Agroforestry: An Approach for Sustainability and Climate Mitigation

Agroforestry Systems (AFS), or the association of trees with crops (or animals), is a strategy for land management and use that allows production within the sustainable development: (a) environmentally (production environmentally harmonic); (b) technically (integrating existing resources on the farm); (c) economically (increase in production), and (d) socially (equality of duties and opportunities, quality of life of the family group). As an intentional integration of trees or shrubs with crop and animal production, this practice makes environmental, economic, and social benefits to farmers. Given that there is a set of definitions, rather than a single definition of Agroforestry (AF) and AFS, it is justified to explore the historical evolution and the minimum coincidences of criteria to define them and apply them in the recovery of degraded areas. Knowing how to classify AFS allows us to indicate which type or group of AFS is suitable for a particular area with its characteristics. The greatest benefit that AFS can bring to degraded or sloping areas lies in their ability to combine soil conservation with productive functions. In other words, AF is arborizing agriculture and animal production to obtain more benefits including climate change adaptation and mitigation by ecosystem services

Desenvolvimento sustentável visto da complexidade: uma breve revisão / Complex thought: a subject of sustainability

Este ensaio de opinião tenta descrever os aspectos históricos do pensamento complexo; e sua relação com o Desenvolvimento Sustentável; considerando que para realizar a gestão ambiental no quadro do desenvolvimento sustentável é necessário não ter uma abordagem reducionista e determinista do meio ambiente, mas sim estar enquadrada na teoria da complexidade.  

La Gestión ambiental desde una mirada compleja: Una reflexión actual

This opinion essay tries to describe aspects of  Environmental Management from a complex perspective, considering that  to carry out environmental management within the framework of sustainable development it is necessary  to transcend the   reductionist and deterministic approach to the environment. We are based on  the basic concepts  for the study of complex systems described by Rolando García who makes an approach of the environmental problem as a concrete case of a complex system.   Always considering that environmental management is the set of actions and strategies organizing human activities that influence and modify the environment in order to achieve an adequate quality of life by preventing or mitigating environmental problems. This conception of interdisciplinary research transcends to this day like no other in Latin American thinking on environment and development.  In this vein, the arguments we use about the complexity paradigm are rooted in adverse conditions, but with the hope of recovering and enhancing what is meant by the set of complexities that lead to integrative, amplifying, as well as socially inclusive thinking.  In other words, a complex look.El presente ensayo de opinión intenta describir aspectos de la Gestión Ambiental desde una mirada compleja, considerando que para llevar a cabo una gestión ambiental en el marco del desarrollo sostenible es necesario trascender el enfoque reduccionista y determinista del ambiente. Nos basamos en los conceptos básicos para el estudio de sistemas complejos descritos por Rolando García que hace un abordaje de la problemática ambiental como un caso concreto de sistema complejo. Siempre considerando que la gestión ambiental es el conjunto de acciones y estrategias mediante las cuales se organizan las actividades humanas que influyen y modifican el ambiente con el propósito de lograr una adecuada calidad de vida previniendo o mitigando los problemas ambientales. Esta concepción de investigación interdisciplinaria trasciende hasta nuestros días como ninguna otra en el pensamiento latinoamericano sobre medio ambiente y desarrollo. En este orden de ideas, los argumentos que manejamos sobre el paradigma de la complejidad están arraigados en condiciones adversas, pero con la esperanza de recuperar y potenciar lo que significa el conjunto de complejidades que conlleva a un pensamiento integrador, amplificador, a la vez que socialmente inclusivo. En otras palabras, una mirada compleja

Presencia de Rhinospathe albomarginata Chevrolat, 1878 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) como plaga de Erythrina costaricensis Micheli, 1874 (Fabales: Fabaceae)

AbstractIntroduction: Rhinospathe albomarginata Chevrolat, 1878 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) initially described in 1878, is distributed in Costa Rica and Panama. Objective: To document the presence of Rhinospathe albomarginata as a pest of Erythrina costaricensis Micheli, 1894 (Fabales: Fabaceae) in a recently established silvopastoral system, under intensive-use field conditions. Materials and methods: This emergent observational work was carried out at the Alfredo Volio Mata Experimental Station, Ochomogo, Cartago province, Costa Rica, in a grazing lot between July 27 and August 10 of 2016; measurements were made of the foliar area and number of affected trees, and a natural repellent was applied for its control. Results: The insect's presence as a pest of E. costaricensis, and the damage done to the leaf area were documented, where 40,3 % of the trees showed a mean damage in the range of 5 to 10 % of the leaflet surface, in some samples up to 20 %. Conclusion: This note is the first record of the beetle as a pest in this tree species; the applied organic bioinput (extract of Bocconia frutescens L., 1753. Papaverales: Papaveraceae) showed insect repellent properties. Keywords: Rhinospathe, Erythrina costaricensis, silvopastoral system, forage trees.ResumenIntroducción. Rhinospathe albomarginata Chevrolat, 1878 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Entimini) fue descrita originalmente por Chevrolat en 1878) con distribución en Costa Rica y Panamá. Objetivo: documentar la presencia de Rhinospathe albomarginata como plaga de Erythrina costaricensis Micheli (Fabaceae) en un sistema silvopastoril intensivo (SSPi) recientemente establecido, bajo condiciones de campo. Materiales y métodos: Este trabajo observacional emergente se llevó a cabo en la Estación Experimental Alfredo Volio Mata (EEAVM), Ochomogo, provincia de Cartago, Costa Rica. En un lote de pastoreo entre el 27 de Julio (aparición) y el 10 de agosto de 2016, se hicieron mediciones del área foliar y número de árboles afectados y se aplicó un repelente natural para su control. Resultados: Se documentó la presencia del insecto en el follaje de E. costaricensis en 40,3 % de los árboles y el daño medio tuvo un rango del 5 al 10 % del área foliar, en algunas observaciones alcanzaron hasta el 20 % del área del folíolo. Conclusión: Esta nota es el primer registro del escarabajo referido en la especie forrajera arbórea; y muestra que el bioinsumo orgánico aplicado (extracto de Bocconia frutescens) presenta propiedades repelentes de insectos. Palabras clave: Rhinospathe, Erythrina costaricensis, sistema silvopastoril, árboles forrajeros

