Gardene Maria de Sousa

Environmental Education in schools is essential for fostering a critical understanding of socio-environmental interactions, particularly when combined with playful and regionalized teaching strategies. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the applicability of the board game “Rio Abaixo, Rio Arriba” for teaching environmental impacts associated with the Parnaíba River to 6th-grade elementary school students. The qualitative-applied research involved 30 students from a state public school in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. The pedagogical intervention included an expository lecture (50 min), pre- and post-intervention questionnaires, and two rounds of the board game, which features 57 spaces integrating geographic features, human activities, and reward/penalty mechanics. In the perception diagnosis, waste disposal, sewage discharge, and riparian deforestation emerged as the most critical issues (70% of indications each; n=21), whereas predatory fishing was underestimated by students (76.7% rated it as minor impact; n=23). Regarding the evaluation of the educational tool, 60% (18/30) of students reported that the game facilitated learning, and 70% (21/30) rated the methodology as excellent, reaching 96.7% positive or neutral approval. The findings demonstrate high acceptance of the activity and suggest that regionalized playful learning can enhance Science education and environmental awareness in basic education.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the value chain of C. coriaceum and the climate-related challenges faced by gatherers in Northeastern Brazil, in order to understand how climate change affects both production and socio-economic relations along the chain. Theoretical Framework: The research is grounded in the concepts of non-timber forest product value chains, socio-environmental sustainability, and the impacts of climate change on the phenology of Neotropical species, highlighting the relevance of local perceptions as a complement to scientific evidence on water and heat stress in plants. Method: A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative data through semi-structured interviews with 17 sellers/gatherers. To map and analyze the C. coriaceum value chain, the Value Links 2.0 approach was used to structure supply, processing, and distribution levels. Gatherers’ perceptions of climate impacts were analyzed through narratives and storytelling, allowing an understanding of how experiences, emotions, and socio-ecological relationships shape management practices and adaptive responses to climate change. Results and Discussion: The results indicate that the C. coriaceum value chain is highly seasonal and dependent on external suppliers before the local harvest (December–February). Informal relationships between gatherers and traders characterize the harvest period, with an average profit margin of 57.13%. Gatherers reported negative impacts of climate change on fruit size and taste, attributed to changes in rainfall patterns, elevated temperatures, and frequent wildfires. These perceptions align with scientific evidence on water and heat stress affecting the species’ phenology. Research Implications: Findings highlight both socio-economic and environmental challenges in the C. coriaceum value chain, emphasizing the need for organizational strengthening and adoption of sustainable practices to enhance local community resilience. Originality/Value: The study integrates local knowledge and scientific evidence on climate change impacts, providing insights for public policy and sustainable management strategies for native species.

The reproductive success of rupicolous bromeliads in the Cerrado depends on climatic conditions and pollinators availability. This study analyzed the phenology and reproductive biology of Dyckia erectiflora (L.B.Sm.) Forzza, an endemic rupicolous bromeliad from Northeastern Brazilian Cerrado. Reproductive phenophases were monitored for two consecutive years in Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí, Brazil. The floral biology and pollination system of the species were evaluated. Flowering and fruiting were seasonal, with delays observed in the second year of the study. Flowering did not correlate with rainfall, occurring during the transition from the rainy to the dry season, while fruiting occurred during the dry season. Seed dispersal, which is anemochoric, ceases at the end of the dry season, facilitating germination in the early rainy months. Flowers exhibit a brief temporal and spatial separation at the beginning of the maturation of the reproductive whorls. The anthesis begins in the late afternoon, with the partial exposure of the receptive stigma, although floral resources such as pollen and nectar are available the following day. The pollination system is melittophilous by exotic bees, rare for the ornithophilous genus. The absence of native vertebrate pollinators raises concerns about the anthropogenic impact on the species’ pollination efficiency.

Refletir sobre a sua prática docente permite ao professor a condução mais efetiva dos processos de ensino e de aprendizagem. Neste intuito, objetivou-se descrever a visão dos acadêmicos do Curso de Licenciatura em Ciências Biológicas sobre o ensino de Botânica e a importância para sua formação profissional e prática pedagógica. Os resultados foram baseados em questionários semiestruturados aplicados a discentes das disciplinas de Botânica. Foi evidenciando que o maior índice de reprovação ocorre na disciplina relacionada ao conhecimento sobre as criptógamas, primeiro contato dos alunos com o conteúdo vegetal. Embora aulas práticas sejam aplicadas, os acadêmicos consideraram que a melhor alternativa seria aumentar o número de aulas práticas como estratégia para facilitar o ensino e a aprendizagem em conteúdo de Botânica.

Detecting changes in the phenological responses of herbaceous species as a function of predicted climate change is important for forecasting future scenarios for the functioning of dry tropical forests, especially when predicting an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme droughts. Because of the sensitivity of plants to water availability, our study hypothesizes that if years become drier or wetter, herbaceous plants will synchronously change the onset, duration, and intensity of their vegetative phenophases. We used a historical series of 60 years of precipitation observations for the Caatinga vegetation to define daily average of precipitation for rainy (T_wet), median (T_control), and dry (T_dry) years. We simulated past average daily rainfall (T_wet, T_control, and T_dry) while growing two herbaceous perennials and two herbaceous annuals. We monitored plant growth and measured the activity (absence or presence) and intensity of vegetative phenophases. We used circular statistical analysis to assess differences between treatments. Our results revealed that leaf production was seasonal but relatively uniform for perennial species and highly seasonal (wet season) for annual species. Simulated dry years induced lower leaf emergence concentrated over a few months in annual species, but this effect was more strongly significant in one of the two perennial species. Both annual and perennial species can experience delayed and less intense leaf abscission during the rainy season in years with below‐average precipitation. In contrast, large voluminous rains in years with above‐average precipitation can accelerate and intensify the process of leaf renewal. If future precipitation reductions occur, the changes in phenological response indicate that the cover of annual and perennial herbaceous species in this study will likely decrease, altering the landscape and functioning of dry tropical forests. However, the potential trade‐offs observed may help populations of these species to persist during years of severe drought in the Caatinga.

Dyckia tubifilamentosa Wand. & G. Sousa is described and illustrated. It differs from the other species of the genus Dyckia by several distinctive characters, namely: the ovoid shape of the flower buds, the long and exserted staminal tube formed from completely connate white filaments, the anther initially connivent and then divergent, along with the fruit with partially persistent perianth. Dyckia tubifilamentosa is found in some areas of the semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil (Piauí State), growing in the Caatinga and transitional Caatinga-Cerrado biomes.

Aechmea prasinata G. Sousa & Wand., a new species from southeast Brazil, is described and illustrated. The species belongs to the subg. Chevaliera and shows morphological similarities with Aechmea hostilis E. Pereira and Aechmea gustavoi J. A. Siqueira & Leme, in the short‐peduncled and capituliform inflorescence, but differs in the oval to oblong floral bracts, the acuminate sepals and the green colour of all perianth structures.