Unmet health care needs have been designated as an indicator of equality in access to health care, which provides insight into specific barriers faced by respondents when they need medical services. ...The purpose of this research was to analyze demographic, socioeconomic, regional characteristics and perception of the health status; and identify predictors of unmet health care needs and consequently determine the size of inequalities in the availability, accessibility and acceptability of health care. The cross-sectional study obtained data from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions in the Republic of Serbia in 2014, based on a sample of 20,069 respondents over 16 years. Data was collected by using a household questionnaire and a questionnaire for individuals. Multivariate logistic regressions were applied. Almost every seventh citizen (14.9%) reported unmet health care needs. Predictors of unmet needs, for overall reasons, which increase the likelihood of their emergence included: self-perceived health status as very bad (OR = 6.37), divorced or widower/widow (OR = 1.31), living in the Sumadija region or Western Serbia (OR = 1.54) and belonging to the age group of 27 to 44 (OR = 1.55) or 45 to 64 years (OR = 1.52). The probability for those least reporting unmet health care needs included female patients (OR = 0.81), those with higher education (OR = 0.77), those who belong to the richest quintile (OR = 0.46) and who are unemployed (OR = 0.64). Reasons for unmet needs that indicate the responsibility of the health system amounted to 58.2% and reasons which represent preferences of the respondents amounted to 41.7%. The most frequent reason for unmet needs was financial (36.6%), and the wish to wait and see if the problem got better on its own (18.3%). Health policy should adopt a multidimensional approach and develop incentives for the appropriate use of health services and should eliminate barriers which restrict the accessibility and availability.
Plankton communities constitute an important part of the biodiversity in shallow lentic ecosystems (SLEs). Understanding their diversity responses to increasing human pressure is required for the ...effective management of SLEs. Here we assessed the relationship between different properties of phytoplankton and zooplankton communities (abundance, taxonomic and functional diversity, and taxonomic and functional composition) and human impact (HII index), limnological features of SLEs (i.e., surface area and depth, trophic state, and hydrological connectivity), the biomass of submerged macrophytes, and the abundance of planktivorous fishes. For this, we sampled zooplankton from 28 sampling sites across nine SLEs (seven ponds, one channel, and one shallow lake). For 18 sampling sites across six of the ponds, we also sampled phytoplankton. We found that phytoplankton abundance was negatively associated with the higher HII, while zooplankton abundance and species richness increased with increasing HII. Hydrological connectivity was an important predictor of both phytoplankton and zooplankton diversity and composition. The functional diversity and composition of phytoplankton were more sensitive to environmental changes than their taxonomic diversity. Opposite patterns were recorded for zooplankton diversity metrics, presumably due to the dominance of non-predatory rotifers, which maintained constant functional diversity despite variations in taxonomic diversity along environmental gradients. Our results suggest that the taxonomic and functional diversity metrics of both phytoplankton and zooplankton should be considered simultaneously since they can show contrasting responses to human pressure and environmental changes in SLEs.
This paper is a synthetic overview of some of the threats, risks, and integrated water management elements in freshwater ecosystems. The paper provides some discussion of human needs and water ...conservation issues related to freshwater systems: (1) introduction and background; (2) water basics and natural cycles; (3) freshwater roles in human cultures and civilizations; (4) water as a biosphere cornerstone; (5) climate as a hydrospheric 'game changer' from the perspective of freshwater; (6) human-induced stressors' effects on freshwater ecosystem changes (pollution, habitat fragmentation, etc.); (7) freshwater ecosystems' biological resources in the context of unsustainable exploitation/overexploitation; (8) invasive species, parasites, and diseases in freshwater systems; (9) freshwater ecosystems' vegetation; (10) the relationship between human warfare and water. All of these issues and more create an extremely complex matrix of stressors that plays a driving role in changing freshwater ecosystems both qualitatively and quantitatively, as well as their capacity to offer sustainable products and services to human societies. Only internationally integrated policies, strategies, assessment, monitoring, management, protection, and conservation initiatives can diminish and hopefully stop the long-term deterioration of Earth's freshwater resources and their associated secondary resources.
