Cation export by overland flow in a recently burnt forest area in north-central Portugal.

The current fire regime in the Mediterranean Basin constitutes a serious threat to natural ecosystems because it drastically enhances surface runoff and soil erosion in the affected areas. Besides soil particles themselves, soil cations can be lost by fire-enhanced overland flow, increasing the risk of fertility loss of the typically shallow and nutrient poor Mediterranean soils. Although the importance of cations for land-use sustainability is widely recognized, cation losses by post-fire runoff have received little research attention. The present study aimed to address this research gap by assessing total exports of Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) in a recently burnt forest area in north-central Portugal. These exports were compared for two types of planted forest (eucalypt vs. maritime pine plantations), two types of parent materials (schist vs. granite) and for two spatial scales (micro-plot vs. hill slope). The study sites were a eucalypt plantation on granite (BEG), a eucalypt plantation on schist (BES) and a maritime pine plantation on schist (BPS). Overland flow samples were collected during the first six months after the wildfire. Cation losses differed strikingly between the two forest types on schist, being higher at the eucalypt than pine site. This difference was evident at both spatial scales, and probably due to the extensive cover of a needle cast from the scorched pine crowns. The role of parent material in cation export was less straightforward as it varied with spatial scale. Cation losses were higher for the eucalypt plantation on schist than for that on granite at the micro-plot scale, whereas the reverse was observed at the hill slope scale. Finally, cation yields were higher at the micro-plot than slope scale, in agreement with the general notion of scaling-effect in runoff generation.

The relationship between quality of life and adherence to treatment.

Hypertension is a preventable condition, and the outcomes of clinical trials have established that its treatment reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although awareness about the disease has improved in the past two decades, the reality is that many people remain untreated or not adequately controlled. The treatment of hypertension is usually long term, and its success will depend on the effects of the drug regimen on the patient's quality of life. The relationship between quality of life and compliance is complex and merits careful study. Monitoring quality of life may be one of the best ways of improving adherence to treatment. Therefore, when developing an approach to the treatment of hypertension, physicians should take into consideration the impact of different antihypertensives on the patient's overall well being, and along with the side effects and contraindications, quality-of-life issues may determine the choice of medication.

Quality of life in the elderly hypertensive.

The approach to the treatment of hypertension in the elderly hypertensive should take into account the effects of the different antihypertensive drugs on the quality of life, especially in the elderly where a small reduction in health status could have an impact on their independence.