Biological Crust Diversity Related to Elevation and Soil Properties at Local Scale in a Montane Scrub of Ecuador.

The montane shrublands of southern Ecuador represent one of the least studied ecosystems, which in the last decade have been seriously threatened by increasing wildfires, deforestation, overgrazing, and conversion to forest plantations. Our main objective was to determine, at the local scale, the diversity of species composing the biological soil crust (BSC) at three elevations (2100, 2300, and 2500 m.a.s.l.) and their possible relationships with soil physical and chemical properties in montane shrublands. For this purpose, three monitoring plots of 100 m2 were established at each elevation, and within each plot, 20 subplots were established (180 subplots sampled in total). In addition, composite soil samples were collected at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and some physical and biochemical parameters (e.g., bulk density, texture, pH, organic matter, soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, and potassium) of the soil were analyzed. The results show 35 species (23 lichens, 10 bryophytes and 2 cyanobacteria) at three elevations with a bell-shaped or hump-shaped distribution pattern. This allowed us to point out that the species richness was higher at the intermediate elevations and that the composition showed significant differences in the three elevations related to soil factors. Elevation and soil drivers may help to better chose the more suitable biological soil crust (lichen-dominated and bryophyte-dominated BSC) for the management and conservation of the montane scrub of Ecuador, which is strongly threatened by human activities.

Drinking water quality in areas impacted by oil activities in Ecuador: Associated health risks and social perception of human exposure.

The unregulated oil exploitation in the Northern Ecuadorian Amazon Region (NEAR), mainly from 1964 to the 90's, led to toxic compounds largely released into the environment. A large majority of people living in the Amazon region have no access to drinking water distribution systems and collects water from rain, wells or small streams. The concentrations of major ions, trace elements, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes) were analyzed in different water sources to evaluate the impacts of oil extraction and refining. Samples were taken from the NEAR and around the main refinery of the country (Esmeraldas Oil Refinery/State Oil Company of Ecuador) and were compared with domestic waters from the Southern region, not affected by petroleum activities. In most of the samples, microbiological analysis revealed a high level of coliforms representing significant health risks. All measured chemical compounds in waters were in line with national and international guidelines, except for manganese, zinc and aluminum. In several deep-water wells, close to oil camps, toluene concentrations were higher than the natural background while PAHs concentrations never exceeded individually 2 ng·L-1. Water ingestion represented 99% of the total exposure pathways for carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic elements (mainly zinc) in adults and children, while 20% to 49% of the Total Cancer Risk was caused by arsenic concentrations. The health index (HI) indicates acceptable chronic effects for domestic use according the US-EPA thresholds. Nevertheless, these limits do not consider the cocktail effects of metallic and organic compounds. Furthermore, they do not include the social determinants of human exposure, such as socio-economic living conditions or vulnerability. Most (72%) of interviewed families knew sanitary risks but a discrepancy was observed between knowledge and action: religious beliefs, cultural patterns, information sources, experience and emotions play an important role front to exposure.

Ecología trófica del búho terrestre Athene cunicularia punensis (Strigiformes: Strigidae) en el archipiélago de Jambelí, provincia de El Oro, suroeste de Ecuador / Feeding ecology of the Burrowing Owl Athene cunicularia punensis (Strigiformes: Strigidae) in the Jambelí archipelago, El Oro province, southwestern Ecuador

Estudiamos la dieta del búho terrestre Athene cunicularia punensis en cuatro territorios dentro del archipiélago de Jambelí, provincia de El Oro, suroeste de Ecuador, entre noviembre de 2015 y abril de 2016, mediante la recolección y análisis de 182 egagrópilas. Los artrópodos constituyeron el principal grupo-presa en frecuencia de aparición (86.5%), seguido por los mamíferos (12%) y las aves (1.5%). En cuanto a biomasa consumida, los mamíferos (Mus musculus y Rattus rattus) aportaron 58.5%, los artrópodos 33.2% y las aves 8.2%. No encontramos diferencias significativas de la dieta entre las cuatro parejas estudiadas. En este trabajo se confirmó el rol de Athene cunicularia como un importante depredador de plagas como roedores introducidos y artrópodos potencialmente dañinos.

The diet of Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia punensis) was studied in four territories in the Jambelí archipelago, El Oro, southwestern Ecuador, from November 2015 to April 2016, collecting 182 pellets. Arthropods were the main prey group in frequency of occurrence (86.5%), followed by mammals (12%) and birds (1.5%), but mammals (Mus musculus and Rattus rattus) contributed 58.5% of the biomass, arthropods 33.2% and birds 8.2%. No significant differences were found in the diet among the four pairs studied. Our study confirmed the important role of Athene cunicularia as predator of pests like introduced rodents and potentially harmful arthropods.

Insuficiencia renal aguda durante una epidemia de Cólera, experiencia del Servicio de Nefrología del Hospital Dos de mayo / Acute renal failure during a epidemica of Cholera, experience of the Nephrology service at Dos de mayo Hospital

Se presenta la experiencia en el manejo de 33 pacientes con insufiencia renal aguda (IRA) por el Servico de Nefrología del Hospital dos de Mayo, durante la epidemia del cólera que afectó al Perú en 1991. Desde el 5 de febrero hasta el 15 de mayo, se atendieron 5341 pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de cólera. De ellos, 2932 (55 por ciento) requirieron hospitalización y 33 de éstos (21 varones y 12 mujeres, con edades entre 24 y 75 años) presentaron IRA como complicación. Uno de los pacientes tuvo IRA pre-renal (funcional), en los restantes 32 la IRA fue consecuencia de una severa depleción del volumen extracelular, producida por diarrea masiva. Las característica clínicas y metabólicas relevantes en los pacientes portadores de NTA fueron : marcada hipotensión arterial; acidosis metabólica severa, más pronunciada que las correspondiente al grado de uremia; hipopotasemia y finalmente, la corta duración del período oligúrico, comparado con el que suele observarse en NTA de otras etiologías. En el paciente con IRA pre-renal la restitución de la diuresis normal se logró con la sola administración de solución salina normal para reemplazar el déficit de volumen.De los 32 pacientes con insuficiencia renal intrínseca 25 respondieron al tratamiento conservador; 2 necesitaron diálisis y 5 fallecieron por complicaciones intercurrentes