An Approach to the Key Soil Physical Properties for Assessing Soil Compaction Due to Livestock Grazing in Mediterranean Mountain Areas.

The selection of key soil physical properties (SPPs) for studying the impact of livestock treading is an unexplored research topic, especially in studies that analyze the influence of livestock management on the degradation process. The objective of this work was to demonstrate that the key SPPs for studying the impact of livestock treading depend on the objectives of the research and the environmental characteristics of the study site. This work used discriminant analysis to establish the most significant SPPs among the following: bulk density (BD), total porosity (P), field capacity (FC), infiltration capacity (IC), and aggregate stability (AS). Results showed that (1) IC and BD are the key properties for identifying the areas affected (bare patch) and unaffected (vegetated patch) by livestock treading, (2) none of the SPPs are significant under increasing stocking rates, and (3) BD is the key property for analyzing livestock impact with increasing stocking rate, using soil calcium carbonate content, slope exposure, and grass cover. We concluded that the relationship between physical soil degradation and stocking rate is not linear because it depends on environmental factors; therefore, to establish the key SPPs, it is necessary to take this fact into account.The APC was partial funding by University of Málaga

Using Vegetation Indices and a UAV Imaging Platform to Quantify the Density of Vegetation Ground Cover in Olive Groves (Olea Europaea L.) in Southern Spain.

In olive groves, vegetation ground cover (VGC) plays an important ecological role. The EU Common Agricultural Policy, through cross-compliance, acknowledges the importance of this factor, but, to determine the real impact of VGC, it must first be quantified. Accordingly, in the present study, eleven vegetation indices (VIs) were applied to quantify the density of VGC in olive groves (Olea europaea L.), according to high spatial resolution (10–12 cm) multispectral images obtained by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The fieldwork was conducted in early spring, in a Mediterranean mountain olive grove in southern Spain presenting various VGC densities. A five-step method was applied: (1) generate image mosaics using UAV technology; (2) apply the VIs; (3) quantify VGC density by means of sampling plots (ground-truth); (4) calculate the mean reflectance of the spectral bands and of the VIs in each sampling plot; and (5) quantify VGC density according to the VIs. The most sensitive index was IRVI, which accounted for 82% (p < 0.001) of the variability of VGC density. The capability of the VIs to di erentiate VGC densities increased in line with the cover interval range. RVI most accurately distinguished VGC densities > 80% in a cover interval range of 10% (p < 0.001), while IRVI was most accurate for VGC densities < 30% in a cover interval range of 15% (p < 0.01). IRVI, NRVI, NDVI, GNDVI and SAVI di erentiated the complete series of VGC densities when the cover interval range was 30% (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05)

Mapping tillage direction and contour farming by object-based analysis of UAV images

Tillage is a primary agricultural task that causes progressive soil movement and, consequently, severe erosion in sloping farmland, with a high impact on crop productivity, soil quality and landscape features. Accordingly, this research combined aerial images taken with unmanned aerial vehicles and object-based image analysis (OBIA) to develop an innovative OBIA4tillage procedure with three main objectives: (i) analysing plowed agricultural fields, identifying and mapping the tillage marks, and automatically computing the main direction of the tillage furrows, (ii) validating the procedure quality in different scenarios by evaluating the accuracy of the results as affected by the sensor used (visible-light vs. multispectral), background soil hue, and ground vegetation density; and (iii) mapping contour farming and non-contour farming areas as indicators of potential low and high soil erosion risk, respectively. Twenty olive parcels from two different locations with a wide range of tree sizes, soil hue, parcel shapes and land slopes were selected as model systems to develop and validate the procedure. The OBIA4tillage procedure produced tillage maps with very high accuracy for both RGB and multispectral images (R2 of 0.99 and 0.93, respectively), as obtained from the linear equation between estimated and groundtruth values. The results were similar in clear and dark soils (R2 of 0.96 in both cases), although there were notable differences between areas of dense ground vegetation or bare soil (R2 of 0.99 in both cases) and areas of medium vegetation cover (R2 of 0.81). The application of contour farming in the study region was moderate at location 1 (42.35% of the study area) but more widespread at location 2 (72.60% of the study area), which revealed the uneven involvement of the local farmers in the challenge of controlling soil erosion risks

Populism in the Communication Strategy of Lula and Bolsonaro: An Analysis of the Television Debates in Brazil’s 2022 General Election

