xviii, 105 p. : ill. (some col.) / Restoration of riparian ecosystems in semi-arid riparian ecosystems requires an understanding of geomorphic, hydrologic and biologic factors and how they relate to vegetation. Such an understanding allows prioritization of restoration projects and avoidance of activities that are either unnecessary or likely to fail. In this dissertation I examined a suite of factors controlling distribution of vegetation types in the Sprague Basin, OR, and used those factors to predict potential for natural recovery. Factors ranged from basin-wide (e.g. floodplain width and slope) to local (e.g. topography, hydrology and soil texture). Results of historical analysis and photographic mapping showed that basin-wide vegetation types have remained generally stable since the early 1940s and that wide floodplains have been without woody vegetation since the late 1800s. The most prevalent changes in floodplain vegetation due to land use included reduction of shrub cover in moderately wide floodplains and associated increases in herbaceous vegetation. Soil moisture conditions were studied using piezometers and nested clusters of soil moisture tension meters. The interrelations among soil texture, elevation and distance from the channel, and vegetation (herbaceous and woody) characteristics in the riparian zone were examined along 75 transects using a generalized additive model for non linear factors and Hurdle analysis for abundance data. On the Sprague mainstem, fine soils with high recession rates supported abundant shrubs, while on the Sycan (Sprague tributary) coarse soils with readily available moisture and greater subsurface water movements supported abundant shrubs. Habitats in the Sycan were well colonized with new shrub seedlings though long term persistence was unlikely. Results show that riparian shrubs are unlikely to influence stream shade or bank stability on the mainstem Sprague whether they germinate naturally or are planted through restoration efforts, as shrubs near the channel are unlikely to persist long term. In the Sycan, germination and persistence are more likely than on the Sprague, though risks of predation, trampling from grazers, and fluvial action will be constant threats to near-channel shrubs. Results emphasize the need to understand factors controlling vegetation prior to restoration in any basin or stream segment. / Committee in charge: Patricia F. McDowell， Chairperson； W. Andrew Marcus， Member； Patrick Bartlein， Member； Scott Bridgham， Outside Member

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Soil management systems with minimum tillage and mulch are predominant in agriculture of Southern of Brazil. No-tillage for tobacco crop is not common and restricted to isolated places and only for some farmers that, through empiric tests and adaptation of equipments, search for soil preservation and increased yield. The objective of this work was study the main soil management systems for tobacco crop and possibilities of changing the traditional system of tobacco cropping, with emphasis on practices of soil management and conservation to maintain the levels of yield and decrease the environmental impacts. Six treatments, in a completely randomized blocks design with three replicates, were installed: PC conventional till; CMP - minimum tillage rest; CMA - minimum tillage oat; PDcC no-tillage with camalhão; PDcCC no-tillage with consolidated camalhão; PDsC no-tillage without camalhão. The experiment was installed in a watershed, located in Agudo-RS city, in the agricultural year of 2004, in a Leptosol. The maim physical parameters were soil moisture, measured with a time domain reflectometer (TDR), in the depths of 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12 and 0,12-0,18 m, and soil temperature in the depth of 0,05 m, measured with datalogger and termopars, both during 87 days in the growth cycle; total porosity, macroporosity, microporosity, bulk density and soil water retention curve (CRA), determined in the depths of 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12, 0,12-0,18 and 0,18-0,24 m, 30 days after transplantion (DAT) and on 135 DAT, except for CRA, in the depths of 0-0,06 and 0,06-0,12 m; water and soil loss by runoff, determined for eight rain events, in two blocks, with on area of 1.2 m2 of collection; potassium and phosphorus, soluble and total were determined for seven rain events; the root system, the distribution in the cultural profile, nutrients availability in the exploration area, dry mass for soil volume and maximum depth of roots were determined; mechanical resistance of soil was determined with a manual penetrometer to verify the depth of the root impediment; measures of the plants included the leaf area, determination of plant height, number of leaves and yield for hectare. The conservation managements reduced soil and water losses, providing smaller amplitude in the daily temperature variation, larges soil moisture, but the yield was smaller than PDsC. This result for the PDsC was directly influenced by the shallower roots depth, which was a consequence of several factors, such as: presence of impediment layer; absence of ridge; nutrients in the surface and favorable initial conditions of soil temperature and moisture. However, there was