An effective incentivized hunting program was initiated in the United States in 2002 to reduce the population of nutria (Myocastor coypus), an invasive species of rodent contributing to wetland erosion. In this thesis, I analyze the ethics of intervening through the nutria hunting program by applying four different non-anthropocentric theories of animal and environmental ethics to the case: Peter Singer’s utilitarianism, Tom Regan’s animal rights, Paul Taylor’s respect for nature, and Aldo Leopold’s land ethic. I explain why the theories of Singer and Leopold would support intervention, while Regan’s and Taylor’s would not. Additionally, due to its unique features, the situation with the nutria is a perfect test case for evaluating the merits of these four competing theories. After taking issue with Singer’s, Regan’s, and Taylor’s theories as they pertain to the nutria case, I conclude that Leopold’s land ethic is best able to account for our considered moral belief that killing the invasive nutria in order to protect the wetlands is morally appropriate. Because Leopold’s land ethic is holistic and inegalitarian, it can explain both why the nutria are a problem and why they are less morally valuable than the native wetland species they are destroying. Of the four theories, only Leopold’s includes the entire biotic community in the sphere of moral consideration, and in so doing, recognizes that what is at stake in this case is the wetland itself, and that we have a duty to preserve its integrity, even at the cost of nutria life.

As the nineteenth century drew to a close, people living in coastal Louisiana noticed that local rodents called muskrats were rapidly increasing and quickly becoming pests by digging up crops and into levees. Property owners soon demanded their elimination, but to the ire of many, Louisiana officials chose to develop a market for muskrat fur and protect its supply through management laws. The state sought the cooperation of trappers in order to maintain global demand, but when nutria were released alongside the muskrat, the ecological balance of the marsh was permanently altered. Muskrats shrank back into obscurity, and trappers struggled to embrace the nutria as a substitute. This thesis will trace the Louisiana muskrat industry's development starting with its rise in the 1890s, continuing through its years as a leading furbearer, and ending with its replacement by the nutria in the 1960s.

Foram utilizados 30 encéfalos de nutria (Myocastor coypus), injetados com látex, corado em vermelho, com objetivo de sistematizar e descrever a distribuição e territórios das artérias cerebrais rostral, média e caudal e suas ramificações na superfície dos hemisférios cerebrais e no tronco encefálico. A artéria carótida interna apresentou-se atrofiada, sendo o encéfalo vascularizado exclusivamente pelo sistema vértebro-basilar. A artéria vertebral penetrou pelo forame magno, e seus antímeros anastomosaram-se formando uma calibrosa artéria basilar. A artéria basilar, de grande calibre, alcançou o sulco rostral da ponte, dividiu-se em dois ramos terminais, em uma divergência de aproximadamente 90°, e lançou as artérias cerebelar rostral, cerebral caudal, hipofisária, corióidea rostral e ramos centrais para o lobo piriforme. Após, os ramos terminais da artéria basilar projetaram-se rostro-lateralmente até a altura da origem aparente do nervo oculomotor (III par craniano), e curvaram-se alcançando o trato óptico, lançando a artéria cerebral média e a artéria cerebral rostral, seu ramo terminal. A artéria cerebelar rostralemitiu um ramo tectal mesencefálico caudal, para a face caudal do colículo caudal. A artéria cerebral caudal, normalmente única, de grosso calibre, projetava-se látero-dorsalmente para o interior da fissura transversa do cérebro, lançando as artérias tectal mesencefálica rostral (componente proximal) e inter-hemisférica caudal. A artéria tectal mesencefálica rostral vascularizou a maior parte do tecto mesencefálico, e os ramos terminais das artérias tectais mesencefálicas, rostral e caudal, formaram uma rede anastomótica sobre a superfície dos colículos rostrais e caudais. A artéria inter-hemisférica caudal lançou ramos centrais, artérias corióidea caudal (esta anastomosava-se com a artéria corióidea rostral, vascularizando o diencéfalo e o hipocampo), hemisféricas occipitais (para o pólo occipital do hemisfério cerebral), ramos tectais mesencefálicos rostrais (componentes distais), e então contornava o esplênio do corpo caloso anastomosando-se “em ósculo” com a artéria inter-hemisférica rostral. A artéria cerebral média, de grande calibre, projetava-se pelo interior da fossa lateral do cérebro, lançando ramos centrais caudais e rostrais para o páleo-palio da região. Ela ultrapassou o sulco rinal lateral, formando um a dois eixos principais para a face convexa do hemisfério cerebral, originando ramos hemisféricos