Anthropogenic disturbance in tropical forests can double biodiversity loss from deforestation

© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved. Concerted political attention has focused on reducing deforestation, and this remains the cornerstone of most biodiversity conservation strategies. However, maintaining forest cover may not reduce anthropogenic forest disturbances, which are rarely considered in conservation programmes. These disturbances occur both within forests, including selective logging and wildfires, and at the landscape level, through edge, area and isolation effects. Until now, the combined effect of anthropogenic disturbance on the conservation value of remnant primary forests has remained unknown, making it impossible to assess the relative importance of forest disturbance and forest loss. Here we address these knowledge gaps using a large data set of plants, birds and dung beetles (1,538, 460 and 156 species, respectively) sampled in 36 catchments in the Brazilian state of Pará. Catchments retaining more than 69-80% forest cover lost more conservation value from disturbance than from forest loss. For example, a 20% loss of primary forest, the maximum level of deforestation allowed on Amazonian properties under Brazil's Forest Code, resulted in a 39-54% loss of conservation value: 96-171% more than expected without considering disturbance effects. We extrapolated the disturbance-mediated loss of conservation value throughout Pará, which covers 25% of the Brazilian Amazon. Although disturbed forests retained considerable conservation value compared with deforested areas, the toll of disturbance outside Pará's strictly protected areas is equivalent to the loss of 92,000-139,000 km2 of primary forest. Even this lowest estimate is greater than the area deforested across the entire Brazilian Amazon between 2006 and 2015 (ref. 10). Species distribution models showed that both landscape and within-forest disturbances contributed to biodiversity loss, with the greatest negative effects on species of high conservation and functional value. These results demonstrate an urgent need for policy interventions that go beyond the maintenance of forest cover to safeguard the hyper-diversity of tropical forest ecosystems

Funcionalidade de idosos com alterações cognitivas em diferentes contextos de vulnerabilidade social Funcionalidad de ancianos con alteraciones cognitivas en diferentes contextos de vulnerabilidad social Functionality of elderly people with cognitive impairments in different contexts of social vulnerability

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar a funcionalidade de idosos com alterações cognitivas, morando em diferentes contextos de vulnerabilidade social e correlacionar com as variáveis sexo e idade. MÉTODOS: Estudo descritivo, transversal que abrangeu a avaliação realizada em 88 idosos, utilizando o Índice de Katz e Questionário de Atividades Funcionais de Pfeffer. Os testes de Mann-Whitney e a correlação de Spearman, com nível de significância de 5% (p<"0,05) foram utilizados. RESULTADOS: Não houve influência do sexo nos resultados da avaliação da funcionalidade dos idosos. Verificou-se que quanto mais velho for o idoso, mais dependente poderá ser, tanto para atividades básicas como para instrumentais. Verificou-se que a maioria dos idosos que vive em ambientes pobres é dependente para as atividades realizadas fora do domicílio. CONCLUSÃO: Estes dados reforçam a importância da avaliação da capacidade funcional dos idosos, sobretudo àqueles com alterações cognitivas, idade avançada e residentes em contextos de pobreza.<br>OBJETIVOS: Evaluar la funcionalidad de ancianos con alteraciones cognitivas, que viven en diferentes contextos de vulnerabilidad social y correlacionar con las variables sexo y edad. MÉTODOS: Se trata de un estudio descriptivo, transversal que abarcó la evaluación realizada a 88 ancianos, utilizando el Índice de Katz y el Cuestionario de Actividades Funcionales de Pfeffer. Fueron utilizados los tests de Mann-Whitney y la correlación de Spearman, con nivel de significancia del 5% (p<"0,05). RESULTADOS: No hubo influencia del sexo en los resultados de la evaluación de la funcionalidad de los ancianos. Se verificó que cuanto más viejo es el anciano, más dependiente podrá ser, tanto para las actividades básicas como para las instrumentales. Se verificó que la mayoría de los ancianos que vive en ambientes pobres es dependiente para las actividades realizadas fuera de su domicilio. CONCLUSIÓN: Estos datos refuerzan la importancia de la evaluación de la capacidad funcional de los ancianos, sobre todo a aquellos con alteraciones cognitivas, edad avanzada y residentes en contextos de pobreza.<br>OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the functionality of older people with cognitive impairments, living in different contexts of social vulnerability and correlate with the variables of age and gender. METHODS: Cross-sectional, descriptive study that included the evaluation performed in 88 patients, using the Katz Index and the Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire . The Mann-Whitney and Spearman correlation, with significance level of 5% (p <"0.05) were used. RESULTS: There was no influence of gender on the results of evaluating the functionality of the elderly. It was found that the older the elderly were, the more dependent they were, both for instrumental and basic activities. It was found that most elderly living in poor environments were dependent for activities outside the home. CONCLUSION: These data reinforce the importance of evaluating the functional capacity of the elderly, especially those with cognitive impairment, advanced age and living in contexts of poverty