Orientadora: Luciene Cristina Risso / Banca: Salvador Carpi Junior / Banca: André Luiz Pinto / Resumo: O presente estudo é fruto de investigação acerca da percepção da população que possui vivência em dois bairros na área rural do município de São José do Rio Pardo-SP, atentando para o meio em que vivem pela perspectiva da experiência, identificando situações de riscos ambientais que permeiam seu modus vivendi. O conceito de percepção, alicerce da aplicação e abordagem da metodologia de mapeamento ambiental participativo, abrange o arcabouço conceitual e teórico, pautado nas relações culturais, interligadas neste estudo sui generis, que estabelece uma nova relação entre as discussões culturais e sistêmicas. A integração participativa da população, no que tange às ações de cunho socioambiental, é um fator de prima importância no que se refere à qualidade de vida e permanência na área rural, uma vez que são inexpressivas as ações do poder público municipal no que se refere à atenção para criar condições para sua fixação no campo. Assim, questões ambientais, necessidades básicas, como saneamento, infraestrutura e acesso à saúde, relacionados a pequenos produtores são esquecidos por programas municipais - também esmiuçados neste estudo - através da análise crítica do Plano Diretor Municipal e de Desenvolvimento Rural Sustentável. Para concretizar tal trabalho, a parceria da Secretaria Municipal de Educação e Secretaria de Agricultura foi essencial para estabelecer elos com a população local. Em 2014 e 2015 foram realizadas reuniões públicas, nos bairros Água Fria e Sítio Novo de diferentes características socioeconômicas, onde riscos, potencialidades locais, bem como as necessidades de intervenção, conferiram dados identificados em depoimentos e questionários, culminando em uma construção cartográfica dos próprios participantes, produzindo um mapa final de riscos ambientais da área rural sudoeste do município. Diante das informações obtidas nas reuniões de mapeamento... / Abstract: The current study is result of investigation about the perception of the population living in two districts at the municipality of São José do Rio Pardo-SP, attempting to the environment that they live in by the perspective of experience, identifying situations of environmental risks that permeate their modus vivendi. The concept of perception, basis of application and approach of participative environmental mapping methodology, covers the conceptual and theoretical outline, guided in cultural relations, interconnected in this sui generis study, that establish a new relation between cultural and systemic discussions. The population's participative integration, with respect to socio-environmental actions, it's a factor of prime importance about life quality and the countryside permanence, once the municipal public power actions as regards attention to create conditions for their setting in the field are meaningless. Therefore, environmental issues, basic needs such as sanitation, infraestructure and access to health, related to small producers are forgotten by municipal programs - also scrutinized in this study - through the critical analysis of the Master Plan Municipal and Rural Sustainable Development. To concretize this work, the partnership with the Education Municipal Secretary and the Agriculture Secretary was essential to establish links with the local population. In 2014 and 2015 public meetings were held in the districts Água Fria and Sítio Novo with different socioeconomic characteristics, where risks, local potential, such as the needs of intervention, conferred data in testimonials and questionnaires, culminating in a cartographic construction by the participants themselves, producing a environmental risks final map from the municipality southwest rural area. In face of the informations obtained at the participative mapping meetings were done field works,that presented important results, by which was possible to understand... / Mestre

