The quantification of root biomass and the assessment of its dynamics in forest ecosystems has been intensified due to its important role in carbon sequestration and storage and the possible consequences under climate change conditions. In general, biomass stocks between and within forest ecosystems are highly variable. It is necessary to study all the different components of vegetation, however, the vast majority of the works found in the literature, address only the biomass of the aerial part of the plants, with few studies involving the quantification of these stocks by the roots, in the different ecosystems. The present study objective quantify and classify a root biomass with a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and to monitor accumulated litter in the soil (litter pool), in two different regions, in the Pantanal (Acurizal) and in the Cerrado (Sensu stricto) Mato-Grossense. The root biomass was obtained by means of unformed soil samples (0-10 cm) and the roots were classified by diameter, with the aid of digital calipers, between thick (> 10 mm), medium (5-10 mm), slightly thin (2-5 mm) and fine (<2 mm). The samples collected monthly between August 2018 and July 2019. Was observed that in both areas, about 90% of the roots collected, were fine (<2 mm). The root density in Acurizal was on average 124.92 g/m² and in Sensu stricto it was on average 57.5 g/m². The difference in root density in the soil, between the two study areas, significant (p<0.05). However, there no significant difference in root density between the dry and wet periods in each area. The monthly average of litter pool in the area of Acurizal and Sensu stricto was, respectively: 526.52 g/m² and 588.96 g/m². In both areas, the accumulated litter was significantly different between periods of drought and precipitation.

O crescimento mal planejado das grandes cidades acarreta o aparecimento das chamadas ilhas de calor urbano, que consequentemente geram desconforto nos cidadãos. Em um contexto universitário, o desconforto térmico pode prejudicar a concentração e desempenho de alunos, professores e funcionários. Assim simulou-se o microclima da Universidade de Cuiabá, campus Barão, com o objetivo de analisar as partes críticas desconfortáveis do campus e sugerir estratégias que possam melhorar o conforto térmico local. Para a simulação utilizou-se o software ENVI-met, que espacializa as variáveis temperatura do ar e umidade relativa do ar, sendo simulados os horários de 08, 14 e 20 horas no período chuvoso e seco, conforme a sazonalidade climática local. Encontrou-se como zonas críticas a entrada do Campus, Bloco A, a área de convivência nos intervalos dos alunos e o estacionamento, atingindo temperaturas máximas de 34 ºC. Outra questão que causa preocupação é a baixa umidade relativa do ar no período seco, em que as 14 horas chegou a mínima 23%. Conclui-se que a intensificação de áreas verdes no campus, como gramados e arborização, a substituição de pavimentos, substituindo parte da área asfáltica por pavimentos de calor específico menor, e a utilização de telhado verde, podem contribuir para a melhoria do conforto térmico do campus.   Palavras-chave: Conforto Térmico. Temperatura do Ar. Umidade Relativa do Ar. Telhado Verde. Arborização.   Abstract The poorly planned growth of large cities leads to the appearance of the so-called urban heat islands, which consequently generate discomfort for citizens. In a university context, thermal discomfort can impair the concentration and performance of students, teachers and staff. Thus, the microclimate of University of Cuiabá, Barão campus was simulated, with the objective of analyzing the uncomfortable critical parts of the campus and suggesting strategies that can improve the local thermal comfort. For the simulation, the ENVI-met software was used, which spatializes the variables air temperature and relative air humidity, simulating the times of 08, 14 and 20 hours in the rainy and dry period, according to the local climatic seasonality. Critical areas were the entrance to Campus, Block A, the living area in the students’ break time and the parking, reaching maximum temperatures of 34ºC. Another issue that causes concern is the low relative air humidity in the dry period, when the 14 hours reached a minimum 23%. It is concluded that the green areas intensification at the campus, such as lawns and afforestation, the replacement of pavements, replacing part of the asphalt area with pavements with lower specific heat, and the use of a green roof, can contribute to the improvement of the campus thermal comfort.   Keywords: Thermal Comfort. Air Temperature. Green Roof. Afforestation.

The number of studies on the importance of Cerrado soil to biogeochemical cycles is growing, with this being the focus of most research in the Cerrado biome. The objective of this research was to verify the correlation among different chemical attributes of the soil in a Cerrado fragment located in Mãe Bonifácia Park, in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso (MT), Brazil, using principal components analysis. For this study, five soil samples were collected at 0-10 cm depth monthly from August 2015 to July 2016. After the collection and identification of the soil, chemical analyses were performed to determine the following chemical characteristics of the soil: organic matter (OM), base saturation (V%), sum of bases (SB), cation exchange capacity (CTC), pH, and concentrations of H+, Al3+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, P, S, Cu, Mn2+, Mg2+, Zn, Fe2+ and B3+. The soil was characterized as acidic, which is typical for Cerrado soils, although some chemical elements were found in high concentrations. After the analysis of principal components, it was possible to reduce the seventeen original variables to four principal components that represented 88.86% of the total variation of the data. In which the first main component explained 41.18%, the second component explained 28.39%, the third 11.29% and the fourth explained 7.98%. Based on this analysis, it was identified that the chemical attributes such as the sum of base (SB), organic matter (OM), cation exchange capacity (CTC), calcium (Ca2+), saturation (V%) and pH represented the greater data variance.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o conforto térmico em um contêiner metálico utilizado como ponto de ônibus na cidade de Cuiabá-MT, implantado por meio de um projeto municipal de substituição de pontos de ônibus tradicionais pelo modelo ponto contêiner. A pesquisa levou em consideração as sensações térmicas e possíveis consequências fisiológicas de milhares de pessoas que permanecem no ambiente expostos as altas temperaturas da cidade. As análises no lócus estudado, ocorreram nos períodos chuvoso e seco de 2019, em horários de maior concentração de usuários. Foi realizada uma avaliação qualitativa de percepção de conforto térmico com amostragem de 400 pessoas, constatando para o índice Voto Médio Real (AMV), 45,6% e 52,1% no período chuvoso e, 74,0% e 84,9% no período seco, a sensação térmica ‘com muito calor’. Para a Porcentagem de Pessoas Insatisfeitas (PPD), 91,1% e 82,6% no período chuvoso e, 97,6% e 95,9% no período seco, gostariam que o ambiente estivesse mais frio. Foram registradas imagens termográficas do módulo, nas quais as temperaturas de superfície alcançaram 50,8°C no período seco. Um modelo estatístico foi utilizado para análises das variáveis ambientais assim como o cálculo do Heat Index nos períodos estudados, constatando-se nível de alerta ‘perigo’ para os limites superiores calculados, sugerindo possibilidade de eventuais riscos fisiológicos como cãibras, insolação, esgotamento e dano cerebral (AVC). Os resultados das análises evidenciaram além dos riscos fisiológicos, o desconforto térmico no uso do contêiner como ponto de ônibus.

In the wake of climate change, cities need to adapt to global warming. In this context, the use of afforestation to improve the microclimate may assist in raising the quality of life for population. This objective requires research that analyzes how the variations in parameters related to canopy dynamics, such as the leaf area index (LAI) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) can influence thermal comfort indices. To contribute to this research, this study measured the air temperature, relative air humidity, PAR, and LAI on a monthly basis from July, 2017, to June, 2018, in an urban park in a tropical region of Brazil. Kriging maps were created for the heat index (HI), and multiple polynomial regression models were adjusted to estimate the HI using PAR and LAI data. After defining the models, positive and negative variations of LAI were tested to observe if any changes in HI occurred. The simulated results showed greater sensitivity to negative variations in LAI, in which a 50% reduction in LAI decreased the HI by 28%, particularly during the dry period.