Saltwater intrusion due to global change is expected to have a detrimental effect on the biogeochemistry of tidal freshwater wetlands. Of particular concern is that fact that salinization can alter the role of these ecosystems in the global carbon cycling by causing shifts in microbial metabolism that alter greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon mineralization rates. However, our understanding of how wetland microbial community dynamics will respond to saltwater intrusion is limited. To address this knowledge gap and increase our understanding of how microbial communities in tidal freshwater wetlands change over time (1, 3, 12, and 49 weeks) under elevated salinity conditions, an in situ soil transplant was conducted. Throughout the 49 weeks of saltwater exposure, salinity had no effect on soil quality (organic matter content and C:N ratio). In contrast, the concentration of porewater ion species (SO4-2, NO3-, and NH4+) considerably increased. The activity of hydrolytic enzymes, (ß-1,4-glucosidase and 1,4-ß-cellobiohydrolase) gradually decreased with prolonged exposure to saline conditions; by the final sampling event (49 weeks), activity was reduced by ~70% in comparison to the freshwater controls. Short term exposure to salinity (3 and 12 weeks) had a greater effect on phenol oxidase, decreasing activity by 10-20%. Saltwater exposure had an immediate (1 week) effect on potential rates of carbon mineralization; overall, carbon dioxide production doubled and methane production decreased by ~20-fold. These changes in gas production were correlated to increased salinity and to changes in the abundance of methanogens and sulfate reducing bacteria, suggesting a shift in the terminal step in organic matter degradation from methanogenesis to sulfate reduction. Principal component analysis revealed distinct changes in soil environmental conditions and carbon metabolism within weeks, but the response of the microbial community was slower (months to a year). Taken together, results from this study indicate that the response of tidal freshwater wetlands to salinization is driven by complex interactions of microbial related processes and environmental changes that are dependent on the duration of exposure. Assessing the impact of environmental perturbation on ecosystem function may be better achieved by complementary analysis of both microbial community structure and function.

La rivière Essonne est influencée quantitativement et qualitativement par la nappe de Beauce. L'eau de cette nappe possède des concentrations en nitrates élevées et qui continuent d'augmenter, représentant ainsi une menace croissante pour la qualité du cours d'eau. Des cressonnières (zones humides artificielles où le cresson de fontaine [Nasturtium officinale R. Br.] est cultivé) étaient autrefois très nombreuses entre ces deux masses d'eau, mais sont aujourd'hui massivement abandonnées. Or, ces zones humides jouent potentiellement un rôle épurateur vis-à-vis des nitrates, et pourraient contribuer au bon état du cours d'eau en limitant les transferts de ces nutriments (zones tampons) de la nappe vers la rivière. Ce travail a donc pour objectif d'étudier l'élimination des nitrates dans les cressonnières, mais également l'évolution de ces zones humides après l'abandon de la culture du cresson, et ses conséquences sur l'épuration. Pour cela, nous nous sommes basés sur l'étude d'un site expérimental (Maisse, 91, France) comprenant plusieurs stades d'abandon et sur des expérimentations en laboratoire (bioréacteurs). Les successions de macrophytes après l'abandon de la culture ont été étudiées sur le site expérimental et dans 14 autres sites de la vallée de l'Essonne. Après l'abandon de la culture, le cresson ne se maintient pas dans les fosses. On observe alors une évolution progressive vers un milieu terrestre, avec la colonisation successive par des hydrophytes pionnières ou invasives (Lemna minuta Kunth.), puis par des hélophytes pionnières (Epilobium hirsutum L., Typha latifolia L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steud.). Enfin, il s'établit une roselière avec l'apparition d'espèces arbustives et ligneuses (Salix sp), qui s'accompagne d'un comblement des fosses et qui semble constituer une transition vers une forêt alluviale. Au cours du passage de l'eau dans les fosses du site expérimental, une