Search Results (359)

The expansion of floriculture into climatic transition regions requires precise tools to mitigate thermo-hydric risks. Gladiolus (Gladiolus × grandiflorus Hort.) is sensitive to temperature extremes, requiring strategic planning of planting schedules and heat stress mitigation. The objective in this study was to evaluate the PhenoGlad model for its ability to simulate developmental stages and heat stress damage in eight gladiolus cultivars across multiple environments and planting dates in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Midwest Brazil. Field experiments were conducted in five municipalities during the autumn, winter, and spring growing seasons. Model performance was evaluated by starting the simulation at planting or at emergence, using the statistics root mean square error (RMSE), bias index (BIAS), Willmott’s index of agreement (d), and the correlation coefficient (r). Simulations starting at emergence reduced the error in predicting the timing of developmental stages (from 5.34 to 3.16 days). For leaf development, the model was highly accurate, with an RMSE lower than one leaf for different planting dates, sites, and cultivars. Furthermore, the model accurately predicted extreme heat stress events (daily maximum temperatures > 34 °C associated with low relative humidity), which resulted in severe damage and inhibition of reproductive development in the field. In conclusion, the PhenoGlad model is a robust decision-support system and agricultural engineering tool for production scheduling and climate loss mitigation in tropical floriculture. Full article

Environmental changes driven by land use and climate variability profoundly affect basin water balance, yet their separate and combined effects remain poorly understood in data-scarce regions. This study investigates the individual and combined impacts of land use/land cover (LULC) and climate change on seasonal runoff in the Rokel-Seli River Basin (RSRB), Sierra Leone, over two periods (1965–1990 and 1991–2016). Using LULC maps derived from 1988 and 2013 Landsat imagery and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), we simulated hydrological responses under four scenario frameworks. The results reveal a marked expansion of urban, bare, and agricultural land at the expense of forest cover. The SWAT model satisfactorily captured streamflow dynamics during calibration and validation. Land use change alone increased wet-season runoff by 6.55% and decreased dry-season runoff by −13.15%, whereas climate change contributed changes of +24.87% and −31.43%, respectively. A double mass curve analysis and Budyko framework further revealed a regime shift toward higher runoff efficiency (runoff coefficient increased from 0.67 to 0.69), indicating a loss of basin retention capacity. Notably, land use change partially masked the full hydrological deficit induced by climate change, acting as a counter-buffering mechanism. This study provides critical evidence for water resource authorities and local stakeholders to develop adaptive land use and water conservation strategies in data-scarce tropical basins, emphasizing the need to consider both climatic and anthropogenic drivers in seasonal water availability assessments. Full article

Tropical pastures form the basis of livestock production in Brazil; however, their productive potential is limited by soil acidity and low nutrient availability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the interactions between biomass ash and nitrogen application rates on the soil pH, SPAD index, leaf area, shoot dry mass, and root dry mass of Marandu grass (Urochloa brizantha cv. Marandu) grown in an Oxisol. A randomized block design was used in a 5 × 5 factorial scheme, consisting of five ash rates (0, 10, 20, 30, and 40 g dm⁻³) using Eucalyptus-derived plant biomass ash and five nitrogen rates (0, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg dm⁻³), with four replications. The treatments with ash significantly increased the soil pH, whereas the nitrogen treatments promoted leaf expansion and increased the SPAD index. Significant interactions were observed for the SPAD index, leaf area, and shoot biomass. The results indicated that plant biomass ash acted effectively as a soil acidity corrector, increasing the soil pH from 4.3 to a maximum of 6.8. The root dry mass increased independently with ash application up to 28 g dm⁻³ and with the nitrogen supply up to the estimated dose of 222 mg dm⁻³. The data were subjected to statistical analysis using R software version 4.1.2. Plant biomass ash corrects soil acidity and positively affects nitrogen fertilization to enhance the morphophysiological development and root growth of grass, indicating that it is a sustainable fertilizer for pasture management. Full article

