrarian reform on environmental preservation and agriculture on each biome of the Brazilian Midwest. Fifty-four settlements were surveyed using direct observation and Landsat images available for the year 2014. QGIS software 2.8 Wien was applied to calculate NDVI and NDWI vegetation indices to classify areas of agriculture, pasture, and environmental preservation. Pasture and savannah land occupy the largest areas in all biomes, with the main human activity based on livestock. Most settlements in the Midwest lead to small-scale activities such as dairy farming and polyculture, practices that differ from large-scale farming based on monoculture, and are more favorable to environmental protection.

Process for the identification of land use in environment preservation areas in the municipality of São José dos Campos – SP

The present article deals with the urbanization process in the Paraíba do Sul river basin, covering social occupation under consideration of the legal provisions for areas surrounding water resources. The study has the purpose of assessing the Environment Preservation Area, called APA Banhado, in the city of São José dos Campos, a municipality belonging to the Metropolitan Region of the Paraíba Valley and the Northern Sea Shore (RMVPLN) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The research carried out made use of materials and information collected from aerial images obtained from remote sensing databases maintained by public offices, and the provisions of the APA Banhado implementation law. In order to extract information from satellite images, the methodology proposed by Moreira (2011) was applied, which suggests an automatic software classification in the Geographical Information Systems (SIG), with visual interpretation. The maps generated from the classification of the APA Banhado were based on reference data from the years of 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015. The results revealed conflicts between the environmental legislation and the land use, which prompted the possibility of generating basic data capable of incorporation into public planning policies and the preserved area environmental management, including a revision of concepts under the environmental preservation, as a future safety water reserve for the metropolitan region of the Paraíba Valley – SP.

Morphometric analysis of an Areal Watershed in Taubaté, SP, Brazil

In 1991, the Integrated Water Resources Management System (SIGRHI) in the State of São Paulo adopted the watershed as a territorial unit for studies, integrated planning and sustainable development. The morphometric analysis of small watersheds, which involves the characterization of geometric parameters, relief, drainage network, combined with land use and occupation, may constitute an important model for environmental analysis of larger watersheds. This study aimed at characterization of the morphometry in the Areal river basin, in the city of Taubaté, São Paulo. The study found 1.89 km² of area, 7.44 km of perimeter and 3.11 km in length of the basin axis, which allowed the calculation of the compactness coefficient (Kc = 1.51), form factor, (F = 0.195) and circularity index (CI = 0.43), indicating that under normal precipitation conditions, this basin is unlikely to be flooded, due to the distance from the unit, leading to smaller concentrate outflow. The results obtained for the Maintenance Coefficient (Cm) indicate that 260 m² is required to maintain each meter of perennial channel. The high values of drainage density (Dd = 3.35 km.km-2) and sinuosity index (Is = 0.95) indicate that drainage channels in the area are rectilinear, thus suggesting the occurrence of a high surface runoff associated with high dissection. The analysis of land use and occupation revealed that, from the seven types of vegetation cover, the dominant cover in the Areal basin is 0.756 km2 (40%) constituted of pasture, while forest represents 0.580 km2 (31%), 0.321 km2 (17%) of the land cover is constituted of degraded forest. In terms of conservation, the Areal basin is conserved because, besides being located in the environmental preservation area of the Una River Basin, it is located at the meeting of two ecological corridors and is occupied by only 8 families of rural producers. On the other hand, the creation of approximately 120 head of cattle in the upper part of the basin and the existence of gully erosion of the order of 0.018 km2 (1%) of the basin area, which led to increased runoff and sediment concentration in the flat areas marginal to the creek of Areal. Based on morphometric analysis, it was concluded that: Areal watershed presents high capacity to form new watercourses and their relief characteristics, with low sinuosity channels and high values of altimetric amplitude, channel gradient, and density. Drainage, allied to the existence of erosive processes, favors sediment flow and transport. Conservation actions are required to control erosion.

