Effect of El Niño and La Niña on abundance of frugivorous and nectarivorous terrestrial birds in three tropical forests

El Niño and La Niña climatic oscillations have dramatic effects on population dynamics and community structure of different animals. For marine birds, El Niño phenomenon drastically increases their mortality and reduces their reproductive success. In terrestrial ecosystems, the lack of long-term longitudinal data limits our understanding of the impact of El Niño and La Niña on bird populations and communities. We analyzed changes in abundance of frugivorous (large, medium, and small) and nectarivorous birds on three tropical forest types (lowland, premontane and montane) during El Niño, La Niña and neutral years using data from 16 Christmas' Bird Counts in Costa Rica. Abundance of large and medium size frugivores increased during La Niña events, and the abundance of nectarivores during El Niño in the lowland forest, but neither of these events affected the abundance of small frugivores. In the montane forest, abundance of all four bird groups increased during El Niño, but decreased during La Niña events. Abundance of large, and small frugivores increased in the premontane forest during La Niña events, but other bird groups were not affected by La Niña. The abundance of small frugivores also increased during El Niño. We hypothesize that changes in abundance of frugivores and nectarivores during La Niña and El Niño events is probably correlated with fluctuations in food resources as it has been reported for other terrestrial tropical ecosystems.

Las oscilaciones climáticas causadas por el fenómeno de El Niño y La Niña tienen efectos drásticos sobre la dinámica de las poblaciones y la estructura de las comunidades. Para aves marinas, el fenómeno de El Niño incrementa drásticamente su mortalidad y reduce su éxito reproductivo. En ecosistemas terrestres, la falta de datos a largo plazo limita nuestro entendimiento sobre el impacto de El Niño y La Niña sobre la dinámica de las poblaciones y comunidades de aves. Nosotros analizamos los cambios en la abundancia de aves frugívoras (grandes, medianos y pequeños) y nectarívoras en tres tipos de bosque tropical (lluvioso de tierras bajas, premontano y montano) durante los años de El Niño, La Niña, y años neutrales usando datos de al menos 16 conteos de navidad (Christmas' Bird Counts) en Costa Rica. La abundancia de frugívoros grandes y medianos incrementó durante los años de La Niña, y la abundancia de nectarívoros durante el Niño en el bosque lluvioso de tierras bajas, pero ninguno de estos eventos afectó la abundancia de frugívoros pequeños en este bosque. En el bosque montano, la abundancia de los cuatro grupos de aves incrementó durante los años de El Niño, pero disminuyó durante los años de La Niña. La abundancia de frugívoros grandes y pequeños aumentó en el bosque pre-montano durante los años de La Niña; sin embargo, la abundancia de los frugívoros medianos y los nectarívoros no fue afectada por los eventos por La Niña o El Niño. La abundancia de frugívoros pequeños también aumentó durante El Niño en este bosque. Proponemos la hipótesis de que los cambios en la abundancia de las aves frugívoras y nectarívoras reflejan fluctuaciones en el recurso alimentario, como ha sido reportado en otros ecosistemas terrestres tropicales.

Predictions of potential geographical distribution of Alhagi sparsifolia under climate change / 中国中药杂志

Specific information on geographic distribution of a species is important for its conservation. This study was conducted to determine the potential geographic distribution of Alhagi sparsifolia, which is a plant used in traditional Uighur medicine, and predict how climate change would affect its geographic range. The potential geographic distribution of A. sparsifolia under the current conditions in China was simulated with MaxEnt software based on species presence data at 42 locations and 19 climatic variables. The future distributions of A. sparsifolia were also projected in 2050 and 2070 under the climate change scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 described in 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).The result showed that mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual mean temperature, precipitation of the coldest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, mean temperature of the wettest quarter and the temperature annual range were the seven climatic factors influencing the geographic distribution of A. sparsifolia under current climate, the suitable habitats are mainly located in the Xinjiang, in the middle and north of Gansu, in the west of Neimeng, in the north of Nei Monggol. From 2050 to 2070, the model simulations indicated that the suitable habitats of A. sparsifolia would decrease under the climate change scenarios of RCP2.6 and scenarios of RCP8.5 on the whole.