This paper aims to improve the methodology and results accuracy of MEDALUS model for assessing land degradation sensitivity through the application of different data detail levels and by introducing ...the application of Ellenberg indices in metrics related to vegetation drought sensitivity assessment. For that purpose, the MEDALUS model was applied at 2 levels of detail. Level I (municipality level) implied the use of available large-scale databases and level II (watershed) contains more detailed information about vegetation used in the calculation of the VQI and MQI factors (Fig.
S6
). The comparison was made using data based on CORINE Land Cover (2012) and forest inventory data, complemented with object-based classification. Results showed that data based on forest inventory data with the application of Ellenberg’s indices and object-based classification have one class more, critical (C1 and C2) and that the percentage distribution of classes is different in both quantitative (area size of class sensitivity) and qualitative (aggregation and dispersion of sensitivity classes). The use of data from Forest Management Plans and the application of Ellenberg’s indices affect the quality of the results and find its application in the model, especially if these results are used for monitoring and land area management on fine scales. Remote sensed data images (Sentinel-2B) were introduced into the methodology as a very important environmental monitoring tool and model results validation.
In urban areas, the presence of toxic microelements in the environment due to the anthropogenic impact (primarily of traffic) poses a serious problem. The negative impact of pollution on populated ...urban areas is particularly manifest in children. To establish the level of microelement pollution, at 40 localities in the municipality of Stari grad in Belgrade we sampled surface soil near kindergartens and schools during 2013. By applying remote sensing and GIS, small green areas were selected and the spatial distribution of microelements was determined. Because of their different origins and anthropogenic impact, three heavy metals, Cd, Ni and Zn, were examined; the level of soil pollution was assessed by determining their total content, pollution index (Pi), enrichment factor (EF), single risk factor (Ei) and ecological risk index (RI). The highest concentration established was that of Zn, with a mean value of 223.11 mg/kg. The Pi values for Zn (2.96) and Cd (2.98) were similar. Due to the prevailing geological substrate, Ni had the lowest EF (0.75) and Ei (3.09). The effect of the geological substrate on the Ni content was also confirmed by its very high concentration along the banks of the rivers Sava and Danube, while the total contents and factors for Cd and Zn indicated that they were concentrated in the city center. Our results show that 30.72% of the green areas in the city center have a moderate RI, which indicates that the examined pollutants do not present a danger to children.
•The heavy metals content on small green surfaces in urban areas•Application of the pollution index, PCA and their spatial distribution•The background influence on the harmful effects detection of microelements•Determination of anthropogenic impact
The Sava River Basin is a major drainage basin of southeastern Europe, significantly influenced by anthropogenic activities. Our study was focused on diatom communities as an indicator of the ...ecological status of running waters. We investigated over 937km of the Sava River at 19 sampling sites. Benthic diatom communities and 17 diatom indices were analyzed along with a large set of environmental parameters. CCA revealed that the most important elements along the spatial gradient were As and Si. Our results show that the species Navicula recens (Lange-Bert.) Lange-Bertalot and Eolimna minima (Grunow) Lange-Bertalot are very abundant at downstream localities where the highest concentrations of As were measured. The number of motile diatoms increased along the nutrient gradient, i.e. with Si availability. Correlations between diatom indices and selected environmental factors showed that temperature, As, Si and Fe are in significant negative correlation with most diatom indices. Analysis revealed the influence of As and metals in water on diatoms, although their concentrations did not exceed environmental standards. While our findings do not confirm that diatom indices reveal the intensity of pressures solely caused by nutrient and/or organic pollutants, they suggest that in moderately polluted large rivers benthic diatoms are good bioindicators of multiple pressures, and that diatom indices could serve as indicators of the level of overall degradation of an ecosystem.
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•Benthic diatoms in the Sava River under anthropogenic pressures were studied.•In large rivers, diatoms are indicators of multiple pressures.•Arsenic and silicon are important factors determining diatom communities.•Diatom indices are appropriate metrics for overall degradation of large rivers.
A review of research on the Lemanea genus in Serbia Mitrović, Aleksandra B.; Đorđević, Nevena B.; Simić, Snežana B.