partie des nitrates a été éliminée. Les fosses cultivées ont été les plus efficaces avec un taux moyen de 1770 mg NO3-/m²/jour au cours des trois années de suivi. En comparaison, les fosses abandonnées ont montré des taux d'élimination largement inférieurs allant de 550 à 750 mg NO3-/m²/jour. Toutefois, ces taux n'ont permis qu'une faible diminution des concentrations (approximativement 44 mg/L en entrée à 42 mg/L en sortie) à cause de temps de séjour trop courts de l'eau dans les fosses. Les taux d'élimination des nitrates ont varié de façon saisonnière, avec un maximum en été et un minimum en hiver. L'ampleur des variations saisonnières a cependant été beaucoup plus forte dans les fosses cultivées que dans les fosses abandonnées. L'estimation des prélèvements par les macrophytes a montré que la dénitrification est la voie majoritaire de l'élimination des nitrates (70 à 85% de l'élimination totale). Des mesures de dénitrification potentielle en bioréacteurs ont montré que ce processus était limité par la disponibilité du carbone organique. Or, le cresson des fosses cultivées représente une source de carbone très disponible, par rapport aux hélophytes (Phragmites australis) qui dominent les cressonnières abandonnées. L'effet des cressonnières sur les concentrations en nitrates de la rivière Essonne est actuellement limité, mais peut être amélioré par la gestion des sources de carbone et des temps de séjour de l'eau dans ces zones humides. / River Essonne is quantitatively and qualitatively influenced by groundwater. Nitrate concentrations of this groundwater are high and are still increasing, threatening the quality of the watercourse. In the past, watercress farms (artificial wetlands where watercress [Nasturtium officinale R. Br.] is cultivated) were numerous between this groundwater and the river, but they are nowadays massively abandoned. These wetlands potentially play the role of buffer zones, and could contribute to maintain the quality of surface water with respect to nitrate. This study aims to assess nitrate mitigation in watercress farms, but also the changes occurring in these wetlands after watercress cropping has been abandoned and their consequences on nitrate removal. This work is based upon the study of an experimental site (Maisse, France) including several stages of abandon, and on laboratory experiments (bioreactors). Macrophytes succession after the abandonment of watercress farms has been assessed at the experimental site and in 14 other abandoned sites of the Essonne valley. After the abandonment of the crop, watercress do not maintain in the beds. The wetlands progressively evolve towards a terrestrial ecosystem, being successively colonized by pioneer or invasives hydrophytes (Lemna minuta Kunth.) and by pioneer helophytes (Epilobium hirsutum L., Typha latifolia L., Phragmites australis (Cav.) Steud.). To finish with, the vegetation consists in reed beds, with the appearance of shrubby and woody species (Salix sp) which seems to indicate an evolution towards an alluvial forest. Nitrates were partially removed from the water between the inflow and the outflow of our experimental site. Cultivated beds were the most efficient with a mean removal rate of 1770 mg NO3-/m²/day during this 3-years survey. In comparison, abandoned beds exhibited lower removal rates ranging from 550 to 750 mg/m²/day. In spite of these rates, the effects on nitrate concentrations in water were limited (approximately 44 mg/L at the inflow and 42 mg/L at the outflow), because the residence times were short. Nitrate removal rates varied seasonally, and were highest in summer and lowest in winter. The amplitude of these variations was higher in cultivated beds than in abandoned beds. The estimate of nitrate uptake by macrophytes revealed that denitrification could account for 70 to 85% of nitrate removal. Measurement of potential denitrification in bioreactors showed that organic carbon availability limited denitrification in watercress farm sediments. Watercress is a readily available source of carbon, in contrast with helophytes which dominate abandoned beds such as Phragmites australis.The effects of nitrate mitigation in watercress farms on nitrate concentrations in the river Essonne are very limited, but can be improved with the management of carbon sources and hydraulic residence time in these wetlands.

