Natural Patrimony Research Articles

Chemical and Physical Characterization of Swift Guano in Quartzitic Karst Landscape in Brazil

The Private Reserve of Natural Patrimony (RPPN) of the Santuário of Caraça is found in a mountain region within the Quadrilátero Ferrífero geological province in the State of Minas Gerais. In this region, intense metamorphic processes shaped their siliciclastic rocks, enabling the formation of fractures and diaclasis, the favourite routes of weathering during the development of karst landscapes. The natural cavities thus formed, mainly in the RPPN sector called “Pico do Inficionado”, provide shelter for countless swifts of the species Streptoprocne zonaris and S. biscutata, responsible for the accumulation of guano on the floor. However, guano is a substance rich in nutrients, mainly phosphates and nitrates, and this is the main nutrient supply in permanently dry caves. This work studied the physical (density) and chemical (organic carbon, nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, calcium, magnesium, aluminium and pH) characteristics of 21 guanos layers, correlating their contents with the depth of seven deposits and separating the results into factors. Considering that, knowing that the guano deposits contain crucial elements such as Ca, Mg, and especially P and N, which act as an energy source for many chemotrophic organisms, the subdivision of the studied elements allowed us to defer three factors: the first one features the concentrations of Al, P, K, Na and CO, the second one was determined for N, pH and density. Finally, the third factor was based on Ca and Mg. The quartzitic material influences the chemical and physical composition of the deepest guano. As the rock changes, elements like Al and K are released and enrich the deeper layers, as well as increasing density due to the presence of sand in the material.

Air Quality at Ponta Delgada City (Azores) Is Unaffected so Far by Growing Cruise Ship Transit in Recent Years

The ease of travel allowed by contemporary means of long-range transportation has brought increasingly higher numbers of visitors to remote and relatively undisturbed insular territories. In a framework of environmental conservation of the natural patrimony, sustainably accommodating touristic flooding and the associated polluting footprint poses a demanding challenge. Over the past decade, Ponta Delgada, the largest city of the mid-Atlantic Azores archipelago, has become a hotspot for transatlantic cruise ship (CS) lines in spring and autumn. CSs are substantial contributors to the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), as well as hazardous sulphur (SOx) and nitrogen (NOx) oxides. It is hereby retrospectively investigated whether the background levels of air pollutants were raised following the CS influx at Ponta Delgada, which conventionally displays great air quality. The daily CS traffic at the local harbor was associated with the daily concentrations of air pollutants (SO2, O3, NO2, NOx, PM10 and PM2.5), monitored by the local urban background monitoring station (~1.3 km northwards). Exceedances above daily legislated limits from 2013 until 2020 only occurred sporadically for PM10 and PM2.5, often during episodes of natural dust storms. No major correlation was found between CS parameters with the recorded values of pollutants, although a noticeable signal of NOX increase of southern origin is observed during spring days with CS presence. Daily data suggest CS influx has not strongly influenced background air quality. A near-source, real-time monitoring network should be implemented in the city to provide the necessary spatial and temporal resolution for tracking short-term fluctuations in air pollutants during CS arrivals and departures.

Sovereignty at Sea: the United States, Ecuador, and the Fisheries Dispute in the Eastern Tropical Pacific, 1945–75

Abstract In the early 1970s, violent encounters between Ecuador’s navy and U.S. fishermen off the coast of South America reignited a long-running dispute over tuna fisheries in the region. The dispute centered on a basic question about who could fish in the waters off Ecuador’s coast. U.S. fishermen believed they had a right to fish the area, while Ecuadorians understood the waters as their natural patrimony. Yet despite this heated debate, U.S. and Ecuadorian officials appeared willing to settle the dispute. Nevertheless, repeated attempts at diplomatic negotiations failed to produce a durable solution. The difficulty owed in large part to the ocean environment itself. Competing conceptions of the ocean and a range of conflicting interests together frustrated diplomatic efforts. Ultimately, the fisheries dispute between the United States and Ecuador demonstrates how the environment can complicate international relations.

HUSH app: digital tools to explore the natural patrimony of urban areas

In recent years, urban trekking and geotourism have gained relevance in the tourism industry. This has been accompanied by an increasing use of digital tools and techniques for developing immersive touristic experiences. The HUSH project aim is to enhance and disseminate the scientific and naturalistic heritage of urban areas by means of a mobile application. The naturalistic and geological components with relevant scientific value are first identified and tagged as Points of Interest (POIs). Then, high quality multimedia contents are created for each of them. Using the HUSH app and implementing Augmented Reality techniques, users can explore these contents by framing the POIs with their device. They can decide which POIs they want to visit by using keyword-search, by selecting a predefined path or by means of ‘intelligent search’, which applies data mining techniques to users’ data. Moreover, they can propose the addition of new POIs by using the Scientific Reporter tool and rate POIs they visit.

A ESPACIALIDADE RURAL DAS RESERVAS PARTICULARES DO PATRIMÔNIO NATURAL (RPPN) NO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO

Desde a Eco-92, diferentes dispositivos regulatórios, alinhados a emergentes diretrizes de ordenamento territorial e ambiental, foram elaborados para disciplinar os usos da terra no espaço rural nacional, com repercussões específicas em cada unidade da federação. Nesse contexto, o presente trabalho analisou as dinâmicas territoriais responsáveis pela expansão de Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) no estado do Rio de Janeiro. As redefinições paisagísticas derivaram de práticas espaciais indicativas de novas territorialidades, (re)funcionalizações e ressignificações do espaço rural fluminense. Enfoques metodológicos qualitativo e misto foram adotados para a interpretação de dados secundários e primários, estes últimos recolhidos em campo a partir de uma amostra de cinquenta proprietários rurais. Os resultados desenrolaram uma trama de intencionalidades e compensações responsáveis por mudanças nos mosaicos regionais de uso e cobertura da terra, tais como: o incremento de áreas florestais para preservação, apreciação paisagística e remuneração por serviços ambientais. O crescimento de unidades de conservação privadas foi favorecido por conjunturas sócio-políticas a partir das quais identificamos uma particular densidade institucional de processos territorializantes, representados pela permeabilidade de projetos, programas – ICMS Verde, Produtor de Águas e Florestas, Conexão Mata Atlântica, Rio Rural, Programa de Incentivo às RPPNs – e agentes institucionais direta ou indiretamente envolvidos – APN/RJ, SERPPN, ICMBio, AMLD e outros – na difusão da referida categoria de área protegida, incentivando, portanto, novos caminhos para o desenvolvimento e a sustentabilidade rural.

Correção Geométrica de Imagens CBERS-4/PAN com Modelos Generalizados Usando como Referência Dados do Sistema Nacional de Gestão Fundiária

As imagens orbitais vêm sendo amplamente empregadas em diversas aplicações no contexto de observação da Terra, as quais exigem diferentes níveis de detalhamento e de acurácia posicional. O Programa CBERS (China–Brazil Earth Resources Satellite Program) originou-se de uma parceria entre Brasil e China no setor técnico-científico espacial. O satélite CBERS-4 é o quinto satélite do Programa CBERS e contém o sensor PAN, que coleta imagens pancromáticas com elemento de resolução espacial (GSD – Ground Sample Distance) de 5 m. Os estudos relacionados à análise da confiabilidade posicional e correção geométrica de imagens CBERS-4 ainda são limitados. Estudos prévios com imagens CBERS-4 PAN com diferentes níveis de processamento indicam deslocamentos posicionais significativos das imagens georreferenciadas, disponibilizadas pelo INPE (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais), incompatíveis com o seu GSD. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desse trabalho consistiu em investigar a aplicação de modelos matemáticos generalizados na correção geométrica de imagens CBERS-4 PAN usando limites das propriedades rurais do INCRA (Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária) como pontos de controle. Destaca-se que esses limites estão disponíveis para propriedades de todo o Brasil, o que possibilita a replicação do trabalho em nível nacional. Foram consideradas imagens com diferentes níveis de correção prévia (níveis 1 e 2). As imagens de nível 1 são resultantes apenas da aplicação de procedimentos de calibração radiométrica, enquanto as de nível 2 são imagens de nível 1 corrigidas geometricamente a partir de informações de dados orbitais do satélite. Nos experimentos, considerou-se 3 (três) imagens no nível 1 e 1 (uma) imagem no nível 2. Adotaram-se os seguintes modelos generalizados: Polinomiais de ordem 1, 2 e 3; Projetiva e; Thin Plate Spline (TPS). Os modelos generalizados têm por vantagem não exigir o conhecimento dos parâmetros de aquisição do sistema, como a distância focal, o tamanho do sensor, dentre outras. Entretanto, exigem quantidade significativa de pontos de controle com distribuição uniforme ao longo da imagem. Para o processo de correção geométrica utilizou-se diferentes configurações de pontos de controle (30, 25, 20, 15 e 10) coincidentes com os limites das propriedades rurais georreferenciadas no Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, que apresentam acurácia superior a 50 cm. A validação da correção geométrica foi realizada a partir do REQM (Raiz quadrado do Erro Quadrático Médio) nos pontos de verificação. A transformação Polinomial de ordem 1 apresentou valores elevados (maior que 10 GSD – 50 metros) de REMQ quando comparado aos demais modelos matemáticos, mesmo considerando 30 pontos de controle. O modelo Polinomial de ordem 2 apresentou comportamento mais consistente se comparado aos demais modelos. Mesmo ao considerar apenas 10 GCP apresentou REQM entre 1 e 2 GSD. Nesse modelo não há melhora significativa nos resultados mesmo aumentando a quantidade de pontos de controle. Nos demais modelos (TPS, Projetiva e Polinomial de ordem 3), verificou-se um aumento significativo no REQM ao se reduzir a quantidade de pontos. As imagens utilizadas nesse trabalho recobrem parte do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, o qual engloba a maior parte do Pantanal, considerado patrimônio natural da humanidade. Essas imagens orbitais, portanto, podem contribuir para o mapeamento e monitoramento de seus recursos naturais e, consequentemente, na proteção desse patrimônio.

Hurricane Maria and its Impact on the Zoological and Botanical Collections of the University of Puerto Rico

With a total of more than 150,000 specimens, the 85-year old collections of insects and terrestrial, freshwater, and marine invertebrates of the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (UPRM), western Puerto Rico, are among the most significant repositories for these groups in the Caribbean region. Located in Mayagüez and on Magueyes Island, these collections were created by outstanding insect and invertebrate specialists working in Puerto Rico and surrounding islands. Holdings are particularly strong in the Hemiptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Collembola, Crustacea, Mollusca, Echinodermata, and Cnidaria. Collecting and curatorial activities, initiated in the 1920s, were maintained throughout the 1980s, resulting in many taxonomically and historically valuable records for the region. From 1990 to 2005, the invertebrate collections were increasingly neglected, with certain parts scattered throughout multiple buildings and rooms, inaccessible, or inadequately stored and at risk of becoming damaged or lost. The support for these collections was not sustained at high levels due to a variety of factors, including changes in the research profile of new academic appointments and the shortsightedness of administrators to fully understand the cultural, educational and scientific value of the museum holdings. With the exception of a federal grant through NSF - DBI (National Science Foundation - Biological Research Collections - PI Frantz - 2007-2010), which initiated a flurry of Museum related activities to improve the deteriorating museum facilities throughout the UPRM campus, the Museum collections are now facing even more challenges, some anthropogenic and very recently, some natural. Major Hurricane Maria (Category 4), delivered a devastating blow to the island of Puerto Rico on 20 September 2017. Both terrestrial and marine ecosystems were heavily impacted. Extensive structural damage to roads, telecommunications, water systems, the energy grid and approximately 60,000 houses/buildings made Hurricane Maria the most damaging Hurricane (estimated cost ~ 90 billion dollars) in the USA after Katrina and Harvey. Flooding caused by the direct impact of Hurricane Maria (5 to 40 inches of rain fell during the first 48 hours in Puerto Rico) and subsequent extensive loss of electricity caused unfavorable conditions for the collections. The University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez closed for approximately 45 days and limited electricity, if any, was available through diesel generators. High levels of humidity and heat can cause further structural damage as well as favor the growth of fungus in enclosed areas of UPRM, including the Museums. Efforts to safeguard the collections will be outlined here to ensure the collections remain a valuable natural asset of the people of Puerto Rico as part of their natural patrimony and as an irreplaceable education tool.

