This dissertation addresses the theme of Environmental Problems in Insular Environments and Environmental Management in the municipality of Cairu-BA, choosing as a research problem “environmental problems, loss of biodiversity, inadequate final disposal of waste, solids, disorderly urban growth and lack of basic sanitation , which have been occurring in recent decades”. The research's guiding questions are the following: what environmental problems have been increasing in recent decades in the municipality of Cairú, Bahia? Is there a relationship between the absence of public policies for environmental management in the municipality of Cairu-Bahia and the occurrence of environmental problems? The research had the following specific objectives: To identify the environmental problems that have occurred in recent decades in the municipality of Cairu-Bahia; to assess the main laws that are related to environmental management in the municipality of Cairu, Bahia, in the last decades. The analysis of the research data does not allow us to safely state that the environmental problems that occur in Cairu are related to the absence of public policies for environmental management, but it identifies weaknesses in tourism management that may contribute to the development of these problems.

The State Forest Registry of Rural Property (CEFIR) established by the New Forest Code (Law n°. 12,651/2012) is an electronic record that integrates environmental information from rural properties and possessions, constituting a database used in monitoring, planning environment and economy and the fight against deforestation in Bahia. Despite its recent creation, its implementation process in the state still faces several challenges, ranging from CEFIR's administrative processes to difficulties in accessing information about CEFIR in rural areas. Among the challenges, it was decided to analyze in detail the implementation of the instrument in the state, based on the perception of rural landowners about this instrument of environmental management. Identified the problems of understanding the information about the CEFIR standardizations, in the bibliographic and field research for owners, the objective was to improve the understanding of the CEFIR system through Environmental Education, through the production of a booklet with accessible language to rural landowners, in order to subsidize its implementation in Bahia in favor of environmental conservation in the state. For data collection, current CEFIR references were used, with the support of scientific literature, documents, interviews, bulletins, and booklets that made the work more robust. The data, in general, revealed the existence of lack of access to information and understanding about CEFIR in the rural area of Bahia, in which despite the mandatory registration, most rural owners do not know what the tool is about, its objectives and benefits, alleging lack of clear information. In addition, the same difficulties for environmental laws were also observed, factors pointed out in the literature, which may impact the agility of the CEFIR implementation process in Bahia. In addition, CEFIR is an important environmental management instrument to assist in the process of regularizing rural properties and possessions, in addition to contributing to the formulation of public policies related to the recovery of degraded areas, conservation of natural resources and protection of biodiversity.

The present work aims to propose strategies for the rehabilitation of the permanent preservation areas of the Massaranduba stream, located in the Parque Verde III neighborhood, Camaçari, based on the experience of the Project Guardians of Waters of the Joanes and Jacuípe rivers. The assessment of the water and ecological conditions of the Massaranduba Creek and its APP was carried out using the Forest State Index on a local scale at 4 points along the water course through field visits, interviews with community leaders and technicians of the Municipality of Camaçari, in addition to the analysis of secondary data. This evaluation indicated that the hydro-ecological quality of the stream starts from a bad condition at its source, with high fragmentation and several altered attributes, to an excellent condition in the south region of the neighborhood, less anthropized. Allied with this diagnosis, it was verified that the area of Massaranduba Creek is in the process of litigation, the occupation of the neighborhood took place without urban planning, and the performance of the municipal management is limited. Based on this context, actions were proposed to rehabilitate the Massaranduba APP, involving planting, fencing, signaling, environmental payment services, and environmental education.

