Pond apple (Annona glabra L.) - Investigating novel mechanical control options

Pond apple usually occurs in swampy areas, but mechanical control may be a viable option in some locations during drier periods. Two machines, the Positrack™ and the Tracksaw™, have been trialled for initial kill rate, amount of follow-up control required, safety to field operators, cost-efficiency and selectivity (effect on native vegetation), compared to other control options. The Positrack™ is a tracked bobcat with a slasher-type attachment that cuts individual trees off near ground level and mulches them. It has no on-board herbicide application capability and requires an additional on-ground operator to apply herbicide by hand. The Tracksaw™ is a tracked mini-excavator with a chainsaw bar and spray applicator on the boom that cuts individual trees off near ground level and applies chemical immediately to the cut stump, requiring only a single operator. Initial trials were done in infestations of similar sizes and densities at the Daintree (Positrack™) and in Innisfail (Tracksaw™) in late 2009. Kill rates to date are 83% for Positrack™ mechanical, 95% for Positrack™ mechanical plus herbicide, and 78% for the Tracksaw™ combined treatment. If ongoing comparison proves either of these machines to be more cost effective, selective, and safer than traditional control methods, mechanical control methods may become more widely used.

Spring Warming of the Eastern Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal from Buoy Data

Observations from moored buoys during spring of 1998-2000 suggest that the warming of the mixed layer (similar to20 m deep) of the north Indian Ocean warm pool is a response to net surface heat flux Q(net) (similar to100 W m(-2)) minus penetrative solar radiation Q(pen) (similar to45 W m(-2)). A residual cooling due to vertical mixing and advection is indirectly estimated to be about 25 W m(-2). The rate of warming due to typical values of Q(net) minus Q(pen) is not very sensitive to the depth of the mixed layer if it lies between 10 m and 30 m.

Albedo enhancement of marine clouds to counteract global warming: impacts on the hydrological cycle

Recent studies have shown that changes in solar radiation affect the hydrological cycle more strongly than equivalent CO(2) changes for the same change in global mean surface temperature. Thus, solar radiation management ``geoengineering'' proposals to completely offset global mean temperature increases by reducing the amount of absorbed sunlight might be expected to slow the global water cycle and reduce runoff over land. However, proposed countering of global warming by increasing the albedo of marine clouds would reduce surface solar radiation only over the oceans. Here, for an idealized scenario, we analyze the response of temperature and the hydrological cycle to increased reflection by clouds over the ocean using an atmospheric general circulation model coupled to a mixed layer ocean model. When cloud droplets are reduced in size over all oceans uniformly to offset the temperature increase from a doubling of atmospheric CO(2), the global-mean precipitation and evaporation decreases by about 1.3% but runoff over land increases by 7.5% primarily due to increases over tropical land. In the model, more reflective marine clouds cool the atmospheric column over ocean. The result is a sinking motion over oceans and upward motion over land. We attribute the increased runoff over land to this increased upward motion over land when marine clouds are made more reflective. Our results suggest that, in contrast to other proposals to increase planetary albedo, offsetting mean global warming by reducing marine cloud droplet size does not necessarily lead to a drying, on average, of the continents. However, we note that the changes in precipitation, evaporation and P-E are dominated by small but significant areas, and given the highly idealized nature of this study, a more thorough and broader assessment would be required for proposals of altering marine cloud properties on a large scale.

Albedo enhancement over land to counteract global warming: impacts on hydrological cycle

