Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

About: Universidade Federal de Santa Maria is a education organization based out in Santa Maria, Brazil. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 21178 authors who have published 35632 publications receiving 371665 citations.

The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project

Abstract: The PREDICTS project—Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.uk)—has collated from published studies a large, reasonably representative database of comparable samples of biodiversity from multiple sites that differ in the nature or intensity of human impacts relating to land use. We have used this evidence base to develop global and regional statistical models of how local biodiversity responds to these measures. We describe and make freely available this 2016 release of the database, containing more than 3.2 million records sampled at over 26,000 locations and representing over 47,000 species. We outline how the database can help in answering a range of questions in ecology and conservation biology. To our knowledge, this is the largest and most geographically and taxonomically representative database of spatial comparisons of biodiversity that has been collated to date; it will be useful to researchers and international efforts wishing to model and understand the global status of biodiversity.

An Analysis of Sonic Anemometer Observations In Low Wind Speed Conditions

Abstract: When the wind speed decreases below a certain value (1–2 m s-1) meandering (low frequency horizontal wind oscillations) starts to prevail. In these conditions it becomes difficult to define a precise mean wind direction and to estimate the airborne dispersion. To study the wind and turbulence characteristics during meandering, two sonic anemometer datasets, containing hourly wind observations, were analysed: the first one, lasting 1 year, was recorded in complex terrain (Graz, Austria) and the second one, lasting about 1month, was recorded in a rather flat area (Tisby, Sweden). It was found that meandering seems to exist under all meteorological conditions regardless of the stability or wind speed and it was confirmed that meandering sets a lower limit for the horizontal wind component variances. Further, it was found that the autocorrelation functions of the horizontal wind components, computed for the low wind cases, show an oscillating behaviour with the presence of large negative lobes. Two different relationships from the literature, and relevant to these oscillatory aspects, were fitted to the data. They contain two parameters: one associated and relevant to the classical integral time scale and the second with meandering occurrence. Based on these relationships, expressions for the mean square displacement of particles σy2(t) were also derived.

Matéria seca, relação C/N e acúmulo de nitrogênio, fósforo e potássio em misturas de plantas de cobertura de solo

Abstract: An increase in the use of winter mixed cover crops has been observed in Southern Brazil during the last years. As a new agricultural practice, it is important to evaluate its potential benefits in dry matter production and nutrient accumulation. A field experiment was carried out from 1998 to 2000, in UFSM (RS), on a Typic Paludalf soil. Black oat (Avena strigosa Schieb) + common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) and black oat + oilseed radish (Raphanus sativus L. var. oleiferus Metzg.) were cultivated in different proportions of seed mixing. There were nine treatments: (1) 100 % black oat (AP), (2) 100 % common vetch (EC), (3) 100 % oilseed radish (NF), (4) 15 % AP + 85 % EC, (5) 30 % AP + 70 % EC, (6) 45 % AP + 55 % EC, (7) 15 % AP + 85 % NF, (8) 30 % AP + 70 % NF, and (9) fallow (spontaneous vegetation). Dry matter (DM) and the concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and carbon in cover crop biomass were determined. The crop mixture DM yield was similar to that of single oat and single oilseed radish and greater than single vetch. Nitrogen in the biomass of oat + vetch mixtures did not differ from that of single vetch, and was, on average, 32 kg ha-1 of N higher than that of single oat in the three years. The C/N ratio of oat + common vetch was 67 % higher compared to the single vetch crop. The cover crops provided greater DM and were more efficient in N, P and K accumulation than the winter fallow spontaneous vegetation. Results of this study indicated that the cultivation of a mixture of oat + common vetch and oat + oilseed radish is more efficient than single crops are, since it combines the high biomass production capacity of black oat and oilseed radish with the ability of common vetch to fix atmospheric N2.