Valoración social de las propiedades estéticas de los hayedos en Cataluña

Se aplican métodos ensayados en otros países (Scenic Beauty Estimation Method, SBE) para la determinación de las cualidades estéticas de masas forestales de interés recreativo a parcelas en diversas localizaciones del haya en Cataluña, abarcando diferencias significativas en estación, origen, edad y forma de masa. Las valoraciones se refieren a las cualidades estéticas de los rodales de haya vistos desde el interior del bosque, es decir, tal como son apreciados por parte de los visitantes de los montes. Las valoraciones se obtienen a través de paneles de observadores en sesiones fotográficas, se transforman a una escala común y se relacionan mediante análisis de regresión a las variables dasométricas tomadas en las parcelas de inventario. El desarrollo de modelos estadísticos que describen preferencias sociales permite medir la aportación de las diferentes variables dasométricas a la mejora estética de las masas de haya, y puede servir como guía en la ordenación de hayedos en que el uso público sea predominante o muy importante.

Modelling bird species richness with neural networks for forest landscape management in NE Spain

Para preservar la biodiversidad de los ecosistemas forestales de la Europa mediterránea en escenarios actuales y futuros de cambio global mediante una gestión forestal sostenible es necesario determinar cómo influye el medio ambiente y las propias características de los bosques sobre la biodiversidad que éstos albergan. Con este propósito, se analizó la influencia de diferentes factores ambientales y de estructura y composición del bosque sobre la riqueza de aves forestales a escala 1 × 1 km en Cataluña (NE de España). Se construyeron modelos univariantes y multivariantes de redes neuronales para respectivamente explorar la respuesta individual a las variables y obtener un modelo parsimonioso (ecológicamente interpretable) y preciso. La superficie de bosque (con una fracción de cabida cubierta superior a 5%), la fracción de cabida cubierta media, la temperatura anual y la precipitación estival medias fueron los mejores predictores de la riqueza de aves forestales. La red neuronal multivariante obtenida tuvo una buena capacidad de generalización salvo en las localidades con una mayor riqueza. Además, los bosques con diferentes grados de apertura del dosel arbóreo, más maduros y más diversos en cuanto a su composición de especies arbóreas se asociaron de forma positiva con una mayor riqueza de aves forestales. Finalmente, se proporcionan directrices de gestión para la planificación forestal que permitan promover la diversidad ornítica en esta región de la Europa mediterránea.

Contribution of early detection and adjuvant treatments to breast cancer mortality reduction in Catalonia, Spain

Background: Reductions in breast cancer (BC) mortality in Western countries have been attributed to the use of screening mammography and adjuvant treatments. The goal of this work was to analyze the contributions of both interventions to the decrease in BC mortality between 1975 and 2008 in Catalonia. Methodology/Principal Findings: A stochastic model was used to quantify the contribution of each intervention. Age standardized BC mortality rates for calendar years 1975-2008 were estimated in four hypothetical scenarios: 1) Only screening, 2) Only adjuvant treatment, 3) Both interventions, and 4) No intervention. For the 30-69 age group, observed Catalan BC mortality rates per 100,000 women-year rose from 29.4 in 1975 to 38.3 in 1993, and afterwards continuously decreased to 23.2 in 2008. If neither of the two interventions had been used, in 2008 the estimated BC mortality would have been 43.5, which, compared to the observed BC mortality rate, indicates a 46.7% reduction. In 2008 the reduction attributable to screening was 20.4%, to adjuvant treatments was 15.8% and to both interventions 34.1%. Conclusions/Significance: Screening and adjuvant treatments similarly contributed to reducing BC mortality in Catalonia. Mathematical models have been useful to assess the impact of interventions addressed to reduce BC mortality that occurred over nearly the same periods.

