Modeling wetland change in Spain’s Tierra de Campos district

The various land management and planning policies that have been developed for the Tierra de Campos district of northwestern Spain over the past century have had major effects on wetland ecosystems of this area. To assist conservation planners in the future management of these habitats, this study outlines the changes that have occurred in these environments using data for the years 1900, 1956, 1984 and 2007. Multiple logistic regression models allowed the accurate projection of locations of wetlands that need to be restored or regenerated. These models were developed using a combination of 19 explanatory variables including: data related to historic lakelets, variations in the surfaces of wetlands, soil physicochemical and weather data, and socioeconomic and spatial planning data, as depicted by thematic mapping. The landscape used for projecting the wetlands in the study area was classified into five categories based on the probability of the presence of lakelets: very low, low, medium, high and very high. These generated maps show that the spatial extent of the wetlands of the Tierra de Campos district was 2.78 % in 1900–1933 and decreased to 0.65 % in 2007–2008. Accordingly, a dramatic decrease in the spatial extent covered by these ecosystems is observed over the twentieth century according to these maps; consequently these results highlight the effects of positive (protective) or negative (desiccative) policies implemented in the area.     

Ethnobotanical review of wild edible plants in Spain

This paper compiles and evaluates the ethnobotanical data currently available on wild plants traditionally used for human consumption in Spain. Forty-six ethnobotanical and ethnographical sources from Spain were reviewed, together with some original unpublished field data from several Spanish provinces. A total of 419 plant species belonging to 67 families was recorded. A list of species, plant parts used, localization and method of consumption, and harvesting time is presented. Of the seven different food categories considered, green vegetables were the largest group, followed by plants used to prepare beverages, wild fruits, and plants used for seasoning, sweets, preservatives, and other uses. Important species according to the number of reports include: Foeniculum vulgare , Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum , Origanum vulgare , Rubus ulmifolius , Silene vulgaris , Asparagus acutifolius , and Scolymus hispanicus . We studied data on the botanical families to which the plants in the different categories belonged, overlapping between groups and distribution of uses of the different species. Many wild food plants have also been used for medicinal purposes and some are considered to be poisonous. This review highlights the rich traditional knowledge on edible plants that has remained in rural Spain. Until recently, many wild plants were used as dietary supplements. However, most of this knowledge survives only in the memory of the elderly, and will probably disappear in a few decades.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 152 , 27–71.     

Yeast communities associated with sugarcane in Campos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Yeast communities associated with sugarcane leaves, stems and rhizosphere during different phases of plant development were studied near Campos, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Atmospheric temperature, soil granulometry and pH, and sugar cane juice degree Brix and pH were determined. Yeast communities associated with sugarcane were obtained after cellular extraction by shaking, blending and shaking plus sonication, and cultured on Yeast Nitrogen Base Agar plus glucose (0.5%) and Yeast Extract-Malt Extract Agar. No significant differences in yeast counts were found among the cellular extraction treatments and culture media. 230 yeast cultures were identified according to standard methods, and distinct yeast communities were found for each substrate studied. The prevalent species isolated from sugarcane were Cryptococcus laurentii, Cryptococcus albidus, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa and Debaryomyces hansenii.     

Ethnobotanical assessment of plant resources of Banda Daud Shah,District Karak,Pakistan

Background

The Indigenous knowledge of plants is scientifically and culturally very significant. This paper elucidates the empirical findings of an ethnobotanical survey of Banda Daud Shah, District Karak, Pakistan.

Methods

Data collection was carried out from October 2011 to September 2012. Total twelve survey trips were made, three in each season. About 100 respondents were interviewed; most of them were aged people between 60–70 years. Interviews were conducted using structured questionnaire composed of variety of questions regarding ethnomedicinal uses of plants of the study area. Direct matrix ranking (DMR), informant citations and market survey of multipurpose plants were also carried out.

Results

The local community was using 58 plant species belonging to 52 genera and 34 families for different purposes. A total of 25 plant species were herbs followed by 18 shrubs. Leaf (45%) was the most commonly used plant part followed by the whole plants (23%). In total, 40 plant species were medicinally used to treat variety of diseases, of which highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal problems (19 spp.), expectorant (3 spp.) and antipyretic (3 spp.). Beside medicinal values, 25 species were used for fuel and 18 for fodder purposes. Informant consensus showed that gastrointestinal and respiratory infections were ranked highest (F_IC?=?0.75) among all ailments. According to DMR output, Dalbergia sisso ranked first due to high multipurpose uses among all species and was found most threatened with higher market value.

Conclusion

The investigated area is rural in nature and the inhabitants are highly dependent on the native plants for their health care needs and other requirements like fuel wood and fodder due to financial constraints and unavailability of resources. Medicinal plants for high ranked diseases may be phtyochemicaly and pharmacologically investigated to prove their efficacy. The local medicinal flora is facing overexploitation, overgrazing and improper way of collection. Proper conservation strategies such as controlled grazing, reforestation and rangeland management among many others may be adopted to promote the sustainable use of medicinal plants.

     

Quantitative finger dermatoglyphics in a Spanish population (Tierra de Campos)

This study deals with the finger ridge counts and the distribution of their frequencies drawn from a Spanish sample consisting of 833 school-children (417 males and 416 females), which has been collected from the geographical area of Tierra de Campos. Paired t-test and Student-t-test were used to explore bimanual and sexual differences, respectively. The results showed: a bimanual asymmetry marked by significantly higher right hand ridge count for thumb and index pairs in both males and females, ridge counts of males are always higher than the corresponding values of females; the differences being significant excepting for right and left index and for left ring-finger. The frequency distribution of TFRC was slightly, but significantly, different from normality only in males, as Kolmogorov test showed. A great homogeneity between values for TFRC of males and females from Tierra de Campos and those of the available Spanish and Portuguese populations has been found, the values being high not only in the variation ranges of the Spanish and Portuguese populations, but also in the ranges reported for other European populations.     

Ethnobotanical and ecological assessment of plant resources at District Dir,Tehsil Timergara,Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,Pakistan

Background

Ethnobotanical and ecological study of plants is very important in understanding the culture of a society and it provides a base for further study on scientific lines. This paper, the use of medicinal plants and their role in the treatment of different diseases have been duly observed and noted in Tehsil Timergara.

Wild food plants traditionally used in the province of Madrid, Central Spain

This paper reports an ethnobotanical investigation, performed between 1999 and 2002, to determine the wild food plants traditionally used in the province of Madrid (central Spain). One hundred and twenty-three vascular species belonging to 31 families were at one time used as vegetables, wild fruits, in the making of beverages, as seasonings, or as other preparations. Wild vegetables formed the largest group, withScolymus hispanicus, Silene vulgaris, andRumex pulcher the most frequently cooked vegetables, andRorippa nasturtium-aquaticum andMontia fontana the most commonly used in salads. Also common was the consumption of asparagus and several species of climbing plants such asBryonia dioica, Tamus communis, andHumulus lupulus. Ethnobotanical novelties includedSonchus crassifolius, the young sprouts of which were used in salads, and Inula salicina, used to make herbal tea. Some ecological and cultural aspects of the collection of wild plants for food are discussed, as well as the relationships between the food and medicinal uses of some species.     

Current state of seaweed resources in Spain

Commercial seaweeds in Spain are harvested on the north and northwest coasts. They are mainly agarophytes and carrageenophytes (Gelidium spp. and some Irish moss-like species, respectively), although some Phaeophyceae species (Fucus spp. and Laminaria spp.) are also exploited for alginates. No industrial seaweed cultivation is carried out in Spain at present. Spain's total commercial seaweed harvest can be estimated at 6,528 ± 2,076 t dry wt year^–1. Gelidium spp. are by far the most harvested, attaining 5,135 ± 1,761 t dry wt y^–1. To date, Spain's commercial seaweed harvest is low compared with that of other countries, but data on field standing crops and productivities of commercial taxa suggest that harvesting could be increased greatly.     

