https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/5482 Mon, 06 Apr 2026 15:07:10 GMT 2026-04-06T15:07:10Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/47981 Title: Eficácia de poleiros artificiais na restauração ambiental: análise da cobertura vegetal e da avifauna após dez anos de implementação Abstract: Habitat fragmentation and degradation in the Cerrado compromise ecological dynamics and the maintenance of biodiversity, requiring strategies for environmental restoration. Artificial perches can be used as a nucleation technique capable of attracting disperser birds and increasing seed rain, which in turn favors natural regeneration. The present study evaluated the effectiveness of artificial perches ten years after their implementation in a Cerrado sensu stricto area in the Triângulo Mineiro region (MG), investigating the relationship between vegetation cover, estimated through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and bird community composition. Birds were sampled using linear transects during twelve monthly campaigns between 2024 and 2025, comparing two transects: A – artificial perches implemented/removed more than 10 years ago, and B – without the implementation of any nucleation technique. A total of 115 species distributed across 33 families were recorded, with a predominance of Passeriformes, particularly Tyrannidae and Thraupidae. Guild analysis revealed a predominance of insectivores (40,8%), followed by omnivores (22,6%) and frugivores (12,1%). The species accumulation curve did not reach stabilization, with the Chao2 estimator indicating that 87% of the local avifauna was recorded. Comparison with the previous study, considering only transect A, revealed an increase in frugivorous (5) and nectarivorous (3) species, indicating a qualitative improvement of the sampled area. When considering both transects evaluated in this study (A+B) and the previous study, the total richness of the area is 134 bird species. The NDVI showed an increase in transect A compared to 2014 values (0.286 vs. 0.244), suggesting vegetation densification associated with the presence of artificial perches. The results demonstrated that such structures played a relevant role in ecological restoration, promoting increased vegetation cover and favoring the return of specialized bird guilds. It is concluded, therefore, that artificial perches can be effective tools in nucleation processes and should be considered in environmental recovery strategies in the Cerrado of Minas Gerais. Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/47981 2025-10-23T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/47792 Title: Reaproveitamento do lodo de esgoto sanitário em solo do cerrado: efeitos ecotoxicológicos em plantas Abstract: The use of natural resources has directly accompanied population growth, and as a result, sustaining modern life depends on various production chains that continuously consume resources to ensure the supply of products and services demanded by society. In this context, the basic sanitation process, which ensures the treatment of domestic effluents for safe return to the environment, generates a residue known as sewage sludge (SS). This residue is commonly disposed of in landfills, posing a significant environmental liability, despite its potential for reuse when subjected to proper stabilization processes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the ecotoxicological effects of sewage sludge (SS) from the Uberabinha Sewage Treatment Plant in the city of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, assessing its potential to cause negative impacts on the environment and the possibility of reuse as an agricultural input. Both the potential of SS to cause negative environmental impacts and its potential for reuse as an agricultural input were observed. In this context, the processes of reducing the toxicity of this residue through chemical stabilization (CS) with hydrated lime (CaOH2), natural attenuation (NA), and phytoremediation using cedar rose (Cedrela fissilis), a native cerrado species, were also evaluated. Through these processes, it was observed that CS, despite its proven effectiveness for stabilization for agricultural purposes, can lead to secondary toxicity effects in bioassays with lettuce (Lactuca sativa) and onion (Allium cepa) seeds, as well as phytoremediation, due to the physicochemical and biological interactions occurring in the rhizospheric soil. This emphasizes the need for continuous monitoring of the toxicity curve of the residue over time using chemical and biological indicators. As for the NA process, it was sufficient for attenuating the toxicity of SS, preventing it from causing effects on phytotoxicity, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and mutagenicity indicators of the species used. The search for alternatives in SS management is crucial but should always be approached with caution, considering the long-term effects that may result from its application for any purpose. The highly variable characteristics of its composition require constant monitoring and follow-up for successful reuse. Tue, 30 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/47792 2024-01-30T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/46489 Title: Ecologia e dinâmica da expansão de peixes não-nativos no Triângulo Mineiro e Alto Paranaíba com abordagem espaço-temporal Abstract: The introduction of non-native fish species represents one of the main threats to biodiversity in freshwater environments on a global