Support for the habitat amount hypothesis from a global synthesis of species density studies.

Decades of research suggest that species richness depends on spatial characteristics of habitat patches, especially their size and isolation. In contrast, the habitat amount hypothesis predicts that (1) species richness in plots of fixed size (species density) is more strongly and positively related to the amount of habitat around the plot than to patch size or isolation; (2) habitat amount better predicts species density than patch size and isolation combined, (3) there is no effect of habitat fragmentation per se on species density and (4) patch size and isolation effects do not become stronger with declining habitat amount. Data on eight taxonomic groups from 35 studies around the world support these predictions. Conserving species density requires minimising habitat loss, irrespective of the configuration of the patches in which that habitat is contained.

High turnover of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) species in semideciduous forest remnants in an agricultural landscape.

Differences in species composition between sites (ß diversity) may be the result of spatial species replacement (turnover) or nestedness (subgroups of species from a more diverse site). In fragmented landscapes, the environmental factors that lead to these differences may be spatially structured. Herein, our objective is to determine if the ß diversity of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) is due to turnover or nestedness and whether the observed pattern is due to loss of forest cover or spatial processes in forest remnants immersed in a matrix dominated by intense agricultural practice. We used an incidence matrix of 99 species sampled from 16 forest remnants and found that the difference in species composition among the fragments is mostly determined by turnover and that this variation is not explained by forest cover or spatial variables. In regions where high habitat loss has generated landscapes containing small and islated forest fragments, structural features, related both to habitat (area, isolation, shape, etc.) and landscape (land use, landscape heterogeneity, etc.) could predict diversity patterns.

Composition and structure of bird communities in vegetational gradients of Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil.

The informations of bird species distribution in different habitats and the structure of their communities are crucial for bird conservation. We tested the differences in composition, richness and abundance of birds in different phytophysiognomies at Bodoquena Mountains, western Brazil, and we demonstrated the variations in richness and abundance of birds between different trophic groups. Sampling was conducted between July 2011 and June 2012 in 200 point counts arranged in the study area. A total of 3350 contacts were obtained belonging to 156 bird species. Woodland savannas, seasonal forests and arboreal savannas had higher bird abundance and richness, while riparian forests, clean pastures and dirty pastures had smaller values of these parameters. The bird community was organized according to local vegetational gradient, with communities of forests, open areas and savannas, although many species occurred in more than one vegetation type. The insectivorous, omnivorous, frugivorous and gramnivorous birds composed most of the community. These data showed how important environmental heterogeneity is to bird communities. Furthermore, the presence of extensive patches of natural habitats, the small distance between these patches and the permeability of pastures, with high arboreal and shrubby cover, are indicated as important factors to maintain the bird diversity.

The conceptions of health services managers about the network of psychosocial care for crack users

OBJETIVO: El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer las concepciones de los gerentes de servicios de salud sobre la red de atención psicosocial para usuarios de crack. MÉTODOS: encuesta cualitativa y evaluativa utilizando el marco de evaluación de cuarta generación. La encuesta se realizó en un centro de atención psicosocial para los consumidores de alcohol y drogas en un municipio del estado de Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Los datos se recopilaron de enero a mayo de 2013, a través de entrevistas guiadas utilizando el círculo dialéctico hermenéutico. RESULTADOS Y DISCUSIÓN: los gerentes revelaron sus concepciones sobre la colaboración entre sectores en la red de atención, reconociendo los servicios prestados por la red de atención psicosocial y la coordinación de esos servicios. También mostraron comprensión de la importancia de asociarse con mecanismos de otros sectores de la sociedad. CONCLUSIONES: los administradores municipales se han esforzado por construir una política de salud mental centrada en el usuario con coordinación entre sectores, abogando por los principios de la reforma psiquiátrica y la atención psicosocial.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to learn the conceptions of health services managers about the network of psychosocial care for crack users. METHODS: Qualitative and evaluative survey using the Fourth Generation Evaluation framework. The survey was performed at a center for psychosocial care for alcohol and drug abusers in a municipality of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Data were collected from January to May 2013, through guided interviews using the hermeneutic dialectical circle. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Managers revealed their conceptions about collaboration between sectors in the care network, recognizing the services provided by the psychosocial care network and the coordination of those services. They also displayed understanding of the importance of partnering with mechanisms from other sectors of society. CONCLUSIONS: Municipal managers have endeavored to build a user-focused mental health policy with coordination between sectors, advocating for the principles of psychiatric reform and psychosocial care.

BIOFRAG - a new database for analyzing BIOdiversity responses to forest FRAGmentation.

Habitat fragmentation studies have produced complex results that are challenging to synthesize. Inconsistencies among studies may result from variation in the choice of landscape metrics and response variables, which is often compounded by a lack of key statistical or methodological information. Collating primary datasets on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in a consistent and flexible database permits simple data retrieval for subsequent analyses. We present a relational database that links such field data to taxonomic nomenclature, spatial and temporal plot attributes, and environmental characteristics. Field assessments include measurements of the response(s) (e.g., presence, abundance, ground cover) of one or more species linked to plots in fragments within a partially forested landscape. The database currently holds 9830 unique species recorded in plots of 58 unique landscapes in six of eight realms: mammals 315, birds 1286, herptiles 460, insects 4521, spiders 204, other arthropods 85, gastropods 70, annelids 8, platyhelminthes 4, Onychophora 2, vascular plants 2112, nonvascular plants and lichens 320, and fungi 449. Three landscapes were sampled as long-term time series (>10 years). Seven hundred and eleven species are found in two or more landscapes. Consolidating the substantial amount of primary data available on biodiversity responses to fragmentation in the context of land-use change and natural disturbances is an essential part of understanding the effects of increasing anthropogenic pressures on land. The consistent format of this database facilitates testing of generalizations concerning biologic responses to fragmentation across diverse systems and taxa. It also allows the re-examination of existing datasets with alternative landscape metrics and robust statistical methods, for example, helping to address pseudo-replication problems. The database can thus help researchers in producing broad syntheses of the effects of land use. The database is dynamic and inclusive, and contributions from individual and large-scale data-collection efforts are welcome.