Análise temporal do NDVI como ferramenta para o planejamento do ecoturismo na APA do Rio Pandeiros, norte de Minas Gerais


 O turismo ecológico tem se mostrado capaz de melhorar o entendimento da população acerca dos benefícios da conservação ambiental. Para que isso seja feito, é necessário dar condições adequadas ao visitante, de maneira que a experiência vivida seja a melhor possível. Neste sentido, a gestão de unidades de conservação passa pelo planejamento minucioso acerca dos melhores períodos para visitação. Assim, objetivou-se analisar o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada para a APA do Rio Pandeiros de modo a contribuir para o planejamento do ecoturismo no local. Foram consideradas imagens do satélite Landsat-8 obtidas mensalmente entre agosto de 2016 e agosto de 2018. Os dados foram processados utilizando-se o software QGis e os resultados foram correlacionados com o regime pluviométrico da região. Foi possível observar uma estreita relação entre a condição da vegetação e a quantidade de chuva ocorrida. Para o período de junho a outubro, há maior concentração de vegetação mais esparsa e para os meses de dezembro até abril há maior concentração de vegetação densa, nos dois períodos analisados. Conclui-se que é possível utilizar o índice de vegetação por diferença normalizada para indicar períodos de visitação turística no local, permitindo um planejamento de viagem que atenda as demandas do visitante em relação às cenas paisagísticas que serão contempladas.

Análise das mudanças na vegetação nativa da APA Lago de Palmas

Neste estudo propõe-se conhecer a dinâmica da vegetação de Cerrado e Floresta Estacional, no período de 2000 a 2017, na Área de Preservação Ambiental (APA) Lago de Palmas, utilizando-se imagens do satélite Landsat e o software livre Spring 5.5.3. Foram construídos dois mapas temáticos da área estudada para estimar, por meio de análise comparativa, o processo de substituição da vegetação nativa, utilizaram-se os métodos Maxver e Isoseg para as classes de cobertura da terra: Vegetação nativa – Mata densa, Vegetação nativa – Campo, Solo exposto e Curso hídrico, na correção e validação recorreram-se às imagens históricas do Google Earth Pro. Os resultados indicam que houve uma perda de 38,56% da vegetação nativa, o centro urbano expandiu em uma proporção de 14 vezes, cerca de 10.760,13 ha foram inundados pelo reservatório da usina do Lajeado, resultando a perda de terra, árvores e biodiversidade. Infere-se que a APA não cumpre o papel previsto na legislação ambiental, pois sua ocupação é feita de forma desordenada, não existe plano de manejo, os mapeamentos indicam uma sistemática substituição da vegetação nativa por massa d’água, áreas agrícolas e de urbanização.

FAVORABLE IMPACTS OF A FRAGMENT OF ATLANTIC FOREST ON WATER QUALITY IN AN URBAN RIVER IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

The Jaguaribe river is entirely urban in its extent. It follows a convoluted course through the city of João Pessoa, the capital of the State of Paraíba. As with other urban water bodies in Brazil, the quality of its water is compromised by diffuse contaminations arising from a diverse array of poluting souces originating from diverse localities along its course. On the basis of hydric monitoring, accomplishede by the Superintendência de Administração do Meio Ambiente (SUDEMA), it was possible to infer that water quality is best in the stretch contained within the area of environmental preservation “Mata do Buraquinho”, today named Botanic Garden Benjamin Maranhão. This ecosystem, located in the central region of João Pessoa, provides several environmental services to the population living in this city, such as climatic regulation, genetic resources, biodiversity, recreation, and ecotourism, among others. It also produces positive impacts on the water quality of the river flowing through this preservation area. Data from chemical analyses were listed as temporal series (2006 to 2016), making it possible to compare two water sampling stations (JB01 e JB02). Alterations were recorded for some parameters, such as water color, turbidity, number of heat-toletant coliforms, and increase in dissolved water oxigen.

Genetic diversity of <i>Lippia rotundifolia</i> Cham. in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Lippia rotundifolia is an aromatic species, endemic from Campos rupestres and isolated by mountains. We aimed with the research to study the genetic variability of cha-de-pedestre ( Lippia rotundifolia Cham.) with natural occurrence in ten places of the State of Minas Gerais, from molecular markers of ISSR type. The places of collection were: Parque Estadual de Serra Nova; Parque Estadual Veredas do Peruacu; Aboboras community; Gigante community; edge of Rio do Peixe; environmental preservation area of Olhos d´agua; private property in Joaquim Felicio; Parque Estadual do Rio Preto; Sao Goncalo do Rio das Pedras and brook of Rio Tigre. After the establishment of the extraction and amplification of DNA fragments with primers ISSR, an array of genetic distance was built. From this matrix, we analyzed the genetic diversity index as the allelic frequency (Na and Ne), Shannos´s index (H´), polymorphism (PLP), heterozygosity (He) and gene flow (Nm). The result showed higher genetic variability within the population (93%). The genetic diversity index was low (He = 0.132; H´= 0.214; Na = 1.111; Ne = 1.183; PLP = 56.67%). In general the species have low genetic diversity. The greatest diversity in populations occurred with an average temperature of 20°C. The Rio Tigre showed higher genetic distance and isolation.