Distorting the utopia of sustainability and eco-tourism: defense from the indigeneous perspective

The world should no longer postpone the renewal of paradigms. The urgency is oriented to serve two of the priority issues of worldwide interest: environmental deterioration and the civilization/dehumanization crisis, where greater interest is put in recovering the harmony with nature, in order to promote life and ensure its reproduction. Paraphrasing Houtart (2011), it is about achieving the Well-Being of the humankind, which implies, as a first step, the respect for the integrity of Nature, as a source of life. In this orientation and as an effort to add to this movement, the aim of this paper focuses on the resistance and protecting expressions witnessed in the ecological ejidal Ojo de Agua de Ballesteros, Salvatierra, Guanajuato, which by promoting the ejidal ecological tourism, is actually doing no more than preserving its property and natural patrimony and thus the sustainability of its environmental offer. The research methodology is based on the Participative Action Research, through the application of guided in-depth interviews, case studies, elaboration of diagnostics and participative observation. As one of the main result of this survey, we show how the collective action among his actors is fundamental to build a rural sustainability, as a mean of assuming a global ecological mission.

Research Article Genetic structure and diversity of <i>Senefeldera verticillata</i> (Euphorbiaceae) in semideciduous seasonal forest fragments

Senefeldera verticillata (Euphorbiaceae) is a species that exclusively occurs in the Atlantic Forest; it is used in the restoration and recovery of degraded areas and has therapeutic uses. Due to the scarcity of information on genetic patterns of this species, genetic diversity was characterized by the use of molecular markers, Inter Simple Sequence Repeats (ISSR). Leaf samples were collected from two populations located in the National Forest (FLONA) of Pacotuba and in the Private Reserve of Natural Patrimony (RPPN) Cafundo. Twelve ISSR primers were used, resulting in 179 amplification products, with 76% polymorphic bands. The genetic diversity values of Nei (H’) and Shannon index (I) were 0.329 and 0.503, respectively. The estimated historical gene flow among the fragments was high (Nm = 13.542). Molecular analysis of variance showed that most of the genetic diversity is within conservation units (95%), with genetic differentiation among populations considered moderate (ΦST = 0.0501). Thus we propose conservation of genetically dissimilar individuals in the two localities, so that the existing variability is preserved. Six groups were identified by the unweighted arithmetic means clustering method, in which 30 matrices of both fragments were collected in a single group. Bayesian analysis indicated that there is a small degree of genetic variation among populations, though organization of groups by locality was not confirmed by the STRUCTURE software. We were able to identify genetic divergence among the trees evaluated in these conservation units, demonstrating the usefulness of the ISSR markers. In addition, this information could help in the adoption of strategies for the selection of respresentative specimens to compose a seed bank of native forest species of the state of Espirito Santo

First report of Coelomomyces santabrancae sp. nov. (Blastocladiomycetes: Blastocladiales) infecting mosquito larvae (Diptera: Culicidae) in central Brazil.

