MAIS - Vale.com · the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, managed to register the RNV herbarium in...
Transcript of MAIS - Vale.com · the Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro, managed to register the RNV herbarium in...
MAIS
MAIS Bio Award celebrates quality scientific research projects at Vale
SpotlightThe company protects 850 thousand hectares in the country
Vale Natural Reserve is a center of research
The program integrates researches and increases the use of native species for Recovery of Degraded Areas
Mining: Attitude, Innovation and Sustainability
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Recovery of Degraded Areas (RDA) 24Researches on native species, soil, and monitoring are members of a group of projects for Recovery of Degraded Areas
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04 Vale is committed to the environment in its daily practice
Words Person
Summary
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06 Vale Natural Reserve (RNV, Reserva Natural Vale) has been a privileged space for researchers from Brazil and all over the world for decades
13 Felines Research projects on pumas and jaguars aim at contributing to their conservation sua conservação
Vale Natural Reserve
MAIS
ExpedienteEditorial committee: Sandoval Carneiro and Gleuza Jesué | Coordination: Domenica Blundi and Janaína Rezende | Technical Consultancy: Edgar Sepúlveda, Letícia Guimarães, Murilo Fiuza and Nei Rivello | Editorial: Tempero Comunicação | Editing and Revision: Filipe Barros, Janaína Rezende and Tempero Comunicação | Graphic Design: Imaginatto Design and Marketing | Desktop Publishing: Dia Design | Translation: Ccaps | Organization: Management of Technology and Innovation for Sustainability | Acknowledgements: Alberto Ninio, Ana Amoroso, Ana Srbek, Andressa Gatti, Danielle Redig, Eduardo Gusmão, Fernanda Tarbes, Geovane Siqueira, Geraldo Fernandes, Guilherme Oliveira, Igor Assis, Jackeceli Falqueto, José Oswaldo Siqueira, Luiza Vieira, Luiz Eduardo Dias, Luiz Felipe Campos, Marcio Ferreira, Patrícia Daros, Ricardo de Oliveira, Roberta Atherton, Roberta Guimarães, Sérgio Lucena, Thiago Ferrari, Vera Castro, Vera Fonseca, Yumi Oki and all those who have supported the creation of this edition of the newsletter.
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MAIS Bio Award
Cover
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47 MAIS Bio Humpback whales, species of flora and genomics – the winning themes
52 Humpback
56 Species of Flora
60 Genomics26 Framework Species
31 Soils
35 Grass Species
38 Monitoring
40 Slurry
42 Biofactory
43 Professor and master researcher at Vale Institute of Technology – Sustainable Development (ITV-DS, Instituto Tecnológico Vale – Desenvolvimento Sustentável), Vera Fonseca’s career is dedicated to science
18 Mammals Mammals are the object of study within RNV and in other forested areas in Espírito Santo
Cover photo: Biofactory, Vale's seedling production center in Nova Lima (Minas Gerais)
5MAIS
The concern for biodiversity is
closely tied to Vale’s existence
and is well reflected in its Mission
"To transform natural resources
into prosperity and sustainable
development"; in its Vision, which
demonstrates its love for the human
race and for the planet; and in its
Values, as life matters most. The
company is fully aware that mining
activities significantly interfere with
the environment and, thus, has
applied the concept that pursuing
No Net Loss to biodiversity in its
areas of operation – a commitment
made since 2013 – is not just a
tangible goal, but that it can serve
as a starting point to take it even
further. That is, it can make positive
long-term changes to biodiversity.
Therefore, Vale operates in different
areas, including investments
in RDI and partnerships with
knowledge centers in Brazil and
abroad to create solutions capable
of preventing, mitigating, and
offsetting impacts while offering
society new and transformational
knowledge as a legacy for
future generations. ITV-DS,
located in Belém (Pará), gathers
together dozens of researchers
with multidisciplinary skills
studying various subjects, such
as environmental services, water
resources, genomics, climate
change, and land use. As an
example, the survey of the Carajás
rupicolous formations over iron
outcrops (Viana et al., 2016), known
as canga vegetation that has been
conducted by ITV-DS, together
with the Emílio Goeldi Museum in
Belém (Pará) and 140 Brazilian and
foreign researchers, allowed the
registration of 1,080 species that
were cataloged into four volumes
of the scientific journal Rodriguésia,
published by the Botanical Garden
of Rio de Janeiro.
Biodiversity as a Concept and a Practice
Words
5MAIS
By Alberto Ninio, Sustainability Director
Gleuza Jesué, Environmental Executive Management.
Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio
Natural), which are home to more
than 70 flora species threatened
with extinction. Vale has already
formalized a proposal to regularize
77 thousand hectares of Legal
Reserve, and it should soon attain
100 thousand hectares among all
rural properties.
The Vale Fund, a Public Interest Non-
Governmental Organization (OSCIP,
Organização da Sociedade Civil de
Interesse Público) created in 2009,
invested R$120 million in initiatives
for three environment-related sectors
in the Amazon region, contributing
to the implementation and
consolidation of 230 thousand km
(23 million hectares) of conservation
units in six states, benefiting
indigenous and fishing communities,
among many others.
These initiatives – just a few of
hundreds – show that the company
is deeply committed to maintaining
biodiversity, which is also very
good for business. For instance, Vale
combines its efforts to comply with
the United Nations' Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) together
with the Impact Mitigation Hierarchy.
This tool provides a best-practice
approach to avoid and reduce
negative impacts, and then recover
areas that are no longer used by
the company operations, before
finally considering the possibility
of offsetting the residual impacts.
Thus, Vale remains in compliance
with the World Bank's Performance
Standards for Financial Institutions,
as well as with the principles of the
International Council on Mining
and Metals (ICMM), which promotes
access to financial resources for
Vale’s expansion and environmental
compensation projects.
Mining and biodiversity have become
interconnected, which is something
worth celebrating, both by our
company and by society as a whole.
4 MAIS
If you think the projects presented in
MAIS newsletter could be useful for
your department within Vale, contact
[email protected]. If you do so, we will
be able to share more information
about the studies, important for the
conservation of biodiversity, and
eventually put you in direct contact
with the researchers, so you can
exchange your experiences.
Shared Knowledge
The company is also responsible
for protecting an area that totals
8.5 thousand km² (850 thousand
hectares), 5.6 times larger than
the total area occupied by its
operations in Brazil. The theme of
this edition of the MAIS Newsletter
is Vale Natural Reserve. It is located
in the state of Espírito Santo,
and has become a reference
center for scientific research into
biodiversity in the country, with
240 projects developed. The Iron
Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais
comprises 12.8 thousand hectares
of protected land in 21 Private
Natural Heritage Reserves (RPPNs,
The company is also responsible for protecting an area that adds up to 8.5 thousand km² (850 thousand hectares), 5.6 times larger than the total area occupied by its operations in Brazil
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Alberto Ninio and Gleuza Jesué
MAIS newsletter is a publication
intended to communicate the scientific
research projects conducted by Vale and
its partners in teaching and research
institutions. Through this publication,
it is possible to find out more about
innovative initiatives capable of
contributing to the solution of important
issues for the company, both now and
in the future. The newsletter can be read
in its entirety, in PDF version or on the
website: www.vale.com/MAIS. It would
be a pleasure to see you there.
Further Information
6 MAIS 7MAIS
RNV celebrates, in 2018, 40
years as an area officially and
exclusively dedicated by
the company to conservation and
scientific research of its biodiversity.
Located in Linhares (north of Espírito
Santo), the Reserve was created
through the purchase of farms
between 1950 and 1970. Its current
size, close to 23 thousand hectares –
equivalent to the size of 23 thousand
football fields – was consolidated in
1973. In 1978, the Brazilian Institute of
Forest Development (IBDF, Instituto
Brasileiro de Desenvolvimento
Florestal), an organization replaced
by Brazil’s current environmental
regulator (IBAMA, Instituto Brasileiro
do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos
Naturais Renováveis), recognized the
Reserve as an area of research and
environmental protection.
In that year, Vale created the RNV
ecosystem protection, composed
Vale Natural Reserve: Center of Scientific Production surveys of the local fauna and flora.
The old herbarium, built in 1963 to
document the variety of botanical
species in RNV, was refurbished. The
following year, Ariane Luna Peixoto,
a biologist and researcher who at
that time was member of Professor
Peracchi’s team but now at is with
the Botanical Garden of Rio de
Janeiro, managed to register the RNV
herbarium in the Index Herbariorum,
of the New York Botanical Garden,
becoming known all over the world.
Since 2008, Vale Natural Reserve
is acknowledged as an Advanced
Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve
by UNESCO. This title was validated
twice, in 2013 and 2017, reflecting
its strategic importance to
biodiversity in the country. The area
protects an important and extensive
remnant of the Tabuleiro Atlantic
Forest, one of the most endangered
vegetation areas in Brazil. Since
the 1960s, approximately three
thousand species of plants have
been catalogued (more than one
hundred of them newly discovered
by science), along with the
following fauna species: 400 birds,
64 reptiles, 27 fish, 56 amphibians,
1.5 thousand insects, 179 spiders,
and 102 mammals. Together
Vale Natural Reserve
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with the Sooretama Biological
Reserve, managed by the Chico
Mendes Institute of Biodiversity
Conservation (ICMBio), RNV is part
of a preserved area of nearly 50
thousand hectares, which accounts
for 10% of the remaining forest
cover in the state of Espírito Santo.
HistoryWhen Vale was created in 1942,
the company, was controlled by
the Federal Government, and
undertook the management
of Vitória-Minas railroad (EFVM,
Estrada de Ferro Vitória a Minas),
nationalized by the ex-president
Getúlio Vargas. For the conservation
and expansion of the railroad, the
mining company required crossties;
thus, the purchase of farms in
Linhares region was an opportunity
to guarantee a supply of wood for
this purpose. Over 25 years, Vale
acquired more than 100 properties,
the first of them in 1957. Together,
the farms today make up the whole
of the Reserve.
The company contracted a well-
known professional, Dammis
Heinsdijk, technical advisor at the
Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations (FAO), to
undertake an assessment on the
possibilities for the exploitation and
management of the forest. The first
report was generated in 1963. From
then until 1973, other studies on
the use of wood in the region were
developed, but the managers of
RNV concluded that the purchase
of ready-made crossties would be
more attractive from an economic
point of view.
by a group of specialist agents, with
the aim to fight against poaching
and forest fires. This has been an
important step to meet the goal
of conserving the area. The first
agreement with strictly scientific
aims was also signed in 1978. A
group of researchers from the Federal
Rural University of Rio de Janeiro,
coordinated by professor Adriano
Peracchi, one of the country’s leading
experts in bats, carried out the first
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In parallel with the work in the
Reserve, by the end of the 1960s
and beginning of the 1970s, Vale
first diversified its investments. In
1966, studies related to a project for
industrialization of the wood from
the forest reserves were begun,
with the aim of exporting cellulose.
In October 1967, Vale created the
subsidiary Florestas Rio Doce S.A.,
aimed at providing services for the
reforestation of areas located in
along the Rio Doce valley, in Minas
Gerais. In the 1970s, the paper and
cellulose industry grew. In 1974, the
company founded Celulose Nipo-
Brasileira (Cenibra), in partnership
with Japanese investors. The felling
of trees for the production of
cellulose and paper was carried out
in other areas within the state of
Espírito Santo and Minas Gerais,
not in RNV.
Vale Natural Reserve then has
become a research laboratory for
reforestation for industrial purposes.
In the middle of the 1970s, the first
large experiment with exotic and
native plants in RNV was carried
out, and became known as “Estrada
Meme” study, a reference to the
agreement signed between Vale
and the Ministry of Mines and
Energy. This experiment aimed at
discovering species adapted to the
recovery of the shores of lakes or
reservoirs used for the production of
electric power in the southeastern
region of the country.
The research on silviculture
intensified the contact between
23 thousand hectares
3 thousand plant species
102 different mammal species
20% of the species of birds in Brazil
Herbarium with
15.734 exsiccates
500 thousand plant seedlings
15 thousand research volumes
Vale is created
and takes on the
management of
Vitória-Minas railroad.
The first farm in the
north of Espírito Santo is
purchased, out of the 102
that would make up the
future Vale Natural Reserve.
The first forest assessment
was published based on
the areas acquired until then.
A herbarium is created.
The company changes the
plans to use the area for the
production of crossties. The
current area of RNV (23 thousand
hectares) is consolidated.
IBDF, which preceded IBAMA, officially
recognizes the Vale Natural Reserve as an area
aimed at conservation and scientific research.
RNV ecosystem protection is created and
the herbarium is refurbished.
RNV herbarium is registered
in the Index Herbariorum of
the New York Botanical Garden,
becoming known all over
the world.
One year after privatization,
Vale maintains the Reserve and
produces a plan to define its use
and its scientific exploitation.
Vale and ICMBio, responsible for the Sooretama Biological
Reserve, which is adjacent to RNV, sign a partnership
agreement, and the ecosystem protection is extended to that
area too. Together, the two reserves total almost 50 thousand
hectares, representing one of the last significant remnant
areas of the Tabuleiro Atlantic Forest.
The Reserve is
opened up to
public visits.
UNESCO confers
RNV the status of an
Advanced Atlantic Forest
Biosphere Reserve.
Vale performs a valuation
of the area, which also
reflects its importance
in monetary terms.
The book “Silviculture and
Technology of the Atlantic
Forest Species”, is published,
analyzing 35 species used
in silviculture, based on data
from the Reserve.
19421957
19631973
19781979
19981999
20002008
20122018
Vale Natural Reserve
the company technicians and
environmentalists who were fighting
for forest conservation, when the
issue was still far from being a priority
for society. Amongst Vale’s officials,
there were professionals who knew
the importance of the area as an
environmental asset and worked
hard to preserve it. They included the
ex-presidents Eliezer Batista, Antônio
Dias Leite, and Mário Borgonovi, who
was the coordinator Forestry Projects
at the end of the 1960s.
Scientific ImportanceFrom then on, the scientific studies
grew due to the support structure
created by the company and due to
the richness of the biodiversity in the
region. Samir Rolim, an agricultural
engineer with a master’s degree
in Forest Sciences and a doctorate
degree in Forest Resources, was an
advisor and employee at Vale and
worked in the Reserve from 1992 to
2008. Today, he works on research
projects in the area, which is very
important to him. “I fell in love with
the Reserve the first time I saw it.
All these years later, I can say that
only international NGOs that receive
grants (a type of financing that does
not require repayment) have a similar
support structure for researchers.
The maturity of the studies means
the Reserve plays an important role
for the achievement of the country’s
goal of reforesting 12 million
hectares. The knowledge acquired
on silviculture allows reforestation to
be partially done with native species”,
points out Samir.
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Long-Term ResearchHe is one of the editors of the
book “Tabuleiro Atlantic Forest:
Diversity and Endemism in the
Vale Natural Reserve” (Floresta
Atlântica de Tabuleiro: Diversidade
e Endemismo na Reserva Natural
Vale) and coauthor of “Silviculture
and Technology of the Atlantic
Forest Species” (Silvicultura e
Tecnologia da Espécie de Mata
Atlântica), launched in 2018. Written
in partnership with researchers from
the University of Southern Bahia and
the Federal Rural University of Rio
de Janeiro, the latter book analyzes
35 species used in silviculture, based
on data from the Reserve. “Jonacir
de Souza, the service assistant
at RNV, is known as the notary
of the forest. He alone collected
almost a million measurements
of trees over 30 years, evaluating
circumference, height, and health.
That gives an idea of the volume
of information available, which has
supported hundreds of researchers
at universities from various Brazilian
states, and from other countries”,
he reports.
For the biologist Ariane Peixoto,
“RNV and Sooretama are globally-
recognized centers of biological
diversity. They attract people from
all over the world to study the
fauna, flora, fungi, soil, climate, and
ecological processes. Places that
welcome us, allow the exchange of
experiences and produce quality,
long-term research projects are
extremely rare and valuable.
In the Integrated Management
System of Protected Areas, (SGIAP,
Sistema de Gestão Integrada de
Áreas Protegidas), developed at
RNV itself, there is an archive with
15 thousand volumes, made up
of research projects, books and
publications, such as master’s
dissertations and doctoral theses.
Currently there are one hundred
research projects in progress, and
they will all have their reports and
final versions included into the
database. Marcio Ferreira, supervisor
of Vale Nature Reserve, says that the
level of details of the SGIAP goes far
beyond the studies. Through the
system, you can also search within
the RNV nursery for the quantity of
seedlings of each cultivated species,
among lots of other information,
for example. “We have 500 thousand
seedlings in our nursery, of 300
species, with the potential of
reaching 800 species and 3 million
seedlings. Of those, just in Espírito
Santo, 2.7 million seedlings of native
species have already been sent
out, with the aim of recovering 1.7
thousand hectares in approximately
one thousand rural properties and
state parks”, he adds.
Value and VisitsLuiz Felipe Campos, technical
specialist in Biodiversity at Vale,
explains how a master plan was
created in 1998 to define the
guidelines of the Reserve. In 2000,
the space was opened up to public
visits and, in 2012, a valuation study
of RNV was submitted. “Based on
a methodology that monetarily
reflects the perception that people
have on the importance of a
preserved area, we have reached
an existence value of US$1 billion.
For the study, conducted by
environmental economists and an
international consultancy service,
more than 6 thousand people
were interviewed in four capitals”,
he explained.
At the beginning of the 2000s,
the number of annual visitors to
the Reserve was approximately
4.5 thousand people. In 2018,
RNV receives an average of three
thousand visits per month. “We
cannot allow ourselves to think of
the physical limit of the Reserve
as a restricting factor for society.
We are making a significant effort
to bring more communities from
the surrounding areas into RNV.
We want everyone to be able to
discover this magnificent area and
see endemic (exclusive to the area)
species close up, such as the red-
billed curassow. When they become
integrated to the Atlantic Forest and
understand the biodiversity richness
around them, people will value this
natural heritage and engage with
our efforts to preserve it”, believes
Marcio Ferreira.
Brown capuchin (Sapajus apella) and yellow-bellied Trogon (Trogon surrucura aurantius)
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Tabuleiro Atlantic Forest
Muçununga forest
Tropical ForestryWetlands (natural water bodies and its associated flora)
Native grasslands
Tabuleiro Secondary Forest
Vale Natural Reserve Map
Vale Natural Reserve
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Vale Natural Reserve
The article “The majestic
canopy-emergent genus
Dinizia (Leguminosae:
Caesalpinioideae), including a
new species endemic to the
Brazilian state of Espírito Santo”,
published in the Kew Bulletin,
an English traditional scientific
research magazine, announced
the identification of a plant in
the Vale Natural Reserve, which
is strong evidence of a link, in
the past, between the Amazon
Rainforest and the Atlantic Forest.
The jueirana-facão, scientifically
named Dinizia jueirana-facao,
is the second tree of its genus.
In the past, only Dinizia excelsa,
discovered in the Amazon at the
beginning of the 20th century, was
known. “The fact that Dinizia is a
monospecific genus (made up of
just one species) reinforces the idea
that there was interaction between
the biomes. With the deforestation
caused by human beings, this
physical interconnection was lost”,
comments Geovane Siqueira,
biologist and curator of the
herbarium of the Vale Natural
Reserve and one of the authors
of the article.
Interconnection Between the Amazon Rainforest and the Atlantic Forest
Jueirana-facão reaches 40 meters
in height and almost five meters in
trunk circumference, with a canopy
that can be up to 20 meters wide.
Its weight, when adult, exceeds 60
tonnes. Recently identified, it can be
considered almost extinct, Geovane
explains: “There are only 12 known
specimens within the RNV area,
and 12 others on a private property
in the municipality of Sooretama.
Thus, we’re concentrating on
the production of seedlings to
propagate the species. We have
already managed to produce
roughly 600 seedlings, which will
be planted in the Reserve and in
neighboring properties.
The identification of the jueirana was
only possible because the Reserve is
a protected area in which researchers
can study in detail the flora from
Tabuleiro, in Espírito Santo. The roads
that cut across it, exclusively used for
studies, offer access to the whole of
its biodiversity. Other recent articles,
published in equally important
magazines, such as the Harvard
Papers in Botany (USA) and Phytotaxa
(New Zealand), announced the
presence – in RNV – of botanical
species that were unknown to
science. They are: Cinnamomum
baitelloanum, Mezilaurus sessiliflora,
Ocotea batata, and Williamodendron
itamarajuensis.
The information about flora diversity
in the Reserve was preserved
thanks to its herbarium, a library
of plants maintained by Vale. As
well as being recognized globally,
the herbarium has been attracting
researchers for decades. Since its
creation, in 1963, 116 new species
have been described, with samples
deposited in situ and duplicated
in partner institutions, with 106
species occurring within RNV and ten
species in the surrounding area. Out
of this total, seven were registered
and published in 2017. “This shows
the importance of the Vale Natural
Reserve for studies and research
projects and its contribution to the
conservation of the remnants of the
flora of Espírito Santo and Brazil”,
concludes Geovane.
Read more about jueirana-facão
at https://link.springer.com/
article/10.1007/s12225-017-9720-7.
Study on Ecology and Health of Felines
For the last 40 years, RNV
has hosted studies on the
fauna that are relevant for
the existing richness in the area,
focusing on endangered animals
that find, in this area, one of their
remaining refuges in the Atlantic
Forest. Ana Carolina Srbek de Araujo,
a biologist at Vila Velha University
(UVV, Universidade de Vilha Velha),
has been studying jaguars at RNV
on an ongoing basis since 2005.
Currently, she coordinates the
research project "Competition,
Coexistence, and General Health
of Large Felines in the Tabuleiro
Atlantic Forest" (Competição,
coexistência e saúde geral de
grandes felinos na Mata Atlântica
de Tabuleiro), selected among the
proposals submitted in the joint call
for proposals between Vale and the
Research Support Foundations of
the states of Espírito Santo and Rio
de Janeiro, in 2015.
With a master’s degree in Zoology
of Vertebrates and holding a PhD
in Ecology, Conservation, and
Management of Wildlife from the
Federal University of Minas Gerais
(UFMG, Universidade Federal de
Minas Gerais), Ana Carolina Srbek
de Araujo formerly worked as
a Sustainability analyst at Vale.
Now, she is a full professor of the
postgraduate programs in Ecology
of Ecosystems and in Animal
Science, both at UVV.
As early as in the 2000s, her project
aimed to define the number of
jaguars (Panthera onca) existing in
the region of RNV, and to determine
the proportion of females and
males in the population, as well
as to evaluate the distribution of
individuals within the reserve area.
Felines
Further Information
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Felines
Using genetic resources, she also
evaluated this population situation
to check if there was any loss of
genetic variability, which can occur
due to inbreeding (mating between
two related individuals), for example,
and the proportion. She also studied
the animals’ diet and the presence of
intestinal parasites.
As part of the results, she estimated
the existence of nearly 20 jaguars
in the Linhares-Sooretama block,
a large remnant area of the forest
adjacent to RNV. The population
is composed of two females for
every male, with only adults being
considered. It is the last remaining
population of these felines in
Espírito Santo and one of the last
in the Atlantic Forest.
The study also concluded that,
despite the loss of genetic
variability, the jaguars in RNV still
have important information for the
genetic conservation of the species
due to the presence of alleles that
have not been registered until
then in other populations. Genes
are made up of alleles, segments
in which specific information is
contained and that may vary among
individuals. The loss of genetic
variability occurs when, randomly,
there is a reduction in the number
of allele types and certain alleles
become more common.
Current StudyThe current study is being carried out
by a group of researchers (See list on
page 15), three master’s students and
one doctoral student. It aims to study
intra and interspecific competition
patterns, establishing the
mechanisms that allow maintenance
of the populations as well as
coexistence of jaguars and pumas
(Puma concolor) within Linhares-
Sooretama block, in addition to
determining the general health
conditions of individual animals.
“We started in 2017, with the
collection of fecal samples to update
the data on diet and parasitology.
For that, we walked the non-paved
internal roads of RNV in search
of feces and other signs, such as
tracks and scratches, that serve as
signals of the places where jaguars
are found”, Ana Srbek explains.
According to her, the update of
information is important to evaluate
if there has been any change in the
patterns previously recorded that
could indicate problems for the
conservation of the species.
In total, the researchers have already
covered 1,380 kilometers during
the sampling phase, and in the first
16 months of the study, 459 fecal
feline samples were found, of which
38 have already been confirmed as
belonging to large species. A portion
of each collected sample is used for
diet analysis. Fecal samples found
fresh are divided into subsamples,
which are selected for analysis of
intestinal parasites and virology
(See list on page 17). As well as fecal
samples, 34 scratches and 104 places
with tracks or footprints of large
felines were recorded.
New Phases A new phase of the project,
which began in the second half of
2018, comprises the capture and
installation of transmitter collars
on individual animals. It will help
improve monitoring and study
of patterns of territory use and
sharing by jaguars and pumas,
also enabling the continuation
of the study on diet overlap
and general health.
Jaguars will be captured with the
help of traps conventionally used
in Brazil. In the case of pumas,
a technique unprecedented
in the country will also be
applied, using remote capture
equipment, authorized by the
National Center of Research and
Conservation of Carnivorous
Mammals (CENAP, Centro Nacional
de Pesquisa e Conservação de
Mamíferos Carnívoros) and ICMBio.
“Through a partnership with
Francisco Palomares, a Spanish
researcher from the Doñana
Biological Station – Spanish
National Research Council (EBD-
CSIC, Estación Biológica de
Doñana – Consejo Superior de
Investigaciones Científicas) in
Seville, a device will be used to
allow dart sedation of animals, with
minimum intervention required
for the containment of animals,
guaranteeing that the capture,
aided by biologists and veterinary
physicians, is much less stressful for
the jaguars”, explains Ana Srbek.
The technique will only be used
for pumas, because jaguars are less
endangered in the Atlantic Forest
in comparison with pumas, and
the local population is extremely
important. Thus, CENAP authorized
the use of this new equipment
only for pumas. If the success is
confirmed for this species (with no
additional risks for the individuals),
captures using remote equipment
will also be authorized for
jaguars in the future.
Once the felines are sedated,
samples will be collected for an
overall evaluation of their health
condition, through the study of
biological parameters (hematological
and biochemical profile) and dosage
of inorganic contaminants, oral cavity
condition and teething, endo and
ectoparasites, viral diseases, and the
reproductive capacity of individuals.
Once freed, they will be equipped
with transmitter collars (provided for
eight pumas) that will allow much
more comprehensive monitoring,
via satellite, of the their movements,
both in relation to the areas they
move through and the times in
which each of them does so. “For
the identification of the spatial and
temporal pattern of the area used
by the pumas, an analysis of the
geographic location points collected
through the transmitter collar will
be carried out. This data, along with
the points at which feces, tracks and
scratches are found, will be evaluated
with the help of Geographical
Information Systems (GIS) and will
be used to identify the patterns
of spatial and temporal overlap or
segregation of the individuals”, states
the researcher.
At the end of the study, planned
for 2020, with the conclusion of the
laboratory analyses and the analysis
of the data from the collars, there will
be more accumulated knowledge
to use for the conservation of
the species. It will be possible, for
example, to evaluate the need for
specific measures to manage certain
species that are considered key preys
for the survival of large predators –
such as the white-lipped peccary
(Tayassu pecari), the capybara
(Hydrochaeris hydrochoerus) and
the paca (Cuniculus paca) – or
of methods for populational
supplementation through the
transfer of pumas from other areas,
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Ana Carolina Srbek de Araujo
Vila Velha University
Doctor
João Luiz Rossi Júnior
Vila Velha University
Doctor
Fábio Ribeiro Braga
Vila Velha University
Doctor
Fernando Vicentini
Federal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Francisco Palomares Fernández
Doñana Biological Station, in Spain
Doctor
Tarcízio Antônio Rego de Paula
Federal University of Viçosa
Doctor
David Costa Braga
Vila Velha University
Doctor
Hilton Entringer Júnior
Vila Velha University
Studying for a master’s degree
Alana Gomes Ribeiro
Vila Velha University
Studying for a master’s degree
Laura Martins Magalhães
Vila Velha University
Studying for a master’s degree
Ana Paula Jejesky de Oliveira
Vila Velha University
Studying for a doctorate degree
16 MAIS 17MAIS
so that the local populations can
remain healthy on the long term.
Balance The project will also identify
which ecological mechanisms can
help reduce direct competition
between jaguars and pumas; it
is essential for their coexistence
in Linhares-Sooretama block and
in other fragmented areas of the
country. "These predators are key
to ensuring a balanced ecosystem
as they control prey populations.
Lack of such regulation creates
imbalance among the species and
may even lead to a cascade reaction
that will reduce the seed dispersal
in the forest," says Ana Srbek.
Furthermore, the predators
usually consume weak or sick
animals, helping to keep the
prey populations healthy too”,
Ana Srbek comments.
The study of pumas has another
positive impact, on education, as
pointed out by Jackeceli Falqueto,
Environmental analyst of RNV
and biologist responsible for the
support, evaluation, and monitoring
of the research projects carried
out in the area. “The felines are a
flagship species, popular and very
useful for awareness campaigns
that we have been running ever
more frequently, mainly directed to
the children in the region, but also
to adults and educators. Poaching
and forest fires are problems that
affect the large felines and all the
biodiversity, requiring an effort
Felines
to raise awareness that all the
researchers have contributed a lot
to”, said Jackeceli.
As someone who knows the
structure of the Reserve, Ana
Srbek emphasizes the area is
an environmental asset that
shows Vale’s responsibility to the
biodiversity conservation and
enables exchanges between
the company and the academic
world, which is beneficial for both
parties and helps to ensure faster
improvement of knowledge and
innovation. “The Reserve is an
inexhaustible source of knowledge.
The analyses will be done at
the Laboratory of Ecology
and Conservation of
Biodiversity at UVV (diet and use of
space), the Laboratory of Wildlife
Health at UVV (parasitology), the
Laboratory of Virology at UFES
(virology), and the Laboratory of
Animal Breeding at UVV (breeding).
Diet The analysis of the diet is done
through the identification of
non-digested items (hairs, quills,
bone fragments, teeth, scales,
and many other) contained in the
fecal samples. For this, the samples
are washed under running water,
dried in an oven, and screened to
separate and classify the content.
The hairs, specifically, are separated
according to morphotype
(coloration, length, and thickness)
and submitted to microstructural
analysis (identification of medulla
and cuticle), with the help of an
optical microscope. This technique
is used to identify the prey, in the
case of mammals, as well as to
confirm the species of predator
(analysis of hair ingested during
self-cleaning).
ParasitologyFor the analysis of endoparasites,
the feces collected directly from
Laboratory Analysis of Samples
the rectum of captured species
and samples collected in the field
(when fresh) are evaluated for the
presence of eggs, larvae and adult
helminths, as well as for cysts and
oocysts of protozoans. For this, a
combination of sampling methods
are adopted, such as flotation
(Willis method) and spontaneous
sedimentation (HPF method).
The identification of intestinal
endoparasites (eggs, larvae, cysts,
and oocysts) is done with the help
of an optical microscope.
VirologyThe analysis of viral infection
of jaguars and pumas is done
for different agents, such as the
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), as
well as the adenovirus, rotavirus,
reovirus, and picobirnavirus. For
this, a swab is collected from the
oral and nasal cavity (conjunctiva)
and the feces. The swabs are
stored in a means of transport
and the feces are stored in
universal containers that are kept
refrigerated in thermal containers
to be sent to the laboratory.
Viral detection is done through
the extraction of nucleic acid,
using the Boom method, and
later detection of viral genomes
through PAGE (RNA) and PCR
(DNA and RNA), with the sending
of positive samples for genetic
sequencing to identify
the microorganisms.
BreedingFor analysis of reproductive
capacity, the animal’s semen is
collected. The material collected
is placed in a solution of buffered
formalin. The morphological
and quantitative analyses of
the semen are done through an
optical microscope to identify
the occurrence and frequency
of the main sperm defects,
considering those associated to
the spermatogenic process, to the
transport of sperm through the
epididymis and the process
of maturation.