A Geografia desde a sua concepção como ciência tem no espaço geográfico, o seu principal objeto de estudo, o que nos permite analisar a dinâmica existente entre as relações que se estabelecem entre os diferentes grupos sociais, ao longo do tempo, e a sua materialização no espaço. Através de sua evolução histórica, a ciência geográfica contribuiu de forma significativa para a compreensão das consequências das ações que o homem como agente atuante e modificador do espaço pode acarretar sobre o ambiente natural, buscando analisar e orientar o seu planejamento. Sobre essa perspectiva, esta pesquisa toma como unidade de análise as Bacias Hidrográficas dos Arroios Juá e Caracol. A área de estudo está localizada na região nordeste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, a Sub-Bacia do Arroio Juá possui uma área de 12487,27 ha, com altitudes que variam entre 200 e 980 metros, abrange os municípios de Caxias do Sul e São Francisco de Paula. O arroio Juá é afluente direito do Rio Caí. O Arroio Caracol, com uma área total de 6631,89 ha, também integra a Bacia hidrográfica do Caí tem sua sub-bacia estendida pelos municípios de Canela e Gramado. Área de estudo desse projeto insere-se na região do Alto Caí sob influência dos remanescentes do Bioma Mata Atlântica no nordeste do estado Rio Grande do Sul. Objetivo principal deste estudo é avaliar e comparar, através da análise de fragilidade ambiental, o nível de intervenção antrópica e a situação ambiental das sub-bacias do Arroio Juá e Caracol, afluentes do Rio Caí, RS. Dessa forma a pesquisa busca fornecer, através de técnicas cartográficas, uma caracterização detalhada das fragilidades de cada sub-bacia. Fez-se uso dos procedimentos operacionais descritos por Ross (1994), quanto ao estudo das fragilidades potencial e emergente. O mapa de fragilidade ambiental gerado é resultado da interpolação dos mapas de uso da terra, declividade e tipo de solo. Por meio desse produto cartográfico pretende-se fornecer subsídios para identificação das áreas com fragilidade potencial e emergente e dessa forma, colaborar com um melhor planejamento do uso dor recursos naturais. / Geography since its conception as science has in geographic space, its main object of study, allowing us to analyze the dynamics between the relationships established between different social groups, over time, and its materialisation in space. Through their historical, geographical science has contributed significantly to the understanding of the consequences of actions the man acting as an agent and modifier of space can have on the natural environment, seeking to analyze and guide your planning. About this perspective, this research takes as its unit of analysis of the Basin Streams Juá and Caracol, a systemic and integrated approach of the various elements, processes and interactions. The study area is located in the northeastern state of Rio Grande do Sul, the Sub-Basin Brook Juá covers the cities of Caxias do Sul and São Francisco de Paula. It has an area of 12487.27 ago, with altitudes ranging between 200 and 980 meters. Juá The stream is a tributary of the River Fall. Arroyo Caracol which also includes the Fall River Basin sub-basin has its extended by the municipalities of Gramado and Canela, with a total area of 6631.89 for. Study area is part of this project in the Upper Fall under the influence of the remnants of Atlantic Forest biome in northeastern Rio Grande do Sul state goal of this study is to evaluate and compare, through analysis of environmental fragility, the level of intervention anthropogenic and environmental situation of the sub-basins and Juá Arroyo Caracol, Fall River tributaries, RS. Thus the research seeks to provide mapping techniques through a detailed characterization of the weaknesses of each sub-basin. Was use of the operating procedures described by Ross (1994), and the study of emerging and potential weaknesses. The map of environmental vulnerability is the result of interpolation generated maps of land use, slope and soil type. Through this cartographic product is intended to provide a basis for identifying areas with potential and emerging weakness and therefore, collaborate with a better plan to use pain natural resources.

