Domestic dogs (canis familiaris) in atlantic forest fragments in rural and urban areas and their relationship with the surrounding human occupation

Orientador: Paulo Inacio de Knegt Lopez de PradoDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: O cão doméstico tem atuado como espécie exótica invasora, perturbando e modificando ecossistemas nativos de diferentes maneiras. Porém, pouco se sabe sobre o tamanho da população de cães que habitam locais próximos a áreas de interesse ambiental e se isso pode influenciar a chance de entrada desses animais em tais áreas. Além disso, apesar de sua estreita ligação com a população humana, pouco se sabe sobre a relação desta com a população de cães. Sendo assim, o presente estudo teve como objetivos estimar o tamanho de populações de cães, em área urbana e rural próximas a fragmentos florestais, entender de que modo a população humana dessas áreas maneja seus cães e qual a freqüência de ocorrência de cães nos fragmentos florestais. Assim, foram feitas entrevistas com os residentes de modo a obter informações sobre o número de cães com dono e o regime de manejo dado a eles, censos de cães soltos nas áreas e foram montadas parcelas de areia dentro dos fragmentos, a distâncias crescentes da borda, para verificar a freqüência de ocorrência dos cães e se ela diferia da borda para o interior. Os resultados indicaram que ter cães é mais comum em área rural, bem como deixá-los soltos fora da propriedade. Apesar disso, o tamanho da população de cães é maior nas áreas urbanas estudadas, devido a grande densidade populacional humana. Também nessas áreas há cães sem dono, algo raro nas áreas rurais estudadas. O tamanho da população de cães no entorno não influencia a freqüência de ocorrência desses animais dentro dos fragmentos e em ambos os ambientes (rural e urbano), os cães parecem ser um efeito de borda nos fragmentos florestais. Apesar de serem pouco freqüentes a distâncias maiores da borda, esses animais foram marcadamente muito mais freqüentes que carnívoros silvestres, podendo ser mais um impacto importante causado pela presença humana nessas áreas. Assim, o efeito direto que os cães domésticos exercem sobre a fauna local é algo que ainda precisa ser estudado no BrasilAbstract: Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) have been acting as invasive exotic species in many instances, disturbing and modifying natural ecosystems in many ways. Still, little is know about the dogs population size near areas of conservation interest and if that can influence dog¿s chance of using those areas. In addiction, despite their close relationship with humans, little is know about the people¿s attitudes towards the dog population. Thus, this study intends to estimate dog populations sizes in urban and rural areas near forest patches, to investigate the people¿s attitudes towards dogs in those areas and to quantify dog frequencies inside forest patches. For that purpose, questionnaires with local residents were conducted to obtain information about dogs¿ number and the owners¿ attitudes towards caring for their dogs. Censuses on the areas were conducted to estimate numbers of unrestricted and stray dogs. Scent-stations were installed inside the forest patches, at different distances from the edge, to evaluate the frequency of those animals and see if it differed between patches¿ edge and their interior. Having a dog is more common in the rural area, as well as keeping them unrestricted. Yet, dogs¿ population is larger in the urban areas studied, due to high human densities. Also, in those areas there are stray dogs, which is uncommon in the rural areas studied. The dogs¿ population size in the surroundings don¿t influence their presence inside the forest patches and in both landscapes (rural and urban), dogs seems to be an edge effect. Despite not being very common inside the patches other than in its edge, these animals seem to occur more frequently than wild carnivores. For that reason they can represent another important negative impact cause by the human presence in those areas. Domestic dogs¿ direct effects on wildlife still have to be studied in Brazil, nonetheless these potential impacts can be minored by preventing dogs from entering the forest patches. To do so, the residents¿ attitudes towards dogs, in the surrounding areas, are of extreme importanceMestradoEcologiaMestre em Ecologi

Teachers' discourse in kindergarten: An analysis of teachers' utterances in science lessons

