The scientific dissemination of anthropogenic impacts on marine fauna, through scientific exhibitions in the Cetaceans of Costa Branca Project (PCCB-UERN) and the Partners of the Sea Project, was studied. We aimed to evaluate the dissemination to the population of coastal communities about impacts on marine fauna and sustainability, and specifically, to characterize the actions of the Cetaceans of Costa Branca Project (PCCB-UERN); reflect on aspects of the Science of Sustainability that have been incorporated into the educational actions of the Partners of the Sea Project; analyze how teachers of early childhood education and science in elementary education identify themes of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the scientific exhibition of the Partners of the Sea Project and their possibilities of contribution to school education. For this, 17 members of the PCCB-UERN filled out a questionnaire and participated in interviews about education and training experiences, planning and execution of actions, and difficulties and solutions found. In addition, 29 teachers from early childhood education and science in elementary education from Areia Branca/RN evaluated the scientific exhibition of the Partners of the Sea Project, through a questionnaire. They pointed out the presence/absence of the themes of the Sustainable Development Goals in each element of the exhibition and answered what caught their attention the most. Data analysis included descriptive statistics for closed questions and qualitative investigation for open questions, using the Technique of Elaboration and Analysis of Units of Meaning. Results were quantified in graphs and tables. As results, the actions of the PCCB-UERN occur throughout the coast of Rio Grande do Norte, especially in urban areas, fishing communities, and riverside areas, for a predominantly young audience. The expository-dialogical approach was adopted by 14 members, and game and booklet strategies and playful activities were adopted by 16 members. 24% of the participants identified dispersion as a challenge. Regarding the actions of the Partners of the Sea Project, aspects of the Science of Sustainability that are contemplated include active public participation, contextualization of socio-environmental issues on spatial and temporal scales, interdisciplinarity in the content addressed, and knowledge co-production with communities. For the teachers who visited the scientific exhibition, the Sustainable Development Goals most contemplated were 4, focused on Quality Education, and 14, on Protecting Marine Life. Teachers conceived other SDGs throughout the exhibition indicating a holistic approach that includes socio-environmental, economic, and cultural aspects. Gaps were noted in issues related to gender equality and reducing inequalities. Twelve teachers mentioned that the exhibition enriches knowledge about marine biodiversity. Nine highlighted its contribution to addressing local socio-environmental issues. Three recognized its role in stimulating environmental care practices, while two mentioned its adaptation for early childhood education. It is concluded that the scientific exhibitions carried out by the Partners of the Sea Project and the educational actions of the PCCB-UERN have been effective in promoting awareness of the conservation of marine fauna, demonstrating that sustainability can be effectively addressed in spaces like these.

O uso de agrotóxicos tem tido um crescimento vertiginoso no Brasil e representam um risco ambiental, com impactos no âmbito social, humano e no meio biótico. Os inseticidas comercialmente disponíveis no mercado apresentam toxicidade à saúde de seres não alvo como os peixes e outros organismos aquáticos, podendo gerar prejuízos a aquicultura e outras culturas. Neste contexto, este trabalho de tese tem como objetivos: (i) Avaliar a morfologia gonadal de peixes de água doce expostos ao pyriproxyfen e fenthion; (ii) Apresentar os atores sociais do risco envolvidos com agrotóxico e compreender as dinâmicas e contribuições desses atores; e (iii) Relatar a vivência da efetivação da sustentabilidade para uma atividade de produção interativa Piscicultura-Agricultura tendo como referência focal verificar as dimensões ambiental, econômica, social e o manejo da piscicultura. Para os objetivos de cada artigo, as seguintes metodologias foram adotadas: (i) Para o estudo experimental aprovado pela Comissão de Ética no Uso de Animais da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (protocolo n° 066/2017, Certificado nº 154.066/2017) foram utilizados quarenta e cinco machos juvenis de tilápias do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus), divididos em controle, exposto ao pyriproxyfen (0,01 g/L) e exposto ao fenthion (0,001 g/L) grupos avaliados em três momentos (30, 60 e 90 dias). As variáveis analisados foram o índice gonadossomático (IGS), relação peso/comprimento, morfometria dos túbulos (diâmetro e altura), dano tecidual e análise imuno-histoquímica para caspase-3, fator de necrose tumoral alfa (TNF-α) e fator de crescimento endotelial vascular (VEGF); (ii) A pesquisa exploratório-descritiva tem como base de dados os descritores agrotóxicos e atores sociais em torno da temática, e, à luz do entendimento da arena social de Hannigan; e (iii) visita de campo realizada no território do Mato Grande do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, Município de Pureza, em uma unidade de produção interativa de aquicultura e agricultura, sendo a pesquisa fundamentada na proposta de MESMIS e no modelo de relato de experiência para trazer a comunicação dialógica e vivenciada da prática produtiva sustentável e revisão bibliográfica de literatura. Os resultados demonstraram que: (i) Pyriproxyfen e fenthion lesionaram o túbulo seminífero tecido, e o dano progrediu de acordo com o tempo de exposição. Além disso, o GSI reduziu gradualmente ao longo do tempo em todos os grupos em comparação com o primeiro momento (30 dias), enquanto os valores de caspase-3, TNF-α e VEGF aumentaram apenas no grupo exposto ao fentião. Portanto, o pyriproxyfen e o enthion alteraram a morfologia gonadal dos machos de Oreochromis niloticus, o que pode afetar sua reprodução na natureza ou cativeiro; (ii) O papel bem definido na arena social é do portador do risco, constituído pelos trabalhadores rurais, os residentes e os consumidores. Outros atores (defensores e investigadores do risco), têm papéis que irão se confluir, devido aos efeitos e danos do agrotóxico que irradia de forma complexa os riscos para diferentes atores da sociedade; e (iii) A partir da visita in loco na unidade produtiva agroecossistema piscicultura-agricultura visualizamos que quanto mais unidades produtivas mais processos interativos podem estar em formação e direcionando um ciclo sustentável e produtivo visto que danos e impactos podem ser transformados em insumo para outro sistema produtivo.

ODS as quais a tese adere:

A tese tem alinhamento com os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável - ODS de número 2, 3, 4, 12 e 14.

Among the numerous compounds that are considered emerging pollutants, pharmaceuticals have gained prominence, as they have begun to be detected in small concentrations in different environmental matrices. These substances are widely used in veterinary and human medicine. In the pandemic context of COVID-19, there was an increase in the consumption of these compounds and consequently in the environmental and health impacts. These contaminants have a life cycle and can be introduced into the environment through different pathways. Given this scenario, it is essential to understand the consequences of drugs on different organisms, as well as the causes that lead to their occurrence at the environmental level, and the reasons that increase the need to consider them as environmental threats. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effects of pharmaceuticals on cyanobacteria as an ecological and health representation of this problem, in addition to analyzing the perception and habits of the Brazilian population as the main actors contributing to this environmental condition, as well as investigating the quality and ways of disseminating scientific information on this subject. Additionally, the subject matter is used as a means of contextualizing the environmental injustices observed in the Brazilian territory. The first chapter of this thesis aimed to describe the effects and risks of these compounds in the environment, having as a representative the cyanobacteria, due to their role as primary producers and implications on human health. It was evidenced that different therapeutic classes, depending on the concentrations tested, can affect their physiology and have consequences on the ecological services provided by these microorganisms, as well as the potential effects on public health as a result of cyanotoxin production. Furthermore, to understand the consequences at the ecological level, it is necessary to understand the causes that favor the incorporation of pharmaceuticals into the environment. Thus, the second chapter aimed to describe how the Brazilian population perceives and acts on the life cycle of pharmaceuticals from an environmental perspective through a study conducted online. The results pointed out that the main way to dispose of medicines for both human and veterinary use is common garbage. The information obtained also revealed the habit of self-medication of the interviewees and that the therapeutic classes of drugs most consumed could have an association with the pandemic situation of COVID-19, the period in which the research was conducted. The work also highlighted the incipient implementation of reverse logistics laws and the need to understand how the issue of emerging contaminants is reaching society. Thus, the third chapter of the thesis aimed to investigate, through an analysis of Brazilian scientific dissemination websites, how scientific information was conveyed and the quality of this information, considering the lay public as the final destination. The results obtained showed limitations in the dissemination process since the educational issue needs to be worked on to detriment of the current speed of content sharing. Moreover, education is essential for the reader to have a solid foundation that enables the identification and quality of the information disclosed, establishing a critical view on issues of environmental relevance, such as those involving the theme of emerging contaminants. There is also a lack of texts aimed at children and teenagers, who are the pillars for the construction of a sustainable future as a way to minimize the impact of anthropic activities on the environment. As a result, the fourth chapter of the thesis is composed of two articles of scientific dissemination on themes covered in this research, focusing on children, as a way to remedy one of the gaps previously found. Finally, and aiming at the findings obtained in the course of this research, the problem of pharmaceutical contamination was fully approached from the standpoint of environmental justice and used as a representation of social inequities already observed in the Brazilian context. The critical review brought out issues such as the lack of basic sanitation, educational quality, lack of enforcement and/or implementation of environmental legislation, food insecurity, and public health in a segregationist, ethnic-racial context, with mainly ideological implications, associated with pollution by these substances, and aggravated by the pandemic condition of COVID-19. The historical issue of social inequities in Brazil is reaffirmed by the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment and its implications on marginalized and susceptible social groups. Given the above, it is clear that the Pharmaceutical contamination needs to be understood from a transdisciplinary view of its effects on the environment, going through legal issues in environmental issues and including the social sphere not only as waste generators but also as vulnerable beings of the consequences of their actions, aggravated especially by the lack of environmental education at all educational levels as well as other factors of socio-environmental inequalities already observed.

