Geostatistics allows the evaluation of the distribution pattern of data with high spatial variability in agricultural systems. This study aimed to evaluate the spatial variability of biological diversity indices of soil fauna under different land (agriculture and forest). Samples were collected in seven areas (millet, soybean, corn, eucalyptus, pasture crops, and preserved and disturbed Cerrado), in Maranhão state, Brazil. The soil fauna was caught trapped in pitfall traps, installed 3 m away from each other. In each area, 130 traps were maintained for seven days. After this period, they were removed and their content transferred to bottles and taken to the laboratory, where the insects were screened and identified at the level of orders and families. Eight indices were calculated, namely: individuals trap-1 day-1 , Jackknife richness estimator, the Simpson, McIntosh, Shannon, and total diversity, and Simpson dominance, and Pielou equitability indices. The spatial variability was derived from the semivariograms fitted to Gaussian, spherical, and exponential geostatistical models. Statistical analysis showed medium values of the coefficient of variation for millet, except for the indices individuals trap-1 day-1 and McIntosh diversity, which were considered high. The values of the correlation matrix were negative for some indices, suggesting an inverse relationship. For millet, corn, eucalyptus, disturbed Cerrado, and pasture areas, the Shannon diversity index exhibited a pure nugget effect. For the areas of millet, corn, disturbed Cerrado and pasture, the total diversity index was adjusted to the Gaussian model. The degree of spatial dependence was considered high for the individuals trap-1 day-1 and Pielou equitability indices for millet. Only for soybean and pasture similarity in the scaled semivariograms was observed for the spatial variability of the indices, indicating similarity of performance. Soil management and land use affect the patterns of soil fauna abundance, richness, and diversity. The presence of groups such as Araneae, Diplura, and Poduromorpha are related to ecological equilibrium, quality, and sustainability of the agricultural systems studied.

In the global agribusiness, the herbicide use is a major problem for sustainable production, in this sense, it is necessary to better understand the interaction of weed species and floristic composition such as biodiversity indicators. The objective of this study was to analyze the spatial variability of weeds in an Oxisol under no-tillage system. Samples were taken in an area of 0.5 ha, in 50 sampling points with spacing of 5 m x 10 m. Data were analyzed by means of classical statistics, geostatistics, and spatial variability of the constructed maps by the interpolation by kriging technique. All the species of weeds presented in the study area showed spatial variability with the exception of Ipomoea triloba (L.) and Heliotropium indicum (L.), which showed pure nugget effect. The range values (a) shows that the spacing between samples can be extended to all species of weeds. The study was unable to determine specifics areas of management in the local since the different species of weed infested different plots of the area.