A constatação de que muitos cemitérios, a maioria públicos, apresentam problemas e impactam o meio ambiente, poluindo o solo e as águas subterrâneas com contaminantes diversos, tem levado ao aumento dos estudos sobre essas potenciais fontes de poluição. No entanto, apesar de existirem metodologias para a constatação de contaminação do solo e das águas subterrâneas, não existem metodologias específicas, ou mesmo consagradas, para os processos de investigação e estabelecimento da área efetivamente contaminada, fazendo com que muitos sejam os critérios adotados para a investigação e diversificadas sejam as conclusões obtidas. Ainda, em relação à espacialização das plumas de contaminantes, raros são os resultados conclusivos, levando inclusive à preocupação sobre o comportamento dos vários contaminantes já conhecidos no solo, seu caminho até as águas subterrâneas e a real extensão dos impactos, em área e em efeitos deletérios à saúde pública. Este estudo visa demonstrar que a expansão da pluma de contaminantes, e sua área de abrangência, é agravada pela influência de fatores ambientais, físico-geográficos, a partir das características pedológicas, geomorfológicas e climáticas, associadas, dos locais onde estão (ou serão) implantados os cemitérios. Através de levantamento bibliográfico e de pesquisas empíricas foram correlacionadas determinadas características de relevo, clima e solo, presentes nos locais dos cemitérios, elaborando-se cenários de espacialização das plumas de contaminantes e sua possível escala de contaminação e de riscos socioambientais. Três áreas modelo foram selecionadas pelas suas características físico-geográficas diferenciadas e por trabalhos anteriores que definiram seus potencias de contaminação e algumas características físicas (geologia, hidrogeologia e outras): O cemitério de Vila Nova Cachoeirinha (PACHECO, 1991 e MATOS, 2001) e o cemitério de Vila Formosa (PACHECO, 1991), no município de São Paulo, e o cemitério de Areia Branca (PACHECO, 1991), no município de Santos. Concluímos que há influência dos fatores ambientais, físico-geográficos, principalmente do solo e da pluviosidade, na espacialização das plumas de contaminação oriundas dos cemitérios. / The finding that many cemeteries, mostly public, present problems and impact the environment, polluting the soil and groundwater with various contaminants, has led to an increase in studies on these potential sources of pollution. However, although there are methods for the realization of soil and groundwater contamination, there are no specific methodologies, or even dedicated to the research process and establishment of effectively contaminated area, causing many criterias to be the adopted for the research and diversifieds reached conclusions. Still, in relation to the spatial distribution of the plumes of contaminants, there are very few conclusive results, leading even to the concern about the behavior of various contaminants known on the ground, their way to the groundwater and the actual extent of impacts in the area and harmful effects to public health. This study aims to demonstrate that the expansion of the contaminant plume, and its coverage area is exacerbated by the influence of environmental, physical and geographical factors, from soil, geomorphological and climatic characteristics associated, on the places where cemeteries are (or will be) deployed. Through literature and empirical research were correlated certain prominent land relief, climate and soil characteristics, present in local cemeteries, creating spatial scenarios of contaminants plumes and their possible contamination scale and environmental risks. Three model areas were selected for their different physical-geographical characteristics and previous works that defined their potential contamination and some physical characteristics (geology, hydrogeology and others): The Vila Nova Cachoeirinha cemetery (PACHECO, 1991 and MATOS, 2001) and Vila Formosa cemetery (PACHECO, 1991), in São Paulo, and the cemetery of Areia Branca (PACHECO, 1991), in the city of Santos. We conclude that there is influence of environmental factors, physical geography, especially soil and rainfall, in the spatial distribution of contamination plumes coming from the cemeteries.

Em área classificada como área contaminada sob investigação, de acordo com os processos de investigação de áreas contaminadas da Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental (CETESB, 2001), no Município de Pirassununga (SP), foi instalado um processo de pesquisa objetivando avaliar possível contaminação do solo e das águas subterrâneas por sepultamento de carcaças de animais no solo. Foram instalados poços de monitoramento que permitiram a coleta de água para análise física, química e microbacteriológica, localizados a partir de sondagens geofísicas e estudos geológicos, geomorfológicos e pedológicos. Os resultados preliminares indicaram forte presença de microorganismos que, de acordo com os índices de potabilidade de águas estipulados pela Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA, 2005) e Ministério da Saúde (2004), implicam impactos ambientais e riscos à saúde pública. A partir de questões surgidas em campo e problemas técnicos encontrados, novas metodologias foram desenvolvidas e aplicadas, tendo, em uma primeira análise, se mostrado bastante eficazes. Essas novas metodologias incluem novos procedimentos de coleta e de acondicionamento e transporte das amostras de água e de solo. Os resultados obtidos nas análises das águas subterrâneas e do solo revelam que há uma expressiva contaminação por uma importante diversidade de microorganismos, alguns muito importantes para a saúde pública, como Salmonella sp e Clostridium perfringens, além de diversidade de outros patógenos de origem fecal. Também foram detectados esporos de bactérias mesófilas anaeróbias e de bactérias mesófilas aeróbias, que podem representar, no caso de contaminação causada por cadáveres de origem animal, patógenos importantes como o Clostridium botulinum e o Bacillus anthracis, que representam risco epidemiológico e morte. Estes dados, interpretados em conjunto com as interpretações pedológicas e climáticas, revelam que há uma notável possibilidade de que esses contaminantes estejam sendo transportados a distâncias consideráveis, para além da área de sepultamento de cadáveres e partes de animais. / In the area classified as contaminated area under investigation, according to the procedures for investigation of contaminated areas of the Technology and Environmental Sanitation Company (CETESB, 2001), in the city of Pirassununga (SP), was installed a research process to evaluate possible soil and groundwater contamination by animal carcasses burial on the ground. Monitoring wells were installed that allowed the collection of water for physics, chemistry and microbacteriological analysis, located from geophysical surveys and geological, geomorphological and soil studies. Preliminary results show a strong presence of microorganisms that, according to the indices of drinking water stipulated by the National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA, 2005) and Ministry of Health (2004), indicate environmental impacts and risks to public health. The questions raised in the field and encountered technical problems, new methodologies were developed and implemented, and on a first analysis, proved quite effective. New methodologies include new procedures for collecting and packaging and transportation of water and soil samples. The analysis results of groundwater and soil analysis show that there is significant contamination by a large diversity of microorganisms, some very important public health such as Salmonella and Clostridium perfringens, and diversity of other pathogens of faecal origin. Were also detected spores of mesophilic anaerobic and aerobic mesophilic bacteria, which may represent, in the case of contamination from animal corpses, important pathogens such as Clostridium botulinum and Bacillus anthracis, which represent epidemiological risk and death. These data, interpreted in conjunction with soil and climatic interpretations show that there is a remarkable possibility that these contaminants are being transported considerable distances beyond the area of burial of corpses and animal parts.

Groundwater has been very important to the economic development of Southern California, and will continue to be a crucial resource in the 21st century. However, Climate Change threatens to disrupt many of the physical and economic processes that control the flow of water in and out of aquifers. One groundwater manager, the Six Basins Watermaster in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino Counties, has developed a long-term planning document called the Strategic Plan that mostly fails to address the implications of Climate Change, especially for local water supplies. This thesis presents an in-depth analysis of the Six Basin Watermaster’s Strategic Plan as a case-study of how groundwater managers can improve their planning assumptions to better prepare for Climate Change. It begins with a brief history of how Southern California’s environment influenced the development of the institutions that manage the Six Basins’ groundwater, then provides a physical description of the aquifer itself. The current scientific literature on Climate Change’s expected impacts on California water supplies are summarized, and the implications of these impacts for basin management are highlighted. The Strategic Plan’s projects are evaluated and critiqued in light of these insights, including a need for the Strategic Plan to: explicitly consider Climate Change in its planning assumptions, use decision-making frameworks that account for uncertainty, and prepare for more frequent droughts and floods in the future. Climate Change will have important effects on how Southern California’s groundwater is managed, and the Six Basins Strategic Plan should be revised to better account for these impacts.