The botanical identification of plant species is a complex task, which requires in-depth knowledge in the area of biology, especially in plant anatomy. The rich Brazilian forest diversity makes this a more difficult job, as there is much of its flora to be known. The deficiency in the identification of native species constitutes an imminent problem, as it affects the effectiveness of a species protected by law from another with sustainable cutting. Given the above, the anatomy of wood becomes an indispensable mechanism, as it helps in the process of identification and conservation of species. And for that, wood anatomy studies the different types of cells that make up the secondary xylem, their functions, organization and peculiarities. Thus, this work aims to identify and characterize the anatomical components of the four wood species native to the caatinga of Bahia, Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan var.cebil (AngicoBranco), Anadenanthera peregrina (L.) Spreng (Angico Vermelho), Schinopsis brasiliensis English (Braúna da caatinga) and Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (Aroeira), which are protected by law and/or at risk of extinction, in different degrees of threat, using two conservation biology strategies: reducing anthropic actions of plant extinction through knowledge of the species and develop practical practices to prevent the decline of floristic biodiversity. In this perspective, we will use the method usually used in wood anatomy studies, the IPT handout to define the general and macroscopic anatomy characteristics of the wood. And as a result of this work, we will bring the production of an auxiliary tool (Species Identification Guide), which will contribute to the identification of the secondary xylem, during the process of environmental inspection, in loco, of these species, which are protected by law, according to the CEPRAM Resolution 1009 of December 6, 1994, in Vigência, which: Determine the monitoring of cutting, storage and transmission of four species of the caatinga of Bahia, under study in this project. With this, it is intended to enable the protection of species originating from the caatinga, supported by legislation, from the macroscopic identification of the wood. Also, provide an apparatus, such as an identification guide, to be used by inspectors and environmental agencies that deal with the illegal cutting of trees under an environmental protection regime

In cities, what little remains of the remaining Atlantic Forest vegetation survives in conservation units, green areas, urban parks and/or small forest fragments that guarantee the conservation of biodiversity, the shelter of endemic species threatened with extinction, the interactions, functions and ecological processes, in addition to providing ecosystem services for the well-being of society. Data from the Atlantic Forest Atlas (SOS Mata Atlântica & INPE, 2022) reveal a dramatic situation: of the total 69,328 ha of the total area of the municipality of Salvador (BA), only 3,363 ha have remnants of Atlantic Forest, which corresponds to only 9.75% of its territory. Among the 16 Brazilian capitals that are under the control of this biome, Salvador occupies 14th place. Therefore, the present work consists of characterizing the importance of conserving green areas and creating protected areas in urban areas, evaluating the percentage of Atlantic Forest Remnants under the protection of Integral Protection Conservation Units (UCs) in Brazilian capitals under the domain of the biome and develop a practical application in the form of an interactive map to promote ecological and cultural tourism in the city of Salvador (BA). The study seeks to strengthen awareness about the maintenance of green areas in urban areas and provide subsidies for the formulation and improvement of municipal public policies and other conservation strategies for the remaining Atlantic forest.

Companies that handle hazardous products in Brazil are subjected to the environmental licensing process, providing environmental agencies to evaluate the environmental risks arising from these facilities. Given this context, the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources - IBAMA, federal environmental agency, requires that licensed enterprises present risk studies, such as Risk Analysis Study, Risk Management Program and Emergency Plan. These documents must be prepared from a Terms of Reference (TR) provided by the environmental agency. Among the facilities that manipulate hazardous products, the liquefied natural gas regasification terminals are subject to environmental risks, because of the flammable and cryogenic nature of the fluid. In risk analyzes of these terminals, one of the accidental scenarios considered is the potential leakage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in the marine environment. In addition, with a growing number of LNG terminal projects, there will be an increasing need for studies performed by the environmental licensing bodies. Thus, this study aims to identify potential hazards during the operation phase of offshore regasification terminals and the environmental consequences of a LNG leakage. The study also includes as products the elaboration of a draft Terms of Reference for environmental risk studies (i.e., EAR, PGR and PAE) and a collection of bibliographic references to assist in the analysis of these studies by technicians and environmental analysts of the federal environmental agency. This initiative will contribute to a better management and mitigation of the environmental risks during the licensing process of the LNG regasification terminals. To identify the risks and their environmental consequences caused by LNG leakage at regasification terminals, a bibliographic review was made using the databases Scopus and Web of Science. Additionally, for this survey, documentary research was used to analyze existing studies of regasification terminals in Brazil. Documentary research was also used to understand how risk management is integrated with the licensing process of IBAMA. The TR was prepared based on the model for ports, provided by IBAMA and other technical documents. The study concludes that there is a lack of research that specifically analyzes the environmental impacts caused by a LNG leakage in the marine environment. It is understood that reference terms are adequate to identify and manage environmental risks, its causes and consequences, however it is necessary to include more specific topics that provide more targeted data on the environmental impacts of LNG leakage in the marine ecosystem.

