No abstract

The objective of this work was to assess the toxicity of sediment samples from six cascade reservoirs in Tietê river system, in São Paulo State, Brazil, through chronic-partial toxicity bioassays with Danio rerio larvae as testorganisms. Histology of gills and biometric measurements were used to determine the existence of toxicity problems. The alterations on gill morphology here detected were considered of first stage (hyperplasia, lamellar junction and excess of mucous cells) in the first reservoirs and very slight in the last ones. The biometric analysis pointed to inadequate conditions for the growth of the test-organisms when exposed to the sediment of the rivers and upstream reservoirs and also indicated an improvement of environmental conditions along the system.

The state of conservation of Atlantic Forest in the Maquiné river basin was assessed using land cover data obtained from Landsat TM 5 satellite imagery (October 1995). The initial analysis examined the distribution of the relative areas of each land-cover type according to landscape slope classes, potential vegetation zones, and a 90 m riparian buffer. Land-cover classes were then regrouped into categories representing "low", "intermediate", and "high" degree of anthropogenic alteration. Results indicate that about 70% of the land cover of the Maquiné river basin has been highly altered as a consequence of replacement of natural forests by agriculture. Presently, a recovery process seems to be underway, contrasting with the historical trend towards deforestation. There are large areas of secondary vegetation in intermediate (34.8%) and advanced successional stages (20.2%), particularly across the range of the montane forest and of forest formations that occur at elevations higher than 800 m (high-montane dense ombrophilous forest and mixed ombrophilous forest). The geographical location at the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest stricto sensu and comparison of the results with data on the state of conservation of the Atlantic Forest in Rio Grande do Sul indicate that the Maquiné river basin is an important area for conservation. Some points regarding future research and conservation management are also discussed.

A estrutura populacional e aspectos reprodutivos de Atherinella brasiliensis (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825) foram analisados mensalmente de maio de 2000 a abril de 2001, em oito pontos de ambientes rasos do eixo norte-sul do complexo estuarino de Paranaguá. As análises ambientais das variáveis pH, oxigênio dissolvido, transparência e salinidade da água sugerem a existência de um gradiente ambiental crescente no sentido norte-sul do estuário. A temperatura da água evidenciou a variação temporal no sistema estudado, mostrando-se intimamente relacionado com o processo reprodutivo. O pico de atividade reprodutiva foi determinado para fêmeas e machos, respectivamente, nos meses de outubro e setembro, período em que se verificou a proporção de duas fêmeas para um macho. O predomínio de indivíduos jovens no estuário ocorreu no final da primavera e durante o verão, após o período reprodutivo. As análises sazonais de comprimento e de massa corporal sugerem a existência de um padrão cíclico de crescimento ao longo do ano, o qual reflete o período reprodutivo e o recrutamento. Assim, conclui-se que A. brasiliensis é uma espécie estuarina residente, mostrando-se amplamente distribuída nas áreas rasas estuarinas, podendo ser considerada chave em avaliações de impacto ambiental e/ou em ações de planos de manejo e conservação em ambientes estuarinos.

With the objective of evaluating the effects of organochlorine pesticides (aldrin and heptachlor) on the survival, growth and gill morphology of juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio), four partial chronic toxicity bioassays were conducted (seven days' duration) with both compounds in a semi-static system with renewal every 24 h. The results did not show any effects on the fish's survival, but did on their growth and gill morphology. Aldrin was more toxic than heptachlor, since the chronic value (CV) for growth was nearly 8.7 times less, a result confirmed by analyzing the histology of the gills, in which the changes detected were considered more severe for the former substance. In general, they were found branchial lesions of first stage, in other words, cell proliferation between the secondary lamellae, hyperplasia, lifting of respiratory epithelial cells; fusion of several secondary lamellae and dilation of blood vessels. Aneurysms (alterations of second stage) they were verified in the exposed organisms to the aldrin, which also presented about 10% of reduction in the standard length and 30% of reduction in the total weight in relation to the exposed organisms to the control. For heptachlor these values were of 8% and 25%, respectively. The intensity of the gill lesions and growth of the fish did not depend on the pesticide concentration, suggesting different modes of action of the products.