Wood is a natural raw material, and would hardly be considered a risk to the environment. However, the handling of wood materials on an industrial scale has been shown to have a negative impact on water bodies that run-off from industrial sites that process wood-based materials. Most investigations related to water pollution from wood-based industries have focused on large industrial sites such as pulp and paper mills. The goal of the present thesisis to understand better such environmental problems and treatment solutions that occur at most wood handling sites. Where there are large outdoor storage areas for logs and sawdust that are exposed to rainfall or irrigation, such as the wooden-floor and bio-energy sectors. Leachate generated by the contact of water with wood in storage areas contains a large amount of organic matter that is potentially hazardous to water bodies that receive run-off from the site. It has been found that different wood species yield different leachate compositions, with leachate from oak having the highest pollutants content, followed by leachate from pine. This investigation shows that oak has the potential to leach about 10 times the amount of polyphenols compared with other investigated species (i.e., pine, beech and maple). Furthermore, oak leachates have the lowest ratio of biological oxygen demand at 7 days tochemical oxygen demand (0.12), which suggests a potential problem with the biological degradation of this leachate. It has also been shown that leachate from wood are potentially toxic to aquatic organisms. Treatability studies with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of wood leachate were conducted on a pilot scale as part of the scope of this thesis. The results showed, among other options, the possibility of using constructed wetlands to treat leachate. It was found that plants and aeration can affect the performance of a wetland. However, the most important factor is the time water spends in the wetland. Filter material that could be used to absorb leachate was also studied. A filter consisting of a mixture of peat and ash (from incinerated organic matter), was used to absorb a specific chemical group (polyphenols) in the leachate. It was also shown that polyphenols are vulnerable to ozone, representing a third viable treatment process. / Trä är ett naturligt råmaterial som knappast anses vara en risk för miljön. Däremot har hanteringen av trämaterial i industriell skala visat sig ha negativ inverkan på vattendrag. De flesta utredningar avseende vattenföroreningar inom träbaserade industrier har fokuserat på stora industrier med stor vattenförbrukning så som massa- och pappersbruk. Lakvatten som alstras vid kontakten mellan vatten och trä innehåller höga halter av organiska ämnen som är potentiellt farliga för vattendrag. Målet med denna avhandling är att få kunskap om ovanstående miljöproblem och möjlig behandlingar av dessa. Förorenat lakvatten skapas av industrier, där stora mängder timmer och sågspån är placerade utomhus och utsätts för regn och bevattning, såsom inom trägolv och bioenergisektorn. Man har funnit att lakning från olika träslag ger olika sammansättningar på lakvattnet, där lakvatten från ek har den högsta halten av föroreningar följt av furu. Denna undersökning visar att ek har potential att laka ut tio gånger så mycket polyfenoler jämfört med andra undersökta arter (tall, bok och lönn). Dessutom har lakvatten från ek den lägsta andelen av biologisk syreförbrukning efter 7dagar per kemisk syreförbrukning (0,12), vilket tyder på ett potentiellt problem med den biologiska nedbrytningen av detta lakvatten. Man har även påvisat att lakvattnet från trä är potentiellt giftigt för akvatiska organismer. Studier för att försöka minska miljöpåverkan av lakvatten från denna trädsort gjordes i pilotskala inom ramen för denna avhandling. Dessa studier visade bland annat på möjligheterna att använda sig av våtmarker som reningsmetod, där växter och luftning påverkar hur bra en våtmark fungerar. Men den viktigaste faktorn var den ökade uppehållstiden som vattnet får i våtmarken. Utöver studier av våtmarker har också ett filtermaterial studerats, filtret bestod av en blandning av torv och aska, som användes för att absorbera en specifik kemisk grupp i lakvattnet (polyfenoler). I en tredje typ av behandlingsprocess visade det sig också att polyfenoler effektivt kan brytas ned av ozon.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Tim Keane / Wildcat Creek in Riley County, KS has repeatedly flooded in the past 5 years causing significant damage to the watershed, private property, and community livelihood. Strategically placing wetlands throughout the watershed can help reduce stormwater runoff, increase infiltration, and increase wildlife habitat. A watershed assessment was completed to determine the best location for wetlands in the Wildcat Creek Basin. Two watershed-scale plans for wetlands were derived and evaluated based upon estimation of stormwater runoff and quality of wildlife habitat. Wetlands were then examined and incorporated into existing land cover and land uses at the site-scale for an existing golf course. Three proposals for the nine hole course (for best golf experience, wildlife habitat, and wetland creation) were developed to reflect expansion options from a Par 30 to a Par 34 or 35 course. Each proposal was evaluated based on wetland capacity from estimated stormwater runoff, quality of wildlife habitat, playability of the golf course for all skill levels, and cost of implementation. After this evaluation, the wetland proposal was moved forward and further developed into a proposal that is best suited for the site. Following wetland implementation, stormwater runoff can be collected on-site to prevent runoff and flooding at the golf course and downstream. In order to solve flooding problems in the Wildcat Creek watershed, a series of wetlands can be implemented at the smaller site scale, like the Wildcat Creek Golf Course site, throughout the watershed. Wetlands are one component of a larger stormwater management system that is needed to reduce flooding of the Wildcat Creek and the flood-prone area of Manhattan, KS.

