Huezer Viganô Sperandio

Knowledge about the germination potential of Mandacaru seeds is fundamental for maintaining breeding programs and germplasm banks. Thus, we aimed to study the germination of stored and freshly harvested mandacaru seeds in order to investigate seed viability as a function of storage imposition, in addition to characterizing seed anatomy and conducting biochemical evaluation. Germination tests were conducted in a completely randomized design in a 2×6 factorial scheme, with two storage conditions and six temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C), with 4 replications of 25 seeds each. Anatomical evaluation tests and biochemical tests had 5 and 10 replications for each storage condition, respectively. It is concluded that the range of 25-35°C is ideal for germination of C. jamacaru seeds, and temperatures below 20°C and above 35°C are detrimental to germination. X-ray computed microtomography was efficient for characterizing seed anatomy and differentiating their tissues, allowing accurate and clear evaluation of their internal structures, and proper storage was efficient in minimizing the deleterious effects of H₂O₂ and MDA accumulation.

Background: Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) is a key instrument for conserving Ecosystem Services on rural properties. Implementing PES programs across large jurisdictions requires rigorous and transparent methods for selecting eligible areas. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) integrated with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is widely used for this purpose. However, MCDA faces challenges such as subjectivity in weight assignment, limited replicability, and underutilization of public geospatial data, such as the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). Consequently, the literature lacks a robust framework combining MCDA transparency with optimized GIS procedures to generate objective eligibility indices. This study presents a methodological proposal to determine PES eligibility within sub-watersheds using MCDA. Results: The highest eligibility levels were observed in properties with well-preserved areas, especially conserved Permanent Preservation Areas (PPA), high spring densities, and proximity to priority conservation zones, accounting for 4.83% of the total area. In contrast, the lowest eligibility occurred in regions dominated by intensive land use, pastures, and agriculture, with 26.7% and 17.19% classified as “Very Low” and “Low,” respectively. In total, 134 properties were analyzed, demonstrating diverse land-use patterns and distinct conservation contributions. Conclusion: This research applied an MCDA-based methodology to CAR data to support property selection in PES programs. The model quantifies landowners' role in protecting native vegetation to reduce deforestation pressure, while also identifying low-eligibility areas as targets for future ecological restoration. Although the study meets its core objective, the approach faces limitations related to the scale of geospatial data and the complexity of mapping cultural ES.

Background Land use plays a critical role in shaping human societies and environmental sustainability. This study investigates strategies influencing land use dynamics and their potential implications for territorial management and public policy development. We propose a new approach to identify three different land use strategies, and to quantify and analyze their spatial relevance. The study area, located in a Brazilian Biosphere Reserve, covers two watersheds with distinct ecosystems and socioeconomic contexts. We implemented the following steps: mapping land use, computing the potential for agricultural use, mapping restricted zones, and computing the strategies. We accessed public databases and performed spatial analyses using Google Earth Engine, Google Colab and QGIS software. Results One of the watersheds exhibits less anthropization and better environmental preservation. Consequently, it presents greater potential for implementing Payment for Environmental Services (PES) programs. The other watershed, with higher anthropization and agricultural intensity, requires more extensive restoration, especially in restricted areas. Conclusion These differences underscore the importance of tailoring land management strategies to specific socioeconomic and environmental characteristics, ensuring effective conservation and territorial management. The primary scientific novelty of this work lies in the methodological integration that transitions from traditional land-use diagnostics to a prescriptive spatial planning framework. Our study contributes to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Environmental modeling of watersheds as part of environmental planning is a basic tool for decision-making in public management. In this study, we carried out the modeling of conservation agricultural suitability combined with soil losses for the Ribeirão Santana Watershed (BHRS) in Felício dos Santos, MG. The agricultural use potential (PUC) was determined based on lithologies, soil classes and terrain slope. Soil loss was obtained from the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) which considers the processes of erosivity, erodibility, topographic factor, land use and cover and conservation practices. BHRS has 76% of its area with medium to higher potential for agricultural use, and more than 85% of its area has mild to moderate soil losses (below 10 t.ha‑1.year‑1) . The area has high potential for agricultural use, however it has areas with high rates of soil loss. Thus, it is necessary to implement conservation practices for soil and environment management. The USLE and PUC provided the spatialization and identification of areas with the greatest weaknesses in the basin, demonstrating their efficiency in studies of this nature.

The erosion process is natural but has intensified in recent years due to anthropogenic activities, becoming a socio-environmental issue resulting from soil degradation. This process impacts various areas, and its measurement is a critical tool for adopting management strategies and conservation practices. Mathematical models can estimate soil losses under different environmental conditions. When integrated with GIS environments, these models significantly reduce execution and study costs, while generating valuable information, creating maps, and characterizing the environment. This study aimed to perform a systematic literature review on mathematical models for soil and water loss and to highlight some of their applications through the analysis of articles published in journals and indexed in electronic databases. Over the years, various models have been developed, and their use has proven essential for implementing conservation practices and restoring degraded areas. Due to the complexity of the process, it is crucial to consider the parameters available in each situation to select the most appropriate model.