Oceanological and hydrobiological studies,
03/2021, Letnik:
50, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
The first data on the
genus in Serbia come from the late 20th century. Only one species,
, was reported from 10 localities in Serbian riverine ecosystems between 1991 and 2017. Extensive research on ...this genus was performed in April–November 2017–2019, surveying 150 localities in 97 upland and mountain rivers. During this study period, the
genus was recorded at 14 localities in 12 rivers, while it disappeared from five previously reported localities. A total of four taxa were identified:
,
,
sp. and
and
were recorded in Serbia for the first time.
was the most common taxon. Our research confirmed that
species prefer similar specific environmental conditions. These species were found in temperate, soft or moderately hard, well-oxygenated and weakly alkaline waters, with low, moderate or high conductivity, and in waters with low content of inorganic nutrients. Due to their sensitivity to changes in environmental conditions,
species are exposed to negative anthropogenic impact leading to the degradation of their habitats. Intensive construction of small hydropower plants has threatened most habitats of the Rhodophyta species in the last few years.
Background: The aim of this study was to analyse demographic, socio-economic and health status inequalities by gender in the utilization of health services in Serbia. Methods: Data from 2006 National ...Health Survey for Serbia were used. A total of 14 522 persons from six geographical regions of Serbia aged ≥20 years were completely interviewed. Logistic regression analyses were used to study the effects of demographic (age, gender, marital status and type of settlement), socio-economic (education and Wealth Index) and health status (self-perceived health) variables on the utilization of health services visits to general practitioner (GP), private doctor, dentist and hospitalization. All analyses were carried out separately for males and females. Results: As compared with women (reference category), a lower percentage of men visited a GP odds ratio (OR) = 0.61; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.57–0.65, private doctor (OR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.57–0.67) and dentist (OR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.76–0.87), but there were no gender differences in hospitalization. Both males and females who belong to disadvantaged classes were less likely to have visited a GP, a private doctor or a dentist in 12 months before the interview, regardless of their health status. No inequalities by social class were observed for the hospitalization among persons with poor self-perceived health status, i.e. those in most need. Conclusions: This study has shown that demographic, socio-economic and health status inequalities in the utilization of health services exist in Serbia. Wise health policy with equitable utilization of health services, regardless these inequalities should be a priority in shaping Serbian health care system reform.
The first observation of the red alga Bangia atropurpurea (Bangiales,
Rhodophyta) in Serbia was in 1991 in the Trgoviski Timok River (Eastern
Serbia). From 1991 to 2017, the species was sporadically ...observed at four
more locations in three hillmountain rivers in Southwestern (the Gvozdacka
River and the Raska River) and Eastern (the Nisava River - two localities)
Serbia. More intensive research on this alga was carried out from 2017 to
2020, and a total of 220 localities in 132 hillmountain watercourses were
studied. Bangia atropurpurea was recorded at six locations in Southwestern
and Eastern Serbia. Five of these locations represent new B. atropurpurea
localities in Serbia (the Brusnicka River, the Golijska Moravica River, the
Panjica River, the Resava River, and the second locality in the Trgoviski
Timok River), while one of them is already known from previous studies (the
Raska River). The species was found in running, moderately hard and very
hard, well-oxygenated, slightly alkaline waters, mainly low in inorganic
nutrients, and in highly variable values of temperature and conductivity.
Despite the long period since its first observation in Serbian rivers, the
species is still known in a small number of localities. The small number of
localities, low relative abundance, and various anthropogenic influences
affecting its habitats have led the species to be recognized as endangered
and strictly protected in Serbia. The intensive development of small
hydropower plants which have emerged in recent years may threaten B.
atropurpurea habitats.
The structure and function of many forest ecosystems will be modified as a result of air pollution and climate change. Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) forests are among the first terrestrial ...ecosystems to respond to this change. We analysed how changes in climate and environmental factors will affect vegetation cover in Norway spruce forests and whether it is possible to assemble a list of diagnostically important/sensitive species that would be the first to react to changes in habitats of Norway spruce in Central Balkan. Significant changes in the vegetation cover of Norway spruce forests are mainly influenced by temperature increases (≈4 °C), and precipitation decreases (≈102 mm) by the end of the 21st century. Projections show that vegetation cover changes and future habitat conditions for Norway spruce forests on podzolic brown soils with a low base saturation and soil pH decreases, and temperature growth and precipitation decline, with the worst in the Rodope montane forest ecoregion. In Dinaric Mountain and Balkan mixed forest ecoregions, the range of natural occurrence of Norway spruce forest will shift to higher altitudes, or to the north. One of the cognitions of this paper is that, through available environmental models and their indices, species from the IUCN Red List should be recognised more properly and included in model calculations.
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