Maranhão North Mesoregion has the highest demographic density of the state because where is located the capital, São Luís. The climate is humid or sub-humid tropical with rainfall rates around 1,000 mm / year, and suffering, this way, the mass influence of air. The coastal plain of Maranhão is subdivided into four geomorphological sectors: to the west-northwest coast, which is marked by State recesses, specifically maranhense Golfão; the east coast where dominate the fields of movable or fixed dunes; and the deltaic plain of the Parnaíba River. This study aimed to present a panorama of the North region of Maranhão State demographic density focus, economic sectors, and biological diversity. With regard to the economic sector, the northern region, one of the highlights are the Lençóis maranhenses, the main geo-touristic attractive in relation to its natural beauty and to its mysteries, rivers, mangroves, moving dunes and interdune lagoons, constituting areas of magnificent landscapes, with favorable conditions for recreational tourism. In the extreme north of the state, is found the baixada maranhense that is considered one of the most beautiful state tourist centers, characterized by extensive plains, rivers, estuaries, mangroves and flooded fields, having as highlight, the floating islands of Formoso, Lontra, Cajari and Capivari lakes, in the city of Penalva. In terms of biological diversity, the North Region is dominated by the Amazon forest, which has specific characteristics of the tropical forest. The fauna of the region is typical, with the presence of large and medium-sized animals and many arthropods already reported to the state. The vegetation comprises trees of the Amazon domain, however, is easily found plants of the cerrado biome and babassu palms. In general, the region stands out for its natural beauty and constitute an important economic center. Key words: São Luís Island, Maranhense Amazon, Maranhão State. DIVERSIDADE BIOGEOGRÁFICA DA MESORREGIÃO NORTE DO ESTADO DO MARANHÃO (BRASIL)RESUMO: A Mesorregião do Norte Maranhense possui a maior densidade demográfica do Estado, pois é onde está localizado a capital, São Luís. O clima da região é tropical úmido ou subúmido com índices de precipitação entorno de 1.000 mm/ano, sofrendo assim influência de massas de ar. A Planície Costeira do Maranhão é subdividida em quatro setores geomorfológicos: a costa oeste-noroeste que é marcada por reentrâncias do Estado, especificamente o Golfão maranhense; a costa leste onde predomina os campos de dunas móveis ou fixas; e a planície deltaica do rio Parnaíba. Neste trabalho objetivou apresentar um panorama da região norte do Estado do Maranhão com enfoque densidade demográfica, setores econômicos e diversidade biológica. No que tange ao setor econômico a região norte, um dos destaques é os Lençóis maranhense, principal atrativo geoturístico no que se refere às suas belezas naturais e aos seus mistérios, rios, mangues, dunas móveis e lagoas interdunas, constituindo áreas de paisagens magníficas, com condiçõ...

This study evaluated the nutritional value of sugarcane varieties in relation to nitrogen fertilization. The varieties studied were RB 863129, RB 867515, and RB 92579, and nitrogen fertilizer was applied at doses of 0, 60, 80, 120, and 140 kg N ha -1 . The experiment was divided into two stages: i) Year I -plant cane, when the yield and nutritional quality of the three sugarcane varieties were evaluated; ii) Years II and III, when and the effect of nitrogen fertilization on the nutritional quality of the first and second ratoon crops of the same varieties was evaluated. In plant cane the yield (t ha -1 ) and DM (dry matter) and CP (crude protein) contents were higher for the RB 863129 variety. There was no difference between the varieties regarding their NDF (neutral detergent fiber) and ADF (acid detergent fiber) contents and IVDMD (in vitro dry matter digestibility). In the first and second ratoon crops, there was a difference between the varieties and fertilizer doses for the evaluated parameters, with the exception of the DM content and IVDMD, which were influenced by the varieties, doses of N, and cutting years. The RB 92579 variety showed the best yield of the two ratoon crops (131 t ha -1 of stems) and the best nutritional parameters (26% ADF, 41% NDF, 2.4% CP, and 69.4% IVDMD). The sugarcane yield and its nutritional quality can be influenced by the cutting year and nitrogen fertilization management system and by the variety type. Key words: In vitro digestibility. Animal nutrition. Saccharum officinarum. ResumoEste estudo avaliou o valor nutritivo de variedades de cana-de-açúcar em função da adubação nitrogenada. As variedades estudadas foram RB 863129, RB 867515 e RB 92579, e as doses nitrogenadas 0, 60, 80, 120 e 140 kg N ha -1 . O experimento foi dividido em duas etapas: i) Ano I -Cana-planta: avaliou-se a produtividade e qualidade nutricional de três variedades de cana-de-açúcar; ii) Anos II e III: avaliou-se a influência da adubação nitrogenada na qualidade nutricional da primeira e segunda soca das mesmas variedades. Na cana-planta foram determinados o teor de Brix e a relação FDN/Brix. Para a cana-planta, a produtividade (t ha -1 ) e os teores de MS e PB, foram superiores (P < 0.05) para a variedade RB 863129. Não houve diferença (P < 0,05) entre as variedades para os teores de FDN e FDA e para a DIVMS. Na primeira e segunda soqueira houve diferença (P < 0,05) entre variedades e doses de adubação para os parâmetros avaliados, com exceção do teor de MS e digestibilidade in vitro, que foram influenciados (P < 0,05) pelas variedades, doses de N e anos de corte. A variedade RB 92579 apresentou nas duas soqueiras a melhor produtividade (131 t ha -1 de colmos), aliada aos melhores parâmetros nutricionais (FDA 26%, FDN 41%, PB 2,4% e DIVMS 69,4%). A produtividade da cana-de-açúcar, assim com a sua qualidade nutricional, pode ser influenciada pelo manejo da adubação nitrogenada, ano de corte e pela variedade. Palavras-chave: Digestibilidade in vitro. Nutrição animal. Saccharum officinarum.

