Submitted by Automa??o e Estat?stica (sst@bczm.ufrn.br) on 2016-12-26T20:08:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 EugeniaCorderoSchmidt_DISSERT.pdf: 37502107 bytes, checksum: 8ea90c3282a2c39d9600a891b990f41e (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Arlan Eloi Leite Silva (eloihistoriador@yahoo.com.br) on 2016-12-26T20:17:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 EugeniaCorderoSchmidt_DISSERT.pdf: 37502107 bytes, checksum: 8ea90c3282a2c39d9600a891b990f41e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-26T20:17:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EugeniaCorderoSchmidt_DISSERT.pdf: 37502107 bytes, checksum: 8ea90c3282a2c39d9600a891b990f41e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-19 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq) / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior (CAPES) / A Caatinga ? uma forma??o florestal escler?fila, dec?dua e espinhosa. Situase em uma regi?o semi-?rida, com cerca de 730 000 km2, exclusiva do territ?rio brasileiro. Este ambiente apresenta grande varia??o de tipos de vegeta??o que foram atribu?das ? varia??es em larga escala no clima, padr?es de geomorfologia e diferen?as de pequena escala em relevo e solos. A precipita??o escassa e flutuante das regi?es ?ridas e semi-?ridas, exercem um forte controle sobre: hist?rias de vida, caracter?sticas fisiol?gicas e composi??o de esp?cies de sua biota. Pelo menos 77 esp?cies de morcegos das 178 esp?cies presentes no Brasil s?o encontrados na Caatinga, dos quais 13 s?o frug?voros e cinco nectarivorous incluindo o end?mica Xeronycteris vieirai. Os morcegos s?o conhecidos por desempenharem pap?is importantes no controle de pragas, poliniza??o e dispers?o de sementes. No entanto, pouca informa??o foi gerada sobre o papel ecol?gico dessas esp?cies em um ambiente como Caatinga. Em geral, esse habitat ? o ecossistema brasileiro mais negligenciado em termos de pesquisa e conserva??o da sua biodiversidade. Especificamente no caso dos morcegos, o Rio Grande do Norte possui uma das maiores lacunas de conhecimento no Brasil. Os dados aqui apresentados, representam uma das primeiras pesquisas formais com morcegos na Caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte. Foram geradas informa??es sobre a estrutura aninhada e assim?trica da rede mutual?stica entre morcegos nectar?voros e esp?cieschave de plantas para a manuten??o da comunidade de morcegos nectar?voros nesta regi?o. Al?m disso, a primeira evid?ncia de folivoria de pelo menos 16 esp?cies de plantas pelo morcego frug?voro Artibeus planirostris foi documentada. Isto representa o primeiro registro para um ambiente semi-?rido e o primeiro registro para a esp?cie. Finalmente, o primeiro ?insight? para aspectos biol?gicos do morcego end?mico X. vieirai, incluindo dieta, poleiros e dados de reprodu??o, assim como a extens?o de sua distribui??o a n?vel nacional. / Caatinga is a deciduous thorny woodland and sclerophyllous vegetation, encountered in a semi-arid region of around 730 000 km2 entirely within the Brazilian territory . This environment presents high variation of vegetation types that have been attributed to large-scale variations in the climate, geomorphology patterns, and smallscale differences in topography and soils. The sparse and fluctuation precipitation of arid and semiarid regions is believed to exert strong control over life histories, physiological characteristics, and species composition of their biotas. At least 77 bat species of the 178 species present in Brazil are found in Caatinga, of which 13 are frugivorous and five nectarivorous including the endemic Xeronycteris vieirai. Bats are known play important roles in pest control, pollination and seed dispersal, nonetheless little information has been generated regarding the ecological role these species play in an environment like Caatinga. In general, this habitat is the most neglected Brazilian ecosystem in terms of investigation and conservation of its biodiversity. Specifically in the case of bats, Rio Grande do Norte is one of the biggest knowledge gaps in Brazil. The data presented here represent one of the first formal investigations with bats in the Caatinga in Rio Grande do Norte. Information on the nested and asymmetric structure of the mutualistc network between nectarivorous bats and plants was generated, with data on key plant species for the maintenance of the community of nectar-feeding bats in this region. Also, the first evidence of folivory of at least 16 plant species by the fruit-eating bat Artibeus planirostris was documented, representing the first record for a semi arid enviroment and the first record for the bat species. Finally, the first insight to biological aspects of the endemic X. vieirai including diet, roosts and reproduction data were registered as well the extention of its range distribution at a national level.

