Climate change and biotic invasions: a case history of a tropical woody vine

The impacts of climate change in the potential distribution and relative abundance of a C3 shrubby vine, Cryptostegia grandiflora, were investigated using the CLIMEX modelling package. Based upon its current naturalised distribution, C. grandiflora appears to occupy only a small fraction of its potential distribution in Australia under current climatic conditions; mostly in apparently sub-optimal habitat. The potential distribution of C. grandiflora is sensitive towards changes in climate and atmospheric chemistry in the expected range of this century, particularly those that result in increased temperature and water use efficiency. Climate change is likely to increase the potential distribution and abundance of the plant, further increasing the area at risk of invasion, and threatening the viability of current control strategies markedly. By identifying areas at risk of invasion, and vulnerabilities of control strategies, this analysis demonstrates the utility of climate models for providing information suitable to help formulate large-scale, long-term strategic plans for controlling biotic invasions. The effects of climate change upon the potential distribution of C. grandiflora are sufficiently great that strategic control plans for biotic invasions should routinely include their consideration. Whilst the effect of climate change upon the efficacy of introduced biological control agents remain unknown, their possible effect in the potential distribution of C. grandiflora will likely depend not only upon their effects on the population dynamics of C. grandiflora, but also on the gradient of climatic suitability adjacent to each segment of the range boundary.

O direito à memória e o ensino da história do conflito armado colombiano em um ambiente museal

O direito à memória é o direito que tem a sociedade de conhecer, lembrar e procurar a verdade sobre seu próprio passado, sobretudo em situações de violência recente como é o conflito armado colombiano. O direito à memória pode ser garantido ou negado no campo da didatização da história. O ensino de história também acontece em espaços não escolarizados como os museus. O tema da pesquisa é: como os estudantes constroem explicações históricas sobre o conflito armado colombiano em um ambiente museal, e sua relação com o direito à memória. O trabalho de campo se desenvolve na Casa Museu Jorge Eliécer Gaitán (Bogotá - Colômbia), com estudantes das três últimas séries do sistema escolar colombiano. Partimos do pressuposto de que a Casa Museu Gaitán está vinculada não só a um passado doloroso, mas também a um presente conflituoso. As temporalidades superpostas deste espaço museal, são analisadas através das relações entre história acadêmica, história escolar e história cotidiana. Por isto, dialoga-se também com os conteúdos propostos para à área de Ciências Sociais e o livro didático. Garantir um direito à memória através do ensino de história, passa por combater as pretensões oficiais de impor uma memória única do passado, e oferecer ferramentas para que os estudantes possam construir explicações históricas a partir do raciocínio crítico. Isto é possível quando os estudantes confrontam as diferentes vozes que relatam o passado recente. No caso colombiano, garantir o direito à memória através do ensino de história da violência recente, é ainda mais complexo pela função que desenvolve o próprio Estado colombiano no meio do conflito armado.

Discovering "os ianques do sul": towards an entangled Luso-Hispanic history of Latin America

The article reconstructs the largely forgotten role of key Brazilian intellectuals in the Latins-versus-Anglo-Saxons debates that developed around 1898, emphasizing the embeddedness of their thinking in the transnational crossings of men and ideas within South America. It thus challenges the common depiction of late-nineteenth-century Latin Americanism as a purely Spanish American phenomenon and of the United States as its major catalyst, allowing a more nuanced understanding of this movement' s nature.

The 1623 Plan for Global Governance: the obscure history of its reception

Abstract In the present article we analyze the characteristics and the reception of the first plan for global governance, the New Cyneas by Émeric Crucé. With this goal in mind, we examine the history of its readings and the possible influence on the Duke of Sully's project for European confederation, the case most often cited by historians of ideas. Our analysis takes into consideration the 17th century reception, the scant dissemination of the work and the possible causes of its limited impact. Our conclusions support, on the one hand, the novelty of Crucé's principal ideas, and on the other, their limited impact over the time with the exception of the period surrounding the creation of the League of Nations.

Social exclusion: practice and fear of exile (degredo) in Portuguese history

Vejo a sociedade portuguesa como sendo naturalmente inclusiva. Quero dizer que esta parece ser uma tendência mais forte do que, por exemplo, no meu país, nos Estados Unidos da América. Isto poderá explicar porque o degredo era eficaz e era muito temido. Dá para entender também os longos períodos de degredo em substituição de pena capital em Portugal. Segundo as estimativas do autor, pelo menos 50,000 portugueses foram deslocados para dentro e fora de Portugal continental entre 1550-1755. O número era muito significativo na segunda metade do século XVIII. O número dos degredados foi ainda maior no século XIX.

New source-material for the socio-economic history of the Hindus of Goa

The Mhamai brothers were the suppliers of daily commodities / stationery to the viceroys / governors of Goa. Since late 18th century their agency house worked in partnership with several other trading houses all over the west coast of India. They also served as brokers for the French East India company in Goa during the critical period of anglo-french wars. The Mhamais were also revenue farmers, particularly customs and tobacco tax farming. I had the privilege of taking their family archives to the Xavier Centre of Historical Research in 1979 and making the history of the family known worldwide.

Christianity in history: Postcolonial perspective

Historians have successfully pointed to new ways of re-writing Christianity’s history.

Goa: A history of many liberations

The Portuguese will not to be the last in the series of foreigners who sought to make Goa their home. The developments of the past fifty years need to be observed and analysed to understand the trend that will make the so-called «post-liberation» history of Goa. Goa’s history should be more dispassionately viewed as made up of many «liberations», and more may follow.