A biogeografia na formação em Geografia nas universidades federais brasileiras

Monografia (graduação)—Universidade de Brasília, Departamento de Geografia, 2012.Biogeografia é a disciplina ou a ciência que estuda a distribuição das espécies. A abordagem biogeográfica é complexa e ampla devido ao interesse que suscita junto a vários campos disciplinares – Biologia, Geografia, Ecologia, Engenharias Ambiental e Florestal, Agronomia, etc. –, campos estes que possuem áreas de trabalho distintos. Como pesquisador em Biogeografia, o geógrafo utiliza técnicas e conceitos da Ecologia, Botânica e Zoologia. Considerando o enfoque central da Biogeografia, no qual ainda persiste na idéia geral de distribuição de espécies omitindo, pois, a perspectiva da espacialização dos processos sociais, e considerando também a importância do geógrafo nos estudos de natureza e de sociedade, esta pesquisa teve a intenção em responder: a Biogeografia possui importância e interesse para as pesquisas em Geografia? Deste modo, o principal objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar o desenvolvimento da Biogeografia, com ênfase na formação do geógrafo, os grupos de pesquisa dos Departamentos de Geografia no Brasil e a história do pensamento geográfico brasileiro. Procuramos examinar um pouco da história do pensamento biogeográfico, da antiguidade à contemporaneidade, mas com o desígnio mais particular de vir a perceber seu desenvolvimento no âmbito brasileiro. Para a pesquisa curricular da Geografia do Brasil, houve análise da legislação brasileira de ensino nos cursos de Geografia, apoiada nas Diretrizes Curriculares Nacionais estabelecidas pelo Ministério da Educação. Quanto aos grupos de pesquisa, usou-se a mesma amostra de universidades dos cursos de Geografia. A análise, todavia, não ficou retida apenas aos cursos de graduação; sendo estendida aos Programas de Pós-Graduação e a eventuais laboratórios criados junto a Departamentos de Geografia. A Biogeografia parece nunca ter sido realmente protagonista na ciência geográfica brasileira. Em contrapartida, parece-nos que seria uma grande falácia afirmar que a Biogeografia não interessa a Geografia. Seria necessário inventar um subcampo dentro da Biogeografia, de maneira a que ele viesse a atender efetivamente as necessidades identitárias do geógrafo. Apesar da intenção do trabalho ter sido alcançada, o estudo ainda é bastante precoce. Os cursos de Geografia também estão disseminados em universidades estaduais e instituições particulares. Valeria a pena conferir a atuação/situação delas com respeito à Biogeografia. _________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTBiogeography is the field of science that studies the distribution of species. A biogeographical approach is complex and wide due to the interest it raises among the various disciplines - Biology, Geography, Ecology, Environmental Engineering, Forestry, Agriculture, etc. – that end up working in different fields. The geographer that works with biogeography uses principles and methods from Ecology, Botany and Zoology. Considering the central focus of biogeography, which still persists the general idea of "species distribution" - omitting, therefore, the prospect of the spatialization of social processes, and also considering the importance of the geographer in studies of nature and society, this research was intended to answer: does biogeography have an importance and interest for studies in geography? Therefore, the main objective of this study was to analyze the development of Biogeography, with emphasis on the training of the geographer, in research groups of Geography Departments in Brazil and in Brazilian history and epistemology of geography. We seek to examine some of the history of biogeographical thought, from antiquity to contemporary times, but more particularly with its development in Brazil. Regarding the curriculum research of Brazilian Geography courses, we analyzed the Brazilian legislation for Geography courses within the National Curriculum Guidelines established by the Ministry of Education. As for the research groups, we used the same sample of universities. The analysis, however, was not limited to undergraduate courses; being extended to Graduate Programs and any laboratories created within Departments of Geography. Biogeography seems to never have actually been a protagonist in Brazilian geographical science. On the other hand, it seems that it would be a great fallacy to say that Biogeography does not matter to Geography. It would be necessary to invent a subfield within Biogeography, so that it would effectively meet the needs of the geographer’s identity. Despite the objective of this work have been achieved, the study is still very early. Geography courses are also widespread in state universities and private institutions. It would be worth verifying the work/situation of these schools in respect to biogeography

Implementation of Fire Policies in Brazil: An Assessment of Fire Dynamics in Brazilian Savanna

In 2012, the Brazilian government implemented the Federal Brigades Program (FBP), a fire policy strategy to hire and train firefighters to combat wildfires. This study analyzed the impact of this program on fire behavior before (2008–2012) and after (2013–2017) its implementation in the Parque do Araguaia Indigenous Land, the largest indigenous territory with the highest occurrence of fires in the Brazilian tropical savanna. We analyzed the annual pattern of fire incidence in the dry season, the fire impact per vegetation type, the recurrence, and the relationship between fire and precipitation. The datasets were based on active fire products derived from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the Landsat and Resourcesat-based burned area products, and the records of the fire combat operations. Our results showed that FBP contributed to the reduction of the number of areas affected by fires and to the formation of a more heterogeneous environment composed of fire-resistant and fire-sensitive native vegetation fragments. On the other hand, after the implementation of the FBP, there was an increase in the recurrence of 3–4 years of fires. We concluded that the FBP is an important public policy capable of providing improvements in fire management activities