Silvopastoral agroforestry for rural environment sustainability and valorization of the region of Guarda and Serra da Estrela, Portugal

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AFINET: agroforestry innovation thematic network

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Use of geographical and socio-economical information to support the risk assessment of foot and mouth disease in the frontier between Brazil and Paraguay

ln 2001, Brazil was able to eliminate the outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in bovine herds. After that, meat exports had an increase of 200%. However, in September 2005 occurred a FMD outbreak in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) and Parana, and then, not only them, but also other states, lost the status of the "FMD free zone with vaccination" and they were forbidden to export meat to other countries. According ta Gazeta Mercantil Journal (2005) the loss related to the return of the FMD disease in Mato Grosso do Sul, reached US$ 1.5 billion, due to commercial restriction of meat exportations. Only in July, 2008, after three years of the outbreak, Mato Grosso do Sul was considered free with vaccination by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Because of the different production systems, socio-economical conditions and geographieal eharaeteristie over the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, which has one of the Brazilian's biggest bovine herd (20-million heads) working on FMD risk assessment of FMD involves to address the problematic with an holistie approach. The aim of the Ph.D. project is to analyze the potential use of geographical informations as weil as geospatial tools (maps, satellite images) and use with OTAG decisional support system to make risk assessment of FMD. Two experimental eounties in the state of Mato Grosso do Su 1 in the frontier between Brazi 1 and Paraguay eonsidered by the Brazi 1ian Government a high surveillance region for FMD disease were seleeted. Production praetiees and their specifie geographieal eharaeteristies (land cover, land use, infrastructure, etc.) will be studied with the use of Landsat 5 satellite images and field survey. Soeio-eeonomical, sanitary and animal movements data for eaeh eounty will be analysed. The researeh will also involve a temporal analysis, based on the evolution of the territories and human practices, the aetual picture of these counties, regarding the 2005 FMD outbreak. Ali the parameters will be analyzed in order to develop a methodology to determine and improve deeisional ind ieators that wi Il have potentia 1 issue for FMD risk assessment. (Texte intégral

RNA, the Epicenter of Genetic Information

The origin story and emergence of molecular biology is muddled. The early triumphs in bacterial genetics and the complexity of animal and plant genomes complicate an intricate history. This book documents the many advances, as well as the prejudices and founder fallacies. It highlights the premature relegation of RNA to simply an intermediate between gene and protein, the underestimation of the amount of information required to program the development of multicellular organisms, and the dawning realization that RNA is the cornerstone of cell biology, development, brain function and probably evolution itself. Key personalities, their hubris as well as prescient predictions are richly illustrated with quotes, archival material, photographs, diagrams and references to bring the people, ideas and discoveries to life, from the conceptual cradles of molecular biology to the current revolution in the understanding of genetic information. Key Features Documents the confused early history of DNA, RNA and proteins - a transformative history of molecular biology like no other. Integrates the influences of biochemistry and genetics on the landscape of molecular biology. Chronicles the important discoveries, preconceptions and misconceptions that retarded or misdirected progress. Highlights major pioneers and contributors to molecular biology, with a focus on RNA and noncoding DNA. Summarizes the mounting evidence for the central roles of non-protein-coding RNA in cell and developmental biology. Provides a thought-provoking retrospective and forward-looking perspective for advanced students and professional researchers

A tree‑ and climate‑dependent growth model to predict mature annual cork thickness under different climate change scenarios

Climatic factors drive the annual growth of cork and the subsequent increase in its thickness, which, in addition to porosity, determines the price of cork. Therefore, the simulation of cork thickness is a crucial module of forest growth simulators for cork oak stands. As the existing cork growth models are independent of climatic factors, cork thickness under different climate change scenarios could not be simulated using these models. The primary objective of this study was to develop a climate-dependent tree model to predict annual cork growth. We also verified the hypothesis that the effects of climate change on cork annual growth are nonlinear, and vary with the cork age and thickness. Due to the limited amount of work developed around this topic, we evaluated three candidate models and selected the one that presented best prediction performance as the base model. A set of climate variables that characterized annual climatic conditions were tested in the base model parameters. The resulting climate-dependent model was referred to as the fixed-effects model, and used to initialize a mixed-effect model which accounted for the nested structure of the data. We considered two random effects—the plot and the trees inside the plot. Annual precipitation and the Lang index (ratio between annual precipitation and mean annual temperature) were the variables that showed best results when included in the model parameters. Using a ratio of the variable to cork thickness recorded during the previous year, in both cases, suggested a decline of the positive effect of annual precipitation and the Lang index for increasing cork thickness. The models developed in this study predicted the cork thickness of individual trees based on the cork age and under different climate change scenarios. Therefore, they can be used in forest growth simulators for forest management and research purposes.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mapeamento de recifes de corais na plataforma continental rasa do nordeste brasileiro por sensoriamento remoto

