Logging impact on Amazonian white-sand forests: perspectives from a sustainable development reserve

Overexploitation is one of the main causes of biodiversity loss and local extinction. In the Brazilian Amazon, the intensive use of high-value timber species is leading to a decline in their populations. When in decline, these species can be replaced by less valuable and more common ones that are more feasible to exploit. We conducted interviews with residents of two communities in a sustainable development reserve in central Amazonia, and used free lists and the cognitive salience index (S) to assess the perceptions of residents regarding the occurrence and purpose of timber exploitation, and to identify possible endangered species in white-sand and terra-firme forests. In addition, to infer possible consequences of logging, we assessed the current population status of timber species cited by residents in forest-plot inventories carried out within the reserve. S-index values and interviewee reports suggested an intensive use of terra-firme timber species and an apparently recent increase in the exploitation of white-sand species, which did not use to be exploited because of their relatively low commercial value. The inventories showed that the white-sand timber species have high relative densities and low S values in contrast to the terra-firme species, which mostly have low relative densities and high S values. Our results highlight the need to identify and monitor relevant timber species in both terra-firme and white-sand forests, and to increase the involvement of the local community in the development of logging management practices. (AU)

Dos registros de Agaricales (Basidiomycota) exóticos en bosques nativos de la Patagonia argentina / Two records of exotic Agaricales (Basidiomycota) in native forests of the Argentinean Patagonia

Inocybe sindonia (Fr.) P. Karst. y Amanita rubescens Pers. son especies típicamente asociadas a bosques de Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco y Pinus radiata D. Don respectivamente. Se reporta por primera vez su presencia en Argentina en bosques de Nothofagus de la Patagonia andina como resultado de la invasión de especies forestales introducidas como recurso maderero. I. sindonia fue colectado en bosques de N. dombeyi (Mirb.) Oerst. y A. rubescens en bosques de N. pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser en áreas protegidas con invasión evidente de coníferas exóticas.

Inocybe sindonia (Fr.) P. Karst. and Amanita rubescens Pers. are species typically associated to Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco and Pinus radiata D. Don respectively. Both species have been introduced in South America together with timber species plantations. Basidiomes of I. sindonia were found occurring under Nothofagus dombeyi (Mirb.) Oerst., while basidiomes of A. rubescens were found under N. pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser in protected areas that are under invasion of exotic conifers.

Actualización de los valores de exposición a polvo de madera incluidos en la matriz empleo-exposición MatEmESp a partir de datos procedentes de la base de datos WOODEX / Update the wood dust exposure values included in the job-exposure matrix matemesp by making use of the woodex database

Objetivo. Revisar y completar la información de la matriz de empleo-exposición MatEmESp sobre la prevalencia e intensidad de exposición a polvo de madera en trabajadores españoles con datos de la base de datos WOODEX. Métodos. Se relacionaron los diferentes grupos de exposición incluidos en cada actividad económica expuesta según WOODEX con las ocupaciones de la matriz MatEmESp. Se utilizaron los datos de WOODEX para calcular nuevos valores de intensidad y prevalencia de exposición para las ocupaciones incluidas en MatEmESp. Resultados. Se han podido relacionar 18 ocupaciones procedentes de MatEmESp con grupos de exposición descritos por WOODEX. Ello permitió obtener nuevos datos de intensidad para estas 18 ocupaciones y de prevalencia para 16 de ellas. También se ha identificado una nueva ocupación expuesta que MatEmESp no contemplaba. Las ocupaciones con valores de prevalencia de exposición más altos son los operadores de serrerías, código CNO-94, 8141 y los operadores de máquinas para fabricar productos de madera, código CNO-94, 8340. Los nuevos datos calculados muestran que el 10,5% del total de trabajadores expuestos en MatEmESp lo están a cantidades superiores a 5 mg/m3 . Conclusiones. Los datos aportados por WOODEX ofrecen un mayor detalle en perfiles de exposición a polvo de madera y, están basados, en gran medida, en datos españoles. En cambio, el 95% de los datos de la MatEmESp para polvo de madera, se basan en extrapolaciones de otras matrices de otros países o de consideraciones del evaluador