Schistosomiasis, a neglected tropical disease (NTD), affects humans and leads to considerable clinical morbidity and severe long-term sequelae. Laboratory diagnostics for Schistosoma mansoni are mainly based on microscopic identification of eggs in stool, but sensitivity varies with infection intensity. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) is the gold standard for bacterial identification in high-income countries. Here, we first evaluate the capacity of MALDI-TOF MS and our existing ‘in-house helminths’ database for the identification of S. mansoni worms and eggs. A subset of adult worms and egg samples was used to generate MALDI reference spectra, which were added to the database and evaluated by blind-test identification. Subsequently, egg-free human stool was spiked with purified S. mansoni eggs and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. Log score values (LSVs) were employed to assess the reliability of identification. A total of 62/90 (68.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 58.3–78.2%) adult samples were correctly identified. After database expansion, 90/90 (100%, 95% CI: 96.0–100%) and 59/60 (98.3%, 95% CI: 91.1–100%) were correctly identified for adult worms and purified eggs, respectively. In contrast, the analysis of 35 human stool samples spiked with S. mansoni as eggs did not yield identifiable spectra. MALDI-TOF MS can be applied for the identification of isolated adult S. mansoni worms and eggs. Further investigations and optimization are necessary before potential application to clinical samples (e.g., for egg detection in stool). Full article

The rapid expansion of sustainable construction practices has significantly increased research on recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) over the past four decades. However, despite the growing volume of studies, a comprehensive longitudinal assessment of the thematic and structural evolution of RAC research remains limited. This study presents a bibliometric and thematic evolution analysis of global research on recycled aggregate concrete from 1983 to 2025, based on 1624 documents indexed in Scopus and analyzed using PRISMA guidelines and VOSviewer mapping techniques. Results reveal four indicative stages of development: (i) an exploratory feasibility phase focused on compressive strength and replacement ratios (1983–2000); (ii) a mechanical validation phase emphasizing durability and interfacial transition zone performance (2000–2010); (iii) a performance enhancement phase integrating supplementary cementitious materials and service-life assessment (2010–2018); and (iv) a recent sustainability-driven phase characterized by life-cycle assessment, circular economy frameworks, and emerging AI-assisted optimization approaches (post-2018). China, India, and the United States dominate scientific production, while co-citation networks highlight the consolidation of specialized yet interconnected research communities. Keyword evolution analysis indicates a progressive shift from mechanical feasibility toward environmental impact mitigation and predictive modeling. Despite substantial advances, research gaps persist in tropical climate performance assessment, full-scale structural applications, and standardized mix-design methodologies for high-replacement RAC. The findings provide a structured understanding of the intellectual structure and evolution of the field, offering guidance for future research directions and performance-based sustainable concrete design strategies. Full article

Rapid urbanization in tropical Southeast Asia is transforming pervious land into impervious surfaces, intensifying the surface urban heat island (SUHI) effect and increasing the need for consistent urban thermal monitoring. This study assesses how impervious surface area (ISA) expansion relates to the urban thermal environment across five tropical megacities (Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, and Ho Chi Minh City). AlphaEarth geospatial foundation model embeddings were used to reduce observation gaps caused by persistent cloud-cover, while MODIS land surface temperature (LST) was used to quantify the thermal response. We compared AlphaEarth classification against conventional Sentinel-2/NDVI approaches and an additional fairer annual Sentinel-2 full-band-plus-index Random Forest baseline, quantified ISA expansion for 2017–2024, and related ISA fraction to dry-season LST at 1 km resolution. Repeated random-holdout tests based on Google Earth Engine samples showed AlphaEarth mean IoU = 0.866 (95% CI: 0.857–0.875), compared with 0.758 (0.749–0.767) for the annual Sentinel-2 full-band-plus-index baseline and 0.686 (0.674–0.698) for the best single-date 5-index baseline. Spatial-block holdout tests gave similar but slightly lower values (AlphaEarth IoU = 0.859; annual Sentinel-2 baseline = 0.747; best single-date baseline = 0.673). Ho Chi Minh City experienced the fastest ISA expansion (+11.0 percentage points; slope = 1.48 pp yr⁻¹, 95% CI: 1.06–1.91), whereas Bangkok reached the highest ISA fraction (65.1%). ISA fraction and LST were consistently and positively associated across cities and years (Pearson r = 0.748–0.900), and mean SUHI intensity during 2017–2024 ranged from 4.01 °C in Bangkok to 8.51 °C in Manila. These results indicate that foundation model embeddings can support cloud-resilient mapping of impervious surface change and thereby improve assessment of tropical urban thermal environments, while also highlighting the need for independent ground-truth validation. Full article