The 2022 presidential election in Brazil involved two radically different candidates but with broad similarities in their populist discourse and communication strategies. The electoral campaign and the results polarized the country between the supporters of the outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro, and the incoming one, Lula da Silva. This article analyzes the two television debates that took place in the second round of the presidential election in October. The interventions of the candidates have been studied using the methodology of critical discourse analysis applied by Hawkins (2010). The goal is to discover the degree of populism present in the candidates’ discourse in the two debates studied. The results show evidence of the highly populist nature of the discourse of the two leaders in both television events. This characteristic, as well as other important aspects of the campaigns and the narrow margin of Lula’s eventual victory, may explain the level of polarization evident in the country. It may also be the reason behind the rejection of the election results by the followers of Bolsonaro and their protest against the change in president

Evaluation of two genera of benthic foraminifera for down-core paleotemperature studies in the western south atlantic

In this study we have compared the oxygen isotopic composition of two genera of benthic foraminifera (Uvigerinaand Cibicidoides) from core-top samples with modern oxygen isotopic composition of seawater (d18O). Based on a new relationship between d18O and salinity for the mid-latitude western South Atlantic, we estimated the isotopic composition of equilibrium calcite (d18Oeq) using two different equations: (1) O'Neil et al. (1969), modified by McCorkle et al. (1997) and (2) Kim & O'Neil (1997). When using (1), the small difference between d18Oeq and d18O of Uvigerina suggests that this genus precipitates its shell close to equilibrium with ambient seawater. The d18OCibicidoides data are 0.82 ‰ lower than the predicted (equilibrium) oxygen isotopic composition. Conversely, using (2) the Cibicidoides d18O data show excellent agreement with the oxygen isotopic composition predicted from d18O and water temperature while Uvigerina d18O data are 0.69 ‰ higher than predicted oxygen isotope equilibrium values. Based on the evidences presented here and on the results from previous studies we suggest using the genus Cibicidoides and applying Kim & O'Neil's (1997) equation for down-core paleotemperature investigations. In the absence of enough Cibicidoides specimens we suggest using Uvigerina d18O data and applying a correction factor of -0.69 ‰.Neste estudo, compara-se a composição de isótopos de oxigênio de dois gêneros de foraminíferos bentônicos (Uvigerina e Cibicidoides) de amostras de topo de testemunho com a composição isotópica moderna da água do mar (d18O). Baseados em uma nova relação entre d18O e salinidade para a latitude média do Atlântico Sul ocidental, estimou-se a composição isotópica da calcita em equilíbrio (d18Oeq) a partir de duas equações diferentes: (1) O'Neil et al. (1969), modificada por McCorkle et al. (1997) e (2) Kim & O'Neil (1997). Utilizando (1), a pequena diferença entre d18Oeq e d18O de Uvigerina sugere que este gênero precipita as suas testas próximo ao equilíbrio com a água. Já os dados de d18O de Cibicidoides são 0,82 ‰ menores que a composição isotópica prevista. Ao contrário, utilizando (2) os dados de d18O de Cibicidoides mostram uma concordância excelente com a composição isotópica esperada, enquanto que os dados de d18O de Uvigerina são 0,69 ‰ maiores que os valores de equilíbrio previstos. A partir das evidências apresentadas neste trabalho e em estudos prévios sugerimos a utilização do gênero Cibicidoides e a aplicação da equação de Kim & O'Neil (1997) para pesquisas de paleotemperatura. Na ausência de suficientes espécimens de Cibicidoides sugerimos a utilização de d18O deUvigerina aplicando um fator de correção de -0,69 ‰

Testing Common Knowledge: Are Northern Europeans and Millennials More Concerned about the Environment?

This study explores whether there are differences in several environmental dimensions, when the European Region and Generation cohort are considered. In doing so, this study compares millennials in North and South Europe with members of Generation X in three environmental dimensions: attitudes, personal norms, and behavior. Using data from the European Social Survey (n = 6.216), the researchers tested the hypothesis that Northern Europeans and millennials have more pro-environmental standing than southerners and Generation Xers. The findings challenge the common belief that millennials are more committed to being environmentally conscious, showing that many millennials do not feel responsible for their climate footprint, nor do they behave in a way that shows more concern than previous generations to improve their environmental performance. Furthermore, contrary to expectations, Northern European participants are not the most committed, in all environmental dimensions, compared to Southern EuropeansThe authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC/GPC2016-017- GI-1456, COSOYPA, and to the CRETUS Strategic Partnership (AGRUP2015/02). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (UE). The first author also wants to acknowledge the financial support of the Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Ordenación Universitaria, and the Consellería de Economía, Emprego e Industria of the Xunta de GaliciaS

Pobreza en la ocupación e instrumentos de reacción

Unión Europea,Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y el Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional DER2015-63701-C3-1-