great interaction among factors, turning complex the explanation of the results obtained; therefore, factors such as nutrients in the surface favored the losses of P and K soluble, decreasing their availability to plants; the impediment layer reduced the volume of soil explored by the roots and the ability for water storage, whereas the management systems PDcCC and PDsC were outside the upper or lower limit of water availability, in the layer of 0 to 0,06 m, for about 15 days. / Sistemas de manejos do solo com o mínimo de revolvimento e com palha em superfície predominam na maioria dos cultivos agrícolas, no Sul do Brasil. A utilização do plantio direto na cultura do fumo está sendo iniciada, mas restrita a locais isolados e a alguns agricultores, que, via testes empíricos e adaptação de equipamentos, buscam preservar o solo e aumentar a produtividade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar os principais sistemas de manejo do solo para a cultura do fumo e as possibilidades de mudança no sistema tradicional de cultivo de fumo, com ênfase às práticas de manejo e conservação do solo, mantendo os níveis de produtividade e diminuindo os impactos ambientais. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso com três repetições e seis tratamentos, sendo eles: PC - preparo convencional; CMP - cultivo mínimo pousio; CMA - cultivo mínimo aveia; PDcC - plantio direto com camalhão; PDcCC - plantio direto com camalhão consolidado; PDsC - plantio direto sem camalhão. O experimento foi implantado em uma microbacia hidrográfica, localizada no município de Agudo-RS, no ano agrícola de 2004, sobre em um Neossolo litólico eutrófico típico. Os principais avaliadores físicos foram umidade volumétrica do solo, medida com reflectômetro de domínio de tempo (TDR), nas profundidades de 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12 e 0,12-0,18 m, e temperatura do solo na profundidade de 0,05 m medida com datalogger e termopares, ambas durante 87 dias no período de crescimento; porosidade total, macroporosidade, microporosidade, densidade do solo e curva de retenção de água (CRA), realizadas nas profundidades de 0-0,06, 0,06-0,12, 0,12-0,18 e 0,18-0,24 m aos 30 dias após transplante (DAT) e aos 135 DAT, exceto CRA, nas profundidades de 0-0,06 e 0,06-0,12 m; perda de água e solo pelo escoamento superficial, determinados em oito chuvas, em dois blocos, com uma área de coleta de 1,2 m2; fósforo e potássio solúvel e total, em sete chuvas; no sistema radicular foram determinados a distribuição no perfil cultural, disponibilidade de nutrientes na região de exploração, massa seca por volume de solo e profundidade máxima das raízes; a resistência mecânica do solo determinada com um penetrômetro manual para diagnosticar a profundidade de impedimento radicular; medidas avaliadoras das plantas foram área foliar, comprimento de caule, número de folhas e produtividade por hectare. Os preparos conservacionistas reduziram as perdas de solo e água e proporcionaram uma menor amplitude na temperatura diária, maior umidade do solo, mas a produtividade no PDsC ficou aquém dos preparos convencionais. Esse resultado no PDsC foi diretamente influenciado pelo menor aprofundamento das raízes, sendo esse conseqüência de vários fatores como presença de camada de impedimento, não possuir camalhão, posicionamento mais superficial da adubação de base e condições iniciais favoráveis de temperatura e umidade do solo. Contudo, houve grande interação de fatores, tornando complexa a explicação do resultado obtido, pois fatores como a adubação superficial favoreceu as perdas de P e K solúvel, diminuindo a disponibilidade; a camada de impedimento diminuiu o volume de solo explorado pelas raízes e a capacidade de armazenamento de água, sendo que os manejos PDcCC e PDsC ficaram em torno de 15 dias fora da faixa de disponibilidade de água, na camada de 0 a 0,06 m.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Soil compaction has been becoming one of the main impacts caused by the activities of mechanized harvesting. The weight and movement of machines at the time of cutting and loading of timber combined with the not appropriate moisture condition of the soil are the main causes of soil structural degradation, observed mainly by changes in soil physical properties. Thus, this study aimed to identify soil compaction caused due to forest harvesting stages of Pinus taeda L. performed on three different soil moistures. A study in the city of Quedas do Iguaçu in southwestern Paraná was carried out in pine stands of Araupel S/A company. The research was assessed as completely randomized in and sub-subdivide plots with five replications. The eighteen treatments consisted of the interaction of three factors, namely: moisture (rainy day harvesting and 3 and 7 days after rain); harvesting operations (machine traffic (MT); no machine traffic (NMT) and timer landing (TL)); and time of collection (before and after harvest), being major plot, subdivided plots, and sub-subdivided plots in time, respectively. Soil under a native forest adjacent to the experiment was evaluated to infer on the changes caused to the soil regarding its cultivation and management. Results indicated that the difference in soil moisture represented by the different days of harvest after a rain did not