ABSTRACT The objective was to evaluate the effect of intensifying dairy systems on the uptake and return of nutrients in pastures. The experiment was conducted using four milk production systems on Mombasa grass pastures in the humid tropics, during the rainy season in 2009. This was a 2 x 2 factorial (two nitrogen fertilization levels and concentrate supplement or not for grazing animals) completely randomized design with four replications (paddocks). Nitrogen levels corresponded to 400 and 800 kg. ha-1.year-1, and supplementation was given to only two out of four groups of animals with milk yield above 11 L. day-1. Pastures fertilized with the highest nitrogen level had higher contents of macronutrients in plant tissues and the litter but resulted in lower concentrations of N and Ca in feces. The uptake of macronutrients per grazing cycle was also higher in these pastures. The supplementation caused a decreasing effect on the content of N in dead pasture material, P in litter, and Ca, Mg, and P in feces. Decomposing litter represents the main source of nutrient return to the pasture, especially calcium, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

ABSTRACT Livestock production in semi-arid areas has been unpredictable due to climate variability, mainly rainfall. This study aims to simulate rangeland production variability affected by rainfall over time and relate it to an adjusted carrying capacity, using forage stock to maximize the potential of production of the system to a specifi c guarantee level. Regression analysis of forage biomass against rainfall was performed for ecological sites in the Brazilian semi-arid region to generate probability distribution curves for the historical rainfall for each location using Monte Carlo approach. Forage biomass variability estimated over time was used as input to the model. The system optimizes forage use at a sustainable stocking rate and uses forage surpluses in good years to fill defi cits during adverse years, due to a certain level of guarantee. As a rule, smallholder farmers would need to maintain a storage of around 1,500 kg ha-1 of DM of forage to maintain an adjusted carrying capacity of 0.11 animal units ha-1, with a guarantee of 95% in the long term, stressing the forage storage capacity as a central component of the model. Since farm size infl uences forage production capacity and mainly forage stock capacity, recommendations to cope with this paradigm are suggested.

O objetivo do trabalho foi apresentar uma proposta de diferenciação das Regiões de Saúde no Brasil, baseada no desenvolvimento humano, contribuindo para a identificação de espaços geográficos comparáveis para observação, análise e acompanhamento do desempenho dos sistemas regionalizados de saúde. Os valores das dimensões do Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano Municipal foram calculados para as Regiões de Saúde pela agregação dos dados dos municípios, ponderados pelo seu tamanho populacional. O agrupamento das Regiões de Saúde em 5 grupos, segundo combinações de longevidade, riqueza e escolaridade, foi determinado pelo método K-Médias. Metade das Regiões de Saúde brasileiras foi classificada em grupos do tipo 1 e 2 e a outra metade em grupos dos tipos 3 a 5. A tipologia apresentada oferece um modelo de agrupamento de Regiões de Saúde homogêneas, coerente com os pressupostos teóricos do PROADESS. A opção por indicadores e métodos de agregação bem estabelecidos tende a favorecer a sua compreensão e utilização pelos atores ligados à gestão do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS).

Este trabajo presenta una propuesta para la diferenciación de las Regiones de Salud en Brasil, basado en el desarrollo humano, lo que contribuye a la identificación de áreas geográficas comparables para la observación, el análisis y el seguimiento del desempeño de los sistemas sanitarios regionalizados. Se calcularon los valores de las dimensiones del Índice de Desarrollo Humano Municipal para las Regiones de Salud, a partir de los datos municipales, ponderados por su tamaño poblacional. La clasificación de las Regiones de Salud en 5 grupos, de acuerdo a las combinaciones de longevidad, riqueza y educación, se determinó por el método K-medias. La mitad de las Regiones de Salud de Brasil fueron clasificadas como tipo 1 y grupo 2, y la otra mitad en grupos de dos tipos 3-5. La tipología presentada proporciona un modelo de agrupación de regiones sanitarias homogéneas, en consonancia con los supuestos teóricos de PROADESS. La elección de los indicadores y los métodos de agregación bien establecidos tienden a facilitar su comprensión y su utilización por los gestores del Sistema Único de Salud brasileño (SUS).

This article aimed to present a proposal for characterizing health regions in Brazil based on human development, contributing to the identification of comparable geographic areas for observation, analysis, and monitoring of performance in regionalized health systems. The dimensions of the Municipal Human Development Index were calculated for the health regions by aggregating data from municipalities, weighted by population size. The grouping of health regions in 5 groups, based on combinations of life expectancy, income, and schooling, was determined by the K-Means method. Approximately half of Brazil’s health regions were classified as type 1 and the other half as types 3 to 5. The typology provides a clustering model for homogeneous health regions, consistent with the theoretical assumptions of PROADESS. The choice of well-established indicators and aggregation methods tends to facilitate their comprehension and use by the actors involved in the administration of the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS).