Widespread synchronous decline of Mediterranean-type forest driven by accelerated aridity.

Large-scale, abrupt ecosystem change in direct response to climate extremes is a critical but poorly documented phenomenon1. Yet, recent increases in climate-induced tree mortality raise concern that some forest ecosystems are on the brink of collapse across wide environmental gradients2,3. Here we assessed climatic and productivity trends across the world's five Mediterranean forest ecosystems from 2000 to 2021 and detected a large-scale, abrupt forest browning and productivity decline in Chile (>90% of the forest in <100 days), responding to a sustained, acute drought. The extreme dry and warm conditions in Chile, unprecedented in the recent history of all Mediterranean-type ecosystems, are akin to those projected to arise in the second half of the century4. Long-term recovery of this forest is uncertain given an ongoing decline in regional water balance. This dramatic plummet of forest productivity may be a spyglass to the future for other Mediterranean ecosystems.

Development of a Third Generation Snack of Rice Starch Enriched with Nopal Flour (Opuntia ficus indica).

This study aimed to obtain a third-generation snack from native rice starch (NS), rice starch modified by extrusion (MS), nopal flour (NF) and xanthan gum (XG). These raw materials were characterized by proximal analysis, pH, particle size distribution, water absorption index (WAI) and water solubility index (WSI), degree of substitution (DS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The analysis of the response variables in the nine formulations of the snack: expansion index (EI), apparent density (AD), hardness (H), luminosity (L*) and tendency to green-red (a*), was performed through a composite central design (CCD), the selected formulations were characterized by SEM. Results showed an increase in WAI, 4.69 ± 0.04, and WSI, 12.61 ± 0.10, for MS, higher than NS values due to chemical modification. According to the color analysis the NF obtained a value of 60.73 ± 0.008 in L* and -6.51 ± 0.004 in a* with green tendency. The DS value obtained was 0.09 ± 0.005, being within the FDA's permissible range for food use. By FTIR analysis, the acetyl group was corroborated. Finally, employing microwave cooking, snacks made from NS with concentrations of NF (5%) and XG (0%) obtained the highest EI value, 4.47, as well the low Dap and D value (0.37 g/cm3, 2.25 N, respectively), corroborated by SEM analysis.