This paper studies the organization of teachers’ utterances taking into account whether they belong to academic or social discourse, and the pragmatic function that teachers’ utterances play within each discourse modality. The data consist of four class hours of video-recorded material obtained during observations of teaching situations in two five-year-old kindergarten groups. One kindergarten belongs to a rural school and the other one, to an urban school. We used qualitative and quantitative data analysis. The results showed that both teachers generated similar discursive contexts in Science lessons. Teachers used more utterances during the development of academic discourse than during social discourse. Within social discourse, the teachers used most of their utterances to issue directives. Within academic discourse, they used most utterances to request information from kindergartners. In this case, the rural teacher and the urban teacher produced similar percentages of utterances for commenting on and evaluating children's responses. Results suggest that it is important to continue studying the pedagogical implications of teaching practices in Science lessons as well as detecting teachers’ training opportunities in classroom dialogue and practices that promote the development of scientific thinking in kindergarteners.Fil: Menti, Alejandra Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Paolantonio, María Patricia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Carignano, Sebastián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; ArgentinaFil: Dutari, María Paula. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; Argentin

The species-specific role of wildlife in the Amazonian food system

We examine ways in which the role of wild animals in the Amazonian food system may be socially differentiated and species-specific. We combine a hybrid framework of food choice preferences and theorizing on access to natural resources with fieldwork in Brazilian Amazon, where social and environmental challenges coalesce around the role of wildlife in feeding a growing urban population. Based on 798 household surveys across four towns, we found that consumption of, and taste preferences for, selected species of mammals, fishes, birds, and reptiles are related to variation in means of access (e.g., level of social trust - the basis of reciprocity and informal urban safety nets), and having rural cultural origins (marginal to migrants’ other socioeconomic differences). The likelihood of eating particular species was associated with taste preferences and household experiences of food insecurity. Hunting and fishing households consumed many wild species; it is unclear if they depend heavily on any in particular. Vulnerable species, including manatee, tortoise, and river turtle, were eaten mainly by relatively privileged households, and less so by other households (e.g., rural-urban migrants). Rural origins increased by 90% the likelihood of a strong wild meat preference, compared to other households. Evidently, wildlife consumption is a rural tradition that influences migrants’ dietary practices in towns, through the interplay of preferences, means of access, and context. Finally, severe and moderate food insecurity was associated with eating howler monkey and catfishes (barred and redtail) and not eating manatee and turtle. Hence, urban consumption of some, but not all, wild species is associated with household disadvantage and food insecurity. Amazonian town-dwellers consume many wild species, drawing on diverse means of access, which are species-specific and reflect social inequalities. Species-specific governance of wildlife consumption may help balance the risks of overharvesting against the well-being of Amazonia’s vulnerable town-dwellers

Monomodal and Multimodal Teaching of Words in Kindergarten

El presente estudio se propuso analizar comparativamente: (a) qué tipos de palabras enseñan las maestras de nivel inicial en clases de ciencias sociales versus naturales y (b) qué modalidad (monomodal o multimodal) emplean las docentes durante la enseñanza de esas palabras. Se videofilmaron situaciones de enseñanza en las que cuatro docentes de jardín de infantes desarrollaron dos unidades temáticas: Tipos de Trabajos y Ciclo del Agua. Todas las clases fueron transcriptas según los lineamientos del sistema CHILDES (MacWhinney, 2000). Se utilizó el programa CLAN para obtener listas de las palabras que cada docente dijo. Se seleccionaron por cada unidad, las 15 palabras léxicas que cada docente pronunció con mayor frecuencia y que estuvieran relacionadas semánticamente con el contenido temático de la clase. Cada una de las 120 palabras seleccionadas se codificó según (1) grado de familiaridad (familiar o poco familiar), (2) tipo de palabra (concreta o abstracta) y (3) modalidad de enseñanza (monomodal o multimodal). Los resultados mostraron que las maestras enseñaron significativamente más palabras familiares y concretas en clases de ciencias naturales. Además, enseñaron, mediante la multimodalidad, más palabras familiares y concretas en clases de ciencias naturales y más palabras abstractas en ciencias sociales.The present study aims at comparatively analyzing: (a) what types of words kindergarten teachers teach in social science versus natural science classes and (b) what modality (monomodal or multimodal) teachers use when teaching these words. Four teachers were videotaped while they were developing two thematic units in kindergarten: Types of Jobs and the Water Cycle. All the lessons were transcribed according to the CHILDES system (MacWhinney, 2000). The CLAN program was used to obtain the lists of words which each teacher uttered. For each unit and course, the 15 lexical words which were most frequently produced by the teachers and were related to the thematic content of the class were selected. Each of the 120 selected words was coded according to: (1) degree of familiarity (familiar or unfamiliar), (2) type of word (concrete or abstract), and (3) teaching modality (monomodal or multimodal). The results showed that teachers taught a significantly larger number of familiar and concrete words in natural science classes. Furthermore, they taught, through multimodality, a greater number of familiar and concrete words in natural science classes and of abstract words in social science classes.Fil: Menti, Alejandra Beatriz. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Paolantonio, María Patricia. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas; ArgentinaFil: Carignano, Sebastián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Lenguas. Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Lenguas; Argentin

¿Vínculos responsables?: Estado – Empresa en Córdoba

Nuestro proyecto de investigación se propone describir y analizar los factores que influyen en la ausencia de estrategias empresariales y gubernamentales que propicien el desarrollo de iniciativas conjuntas (interactorales de carácter públicoprivadas) en torno al desarrollo de la Responsabilidad Social Empresaria (RSE) en Córdoba capital. A estos fines, a través del contacto con referentes claves de los sectores público-gubernamental y privado-empresarial y representantes de los principales órganos institucionalizados de intermediación entre ambos sectores, se intentará analizar una problemática que, según aproximaciones anteriores realizadas en el marco de PROETICA/ICDA-UCC, estaría ligada a las lógicas de actuación predominantes en los sectores mencionados que impedirían una adecuada vinculación intersectorial. Así, puede decirse que el predominio de patrones individuales de comportamiento que se traducen en el planteo de estrategias diferenciadas no relacionadas, los prejuicios mutuos que impiden el diálogo y el acercamiento y el desconocimiento del tema por parte del Gobierno, conllevan a una ausencia de estrategias orientadas a la promoción y el desarrollo de la RSE. Asimismo, el problema estaría vinculado con una acentuada crisis de representatividad general que afecta también a los actores que operan en la intermediación gobierno- empresas. El equipo considera que la indagación acerca de los factores que, según los actores implicados, influyen en la relación in-tersectorial, es el puntapié incial de cara a resolver las cuestiones que impiden el fortalecimiento de vínculos en pos del desarrollo de la RSE y la consecución de los fines que esta promueve.Fil: Liarte-Vejrup, Nicolás Adolfo. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Administración; argentin

¿Vínculos responsables?: Estado – Empresa en Córdoba

Nuestro proyecto de investigación se propone describir y analizar los factores que influyen en la ausencia de estrategias empresariales y gubernamentales que propicien el desarrollo de iniciativas conjuntas (interactorales de carácter públicoprivadas) en torno al desarrollo de la Responsabilidad Social Empresaria (RSE) en Córdoba capital. A estos fines, a través del contacto con referentes claves de los sectores público-gubernamental y privado-empresarial y representantes de los principales órganos institucionalizados de intermediación entre ambos sectores, se intentará analizar una problemática que, según aproximaciones anteriores realizadas en el marco de PROETICA/ICDA-UCC, estaría ligada a las lógicas de actuación predominantes en los sectores mencionados que impedirían una adecuada vinculación intersectorial. Así, puede decirse que el predominio de patrones individuales de comportamiento que se traducen en el planteo de estrategias diferenciadas no relacionadas, los prejuicios mutuos que impiden el diálogo y el acercamiento y el desconocimiento del tema por parte del Gobierno, conllevan a una ausencia de estrategias orientadas a la promoción y el desarrollo de la RSE. Asimismo, el problema estaría vinculado con una acentuada crisis de representatividad general que afecta también a los actores que operan en la intermediación gobierno- empresas. El equipo considera que la indagación acerca de los factores que, según los actores implicados, influyen en la relación in-tersectorial, es el puntapié incial de cara a resolver las cuestiones que impiden el fortalecimiento de vínculos en pos del desarrollo de la RSE y la consecución de los fines que esta promueve.Fil: Liarte-Vejrup, Nicolás Adolfo. Universidad Católica de Córdoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Administración; argentin

Effects of habitat deterioration on the population genetics and conservation of the jaguar

Over the past century, human activities and their side effects have significantly threatened both ecosystems and resident species. Nevertheless, the genetic patterns of large felids that depend heavily on large and well-conserved continuous habitat remain poorly studied. Using the largest-ever contemporary genetic survey of wild jaguars (Panthera onca), we evaluated their genetic diversity and population structure in natural (Brazilian Amazon) and highly modified habitats (e.g. Cerrado, Caatinga) including those close to the northern (Yucatan, Mexico) and southern (Pantanal) edge of the species’ distribution range. Data from our set of microsatellites revealed a pronounced genetic structure, with four genetically differentiated geographic areas. Geographic distance was not the only factor influencing genetic differentiation through the jaguar range. Instead, we found evidence of the effects of habitat deterioration on genetic patterns: while the levels of genetic diversity in the Amazon forest, the largest continuum habitat for the species, are high and consistent with panmixia across large distances, genetic diversity near the edge of the species distribution has been reduced through population contractions. Mexican jaguar populations were highly differentiated from those in Brazil and genetically depauperated. An isolated population from the Caatinga showed the genetic effects of a recent demographic decline (within the last 20–30 years), which may reflect recent habitat degradation in the region. Our results demonstrate that the jaguar is highly sensitive to habitat fragmentation especially in human-dominated landscapes, and that in Brazil, the existing but limited genetic connectivity in the central protected areas should be maintained. These conclusions have important implications for the management of wide-ranging species with high dispersal and low population density. The restoration of ecological connectivity between populations over relatively large scales should be one of the main priorities for species conservation.Peer reviewe

Assessing progress towards meeting major international objectives related to nature and nature's contributions to people

In recognition of the importance of nature, its contributions to people and role in underpinning sustainable development, governments adopted a Strategic Plan on Biodiversity 2011-2020 through the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) containing 20 "Aichi Biodiversity Targets" and integrated many of these into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted through the United Nations in 2015. Additional multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) target particular aspects of nature (e.g., Ramsar Convention on Wetlands; Convention on Migratory Species), drivers of biodiversity loss (e.g., Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), or responses (e.g., World Heritage Convention). These various MEAs provide complementary fora in which governments strive to coordinate efforts to reduce the loss and degradation of nature, and to promote sustainable development. In this chapter, we assess, through a systematic review process and quantitative analysis of indicators, progress towards the 20 Aichi Targets under the Strategic Plan (and each of the 54 elements or components of these targets), targets under the SDGs that are relevant to nature and nature's contributions to people (NCP), and the goals and targets of six other MEAs. We consider the relationships between the SDGs, nature and the contributions of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) to achieving the various targets and goals, the impact of progress or lack of it on IPLCs, the reasons for variation in progress, implications for a new Strategic Plan for Biodiversity beyond 2020, and key knowledge gaps.For the 44 SDG targets assessed, including targets for poverty, hunger, health, water, cities, climate, oceans and land (Goals 1, 2, 3, 6, 11, 13, 14, 15), findings suggest that current negative trends in nature will substantially undermine progress to 22 SDG targets and result in insufficient progress to meet 13 additional targets (i.e. 80 per cent (35 out of 44) of the assessed targets) {3.3.2.1; 3.3.2.2}(established but incomplete). Across terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems, current negative trends in nature and its contributions will hamper SDG progress, with especially poor progress expected towards targets on water security, water quality, ocean pollution and acidification. Trends in nature's contributions relevant to extreme event vulnerability, resource access, small-scale food production, and urban and agricultural sustainability are negative and insufficient for achieving relevant targets under SDGs 1, 2, 3, and 11. This has negative consequences for both the rural and urban poor who are also directly reliant on declining resources for consumption and income generation {3.3.2.2}. For a further 9 targets evaluated in SDGs 1, 3 and 11 a lack of knowledge on how nature contributes to targets (4 targets) or gaps in data with which to assess trends in nature (5 targets) prevented their assessment.Fil: Butchart, Stuart. London Metropolitan University; Reino UnidoFil: Miloslavich, Patricia. University of Western Australia; AustraliaFil: Reyers, Belinda. No especifíca;Fil: Galetto, Leonardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Subramanian, Suneetha M.. No especifíca;Fil: Adams, Cristina. No especifíca;Fil: Palomo, Maria Gabriela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: McElwee, Pamela. No especifíca;Fil: Meretsky, Vicky J.. No especifíca;Fil: Morsello, Carla. No especifíca;Fil: Nel, Jeanne. No especifíca;Fil: Lynn Newberry, Teresa. No especifíca;Fil: Pacheco, Diego. No especifíca;Fil: Pyhala, Aili. No especifíca;Fil: Rossi Heras, Sergio. No especifíca;Fil: Roy, Joyashree. No especifíca;Fil: Ruiz-Mallén, Isabel. No especifíca;Fil: Salpeteur, Matthieu. No especifíca;Fil: Santos-Martin, Fernando. No especifíca;Fil: Saylor. Kirk. No especifíca;Fil: Schaffartzik, Anke. No especifíca;Fil: Sitas, Nadia. No especifíca;Fil: Speranza, Ifejika. No especifíca;Fil: Suich, Helen. No especifíca;Fil: Tittensor, Derek. No especifíca;Fil: Carignano, Patricia. No especifíca;Fil: Tsioumani, Elsa. No especifíca;Fil: Whitmee, Sarah. No especifíca;Fil: Wilson, Sarah. No especifíca;Fil: Wyndham, Felice. No especifíca;Fil: Zorondo-Rodriguez, Francisco. No especifíca