For more information
on research related
to the topic, read
http://www.bibliotecadigital.
ufmg.br/dspace/handle/
1843/BUBD-998LEE.
Further Information
The felines are a flagship species, popular and very useful for awareness campaigns that we have been running
Leon
ardo
Mer
çon
Vale
ntyn
Vol
kov
From the research carried out
in RNV, information has been
generated that contributes to
conservation of the flora and fauna
not just within it, but in other areas
too”, she comments.
18 MAIS 19MAIS
Selected through a call
for tender that Vale
and Research Support
Foundations of the State of Espírito
Santo put out in 2015, the study on
"Conservation and Management
of Mammals Threatened with
Extinction in Fragmented
Landscapes of the Atlantic Forest"
uses RNV area for research on
ungulates (hoofed mammals),
specially the tapir (Tapirus terrestris),
the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu),
and the white-lipped peccary
(Tayassu pecari).
The study led by professor Sérgio
Lucena Mendes from Federal
University of Espírito Santo (UFES,
Universidade Federal do Espírito
Santo) is carried out in different parts
of Espírito Santo, as it includes other
two subprojects: one is focused
on the puma (Puma concolor)
population and the other covers
the northern muriqui (Brachyteles
hypoxanthus), in three municipalities
of the mountain region, Santa Teresa,
Santa Maria de Jetibá, and
Santa Leopoldina.
Sérgio Lucena Mendes, a biologist
with a master’s and doctorate
degree in Ecology, respectively
from the University of Brasilia and
the University of Campinas, was the
president of the Scientific Board
and director of the Mello Leitão
Museum of Biology, in Espírito
Santo. Currently, he is director
of the National Institute of the
Atlantic Forest (INMA, Instituto
Nacional da Mata Atlântica) and
professor at UFES and member of
the Advisory Board of the Atlantic
Forest Research Institute (IPEMA,
Instituto de Pesquisas da Mata
Atlântica). He comments that
the project, financed through
the tender, encompasses studies
that were already in progress
and had the opportunity to be
developed with resources and
support structure offered by the
Vale-Fapes-Faperj tender, and
provides research grants for post-
graduate students, acquisition of
photographic traps and laboratory
equipment, among other things.
“We chose to extend the studies
on these animals based on two
criteria – they are endangered
species and they are deemed
emblematic because they symbolize
the anthropic impact on the fauna.
These animals act as landscape
detectives, complementing each
other in many aspects, including
Mammals
displacement, which is high in the
case of the jaguars, medium for
the ungulates and low among the
muriquis,” he explains.
The research sites, in turn, were
defined based on the need
to understand the effects of
landscapes with diverse anthropic
characteristics for the conservation
of these species, through studies
focused on the different types
of habitats, populations, and
evaluation of different conflicts
with humans. While Linhares-
Sooretama block has the most
extensive continuous forest, with
disturbed and deforested areas
around it, the mountain region has
patches of forest, but the total of
these areas is larger than the block.
The mountain regions are part of
the geomorphological formation
of the Basement complex, with
altitudes that vary from 200m to
1200m, in the phytogeographical
region of the Atlantic Forest;
Montane and Submontane
(Santa Maria de Jetibá), Lowland,
Submontane and Montane (Santa
Teresa), as well as Lowland and
Submontane (Santa Leopoldina). In
the Vale Natural Reserve-Sooretama
complex, which has a low altitude
(up to 100m), the vegetation fits
the definition of Dense Lowland
Ombrophylous Forest, known as
Tabuleiro Atlantic Forest.
The species selected are
characterized as key species
because they have ecological
functions that are essential for
the ecosystem, as regulators of
prey populations (in the case of
the pumas and jaguars), and seed
dispersers, in the case of frugivores,
helping with the maintenance
and regeneration of the forests (in
the case of the muriqui and the
ungulates). These species also have,
as an indirect contribution, the
capacity to raise awareness among
the lay audience, as charismatic
flagship species that attract the
attention of the public,
especially children.
ObjectivesThe project, which began in 2017
and will run until 2020, aims to
contribute to the conservation of
these mammals, developing and
spreading models of research and
conservation of endangered fauna
in fragmented environments, with
The species selected are characterized as key species as they have ecological functions that are essential for the ecosystem
The biologist Andressa Gatti prepares a photographic trap
Rica
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s
Conservation of Mammals Threatened with Extinction in Espírito Santo
20 MAIS 21MAIS
the use of population management,
habitat management, environmental
education and scientific
popularization strategies.
For this, the first step was to obtain
the classification of the region’s land
use from the digital orthophoto
mosaic product IEMA 2012/2015,
which contains aerial images
provided by the State Institute for the
Environment and Water Resources
(IEMA, Instituto Estadual do Meio
Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos) of
Espírito Santo. “This allows us to
estimate the number and size of
fragments and possible connectivity
between them. One of our proposals
is to define the best routes for
the movement of the species, if
it were necessary to create new
connections”, says Sérgio Lucena.
A stochastic model (that incorporates
probabilistic elements) will be used
during the project to compare
animal populations with the
fragmented area. In this way, the
probability of a species being present
in an specific patch of forest will be
estimated, based on a simulation
done based on the characteristics of
the landscape and the populational
density of the species.
The laboratory and genetic study,
done by teams from UFES and the
Federal University of ABC (UFABC,
Universidade Federal do ABC), will
allow for the realization of important
analyses for all of the species. In the
case of the muriquis, for example,
it will be possible to discover if the
populations are very inbred (when
mating occurs between relatives).
Consanguinity can have negative
consequences, such as animals being
less capable due to a lack of genetic
variability, making the translocation
of individuals necessary to promote
genetic enrichment. With the
comparison of animals from different
patches of forest, their genetic
proximity will be evaluated for the
establishment of the relevance of
translocation between groups.
Sources for genetic studies in the
case of collared peccaries and
white-lipped peccaries are hair
and fecal samples, respectively.
These biological materials will allow
estimation of the population’s genetic
diversity and degree of inbreeding,
as well as testing the occurrence of
recent population bottlenecks and
evaluating the genetic population
structure of the species in the
Linhares-Sooretama landscape.
Photographic TrapsThe use of photographic traps,
part of the research, produces
indispensable subsidies for the study.
The biologist Andressa Gatti, with a
doctorate and postdoctoral degree
in Animal Biology at UFES, has been
interested in ungulates since she was
an undergraduate. Coordinator of
the research into this group within
the project, she tells us that there
are more than 30 thousand images
recorded on the 48 traps installed in
the Linhares-Sooretama block, being
analyzed in the second semester of
2018. “On some cameras we have
almost 1,5 thousand photos. First,
we are evaluating the 2 thousand
images taken between January and
March 2017, in monitoring spots
chosen randomly, based on 4km²
squares. The system of squares
guides the location of the sites and
keeps 2km between each of them,
to maximize the probability of
capturing an image of the species.
A mathematical model supports
the project (see table on page 22)
and allows for the measurement
of the ratio between the presence
and absence of species and various
variables, such as vegetation and the
proximity of highways," she added.
Reserva Natural ValeMammals
In the mountain region, evaluation
is also taking place of whether
the structure and configuration
of different patches of forest in
the Santa Maria de Jetibá region
affect the functional diversity of
species of large and medium-sized
mammals. For this purpose, the
researchers performed an analysis
of hierarchical aggregation of
environmental similarity of all
of the patches of forest in the
municipality. Then, they selected
45 patches of forest with different
environmental characteristics,
such as size, shape, interior area,
connectivity and total border,
amongst others.
A photographic trap was installed in
each selected patch of forest for the
monitoring of large and medium-
sized mammals. In the time leading
up to September 2018, 14 species
were recognized, amongst them the
paca (Cuniculus paca), the collared
anteater (Tamandua tetradactyla),
the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu)
and the brown brocket (Mazama
gouazoubira).
The researchers will use generalized
linear models to compare the values
found for functional diversity and
the structure and configuration of
the patches of forest in question
With these analyses, it will be
established if the structure of
the patches of forest is affecting
the functional diversity of the
local communities of large and
medium-sized mammals. Then, the
researchers will be able to point to
the most important characteristics
for patches of forest to be able
to keep large and medium-
sized species of mammal alive,
guaranteeing the maintenance of
the functions of the ecosystem.
Partial ResultsIt has already been identified that, in
the five patches of Atlantic Forest in
which muriquis are being monitored,
the number of animals is higher
than initially expected. According to
estimates, there are 100 individuals
from at least two groups, which
is especially important as females
migrate from group to group to
procreate. The more groups there
are, the greater the chance of their
expansion. In the first stage of the
monitoring of felines in Santa Maria
More playful activities, such as a play for children under five, and field experiences in RNV with school students from the region have contributed to the understanding of the importance of biodiversity preservation
The orange spots indicate the places where the photographic traps were set up in the Linhares-Soortema region
Protected areas
Patches of forest
Sooretama Biological Reserve (Rebio)
Recanto das Antas RPPN
Mutum Preto Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN)
Vale Natural Reserve
do Jetibá, there were no records of
pumas, according to Marina Zanin,
coordinator of the activity. However,
three wild felines were identified:
the little spotted cat (Leopardus
guttulus), the ocelot (Leopardus
pardalis) and the jaguarundi
(herpailurus yagouaroundi).
Regarding the genetic study of the
tapirs, based on DNA extraction
from fecal samples, up to now, 40
individuals are estimated to be
in the Linhares-Sooretama block.
“Despite the difficulty of working
with non-invasive samples, there is
a lot of hope that new individuals
will be identified. And, up until now,
the results have revealed moderate
genetic diversity for the sampled
individuals”, Andressa Gatti reports.
22 MAIS 23MAIS
Regarding awareness, 70 residences
in the region of Linhares-Sooretama
have been visited to meet with the
occupants and give them a calendar
to note down the dates on which
the animals are seen. This exchange,
coordinated by biologist Danielle
de Oliveira, is extended to farmers
and elements of it will help for the
creation of a plan for the reduction
of conflict between people and
animals. More playful activities, such
as a play for children under five, and
field experiences in RNV with school
students from the region have
contributed to the understanding
of the importance of biodiversity
preservation.
“The access to the forest provided
by the Vale Natural Reserve is very
good, as is the support of the local
team and the joint work that we
are doing aimed at education and
the spread of scientific information,
which includes the use of social
media. I believe that the partnership
with companies broadens the
possibilities for doing innovative
research, that benefits society”,
Andressa comments.
The studies are also making the
academic development of the
researchers possible. There is a
master’s student, four doctoral
students and one postdoctoral
student on the project, as well as
three graduates that will produce
monographs in 2018 based on the
research done. The first scientific
articles on the project are expected
to be published in 2019.
Mammals
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Sérgio Lucena MendesFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Yuri Luiz Reis LeiteFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Ana Paula Cazerta FarroFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Leonora Pires CostaFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Andressa GattiFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Alexine KeuroghlianWildlife Conservation Society Pantanal
Doctor
Cibele BiondoFederal University of ABC
Doctor
Danielle de OliveiraFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Francisco PalomaresDoñana Biological Station
Doctor
Jade Huguenin RiosFederal University of Espírito Santo
Graduate
Karen Barbara StrierUniversity of Wisconsin
Doctor
Letícia Almeida MouraFederal University of Espírito Santo
Graduate
Maria Cecília MartinsFederal University of Espírito Santo
Doctor
Marina ZaninFederal University of Maranhão
Doctor
Maria Otávia CrepaldiFederal University of Vale do São Francisco
Doctor
Paula Modenesi FerreiraFederal University of Espírito Santo
Graduate
For the construction of the
models of occupancy, the
data collected in the field,
in this case the records of the
photographic traps, is necessary.
Each five days of records is
considered to be one occasion,
meaning that during the 50 day
study there was a total of 10
occasions. From there, records
were constructed for the detection
of each species (H), and for each
photographic trap site for each area,
for each sampling occasion, using a
grid with a binary coding of “0” or “1”,
in which “1” indicates the detection
of the species and “0” indicates
non-detection.
For example: the history of detection
for site i of one species in the first,
second and forth occasions during
one season is codified by the vector
Hi =11010, and the probability
of detection is calculated by Pr (Hi
= 11010) = Ψ p1p2(1-p3)p4(1-p5),
in which Ψ is the parameter for the
probability of occupancy and pi is
the probability of detection during
the sampling occasion in site i.
Then, to establish the probability
of detection and occupancy of
tapirs, collared peccaries and
white-lipped peccaries, available
programs for this purpose are used,
such as Presence, Mark or scripts
to be used in program R (statistical
programming software). Based
on the history of detection and
Model of Occupancy
the variable, the probabilities of
occupancy psi (Ψ) and detection
(p), are calculated, building different
models with different combinations
of variables. After the construction
of various possible models, the
analysis provides the ranking of the
best models tested (or, of the best
combinations of the variables), to
explain the occupancy (presence)
of the species in the landscape as a
whole. The estimates of occupancy
Area of study within Vale Natural Reserve
Rica
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s
To better understand the
model of occupancy, visit
http://www.uvm.edu/rsenr/vtcfwru/
spreadsheets/?Page=occupancy/
occupancy.htm.
Further Information
and detection are calculated
through logistic regressions
(logit link function) of the
predictor variables.
24 MAIS 25MAIS
The company designed a management model for environmental RDI programs with the aim of promoting greater coordination among projects, thus optimizing their application
Recovery of Degraded Areas
Integrated RDI Projects for Recovery of Degrade Areas
The development of projects
dedicated to RDI at Vale
has over time generated
results with ever more potential for
integration due to its complementary
approach. From this standpoint, the
company designed a management
model for environmental RDI
programs with the aim of promoting
greater coordination among projects,
thus optimizing their application.
Based on this premise, the application
of the program for Recovery of
Degraded Areas is a promising
example. The four research projects
presented over the following pages
illustrate that connected studies can
deliver better results more quickly and
at a lower cost. Two of the projects
have been developed and contracted
jointly through partnerships with
educational and research institutions
and address the selection of native
species for recovery of degraded areas
– one deals with knowledge of soil
while the other focuses on monitoring
the recovery process.
The researchers and the operational
areas of the company involved
in the projects have worked
together, sharing information,
methodologies, results and
even the locations where the
research takes place in the field.
Furthermore, other company
initiatives are being considered in
the program, such as the Biofactory
in Minas Gerais, and a project
that will use sewage slurry
in the RDA process.
To apply the knowledge obtained
through the RDA studies, there have
already been two technical meetings
held this year. The second of them was
larger, the “1st RDA Technical Meeting”.
Held in the Águas Claras mine and
in the Ferrous Metals Technology
Center (CTF, Centro de Tecnologia
de Ferrosos), both in Nova Lima,
Minas Gerais, the meeting allowed
the exchange of experiences, as it
physically brought together teams
from various departments of the
business, university researchers, and
specialists from Renova and from
the State Foundation of Environment
(FEAM, Fundação Estadual
do Meio Ambiente).
Nei Rivello, Environmental analyst
of the Recovery Management of
Degraded Areas and Mine Closure,
who coordinated the technical
meeting, reminds us that there is still
a lot to learn regarding RDA studies,
as it is a relatively recent area of
knowledge with a multidisciplinary
character, involving issues related to
biology, agronomy and climatology,
amongst others. “We challenged
researchers of projects approved in
the joint tenders of Vale and Research
Support Foundations, in 2011, to
interact with us in the search for new
studies, more directed at plugging
the specific holes in mining RDA,
related to our daily operations. They
saw the proposal as an opportunity,
and the integrated project is showing
relevant results”, Rivello confirms.
For Ricardo de Oliveira,
Environmental manager for the
Southeast corridor, “promoting
the interaction of the program
for RDA with new research and
new projects, between Vale and
universities, allows us to innovate,
looking for the best methodologies
for the recovery process, beyond the
environmental gain of rehabilitating
operational areas and environmental
compensation, restoring them to
their natural state and forming
ecological corridors. We hope to
achieve better quality in the services
of recovery of areas and a shorter
execution time, as by previously
identifying the best techniques for
each area we increase the effectivity
of the process and reduce repeat
work with new planting in areas
that were not successful. The
technological advance provides
sustainability for the RDA process.
