https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/1322 2026-04-17T11:37:16Z 2026-04-17T11:37:16Z Birrer, Caroline Gonçalves https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/44320 2026-03-31T17:43:58Z 2025-01-24T00:00:00Z

Sustentabilidade em um mundo sob falha metabólica Birrer, Caroline Gonçalves Dobrovolski, Ricardo This study addresses global ecological crises through an integrative approach, focusing on two key aspects: human population and metabolic failure in agriculture. We explore the structural and sociometabolic roots of agricultural sustainability and argue that population control solutions, widely discussed in the literature, are insufficient and divert attention from the real causes of environmental problems. Global population growth is slowing, with fertility rates dropping significantly since 1990 and population stabilization projected for 2080. This undermines the notion that population size is the main driver of ecological degradation. Instead, we highlight the capitalist sociometabolic model as the true engine of environmental crises. This model, centered on unlimited economic growth and profit maximization, generates artificial consumption demands, overburdening ecosystems without necessarily improving human well-being. Moreover, we analyze metabolic failure in global agriculture, focusing on the disproportionate use of fertilizers relative to productivity gains. Data from 1961 to 2022 for six agricultural products in 211 countries show that increased agricultural productivity is increasingly reliant on chemical fertilizers, especially in countries of the so-called "Global South." This pattern leads to soil degradation, environmental contamination, and heightened socioeconomic inequalities, exacerbating risks to agricultural and global sustainability. We also emphasize the impact of disrupted natural nutrient cycles caused by the separation of rural and urban systems, which depletes agricultural soils and concentrates waste in cities, intensifying environmental and climate crises. In light of this, we propose solutions that transcend population control, focusing on systemic transformations. These solutions include transitioning to sustainable sociometabolic models, restoring natural nutrient flows between rural and urban areas, and adopting regenerative agricultural practices such as ecological intensification, which foster greater resilience and sustainability. In summary, this study challenges the traditional view that blames population growth for environmental crises and advocates a systemic approach to address them. By highlighting the detrimental effects of the capitalist sociometabolic model and metabolic failure in agriculture, we underscore the need for profound changes that integrate ecological balance, social justice, and agricultural sustainability. This transition requires a break from current paradigms and the adoption of solutions rooted in cooperation, equity, and respect for planetary boundaries. Universidade Federal da Bahia Tese

2025-01-24T00:00:00Z Barreto, Ana Maria Borges da Paixão https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/43807 2026-01-16T13:32:17Z 2025-04-07T00:00:00Z

Ratos, doenças e cidades: caracterização do risco zoonótico e estratégias participativas de prevenção Barreto, Ana Maria Borges da Paixão Costa, Federico The study of rodent-borne diseases has become increasingly relevant due to the growing impact of these pathogens on global public health, particularly in vulnerable urban contexts. Rising urbanization and the close proximity between human populations and rodent habitats intensify the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, such as Orthohantavirus, in addition to other parasites that may affect both rodents and humans. However, significant gaps remain in the understanding of the spatial and epidemiological dynamics of these pathogens in urban areas, especially in Brazilian cities. This dissertation aims to provide insights into the risk factors that increase rodent and human exposure to various pathogens circulating in urban centers, as well as participatory approaches to mitigate the health impacts of rodents. In Chapter I, we update knowledge on which parasites circulate in rodent populations within vulnerable urban communities, analyzing their spatial distribution and assessing how landscape factors may influence this distribution. We identified 11 species of zoonotic parasites in urban rat populations in Salvador in 2018. Only three nematode species showed spatial aggregation: Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, and Capillaria gastrica. Higher individual weight, the presence of wounds, and the dry season influenced the cumulative parasite burden per rat, highlighting the importance of host-level traits and climate in shaping pathogen circulation. In Chapter II, the focus shifts to Seoul orthohantavirus (SEOV), a virus rarely investigated in Brazilian urban environments. This chapter explores SEOV prevalence in Rattus spp., as well as human risk factors for exposure, particularly in high-risk settings such as Salvador’s informal settlements. We found that 32% of rats (37/117) and 14% (91/646) of human residents had been exposed to SEOV. In rodents, higher body weight, proximity to construction debris and accumulated materials, and lack of visits from the zoonosis control center were identified as risk factors. For humans, risk was mainly associated with garbage accumulation in the community, underscoring the importance of basic urban services in tackling rodent-borne diseases. Finally, in Chapter III, we demonstrate that rodent infestations and their associated parasites are facilitated by environmental characteristics and the lack of infrastructure and sanitation in vulnerable urban settlements. We propose a pilot model of systematic rodent surveillance for control in disadvantaged urban areas, with active community participation. The research advocates for multisectoral interventions for rodent control and supports the feasibility of sustainable and participatory strategies aimed at reducing infestation and, consequently, improving public health conditions. This pilot was replicated in a disadvantaged urban settlement in a Bahamian community, demonstrating the potential and replicability of the model. Universidade Federal da Bahia Tese