Projection of potential geographic distribution of Apocynum venetum under climate change in northern China / 中国中药杂志

Apocynum venetum belongs to apocynaceae and is a perennial medicinal plant, its stem is an important textile raw materials. The projection of potential geographic distribution of A. venetum has an important significance for the protection and sustainable utilization of the plant. This study was conducted to determine the potential geographic distribution of A. venetum and to project how climate change would affect its geographic distribution. The projection geographic distribution of A. venetum under current bioclimatic conditions in northern China was simulated using MaxEnt software based on species presence data at 44 locations and 19 bioclimatic parameters. The future distributions of A. venetum were also projected in 2050 and 2070 under the climate change scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 described in 5th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The result showed that min air temperature of the coldest month, annual mean air temperature, precipitation of the coldest quarter and mean air temperature of the wettest quarter dominated the geographic distribution of A. venetum. Under current climate, the suitable habitats of A. venetum is 11.94% in China, the suitable habitats are mainly located in the middle of Xinjiang, in the northern part of Gansu, in the southern part of Neimeng, in the northern part of Ningxia, in the middle and northern part of Shaanxi, in the southern part of Shanxi, in the middle and northern part of Henan, in the middle and southern part of Hebei, Shandong, Tianjin, in the southern part of Liaoning and part of Beijing. From 2050 to 2070, the model outputs indicated that the suitable habitats of A. venetum would decrease under the climate change scenarios of RCP2.6 and RCP8.5.

Variabilidad y cambio climáticos: su repercusión en la salud / Variability and climatic changes: their influence on health

A lo largo de la historia la tierra ha experimentado cambios en los parámetros climáticos de temperatura, humedad, presión, vientos, precipitaciones, nubosidad, entre otros. Inicialmente, a esos cambios que dependen fundamentalmente de la naturaleza se les llamaba variabilidad natural del clima, pero desde hace varios años en estos ha incidido la acción del hombre, por lo que se ha usado también la expresión cambio climático antropogénico. Al respecto, los impactos del cambio climático en sistemas humanos y naturales se prevén graves, de largo alcance y capaces de afectar desproporcionadamente a los sectores de la población más vulnerables física y económicamente; por ello muchos países, entre ellos Cuba, han trabajado para minimizar las consecuencias de este. Los autores de este artículo consideraron importante describir los efectos actuales y futuros de la variabilidad y el cambio climáticos en la salud.

Along history the earth has experienced changes in the climatic parameters of temperature, humidity, pressure, winds, rains, nubosity, among others. Initially, those changes which depend fundamentally on nature were called natural variability of climate, but for several years the man's action has impacted on them, so that the expression anthropogenic climatic change has also been used. On this respect, the impacts of the climatic change on human and natural systems are considered severe, of long reach and able to affect disproportionately the physically and economically more vulnerable population's sectors; so that many countries, among them Cuba, have worked to minimize its consequences. The authors of this work considered important to describe the current and futures effects of the variability and the climatic change in health.

A Study on Higher Secondary Students Knowledge on Climatic Change Knowledge in Relation to Environmental Attitude.

As climatic change becomes a threatening force to the mankind. Climatic change knowledge is essential for the successful for the adaptation and mitigation. In this view point, the researcher has undertaken this study. The present study was conducted in Puducherry and 300 higher secondary students were selected. Normative survey method was adopted; simple random sampling technique was used in selecting the samples. The result revealed that the level of climatic change knowledge is average and more favourable environmental attitude among higher secondary students and there is significant relationship between climatic change knowledge and environmental attitude among higher secondary students

Emerging Infections and Role of Family Physician

Emerging infections may be defined as infectious diseases whose incidence in humans has increased in the past 2 decades or threatens to increase in the near future. They include: new infections resulting from changes or evolution of existing organisms; known infections spreading to new geographic areas or populations; previously unrecognised infections appearing in areas undergoing ecological transformation; and old infections re-emerging as a result of antimicrobial resistance in known agents. Emerging infections occur as the result of four groups of factors: novel zoonotic emergence factors; climate change; nonzoonotic emergence factors; and human practices. As frontline doctors, family physicians have at least five roles that they must perform well: participate in global and local surveillance of emerging infections; assist in societal learning; pandemic preparedness; legislation compliance; and antibiotic stewardship.

