Climatic and ecological change in the Americas : a perspective from historical ecology

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the concepts covered in the preceding chapters of this book. The book examines different climate change experiences across the Americas using historical ecology as a structuring framework for understanding climatic and environmental change across space and through time. It argues that the drier period accompanying the Medieval Climatic Anomaly most likely affected demographic and settlement patterns in Amazonian populations. The book also argues that climatic changes in the Maya region coincide with the emergence of permanent settlements and with an increase in landscape management, leading to substantial changes in forest composition. It then shows how Indigenous peoples in eastern North America prevented ecological changes associated with climatic impacts and preserved prairies and pyrophytic forests through ecological management that mimicked past climate conditions. The book uses the concept of "relational models" to analyze the spatio-temporal pattern of the Pewen landscape use in Argentina and Chile

Introduction to Part I : Impacts of climate and global change on local social-ecological systems

Climate change is a global threat affecting all ecosystems and societies in the world. Temperature rise, changes in precipitation patterns, and increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme events such as droughts, floods, and storms have been extensively documented by scientists in the last decades, and are a reality across most of the planet. As research and policy initiatives on the interface among Indigenous Peoples and local communities, their knowledge systems, and climate change have evolved in the last decades, new research topics, perspectives, and refined understandings also have emerged. The way in which Indigenous Peoples and local communities experience climate change impacts is also historically and socially constructed, as demonstrated by Carmona. While exploring synergies and complementarities between different knowledge systems allows building an 'enriched picture' of climate change impacts, there are still many barriers to the actual engagement of Indigenous and local knowledge into climate policy and action

Decarbonizing the academic sector : lessons from an international research project

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MResearch activities generate considerable carbon emissions. Some universities and research centers have implemented voluntary measures to reduce academia's carbon footprint. To contribute to the debate on pathways to decarbonize the academic sector, this work calculates the carbon emissions of an international research project in relation to 1) research-related travel, 2) researchers' non-business travel derived from the international nature of the team, 3) researchers' commuting, and 4) project's digital footprint. The work then simulates the project's carbon potential reduction under two scenarios and discusses emissions reduction alternatives and their potential side-effects. The project examined emitted an estimate of 161 tons CO2-eq, which could have been largely reduced to 92 tons CO2-eq (or 53% of the emissions) by applying a standard set of measures already proposed by scholars aiming to decarbonize research ("Reduced emissions scenario") or to 4 tons CO2-eq (or 2.4% of the estimated emissions) by applying more strict measures aiming to reach carbon neutrality ("Net-zero emissions scenario"). Most emissions reductions come from reducing travel. While the measures proposed could indeed save a substantial amount of emissions, they might have also impacted project's academic outputs, economic costs, and researcher's work-life balance. Although collateral impacts of decarbonizing measures are yet little understood, they are likely not negligible and should be considered in a decision-oriented context to discern acceptable from unacceptable rules. The article discusses reliance on individual or voluntary action as the major bottlenecks that hamper the application of measures to decarbonize the academic sector and calls for the development of normative standards of scientific research practice that encourage, value or even impose the reduction of carbon emissions

"Listen to us" : small-scale farmers' understandings of social-ecological changes and their drivers in Important Agricultural Heritage Systems

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABUnidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MCurrent social-ecological changes afect territories and people's livelihoods worldwide. Many of these changes have detrimental efects on small-scale agricultural systems, with concomitant negative consequences on global and local food security and sovereignty. The objectives of this study were to explore (i) local knowledge on social-ecological changes and (ii) the perceived drivers of those changes occurring in a mountainscape and an islandscape in two Important Agricultural Heritage Systems of southern South America, both located within a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. This was done by conducting in-depth semi-structured interviews with local campesinos, whose livelihoods are based on the use and management of agrosilvopastoral systems. We found that local communities experience a wide range of globally and locally induced socialecological changes acting in their territories. Campesinos mentioned 79 diferent observations of social-ecological changes and identifed drivers for 77% of them. Changes in the atmospheric system, specifcally regarding changes in precipitation, drought, and temperatures, were commonly observed by campesinos in both sites. Participants also observed complex interrelations between these changes and the drivers infuencing them, climatic drivers being the most important. Even though general changes in climatic patterns were identifed as drivers of changes by campesinos, other situated changes derived from the site's biophysical, social, and economic conditions were also important. Our results highlight the importance of considering local knowledge to understand social-ecological changes and to support the development and implementation of public policies that promote contextualized adaptation measures to global changes that afect local livelihoods