New Evidence and Problems Concerning the Paijanense in the Chicama Valley: Contributions to an Evaluation of Early Occupation in Northern PerúRecent information on the Paijanense in the Chicama valley is presented complementing the available data in the archaeological literature. In a review on spacial occupation, the information about the resources and the bioindicators, as well as the mobility through natural corridors, the problem of the settlement paterns and the probabilities for the early sedentarism is discussed. The function of projectile points for hunting as well as the necessity for more intensive investigations on this culture of the Early Archaic Period is also proposed. / Se presenta información reciente sobre el Paijanense en el valle de Chicama que complementa la existente en la literatura arqueológica. En base a una revisión acerca de la ocupación del espacio, la información sobre los recursos y los bioindicadores, y la movilidad a través de corredores naturales, se discute el problema de los asentamientos y las probabilidades de un sedentarismo temprano. Se evalúa la función de las puntas de proyectil paijanenses para la caza y la necesidad de mayores investigaciones sobre esta cultura del Arcaico Temprano.

abstract: Identifying the ecological role, or niche, that a species occupies within their larger community elucidates environmental adaptability and evolutionary success. This dissertation investigates the occupied niche of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living in an open, dry savanna-woodland environment by examining patterns of resource use and interspecific interactions. Data were collected October 2010--November 2011 at Issa, in the Ugalla region of western Tanzania, which is one of the driest, most open, and seasonal habitats inhabited by chimpanzees. Unlike most primatological studies which employ methods that include focal follows, this study focused instead on observing 'resource patches' for chimpanzees. Patch focals allow for the observation of all animals within a study area; capture resources that are not used by the study species; and are particularly well suited for unhabituated communities. In order to better understand relationships between environment and behavior, data collected at Issa are compared with published data from other chimpanzee populations. Issa chimpanzees were expected to have broader resource use than forest chimpanzees, as well as increased competition with other fauna, due to fewer available resources. However, in contrast to the assumption of food scarcity in dry habitats, dietary resources were available throughout the year. Like other populations, the diet of Issa chimpanzees consisted of mostly fruit, but unlike at other sites, the majority of plants consumed were woodland species. Additionally, although chimpanzees and other fauna shared spatial and dietary resources, there was only nominal overlap. These results point to extremely low levels of indirect competition between chimpanzees and other fauna. Despite extensive study of forest chimpanzees, little is known about their role within their faunal community in open, dry habitats, nor about how greater seasonality affects resource use. This project addresses both of these important issues and fosters novel approaches in anthropological studies, especially in reference to chimpanzee ecology and evolution. Understanding current chimpanzee behavioral relationships with their environments shapes hypotheses about their pasts, and also informs predictions about behaviors of similar taxa in paleo-environments. Lastly, examining the ecological role of chimpanzees within their larger communities will influence the formation of, as well as evaluate, conservation strategies. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Anthropology 2013