This study determined the concentrations of lead and cadmium in edible parts of Colocasia esculenta, Amaranthus spp.and Ipomoea batata cultivated on farms in industrially polluted sections of Nyabugogo Marsh in Kigali, Rwanda. The concentrations in all three crops exceeded European Union (EU) standards for metal concentration in food crops. C. esculenta roots (Taro) contained the highest concentration of lead (1.02 mg kg-1) and cadmium (0.56 mg kg-1), approximately ten and six times over the EU limits, respectively. Even though I. batata (sweet potato) contained the lowest concentrations of lead (0.75 mg kg-1), this is almost eight times the upper limit. The highest bioaccumulation factors (the ratio of plant metal concentration to that of the soil in which it is found growing) for both metals were observed in amaranth plants. The concentrations of lead and cadmium in the farm soils were all acceptable based on EU standards (300mg kg-1 for lead and 3mg kg-1 respectively. The average daily consumption by an adult in the community living around the Marsh and where some of the produce is sold is 50g of amaranth, 120g of taro and 180g of sweet potato. Based on the metal concentration and these rates of consumption, the daily dietary intake of lead by an adult in the community from amaranth, taro and sweet potato is 1 x 10-4, 3 x 10-4 and 4 x 10-4 mg kg-1 respectively. The daily intake of cadmium is 4 x 10-4, 1.7 x 10-4 and 1.2 x 10-4 mg kg-1 for amaranth, taro and sweet potato respectively. These metal intakes are well within the recommendations set forth by the World Health Organisation. The community also has access to multiple sources of dietary and non dietary zinc such as beans, milk and rain water collected from zinc coated roofing sheets, which serves to ameliorate the effects of cadmium. It is however worth noting that survey data may have yielded overestimates of these zinc sources, due to the conditions under which the surveys were conducted i.e. in the hearing of neighbors due to the cramped nature of housing, which may have prompted respondents to inflate consumption quantities of expensive food items. The calculated maximum recommended quantities for daily intake of the crops are very large and are unlikely to be consumed by the population i.e. >2kg of amaranth, >2 kg of taro and 3 kg of sweet potato per day for an adult. Additionally, because this is a poor community, access to such quantities of food on a daily basis is not likely. The community is therefore not exposed to health risks from consuming metal contaminated crops, largely because of the small quantities consumed. The local population is therefore at no immediate risk to exceeding metal consumption limits by consuming vegetables grown in the Nyabugogo Marsh, but the threats will likely increase if the pollution of the Marsh is not addressed.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg 2016 / Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands (HSSF CWs) are being considered in South Africa as an alternative waste water treatment technology which is low in capital costs and typically requires less operational infrastructure when compared to conventional treatment technologies. HSSF CWs may thus be a potential solution for solving the challenge of ensuring reliable access to clean water for rural communities whose municipalities may not be able to afford the construction of a waste water treatment plant as well as not being able to supply sufficient technical expertise for the operation thereof. Proper design of HSSF CWs requires a detailed investigation into the hydraulic behaviour as it has a direct effect on the treatment performance in these systems. In this study, three available hydraulic modelling methodologies for HSSF CWs were compared and these are the impulse, step change integral and step change derivative modelling methodologies. Hydraulic data were generated from planted and unplanted pilot scale HSSF CWs using residence time distribution (RTD) studies and the modelling results using each methodology were compared. It was found that each methodology was capable of suggesting a different hydraulic behaviour for the same system being studied and since it is not possible to evaluate an analytical answer to the problem independently it was not possible to determine which modelling methodology was the most accurate. Practical limitations of the experiments used to feed hydraulic data to the respective methodologies were also highlighted. Despite a well-designed sampling regime it was not possible to capture sufficient data surrounding the peak of the impulse response curve and may have impacted negatively on the modelling results. No such difficulties were encountered with the step change tracer experiments. The mathematical techniques which each methodology employs were also critically assessed. It was found that numerical differentiation in the step change derivative modelling approach introduced noise into the RTD curve