Emisiones antrooogénicas de amoniaco, nitratos óxido nitroso: compuestos nitrrogenados que afectan el medio ambiente en el sector agropecuario Colmbbiano / Anthrpogenic emiissions of ammonia, nitrates and nitrous oxide: nitrogen compounds that affect the environment in the Colombian agricultural sector

El cambio climático es un fenómeno global actual que posee diversas causas, tales como el incremento antropogénico en las emisiones de gases de efecto invernadero y su influencia en el planeta. El óxido nitroso (N2O) es un gas con un potencial de calentamiento 298 veces mayor que el CO2; es emitido por diversos sectores económicos, entre ellos la agricultura y la ganadería por el empleo de fertilizantes nitrogenados. Este uso no incrementa únicamente las emisiones de N2O, sino que afecta todos los eslabones del ciclo del nitrógeno, siendo importante reconocer las interacciones entre sus reacciones (amonificación, nitrificación, denitrificación, etc.) para comprender los efectos sobre la lixiviación de nitratos, volatilización de amoniaco y emisiones de N2O, tres compuestos naturales que afectan el medio ambiente. En Colombia, el IDEAM reportó que en 2004 el sector agropecuario nacional produjo 94,91 gigagramos (Gg) de N2O, pues los sistemas de producción agrícolas y bovinos utilizan altas cantidades de fertilizantes nitrogenados con bajos índices de asimilación. Por ello adquiere importancia implementar buenas prácticas que midan y mitiguen estas emisiones en campo, buscando mayor eficiencia en la transformación de componentes nitrogenados dentro del sistema. En este artículo se enfatiza un manejo adecuado del suelo y la utilización de inhibidores de nitrificación naturales (presentes en algunas plantas tropicales) o químicos, como la nitrapyrina, DCD y NBPT (este último como inhibidor de la amonificación), observando su forma de acción y medición, su efecto mitigador y los incrementos productivos. La presente es una revisión bibliográfica que aborda la problemática ambiental de la ganadería bovina.

Climate change is a global effect currently present with several causes, such as the increased of anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and its influence on the planet. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is a gas with a global warming potential 298 times greater than CO, which comes of many sectors, one of them is the agriculture and livestock through the use of nitrogen fertilizers. This use not only increases N2O emissions, its affects all stages of the nitrogen cycle, being important to observe the interactions between their reactions (ammonification, nitrification, denitrification etc.) to understand the effects over nitrate leaching, ammonia volatilization and N2O emissions, three natural chemicals that affect the environment. In Colombia, IDEAM reports that for 2004, the national agricultural sector produced 94.91 Gg of N2O, knowing the agricultural and livestock productions use high quantities of nitrogen fertilizers, with low assimila2tion rates. Therefore, some adaptable practices and methodologies become important to measure and mitigate these emissions in the field, seeking greater efficiency in the transformation of nitrogen components in the system, being reviewed on this paper the appropriate land management or implementation of natural nitrification inhibitors (present in some tropical plants) or chemical inhibitors, such as nitrapyrina, DCD and NBPT (as an ammonification inhibitor). This is a literature review that approaches the environmental problems of livestock.

Alergia, pólenes y medio ambiente / Allergy, pollen and the environment

Las enfermedades respiratorias como el asma y la rinitis, de origen predominantemente alérgico, constituyen un problema de salud pública para México, ya que son causas importantes de morbilidad hospitalaria y de ingresos a urgencias pediátricas. Los pólenes son transportados por el viento y se impactan en las vías aéreas causando enfermedad respiratoria alérgica en personas susceptibles. Estudios aerobiológicos en México muestran que en la temporada de secas se encuentra una mayor abundancia y diversidad de pólenes, siendo los árboles la fuente principal. Los tipos polínicos de árboles que sobresalen por su abundancia son Pinus, Fraxinus, Cupressaseae, Alnus, Liquidambar, Callistemon y Casuarina. Interesantemente, el polen de malezas y pastos alcanza su pico máximo de producción durante la temporada de lluvias. Los taxa de malezas y pastos que han sido encontrados de manera más numerosa son Compositae, Cheno-Am, Ambrosia y Gramineae, correspondiendo los primeros tres a malezas y el último a pastos. En la ciudad de México, la contaminación es un factor que exacerba la alergenicidad de los pólenes, ya que los contaminantes causan un efecto directo sobre el propio grano al liberar sus antígenos. En el mundo, el calentamiento global ha favorecido el desarrollo de alergias respiratorias debido a que las etapas de floración son más prolongadas. Todo esto en conjunto representa una amenaza para la salud de los pacientes alérgicos.