A incidência de espécies invasoras tem aumentado nos últimos anos, causando preocupações significativas devido aos impactos econômicos e à perda de biodiversidade. O monitoramento precoce dessas invasões é essencial para permitir intervenções antes que danos irreversíveis ocorram. Nesse contexto, o uso de tecnologias inovadoras, como aeronaves remotamente pilotadas (RPAs), tem se mostrado promissor por sua relação custo-benefício e eficiência. Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão sistemática e bibliométrica para avaliar a aplicação de RPAs na detecção e monitoramento de espécies invasoras. Foram analisados 65 estudos extraídos das bases de dados Scopus e Web of Science, coletando-se informações sobre as espécies invasoras monitoradas, plataformas de RPAs utilizadas, tipos de sensores, e métodos de processamento de dados empregados. Os resultados indicam um aumento significativo no número de publicações sobre o tema entre 2015 e 2021, com a maioria das pesquisas realizadas na Europa (37,5%), América do Norte (26,5%) e Ásia (15,6%). A plataforma mais utilizada foi a de multirrotor, equipada com sensores RGB, enquanto os algoritmos mais frequentes para processamento de dados foram Random Forest (RF), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) e Support Vector Machines (SVM). Notou-se uma predominância de estudos focados em espécies herbáceas, e todos os trabalhos analisados relataram alta eficiência na detecção e monitoramento de invasões biológicas.

The knowledge of the physiological aspects of Caatinga’s vegetal species is extremely important for preserving this biome, which suffers with human impacts, mainly to select propagation methods. Erythrina velutina is a Brazilian tree, generally found in Caatinga, with medical and forestry potential. The objective of this paper was to determine the best soaking period in gibberellin solution to achieve the highest germination and to evaluate the internal anatomy by digital microtomography of E. velutina seeds. The design was completely randomized and consisted of eight treatments: 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 h of soaking, scarified seeds and the control with no-scarified seeds. Digital microtomography was efficient in describing the anatomy of the seeds and distinguishing their tissues. There was no significant difference between the treatments at different soaking times, as the gibberellic acid did not influence the germination; only the control presented a lower germination percentage, differing from the other treatments. The study presents evidence that E. velutina seeds do not require the exogenous use of gibberellic acid, but only the scarification process. In addition, the use of digital microtomography can be useful in understanding the anatomy of seeds, especially forest species, which can contribute to the future studies of other plant species.

Bauhinia monandra Kurz has ornamental characteristics as the shape of its crown and the exuberance of its flowering, being and is widely cultivated in urban afforestation in Brazilian regions. The production of forest seedlings is essential not only to meet the demand of urban afforestation, but also to conserve forests. However, studies on B. monandra regarding the degree of fruit maturity on seed performance are scarce. Thus, the objective of the current work was to verify the germination potential of B. monandra seeds at different stages of maturation at five constant temperatures. The germination percentage, germination speed index (GSI), mean germination time (t), relative germination frequency, and mean germination speed (MGS) were evaluated. Initially, the mature seeds had a water content of 8.5% and the immature seeds of 68.3%. Mature seeds reached high germination percentages, above 96% for temperatures of 25, 30, and 35 ºC. The immature seeds demonstrated low germination percentages, reaching the highest percentage of 33% for the temperature of 25 ºC, followed by the temperatures of 30 ºC and 35 ºC, with respective percentages of 32% and 20%. Mature seeds demonstrated the highest GSI value (11.79) for the estimated temperature of 26.94 ºC and immature seeds the highest value of t (7.85) for the temperature of 26.56 ºC. It is concluded that mature seeds aggregate higher germination at an estimated temperature of 24.72 ºC and that immature seeds present unsatisfactory germination performance.

Aristolochia elegans é uma planta muito apreciada por seus atrativos paisagísticos, sendo amplamente utilizada como espécie ornamental, porém, informações sobre o seu comportamento germinativo são escassas. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar os efeitos de diferentes temperaturas e concentrações de giberelina na germinação de sementes de A. elegans. As sementes foram imersas em solução de giberelina nas concentrações de 100, 200 e 300 mg L-1, posteriormente foram semeadas sobre papel mata-borrão e transferidas para os germinadores com temperaturas constantes de 15, 20, 25, 30 e 35ºC. Não houve efeito de interação ou efeito isolado de giberelina, apenas efeito isolado da temperatura em todos os parâmetros avaliados. Para a germinação, a curva obteve uma resposta máxima na temperatura estimada em 29,14˚C, com 75% de germinação e a temperatura mínima estimada em 16,9˚C. A velocidade média de germinação cresceu com a elevação da temperatura até um máximo de 29ºC, e em temperaturas acima desse valor, a velocidade diminuiu. Conclui-se que a temperatura aproximada de 29,4˚C permite a melhor germinação, enquanto temperatura abaixo de 16,9˚C, temperatura mínima estimada, não ocorre a germinação das sementes e que não há efeito da giberelina nos parâmetros de germinação quando aplicadas doses entre 100 e 300 mg L-1.