We also benefit from the qualification
and technical training of the
Vale professionals.
Structure of the Program ModelThe methodology developed by Vale
promotes coordination among various
actors and RDI projects, prioritizing
the establishment of synergies of the
results related to RDA. For this, the
technological challenges faced by
the company and the portfolio of RDI
projects for RDA, being executed by
Vale, are being mapped out. This will
allow everyone to benefit from the
knowledge already acquired,
to generate new results, and to
develop training programs aiming
to share all this knowledge with
the operational areas.
“For the concept behind the
program to be fulfilled, total synergy
and interconnection between the
technological challenges of the
areas involved and the projects
executed is necessary. Each study
within the program should consider
the others that make it up, and the
researchers should act as a team
to save time, reduce costs, and
generate accurate results. Our task,
as is successively being done in RDA,
is to identify the projects that could
make up a program and, from there,
coordinate them to obtain transversal
benefits, with a focus on the use of
the results. The application of the
knowledge acquired, in this content,
is fundamental”, says Edgar Sepúlveda,
Technological Development analyst.
“Vale’s professionals and departments
interested in replicating the
methodology of RDI program
management or inserting their
projects into the program for Recovery
of Degraded Areas can contact
the Management of Technology
and Innovation for Sustainability,
by emailing [email protected]”, adds
Domenica Blundi, technical specialist
in STI and R&D Project Management.
26 MAIS 27MAIS
Rica
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The research project "Species
from Rupestrian Fields for
Use in Recovery of Degraded
Areas" was presented by the biologist
Geraldo Fernandes and contracted
jointly by Vale and the Research
Support Foundation of Minas Gerais
(Fapemig, Fundação de Amparo à
Pesquisa de Minas Gerais) in 2018.
The study began at the beginning of
the year, and is expected to conclude
in 2020. It aims to enhance the
knowledge on recovery processes for
rupestrian fields by identifying the
reference ecosystem – vegetation,
soil, and mycorrhizae (association
between fungi and roots) – and
the regenerative potential of the
soil, with the use of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi. It also seeks to
learn about the space occupied by
the plant community in rupestrian
fields regarding the CSR structure,
which evaluates the ability to
compete with other plants (C);
tolerate stresses (S); and survive the
partial destruction of biomass (R).
Geraldo Fernandes is a full
professor at UFMG. With a master’s
and doctorate degree from
Northern Arizona University in
Ecology and Evolutionary Ecology,
respectively, the biologist did
his post-doctorate at Stanford
University. The current project
continues the research “Biodiversity,
eco-efficiency and sustainability
applied to the recovery of
rupestrian fields”, approved in
Vale-Fapemig tender in 2010
and concluded in 2014.
“In the first project, we created
parameters for the germination of
endemic and endangered species
in rupestrian fields. We even
managed to save two endangered
species. Now, our focus is on
framework species, those acting
as facilitators and capable of
promoting biodiversity in the
environment. The term rupestrian
comes from the word rock and is
an area in which the soil has low
Framework Species
Study Will Define Framework Species for Recovery of Degrade Areas
nutritional quality, which creates a
peculiar vegetation as it is difficult
for the plants to take root, grow
and produce seeds. Wind, little
water, and temperatures that can
vary between 5 and 60 degrees, on
rock, means they are very hostile.
Rupestrian fields are home to a
wealth of species, as diverse as the
Amazon in number of species by
area. There are 6 thousand species
of plants in these fields, spread over
an area that represents less than
0.8% of the Brazilian territory,”
said the professor.
PhasesDuring the first phase of the current
research project – already completed
– the researchers carried out a field
survey in Minas Gerais to identify
the species that represent the
site in four major distinct habitats
that characterize the landscape:
two canga habitats (nodular and
battened) and two quartzite
rupestrian fields (sandy field
and rock outcrop).
Soil samples were collected, 20
centimeters deep, that will be
analyzed jointly by professors Igor
Assis and Luiz Eduardo Dias, of the
Federal University of Viçosa (UFV,
Universidade Federal de Viçosa),
coordinators of related studies that
are part of the program for Recovery
of Degraded Areas. At the same time,
phytosociological measurements
were collected, such as the height of
the plant and diameter at soil level,
of all the individual plants within
the areas chosen in the field; that is,
ten areas of 10m x 10m per site for
28 MAIS 29MAIS
Framework Species
woody stratum and ten areas of 1m x
1m per site for herbaceous stratum.
From the laboratory analyses of soil
samples, including physicochemical
analyses and those that predict DNA
extraction and genetic sequencing
through PCR (polymerase
chain reaction) to identify the
environmental DNA (see table on
page 28), researchers will find out
which mycorrhiza occur in that
rupestrian field area, which elements
compose the soil, and which
species were able to colonize
the environment.
Mycorrhiza“Mycorrhiza are important because,
over millions of years of evolution,
they have created a mutualistic
association with plants. They receive
energy from plants, and serve as an
extension of the root. This larger area
increases the absorption capacity of
important elements from the soil for
plant nutrition. The interaction also
increases the activity and diversity
of heterotrophic microorganisms
(that depend on the consumption of
previously formed organic material)
and contribute to the expansion of
The scheme allows for the graphic visualization of the different phases of the study, the laboratory phases of which are carried out at UFMG itself and by partners, such as Fiocruz, in the case of DNA extraction and sequencing. A characteristic of rupestrian fields taken into consideration during each phase is the diversity of edaphic (relating to the soil) environments and the mosaic of associated vegetation, as a result of a myriad of ecological and geomorphological filters.
the microbial biomass, recovering
biological activity and favoring the
restoration of the cycle of nutrients
and the clustering of the soil”,
Geraldo explains.
The biologist Yumi Oki, who is part
of the study team, adds that, using
the identification of the species of
mycorrhiza as a base, one could
evaluate which of them will favor the
establishment or the development
of vegetation in degraded areas.
“The mycorrhizal fungi also produce
glomalin, a glycoprotein related
to the stability of the clusters and
the carbon stock. This substance
helps with the stability and the
decompaction of the soil”, she says.
Next StepsBacked by the research, the next step
is to select up to three framework
species in each type of habitat
and produce seedlings through
collection of mature fruits in the field.
The definition of framework species
takes into account the study on
the reference ecosystem – existing,
pre-existing or hypothetical – that
serves as a guide for recovery
projects. That is: belonging to each
location and capable of altering
the microenvironment of the soil,
modifying the surface, interfering
with drainage and producing
plant litter (layer formed by the
deposition of plant remains and
the accumulation of living organic
material in different stages of
decomposition), also sustaining
the specialized fauna. These species
will allow more efficient recovery
of degraded areas with advantages
for the environment, time
scales and cost.
“This is critical for Vale. Currently we
have a standard set of species (mix)
for revegetation, which works well
in some sites but not so efficiently
in others. We will now be able to
identify the key species that are
most attractive for the development
of each area,” said Luiza Vieira,
environmental analyst responsible for
Vale’s Biofactory, a breeding ground
for native species in Minas Gerais. Yumi Oki, with different soil specimens from rupestrian fields
Geraldo Fernandes, in the rupestrian fields of Serra da Calçada
1. Physical-chemical characterization of the soil2. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
Evaluation of diversity
Evaluation of the concentration of glomalin (glycoprotein produced by AMF that helps with soil stability)
Battened hardpan
Nodular hardpan
Outcrop of quartzite
Stony �eld of quartzite
Habitat diversity
Vegetation
Soil
Species selection
DNA extraction
Sequencing
Autoclaving
Centrifugation
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Identi�cation of species
Soil+
Sodium citrate
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
selection
Bradford reagent
Propagation and cultivation of selected species
Production of inocula
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) Supernatant
Reading on the spectrometer
Reference Ecosystem Plant Propagation And Cultivation
Functional characterization
Identi�cation of the framework species
Composition and structure
Rica
rdo
Tele
sRi
card
o Te
les
30 MAIS 31MAIS
Framework Species Soils
The research also includes creating
a model to determine the best
sequence for inserting these plants in
the degraded area and propagation
in nursery, following the production
of a germination protocol.
Throughout the phases, Vale will
apply the knowledge acquired
through workshops and meetings
with employees and researchers that
will discuss some themes, such as
nutritional profile of plants, correct
fertilization and use of nutrients in
ideal quantity and quality, species
selected for a better performance
when planted, detailing of the
relationship between mycorrhiza
and species from rupestrian fields,
and long-term monitoring of the
performance of the plants.
“For us, at the university, this
partnership with companies allows
for the development of research
projects that, if it were not for
this, would take much longer to
complete. It also makes the purchase
of equipment viable and contributes
to the professional training of
researchers. In the current project,
we have three master’s students,
four undergraduates and, indirectly,
four doctoral students involved. For
Vale, it is an opportunity to deal with
people who are intellectually restless
and have high creative capacities,
that always go above and beyond
the original propositions.
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Geraldo Wilson Fernandes
Federal University of Minas Gerais
Doctor
Yumi OkiFederal University of Minas Gerais
Doctor
Daniel NegreirosUNA University Center
Doctor
Thaíse BahiaFederal University of Minas Gerais
Doctor
Vanessa GomesUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais
Master’s degree
Jéssica Cunha Federal University of Minas Gerais
Graduate
Dario PaivaFederal University of Minas Gerais
Graduate
Julio Cesar SantiagoFederal University of Minas Gerais
Graduate
Maria Luiza AbatemarcoFederal University of Minas Gerais
Graduate
Paths to Improve the Efforts for Recovery of Degraded Areas
Chosen to join the group of
research projects that are part
of the program for Recovery
of Degraded Areas, the study
“Recuperação ambiental de áreas
mineradas no Quadrilátero Ferrífero”
(Environmental Recovery of Mined
Areas in the Iron Quadrangle Region
of Minas Gerais), coordinated by
professor Luiz Eduardo Dias from UFV,
was first developed this year through
the joint call for tender between Vale
and Fapemig, from 2017.
The current work is mainly based
on the knowledge acquired from a
previous research project, selected
during the joint call for tender
between Vale and Fapemig, and
which focused on “Recuperação
ambiental de áreas de extração de
minério de ferro” (Environmental
Recovery of Iron Ore Extraction
Areas), from 2010. This study,
concluded in 2016, was conducted
in Carajás and the Iron Quadrangle
region of Minas Gerais. One of its
results included the selection of
species for the revegetation of ore
tailing deposit basins considering
some issues, such as the dosage
of fertilizer to use and seed
sowing methods.
Now, it aims at promoting activities
to apply the obtained results in other
research studies; holding courses,
training and events to qualify
Vale’s technical team; planning
and conducting experiments to
evaluate recovery techniques with
the use of organic matter sources in
different iron mining environments
in the region of Nova Lima (Minas
Gerais); using framework species (to
help and boost biodiversity in the
environment) and native species
of rupestrian fields, selected by the
Ecology Research Group from UFMG
and professor Eduardo Gusmão from
UFV; and determining the nutrient
demand of these species
to support fertilization.
Luiz Eduardo Dias is an agronomist
who earned a bachelor’s, master's
and doctorate degree from UFV,
studying the “Solos e Nutrição de
Plantas” (Soils and Plant Nutrition). He
earned his post-doctorate degree in
1999 from the University of Maryland,
and from July 2014 to September
2018, he served as Chief Executive
Officer at the Arthur Bernardes
Foundation (FUNARBE, Fundação
Arthur Bernardes), the institution
that supports UFV. Since the 1990s,
his main focus has been research
on RDA. He was one of the founders
of the Brazilian Society for Recovery
of Degraded Areas (Sociedade
Brasileira de Recuperação de Áreas
Degradadas) and creator of the first
postgraduate course on the topic
at UFV in 1995.
In the links below, you will find more
information about the research
project and related studies. https://
www.sciencedirect.com/science/
article/pii/S0929139311002204;
https://link.springer.com/
chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-29808-5_8;
and https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.ser.
org/resource/resmgr/custompages/
publications/ser_publications/
opportunities_for_integratin.pdf.
Further Information
32 MAIS 33MAIS
Alignment“We have started the project by
applying the knowledge acquired
in the past in order to disseminate it
at Vale, which will allow us to align
the teams and standardize processes
and protocols,” said Luiz Eduardo.
“The first phase of this survey was
data collection, including through
reports sent by the company to
environmental agencies over time.
There is already a large volume of
information about RDA at Vale.”
The courses and training, which
began during the second half of
2018 and will continue into 2019,
cover the following topics: basic
knowledge of soil fertility and
plant nutrition; the role of organic
matter in the physical, chemical, and
biological characteristics of the soil;
foliar analysis as a tool to evaluate
the nutritional state and optimize
fertilization; and revegetation
processes for slopes and tailing
deposits based on the knowledge
and experiences acquired by Vale.
The training will be for members of
RDA technical teams at the company.
“The visual analysis of the plant
allows us, for example, to identify
possible nutritional deficiencies,”
explained the professor. “The training
will help technicians work the field
with a new perspective.”
Second FocusThe second focus of the study
is based on experiments aimed
at selecting species for the
revegetation of ferruginous
rupestrian fields, ecosystems with
extremely poor soil quality that
contain one-third endemic plant
species in varying degrees of rarity
and with different life strategies.
Since the environments formed
after mining activities are identified
by low resilience, the initial
experiments will target the soil and
the substrate that will support the
development of the vegetation.
“The initial recovery activities
should be those that allow an
acceleration of the natural process
of pedogenesis (formation process)
occurring in the substrate present
in the area,” explained the professor.
“The presence of soil, structured
with the capacity to retain water and
nutrients, is essential for the future
self-sustainability.”
Thus, disturbed and undisturbed
samples of the soil will be
collected from experimental
units representing the rupestrian
fields. The physical evaluations
of the substrates will include
identification of the granulometry,
relative density (compaction),
macroporosity, microporosity, total
porosity, penetration resistance,
water retention capacity, and
hydraulic conductivity.
The chemical analysis will
determine the available contents
of P, Na, K, and S; exchangeable
contents of Ca2+, Mg2+, Al3+ e
H+Al; available contents of the
micronutrients B, Fe, Mn, and
Zn; organic matter content; total
contents of As, Cd, Pb, and Ni;
determination of the pH in water
and in KCl; and the determination
of electrical conductivity in the
saturation paste (maximum water
saturation point in the soil). The
biological evaluation will consist of
determining the basal respiration
(CO2 evolution), microbial biomass
carbon, and calculation of the
microbial metabolic quotient rates.
Among those variables related to
vegetation, there will be an analysis
of the biomass produced, growth,
and basal area.
ExperimentsThe first two experiments – set up
in an exhausted mine and a waste
rock pile – will measure the effect
of the three sources of organic
matter to be selected based on
the material availability. However,
the focus is on using lower-cost
material that can add carbon to
the system. “We may work with
a commercial source of organic
compound, mixed with sewage
Luiz Eduardo Dias, agronomist and professor at the Federal University of Viçosa (UFV, Universidade Federal de Viçosa)
We have started the project by applying the knowledge acquired in the past in order to disseminate it at Vale, which will allow us to align the teams and standardize processes and protocols
Soils
Rica
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Tele
s
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Luiz Eduardo DiasFederal University of Viçosa
Doutor
Igor Rodrigues de Assis Federal University of Viçosa
Doutor
Maísa Quintiliano Alves Federal University of Viçosa
Graduate
34 MAIS 35MAIS
slurry and topsoil,” explained
the researcher. The experiments
will evaluate the growth of the
different species planted and
those originating from natural
regeneration that may of be
interest for planting programs.
The species defined by the research
group, coordinated by professor
Geraldo Fernandes (from UFMG), and
those selected by professor Eduardo
Gusmão (from UFV) will be added
to the plants previously selected
by Vale during previous projects,
such as rosemary, maricá (Mimosa
bimucronata), Sesbania candeia,
and chamomile. Four different
species mixtures will be analyzed
for the cut slope (exhausted mine)
experiment and four other mixtures
will be analyzed for the waste rock
pile (slope) experiment, based on
the availability of seeds during the
planting period.