No Brasil, varias espécies de gramíneas africanas introduzidas se tornaram importantes invasoras dos cerrados e constituem uma das principais ameaças para a sua biodiversidade. Atributos envolvendo trade-offs evolutivos que influenciam na adaptabilidade das espécies - aquisição, alocação e perda de recursos pelas plantas por meio de competição, facilitação, estresse e distúrbio - irão influenciar o desempenho dos indivíduos e a manutenção das populações nas comunidades vegetais. Deste modo, e de extrema importância entender quais os mecanismos que levam uma espécie invasora a ter um desempenho melhor sobre as espécies nativas. Comparações envolvendo características entre espécies exóticas e nativas podem levar a uma melhor compreensão sobre o processo da invasão. Diante disso, este trabalho procurou identificar algumas das estratégias competitivas adotadas por uma gramínea invasora, Urochloa decmbens, e por uma gramínea nativa, Echinolaena inflexa, em ecossistema de cerrado. Para verificar aspectos relativos às estratégias de colonização das espécies foram analisadas suas fenologias reprodutivas, as taxas de viabilidade e de germinação das sementes. Em um experimento com plantas envasadas, sementes de ambas as espécies foram semeadas em diferentes proporções relativas uma a outra. Três censos foram realizados durante o período de um ano para avaliar a sobrevivência, crescimento e fecundidade das espécies. Medidas da capacidade fotossintética e das taxas de assimilação foram tomadas para ambas as espécies tanto em parcelas puras quanto em parcelas mistas; também foi quantificada a área foliar especifica e total das espécies. No experimento com as plantas envasadas, quando sementes de ambas as espécies foram colocadas juntas, a nativa teve seu crescimento suprimido pela invasora. Nos tratamentos puros, os indivíduos da espécie nativa cresceram em tamanho, mas somente três se tornaram reprodutivos. No entanto, muitos indivíduos da espécie invasora cresceram em tamanho e se reproduziram em todos os tratamentos, mostrando uma alocação de recursos tanto para crescimento quanto para reprodução. A espécie invasora apresentou uma taxa fotossintética maior, porem ambas as espécies tiveram sua capacidade fotossintética e sua taxa fotossintética reduzida nos parcelas mistas, sugerindo que a competição afeta tanto a espécie nativa como a espécie invasora. Uma vez que a espécie nativa possui área foliar especifica menor em relação à espécie invasora, espera-se que ela apresente uma perda menor de nutrientes e, conseqüentemente, uma maior conservação/retenção dos nutrientes, o que favoreceria sua persistência em ambientes como o cerrado. No entanto, com a ocorrência de distúrbios e possíveis alterações na disponibilidade de nutrientes, a gramínea nativa pode ser deslocada pela invasora, que apresenta maior capacidade de colonizar novas áreas por meio de maiores taxas de germinação e estabelecimento; e maior produtividade, apresentando maiores taxas fotossintéticas, sendo mais eficiente no uso do nitrogênio. / Many African grasses have been introduced in Brazil and have invaded areas of Brazilian savannas, thus becoming a major threat to the biological diversity of this biome. Traits involving evolutionary trade-offs that influence the species adaptive strategies, such as differences in nutrient uptake, nutrient loss and biomass allocation in response to plant competition and facilitation, and environmental stress and disturbance, will influence individual performance and population maintenance in plant communities. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify the mechanisms associated with invasiveness that lead to a better performance of exotic species over co-occuring natives. Comparisons involving traits of both native and exotic species may lead to a better understanding concerning the success of invasions. This study sought to recognize possible competitive strategies adopted by an invasive grass, Urochloa decmbens, and a native grass, Echinolaena inflexa, in a Brazilian savanna. In order to identify aspects relative to their colonization strategies, the reproductive fenologies and seed viability and germination rates of both species were analyzed. An experiment with potted plants was performed where seeds of both species were sown in different relative proportions to each other. Three census were carried out during a period of 12 months to evaluate survival, growth and fecundity of both species. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence were quantified for each species in pure and mixed stands in the field; total and specific leaf area for both species were also measured. In the potted experiment, when seeds of both species were sown together, the growth of the native species was suppressed by the exotic species. In pure treatments, however, individuals of the native species grew in size, but only 2% reproduced. On the other hand, individuals of the exotic species grew in size and reproduced in all treatments, demonstrating that this species allocated enough resources for both growth and reproduction. The photosynthetic rates were greater for the invasive species, however, in mixed stands, both species had their photosynthetic rates and capacities decreased. The smaller specific leaf area of the native species suggests lower rates of nutrient loss than the invasive species, which would favor its persistence in nutrient poor environments, as the Brazilian savannas. Yet, with the occurrence of disturbances and variable nutrient availabilities, the native species might be displaced by the invasive species, since the later possesses traits leading to a higher competitive ability in such conditions.

Effective implementation of resource policies requires consistent and robust indicators. An increasing number of national and international strategies focussing on resource efficiency as a means for reaching a green economy call for such indicators. As supply chains of goods and services are increasingly organised on the global level, comprehensive indica-tors taking into account upstream material flows associated with internationally traded products need to be compiled. Particularly in the last few years, the development of con-sumption-based indicators of material use also termed material footprints has made considerable progress. This paper presents a comprehensive review of existing methodol-ogies to calculate material footprint-type indicators. The three prevailing approaches, i.e. environmentally extended input-output analysis (EE-IOA), coefficient approaches based on process analysis data, and hybrid approaches combing elements of EE-IOA and process analysis are presented, existing models using the different approaches discussed, and advantages and disadvantages of each approach identified. We argue that there is still a strong need for improvement of the specific approaches as well as comparability of re-sults, in order to reduce uncertainties. The paper concludes with recommendations for further development covering methodological, data and institutional aspects.