Plant-parasitic reniform nematodes of the genus Rotylenchulus are semi-endoparasites of herbaceous and woody plants occurring in regions with Mediterranean, tropical, and subtropical climates. In the present study, the occurrence of reniform nematodes in the rhizosphere of three olive orchards in Central Italy and six in Sicily (Italy) was investigated. Two Rotylenchulus species were recovered in olive groves in Central Italy, and no Rotylenchulus species were found in Sicily. Using the integrative taxonomy approach, combining morphological, molecular and multivariate morphological analyses, the two species were identified as R. borealis and R. macrodoratus. The D2-D3 sequencing of four individual specimens of Italian R. macrodoratus revealed the occurrence of unique haplotypes differing in nucleotide composition each other. Interestingly, the sequencing of different ITS clones from an individual specimen of the Italian R. borealis showed two ITS paralogs differing in length and nucleotide sequence compared with those of other specimens from the same population and showing higher similarity with those from other populations. Phylogenetic analyses, based on D2-D3 expansion domains of the 28S rRNA gene, ITS, and mitochondrial COI, confirmed the high level of ribosomal variability in both species and the occurrence of new mitochondrial haplotypes for the COI. The present study confirms the occurrence of high variability in Rotylenchulus genus and the existence of variant gene copies in the same specimen that could contribute to the survival of these species in different environments. Full article

Durian (Durio zibethinus Murr.), a renowned tropical fruit crop, is increasingly cultivated in the Hainan Province of China. In June 2025, symptoms of postharvest fruit rot were observed on durian fruits from a commercial orchard in Sanya City, Hainan Province, with a disease incidence of approximately 5.2%. Three fungal isolates were obtained and identified as Lasiodiplodia pseudotheobromae and L. lignicola based on morphological characterization and multi-locus phylogenetic analysis (combining ITS, TUB2, and EF1-α gene sequences). Pathogenicity assays confirmed both species as causal agents of durian postharvest rot, with rapid lesion expansion and eight tropical fruit hosts, including banana and mango, posing a threat to postharvest storage. Fungicide sensitivity tests showed imazalil and imazalil sulfate with mean EC₅₀ values of 0.07 µg/mL and 0.08 µg/mL as most effective, followed by prochloraz, iprodione, and prochloraz-Mn. L. lignicola was more sensitive to most fungicides than L. pseudotheobromae. These findings underscore the need for species-specific fungicide strategies in disease management. This is the first report of L. pseudotheobromae and L. lignicola causing durian postharvest rot in this preliminary study from Hainan. With Hainan emerging as a key production region, further research is essential to develop effective control measures against this economically significant disease. Full article