A project from 2013 to 2017 sought to discover pathogenic fungi and oomycetes from dipteran species that are vectors of major diseases of humans and animals in central Brazil and to begin evaluating the potential of these pathogens as potential biological control agents concentrated on mosquito larvae. Some collecting sites proved to be especially productive for pathogens of naturally occurring mosquito species and for placements of healthy sentinel larvae of Aedes aegypti in various sorts of containers in a gallery forest in the Santa Branca Ecoturismo Private Reserve of Natural Patrimony (RPPN) near Terezópolis de Goiás (GO). Collections during May-April of 2016 and February 2017 yielded a few dead mosquito larvae of an undetermined Onirion sp. (Culicidae: Sabethini) whose hemocoels contained many ovoid, thick-walled, yellow-golden to golden-brown, ovoid thick-walled resistant sporangia, 38.3±4×22.8±2.3µm, decorated by numerous, closely and randomly spaced punctations of variable size and shape. These were the first indisputable collections from Brazil of any Coelomomyces species. Comparisons of the morphology of these sporangia with those of other species of Coelomomyces, confirmed that this Brazilian fungus represented a new species that is described here as Coelomomyces santabrancae.

El páramo de Santurbán, donde el agua es oro

456 variedades de plantas, 293 especies de fauna, 26 lagunas cristalinas, paisajes majestuosos y un penetrante frío es la rica oferta del Páramo de Santurbán, asentado en 99.000 hectáreas en alturas entre los 3.000 y 4.400 msnm, en los Departamentos de Santander y Norte de Santander de Colombia, es un patrimonio natural asentado en la cordillera andina que vale infinitamente más que el oro de su subsuelo.

Diseño y evaluación de herramientas lúdicas de aprendizaje socio-ambiental para identificar actitudes, motivaciones y decisiones de la juventud rural campesina contemporánea

The current and potential relationship of contemporary rural youth with the agricultural and natural patrimony (PAN, according to its Spanish initials) that they will inherit is little known, but vitally important. In this study, we designed, adapted, and evaluated a variety of socio-environmental learning tools in order to identify and reflect on the opinions, actions, and motivations of 14 to 17 year olds in an area of the Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in Chiapas, Mexico to use their PAN in the future. The methodological approach consisted of exploring discourses using the Q method and three original table games (Mi territorio ideal, El carga palito y Manantiales de la Sierra). 46 teens were shown how to use these four tools, their use was monitored in workshops, and results were recorded and statistically analyzed. These tools allowed a) identifying at least four discourses of the teens regarding the use of their PAN, and b) reveal to the teens the preferences for land use, levels of diversification and intensification, and their disposition toward behaviors of dominance/subordination, competition, cooperation, coordination, equity, and solidarity that emerge from their decision making regarding PAN. Participants said they understood and enjoyed these tools, and that they learned about their own motivations. Together, these materials conform a dynamic educational approach that allows teachers and students to identify external and internal motivations, conservation behavior, intensification and diversification for managing PAN, attitudes of dominance and equity among teens, and preferences towards individual or collective working. This proposal is innovative, participatory, dynamic, and contextualized, and has great potential to be incorporated in the middle school curriculum in the study area and in similar rural regions of Mexico, as well as in the rest of Latin America and the world.

New records of mites (Acari: Spinturnicidae) associated with bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in two Brazilian biomes: Pantanal and Caatinga.

A first survey of mite species that ectoparasitize bats in the states of Ceará and Mato Grosso was conducted. The specimens of bats and their mites were collected in areas of the Caatinga and Pantanal biomes. A total of 450 spinturnicids representing two genera and ten species was collected from 15 bat species in the Private Reserve of the Natural Patrimony Serra das Almas, Ceará State, Northeast Brazil and 138 spinturnicids represented by two genera and four species were found in seven bats species collected in Private Reserve of the Natural Patrimony Sesc Pantanal, Mato Grosso State, Central-Western Brazil. The occurrence of Cameronieta genus and the species Mesoperiglischrus natali as well as four new associations (Periglischrus iheringi - Chiroderma vizottoi; P. micronycteridis - Micronycteris sanborni; P. paracutisternus - Trachops cirrhosus; Spinturnix americanus - Myotis riparius) are registered for the first time in Brazil.