influence differently the soil compaction. On the other hand, harvesting operations (MT, NMT and TL) impacted soil to a depth of 10 cm causing compaction on the traffic lines of the machines, while the eventual falling trees at the time of cutting and timber landing did not cause changes in density, macroporosity and resistance to penetration. The residual biomass from forest harvesting was essential to minimize soil compaction caused by machinery traffic that was close to the maximum. Comparison of physical parameters of soil under native forest and pine stand showed that planting and management of soils covered by natural forests alter the physical properties of the surface until 30 cm of depth. / A compactação vem se tornando um dos principais impactos causados ao solo pelas atividades de colheita florestal mecanizada. O peso e a movimentação das máquinas no momento do corte e extração da madeira, aliada à condição de umidade do solo imprópria para tal são as principais causas da degradação estrutural do solo, verificada principalmente por alterações em suas propriedades físicas. Nesse sentido, este trabalho objetivou identificar a compactação causada devido às etapas de colheita florestal de Pinus taeda L. realizada em três diferentes umidades do solo. O estudo foi realizado no município de Quedas do Iguaçu, em povoamento da empresa Araupel S/A. A pesquisa foi avaliada como delineamento inteiramente casualizado em parcelas sub-subdivididas, com dezoito tratamentos e cinco repetições. Os tratamentos foram compostos pela interação de três fatores, sendo eles: umidade (colheita em dia de chuva, três dias após a chuva e sete dias após a chuva), operações de colheita (com passagem de máquinas (CP), sem passagem de máquinas (SP) e estaleiro (E), e a ocasião de coleta (antes e depois da colheita), sendo respectivamente, parcela principal, parcelas subdivididas e parcelas sub-subdivididas no tempo. O solo sob uma floresta nativa adjacente ao experimento foi avaliado para inferir sobre as alterações provocados no solo pelo cultivo e manejo do mesmo. Os resultados obtidos indicam que a diferença de umidade no solo, representada pela colheita em diferentes números de dias após uma chuva, não influenciou de maneira diferenciada na compactação do solo. Por outro lado, as operações de colheita (CP, SP e E) impactaram o solo até a profundidade de 10 cm, causando a compactação nas linhas de tráfego das máquinas, enquanto que a eventual queda de árvores no momento do corte e o empilhamento de toras não provocaram alterações na densidade, macroporosidade e resistência a penetração. A biomassa residual da colheita florestal foi essencial para minimizar a compactação do solo causada pelo tráfego das máquinas que foi próxima da máxima. A comparação de parâmetros físicos do solo sob mata nativa e povoamento de pinus mostrou que o cultivo e manejo de solos que um dia foram cobertos por florestas naturais provoca alterações nas propriedades físicas do solo da superfície até 30 cm de profundidade.

Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-01-05T12:43:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 7469211 bytes, checksum: 99e23a5e3e827ec0fdf765d03f0f8601 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-01-05T12:43:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivototal.pdf: 7469211 bytes, checksum: 99e23a5e3e827ec0fdf765d03f0f8601 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-27 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The assessment of rainfall-runoff transformation mechanisms with high temporal resolution data has proven crucial to the improving of hydrological studies, by providing detailed knowledge and information about the properties and the characteristics of their main variables. This study aimed at assessing the influence of rainfall event definition criteria in determining the characteristics of hyetographs, as well as in investigating the hydrological relations of rainfall events and antecedent soil moisture with those of the runoff hydrograph, by means of statistical techniques, in experimental basins in Northeast Brazil. To this end, a portion of the data was acquired, in sub-hourly scale, from the databases maintained by the partners of the research since 2003 and the other one was monitored and taken along the hydrological year of 2013-2014 through frequent measurements, performing essays and data processing. Then, descriptive statistics, hypothesis testing, exploratory data analysis, multivariate statistical techniques and multiple linear regression were carried out either for visual inspection or for statistical data investigation, in order to establish variation patterns and evaluate the association degree among variables. The first study revealed that the variation in minimum inter-event time criteria has reduced by almost 50% the number of events, and underestimated the average intensity of events by 4 times on average. The second study showed that the tropical coastal basin has approximately 4 times more events than those of semiarid, of which 6% of all events that remain unshaped, contribute to 38% of the total precipitation, and could be reduced by up to 97%, becoming mainly on unimodal events with peak to the left. The third study showed that soil moisture has a similar variation pattern up to 3 days in advance and exerts a significant influence, along with the precipitation and duration of rainfall events on both the runoff coefficient, the peak and the discharge of hydrographs; on the other hand, the principal component responsible for the peak and intensities of hyetographs was significant only on the runoff coefficient, which was, in turn, the best feature set for the multiple linear regression analysis, as it the coefficient of determination was 0.66. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of continuous and systematic hydro-climatological data monitoring for the experimental studies that may provide input to decision-making in water resources management measures. / O entendimento dos mecanismos de transformação chuva-vazão com dados em alta resolução temporal mostra-se fundamental no aperfeiçoamento da maior parte dos estudos hidrológicos, ao provê conhecimento e informação detalhada a respeito das propriedades e características de suas principais variáveis. Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar a influência dos critérios de definição de evento chuvoso na determinação das características dos hietogramas, bem como investigar as relações hidrológicas dos eventos chuvosos e da umidade antecedente do solo com aquelas dos hidrogramas de escoamento superficial, por meio de técnicas estatísticas, em bacias experimentais do Nordeste Brasileiro. Para tanto, uma parcela dos dados foi adquirida, em escala sub-horária, dos bancos de dados mantidos pelos parceiros da Rede de Hidrologia do Semiárido (REHISA) desde 2003 e a outra foi monitorada e obtida ao longo do hidrológico 2013-2014, por meio de frequentes medições, realização de ensaios e tratamento de dados. Em seguida, técnicas de estatística descritiva, testes de aderência e de hipóteses, métodos exploratórios de dados, análises estatísticas multivariadas e técnicas de regressão linear múltipla foram utilizadas, quer na inspeção visual, quer na investigação estatística dos dados, a fim de estabelecer padrões de variação e avaliar o grau de associação entre variáveis. O primeiro estudo realizado revelou que a variação do critério de mínimo intervalo de tempo entre eventos fez reduzir em até quase 50% o número de eventos, além de subestimar a intensidade média dos eventos 4 vezes, em média. O segundo estudo mostrou que a bacia hidrográfica tropical costeira apresenta aproximadamente 4 vezes mais eventos do que as do semiárido, dos quais 6% da totalidade dos eventos que permanecem não caracterizados, contribuem para 38% do total precipitado, e puderam ser reduzidos em até 97%, transformando-se, sobretudo, em eventos do tipo unimodal com pico à esquerda. O terceiro estudo mostrou que a umidade do solo apresenta um padrão de variação similar até 3 dias de antecedência e exerce uma influência significante, juntamente com a lâmina precipitada e a duração dos eventos chuvosos, sobre o coeficiente de escoamento, o pico e a vazão do hidrograma; por outro lado, a componente responsável pelo pico e intensidades dos hietogramas foi significante apenas sobre o coeficiente de escoamento, este que, por sua vez, foi a característica melhor ajustada pela análise de regressão múltipla, dado o coeficiente de determinação de 0,66. Portanto, este estudo evidencia a importância do monitoramento contínuo e sistemático de dados hidroclimatológicos para a realização de estudos experimentais que venham a dar subsídios à tomada de decisões em medidas de gerenciamento de recursos hídricos.

Interannual variation of Indian summer (June-September: JJAS) monsoon rainfall (ISMR) depends on its relative intensity during early (June-July: JJ; contribution 52%) and late (August-September: AS; contribution 49%) phases. Apart from variations in sea surface temperature (SST), the primary reasons behind the variability during JJ and AS can be very different due to change in climatic conditions on account of post-onset processes. Here, using a high resolution general circulation model with seasonally varying climatological SST, mechanisms those govern the intensity of rainfall during JJ and AS are investigated. There is no significant relation-ship between intensity of precipitation over Indian region in JJ and AS. Moreover, the factors determining early monsoon (JJ) precipitation are different than that for late monsoon (AS). In absence of interannual SST variation, pre-monsoon soil moisture do not play a significant role for the interannual variation of monsoon precipitation over India. A large scale oscillation of the ITCZ is noticed on interannual time scale spanning from around 60◦E to 150◦E that brings spatially coherent flood and drought over this region. Early monsoon precipitation has a larger dependency on spring snow depth over Eurasia and phase of the upper tropospheric Rossby wave in May. However, late monsoon precipitation over India is mainly governed by the intensity and time scale of the intraseasonally varying convective cloud bands. This study suggests that early monsoon (JJ) precipitation over Indian region is more correlated with pre-monsoon signatures of land-atmosphere parameters. However, in later parts after the onset (AS), the monsoon intensity is primarily driven by its internal dynamics and characteristics of intraseasonal oscillation.

