Associating anthropogenic effects with variations in biodiversity is key to understanding how anthropogenic impacts are extrapolated in public supply micro-watersheds. The structure and dynamics of metacommunities in aquatic environments depend not only on the river network itself, but on a multitude of factors. Therefore, we associate the density and species richness of diatoms, assessed in a micro-watershed, with the following driver factors: local environmental variables, spatial variables, landscape characteristics, and the historical community, comparing their possible dispersal routes. Variance partitioning was performed using partial RDA models, with prior selection of predictor variables, to estimate the relative role of each predictor in the diatom community. The small scale of the micro-watershed resulted in a small spatial gradient, reflecting in the low variation in community richness across sampling stations. However, temporal heterogeneity associated with fluctuating precipitation throughout the year may cause temporal variation in the relative abundance of species. This pattern is a result of the supply of resources that increases biodiversity over time, as it allows the coexistence of species that alternate between dominance and persistence. Thus, even on a small scale and during one year of sampling, we demonstrated that predictors of different natures act together to explain diatom communities in micro-watersheds.

Aim Our goal was to relate the phytoplankton metacommunity to its possible determinants in a micro watershed: (I) determinants related to landscape-scale filtering, (II) determinants referring to local microhabitat filtering, (III) determinants referring to previous colonization, and (IV) determinants representing three different dispersal routes. Methods Eight sampling stations were selected along the Cascavel River watershed, located in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Samples were collected quarterly for three years. All phytoplankton samples were quantitatively analyzed to determine the density of the metacommunity. In addition, it was characterized the landscape in terms of land use and occupation, and environmental characterization in terms of physical and chemical variables of the water. All data underwent relevant statistical analysis, where variance partitioning was carried out using partial RDA models, with prior selection of predictor variables, to estimate the relative role of each predictor in the community. We also compared three possible dispersal routes: “Asymmetric Eigenvector Map” (AEM), “Overland” and “Watercourse”. Results It was found that the metacommunity was best explained by “asymmetric eigenvector mapping” (AEM), indicating that because it is a small spatial scale the high connectivity between the sampling stations enables species to disperse overland as well. The different filters act together and depend on rainfall variation. Besides fluctuating temporally, the influence of these mechanisms is subject to which dispersal hypothesis is being considered. Conclusions At the watershed scale, we argue that small-scale processes should be considered, since they homogenize the landscape and consequently leave the environmental gradient similar between sampling stations. In addition, the connectivity of colonization patches is essential to understand the behavior of microalgae that have a high dispersal capacity and are not restricted only to the river course.

The search for renewable resources has become necessary for sustainable development. Wind energy is a clean energy source and of global importance, but most studies refer to high altitude and are carried out by researchers in developed countries. In this work, the objective was to evaluate the potential of micro and mini-generation (low heights) wind power in Cascavel-PR, a city located in southern Brazil, as an example of the application of the proposed methodology. For this purpose, wind speed and direction data were used, with a historical series of 21 years (1997-2017). The land use and occupation were performed in a semi-automatic way using Sentinel-2 satellite images. To generate the maps, an algorithm was created in Spring software, which correlated the land use and land cover information, the wind speed kriging and the formula coefficient values according to the identified obstacles. With this it was possible to conclude that regarding the period, spring is considered the season of the year with the greatest energy potential, where the highest averages for speed and power were estimated. It was also noted that the 40-meter-high range has the greatest potential and that the prevailing winds come from the northeast.

MAPEAMENTO DO POTENCIAL EÓLICO DE MICRO E MINIGERAÇÃO COMO ALTERNATIVA SUSTENTÁVEL PARA O PEQUENO MUNICÍPIO DO SUL DO BRASIL

No Brasil, a história de uso do bloco celular de concreto autoclavado remonta à década de 1960. A tecnologia foi introduzida no país por empresas estrangeiras e ganhou destaque principalmente a partir da década de 1970. A primeira fábrica de blocos de concreto celular autoclavado no Brasil foi inaugurada em 1973, na cidade de Itaúna, Minas Gerais. O bloco de concreto celular autoclavado é valorizado por sua leveza, isolamento térmico e acústico, durabilidade e facilidade de corte e fixação. Este conceito de material é amplamente utilizado na construção de paredes e divisórias, contribuindo para edificações mais eficientes do ponto de vista energético. Desta forma, através da realização de diversos ensaios de caracterização física e mecânica, foi possível uma apropriada caracterização primária deste material. Expandindo a investigação deste, foi concebido uma adaptação de uma câmara para estudos de fluxo térmico através do BCCA, onde o monitoramento da taxa de aquecimento e resfriamento do bloco foi engendrado. Nos resultados quanto ao fluxo térmico, o BCCA revelou uma capacidade de retardar a transferência de calor efetivo, sendo este conceito de grande importância para o conforto térmico em ambientes construídos devido à sua regulação de temperatura interna consequentemente ocasionando uma economia relativa de energia.