Finally, experiments in the
greenhouse (a structure that is
covered and sheltered to protect
the plants against external
meteorological agents) will be
conducted to study the nutrient
demand among the pre-selected
species (present in the first
experiment). This is relevant to
optimize the fertilization work
and generate knowledge about
the nutrient demand as well as
acidity and compaction tolerance
of the native species found in the
Iron Quadrangle region of Minas
Gerais. One experiment will use a
hydroponic solution as a medium
to cultivate species. In another, the
soil will be used as a medium to
grow plants, which will allow the
study of plant-substrate relations
concerning the nutrient demand.
After the end of the experimental
period – which will last from 120
to 150 days – the plants will be cut,
divided into parts (aerial and root),
and dried in a forced air circulation
oven at 65° for 48 hours. After that,
the macro and micronutrients will
be calculated for the samples.
The final product of the studies will
include brochures and guidebooks
with a list of suggested species
for revegetation of the different
environments generated by ore
extraction. It will also include tables
of critical ranges of leaf nutrient
contents suggested for seedlings
of native species from the Iron
Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais.
"From the innovation standpoint,
our research aims to evaluate which
sources of organic matter can
help accelerate the pedogenesis
process in the substrata after
mining in that region, among
other aspects. Another major gap
in the environmental recovery
processes that we hope to solve
is knowledge of the nutritional
demand of different native
species of vegetation found in the
ferruginous rupestrian field. These
studies will give us the opportunity
to work with researchers from
related and complementary
areas. Besides professor Geraldo
Fernandes, I joined the studies of
Soils Grass Species
Selection of Native Grass Species for Use in RDA
T he program for Recovery of
Degraded Areas includes
the scientific research
"Desenvolvimento de metodologia
para recomposição vegetal de
áreas impactadas pela mineração
de ferro utilizando gramíneas
nativas resistentes" (Development
of Methodology for Plant Recovery
in Areas Affected by Iron Mining
Activities Using Resistant Native
Grass Species), coordinated by the
professor Eduardo Gusmão from
UFV. The current work derives
from a previous study, conducted
as part of a joint call for tender
between Vale and the Research
Support Foundations from Pará,
Minas Gerais, and São Paulo,
launched in 2010.
In the first initiative, laboratory
studies allowed researchers
to identify species of tropical
grass species with satisfactory
physiological performance and
growth in soils with tailings,
capable of accumulating
potentially phytotoxic quantities
of elements that occur naturally
in the regional soils (such as iron
and manganese, among others),
without presenting expressive
physiological and morphological
changes in their tissues.
Underway since 2015 and with
conclusion planned for 2019, a
team led by Eduardo Gusmão
(See table on page 37) is using
experiments on the field and in a
greenhouse (sheltered structure
that protects plants against
outdoor meteorological agents) to
develop a reliable methodology
that can be easily replicated to
recover the native vegetation cover
in areas degraded by iron mining.
That is why it works with previously
identified resistant grass species
Eduardo Gusmão is a professor and
biologist with a doctorate degree in
Plant Physiology from UFV. Working
in a coordinated manner with the
other researchers from the program
for RDA, he commented: “We
proposed a change in paradigm,
an innovative action for the
mineral segment. The knowledge
on species as well as physical and
environmental attributes of the
areas will serve as basis for the
definition of the species that can
We proposed a change in paradigm, an innovative action for the mineral segment
Al – Aluminum
As – Arsenic
B – Boron
Ca – Calcium
Cd – Cadmium
Fe – Iron
H – Hydrogen
K – Potassium
KCl – Potassium chloride
Mg – Magnesium
Mn – Manganese
Na – Sodium
Ni – Nickel
P – Phosphorus
Pb – Lead
S – Sulfur
Zn – Zinc
Glossary of Chemical Elements
professors Eduardo Gusmão and
Igor Rodrigues. Igor is part of the
team from my project, as I am
part of his team. Our backgrounds
and experience will improve the
consistency and efficiency of the
process. It is also important to
remember the contribution toward
professional development at the
university; there are two master’s
students and two undergraduate
research students working on
my project. The research on RDA
in Brazil is still recent. It is a new
science that will gain a great
deal with this integration,”
said Luiz Eduardo.
36 MAIS 37MAIS
Approach Procedures Produtos
Characterization of the environment to be recovered
and initial responses from resistant species
Consolidation of physiological indicators for the selection of new
resistant species
Inte
grat
ed m
etho
d to
reco
ver t
he v
eget
atio
n co
ver
Proper method to incorporate resistant
species to the affected area
Method to improve the seed
germination process
Proper method to enrich the substrate with
organic compounds based on plant nutrition
Proper method to inoculate and cultivate resistant grass species
with AMFs
Climate-environmental characterization, material collection, and initial
on-site evaluation of the resistant grass species responses
Selection of resistant species using physiological indicators, based on
chlorophyll fluorescence
On-site simulation of the deposition of MSPF and on
resistant native grass species
Influence of interactions among growth station, substrate nutrient content, and water availability regarding the on-site
revegetation dynamic
Resistant grass species response to water and nutritional stress
Humic acid action on grass physiology metabolism
Evaluation of the addition of humic acids and organic matter in substrate
containing mining tailings
On-site methodological application of organic component and interactions
with environmental variables
Prospection of microorganisms that help the colonization process
Mycorrhizal development and growth of tropical grass species in mining
tailings after inoculation with AMFs
On-site methodological application of AMF inoculation on plants and
interactions with environmental variables
Sowing method and on-site interspecific interactions
Ecophysiology of resistant grass species germination and
allelochemical interactions
Research of the resistance mechanism
Research of the propagation method
Consolidation of techniques
Research of the substrate enrichment method
Prospection of microorganisms and method for use
and inoculation
Sensitive Resistant
Organizational Chart of the Scientific Research be used in each site, reducing the
recovery time and boosting the
efficiency of the process.”
The research has reached
an advanced phase. Dozens
of planned stages and sub-
stages have produced studies
covering the following topics:
ecophysiology of the germination
of resistant grass species and
their response to water stress;
effects of humic acids (produced
from the biodegradation of dead
organic matter) on the growth
and physiological metabolism of
native grass species; colonization
and development of arbuscular
mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on mining
tailing substrates; and plant
growth analysis and morphological
characterization (See the table with
the organizational chart for the
studies on page 36).
“The grass species are the starting
point of the ecological succession
process, favoring the introduction
of other species or the natural
colonization of the area,” explained
Eduardo Gusmão. “Because exotic
species can cause an imbalance in
the biodiversity of the environment,
we are working to select native
species that can compete with
the exotic ones, efficiently use
resources as nutrients, and stabilize
the substrate.” Based on the work
done so far, two species presented
satisfactory growth in all test
conditions and have already been
selected – Setaria parviflora and
Paspalum densum.
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Eduardo GusmãoFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Luzimar CamposFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Maria Catarina MegumiFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Marihus Altoé BaldottoFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Advânio SiqueiraFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Marliane SoaresFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Talita OlivieraFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
The research has given the university
the opportunity to qualify its
human resources by supporting
a post-graduate and two master’s
degrees, as well as granting four
undergraduate research scholarships.
The study also gave UFV the
opportunity to acquire important
equipment for its laboratories that
can be used for scientific progress
in the area of RDA.
Grass Species
To learn more about the
topic, access http://www.
locus.ufv.br/bitstream/
handle/123456789/7794/
texto%20completo.pdf?sequence
=1, http://dx.doi.org/10.15244/
pjoes/68429, and http://
www.locus.ufv.br/bitstream/
handle/123456789/10614/texto
%20completo.pdf?sequence
=1&isAllowed=n.
Further Information
Selection of native species in greenhouse
38 MAIS 39MAIS
Monitoring
Index Will Allow Monitoring of RDA
M onitoring for recovery
of degraded areas is a
very important phase
in RDA activities development
process as it generates technically
reliable information, which
allow the company to keep
its action planning or make
possible corrections, and also
serves as basis for reports to
the environmental agencies,
which have become increasingly
concerned with this issue.
Therefore, the scientific project
“Monitoramento dos processos
de recuperação de áreas
mineradas no Quadrilátero
Ferrífero” (Monitoring Processes
of Recovery of Mined Areas in the
Iron Quadrangle region of Minas
Gerais), coordinated by professor
Igor Rodrigues de Assis from UFV,
was started in 2018 as an integral
part of the program for RDA. This
unprecedented study at Vale is
set to run until 2020 with aims of
creating a specific recovery index
for the Iron Quadrangle region
of Minas Gerais. It included the
development of a practical guide
to monitor areas undergoing
recovery, training on monitoring
activities for the technical staff
of the company, and a survey
of guiding parameters and
environmental recovery status
indicators, characterized
by vegetation and soil of
different areas undergoing
a recovery process.
Igor Rodrigues earned a bachelor’s
degree in Agricultural and
Environmental Engineering from
UFV, together with a master’s and
doctorate degree in Soils and
Plant Nutrition from the same
institution. He believes that the
study results can be used in other
areas, including those outside the
Iron Quadrangle region of Minas
Gerais “to the degree that the
technological framework of the
research will be easily replicable,
with adaptation in
each environment.”
About the methodology
developed, the professor explains
that drones will record high-
definition images, georeferenced
and interpreted by software,
which will allow more detailed
vegetation analyses, such as the
calculation of their volume –
information that is often more
important than simply the surface
covered. After this phase, there
will be analyses on the survival
and biometry of the native tree
species, an estimation of soil
fauna, quantification of the CO2
flow and organic carbon in the
soil, and evaluation of the degree
of system self-sufficiency after
introducing the species. There
will also be an analysis of other
variables associated with the soil,
such as fertility, total elements
(As, Pb, Cd, Fe, and Mn), microbial
biomass carbon and nitrogen,
aggregate stability, and water
retention capacity.
“We will have a strong statistical
component for the study,”
explained Rodrigues. “The
mathematical analysis of the data
obtained, use of new technologies,
and integration with the studies
from the other researchers of the
program for RDA will provide us
the support we need to develop a
technically well-grounded index. It
is also important to point out the
The study results can be used in other areas, including outside the Iron Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais, to the degree that the technological framework of the research will be easily replicable, with adaptations in each environment
Researchers
Name Institution Title
Igor Rodrigues de Assis Federal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Luiz Eduardo DiasFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Maísa Quintiliano Alves Federal University of Viçosa
Graduate
Gustavo BarbosaFederal University of Viçosa
Doctor
Geraldo FernandesFederal University of Minas Gerais
Doctor
Fernanda ZeidanFederal University of Viçosa
Master’s degree
excellent interaction we have with
Vale teams, the perspective for
application of the knowledge at
the company, and the opportunity
to develop new researchers. There
is a master’s student and two
undergraduate research students
contributing to our study.
As – Arsenic
Cd – Cadmium
Fe – Iron
Mn - Manganese
Pb – Lead
Glossary of Chemical Elements
For more information about
research projects related to the
topic, read http://www.locus.ufv.
br/handle/123456789/1604.
Shared Knowledge
40 MAIS 41MAIS
Slurry
Sanitary Sewage Slurry as a Solution for RDA
Developed internally by
Roberta Guimarães,
Vale’s environmental
analyst, the “Estudo de viabilidade
de aplicação de lodo de esgoto
na Recuperação de Áreas
Degradadas no Quadrilátero
Ferrífero” (Feasibility Study on the
Application of Sewage Slurry in the
Recovery of Degraded Areas in the
Iron Quadrangle Region of Minas
Gerais) is part of the program for
Recovery of Degraded Areas and
has produced promising results
since its implementation in 2016.
The scientific research is focused,
among other objectives,
on comparing contents of
organic matter and macro and
micronutrients existing in the
organic compound conventionally
used by Vale and in the sewage
slurry. In addition, doses of both
the slurry and organic compound
currently used were defined
to increase the organic matter
content in soils and in the mineral
(waste rock) substrate commonly
found in the region to 2%. This
could significantly reduce costs for
the company, since it will reduce
the purchase of organic matter
sources while avoiding expenses
associated with transporting the
sewage slurry produced by Vale to
sanitary landfills.
There are also very significant
environmental benefits generated
by material reuse. The more than
10,000 hectares of areas suitable
for receiving sanitary sewage
slurry (58.5% of the total area
based on the scenario proposed
by the study) can accommodate
almost 350,000 metric tons of
slurry. This represents a mass 500
times larger than the production
from Vale's treatment plants
in Minas Gerais and the Betim
Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP)
from Minas Gerais Sanitation
Company (Copasa, Companhia de
Saneamento de Minas Gerais).
Roberta Guimarães earned a degree
in Geography and will conclude
her master’s degree at UFMG
during the second half of 2018,
using the study as the topic for her
dissertation. She explains that the
sanitary sewage slurry is a waste
with a predominantly organic
composition, obtained at the end
of the sewage treatment process
and widely used internationally for
soil recovery. In the United States,
45% of the 8 million tons of dry
matter from sanitary sewage slurry
generated per year are applied
to soils for agricultural and forest
production and RDA efforts. “The
sanitary sewage slurry has contents
of organic matter that increase soil
fertility. With 2% organic matter, the
soil is already less susceptible to
erosion processes and has improved
physical characteristics, such as
macro and microporosity,” she said.
To conduct the experiment that
would test this premise, cambisol
and pile waste rock samples were
used from the Capitão do Mato
mine, in Nova Lima (Minas Gerais),
together with latosol samples
from the areas located near the
Timbopeba mine, in Ouro Preto
(Minas Gerais). The types of soil
were chosen based on their
representativeness in the Iron
Quadrangle region of Minas Gerais.
The slurry considered for the test
comes from the sewage treatment
plants of Vale and Copasa.
Laboratory analyses of soil and
waste rock characterization
evaluated the quantification of total
concentration of some elements,
such as arsenic, barium, cadmium,
and lead as the inorganic variables.
As for the organic variables, there
was the monitoring of substances
such as chlorinated benzenes,
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,
and phenanthrene. The fertility
analysis on the soils/substrate
included the organic matter
content, macronutrients, and
electrical conductivity. In terms of
sanitary quality, the monitoring
considered viable helminth eggs,
since they are the pathogenic
organisms that are hardest to
remove. For the agronomic potential
analysis, there was an evaluation of
organic carbon, total phosphorus,
The sanitary sewage slurry has contents of organic matter that increase soil fertility. With 2% organic matter, the soil is already less susceptible to erosive processes and has improved physical characteristics
There are also very significant environmental benefits generated by material reuse
nitrogen (nitrate/nitrite), pH, and
total potassium contents.
“During this process, we sowed a
mix of plants used in RDA at Vale,
achieving excellent results. There
was an increase of organic matter
content in the soil, there was no
leaching of heavy metals, and the
vegetation that grew by the use of
sewage slurry was more resistant
than that developed with the
organic compound commonly
used under the same fertilization
conditions. According to the
estimations based on demand and
costs, we concluded that if the
organic compound used is replaced
with sanitary sewage slurry, we
can achieve significant savings
compared to the current cost,
since a portion of the costs from
the recovery of degraded areas is
associated with the purchase of
organic matter,” said Guimarães.
42 MAIS 43MAIS
Biofactory
Vale’s Biofactory started
its operation in 2015.
It was the first of the
mineral sector specialized in the
conservation and breeding of
botanical species of native flora.
Located in the Ferrous Metals
Technology Center in Nova Lima
(Minas Gerais), the Biofactory
houses a laboratory that maintains
the ideal nutrition, temperature
and lighting conditions to ensure
the development of seedlings in
a protected environment. This
ensures almost full use of the seeds
collected in the field, as opposed
to what would happen in nature,
where many do not germinate.
Initially, priority was given to rare
species and those threatened with
extinction, primarily from rupestrian
fields (more severe environments),
with a focus on orchids, bromeliads,
and cacti. “Today, we have new
challenges,” explained Luiza
Vieira, the environmental analyst
responsible for the Biofactory. “We
also want to produce tree species,
Vale's seedling production center
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for example, that still do not have a
defined protocol for development
in a laboratory. We conducted very
successful tests with the yellow
ipê tree. We also plan to expand
production using the tissues of
plants, without the need to collect
the seeds, which is only possible
during certain periods of the year.”