Fish can have complex life histories and use multiple habitats and resources throughout their life span. Consequently, their life histories are often poorly understood. The Atlantic Tarpon, Megalops atlanticus, is a large, typically migratory, elopomorph fish that is both ecologically and economically important. Atlantic Tarpon are under threat due to regional exploitation, loss of natal and juvenile habitat, poor water management, and offshore impacts. In addition, little is known about its lifelong habitat and resource use. In Chapter 1, I used stable isotope analysis of eye lens δ13C and δ15N values to explore patterns in trophic history and habitat use of 16 Atlantic Tarpon from West-Central Florida and Louisiana. The stable isotope chronologies showed 100% use of backcountry habitats during the early life history and an ontogenetic habitat shift to coastal waters at approximately 10 years of age and 140 cm total length. During the coastal phase Atlantic Tarpon displayed among-individual variability and within-individual consistency in basal resource use. In Chapter 2, mark-recapture data from a multi-year genetic tagging program were used to investigate survival and growth rates, ontogenetic habitat use, and migration of juvenile Atlantic Tarpon in Florida. The study found that juvenile Atlantic Tarpon take approximately 10 years to reach the length associated with maturity, and appear to have a high survival rate (~80%), possibly due to effective use of habitats with reduced competition and predation. Atlantic Tarpon underwent several ontogenetic habitat shifts throughout the juvenile phase. In addition, juvenile Atlantic Tarpon did not migrate long distances but instead showed fidelity to systems wherein only short movements were needed to shift habitat types. This work serves to fill critical gaps in our knowledge of Atlantic Tarpon life history and may aid in better management and conservation of the species.

Tools that highlight the human impact on ecosystems and the accelerating depletion of natural resources are essential in the strife towards a more sustainable way of living. Emergy analysis is a scientific and robust method to assess the degree of sustainability of human as well as natural systems. Despite the advantages of the method, its public breakthrough has been slow. One reason could be that the results of an emergy analysis are difficult to grasp. In contrast, ecological footprint is a concept that has a widespread impact, much due to its pedagogical disposition. Ecological footprint made use of the vision to develop a method to well communicate the magnitude of human effect on nature. Another more recently created method suitable in this context is ecosystem services. Ecosystem services as a concept is not yet so well developed methodologically, but its use of mainstream concepts point toward a promising application. The main purpose of this study is to make the emergy analysis and ecosystem services methods more accessible and also to facilitate effective communication of the results from these methods. The second part of the study aims to assess the degree of sustainability ofan agricultural system in central Sweden by means of emergy analysis and ecosystems services. By demonstrating the results of the emergy analysis as a foot- and fingerprint, a better understanding of the outcome may be achieved. The footprint, here called emergy-based footprint, visualizes all resources used in the production system. An emergy-based fingerprint identifies the resources of the most important items in the system. Furthermore, ecosystem services are evaluated from a data matrix and presented by means of a radar diagram. Alternative scenarios for the agricultural system were created in the study, each presented as an emergy-based foot- and fingerprint, as well as by means of a radar diagram to visualize the values of the ecosystem services. Together, these methods demonstrate the sustainability characteristics of the different production systems. Results from this study suggest the agricultural system analysed, as well as the developed scenarios, not to be sustainable. The use of emergy analysis combined with ecosystem services and the visualization methods developed in this study, serve to provide accessible and effective communication methods when aiming to transform agricultural systems towards sustainability. The communication methods developed in this study are alsoapplicable in systems other than agriculture.

<p>Vertical farming (VF) as a newer sector of controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) is proliferating as demand for year-round, local, fresh produce is rising. However, there are concerns regarding the high capital expenses and significant operational expenses that contribute to fragile profitability of the VF industry. Enhancing resource-use efficiency is a strategy to improve profitability of the VF industry, and different approaches are proposed in the three chapters of this dissertation. LEDs are used for sole-source lighting in VF, and although they recently have significantly improved electrical efficiency and photon efficacy, the Lambertian design of the illumination pattern leads to significant loss of obliquely emitted photons beyond cropping areas. In chapter 1, close-canopy lighting (CCL) is proposed as one effective energy-saving strategy, through which unique physical properties of LEDs were leveraged, and two CCL strategies (energy efficiency and yield enhancement) were characterized at four different separation distances between light-emitting and light-absorbing surfaces. Dimming to the same light intensity at all separation distances resulted in the same biomass production while significant energy savings occurred at closer distances. Significantly higher light intensity and yield were achieved under closer separation distances in the yield-enhancement strategy for the same energy input. The energy-utilization efficiency (g fresh/dry biomass per kWh of energy) was doubled in both scenarios when the separation distance between LED emitting surface and crop surface was reduced maximally. At reduced separation distances, the chance of photon escape from growth areas is less, and canopy photon capture efficiency is improved.</p><p>Optimizing environmental conditions for indoor plant production also helps improve resource-use efficiency for the nascent vertical-farming industry. Although significant technical advancements of LEDs have been made, use of efficient far-red (FR) LEDs has yet to be exploited. As a recent proposed extension to traditional photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm), FR radiation (700-750 nm) contributes to photosynthesis as well as photomorphogenesis when added to shorter wavelengths of traditional PAR. However, the interaction of FR with other environmental parameters such as CO2 is less studied. In chapter 2, the interaction effect of four FR fluxes (as substitution for red) in combination with three different CO2 concentrations were investigated at three distinctive stages of young-lettuce production. The highest biomass achieved at all stages occurred at 800 mmol mol-1 CO2 compared to 400 and 1600 mmol mol-1. A photomorphogenic effect of FR to promote leaf length was pronounced at the earliest stages of development, at which FR did not contribute to higher biomass accumulation. At more developed stages, 20 mmol m-2 s-1 of FR substituting for red contributed to biomass accumulation similar to shorter wavelengths of traditional PAR, whereas higher fluxes of FR in the light recipe resulted in undesirable quality attributes such as longer leaves.</p><p>Optimizing environmental conditions for indoor production with emphasis on light intensity and CO2 concentration at four distinctive stages of lettuce production was investigated in chapter 3. Utilizing the Minitron III gas-exchange system, light and CO2 dose-response profiles were characterized at four distinctive crop-development stages through instantaneous gas-exchange measurements at crop level. At all developmental stages, as CO2 concentration increased, photosynthesis increased up to 500 mmol mol-1, above which the incremental rate of photosynthesis was reduced. Light-dose response profiles were characterized at 400 or 800 mmol mol-1 CO2, and as light intensity increased, photosynthesis increased up to 650 mmol m-2 s-1. However, when instantaneous power (Watts) consumed for lighting was taken into consideration, power-use efficiency as the ratio of output photosynthesis increment to input power increment (to increase light intensity), decreased at higher light intensities. Vertical farming as a nascent and growing industry is facing limitations including marginal and even elusive profitability. Optimizing environmental conditions for indoor plant production such as these will help improve resource-use efficiency and profitability of the vertical farming industry.</p>

The movement and distribution of elephants can be influenced by environmental factors over time (Foley, 2002). Examining how features in the landscape such as vegetation productivity, water sources and anthropogenic activities drive the movement of elephants can help in understanding patterns of movement. It can also help to inform the establishment and alignment of protected areas, wildlife corridors and identification of tourism hotspots as well as policy interventions to manage Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC). The Okavango Panhandle in Botswana is a HEC hotspot and the focus of My study. A number of strategies to address HEC are underway in the area, however one longer term strategy that has been proposed in this area involves provision of artificial water sources to influence elephant movements and keep animals away from fields during the cropping season. However, an improved understanding of how elephants utilize their habitats in relation to natural ephemeral surface water and other factors that influence their movements from dryland habitats to the Okavango Delta resources is needed to inform such management decisions. My study seeks to establish the role of ephemeral surface water on elephant distribution in the eastern Okavango Panhandle, Botswana as well as assess the movement distribution of elephants in relation to the seasonality, proximity and spatial extent of water presence represented by ephemeral surface water. Time series analysis of water extent on ephemeral surface water of the eastern Okavango panhandle will be developed and overlaid with elephant movement datasets. Elephant collar data from 15 elephants (5 males and 10 females) in the eastern Okavango Panhandle, Botswana have been analysed and Home Range (HR) sizes estimated using Kernel Density Estimation (KDE). The relative importance/probability of environmental variables in determining elephants' movement based on the Utilization Distribution (UD) were computed using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs). I utilized a remote sensing spectral index, namely the Automated Water Extraction Index (AWEI) to delineate ephemeral surface water in dryland (excluding permanent waters) of the study area. The results reveal that during the wet season, elephants were evenly spread out all over the study area until the early dry season (April-June) when the ephemeral waterholes dried up. Elephants moved southwards towards the permanent waters of the Okavango River, where there are many human settlements and farms. Male HR sizes were found to be bigger than those of female elephants. Wet season (early and late) home range sizes were also bigger when compared to dry season (early and late) HR size. Mean daily distances were computed to investigate the effect of season on elephant daily distances and the distances ranged between 5km and 6.8km in the late wet and in the early wet and late dry season respectively. The Resource Selection Function (RSF) analysis shows that water adjacent sites are preferred over distant ones and both sexes prefer areas with high NDVI, with this preference being more pronounced in males. The seasonal variation of water use is notable in that it affirms the importance of proximity to water for elephants and has implications for their management and HEC. For example, I found that ephemeral surface water has a significant role in influencing elephant spatial use in the area, particularly during the early and late wet season. As ephemeral pans dried and NDVI (vegetation greenness) decreased, elephants started to move closer to the Okavango Delta and consequently human settlements and fields. However, further investigations into the timing of movements away from ephemeral waterholes and the influence of other environmental factors on elephant movements in the area would be needed before any recommendations can be made regarding artificial water provision in this area.

No description available.