and may have affected subsequent results. Ultimately each methodology has its own associated strengths and weaknesses and choice of methodology may be dictated by other factors such as cost to set up the hydraulic experiment as well as equipment availability. Tasks two and three of this dissertation dealt with how Biomimicry can be used as a tool to develop more sustainable HSSF CW designs and hydraulic modelling processes. In task two, hydraulic data generated from the first task were used to develop estimates of the velocity profiles inside a planted HSSF CW to identify regions most prone to clogging, a phenomenon which would be a serious concern for rural communities whose sole water treatment system would be the CW. Biomimetic design principles were combined with the modelling results to develop a modular system design allowing for sections of the CW to be removed for cleaning while still allowing for continuous treatment of the waste water. Task three explored the use of heat as a hydraulic tracer. Heat is considered more environmentally friendly when compared to chemicals as tracers as the CW can equilibrate to ambient conditions post study and the effluent does not require dedicated disposal infrastructure. Heat is non-conservative in these systems and processes such as absorption by the subsurface media and loss to the surroundings distort the hydraulic response curve from which the hydraulic behaviour cannot be directly obtained. In this study a mathematical model was developed which maps a heat tracer response curve to one which would be obtained if a conservative chemical tracer were used. It was tested by conducting a combined heat-chemical tracer study on an unplanted laboratory-scale HSSF CW and the predicted chemical response curve was compared with the actual experimental response curve. The model performed satisfactorily indicated by a 5% and 6% relative difference in the Peclet number (Pe) and mean of the RTD respectively. In each of these chapters, an abstract is provided which summarizes the main findings of the study. / MT2017

O uso de agroquímicos pode causar uma grande variedade de impactos negativos em ambientes aquáticos. Em áreas de exploração agrícola, onde são usados tais produtos, há uma demanda por sistemas de bioremediação que conjuguem baixos custos e simplicidade operacional. Na presente tese são apresentados os resultados da pesquisa que consistiu em se investigar o destino ambiental do agroquímico ametrina quando adicionado a alagados construídos. Foram utilizados sistemas em micro e mesoescala, construídos em Viçosa-MG, que consistiam de macrófitas aquáticas (T. latifolia) plantadas sobre um leito de brita. Para melhor avaliação dos mecanismos nos alagados foi realizado um estudo hidrodinâmico e observou-se que as células operam com boa eficiência hidráulica. No experimento em mesoescala verificou-se a retenção/remoção de 39% da massa de ametrina aplicada, não sendo observadas diferenças significativas entre as 4 unidades utilizadas. No estudo em microcosmo, não foram observadas variações em relação ao teor de nutrientes e a morfo-anatomia das macrófitas. Tal fato pode ser interpretado positivamente, visto que mesmo sob perturbação ambiental a planta adulta conseguiu manter suas características. Como fator a ser considerado, verificou-se que o desenvolvimento inicial da T. latifolia pode ser prejudicado por reduzidas concentrações de ametrina. De uma maneira geral, observou-se que sistemas alagados construídos operando sob escoamento subsuperficial poderão vir a ser usados na mitigação da contaminação de águas por praguicidas. / Pesticides can cause a great spectrum of negative impacts in aquatic environmental. In agricultural lands, these products are largely used and in these regions there is a demand for low costs and simple bioremediation systems. In the present thesis, the results of the research about ametryn environmental fate in subsurface flow constructed wetlands systems are presented. The wetlands cells were built in microcosms and mesocosms scales at Viçosa city, Minas Gerais state. The experimental system was consisted of aquatic macrophytes (T. latifolia) cultivated on a porous gravel bed. A hydrodynamic study was performed for the better knowledge of the mechanisms of pesticide transport. The cells presented good hydraulic efficiency and in mesocosms wetlands were observed that 39% of ametryn amended was removed/retained. No statistical difference among the 4 cells performances was registered. At green house (microcosm) tests, no effects in nutrients and morpho-anatomy were observed. This fact can be interpreted positively, because ever under environmental disturbance, the macrophyte maintained its characteristics. However, aqueous 10-d germination and growth experiment indicate possible ametryn harmful effects to T. latifolia development. In general way, it was observed that vegetated constructed wetlands can be used in depollution of pesticides-contaminated waters.

