An Empirical Study of the Relationship between Seasonal Precipitation and Thermodynamic Environment in Puerto Rico

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 277-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W. Miller ◽  
Thomas L. Mote ◽  
Craig A. Ramseyer
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Seasonal Precipitation ◽  
Surface Precipitation ◽  
Precipitation Forecasting ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
K Index ◽  
Groundwater Reserves ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract With limited groundwater reserves and few reservoirs, Caribbean islands such as Puerto Rico are largely dependent on regular rainfall to meet societal and ecological water needs. Thus, the ability to anticipate seasonal rainfall shortages, such as the 2015 drought, is particularly important, yet few reliable tools exist for this purpose. Consequently, interpolated surface precipitation observations from the Daymet archive are summarized on daily, annual, and seasonal time scales and compared to the host thermodynamic environment as characterized by the Gálvez–Davison index (GDI), a convective potential parameter designed specifically for the tropics. Complementing the Daymet precipitation totals, ≥1.1 million WSR-88D volume scans between 2002 and 2016 were analyzed for echo tops ≥ 10 000 ft (~3 km) to establish a radar-inferred precipitation activity database for Puerto Rico. The 15-yr record reveals that the GDI outperforms several midlatitude-centric thermodynamic indices, explaining roughly 25% of daily 3-km echo top (ET) activity during each of Puerto Rico’s primary seasons. In contrast, neither mean-layer CAPE, the K index, nor total totals explain more than 11% during any season. When aggregated to the seasonal level, the GDI strongly relates to 3-km ET (R2 = 0.65) and Daymet precipitation totals (R2 = 0.82) during the early rainfall season (ERS; April–July), with correlations weaker outside of this period. The 4-month ERS explains 51% (41%) of the variability to Puerto Rico’s annual rainfall during exceptionally wet (dry) years. These findings are valuable for climate downscaling studies predicting Puerto Rico’s hydroclimate in future atmospheric states, and they could potentially be adapted for operational seasonal precipitation forecasting.

Performance of Anthocephaluschinensis in Puerto Rico

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 577-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel E. Lugo ◽  
Julio Figueroa
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Calcareous Soils ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Fast Growing ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Basal Area Growth ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
The Tropics

The growth of kadam (Anthocephaluschinensis (Lam.) A. Rich. ex Walp.), a fast-growing Asiatic species, was studied under different soil and climatic conditions in Puerto Rico. Plantings included a 10-year-old line planting, a 12.5-year-old plantation, 12 localities with 20-year-old single tree plots, and 1 locality with four 52-year-old trees. Over 600 trees were measured in all. Growth rates were comparable to those of fast-growing species elsewhere in the tropics; e.g., the 12.5-year-old plantation had a volume growth of 27.8 m3•ha−1•year−1 (77% was merchantable wood), a basal area growth of 1.82 m2•ha−1•year−1, and a total aboveground biomass production of 11.5 t•ha−1•year−1. Trees grew well both in plantations and in lines under natural forest. The 20-year-old single tree plots averaged up to 1 m•year−1 in height growth and 53 cm2•year−1 in basal area growth. Highest rates were observed in localities with high annual rainfall (>2500 mm) and with phosphorus- and silt-rich soils of high bulk density and low pH. After 10 years, basal area growth of trees was fastest in volcanic deep clay locations, followed, in order, by trees on volcanic shallow loams, calcareous soils, and plutonic sandy loams. However, basal area growth during the first 5 years was fastest in the plutonic sandy loams and slowest in the calcareous soils. After 20 years, volcanic deep clay soils still supported the fastest basal area growth rate (about 100 cm2•year−1), while the other locations converged at about 30 cm2•year−1. Trees reached maximum height after 20 years (average, 19 m; maximum, 26.5 m). Kadam growth was limited by close spacings (below 2.5 × 2.5 m). Trees exhibited excellent form (ratio of diameter at 1.3 m to diameter at 4.9 m > 0.8). We found no evidence of pest or disease attacks on trees, but noted severe tapering and stem twist in localities having poor growth rates. Results underline the need for caution when making species adaptability assessments in the tropics with short-term (<10 years) data.