SDGs to which the thesis is linked: 4- Quality education; 6- clean water and sanitation; 12- responsible consumption and production; 14- life below water

The Environmental Protection Zone 9 (ZPA-9) was established in the municipality of Natal, capital of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, along with nine other special areas aimed at the protection of environmental peculiarities, reconciled with the uses and occupations of each region. The definition of the aspects related to the zoning of that Environmental Protection Zone occurred through participatory and deliberative processes of regulation within the scope of the management councils of public policies of Natal, and counted on the performance of several segments of civil and governmental society. In this context, with the conclusion of the administrative process of the regulation of ZPA-9 in 2019 and the forwarding of its bill to the City Council of Natal in April 2022, the public policy councils that acted in that process fulfilled, in theory, the role for which they were created. Given this, the research in question aims to analyze the quality of the deliberative process and the influence of social participation via public policy management councils in the regulation of Environmental Protection Zone 9, in the municipality of Natal / RN, between the years 2014 and 2019. Methodologically, the present investigation is an empirical study, with deductive, exploratory and qualitative-quantitative approaches. The first three chapters of the thesis addressed the urban changes in the Northern Administrative Region of Natal, in a historical perspective, as well as from the establishment of the ZPA-9 until the completion of the process of its administrative process of regulation, in 2019. As the main result of these chapters, it should be noted that the political-administrative guidelines of territorial organization and planning, including in a recent period, when the ZPA-9 regulation was finalized in 2019, were conditioned to the interests of hegemonic agents (political and economic), disregarding the natural and ecosystemic aspects of the region. Chapter 3 indicated that civil society had little influence on the zoning definitions of Environmental Protection Zone 9, an aspect ratified in the following chapters. Chapters 4 and 5, in turn, investigated the institutionalization of participation (FARIA; RIBEIRO, 2010; 2011) and the deliberative effectiveness (CUNHA, 2009) in the public policy management councils that acted in the regulation process of the Environmental Protection Zone 9, in the municipality of Natal/RN, respectively. Regarding chapter 4, it was found that the Municipal Councils of Natal were classified with a high degree of institutionalization. However, the levels of democratization and representation were considered to be of medium degree, affecting the effectiveness of those institutional spaces of social participation. The fifth chapter revealed the little influence of civil society in the definitions and decisions on regulation, and subsequently, the little deliberative effectiveness of the councils, particularly CONCIDADE. This council was limited to exercising a purely advisory function in the process of regulating the Environmental Protection Zone 9. The perception of civil society representatives about the ZPA-9 regulation process is the last stage of the research. The formal semi-structured individual interview was the data collection instrument. In addition to the socioeconomic profile and the participatory process, the interview addressed issues related to the institutional design of the Councils, the ZPA-9 and its protection, and the participatory profile. Among the results of the sixth chapter of the thesis, it was verified the prevalence of the governmental segment and its speeches and manifestations in the deliberations, especially by the absence of real parity in the composition of the councils, lower vocalization capacity, reduction of the possibilities of inclusion of matters on the agenda and incongruity in the representation of the counselors of the civil society segment, as well as by the imbalance of information and knowledge about the institutionalization of the participation of the councils and about the peculiarities of the Environmental Protection Zone 9.

Amid exponential population growth, water management has been largely affected. In this way, the quantity and quality of inland waters present in nature have undergone significant changes due to the anthropic pressure around these sources. Based on this, the need to sensitize different subjects is justified, mediated here by discussions with an emphasis on water sources (with regard to water consumption) and in connection with educating for sustainability (as an integrative practice capable of transforming environmental knowledge). In this sense, the general objective of the thesis was to verify the quality of water in water bodies in the tropical semi-arid region of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, correlating it with the emerging needs of the society-environment problem, favoring the construction of knowledge about water through education for sustainability, at the same time seeking the understanding of teachers about the objective of sustainable development 6 (drinking water and sanitation) and its articulation with sustainability, aiming at a critical reflection on environmental citizenship in science teaching practices. In the methodological path, quali-quantitative approaches, conceptual and reflective analysis were adopted, in addition to exploratory and descriptive study. The first chapter had as its main objective to evaluate the density of cyanobacteria and the indices that infer water quality in the Piancó-Piranhas-Açu Hydrographic Basin, as well as to identify the factors with the greatest influence on the occurrence of flowering of these aquatic organisms. The density of potentially toxic cyanobacteria (DC) was high, surpassing CONAMA Resolution 357/2005, which recommends a maximum value of 50,000 cells/mL, as well as Ministry of Health Ordinance 2914/2011, which indicates 20,000 cells/mL as a limit value. Chapter 2 aimed to present discussions about the role of Education for Sustainability (ES) as an instrument in the development and construction of knowledge in society, through democratic management in the use and management of water. Education for Sustainability is an important tool that goes beyond the traditional educational models employed, helping in the subject's training process and in terms of understanding human needs in the face of the problem of sustainable use of water resources. In this way, moral and ethical values articulated to educational actions in the perspective of Sustainability, in a continuous way, for different groups of society, are essential to guarantee the sustainable maintenance of the environment. The third chapter aimed to investigate how the articulation between educating for sustainability and the objective of sustainable development 6 (drinking water and sanitation) in science teaching has been worked on in schools in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. When asked about the ease of working with the theme of water, an important theme of the SDGs, some teachers indicated difficulties, these data correlate with part of the target audience of the research stating that they do not understand the SDGs satisfactorily, with regard to educating for sustainability, the responses of the participants showed a negative correlation, demonstrating that there is a greater need to insert effective methods of sustainable thoughts so that they can be disseminated in a didactic way. Conclusively, this research points out that it is extremely important to invest in education for sustainability, since it prioritizes the integration of all knowledge from an interdisciplinary perspective, articulating social needs, meeting the complexity of environmental sustainability and the issues that permeate the theme of water.

Radon is a colorless and odorless radioactive gas, the heaviest of all noble gases of natural origin. Rocks and soils with high concentrations of Uranium and Thorium are the main sources of Radon. Water, especially underground water that is in direct contact and confined between soils and rocks, can also contain high levels of Radon. Research has proven its carcinogenic power. Other studies try to establish relations between aspects that can influence the diffusion of the gas into the Atmosphere. In Brazil the theme is little researched and in terms of legislation it is restricted to the exploration of Uranium and Nuclear Energy. The main objectives of the research are to evaluate if the micrometeorological variables and the variation of photosynthetically active vegetation biomass explain the pattern of Radon emission, in different climatic periods, and to evaluate how the Brazilian legislation, and environmental norms approach Natural Radioactivity in different geochemical compartments aiming to suggest aspects to foment prevention, monitoring and mitigation policies. Through bibliographic and documental research, where systematic mapping methodology for environmental sciences will be used. And also field measurements and collection of soil and rocks in the municipalities of Bananeiras/PB and Cuité/PB located in the State of Paraíba, with application of statistical model, and vegetation analysis through vegetation indices. The mapping showed that the Brazilian legislation is incipient regarding natural radioactivity. It was evident that the view on radioactivity considers basically the aspects that may be related to anthropic activities, leaving gaps in relation to the radioactivity present in environmental compartments, independent of human interference. It is suggested that a position be taken in Brazil, following the example of the legislation of the countries with a history in this matter, in order to establish means to subsidize a National Plan of Actions and Monitoring of Natural Radioactivity. The behavior of Radon can indeed be influenced by micrometeorological factors, but the data showed that apparently the power of influence is only punctual. The analysis of vegetation through NDVI did not show the influence of vegetation. Apparently, the analyzed features are not able to overlap, at least for the studied areas, the background radioactivity profile for each locality.

Brazil has a coast that is threatened by economic activities and accelerated urbanization process, causing ecosystem unbalance and decreasing socioenvironmental quality. The existing socioeconomic activities in the Potiguar Basin, Northeastern Brazil, pose risks to the sea turtle species that occur in the region. We analyzed data and samples obtained of strandings and nests of sea turtles from 2010 to 2021 during Beach Monitoring Project in northeastern Brazil to assess the potential impacts of human activities on sea turtles, as well as the nesting ecology and reproductive maturation of these animals. Anthropogenic interaction was classified into 12 categories (eight related to fishing activities). We analyzed 6,007 strandings, including four sea turtle species and anthropogenic interaction was observed in 12.88% (n=774) of the strandings. Chelonia mydas represented 94.05% of the total records with anthropogenic interaction and fishing-related strandings accounted for 81.65%. Juvenile individuals were more affected than adults; likewise, females were more affected than males. Icapuí and Areia Branca are very populous municipalities, and showed large number of strandings with signs of anthropogenic interaction. Our analyses revealed that fishing-related strandings were reported throughout the year; however, a larger number of records occurred in the dry season and during the lobster-fishing season. The municipalities of Macau/RN and Guamaré/RN were the priority areas for reproduction of sea turtles, with the highest number of registered nests (60.70% and 20.82%, respectively). The nesting season for E. imbricata occurred between December and May and for L. olivacea from March to August. Hawksbills had clutch size, incubation time, number of unhatched eggs, and dead hatchlings higher than olive Ridley turtles; nevertheless, they presented lower hatching success. Precipitation between 0 and 22 mm and relative humidity (RH) higher than 69% increased the hatching success rate for E. imbricata; however, rainfall above 11 mm and RH 64% had the same effect for L. olivacea. There is anthropogenic influence on the levels of reproductive posture of females and on the hatchlings and nests of these animals; buildings, light pollution, fishing activity, egg theft and solid waste were the main impact indicators found in the area. The length of the carapace of sea turtles is not appropriate to identify the stage of reproductive maturation when used in isolation, and histological analysis is an adequate technique for this purpose, therefore, it is recommended to adopt the minimum size in which reproductive activity is observed in the gonadal tissue, through histological analysis, as a basis for the initial reproductive size. In addition, the histomorphometric analysis offers opportunities to increase the understanding of the attributes that influence the sexual maturation of these animals. The results of this research provide subsidies for management measures, mitigation, and the adoption of public policies to minimize the impacts on sea turtles, helping to conserve them.