The present study aimed to diagnose the current scenario of Urban Solid Waste management in the municipality of Ibipitanga, Bahia, from the perspective of ecology. To this end, the methodological process was divided into three phases. In the first phase, attention was paid to the development of the research protocol, researching the instruments to be adopted in the study and guiding readings. Still at this stage, studies were carried out for the theoretical basis, in order to facilitate understanding of the topic, and the importance of preventing the generation and final disposal of urban waste, in an ecologically appropriate manner. This study was based on public domain bibliographic sources and was developed through consultations with articles, dissertations, legislation, technical standards and resolutions. In the second phase, field work was carried out to collect data and information in the areas and with public managers. Data collection was carried out at the Municipal Environment Secretariat - SEMMA, at waste generation and storage points, at the Association of Recyclable Material Collectors - ACM, as well as at the final waste disposal site, in order to capture images and evaluate the operation of the infrastructures that make up the MSW management system. For the data collection procedure, a methodological instrument was developed, based on the National Solid Waste Policy, Technical Standards and relevant policies. For data analysis and interpretation, the SWOT method was used, which is an acronym originating from the initial letters of the English terms Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats which mean in Portuguese, respectively, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (LOPES, MELO 2021). According to Pereira et al (2022), the SWOT method is widely used in quality management, which aims to contribute to the interpretation of qualitative information. In addition to helping managers make decisions, especially the most urgent ones. To diagnose the generation of MSW in the municipality, data was obtained only on conventional collection. Subsequently, a population estimate and the generation of MSW were carried out for the next 20 years, with the purpose of analyzing the current generation and the management coverage of MSW in the municipality. The generation of MSW, generated weekly from conventional collection, represents 28,000 tons, so 4,000 tons/day are generated daily. The urban population served at the start of the project was 5,509 inhabitants, so the per capita generation was 0.726. The services offered in the municipality related to MSW are urban cleaning and MSW management, such as conventional collection, selective collection, environmentally appropriate final disposal (recycling, sorting, composting, final disposal). Afterwards, the results of the diagnosis summarized all the information, concluding that the Swot method allowed analyzing the management of MSW in the municipality of Ibipitanga from the perspective of ecology, identifying that there are more positive points than negative ones. The negative points need to be worked on both in MSW management and in management planning so that service provision continues to evolve, providing the population with a better quality of life, in addition to promoting the preservation of natural resources, stimulating the circular economy that leads to improvements rapid progress towards sustainability.

Ecosystem services, among Other forms, can be defined as conditions and processes arising from natural ecosystems and the species that composse them, which sustain and maintain human life. Although education for Sustainability is foreseen in the National Common Curricular Base (BNCC), litle enphasis is still given to this concept in basic education, a reflection of the current crisis in ecology teaching, which is still treated in a contente-based, descriptive way, whith a focus in taxonomy and classification of species and disconnected from reality. On the Other hand, it is common sense that environmental education is necessary for making more sustainable decisions and that the relationship between theory and practice produces more consolidated and significant knowledge. Therefore, this work aims to promote the learning of aspects related to ecosystem services, from the perspective of scientific and comprehensive education, through the development of easily accessible teaching material with practical utility, aimed at Science teachers working in the seventh grade. Year of Elementary School II. With this work, we hope to contribute to the optimization of students with critical sense, attentive to socio-environmental issues, who may be capable of transforming their reality. The final product of this work was presented in the formo f na interactive e-book, made available by sharing its link or Reading its QR Code and in a complementary way, a partnership is sought for the introduction of these oficial education platforms of municipal and state governments and federal.

The high number of domestic animals on the streets, due to abandonment, is a worldwide phenomenon that represents a great challenge for Brazilian municipalities. The socio-environmental impacts, resulting from the absence of efficient population control, affect diverse segments such as public health and animal welfare, correlating with related knowledge such as veterinary medicine, environmental education, urban ecology and environmental management. The introduction of invasive species such as domestic dogs and cats is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity, both in natural ecosystems in rural and urban areas, as well as in municipal public parks and university campuses. The city of Salvador and the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA) have faced difficulties to circumvent animal abandonment. Proper management of these species, preventing overpopulation, is at the center of debates in the search for viable alternatives. However, the data related to this problem for the municipality are imprecise and diffuse, making it difficult for public authorities to make decisions, generating punctual and discontinuous actions. Aiming to contribute to these efforts, the present work aims to gather information about abandonment in the global context, through a literature review, and to bring complementary data - in addition to those available in a formal scope - about the situation of strays in Salvador and within UFBA, based on empirical knowledge of the community involved with the issue. The results generated can encourage more assertive actions for the management of these animals in the studied areas, contributing to the improvement of actions and decision-making for the management of the theme.