Population-based incidence of lymphoid neoplasms: Twenty years of epidemiological data in the Girona province,Spain

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to describe incidence patterns of lymphoid neoplasms in the Girona province (Spain) (1996–2015), and to predict the number of cases in Spain during 2020.MethodsData were extracted from the Girona cancer registry. Incident cases were classified using the ICD-O-3, third revision, and grouped according to the WHO 2008 classification scheme. Age-adjusted incidence rates to the European standard population (ASRE) were estimated and incidence trends were modeled using Joinpoint.Results4367 lymphoid neoplasms were diagnosed in the Girona province. The ASRE for overall lymphoma was 37.1 (95% CI: 36.0; 38.2), with a marked male predominance in almost all subtypes. During 1996–2015, incidence trends remained stable for broader lymphoma categories. According to our predictions, 17,950 new cases of LNs will be diagnosed in Spain in 2020.ConclusionsThis ‘real-world’ data will provide valuable information to better inform etiological hypotheses and plan future health-care services.     

福建漳州竹类资源分布与开发利用

漳州位于福建省南部,气候温和,雨量充沛,竹类资源较为丰富,共有8属30种5变种2栽培类型,其中有许多经济竹类。竹类资源的开发利用具有广阔的前景,可持续发展尤为重要。     

On the age of the hominid fossils at the Sima de los Huesos, Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain: paleomagnetic evidence

We report new paleomagnetic data for the Middle Pleistocene hominid-bearing strata in the Sima de los Huesos, North Spain. Sediments (brown muds with human and bear fossils and the underlying sterile clayey and sandy unit) preserve both normal and reversed magnetic components. The sterile unit has exclusively reversed magnetization, dating back to the Matuyama Chron, and thus is Lower Pleistocene in age. The overlying fossiliferous muds have a dominant normal magnetization that overprints a partially resolved reversed magnetization. These data are compatible with one of the reversal events that occurred during the Brunhes Chron. Combined with the existing U-series dates and evidence from the macro- and microfauna, these paleomagnetic results suggest an age of the hominid fossils between 325 to 205 ka, whereas the underlying sand and silts are older than 780 ka.     

Late Maastrichtian small-sized herpetofauna from Valencia province,eastern Spain

A Late Maastrichtian microvertebrate assemblage which includes amphibian remains was recovered from continental deposits of the palaeontological site of La Solana, Valencia Province, Spain. This site is composed of variegated mudstones, pedogenically modified, interbedded with fluvial sand bodies and freshwater limestones lenses, and has also yielded plant debris, freshwater and oligohaline invertebrates, abundant fish remains (isolated bones and scales), turtle plates and archosaur bones. This fossil assemblage, dominated by aquatic forms, also includes semiaquatic and terrestrial elements, and may be interpreted as the palaeofauna of a wetland environment with terrestrial environs. The new material described here consists of fragmentary remains of an indeterminate albanerpetontid, a salamandrid and two anuran taxa (an alytid and a palaeobatrachid). The amphibians from La Solana are typical Laurasiatic taxa. This faunal association shows broad similarities to other coeval faunas of the Iberian Peninsula and contrasts with the Upper Campanian–Lower Maastrichtian sites where Gondwanan elements are frequent.     

高黎贡山地区民族植物学的初步研究Ⅱ.独龙族

采用民族植物学和人类生态学的方法,初步研究了云南高黎贡山北部独龙江流域内独龙族的农业生态系统和采集利用植物的传统知识。处于近乎封闭的自然与社会环境中,独龙族与植物及植物环境的关系十分密切。独龙族的农业生态系统是典型的山地轮歇农业生态系统,系统中存在不少有价值的传统品种和地方品种,并以种植桤木(Alnus nepalensis)来促进轮歇地的休闲管理为特色,对保护当地的森林、生态系统和生物多样性起到了积极的作用。独龙族人人参与野生食用植物的采集活动,它是独龙族社会中仅次于农业生产而位居第二的重要经济活动,共采集100余种野生食用植物,其中有很大一部分是能代替粮食的产淀粉类植物。独龙族采集利用100多种药用植物,云黄连(Coptis teeta)和贝母(Fritillaria cirrhosa)等草药储量丰富,是独龙族用于同外界进行物资交换的主要物品。在其它植物资源的利用方面,独龙族也积累了丰富的传统知识,包括对纤维植物、染料植物等的认识和利用。桤木和董棕(Caryota urens)两个树种是体现独龙族传统植物学和生态学知识的代表种类。独龙族对植物的传统知识,有必要进行深入研究。     

