11 research outputs found
Extreme events are more likely to affect the breeding success of lesser kestrels than average climate change
Climate change is predicted to severely impact interactions between prey, predators and habitats. In
Southern Europe, within the Mediterranean climate, herbaceous vegetation achieves its maximum
growth in middle spring followed by a three-month dry summer, limiting prey availability for
insectivorous birds. Lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) breed in a time-window that matches the
nestling-rearing period with the peak abundance of grasshoppers and forecasted climate change may
impact reproductive success through changes in prey availability and abundance. We used Normalised
Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as a surrogate of habitat quality and prey availability to investigate
the impacts of forecasted climate change and extreme climatic events on lesser kestrel breeding
performance. First, using 14 years of data from 15 colonies in Southwestern Iberia, we linked fledging
success and climatic variables with NDVI, and secondly, based on these relationships and according
to climatic scenarios for 2050 and 2070, forecasted NDVI and fledging success. Finally, we evaluated
how fledging success was influenced by drought events since 2004. Despite predicting a decrease in
vegetation greenness in lesser kestrel foraging areas during spring, we found no impacts of predicted
gradual rise in temperature and decline in precipitation on their fledging success. Notwithstanding, we
found a decrease of 12% in offspring survival associated with drought events, suggesting that a higher
frequency of droughts might, in the future, jeopardize the recent recovery of the European population.
Here, we show that extreme events, such as droughts, can have more significant impacts on species
than gradual climatic changes, especially in regions like the Mediterranean Basin, a biodiversity and
climate change hotspotinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Racial Differences in Behavioral Inpatient Diagnosis: Examining the Mechanisms using the 2004 Florida Inpatient Discharge Data
Racial and Ethnic Diagnostic Patterns in Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
The literature on racial and ethnic diagnostic patterns (as these pertain to schizophrenia spectrum disorders) is reviewed in this chapter. The chapter begins with a review of the literature on the diagnostic patterns among racial and ethnic minorities in the USA and abroad, followed by a review of racial/ethnic differences in symptom severity, symptom expression, and prevalence rates. This is then followed by a review of the empirical literature that offers explanations about why differential diagnostic patterns are observed. This review explores the question of whether differential patterns are due to inherent differences between racial/ethnic groups or if clinician biases and/or decision-making processes are contributing to differential diagnostic practices. Finally, literature that points to cultural mistrust, paranoia, and other environmental factors (e.g., stress) as potential variables that may contribute to the differential diagnostic patterns among racial/ethnic groups is reviewed. These reviews suggest that Black patients are three to four times more likely to receive a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis. Findings also suggest that racial/ethnic variations may exist on a symptom level, with greater differences observed among positive symptom profiles. This review suggests that unawareness of cultural differences in symptom expression, cultural mistrust, and environmental factors (e.g., low SES) may be related to greater likelihood of receiving a schizophrenia spectrum diagnosis but do not fully account for the diagnostic discrepancies observed among racial/ethnic groups. To better understand these relationships, we conclude with recommendations to improve diagnostic accuracy and cultural competence (e.g., greater reliance on the Cultural Formulation Interview) and suggestions for future research that may further clarify the racial/ethnic diagnostic conundrum (e.g., using analog research studies)