Antonio Carlos de Barros Corrêa

Serra Da Capivara National Park: Ruinform Landscapes on The Parnaiba Cuesta

Serra da Capivara National Park (SCNP) , situated in the south-east corner of the State of Piaui , north-east of Brazil, harbours one of the most expressive sets of ruinform landscapes carved on sandstone. Its geomorphological uniqueness arises from the combination of geological and climatic factors. The area is located next to the edge of the Parnaiba sedimentary basin of Paleozoic age, where it meets a Neoproterozoic fold belt and an Archean craton. SCNP lies in an ecotone between the caatinga and Cerrado biomes. Adding to its geomorphological singularity, the dramatic landscapes of the Park are overlapped by one of the most important prehistorical heritages of South America. Human presence on this remote tract of the Brazilian savannas dates back to the Late Pleistocene and is singled out by the exuberant collection of prehistoric rock painting and engravings. The relief of the SCNP is characterized by steep sandstone cliffs cut through by narrow valleys that form gorges and water gaps. The relief of the Park comprises three geomorphological units: the escarpment, the dip-slope and the longitudinal depression. Whereas along the escarpment one finds the most remarkable landmarks of the Park such as prominent cliffs and rock arches, gorges and canyons along the dip-slope also reveal an impressively dramatic scenery.

Stone and Sand Ruins in the Drylands of Brazil: The Rustic Landscapes of Catimbau National Park

Catimbau National Park (CNP) is the only one in Brazil entirely circumscribed by the semi-arid climate and the Caatinga biome of the Northeast region of the country. It is situated in the state of Pernambuco and comprises a set of sandstone landscapes of unique scenic beauty as well as holds important records of archaeological, biogeographical and geomorphological history of the central drylands of the country. The area displays a mosaic of natural landscapes developed on sand covers of the borders of Jatoba sedimentary basin, an important regional geologic feature that was severely deformed by post-Cretaceous tectonic movements following the break-up of Gondwana continent and the final opening of the South Atlantic Ocean . The occurrence of table-like buttes and uplifted homoclines, some in excess of 1,000 m in elevation, favours the development of moister and cooler environmental conditions, which are reflected in the local ecology by means of vegetation refuges and enclaves that differ significantly from the prevailing thorn-scrub xerophytic formations of the Caatinga. Concentration of drainage network towards the base and knick-points at the abrupt sandstone escarpments favours the formation of seasonal swampy areas and lagoons , which are rare natural features within this dryland region of the eastern seaboard of South America.

TÉCNICAS DE CAMPO PARA DESCRIÇÃO DE GEOSSISTEMAS: RECONHECIMENTO EXPEDITO NA BORDA OESTE DO MACIÇO RESIDUAL DE POÇO DAS TRINCHEIRAS, ALAGOAS

POLLINATOR FORAGING STRATEGY IN Galactia peduncularis (BENTH.) TAUB. (LEGUMINOSAE: PAPILIONOIDEA) IN THE PARQUE ESTADUAL DA SERRA DE CALDAS NOVAS BRAZIL The way the animals look for food is an important characteristic of their behavior. The optimal foraging theory is based on the existence of a balance between costs and benefits of these behavioral decisions. The present study aimed to evaluate the behavior of the pollinator in response to increased availability of floral resources. The experiment was conducted in a recently burned Cerrado area (Campo rupestre) in the State Park of Serra de Caldas Novas , located in the municipalities of Caldas Novas and Rio Quente Brazil. The species chosen to test our hypothesis was Galactia peduncularis (Benth.) Taub. (Leguminosae: Papilionoidea). 17 pairs of specimens were selected with a number of flowers, and the individuals of each pair were spaced by about 2m. In these pairs, one of them was considered the focal, and the other, the isolated. To test possible differences in pollination between isolated plants and focus, we performed two randomization tests: a test binary (TB), where all pairs were analyzed and verified the number of times where the focus on the individual floral visits were higher than the number of visits in isolated. According to the data analyzed, floral visitors preferred to use plants that could provide a greater amount of floral resources so that the number of visitors varied positively with the increment of flowers. Plants with many flowers can provide a greater amount of food in one location so that visitors do not need to flower around for long distances in search of meeting their energy needs.

