Se evalúa el Nivel Tecnológico (NT) de los cultivos de arándanos (Vaccinium corymbosum) en la región del Maule-Chile según variables técnicas y características asociadas. Se determinó el NT para cada cuartel de producción utilizando la técnica de Sumatoria Lineal Ponderada y la evaluación de un equipo experto para la asignación de pesos. El procedimiento fue implementado en un Sistema de Información Geográfica, donde además se generó la cartografía temática. Los resultados indican que el 59% de la superficie de cuarteles de arándanos de la región del Maule-Chile presentan un nivel tecnológico medio (NT2), el resto de la superficie se divide entre los niveles alto y bajo (NT1 y NT3) con un 19% y 22%, respectivamente. Se concluye que el mayor porcentaje de superficie plantada de arándanos presenta tecnologías medias, apreciándose en las últimas décadas un incremento en la implementación de NT más altos.

Solastalgia is a recent concept that refers to disruptive psychological responses in people exposed to environmental degradation. The aim of this study was to determine the number of dimensions solastalgia has using a sample of people exposed to the effects of climate change in the coastal dry land of Maule region, Chile. In order to achieve this, a Scale Of Solastalgia (SOS) was designed and then validated, by means of applying it to 223 inhabitants at the municipalities of Pencahue (n = 105) and Curepto (n = 118), who were also evaluated by the Short Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Rating Interview (SPRINT-E). Using robust validation methods (Parallel factor analysis and Omega), two dimensions were obtained for solastalgia: solace and algia. Both correlate with the SPRINT-E scale (r = 0.150, p < 0.01 and r = 0.359, p < 0.01, respectively) and have 58% sensitivity and 67% specificity to detect cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Like PTSD, solastalgia is related to psychopathologies expected after disasters and also presents a spatial pattern where the concentration of positive cases occurs in places of greater exposure to environmental change or degradation.

The biological and environmental nature of the agricultural production implies that growers operate in an environment of greater risk as compared to other economic activities. This has implications on the manner in which the growers can manage the risks inherent to their activity, which depends on how they perceive the risks and on the degree of aversion to risk. The main objective of this study was to learn about the perception of the main sources of risk that blueberry growers face in the Maule Region, Chile. This Region has about 25% of the planted area of this species in Chile. We used information from questionnaires implemented in 124 fields which considered two independent groups of growers: 48 owners and 76 managers. A scale of Importance of the Sources of Risk (ISR) was used. It included 13 items that the interviewed had to rank according to their importance through a Likert-type scale of four levels. The exploratory analysis allowed to infer that the ISR scale had adequate levels of internal consistency (Cronbach´s alpha = 0.83). The results showed that the climatic events are perceived by the growers as the main source of risk for blueberry production in Chile. The analysis also showed that the price of the product and the currency exchange rate are the next risks in importance for the field owners. On the other hand, the risks for the managers were, in decreasing order of importance: yield, product price, variability in sales, and volumes for sale. The knowledge of the perception of risk by the growers is a fundamental input for designing instruments of agricultural policies, risk management and support programs for the growers.

Progressive changes in local environmental scenarios, accelerated by global climate change, can negatively affect the mental health of people who inhabit these areas. The magnitude of these effects may vary depending on the socioeconomic conditions of people and the characteristics of the environment, so certain territories can be more vulnerable than others. In this context, the present study aimed to geographically analyse the levels of psychosocial impact and the types of disruptive responses related to the new territorial scenarios caused by climate change in the coastal drylands of the Maule region, Chile. For this purpose, 223 people from two communes (Curepto and Pencahue) were psychosocially evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) together with a survey of the prevailing sociodemographic and socioeconomic conditions in relation to the environmental variables of the territory. All information was georeferenced, stored within an ArcGIS Desktop geographic information system (GIS) and then investigated by application of contingency tables, ANOVA and local clustering analysis using SSP statistical software. The results indicated a high level of PTSD in the population, with significant differences related to age and education as well as employment conditions and income. The spatial results showed high PTSD values in the communal capital of Curepto in the central agricultural valley near the estuary of the local river, while the existence of coldspots was observed in the central valley of the Pencahue commune. It was concluded that proximity to population centres and surface water sources played the greatest role for the development of PTSD.

This research focuses on the design and evaluation of tactile images to serve as a mediation tool between people with visual impairments and the landscape. For this, three experiences in different tourist destinations have been considered, managing to implement one of them so far. The methodology used integrates various tactile exploration techniques commonly used by visually impaired people to recognize and process distal information. The results obtained show the interest in using this type of material to develop proposals in the field of inclusive tourism. Esta investigación se centra en el diseño y en la evaluación de imágenes táctiles para que sirvan como instrumento de mediación entre las personas con discapacidad visual y el paisaje. Para ello se han considerado tres experiencias en diferentes destinos turísticos, implementando una de ellas hasta el momento. La metodología seguida integra diversas técnicas de exploración táctil comúnmente empleadas por las personas con discapacidad visual para reconocer y procesar información distal. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto el interés por utilizar este tipo de material para desarrollar propuestas en el ámbito del turismo inclusivo.