The occurrence of a high number of fetal deaths is present throughout the world. It is estimated that more than 2 million fetal deaths occur each year on the globe, where 98% predominate in developing countries. This research aimed to carry out the survey of the fetal deaths number in Maranhão state, as a way to bring contributions to theprevention and health care actions. Data from DATASUS were used for the survey of fetal deaths occurring in the 217 municipalities in Maranhão state in the years 2000, 2010 and 2014, as well as the fetal mortality rate. The program SURFER® version 11.0 were usedfor descriptive statistics analysis and construction of the mean distribution map of cases. The fetal mortality rate in Maranhão has increased over the years, not following the national trend of reduction of intrauterine mortality rates, being required greater investment in public policies to analyze the main risk factors in the state.Key words: fetal death, public health, fetal mortality rate.

The use of swine manure (SM) as a nutrient source for pastures is increasingly common in Brazil, due to its low cost. However, this practice can cause N losses in agricultural soil, where ammonia (NH3) volatilization may be the main drawback, generating undesirable economic and environmental consequences. The objective of this study was to evaluate SM application methods that retain N within the system and determine how these methods affect forage yield and quality. The study was conducted in the municipality of Chapadinha, Maranhão, Brazil, and the following SM application methods were evaluated: (1) surface application, (2) incorporation at 5-cm soil depth, (3) incorporation at 10-cm soil depth, and (4) control when SM was not applied. Lower N losses due to NH3 volatilization and higher pasture yield and quality were found when SM was incorporated at 10-cm soil depth (83 kg N-NH3 ha -1 and 6.3 Mg DM ha -1 , respectively, compared to 86 kg N-NH3 ha -1 and 1.5 Mg DM ha -1 for the control), whereas higher N-NH3 losses and lower pasture yield were observed when SM was applied to the soil surface (143 kg N-NH3 ha -1 and 2.6 Mg ha -1 , respectively). Higher quality forage in terms of chemical composition was also observed when SM was incorporated at greater soil depth. Incorporating SM at 10-cm depth represents an efficient management to mitigate N-NH3 volatilization, and this application method is associated with significantly increased in DM yield and improved chemical composition.

The aim of this research is to evaluate the relationship between the measurement of apparent electrical conductivity of soil and its chemical attributes by electromagnetic induction. Geophysics methods used for soil measurement, with electromagnetic induction technique for measuring apparent electrical conductivity of the soil (EC a ) is important for soil digital mapping, as it determines soil properties, with which EC a is directly related. The apparent soil electrical conductivity (EC a ) was measured by electromagnetic induction with EM38-DD device (Geonics Ltd) at two depths: Vertical dipole (effective depth of 1.5 m-EC a -V) and horizontal dipole (effective depth of 0.4 m -EC a -H) in 6 ha of land located in the Northwest of Spain (Castro de Ribeiras de Lea, Lugo) on several dates. The experimental semivariogram showed that there was a drift for EC a -V and EC a -H data. Soil chemical properties were shown in 23/06/2008 following the sample scheme building by ESAP program (40 spots). At the 40 optimized sampling points, the following soil properties were measured at 0.0 to 0.3 m depth: Organic matter (OM), pH in CaCl 2 , phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potential acidity (H+Al), sum of the basis (SB), cation exchange capacity (CEC) and percent of base saturation (V%). The moderate negative correlation coefficient was found between Log EC a -V and organic matter. Both EC a -H and EC a -V exhibited comparatively low correlations with the chemical properties of soil.

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