South America @ MindSay 
Looks like the government is finally waking up and realizing the strategic importance of South and Central America, after years of neglect under Bush.
I'm sure there are some long faces in Beijing, Moscow, and Tehran tonight.
Variance in Mammalian Species Richness and Abundance
Between Eucalyptus and Pasture Edges of the Atlantic Forest
Introduction
The Atlantic Forest is one of the most unique environments on the planet—providing hundreds of priceless resources for human beings around the world—but after decades of degradation, pollution, and exploitation, only 7-8% of the original Mata Atlântica ecosystem remains (Galindo-Leal and Câmara 2003). Unfortunately, this small percentage is still threatened by unsustainable human practices and a lack of adequate preservation efforts. One of the most imminent issues jeopardizing the survival of these existing forest remnants is fragmentation, which isolates populations, curtails biodiversity, and exacerbates extinction risks (Chiarello 1999). A vital step in understanding and eliminating the consequences of fragmentation is determining species diversity at the forest edges, and measuring how this diversity varies across different edge types, in order to improve conservation techniques, develop more efficient management strategies, and advance policies regarding forest preservation (Marsden et al. 2001).
In my project, “Variance in mammalian species richness and abundance between eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest,” I will attempt to evaluate both species richness (number of species) and abundance (number of individuals) at eucalyptus and pasture edges of the Atlantic Forest using baited sand traps to collect mammalian tracks. The results of this project will also be applicable when assessing the Green Hug concept, an important measure being taken to diversify forest edges. Eucalyptus forests are planted at the edge of the Atlantic Forest, in order to create a buffer between the forest and surrounding pastures and human inhabited areas. Theoretically, the presence of this buffer should indicate elevated species presence at this edge because the eucalyptus forest “hugs” the Atlantic Forest and mitigates the division between the two environs (Ferinmore and Cullen 2002).
The neighboring habitats that surround the forest fragment edges—such as eucalyptus stands and pastures—are known as matrixes (Gascon et al. 2000). These buffers are critical for the survival of the forest fragments that they converge with; the harshness of a matrix (how closely the matrix resembles the ecosystem it encircles) can determine whether or not it provides crucial protection for the forest interior because it limits the harmful outside factors—such as pollution—that infiltrate the forest (Umetsu and Pardini 2007). In my project, the forest edges and their corresponding matrixes are the areas that I’m concerned with—through my sand trap experiment, I will attempt to determine the difference between species diversity of edges adjacent to eucalyptus and pasture matrixes.
Question and Hypotheses
In this project, the main question I will be asking is: How does the richness and abundance of mammalian species at Atlantic Forest edges vary according to the presence of eucalyptus and pasture matrixes? Based on research regarding this topic and my own prior knowledge, I have formulated a hypothesis in answer to this question: There will be a difference in species diversity between eucalyptus and pasture edges; there will be more mammalian species richness and abundance present at eucalyptus edges than at pasture edges (Ha).
H0: Peucalyptus edge = Ppasture edge
Ha: Peucalyptus edge ≠ Ppasture edge
Methods
In order to obtain a more accurate measure of species richness and abundance at forest edges in the Mata Atlântica ecosystem, I have chosen three different sites in the Nazaré Paulista region of Brazil where I will lay my sand traps. Each of these selected sites is a forest fragment that has both a eucalyptus edge and a pasture edge, in an attempt to increase the statistical relevance of my results. At each site, I will lay six 50x50cm sand traps (three replicates at each edge) at randomly selected points along a 50m line, for a total of 18 traps. These traps will be baited with bacon and bananas, in order to attract mammals. In a study of Atlantic Forest matrix quality, Umetsu and Pardini (2007) analyze small mammal populations because they are the most diverse genre of mammals present in Neo-tropical regions. If my results are similar to those of previous sand trap projects completed by SEE-U students at IPÊ, most of the wild animal tracks in the traps will belong to small mammal species (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007).
After setting and baiting the traps, I will return early the following morning (to avoid disturbances and loss of data) to record the tracks; I will photograph each track and include a scale in each photo, in order to gauge size and aid in identification. In both previous SEE-U sand trap projects, students checked their traps 6-7 times. Neither of these students was able to disprove their null hypothesis (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). I will check my traps a total of ten times; I would like to collect more information and possibly determine if these students were unable to disprove their null hypotheses because they did not gather sufficient data.
When analyzing the results of my experiment, I will use a two-tailed t-test to determine the difference in species diversity between the two matrix types. By including multiple replicates, selecting random trap sites, and checking the traps additional times, I hope to collect statistically viable data that will prove my hypothesis. In previous SEE-U sand trap experiments, students faced two main obstacles when laying their traps: steep inclines and a lack of forest clearings (Peterson 2006 and Mintz 2007). In order to avoid the first issue, I have chosen sites with as little incline as possible, although some was unavoidable. Regarding the latter issue, I may have to adapt the random selection of my trap locations if I am unable to place them in relatively clear areas. Another complication I anticipate is inclement weather, which may disrupt my sand traps (so I will check the traps as early in the day as possible).
