Spatial pattern of lake evaporation increases under global warming linked to regional hydroclimate change

Lakes are critical natural resources that are vulnerable to climate change. In a warmer climate, lake evaporation is projected to increase globally, but with substantial variation between regions. Here, based on ensemble projections of climate and lake models and an attribution method, we show that future lake evaporation increase is strongly modulated by regional hydroclimate change. Specifically, a drying hydroclimate will amplify evaporation increase by enlarging surface vapor pressure deficit and reducing cloud shortwave reflection. Future lake evaporation increase is amplified in tropical America, the Mediterranean and Southeast China with drier future hydroclimates, and dampened in high latitudes and the Tibetan Plateau with wetter future hydroclimates. Such spatially coupled changes in lake evaporation and hydroclimate have important implications on regional lake water balance and volume change, which can aggravate water scarcity and flood risks.

Mini review: Intensification of mulching to improve soil moisture in vanilla plantation

Continuous water uptake from soil via the root system and it transport into the leaves system is a basic mechanism in plants to maintain growth and reproduction. Consequently, sustaining soil moisture to keep water supply into the plants should continuously occurred to maintain growth. Under condition of global warming scenario and robust agricultural practices, soil organic carbon which plays as a key for soil moisture and fertility are continuously diminished. This condition could subsequently endanger the growth of shallow rooted plants, such as vanilla. To mitigate the impact of global warming and robust agricultural practices, enhancing carbon sequestration to inhibit water loss is regarded crucial. However, although mulch materials are locally available in most land crop plantations, those materials are rarely viewed as functional for maintaining soil moisture. Both water stress and mulching might have not been seriously anticipated in conventional agricultural practices. For example, continuous decreased in yield of vanilla plants are usually handled by applying pesticide or fertilizer, without addition of mulch. The objective of this review was to gain a better understanding of soil moisture to increase vanilla growth and reproduction. This review found that mulching could reduce evaporation, increase soil organic carbon and soil fertility. It is concluded that intensification of mulching could enhance sustainability of vanilla plantations.

Effect of Thermal Process and Filtration on the Antioxidant Activity and Physicochemical Parameters of Agave atrovirens Extracts

<p>Recently agave plants are being used in the production of syrups that are consumed by diabetic people in order to control their blood glucose levels; unfortunately a deep characterization of this kind of products has not been made. In this study the juice obtained from <em>Agave atrovirens</em> leaves (CE) was filtered and cooked (FE) and evaporated until it has a solid content of 20 ºBx (TE), and the effect of the process in some parameters like pH, acidity, solid content, 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and compounds with biological properties like saponins and phenolic compounds as well as antioxidant activity were evaluated. Once FE was concentrated, a dark brown liquid with a pH of 5.32 was obtained; the content of phenolics and saponins undergoes slightly modifications trough the complete process. 5-HMF was only detected in CE but not in FE and TE. Filtering decrease acidity, total phenolics, saponins, 5-HMF and the antiradical activity (ARA); and evaporation increase the content of reducing sugars and tends to increase the ARA value. For this study, we can conclude that the negative impact associated to a thermal process on bioactive compounds like phenols and antioxidant activity is negligible hence <em>Agave atrovirens</em> leaves could be a source of a product with phytochemicals.</p>