The climatic conditions of the Brazilian Semiarid Region (BSR) promote a scenario of vulnerability to water scarcity, which throughout the century encouraged the creation of artificial reservoirs to ensure water security, especially during drought periods. However, the multiple use of water increases the load of nutrients in the reservoirs, which are concentrated due to the high evaporation rates and the high residence time, making these systems more susceptible to eutrophication and contributing to water quality deterioration. Consequently, excessive growth of the phytoplankton community occurs, causing significant risks to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, mainly when there is a proliferation of toxic cyanobacteria. Thus, the composition and biomass of the phytoplankton community may vary over time, and thus can be investigated and used as a tool to evaluate environmental pressures. In this context a useful way to investigate the phytoplankton community is by grouping the organisms based on similarities in adaptive and functional strategies, such as morphophysiological characteristics that respond to light and nutrient availability. The functional approach may be helpful in establishing relationships between the species’ traits and ecological processes. The present study aims to evaluate the environmental factors that drive the water quality and the phytoplankton community in seven reservoirs with different trophic degrees, in the semi-arid region of Ceará State, Northeast Brazil. Surface water samples (n = 56) were collected quarterly over two years (February 2018 to November 2019) in the dam area, where the catchment for human supply is located. In each sampling, hydroclimatic variables, physicochemical water variables, and biological components were investigated. In general, limnological variables were strongly influenced by the seasonal effect (between rainy and dry seasons). However, the results were variable among the reservoirs, indicating that intrinsic responses should be considered. In addition to precipitation, morphometric characteristics (size and depth) and land use of the reservoirs were important factors determining water quality. Reduced water volume increased concentrations of nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and algal biomass (chlorophyll-a) in the reservoirs regardless of the season. However, eutrophication was enhanced during the rainy season, probably due to the loading of allochthonous material from the basin. The relatively low nutrient concentrations associated with the conditions of good water quality in Tatajuba (TAT) and Cachoeira (CAC) and moderate in Prazeres (PRA), Olho D'Água (ODA), and Rosário (ROS) seem to be limiting phytoplankton growth and, consequently, primary production in these systems. On the other hand, Lima Campos (LIC) and Ubaldinho (UBA) reservoirs showed the highest concentrations of nutrients, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity regardless of climatic conditions, showing that the sources are continuous, and the water quality of these reservoirs is more threatened. A total of 159 phytoplankton taxa were identified in the investigated reservoirs, distributed mainly in green algae (77 spp.), cyanobacteria (52 spp.), and diatoms (15 spp.), but also Euglenophyceae (eight spp.), Cryptophyceae (three spp.), Xantophyceae (three spp.) and Dinophyceae (one spp.). The identified taxa were included in 23 functional groups (RFGs), of which 13 (F, H1, J, K, Lm, Lo, M, MP, N, P, S1, Sn and W1) were considered descriptors of the reservoirs and contributed > 70% of the total biovolume. In general, a decrease in richness and diversity was observed towards the higher trophic gradient (e.g., LIC and UBA), while the opposite occurred for phytoplankton biovolume. The RFGs were representative of the trophic state of the investigated reservoirs and showed signs of eutrophication under oligo- to mesotrophic conditions. Overall, light availability and nutrient concentration were the main xii factors that determined the environmental threshold for the dominance and abundance of RFGs. Thus, the functional RFGs approach proved to be a clear tool to distinguish water quality of reservoirs according to their trophic state. Also, the higher biomass and dominance of cyanobacteria in LIC and UBA were probably driven by the conditions of high turbidity, stable water column, and eutrophication. In these reservoirs, specific cyanobacterial taxa represented > 98% of the phytoplankton biomass and were influenced by different abiotic factors. For example, total nitrogen and phosphorus were positively related to Microcystis aeruginosa and nitrate to Dolichospermum solitarium, while pH and nitrite were positively associated with Raphidiopsis raciborskii and Planktolyngbya limnetica. Microcystins were detected throughout the study in both reservoirs, with 100% of the LIC samples above the limit established by the Brazilian legislation (1 µg L-1 ) and 50% of the UBA samples. Thus, our findings show the need for mitigation measures and better water management in the studied reservoirs, avoiding the deterioration of water quality and compromising multiple uses, especially considering climate change scenarios, since potential cyanotoxin producers are becoming more frequent due to adaptive capacities and global changes.

Most of the territory of the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) is inserted within the drought polygon, a region where more than half of the population live in rural areas. To improve the drinking water in the region, desalination equipment was installed, however, this equipment has generated a large amount of brackish waste. Thus, this study sought to investigate the quality of underground water and desalination by-products in agricultural activities and to evaluate community perceptions of this technology. The database used, which was mostly provided by the Programa Água Doce (PAD), consisted water quality reports and semi-structured interviews carried out in 33 municipalities in RN. An evaluation of underground water for irrigation purposes, which is discussed in the first chapter, revealed that the pH, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride, manganese, uranium, and zinc levels were above the limits recommended to cultivate vegetables. The waters in almost half of the wells presented high risks of soil salinization (43%), but low risks of sodification (45%). All the water sources analyzed were inadequate to cultivate most sensitive plants as they had sodium levels (> 115 mg/L) that can cause some degree of leaf damage. With respect to raising livestock, STD, the concentrations of magnesium, sulphate and manganese were above the maximum recommended values. In the second chapter, the physical-chemical composition of the groundwater and concentrate was used to determine quality indices, given their use in irrigation and livestock desedimentation. Well water (51%) and concentrate (65%) qualities were found to have higher percentages classified as poor and very poor for plant growth, respectively. Conversely, most of the groundwater (87%) and brackish waste (71%) were classified in the best quality classes (excellent and good) for livestock raising. A diagnosis of the desalination systems, which is carried out in the third chapter, revealed that in 42 locations 53% of the families used the desalination systems. Fixed monthly expenses such as: electricity (62%), operator salaries (90%) and reserve funds (100%) were mostly paid by communities themselves. After the desalinizators were implanted, an evaluation of the management model and service performance was carried out and revealed a 90% satisfactory response rate (excellent and good) for each aspect and/or variable analyzed. With respect to perceptions on the quality of sources of consumed water (cisterns and desalinated water), which were evaluated in four locations, 46% of respondents reported perceiving changes in the organoleptic properties of the water, mainly that they could taste chlorine and/or salts. About half of the respondents said they had received information on good hygiene and sanitary practices. Diseases, such as diarrhea and verminosis, were the most frequently cited examples. Community management tools proved to be important to maintaining desalinizators. However, this study found that there is a need for greater awareness among the population, for example through educational approaches and social communication, on the risks associated with this water for human consumption.

In the semi-arid region of Brazilian North-east, the oscillation of rainfalls have influenced to the systems of exploration from small farmers to do not achieve acceptable results, generating severe consequences on the condition of income, and, consequently of these farmers’ live, the northeastern population that did not have found the synchronism between traditional culture and imperatives of the environment yet. A relevant fact of this region is the cacti in the semi-arid ambience present extremal importance to sustainability of caatinga biome, assisting as fountain of fodder and food to animals, especially in severe drought season with focus on cactus pear. One of the hardest difficulties to the development of cactus pear culture is the limited availability of cultivable material, being highly slow the conventional propagation system. Therefore, biotechnology is a tool with a huge importance to provide benefits to different sectors of society, especially farming, for this reason the micropropagation has been used successfully to different species, looking for an efficient multiplication system for these cacti. Thus, the general purpose of this work was to investigate through biotechnology, a fast and efficient method of investigation to cactus pear tolerant to carmine cochineal to be used in the north-east semi-arid, contributing to improve the agricultural and economic potential of the Rio Grande do Norte and consequently coexistence with the semi-arid. In this way, this search quested to develop to micropropagation protocol with two cactus pear varieties, “Miúda” and “Mexican Elefant Ear”, compared to in vitro development pattern and made acclimatization in greenhouse, pointing tolerant materials to Cochineal Carmine favourable to being cultivated in this region. In the last chapter, throughout the application of questionnaires to the familiar farmers, It was identified the socio-economic profile of who cultivates cactus pear of varieties of this research of some municipalities in the Rio Grande do Norte. Succinctly, after 120 days of in vitro cultivation it was recognized that the applied methodology has the potential to increment the yield of genetic material multiplication with a high value to the cactus culture, the two explored selections are promising and showed a great adaptation in the acclimatization stage. The farmers socio-economic profile was characterized for show some relevant particularities in municipalities of the Rio Grande do Norte such as the predominance of male sex, creation of subsistence, low degree of instruction, plantation in the conventional system of cultivation and lack of pest control. The relevant information to the culture of cactus pear reported in this work demonstrates its potential however there are several elucidations about its utility and applications that should be investigated.

The presence of toxic waste in the environment can cause harm not only to ecological balance, but also to human health. This problem is intensified when the perimeter of industries approaches populated areas, especially those inserted in regions surrounding rivers, weirs and reservoirs, such as the municipality of Lages Pintadas, located in the semi-arid region of Rio Grande do Norte, which suffers impacts resulting from both anthropic action and natural radiation, with heavy metal lead as an important impacting residue. Given the above, we present the need for the development and application of management and maintenance tools for environments impacted by lead, based on the study of the bioremediation potential of different strains of Chromobacterium violaceum. The isolation and microbiological identification of the respective bacterial strains occurred according to the methodology recommended by the Standard Methods for Examinations of Water and Wastewater. The strains were tested for the pattern of lead resistance in decreasing concentrations and different exposure times, then evaluated by scanning electron microscopy different bacterial arrangements against the metal, followed by the evaluation by atomic absorption spectrophotometry of the levels of metallic removal tested in the presence of C. violaceum. Oxidative stress was based on the activity of the antioxidant enzyme catalase (CAT). After electrophoresis - SDS-PAGE, each lane was excised according to the protein density. Protein sequencing was performed in a liquid chromatography system coupled to a mass spectrometer. The observed data are promising, with regard to the viability of using C. violaceum as a bioremediation tool to combat and mitigate the problematic pollution and environmental contamination by heavy metals. The resistance profiles of C. violaceum in face of high concentrations of Pb (NO₃)₂ indicate the metabolic versatility of this organism. Both strains showed similar resistance patterns when exposed to the lowest concentrations of Pb (NO₃)₂, 1 to 5 mM. However, the SCV1 strain, isolated from the environment, showed a more efficient resistance pattern than the ATCC 12472 strain, standard strain, especially between concentrations of 7 to 10 mM. When comparing the efficiency regarding in vitro Pb (NO₃)₂ removal in the medium, the SCV1 strain was able to remove up to twice as much metal concentration when compared to ATCC. Observations under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the ability of C. violaceum to withstand concentrations of up to 10 mM Pb (NO₃)₂, without, however, undergoing significant changes in its structure, maintaining its bacillary shape. The analysis of total proteins revealed a total of 1930 proteins in both strains. In ATCC 12472, 21.3% of proteins had transport-related functions, mainly associated with the ABC-type transport system. Complexation and biomolecular binding mechanisms were present in about 70% of the proteins of the ATCC strain and in 60% in the SCV1 strain, of which a large part was associated with the complexation of metals, such as iron, zinc, copper and manganese and magnesium. In addition, repair proteins, cell resistance and response to oxidative stress were identified in both strains, such as Glutathione-S-transferases. Most of the supra regulated proteins of both strains performed functions related to complexation, transport, efflux, or mechanisms associated with the repair of genetic material, response to oxidative stress and cell resistance. This is the first study on the resistance proteomics of C. violaceum against heavy metal lead. The relative metabolic efficiency observed in the wild strain of C. violaceum in relation to ATCC suggests that bacteria when exposed to certain polluting agents and contaminants tend to develop resistance mechanisms against the selective pressures imposed by the medium. Changes in the protein profile of C. violaceum under oxidative stress indicate metabolic reprogramming and reveal the important adaptability of this bacterium. Numerous so-called hypothetical proteins with a probable association with the transport of biomolecules, efflux systems and ionic complexation were identified in this study. Such observation opens up to the scientific field the possibility of studying and unraveling these proteins as possible candidates for bioremediation processes against lead and other heavy metals.