A presente pesquisa abordou o estudo em escala real do tratamento de lixiviado de aterro sanitário em um sistema composto por dois filtros anaeróbios seguidos de dois banhados construídos. O trabalho foi desenvolvido na estação de tratamento de lixiviado do aterro sanitário pertencente à Central de Resíduos do Recreio, localizada em Minas do Leão/RS. Pretendeu-se verificar a eficiência do sistema na remoção de matéria orgânica e de nitrogênio amoniacal. A fase 1 da pesquisa, que avaliou o desempenho dos filtros anaeróbios quando operados em série, indicou que a quase totalidade da remoção de matéria orgânica facilmente biodegradável ocorreu no primeiro filtro, evidenciando que, para o tratamento do lixiviado em questão, não é interessante a utilização de dois filtros anaeróbios de fluxo ascendente semelhantes em série. A fase 2 avaliou o desempenho dos filtros anaeróbios operados em paralelo e dos banhados construídos. Foi possível concluir-se que: filtros anaeróbios de fluxo ascendente são excelente alternativa para o tratamento de lixiviado de aterro sanitário, pois podem viabilizar remoções de matéria orgânica superiores a 50%; banhados construídos representam uma ecotecnologia interessante para o complemento do tratamento de lixiviado, pois podem viabilizar elevadas remoções de N-amoniacal. / This study discussed the sanitary landfill leachate treatment in a full scale system composed by two upflow anaerobic filters followed by two constructed wetlands. The research was developed at the landfill leachate treatment station owned by Recreio Central Waste, located in Minas do Leão/RS. The objective of the study was to verify the efficiency of the system in the removal of organic matter and ammonia nitrogen. The phase 1 of the study, which evaluated the performance of anaerobic filters when operated in series, indicated that almost all of the removal of organic matter readily biodegradable occurred in the first filter, showing that, for the treatment of leachate concerned, it is not interesting the use of two similar upflow anaerobic filters in series. The phase 2 assessed the performance of the anaerobic filters, operated in parallel, and the constructed wetlands. It could be concluded that: upflow anaerobic filters are excellent alternative for the sanitary landfill leachate treatment, as they may facilitate removal of organic matter greater than 50%; constructed wetlands represent an interesting eco-technology to complement the leachate treatment, which can enable high removals of N-ammonia.