2025-04-07T00:00:00Z Almeida Júnior, Edson Serafim de https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/43122 2026-03-30T14:34:45Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Através do Tempo: avaliando o padrão de decomposição foliar em um riacho de Mata Atlântica. Almeida Júnior, Edson Serafim de Medeiros, Adriana Oliveira Organic matter decomposition is a fundamental ecological process for carbon and nutrient cycling in headwater streams, especially in tropical ecosystems where allochthonous leaf litter is the primary energy source sustaining the aquatic food web. However, understanding the dynamics of this process at broader temporal scales, particularly in tropical regions characterized by high environmental and biological heterogeneity, remains limited due to the scarcity of long-term data. This study investigated the influence of temporal variation and multiple environmental factors on the decomposer community and the process of organic matter decomposition in a headwater stream of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest over five years. The research was structured into two main chapters. Chapter 1 evaluated the structure of aquatic hyphomycete fungal communities, whose main ecological role is leaf conditioning and nutrient mineralization during decomposition. The results revealed that interannual variation had a stronger influence on hyphomycete community structure than intra-annual variation. The main environmental drivers shaping this community were water chemistry and leaf litter quality. This pattern contrasts with the initial hypothesis, which predicted a stronger influence of intra-annual variation, and instead indicates notable seasonal stability and the predominance of long-term environmental shifts. Chapter 2 investigated the direct and indirect relationships between temporal and environmental factors, the structure of the decomposer community, and organic matter decomposition using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The model showed that timescale and the composition of dissolved nutrients in the water were the main drivers of decomposer community structure. Interestingly, decomposition was not directly explained by any of the variables included in the model, suggesting the presence of functional redundancy and ecological resilience in the decomposition process. In conclusion, this thesis advances our understanding of how temporal variability and the complex interactions among environmental and biological factors shape decomposition in tropical streams. The findings highlight the importance of long-term approaches for uncovering ecological processes in dynamic ecosystems and provide valuable insights for the conservation and management of headwater stream integrity under climate change pressures. Universidade Federal da Bahia Tese

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z Moura, Perimar Espírito Santop de https://repositorio.ufba.br/handle/ri/41957 2025-05-09T01:24:05Z 2019-07-05T00:00:00Z

Aspectos do ciclo de vida de lutjanídeos em ambientes estuarinos tropicais: uso do habitat e padrão de movimento Moura, Perimar Espírito Santop de Santos, Alexndre Clistenes de Alcântara The Lutjanidae family is represented by fish of ecological and economic importance in coastal environments (snappers) that use these areas as nurseries. Knowing the patterns of use and sharing of these areas is fundamental for the management and conservation of priority areas. Chemical analysis of otoliths has been used for studies on fish, including shifting and habitat use. The objectives of the present study were to use this tool to verify spatial variations in the chemical composition of Lutjanus synagris otoliths in estuarine regions of Bahia and, through the chemical reading of the Sr and Ba deposition pattern of the edge of the L. jocu otoliths, L. analis and L. synagris, to discriminate the use of the habitat by the lutjanids. The study was carried out in Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS), Baía de Camamu (CAM) and Caravelas Estuarine Complex (CAR). Seven expeditions were carried out in each region between July/2015 and September/2017. The fish were dissected and their otoliths removed, processed and sent for analysis. In the laboratory the analyzes of the edges of the L. synagris otoliths were carried out by means of a laser ablation system coupled to a plasma induction mass spectrometer. Subsequently, the chemical analysis of the isotope deposition pattern of Sr and Ba of the edge of the otoliths of L. jocu, L. analis and L. synagris of the three regions was used. In order to verify habitat overlap, the Ba and Sr ratio concentration averages were compared between the species in each locality, using Mann-Whitney test for BTS, and Kruskal-Wallis for CAM and CAR. Altogether, 29 juveniles of L. synagris were caught in the estuaries while 41 adults were caught outside the estuaries. In addition, 220 otoliths were analyzed, 61 of L. analis, 126 of L. jocu and 33 of L. synagris. Significant differences were found in the composition of the L. synagris otoliths between estuarine and marine regions for Ba, Sr and Mg in the three regions showing that the same species shows different chemical signatures. In CAM there were higher values for Ba and Mn, and lower values of Sr, indicating a higher fresh water intake in this region. BTS was always intermediate in the values of Ba, Sr and Mn, indicating a moderate mixture of fresh and salt water in comparison to the other areas. In CAR, which does not have a bay formation, the values of Sr were the highest, while those of Ba were the lowest, possibly due to the greater influence of the marine environment. The otoliths of the three snappers did not show significant differences between the areas except for the SR in CAR. This result shows that there is spatial overlap for all species studied. It is not possible to affirm with this that there is niche overlap, and the literature shows that the diet with preferentially different food items may be a factor that allows the coexistence of these species. However, more work is required to better investigate this hypothesis in the areas studied. Universidade Federal da Bahia Tese

2019-07-05T00:00:00Z