Protected Areas (PA) are important tools for maintaining biodiversity worldwide. For that, it is necessary that these PA understand territories representative of the country's biomes, as well as have a good quality of management. A biome that needs attention regarding thestudy of its protected areas is the Caatinga, because it is exclusively Brazilian, because it is still little known and valued and because it has a small percentage of protected territory. In order to better understand the conservation effectiveness status of PA in this biome, it is necessary to evaluate its management. Thus, the aforementioned thesis aims to analyze the management effectiveness of federal PA, ESEC de Aiuaba (CE), ESEC do Seridó (RN), FLONA de Sobral (CE) and FLONA de Açu (RN) of the Ecoregion of Depression Sertaneja Northern. To assess this management effectiveness, the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) methodology was applied. This analysis was carried out based on 3 objectives, each corresponding to an article that composes this thesis. Chapter 1 aimed to identify the indicators of the RAPPAM method most related to the management effectiveness of the four UCs analyzed. For that, data were collected from the application of the methodology in the 2005/2006 cycles; 2010 (data obtained from the reports of ICMBio and WWF-BRASIL (2012)) and 2019/2020 (the researcher applied the methodology in this period) and a Principal Component Analysis was made from these data. Chapter 2 aimed to assess the pressures and threats that permeate four federal UCs of the Northern Country Depression. For this, the data collected from RAPPAM 2019/2020 were used, making an assessment of the pressures and threats existing in the PA, listing aspects of pressure criticality and threat criticality, pressure trend and threat probability. Chapter 3 aimed to investigate the management effectiveness index of the four federal UCs mentioned above, using the RAPPAM methodology, in the 2019/2020 cycle. The data obtained led to the analysis of effectiveness based on a survey of pressures and threats, the context in which the PA are inserted (Biological Importance, Socioeconomic Importance and Vulnerability), in addition to determining the General Management Effectiveness Index obtained from analysis of the elements: Planning, Inputs, Processes and Results. In general, the two Ecological Stations (ESECs), PA of Integral Protection (IP), showed high effectiveness, while the two National Forests (FLONAs), PA of Sustainable Use (US), showed Average effectiveness. The main indicators (modules) that contributed to this result were: Management Planning, Research, Evaluation and Monitoring; Design and Planning of the Area, in addition to the Decision-Making Process. The main pressures and threats identified were: hunting, exotic and invasive species, semi-natural processes and pasture. Finally, it can be considered that the main problems found in PA are related to the element Inputs, which comprises Human and Financial Resources, Communication and Information, in addition to Infrastructure. In this sense, improving the conditions of the Inputs, directly impacts the planning, evaluation, monitoring and decision-making activities, which in turn contribute to the effective management of these areas. With these results in mind, priority strategies can be outlined to ensure the conservation capacity of the Caatinga UCs in the Northern Depression region analyzed in this research.

The objective of this paper was to analyze management effectiveness and the socio-environmental sustainability of the Jenipabu Environmental Protection Area – APAJ, located on the eastern coast of the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The research is divided into two parts: one on a state scale, where was conducted an integrated study of the conservation units – UCs located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte from spatial variables and instruments of planning and management; and another on local scale, where were investigated the main socio-environmental conflicts, the effectiveness of management and the sustainability of the APAJ. Were used the dialectical method and the systemic approach, and the methodological procedures involved: field surveys, application of the questionnaire and form, content analysis, aerial photogrammetric mapping using unmanned aerial vehicle, temporal analysis of aerial images, assembly of a geographic database through GIS, selection and analysis of the sustainability indicators applied to units of conservation and use of descriptive statistics techniques. The results of the research are divided into four paper: in the first one was made an analysis of the context of the UCs located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte from spatial variables and instruments of planning and management, in order to serve as subsidies for the planning and management of these protected areas. In the second paper the main socio-environmental conflicts of the APAJ were investigated. In the third paper, an adaptation of the RAPPAM methodology was developed to analyze and measure the management effectiveness of the study area. In the last paper was made an analysis of the sustainability of the APAJ from of the selection of sustainability indicators. The data obtained on a state scale showed that of the 27 UCs located in the state, 12 have management board and eight have a managing plan. The marine biome has 173,183 ha of area protected by UCs, the Atlantic forest 89,587 ha and the Caatinga biome has 43,565.  The set of UCs analyzed presented some geospatial asymmetries, which are: there is a higher concentration of UCs located on the eastern coast; the Atlantic forest biome has approximately 25% of its protected territory, while the caatinga biome, which occupies most of the Potiguar territory, has less than 1% of protected area to UCs; the majority of UCs and most of the territory protected by these areas belong to the category of sustainable use, that provides less protection to biodiversity than integral protection UCs. Given this scenario, it is necessary to prioritise the creation of UCS in the Caatinga biome and establish the areas of integral protection as a priority management group for the creation of new UCS. Regarding the results at local scale, seven types of socio-environmental conflicts were identified in the Apaj, the main one of them was the irregular occupation of the fixed and movable dunes fields by residences and commercial properties. In addition, its implementation did not lead to territorial reordering of the area. Regarding the effectiveness of management, the APAJ has an average degree of effectiveness of 42.25%, however, very close to the degree of low effectiveness. The main pressures and threats were human occupation, tourism and recreation and collection of non-timber products. The indicators of the RAPPAM methodology that presented the lowest values were: financial resources, human resources, results, infrastructure and research, evaluation and monitoring. The results of the research point to a framework of unsustainability and that APAJ does not have a strategic planning and management that lead to the achievement of its creation goals. In addition, the results suggest a pessimistic future scenario with possible reduction of effectiveness and sustainability, if no measures are taken to increase financial and human resources, strategic planning and management, implementation of the monitoring and control instruments of the management plan.

Water scarcity is a current problem of global relevance. In the national scenario, this reality reaches high levels of drought in most of the year, especially in the semi-arid region, and it is necessary to search for mitigating alternatives, such as agricultural reuse, a practice commonly used in several countries, and growing in Brazil. However, the country does not have specific legislation that includes guiding limits of parameters for the sewage used, which can minimize the impacts generated to health and the environment. In this sense, this work carried out a sensorial diagnosis with the resident residents in the vicinity of Domestic Sewage Treatment Stations, in order to evaluate the impacts caused by the operation. At the same time, from the guidelines and international legislation dealing with this issue, a bibliographic review was carried out to propose safety limits for agricultural reuse and subsequent definition of risk indexes (IRA, ITR), involving parameters of greater sanitary significance (physical, chemical, biological). In the application of these indices, the municipalities of Caicara do Rio do Vento, Parelhas, Pedro Velho and Santana do Serido, located in Rio Grande do Norte, were used as a field of action, due to the existence of reuse activities for human and animal feeding. In the perception, carried out in Parelhas and Pedro Velho, the impacts produced by the treatment system, such as odor and mosquito proliferation - causing economic, social and sanitary problems - contribute to population rejection. On the other hand, there was considerable acceptance in the reuse of sewage in agricultural activities. When dealing with the limits and indexes proposed, these are the first step towards a future regulatory incorporation of the activity, having as primary field of application the semiarid, but expandable to the different regions, by the similarity in the conditions, efficiency and operation of the Stations of the country, composed mostly of systems of Stabilization Ponds.

Globally, the snakebites have increased considerably, but are still considered by the World Health Organization as a neglected tropical disease. These accidents may be the result of human interaction with snakes, which is quite diverse and includes conflicting aspects as to the usefulness and symbolism of these animals to society. Among the possible factors that may contribute to the increase in the incidence of snakes is the notable alteration in the environment caused by anthropic actions that reduce the availability of habitats and intensify the contact between snakes and humans. Understanding human behavior towards these animals requires an ethnozoological approach, since it investigates the knowledge, concepts and uses of animals in human societies. In this sense, this study aims to evaluate the epidemiological pattern of ophidian accidents occurring in Rio Grande do Norte, contribute to the prevention of new accidents and conservation of species through an ethnozoological approach, and promote socio-educational actions in a considered area of risk. Therefore, a retrospective analysis of snake bites occurred in Rio Grande do Norte state for ten years (2007-2016) was carried out by assessing the epidemiological pattern of accidents and relating their occurrence with environmental factors (temperature and rainfall). Based on the risk areas identified in this study, an ethnozoological survey was being carried out with the victims of ophidian accidents in the municipality of Santa Cruz-RN, integrating the scientific and popular knowledge, three instructional materials, Manual, Paradidático book and were designed and elaborated to adequately serve different audiences (teachers and students), health technicians, the community at large, addressing the common semiarid  snakes and snake bites. This study presents the results of the application of these materials to different levels of the school environment. where socio-environmental and educational actions will be developed with the local population for recording and monitoring of accidents. The state of Rio Grande do Norte has a great number of snake species and the micro-region of Borborema potiguar is the area with the highest risk of accidents, with environmental characteristics favorable to accidents. In addition, part of its population is involved in agricultural or domestic activities, activities that bring humans closer to snakes. As for the snakes of the medical importance, the Bothrops is responsible for over 80% of cases occurring in the state. In order to mitigate these accidents and improve the public health system for the care of the victims, educational work can contribute to the reduce accidents, prevent snakes from being killed due to a lack of knowledge of ecological importance of these animals to the general population.