Gestión de adaptación al cambio climático en la actividad lechera: un aporte reflexivo: Gestão de adaptação às mudanças climáticas na atividade leiteira: uma contribuição reflexiva

Los sistemas de producción lechera se enfrentan al desafío de producir combinando la rentabilidad con la protección al medio ambiente, la salud humana y el bienestar animal; y además, satisfacer las demandas de los transformadores y de los consumidores. En estas condiciones, los productores de leche han venido tomando una serie de medidas para adaptarse al cambio climático y producir en armonía con el medio ambiente. Este asunto se convirtió en prioridad nacional y con el apoyo de varias instituciones y organizaciones, públicas y privadas, ha ocurrido que en Costa Rica exista una Estrategia Nacional de Ganadería Baja en Carbono (EGBC), un Programa de Investigación y Transferencia de Tecnología Agropecuaria de Ganadería (PITTA-Ganadería) y un NAMA-Ganadería (Acciones de Mitigación Nacionalmente Apropiadas, NAMA por sus siglas en inglés). Todos estos instrumentos son soluciones viables con las situaciones productivas y el bienestar social de una población importante de pequeños productores que dependen de esta actividad

Propagación de estacas de morera (Morus alba L.) en condiciones de invernadero: comunicación / Vegetative propagation of mulberry cuttings (Morus alba L.), in greenhouse conditions: communication

Introducción. Durante la alimentación de vacas lecheras Jersey, con ramas de morera (Morus alba L.), ofrecidas en las canoas, en la Estación Experimental Alfredo Volio Mata (EEAVM), queda un residuo de ramas defoliadas, con la corteza intacta, que son desechadas.  Objetivo. Evaluar la viabilidad de propagación vegetativa y longitud apropiada de estacas de morera, provenientes de ramas defoliadas durante la alimentación de vacas lecheras. Materiales y métodos. El experimento se desarrolló en el invernadero de la EEAVM, de agosto hasta octubre de 2019, durante diez semanas. El delineamiento estadístico utilizado fue experimento de comparación simple, con diez repeticiones. Los tratamientos correspondieron a cinco longitudes de estaca (15, 20, 25, 30, 50 cm). Cada estaca se plantó en una bolsa plástica con un sustrato de compost. Resultados y Conclusiones. La propagación vegetativa de estacas de ramas de morera remanente fue viable en las condiciones del invernadero y se encontró que la longitud más apropiada fue de 25 a 30 cm; con 70 a 80 porciento de estacas brotadas y entre 3 y 4 ramas por estaca

Assessing the role of compound drought and heatwave events on unprecedented 2020 wildfires in the Pantanal

The year 2020 had the most catastrophic fire season over the last two decades in the Pantanal, which led to outstanding environmental impacts. Indeed, much of the Pantanal has been affected by severe dry conditions since 2019, with evidence of the 2020's drought being the most extreme and widespread ever recorded in the last 70 years. Although it is unquestionable that this mega-drought contributed significantly to the increase of fire risk, so far, the 2020's fire season has been analyzed at the univariate level of a single climate event, not considering the co-occurrence of extreme and persistent temperatures with soil dryness conditions. Here, we show that similarly to other areas of the globe, the influence of land-atmosphere feedbacks contributed decisively to the simultaneous occurrence of dry and hot spells (HPs), exacerbating fire risk. The ideal synoptic conditions for strong atmospheric heating and large evaporation rates were present, in particular during the HPs, when the maximum temperature was, on average, 6 °C above the normal. The short span of the period during those compound drought-heatwave (CDHW) events accounted for 55% of the burned area of 2020. The vulnerability in the northern forested areas was higher than in the other areas, revealing a synergistic effect between fuel availability and weather-hydrological conditions. Accordingly, where fuel is not a limiting factor, fire activity tends to be more modelled by CDHW events. Our work advances beyond an isolated event-level basis towards a compound and cascading natural hazards approach, simultaneously estimating the contribution of drought and heatwaves to fuelling extreme fire outbreaks in the Pantanal such as those in 2020. Thus, these findings are relevant within a broader context, as the driving mechanisms apply across other ecosystems, implying higher flammability conditions and further efforts for monitoring and predicting such extreme events

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London