Impact of changing rainfall conditions on surface and groundwater resources in an experimental watershed in Greece

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-125
Keyword(s):  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Annual Runoff ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Regime ◽  
Winter Rainfall ◽  
Rainfall Depth ◽  
Rainfall Volume ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Groundwater Reserves ◽  
The Impact

The present study concerns the impact of a change in the rainfall regime on surface and groundwater resources in an experimental watershed. The research is conducted in a gauged mountainous watershed (15.18 km2) that is located on the eastern side of Penteli Mountain, in the prefecture of Attica, Greece and the study period concerns the years from 2003 to 2008. The decrease in the annual rainfall depth during the last two hydrological years 2006-2007, 2007-2008 is 10% and 35%, respectively, in relation to the average of the previous years. In addition, the monthly distribution of rainfall is characterized by a distinct decrease in winter rainfall volume. The field measurements show that this change in rainfall conditions has a direct impact on the surface runoff of the watershed, as well as on the groundwater reserves. The mean annual runoff in the last two hydrological years has decreased by 56% and 75% in relation to the average of the previous years. Moreover, the groundwater level follows a declining trend and has dropped significantly in the last two years.

Geology and hydrogeology of the Caribbean islands aquifer system of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Renken ◽  
W. C. Ward ◽  
I.P. Gill ◽  
Fernando Gómez-Gómez ◽  
Jesús Rodríguez-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Virgin Islands ◽  
Aquifer System ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
The U.S

Leishmania spp. and leishmaniasis on the Caribbean islands

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoqun Yao
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Dominican Republic ◽  
Trinidad And Tobago ◽  
Parasite Species ◽  
Sand Fly ◽  
Caribbean Islands ◽  
Leishmania Spp ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Human Infections ◽  
Sand Fly Vectors

Abstract The kinetoplastid protozoan Leishmania spp. cause leishmaniasis, which clinically exhibit mainly as a cutaneous, mucocutanous or visceral form depending upon the parasite species in humans. The disease is widespread geographically, leading to 20 000 annual deaths. Here, leishmaniases in both humans and animals, reservoirs and sand fly vectors on the Caribbean islands are reviewed. Autochthonous human infections by Leishmania spp. were found in the Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Martinique as well as Trinidad and Tobago; canine infections were found in St. Kitts and Grenada; and equine infections were found in Puerto Rico. Imported human cases have been reported in Cuba. The parasites included Leishmania amazonensis, Le. martiniquensis and Le. waltoni. Possible sand fly vectors included Lutzomyia christophei, Lu. atroclavatus, Lu. cayennensis and Lu. flaviscutellata as well as Phlebotomus guadeloupensis. Reservoirs included rats, rice rats and mouse opossum. An updated study is warranted for the control and elimination of leishmaniasis in the region because some of the data are four decades old.

How landscape and climate affect the spatial variability of the Italian rainfall extremes? Some initial clues based on I2-RED

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Mazzoglio ◽  
Ilaria Butera ◽  
Pierluigi Claps
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Alpine Region ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Rainfall Extremes ◽  
Geomorphological Parameters ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Italian Territory