As várzeas do Alto Tietê e do Alto Paraíba do Sul, na Mata Atlântica do sudeste brasileiro, têm sido severamente exploradas e ocupadas por cidades, agricultura, e mineração nos últimos 500 anos. Endêmico destas áreas, o bicudinho-do-brejo-paulista (Formicivora paludicola) passou muito tempo desconhecido para a ciência, até sua descoberta em 2005, quando sua situação de ameaça parecia preocupante. Esta ave (Thamnophilidae) foi descoberta à beira da extinção, e nada se sabe sobre sua distribuição, história natural, estrutura populacional e seleção de habitat, o que gera perspectivas de conservação pessimistas e desacreditadas. Este trabalho traz uma investigação da distribuição da espécie e das áreas mais adequadas à sua sobrevivência usando modelos ecológicos de nicho, amostragens de campo e modelos de ocupação. Nossos resultados mostram que a espécie deve ser considerada Criticamente Ameaçada de acordo com os critérios da IUCN. A ocupação humana na região resultou em uma perda de mais de 300 km2 de habitat adequado à ocorrência de F. paludicola, que agora apresenta uma área de ocupação severamente fragmentada de 1,42 km2. Além disso, esta espécie apresenta capacidade de dispersão limitada, alta especificidade de habitat e disponibilidade de habitat restrita. Também apontamos que brejos com menor densidade de taboa (Typha dominguensis) apresentam maiores probabilidades de ocorrência de F. paludicola, e que essas áreas devem ser priorizadas em futuros esforços de conservação. Usando estimativas geradas por Kernel, nós ainda mostramos que a espécie apresenta pequena área de vida de apenas 0,55 ha, e ocorre em altas densidades nas áreas ocupadas remanescentes, apresentando tamanho populacional entre 383 e 985 indivíduos maduros. Por fim, usando \"Torus shift\", nós demonstramos que a espécie exótica invasora, lírio-do-brejo (Hedychium coronarium) é evitada por F. paludicola, e que a invasão biológica representa mais uma ameaça às populações existentes. A conservação desta espécie reside na criação de uma rede de unidades de conservação conectadas, com áreas naturais e restauradas. Por causa de sua estrutura populacional marcada pela alta densidade, a espécie pode prosperar em áreas alagadas adequadas protegidas da ocupação humana, contaminação dos corpos d\'água e plantas exóticas invasoras. Estes esforços poderiam ajudar não só esta ave extremamente ameaçada, mas também restaurar uma parte das áreas alagadas da Mata Atlântica no estado de São Paulo / Wetlands in Upper Tietê and Upper Paraíba do Sul basins, in southeastern Atlantic Forest, Brazil, have been severely transformed by urbanization, agriculture and mining in the last 500 years. Endemic to these areas, the São Paulo Marsh Antwren (Formicivora paludicola) persisted through this period unknown to science until its discovery in 2005, when its threatened situation became worrying. This bird (Thamnophilidae) was discovered on the verge of extinction, and virtually nothing is known about its natural history, population structure and habitat selection, which made conservation perspectives pessimist and discredited. We investigated both the species distribution and the distribution of its suitable areas using ecological niche modeling, fieldwork surveys and occupancy models. Our results show that the species should be considered \"Critically Endangered\" according to IUCN criteria. Human occupation has resulted in a loss of more than 300 km2 of suitable habitat, so that it now occupies a total and severely fragmented area of only 1.42 km2. Additionally, F. paludicola has limited dispersal ability, narrow habitat specificity, and restricted habitat availability. Furthermore, we showed that marshes with lower cattail (Typha dominguensis) densities have higher probabilities of being occupied. Thus, these areas should be prioritized in future conservation efforts. Using Kernel home range estimations, we show that the species has a small home range of about 0.55 ha, and occurs in high densities in those areas where it is still present, with a total population size between 383 and 985 mature birds. Furthermore, using a novel tool for animal habitat selection studies, the Torus Shift, we showed that the alien invasive ginger lily (Hedychium coronarium) is avoided by the species, and that this invasion represents a serious threat to the remaining populations. The successful conservation of F. plaudicola rests on the creation of a series of interconnected protected areas, with natural and restored wetlands. Given the high density of their population structure, this species could thrive in a relatively small area of suitable wetlands protected from human occupation, water contamination and invasive plants. Such efforts would also greatly contribute to the general conservation and restoration of Atlantic Forest wetlands