A recent modelling study has shown that precipitation and runoff over land would increase when the reflectivity of marine clouds is increased to counter global warming. This implies that large scale albedo enhancement over land could lead to a decrease in runoff over land. In this study, we perform simulations using NCAR CAM3.1 that have implications for Solar Radiation Management geoengineering schemes that increase the albedo over land. We find that an increase in reflectivity over land that mitigates the global mean warming from a doubling of CO2 leads to a large residual warming in the southern hemisphere and cooling in the northern hemisphere since most of the land is located in northern hemisphere. Precipitation and runoff over land decrease by 13.4 and 22.3%, respectively, because of a large residual sinking motion over land triggered by albedo enhancement over land. Soil water content also declines when albedo over land is enhanced. The simulated magnitude of hydrological changes over land are much larger when compared to changes over oceans in the recent marine cloud albedo enhancement study since the radiative forcing over land needed (-8.2 W m(-2)) to counter global mean radiative forcing from a doubling of CO2 (3.3 W m(-2)) is approximately twice the forcing needed over the oceans (-4.2 W m(-2)). Our results imply that albedo enhancement over oceans produce climates closer to the unperturbed climate state than do albedo changes on land when the consequences on land hydrology are considered. Our study also has important implications for any intentional or unintentional large scale changes in land surface albedo such as deforestation/afforestation/reforestation, air pollution, and desert and urban albedo modification.

Caracterización y evaluación preliminar in situ de sesenta y nueve accesiones de guanábana (Annona muricata L.) en la región del Pacífico y norte de Nicaragua

El presente estudio se desarrolló durante el período de mayo-2001 a septiembre-2002 con el objetivo de establecer la relación del germoplasma de guanábana (Annona muricata L) en los departamentos de Chinandega, León, Managua, Masaya, Granada, Rivas, Matagalpa y Jinotega, mediante taxonomía numérica. La matriz estuvo conformada por 69 accesiones y 20 variables cuantitativas y cualitativas. Esta especie florece todo el año, la mayor producción se obtiene entre agosto y septiembre en la región norte, y entre mayo y en la región del Pacifico. La fruta se consume fresca, las hojas tienen uso medicinal, y las semillas poseen propiedades insecticidas. El comercio es más frecuente en Masaya, Granada y Managua, siendo estos frutos de buena calidad (dulces, aromáticos y jugosos). La erosión genética está condicionada principalmente por la competencia con otros frutales, avance de la frontera agrícola, industrialización incipiente, entre otras. El análisis de componentes principales determinó que el 50.5% de la variación total la aportan los 3 primeros componentes (28.6 %, 12.9% y 9.0 %, respectivamente), éstos conformados por caracteres de frutos y semilla. Asimismo, a través del análisis de agrupamiento según el método Ward y el coeficiente de correlación Pearson como distancia resultó un fenograma de 2 grandes grupos, los cuales a una distancia de 16.5 formaron 4 clusteres que presentan características comunes y varianzas mínimas; de éstos se logró agrupar los materiales de los departamentos de Chinandega y León, Matagalpa y Jinotega, Masaya, Granada y Managua, y un cuarto grupo por accesiones que presentan los mayores promedios en los caracteres de frutos.

Caracterización numérica de germoplasma de Guanabana (Annona muricata L.) Muestreado in situ en el pacífico y norte de Nicaragua

El estudio se realizó para determinar variación in situ en chayote o pataste [ Sechium edule (Jacq.) Swartz] en la comunidad El Castillito, Las Sabanas, Madriz. Se muestrearon 35 accesiones de chayote, y se midieron 34 variables cuantitativas y cualitativas como tamaño de fruto y semilla, forma y color del fruto, presencia de espinas y cantidad de fibra, entre otras. Análisis descriptivo, componentes principales y conglomerados se aplicaron a dicha variables. Los frutos fueron de coloración crema hasta verde oscuro; redondos, ovoides y alargados; y con presencia de espinas. Los tres primeros componentes principales aislaron el 60 % de la variación total. El análisis de conglomerado (método Ward y Gower) agrupó a las accesiones en 6 grupos. Los materiales muestreados presentaron variación considerable en muchas características.

Reclutamiento y annona militares en el período de Juliano (355 a 363 D.C.)

Abstract: In this article I want to show the negotiations of the Emperor Julian about recruitment and Anonna Militaris. I'm trying to develop some ideas on Julian's Military History during his time as a Cesar of Constantius II and as an Emperor. We are joying some arguments to understand his preparation for the military life