This research itinerary is based on the hypothesis that, in the process of urban expansion, the neighborhoods of recent occupation, because they are located roughly on the outskirts of the city, present indexes and levels of socioeconomic vulnerability and urban infrastructure High, while in the old occupation neighborhoods these indicators are lower, evidencing the relationship between urban expansion and urban vulnerabilities. In order to investigate the extent to which there is a relationship between the process of urban expansion and the phenomena of socioeconomic and urban infrastructure vulnerabilities, a research itinerary was outlined guided by the following questions: Which aspects marked the process of urban expansion in Caicó, according to its phases of occurrence? Considering the current cartography of the city, how is the organization of neighborhoods shaped, in terms of old occupation and recent urban expansion? What are the levels of socioeconomic vulnerability of the City of Caicó, by geographic areas and neighborhoods, in terms of neighborhoods of old occupation and neighborhoods of recent formation? How is the city in terms of infrastructure? What are the levels of vulnerability of Caicó urban infrastructure, by geographic areas and neighborhoods, in terms of old occupation neighborhoods and neighborhoods of recent formation? Is there an association between the indices and levels of socioeconomic vulnerability and urban infrastructure, in Caicó, considering their geographical areas and neighborhoods? And To what extent does this vulnerability affect the residents of the city? Considering these questions, it was defined as a general objective: to understand the relationship between urban expansion and socioeconomic and urban infrastructure vulnerabilities in the city of Caicó, defining the 1980s as a divisor in its spatial configuration process and the association of index results Socioeconomic vulnerability and urban infrastructure of Caicó, considering the application of IVSB and IVIU, and as specific objectives: to analyze the aspects that marked the process of urban expansion of Caicó and delimited their phases of occurrence; To examine aspects of the process of configuring city space in space-time terms, considering the 1980s as a dividing point; To calculate the levels and levels of socioeconomic vulnerability of Caicó; To produce the cartography of the socioeconomic vulnerability of Caicó; Describe the city's infrastructure, considering the variables health, education, transportation, safety, sports and culture / leisure by geographical areas; Prepare a proposal for indicators of vulnerability of urban infrastructure; To measure the indices and levels of the urban infrastructure vulnerability of Caicó and produce their respective cartography; To demonstrate the indices and levels of socioeconomic vulnerability and of urban infrastructure and to associate the results obtained by geographical zones and neighborhoods of Caicó. The objectives were achieved based on a methodological course supported by bibliographic, documentary and qualitative and quantitative data analysis, based on the application of IVSB (Major, 2014) and the construction of IVIU. The results obtained allowed the identification of the IVSB and IVIU indicators of the city of Caicó. The evaluation of the IVSB found that the city showed an oscillation between very low and medium levels of socioeconomic vulnerability, and that these vulnerabilities are associated with the process of urban expansion, since this phenomenon becomes more present in neighborhoods of recent formation, On the periphery of cities, where populations with lower purchasing power are concentrated and public policies are more neglected. Regarding the IVIU, the study found that the city indices were very unsatisfactory, and that they did not show a correlation with urban expansion, because the vulnerability condition of the infrastructure was dispersed throughout the city, not restricted to Neighborhoods of recent formation, which is worrying given the vulnerability condition to which a considerable portion of the local population is subjected. In the overlapping of socioeconomic and urban infrastructure vulnerabilities, it was evident that the city has no serious consequences for socioeconomic vulnerability and, contrary to the vulnerability of urban infrastructure, presents worrying results, portraying the lack of urban goods and services, given the condition of vulnerability to which a considerable part of the local population is subjected.

Education for Sustainable Development is a possible way to make education more relevant to social development and to addressing the environmental and economic challenges facing the actual world and in the future. This study aimed to develop a proposal for the inclusion of Education for Sustainability in schools located in areas with socio-environmental vulnerability to contributing to the reduction of local socio-environmental problems. The research was developed in a qualitative and quantitative approach. The methodological procedures involved the use of a questionnaire containing open and closed questions related to the topic. The open questions were analyzed through the technique of Analysis of Units of Significance, which is based on content analysis. In order to identify the main difficulties encountered in addressing the issue in the classroom, the adoption of Participatory Action Research was used in a qualitative and quantitative approach. The results showed that most teachers are concerned about inserting proposals focused on ESD in the development of content and seek to understand the relationship between content delivered in class with sustainability. On the other hand, it also showed that one of the main obstacles to this approach is the scarce or absent approach of the subject in the teaching materials used by these teachers, considering that many teachers limit the insertion of the approach in ESD to the occurrence of the subject in the materials used in the classroom. So, we reflected that the need for actions that promote the association between the discourse and the action of sustainability with the pedagogical knowledge, in the teaching practice only can be achieved through the initial and continuous formation of teachers.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a topic that has been spreading more and more due to the current planetary demands. It is necessary, then, to follow how this process is taking place in Brazil, in general and in specific places. It is also crucial to see how teachers are involved or not in this trend. That said, this work aimed to outline the ESD scenario in basic education, based on research in official documents / materials and with teachers, looking back to the semi-arid region of Brazil. At first, nine documents of the Ministry of Education (MEC) of Brazil were analyzed, regarding the approach to the term sustainable development (SD), making a cut in documents related to science teaching. Continuing the research, it was the time to evaluate twelve publications, referring to sustainability, of the MEC and / or the Ministry of Environment (MMA), in the light of the Sustainable Development Objectives (SDG), and to classify their possible use in schools of the semiarid. Restricting the work, it was necessary to move the research to the teaching field and measure the knowledge and conception of teachers about ESD, its relation with its context, evaluating how these professionals subsidize their teaching actions within this field. Finally, in view of the results of the previous research with the teachers, a continuous training action was developed with the purpose of proposing the participatory construction of a sustainable development agenda in the light of the SDOs. With the implementation of all these objectives, it has become urgent to discuss a restructuring in the MEC documents, in accordance with international demands, preventing the national guidelines from becoming obsolete. In relation to the publications of the MEC and / or MMA, these may serve as a basis for drawing up strategies for coexistence with the semi-arid region in parts, and it is therefore suggested that there be regionalised publications. It turned out that teachers work SD in a fragmented way and even do not know the term ESD itself and that they are also not encouraged to articulate to look for public materials that have been produced in line with SD policy. Regarding the training process, it was evaluated that the SDG have the ability to fully guide the requirements for sustainability and points to the urgency of having, not only, complementary training, but knowledge about these programmed objectives in regular education, in a more purposeful and structuring way, through educational policies.

Estuaries and coastal zones are dynamic systems of great environmental, economic and social importance. All over the world these areas are becoming increasingly impacted because of the anthropogenic activities caused by rapid economic growth and urbanization. This research was carried out in the Tubarão estuary, which is located in the northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. The estuary area is part of the Ponta do Tubarão Sustainable Development Reserve (RDSEPT). In the surroundings of this conservation unit, several economic activities are developed, such as fishing, agriculture, aquaculture, saline and oil industry, besides ecological tourism. Considering the ecological, economic and social importance of this ecosystem, a study was run to characterize and evaluate the environmental quality of the Tubarão estuary through analysis of nutrients (N and P) and heavy metals in water, sediment and seaweeds (Gracilariopsis and Hypnea). The research carried out for this purpose is composed of three chapters: (1) in the first chapter the dynamic of nutrients was investigated to understand the biogeochemical processes and to identify possible anthropogenic impacts in this tropical ecosystem; (2) the second chapter of the thesis analyzes and points out which compartments (water, sediment and seaweeds) that hold the largest concentration of heavy metals and finally the third chapter (3) which examines the RDSEPT extractivists’ environmental perception and aims to measure the population's understanding of reserve environmental issues. The results obtained in the different chapters provide important information on the state of environment of the Tubarão estuary and may contribute to the reserve management.

Spiny Lobsters, Caribbean lobster or Rock lobsters (Decapoda, Achelata, Palinuridae) are important resources and support one of the most profitable fisheries in the world. In Brazil, despite current management measures adopted, it is still a fully exploited marine resource and a number of factors contribute to this scenario. Difficulties are reflected in the rotation of standards for lobster fishing over 44 years (1967 to 2010 and non-monitoring of fisheries since 2010). Adding to this, fishing activity is carried out with non-legal paraphernalia such as nets and free diving, or compressors and "marambaias". The activity of diving in general with the aid compressors has made catches more accurate. But on the other hand, it presents greater risks to the fishers ‘life and health. Coastal reefs are found on the continental shelf of Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil's northeastern coast. It is a place for diving that has rich biodiversity, and presents a young lobster population. This work was carried out in a perspective of an integrative approach between the fisherman and the diver fisher with a focus on three objectives. To make a historical reconstruction of fishing during the years 2001-2010, to describe the sociodemographic profile, risks and conflicts of the activity and to compare his knowledge on the bioecology of the lobster with the scientific knowledge. The fishery analysis was based on spreadsheets enabled by the Estatpesca, a software program developed by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (IBAMA) in Rio Grande do Norte. A structured and semi-structured questionnaire was applied in order to collect the subject ́s socio-economic information (age, education, monthly income, etc.), their fishing strategies (such as type of dive and equipment use, active lobster fishing depth) and their knowledge of the rules on risks and conflict management. Other type of information was also collected related to their knowledge on food, trophic structure, reproduction and lobster life cycle. Statistical analysis was performed using the R (R Development Core Team 2012) software, considering 5% significance level (Zar 2010). Each type of analysis was computed separately to avoid computational and mathematical conflicts. The following statistical software packages were also used: "ca" package (Grenacre 1993, Nenadic & Greenacre 2007), stats (Shapiro-Wilk test, PCA, PCoA, Pearson correlation, Mann-Whitney test; R Development Core Team 2012) and 'car' (Levene Test; Fox & Weisberg 2011). With the GLM model it was possible to observe that the capture, by weight was smaller with the use of the net, in relation to the compressor, dive and cages. Greater weight was also significantly larger for the large vessel in relation to small vessels. Analyzing the time scale, the highest production per year occurred in 2009 and 2010. As for the monthly fishery, independently of the year sampled, the month of August showed a larger catch. 53 lobster fisher-divers were interviewed. The great majority (89%) are over 30 years old and were born in the community of Rio do Fogo. Many fishers have not completed elementary school and are illiterate (58.5%). They recognized two major risks in this activity: those associated with diving and those due to noncompliance with the formal or informal rules of catching lobsters. The risks associated with diving with the use of the compressors were most cited (48%), some pointed out limb numbness, joint pain or mild bleeding as well as symptoms related to decompression sickness (DCS). The results indicate that fisher ́s knowledge of the lobster bio-ecology does not depend on age or experience. There were no significant differences between those who dive longer and are older (Kendall's tau, p> 0.05). There was a high degree of similarity in knowledge on behalf of fishers and scientific literature regarding feeding, trophic structure and lobster habitation. A larger catch was observed at the beginning of the season and also in the years 2009 and 2010 in the analyzed decade. However, since lobsters have long larval cycles, the six-month closed period may not be enough to avoid overexploitation. This together with the legal, economic risks and fisher ́ life quality do not provide great prospects for this type of activity. On the other hand, with an integrative approach, between the different aspects of fishing, especially the human dimension and the combination of scientific knowledge and fisherman knowledge it can be possible to reverse this reality.