Environmental research has become one of the ways of assessing the complexity that involves the relationship between anthro-natural. In Brazil, the occupation of coastal environments causes significant impacts on the intense exploitation of natural resources. Consequently, it is possible to detect changes in the natural landscape such as the disorderly occupation of the soil, pollution and other activities that cause environmental degradation in coastal zone. Based on this approach, the aim of this study is the integrated study of the geo-environmental units and the environmental impacts in the coastal zone of Piauí, specifically in the municipality of Ilha Grande - PI, located at distance 338 km from the State capital Teresina. One of the consequences of this growth process and demographic concentrations in certain regions of the coastal zone is the decrease of life quality of a significant proportion of the population living in these areas and the increasing and rapid degradation of the environment, resulting in negative impacts for society. This makes the geosystem method a tool that allows understanding the dynamics of landscape; and its relationship with the anthropic action. The geosystem is the starting point of this analysis, focusing on the location, interpretation and spatialization as the main aim of this research. Indeed, geoenvironmental units were defined, the geological and geomorphological characteristics, taking into account the forms of use and occupation of the same. Based on techno-scientific parameters and on the socio-economic reality, the final phase included the geo-environmental mapping of the municipality, taking into consideration its characteristics and the possibilities and limitations of the area. A plan for integrated management of the coastal zone is part of the final product of this work. Moreover, four main zone are suggested: a preservation zone, a balance or retention zone, a development zone and a recovery zone. / Atualmente as pesquisas de cunho ambiental têm se tornado uma das formas de apreciação da complexa relação antropo-natural. No Brasil, a ocupação dos ambientes costeiros tem expressivos impactos a partir da exploração intensa dos recursos naturais, que, por conseguinte vem ocasionando alterações na paisagem natural como: ocupação desordenada do solo, poluição, entre outras atividades que geram a degradação ambiental nas zonas costeiras. Com base nesse enfoque, a presente pesquisa tem como pressuposto os estudos integrados das unidades geoambientais e os impactos na zona costeira piauiense, especificamente no município de Ilha Grande - PI, localizado a 338 km da capital Teresina. Uma das consequências do processo de crescimento e concentração demográfica em determinadas regiões da zona costeira, tem sido a redução da qualidade de vida de uma parcela expressiva da população residente nessas áreas e a degradação crescente e acelerada do meio ambiente, provocando efeitos negativos que impõem pesados custos à sociedade. Isso faz do método geossistêmico um instrumento, que possibilita compreender a dinâmica da paisagem; e as relações inerentes à mesma com a ação antrópica. O geossistema é o ponto de partida da presente análise, focalizando a localização, a interpretação e a espacialização como objetivo geral da pesquisa. Com efeito, foram definidas as unidades geoambientais, a caracterização geológico-geomorfológica, levando em consideração as formas de uso e ocupação das mesmas. Como etapa conclusiva baseada em parâmetros técnicocientíficos e na realidade socioeconômica, foi proposto um mapa geoambiental do município, resguardado de suas características, a apresentação das potencialidades e limitações da área. Sugestiona-se, um plano de gestão integrada da zona costeira como produto final do presente trabalho. Também propõem-se quatro grandes zonas, a saber: zona de preservação, zona de equilíbrio ou conservação, zona de desenvolvimento e zona de recuperação.

In the southern Appalachians, the dominant soil order, Ultisols, is highly susceptible to erosion. If left unmanaged these soils can develop into gully systems resulting in land degradation. This study examines gully development through sidewall mass-wasting events at a high temporal resolution using 30 minute time-lapse photography. Prior research at this site found significant mass wasting events occurring between weekly monitoring periods. By shortening the interval of observation to 30-minutes, a more accurate understanding of the frequency and intensity of these mass-wasting events, and their relation to meteorological factors, can be determined. Photographs of a gully (approximately 1.5 m deep by 3 m wide at the top) were captured every 30 minutes from 11/29/17 - 2/18/2018 with a WingScape outdoor time-lapse camera mounted on a plastic stake 3.16 m from the gully facing northwest and upstream into the gully channel. A total of n=1648 images were coded using presence/absence indices for six observed geomorphic processes: creep on NE facing sidewall, creep on SW facing sidewall, slump on NE facing sidewall, slump on SW facing sidewall, channel aggradation, and channel development. Precipitation and temperature data were collected every 5 minutes using a Davis Vantage Pro 2 weather station located 240 m from the gully, and were aggregated to various time intervals. Precipitation received in previous 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours were calculated for each image. Two binary temperature variables were generated with values of “1” if temperature dropped below 0 °C (32 °F) during the prior 30 minutes or 24 hours, respectively, and “0” otherwise. Logistic regression models (forward conditional method) for the six geomorphic index variables were generated using the precipitation and temperature data. For creep on the NE facing sidewall, the significant independent variables are 3 hour and 72 hour prior rain, and freeze conditions in the previous 0.5 and 24 hours. On the SW facing sidewall, rain and temperature variables were also important for creep; rain in the previous 12 and 24 hours, and freeze conditions within the previous 24 hours were retained in the model. For slumping on both the NE and SW facing sidewall, recent and prolonged rain were important. Specifically, 1, 6, 12, and 24 hour rainfall were retained in both models, with the addition of 3 hour rainfall in the NE facing sidewall slump model. No temperature variables were retained. For channel aggradation (deposition of material in the channel), rain in the prior 12 and 72 hours, and freezing in the prior 24 hours were important, suggesting that freeze-thaw processes loosen the soil, and subsequent rain events carry material into the channel. When rain stops, the material is then deposited in the channel. Interestingly, no viable model could be developed for channel development (erosion) using these parameters. These results will be useful to quantify meteorological controls on gully erosion at short temporal scales.

