O Extra Calvinisticum: mais do que um extra reformado?

To identify in the extra calvinisticum a reformed extra, something which mayhave been important during the confessional confl icts for the Reformed to differentiate themselves from the Lutherans but belongs to the dogmatic quincailleries today, is a reduction of theology to its own detriment. On the contrary, the extra calvinisticum represents an adamant affi rmation of the indispensable difference between God’s immanence and transcendence, of the character of revelation as both completed and continuously taking place, and of the presence in all the world and throughout time of the Spirit of the Christ who became man.Identifi car no extra calvinisticum um “extra” exclusivamente reformado, algoque talvez tenha sido importante durante o confl ito confessional para diferenciar reformados e luteranos, mas que hoje em dia não passaria de uma “quinquilharia” dogmática, é uma redução da teologia em detrimento próprio. Pelo contrário, o extra calvinisticum representa uma taxativa afi rmação da imprescindível diferença entre a imanência e a transcendência de Deus, do caráter da revelação como ao mesmo tempo concluído e continuamente ocorrendo, e da presença em todo o mundo e ao longo dos tempos do espírito do Cristo que se fez homem

Increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations outweighs effects of stand density in determining growth and water use efficiency in Pinus ponderosa of the semi-arid grasslands of Nebraska (U.S.A.)

This study investigated the impacts of environmental (e.g., climate and CO2 level) and ecological (e.g., stand density) factors on the long-term growth and physiology of pon- derosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) in a semi-arid north American grassland. We hypothesized that ponderosa pine long-term growth patterns were positively influenced by an increase in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and a decrease in stand density. To test this hypothesis, comparison of long-term trends in tree-ring width and carbon and oxygen stable isotopic composition of trees growing in dense and sparse forest stands were carried out at two sites located in the Nebraska National Forest. Results indicated that tree-ring growth increased over time, more at the sparse than at the dense stands. In addition, the carbon and oxygen isotopic ratios showed long-term increases in intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), with little difference between dense and sparse stands. We found a clear trend over time in ponderosa pine tree growth and WUEi, mechanistically linked to long-term changes in global CO2 concentration. The study also highlighted that global factors tend to outweigh local effects of stand density in determining long-term trends in ponderosa pine growth. Finally, we discuss the implications of these results for woody encroachment into grasslands of Nebraska and we underlined how the use of long-term time series is crucial for understanding those ecosystems and to guarantee their conservation