The Caatinga vegetation has been widely used for industrial and subsistence purposes in the Açu Valley. When these practices are not sustainable, some species can turn into a vulnerable situation. Ethnobotanical studies can facilitate to identify usage patterns and guide conservation strategies for Caatinga. Considering the rarity of such studies, this thesis is aimed to register the diversity and versatility of Caatinga plants used by the ceramic industry and rural settlements at the Açu Valley-RN identifying species of intense exploration and imminent conservation. Preliminarily a quali-quantitative diagnosis of the vegetation used by the ceramic industries through semi-structured interviews with 120 social actors involved in this sector, divided into three groups: Potters, Lumberjacks and Farmers in four rural settlements that are potential suppliers of timber, used in the manufacturing process of Red pottery. The characterization of the industries technological profile and the perception of their impact on the local vegetation was analyzed. Correspondence analysis were used to verify the correlation between the most used species by the ceramic industry and the ones perceived as missing by settlements and the generalized linear model (GLM) to evaluate the relationship between the distance of the settlements and industries and the number of species listed as missing. The second step was focus to identify the severity and multitude uses of the vegetation by rural settlements through participant observation, guided tour and semi-structured interviews. The mentioned uses were distributed into utility categories, the useful species had its Value in Use and Relative Importance calculated. The ecological diversity was estimated for each settlement through the calculation of Shannon index (H') and Pielou Evenness (J), then were compared by t Test. The utility categories proportions were submitted to a multinomial analysis and the relation "Value in Use vs. Utility Categories" was analyzed by Spearman Correlation. The identification of priority conservation species was performed by calculating the Conservation Priority index, a pioneer approach in the State of Rio Grande do Norte. This index is based on biological scores and in usage founded on phytosociological inventories and Ethnobotanical surveys. The values obtained for each species allowed to categorize them according to the criticality of its condition. An intense dependency of the Caatinga for the regional ceramic industry was identified, emphasizing the massive use of the Mimosa tenuiflora and Pityrocarpa moniliformis, whose perception of abundance decreased has been observed primarily by settlements located closer to the ceramic belt. Regarding the use of the vegetation 12 by the settlements, there is a high dependence of the forest resources, mainly for constructive and medicinal purposes. These categories of use were more representative in the four areas. Associated to its versatility, the M. tenuiflora was highlighted as the most important specie for the subsistence families studied, once that had achieved the highest Value in Use. In relation to the therapeutic use of vegetation, the Poincianella pyramidalis achieved the highest relative importance. Regarding the vegetation state of conservation, it was noticed a close association between massive exploitation, rarity and conservation priority index, where in general, the most used species are the ones with the smallest local abundance and therefore have greater immediacy. In this context the species Anadenanthera colubrina, Commiphora leptophloes, Ziziphus joazeiro, Ximenia americana, Libidibia ferrea, Auxemma oncocalyx, Handroanthus impetiginous and Myracrodruon urundeuva are highlighted, once that they are in a situation of vulnerability in the studied region. Considering the high ecological and socio-economic importance of the Caatinga to the Northeast region of Brazil, it becomes urgent to adopt procedures that intended the regeneration, the conservation and sustainable use of these species.

The object of this research project was developed on the lower course of the river Doce in the city of Natal, in the districts of Lagoa Azul, Pajuçara and Redinha, along the river Doce, limit with the municipality of Extremoz, Rio Grande do Norte. The region of the Doce river plain is located in the area of environmental protection (ZPA-9). This is one of the ZPA which are not yet regulated and are observed several environmental problems arising from the use and occupation of land, featuring a blatant disregard to environmental legislation and whose protection is hampered due to the lack of specific legal mechanisms. This work aims to deploy and establish the maintenance of cultivation of Hyalella azteca species (Crustacea, Amphipoda) in the laboratory of Ecotoxicology-ECOTOX (UFRN) for ecotoxicological assessment of sediment; assess the quality of the water and the sediment using the cladocerans Ceriodaphnia dubia, Ceriodaphnia silvestrii and Hyalella azteca respectively, the lower course of the Rio Doce for ecotoxicological tests and physical and chemical analyses in order to evaluate the interference of human actions along the river. The visits were carried out in the period from 2012 to 2014. Sampling sites were named LE, R2, R3, R4 and R5. The evaluation of the quality of the water and sediments of the lower course of the Doce river, excerpt located between the lagoon of Extremoz and Redinha, through physical and chemical analyses, and ecotoxicological tests, in water and sediment, in the years 2012, 2013 and 2014, served the knowledge and answered the questions of research: ecotoxicological tests carried out in water and sediments there is a measurable response of biota in aquatic environment because the change found in physical and chemical parameters measured in water and the negative results found in at least 50 of chronic toxicity tests conducted on a monthly basis within one year showed the commitment of the Doce river water quality at least part of the year, noting that the various activities carried out in the vicinity of drainage may be contributing to the observed variations.

A Caatinga é um dos Domínios brasileiros que mais tem sido utilizado para diversos fins econômicos, tais como pecuária, atividades agrícolas e extração de minérios, e este seu uso extensivo vem causando grandes degradações, e por vezes irreversíveis, nesse Ecossistema. Para cada atividade desenvolvida foram necessárias adaptações especificas por parte das comunidades locais, já que este Domínio se caracteriza por condições edafoclimáticas especificas do semiárido brasileiro. Neste sentido compreender como as comunidades locais estabelecem suas relações com o ambiente envolvente é um dos campos de estudo da Etnociência, entre elas a Etnoherpetologia, que delimita seu enfoque nos grupos étnicos, que conhecem, utiliza, classifica e convivem com os anfíbios e répteis. Os anfíbios são relevantes porque constituem elementos-chave para avaliação da qualidade ambiental atuando como biocontroladores de insetos vetores de doenças e/ou pragas agrícolas. Portanto, entender os processos que influenciam e/ou determina o conhecimento local sobre este grupo é essencial, pois este é o primeiro passo para o seu uso sustentável. Nesse sentido, o objetivo principal deste trabalho foi identificar as espécies de anfíbios anuros conhecidos e citadas pelas comunidades locais de Itacuruba/PE e Petrolândia/PE, situadas no semiárido nordestino, bem como avaliar o conhecimento local sobre a biologia das espécies e sua importância no controle de pragas agrícolas. Para isto, foram estabelecidos nos primeiros contatos com as comunidades de agricultores desta região através de entrevistas livres. Em seguida foram realizados quatro encontros de 15 dias cada (sendo dois para cada comunidade), onde foi possível aplicar a entrevista semiestruturados e visitas aos sítios de reprodução dos anfíbios ao longo dos sistemas agrícolas. A amostragem ocorreu de forma não aleatória intencional resultando em 369 participantes da pesquisa, em função da dedicação e frequência na atividade agrícola, como também o conhecimento sobre a existência dos anfíbios anuros nesta região. Foram identificadas 13 espécies de anuros nas regiões de estudo (dados secundários), como também foram identificados e georreferenciados os principais locais de reprodução e desenvolvimento destas espécies. Os mapas obtidos foram escaneados e ilustrados com auxílio de computação gráfica com a utilização do sofware ArcGis10. Com as respostas das entrevistas os resultados foram analisados utilizando o método quantitativo de correlação simples entre os indicadores de conhecimento dos agricultores e a biologia dos anfíbios anuros, a fim de investigar a relação entre variáveis do perfil do entrevistado e o seu conhecimento sobre as espécies. Com a identificação das espécies de anfíbios anuros da região e a analise da concepção das comunidades locais sobre a biologia destas espécies, foi possível identificar e registrar o conhecimento local sobre a importância biológica dos anuros para a região semiárida, e com estes resultados poder traçar alternativas viáveis para praticas agrícolas sustentáveis que visem à conservação das espécies.

Urban developmentof societydeterminesdifferent behaviorsandmodes of interactionof manwith natureover time (MARQUES, 2010). Theway of living andof occupyingspacesaccompanied thisdevelopment, whichhas given rise toseveral newconceptsand paradigmson the subject, alsoresulting in thebreakdownand synthesisof ideasabout man andhis survival. From this perspective,the relationshipbetween man andthe environmenthas always beenconfrontational (DUARTE, 2011). Thisis saidbecause, to occupythe spaces anddevelop theiractivitiesand social functions, the societyneeded toexploit the natural resourcesthat the environmentoffered, oftendegradingitwithout noticingitsinterference, ina cleardependency relationshipof nature, foritcomesveryessentialfor the maintenance oflife. With the passage oftime andthe gradualhuman activitytoward nature, neededisprotectiveandremedialmeasurestaken bygovernmentsof all forms, to guaranteeto society andthe natural structurethe continuity of abalance betweenman andenvironment.That was whenlawsbegan tobe aboutthis relationshipwithissues ofenvironmental law,legal rulesgoverningthe potential forhuman actionin the landscapeand otherbehaviorsthat can be observedin reality. This doctoral thesis,therefore,aims to studythe meeting pointorconvergencebetween environmentaland urbanstandardsthat reachthe cities, with the geographicalcutthe city ofNatal/RNandthetime framefrom 2007, which marks the beginningthe term of the Master Plan of Natal, still in force. The aim is toanalyze the Master Plan of Natal/RN asthe inclusion, observance andeffective application ofaspects of theeco-socio-economic balance in this tool. For that, sawrequireda study to review the mainand contemporaryconcepts of sustainable developmentand urbansustainabilityin generalandspecificallyin Natal/RN, analyzing their master planwith the use ofadaptedelements of themethodological designofStrategic Environmental Assessment(AAE). The research methodologyis basedessentiallyon aqualitative study, whoseliterature reviewsupportsthedocumentary analysisofprimary and secondary sourcesandfinally theapplicationof the proposed methodologydiametricallyaddresses thefocus of thisthesis. By resulting, is expected topresentan environmentaldiagnosis ofthe master planin the 8capitalinstrument, with a set ofspecific analyzesfocused onlarge andmajorthreats to sustainableurban development.This set ofanalyzessummarizesinsusceptiblefactorsofdecisionwith governanceresponsibilityin theregulationof land use, orwith itare connected, listing prioritiesand strategicoptions thatwillprovidestrategic elementsfor the changesor revisionsnecessaryin the plan,always looking fordevelopmentsustainable urbanoreco-socio-economic balance. 

In the West of the State of Rio Grande do Norte Region, located in the Basin Apodi-Mossoró River - BHRAM / RN, where their low course includes a considerable human intervention, related to oil and gas exploration, sand mining, limestone exploration, Salineira activity, trade and services, urbanization, vehicle traffic, cargo transportation, construction, tourism and hospitality, irrigated fruit, shrimp farming, fishing, livestock and wind power generation. From this human pressure this thesis was to evaluate the socioeconomic and environmental sustainability of cities in the lower course of this basin, as well as assess how the oil activity contributes to formation of an area of socioeconomic and environmental vulnerability in Oilfield Canto do Amaro - CPCA / RN. As methodological procedures were adopted: Radar graph application to measure the sustainability indicators of the municipalities of the lower course of BHRAM / RN; identification of environmental impacts in the CPCA / RN through the Pressure-State-Impact-Response System; monitoring of heavy metal content in diverse environments in the analyzed area; environmental perception of socioeconomic and environmental conditions of rural communities in the study area; evaluation of the water supply for human consumption in the investigated region; Proposition environmental management actions to mitigate the researched problematic. It was observed that the CPCA / RN through the stages of exploration, formation evaluation, exploration, drilling, completion, and increase production, create opportunities for job creation, income, royalties, energy, fuel and projection of the region on the national scene. However, this chain is great risks and environmental vulnerabilities through the generation of impacts of air emissions, generation of semi-solid waste (mud and gravel), solid waste generation, the generation of wastewater, noise generation, water pollution, soil pollution , noise pollution, air pollution, visual pollution, vegetation removal, erosion, interference with local flora, interference with local fauna, changing the stability of ecosystems, changes in land use dynamics, risks to workers health, pressure on local communities, interference with traditional activities and pressure on public services infrastructure. It was found that soil resource is the environmental compartment suffering more anthropogenic interference due support for other environmental systems and their multiple uses in the analyzed area. The settings related to the oil industry were behaved that with higher average levels of heavy metals: Cu, Cr, Fe (in activated wells), Ni (activated wells), and Pb (solid wastes). However, three other types of land uses had higher values of heavy metals: Cd (natural areas), Mn (River Carmo) and Zn (Shrimp); however these elements are relatively low when compared to those in vehicle traffic interference soils, petrochemical activity and quality benchmarks. It showed that local people have socioeconomic constraints and live in rural communities with deficiencies in environmental sanitation components. It was found weaknesses in water supply for human consumption in aspects of water quantity and water quality with undesirable behavior for Dissolved Oxygen parameters and oil content and greases. It concludes that the area of the CPCA / RN has socioeconomic and environmental vulnerabilities and risks compromising the sustainability of the lower course of BHRAM / RN.