She revealed that she welcomes
researchers from universities
and other institutions interested
in environmental studies and
combines efforts with the teams
working in the program for RDA.
"Surveys such as the one that
will create scientific indicators
to monitor these areas will help
us both in terms of the accuracy
of the information presented to
environmental agencies, as well as
our own perception of the recovery
maturity stage, which is paramount
to mapping our initiatives," she
pointed out. Furthermore, there
are plans to use the species chosen
during the rupestrian field research
at the Biofactory.
Currently, the Biofactory has
40 thousand specimens being
acclimatized through nutrient
depletion and water deficit, among
other factors, at which stage the
plants are prepared to withstand
the external environment in which
they will be inserted. Of this total,
15 thousandspecimens are ready for
use in the field.
Person
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Education and Qualification for Changes Focused on Sustainability
Vera Lucia Imperatriz
Fonseca, the biologist,
earned a degree from the
School of Philosophy, Sciences and
Literature, of the University of São
Paulo (USP, Universidade de São
Paulo). She earned her master’s
and doctorate in Zoology at the
USP Biosciences Institute, advised
by Dr. Paulo Nogueira-Neto. After
that, she began her teaching
career as an assistant professor in
1972. In 1977, she transferred to
the university’s recently-founded
Ecology Department and completed
her associate professorship there,
becoming a full professor in
1992. During her career, she was
a representative of USP and the
Brazilian Society for the Progress of
Science (SBPC, Sociedade Brasileira
para o Progresso da Ciência) for
entities such as the São Paulo State
Environmental Council (CONSEMA,
Conselho do Meio Ambiente do
Estado de São Paulo), Commission
on Public Policies and Sustainable
Development from Ministry of the
Environment (CPDS, Comissão de
Políticas Públicas e Desenvolvimento
Sustentável do MMA, Ministério
do Meio Ambiente), and National
Technical Biosafety Commission
(CTNBio, Comissão Técnica Nacional
de Biossegurança). She also served
on the Managing Board of WWF-
Brasil and the Environmental Defense
Association of São Paulo (ADEMA-
SP, Associação de Defesa do Meio
Ambiente de São Paulo).
Since 2014, she has served as ITV DS
Senior Researcher, in Belém (Pará), where
she coordinates a team of researchers
focused on studies that promote
sustainable development, contribute
Vale’s Biofactory Reproduces Native Species
44 MAIS 45MAIS
toward high-level professional
qualification in the region, and create
solutions for important issues related to
mining. During this interview, she shares
her life story, the research projects she
has participated in, and the challenges
faced to maintain biodiversity in Brazil
and worldwide.
Professor: you are a reference on the study of bees in the country. When did you first become interested in this topic?
I first became interested when I
graduated. There are several species of
bees in Brazil identified at the present
time, over 1.8 thousand species. There
are more than 20 thousand species
worldwide. Learning about the more
representative groups, their biology, use,
and conservation is a challenge I have
always welcomed. With environmental
pressures springing from land use and
anthropic actions, certain countries have
organized together to protect bees. The
first global project with common goals
was the creation of an International
Initiative for the Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Pollinators (IPI),
submitted to the Convention on
Biological Diversity (CBD) and approved
in the agricultural biodiversity segment
in 2000. She co-authored the document
that gave origin to this program (São
Paulo Declaration on Conservation and
Sustainable Use of Pollinators). It was
followed by the organization of the
Brazilian Pollinators Initiative (currently
within the sphere of the Ministry of the
Environment) and development of a
global project approved by the Global
Environment Facility – Conservation
and Management of Pollinators for
Sustainable Agriculture Using an
Ecosystem Approach. I also participated
in many events associated with the topic
as a speaker. The book “Polinizadores
no Brasil: contribuição e perspectivas
para a biodiversidade, uso sustentável,
conservação e serviços ambientais”
(Pollinators in Brazil: Contribution and
Perspectives for Biodiversity, Sustainable
Use, Conservation, and Environmental
Services), which I organized together
with other three researchers, presents
information about the topic and can be
found at: www.livrosabertos.edusp.usp.
br/edusp/catalog/book/8.
You were also nominated by the Brazilian government to participate in a global evaluation about pollinators, correct?
Yes. In 2014, I was nominated by the
Brazilian government to be part of
a new Intergovernmental Science-
Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the first
Global Evaluation about Pollinators,
Pollination, and Food Production. After
that, I received the invitation from the
IPBES secretary, Dr. Anne Larigauderie,
to serve as co-chair for this evaluation,
together with Dr. Simon Potts, from
the United Kingdom. IPBES was just
beginning its activities and the topic of
the disappearance of bees was a request
from the 119 countries that made up
the platform at the time. This evaluation,
which involved the work of 77 scientists
from the five regions of the United
Nations, was used to write an executive
summary and a full report on pollinators
(https://www.ipbes.net/assessment-
reports/pollinators). These documents,
after approval during Plenary Session of
IPBES in Kuala Lumpur, was submitted
for approval by CBD during COP13
(13th meeting of the Conference of the
Parties). A new agenda for pollinators
worldwide is now being evaluated at
COP14, of the Convention on Biological
Diversity, for the years between 2018
and 2030. In Brazil, public policies for
pollinators are currently being discussed
by the country’s Senate. Around the
world, 20 countries have already signed
the Coalition of the Willing on Pollinators
(http://promotepollinators.org/), which
includes commitments to maintain
national programs that protect the use
and conservation of their pollinators.
Speaking of social-environmental technologies in an encompassing sense, what motivates you to research and
Person
I believe that education and qualification here in Brazil can promote a major change, which is required for sustainability
and indicate new possibilities for
environmental management. I am
certain that knowledge on biodiversity,
basic for human well-being, can
improve everyone’s quality of life.
What does it take to be a good researcher or developer of social-environmental technologies?
It is necessary to listen to the different
parties, evaluate the problem based
on scientific criteria, propose a solution
through the results produced by the
research, and stay focused on applying
these new results. We generally start
with a global issue and apply social-
environmental technologies locally.
However, we need to also consider local
knowledge and social hierarchy, the
cultural part. Building a scenario for use
of the environment during this phase of
life on Earth, where there are limits for
maintaining environmental resilience,
demands changes in customs and
environmental recovery.
What is the main legacy that your work can leave for society?
I learned that it is crucial to bridge the
knowledge obtained in the academic
world with that of different sectors of
society. It is necessary to transform a
develop technologies related to the topic? Why did you choose to work in the area of Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI)?
With global population growth, we
increasingly need to interact with
society, working with it to find new
paths that help keep humanity within
the limits of use of the Earth so we can
maintain the resilience of life on the
planet. With bees pollinating agricultural
crops, for example, we improve the
quantity and quality of food in the
same physical space. In nature, better
pollinated flowers produce larger
and perfect fruit, affecting breeding.
Research, development, and innovation
are necessary for us to improve the
living conditions in the countryside. I
believe that education and qualification
here in Brazil can promote a major
change, which is required
for sustainability.
The work over these last four years
at ITV-DS was undertaken in a
unique scenario marked by major
opportunities, representing a challenge
for multidisciplinary research. At the
same time that we use the database
format for biodiversity, with landscape
and satellite image tools, we were able
to refine the searches for species in
areas we identified as endemic. Geology
guided us through the searches. The
use of satellite images was the base for
the landscape ecology, models and
construction of future corridors. The
local work of the taxonomist, however,
was conducted as that of the former
The legacy I leave is the message that education is crucial; that is, taking advantage of talents is essential. Talents can be found in the academic world, but also all around us
naturalists, as part of a classic research
study that is quite rare today. It can
be seen in the flora of Carajás (http://
rodriguesia.jbrj.gov.br), with plants
identified by the specialists. However,
the use of genetic tools allowed us to
examine many of the issues addressed
from a molecular biology and genomic
perspective. We left the infinite space
and got to the very heart of life,
the DNA of the species studied. An
extraordinary challenge for research,
development, and innovation – as well
as for researchers.
What can you contribute with your experience in RDI?
I have extensive experience with
university life, where it is possible
to organize very constructive work
groups and always innovate with new
technologies and recent developments
of science. This is the case, for example,
of genomic tools, which help us with
environmental planning and actions
focused on the recovery of degraded
areas, so important right now. The
modeling for current and future species
distribution (if climate change occurs
as predicted by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and
the work with satellite images allow
us to conduct more precise analyses
46 MAIS 47MAIS
threat into an opportunity. Working for
the environment is no easy task, but it is
rewarding. We always have very special
partners, who use their qualification to
offer significant contributions based on
new perspectives and solutions. We first
need to work with that which unites
us to later address the differences,
which should be viewed respectfully
by all sides involved with the issue.
The legacy I leave is the message that
education is crucial; that is, taking
advantage of talents is essential.
Talents can be found in the academic
world, but also all around us; they are
people with open minds and a greater
degree of understanding who teach
us so much. However, it is required to
learn how to identify them. We have
a huge mission: lead the way so that
the next generations will be left with
an environment functioning in the
same way (or better) than the one we
received from the generations that
came before us.
Why is this work important for Vale?
I came to work at ITV to address the
topic of canga and cave biodiversity,
initially in the Amazon Region, four
years ago. During that period, placing
biodiversity at the center of people’s
attention was already an institutional
priority. Vale Institute of Technology is
multidisciplinary and counts on a highly
competent scientific management
team focused on integrating research
areas to gather high-quality data that
support the company’s decisions. We
also work with local scientific institutions
Person
out on the field. We published books
and field guides, and there are other
publications currently being prepared.
However, I still have one more dream:
environmental education material
geared toward training professors and
students from the region based on the
studies conducted in Carajás. For the
coming year, we will kick off a project
for generation of income with the
community based on
native beekeeping.
In your opinion, what will the mining of the future be like and what benefits will it bring to communities and the environment?
The mining of the future will be
increasingly sustainable and will help
improve the life of communities and
the environment. Instead of a threat,
it will become a major opportunity
because it invests in RDI, has principles,
follows local social development, and
offers benefits for society during a
period of major uncertainties. I have
the conviction that this work started
in Carajás will continue and better
integrate decision maker, scientific
research, and educational actions.
The biodiversity and mining analysis
conducted by CBD will also reveal
new paths and value these actions
being developed.
For a viable future, the world needs...
Nature and the flexibility of humans to
make the necessary changes focused
on environmental sustainability.
and could use the expertise of ITV to
help train scientists in issues related
to the Amazon. We work to promote
Research and Development associated
to biodiversity by qualification on
sustainability at the professional master’s
degree course from ITV. During this year,
2018, the topic “Mining and Biodiversity”
is being discussed during COP (by 194
member states of the United Nations
that are part of the CBD). In this sense,
Vale’s actions focused on promoting
biodiversity are highlighted in several
different points, including the research
conducted there.
Why is this work important specifically for Carajás?
When we develop our research
studies, we gather pre-existing
information found in reports and
other documents. We analyze much
of it from an ecological perspective
and in partnership with the scientific
community. Through several field
expeditions, it was possible to conduct
a single study on Carajás canga flora
(with over thousand species) published
in four volumes of the Scientific Journal
Rodriguésia edited by the Rio de Janeiro
Botanical Garden; study the bees, birds,
and bats of Carajás to show how they
interact with plants and their current
and future distribution, considering
the climate change estimated by
IPCC; better understand the animals
and plants found in caves, with an
extensive study in collaboration with
the Vale Speleology area; as well as start
DNA barcoding and genomic studies
that complement the approaches
MAIS Bio
Brazil is one of the signatories
to the Convention on
Biological Diversity, a United
Nations’ treaty that entered into
force on December 1993 and is
celebrating its 25th anniversary
in 2018. Vale created MAIS Bio
Award to celebrate this date and
highlight the studies and initiatives
conducted by Vale professionals in
compliance with the biodiversity
MAIS Bio Celebrates Scientific Research projects at Vale
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conservation guidelines, by sharing
them internally. The selection
of the best papers, classified as
RDI initiatives and submitted as
cases, was announced during the
“Experiences in Biodiversity” meeting
held on May 22 and 23, at the Center
for Environmental Protection and
Education of Mata do Jambreiro, in
Nova Lima (Minas Gerais).
48 MAIS 49MAIS
Fifty-six professionals attended
the two-day event. On May 22
– International Day of Biological
Diversity – employees who
submitted their initiatives
presented them and shared
experiences with their colleagues.
The day after included a hiking
activity at Mata do Jambreiro,
some institutional presentations –
about RNV, Valuation of Ecosystem
Services and RDI at Vale – as well
as the announcement of winners
who won a certificate, books about
biodiversity, and the opportunity to
have their research featured in this
second edition of MAIS newsletter.
According to Patrícia Daros,
Biodiversity and Environmental
Recovery manager at Vale, the
number and quality of the 30
initiatives registered in the meeting
“attested to Vale’s high degree of
maturity regarding the subject. Vale
is making huge efforts to promote
biodiversity, is increasingly aware
that effective biological diversity
management improves control over
ore mining processes, and needs
to boost sharing of this knowledge
both internally and externally.” All
the initiatives were published in an
abstract book, with 12 of its authors
invited to attend the event and
16 studies submitted to
MAIS Bio Award.
Letícia Guimarães, an Environmental
analyst who helped organize the
Award and was part of the project
MAIS Bio
evaluation committee, explained
there were two categories: one
dedicated to ITV initiatives, which
are based on RDI studies, while the
other covered initiatives related to
Planning and Operation. However,
the same criteria applied to both
categories. The presented cases
should enable the application of
knowledge, generate tangible and/
or intangible financial benefits
(cost reduction and positive image
for society, among others), as well
as demonstrate compliance with
Vale’s Sustainability Policy and UN’s
Sustainable Development Goals. The
studies should also bring innovation
to Vale (unprecedented to the
mining industry and to the world)
with development underway or
completed. External partnerships
with research institutions, NGOs,
and companies would also add
points to the score.
MAIS Bio Awards
Acknowledgment“Among the many positive
features, the awards represented
an opportunity to disseminate
the Sustainability Policy and the
Sustainable Development Goals
– two critical guiding elements
with which our actions are in full
compliance,” commented Letícia.
“MAIS Bio Award was created as
a means of acknowledging the
effort and dedication of research
professionals, either working on legal
requirements aspects or on research
projects that are not immediately
interconnected, but which will be
very useful and, therefore, need
to be disclosed. We kept the
subject options open to allow
the presentation of several
lines of research.”
Edgar Sepúlveda, Technological
Development analyst, and Domenica
Blundi, technical specialist in STI
and R&D Project Management,
were the other members of the
project evaluation committee. They
classified the works submitted
as theoretically consistent and
potentially applicable – two aspects
considered essential to expanding
RDI at Vale. “Vale also produces
science through employees who
invest in development of innovative
solutions,” explained Domenica.
“They often work with support from
education and research institutions
that bring complementary and
fundamental knowledge to science
and technology studies. We strive
to promote this mission at Vale and
show the importance of being at
the forefront of knowledge, while
enabling the interaction with
universities and promoting
the initiatives inside and
outside the company.”
The meeting “Experiences in
Biodiversity” had its first edition in
2017, before the creation of MAIS Bio
Award. Now, the idea is to include
this annual meeting on Vale’s agenda,
gathering an increasing number of
attendees and project submissions to
the award. “It has worked out! We saw
teams engaged, greater integration
with operations, and dissemination
of knowledge. It was a great success
after all,” Patricia Daros exclaimed.
“We will definitely reap many
positive benefits.”
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To learn more about Vale's
Sustainability Policy, visit:
http://www.vale.com/
hotsite/Style%20Library/
RelatorioSustentabilidade/
Docs/Poli%CC%81tica_Global_
de_Sustentabilidade_Vale.
pdf. The UN Sustainable
Development Goals are
available at <https://
nacoesunidas.org/pos2015/
agenda2030/.
