Spatial distribution of soil δC in the central Brazilian savanna.

Stable carbon isotope ratios (δC) of soil record information regarding C and C plants at the landscape scale that can be used to document vegetation distribution patterns. The Central Brazilian savanna (locally called the Cerrado) has a substantial potential to develop studies of patterns of dynamics and distribution of soil δC, due to its environmental diversity. The purpose of this work was to develop a spatial model of soil δC (soil δC isoscape) to the Cerrado, based on multiple linear regression analysis, and compare the results with the existing model to obtain greater detail of the soil δC distribution.

Environmental and social effects on the incidence of tuberculosis in three Brazilian municipalities and in Federal District.

Introduction: The territorial characteristics, heterogeneities of landscapes, and the regional profiles of Brazil show great disparities in the spatial distribution of tuberculosis burden. Objective of this study is to analyze the effects of environmental and social factors on tuberculosis incidence in three Brazilian municipalities and in the Federal District of Brazil.

Methodology: We performed an ecological study carried out with 131,576 new cases of tuberculosis registered in the Brazilian national disease notification system.

Late Pleistocene climatic changes promoted demographic expansion and population reconnection of a Neotropical savanna-adapted bird, Neothraupis fasciata (Aves: Thraupidae).

We performed phylogeographic and genetic structure analyses of Neothraupis fasciata joined with species distribution modelling to evaluate whether: (1) the distribution of genetic variability shows a pattern expected by the isolation-by-distance model; (2) the influence of the Pleistocene climate changes on species distribution; and (3) climate/climatic stability (hypothesis of climatic stability) as a predictor of population genetic diversity. Based on two molecular datasets (ND2 and FIB-5), the isolation-by-distance hypothesis was not supported. The mitochondrial haplotype network indicated the existence of historically isolated populations at the southern range of the species distribution, and recent population expansion was identified by both neutrality tests and extended Bayesian skyline plot analysis.