Un país amb 7 territoris

El nou Estatut d’autonomia de Catalunya (2006) preveu la creació de vegueries, enteses en la doble funció d’ens local en substitució de les diputacions i com a àmbit d’actuació perifèrica de la Generalitat. Resta per aclarir l’encaix de la vegueria amb la província estatal. Hores d’ara la planificació del territori i bona part de l’administració perifèrica de la Generalitat s’organitza en 7 àmbits, en tant que l’Estat manté inalterada la seva organització en 4 províncies. S’estudien els precedents històrics de les vegueries contemporànies i en particular el debat i gestació de 9 regions en temps de la Generalitat republicana (1931-1939). Es posa de relleu la important aportació intel·lectual d’Enric Lluch en la reforma i simplificació del mapa de vegueries (de 9 a 7). Es planteja el feixuc trànsit efectuat des de la idea de “província única” al plantejament d’un increment en el nombre de províncies-vegueries.

Using vegetation to characterize the avalanche to Canal del Roc Roig, Vall de Núria (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

Avalanche hazard maps of high accuracy are difficult to produce. For land-use planning and management purposes, a good knowledge of extreme run-out zones and frequencies of avalanches is required. In the present work, vegetation recognition (especially focused on Pinus uncinata trees) and dendrochronological techniques are used to characterize avalanches that have occurred in historical times, helping to determine both the extent of large or extreme avalanches and their occurrence in time. Vegetation was studied at the Canal del Roc Roig (eastern Pyrenees, Spain) avalanche path. The avalanches descending this path affect the railway that reaches the Vall de Núria resort and the run-up to the opposite slope. During winter 1996, two important avalanches affecting this path were well documented. These are compared with the results of the vegetation study, consisting of an inventory of flora, the recording of vegetation damages along eight transverse profiles at different altitudes on the path and a dendrochronological sampling campaign. The data obtained contributed to a characterization of the predominant snow accumulation in the starting zone, the 1996 avalanches and the range of frequencies of large avalanches. Also, traces of avalanches that increase the path mapped in the avalanche paths map published by the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya in 2000 were identified, improving the initial existing information.

Using vegetation to characterize the avalanche to Canal del Roc Roig, Vall de Núria (Eastern Pyrenees, Spain)

Avalanche hazard maps of high accuracy are difficult to produce. For land-use planning and management purposes, a good knowledge of extreme run-out zones and frequencies of avalanches is required. In the present work, vegetation recognition (especially focused on Pinus uncinata trees) and dendrochronological techniques are used to characterize avalanches that have occurred in historical times, helping to determine both the extent of large or extreme avalanches and their occurrence in time. Vegetation was studied at the Canal del Roc Roig (eastern Pyrenees, Spain) avalanche path. The avalanches descending this path affect the railway that reaches the Vall de Núria resort and the run-up to the opposite slope. During winter 1996, two important avalanches affecting this path were well documented. These are compared with the results of the vegetation study, consisting of an inventory of flora, the recording of vegetation damages along eight transverse profiles at different altitudes on the path and a dendrochronological sampling campaign. The data obtained contributed to a characterization of the predominant snow accumulation in the starting zone, the 1996 avalanches and the range of frequencies of large avalanches. Also, traces of avalanches that increase the path mapped in the avalanche paths map published by the Institut Cartogràfic de Catalunya in 2000 were identified, improving the initial existing information.

Anàlisi de l'activitat enoturística dels cellers de la D.O. Empordà

Anàlisi sobre l’activitat enoturística dels cellers adscrits a la Denominació d’Origen Empordà. Es pretén saber quina és la realitat dels cellers de l’Empordà que pertanyen a aquesta denominació d’origen, en quant al seu nivell i model de desenvolupament en matèria turística

Centrality and investment strategies at the beginning of industrialisation in mid-nineteenth-century Catalonia

We apply social networks analysis to the study of an important database on investment and companies" share in the Catalonia (Spain) of the nineteenth century. In contrast with most of the existing related literature, usually addressing power relationships across administration boards, we focus on the structure of interactions among individual investors and firms. Centrality analysis uncovers interesting roles played by certain economic sectors (e.g. textile and financial). Furthermore, the diverse composition (in terms of economic activity) of communities in the network (subgroups more densely connected internally than with the rest of the network) reveals a high investment diversification, which nicely agrees with a known characteristic of traditional Catalan business strategies.