Geotecnologia e Ecologia da Paisagem no Monitoramento da Fragmentação Florestal

RESUMO Objetivou-se diagnosticar e analisar a conectividade estrutural da paisagem fragmentada no entorno da Unidade de Conservação Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural Cafundó, propondo a restauração por Corredores Ecológicos. O mapeamento do uso e cobertura da terra e dos índices de ecologia da paisagem possibilitou detectar, analisar e compreender a estrutura da paisagem. Esses índices foram obtidos por meio do software TerraView, dentro do plugin GeoDMA, para as 10 classes mapeadas. No período estudado (1970 e 2007) verificaram-se poucas mudanças no uso e ocupação da terra, predominando a matriz pastagem em ambas as datas. A delimitação do Corredor Ecológico pelo método Processo Hierárquico Analítico utilizou cada classe mapeada para definir o peso relativo de sua instalação. Os resultados demonstraram um aumento da fragmentação da paisagem, sendo possível delimitar um Corredor Ecológico de menor custo como alternativa para aumentar a conectividade entre Unidades de Conservação.

Capacidad de regeneración natural del bosque de manglar del Estero Tortuga, Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Este estudio se realizó entre Febrero 2011 y Enero 2012, en el bosque de mangle del Estero Tortuga. Se establecieron un total de seis parcelas, de 9 m2 cada una, con el fin de evaluar el porcentaje de supervivencia y la tasa de crecimiento de las plántulas de Rhizophora racemosa (G. Mey.) y Pelliciera rhizophorae (Triana & Planch.). Al final del estudio todas las parcelas presentaron un 100% de mortalidad, lo que indica que la zona no está reclutando árboles jóvenes y por lo tanto no se está regenerando naturalmente. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que la baja influencia de la marea, la baja salinidad del manto freático y la alta tasa de deposición de sedimentos, son las causas de la nula supervivencia de las plántulas y del deterioro de los individuos adultos. Se realizó un análisis comparativo de las zonas de manglar declaradas Patrimonio Natural de Estado y el ecosistema de manglar del Estero Tortuga, el cual muestra que existen áreas que no se encuentran protegidas bajo esta categoría. Se recomienda actualizar esta información con el fin de contar con un registro preciso sobre la ubicación de los manglares de la zona. Además, es prioritario que se aborde el manejo de la cuenca Térraba Sierpe, con el fin de disminuir la cantidad de sedimentos que se depositan en los manglares de la zona.

Árboles monumentales: un patrimonio natural no reconocido en Chile

This study defines and discusses the natural patrimony represented by monumental trees, i.e. large old trees of native tree species from Chile. These trees should be preserved because they: 1) foster natural fascination, 2) are rarities of nature, 3) provide ecosystem services, 4) allow the study of individual adaptations, 5) represent a biocultural patrimony and 6) have been strongly exploited. It is proposed to conduct a national survey of monumental trees and develop policy instruments to protect these trees.

Detection and analysis of historical variations in the shoreline, using digital aerial photos, satellite images, and topographic surveys DGPS: case of the Bejaia bay (East Algeria)

The Bejaia coastline is one of the most beautiful and attractive coastlines in Algeria; this is due to its landscape and ecological diversity running along it. The eastern coast of Bejaia is formed by a wide stretch of sand, occupying the bottom of the bay. Its beaches are fed by sediments carried by two main wadis that debouch into the bay: Soummam in the west and Agrioun in the east. The undertaken work in this article focuses on the study of coastal erosion, which has a significant damage on the natural patrimony. This erosion risk in perpetual evolution, by location, is dramatically affecting the beautiful sandy beaches and various infrastructures over all the coast length of the Bejaia bay. In order to map and evaluate this risk, a methodological approach has been followed. This approach is mainly based on a diachronic variation analysis in the position of the shoreline over a period of 60 years; based on a series of ortho-rectified aerial photos, satellite images, as well as DGPS topographic surveys on the ground. The results revealed significant variations in the position of the shoreline during the last 60 years, especially on both sides of Soummam and Agrioun wadis. The most observed retreat of the shoreline is in the western part of the coast, where the rate of evolution reached −7.89 m/year (beach of Sidi Ali Lebhar), whereas the shoreline retreat reached −1.75 m/year in the center of the bay and −2 m/year toward the east.

Mapeo de ambientes en el Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, Provincia de Santa Cruz – Argentina (Glaciar Upsala y Perito Moreno), mediante datos ópticos y radar e integración en un SIG

El Parque Nacional los Glaciares se encuentra ubicado en la región conocida como Andes Australes del territorio argentino, al sudoeste de la provincia de Santa Cruz, en el límite con Chile, el mismo fue declarado “Patrimonio Mundial” por la UNESCO en el año 1981. Gran parte de este Parque estuvo cubierto por glaciares y los ríos de hielo dieron forma al paisaje con montañas de laderas abruptas y amplios valles. Actualmente, los hielos ocupan una superficie total aproximada de 2.600 km2, con 47 glaciares mayores. El área de estudio corresponde al Glaciar Perito Moreno, ubicado sobre el Brazo Sur del Lago Argentino, al Glaciar Upsala, ubicado sobre el Brazo Norte del mismo lago y a las áreas aledañas a los mismos. El uso de geotecnologías basado en la utilización de información satelitaria representa una alternativa de importancia práctica como herramienta de monitoreo y evaluación de recursos naturales. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar un mapeo temático de los recursos naturales presentes en el área, para identificar y caracterizar los tipos de ambientes y las unidades fisonómicas forestales nativas, generando una cartografía temática de las unidades identificadas. Para generar dicha cartografía se utilizó información correspondiente a imágenes radar (RADARSAT-2, polarimétricas), en combinación con imágenes ópticas Landsat 5 TM; se utilizaron técnicas de procesamiento digital, clasificaciones multiespectrales y análisis polarimétricos, integrando los datos de radar y ópticos, aprovechando el aporte que ofrecen ambas tecnologías. La cartografía temática generada será integrada en un SIG territorial.Revista Ciencias Espaciales, Volumen 8, Número 1 Primavera, 2015; 327-343

Cambios en el cauce y el llano de inundación del río Ebro (Aragón) en los últimos 80 años

El curso medio del río Ebro ha asistido en los últimos 80 años a notables cambios, tanto en el trazado de su cauce menor como en los usos del suelo del llano de inundación. Se han analizado los cambios observados entre las fotografías aéreas de 1927, 1957 y 1998. Han sido frecuentes la ampliación de sinuosidades y la migración y corta de meandros. Ha habido un progresivo y considerable descenso de la superficie ocupada por el cauce inundado y las barras de grava sin colonización vegetal, reduciéndose notablemente la anchura del corredor ribereño en beneficio de usos humanos. La ralentización y casi eliminación de la dinámica del cauce del Ebro de meandros libres constituye una destacable pérdida de patrimonio natural.

Seleção de geossítios para uso turístico no parque estadual do Ibitipoca/MG (PEI): uma proposta a partir de metodologias de avaliação numérica

The creation of conservation units permits, among others, the valuing of the natural patrimony. This valuing process is associated to the way society perceives patrimony, which, consequently, is attached to the value attributed to it. The act of attributing value to a patrimony, be it natural or cultural, emerges, initially, from the understanding of the importance of such patrimony. This understanding, specifically in the conservation units, depends on environmental education and interpretation actions. Such study has as main objective the selection of geosites for touristic purpose at the Ibitipoca State Park, from the numeric evaluation methodology. That selection is relevant once it will direct, in post studies to be held by the current authors, the actions of valuing and publicizing of the geological patrimony to be implemented in the park.