convexos caudais e rostrais, e suas ramificações terminais anastomosavam-se “em ósculo” no lobo parietal com os ramos das artérias hemisféricas mediais rostrais, ramo da artéria cerebral rostral. A artéria cerebral rostral, de grosso calibre, projetou-se rostro-medialmente, na altura do quiasma óptico, emitindo um ramo medial, para a fissura longitudinal do cérebro. Seu eixo principal projetava-se rostralmente, acompanhando a fissura longitudinal do cérebro, até o bulbo olfatório, continuando-se para a cavidade nasal como artéria etmoidal interna. Esta emitiu ramos centrais, hemisférico medial e artérias lateral e medial do bulbo olfatório. O ramo medial anastomosava-se com seu homólogo contralateral, quando presente, fechando o círculo arterial cerebral rostralmente, formando uma artéria comunicante rostral, mediana ímpar. Esta se bifurcou nas artérias inter-hemisféricas rostrais, que vascularizavam toda face medial dos hemisférios cerebrais, até o esplênio do corpo caloso, emitindo as artérias hemisférica rostral e hemisférica medial rostral, sendo que os ramos terminais desta alcançavam a face convexa, anastomosando-se com os ramos terminais da artéria cerebral média. / Thirty nutria brains were used (Myocastor coypus), injected with latex and stained in red, in order to systematize and describe the distribution and the territories of the rostral, middle and caudal cerebral arteries and their ramifications in the surface of cerebral hemispheres and in the brain stem in nutria. The internal carotid artery was atrophied, being the encephalic vascularized exclusively by the vertebro-basilar system. The vertebral artery penetrated the magnum foramen, and their antimeres anastomosed to form a calibrous basilar artery. The basilar artery, of great caliber, reached the rostral sulcus of the pons, divided into two terminal branches, at a divergence of approximately 90°, and launched the rostral cerebellar, caudal cerebral, hypophyseal, rostral choroid arteries and central branches to the piriform lobe. Afterwards, the terminal branches of the basilar artery were projected rostrolaterally up to the apparent origin of the oculomotor nerve (III cranial nerve), and bent over reaching the optic tract, launching the middle cerebral artery and the rostral cerebral artery, its terminal branch. The rostral cerebellar artery emitted a caudal tectal mesencephalic branch, to the caudal surface of the caudal colliculus. The caudal cerebral artery, usually unique, of large caliber, projected laterally into the transverse fissure of the brain, launching the rostral tectal mesencephalic (proximal component) and caudal inter-hemispheric arteries. The rostral tectal mesencephalic artery vascularized most of the mesencephalic roof, and the terminal branches of the tectal mesencephalic arteries, rostral and caudal, formed an anastomotic network on the surface of rostral and caudal colliculus. The caudal inter-hemispheric artery emitted central branches, caudal choroid (this anastomosis with the rostral choroidal artery, vascularizing of the diencephalon and hippocampus), occipital hemispheres artery (to the occipital pole of the cerebral hemisphere), rostrais tectral mesencephalic branches (distal components), and then bypassed the splenius of the corpus callosum anastomosing "in osculum" with the rostral inter-hemispheric artery. The medium cerebral artery, of great caliber, projected through the interior of the cerebral lateral fossa, Releasing caudal and rostrais central branches to the paleopallio region. It crossed the lateral rinal groove, forming one to two main axes to the convex surface of the cerebral hemisphere, originating caudal and rostral convex hemispheric branches, and its terminal branches anastomosed "in osculum" in the parietal lobe with the branches of the mediais rostrais hemispherics arteries, branch of the rostral cerebral artery. The rostral cerebral artery, of large caliber, projected rostro-medially, at the level of optic chiasm, emitting a medial branch, for the cerebral longitudinal fissure. Its main axis was projected rostrally, accompanying the cerebral longitudinal fissure, until the olfactory bulb, continuing to the nasal cavity as internal ethmoidal artery. It emitted central branches, medial hemispheric and lateral and medial of the olfactory bulb arteries. The medial branch was anastomosed with its contralateral homologous, when present, closing the cerebral arterial circle rostrally, forming a rostral communicating artery, unique median. This bifurcated in the inter-hemispheric rostrais arteries, which vascularized the entire medial face of the cerebral hemispheres, until the splenius of the corpus callosum, emitting the rostral hemispherical and hemispherical medial rostral arteries, being that the terminal branches of this reached the convex surface, anastomosing with the terminal branches of the middle cerebral artery.

Darbo tikslas įvertinti racionų su skirtingu baltymų kiekiu poveikį nutrijų augimo ir vystimosi bei sveikatingumo rodikliams; įvertinti nutrijų mėsos maistinės ir energinės vertės pokyčius priklausomai nuo raciono baltymingumo. Darbo uždaviniai: 1. pateikti racionų su skirtingu baltymų kiekiu maistinę ir energinę vertę; 2. sekti nutrijų svorio kitimą atskirais auginimo periodais; 3. paskaičiuoti paros priesvorius atskiruose augimo perioduose ir per visą laikotarpį; 4. nustatyti kraujo biocheminius rodiklius; 5. pateikti nutrijų mėsos energinės ir maistinės vertės rodiklius. Naujumas mūsų šalyje pirmą kartą atliktas mokslinis tiriamasis bandymas su nutrijomis, jų šėrimui panaudojant skirtingus baltymų kiekio atžvilgiu racionus. Pirmą kartą pateikiami darbe išanalizuoti duomenys apie nutrijų augimo spartą, sveikatos būklę, sprendžiant iš atliktų kraujo tyrimų, o taip pat pateikta šių švelniakailių žvėrelių dietinės mėsos energinė ir maistinė vertė. Išanalizavus tyrimų rezultatus, atlikus kai kuriuos pastebėjimus, galime pateikti sekančias išvadas: 1. Nutrijų racionuose maisto medžiagų: baltymų : riebalų : angliavandenių santykis: I tiriamosios grupės 21,6 : 2,9 : 57,0; II tiriamosios 25,2 : 3,1 : 53,8, III tiriamosios 28,8 : 3,5 : 49,6; nutrijos buvo šeriamos racionais, kurių sudėtyje buvo 21, 25 ir 29 proc. baltymų; 2. Patinėlių kūno masė 8 mėn. amžiuje buvo 5,83 5,58 6,10 kg, patelių 4,46 4,98 5,20 kg; 3. Intensyviausias kūno masės priaugimas patinėlių buvo 3... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Wild animal breeding is a branch of economy that has existed for a long time, therefore, it is necessary for the global economy. Wild animal farming is necessary, because it not only produces exceptionally natural products, but also enables to ecologically utilize the waste produced by the food industry. In Lithuania, the wild animal breeding farms use about 30 thousand tons of the waste of animal origin. The furs of 40-50 million of furry animals are produced each year. At present, the biggest fur industry companies keep up to 30 thousand females, and medium farms keep about 10-20 thousand females. Lithuania is the only country in Eastern Europe where small, family-owned wild animal breeding farms are established, as such farms have been only in Poland for many years. Furry animal breeding business is the branch of agriculture that is most subject to the economic and political processes going on in the world. At present, there are about 20 large wild animal breeding farms in Lithuania. On the other hand, individual breeders are also more and more involved in the wild life breeding industry. The animal breeding business in Lithuania started more than 50 years ago. In the European Union, there are no restrictions for this kind of business, except for environment protection ones. Many nutrias are bred in the United States of America. They were brought to the state of California in 1899 for the first time. 20 nutrias were brought to the state of Louisiana in 1938, and in 1962... [to full text]

Foram utilizados 30 encéfalos de nutria (Myocastor coypus), injetados com látex, corado em vermelho, com objetivo de sistematizar e descrever a distribuição e territórios das artérias cerebrais rostral, média e caudal e suas ramificações na superfície dos hemisférios cerebrais e no tronco encefálico. A artéria carótida interna apresentou-se atrofiada, sendo o encéfalo vascularizado exclusivamente pelo sistema vértebro-basilar. A artéria vertebral penetrou pelo forame magno, e seus antímeros anastomosaram-se formando uma calibrosa artéria basilar. A artéria basilar, de grande calibre, alcançou o sulco rostral da ponte, dividiu-se em dois ramos terminais, em uma divergência de aproximadamente 90°, e lançou as artérias cerebelar rostral, cerebral caudal, hipofisária, corióidea rostral e ramos centrais para o lobo piriforme. Após, os ramos terminais da artéria basilar projetaram-se rostro-lateralmente até a altura da origem aparente do nervo oculomotor (III par craniano), e curvaram-se alcançando o trato óptico, lançando a artéria cerebral média e a artéria cerebral rostral, seu ramo terminal. A artéria cerebelar rostralemitiu um ramo tectal mesencefálico caudal, para a face caudal do colículo caudal. A artéria cerebral caudal, normalmente única, de grosso calibre, projetava-se látero-dorsalmente para o interior da fissura transversa do cérebro, lançando as artérias tectal mesencefálica rostral (componente proximal) e inter-hemisférica caudal. A artéria tectal mesencefálica rostral vascularizou a maior parte do tecto mesencefálico, e os ramos terminais das artérias tectais mesencefálicas, rostral e caudal, formaram uma rede anastomótica sobre a superfície dos colículos rostrais e caudais. A artéria inter-hemisférica caudal lançou ramos centrais, artérias corióidea caudal (esta anastomosava-se com a artéria corióidea rostral, vascularizando o diencéfalo e o hipocampo), hemisféricas occipitais (para o pólo occipital do hemisfério cerebral), ramos tectais mesencefálicos rostrais (componentes distais), e então contornava o esplênio do corpo caloso anastomosando-se “em ósculo” com a artéria inter-hemisférica rostral. A artéria cerebral média, de grande calibre, projetava-se pelo interior da fossa lateral do cérebro, lançando ramos centrais caudais e rostrais para o páleo-palio da região. Ela ultrapassou o sulco rinal lateral, formando um a dois eixos principais para a face convexa do hemisfério cerebral, originando ramos hemisféricos convexos caudais e rostrais, e suas ramificações terminais anastomosavam-se “em ósculo” no lobo parietal com os ramos das artérias hemisféricas mediais rostrais, ramo da artéria cerebral rostral. A artéria cerebral rostral, de grosso calibre, projetou-se rostro-medialmente, na altura do quiasma óptico, emitindo um ramo medial, para a fissura longitudinal do cérebro. Seu eixo principal projetava-se rostralmente, acompanhando a fissura longitudinal do cérebro, até o bulbo olfatório, continuando-se para a cavidade nasal como artéria etmoidal interna. Esta emitiu ramos centrais, hemisférico medial e artérias lateral e medial do bulbo olfatório. O ramo medial anastomosava-se com seu homólogo contralateral, quando presente, fechando o círculo arterial cerebral rostralmente, formando uma artéria comunicante rostral, mediana ímpar. Esta se bifurcou nas artérias inter-hemisféricas rostrais, que vascularizavam toda face medial dos hemisférios cerebrais, até o esplênio do corpo caloso, emitindo as artérias hemisférica rostral e hemisférica medial rostral, sendo que os ramos terminais desta alcançavam a face convexa, anastomosando-se com os ramos terminais da artéria cerebral média. / Thirty nutria brains were used (Myocastor coypus), injected with latex and stained in red, in order to systematize and describe the distribution and the territories of the rostral, middle and caudal cerebral arteries and their ramifications in the surface of cerebral hemispheres and in the brain stem in nutria. The internal carotid artery was atrophied, being the encephalic vascularized exclusively by the vertebro-basilar system. The vertebral artery penetrated the magnum foramen, and their antimeres anastomosed to form a calibrous basilar artery. The basilar artery, of great caliber, reached the rostral sulcus of the pons, divided into two terminal branches, at a divergence of approximately 90°, and launched the rostral cerebellar, caudal cerebral, hypophyseal, rostral choroid arteries and central branches to the piriform lobe. Afterwards, the terminal branches of the basilar artery were projected rostrolaterally up to the apparent origin of the oculomotor nerve (III cranial nerve), and bent over reaching the optic tract, launching the middle cerebral artery and the rostral cerebral artery, its terminal branch. The rostral cerebellar artery emitted a caudal tectal mesencephalic branch, to the caudal surface of the caudal colliculus. The caudal cerebral artery, usually unique, of large caliber, projected laterally into the transverse fissure of the brain, launching the rostral tectal mesencephalic (proximal component) and caudal inter-hemispheric arteries. The rostral tectal mesencephalic artery vascularized most of the mesencephalic roof, and the terminal branches of the tectal mesencephalic arteries, rostral and caudal, formed an anastomotic network on the surface of rostral and caudal colliculus. The caudal inter-hemispheric artery emitted central branches, caudal choroid (this anastomosis with the rostral choroidal artery, vascularizing of the diencephalon and hippocampus), occipital hemispheres artery (to the occipital pole of the cerebral hemisphere), rostrais tectral mesencephalic branches (distal components), and then bypassed the splenius of the corpus callosum anastomosing "in osculum" with the rostral inter-hemispheric artery. The medium cerebral artery, of great caliber, projected through the interior of the cerebral lateral fossa, Releasing caudal and rostrais central branches to the paleopallio region. It crossed the lateral rinal groove, forming one to two main axes to the convex surface of the cerebral hemisphere, originating caudal and rostral convex hemispheric branches, and its terminal branches anastomosed "in osculum" in the parietal lobe with the branches of the mediais rostrais hemispherics arteries, branch of the rostral cerebral artery. The rostral cerebral artery, of large caliber, projected rostro-medially, at the level of optic chiasm, emitting a medial branch, for the cerebral longitudinal fissure. Its main axis was projected rostrally, accompanying the cerebral longitudinal fissure, until the olfactory bulb, continuing to the nasal cavity as internal ethmoidal artery. It emitted central branches, medial hemispheric and lateral and medial of the olfactory bulb arteries. The medial branch was anastomosed with its contralateral homologous, when present, closing the cerebral arterial circle rostrally, forming a rostral communicating artery, unique median. This bifurcated in the inter-hemispheric rostrais arteries, which vascularized the entire medial face of the cerebral hemispheres, until the splenius of the corpus callosum, emitting the rostral hemispherical and hemispherical medial rostral arteries, being that the terminal branches of this reached the convex surface, anastomosing with the terminal branches of the middle cerebral artery.

Foram utilizados 30 encéfalos de nutria (Myocastor coypus), injetados com látex, corado em vermelho, com objetivo de sistematizar e descrever a distribuição e territórios das artérias cerebrais rostral, média e caudal e suas ramificações na superfície dos hemisférios cerebrais e no tronco encefálico. A artéria carótida interna apresentou-se atrofiada, sendo o encéfalo vascularizado exclusivamente pelo sistema vértebro-basilar. A artéria vertebral penetrou pelo forame magno, e seus antímeros anastomosaram-se formando uma calibrosa artéria basilar. A artéria basilar, de grande calibre, alcançou o sulco rostral da ponte, dividiu-se em dois ramos terminais, em uma divergência de aproximadamente 90°, e lançou as artérias cerebelar rostral, cerebral caudal, hipofisária, corióidea rostral e ramos centrais para o lobo piriforme. Após, os ramos terminais da artéria basilar projetaram-se rostro-lateralmente até a altura da origem aparente do nervo oculomotor (III par craniano), e curvaram-se alcançando o trato óptico, lançando a artéria cerebral média e a artéria cerebral rostral, seu ramo terminal. A artéria cerebelar rostralemitiu um ramo tectal mesencefálico caudal, para a face caudal do colículo caudal. A artéria cerebral caudal, normalmente única, de grosso calibre, projetava-se látero-dorsalmente para o interior da fissura transversa do cérebro, lançando as artérias tectal mesencefálica rostral (componente proximal) e inter-hemisférica caudal. A artéria tectal mesencefálica rostral vascularizou a maior parte do tecto mesencefálico, e os ramos terminais das artérias tectais mesencefálicas, rostral e caudal, formaram uma rede anastomótica sobre a superfície dos colículos rostrais e caudais. A artéria inter-hemisférica caudal lançou ramos centrais, artérias corióidea caudal (esta anastomosava-se com a artéria corióidea rostral, vascularizando o diencéfalo e o hipocampo), hemisféricas occipitais (para o pólo occipital do hemisfério cerebral), ramos tectais mesencefálicos rostrais (componentes distais), e então contornava o esplênio do corpo caloso anastomosando-se “em ósculo” com a artéria inter-hemisférica rostral. A artéria cerebral média, de grande calibre, projetava-se pelo interior da fossa lateral do cérebro, lançando ramos centrais caudais e rostrais para o páleo-palio da região. Ela ultrapassou o sulco rinal lateral, formando um a dois eixos principais para a face convexa do hemisfério cerebral, originando ramos hemisféricos convexos caudais e rostrais, e suas ramificações terminais anastomosavam-se “em ósculo” no lobo parietal com os ramos das artérias hemisféricas mediais rostrais, ramo da artéria cerebral rostral. A artéria cerebral rostral, de grosso calibre, projetou-se rostro-medialmente, na altura do quiasma óptico, emitindo um ramo medial, para a fissura longitudinal do cérebro. Seu eixo principal projetava-se rostralmente, acompanhando a fissura longitudinal do cérebro, até o bulbo olfatório, continuando-se para a cavidade nasal como artéria etmoidal interna. Esta emitiu ramos centrais, hemisférico medial e artérias lateral e medial do bulbo olfatório. O ramo medial anastomosava-se com seu homólogo contralateral, quando presente, fechando o círculo arterial cerebral rostralmente, formando uma artéria comunicante rostral, mediana ímpar. Esta se bifurcou nas artérias inter-hemisféricas rostrais, que vascularizavam toda face medial dos hemisférios cerebrais, até o esplênio do corpo caloso, emitindo as artérias hemisférica rostral e hemisférica medial rostral, sendo que os ramos terminais desta alcançavam a face convexa, anastomosando-se com os ramos terminais da artéria cerebral média. / Thirty nutria brains were used (Myocastor coypus), injected with latex and stained in red, in order to systematize and describe the distribution and the territories of the rostral, middle and caudal cerebral arteries and their ramifications in the surface of cerebral hemispheres and in the brain stem in nutria. The internal carotid artery was atrophied, being the encephalic vascularized exclusively by the vertebro-basilar system. The vertebral artery penetrated the magnum foramen, and their antimeres anastomosed to form a calibrous basilar artery. The basilar artery, of great caliber, reached the rostral sulcus of the pons, divided into two terminal branches, at a divergence of approximately 90°, and launched the rostral cerebellar, caudal cerebral, hypophyseal, rostral choroid arteries and central branches to the piriform lobe. Afterwards, the terminal branches of the basilar artery were projected rostrolaterally up to the apparent origin of the oculomotor nerve (III cranial nerve), and bent over reaching the optic tract, launching the middle cerebral artery and the rostral cerebral artery, its terminal branch. The rostral cerebellar artery emitted a caudal tectal mesencephalic branch, to the caudal surface of the caudal colliculus. The caudal cerebral artery, usually unique, of large caliber, projected laterally into the transverse fissure of the brain, launching the rostral tectal mesencephalic (proximal component) and caudal inter-hemispheric arteries. The rostral tectal mesencephalic artery vascularized most of the mesencephalic roof, and the terminal branches of the tectal mesencephalic arteries, rostral and caudal, formed an anastomotic network on the surface of rostral and caudal colliculus. The caudal inter-hemispheric artery emitted central branches, caudal choroid (this anastomosis with the rostral choroidal artery, vascularizing of the diencephalon and hippocampus), occipital hemispheres artery (to the occipital pole of the cerebral hemisphere), rostrais tectral mesencephalic branches (distal components), and then bypassed the splenius of the corpus callosum anastomosing "in osculum" with the rostral inter-hemispheric artery. The medium cerebral artery, of great caliber, projected through the interior of the cerebral lateral fossa, Releasing caudal and rostrais central branches to the paleopallio region. It crossed the lateral rinal groove, forming one to two main axes to the convex surface of the cerebral hemisphere, originating caudal and rostral convex hemispheric branches, and its terminal branches anastomosed "in osculum" in the parietal lobe with the branches of the mediais rostrais hemispherics arteries, branch of the rostral cerebral artery. The rostral cerebral artery, of large caliber, projected rostro-medially, at the level of optic chiasm, emitting a medial branch, for the cerebral longitudinal fissure. Its main axis was projected rostrally, accompanying the cerebral longitudinal fissure, until the olfactory bulb, continuing to the nasal cavity as internal ethmoidal artery. It emitted central branches, medial hemispheric and lateral and medial of the olfactory bulb arteries. The medial branch was anastomosed with its contralateral homologous, when present, closing the cerebral arterial circle rostrally, forming a rostral communicating artery, unique median. This bifurcated in the inter-hemispheric rostrais arteries, which vascularized the entire medial face of the cerebral hemispheres, until the splenius of the corpus callosum, emitting the rostral hemispherical and hemispherical medial rostral arteries, being that the terminal branches of this reached the convex surface, anastomosing with the terminal branches of the middle cerebral artery.

Aquesta tesi es basa en el programa de reintroducció de la llúdriga eurasiàtica (Lutra lutra) a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvià (Catalunya) durant la segona meitat dels 1990s. Els objectius de la tesi foren demostrar la viabilitat de la reintroducció, demostrar l'èxit de la mateixa, estudiar aspectes ecològics i etològics de l'espècie, aprofitant l'oportunitat única de gaudir d'una població "de disseny" i determinar les probabilitats de supervivència de la població a llarg termini.La reintroducció de la llúdriga a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvià va reeixir, doncs l'àrea geogràfica ocupada efectivament es va incrementar fins a un 64% d'estacions positives a l'hivern 2001-02. La troballa de tres exemplars adults nascuts a l'àrea de reintroducció és una altra prova que valida l'èxit del programa.La densitat d'exemplars calculada a través dels censos visuals ha resultat baixa (0.04-0.11 llúdrigues/km), però s'aproxima al que hom pot esperar en els primers estadis d'una població reintroduïda, encara poc nombrosa però distribuïda en una gran àrea.La mortalitat post-alliberament va ser del 22% un any després de l'alliberament, similar o inferior a la d'altres programes de reintroducció de llúdrigues reeixits. La mortalitat va ser deguda principalment a atropellaments (56%).El patró d'activitat de les llúdrigues reintroduïdes va esdevenir principalment nocturn i crepuscular, amb una escassa activitat diürna. Les seves àrees vitals van ser del mateix ordre (34,2 km) que les calculades en d'altres estudis realitzats a Europa. La longitud mitjana de riu recorreguda per una llúdriga durant 24 hores va ser de 4,2 km per les femelles i 7,6 km pels mascles. Durant el període de radioseguiment dues femelles van criar i els seus moviments van poder ser estudiats amb deteniment. La resposta de la nova població de llúdrigues a les fluctuacions estacionals en la disponibilitat d'aigua, habitual a les regions mediterrànies, va consistir