Moral Ecology of a Forest

Forests are alive, filled with rich, biologically complex life forms and the interrelationships of multiple species and materials. Vulnerable to a host of changing conditions in this global era, forests are in peril as never before. New markets in carbon and environmental services attract speculators. In the name of conservation, such speculators attempt to undermine local land control in these desirable areas. Moral Ecology of a Forest provides an ethnographic account of conservation politics, particularly the conflict between Western conservation and Mayan ontological ecology. The difficult interactions of the Maya of central Quintana Roo, Mexico, for example, or the Mayan communities of the Sain Ka’an Biosphere, demonstrate the clashing interests with Western biodiversity conservation initiatives. The conflicts within the forest of Quintana Roo represent the outcome of nature in this global era, where the forces of land grabbing, conservation promotion and organizations, and capitalism vie for control of forests and land. Forests pose living questions. In addition to the ever-thrilling biology of interdependent species, forests raise questions in the sphere of political economy, and thus raise cultural and moral questions. The economic aspects focus on the power dynamics and ideological perspectives over who controls, uses, exploits, or preserves those life forms and landscapes. The cultural and moral issues focus on the symbolic meanings, forms of knowledge, and obligations that people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and classes have constructed in relation to their lands. The Maya Forest of Quintana Roo is a historically disputed place in which these three questions come together

Moral Ecology of a Forest

Forests are alive, filled with rich, biologically complex life forms and the interrelationships of multiple species and materials. Vulnerable to a host of changing conditions in this global era, forests are in peril as never before. New markets in carbon and environmental services attract speculators. In the name of conservation, such speculators attempt to undermine local land control in these desirable areas. Moral Ecology of a Forest provides an ethnographic account of conservation politics, particularly the conflict between Western conservation and Mayan ontological ecology. The difficult interactions of the Maya of central Quintana Roo, Mexico, for example, or the Mayan communities of the Sain Ka’an Biosphere, demonstrate the clashing interests with Western biodiversity conservation initiatives. The conflicts within the forest of Quintana Roo represent the outcome of nature in this global era, where the forces of land grabbing, conservation promotion and organizations, and capitalism vie for control of forests and land. Forests pose living questions. In addition to the ever-thrilling biology of interdependent species, forests raise questions in the sphere of political economy, and thus raise cultural and moral questions. The economic aspects focus on the power dynamics and ideological perspectives over who controls, uses, exploits, or preserves those life forms and landscapes. The cultural and moral issues focus on the symbolic meanings, forms of knowledge, and obligations that people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and classes have constructed in relation to their lands. The Maya Forest of Quintana Roo is a historically disputed place in which these three questions come together

Comunidad, Estado y naturaleza: La ecología política del manejo colaborativo de bosques.

Collaborative management, or co-management, of forests has increasingly become an alternative to traditional state management. Utilizing a Political Ecology perspective, this article highlights the conflictive dynamic between the state and community grassroots organizations about their perceptions and understandings about the meanings, objectives, goals, and politics of co-management. It is argued that forest co-management is primarily a social relation mediated by power relations and social nature, in which priority is given to scientific knowledge and Western rationality over what it means local groups. The article also analyzes the discursive strategies used by local groups to defend their management views. Finally, using a Puerto Rican case study, the article discusses which strategies and discourses have been effective and ineffective in the implementation of co-management.El manejo colaborativo de bosques, mejor conocido como co-manejo, ha aumentado como alternativa al manejo estatal tradicional de los recursos naturales. Aplicando la perspectiva de la ecología política, en este trabajo se argumenta el carácter conflictivo entre el Estado y los grupos de base en términos de percepciones sobre los significados, objetivos, metas y políticas sobre el co-manejo de bosques. Se argumenta que el manejo de bosques es primordialmente una relación social mediada por relaciones de poder y la naturaleza social en donde se la da prioridad al conocimiento científico y a la racionalidad de manejo occidental a diferencia de lo que representa el bosque para grupos locales y comunitarios. Se analizan además, las estrategias discursivas en que los distintos actores se enfrentan para defender su visión de manejo. Finalmente, mediante los estudios de caso de Puerto Rico, se presentan las estrategias y discursos que han sido efectivos, y los que no, en la implementación del co-manejo

Unusual Vermamoeba Vermiformis Strain Isolated from Snow in Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are protozoa that are widely distributed in the environment mainly in water and soil related habitats. Thermophilic amoebae are among the most common FLA in water bodies, being Vermamoeba vermiformis one of the most common species reported worldwide from these sources. Interestingly, V. vermiformis has often been reported to survive at high temperatures and osmotic pressure worldwide.Materials and Methods: In this study, snow samples were collected from Mount Teide, Tenerife, Canary Islands during the winter season of 2014. The samples were culture on non nutrient agar plates and checked daily for the presence of FLA. After a week, V. vermiformis amoebae were observed in the plates incubated at room temperature and 37ºC.Results: Molecular characterization was carried out by amplifying the 18S rDNA gene and DNA sequencing, confirmed that the isolated strain belonged to Vermamoeba vermiformis species.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Vermamoeba vermiformis isolation from such an inusual habitat (low temperatures and high altitude) and the first report of these species in the Canary islands