Objective. To revise and complete information on prevalence and intensity of wood dust exposure among Spanish workers in the MatEmESp job-exposure matrix, based on data from the WOODEX database. Methods. Exposure groups by economic activity in WOODEX were linked to the occupations in MatEmESp. The WOODEX data were then used to calculate new values of exposure prevalence and intensity for the occupations included in MatEmESp Results. A total of 18 occupations in MatEmESp were linked to exposure groups in the WOODEX database. This allowed estimation of new exposure intensity values for these 18 occupations and calculation of new exposure prevalence values for 16 of them. In addition, a new at-risk occupation, previously not in MatEmESp, was identified. The occupations with the highest prevalence values are sawmill operators (CNO-94 code 8141) and operators of machinery for making wood products (CNO-94 code 8340). The new calculations indicate that 10.5% of at-risk workers in MatEmESp are exposed to concentrations above 5 mg/m3. Conclusions. The WOODEX data provided more detailed information about exposure profiles to wood dust and are mainly based on Spanish data. In contrast, 95% of the data on wood dust exposure in MatEmESp is based on extrapolations from other countries or on expert considerations

Sobrevivência de espécies arbóreas plantadas em clareiras causadas pela colheita de madeira em uma floresta de terra firme no município de Paragominas na Amazônia brasileira / Survival of seedlings planted in gaps after harvesting in a terra firme rain forest in Paragominas region in the Brazilian Amazonia

Analisou-se a sobrevivência de mudas plantadas em 400 clareiras causadas por exploração florestal de impacto reduzido, em floresta de terra firme na Amazônia Oriental. Foram plantadas 3.818 mudas de 17 espécies, das quais apenas Schizolobium amazonicum não ocorre na área de estudo. A distância entre as mudas plantadas foi de aproximadamente 5m. As avaliações ocorreram em 2005 e 2006. Com base na sobrevivência das mudas aos 11 meses após o plantio, as espécies indicadas para o enriquecimento de clareiras são: Schizolobium amazonicum, Cedrela odorata, Jacaranda copaia, Manilkara huberi, Astronium gracile, Pouteria bilocularis, Tabebuia impetiginosa,Pseudopiptadenia suaveolens, Cordia goeldiana, Parkia gigantocarpa, Simarouba amara, Sterculia pilosa, Laetia procera, Dinizia excelsa e Schefflera morototoni. Estudos sobre a taxa de crescimento, em períodos mais longos, são necessários para confirmar a utilização dessas espécies em plantios de enriquecimento de clareiras oriundas de exploração florestal, como alternativa para aumentar a produtividade e o valor econômico das florestas naturais manejadas na Amazônia brasileira.

Survival of seedlings planted in 400 gaps created by reduced impact logging in a terra firme forest in the Eastern Amazonia was evaluated. 3,818 seedlings from 17 species occurring in the study area, except for Schizolobium amazonicum (paricá), which is rare in natural forests of Paragominas region, were planted in the gaps. Spacing of planted seedlings was 5m. According to survival of seedlings during 11 months after planting, the species Schizolobium amazonicum, Cedrela odorata, Jacaranda copaia, Manilkara huberi, Astronium gracile, Pouteria bilocularis, Tabebuia impetiginosa,Pseudopiptadenia suaveolens, Cordia goeldiana, Parkia gigantocarpa, Simarouba amara, Sterculia pilosa, Laetia procera, Dinizia excelsa and Schefflera morototoni can be suggested for enriching in gaps created by reduced impact logging. Complementary studies, mainly related to growth rates of seedlings, must be carried out and in a period longer than the present study to confirm the benefits of enrichment planting in gaps as an alternative to boost forest productivity and economic value of managed natural forest in the Brazilian Amazon.

Comércio, meio ambiente e competitividade: O caso da indústria madereira do Pará

Descreve e analisa a dinamica de expansão da indústria madeireira no Pará, os padrões de uso do recurso florestal, odesenvolvimento tecnológico incipiente e as razões do atraso do setor, expressado na sua fraca participação no mercado mundial. Baseado numa análise dos dados estatísticos e de entrevistas qualitativas feitas com empresários exportadores de madeira serrada e compensada, também é uma contribuição à historia sócio-econômica do Pará desde a construção da rodovia Belém-Brasilia