The Continental Shelf has great importance in the study of coastal evolution, provided this area was affected by fluctuations in sea level during the Quaternary period. In the shallow continental shelf of the Northeastern Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, submerged important geomorphological features can be found in the distance of 6 km from the coastline. Among these features, highlights the reef complex called Parrachos of Rio do Fogo. This study aims to characterize and analyze geomorphological features and benthic surface features found in this reef complex, from the analysis and interpretation of remote sensing products and in situ data collection. In this work, a digital model of bathymetry was created based on unpublished bathymetric data and compositions from images bands of satellite sensors OLI/Landsat-8, MS/GeoEye and PAN/WordView-1, and then analyzed, interpreted and validated through field work. All obtained data and information were stored in a Geographic Information System (GIS). The following geoenvironmental units were mapped: intertidal reefs, submerged reefs, spurs and grooves, pools, sandy bank, sea grasses, bank of algaes, submerged roads, Barreta Channel and the Rio do Fogo Channel. The use of the proposed methodology provided a detailed analysis of submerged geomorphology in the study area. This study may be used as a guide for future decision-making for environmental management in the region.A Plataforma Continental possui grande import?ncia no estudo da evolu??o costeira, pois representa uma ?rea afetada pelas oscila??es do n?vel do mar no per?odo Quatern?rio. Na plataforma continental rasa do Nordeste do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil, importantes fei??es geomorfol?gicas submersas podem ser encontradas a cerca de 6km da linha de costa, dentre estas fei??es, se destaca o complexo recifal denominado Parrachos de Rio do Fogo. O presente estudo objetiva caracterizar e analisar as fei??es geomorfol?gicas e da superf?cie bent?nica, encontradas neste complexo recifal, a partir da an?lise e interpreta??o de produtos de sensores remotos e coleta de dados in situ. Neste trabalho foi criado um modelo digital de batimetria com base em dados batim?tricos in?ditos e composi??es de bandas de imagens dos sensores orbitais OLI/Landsat-8, MS/GeoEye e PAN/WordView-1, ambos analisados e interpretados de forma integrada e validados em trabalhos de campo. Todos os dados e informa??es obtidas foram armazenados em um Sistema de Informa??es Geogr?ficas (SIG). Foram mapeadas as seguintes unidades geoambientais, os recifes intermareais, os recifes submersos, rastros e sulcos, piscinas, o banco arenoso interno, faner?gamas marinhas, o banco de algas, caminhos submersos, o Canal de Barreta e o Canal de Rio do Fogo. O emprego da metodologia proposta possibilitou uma an?lise detalhada sobre a geomorfologia submersa da ?rea de estudo, podendo ser norteador, em futuras tomadas de decis?o no manejo e gerenciamento ambiental da regi?o

Modelo de crescimento para árvores em povoamentos juvenis de sobreiro em Portugal

The juvenile and adult stages in cork oak are distinct because of the periodic debarking of the stem and branches that characterizes the adult stage. This fact implies the use of diameter under bark for the adult stage while diameter over bark is the natural variable for juvenile stands in growth and yield studies. Tree growth in the adult stage may also be affected by the periodic debarking. The differences between the two stages justify the development of different models for each of them. The objective of this paper is to develop an individual tree growth and yield model for juvenile cork oak stands for general application on the cork oak distribution area in Southern Portugal. The most important modules of this growth model were developed using data collected from a large number of trees in the juvenile stage, from several plots distributed around the South of Portugal. These modules were: an individual tree diameter growth model, a height-diameter model and a model for crown diameter prediction