Tobacco control policies in hospitals before and after the implementation of a national smoking ban in Catalonia, Spain

Background: Diverse projects and guidelines to assist hospitals towards the attainment of comprehensive smoke-free policies have been developed. In 2006, Spain government passed a new smoking ban that reinforce tobacco control policies and banned completely smoking in hospitals. This study assesses the progression of tobacco control policies in the Catalan Network of Smokefree Hospitals before and after a comprehensive national smoking ban. Methods: We used the Self-Audit Questionnaire of the European Network for Smoke-free Hospitals to score the compliance of 9 policy standards (global score = 102). We used two crosssectional surveys to evaluate tobacco control policies before (2005) and after the implementation of a national smoking ban (2007) in 32 hospitals of Catalonia, Spain. We compared the means of the overall score in 2005 and 2007 according to the type of hospital, the number of beds, the prevalence of tobacco consumption, and the number of years as a smoke-free hospital. Results: The mean of the implementation score of tobacco control policies was 52.4 (95% CI:45.4-59.5) in 2005 and 71.6 (95% CI: 67.0-76.2) in 2007 with an increase of 36.7% (p < 0.01). The hospitals with greater improvement were general hospitals (48% increase; p < 0.01), hospitals with > 300 beds (41.1% increase; p < 0.01), hospitals with employees' tobacco consumption prevalence 35-39% (72.2% increase; p < 0.05) and hospitals that had recently implemented smoke-free policies (74.2% increase; p < 0.01). Conclusion: The national smoking ban appears to increase tobacco control activities in hospitals combined with other non-bylaw initiatives such as the Smoke-free Hospital Network.

Tobacco control policies in hospitals before and after the implementation of a national smoking ban in Catalonia, Spain

Background: Diverse projects and guidelines to assist hospitals towards the attainment of comprehensive smoke-free policies have been developed. In 2006, Spain government passed a new smoking ban that reinforce tobacco control policies and banned completely smoking in hospitals. This study assesses the progression of tobacco control policies in the Catalan Network of Smokefree Hospitals before and after a comprehensive national smoking ban. Methods: We used the Self-Audit Questionnaire of the European Network for Smoke-free Hospitals to score the compliance of 9 policy standards (global score = 102). We used two crosssectional surveys to evaluate tobacco control policies before (2005) and after the implementation of a national smoking ban (2007) in 32 hospitals of Catalonia, Spain. We compared the means of the overall score in 2005 and 2007 according to the type of hospital, the number of beds, the prevalence of tobacco consumption, and the number of years as a smoke-free hospital. Results: The mean of the implementation score of tobacco control policies was 52.4 (95% CI:45.4-59.5) in 2005 and 71.6 (95% CI: 67.0-76.2) in 2007 with an increase of 36.7% (p < 0.01). The hospitals with greater improvement were general hospitals (48% increase; p < 0.01), hospitals with > 300 beds (41.1% increase; p < 0.01), hospitals with employees' tobacco consumption prevalence 35-39% (72.2% increase; p < 0.05) and hospitals that had recently implemented smoke-free policies (74.2% increase; p < 0.01). Conclusion: The national smoking ban appears to increase tobacco control activities in hospitals combined with other non-bylaw initiatives such as the Smoke-free Hospital Network.

Preface: Extreme events induced by weather and climate change: evaluation, forecasting and proactive planning

This special issue of Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS) contains eight papers presented as oral or poster contributions in the Natural Hazards NH-1.2 session on"Extreme events induced by weather and climate change: evaluation, forecasting and proactive planning", held at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly in Vienna, Austria, on 13-18 April 2008. The aim of the session was to provide an international forum for presenting new results and for discussing innovative ideas and concepts on extreme hydro-meteorological events, including: (i) the assessment of the risk posed by the extreme events, (ii) the expected changes in the frequency and intensity of the events driven by a changing climate and by multiple human- induced causes, (iii) new modelling approaches and original forecasting methods to predict extreme events and their consequences, and (iv) strategies for hazard mitigation and risk reduction, and for a improved adaptation to extreme hydro-meteorological events ...

Characteristics of 2D convective structures in Catalonia (NE Spain): an analysis using radar data and GIS

Flood simulation studies use spatial-temporal rainfall data input into distributed hydrological models. A correct description of rainfall in space and in time contributes to improvements on hydrological modelling and design. This work is focused on the analysis of 2-D convective structures (rain cells), whose contribution is especially significant in most flood events. The objective of this paper is to provide statistical descriptors and distribution functions for convective structure characteristics of precipitation systems producing floods in Catalonia (NE Spain). To achieve this purpose heavy rainfall events recorded between 1996 and 2000 have been analysed. By means of weather radar, and applying 2-D radar algorithms a distinction between convective and stratiform precipitation is made. These data are introduced and analyzed with a GIS. In a first step different groups of connected pixels with convective precipitation are identified. Only convective structures with an area greater than 32 km2 are selected. Then, geometric characteristics (area, perimeter, orientation and dimensions of the ellipse), and rainfall statistics (maximum, mean, minimum, range, standard deviation, and sum) of these structures are obtained and stored in a database. Finally, descriptive statistics for selected characteristics are calculated and statistical distributions are fitted to the observed frequency distributions. Statistical analyses reveal that the Generalized Pareto distribution for the area and the Generalized Extreme Value distribution for the perimeter, dimensions, orientation and mean areal precipitation are the statistical distributions that best fit the observed ones of these parameters. The statistical descriptors and the probability distribution functions obtained are of direct use as an input in spatial rainfall generators.

Plant diversity across five vegetation belts in the Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain)

In this paper we analyze the size and habitat partitioning of the vascular floras of five areas of the NE Iberian Peninsula, representing five distinct vegetation belts and three floristic regions: Mediterranean (basal belt), medio-European (submontane and montane belts) and Boreo-Alpine (subalpine and alpine belts). Each area covered over 1000 ha, and was fairly uniform in terms of potential vegetation, bedrock and bioclimate. They excluded large villages and field areas, the landscape being mainly natural or moderately anthropized.

Regeneración urbana en Chile y Cataluña. Análisis de estrategias en fases de diseño e implementación

Las ciudades evidencian procesos degenerativos y de desigualdad como resultado del ajuste político-económico a la globalización. Consecuencias de este fenómeno se observan a nivel barrial, lo que no es sólo el resultado del abandono de ciertas áreas sino, frecuentemente, es consecuencia directa o indirecta de acciones públicas. Los gobiernos están desarrollando políticas públicas y acciones para la regeneración de áreas deterioradas, con objetivos diversos, destacando la cohesión social como una prioridad. Este artículo se propone comparar y analizar las intervenciones desplegadas en Cataluña (Llei de Barris) y Chile (programa Quiero mi Barrio). Ambas iniciativas declaran basarse en enfoques integrales, por lo que resulta importante analizar la existencia de mecanismos para la coordinación e implementación de acciones transversales -sociales, físicas y/o económicas- que requieren acciones consorciadas y la inclusión de los principales actores concernidos. Una preocupación del equipo investigador es indagar en la relación entre el diseño de esas políticas y su traducción en prácticas efectivas.

Programa integral de atención a las personas mayores en una zona rural

We describe a community intervention program performed in three rural villages in the Alt Empordà region (Girona province). The study provides data on the services available to the elderly in a specific context, based on an initiative proposed by the villages, the local councils, and the elderly themselves. The program is a research-action plan which applies the participative and qualitative methodology characteristic of strategic planning. The study analyses how the initiative arose, the description of the process, and the different parts of the intervention program