Submitted by Biblioteca de Pós-Graduação em Geoquímica BGQ (bgq@ndc.uff.br) on 2017-03-13T17:47:58Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-13T17:47:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE MESTRADO ALINE MANSUR 2010.pdf: 1839199 bytes, checksum: f520bd5d9b9f9478a82cfdae75982512 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Comissão de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / Universidade Federal Fluminense. Instituto de Química. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências- Geoquímica, Niterói, RJ / O solo, parte integral e estrutural do ecossistema terrestre, contém cerca de duas vezes mais carbono (C) que a atmosfera. Importante mediador do ciclo do C, o solo funciona como reservatório temporário de C e como fonte de dióxido de carbono (CO2) para a atmosfera. A dinâmica do C na interface solo-atmosfera relaciona o conteúdo de C no solo com o fluxo de CO2 da superfície do solo para a atmosfera (respiração do solo). No solo, o CO2 é produzido naturalmente através de processo mediado por microrganismos, durante a decomposição aeróbia da matéria orgânica e durante a respiração do sistema radicular das plantas e da fauna do solo. O uso e a cobertura do solo, juntamente com as variáveis ambientais externas e edáficas, determinam as taxas de incorporação e decomposição da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS). Neste estudo, foram avaliados e quantificados fluxos médios de CO2 do solo para a atmosfera das duas principais coberturas do solo do Rio de Janeiro: pastagens e fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica. As amostragens foram realizadas em duas localidades, ambas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro: (1)Sítio Deserto, no Sana e (2)Fazenda Califórnia, em Passa Três. Fluxos de CO2 de solos foram medidos utilizando o método de câmaras colocadas sobre o solo associadas com analisador de gás por infravermelho. Foram determinadas a temperatura do solo e do ar, bem como a umidade, a densidade, a porosidade, os conteúdos de carbono (C) e nitrogênio (N) totais do solo e a fração leve livre (FLL) da matéria orgânica do solo. As pastagens apresentaram os maiores fluxos de CO2, independente da área de estudo amostrada. A dinâmica do fluxo de CO2 do solo mostrou sofrer influência da sazonalidade, já que a temperatura do solo e o conteúdo de água no solo foram os principais condicionadores da respiração do solo. Os solos sob cobertura vegetal de florestas apresentaram maiores conteúdos de C e N no solo e maiores entradas de FLL da MOS. A maior entrada de FLL e o menor distúrbio no solo sob floresta devem ser os principais responsáveis pelos maiores estoques de C nesse solo. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que em solos sob cobertura florestal a ciclagem do carbono ocorre mais lentamente que na pastagem / The soil, structural and integral part of the terrestrial ecosystem, contains approximate more carbon (C) than the atmosphere. Important mediator of the C cycle, the soil acting like a temporary reservoir of carbon and like a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. The dynamics of C in soil-atmosphere interface lists the contents of C in soil with the flow of CO2 from the soil surface to the atmosphere (soil respiration). In soil, the CO2 is naturally produced through a process mediated by microorganisms during the aerobic decomposition of organic matter and during respiration of the root system of plants and soil fauna. The land use and land cover, with the external environmental variables and soil conditions, determine the relative rates of incorporation and decomposition of organic matter. In this study, medium fluxes of CO2 of the soil for the atmosphere were assessed and quantified of the two principal coverings of the soil of Rio de Janeiro: pastures and fragments of Atlantic Forest. The samplings were accomplished at two places, located in Rio de Janeiro State: (1) Sítio Deserto, in Sana and (2) Fazenda Califórnia, in Passa Três. Fluxes of CO2 of soils were measured using an infrared gas analyser coupled to a vented dynamic chamber system. Parameters of the soil as the temperature, moisture, density, contents of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) totals and the free light fraction (FLL) from the organic matter of the soil, were adressed. The pastures had greater soil CO2 fluxes than forests, independent of the area of study. Seasonality influences CO2 fluxes from soil to atmosphere in pasture and in forest, and the soil respiration rates were positively correlated with soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and with soil temperature. The soils under forest cover had higher content of C and N and higher inflows of FLL. Also, in the soil under forest cover, was recorded the largest stocks of C. The largest input of FLL and the smallest disturbance in the soil under forest should be the main responsible for the largest stocks of C in this soil. These results suggest that soils under forest cover in the cycling of carbon occur more slowly than in the pasture.