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, emphasized the importance of biodiversity as the basis of our existence and suggested its sustainable use and conservation for the current and future generations. The main threats to global biodiversity are associated with human activities, which cause habitat damage or loss. On a global scale, it seeks consistency and coherence between social and environmentally sustainable policies, institutional strengthening, and improvements in strategic planning to mitigate potential social and environmental impacts. However, Brazil currently shows itself dissident from these policies. Environmental licensing is the instrument of the National Environmental Policy that theoretically ensures compliance with the constitutional precept of an environment balanced and preserved for present and future generations. Licensing must reconcile conservation and development. The Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) have far-reaching economic and political consequences and play a critical role in approving and controlling how human activities damage the environment. After the institution of the PNMA in 1981, the Environmental Impact Assessment became linked to the licensing systems for activities that pollute or modify the environment. In 1986, the first resolution of the Environment National Council (CONAMA 001/86) was published. This resolution establishes requirements for the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessments. The EIA consists of procedures capable of ensuring a systematic examination of the environmental impacts of a proposal (project, program, plan, or policy) and its alternatives. The planning of the EIA, the selection of the sample, and the data collection must be carried out considering that any decision made is based on scientific knowledge. Appropriate studies will indicate the level of disturbance and its impact on conservation-significant species, fauna, and ecosystems inside and around the project area. The sampling design and the methods used directly influence the ability to quantify community. Misconducted diagnoses, with insufficient sampling efforts and the use of inadequate methods, are common. Analyzing the effectiveness of the EIAs contribute to the process, fostering its continuous improvement. This Technical Report presents a diagnosis of the Environmental Impact Assessments in the State of Bahia, through a critical analysis of the EIAs, focusing on their sampling design, methods used to measure biodiversity, and the format of presentation of the results. Specifically, we analyzed twelve EIAs from the base of digitized documents, available in the State System for Environmental Information and Water Resources (SEIA – initials in Portuguese) and on the website of the Institute for the Environment and Water Resources (INEMA – initials in Portuguese), covering the period from January 2012 to February 2020. We present a diagnosis of EIAs in Bahia using criteria based on the best ecological practices. Finally, we list a series of recommendations to improve future Environmental Impact Assessments. More than an EIAs effectiveness analysis, the document aims to compose the theoretical framework related to the theme, using applied ecological science to advance Environmental Impact Assessments.

The present work is an approximation between ecology and decision making in the area of environmental management. This is a compilation of technical and scientific information on the redesign of conventional agroecosystems in more resilient and agroecological-based systems, according to the 10 elements of agroecology. The study area was the rural community of Riacho do Meio, located in Cocos, Bahia, Brazil, benefiting from public restoration policies, between the years 2015 to 2018. The present work is divided into 02 chapters: In Chapter 01 is presented the paper entitled "Redesign of Conventional Agroecosystems in Resilient Systems: a case study in the Riacho do Meio community", aiming to analyze the redesign of conventional agroecosystems in more resilient and agroecological systems, highlighting the 10 elements of agroecology proposed by FAO and the farmers' perception of ecosystem services. The article was constructed through secondary data collection, field research and literature review on the subject. Chapter 02 presents the guideline booklet "Agroecology in the Redesign of Conventional Agroecosystems" produced for use by family farmers. It is intended to demonstrate, through this work, how these conventional agroecosystems can be modified in order to become resilient, generate income for families, generate nutritious and safe food, increase biodiversity and ecological gains on a local scale.