First Report of Vermamoeba vermiformis in the Island of El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain

Background: Free-living amoebae (FLA) are group of protozoa distributed worldwide in many habitats mainly water and soil related sources. Some members of FLA are able to act as opportunistic pathogens and are environmental carriers of other pathogenic agents such as bacteria and viruses. Vermamoeba vermiformis is a highly abundant FLA species in water bodies and has recently gained environmental importance as it acts as a vehicle of many pathogenic bacteria such as Legionella pneumophila.Cases Report: In this study, water samples were collected from the island of El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain during 2015. El Hierro island was designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve and it is currently the less populated of the Canary Islands. The water samples were culture on 2 % Non-Nutrient Agar (NNA) plates covered with a thin layer of heat killed E. coli and checked daily for the presence of FLA. After a week, V. vermiformis amoebae were observed in the plates incubated at room temperature and 37 ºC. Molecular characterization was carried out by amplifying the 18S rDNA gene and DNA sequencing, confirming that the isolated strain belonged to Vermamoeba vermiformis species.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Vermamoeba vermiformis isolation in the island of El Hierro and the second report of this species in the Canary Islands

Composición química de extractos obtenidos por destilaciónextracción simultánea con solvente de hojas e inflorescencias de nueve especies y/o variedades de albahacas (ocimum spp.)

Se determinó la composición química de extractos obtenidos por destilaciónextracción simultánea con solvente (SDE) de nueve especies y/o variedades de Ocimum spp. (albahacas moradas, reina, híbrida, cítrica y americana; síguemes morado y blanco). La identificación de los compuestos se realizó por GC-MS y por comparación de sus espectros de masas con los de las bases de datos QuadLib, NIST02 y Wiley138 e índices de retención de Kovàts. Los siguientes fueron los compuestos mayoritarios identificados en los extractos: eucaliptol, linalol, nerol, geraniol, neral, geranial, estragol, eugenol y transcinamato de metilo

Composición química de extractos obtenidos por destilaciónextracción simultánea con solvente de hojas e inflorescencias de nueve especies y/o variedades de albahacas (ocimum spp.)

Se determinó la composición química de extractos obtenidos por destilaciónextracción simultánea con solvente (SDE) de nueve especies y/o variedades de Ocimum spp. (albahacas moradas, reina, híbrida, cítrica y americana; síguemes morado y blanco). La identificación de los compuestos se realizó por GC-MS y por comparación de sus espectros de masas con los de las bases de datos QuadLib, NIST02 y Wiley138 e índices de retención de Kovàts. Los siguientes fueron los compuestos mayoritarios identificados en los extractos: eucaliptol, linalol, nerol, geraniol, neral, geranial, estragol, eugenol y transcinamato de metilo

Efficient In Vitro and In Vivo Anti‐Inflammatory Activity of a Diamine‐PEGylated Oleanolic Acid Derivative

Recent evidence has shown that inflammation can contribute to all tumorigenic states. We have investigated the anti‐inflammatory effects of a diamine‐PEGylated derivative of oleanolic acid (OADP), in vitro and in vivo with inflammation models. In addition, we have determined the sub‐cytotoxic concentrations for anti‐inflammatory assays of OADP in RAW 264.7 cells. The in‐ flammatory process began with incubation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Nitric oxide production levels were also determined, exceeding 75% inhibition of NO for a concentration of 1 μg/mL of OADP. Cell‐cycle analysis showed a reversal of the arrest in the G0/G1 phase in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Furthermore, through Western blot analysis, we have determined the probable molecular mechanism activated by OADP; the inhibition of the expression of cytokines such as TNF‐α, IL‐1β, iNOS, and COX‐2; and the blocking of p‐IκBα production in LPS‐stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. Finally, we have analyzed the anti‐inflammatory action of OADP in a mouse acute ear edema, in male BL/6J mice treated with OADP and tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA). Treatment with OADP induced greater suppression of edema and decreased the ear thickness 14% more than diclofenac. The development of new derivatives such as OADP with powerful anti‐inflammatory effects could represent an effective therapeutic strategy against inflammation and tumorigenic processes

Evolución paleoclimática del sur de la Península Ibérica a partir del registro de la cuenca de Guadix-Baza: un modelo paleoclimático perimediterráneo

El análisis paleoambiental del registro estratigráfico del sector oriental de la cuenca de Guadix-Baza (Granada) se realizó en el marco del 3er Plan de I+D de la Empresa Nacional de Residuos Radiactivos SA junto con un Proyecto financiado por la UE “Evidency from Quaternary Infills Palaeohydrogeology- EQUIP” y otro proyecto “PALEOCLIMA”, conjuntamente financiado por ENRESA y el Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear (CSN)