&lt;p&gt;The intensity and the spatial distribution of precipitation depths are known to be highly dependent on relief and geomorphological parameters. Complex environments like mountainous regions are prone to intense and frequent precipitation events, especially if located near the coastline. Although the link between the mean annual rainfall and geomorphological parameters has received substantial attention, few literature studies investigate the relationship between the sub-daily maximum annual rainfall depth and geographical or morphological landscape features.&lt;br&gt;In this study, the mean of the rainfall extremes in Italy, recently revised in the so-called I&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt;-RED dataset, are investigated in their spatial variability in comparison with some landscape and also some broad climatic characteristics. The database includes all sub-daily rainfall extremes recorded in Italy from 1916 until 2019 and this analysis considers their mean values (from 1 to 24 hours) in stations with at least 10 years of records, involving more than 3700 stations.&lt;br&gt;The geo-morpho-climatic factors considered range from latitude, longitude and minimum distance from the coastline on the geographic side, to elevation, slope, openness and obstruction morphological indices, and also include an often-neglected robust climatological information, as the local mean annual rainfall.&lt;br&gt;Obtained results highlight that the relationship between the annual maximum rainfall depths and the hydro-geomorphological parameters is not univocal over the entire Italian territory and over different time intervals. Considering the whole of Italy, the highest correlation is reached between the mean values of the 24-hours records and the mean annual precipitation (correlation coefficient greater than 0.75). This predominance remains also in sub-areas of the Italian territory (i.e., the Alpine region, the Apennines or the coastal areas) but correlation decreases as the time interval decreases, except for the Alpine region (0.73 for the 1-hour maximum). The other geomorphological parameters seem to act in conjunction, making it difficult to evaluate, with a simple linear regression analysis, their impact. As an example, the absolute value of the correlation coefficient between the elevation and the 1-hour extremes is greater than 0.35 for the Italian and the Alpine regions, while for the 24-hours interval it is greater than 0.35 over the coastal areas.&lt;br&gt;To further investigate the spatial variability of the relationship between rainfall and elevation, a spatial linear regression analysis has been undertaken. Local linear relationships have been fitted in circles centered on any of the 0.5-km size pixels in Italy, with 1 to 30 km radius and at least 5 stations included. Results indicate the need of more comprehensive terrain analysis to better understand the causes of local increasing or decreasing relations, poorly described in the available literature.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals pH Variability and its Relationship with Sarcomere Length and Free Calcium in Beef from Commercial Cattle in Puerto Rico

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. I. Torres-Burgos ◽  
H. Sánchez-Rodríguez ◽  
M. Pagán-Morales ◽  
A. Casas-Guernica ◽  
C. Calkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Calcium Concentration ◽  
Sarcomere Length ◽  
Free Calcium ◽  
Ph Values ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

ObjectivesResearch conducted at the University of Puerto Rico noted that beef with elevated pH values (> 5.86) resulted in more tender meat (P ≤ 0.05). It has been established that proteolytic degradation mechanisms can be influenced by pH and calcium concentration in muscle. Beef with pH values ≥ 5.86 is classified as Dark Firm and Dry (DFD) but there are negative implications associated with greater pH values. However, observations indicating increased tenderness with increased pH raise the question: can variations in pH be associated with differences in sarcomere length (SL) and free calcium concentration (FCC)? Therefore, the objectives of this project were to: (1) document pH distribution; (2) determine the incidence of DFD; and (3) evaluate the relationship between pH, SL, and FCC in commercial cattle harvested in Puerto Rico.Materials and MethodsLongissimus lumborum samples (n = 51) were obtained and background information was noted including number of permanent incisors (PI), type (Dairy or Beef), and gender. The pH values were used to categorize beef into the following groups: Low (≤ 5.40), Normal (5.41 to 5.59), High (5.60 to 5.85) and DFD (≥ 5.86). Meat was flash frozen, powdered, and placed on a microscope slide and a Helium-Neon laser was used to determine SL. A subset of samples was sent off and prepared at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for FCC quantification (Ward Laboratories; Kearney, NE) with an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer (iCAP 6500 Radial; Thermo Electron, Cambridge, UK). All statistical analyses were conducted in SAS (9.4). The Proc FREQ was used to determine pH category distributions and incidence of DFD. The Proc GLIMMIX and Tukey adjustment (α = 0.05) were used to determine the effects of number of PI, type, and gender on pH category, SL and FCC. The Proc CORR was used to evaluate the relationship between pH category, SL and FCC.ResultsThe pH category distribution for the current samples was as follows: 3.92% Low, 41.18% Normal, 35.29% High and 19.61% DFD. The SL ranged from 1.69 to 1.46 mm with an average of 1.53 mm. The FCC ranged from 132.19 to 31.39 mM with an average of 64.23 mM. Longer sarcomeres were detected in cattle with eight and zero PI (1.57 and 1.56 mm, respectively); cattle with two and four PI had intermediate SL (1.53 and 1.52 mm, respectively), and cattle with six PI had the shortest sarcomeres (1.51 mm; P = 0.03). Dairy cattle had longer sarcomeres relative to beef cattle (1.56 vs. 1.52 mm; P = 0.02). Dairy cattle tended to have increased FCC relative to beef cattle (70.72 vs. 58.38 mM; P = 0.08). Also, FCC tended to be greater within the Normal and Low pH categories relative to the High and DFD categories (72.36 vs. 57.31 mM; P = 0.06). The SL and FCC had no relationship (P > 0.05) within the Low, Normal and High pH categories. However, DFD beef had longer SL (0.78; P = 0.01), while having decreased FCC (–0.66; P = 0.04).ConclusionOver half (54.90%) of the beef samples analyzed fell into the High and DFD pH categories, with nearly 20% being classified as DFD. Although, a clear relationship was not established between SL and FCC within the Low, Normal or High pH categories, the results indicate that the increased pH in samples surpassing the DFD threshold correspond to longer sarcomeres and decreased free calcium.

scholarly journals RELATIONSHIP OF SKIN MEASUREMENTS AND MILK PRODUCTION LEVELS IN CATTLE BREEDS MAINTAINED IN THE TROPICS

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 92-95
Author(s):  
S. F. Amakiri
Keyword(s):  
Hair Follicle ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Skin Thickness ◽  
Production Potential ◽  
Cattle Breeds ◽  
Positive Linear Correlation ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Selection Of

The relationship between mean skin thickness or hair follicle depth of the skin from the midside (12th rib) area and milk production levels of pure Friesian (Holstein)cattle breeds, their ¾ and 7/8 crosses with White Fulani zebu, and pure White Fulanis, maintained in South-Western Nigeria were studied. A strongly positive linear correlation (r = 0.9), significant at 1% level was found between skin thickness and hair follicle depth, and milk production levels in these breeds. The results indicate that for cows maintained in a hot humid tropical environment, comparative midside skin thickness and hair follicle depth could be used as indices of the milk production potential of cows. It could be a useful field tool for selection of cows for milk production when considered along with other characteristics

scholarly journals Crop Response to Soil Acidity Factors in Ultisols and Oxisols in Puerto Rico X1. Cassava.

1969 ◽  
Vol 69 ◽  
pp. 145-151
Author(s):  
Edmundo Rivera ◽  
Fernando Abruña ◽  
José Rodríguez
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Manihot Esculenta ◽  
Cation Exchange Capacity ◽  
Soil Acidity ◽  
Exchange Capacity ◽  
Manihot Esculenta Crantz ◽  
Cassava Leaves ◽  
Exchangeable Al ◽  
Decreasing Ph ◽  
The Tropics

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), one of the major sources of carbohydrates throughout the tropics, was found to be very tolerant to high soil acidity in two Ultisols and one Oxisol. About 85% of maximum yields were obtained when Al saturation of the effective cation exchange capacity of the soil was around 60%, but highest yields were attained at about pH 5.3 with no exchangeable Al. Soil acidity factors did not affect the chemical composition of the cassava leaves, except for Mn, which increased with decreasing pH of the Oxisol. Tolerance of cassava to soil acidity was also confirmed by the fact that yields of 12 commercial varieties were not affected by Al saturation levels varying from 0 to 60% in an Ultisol.

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