Claudio Urbano Bittencourt Pinheiro

Germination strategies of palms: the case of Schippia concolor Burret in Belize.

A review on seed germination and early seedling development in the palms (Palmae) is presented and variation in the germination process of palm seeds discussed. The three major types of palm seed germination are reviewed, and a new, undescribed mechanism of germination found inSchippia concolor Burret in Belize is described. Possible reasons for this variant pattern are considered, and the ecological and evolutionary significance of different germination types and their variants is discussed.

O ENSINO ACADÊMICO DA ETNOBOTÂNICA NO BRASIL

(Ethnobotany academic teaching in Brazilian Universities) Ethnobotany is the study of human societies and their relationship with plants. It is an old discipline in practice, but young in theory. Ethnobotanical research has grown perceptibly in the past decade in many parts of the world, especially in Latin America. This growth calls for a broader understanding of the discipline in all its theoretical and methodological diversity. The interdisciplinary nature of ethnobotany also requires a greater academic systematization. This study focuses on the assessment of formal teaching methods of ethnobotany in Brazilian universities. Data were gathered from questionnaires sent over the Internet and filled out by graduate-course coordinators in Brazil, and by members of the Brazilian Ethnobotanical Committee of the Botanical Society of Brazil, and of the Brazilian Society of Ethnobiology and Ethnoecology. Thirteen Brazilian universities offer Ethnobotany as a specific discipline and in 27 other institutions, Ethnobotany is included as a topic in other disciplines. In both cases, these courses are generally offered by universities in Northeastern and Southeastern Brazil. The study included an evaluation of the contents as well as of references used in the courses. The data showed a strong tendency for growth of formal teaching of Ethnobotany in Brasil at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Key-words: Teaching of ethnobotany, university level, Brazil.

A Paisagem e a Vegetação na Ilha de Curupu, Litoral Ocidental do Estado do Maranhão.

The Curupu Island is the main morphological unit of the Golfao Maranhense. It is located in the northeast of Sao Luis Island and regionally, appears as part of it, because during high tides making the flooded channels look like inseparable environments. However, politically, is integrated into the municipality of Raposa, near the capital of Maranhao, Sao Luis.The local vegetation is shaped by types commonly found in Maranhao coast: mangroves, salt marshes, dunes, beaches, apicuns and marshland, as well as secondary plant formations resulting from anthropism on the island. This study aimed to raise and characterize the main landscape units and vegetation types of Curupu Island, assessing their occurrence and distribution on the island landscape. For this, the main landscape units and vegetation types of Curupu Island were located, classified and geo-referenced. The vegetation sampling was performed on 23 points, covering all types identified on the island, using the plot method. The phytosociological survey resulted in the recording and identification of 1,872 individuals belonging to 52 species in 30 families. Vegetation plays an important role in the overall landscape of the island. Restingas exercise the natural protection of the dunes and the lower fields; mangroves provide protection to the water channels advancing from the sea to the interior of the island.The upland forests are responsible for reducing the exposure of island areas to direct solar radiation, softening the climate on the island. They are also responsible for the maintenance of water resources in the area, especially wells and small temporary ponds. In socioeconomic dimension, although fishing is the main activity on the island, the vegetation also takes its place in providing various products and services.

Os mitos do Lago Formoso em Penalva, baixada maranhense: uma estratégia de conservação que desaparece

Na regiao da Baixada Maranhense, na Amazonia Legal Brasileira, mais particularmente no municipio de Penalva, os Aterrados sao parte importante da paisagem, constituindo ambientes peculiares desta regiao. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo principal levantar e analisar a cultura local relacionada as crencas em entidades encantadas que protegem os Aterrados, e as consequencias da perda ou manutencao dessa cultura em relacao a conservacao desses ambientes. A conclusao e de que a conservacao dos Aterrados e fundamental para o sustento continuado das populacoes locais que mantem suas atividades produtivas e de subsistencia com produtos extraidos desses ambientes. A integracao das comunidades as dinâmicas economicas atuais e um dos fatores que contribuem para a degradacao do meio ambiente e perda cultural.