Use of satellite imagery makes environmental monitoring easy and convenient with little of the logistics involved in planning sampling campaigns. Colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) is an important component to track as a proxy for the large pool of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). In a world contending with the looming issue of global climate change, the ability to investigate the carbon cycle of inland to coastal environments allows for examination of the magnitude of carbon flowing through the system and potential changes over years. The Arctic region is a critical area for climate change impacts but is a difficult landscape for sampling implementation and is thus an excellent target for satellite monitoring. This thesis focuses on the North Slopes region of Alaska to take advantage of the Toolik Lake monitoring site. Landsat 8 imagery has the appropriate spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions for use in inland water and coastal environments. There are numerous developed algorithms for CDOM estimations, but many algorithms are designed for specific regions. A special challenge in inland environments is the bottom reflectance contribution to the outgoing light signal. An algorithm designed specifically for optically-shallow water environments (SBOP) was tested against two algorithms designed for optically-deep water environments (QAA-CDOM, K05). The relationship between CDOM and DOC was also investigated and used as further validation for algorithm performance. The SBOP algorithm shows promise iv alongside QAA-CDOM at estimating CDOM absorption, but the number of validation point makes pinpointing one algorithm difficult. All algorithms performed well at estimating DOC concentrations.

Ecological niche models (ENMs) were created for White-tailed and Black-tailed prairie dogs and projected into the Last Interglacial (LI), the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and mid-Holocene (mid-H) to discern possible past suitable habitat for both species. Additionally, ENMs were projected into the future year 2070 representative concentration pathways (RCPs) 2.6 and 8.5 to discern how climate change may affect future habitat suitability. Kernel density estimations, minimum convex polygons, and median distribution centers of White-tailed and Black-tailed occurrence records were examined between time-periods to discern the effects of anthropogenic westward expansion on both species’ distributions. Current ENMs were constructed from commonly used bioclimatic variables and non-traditional variables (including EPA level III Ecoregions) for White-tailed and Black-tailed prairie dogs for variable comparison performance in ENMs. Results indicate that both species respond to climate change and each occupy distinct ecological niches. Biogeographical changes coincident with westward expansion remain unknown.

The Río Pláttano Biosphere Reserve, a tropical rainforest reserve in the northeastern corner of Honduras, is home to several subsistence-based indigenous groups, including the Miskito, Pech and Garifuna, as well as the non-indigenous Ladinos. Communities within the reserve depend on forest resources, swidden agriculture, marine resources and/or small-scale ranching as the foundations for local economies. Regulations placed on these subsistence practices, after establishment of the biosphere reserve in 1980, have created unique and new pressures and resulted in a blend of traditional and innovative resource use. A notable result is the promotion of ecotourism as a solution for meeting the economic needs of local populations while conserving local resources. This thesis documents current resource use in the Miskito and Ladino communities of Banaka, Brans, and Fuente de Jacob, in the Río Pláttano Biosphere Reserve and the potential of ecotourism to maintain both local economies and consumption of tropical rainforest resources in these communities. Analysis suggests that a community-based approach to ecotourism can result in economic benefits and maintain local culture. This thesis documents current resource use (agricultural crops and trees, gathered and cultivated plants, tree-use, and hunting), resident perspectives on ecotourism development and industry, and provides the foundation for long-term monitoring and analysis on the effects of ecotomism on forest resource and land-use in the greater Banaka region.