Protocol for the Collection of Cross-cultural Comparative Data on Local Indicators of Climate Change Impacts

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MThis protocol has been designed to collect local perceptions of climate change impacts on climatic (e.g. rainfall patterns change), physical (e.g., shrinking glaciers), biological (e.g., phenological changes), and socioeconomic systems (e.g., crop failure due to rainfall patterns change), but also adaptations to those impacts, local agricultural calendars and local narratives to allow the reconstruction of historical and relevant events using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies

Descrição morfoquantitativa do tórus digital de bovinos

O tórus digital é caracterizado como um tecido subcutâneo modificado que atua na absorção do impacto durante a locomoção, auxilia o retorno venoso do casco e mantêm o suporte de uma considerável parte do peso corporal. Os tórus possuem particular importância nas patogêneses de casco, já que eles precisam trabalhar corretamente para prevenir compressões e traumas nos tecidos moles. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi quantificar e com isso determinar, como se arranjam estas estruturas, para tanto, foram estabelecidas as proporções dos tecidos conjuntivo, adiposo, vascular e ainda das fibras colágenas e dos tipos de colágenos encontrados nos tórus digitais palmares e plantares de bovinos. Foram utilizados membros torácicos e pélvicos de doze bovinos zebuínos adultos, de ambos os sexos, sendo onze machos e uma fêmea, com peso médio de carcaça com 269kg e sem afecções nos membros. Os fragmentos dos tórus foram submetidos à técnica histológica convencional, cortados em espessura de 4µm e corados com Picrosirius Red. Com o uso de microscópio óptico digital, o tecido conjuntivo e a diferenciação dos tipos de colágeno foram quantificados empregando-se o programa de análise de imagem Image Pro Plus® e para a quantificação dos tecidos adiposo e vascular foi utilizada o sistema teste de pontos. Através do programa GraphPad Prism 5.0 foram obtidas por meio de uma analise descritiva a media e o erro padrão da media, em seguida os dados foram submetidos à aplicação do teste de normalidade de Kolmogorov-Smirnov e ao teste "T" Student com nível de significância de 5% para a determinação da quantidade encontrada dos diferentes tecidos entre os membros torácicos e pélvicos dos animais estudados. Nos membros torácicos a média e o erro padrão da proporção de tecido conjuntivo foi de 50,10%+1,54, a de tecido adiposo foi de 21,34%+1,44 e a de tecido vascular foi de 3,43%+0,28. Os membros pélvicos apresentaram uma proporção de tecido conjuntivo de 61,61%+1,47, de tecido adiposo de 20,66%+1,53 e de tecido vascular de 3,06%+0,20. Verificou-se diferença estatística na proporção de tecido conjuntivo entre membros torácicos e pélvicos (p<0,001). As fibras colágenas tipo I e III apresentaram, respectivamente, uma proporção de 31,89% e 3,9% nos membros torácicos e 34,05% e 1,78% nos membros pélvicos. Os tórus digitais, de acordo com a metodologia utilizada, apresentaram diferenciação evidente em relação ao tecido adiposo entre membros torácicos e pélvicos.The digital cushion is characterized as a modified subcutaneous tissue that absorbs the shock during gait, assists venous return of the hoof and supports a considerable part of body weight. Digital cushions have particular importance in the pathogenesis of the hoof, since they need to properly work in order to prevent compression and traumas in soft tissues. This study aimed to measure and determine how is the arrangement of these structures, and for this it was established the proportions of connective, adipose, vascular tissues and collagen fibers and collagen types found in palmar and plantar digital cushion of bovine using fore and hindlimbs of twelve adult zebu cattle of both sexes, 11 male and one female, with 269kg average carcass weight and without limb disorders. Fragments of cushions were subjected to conventional histology, cut to a thickness of 4µm and stained with Red Picrosirius. With digital optical microscope, the quantification of the connective tissue and differentiation of types of collagen used the Image Pro Plus® software, and of adipose and vascular tissue, the test point system. The mean and standard error were estimated with the GraphPad Prism 5.0 software, and then data were subjected to Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test and Student's t-test with significance level set at 5% for determining the amount of different tissues between fore and hindlimbs of studied animals. In forelimbs the mean and standard error of the connective tissue proportion was 50.10%+1.54, of the adipose tissue was 21.34%+1.44, and of vascular tissue was 3.43%+0.28. Hindlimbs presented a proportion of connective tissue of 61.61%+1.47, 20.66%+1.53 of adipose tissue, and 3.06%+0.20 of vascular tissue. A significant difference (p<0.001) was detected in the connective tissue proportion between fore and hindlimbs. Types I and II collagen fibers have presented, respectively, a proportion of 31.89% and 3.9% in forelimbs and 34.05% and 1.78% in hindlimbs. According to the used methodology, digital cushions had a clear differentiation relative to adipose tissue between fore and hindlimbs

