Consequences of a large-scale fragmentation experiment for Neotropical bats : disentangling the relative importance of local and landscape-scale effects

Context Habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are widespread drivers of biodiversity decline. Understanding how habitat quality interacts with landscape context, and how they jointly affect species in human-modified landscapes, is of great importance for informing conservation and management. Objectives We used a whole-ecosystem manipulation experiment in the Brazilian Amazon to investigate the relative roles of local and landscape attributes in affecting bat assemblages at an interior-edge-matrix disturbance gradient. Methods We surveyed bats in 39 sites, comprising continuous forest (CF), fragments, forest edges and intervening secondary regrowth. For each site, we assessed vegetation structure (local-scale variable) and, for five focal scales, quantified habitat amount and four landscape configuration metrics. Results Smaller fragments, edges and regrowth sites had fewer species and higher levels of dominance than CF. Regardless of the landscape scale analysed, species richness and evenness were mostly related to the amount of forest cover. Vegetation structure and configurational metrics were important predictors of abundance, whereby the magnitude and direction of response to configurational metrics were scale-dependent. Responses were ensemble-specific with local-scale vegetation structure being more important for frugivorous than for gleaning animalivorous bats. Conclusions Our study indicates that scale-sensitive measures of landscape structure are needed for a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of fragmentation on tropical biota. Although forest fragments and regrowth habitats can be of conservation significance for tropical bats our results further emphasize that primary forest is of irreplaceable value, underlining that their conservation can only be achieved by the preservation of large expanses of pristine habitat

Mitos e tabus da maternidade: um enfoque sobre o processo saúde-doença Mitos y tabús de la maternidad: un enfoque sobre el proceso salud-enfermedad Myths and taboos of motherhood: focusing on the health-disease process

Objetivo: conhecer mitos e tabus relativos à maternidade e suas implicações no processo saúde/doença. Método: pesquisa desenvolvida na abordagem qualitativa, no ambiente natural, com mulheres de classes populares que vivenciaram a maternidade. A seleção dos sujeitos foi intencional e a coleta de dados realizada por meio de entrevistas e observação participante durante a prestação de cuidados à saúde dessas mulheres. A análise dos dados seguiu a orientação da análise de conteúdo. Constatou-se que o tema em estudo permeia, como uma ideologia, o viver das mulheres. Mitos e tabus são relacionados à saúde/doença: higiene no pós-parto; proteção da integridade do recém-nascido; menstruação; alternativas para solucionar problemas de saúde; questões de gênero: condutas que seguem para evitar tornarem-se "mulheres fáceis". Há elementos que traduzem os valores culturais do cotidiano das mulheres e a necessidade da junção entre o conhecimento científico e as práticas populares.<br>Objetivo: Conocer mitos y tabúes relativos a la maternidad y sus implicaciones en el proceso salud/enfermedad. Método: Investigación desarrollada en el abordaje cualitativo, en el ambiente natural, con mujeres de clases sociales populares que experimentaron la maternidad. La selección de los sujetos fue intencional y la recolección de datos realizada por medio de entrevistas y observación participante durante la prestación de atención a la salud de estas mujeres. El análisis de los datos siguió la orientación del análisis de contenidos. Resultados: se constató que el tema en estudio penetra, como una ideología, en el vivir de las mujeres. Mitos y tabúes son relacionados a la salud/enfermedad: higiene en el pos-parto; protección de la integridad del recién-nacido; menstruo; alternativas para solucionar problemas de salud; cuestiones de género; conductas que siguen para evitar que se quedan "mujeres fáciles". Hay elementos que traducen los valores culturales del cotidiano de las mujeres y la necesidad de la combinación del conocimiento científico con las prácticas populares.<br>Objective: To learn about myths and taboos related with motherhood and their implications in the health/disease process. Method: Study carried out using a qualitative approach, in a natural setting, with women of poor classes who experienced motherhood. The selection of subjects was performed intentionally, and data collection was made by means of semi-structured interviews and participant observation at the moment those women were given healthcare attention. Data analysis followed the content analysis. Results: The topic under study permeates, as an ideology, the women´s lives. The myths and taboos are related to health/disease: postpartum hygiene; protection of the newborn´s integrity; menses; alternatives for a solution of health problems; and gender issues, the conducts the women follow to avoid becoming "saucy" being evidenced. In the research, it was possible to capture elements that translate the cultural values of the women´s daily lives and the need for associating scientific knowledge with popular practices