Brazil has the largest number of non-human primate species on the planet. Currently 139 species and subspecies are described. Distributed from the Amazon region to Rio Grande do Sul. However, when confronted with the total number of these species with the number of primates classified into some threat category, almost a third of these mammals found in the country run the risk of disappearing. Coimbra Filho’s titi monkey (Callicebus coimbrai) was described by Kobayashi and Langguth in 1999 and is in the endangered category on the IUCN and Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation lists.Some groups of titis can be found in the metropolitan region of Salvador, Bahia, within the limits of the Joanes-Ipitanga Environmental Protection Area, between the municipalities of Simões Filho and Candeias. The urbanization pressures exerted on these fragments and the increasing loss of forest cover are contributing significantly to the disappearance of primate populations in this region.The aim of this study was to know aspects of the location, ecology and behavior of C. coimbrai around the Represa Joanes 2, in order to disseminate the results to collaborate with conservation measures of this species. Data were collected through field expeditions at random intervals, from 2013 to 2018, for a total of forty-two days of sampling effort, using the playback technique to attract the groups of titis. From the collection of feces and sound recording produced by the vocalization of the guigós it was possible to describe some parameters of these samples.The fact that the group of titis, accompanied for almost six years in one of the fragments, remained inhabiting this fragment, even with the small size of the living area and the threats of hunting, demonstrates the persistence of the species to anthropogenic impacts.

Marine conservation is an urgent issue worldwide. Habitat degradation was never so concerning, complex, and widespread. Marine ecosystems are not only inherently valuable by themselves, but they also provide a range of ecosystem services through food, jobs, climate regulation and recreation. Noise pollution and anthropogenic carbon dioxide and nitrogen emissions are two of the biggest threats to the ocean nowadays. Traditionally, wind power has enabled man to travel the seas, but in recent years, fossil fuels have taken over. The use of sailing vessels can be an alternative, clean solution to motorized vessels due to their low sound levels and lack of fossil fuel consumption. Sailing vessels have been used to collect scientific data, to raise awareness, for education, and for recreation, but little is known about how the people involved think about sailing vessels and the potential role in marine conservation. I performed a qualitative study using naturalistic, semi-structured interviews about the use of sailing vessels as a marine conservation tool. This study presents a description and evaluation of interviews with 54 people, involved directly with marine conservation as researchers (14), sailors (10), motor sailors (10), environmental managers (10) and tourists (10). We used statements from these stakeholders to construct an experience-based picture of the advantages and disadvantages of using sailing vessels in marine conservation. The data obtained through interviews were processed in IRAMUTEQ software and analyzed by the word cloud. Participant statements (n=306) were identified and grouped into five categories: ECO-EFFICIENCY (n=39 people/n=119 statements), SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (n=35 people/n=81 statements), EDUCATION (n=29 people/n=55 statements), LOGISTICS (n=23 people/n=28 statements) and DISADVANTAGES (n=13 people/n=23 statements). I found that the more experienced a sailor, the broader his or her perception of how sailing vessels can be useful to marine conservation. Although the majority of the stakeholders reported that using sailing vessels for scientific research, education and logistics enhances marine conservation, they rarely use them for their own environmental activities. Issues and disadvantages are also reported and discussed. Based on the overall perspective of the group of experienced people interviewed here, we believe sailing vessels warrant an upgrade in status in terms of an eco-efficient tool for research and education in the context of marine conservation. We, therefore, encourage scientists, environmental managers, educational institutions, and tourist agencies to think ecologically and economically and to exploit the wind to keep the oceans quiet and clean. 