논산 개태사지의 국가문화재적 가치 및 종합정비방안 수립에 관한 연구

This study aims to analyze the status of the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan and the value of national cultural heritage associated with it, to work towards gaining the acceptance criteria to become state-designated cultural property and to propose a plan for comprehensive maintenance, a plan for the promotion of the project and a plan for the management and operation. The Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan has unprecedented advancements, and the condition of the remains are relatively good. It would be necessary to conduct digging/excavation surveys continuously in the future and ensure the dignity of the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan as a cultural asset. In addition, the Gaetaesa Temple Site has excellent historical and cultural values as treasure-class cultural heritage. Most temples had treasures taken out of them, so it is necessary to designate this site as a state-designated cultural property instead of a municipality-designated cultural heritage site, and to manage it systematically. Accordingly, this study investigated the history and historical facts about the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan through the analysis of literature, including old documents, old maps, related academic papers and books, and referred to the results of digging/excavation surveys, conducted up to six times since the first excavation survey conducted in 1986, in order to understand the status of the remains, ruins and the building sites excavated at the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan. In addition, this study analyzed the values of the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan, dividing them into the remains, relics and ruins, and set up the scope of the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan, the cultural property area (designated and protected areas) and the acceptance criteria for the construction work in the historical and cultural environment preservation area. This study proposed a plan for the comprehensive maintenance of the Gaetaesa Temple Site in Nonsan, a plan for the promotion of the project and a plan for the management and operation. It is necessary to carry out ongoing excavation investigations and to reflect the opinions of the residents for the purchase of land, to supplement the comprehensive maintenance plan, business promotion and management plans, and step-by-step business plans should be established in detail.

Descrição biométrica da espécie Trigona truculenta (Hymenoptera: Apidae) e transferência de nidificação em Belterra, Pará

The stingless bee Trigona truculenta, popularly known as "Sanharão" occurs in the Neotropical region and is considered a defensive bee, because it has an expressive population, with approximately 80,000 individuals, who have cutting jaws and defend themselves from their invaders with "bites ", Making management difficult. In this sense, the present work had the objective of performing the rescue and transfer of a nesting nest in an urban area of the municipality of Belterra, Pará, as well as to study the habit of nesting, providing subsidies for management programs and preservation of colonies of native bees. Information about the nest number and area of breeding discs, calving cell size (height, diameter), size of honey pots and pollen, volume of honey pots and weight of the pollen masses contained in the pots. The species has a very large nest structure, which size was 1.30 m long by 1.25 m wide, requiring considerable space for nesting, being able to be rescued and managed rationally for environmental conservation units. The nest was divided into six boxes, five with their breeding discs with real cells and princesses and a box with breeding discs and queen. These boxes were taken to an area of environmental preservation (APA). It was concluded that it is necessary to redeem species of native bees that do not present the potential for rational breeding, because they run the risk of destroying their swarms, causing an imbalance to the environment, since they provide an indispensable service, pollination.

First inventory of benthic mollusks associated with the reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo on Tinharé Island in northeastern Brazil

Abstract: The reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo are located in the Tinharé-Boipeba Environmental Preservation Area which was established in 1992 in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Despite this area has been created more than two decades ago, no study has provided knowledge on the invertebrate biodiversity associated with such reef ecosystems. The present investigation provides the first inventory of benthic mollusks associated with the reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo based on the collection of living specimens and fresh empty as well as some worn shells. Mollusks were sampled in January 2015 and August 2016 through intensive searches from the intertidal to shallow subtidal habitats of the reefs on three beaches of Morro de São Paulo. Taxonomic richness and biodiversity indices were analyzed. This rapid assessment of the malacofauna resulted in the determination of 84 species belonging to 44 families of gastropods as well as 13 species belonging to eight families of bivalves and one chiton (total: 98 species). Species richness was numerically dominated by members of the subclass Caenogastropoda. The families with the largest number of species were Ranellidae (5), Muricidae (6) and Marginellidae (7). Conus regius, Cypraecassis testiculus, Lobatus goliath, Strombus pugilis, Tonna galea, Turbinella laevigata and Vasum cassiforme are extremely vulnerable macrospecies in the region due to their commercial importance. Comparisons of the malacofauna composition between the study site and Abrolhos Bank were made from data published for this region. ACE and CHAO 1 estimated 133 mollusk species for the region. Despite the rapid assessment, the number of species discovered in the study area approached 73.6% of the estimated total number. The considerable number of mollusk species found in a relatively small area with insufficient sampling underscores the importance of the reef ecosystems of Morro de São Paulo as a one priority area for conservation on the coast of the state of Bahia, Brazil, for which the species richness of other invertebrate groups is virtually unknown.

Análise morfológica das aglomerações residenciais horizontais intramuros na Região Metropolitana de Campinas

O presente artigo objetiva analisar as aglomerações residenciais horizontais intramuros na Região Metropolitana de Campinas (RMC) inserida no Estado de São Paulo – Brasil. Por meio da lógica morfológica, o intuito é estabelecer padrões destes residenciais, bem como quantificá-los em cada um dos municípios da RMC, analisando as concentrações de cada padrão morfológico e as interações com rodovias e áreas verdes. Para tanto, num primeiro momento, é contextualizado o surgimento destas aglomerações residenciais na RMC e feita uma breve leitura legislativa sobre o tema. Em seguida, a metodologia contempla o que há de mais significativo no artigo, pois viabiliza o mapeamento de todas as aglomerações habitacionais intramuros horizontais e estabelece padrões morfológicos segundo variações de tamanho, características de construções e interferências no sistema viário e no tecido urbano. Após o mapeamento, foi possível analisar, por meio de mapas e gráficos, como é a distribuição destes padrões morfológicos e qual a relação deles com rodovias e áreas de preservação ambiental. Os resultados evidenciaram que, dentre os sete diferentes padrões de intramuros identificados, é predominante na RMC o padrão caracterizado por glebas fracionadas com a prévia intenção de se configurarem um empreendimento residencial intramuros. No que tange à relação com as vias urbanas e às áreas verdes, os mapas gerados revelaram que a maior parte destes padrões residenciais ocorre nas áreas periféricas das cidades e às margens de rodovias. Além disso, foi possível visualizar também a inevitável presença de áreas verdes protegidas nos residenciais intramuros, sendo os municípios de Campinas, Paulínia, Valinhos e Vinhedo os maiores exemplares desta relação.

Misguided policy may jeopardize a diverse South brazilian environmental protection area

Abstract: The Devonian Escarpment (DEEPA), located in the south of Brazil, represents an important area of environmental preservation composed by grasslands, gallery forests, as well as rock outcrops and archaeological sites. A law project (LP 527/2016), which suggests a reduction of the DEEPA area in approximately 70% of its original area (from 393,579 to 125,895 ha), is currently being processed in the Paraná State House of Representatives. Such reduction seems to be related to economic interests (mainly agriculture and mining) in the state of Paraná. If approved, LP 527/2016 will allow farmers to deliberately expand their activities, with the suppression of natural forest as main consequence. Additionally, loss of faunal diversity, contamination of water and soils, and alteration in nutrient cycles are expected, due the intensive use of agrochemicals. In addition to the direct environmental consequences, we expect the disappearance of areas of high geological interest, reducing local geodiversity, as well as substantial economic losses with ecotourism. Brazil is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, where it undertakes to develop strategies to prevent biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation by 2020. An approval of the LP would be contradictory, considering that there are few natural vegetation areas in this region of the country. We emphasize that the proposal of such projects goes against the sustainability in the country and disregard the scientific knowledge generated until then. Thus, it is necessary to develop regional and federal political objectives that guarantee economic development in a balanced way, considering the local bio and geodiversity, not the proposal of mechanisms that destroy them.

Cyanobacteria from a Brazilian subtropical freshwater water body

Due to the undeniable importance of the role that cyanobacteria play in different ecosystems, and the new discoveries and periodic changes in their taxonomic classification, the main objective of this research was a taxonomic update of the cyanobacteria recorded in an artificial, subtropical freshwater water body. This work also aimed at the knowledge of the geographic distribution and frequency of the species throughout the study period. The analyzed pond (called Basin 7) is located in an environmental preservation area called Braskem Environmental Station (29°51′57.3″S and 51°21′54.7″W), which is part of the “green belt” that surrounds the set of companies of the Southern Petrochemical Complex of Rio Grande do Sul state (Brazil). The studied samples were taken from May 2000 to December 2015, using a plankton net (30 µm), and floating thallus of cyanobacteria were collected directly by hand. Thirty-three species were identified and distributed in the orders Oscillatoriales (14), Synechococcales (12), Chroococcales (6) and Spirulinales (1). Phormidium Kutzing ex Gomont presented the highest species richness, with five species identified, and P. tergestinum (Kutzing) Anagnostidis & Komarek was the one with the highest frequency of occurrence (81.3%). Among the identified species, seven are especially important for being potentially toxic. Eucapsis pseudalpina Komarek & Hindak also stood out for its first recorded occurrence in Brazil, and Ancylothrix rivularis Martins & Branco, Arthrospira jenneri Stizenberger ex Gomont and Pannus cf. brasiliensis Malone et al. for their first recorded occurrence in Rio Grande do Sul state. For each species, diagnoses, basionyms and synonyms when appropriate, illustrations and comments are presented.

