A climate-change vulnerability and adaptation assessment for Brazil's protected areas

Brazil hosts the largest expanse of tropical ecosystems within protected areas (PAs), which shelter biodiversity and support traditional human populations. We assessed the vulnerability to climate change of 993 terrestrial and coastal-marine Brazilian PAs by combining indicators of climatic-change hazard with indicators of PA resilience (size, native vegetation cover, and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition). This combination of indicators allows the identification of broad climate-change adaptation pathways. Seventeen PAs (20,611 km²) were highly vulnerable and located mainly in the Atlantic Forest (7 PAs), Cerrado (6), and the Amazon (4). Two hundred fifty-eight PAs (756,569 km²), located primarily in Amazonia, had a medium vulnerability. In the Amazon and western Cerrado, the projected severe climatic change and probability of climate-driven vegetation transition drove vulnerability up, despite the generally good conservation status of PAs. Over 80% of PAs of high or moderate vulnerability are managed by indigenous populations. Hence, besides the potential risks to biodiversity, the traditional knowledge and livelihoods of the people inhabiting these PAs may be threatened. In at least 870 PAs, primarily in the Atlantic Forest and Amazon, adaptation could happen with little or no intervention due to low climate-change hazard, high resilience status, or both. At least 20 PAs in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado, and Amazonia should be targeted for stronger interventions (e.g., improvement of ecological connectivity), given their low resilience status. Despite being a first attempt to link vulnerability and adaptation in Brazilian PAs, we suggest that some of the PAs identified as highly or moderately vulnerable should be prioritized for testing potential adaptation strategies in the near future.     

Small queens in the ant Ectatomma tuberculatum: a new case of social parasitism

Social parasites exploit the worker force of colonies of other social insects to rear their own young. Social parasitism occurs in several Hymenoptera and is particularly common in several tribes of the ant subfamilies Myrmicinae and Formicinae. Here, we document the occurrence of miniaturized queens (microgynes) in colonies of Ectatomma tuberculatum, an ant belonging to the subfamily Ectatomminae. Behavioral observations and genetic analyses show that microgynes concentrate their reproductive efforts almost exclusively on the production of sexual offspring (microgynes and males), whereas the regular, large queens (macrogynes) produce workers in addition to sexuals. According to mitochondrial and nuclear markers, gene flow between microgynes and macrogynes is extremely limited. Whereas the co-occurrence of microgynes and macrogynes in the related species Ectatomma ruidum constitutes an intraspecific polymorphism associated with alternative dispersal tactics, microgynes found in colonies of E. tuberculatum appear to be a distinct species and to represent the first case of social parasitism in the poneromorph subfamilies of ants.     

Discrete event simulation to aid decision-making and mitigation in solid waste management

This article aims to evaluate municipal solid waste (MSW) management schemes in order to promote sustainability and eco-efficiency, core elements in global mitigation strategies in both public and private policies. A discrete event simulation (DES) approach was used to integrate the economic, environmental, and social aspects related to aseptic carton packages (ACP) in Itajuba, Brazil. The simulated scenarios consider three alternatives for disposing ACP: landfills, recycling, and incineration with energy recovery. According to our findings, incineration alternatives are preferred from an eco-efficiency perspective, given the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions and due to the possibility of energy recover, which reinforces the contribution of this technology to promote sustainability as largely found in the international literature. Given the context of MSW management in Brazil, this represents a significant opportunity to increase the effectiveness of mitigation strategies adopted in the country. Taking into account that this is by far the least applied technology, the authors strongly advocate that global strategies for mitigation consider different approaches to integrate carbon dioxide (CO₂) emission reductions related to the entire MSW management system and its alternatives, thus advancing from a waste disposal-oriented system to a life cycle–oriented system.

     

A framework for assessment and monitoring of arthropods in a lowland tropical forest

By applying principles of adaptive management, and by using the valuable information that arthropods provide from assessment and monitoring programs, managers can identify and reduce possible impacts on biodiversity in development projects. In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity program worked together with Shell Prospecting and Development Peru to establish an adaptive management program to protect biodiversity in a natural gas exploration project in a Peruvian rainforest. In this paper, we outlined the conceptual steps involved in establishing an assessment and monitoring program for arthropods, including setting objectives, evaluating the results and making decisions. We also present the results of the assessment using some of groups of arthropods, and summarize the steps taken to identify appropriate groups for monitoring.     

Chemical monitoring and evaluation of the water quality of the Douro River at the Crestuma-Lever dam

Water taken from the Crestuma-Lever dam on the Douro River was evaluated considering the Portuguese Decree-law no. 236/98 of 1st August, 1998. This paper presents the metrological characteristics, validation of analytical methodologies and the data obtained from seasonal samplings. The test parameters selected are: temperature, pH, chloride, conductivity, carbon dioxide, alkalinity, hardness, oxidability, dissolved oxygen, BOD5, total suspended solids, sulfide, phosphate, silica, ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, sulfate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper and zinc. From data analysis we can conclude that the water presented the following characteristics: a pH situated in the neutral zone; a median mineralization; a medium hardness; well oxygenated water; and a carbonate hardness exclusively due to bicarbonates. The temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, chlorides, sulfates, copper, zinc and BOD5 were compared with the legal limits presented in annexes XXI and I of Decree-law 236/98. The results relating to total hardness, nitrites, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, aluminium, sulfides and oxidability were compared with the legal values in annex VI as there are no limits relating to these parameters in annexes XXI and I.     

巴西圣保罗州莫日-瓜苏河流流域中的汞:根据210Pb测年剖面估计的沿海泻湖与河流贡献之间的联系

引言 莫日-瓜苏河位于纳斯吉拉斯州,海拔高1450m.流淌470km后,该河流注入圣保罗州的帕尔杜河.其流域总面积为1400km2,其中有86%位于圣保罗州,包括一个工业化地区[1].     

Software as a bridge between theory and practice in life cycle assessment

Three mutually dependent elements are required for the application of life cycle assessment: methodology, data and software. Obviously, the design of software is determined by the methodology and the type of data available. Conversely, the development of software dictates the way in which data should be collected and recorded, and improves the theoretical framework, as it forces one to state the principles clearly and unambiguously. The influence of the development of software on both data and methodology is addressed and illustrated by examples, with reference to two key terms: transparency and explicitness. Three types of influence are distinguished: the design of a protocol, the formulation in terms of recipes, and the presentation of data.     

莫桑比克的海洋生物学研究:过去、现在及未来

本文概述了莫桑比克包括渔业在内的海洋生物学研究的发展情况.莫桑比克的海岸线约为3000km,海洋的生物资源在莫桑比克的社会中起着重要的作用,主要是作为人们的蛋白质来源以及收入和出口创汇的来源.     

精密模锻模具设计

先从三种角度 :锻造设备和工作条件 ,钢材的加热温度和凹模结构形式对精密模锻模具进行分类 ;然后从六个方面讨论精密模锻模具设计要点模膛设计 ,凹模尺寸设计和强度计算 ,凸模尺寸和强度计算 ,模具的导向装置 ,顶出装置及飞边槽尺寸的设计     

精密模锻件的设计要点

讨论了精密模锻件的分类密集形状的锻件、盘形锻件和长杆形锻件 ,以及精密模锻件的设计要点精密模锻件的机械加工余量、尺寸精度和表面粗糙度、分模面的选择、模锻斜度、圆角半径、肋的设计和腹板厚度的设计