We analyzed the viability and effectiveness of restricted-use protected areas aiming to identify gaps in the definition of priorities to protect wild regions from Ceará. Based on the creation of legal documents and interviews with managers of protected areas, we analyzed the size, we verified the existence of the management plan, monitoring activities and the criteria used in selecting the area. We found that in eight of the sixteen protected areas had not followed technical-scientific criteria, nor had carried through previous studies of the resources when they had chosen the areas to be transformed into completely protected areas. Fifteen do not possess management plans and 13 do not have environmental monitoring activities. Eleven protected areas have less than 10,000 ha, and insufficient studies that accurately ascertain the extent appropriate to maintain the biodiversity of the ecosystems of Ceará. It is necessary to deploy tools for maintaining these forests to protect the wildlife and the environmental services provided by these areas.

This work aimed to determine over the Brazilian territory extreme air temperatures: maximum (Tx) and minimum (Tn) absolute, using multiple regression techniques, orbital data and climatological. The data of Tx and Tn were observed between the years of 1961 and 1990 in 204 meteorological stations by the National Institute of Meteorology (INMET), and topography information was obtained from the program Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The multiple regression models were validated with the observational data of 30 meteorological stations in different locations than those generated. The statistical analysis was performed using bootstrap techniques. The results showed that the multiple regression model for Tn presented good agreement with the observed data (R² = 0.86) showing no tendencies to overestimate or underestimate Tn. The Tn varied between -12 to 25 °C and the Tx between 31 and 42 °C. For the Tx the results were not as satisfactory. In a first approach, the limits of the Tn can be used for data quality control of the meteorological station. The map of Tn can be used to subsidize research in agroclimatic zoning in the region where these data are not available.

The work was carried in a fragment of two hectares of hiperxerofila caatinga that it suffered clearcutting has 30 years and since then recovers without anthropic intervention at the Experimental Station of Embrapa Semiarido, Petrolina, PE. The objective was to evaluate the floristic composition and phytosociological structure, obtaining data to compare with other areas of caatinga (in different stages of succession) and then get subsidies to better understand the characterization of the successional environments of caatinga. The vegetation survey was carried out by the method of the plots, where 10 sample units of 8.0 x 40 m were plotted at random in the area. All individuals with DBH G 3 cm were inventoried, and the BHD are measured and total height of them. We recorded 16 species belonging to 13 genera and 8 families, a total of 436 individuals with AB = 7.28 m²/ha-1, and DA = 1350 ind/ha. The Shannon index of diversity (H') was 1.39 nat.ind.-1 and equability of Pielou (J '), equal to 0.50, both are considered low. The species with highest importance value (VI) and more prominent with respect to all parameters analyzed was Mimosa tenuiflora with 284 individuals distributed in all plots, DR = 65.5%, DoR = 69.6%, VC = 67.5% and VI = 49.8%. Thus, any attempt to characterize the structure of this community, have strong influence of the presence of indicator species of vegetation that is disturbed and the early stage of ecological succession.

paper aimed to evaluate the growth and accumulation of pigments in leaves of cowpea plants kept under two light conditions. The experimental design was carried out by using two randomized blocks with two treatments and twenty-two repetitions. The tested treatments were: natural environment (full sun) and artificial environment (50% light). The evaluated variety of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) was the Vinegar, which has indeterminate growth habit. For growth analysis samples were taken at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after emergence (DAE) and 50 DAE for determining the levels of a, b, and total chlorophyll and carotenoids content. Significant interaction was observed for the characteristics of the main stem length, leaf area, fresh weight and a, b, and total chlorophyll and carotenoids from plants grown in artificial environment. The studied type showed plasticity when subjected to low light, such as morphological changes in the length of main stem and leaf area, as well as changes in the amount of leaf pigments.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate economical viability and steers performance in grazing receiving supplements with increasing levels of crude protein in the rainy season and its correlation with the pasture's composition. The test animals were 21 not castrated steers supplemented with mineral supplement and multiple supplements with 20% and 40% of crude protein and heavy at the beginning and the end of the experiment, after being submitted to fasting from liquids and solids for 14 hours. For analysis of the economic viability was used the difference between the Total Revenue and Total Cost. The protein supplementation didn't influence of the animals performance in grazing. The average daily gain of animals was 0.849 kg. The content of crude protein in the cell wall was negatively correlated with animal performance, and the structural characteristics of the pasture just the mass of forage showed a strong and positive correlation. This activity in the studied period presented economic viability when considered return on capital of 8% a year.

