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

MAIS@VALE.COM. 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

8 MAIS 9MAIS

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

12 MAIS 13MAIS

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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14 MAIS 15MAIS

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

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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

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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 MAIS@vale.com”, adds

Domenica Blundi, technical specialist

in STI and R&D Project Management.

26 MAIS 27MAIS

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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

rdo

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

#02

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Email MAIS@vale.com

Comments, suggestions or questions?

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Conveyor belt system - S11D Eliezer Batista Complex

Canaã dos Carajás – State of Pará

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