Consistency in climate change impact reports among indigenous peoples and local communities depends on site contexts

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MIndigenous Peoples and local communities are heavily affected by climatic changes. Investigating local understandings of climate change impacts, and their patterned distribution, is essential to effectively support monitoring and adaptation strategies. In this study, we aimed to understand the consistency in climate change impact reports and factors influencing consistency at site and individual levels. We conducted cross-cultural research among iTaukei (Fiji), Dagomba (Ghana), fisherfolks (Tanzania), Tsimane' (Bolivia), Bassari (Senegal), ribeirinhos (Brazil), Mapuche (Chile), Mongolian (China), Tibetan (China) and Daasanach (Kenya) communities using semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and surveys among 1860 individuals. We found that cross-culturally more than two-thirds of individual reports of climate change impacts match site-confirmed reports. Consistency in reports is higher for changes related to pastoralism than crop production and wild plant gathering. Individual's experience with nature, Indigenous and local knowledge, and local family roots are not significantly associated with consistency across sites, but site-specific associations are prevalent. Despite high average consistency among sites, there is considerable variation caused by site-specific factors, including livelihood activities, socio-cultural settings, and environmental conditions. Site contexts and related consistency in climate change impact reports need to be taken into account for climate change monitoring and adaptation planning

Global priority areas for ecosystem restoration

Extensive ecosystem restoration is increasingly seen as being central to conserving biodiversity1 and stabilizing the climate of the Earth2. Although ambitious national and global targets have been set, global priority areas that account for spatial variation in benefits and costs have yet to be identified. Here we develop and apply a multicriteria optimization approach that identifies priority areas for restoration across all terrestrial biomes, and estimates their benefits and costs. We find that restoring 15% of converted lands in priority areas could avoid 60% of expected extinctions while sequestering 299 gigatonnes of CO2—30% of the total CO2 increase in the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. The inclusion of several biomes is key to achieving multiple benefits. Cost effectiveness can increase up to 13-fold when spatial allocation is optimized using our multicriteria approach, which highlights the importance of spatial planning. Our results confirm the vast potential contributions of restoration to addressing global challenges, while underscoring the necessity of pursuing these goals synergistically.Fil: Strassburg, Bernardo B. N.. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Iribarrem, Alvaro. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Beyer, Hawthorne L.. The University of Queensland; Australia. University of Queensland; AustraliaFil: Cordeiro, Carlos Leandro. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Crouzeilles, Renato. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Jakovac, Catarina C.. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Braga Junqueira, André. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Lacerda, Eduardo. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil. Universidade Federal Fluminense; BrasilFil: Latawiec, Agnieszka E.. University of East Anglia; Reino Unido. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Balmford, Andrew. University of Cambridge; Estados UnidosFil: Brooks, Thomas M.. University Of The Philippines Los Banos; Filipinas. Institute For Marine And Antarctic Studies; Australia. International Union For Conservation Of Nature And Natural Resources; SuizaFil: Butchart, Stuart H. M.. University of Cambridge; Estados UnidosFil: Chazdon, Robin L.. University Of The Sunshine Coast; Australia. University of Connecticut; Estados UnidosFil: Erb, Karl-Heinz. Universitat Fur Bodenkultur Wien; AustriaFil: Brancalion, Pedro. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Buchanan, Graeme. Royal Society For The Protection Of Birds; Reino UnidoFil: Cooper, David. Secretariat Of The Convention On Biological Diversity; CanadáFil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Donald, Paul F.. University of Cambridge; Estados UnidosFil: Kapos, Valerie. United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Reino UnidoFil: Leclère, David. International Institute For Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg; AustriaFil: Miles, Lera. United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Reino UnidoFil: Obersteiner, Michael. Oxford Social Sciences Division; Reino Unido. International Institute For Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg; AustriaFil: Plutzar, Christoph. Universitat Fur Bodenkultur Wien; Austria. Universidad de Viena; AustriaFil: de M. Scaramuzza, Carlos Alberto. International Institute For Sustainability; BrasilFil: Scarano, Fabio R.. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Visconti, Piero. International Institute For Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg; Austri