Urbanization, together with shifts in rainfall patterns, has become an increasingly important driver of hydrological extremes in many rapidly developing tropical regions. In the Cimanceuri River Basin, Tangerang Regency, Indonesia, these processes have intensified over the last decade, raising concerns regarding flood risk. This study examines the combined influence of urban expansion and rainfall variability on flood dynamics over 2013–2025. Multi temporal land use classification based on Landsat imagery indicates a pronounced growth of impervious surfaces, primarily driven by rapid urban development and the conversion of agricultural land. To assess the hydrological consequences of these changes, rainfall–runoff processes and flood inundation were simulated using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS–CN) method within a coupled HEC-HMS and HEC-RAS 2D modelling framework. Simulations were performed for multiple temporal conditions and design rainfall scenarios. Model calibration relied on observed flood events recorded in March 2025 in the Mustika Residential Area, Tangerang. The results suggest that urbanization has contributed to measurable increases in both peak discharge and inundation extent. Between 2013 and 2025, impervious surface coverage expanded by approximately 67%, accompanied by a rise in the composite Curve Number from 85.86 to 86.63 and an estimated 5.2% increase in flood extent. Also, the design rainfall increased from 85.01 to 90.95 with an average increase of 7.34%. Comparison between simulated inundation patterns and aerial imagery shows satisfactory agreement, with an average deviation of less than 10%, indicating acceptable model performance. Hydrologic analyses generated two discharge scenarios, consisting of event-based flow from the 5 March 2025 rainfall data and return-period flows derived from design rainfall under different rainfall-shift periods. The rainfall-shift analysis quantified changes in design rainfall and corresponding discharge using progressively updated rainfall records. Together, the results emphasize the combined effects of urban expansion and shifting rainfall patterns on flood dynamics, underscoring the need for adaptive land-use planning and climate-responsive water management in rapidly urbanizing catchments. Full article

Rural settlements are significant carriers of rural production, living, and land use activities and are also significant subjects for researching regional socio-economic development and spatial structural changes. With regard to the unique topographical environment and transportation situation in the Qiongbei volcanic lava area, a settlement form with prominent topographical constraints and transportation orientation is created. This paper utilizes land use/land cover data from different periods, along with rural settlement expansion patch data, to quantitatively analyze the spatial patterns and expansion characteristics of rural settlements, as well as their influencing factors, from 1990 to 2025 using GIS spatial analysis, buffer gradient analysis (BGA), and multi-order adjacency index (MAI). The research results indicate the following: (1) The spatial pattern of rural settlement distribution in the study area is “peripheral agglomeration and core sparsity,” and the general expansion trend is “rapid in the early period and stable in the late period.” The settlement area expands from 37.21 km² in 1990 to 80.87 km² in 2025. (2) The evolutionary pattern of rural settlements in the study area changes from “core–peripheral extension” in the early period to a mixed “core stabilization and peripheral leapfrogging development” model in the later period. The new patches formed in the peripheral areas have obvious discrete features, such as varying land use patterns and differing population densities compared to the core areas. (3) The spatial correlation factors for rural settlement expansion in the study area exhibit stage differences and distinct spatial non-stationary characteristics. During the early period (1990–2008), with strict limitations imposed by the natural material environment, sunlight (interpretability of 0.367) and water systems (0.286) show significant spatial coherence, indicating the great adaptability of rural settlements to the material conditions of the landforms; during the later period (2008–2025), after the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, the population density (0.135) and transport-related factors become the main spatial correlation factors. The GWR model also shows the percentage of positive and negative influences by influencing factors at each stage and their significant differences in space, proving that human activities break through in the limitations of natural topology in a discontinuous way. According to this research, “inefficient land use” should be understood in a dialectical manner in volcanic geomorphological areas, and spatial optimization should be achieved on the premise of respecting the physicality of volcanic landscapes and rural identity. The research conclusions have important guiding significance for the spatial resilience planning in tropical volcanic areas and traditional settlement culture preservation. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable, decentralized energy solutions has heightened interest in biomass-based technologies for rural applications. In Mexico, the expansion of oil palm cultivation in humid tropical regions has generated large quantities of agro-industrial residues that remain largely underutilized. This review analyzes the potential of oil palm residues as feedstock for small-scale thermochemical conversion, with a particular focus on gasifier stove technologies. Key residues, including empty fruit bunches, mesocarp fiber, and palm kernel shells, exhibit favorable physicochemical properties, including adequate calorific values and high volatile matter content, which support their suitability for gasification processes. However, challenges related to moisture content, ash composition, and tar formation may affect system performance and require appropriate pre-treatment and operational control. Gasifier stoves, especially fixed-bed and top-lit updraft (TLUD) configurations, represent a viable solution for decentralized energy generation in rural settings, improving combustion efficiency and reducing emissions compared to traditional biomass use. Despite their potential, current bioenergy policies in Mexico remain primarily focused on large-scale biofuel production, limiting the deployment of small-scale technologies. Overall, oil palm residues constitute a promising feedstock for gasifier stove applications, although their successful implementation depends on feedstock optimization, appropriate stove design, and the development of policy frameworks that support decentralized bioenergy systems. Full article

