The transition of food consumption towards sustainable patterns based on environmental, economic and nutritional aspects

É máis urxente que nunca acadar un sistema alimentario sostible que sexa respectuoso co medio ambiente, que ofreza seguridade e calidade alimentaria a toda a poboación mundial e, ao mesmo tempo, sexa social e economicamente aceptable. Para iso, os cambios nos patróns alimentarios actuais son unha das ferramentas máis poderosas e eficaces. A adhesión ás dietas tradicionais, baseadas principalmente no consumo de produtos de orixe vexetal e o consumo limitado de produtos de orixe animal e ultra-procesados, considérase como a pedra angular para acadar este obxectivo. Así, esta tese ten como principal finalidade analizar diferentes patróns de consumo de alimentos desde o punto de vista ambiental, nutricional e socioeconómico, e propoñer as medidas axeitadas para lograr patróns dietéticos más sostibles. Ademais, o proceso de produción de alimentos tamén se analiza en profundidade mediante a análise do ciclo de vida de produtos agro-alimentarios relevantes

Population cycles and outbreaks of small rodents : ten essential questions we still need to solve

Correction: 10.1007/s00442-021-04856-4, Oecologia (2021)Most small rodent populations in the world have fascinating population dynamics. In the northern hemisphere, voles and lemmings tend to show population cycles with regular fluctuations in numbers. In the southern hemisphere, small rodents tend to have large amplitude outbreaks with less regular intervals. In the light of vast research and debate over almost a century, we here discuss the driving forces of these different rodent population dynamics. We highlight ten questions directly related to the various characteristics of relevant populations and ecosystems that still need to be answered. This overview is not intended as a complete list of questions but rather focuses on the most important issues that are essential for understanding the generality of small rodent population dynamics.Peer reviewe

Ecosystem services, sustainable rural development and protected áreas

Enhancing social and economic development while preserving nature is one of the major challenges for humankind in the current century. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment showed an alarming degradation of ecosystems and exacerbated poverty for many groups of people across the world due to unprecedented changes in ecosystems caused by human activities in the 20th century. Sustainable Rural Development is key to maintaining active local communities in rural and semi-natural areas, avoiding depopulation, and preserving high-ecological-value sites, including protected areas. Establishing protected areas is the most common strategy to preserve biodiversity around the world with the advantage of promoting the supply of ecosystem services. However, depending how it affects economic opportunities and the access to natural resources, it can either attract or repel human settlements. The convergence of development and conservation requires decision-making processes capable of aligning the needs and expectations of rural communities and the goals of biodiversity conservation. The articles compiled in this Special Issue (nine research papers and two review papers) make important contributions to this challenge from different approaches, disciplines and regions in the world.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio