To explore the effects of deforestation and resulting differences in vegetation and

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Adaptive management and ecohealth frameworks were developed for malaria elimination in Amerindian riparian communities of Venezuela. These frameworks were developed as a strategy to capture, organize, and communicate connections among key factors related to local malaria complex systems. Important causal relationships between social, economic, and environmental stressors which are determinant of malaria were identified at different levels and assumptions that guide interventions are offered, based on available scientific knowledge and input from stakeholders. Drawing on our experience of action research committed to the health of Amerindian populations and conservation of areas with biodiversity value, the authors provide lessons to strengthen the practice of an ecohealth approach. First, conservation targets were considered as a way to achieve sustainable human well-being rather than as a consequence of well-being. Second, the effectiveness and sustainability of technical solutions generally proposed for malaria control depend largely on individual knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Hence, it is necessary to look at the real opportunities of choices that Amerindian people have for attaining a life without malaria, and therefore pay attention to local capabilities, needs, and freedom to choose. The ecohealth approach can benefit from the capability approach, and we explain why.

A new volumetric method for estimating fecundity in Decapoda is presented. Its precision and amount of time spent in the estimation were determined and compared to other two methods available in the literature (Hopkins, 1962, as modified by Diaz, 1974;and Bogorov and Zenkevich, 1947, as modified by Ros and Menocal, 1978). The new volumetric method was found to b e more precise and faster than the other two methods referred.Methods for estimating the number of eggs in Decapoda have been developed in an attempt to determine fecundity in relation to population dynamics. In most such methods a regression or functional relation has been established between volume or weight of the sample and the number of eggs in the berry. Then, the total number of eggs in the egg mass can be estimated. However, chitinous connections among eggs introduce some error in the estimate. The error originates in estimating the volun~e occupied or the weight of the connections. A variable amount of materials such as sand grains and the degree of humidity in the subsample magnify the error. In order to prevent such errors, most methods described in the literature include disaggregation of the egg mass; however, this is tedious and time-consuming (e.g.

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