Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Avaliação de elementos inorgânicos em água e uma população humana exposta a rejeitos de minério

Introduction: Manganese exploration in Amapá and inadequate ore tailing storage in the Santana port area have generated environmental and social impacts for residents. Objective: Assess the presence of inorganic elements in Elesbão neighborhood inhabitants exposed to ore tailings. Methods: Metals were quantifed in the water used by the population and in urine by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (F-AAS), and in hair Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Blood was obtained from 67 exposed and 99 unexposed women, totaling 65 urine and 18 hair samples. Hematological, biochemical and blood clotting analyses were performed in all participants, who also answered a socio-economic questionnaire. Results: Regarding age group, 60.0% of exposed residents ranged between 18 and 42 years old and lived in the area from 10 to 34 years. High concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn and Pb were detected in the analyzed water. In urine, signifcance was observed for Mn and in hair, for Pb and Mn. Hb, Ht, VCM, HCM, monocytes, morphological changes in red cells and platelets were among the signifcant hematological parameters. Regarding the biochemical evaluations, alterations in the enzymes Alkaline Phosphatase, Bilirubins and Creatinine were observed. Conclusions: Environmental contamination by elements that can compromise the health of the exposed population was observed. However, more in-depth studies aimed at women’s health are required, including hormones and genetic marker analyses, thus contributing to the action of competent authorities to improve the health of the exposed population.Introdução: A exploração do manganês no Amapá e o armazenamento inadequado dos rejeitos de minério na área portuária de Santana geraram impactos ambientais e sociais aos moradores locais. Objetivo: Avaliar a presença de elementos inorgânicos nas moradoras do bairro Elesbão expostas aos rejeitos de minérios. Método: Por meio da Espectrofotometria de Absorção Atômica de Chama (F-AAS), quantifcaram-se metais na água utilizada pela população e na matriz biológica urina, enquanto no cabelo utilizou-se Espectrometria de Massas com Plasma Indutivamente Acoplado (ICP-MS). Coletou-se o sangue de 67 mulheres expostas e de 99 não expostas, destas, coletou-se 65 amostras de urina e 18 de cabelo. Foram realizadas análises hematológica, bioquímica e de coagulação no sangue de todas as participantes que também responderam a um questionário socioeconômico. Resultados: Quanto à faixa etária, 60,0% das moradoras expostas estavam entre 18 e 42 anos e moravam na localidade entre 10 e 34 anos. Na água analisada, encontrou-se concentrações elevadas dos metais As, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn e Pb. Na matriz urina, observou-se signifcância para o Mn e, no cabelo, para Pb e Mn. Dentre os parâmetros hematológicos signifcativos estavam Hb, Ht, VCM, HCM, monócitos, alterações morfológicas nas hemácias e plaquetas. Na avaliação bioquímica, observaram-se alterações nas enzimas fosfatase alcalina, bilirrubinas e creatinina. Conclusões: Há contaminação ambiental por elementos que podem comprometer a saúde da população exposta, quando em contato por tempo prolongado. Estudos mais aprofundados e direcionados à saúde da mulher precisam ser realizados, incluindo parâmetros como a análise de hormônios e marcadores genéticos, visando contribuir, assim, para uma ação das autoridades competentes em melhorar a saúde da população exposta.