Impact of sugarcane trash on fertilizer requirements for São Paulo, Brazil

The area under mechanized sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) harvesting is expanding in Brazil, increasing the return of trash to the soil. The main questions regarding this management are: (i) after adopting unburned mechanical harvesting, how long will it take to observe decreases in fertilizer requirements, (ii) what will be the magnitude of this decrease and, (iii) the impact in the short run of removing trash for energy purposes in the nutrient cycling? This study aimed to build an N prediction model for long term assessment of the contribution of sugarcane crop residues to sugarcane nutrition and to evaluate the cycling of other nutrients derived from crop residues. Keeping crop residues over the soil will increase soil N stock and N recovery by sugarcane, reaching equilibrium after 40 years with recovery of approximately 40 kg ha-1 year-1 of N. Removing trash for energy production will decrease the potential reduction in N fertilizer requirement. Of the total nutrients in the trash, 75 % of the K2O (81 kg ha-1 year-1) and 50 % of the N (31 kg ha-1 year-1) are in the tops, indicating the importance of maintaining tops in the soil to sustain soil fertility. Because the input data employed in the simulations are representative of the conditions in Southeast Brazil, these results might not be definitive for situations not represented in the experiments used in the study, but the model produced is useful to forecast changes that occur in the soil under different trash management

Enxaqueca em 746 pacientes com esclerose múltipla

Enxaqueca piora o sofrimento do paciente que tem esclerose múltipla (EM). ID-migraine é uma ferramenta útil para seleção de pacientes com enxaqueca e Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) é um questionário que avalia o impacto da doença. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a presença e impacto de enxaqueca em pacientes com EM. Métodos: Pacientes diagnosticados com EM e tratados em clínicas especializadas foram convidados a responder um questionário online se também apresentassem cefaleia. Resultados: O estudo incluiu 746 participantes com cefaleia e EM que preencheram completamente as respostas. Foram 625 mulheres e 121 homens, sendo 69% dos pacientes com idade entre 20 e 40 anos. Enxaqueca foi identificada em 404 pacientes (54,1%) e moderado a grave impacto da doença foi observado em 68,3% dos casos. Conclusão: Enxaqueca é uma cefaleia primária frequente e incapacitante relatada por pacientes com EM.Migraine adds to the burden of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS). The ID-migraine is a useful tool for screening migraine, and the Migraine Disability Assessment questionnaire can evaluate disease burden. The aim of the present study was to assess the presence and burden of migraine in patients with MS. Methods: Patients diagnosed with MS attending specialized MS units were invited to answer an online survey if they also experienced headache. Results: The study included 746 complete responses from patients with MS and headache. There were 625 women and 121 men, and 69% of all the patients were aged between 20 and 40 years. Migraine was identified in 404 patients (54.1%) and a moderate-to-high burden of disease was observed in 68.3% of the patients. Conclusion: Migraine is a frequent and disabling type of primary headache reported by patients with MS