RCAAP Repository

As alterações climáticas consistem num dos maiores desafios que as sociedades contemporâneas irão enfrentar ao longo do próximo século. Contudo, a resposta aos seus impactos e o tipo de estratégias que serão adotadas serão sempre determinadas pela eficácia com que souberem integrar e responder aos problemas de desigualdades sociais em presença nas sociedades. Neste trabalho explora-se a relação entre as alterações climáticas e as desigualdades sociais, com enfoque ao nível do território. A escassez de água, as temperaturas elevadas e os agora mais prolongados “estados de seca” constituem-se enquanto um problema ambiental, social, económico e de saúde pública que as populações do Baixo Alentejo já se encontram a enfrentar. Estes territórios deparam-se com uma dupla desvantagem: despovoamento e desertificação. Uma leitura sociológica sobre a seca procura explorar o caráter relacional e dinâmico deste fenómeno, ao evidenciar a multiplicidade de “laços emaranhados” e da sua relação com redes e contextos institucionais, sistema culturais e sociais, que moldam a vida do quotidiano dos indivíduos. Estabelece-se enquanto hipótese de trabalho que a compreensão dos impactos de fenómenos meteorológicos, como a seca, necessita de um enquadramento social e territorial, e da compreensão das desigualdades sociais existentes e que determinam a sua resiliência e a adaptação. Foi realizado um estudo de caso sobre o concelho de Mértola, de caráter qualitativo, onde foram aplicadas 50 entrevistas. Foi analisada a perceção da população de Mértola sobre a sua vulnerabilidade ao risco colocado por períodos de seca e escassez de água através do conceito de “memória climática” e feita uma avaliação de medidas da capacidade de adaptação desta comunidade, tendo sido identificado quatros perfis de adaptação às alterações climáticas e de convivência com a seca. Concluiu-se que existe um problema mais amplo relacionado com o paradigma atual da água, que no nosso entender, se encontra a exponenciar as desigualdades territoriais. Palavras-chave: Alterações climáticas, seca, desigualdades sociais, Alentejo, memór

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Understanding the spatial ecology of species has important implications for conservation, as it helps identify suitable habitats and minimum requirements for biodiversity monitoring and management. The spiny-tailed lizard Oplurus cyclurus is a widespread endemic iguanid occurring in dry areas of southern and western Madagascar. While the species is known to be mostly arboreal, populations of the Isalo sandstone massif suggest local adaptation to a less forested savannah and a more exposed habitat. We radio-tracked 19 spiny-tailed lizards to investigate the species’ rock-dwelling behaviour and spatial ecology at Isalo National Park. Tracked individuals showed high site and burrow fidelity, and a basking behaviour mostly tied to the accessibility of their burrow, the time of day, and their life stage. Activity peaked during the sunniest hours, while juveniles were more active than adults with unfavourable weather conditions. Despite high burrow fidelity, lizards used shelters non-exclusively, regularly changing (approx. once a week) with neighbouring burrows (average distance between burrows = 13.6 m). However, there was no obvious relation between lizards’ body and/or tail size and the width and depth of selected burrows. Dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models estimated frequented areas over 247.8 m2 (95% isopleth), where territorial overlap is common. Our results challenge the notion that burrow-site fidelity is the sole driving factor behind space utilization in the studied population. We argue that the apparently unusual saxicolous habits imposed by habitat features (the absence of trees) may lead to local behavioural adjustments influencing antipredatory and foraging strategies, as well as intraspecific interactions.

Livestock depredation is a common cause of human-carnivore conflicts. In Portugal, free-ranging dogs are increasingly abundant and overlap endangered Iberian wolf territories, with reports of livestock depredation. However, the lack of awareness about dogs’ possible role as predators leads to bias against wolves in cases of damages. Our goal was to assess and compare wolf and free-ranging dog’s diet composition at southern wolf range in Portugal, to offer insights on dogs’ predatory role on livestock and its implications for the conservation of an endangered wolf subpopulation. We assessed diet composition from 107 to 95 genetically confirmed wolf and dog scats, respectively, and complemented the analysis with data from 40 attacks on livestock with successful genetic predator assignment. Scat analysis highlighted goats as the most consumed dog prey in all analysed regions, with lagomorphs, small mammals, and wild boars as second most consumed in each region, respectively. Wolves mainly relied on goats and wild boars in the west, whereas in the central region they mostly fed on birds. The dietary overlap between both canids was very high (Pianka’s index O = 0.93), showing potential for competition. Additionally, we found that dogs were the sole predators detected in most attacks (62%). Our findings highlight dogs’ role as predators of livestock, and possibly also wild species, posing a further challenge to wolf conservation. Alongside adequate husbandry practices, we emphasise the need for a stronger enforcement of the legislation on dog ownership and an effective management of the stray population to reduce human-wolf conflict.