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The objective of this study was to determine the response of plant transpiration and leaf growth to the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW) in potato and cassava clones. Three experiments were conducted with potato, two of them were in Spring, with plantings on 08/20/2008 (BAT1) and on 10/20/2008 (BAT2), and one experiment in Fall, with planting on 03/25/2009 (BAT3). Two experiments were conducted with cassava, with plantings on 09/11/2009 (MAN1) and on 09/08/2010 (MAN2). The experiments were conducted in 8 liter pots filled with soil inside a plastic house. Two potato clones (Macaca and SMINIA 793101- 3) and two cassava clones (Fécula Branca and Fepagro RS 13) were used. Soil water, represented by the FTSW, transpiration and leaf growth were measured on a daily basis during the period of soil drying. The threshold FTSW that starts to affect transpiration, which is an indicator of stomata closure, was 0.38, 0.47 and 0.28 for the clone Macaca and 0.48, 0.51 and 0.32 for the clone SMINIA793101-3 in BAT1, BAT2 and BAT3, respectively, whereas leaf growth decreased at a greater threshold FTSW for Macaca . These results indicate that the clone SMINIA793101-3 is more tolerant to soil water deficit than Macaca . For cassava, the threshold FTSW for transpiration was 0.45 in the clone Fécula Branca and 0.50 in the clone Fepagro RS 13 . The onset of reduction in leaf growth was at a FTSW of 0.51 in the clone Fécula Branca and 0.49 in the clone Fepagro RS 13 .When data were separated in days with low and high vapor pressure deficit at 3PM, threshold FTSW for transpiration and leaf growth changed in both species and within each species. These results confirm the genetic variability available in each species and are a reminder on the complex genotype and environment relationships that characterize agricultural crops. / O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar a resposta da planta em termos de transpiração e de crescimento foliar em clones de batata e de mandioca ao conteúdo de água disponível no solo, representado pela fração de água transpirável no solo (FATS). Foram realizados três experimentos com a cultura da batata, sendo dois na primavera (cultivo de safra), com plantios em 20/08/2008 (BAT1) e 20/10/2008 (BAT2) e um no outono (cultivo de safrinha), com plantio em 25/03/2009 (BAT3), e dois experimentos com a cultura da mandioca com plantio em 11/09/2009 (MAN1) e 08/09/2010 (MAN2). Os experimentos foram conduzidos em vasos de 8 litros preenchidos com solo e dispostos no interior de um abrigo plástico telado. Os clones de batata utilizados foram Macaca e SMINIA793101-3 e os clones de mandioca foram Fécula Branca e Fepagro RS 13. A água disponível, representada pela FATS, a transpiração e o crescimento foliar foram medidos diariamente durante o período de imposição da deficiência hídrica em cada experimento. Para a cultura da batata a FATS crítica que começa a afetar a transpiração, indicativo do início do fechamento estomático, foi de 0,38, 0,47 e 0,28 no clone Macaca e 0,48, 0,51 e 0,32 no clone SMINIA793101-3, para os experimentos BAT1, BAT2 e BAT3, respectivamente, enquanto o crescimento foliar começou a ser reduzido com um valor de FATS crítica maior para o clone Macaca, indicando que o clone SMINIA793101-3 é mais tolerante ao déficit hídrico no solo que o clone Macaca. Para a cultura da mandioca, a FATS crítica em que a transpiração começa a ser reduzida foi de 0,45 para o clone Fécula Branca e 0,50 para o clone Fepagro RS 13. O crescimento foliar começou a ser reduzido quando a FATS atingiu valores de 0,51 no clone Fécula Branca e 0,49 no clone Fepagro RS 13. Quando os dados foram separados em dias com baixa e alta demanda evaporativa do ar, representada pelo déficit de pressão de vapor do ar às 15 horas, houve diferença na FATS crítica que começa a afetar a transpiração e o crescimento foliar para as duas espécies e dentro de cada espécie. Estes resultados confirmam a variabilidade genética disponível em cada espécie e são um lembrete da complexa relação entre genótipo e ambiente que caracteriza as culturas agrícolas.

La réflectométrie GNSS (ou GNSS-R) est une technique de télédétection originale et pportuniste qui consiste à analyser les ondes électromagnétiques émises en continu par la soixantaine de satellites des systèmes de positionnement GNSS (GPS, GLONASS, etc.), qui sont captées par une antenne après réflexion sur la surface terrestre. Ces signaux interagissent avec la surface réfléchissante et contiennent donc des informations sur ses propriétés. Au niveau de l'antenne, les ondes réfléchies interfèrent avec celles arrivant directement des satellites. Ces interférences sont particulièrement visibles dans le rapport signal-sur-bruit (SNR, i.e., Signal-to-Noise Ratio), paramètre enregistré par une station GNSS classique. Il est ainsi possible d'inverser les séries temporelles du SNR pour estimer des caractéristiques du milieu réfléchissant. Si la faisabilité et l'intérêt de cette méthode ne sont plus à démontrer, la mise en oeuvre de cette technique pose un certain nombre de problèmes, à savoir quelles précisions et résolutions spatio-temporelles peuvent être atteintes, et par conséquent, quels sont les observables géophysiques accessibles. Mon travail de thèse a pour objectif d'apporter des éléments de réponse sur ce point, et est axé sur le développement méthodologique et l'exploitation géophysique des mesures de SNR réalisées par des stations GNSS classiques. Je me suis focalisé sur l'estimation des variations de hauteur de l'antenne par rapport à la surface réfléchissante (altimétrie) et de l'humidité du sol en domaine continental. La méthode d'inversion des mesures SNR que je propose a été appliquée avec succès pour déterminer les variations locales de : (1) la hauteur de la mer au voisinage du phare de Cordouan du 3 mars au 31 mai 2013 où les ondes de marées et la houle ont pu être parfaitement identifiées ; et (2) l'humidité du sol dans un champ agricole à proximité de Toulouse, du 5 février au 15 mars 2014. Ma méthode permet de s'affranchir de certaines restrictions imposées jusqu'à présent dans les travaux antérieurs, où la vitesse de variation verticale de la surface de réflexion était supposée négligeable. De plus, j'ai développé un simulateur qui m'a permis de tester l'influence de nombreux paramètres (troposphère, angle d'élévation du satellite, hauteur d'antenne, relief local, etc.) sur la trajectoire des ondes réfléchies et donc sur la position des points de réflexion. Mon travail de thèse montre que le GNSS-R est une alternative performante et un complément non négligeable aux techniques de mesure actuelles, en faisant le lien entre les différentes résolutions temporelles et spatiales actuellement atteintes par les outils classiques (sondes, radar, diffusiomètres, etc.). Cette technique offre l'avantage majeur d'être basé sur un réseau de satellites déjà en place et pérenne, et est applicable à n'importe quelle station GNSS géodésique, notamment celles des réseaux permanents (e.g., le RGP français). Ainsi, en installant une chaîne de traitement de ces acquisitions de SNR en domaine côtier, il serait possible d'utiliser les mesures continues des centaines de stations pré-existantes, et d'envisager de réaliser des mesures altimétriques à l'échelle locale, ou de mesurer l'humidité du sol pour les antennes situées à l'intérieur des terres. / GNSS reflectometry (or GNSS-R) is an original and opportunistic remote sensing technique based on the analysis of the electromagnetic waves continuously emitted by GNSS positioning systems satellites (GPS, GLONASS, etc.) that are captured by an antenna after reflection on the Earth's surface. These signals interact with the reflective surface and hence contain information about its properties. When they reach the antenna, the reflected waves interfere with those coming directly from the satellites. This interference is particularly visible in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) parameter recorded by conventional GNSS stations. It is thus possible to reverse the SNR time series to estimate the reflective surface characteristics. If the feasibility and usefulness of thismethod are well established, the implementation of this technique poses a number of issues. Namely the spatio-temporal accuracies and resolutions that can be achieved and thus what geophysical observables are accessible.The aim of my PhD research work is to provide some answers on this point, focusing on the methodological development and geophysical exploitation of the SNR measurements performed by conventional GNSS stations. I focused on the estimation of variations in the antenna height relative to the reflecting surface (altimetry) and on the soil moisture in continental areas. The SNR data inversion method that I propose has been successfully applied to determine local variations of : (1) the sea level near the Cordouan lighthouse (not far from Bordeaux, France) from March 3 to May 31, 2013, where the main tidal periods and waves have been clearly identified ; and (2) the soil moisture in an agricultural plot near Toulouse, France, from February 5 to March 15, 2014. My method eliminates some restrictions imposed in earlier work, where the velocity of the vertical variation of the reflective surface was assumed to be negligible. Furthermore, I developed a simulator that allowed me to assess the influence of several parameters (troposphere, satellite elevation angle, antenna height, local relief, etc.) on the path of the reflected waves and hence on the position of the reflection points. My work shows that GNSS-R is a powerful alternative and a significant complement to the current measurement techniques, establishing a link between the different temporal and spatial resolutions currently achieved by conventional tools (sensors, radar, scatterometer, etc.). This technique offers the major advantage of being based on already-developed and sustainable satellites networks, and can be applied to any GNSS geodetic station, including permanent networks (e.g., the French RGP). Therefore, by installing a processing chain of these SNR acquisitions, data from hundreds of pre-existing stations could be used to make local altimetry measurements in coastal areas or to estimate soil moisture for inland antennas.