湖南茶叶植物资源的评价

对城步峒茶、江华苦茶、汝城白毛茶和云台山种等湖南茶叶植物资源的主要化学成分、光合特性和生产性状进行了研究。结果表明,茶多酚与儿茶素含量从高到低依次为汝城白毛茶、江华苦茶、城步峒茶、云台山种;各资源的游离氨基酸、茶氨酸和咖啡碱含量均为正常水平;汝城白毛茶属高茶多酚资源,它所含生物碱的组成方式与毛叶茶龙门模式种不同,虽可可碱和茶叶碱含量比茶种高,但仍以咖啡碱为主。在阴天阴凉条件下的净光合速率为汝城白毛茶＞城步峒茶＞江华苦茶＞云台山种,净光合速率与光量子通量、叶面温度呈极显著正相关,与气孔阻力呈极显著负相关,相关系数分别为０９２７８、０９１１５和－０８９３７。在晴天高温度强光条件下,净光合速率为云台山种＞城步峒茶＞江华苦茶＞汝城白毛花,净光合速率与光量子通量、叶面温度和气孔阻力都呈极显著负相关,相关系数分别为－０９１６５、－０９３２８、－０９０３１。在主要生产性状中,汝城白毛茶能安全通过－６℃的低温,在高茶多酚资源中,抗寒性突出,是选育红茶良种的一个非常有益的关键性状。     

The influence of health education on the prevalence of intestinal parasites in a low-income community of Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

In a recent study by our group on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and on the knowledge, attitudes and practices of local residents of Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, we observed that about 50% of the inhabitants were parasitized and had some knowledge of intestinal parasitic infections but did not apply this knowledge in daily practice. We were thus motivated to implement strategies in health education to promote preventive measures in the locality. The goal of the present work was to evaluate the influence of health education on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in the region in an effort to strengthen public policies for controlling these diseases in Brazil. The methodology adopted was based on action-research and a theoretical framework of health promotion. Our results demonstrate that the study population exhibited an enhanced awareness of the importance of disease from intestinal parasitic infections. Attitudes and practices related to prevention were significantly improved after the shared health education. In conclusion, this study allowed the shared construction of knowledge that reflected the true needs of the residents.     

Recent data about age at menarche in the biscay province (Basque Country, Spain)

Data on menarcheal age were collected by thestatus quo method on a sample of 808 schoolgirls (8–19 years of age), from the Margen Izquierda area of the Biscay province (Basque Country). Probit analysis provided a mean age at menarche of 12.5±0.05 years with a standard deviation of 1.0 years. The result was compared with data from other previous Basque studies and related to age at PHV of the same sample.     

《南方草木状》一书中的民族植物学

《南方草木状》一书为晋代学者嵇含在永兴三年 (公元 30 6年 )所著 ,是世界上最早的一部区域性植物志。主要是记载了我国南方两广及云南的重要资源植物 ,其中还有些外来植物及其制品 ,共计5 0条 ,以极其扼要的文字 ,阐述了丰富的内容。涉及了植物学各方面的知识 ,但尤以民族植物学为突出。可以说是我国或世界上最早的民族植物学典籍。关于《南方草木状》一书的真伪存在着分歧 ,本文对此分歧不予讨论 ,仅举书中的部分内容进行一些分析 ,说明我国在很久以前就有着丰富的民族植物学的资料 ,而进一步证实了美国民族植物学专家理察得·福特 (Ｒｉ…     

湖南通道侗族端午节中的民族植物学

通过长期的民族植物学调查,我们发现通道侗族端午节文化习俗古老,保留有传统的祭祀、药浴、配戴饰品、食用保健野菜等习俗.在端午节中,人们利用的植物种类丰富,用于悬挂门户的植物有4种,涉及4科4属;用于药浴的植物有31种,涉及20科28属;用于保健的野生植物有47种,涉及33科44属.这些植物大多为野生药用植物,它们作用不一,用法也不尽相同,而其中一些能用来悬挂、药浴及保健的植物未见有相关报道,它们所包含的科学知识需要进一步去揭示.通道侗族聚居区的民族植物学知识蕴藏丰富,值得仔细深入地发掘和全面研究.