en la concentració en una àrea menor durant el període de sequera estival, a causa de l'increment de trams secs, inhabitables per la llúdriga per la manca d'aliment, fet que va provocar expansions i contraccions periòdiques en l'àrea de distribució.La persistència a llarg termini de la població reintroduïda va ser estudiada mitjançant una Anàlisi de Viabilitat Poblacional (PVA). El resultat va ser un baix risc d'extinció de la població en els propers 100 anys i la majoria dels escenaris simulats (65%) van assolir el criteri d'un mínim de 90% de probabilitat de supervivència. Del model poblacional construït es dedueix que un punt clau per assegurar la viabilitat de la població reintroduïda és la reducció de la mortalitataccidental. A l'àrea d'estudi, els atropellaments causen més del 50% de la mortalitat i aquesta pot ser reduïda mitjançant la construcció de passos de fauna, el tancament lateral d'alguns trams de carretera perillosos i el control de la velocitat en algunes vies.El projecte de reintroducció ha posat a punt un protocol per a la captura, maneig i alliberament de llúdrigues salvatges, que pot contenir informació útil per a programes similars. També ha suposat una oportunitat única d'estudiar una població dissenyada artificialment i poder comparar diversos mètodes per estimar la distribució i la densitat de poblacions de llúdrigues.Per últim, la reintroducció portada a terme a les conques dels rius Muga i Fluvià ha aconseguit crear una nova població de llúdrigues, que persisteix en el temps, que es reprodueix regularment i que es dispersa progressivament, fins i tot a noves conques fluvials. / This thesis deals with an otter reintroduction program carried out in the Muga and Fluvià basins in North-eastern Spain during the second half of the 1990s. The objectives of the thesis were to demonstrate the viability of the reintroduction, to demonstrate the success, to study ecological and behavioural aspects of the species, that have in the reintroduction an unique opportunity to dispose of a "designed" population and to determine long-term survival rates of the reintroduced population.Reintroduction of the otter in the Muga and Fluvià basins succeeded, because the geographical area occupied by the otter increased to 64% of positive otter stations in winter 2001-02. The finding of three adult otters born in the reintroduction area is further proof to support the success of the reintroduction program.Density values found through visual censuses were low (0.04-0.11 otters/km), but they approached what could be expected in the first stages of a reintroduced population, still small but extended over a wide area.Post-release mortality was 22% one year after release, similar to or lower than successful otter reintroduction programs. Mortality was due mainly to traffic (56%).The activity pattern of the reintroduced otters proved mainly nocturnal and crepuscular, with scarce diurnal activity. The ranges of the reintroduced otters were of the same order (34.2 km) as those found in other studies in Europe. Mean length of waterway used by an otter during 24 hours was 4.2 km for females and 7.6 km for males. During radiotracking two females bred and their movements could be followed intensively. The response of the reintroduced otter population to high seasonal fluctuations in water availability, typical in Mediterranean regions, consisted of concentration in a smaller area during summer droughts, due to the increase of dry stretches which were uninhabitable for the otter because of lack of food, and so caused periodical expansions and contractions in the otter population's range.Long-term persistence of the reintroduced population was studied through a Population Viability Analysis (PVA). The result was low risk of extinction in the next 100 years, with most scenarios (65%) meeting the criterion of a minimum of 90% probability of survival. Population modeling highlighted the importance of preventing road kills, which cause more than 50% of otter mortality, through the construction of fauna passages, the fencing of some dangerous road stretches and the use of speed restrictions.The Girona Reintroduction Otter Project tuned a protocol for trapping, handling and releasing wild otters that can provide useful information for similar programs. It also represented a unique opportunity to study an artificially designed population and to compare several methods of estimating otter distribution and density.Finally, the reintroduction carried out in the Muga and Fluvià basins has achieved the creation of a new otter population, that persists over time, reproduces regularly and is gradually dispersing, even to new river basins.