High Proportion of Male Faeces in Jaguar Populations

Faeces provide relevant biological information which includes, with the application of genetic techniques, the sex and identity of individuals that defecated, thus providing potentially useful data on the behaviour and ecology of individuals, as well as the dynamics and structure of populations. This paper presents estimates of the sex ratio of different felid species (jaguar, Panthera onca; puma, Puma concolor; and ocelot/margay, Leopardus pardalis/Leopardus wiedi) as observed in field collected faeces, and proposes several hypotheses that could explain the strikingly high proportion of faeces from male jaguars. The proportion of male and female faeces was estimated using a non-invasive faecal sampling method in 14 study areas in Mexico and Brazil. Faecal samples were genetically analysed to identify the species, the sex and the individual (the latter only for samples identified as belonging to jaguars). Considering the three species, 72.6% of faeces (n = 493) were from males; however, there were significant differences among them, with the proportion from males being higher for jaguars than for pumas and ocelots/margays. A male-bias was consistently observed in all study areas for jaguar faeces, but not for the other species. For jaguars the trend was the same when considering the number of individuals identified (n = 68), with an average of 4.2±0.56 faeces per male and 2.0±0.36 per female. The observed faecal marking patterns might be related to the behaviour of female jaguars directed toward protecting litters from males, and in both male and female pumas, to prevent interspecific aggressions from male jaguars. The hypothesis that there are effectively more males than females in jaguar populations cannot be discarded, which could be due to the fact that females are territorial and males are not, or a tendency for males to disperse into suboptimal areas for the species. © 2012 Palomares et al

A social and ecological assessment of tropical land uses at multiple scales: the Sustainable Amazon Network

Science has a critical role to play in guiding more sustainable development trajectories. Here, we present the Sustainable Amazon Network (Rede Amazonia Sustentavel, RAS): a multidisciplinary research initiative involving more than 30 partner organizations working to assess both social and ecological dimensions of land-use sustainability in eastern Brazilian Amazonia. The research approach adopted by RAS offers three advantages for addressing land-use sustainability problems: (i) the collection of synchronized and co-located ecological and socioeconomic data across broad gradients of past and present human use; (ii) a nested sampling design to aid comparison of ecological and socioeconomic conditions associated with different land uses across local, landscape and regional scales; and (iii) a strong engagement with a wide variety of actors and non-research institutions. Here, we elaborate on these key features, and identify the ways in which RAS can help in highlighting those problems in most urgent need of attention, and in guiding improvements in land-use sustainability in Amazonia and elsewhere in the tropics. We also discuss some of the practical lessons, limitations and realities faced during the development of the RAS initiative so far.Keywords: Social–ecological systems, Tropical forests, Land use, Interdisciplinary research, Sustainability, Trade-off