A notable limiting factor of my project is the proximity of my sites; I cannot measure the general species diversity of the Atlantic Forest because all of my sites are located in the Bairro do Moinho, but I have chosen three different sites instead of using pseudo-replicates, which will hopefully expand my data and increase their pertinence regarding this specific location.
References Cited
Chiarello, A. G. 1999. Effects of fragmentation of the Atlantic Forest on mammal communities in south-eastern Brazil. Biological Conservation 89 (1): 71-82.
Ferinmore, S. C. and L. Cullen Jr. 2002. Projecto Abraco verde: A practice-based approach to Brazilian Atlantic Forest conservation. (cases). Endangered Species Update 1-10.
Galindo-Leal, C. and I. G. Câmara. 2003. Atlantic Forest hotspot status: An overview. The Atlantic Forest of South America: Biodiversity Status, Threats, and Outlook 3-11.
Gascon, C., G. B. Williamson, and G. A. B. da Fonseca. 2000. Receding forest edges and vanishing reserves. Science 288 (5470): 1356-1358.
Marsden, S. J., Whiffin, M., and M. Galetti. 2001. Bird diversity and abundance in forest fragments and Eucalyptus plantations around an Atlantic Forest reserve, Brazil. Biodiversity and Conservation 10 (5): 737-751.
Mintz, E. 2007. Do small forest fragments lack mammalian diversity? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Peterson, J. 2006. Are eucalyptus forests devoid of mammals? SEE-U Brazil. Session 1. PowerPoint.
Umetsu, F. and Pardini, R. Small mammals in a mosaic of forest remnants and anthropogenic habitats—evaluating matrix quality in an Atlantic Forest landscape. Landscape Ecol 22: 517-530.
Sorry these are so small. The Internet is so slow here... it would take days to upload them if I didn't reduce them first.
I'm usually a photo-taking machine, but I haven't been on top of it since I've been here. I think it's because I'm in school-mode rather than vacation-mode. I'm definitely going to get on that. I want to take some pictures of my everyday life activities too, since I eat a lot of interesting foods, learn in a cool classroom, run along a lush jungle path, etc.
:)
Today was another lovely day in paradise. I had planned on waking up early to go for a run with some of the other students, but I stayed up late writing so I decided to sleep in. After breakfast, Fernando--one of our TAs--gave a lecture about conservation biology and what goes on at IPE. He posed one question that I found particularly interesting: Why should we spend money to conserve species when there are millions of people around the world dying from starvation?
Well, our money isn't being spent on international aid to save impoverished peoples... it's being spent on this "war"! The total cost of the Iraq was is over $500 million so far: Imagine how many ecosystems could have been saved with those dollars that were used to destroy life rather than preserve it...
Fernando lectured for about an hour before we grabbed our backpacks (stocked with bug spray, windbreakers, and binoculars) and headed down the hill past the organic garden to two boats waiting on the shore. We hopped in and began our journey to Fazendinha, a resort further up the reservoir. The boat ride was absolutely lovely--I took some great pictures (I'll post them here as soon as I upload them from my camera). When we arrived at our destination, we were greeted by a few charming dogs--mostly lab mixes, but a couple of smaller breeds too. And none of them were neutered. I think I might study this topic for my individual project: Measure dog population sizes (and the population sizes of other domesticated animals); how neutering would change population numbers; what neutering services are currently available; how dogs and other domesticated animals affect the natural environment (ie. by spreading diseases); etc. Hopefully I'll be able to find some relevant research via Google.
We began our climb up a small mountain (a hill, really) soon after we docked and used the restrooms. The trek was definitely uphill, but it wound around the incline so it wasn't too strenuous. And it was absolutely breathtaking. We were surrounded by an incredibly lush canopy hung with thick twisted vines, interrupted by spatters of sunlight shining through breaks in the leaf cover. When we were about half way up, Juliana--another TA--asked us to find something interesting and show it to the rest of the group. I found several species of lichen on a tree: some green, some red, and some orange. I also noticed that on all of the surrounding trees, the lichen only covered one side because the hill prevented the other side from sun exposure. It was very pretty, although slightly reminiscent of ringworm. The hill's peak was gorgeous--a stunning view of the reservoir, some quaint houses along the shore, and plots of eucalyptus trees.
We had a delicious lunch (albeit a little late) at the Fazendinha, a more varied meal than what we've eaten here so far. I had a huge salad, some potatoes, some ambiguous fried vegetables, cous cous, and a little bit of pasta slathered in butter....I'm skipping dinner tonight. Oh, and I had a beer. Which was great. After stuffing our faces--we were all ravenous after our hike up the "mountain"--a few people hopped in the pool. Pas moi, non merci. Everyone was complaining about how cold it was, so I was not terribly enthusiastic about getting wet.
Of course, I got wet anyway: I rode in the smaller of the two boats on the way back to IPE and I was absolutely soaked through. Oh well. We had a good time and laughed while the spray drenched our hiking boots and backpacks, but everyone could see my ass through my wet pants when we walked back up the hill through the garden (where the produce that we eat here is grown).