Impact of a 1755-like tsunami in Huelva, Spain

Abstract. Coastal areas are highly exposed to natural hazards associated with the sea. In all cases where there is historical evidence for devastating tsunamis, as is the case of the southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, there is a need for quantitative hazard tsunami assessment to support spatial planning. Also, local authorities must be able to act towards the population protection in a preemptive way, to inform “what to do” and “where to go” and in an alarm, to make people aware of the incoming danger. With this in mind, we investigated the inundation extent, run-up and water depths, of a 1755-like event on the region of Huelva, located on the Spanish southwestern coast, one of the regions that was affected in the past by several high energy events, as proved by historical documents and sedimentological data. Modelling was made with a slightly modified version of the COMCOT (Cornell Multi-grid Coupled Tsunami Model) code. Sensitivity tests were performed for a single source in order to understand the relevance and influence of the source parameters in the inundation extent and the fundamental impact parameters. We show that a 1755-like event will have a dramatic impact in a large area close to Huelva inundating an area between 82 and 92 km2 and reaching maximum run-up around 5 m. In this sense our results show that small variations on the characteristics of the tsunami source are not too significant for the impact assessment. We show that the maximum flow depth and the maximum run-up increase with the average slip on the source, while the strike of the fault is not a critical factor as Huelva is significantly far away from the potential sources identified up to now. We also show that the maximum flow depth within the inundated area is very dependent on the tidal level, while maximum run-up is less affected, as a consequence of the complex morphology of the area

Boas práticas agrícolas para o controle da erosão hídrica do solo em cultivos anuais nas montanhas da Guatemala e Nicarágua

Annual crops are very important in the economy of smallholders in the mountainous areas of Guatemala and Nicaragua. The sustainability of these crops is in a very precarious situation, due to the intense water erosion that is affecting the soil. This situation makes it necessary to redesign current agricultural systems towards sustainable models. The aims of this work have been: (1) to analyze soil loss in the cited crops in Guatemala and Nicaragua, and (2) to establish adequate erosion control measures. The results obtained showed that the erosion control measures required to reverse the situation are: (1) preferential use of no-till techniques and (2) maintain a minimal vegetal cover to protect the soil against erosion, which varies according to the farming system.Los cultivos anuales (maíz, frijol, arveja, brócoli, papa y zanahoria) son muy importantes para la economía de los pequeños productores en las zonas montañosas de Guatemala y Nicaragua. La sostenibilidad de estos cultivos se encuentra en una situación muy precaria, debido a la degradación del suelo por erosión hídrica. Esta situación hace necesario reconducir los sistemas agrícolas actuales hacia modelos sostenibles. Los objetivos de este trabajo han sido: (1) analizar las pérdidas de suelos en los citados cultivos en Guatemala y Nicaragua, y (2) establecer las malas y buenas prácticas agrícolas para un adecuado control de la erosión. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que las medidas de control de la erosión que se requieren para revertir la situación son: (1) uso preferente de técnicas de no laboreo y (2) mantener una cobertura vegetal mínima para proteger el suelo de la erosión, lo que varía según el sistema de cultivo.As culturas anuais (milho, feijão, ervilha, brócolis, batata e cenoura) são muito importantes para a economia dos pequenos produtores das áreas montanhosas da Guatemala e Nicaragua. A sustentabilidade dessas culturas encontra-se em situação bastante precária, devido à degradação do solo pela erosão hídrica. Esta situação torna necessário redirecionar os atuais sistemas agrícolas para modelos sustentáveis. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram: (1) analisar as perdas de solo nas culturas mencionadas na Guatemala e na Nicarágua e (2) estabelecer as más e boas práticas agrícolas para o controle adequado da erosão. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que as medidas de controle da erosão necessárias para reverter a situação são: (1) uso preferencial de técnicas de plantio direto e (2) manutenção de uma cobertura vegetal mínima para proteger o solo da erosão, que varia de acordo com o sistema de cultivo

La negociación colectiva como vehículo para la implantación efectiva de medidas de igualdad

Esta monografía tiene su origen en el Proyecto “Ciclo de seminarios. La negociación colectiva como vehículo para la implantación efectiva de medidas de Igualdad”, que ha sido financiado por el Instituto de la Mujer del Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad (Resolución de 30 de noviembre de 2015, del Instituto de la Mujer y para la Igualdad de Oportunidades, por la que se conceden subvenciones destinadas a la realización de postgrados de estudios de género y actividades del ámbito universitario relacionadas con la igualdad de oportunidades entre mujeres y hombres, para el año 2015)