O presente estudo abordou a temática da universalização do atendimento pelos sistemas de esgotamento sanitário, enfocando a problemática sob a ótica econômico-financeira, própria de países em desenvolvimento, com grandes necessidades de inversões de recursos nas várias políticas públicas e com grandes limitações orçamentárias, como é o caso do Brasil. Neste sentido, foram analisados os recursos previstos e efetivamente investidos de 2003 a 2013 e realizadas as projeções de, caso sejam mantidos os aspectos técnicos e orçamentário-financeiros, o que levaria a universalização para o ano de 2064. Foram feitas análises sobre o emprego do sistema condominial como complementar ao convencional. Este sistema inova na concepção dos projetos, introduzindo a participação da comunidade beneficiária, reduzindo custos e mantendo a qualidade técnica dos serviços. A utilização do sistema condominial de forma complementar pode abreviar a universalização para o ano de 2056, com significativa redução nos recursos previstos pelo Ministério das Cidades. Foi realizado um levantamento das políticas públicas para o Setor, desde 1850 até os dias atuais e verificado que, na última década, houve avanço significativo na evolução do Marco Legal, mas remanescem lacunas legais a serem preenchidas, notadamente na definição e contextualização das relações usuários e concessionárias. Também foi realizado o estudo de caso do sistema condominial de esgotamento sanitário de Macau/RN, implantado em 2007, utilizando o Método dos Direcionadores de Sustentabilidade para determinação do Índice de Sustentabilidade do SCESM. O estudo identifica os gargalos e entraves do SCESM, apresenta recomendações para os ajustes nas políticas públicas para o Setor e conclui pela viabilidade do uso do sistema condominial como forma de abreviar o pleno atendimento das populações urbanas por sistemas coletivos de esgotamento.

O método para identificação de espécie-chave cultural (ECC) tem sido utilizado para definir espécies vegetais importantes culturalmente. Neste trabalho, este método ECC foi utilizado pela primeira vez para espécies animais, com os objetivos de identificar aquelas culturalmente relevantes, ampliar o conhecimento etnozoológico das espécies com importância local nas comunidades adjacentes à Área de Proteção Ambiental da Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, e, consequentemente, subsidiar prioridades de conservação. A metodologia consistiu da utilização de listas livres, entrevistas semiestruturadas e turnês guiadas. Foram entrevistadas 246 pessoas de dois grupos de comunidades: grupo 1 (comunidades situadas a uma distância < 2km da Floresta Nacional do Araripe) e grupo 2 (situadas a uma distância ≥ 2km); destas entrevistas, 35 foram realizadas com informantes-chave. Pela lista livre, foram citadas 53 espécies, distribuídas nas categorias de uso: alimentar, medicinal, artesanal e simbólico. Identificaram-se preferência alimentar para Mazama gouazoubira (17,43% das citações), e como recurso medicinal, Salvator merianae e M. gouazoubira com 51,85% das indicações de tratamento. No uso artesanal, destacou-se M. gouazoubira, que também foi a única espécie registrada para o uso simbólico. Os valores de uso (VU) encontrados variaram entre 0,03 e 1,34, sendo o de M. gouazoubira o mais alto (1,34); o conjunto destes destaques indica M. gouazoubira como ECC. Analisando o conhecimento local em relação aos grupos de comunidades e ao gênero, constatou-se que entre o grupo 1 e o grupo 2, assim como entre homens e mulheres, existiram diferenças significativas no conhecimento. As comunidades do grupo 1 e os homens desse grupo conhecem mais espécies animais do que o grupo 2; mas essa diferença não existiu entre as mulheres dos grupos estudados. Através da turnê guiada realizada em trilhas/estradas usadas pelos caçadores nas atividades de caçadas, confirmou-se a presença de 11 espécies por meio de vestígios (pegadas ou carcaças); 31,94% do total de registros foram de M. gouazoubira. Em relação ao conhecimento ecológico local sobre a ECC, M. gouazoubira é conhecida por veado comum e reconhecida por caracteres morfológicos, tais como tamanho corporal e chifre. Para 54,28% dos entrevistados, essa espécie ocorre em ambientes ricos em frutos silvestres, os quais constituem os itens alimentares consumidos mais informados (68,75%). Quanto à reprodução, 77,14% dos entrevistados não souberam informar, os demais afirmaram que essa espécie se reproduz o ano todo gerando um filhote. Para 22,88% dos entrevistados essa espécie é diurna, ágil e territorialista. A técnica de caça para a sua captura é a espera (100%), sendo percebida uma diminuição dessa espécie ao longo do tempo (91,42%). Esses resultados demonstram que o método ECC é uma ferramenta metodológica eficiente não só para identificar espécies animais culturalmente relevantes para comunidades locais e prioritárias para conservação, como para identificação de aspectos ecológicos e comportamentais associados à conservação da espécie considerada culturalmente chave. Destaca-se ainda como relevante o fato de que as comunidades locais poderiam se envolver/participar efetivamente no processo de conservação da(s) espécie(s) do(s) seu(s) interesse(s) cultural(is).

Esta tese foi desenvolvida em três comunidades de pescadores artesanais: Barreiras, Diogo Lopes e Sertãozinho, inseridas na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Estadual Ponta do Tubarão, localizada no município de Macau, litoral Norte do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte, nordeste do Brasil e teve como objetivo analisar por meio de levantamento etnobiológico e análise sistêmica as interações dos pescadores com os recursos pesqueiros, bem como a diversidade de uso dos peixes, visando entender os aspectos ambientais e culturais da interação homem-meio ambiente. A coleta dos dados etnobiológicos foi realizada através de entrevistas com o auxílio de questionários semiestruturados e fotos de espécies de peixes da região. Foram coletados, fixados e identificados exemplares da ictiofauna presente nos desembarques acompanhados e registrados durante a realização da pesquisa. Participaram desta pesquisa 38 pescadores da comunidade de Barreiras, 38 de Diogo Lopes e 34 pescadores de Sertãozinho, totalizando 110 entrevistas de etnoictiologia.  Os dados etnobiológicos foram analisados através da comparação com as informações científicas da literatura ictiológica, utilizando-se também do índice de diversidade e teste t. Informações sobre ecologia (alimentação, hábitat, predação e formação de cardumes) dos peixes apresentaram elevada concordância com a literatura científica. De acordo com o conhecimento dos pescadores foi produzida uma listagem etnotaxonômica a partir do Uso dos Recursos composta por 44 taxons utilizados principalmente para consumo, comercialização, bem como uso medicinal. As espécies com maior valor de uso foram: a tainha, adultos de Mugil spp. (n=100) o cavalo marinho, Hipocampus spp, (n=83), a sauna jovens de Mugil spp, a carapeba Diapterus spp, (n=73), a sardinha laje, Opisthonema oglinum (n=69) e o voador, Hirundichthys afinis (n=63). O índice de diversidade variou entre 1,20 a 1.33. As comunidades que compõem a RDSEPT possuem diversidade de conhecimento sobre utilização dos recursos pesqueiros e os mesmos conseguem identificar espécies que estão sofrendo pressão na área da Reserva. O ultimo capítulo dessa obra, compreendeu a identificação dos conflitos existentes nas comunidades da RDSEPT segundo a percepção dos pescadores com estratégias para subsidiar o plano de pesca e o ordenamento dos recursos pesqueiros da Reserva. Os resultados da pesquisa evidenciaram a importância de envolver os pescadores artesanais no ordenamento e conservação dos recursos naturais.

A complexidade de fatores envolvidos na transmissão da leishmaniose visceral (LV) se constitui em dificuldades para seu controle sendo notificada nas cinco regiões do Brasil e encontra-se em expansão no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte. O objetivo consistiu em analisar a inter-relação entre a incidência da leishmaniose visceral e o desenvolvimento sustentável dos municípios do Rio Grande do Norte. Teve como objetivos específicos: Analisar a inter-relação entre Desenvolvimento Sustentável e a ocorrência de leishmanioses visceral nos municípios do Rio Grande do Norte; Avaliar a abundância e a sazonalidade das espécies de flebotomíneos e suas correlações com variáveis climáticas ao longo de três anos em área periurbana da região metropolitana de Natal; Averiguar o conhecimento da população sobre leishmaniose; Produzir cartilha educativa sobre leishmanioses como ferramenta paradidática ao ensino de ciências e biologia; Realizar ações educativas em saúde ambiental e leishmanioses. Adotou-se metodologias diferenciadas em cada etapa da pesquisa para o alcance dos objetivos em que houve a incorporação de aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos, contribuindo para a análise interdisciplinar dos resultados. A análise construída permite inferir que o modelo de desenvolvimento vigente nos municípios norte-rio-grandenses reflete negativamente nas condições de saúde dos indivíduos favorecendo a expansão da leishmaniose visceral, estando fortemente relacionados. Já o conhecimento que os indivíduos da comunidade Guanduba possuem acerca da leishmaniose visceral é incipiente para sua prevenção. Entretanto, o conhecimento sobre a fauna de flebotomíneos e locais de reprodução das espécies encontradas em área periurbana se constitui em informação útil para o manejo do ambiente, o controle do vetor e da incidência da leishmaniose visceral pelos órgãos de saúde competentes. O material didático produzido sobre leishmanioses e as ações desenvolvidas em saúde ambiental se constituem em ferramentas úteis e complementares podendo ser utilizadas pelos profissionais da saúde e da educação para o conhecimento e adoção de medidas preventivas da doença pelos estudantes e população. Portanto, o conhecimento produzido é imprescindível ao planejamento e consolidação de ações intersetoriais pela gestão pública sobre os processos socioeconômicos, culturais e ambientais que determinam a negligência e influenciam a saúde coletiva e o adoecimento pela leishmaniose no Rio Grande do Norte.

