No abstract

Roads play an important role in the economic development of cities and regions, but the transport of cargo along highways may represent a serious environmental problem because a large portion of transported goods is composed of dangerous products. In this context, the development and validation of risk management tools becomes extremely important to support the decision-making of people and agencies responsible for the management of road enterprises. In the present study, a method for determination of environmental vulnerability to road spills of hazardous substances is coupled with accident occurrence data in a highway, with the purpose to achieve a diagnosis on soil and water contamination risk and propose prevention measures and emergency alerts. The data on accident occurrences involving hazardous and potentially harmful products refer to the highway BR 050, namely the segment between the Brazilian municipalities of Uberaba and Uberlândia. The results show that many accidents occurred where vulnerability is high, especially in the southern sector of the segment, justifying the implementation of prevention and alert systems. The coupling of vulnerability and road accident data in a geographic information system proved efficient in the preparation of quick risk management maps, which are essential for alert systems and immediate environmental protection. Overall, the present study contributes with an example on how the management of risk can be conducted in practice when the transport of dangerous substances along roads is the focus problem.

Groundwater represents an important component in the supply of freshwater in several regions around the world. The contamination of these waters is a worrisome problem in the management of water resources. Since underground aquifers are vulnerable to contamination by human and industrial activities, including land use, the diagnosis associated with land use is critical for environmental management. The present study was carried out in the Uberaba sandstone formation, in which the vulnerability of the subterranean aquifers was determined using the DRASTIC method, by evaluating the interaction between the use and occupation of the land using a geographic information system. Thus, the risk of contamination of the underground aquifer was determined by evaluating the land use with the water quality and fertility. The tool applied in the present study proved effective for the diagnosis, management and action planning in the short and long term, with the intention of preserving these natural resources.

Currently, the environmental appeal to promote reforestation programs, recovery of degraded areas and preservation of biodiversity pressures the production sector of native forest essences' seedlings. Jatoba, Hymenaea courbaril L., is a native tree which provides many products of great economic relevance. Vegetative propagation is an alternative method for seedlings production, which presents many benefits, including the possibility of establishing high productivity clonal hedges, as it occurs with the Eucalyptus genus. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse, with partial temperature and humidity control. The study assessed the effects of different dosages of indolbutiric acid (IBA) hormone in the process of rooting jatoba cuttings. The cuttings were prepared in a laboratory and submitted to different dosages of IBA (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 e 1000 mg L-1), later established in sand substrate and placed in protected environment with intermittent fogging system and shading of 50%. Statistical analysis was carried out using R software, according to experimental design in randomized blocks, with six treatments and four replications. The results obtained by binomial evaluation showed there was no significant difference between IBA dosages, so the use of IBA on rooting H. courbaril cuttings was ineffective. However, success in the vegetative propagation of jatoba can occur through the selection of individuals that present good results to adventitious rooting. The use of IBA on adventitious rooting varies from one species to another, and due to the lack of studies on the subject concerning Hymenaea courbaril L., more experiments to be carried out in order to evaluate the rhizogenic potential should be done.

A avaliação convencional de uso de energia e recursos por um sistema de produção considera apenas o valor de bens e serviços de mercado, e não os bens e serviços naturais. Devido à necessidade de incorporar parâmetros ecológicos a essa avaliação, surgiu o conceito de emergia, que consiste na soma de energia já utilizada, direta ou indiretamente, para a criação de um novo produto ou serviço. O presente trabalho avalia a sustentabilidade energética do processo de uma usina autônoma de álcool através do cálculo de índices de emergia, pegada ecológica e capacidade de carga. Os resultados mostram que, apesar de alguns índices emergéticos calculados se mostrarem desfavoráveis, os resultados foram em geral satisfatórios para o sistema avaliado. Isso indica que para o ritmo da utilização de recursos, o impacto ecológico do processo em consideração é menor do que a capacidade de carga. Palavras-chave: Sustentabilidade energética. Emergia. Pegada ecológica. Usina autônoma de álcool. Análise da sustentabilidade energética do sistema de uma usina autônoma de álcool através de índices de emergia e pegada ecológica Analysis of sustainable energy system of autonomous alcohol industry through emergy indices and ecological footprint

RESUMOOs macroinvertebrados bentônicos têm gradativamente recebido maior atenção devido à sua importância nos processos ecológicos, por meio de sua participação no fluxo de energia e na ciclagem de nutrientes nos sistemas aquáticos, desempenhando papel importante na troca de fósforo e nitrogênio entre o sedimento e a água de interface. Além disso, eles participam das cadeias alimentares em várias comunidades aquáticas, especialmente como alimento para peixes e aves aquáticas. O presente trabalho foi realizado em um trecho degradado do rio Mandu, em Pouso Alegre, MG, e teve como objetivo principal analisar a influência da recomposição mata ciliar sobre a comunidade de macroinvertebrados bentônicos neste rio. A coleta dos macroinvertebrados foi realizada