Further Information
We strive to promote this mission at Vale and show the importance of being at the forefront of knowledge
1697 ITV-DS cases
3 winners
Operational and Planning cases
cases presented
50 MAIS 51MAIS
Planning and Operation Areas
Title Authors
Endemic Species from the Rupestrian Fields of the Iron Quadrangle Region of Minas Gerais
Ana Amoroso (main author), Lídia Maria dos Santos, Marco Pivari, Sérgio Antônio Tomich Santos and Sara Dias
Friends of the Humpback: Wildlife Watching Tourism and Environmental Conservation as a Foundation for Fostering the Social and Environmental Development of Espírito Santo
Roberta Atherton (main author), Thiago Ferrari, Sandro Firmino, Paulo Rodrigues, Leonardo Merçon and Daniel Rocha
Vale Institute of Technology – Sustainable Development
Title Authors
Genetic Bases for Licensing and Biodiversity Conservation Studies – Carajás Plant DNA Barcode Database
Guilherme Oliveira (main author), Ronnie Alves, Talvâne Lima, Renato Oliveira, Gisele Nunes and Santelmo Vasconcelos
MAIS Bio
Open to multiple subjects,
MAIS Bio Award gathered
16 competitors,
seven from ITV and nine from
the Operation and Planning
departments of the company.
The subjects addressed challenges
in several areas, such as recovery
of degraded areas and genomic
studies that can help enhance
compliance with environmental
requirements, in addition to
showing the possibility to take
Several Approaches to Biodiversity
Winners of MAIS Bio Award
part in initiatives with social
impact, such as the preservation
of Humpback whales. Regarding
the importance of research,
Patricia Daros, Biodiversity
and Environmental Recovery
manager at Vale, recalls that
“many Vale projects create positive
environmental impact; that is, the
environmental offsets provided are
greater than the actual impacts.
S11D Eliezer Batista complex,
for example, contributes with
more than 5 thousand hectares
of protected native vegetation,
including offset areas and legal
reserves; it is an area four times
larger than that affected by the
project. This is also the result of
the quality studies that supported
these projects.”
Meet the winners of MAIS Bio Award.
The table below lists the titles and
names of the professionals involved
in the other cases.
Vale Institute of Technology – Sustainable Development
Title Authors
Eco-Corridors Connecting Protected Areas to Reduce Human Impact on Forests in the Eastern Amazon
Marcelo Awade, Leandro Reverberi Tambosi, Rafael Melo and Tereza Giannini
Creating the Net Positive Impact: Carajás Flora and its Special Species, Licensing, Mitigation, Offsetting and Conservation Implications
Ana Maria Giulietti, Daniela Zappi, Maurício Watanabe, Nara Mota, Pedro Viana and Vera Fonseca
Ecological Interactions between Fauna and Flora Applied to Recovery of Degraded Areas
Tereza Cristina Giannini, Rafael Cabral Borges, Leonardo Miranda, Marcelo Awade, Alistair John Campbell, Ulysses Madureira Maia and Carlos Eduardo Pinto da Silva
Evolutionary Genetics Applied to Vale’s Conservation Management
Elena Babiitchouk, Vera Fonseca, Tasso Guimarães, Luiza Romeiro, Edilson Freitas, Juliana Teixeira, Jorge Filipe dos Santos, Lourival Tyski, Delmo Fonseca, Guilherme Oliveira and Alexandre Castilho
Potential Geographic Distribution Models and the Impact of Climate Change on Species Providing Ecosystem Services in Carajás
Leonardo Miranda, Wilian Costa, Rafael Borges, André Luís Acosta and Tereza Giannini
Monetary and Non-Monetary Valuation of Pollination Services in Two Protected Areas in Brazil
Juliana Hipólito, Bruna dos Santos, Rafael Borges, Sergio Dias, Rodolfo Jaffé, Vera Fonseca and Tereza Giannini
Cases Presented
Planning and Operation Areas
Title Authors
Adelophryne Sp.: Study, Ecology and Conservation of the Flea-Frog in Areas Protected by Vale
Breno Damiani, Glauber Fonseca, Helbert Botelho, Leilane Bárbara, Lívia Nepomuceno, Stella Oliveira, Micheline Senna and Rafael Rezende
Vale’s Contributions to the Conservation of the Hyacinth Macaws in Carajás
Mayla Feitoza and Flavia Presti
Occurrence of Guiana Dolphins during Dredging Activity at Sepetiba Bay (Rio de Janeiro)
Guilherme Maricato, Erick Monteiro, Luís Fernando Jupy and Juliane Ferreira
Herbarium at Vale Natural Reserve and its Contribution to Conservation of the Atlantic Forest Flora of Espírito Santo
Geovane Siqueira and Jonacir de Souza
Kannabateomys Amblyonyx: Study, Ecology and Conservation of Bamboo Rats in Areas Protected by Vale
Helbert Botelho, Rafael Rezende, Breno Damiani, Glauber Fonseca, Stella Oliveira, Lívia Nepomuceno, Micheline Costa and Leilane Gomes
Vale Natural Reserve: 10-year Contribution to Forest Recovery in Espírito Santo
Emanuelle França, Ernesto Sakai, Geovane Siqueira, Jonacir de Souza, Marcio Ferreira, Miguel Effgen and Rayany Batista
Satellite Monitoring, Puma Concolor Habitat and Conservation Area within Protected Areas of Brucutu Mine (São Gonçalo do Rio Abaixo, Minas Gerais)
Helbert Botelho, Rafael Rezende, Breno Damiani, Glauber Fonseca, Stella Oliveira, Lívia Nepomuceno, Micheline Costa and Leilane Gomes
52 MAIS 53MAIS
Humpback
Vale Supports the Humpback Whale Conservation Project
The case “Amigos da Jubarte:
turismo de observação e
conservação ambiental
como alicerces para o fomento ao
desenvolvimento socioambiental
do Espírito Santo” (Friends of
the Humpback: Environmental
Conservation and Wildlife Watching
Tourism as a Foundation for Fostering
the Social and Environmental
Development of Espírito Santo)
presented by Roberta Atherton,
Community Relations analyst at Vale,
was selected as one of the winners
of MAIS BIO Award. Tied for first place
with another case (See page 56), it
was awarded for contemplating a
series of goals in compliance with
the company's Sustainability Policy,
for its strong research and innovation
basis, for the quality and details of the
new studies on whales, as well as for
the successful results and the social
visibility of the project, known by
people from the state of Espírito Santo.
The Friends of the Humpback
was created in 2014 as a joint
effort between environmental
groups operating along the
coast of Espírito Santo state and
the following institutes: O Canal
(director), Últimos Refúgios,
Ecomaris, and Baleia Jubarte
(co-directors). Vale strengthened
ties with the initiative in 2016 and
became a partner in 2017, along
with the City Government
of Vitória and UFES, providing
financial support and
expertise to the project.
Aspects“The Friends of the Humpback is
interesting in many aspects. It raises
environmental awareness, promotes
the wildlife watching tourism –
suitable to the location – generating
employment and income, and
contributes to the conservation
of a cetacean threatened with
extinction,” comments Roberta. “The
relationship with the communities in
the areas where Vale operates is key
to ensuring the sustainability of its
business. This engagement has been
very positive; it has produced major
effects here.” She points out that
the project is also supporting the
qualification of researchers. The study
gathers 13 professionals – including
oceanographers, biologists and
undergraduate students from these
areas – and will serve as basis for an
undergraduate thesis and a doctoral
thesis at UFES. At Ecoceano (a junior
company of the UFES Oceanography
course), eight students were
awarded undergraduate research
scholarships to work on the project.
The coast of Espírito Santo
(Brazil) boasts one of the largest
concentrations of humpback
whales, hence the importance
of carrying out a study to create
mechanisms to ensure their
conservation. From a scientific
perspective, the work carried out
by biologists and oceanographers
associated to institutes is based on
the photo identification of whales;
studies on cetacean behavior,
bioacoustics and biogeography;
management of beach areas;
and mapping via Geographic
Information System (GIS).
From the photos, the whales are
identified by the pigmentation
patterns (black and white spots)
of their caudal fin, unique in each
individual, as their “fingerprints”.
Bioacoustics – using hydrophones
to record humpback chants –
allows the identification of different
types of sound emitted among
groups of whales and the possible
interference of noises produced by
nautical, seismic or sonar activities.
GIS maps the area of humpbacks,
with the support of a geolocation
data storage system.
The studies also aim to identify
the main anthropogenic threats to
animals, such as chemical pollution
of water, interaction with solid
waste, entanglement in fishing
nets, poaching, and trampling
by vessels, which will serve as
basis for the government to apply
mitigation measures. Jubart.Lab,
the scientific laboratory of the
The relationship with the communities in the areas where Vale operates is essential to ensure the sustainability of its business. This engagement has been very positive
Leon
ardo
Mer
çon
54 MAIS 55MAIS
project, gathers the inventory
of information, photos, and
videos produced in the maritime
expeditions. The footage will be
used in a documentary – already
in production – featuring the
migratory journey of the whales
from the Brazilian coast to the
circumpolar waters of Antarctica.
ResultsRelevant project goals include
education and generation of
income by encouraging the wildlife
watching tourism, which have
already produced significant results.
Throughout 2017, the Friends of
the Humpback project engaged six
thousand people in its initiatives,
with more than 200 interested
in participating in the first
qualification of key professionals
for the initiative. For those directly
related to tourism (a group of 50
to 60 people composed of tourism
operators and agents, boat captains,
fishermen and sailors), the training
addresses issues such as biological
concepts, approach techniques,
and whale watching rules. As for
biologists and oceanographers, the
information is more focused on
academic knowledge.
Students from elementary to
university education, both private
and public, take on specific actions.
For instance, a seminar held in
October 2017 in partnership
with Municipal Departments
of Education, Tourism, and
Environment from the city of
Learn More about the Humpback Whale
• At birth, this mammal weighs 1 ton on average. An adult humpback whale can grow to about 52 feet (16 m) long and weigh as much as 40 tons.
• Its great fins reach up to a third of its length.
• Humpbacks feed especially on krill, small invertebrates that occur mainly in the polar regions.
• They live up to 60 years.
• They spend seven months in the Brazilian coast procreating and feeding the calves, and then migrate to regions near Antarctica.
Vitória offered 34 educators and
students of the public-school
system the opportunity to learn
more about the humpback whales.
In different occasions, the students
had access to video and design
workshops as well as the possibility
of participating in a whale watching
expedition.
An educational brochure with
information on whales was
developed to guide and increase
public awareness, being also
distributed in initiatives of the
project, such as the “Humpback
Whale Festival”. The cultural event
celebrates the whale watching
season (from June to November)
and is part of the annual calendar of
the city of Vitória.
“You can already book humpback
whale watching tours through
the website queroverbaleia.com,”
anticipated Roberta. “To promote
the initiative at Vale, we held a
prize drawing and took ten of
our employees on a boat trip last
year. Everyone was blown away by
what they saw out in the sea. From
a qualification and information-
sharing standpoint, our purpose is
to extend the training to the staff at
the port area and to those working
in the ships.” In 2017, 620 visitors
took tourism and research cruise
trips in Vitória. The activity
has been consolidating the
humpback whale as a true
cultural and environmental
icon for Espírito Santo.
DiagnosisIn April 2018, the first whale
watching diagnosis was published
and contained a description of
the work developed so far. In
2017, the expeditions launched
in 20 research cruises studied and
mapped 121 groups of humpbacks,
in a total of 370 individuals. The
studies conducted in the sighting
season this year will produce
another report to be published
next year, and so on.
“Partnerships are very important
for a group like ours,” commented
Thiago Ferrari, founder of Instituto
O Canal and coordinator of the
Friends of Humpback project.
The financial and operational
support provided by Vale is key
to our research, as it validates the
scientific aspects of the project.
The company is also engaged in
raising public awareness through
environmental education activities,
which is one of our priorities.”
The project has gained prominence
both in social media and in the
press since, as a flagship species,
whales show great potential to
increase society’s concern with
the issue, which helps in the
conservation of their habitat and
consequently in the conservation
of all marine flora and fauna.
Humpback
Roberta Atherton, Vale Community Relations analystWatching expedition in Espírito Santo
Leon
ardo
Mer
çon
Mos
aico
Imag
em Researchers and other
stakeholders can find more
information at the website:
www.queroverbaleia.com.
Further Information
• Humpback whales are known for producing song sounds as a means of communication.
• It is believed that humpback whales in the Brazilian coast now number about 20 thousand, predominantly in the states of Bahia and Espírito Santo.
16 meters
40 tons
56 MAIS 57MAIS
Species of Flora
Species of interest for conservation in the Iron Quadrangle Region of Minas Gerais
One of the main concerns
related to licensing
of mining activities
by environmental agencies is
the conservation of rare species
considered endangered or endemic
(occurring only in a specific area).
The challenge posed to the entire
society within this context is to
increase knowledge about plant
species – the same applies to animals
–, safely using scientific evidence to
define which species fall into these
categories and thus act towards
their conservation.
Selected as one of the winners of
the MAIS Bio Award, the work on
“Special Species of the Ironstone
Outcrops of the Iron Quadrangle
Region of Minas Gerais” presents
studies carried out since 2015 to
better understand the flora available
in protected areas of the region.
Bringing innovative knowledge as it
fills gaps in information on species,
the research is carried out with the
support of botanists and a network
of taxonomists renowned in their
fields of activity, promoting an
integration with key researchers.
Ana Amoroso, author of the case, is
a Forest engineer at Vale, in Minas
Gerais. She first got involved with
research during her Engineering
undergraduate years at the State
University of São Paulo (Unesp,
Universidade Estadual Paulista).
Ana was a scholarship student at
the National Council for Scientific
and Technological Development
(CNPq, Conselho Nacional de
Desenvolvimento Científico e
Tecnológico) and at the Research
Support Foundation from São Paulo
(Fapesp, Fundação de Amparo à
Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo).
In 2018, she started her master’s
degree at ITV-DS in Belém (Pará), in
the area of Sustainable Use of Natural
Resources in Tropical Regions, and is
currently developing a study on the
“Flora of the ironstone outcrops”.
Physical Area of StudyThe Iron Quadrangle region of Minas
Gerais – a study area – is located in a
transition zone between the biomes
of the Atlantic Forest, to the east, and
the Brazilian savanna in the west. It
is structured on a diverse group of
rocks that determine the occurrence
of different ecosystems. The region
boasts a wide variety of vegetation
formation, ranging from fields to
forests. Government Ordinance No.
443/2014 provides the official list
of Brazilian flora species threatened
with extinction, which are protected
by different conservation measures.
This was the first work to be
carried out systematically on the
flora of seven Private Reserve
of Natural Heritage (RPPN's),
allowing to locate in these areas
plants that have long been found
in floristic surveys, such as the
Stephanopodium englerii – an
endemic species classified as
EN (endangered) according to
the National Center for Plant
Conservation (CNCFlora, Centro
Nacional de Conservação da
Flora). Others were known only in
ironstone outcrops and were found
in protected areas in different
lithologies, such as the species
Vriesea longistaminea, Vriesea
minarum, and Dyckia consimilis. As
example, until September 2018,
of the 50 species initially listed as
endemic, 14 had their knowledge
expanded, three species were
observed as non-endemic to
the Iron Quadrangle region of
Minas Gerais, two species are not
exclusive to the canga vegetation,
11 species (including the two
previous ones) were registered
as non-canga, and another eight
may also confirm registration in a
lithology other than ferruginous.
Precautionary Principle“By the precautionary principle,
and without much knowledge
about a particular species, it is
common to classify a species as of
conservation interest,” explained
Ana Amoroso. To learn more about
plants in this category, we started
a study by surveying the data
available in physical and virtual
herbaria on approximately 50
species mentioned by authors as
endemic to canga environments.
We identified the potential areas
in which the plants could appear
This was the first work to be carried out systematically on the flora of seven Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN's), allowing to locate in these areas plants that have long been found in floristic surveys
Hippeastrum morelianum
Júlia
And
rada
58 MAIS 59MAIS
through a multicriteria analysis,
followed by an active prospection
in RPPNs protected by Vale. In the
Iron Quadrangle region of Minas
Gerais, the company Preserves
more than 50,000 hectares, where
there is 20 RPPN’s – an area 3.2
times larger than the land occupied
by its operations.”