National Programme on Micro and Smart Materials and Systems (NPMASS) / A computer-aided technique is developed in this thesis to systematically generate concepts for sensors of a wide variety. A database of building blocks, based on physical laws and effects that capture the transduction rules underlying the working principles of sensors, has been developed to synthesize concepts. The proposed method uses the database to first create a concept-space graph and then selects concepts that correspond to paths in the graph. This is in contrast to and more efficient than existing methods, such as, compositional synthesis and graph-grammar synthesis, where solution paths are laid out first and then a concept-space graph is generated. The research also explores an approach for synthesis of concepts for closed-loop sensors, where a quantity is sensed indirectly after nullifying its effect by using negative feedback. These sensors use negative feedback to increase the dynamic range of operation without compromising the sensitivity and resolution. According to the literature, generation of un-interesting solutions is a major drawback of the building block-based synthesis approaches. In the proposed approach, this shortcoming is mitigated substantially by using some rules. For a number of the concepts generated, in the sensor problems attempted, we found that those concepts were already implemented in existing patents; thus emphasising the usefulness of the concepts produced. The synthesis approach proposed new, feasible sensor concepts, thereby indicating its potential as a stimulator for enhancing creativity of designers. Another important problem is to improve the robustness of designs. Robustness can be achieved by minimizing the side effects. Side effects are defined as unwanted effects that affect the intended working of the sensor. The research presents an algorithm that (a) predicts the potential side effects for the synthesized concepts of sensors; (b) aids in quantifying the magnitude of the side effects, thus helping the designer to predict the significant side effects; and (c) suggests ways to improve the robustness of the design.

Le maintien ou l'amélioration de la biodiversité est un des objectifs importants de la gestion forestière durable. La flore du sous-bois, qui représente la partie la plus diversifiée de la flore dans les forêts tempérées, joue des rôles écologiques importants. Pourtant, elle pourrait être impactée par l'augmentation de la mécanisation de la gestion forestière. A l'échelle de la parcelle, nous avons étudié en forêt de Montargis les effets simples et combinés de caractéristiques du peuplement et de la surface en cloisonnement sur la diversité floristique du sous-bois (richesse et abondance). Les caractéristiques du peuplement (type de peuplement ou surface terrière des essences à étaient les meilleurs indicateurs de la diversité du sous-bois. La surface des cloisonnements avait un effet négligeable. A plus petite échelle – à l’intérieur du cloisonnement – nous avons étudié la réponse statistique de la diversité du sous-bois à la position dans ou hors du cloisonnement, à des facteurs micro-environnementaux (humidité du sol, compaction du sol, lumière) et aux caractéristiques du peuplement. A cette échelle, les meilleurs modèles incluaient pour les groupes écologiques la position par rapport au cloisonnement, l’humidité du sol et/ou la compaction du sol, selon le groupe écologique considéré. Au niveau espèce, la position par rapport au cloisonnement était le facteur dominant. Globalement, les cloisonnements avaient soit pas d’effet soit un impact positif sur la diversité floristique de sous-bois. Ces résultats ont dépendants du contexte écologique et historique de la forêt de Montargis. L’utilisation d’engins plus lourds ou des passages répétés sur une plus longue période pourraient changer ces conclusions. / Maintaining or improving biodiversity is an important goal of sustainable forest management.Ground flora, which is responsible for most floristic diversity in temperate forests, plays multiple important roles in biodiversity but may be impacted by the increasing mechanisation of forest practices. At stand scale, we investigated in Montargis forest the individual and combined effects of tree stand attributes and skid trail area on ground flora diversity. Tree stand attributes (stand type or basal area) were the best indicators of ground flora diversity, depending on the successional traits or light preference of the species group. The effects of skid trail area were negligible. At finer scale, we studied plant response to skid trail disturbance (represented by subplot on and off skid trails), micro-environmental factors (soil moisture, soil compaction, light) and stand attribute (stand type, basal area). The best models for ecological groups included subplot location, soil moisture or soil compaction, depending on which ecological groups (classified by life form, seed bank persistence, light and moisture requirements) the species belonged to. Stand type as a covariate played a significantly important role in fine-scale diversity pattern. Subplot location was the dominant factor at species level. In conclusion, skid trails had either no impact or a positive impact on ground flora diversity. These results are dependent on the context of Montargis forest (ecological and historical), especially that mechanized harvesting is relatively recent. The employment of heavier machines and increased number of passages is likely to happen. This might induce greater soil compaction and negative effects on plant.