Managing Grassland Systems in a Changing Climate: The Search for Practical Solutions

By the end of the XXIst century, a global temperature rise between 1.5 and 4°C compared to 1980-1999 and CO2 concentrations in the range 550-900 ppm are expected, together with an increased frequency of extreme climatic events (heat waves, droughts, and heavy rain) that is likely to negatively affect grassland production and livestock systems in a number of world regions. Grassland management has a large potential to mitigate livestock greenhouse gas emissions at a low (or even negative) cost, by combining a moderate intensification, the restoration of degraded pastures and the development of silvo-pastoral systems. Climate change vulnerability will be highest in regional hot spots with high exposure to climatic extremes and low adaptive capacity, such as extensive systems in dryland areas. Biome shifts, with expansion or contraction of the grassland biome, are projected by models. Resistance, resilience and transformation strategies can be used for grassland adaptation.With sown grasslands, adaptation options include changes in forage species (e.g. use of C4 grasses and of annual species) and genotypes and the use of grass-legume mixtures. Grazing management can be adapted to increase the resilience of plant communities to climatic variability. Our understanding of the synergies and trade-offs between adaptation and mitigation in the grassland sector is still limited and requires further research. Provided this understanding is gained, climate smart grassland systems that sustainably increase productivity and resilience (adaptation), reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mitigation), and enhance food security and development could be promoted. By reducing productivity gaps and increasing livestock production efficiency, they would also contribute to mitigate climate change from tropical deforestation and expansion of grasslands into savannahs

Projecting grassland sensitivity to climate change from an ensemble of models

The grassland biome covers about one-quarter of the earth’s land area and contributes to the livelihoods of ca. 800 million people. Increased aridity and persistent droughts are projected in the twenty-first century for most of Africa, southern Europe and the Middle East, most of the Americas, Australia and South East Asia. A number of these regions have a large fraction of their land use covered by grasslands and rangelands. Grasslands are the ecosystems that respond most rapidly to precipitation variability. However, global projections of climate change impacts on grasslands are still lacking in the scientific literature. Within AgMIP, based on the C3MP protocol initially developed for crops, we have explored the sensitivity of temperate grasslands to climate change drivers with an ensemble of models. Site calibrated models are used to provide projections under probabilistic climate change scenarios, which are defined by a combination of air temperature, precipitation and atmospheric CO2 changes resulting in 99 runs for each model times site combination. This design provides a test of grassland production, GHG (N2O and CH4) emissions and soil carbon sensitivity to climate change drivers. This integrated approach has been tested for 12 grassland simulation models applied to 19 sites over three continents. We show here that a single polynomial emulator can be fitted with high significance to the results of all models and sites, when these are expressed as relative changes from the optimal combination of climate drivers. This polynomial emulator shows that elevated atmospheric CO2 expands the thermal and hydric range which allows for the development of temperate grasslands. Moreover, we calculate the climatic response surface of GHG emissions per unit grassland production and we show that this surface varies with elevated CO2. From these results we provide first estimates of the impacts of climate change on temperate grasslands based on a range of climate scenarios

Phylogenomic analyses of malaria parasites and evolution of their exported proteins

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>is the most malignant agent of human malaria. It belongs to the taxon Laverania, which includes other ape-infecting <it>Plasmodium </it>species. The origin of the Laverania is still debated. <it>P. falciparum </it>exports pathogenicity-related proteins into the host cell using the <it>Plasmodium </it>export element (PEXEL). Predictions based on the presence of a PEXEL motif suggest that more than 300 proteins are exported by <it>P. falciparum</it>, while there are many fewer exported proteins in non-Laverania.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A whole-genome approach was applied to resolve the phylogeny of eight <it>Plasmodium </it>species and four outgroup taxa. By using 218 orthologous proteins we received unanimous support for a sister group position of Laverania and avian malaria parasites. This observation was corroborated by the analyses of 28 exported proteins with orthologs present in all <it>Plasmodium </it>species. Most interestingly, several deviations from the <it>P. falciparum </it>PEXEL motif were found to be present in the orthologous sequences of non-Laverania.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our phylogenomic analyses strongly support the hypotheses that the Laverania have been founded by a single <it>Plasmodium </it>species switching from birds to African great apes or <it>vice versa</it>. The deviations from the canonical PEXEL motif in orthologs may explain the comparably low number of exported proteins that have been predicted in non-Laverania.</p

Report on model-data comparison and improved model parameterisation

The goal of task 4.4 of AnimalChange project is to improve a range of models used to assess climate change impacts on the productivity of pastures, feeding crops and animals

Naloxone Training and Distribution Evaluation: AIDS CT

This project set out to evaluate AIDS Connecticut’s current naloxone training and distribution program. The project was executed through a partnership between the AIDS CT organization, and the Yale School of Public Health. The evaluation focused on the training effectiveness, and reach of the naloxone distribution services. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to best serve the needs of the AIDS CT organization. Quantitative data was divided into four different categories: opioid-related accidental deaths in CT, reversal report data, syringe service program (SSP) van client’s needs and satisfaction survey, and geographic information system (GIS). For the qualitative portion of the evaluation semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with AIDS CT staff. These interviews were completed to evaluate whether the goals of the training and distribution program were being met. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with clients of the AIDS CT needle-exchange van. These interviews were semistructured, and they aimed to evaluate the current Naloxone training program.https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/ysph_pbchrr/1045/thumbnail.jp

Soil carbon, multiple Benefits

International audienceIn March 2013, 40 leading experts from across the world gathered at a workshop, hosted by the European Commission, Directorate General Joint Research Centre, Italy, to discuss the multiple benefits of soil carbon as part of a Rapid Assessment Process (RAP) project commissioned by SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment). This collaboration led to the publication of the SCOPE Series Volume 71 'Soil Carbon: Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits'; which brings together the essential scientific evidence and policy opportunities regarding the global importance of soil carbon. This short communication summarizes the key messages of the assessment including research and policy implications