Towards a living agriculture: extension of the notion of agriculture among rural extension agents based on a comprehensive approach to indigenous knowledge in Caldas, Colombia

Agriculture as a business remains the dominant notion among agronomists that work as rural extension agents. Following this vision, their main contribution is to transfer the technical–scientific knowledge for manipulating natural environments to maximize the yield of the communities of cultivated plants. However, it is considered that contrasting one's ideas with those of others -in this case native communities- allows us to recognize, reflexively, the preconceptions themselves. In this framework, the objective of the investigation was to determine how the dominant point of view among agronomists educated within the technical–scientific paradigm changes upon comprehensive interaction with the traditional knowledge. Results derive from analyzing the interviews of rural extension agents who offer their services to native communities in Caldas, Colombia. From the analyses, it can be concluded that, nowadays, agronomists more easily understand that in the local context, agriculture, rather than a business, is a life-producing activity; that elements of nature are subjects that interact and coexist around the reproduction of life rather than objects to manipulate and appropriate; that, in practice, the scientific knowledge adopted is blended with traditional and mystic knowledge, thereby creating a multicultural conservationist practice.

The North or the South? Early medieval ceramics decorated with a zoned ornament – the result of local changes or interregional contacts?

The article underlines the need to re-discuss the prevailing views in archaeological literature on the provenance and transformation stages of completely wheel-turned ceramics decorated with zoned ornament. This class of ceramics was used in the Early Middle Ages (for about 100 years) by communities living in the area of southern Greater Poland and the north-eastern part of Lower Silesia. The previous ideas suggesting a close relationship between zoned ceramics and vessels produced in northern Bohemia are reconsidered, with the internal diversity of zoned ceramics being pointed out. We argue that inspiration in ceramics manufacturing came not only from the south (Bohemia), but also from the north (Pomerania) and the west (the middle Elbe region), and that there were also changes that appeared independently of these impulses in the ceramics production of small, native communities.

Urban Environments Aid Invasion of Brown Widows (Theridiidae: Latrodectus geometricus) in North America, Constraining Regions of Overlap and Mitigating Potential Impact on Native Widows

Urbanization is a major cause of biotic homogenization and habitat fragmentation for native communities. However, the role of urbanization on the success of biological invasions on a continental scale has yet to be explored. Urbanization may facilitate the establishment success of invasive species by minimizing niche differentiation between native and invaded ranges. In such cases, we might expect anthropogenic variables to have stronger influence on the geographic distribution of invasive compared to native populations. In this study, we use ecological niche modeling to define the distribution of non-native brown widow spider (Latrodectus geometricus) and three native black widows (L. hespersus, L. mactans, L. variolus) in North America and gauge the importance of urbanization on the geographic ranges of widows at a continental scale. We also quantify the geographic overlap of L. geometricus with each native widow to assess potential species and regions at risk of ecological impact. Consistent with our hypothesis, we find that the distribution of L. geometricus is strongly constrained to urban environments, while native widow distributions are more strongly driven by climatic factors. These results show that urbanization plays a significant role in facilitating the success of invasion, weakening the significance of climate on the realized niche in its invaded range.

Relationship of Sphaeroma Quoianum to Sediment Characteristics and Invertebrate Community

Many important wetland functions are tied to sediment dynamics, which are largely governed by infaunal invertebrate communities. These communities are sensitive to changes in sediment structure and to colonization by non-native species. In a southern California salt marsh, the non-native Australian isopod Sphaeroma quoianum has created dense networks of burrows within the marsh banks. Since this isopod increases erosion in many areas and can change local invertebrate communities, its possible contribution to habitat loss in this already-scarce southern California ecosystem is an important question. This study connected S. quoianum burrows to increased proportions of crustaceans, decreased carbon content, and steep marsh bluffs. These results highlight the potential susceptibility of salt marsh habitat with steep edges to invasion by non-native species and demonstrate that such invasion can correlate to key changes in ecosystem function. These results also suggest that S. quoianum invasion of salt marsh habitats can alter native communities and ecosystem functions, thus incipient invasions should be of concern to managers and ecologists alike.

Young Children in Socio-Educational Methods in Postpartum in Quechua and Aymara Mothers in Parenting and Learning System

The purpose of our study was to understand the perception of the postpartum beliefs and customs among Quechua and Aymara mothers in Parenting System. The study is a young children in socio-educational analysis related to postpartum beliefs and customs among Quechua and Aymara mothers, specifically, the analysis was done in the cultural context of indigenous communities, seeking knowledge of the diverse cultural expressions, perceptions, and behaviors of the population around reproductive health processes of educational system, through observation and ethnographic interviews. The sample consisted of 118 mothers whose deliveries were attended in the health and parenting system establishment of the Quechua and Aymara areas, and the process was developed considering five aspects. The results show the presence of a complex cultural system in this stage of life and a set of social and cultural norms such as the use of medicinal plants and learning System in the prevention of encounters with spirits or beings of the Quechua and Aymara cultures. The conceptions of the puerperium in native communities regulate the behavior of its inhabitants, affecting maternal and child health in education system and Parenting System.

Enriched CO2 and Root-Associated Fungi (Mycorrhizae) Yield Inverse Effects on Plant Mass and Root Morphology in Six Asclepias Species

While milkweeds (Asclepias spp.) are important for sustaining biodiversity in marginal ecosystems, CO2 flux may afflict Asclepias species and cause detriment to native communities. Negative CO2-induced effects may be mitigated through mycorrhizal associations. In this study, we sought to determine how mycorrhizae interacts with CO2 to influence Asclepias biomass and root morphology. A broad range of Asclepias species (n = 6) were chosen for this study, including four tap-root species (A. sullivantii, A. syriaca, A. tuberosa, and A. viridis) and two fibrous root species (A. incarnata and A. verticillata). Collectively, the six Asclepias species were manipulated under a 2 × 2 full-factorial design that featured two mycorrhizal levels (−/+ mycorrhizae) and two CO2 levels (ambient and enriched (i.e., 3.5× ambient)). After a duration of 10 months, Asclepias responses were assessed as whole dry weight (i.e., biomass) and relative transportive root. Relative transportive root is the percent difference in the diameter of highest order root (transportive root) versus that of first-order absorptive roots. Results revealed an asymmetrical response, as mycorrhizae increased Asclepias biomass by ~12-fold, while enriched CO2 decreased biomass by about 25%. CO2 did not impact relative transportive roots, but mycorrhizae increased root organ’s response by more than 20%. Interactions with CO2 and mycorrhizae were observed for both biomass and root morphology (i.e., relative transportive root). A gene associated with CO2 fixation (rbcL) revealed that the two fibrous root species formed a phylogenetic clade that was distant from the four tap-root species. The effect of mycorrhizae was most profound in tap-root systems, as mycorrhizae modified the highest order root into tuber-like structures. A strong positive correlation was observed with biomass and relative transportive root. This study elucidates the interplay with roots, mycorrhizae, and CO2, while providing a potential pathway for mycorrhizae to ameliorate CO2 induced effects.

The Distribution and Influence of the Introduced Alga Colpomenia Bullosa in the Rocky Intertidal

<p>The brown alga Colpomenia bullosa was first observed in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, yet very little is known about its current intertidal distribution or possible effects it may be having on native communities. This study addresses some of these issues. Surveys indicate little spatial variation in abundance around the Wellington region, however, the sporophytic crustose phase is restricted to pools high in the littoral zone while the gametophytic upright has a low- to sub-littoral distribution. Physiology experiments indicate that C. bullosa can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, but the crustose phase has a poor desiccation tolerance. A series of tranplant and competition experiments confirmed this and suggested that the crustose phase requires some level of facilitation by molluscan herbivores in order to become established. These experiments also revealed that crustose C. bullosa does not compete well against more upright macroalgal species. The effects of this introduced algae on native communities are likely to be minimal given its restricted intertidal distribution and its inability to compete against more upright species.</p>

The Distribution and Influence of the Introduced Alga Colpomenia Bullosa in the Rocky Intertidal

<p>The brown alga Colpomenia bullosa was first observed in New Zealand more than 20 years ago, yet very little is known about its current intertidal distribution or possible effects it may be having on native communities. This study addresses some of these issues. Surveys indicate little spatial variation in abundance around the Wellington region, however, the sporophytic crustose phase is restricted to pools high in the littoral zone while the gametophytic upright has a low- to sub-littoral distribution. Physiology experiments indicate that C. bullosa can tolerate a wide range of environmental conditions, but the crustose phase has a poor desiccation tolerance. A series of tranplant and competition experiments confirmed this and suggested that the crustose phase requires some level of facilitation by molluscan herbivores in order to become established. These experiments also revealed that crustose C. bullosa does not compete well against more upright macroalgal species. The effects of this introduced algae on native communities are likely to be minimal given its restricted intertidal distribution and its inability to compete against more upright species.</p>

The Autonomy-Representation Dilemma: Indigenous Groups and Distributive Benefits in the Americas

Autonomy carries the promise of resolving longstanding distributive inequalities between indigenous and non-indigenous groups. Yet, contemporary autonomy arrangements have often been associated instead with a reduction in native communities' access to needed public goods and services. I situate these negative effects within a broader autonomy-representation dilemma: autonomy provides indigenous groups with more responsive coethnic leaders, but these leaders frequently face difficulties in collecting and deploying revenue. These capacity constraints often arise from the way national governments have recognized autonomy. As such, pursuing coethnic representation within the state might—under certain conditions—be more likely to provide indigenous groups with needed goods and services. Drawing on natural experimental evidence and an original survey of indigenous community presidents from Peru, I first demonstrate that achieving coethnic political representation within the state can expand indigenous groups' access to the public good they most need: water. I then illustrate how capacity constraints that arise from autonomy have prevented native groups in Bolivia's autonomous municipalities from achieving similar distributive gains. Ultimately, the findings provide insights for understanding the sources of—and potential institutional remedies for—indigenous groups' unequal access to local public goods in the Americas and beyond.