A exploração exacerbada dos recursos demandados pela Agricultura Moderna vem provocando empobrecimento, salinização e compactação dos solos. O uso irracional de fertilizantes químicos e agrotóxicos tem causado desequilíbrio químico nos tecidos vegetais, perdas nutricionais, alterações no sabor e problemas na saúde humana. As monoculturas estão mais sujeitas ao ataque de pragas e doenças, sendo altamente dependentes de agrotóxicos. Objetivou-se, com este trabalho: (1) indicar a(s) época(s) relativa(s) mais apropriada(s) de plantio do feijão caupi no consórcio com o gergelim a partir da avaliação de aspectos agronômicos, econômicos, ecológicos e fisiológicos e (2) avaliar a viabilidade da utilização de urina de vaca e manipueira como fertilizantes alternativos no cultivo do gergelim. No ensaio de campo, quando o consórcio gergelim/feijão caupi foi avaliado, os tratamentos principais foram os monocultivos das duas culturas e os cultivos consorciados, sendo a Fabacea plantada no mesmo tempo, 7, 14 e 21 dias após a Pedaliaceae. No experimento em vasos, os tratamentos principais constaram de doses combinadas de urina de vaca (0 e 50 mL) e manipueira (0, 500 e 1000 mL). Na avaliação do consórcio, foram verificadas diferenças significativas entre os tratamentos para a maior parte das variáveis. Percebeu-se que na medida em que se atrasava a semeadura do feijão caupi em relação ao plantio do gergelim, obtinham-se respostas proporcionalmente mais positivas para a Pedaliaceae, o contrário ocorrendo para o feijão. Destacou-se o tratamento 7 dias como o ponto de equilíbrio  considerando as relações competitivas estabelecidas entre as duas culturas no consórcio. O gergelim apresentou respostas pouco pronunciadas às diferentes doses isoladas de manipueira. A urina de vaca exerceu efeito sobre o crescimento vegetativo do gergelim, o que se refletiu no aumento das taxas de crescimento em resposta à aplicação do produto. As respostas do crescimento do gergelim à aplicação da urina de vaca devem estar relacionadas tanto à riqueza nutricional do produto quanto à presença de substâncias estimuladoras do crescimento. Os resultados encontrados sugerem que, no consórcio gergelim/feijão caupi, quando a Fabacea é plantada 7 dias após o gergelim, há maior possibilidade de ganhos líquidos para o produtor e que urina de vaca e manipueira podem ser utilizados como complementos na adubação do gergelim.

As bactérias, juntamente com outros microrganismos, exercem um papel de grande importância na ciclagem dos nutrientes, estabelecendo um elo entre todos os organismos do ambiente e, por isso, atuam também como bioindicadoras da qualidade da água. O processo de eutrofização leva ao aumento de bactérias heterotróficas e de cianobactérias em ecossistemas aquáticos e essas últimas podem produzir cianotoxinas que causam envenenamento em animais e intoxicação em humanos, podendo levá-los até a morte. Espécies de cianobactérias tóxicas já foram registradas no Rio Grande do Norte, estado inserido na região semiárida brasileira, caracterizada pelo clima quente e seco e por regimes pluviométricos irregulares, tornando necessária a construção de reservatórios para suprir a demanda de água nos períodos de estiagem. Nesse contexto, o estudo de microrganismos aquáticos tem grande importância para a população, uma vez que, por meio dele, pode-se diagnosticar a qualidade da água que é utilizada para fins múltiplos. Tradicionalmente a detecção e a identificação de bactérias são feitas por metodologias dependentes de cultivo, porém os resultados nem sempre traduziam fielmente a realidade do que estava sendo estudado e, assim, técnicas moleculares para o estudo das comunidades bacterianas em amostras ambientais têm sido desenvolvidas. A identificação de microrganismos indicadores de qualidade de água é importante para a sociedade por permitir um conhecimento mais preciso sobre a saúde dos ambientes aquáticos. Pensando na perspectiva de que o cidadão deve ter conhecimento sobre os problemas relacionados à degradação e ao mal uso dos recursos naturais, como a água, por exemplo, as novas propostas pedagógicas devem estar adequadas para que cidadãos com pensamento crítico sejam formados a fim de conhecer e tentar solucionar as questões envolvendo a degradação ambiental. Este trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar as comunidades bacterianas e suas variações sazonais em três reservatórios localizados na região semiárida do estado; analisar a diversidade bacteriana nesses reservatórios por meio de análise de fragmentos do gene 16S rDNA e pelo sequenciamento desses fragmentos; e identificar como os conteúdos relativos à Biologia Molecular e Celular e à Microbiologia são tratados nos livros didáticos e como essa abordagem pode influenciar no aprendizado dos alunos. Amostras foram coletadas e analisadas por protocolos adequados a cada objetivo de estudo. As densidades bacterianas nos reservatórios estudados variaram de 6x10⁶ a 4 x10⁷ bac mL^-1, enquanto que as biomassas totais variaram de 94 a 238 μgCL^-1, influenciadas pela temperatura, pelo pH e pela concentração de clorofila-a.  O sequenciamento do gene 16S rRNA  confirmou a representatividade das cianobactérias nos ambientes estudados, pertencendo principalmente aos gêneros Cylindrospermopsis, Raphidiopsis e Anabaena. Atentando para as mudanças que vêm ocorrendo nos ecossistemas em decorrência dos problemas ambientais, os livros didáticos de Biologia se encontram em fase de modificações para atender às demandas de conhecimentos da sociedade contemporânea, porém as propostas pedagógicas e a abordagem do ensino ainda precisam avançar, uma vez que, na maioria deles, ainda há uma centralização no processo de ensino-aprendizagem na figura do professor.

O desmatamento, bem como a exploração econômica extrativista não sustentada, vem colocando em risco as espécies nativas da vegetação do Nordeste Brasileiro. Dentre elas a carnaubeira (Copernicia prunifera), uma palmeira endêmica que tem importância econômica, social e ambiental comprovada. Até a década de 1970, a cera vegetal consistia no principal produto extraído dessa palmeira, tendo conquistado mercados nacionais e internacionais. Com a desvalorização da cera e as políticas de incentivo à agricultura intensiva, no Rio Grande do Norte muitos carnaubais foram substituídos por diversas culturas, principalmente na região do Vale do Açu. Como conseqüência, em menos de 25 anos a mata ciliar de carnaubeiras teve mais de 50% de sua área substituída por outras atividades econômicas, acarretando em prejuízos ambientais e sociais, principalmente na sub-região do Baixo-Açu. Paralelo a isso, a pouca sensibilização por parte das comunidades extrativistas a respeito da necessidade de conservação dos recursos ambientais e manejo adequado, aliado à adoção de técnicas rudimentares, contribuiram ainda mais com o impacto que este espécie vem sofrendo ao longo dessas ultimas décadas. Apesar dessa realidade, a carnaubeira continua a auxiliar na fixação do homem no campo e na complementação da renda por apresentar diversos usos, que varia desde o artesanato até a cadeia produtiva da cera. Para contornar essa realidade, acredita-se que uma comunidade atuante e respaldada de conhecimentos, possa colaborar com o resguardo dessa espécie em suas áreas de ocorrência, utilizando-se como instrumento a percepção ambiental. Por outro lado, a reposição natural da população de carnaubeira é dificultada pela característica de sua semente, pois apresenta dormência. Para contornar essa situação, as pesquisas em biotecnologia podem favorecer a produção de mudas em larga escala, além de nos possibilitar a implantação de banco de germoplasma com fins de melhoramento, proteção dos recursos genéticos e projetos de reflorestamento. Nesse contexto, o objetivo do trabalho é propor medidas que visem à conservação da carnaubeira utilizando como ferramentas a percepção ambiental e a biotecnologia vegetal. Para tanto, uma das etapas dessa pesquisa gerou o capítulo 1, intitulado: “A influência de meios de cultura e concentração de sacarose na germinação in vitro de embriões zigóticos de carnaubeira [Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore]”. Nele, embriões imaturos de carnaubeira, foram inoculados em diversos meios de cultura WPM, MS e Y3, com variadas concentrações de sacarose (30, 45 e 60 gramas), num fatorial 3x3, a fim de se observar qual tratamento induziria a maior taxa de germinação e formação de plantas normais. Ao fim de 90 dias, comprovou-se a partir da analise estatística com 5% de significância que a germinação dos embriões pode ocorrer nos meios de cultura testados com as variadas concentrações de sacarose, porém o meio MS não promove a conversão do embrião em plantas normais, sendo diferente dos demais.

Acreditando que as atividades econômicas do Vale do Açu, Rio Grande do Norte, são fontes expressivas de degradação dos recursos naturais locais, e considerando a associação entre o modelo analítico Pressão-Estado-Resposta e a avaliação da qualidade ambiental no levante a sustentabilidades, a Tese apresentada desenvolveu-se com de diagnosticar a condição ambiental do Vale do Açu em decorrência da ação dos principais processos produtivos regionais construindo para tanto um índice de qualidade ambiental cujos resultados ajudarão a compor o corpo de informações indispensáveis à gestão e planejamento ambientais, bem como à elaboração de políticas públicas e ações mitigadoras. Para consecução desse propósito foi realizado um levantamento de impacto ambiental baseado em pesquisa documental e investigações de campo (Capítulo 01); a construção propriamente dita do índice de qualidade do Vale do Açu a partir do uso do sistema de indicadores ambientais do modelo analítico Pressure-State-Response (Capítulo 02) e, com base no diagnostico apresentado, elaborou-se uma proposta de zoneamento ambiental para área em estudo (Capítulo 03). Os resultados mostram que as principais atividades econômicas do Vale do Açu (agricultura, indústria ceramista, cerâmicas, extrativismo vegetal e produção de carvão vegetal) exercem expressivas transformações nos recursos naturais locais pressionando-os ao ponto de classificar a condição ambiental da Região em um nível intermediário cujo valor indicado (0,40) encontra-se no limite para avançar a uma pior condição. Nesse contexto, a proposta de Zoneamento ambiental apresentada é sugerida como ferramenta de gestão e planejamento podendo auxiliar tanto a tomada de decisão dos gestores públicos locais quanto à elaboração de medidas de resguarde e ações mitigadoras por parte dos atores sociais locais e também dos referidos gestores.