ABSTRACT This study examines the variation in cacti species richness and abundance among sites with different average rainfall and soil types. We assessed a total of 3,660 individuals of six species of Cactaceae: Cereus jamacaru, Melocactus zehntneri, Pilosocereus gounellei, Pilosocereus pachycladus, Tacinga inamoena, and Tacinga palmadora. The greatest species richness and abundance of cacti were at locations with low rainfall and more clayey soils. The species studied differed in multidimensional representation, with some species being more positively related to soils with a higher proportion of fine particles (M. zehntneri and P. gounellei), while others were negatively related to soils with a higher proportion of coarser particles (T. inamoena) or positively related to areas with higher rainfall and vegetation cover (C. jamacaru and P. pachycladus). The differential responses of the species of Cactaceae studied in relation to the gradients analyzed demonstrates the need for more research into the relationship between cacti and environmental variables in semiarid ecosystems with high environmental heterogeneity.

RESUMO Leguminosae Juss. é uma família amplamente distribuída, sendo dominante em alguns ecossistemas, como na Caatinga. Este trabalho trata do levantamento taxonômico de Leguminosae na Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) do Cariri, semiárido paraibano, nordeste do Brasil. Foram encontradas ao todo 31 espécies, 22,6 % das quais acreditadas como endêmicas da Caatinga. O gênero mais diverso taxonomicamente foi Senna, com cinco espécies. Sete espécies foram referidas pela primeira vez para o Estado da Paraíba (C. belemii var. belemii, D. violacea, I. blanchetiana, P. microphilla, V. halophila, Z. echinocarpa e Z. myriadena). O hábito arbustivo foi o mais representativo, com 45,2% do total de espécies registradas, seguido pelos hábitos herbáceo e arbóreo, com 22,6 e 16,1% respectivamente. As trepadeiras e lianas perfizeram respectivamente 9,7 e 6,5% das espécies. O tratamento taxonômico inclui chaves de identificação para subfamílias e respectivas espécies, dados de distribuição geográfica e ilustrações.

ABSTRACT Leguminosae Juss. is a largely distributed family, being dominant in several dry ecosystems, such as the Caatinga woodlands. This work deals with the taxonomic survey of Leguminosae at the Cariri Environmental Protected Area, semiarid of the Paraíba State, Northeast Brazil. Thirty‑one species were found in the total, 22.6% of which accredited as endemic to the Caatinga. The most taxonomically diverse genus was Senna, with five species. Seven species were recorded for the first time to the Paraíba State (C. belemii var. belemii, D. violacea, I. blanchetiana, P. microphilla, V. halophila, Z. echinocarpa, and Z. myriadena). The shrubby habit was the most representative, with 45.2 % of the total of registered species, followed by herbaceous and tree habits, with 22.6 and 16.1 %, respectively. Vines and lianas totalized 9.7 and 6.5 % of the species, respectively. This treatment includes keys for separation into subfamilies and their species, a list of examined materials, data on geographic distribution, and illustrations.

RESUMO O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar a forma de realização do expurgo com fosfina (PH3) em grãos de milho e feijão, armazenados na região polarizada por Campina Grande, Paraíba. Em feiras e mercados da região foram aplicados questionários a cem agricultores e/ou comerciantes, ficando evidenciado que o uso da fosfina é generalizado. Mesmo sem uma orientação técnica, o produto é utilizado de forma satisfatória com relação à época e periodicidade do expurgo, porém as dosagens empregadas são superiores às máximas recomendadas.

ABSTRACT The main objective of this study was to evaluate the use of phosphine (PH3) in the expurgation process of corn and bean stored in the region of Campina Grande, Paraíba state, Northeast of Brazil. One hundred questionnaires were applied among farmers and/or open market salesmen, which showed that the use of phosphine is much common. Even without having access to technical information, regarding the period and intervals of application farmers have used the product in a satisfactory way. Nevertheless, the application rates used have been higher than those recommended.