The history of the biodiversity and the conservation status of the Caatinga, the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest show that these are rich regions, with a high number of endemisms; however, all of these area have been undergoing cummulative impacts due to conversion of natural landscapes into land uses related to agricultural uses. This indicates the supreme importance of the State in creating directives and isntruments to guide the activities and expansion of private activities. According  to the Brazilian New Forest Code (Federal Law nº 12.651, of 25 May 2012), Legal Reserves (LRs) consist of areas, located within a ruran property, whose function is to aid in the conservation and rehabilitation of ecological processes and of biodiversity, ensuring shelter and protection to the native fauna and flora as well as the sustainable use of natural resources. Notwithstanding the existence of different legal sources establishing the obligatoriness and creating instruments for forest management actions, generally with the goal of maintaining natural resources, there have been limited efforts related to the technical parameterization of the activities developed by the officers responsible for allocating the LRs. Especially noticeable is the lack of a clear link between the scientific studies in Landscape Ecology and directives for RL definition. Conversely, there has been much scientific research on subjects such as habitat loss and fragmentation, connectivity, edge effects, matrix influence, landscape genetics, metapopulations and many others, which may greatly complicate the work of those who need to use this knowledge to make executive decisions. In consonance with the increase in technical and juridical complexity of this subject, there is also an increase in the difficulty of creating procedures parameterizing LR allocation. To aid in breaching this gap, our objective here was to complie a set of relevant Landscape Ecology studies in a way that will be useful for the professionals responsible for delimiting LR area in rural properties. For this, we selected scientific papers that we considered important for this subject and summarized their findings, theories and reccomendations, thus producing a material that may provide a conceptual basis relevant for these analyses. We selected key papers for each of several Landscape Ecology topics which we defined, namely: Connectivity; Area Effects; Edge Effets; Matrix Effects; Habitat Quantity. As a result, we highlighted several concepts relevant to this subject. We firstly highlight the need to abandon the simplistic and dichotomic view of the landscape as (habitat VS matrix areas). We also identified sufficient theoretical and empirical evidence to show the negative effects of habitat loss and fragmentation, as well as of the creation of edges. In addition, we verified the importance of establishing criteria for the definition of prioritary areas, which would enable the assertive use of the resources destined for conservation. Based on this information, we conclude that new studies area needed to compile the existant knowledge, resulting in working methods with sufficient details to bring security to decision making in a feasible manner.

This study investigates the publication trends and evolution of the main research themes that involve the association between water services and water resources management. First, in Chapter I, the article entitled "Water Services and Water Resources Management: a bibliometric analysis of scientific production" presents a review of articles that discuss the association between water ecosystem services and water resources management, to synthesise the knowledge and to facilitate the understanding about this topic. This is an exploratory and quantitative research to identify the temporal and spatial distribution of publications, the main authors and journals, the most relevant topics and the evolution of the publications, considering the discussion about ecosystem services. Finally, Chapter II presents the technical document entitled "Manual to integrate ecosystem services in planning, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects for water resources management", a step-by-step study based on the literature review to improve the performance of programs and projects aimed at the preservation, conservation and recovery of water resources; to promote an overview of the program / project relationship with ecosystem services and human well-being; to qualify the procedures of planning, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects for a better efficiency of actions; to guide technicians and managers in socio-environmental programs and projects for the protection, conservation, recovery or revitalization of aquatic ecosystems; and collaborate in training processes of technicians, environmental managers and civil society that act in the context of the state and municipal water resources management.

Several authors argue that the success of a restoration project should be measured in relation to the objectives that have been previously defined, however, there is no research in the scientific literature to study the association between evaluation and monitoring indicators and the objectives of the Prad in this way , this paper aims to make a critical assessment of the Prad in the light of ecology, to answer the following questions: (1) Are the objectives formulated based on available scientific knowledge on the functioning of ecosystems and elaborated clearly, describing expected results? (2) Do the Prad have evaluation and monitoring indicators? (3) are evaluation and monitoring aligned with recovery / restoration objectives? We analyzed 37 Prad of the Forest State Register of Rural Property (Cefir), randomly drawn from the several municipalities of Bahia. The methodology used was content analysis and the registration unit adopted was the theme. The methodology adapted from Schroeder (2006 and 2009) was also used. The values found for each criterion were 1 = 1.60 (standard deviation = 0.60); criterion 2 = 1.36 (standard deviation: 0.78); criterion 3 = 1.12 (standard deviation = 0.33). The objectives in the sample did not meet the criteria proposed by Schroeder (2006 and 2009) as to be specific, measurable, achievable, results-oriented, and time-definite. Twelve Prad presented evaluation criteria or monitoring indicators, but only four Prad had indicators or evaluation criteria associated with the planned objectives, although this relationship was not ideal. It is suggested as criteria for the elaboration and evaluation of the Prad that the plans must present biological objectives, measurable, determining the period to reach the results and be associated to the indicators of evaluation and monitoring, and, together with the methodology adopted, be based on science for the success of the restoration.