scale, causing significant impacts on ecological interactions, food webs, and the structure of aquatic communities. In the Triângulo Mineiro and Alto Paranaíba (TMAP), a mesoregion located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the growing expansion of non-native species has become a concerning phenomenon, driven by multiple anthropic factors. This dissertation, structured in two chapters, aimed to investigate the spatio-temporal patterns of the expansion of these species in the TMAP rivers, considering environmental, historical, and social aspects related to the invasion process. In Chapter 1, a survey of the non-native fish species present in the region was conducted, mapping their spatial distribution and identifying critical areas of infestation, with emphasis on the Araguari, Uberabinha, and Tijuco rivers. Analyses of Area of Occupancy (AOO), Extent of Occurrence (EOO), kriging interpolation, and spatial cluster analysis (LISA) were applied to characterize the distribution and occurrence hotspots. Chapter 2 addresses the temporal analysis of the abundance of non-native species over the last five decades, using a generalized linear model (GLM) with a Poisson distribution. This approach allowed for the identification of significant temporal trends, highlighting the role of anthropic factors in the intensification of the biological invasion in the region. Through this integrated approach, this dissertation seeks to contribute to the understanding of the ecological processes related to the expansion of non-native fish in the TMAP, providing technical and scientific support for monitoring, management, and conservation actions for the native ichthyofauna. Thu, 17 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/46489 2025-07-17T00:00:00Z https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/46433 Title: Formigas como bioindicadores do sucesso de diferentes técnicas para a restauração da fauna savânica em uma Unidade de Conservação do Cerrado Abstract: The creation of protected areas is one of the most common methods of biodiversity conservation in the world. Despite being an effective measure for biodiversity protection, some of the Conservation Units (UCs) in Brazil are affected by disturbances, requiring human interventions for removal of the disturbances and restoration of the biodiversity. The Brazilian Cerrado is a global biodiversity hotspot, but activities such as forestry and fire protection can cause a decrease in the biodiversity of species endemic to this biome. Management in protected areas generates intense debate, especially when related to fire management. Demonstrating the effectiveness of human interventions for restoration in protected areas is essential for conservation. Thus, to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention actions using ants as bioindicators, I analyzed taxonomic and functional data from ant communities collected at the Santa Bárbara Ecological Station, where fire management and habitat restoration experiments are taking place. First, I evaluated the long-term effects of different fire treatments on the species richness and composition of the ant community in savanna areas. I found that fire did not alter the total species richness; however, it caused a significant increase, independent of the fire regime, in the number of species typical of open savanna. Changes in species composition were due to the gradual increase in open savanna species replacing generalist or forest-associated species in the burned plots. These results indicate that the effects of fire on ant communities are indirect and continuous, that is, through constant changes in the structure of the vegetation. Second, I assessed whether the taxonomic and functional diversity of morphological traits of the ant community was affected by fire and whether this effect was dependent on vegetation type. Ant communities in the different vegetation types were affected differently by fire, and these effects were mediated by changes in the structure of vegetation. In the dry forest, despite the increase in taxonomic diversity and changes in taxonomic composition due to the entry of savanna species, the functional structure of the community was maintained. The Community Weighted Mean (CWM) for pilosity, eye length and eye position were the only morphological traits affected by fire regardless of the vegetation type. In both open and dense savanna, and only there, the CWM for body size, as well as for the relative size of the femur, mandible, and scape length, increased after fire. Finally, I evaluated the success of two savanna restoration techniques in areas previously used in the cultivation of Pinus elliotii, comparing the response of ants and plants. Results indicate that the ant community has a faster recovery when compared to the plant community, since the magnitude of differences between open savanna areas and areas under restoration were much greater for the plant community than for the ant community. However, for both taxonomic groups, the Pinus plantations had fewer species compared to areas under restoration and reference areas of open savanna. The results found here highlight the importance of management, whether of fire regime or the restoration of areas of non-native vegetation, for conservation of typical savanna species. Fire appears to be effective in maintaining these species only when constantly present in the system. Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 GMT https://repositorio.ufu.br/handle/123456789/46433 2024-11-08T00:00:00Z