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Forest restoration has gained traction as a solution to mitigate climate change, contribute to biodiversity conservation, and support forest livelihoods. Yet there is limited evidence on the spatial locations where restoration is most likely to occur. In landscapes that primarily contain private properties, assessing the likelihood of restoration can be informed by understanding the enabling and limiting factors that have influenced property-level restoration in the past. In this paper, we tested the relationships between restoration, property size, and forest cover, for 8451 properties between 1985 and 2019 in Southern Bahia, Atlantic Forest, Brazil. We found that spatial property-level variables were strongly associated with restoration. First, we found that property size was positively correlated with the amount of restoration per property. Medium-sized properties (between 40 and 127 ha) accounted for the most restoration in aggregate. Second, we found that properties with less forest cover were associated with higher amounts of restoration. In addition, for properties larger than 20 ha, those with intermediate amounts of forest cover had high amounts of restoration. Third, we found that restoration was a spatial process that occurred in hotspots rather than randomly across the study landscape, indicating that restoration often occurred near to other restored properties. Understanding these relationships may assist restoration planners in making more informed estimates of the conditions that might enable future restoration. Given that restoration is a complex process that may require different approaches in different socio-environmental contexts, decision-makers may consider identifying and prioritizing properties of different sizes and with different amounts of forest cover depending on their specific priorities, landscape-level conditions, and restoration context. Our spatial analysis techniques assist in improving broader understanding of possible ways in which land use policy could prioritize for restoration at the property level and could later be applied to other socio-environmental tropical forest systems. • It is novel to evaluate property-level characteristics of forest restoration. • Larger properties were associated with higher amounts of restoration. • Properties with less forest cover were associated with higher amounts of restoration. • Restoration was a spatial process that occurred in hotspots. • Spatial prioritization may be useful for restoration decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses in the description, radiocarbon dating and isotopic analyses (δ 13C, δ 18O) of new fossils of Panthera onca from the late Pleistocene of the Brazilian Intertropical Region. This paper focuses on the paleoecology of this large cat and is of major importance to understand ecological niches in evolutionary time. Radiocarbon datings and stable isotope compositions (carbon and oxygen) were determined from the structural carbonate of enamel for two fossils of Panthera onca found in two caves in Bahia, Brazil. Isotopic data available of large faunivores and other extinct and extant herbivorous taxa from the late Pleistocene of the Brazilian Intertropical Region were used for paleoecological interpretations. Carbon and oxygen isotopic values from P. onca allow us to suggest that these individuals lived in arboreal savanna habitat between 26 and 33 kyr BP, could reach 209 kg and feed mainly on Nothrotherium maquinense , Tapirus terrestris and Alouatta sp., being a specialist. The isotopic niche overlap with Smilodon populator and Arctotherium wingei was high, while with Protocyon troglodytes was low. In the late Pleistocene P. onca probably suffer high ecological pressure by S. populator , while with A. wingei this could not occur, as this species could be mainly herbivorous. • Two new records of Panthera onca fossils in caves of Bahia, Brazil. • Both remains are from the late Pleistocene (29 ka and 36 ka). • Body mass estimation varied between 89 kg and 209 kg. • The isotopic diet of P. onca was based mainly in ground sloths, tapirs and monkeys. • onca probably suffer high ecological pressure by S. populator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and climatic conditions allied to advanced forestry technologies have enabled the development of planted forests in some regions of Brazil with some of the highest productivity rates in the world. However, the intense use of agricultural inputs and mechanization of production and wood transportation imply significant environmental impacts, such as the emission of carbon and nitrogen compounds. The purpose of this paper is to compare a model of an Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry System with more conventional eucalyptus forestry using a Cleaner Production approach to demonstrate the economic and environmental advantages of such a system. This is based on an environmental, energy, and economic analysis integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Cleaner Production approaches. Life Cycle Inventories consist of primary data obtained from the states of Bahia, Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais in Brazil, in partnership with Forestry Producers and a Forestry Company, which is the largest producer of hardwood pulp in the world. The inventories of conventional short-cycle eucalyptus production systems to supply the Forestry Company were quantified from seedling preparation to harvesting operations. The following production systems were evaluated: Reference system – Planting + Replanting (S1); Planting + Regrowth (S2), and Crop-Livestock-Forestry (S3). The adoption of CP measures in S3 reduced the use of inputs by 35% and increased gross revenue compared to S1. The processes that most contributed to the impact categories analyzed were soil preparation, emissions of inputs used in the field, and mechanized harvesting. However, biogenic carbon sequestration included −783 kg CO 2 eq/m3 of wood for S1. The S2 system had lower impacts compared to S1. Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry System - S3 showed a better environmental performance for most of the impact categories analyzed and presented a better financial return compared with S1 and S2. The implementation of the CP measures in S3 provides an immediate payback. Based on the conditions of this study, the CP strategy for silviculture is an economically viable option to increase the net CO 2 sequestration of forest production. This research intends to promote the study of eucalyptus forest production under tropical conditions, using the combined use of LCA and CP approach presented in this study from primary data. The CP and LCA integration provided methodological advances and more detailed information on the environmental performance of short-cycle eucalyptus production by identifying operational practices for the analyzed systems yielding environmental and financial gains. CP proved to be effective in providing information for decision-making at the process level without losing the broader view of the environmental performance of the analyzed product systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rare-earth-element (REE) bearing minerals have been recognized for the first time within rare-element granitic pegmatite pockets from Lagoa Real Uranium Province (LRUP), Bahia state, NE Brazil. The Province is one of the chief U deposits in the world and the largest in South America. Notwithstanding its economic and strategic importance, there are gaps in the geological knowledge about other mineral resources which could occur in the area. One of them, is the lack of petrographic and chemical data sets on its REE content, especially in pegmatite pockets which occur in the contact between Juazeirinho (1755 ± 6 Ma) and São Timóteo (1741 ± 4 Ma) granites. In this paper, it is reported a petrographic description and geochemical characterization of allanite, bastnäsite, monazite, xenotime, cheralite, and parisite recognized in three spongy mineral assemblages within unzoned granitic pegmatite pockets from Lagoa Real Uranium Province. The REE-bearing minerals present moderate-to-high REE content with significant amounts of Ce, La, Y, and critical REE such as Nd, Er, and Yb, totalling to up to 49 wt%. Petrographical and geochemical evidence arguably indicate that the REE-enrichment in granitic pegmatite pockets of Lagoa Real Uranium Province is a result of late-magmatic and hydrothermal events involving F−, OH−, CO 3 2− and PO 4 3− REE-bearing fluids. The report and characterization of these recently recognized minerals indicate that the Lagoa Real Uranium Province, might hold important REE mineralization as U by-product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In South America, one of the most important themes is the effort to discover the diet of the extinct giant mammals that lived in this continent. This paper presents new data for the species Palaeolama major, acquired by the analysis of plant fragments found in coprolites. This species possibly lived in an open area, feeding on shrubs, in the forest border. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A methodology for water use minimization has been developed by the Clean Technology Network of Bahia over a 10 year period in joint cooperative programs with the chemical, petrochemical and copper metallurgy industries located in the largest Industrial Complex in Latin America, in Camaçari, Bahia, Brazil. The methodology comprises a set of tools including reconciled aqueous stream balances, database of aqueous streams; large scale training leading to the identification of water minimization alternatives in the processes, water reuse optimization approaches; geographical information systems as well as, consideration of the region''s hydro and hydro-geological characteristics. The results of a study carried out to assess the possibility of using storm and wastewaters for industrial use is presented in this paper. The inorganic system is composed by three water reservoirs (basins) receiving stormwater contaminated with inorganic effluents, and occasionally with organics. These basins have been operated to control water flow inputs according to the capacity of the pumping outlet systems before their discharge to a submarine outfall. A mass balance was performed with historical updated data to assess water availability from the basins based on the daily volume variation and flow rate of inorganic effluent from 2001 to 2007. The study identified the possibility of recovering about 1140m3/h of the overall 5400m3/h consumed by the Industrial Complex at the moment. Organizational changes in the present effluent disposal and stormwater harvest systems will be required in order to maximize water recovery for industrial use. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper aims at establishing a tectonic and temporal framework to characterize the metallogenic processes that contributed to the origin of the mineral provinces in the northern São Francisco Craton. Many Archean mineralizations (eg. massive sulfide zinc, lead, zinc and copper, besides magnesite–talc, iron–titanium–vanadium, iron, chromite and manganese) were generated before the assembly of the Craton. Deposits of chromite, nickel, gold and emerald were produced during the Paleoproterozoic orogenic cycle, when the Craton was amalgamated into the Atlantica paleocontinent. An extension event is recorded in the Neoproterozoic, during the breakup of Rodinia, associated with deposits of phosphorite and uranium. Kimberlite diamond and gold mineralization were generated during the Brasiliano orogenic cycle, coeval with the amalgamation of West Gondwana. A long-lasting and rather uniform crustal stress is recorded in the area during the Cambrian period. Resetting of the isotopic and magnetic systems that affected the Neoproterozoic sediments of the Irecê Basin at about 520 Ma was attributed to the regional-scale fluid migration and mineralization in the aftermath of the Brasiliano orogenic cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes the determination and evaluation of the mineral composition (calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc) of kale (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala DC.) grown in soils within four cities in Bahia State, Brazil. The sampling process was performed during the summer and winter. Samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid and a digestion pump. Analyses were performed with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP OES) and the accuracy was confirmed with a certified reference material of apple leaves furnished by the National Institute of Standard and Technology. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed different mineral compositions of the samples collected in the summer and winter. Samples collected in the winter have a higher concentration of micronutrients (iron, zinc and manganese) and macronutrients (calcium and magnesium). The average contents (wet weight and mg per 100g) for the winter and summer were 551 and 535 for calcium; 117 and 106 for magnesium; 2.13 and 1.48 for iron; 2.63 and 1.95 for zinc and 2.05 and 1.34 for manganese, respectively. These results are in agreement with values previously reported in the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present paper describes a direct procedure for the determination of catechin and epicatechin concentrations in red wines employing reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP HPLC) and detection by fluorescence. The method was performed using a sample volume of 10µL without dilution. The separation process employed a Chromolith performance RP-18e (100mm×4.6mm) column, and the mobile phase was composed of solvent A: methanol–acetic acid–water (90:8:2) and solvent B: water–acetic acid–methanol (10:2:88) at a flow rate of 1.0mLmin−1. Linearity was observed in the range of 1 to 30mgL−1, with limits of detection and quantification of 0.27 and 0.89mgL−1, respectively, for catechin and 0.33 and 1.01mgL−1, respectively, for epicatechin. The precisions estimated by the relative standard deviation were 3.34 and 1.09% for catechin concentrations of 0.5 and 20mgL−1 respectively and 2.82 and 0.49% for epicatechin concentrations of 0.5 and 20mgL−1, respectively. The evaluation of the accuracy was done using an addition/recovery assay. Four wine samples were used, and the recoveries varied from 105 to 108% for catechin and from 97 to 119% for epicatechin. The method was applied to the analysis of red wine samples collected from the São Francisco region, Bahia State, Brazil. Nine samples were analyzed, and the catechin and epicatechin concentrations varied from 7.51 to 73.20 and from 5.08 to 43.32mgL−1, respectively. The concentrations found agree with data reported in the literature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent articles are indicating that polarimetric data provide significantly more information than conventional or multi-polarized images, particularly due to the additional phase information. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the multi-polarized and fully polarimetric L-band airborne SAR-R99B data, in terms of their capability to distinguish among different agricultural crops in the western part of Bahia State, Brazil. Emphasis was given to coffee, cotton and pasture crops which were at well developed growing stages. Discrimination among crops was carried out using graphical analysis of mean backscatter values. Crop classification was performed for single and multiple polarizations, and fully polarimetric images with a classifier that uses the contextual Iterated Conditional Modes–ICM algorithm. The investigation confirmed the potential of L-band multi-polarized and polarimetric airborne SAR-R99B data to distinguish and classify agricultural crops in the tropical condition of the test-site. In addition, it clearly indicated the gradual and considerable improvement that was achieved going from single to three polarizations and from multi-polarized to fully polarimetric images. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are essential tools for managing marine resources, but their effectiveness depends on the involvement of local communities and appropriate government policies. The present study sought to verify and compare the existence of Ostrom's principles in the Recife de Fora Marine Park ("RFMP") and the Coroa Alta Marine Park ("CAMP"), the only no-take marine areas located in the Royal Charlotte Bank, Bahia, east coast of Brazil, in order to determine the institutional robustness of these MPA. The methodology consisted of interviews, participant observation, and document analysis. Sixty-one interviews were conducted with representatives of civil society, public sector, and the private sector, related to MPAs. The results showed that the RFMP has a more robust institution than the CAMP, considering the presence of eight Ostrom's principles in the RFMP and only one Ostrom's principle in the CAMP. In conclusion, the case observed in the RFMP demonstrates how small groups of users who interact according to common rules that are respected and accepted by the group, involving institutions at different scales, can help improve the governance of MPAs. On the other hand, the CAMP has failed to include society in the local context and to construct actions collectively aimed at the legitimacy of decisions for the MPA and, thus, it can be considered a "paper park", being necessary to completely reform the actions related this MPA. [Display omitted] • Measures aimed improve governance are crucial to effectiveness of protected areas. • Small groups of users can improve the governance of marine protected areas. • Ostrom's principles presence reinforces marine protected areas effectiveness. • Marine protected areas effectiveness depends of the local communities involvement. • This study shows that small steps can improve the governance of protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Study of two iron ore deposits in Brazil using reflectance spectroscopy and Sentinel-2 image processing. • Samples of hematitite, itabirites, quartzites, cangas and breccias were collected for petrographic, geochemical and reflectance spectroscopy analysis. • The classifications of the spectra performed on the studied targets (Caetité and Piatã) allowed to differentiate types of spectra associated with hematite and goethite. Reflectance Spectroscopy showed great potential for the mapping of iron rich domains. • Using Sentinel-2 image processing is a good tool for searching large areas over a high temporal and spatial range. The large iron ore reserves of Brazil are already known, but there are still few studies regarding mineral prospection in smaller deposits and/or areas with lower contents. Exploration techniques that cover large areas at low costs, such as remote sensing, are important for setting targets for mineral exploration. This paper proposes to use of Sentinel-2 images and reflectance spectroscopy to evaluate the use of these techniques for iron prospecting, using two deposits in the state of Bahia, Brazil, as case studies. To validate image processing results, samples were collected in these areas for analysis of optical petrography, x-ray fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy. Images were processed at a spatial resolution of 20 and 60 m with Mixture Tuned Matched Filtering and Spectral Angle Mapper. Corresponding spectral types were determined based on the analyses of mineralogy variation and composition of the spectral mixture. It was also possible to establish a correlation of spectral types with iron content. The results achieved showed that Sentinel-2 data can be used for spectral mapping of different lithotypes composed of iron oxides, with Reflectance Spectroscopy as an important tool for mapping, and that the use of images in spatial resolution 20 m are sufficient to discriminate different types of ore. Image processing has shown that Sentinel-2 sensor data can support iron ore mineral research and the discovery of new mineralized areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fossils of Pleistocene megafauna are commonly found in tanks and cave deposits in the State of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. In general, studies on these materials have focused mainly on taxonomic aspects, but more recently, there has been an increase in paleoecological studies based on stable isotopes. The present paper describes fossils recovered from a tank deposit in Lagoa de Pedra (Anagé municipality, Bahia State). The material was identified as: Eremotherium laurillardi , Panochthus sp., Holmesina paulacoutoi , Palaeolama major , Notiomastodon platensis , and Toxodontinae indet. Stable isotope analyses were performed in order to estimate their diet and the paleoenvironment in which these taxa lived. The results indicate the occurrence of two guilds: grazers (Panochthus sp.) and mixed-feeders (H. paulacoutoi , N. platensis and E. laurillardi). These animals lived in a more open environment where N. platensis possibly had a major role in the community organization. • New fossil locality with Late Pleistocene megamammals remains in Bahia, Brazil. • Unpublished isotopic data for Pleistocenic herbivores mammals from Bahia, Brazil. • Paleoenvironmental reconstruction for Anagé region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]