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Desde los estudios sobre la producción y difusión del conocimiento, este texto explora el encuentro e intercambio entre prácticas y saberes locales y globales dentro de la plantación azucarera entre los siglos XIX y XX, un proceso definido como “saberes híbridos”. Este artículo también se hace eco de los estudios que ven en la región como modelo de referencia interterritorial. En el texto se destacan algunos elementos del occidente azucarero cubano transferidos a las nuevas plantaciones del este a través de la negociación entre el conocimiento local y las prácticas y saberes estadounidenses, no exenta de tensiones personales, imperiales, científicas o empresariales. Este trabajo forma parte del proyecto de investigación HAR2012-37455-C03-01 (MINECO) y el proyecto RYC2009-04030 Peer reviewed

Europe is the largest producer of wheat, the second most widely grown cereal crop after rice. The increased occurrence and magnitude of adverse and extreme agroclimatic events are considered a major threat for wheat production. We present an analysis that accounts for a range of adverse weather events that might significantly affect wheat yield in Europe. For this purpose we analysed changes in the frequency of the occurrence of 11 adverse weather events. Using climate scenarios based on the most recent ensemble of climate models and greenhouse gases emission estimates, we assessed the probability of single and multiple adverse events occurring within one season. We showed that the occurrence of adverse conditions for 14 sites representing the main European wheat-growing areas might substantially increase by 2060 compared to the present (1981–2010). This is likely to result in more frequent crop failure across Europe. This study provides essential information for developing adaptation strategies. Studies into the effects of climate change on crop yields have tended to focus on the average state of the climate. Now, research into the effects of adverse weather events on wheat yields in Europe suggests that the probability of single and multiple adverse events occurring within a season is expected to increase substantially by the year 2060.

The long-run relationship between carbon dioxide emissions from energy use and economic activity level is estimated for Uruguay between 1882 and 2010. We apply cointegration techniques and estimate a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) for testing whether these variables are endogenous over the long-rung while also considering the short-run dynamics. The economic productive structure, the degree of openness, and the share of clean sources on total energy supply are also considered as explanatory variables. The results show that there exists a linear relationship between carbon dioxide emissions and per capita economic activity level. Moreover, emissions increase jointly with the industrial sector participation in total output, as a consequence of the intensity of this activity in the consumption of energy from fossil fuels sources. The degree of openness is inversely related with carbon dioxide emissions. This is so because the periods of major opening were based on primary inputs exports, lower in energy intensity than industrial products. The changes in carbon dioxide emission are inversely related to the variation in the share of clean sources on total energy supply. Finally, all the variables included in the cointegration vector are endogenous, adjusting together to the deviations from the long-run relationship. As a consequence of the above, economic growth appears to be not enough for diminishing Uruguayan emissions in the long-run. Changes in the energy matrix should be encouraged, and emissions reduction should come not by energy constraints but by the development of clean sources or energy use efficiency improvements, given the impact of energy on economic activity level

Special issue on High environmental variability and steep biological gradients in the waters off the northern Antarctic Peninsula.-- 15 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, supplementary material https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00300-016-1911-4 Benthic ecological surveys using standardized methods are crucial for assessing changes associated with several threats in the Southern Ocean. The acquisition of data on assemblage structure over a variety of spatial scales is important to understand the variation of biodiversity patterns. During the ANT XXIX/3 (PS81) expedition of RV Polarstern, three different regions at the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula were sampled: the northwestern Weddell Sea, the Bransfield Strait, and the northern boundary of the South Shetland Archipelago in the Drake Passage. The aim of this study was to characterize the distribution and biodiversity patterns of ophiuroid assemblages in these regions and depths. We quantified different community parameters in terms of the number of species, abundance, and biomass. Additionally, we calculated various components of species diversity (alpha, beta, and gamma diversity) over the three regions. Based on the benthic surveys, we collected 3331 individuals that were identified to species level (17 species). Overall, species diversity, as measured based on rarefaction, species richness and evenness estimators, was higher in the Bransfield Strait compared to the Weddell Sea and Drake Passage. Two deep stations in the Weddell Sea showed high dominance only of Ophionotus victoriae. Significant differences in the patterns of alpha diversity were found among the regions but not between depth zones, whereas beta diversity showed no differences. Regarding the resemblance among the ophiuroid assemblages of each region, there was a significant gradient from east to west with a maximum distance between the stations in the Drake Passage and the Weddell Sea. This study provides a baseline for detecting potential effects related to climate change, and it furnishes a basis for the implementation of monitoring schemes of Antarctic assemblage Cruise participation of PLG and NT was supported by the Spanish National Project ECOWED (CTM2012-39350-C02-01) Peer Reviewed

Fenton’s reaction is often used to decompose stable substances in wastewater. In this study, experiments based on the effect of porous phosphate heterostructures as catalyst sorbent of Fe2+synthesised by different procedures were planned. The examined PPH-Fe/H2O2as oxidant in a heterogeneous process under mild conditions at pH 5 was found to be very efficient for discoloration of a simulated wastewater containing 50 mg L−1of a commercial azo dye (Reactive Black 5) reaching 95% of decolourization. Under the described conditions total visual decolourization was achieved after 360 min. This study can provide a simple, effective, and economic system ideal for the treatment of toxic and nonbiodegradable azo dyes.

Serotiny is an important adaptation for plants in fire-prone environments. However, different mechanisms also induce the opening of serotinous cones in the absence of fire in variably serotinous species. Xeriscence -cone opening driven by dry and hot conditions- is considered to be mediated only by the external environment, but endogenous factors could also play a significant role. Using the variably serotinous Pinus halepensis as our model species, we determined the effects of cone age and scales density in cone opening, and using in-situ and ex-situ manipulative experiments we investigated the role of water availability in the opening of serotinous cones. We hypothesized that loss of connection between the cones and the branch through the peduncles or the absence of water supply could induce a faster cone opening. Results showed that older cones lost more water and opened at lower temperatures, with no influence of scales density. Both field and chamber manipulative experiments (using paired cones of the same whorl) confirmed that water intake through the peduncles affected significantly the pace of cone opening, such that lack of water supply speeded up cone dehiscence. However, this was true for weakly serotinous provenances-more common in this species-, while highly serotinous provenances were indifferent to this effect in the field test. All our results support that cone serotiny in P. halepensis involves the allocation of water to the cones, which is highly consistent with the previously observed environmental effects. Importantly, the existence of maintenance costs of serotinous cones has strong implications on the effects of climate change in the resilience of natural populations, via modifications of the canopy seed banks and recruitment after stand-replacing fires. Moreover, evolutionary models for serotiny in P. halepensis must take into account the significant contribution of maintenance costs to the complex interaction between genotype and the environment.

This paper analyses the international inequalities in CO2 emissions intensity for the period 1971- 2009 and assesses explanatory factors. Multiplicative, group and additive methodologies of inequality decomposition are employed. The first allows us to clarify the separated role of the carbonisation index and the energy intensity in the pattern observed for inequalities in CO2 intensities; the second allows us to understand the role of regional groups; and the third allows us to investigate the role of different fossil energy sources (coal, oil and gas). The results show that, first, the reduction in global emissions intensity has coincided with a significant reduction in international inequality. Second, the bulk of this inequality and its reduction are attributed to differences between the groups of countries considered. Third, coal is the main energy source explaining these inequalities, although the growth in the relative contribution of gas is also remarkable. Fourth, the bulk of inequalities between countries and its decline are explained by differences in energy intensities, although there are significant differences in the patterns demonstrated by different groups of countries.