Classificação Geomorfológica dos Estuários do Estado de Pernambuco (Brasil) com Base em Imagens do LANDSAT 5/TM (Geomorphologic Classification of Estuaries of the State of Pernambuco (Brazil) Based on Landsat 5 TM Images)

O presente estudo visou classificar os quinze estuarios do Estado de Pernambuco, adotando como base as caracteristicas geomorfologicas. A base de dados utilizada para a classificacao foram imagens de satelites do Landsat 5-TM. Foram realizadas analises visuais das imagens de satelite e posteriormente efetuados trabalhos de campo com o intuito de validar as interpretacoes realizadas. Na zona costeira pernambucana os estuarios classificam-se como: Planicie Costeira (vale inundado), Formado por Barras e por Outros Processos. As interacoes espaco-temporal dos processos ambientais durante o Quaternario foram de fundamental importância para a atual configuracao das areas estuarinas classificadas, tendo em vista que tectonismo, erosao e sedimentacao recorrente das regressoes e transgressoes marinhas foram processos recursivos durante a formacao dos estuarios e que deixaram registros na paisagem. Foram definidos como planicie costeira os estuarios do Goiana/Megao, Jaguaribe, Paratibe, Maracaipe, Sirinhaem e Formoso. Do tipo construido pro barra tem-se o Timbo, Beberibe, Jaboatao/Pirapama, Mamucabas/Ilhetas e Una. Estuarios tipo ria sao os de Itapessoca e Canal de Santa Cruz, enquanto os de laguna costeira sao o Ipojuca e o Capibaribe. Palavras-chave: Estuarios, Zona Costeira Pernambucana, Quaternario Geomorphologic Classification of Estuaries of the State of Pernambuco (Brazil) Based on Landsat 5 TM Images ABSTRACT This study aimed to classify the fifteen estuaries of the State of Pernambuco-Brazil, using as base the geomorphological characteristics. The database used for the classification were satellite images of Landsat-5 TM. Were performed visual analysis of satellite images and were later made field work to validate the interpretations made. In the coastal zone of Pernambuco are found three classifications of estuaries: coastal plain (the flood plain), formed by bars and other processes. The space-time interactions of environmental processes during the Quaternary were of fundamental importance to the current configuration of estuarine areas classified in order to tectonics, erosion and sedimentation of the applicant marine transgressions and regressions were recursive processes during the formation of estuaries and left records in the landscape. Were defined as the coastal plain estuaries of Goiana/Megao, Jaguaribe, Paratibe, Olinda, Sirinhaem and Formoso. Type built by bar has the Timbo, Beberibe, Jaboatao/Pirapama, Mamucaba/Ilhetas and Una. Estuaries are the kind of laughed Itapessoca and Channel and Santa Cruz, while the coastal lagoon and are Ipojuca and Capibaribe. Key-words: Estuary, coastal Pernambuco, quaternary

APLICAÇÃO DA MICROMORFOLOGIA DE SOLOS AOS ESTUDOS DE SEDIMENTOS QUATERNÁRIOS: uma ferramenta para a reconstrução paleoambiental (application of soils micromorphology to the study of Quaternary sediments: a tool for paleoenvironmental reconstruction)

Sediments deposited during the late Quaternary and resulting aggradation landforms record geomorphic processes and how these operated on landscape evolution, mainly within tropical plataformal contexts. Therefore the presented discussion will focus on recent semi-arid environment sediments in Fazenda Nova and the Baixa Verde massif, state of Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil by means of investigation a depositional environment still closely linked to contemporary landscape. Soils micromorphology can be used as methodological tool in order to better characterize and differentiate sediments related to geomorphic instability periods within the Pleistocene. Results show that the studied material originated from a combination of pedogenetical and morphogenetical cycles under changing arrangements of semiaridity during the upper Pleistocene.