The neotropical reforestation hotspots : a biophysical and socioeconomic typology of contemporary forest expansion

Tropical reforestation is a significant component of global environmental change that is far less understood than tropical deforestation, despite having apparently increased widely in scale during recent decades. The regional contexts defining such reforestation have not been well described. They are likely to differ significantly from the geographical profiles outlined by site-specific observations that predominate in the literature. In response, this article determines the distribution, extent, and defining contexts of apparently spontaneous reforestation. It delineates regional ‘hotspots’ of significant net reforestation across Latin America and the Caribbean and defines a typology of these hotspots with reference to the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics that unite and distinguish amongst them. Fifteen regional hotspots were identified on the basis of spatial criteria pertaining to the area, distribution, and rate of reforestation 2001–2014, observed using a custom continental MODIS satellite land-cover classification. Collectively, these hotspots cover 11% of Latin America and the Caribbean and they include 167,667.7 km2 of new forests. Comparisons with other remotely sensed estimates of reforestation indicate that these hotspots contain a significant amount of tropical reforestation, continentally and pantropically. The extent of reforestation as a proportion of its hotspot was relatively invariable (3–14%) given large disparities in hotspot areas and contexts. An ordination analysis defined a typology of five clusters, distinguished largely by their topographical roughness and related aspects of agro-ecological marginality, climate, population trends, and degree of urbanization: ‘Urban lowlands’, ‘Mountainous populated areas’, ‘Rural highlands’, ‘Rural humid lands’ and ‘Rural dry lands’. The typology highlights that a range of distinct, even oppositional regional biophysical, demographic, and agricultural contexts have equally given rise to significant, regional net reforestation, urging a concomitant diversification of forest transition science

G6PD deficiency in Latin America: systematic review on prevalence and variants

Plasmodium vivax radical cure requires the use of primaquine (PQ), a drug that induces haemolysis in glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficient (G6PDd) individuals, which further hampers malaria control efforts. The aim of this work was to study the G6PDd prevalence and variants in Latin America (LA) and the Caribbean region. A systematic search of the published literature was undertaken in August 2013. Bibliographies of manuscripts were also searched and additional references were identified. Low prevalence rates of G6PDd were documented in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, but studies from Curaçao, Ecuador, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad, as well as some surveys carried out in areas of Brazil, Colombia and Cuba, have shown a high prevalence (> 10%) of G6PDd. The G6PD A-202A mutation was the variant most broadly distributed across LA and was identified in 81.1% of the deficient individuals surveyed. G6PDd is a frequent phenomenon in LA, although certain Amerindian populations may not be affected, suggesting that PQ could be safely used in these specific populations. Population-wide use of PQ as part of malaria elimination strategies in LA cannot be supported unless a rapid, accurate and field-deployable G6PDd diagnostic test is made available

Desarrollo de una tecnología para trasplante mecanizado de la fresa (fragaria vesca) Desarrollo de una tecnología para trasplante mecanizado de la fresa (fragaria vesca)

El trabajo presente resume un proyecto de investigación y desarrollo tecnológico realizado con el objeto de ofrecer una solución al problema de altos costos de la mano de obra, por falta de mecanización de trasplante en cultivos como la fresa, donde esta labor se realiza utilizando plántulas con raíz desnuda en condiciones de suelo acolchado con película plástica. Con base en un estudio de métodos y equipos utilizados en el mundo para labores similares, se propone una nueva tecnología y se diseña una máquina para satisfacer los requerimientos específi cos de esta operación. Se comentan resultados de los estudios realizados en campo y en laboratorio, durante el desarrollo del proyecto, para comprobar la factibilidad técnica de la idea propuesta. Se describe el prototipo de la trasplantadora diseñada, que se encuentra actualmente en la etapa fi nal de su construcción. This paper summarizes a research and technological development project carried out in order to reduce the cost of hand-transplanting strawberry and other similar crops, which use bare root plants and mulched soil for planting. Based on a study of methods and equipment used in the world for similar task, a new technology is proposed and a machine is designed to satisfy the specifi c requirements of this operation. Results are given of studies to verify the technical feasibility of the proposed idea made in the fi eld and laboratory during the development of this project. A description is given of the prototype transplanting machine, which is currently in the fi nal stage of construction. </span