Man-made soil drainage alters the vegetation structure and woody species distribution in campo de murundus

Campos de murundus work as recharge zones and are important for the maintenance of water resources in Brazilian Cerrado. However, with the expansion of the agricultural frontier, this ecosystem may disappear or suffer high anthropogenic disturbances. The aim of the study was to evaluate the structure and distribution of woody species, after the implantation of artificial drainage channels in campo de murundus, in plots near and distant of the drains in the soil. We sampled woody individuals with ≥ 3 cm diameter at the base, and established 20 permanent plots of 20×50 m, 10 of which were between 0-20 m of the drains (edge) and 10 between 150-200 m distant from the drains (interior), totaling two hectares of survey. We recorded 47 species with total density of 230.5 ind.ha-1 and total basal area of 1.331 m2 ha-1. The diversity index of species was H’ = 3.18. We recorded higher density and basal area in the edge, and differential distribution and occupation of woody species in the microrelief of the murundus. This provides us strong evidence that the drains have altered the vegetation structure, especially in the edge of the remnant campos de murundus turning the vegetation woodier and denser.

Estudo morfológico dos músculos do antebraço de mão-pelada, Procyon cancrivorus Cuvier, 1798 / Morphological study of the muscles of the forearm of crab eating raccoon Procyon cancrivorus Cuvier, 1798

O Procyon cancrivorus (mão-pelada) é um carnívoro amplamente encontrado no território brasileiro, porém com escassas informações literárias ao seu respeito. Portanto, justifica-se a escolha deste animal para estudo, tendo como base aspectos morfológicos, que é fundamental para o conhecimento biológico das espécies. Foram utilizados cinco animais mortos por acidente, procedentes de coleta em rodovias. Os músculos pronador redondo, flexor radial do carpo, flexor superficial dos dedos, flexor ulnar do carpo, braquiorradial, palmar longo, flexor profundo dos dedos, pronador quadrado, extensor radial do carpo, extensor comum dos dedos, extensor lateral dos dedos, extensor ulnar do carpo e abdutor longo, foram dissecados e observados macroscopicamente as inserções proximais e distais. Os músculos flexores são inervados pelo nervo mediano, e irrigados por ramos das artérias mediana e ulnar, enquanto os extensores são irrigados pela artéria radial e seus ramos, sendo inervado pelo nervo radial. Para efeito comparativo, o modelo deste carnívoro silvestre foi comparado com a morfologia de carnívoros domésticos (cão e gato), amplamente descritos na literatura. Observou-se então a grande similaridade entre eles.

The Procyon cancrivorus is a carnivorous widely found in Brazil, but with few literary information to them. So why is the choice of species for study, based on morphology, which is fundamental to the understanding of biological species. We used five animals killed by accident, from collection on highways. The muscles round pronator, the radial carpal flexor, superficial flexor of fingers, ulnar flexor of the carpus, brachioradial, long palmar, deep flexor of fingers, square pronator, radial extensor of the carpus, common finger extensor, lateral extensor of toes, ulnar extensor of the carpus and long abductor were dissected and observed macroscopically the proximal and distal insertions. The flexor muscles are innervated by the median nerve and irrigated by branches artery of the median and ulnar the same name, while the extensor muscles are irrigated by the radial artery and its branches, is innervated by the radial nerve. For comparison purposes, the model of wild carnivore was compared with the morphology of domestic carnivores (dogs and cats), widely described in literature. There was then a great similarity between them.