Allergic respiratory diseases such asthma and allergic rhinitis are a health problem throughout the world. In Mexico City, pollens are an important cause of allergic respiratory disease. Both, the geographic location- and the vegetation surrounding this City favor the distribution of pollens leading to respiratory disease in susceptible patients. Aerobiological studies have shown that during the mild dry winter there is a large amount of pollens in the environment with tree pollens being the most abundant of all. The most frequent tree pollens found in Mexico City include Fraxinus, Cupressaseae, Alnus, Liquidambar, Callistemon, Pinus, and Casuarina. In contrast, grass- and weed pollens predominate during the summer (rainy season) including Compositae, Cheno-Am, Ambrosia and Gramineae. An additional health problem in Mexico City is the air pollution that exerts a direct effect on individuals. This in turn increases pollen allergenicity by disrupting them leading to the release of their particles which then penetrate the human airways causing disease. Thus, the polluted environment along with global warming which is also known to increase pollen quantities by inducing longer pollen seasons may represent a health risk to Mexico City inhabitants.

Studies on antimicrobial activity of pyramidal black pine (Pinus nigra ssp. pallasiana var. pyramidata): an endemic plant close to become extinct.

Turkey is one of the richest areas at middle latitudes in terms of plant diversity. One of Turkey’s (Anatolia) endemic plants is pyramidal black pine (Pinus nigra ssp. pallasiana var. pyramidata). But, it was observed that the pyramidal black pine, which is part of Turkey’s important biological richness, came close to become extinct. This study was carried out to investigate the drying of the pyramidal black pine in the specific Vakifkoy area having semi arid to humid climatic conditions on the one hand, and the effects of different thermal power plants on drying of the pyramidal black pine on the other hand. In addition, the study was designed to examine the effects of mistletoe on drying this plant and even the antimicrobial activities of this plant. As a result, we can conclude that the negative effects of semi arid climatic conditions, climatic variables, drought, mistletoe, silver factory and thermal power plants are still not clear on the pyramidal black pine trees. However, when the results of this study were compared with ampicillin (10 mcg) and nystatin (30 mcg) standards, it was found that extracts of pyramidal black pine were particularly found to possess stronger antimicrobial activity.

Analysis for Circumstantial Factors in Onset of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Seasonal and climatic variations have been linked to the occurrence of some types of cerebrovascular disease. However, the conditions that lead to intracranial aneurysm rupture are not known. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether predisposing factors are more related to intracranial aneurysm rupture and to determine relation of the stressful condition to intracranial aneurysm rupture. In order to determine the predisposing factors, the authors have examined the relationship between seasonal variation and predisposing factors of cerebral aneurysm. The author investigated activities of the patients and events as well as diurnal and seasonal variations in the onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH) in 336 consecutive patients. The results showed that the onset of SAH was associated with working in 11.0%, defecation and/or urination in 8.3%, sleeping in 6.9% and 4.2% walking. Hypertensive patients in aneurysmal rupture was 36.0%. Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred during stressful events in 36.3% of the patients, during nonstreneous events in 34.8% and during rest or sleep in 9.8%. The activities or events preceding subarachnoid hemorrhage were not known in the remaining 18.8%. Men were more likely to have suffered their hemorrhages during stressful events than women(47% vs 30%). Peak times of intracranial aneurysm rupture usually occurred from 6 to 11 A.M.(36.0%) and from 4 to 6 P.M.(20.5%). The seasonal variation of the onset of SAH showed the incidence to be slightly higher in winter than in any other seasons. We concluded that the occurrence of subarachnoid hemorrhage display seasonal and diurnal variation. And the precipitation of aneurysmal rupture have two important factors; increased arterial blood pressure and decreased cerebrospinal fluid pressure around the aneurysm. Also, the onset of the subarachnoid hemorrhage is related to the physiological circadian periodicity of blood pressure, climatic change and stressful events.