Euryades corethrus is a Troidini butterfly (Papilionidae, Papilioninae), endemic to grasslands in southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. Formerly abundant, nowadays it is in the Red list of endangered species for those areas. During its larval stage, it feeds on Aristolochia spp, commonly found in southern grasslands. These native grassland areas are diminishing, being converted to crops and pastures, causing habitat loss for Aristolochia and E. corethrus. This study aimed to assess the genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history of E. corethrus. We sampled eight populations from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil and based on Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) molecular marker, our results suggest a low genetic variability between populations, presence of gene flow and, consequently, lack of population structure. A single maternally inherited-genetic marker is insufficient for population-level decisions, but barcoding is a useful tool during early stages of population investigation, bringing out genomic diversity patterns within the target species. Those populations likely faced a bottleneck followed by a rapid expansion during the last glaciation and subsequent stabilization in effective population size. Habitat loss is a threat, which might cause isolation, loss of genetic variability and, ultimately, extinction of E. corethrus if no habitat conservation policy is adopted.

Introduction: The conversion of natural habitats to agricultural systems is one of the main global threats to bats. Here, we aimed to develop a systematic mapping to identify publication trends and research gaps in studying bats and agricultural systems. Methods: We reviewed 309 studies published between 1990 and 2021 that sampled bats in agricultural systems or evaluated the effect of these systems on these animals. Results: We found that most studies were conducted in the Palearctic and Neotropical regions (55.3%) and forest biomes (66.0%). Grassland-cropland systems (50.2%) and forest plantations that do not require cutting during the extraction of their products (47.9%) were more studied than forest plantations that require cutting (19.7%). Additionally, acoustic recordings (41.1%) and mist nets (34.3%) were the primary sampling methods used, with few studies combining these methods (7.1%). Also, most studies were conducted on a local scale (77.7%). The number of landscape-scale studies was smaller (34.3%) and concentrated in the Palearctic region (39.6%). Most studies assessed how agricultural systems affect biodiversity (62.1%). However, the phylogenetic and functional dimensions and b-diversity were little explored, with 2.5% and 23.3% of the biodiversity studies, respectively. Of the proposed mitigation measures, the most cited was including natural/semi-natural/potential bat habitats in cultivated landscapes (59.5%). Discussion: In summary, our findings highlight the need for attention to the Afrotropic and Indo-Malaysia regions; predominantly non-forested biomes; plantations that require cutting during the extraction of their products; combined use of different sampling methods, as well as other methods as telemetry; use of multiple biodiversity descriptors and others biological descriptors, such as ecological services; landscape-scale studies and the role of conservation policies in promoting their conservation and raising awareness of their importance among producers and local communities. Filling these knowledge gaps is necessary to understand the factors influencing bat survival in cultivated landscapes. This is the only way to develop management and conservation strategies in these landscapes.

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Esta Newsletter (NL) surge de uma colaboração entre o Instituto de Saúde Baseada na Evidência (ISBE) e a Cochrane Portugal com o objetivo disponibilizar informação sobre a área da saúde digital, com base na melhor evidência científica disponível. Tratando-se de uma área recente e em constante evolução, esta publicação quinzenal inclui a análise de um estudo relevante, criticamente avaliados pela sua validade, importância dos resultados e aplicabilidade prática, tal como a explicação de um termo técnico e a referência a uma ou duas notícias relevantes. A NL inclui ainda a divulgação de atividades do ISBE que possam ser do interesse dos leitores. O objetivo é de permitir a atualização de conhecimentos na área. O conteúdo da NL é da exclusiva responsabilidade do(s) seu(s) autor(es).

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Este artículo tiene como objetivo reflexionar sobre una experiencia de enseñanza y aprendizaje, en una asignatura del curso de Master en Ciencias de la Educación (especialización en Tecnologías Educativas) organizada bajo la forma de una Comunidad Virtual de Aprendizaje. Se analiza la visión de los participantes en esa Comunidad Virtual de Aprendizaje a la luz de la teoría del currículum, enfatizando el proceso de desarrollo de los aprendizajes vividos y, en especial, los factores considerados esenciales, por los participantes, ya sea en la creación de una comunidad de aprendizaje, o en su dinámica de funcionamiento. Siendo eminentemente exploratorio, este estudio tuvo como base el responder, por parte del conjunto de alumnos que cursaban la asignatura, a un cuestionario con preguntas abiertas, un año después de haber sido concluida la formación académica. El análisis de las respuestas se realizó en dos etapas complementarias: Una, centrada en el contenido de las respuestas a cada una de las preguntas del cuestionario, teniendo como objetivo captar la percepción de los exalumnos sobre cada uno de los temas preguntados y, así, representar la estructura de relaciones resultante; la otra, de carácter transversal y holística, tomando como base el resultado de la primera, buscando caracterizar la perspectiva de los participantes encuestados sobre el modelo curricular más adecuado para el desarrollo de una comunidad de aprendizaje en su vertiente virtual, tal y como fue vivido por los participantes. Los resultados, aunque provisionales, puesto que ésta es sólo la primera fase de un estudio más amplio que se prevé ampliar a participantes de otras comunidades, parecen, por un lado, confirmar las convicciones de los autores del estudio sobre la particular adecuación de un modelo curricular abierto y flexible cuando se trata de organizar el aprendizaje alrededor de objetivos comunes a un conjunto de individuos y cuando ese aprendizaje puede sacar partido de las potencialidades de comunicación y de acceso a la información que Internet hoy permite. Pero, por otro lado, dejan entrever una ausencia de consciencia crítica por parte de los participantes sobre ese modelo curricular.