Vários pesquisadores têm avaliado impactos de estradas. Estes podem envolver aspectos paisagísticos, degradação do solo, poluição do ar e impactos sobre a fauna, como atropelamentos. Na estrada Raimundo Mascarenhas, que atravessa a Floresta Nacional de Carajás (ca. 400 mil hectares), há intenso tráfego de veículos automotores. O objetivo deste trabalho foi testar se há diferenças entre trechos da estrada, em três escalas espaciais; se há alteração ao longo dos anos; se alguns táxons são mais freqüentemente atropelados, e se a freqüência de atropelamentos aumenta com a precipitação mensal. Analisamos a freqüência de atropelamentos de vertebrados de abril/2003 até outubro/2006 ao longo dos 25 km iniciais da estrada. Registramos 155 atropelamentos. O número de atropelamentos diminui ao longo dos anos (P=0,01), e com a distância do início da estrada (P=0,0002). Serpentes (Ophidia) e gambás Didelphis marsupialis foram mais atropelados (7,5/ano), seguidos de aves, raposas Cerdocyon thous, quatis Nasua nasua, roedores (Rodentia), e não identificados (4,9/ano); cuíca Marmosops sp., tapeti Sylvilagus brasiliensis, guariba Alouatta sp., irara Eira barbara, jabuti Geochelone sp., lagartos (Lacertilia) e macaco prego Cebus apella (1/ano). Não houve relação significativa entre o número mensal de atropelamentos e a precipitação mensal.

Several researchers have evaluated impacts of highways. These can involve landscape aspects, soil degradation, air pollution, and impacts upon wildlife, such as roadkills. At the Raimundo Mascarenhas highway, that crosses the Carajás National Forest (ca. 400.000 ha), there is intense traffic of automotive vehicles. The aim of this work was to test if there were differences among higway sections on three spatial scales; if there was alteration along the years; if some taxa suffered more frequently roadkills; and if roadkill frequency increased with monthly precipitation. We analysed roadkill frequency of vertebrates from April/2003 to Octobre/2006 along the first 25 km of the highway. We registered 155 roadkills. The number of roadkills diminished along the years (P=0,01), and with distance from the beginning of the highway (P=0,0002). Snakes (Ophidia) and opossum Didelphis marsupialis presented higher roadkill numbers (7,5/year), followed by birds (Aves), crab-eating fox Cerdocyon thous, coati Nasua nasua, rodents (Rodentia), and non identified (4,9/year); opossum Marmosops sp., brazilian rabbit Sylvilagus brasiliensis, black howler monkey Alouatta sp., tayra Eira barbara, tortoise Geochelone sp., lizards (Lacertilia) e capuchin monkey Cebus apella (1/year). There was no significant relation between monthly roadkill numbers and monthly precipitation.

Abracris dilecta Walker, 1870 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae) ate leafs of at least 14 plant species, in the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvales (Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae or Malvaceae), Poaceae, Fabaceae, Verbenaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Rubiaceae and Melastomataccae. Elephantopus mollis H.B.K. (Asteraceae) and Hyptis suaveolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) comprised 50% of the diet. The diet breadth of A. dilecta was compared to that of other 11 grasshopper species of the same sub-family, with rarefaction curves. The number of plant species eaten by A. dilecta was greater than that of nine other grasshopper species of the same sub-family (Rhachicreagra spp.) but was lower then two others (Microptylopteryx hebardi Rehn, 1905 and Rhachicreagra astytophallus Jago & Rowell, 1981). This results are discussed in view of the broad geographical range and possession of developed wings by A. dilecta, which contrasts with most Ommatolampinae grasshoppers.