Environmental perception of fishermen: use and conservation of fisheries resources

Abstract: The principal aim was to assess the environmental perception of the fishermen, and implement educational activities, on an island in Brazil. Twelve people between the ages of 23 and 63 were interviewed, of whom 75% were male, and 58.33% did not complete their elementary education. Regarding social benefits, 33.33% receive a family allowance and 16.66% receive the so-called 'green allowance' (financial assistance to extremely poor families who live in areas of environmental preservation). Fishing remains the main economic activity (58.73%). The most common types of fishing gear are the 'zangarias' (41.66%) and 'muruadas' (41.66%), used to catch white shrimp (Litopenaeus schmitti), the main resource traded on the island (83.33%). All those interviewed reported a change in the size and weight of the catch in recent years (100%), and 75% attribute this to the types of trap used. Talks, films and booklets, as environmental education activities, contributed to community awareness. The population is familiar with the effects of fishing traps, and shows an interest in changing the situation.

The Territorial Dimension of Sewage Networks: the Case of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The urban suburbs of Brazilian cities have grown without an adequate sanitation infrastructure. Different social groups try to overcome these shortcomings seeking local sanitation alternatives at individual or community levels, contrasting with the universal model of sewage networks. This study was developed in the suburban neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to analyze the installation process of the sewage system under a territorial approach. Data facilitated the construction of territorial schemes related to conflicts during the implementation of sewage networks in this neighborhood, where middle class groups and favela residents coexist with environmental preservation areas, beaches and commercial activities. This work revealed the need for contextualized sanitation information made available by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and state sewage collection company, which conceal these conflicts or the representation of residents about their sanitation problems. Overlapping territorial managing functions should be considered as one of the factors responsible for the conflicts identified in the neighborhood. Further studies are suggested as methodological complementation and data update.

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis infection in wild small mammals in ecotourism area of Brazil.

Leishmaniases are parasitic diseases transmitted to mammalian hosts by sand fly vectors (Diptera: Psychodidae). Despite the increasing occurrence of visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis cases in urban centers, their transmission still occur primarily in wild environments and may be associated with professional activities and recreation, such as ecotourism. The Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Santuário do Caraça (RPPNSC) is one of the largest ecotourism attractions in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, and comprises an area of environmental preservation with 11,233 hectares presenting a transitional vegetation between Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. The present study describes the abundance of small mammals in RPPNSC, the isolation and identification of Leishmania in five wild animals. Small mammals were bimonthly trapped along 6 trails within the RPPNSC with 10 Tomahawk traps each. Two trails were located in peridomiciliary areas near tourist lodging facilities, and four trails were located at sites visited by tourists in forest areas. The most prevalent species were Akodon cursor, Cerradomys subflavus and Oligoryzomys nigripes. Six isolates of Leishmania were obtained from these animals and identified as Leishmania braziliensis through HSP70-PCR RFLP method. Leishmania spp. DNA was detected by kDNA-PCR method and isolated by biphasic culture. Studies point to some of the captured species as potential wild reservoirs of Leishmania, suggesting they may be involved in the transmission cycle in these wild environments.

Hemolymph and gill carbonic anhydrase are more sensitive to aquatic contamination than mantle carbonic anhydrase in the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a ubiquitous metalloenzyme of great importance in several physiological processes. Due to its physiological importance and sensitivity to various pollutants, CA activity has been used as biomarker of aquatic contamination. Considering that in bivalves the sensitivity of CA to pollutants seems to be tissue-specific, we proposed here to analyze CA activity of hemolymph, gill and mantle of Crassostrea rhizophorae collected in two tropical Brazilian estuaries with different levels of anthropogenic impact, in dry and rainy season. We found increased carbonic anhydrase activity in hemolymph, gill and mantle of oysters collected in the Paraíba Estuary (a site of high anthropogenic impact) when compared to oysters from Mamanguape Estuary (inserted in an area of environmental preservation), especially in the rainy season. CA of hemolymph and gill were more sensitive than mantle CA to aquatic contamination. This study enhances the suitability of carbonic anhydrase activity for field biomarker applications with bivalves and brings new and relevant information on hemolymph carbonic anhydrase activity as biomarker of aquatic contamination.