Rhammatocerus schistocercoides locust outbreaks in Mato Grosso (Brazil): A long-standing phenomenon
Evidence obtained orally or from publications clearly indicate that Rhammutocerus schistocercoides Rehn, 1906 (Orthoptera: Acrididae Gomphocerinae) outbreaks in Mato Grosso (Brazil) are a long-standing phenomenon, both in terms of their extent and nature. Current theories on the origins of these outbreaks therefore must be drastically revised, especially those that blame the accelerated agricultural development that has occurred in these regions since 1980.
Importance of human capital, field knowledge and experience to improve pest locust management.
BACKGROUND
Poorly organised risk management system may dysfunction when used. The consequences can be dramatic for those supposed to be protected. Since the 1960s, preventive control strategies, which field officers are the living memory, have been developed to monitor locusts. Preserving their experience of past plagues is consequently essential. Wrong use of their knowledge can disrupt the whole management chain. We explored these conditions using a multi-agent model representing a preventive system. We simulated how the field teams' tendency to repeatedly visit past outbreak areas (hotspots) by allocating them an attraction weight, can help in preventing plagues.


RESULTS
When field teams' attention remained constant over time, there was dramatic decrease in the number of plagues with increasing interest in hotspots, as long as interest was less than 2.5 times more than elsewhere. When the field teams were only attentive during recession times, plagues were better controlled using a low weight for hotspots. The spatial structure of hotspot distribution had an effect: the more frequent and the bigger the hotspots, the lower the optimal hotspot weighting needed to reduce plagues.


CONCLUSION
Orienting surveys towards hotspots particularly during recession times reduces plagues. The spatial structure of locust habitats may influence the way to manage them. Habitats located outside the multiple hotspots of species such as the desert locust should be visited more frequently than those with only one hotspot, such as the South American locust. The decline/loss of the field officers' experience highlights the need to save, capitalize and disseminate this knowledge. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Adaptation and Ethnozoological Classification: Theoretical Implications of Animal Resources and Diet of the Aguaruna and Huambisa
Publisher Summary This chapter presents adaptation and ethnozoological classification. It discusses the theoretical implications of animal resources and the diet of the Aguaruna and Huambisa. The Aguaruna and Huambisa, in their daily interactions with their tropical forest environment, are confronted with the natural discontinuities of the biological world that express themselves in a multitude of ways to the human observer. The desire to fulfil the basic needs of sustenance intensifies human interaction with some of these species and many species may be killed and evaluated as potentially edible. However, the satisfaction of these needs and uses is not the primary mover in the recognition and classification of these species. It is asserted that the structure of the biological environment that the astute Aguaruna and Huambisa recognize is given, and that cognitively as a result of constant interaction with this environment; they come to act as codifiers of its inherent structure.