The information gathered in this
work broadens the knowledge
about both the species and RPPNs,
reinforcing the potential of such
reserves and the importance
of conservation, in addition to
supporting future studies on the
rich biodiversity of each reserve.
The data also enable the selection
of matrices and collection of seeds
intended for seedling at Vale’s
Biofactory. It will allow introducing
species where they naturally occur
during processes for Recovery of
Degraded Areas. This information
also helps in territory management
planning and licensing of
expansions and new projects.
The results of the studies contribute
to attaining the goals set out in the
global agenda of the Convention
on Biological Diversity, a multilateral
treaty to which Brazil is a signatory,
and to the Global Strategy for Plant
Conservation as well.
Species of Flora
PhasesStarted in 2015, the survey carried
out through the project has been
expanded to different RPPNs
over time, with support from
Vale’s operational areas, finally
reaching seven priority sites (See
the chart). The survey amounted
to 1,700 collections of more than
600 species. Once the botanist
responsible for the fieldwork
identified a potentially rare or
endangered species, they would
immediately record it and forward
it to the taxonomists who were
in charge of the specific family
for confirmation.
The activity evolved into a more
detailed process breakdown that
would emphasize the species
classified by the literature as
endemic to the canga vegetation
of the Iron Quadrangle region of
Minas Gerais. “We found species
in places never mentioned in the
literature and we realized that
we lack studies to define the
endemism of such species, as well
as the lithology of their places of
occurrence. The species might
adapt better to the ferruginous
rupestrian field, for example,
without being necessarily endemic
to it. Or it might occur both in the
ferruginous rupestrian field and
the quartzite rupestrian field,”
explained the forestry engineer.
At this stage of the work, other
State Conservation Units
entered the study.
A network of partner and key
taxonomists is being used to
accurately identify species and
acquire more in-depth knowledge.
In addition to supporting the
project on special species, these
professionals are providing scientific
description in many other similar
studies carried out at Vale. It is a
gradual work, since the collection
of the plants in the areas depends
on the phenological period, when
flowering takes place. Some places
are difficult to access and require
long-distance walks, sometimes
up to four hours. One phase of the
project that started in 2018 and will
be developed in partnership with
ITV-DS involves the use of genomics
tools, which require collecting only
a small part of the plant for genetic
analysis in laboratory (See the
Article on page 60).
Endemic Species DefinitionThe final phase of the study,
scheduled for 2020, will define the
plants that are definitely endemic in
the regions assessed, consolidating
all the gathered information with
support from mathematical tools.
Using knowledge acquired earlier,
the work also included classifying
some of the plants according to
the color of their flowers and then
compiling the data into a guide
for researchers and general public
visiting places, such as the Rola-Moça
mountain state park. Each identified
species is added to indexed herbaria
• Andaime
• Capitão do Mato
• Capivary II
• Cata Branca
• Capanema
• Horto Alegria
• Poço Fundo
To learn more about the species
listed, visit: http://cncflora.jbrj.gov.
br/portal/pt-br/profile/Vriesea%20
minarum and http://cncflora.jbrj.gov.
br/portal/pt-br/profile/Vriesea%20
longistaminea.
Further Information
Ana Amoroso, Forestry engineer
(the Index Herbariorum, global
herbaria network) and so then
included in the Virtual Herbarium
of Flora and Fungi of the National
Institute of Science and Technology
(INCT, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e
Tecnologia: http://inct.florabrasil.net).
These actions enable sharing this
important knowledge with society.
“In addition to the above
mentioned, our research
projects identified that the
species Acianthera modenstissima,
L. rubiginosa, and Symphyopappis
lymansmithii, considered endemic
to the canga of the Iron Quadrangle
region of Minas Gerais by key
authors, also had their distribution
extended to other Brazilian regions.
More species of conservation
interest are being found in places
other than thecanga vegetation of
the Iron Quadrangle. These are very
important findings for the recovery
and translocation of specimens,
as they demonstrate that the
species may not have their
development restricted to
ferruginous environments,”
added Ana Amoroso.
Ric
ardo
Tele
s
RPPN’s where the first stage of the work was carried out
60 MAIS 61MAIS
DNA Barcoding Enhances Knowledge of Species
Genomics
Rica
rdo
Tele
s
The winner of MAIS Bio
Award, selected among
the cases presented by
researchers from ITV-DS, addresses
the “Genetic Basis for Biodiversity
Conservation and Licensing Studies
– Carajás Plant DNA Barcode
Database”. Written by Guilherme
Oliveira, the text presents a project
carried out in collaboration with
several researchers (See table on
page 62) and with support from
scholarship students.
Guilherme Oliveira is biologist and
Senior Researcher, Environmental
Genomics Group at ITV-DS, in Belém.
After graduating from UFMG, he
earned a doctorate degree from
Texas A&M University (United States),
where he had the opportunity to
work in the Biology Department. He
also worked in the Department of
Biology at the University of York in
England, at the Pasteur Institute in
France, and at Fiocruz in Minas Gerais,
as a Senior Researcher. Guilherme’s
professional experience includes
positions in entities related to his area
of activity, such as president of the
Brazilian Association of Bioinformatics
and Computational Biology and
director of the International Society
of Computational Biology.
The work he described in the case
was based on the perceived need
of tools to accelerate the mapping
of biodiversity in regions that will be
affected by mining activities. Today, the
description of specific morphological
Bar codes are small fragments of DNA used to identify species. The “barcode gap” separates the species with clear genetic differentiation. In some cases, there is an overlap of genetic diversity of the species, which affects the taxonomic definition. Several markers are used in plants, usually derived from the circular chloroplast genome. Other markers are derived from the linear genome of the cell nucleus (ITS2).
Intraspecific/coalescent
Interspecific/speciation
DNA bar codes
A.
Barcoding “gap”
#
B.Overlap
Genetic distance
#
- Small, Sanger sequencing
- Universal
- Identifies the intraspecific variation
Fonte: dna-barcoding.blogspot.com Peng et al. , J Econ Entomol 2015
characters – that served as basis for the
surveys – demands the involvement of
scarce professionals given the degree
of specialization required, in addition
to borrowing material from collections
and possibly using additional
technologies, such as electron
microscopy. It is a time-consuming
and expensive model.
Chloroplast GenomeTherefore, the implementation of
molecular tools is being considered
to streamline and improve this
process. DNA barcoding was the
method chosen for the research
concerned. Since the complete
genetic sequencing would be a
very complex, time consuming and
expensive process, the researchers
are using regions of the chloroplast
genome to generate species-
distinguishing sequences. Thus,
the DNA barcoding method uses
regions that evolve at rates that allow
differentiation between species.
“Our idea is to introduce a molecular-
based technology to improve the
process without replacing taxonomists,”
commented Guilherme. “To get an
idea of how important this work is, the
overall species extinction rate is higher
than the rate of description. In 2014,
a group of 70 taxonomists launched
a complex survey of Carajás canga
flora, which currently houses 1,100
known species, to collect material for
the genetic analysis of the species. This
phase took four years and enabled the
development of a referenced genetic
library. The work allowed
us to duplicate all of the genetic
information available about the
entire Brazilian flora.”
rbcL / matK / rpoB / rpoC1 / trnH-psbA / atpF-atpH / psbK-psbl
11,5
00
1
2,00
0
12,
500
1
3,000
1
3,500 13,940
14,500 15,289 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 11,000 10,500 10,000 9,500 9,000 8,500 8,000 7,500 7,000 6,500
6,000
5,50
0
5
,000
4
,500
4,
000
cox1
trnL2(taa)
cox2
cox3
trnG(tcc)
trnR(tcg)
trnF(gaa)
nad3trnA(tcg)
trnN(gtt)
trnS1(gct)trnE(ttc)nad5
trnK(ctt)trnD(gtc)
atp8
atp6
nad6
trnC(gca)
cob
trnS(tga)
nad1
rrnL
nad2
ITV1034_Cydnidae15,289 bp
trnL1(tag)
trnW(tca)
trnY(gta)
trnH(gtg)
nad4
trnP(tgg)
nad4l
trnV(tac)
trnT(tgt)
trnM(cat)
trnI(gat)rrnS
18S 5,8S 26SETS ITS1 ITS2 ETS
11,5
00
1
2,00
0
12,
500
1
3,000
1
3,500 13,940
14,500 15,289 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 11,000 10,500 10,000 9,500 9,000 8,500 8,000 7,500 7,000 6,500
6,000
5,50
0
5
,000
4
,500
4,
000
cox1
trnL2(taa)
cox2
cox3
trnQ(ttg)
trnG(tcc)
trnR(tcg)
trnF(gaa)
nad3trnA(tgc)
trnN(gtt)
trnS1(gct)trnE(ttc)nad5
trnK(ctt)trnD(gtc)
atp8
atp6
nad6
trnC(gca)
cob
trnS2(tga)
nad1
rrnL
nad2
ITV1034_Cydnidae15,289 bp
trnL1(tag)
trnW(tca)
trnY(gta)
trnH(gtg)
nad4
trnP(tgg)
nad4l
trnV(tac)
trnT(tgt)
trnM(cat)
trnI(gat)rrnS
62 MAIS 63MAIS
Genomics
CollaborationThe work was carried out in
close cooperation with the
Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services group led by
researcher Vera Fonseca and
coordinated by botanists Ana
Giulietti and Daniela Zappi.
To learn about the entire
group, visit: https://www.
oliveira.life/research-group.
Research PhasesIn the field phase, taxonomists
collect leaves that are preserved
in hypersaline solutions. Then,
in the laboratory, robots extract
bulk DNA from the samples and
prepare enzymatic reactions for
sequencing. The polymerase chain
reaction (PCR) delimits the region
to be analyzed and amplifies that
region in millions of copies. The
amplification reaction is used
at a later phase to enable the
sequencing reaction. In the case
of DNA barcoding, amplification
is performed on an individual
basis using the Sanger
sequencing method.
The information is managed
and analyzed through a system
that integrates a barcoding tool
developed by Vale, the Pipebar/
OverlapPer – software registered
with the National Institute of
Industrial Property (INPI, Instituto
Nacional de Propriedade Industrial)
– and ITVBioBase Database. These
technologies combined can
generate automatic data analysis and
map all the data produced. Thus, the
sequences obtained are classified
into species as the process advances.
“If we have the plant identified by a
taxonomist for a specific sequence,
that identification is expanded to all
other similar sequences,” explained
the researcher. “The phylogenetic
analysis delimits the species found.”
At the end of the process, a barcode
is generated for each species. A total
Partial phylogenetic tree of the Carajás canga plants. Molecular analysis enables identifying the collected plants automatically and contains metadata related to their origin and close species.
working with the complete genome
of millions of nucleic bases, for
example. Currently, 20 plants fall into
this special category, including the
jaborandi (See chart).
ImprovementsThe process itself already represents
a major evolution, but it also
offers opportunities for further
improvement. Plants can be
analyzed in groups, rather than
individually, to obtain a mass
sequencing, and it is also possible
to collect DNA traces through
the soil without having to use the
plants as samples. “For Vale, this
work becomes faster and less costly,”
explained Guilherme. “In 2019, we
will validate the process for approval
by the environmental agencies. This
will inhibit surprises along the way
and anticipate mining planning
information. We also work closely
with degraded area recovery teams,
which will benefit immensely
from the process developed here,
as it streamlines monitoring the
progression of the recovery process.”
Researchers and other
stakeholders can find more
information about the research
project development at ITV
website: http://www.itv.
org/publicacoes/. To read
Rodriguésia magazine, visit:
http://rodriguesia.jbrj.gov.br/.
Flora of Carajás – A Molecular Perspective
Further Information
Researchers
Name Title
Talvâne Lima Graduate
Bruno SimõesMaster’s degree
Mariana DiasMaster’s degree
Renato OliveiraMaster’s degree
Gisele Nunes Doctor
Marcele Laux Doctor
Ronnie Alves Doctor
Santelmo Vasconcelos Doctor
The work allowed us to duplicate all of the genetic information available about the entire Brazilian flora
of 7,082 DNA barcodes have been
generated so far. The family of plants
that generated the highest number
of codes is the Convolvulaceae
(1,320). Other frequent families are
the Poacea (328) and the Rubiacea
(343). The main markers used were
the chloroplast derivatives atpF-atpH,
ITS2, matK, psbK-psbI, rbcL, rpoB,
rpoC1, trnH-psbA and ycf1.
Since DNA Barcoding does not
always provide the expected
accuracy in information, the
entire chloroplast genome may
be required, depending on the
importance of the plant. In this case,
of the 600 nucleic bases previously
analyzed, the process will now
cover approximately 150 thousand
bases. Very special cases may require
Eleocharis sp. Flora Vol 1
64 MAIS 65MAIS
Guilherme Oliveira, Senior Researcher at ITV-DS, lab department, focused on native species of the Carajás canga vegetation
Rica
rdo
Tele
s
Genomics
José Oswaldo Siqueira, ITV DS
Scientific Director, recalls that the
environmental agencies that regulate
the mining activity consider this
research extremely relevant as the
results can streamline their processes.
“The Brazilian legislation follows
a precautionary principle; that
is, mining is forbidden in places
lacking knowledge about certain
plants or animals,” emphasized
Siqueira. Hence the importance
of genomic and metagenomic
studies, even in cave areas, for
example, which are home to
rare troglobites (invertebrate
animals) not identified by the
conventional taxonomy method.
With the new techniques, it is
possible to identify the existence
of troglobites in other places,
which is scientifically relevant,
since it expands the knowledge
on this species and favors their
preservation, besides proving that
a cave does not necessarily need
to be classified as a maximum
protection area. These studies also
point to an important shift in the
work developed by ITV and in our
professionals’ vision – to conduct
quality and in-depth research that
can be put into practice.”
Moreover, the entire society can
benefit from all the knowledge
generated and shared. The Emílio
Goeldi Museum, in Belém, received
the exsicatas (specimens of dried
and pressed plants) from the field
work conducted by taxonomists, for
its herbarium. World-class databases
such as GenBank and BOLDSytem will
make the research available to anyone
interested in its results. Edited by the
Botanical Garden of Rio de Janeiro,
the most important of the country
in its segment, the Rodriguésia
Scientific Journal published four
volumes dedicated exclusively to
disseminating the complete study on
the Carajás canga vegetation.
Since 2016, a research
project has been carried out
specifically on Jaborandi
(Pilocarpus microphyllus) to help
planting of the species – which is
threatened with extinction due
to commercial exploitation – and
benefitting the community that
makes a living on jaborandi harvesting
in the National Forest (Flona, Floresta
Nacional) of Carajás. The jaborandi
is the only source of the active
ingredient pilocarpine, a substance
used in the treatment of glaucoma.
Carried out by ITV-DS in partnership
with the Federal Rural University
of Amazônia (UFRA, Universidade
Federal Rural da Amazônia), ICMBio,
Centroflora and Vale, the study
aims at understanding, among
other factors, which genetic types
of jaborandi are most capable of
producing pilocarpine and, among
those, which will grow healthy in the
environment inhabited by jaborandi
leaf collectors.
To this end, the researchers are
sequencing the jaborandi genome
to generate the reference genome,
the basis of the study. The evaluation
of several individuals will enable
to identify the most efficient ones.
The research has compiled a large
volume of information about
the plant genome, and an Active
Germplasm Bank was created to
enable the production of seedlings
to be planted by leaf collectors
from 2019 onwards.
Given the large size of jaborandi
genome – one and a half times
the human genome – different
technologies have been required
to generate the reference genome
that, consequently, will allow
the selection of individuals. This
challenge has led an increase of
computational processing capacity
and the introduction of new
technologies at ITV-DS.
Research Will Help Jaborandi Planting
Researchers Cinthia Bandeira and Wesley Rangel at ITV-DS
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66 MAIS 67MAIS
MAISMining: Attitude, Innovation and Sustainability
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Email [email protected]
Comments, suggestions or questions?
Rica
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