I have a bit of homework tonight and I need to finish the reading from last night since I was occupied by my paper. The reading isn't too heavy, but we have a quiz tomorrow so I need to make sure that I understand all of the material. And I need to write a paragraph about my ideas for my project. I don't mind the work; at least I'm done with that paper. Thannnnnk God.
BUSH TAKES A BEATING
ONE HE DESERVES
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Argentina on Friday, speaking before a mass rally of tens of thousands of people -- an excerpt of that address...
Photo from the eur.news1.yimg.com
Ok, I am going to break one of my own rules and regurgitate yesterdays news here. This, I believe is worth repeating for those who missed it.
..............................................................................................................................................
On the other side of the river, that is where that little gentleman of the North must be. Let's give him a big boo! Gringo, go home!
I am convinced that our friends in Brasilia and in Montevideo are not going to feel offended, because we would not want to hurt any of our brethren from Uruguay or Brazil. We recognize their sovereignty. We recognize that those governments have the sovereign right to invite the little gentleman of the North, if they so choose.
But Kirchner and I don't need to plan anything to sabotage this visit, because we are witnessing the true political cadaver. The President of the United States is a political cadaver. He doesn't even smell of sulfur anymore. He doesn't even smell of sulfur or brimstone, if you will. No longer. What you smell from him now is the stench of political death. And not long from now, he will turn to dust and disappear. So we don't need to put forth any effort to sabotage the visit of the President of the United States to some countries, sisters countries of Central and South America, of course. We don't need to do that. It's a simple coincidence, the visit of Nestor to Venezuela and our visit here to Buenos Aires.
Well, we nevertheless need to thank that little gentleman that's visiting us, because if he were not here in South America, perhaps this event would not be so well-attended. We have organized this event to say no to the presence of the chief of the empire here in the heroic lands of South America.
The imperial little gentleman that's visiting Latin America today said about seventy-two or forty-eight hours ago in one of his speeches, when he was announcing that he was leaving for Latin America, he compared Simon Bolivar to George Washington. In fact, he even said the ridiculous thing -- and I can't say it's hypocrisy, because it is simply ridiculous, the most ridiculous thing he could say. He said, today we are all children of Washington and Bolivar. That is, he thinks that he is a son of Bolivar. What he is is a son of a -- but I can't say that word here.
So he has said -- he has said -- and you should listen to what he said here -- he said that now is the time to finish the revolution that Washington and Bolivar commenced . How's that for heresy? That is heresy and ignorance, because we have to remember -- and I say this with all due respect to George Washington, who is historically one of the founding fathers of that country -- but we must also remember the differences and how different George Washington and Simon Bolivar were, are and will always be.
George Washington won a war to gain the independence of the North American economic elite from the English empire, and when Washington died, or, rather, after his independence and after having been the president of the United States, after ordering the massacre of the indigenous peoples of North America, after defending slavery, he ended up being a very rich owner of slaves and of a plantation. He was a great landowner. That was George Washington.
Simon Bolivar, however, was born with a silver spoon, and at eight years old his parents died and he inherited a large fortune, together with his brothers, and he inherited haciendas and slaves. Simon Bolivar, when history led him -- and as Karl Marx said, men can make history, but only as far as history allows us to do so -- when history took Bolivar and made him the leader of the independence process in Venezuela, he made that process revolutionary. Simon Bolivar turned over all of his land. He freed all of his slaves, and he turned them into soldiers, and he brought them here. He brought them to Peru and Carabobo, and he worked together with the troops of San Martin to liberate this continent. That is Simon Bolivar.
And Simon Bolivar, having been born with that silver spoon in his mouth, when he died on the Caribbean coast of Colombia, when he died on December 17 in 1830, he was dressed with a shirt of someone else, because he had no clothes. Simon Bolivar is the leader of the revolution of this land. He is the leader of the social revolution, the people's revolution, the historical revolu
tion. George Washington has nothing -- nothing -- to do with this history.
It was in 1823 that James Monroe said, "America for the Americans." And when I say this tonight, I say it because I want to remind you, my brothers of Argentina, of Venezuela and of America, that the presence of the President of the United States in South America represents all of that. He represents that Monroe Doctrine of America for the Americans. Well, we will have to tell him: North America for the North Americans and South America for the South Americans. This is our America.
The President of the United States, that political cadaver -- and when I say political cadaver, he would like to see me as a real cadaver -- I want him to be a political cadaver, and he already is a political cadaver. The President of the United States has the lowest level of credibility and acceptance from his own people. He is the current president of the United States.
It would appear that he doesn't even dare mention my name, because he was asked in Brasilia today in a press conference -- I saw it, I watched it at the hotel -- and the journalist asked him, “It is said that you are here to stop Chavez's movement in South America.” And it looked like he almost had a heart attack when he heard "Chavez," because he actually stuttered a couple of times, and he actually changed the subject. He didn't answer the question. He didn't answer the question at all. So he doesn't even dare.
And I definitely dare to say his name. The President of the United States of North America, George W. Bush, the little gentleman of the North, the political cadaver that is visiting South America, that little gentleman is the president of all the history of the United States, and in the history of the United States, he has the lowest level of approval in his own country. And if we add that to the level of approval that he has in the world, I would think he's in the red now -- negative numbers.
Pablo
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