In Brazil, especially in the state of Goiás, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are largely cropped in small and mean farms where the association beans+corn is predominant. The castor beans has draw the attention as a promising crop for biodiesel production, and being suggested by federal authorities as a primary choice in family run small farmer¿s agricultural projects. However, to attain that purpose, a careful selection of high yielding varieties is imperative. The objective was to assess the bean cultivars intercropped with castor bean in "Cerrado". The experimental design was a completely randomized block, in a 6 x 2 + 1 factorial, with four replications. Treatments comprised a combination of six cultivars of beans (Pérola, Pontal, Requinte, Grafite, Diamante Negro and Radiante) grown under two cropping systems (non-intercropped and intercropped castor bean), and the additional treatment of the castor beans non-intercropped. Bean cultivar Pérola yield best when intercropped as well as when single crop. Castor bean cultivar Paraguaçu performed similarly in both cropping systems. Bean yield decreased in the intercropping, but in the range of 38 to 71% was more efficient than in single crop.

The aim of this paper was to evaluate the performance of lactating 5/8 cross-breed Holstein/ Zebu cows, and digestibility of diets with different levels (0%; 5.5%; 13.0%; 20.5% and 26.0%) of melon (Cucumis melo L.) fruits in replacement to wheat bran, on dry matter basis. Five cows averaging 380 kg and 10 kg of daily milk production were used. The experiment was conducted in a 5x5 latin square design, including five animals, five experimental periods and five levels of melon fruits addition. The length of each period of evaluation was 14 days (seven for the adaptation of the animals to the diets and seven for data collection). The intake of dry matter (DM) (kg/day, %BW and g/kg0.75), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), total carbohydrates (TCH), ether extract (EE) was unaffected (P>0,05) by the levels of melon fruits (12.52; 3.20; 142.42; 11.62; 1.29; 8.15; 10.21 and 0.41, respectively). Crude protein (CPD) and neutral detergent fiber (NDFD) digestibilities decreased linearly, and the digestibility of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFCD) increased linearly. The estimative for total digestible nutrients (TDN) presented a quadratic response with the addition of increasing levels of melon fruits in the diet. Milk production and fat corrected milk production, averaging 9.09 and 9.78 kg/day respectively, increased linearly with the increment of melon fruits participation in the diets, which points out a possibility for utilization of this co-product to feed dairy cows.

In order to evaluate the growth and accumulation of nutrients in watermelon 'Quetzal' grown under different levels of salinity of irrigation water, was developed in the period november/2007 to January 2008, an experiment at the Experimental Farm "Rafael Fernandes", University Federal Rural do Semi-arid (UFERSA) Mossoró-RN. The experiment was a randomized blocks design with four replications. The treatments were arranged in split plots with the plots represented by the salinity levels of irrigation water: 0.60, 1.69, 2.36, 3.46 and 3.98 dS m-1, and the subplots consist of samplings of plants: 12, 22, 32, 42 and 52 days after transplanting, DAT. In achieving the levels of salinity were mixed natural waters and / or saline in order to obtain approximate composition of natural waters in the region. Plant growth, expressed by the accumulation of dry matter and accumulation of macronutrients by watermelon over the age of the plants decreased with increasing water salinity. The largest increases of dry matter and macronutrients occurred after fruit set, which took place from 42 DAT. The period of greatest demand for phosphorus, potassium and calcium was 42-52 DAT, and nitrogen, and magnesium was 32-42 DAT. The order of extracted nutrients was K> N> Ca> Mg> P.

Mastitis is responsible for expressive losses in the breeding systems of ovine due to the low development of lambs or death because of starvation, beyond precocious discarding and occasionally the death of sheep. Studies had been carried through to determine the occurrence of mastitis in the north of Minas Gerais, to characterize the main etiological agents involved and identify the predispose factors of handling to the disease. The occurrence of mastitis under the clinical form was 11.19% and under the sub clinical form 54.54% ofthe analyzed cases, predominating as etiological agent the coagulase-negative staphylococci. The epidemiologist characterization of the frequency of the installations cleanness (P<0.05) and the practical of depletes of females (P<0.01) presented relation of dependence with the occurrence of illness, having been this work a contribution for the elaboration of prophylactic rules of mastitis in ovine breeding in the north of Minas Gerais.

The sugarcane is a widely adapted species to tropical climate and has made key role in economic development in Southeast and Northeast. The ability to adapt in different environments can be evaluated through the growth analysis and yield. This study aimed to evaluate the growth and yield of four sugarcane varieties (RB92579 and SP79-1011, RB931530 and RB93509) in the third ratoon. The experiment was conducted at the CECA/UFAL, Rio Largo (28º02'09''S, 35°49'43''W and 127m). The experimental design was randomized blocks. Was evaluated monthly the number of plants, height, leaf area index and stem diameter. The quality of raw material, dry matter and yield were evaluated at 360 DAC. The data were subjected to analysis of variance and means compared to each other by Tukey test. The results showed that the maximum tillering occurred at 90 DAC for all varieties, and the RB92579 showed greater tillering and greater height at 360 DAC. The variety RB931530 had superior diameter than the others. The RB92579 and RB93509 were higher than the others on the sugar production, dry matter and yield, however, differed ech only on the matter. Varieties RB92579 and RB931530 had similar levels of Brix, PCC and ATR. Since this latter variable responsible for developing the pricing of sugarcane industry.