A utilização de sistemas de alagados construídos (SACs), como alternativa para o tratamento de diversos tipos de efluentes, tem sido objeto de diversos estudos devido as suas vantagens: baixo custo de implantação e manutenção, ausência de odores, boa qualidade de efluente final e poder paisagístico. O presente estudo teve como finalidade implantar e monitorar um SAC híbrido, em escala piloto, composto por uma unidade contínua subsuperficial de fluxo horizontal (SFH) seguido por uma unidade intermitente subsuperficial de fluxo vertical (SFV) com recirculação. A vegetação utilizada foi a Canna x generalis, popularmente conhecido com Biri, visando o tratamento de água negra simulada pré tratada por reator UASB. Foram implantados na estação de tratamento de esgoto Monjolinho, da cidade de São Carlos – SP. Foram utilizados tempos de detenção hidráulico (TDH) de 1, 2 e 3 dias para o SAC SFH, e o monitoramento do experimento durou, aproximadamente, 6 meses consecutivos. Avaliou-se parâmetros físico-químicos, eficiências de remoção de material orgânico, nutrientes e microrganismos, além da avaliação da presença de antibióticos no efluente. A espécie plantada se adaptou bem às condições ambientais, mostrando-se viável seu uso em SACs. O sistema de tratamento foi responsável, em média, por remoção de 71,4 % de DQO, 73,1% de DBO, 41,3% de carbono orgânico total, 32,1% de N total, 30,9% de N amoniacal, 47,4% de P total e 47,3% de ortofosfato. A remoção de coliformes totais variou de 0 a 2 unidades logarítmicas, e a de Escherichia coli de 0 a 3,5 unidades logarítmicas. A elevação do TDH e a diminuição das taxas de aplicação hidráulica, influenciaram positivamente na eficiência de remoção, principalmente, dos nutrientes e dos coliformes totais. Apenas o antibiótico ciprofloxacina teve sua presença confirmada no afluente do ponto de amostragem da entrada do SAC SFH, com média de concentração de 442,6 ng/L. Supostamente há um mecanismo de remoção de antibióticos ocorrendo nos SACs, devido à presença desse analito apenas no seu afluente, se tornando um potencial para experimentos futuros sobre remoção de antibióticos. Tais resultados mostraram o SAC como uma alternativa promissora para o pós tratamento de efluente concentrado pré tratado anaerobiamente, oferecendo subsídios para planos de saneamento básico, principalmente em áreas descentralizadas, mas dependendo da utilização que se dará ao efluente após o tratamento, pode ser necessária a utilização de um processo de desinfecção. / The use of constructed wetlands systems (CWSs) as an alternative for the treatment of several types of wastewater have been the subject of studies due to its benefits: low cost of deployment and maintenance, absence of odors, good quality of the final effluent and landscaping application. The present study had the purpose to implement and monitor a pilot hybrid CWS composed of a continuous horizontal subsurface flow unit (HSF) followed by a vertical subsurface flow unit (VSF), with a recirculation. The vegetation used was Canna x generalis, popularly known as Biri. This system aimed the treatment of simulated black water pre-treated by UASB reactor, and it was deployed at the Monjolinho sewage treatment plant, in São Carlos – SP. Hydraulic retention times (HRT) of 1, 2 and 3 days were used for the HSF CWS, and the monitoring of the experiment lasted approximately 6 consecutive months. It was evaluated the physical-chemical parameters, the efficiency of removal of organic matter, nutrients and microrganisms, and the presence of antibiotics in the effluent. The specie planted showed a good adaptation to the environmental conditions, showing its viability in CWSs. On average, the treatment system was responsible for removal of 71.4% COD, 73.1% BOD, 41.3% total organic carbon, 32.1% total N, 30.9% N Ammonia, 47.4% of total P and 47.3% of orthophosphate. The total coliforms removal ranged from 0 to 2 log units and the Escherichia coli from 0 to 3.5 log units. The elevation of HRT and the decrease of hydraulic application rates, showed a positively influence on the removal efficiency, mainly of nutrients and total coliforms. Only the antibiotic ciprofloxacin was confirmed in the affluent of the input sampling point of CWS HSF, with a mean concentration of 442.6 ng/L. Supposedly there is a mechanism of antibiotic removal occurring in CWSs, due to the presence of this analyte only in its affluent, becoming a potential for future experiments on antibiotic removal. These results have shown the CWS as a promising alternative for post treatment of concentrated effluent anaerobically pre-treated, offering subsidies for basic sanitation plans, mainly in decentralized areas. However, depending on the use that will be given to the effluent after the treatment, it could be necessary to use a disinfection process.