Aquatic ecosystems worldwide are increasingly threatened by invasive species, with water hyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms] being among the most destructive aquatic weeds. Despite numerous regional studies, a global assessment integrating climatic and hydrological drivers remains lacking. Here, we assessed current and future invasion risks across 55,945 freshwater lakes using the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model. Climatic variables and key aquatic parameters, including biological oxygen demand (BOD), water depth, and discharge, were incorporated under two shared socioeconomic pathways (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5). Annual mean temperature, annual precipitation, and BOD were the strongest predictors of habitat suitability. Under current conditions, 5524 lakes, primarily in tropical and subtropical regions, were identified as being suitable habitats, with medium-sized lakes exhibiting the highest proportional suitability (16.54%). Although small lakes were most frequently classified as suitable due to their abundance, larger lakes showed higher suitability intensity. Future projections indicated marked habitat expansion, especially under SSP5-8.5, with suitable lake surface area increasing to 18.12% by 2061–2080. Moreover, 543 currently unsuitable lakes, including Lake Erie, Lake Huron, and Lake Ontario, were projected to face elevated invasion risk, particularly in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and North America. This global, lake-specific assessment supports early warning, targeted management, and climate-responsive policy planning. Full article

Climate extremes are major constraints on agricultural productivity, especially in tropical regions experiencing rapid expansion and intensification of soybean agriculture. This study analyzes spatiotemporal changes in soybean yields in response to droughts and heatwaves across highly productive municipalities in Brazil’s five macroregions from 1989 to 2020. By combining high-resolution meteorological data, satellite-based evapotranspiration estimates, and municipal-level crop yield data, we used standardized drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index [SPI], Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index [SPEI]) and a heat index (Warm Spell Duration Index [WSDI]) with spatiotemporal linear regression analyses to explore the links between climate variability and soybean yields across Brazil’s diverse agroclimatic zones. The results show a clear rise in the frequency and severity of compound drought–heat events, especially in the Northeast and South frontiers, where yield sensitivity to hydroclimatic stress is highest. Municipal-level linear regression analyses and spatial patterns indicate that short-term dry events, rather than long-term climate trends, are the main drivers of recent yield variability, with notable spatial spillover effects observed across municipalities. Cristalina and Bom Jesus, for example, exhibit significant negative trends (p < 0.05) in both SPEI-6 (−0.04 and −0.03) and SPI-6 (0.04 and −0.03), indicating a consistent drying tendency over time. Over the 30-year period, municipalities accumulated total soybean yield losses of 3292.3 thousand tonnes (kt), corresponding to an average reduction of 3.7% relative to 5-year detrended yield. These findings highlight the increasing vulnerability of rainfed agriculture in Brazil and emphasize the critical role of seasonal timing, crop phenology, and regional climate patterns for effective climate risk management. This study provides empirical evidence linking combined extremes to agricultural performance and presents a scalable framework for early warning systems and for climate-resilient policy development. Full article

Aeropalynology, the monitoring and interpretation of airborne pollen, has become increasingly relevant in Latin America as allergic rhinitis and asthma rise alongside rapid urbanization, land-use change, and climate variability. Yet the region’s capacity remains heterogeneous: long-standing traditions in the Southern Cone coexist with emerging programs in tropical and Andean settings, and many series are not translated into standardized products useful for clinical care or public health. We conducted a structured literature review guided by PRISMA 2020 to synthesize the historical evolution, current monitoring infrastructure, dominant pollen taxa, and translational outputs reported across Latin American countries. Evidence indicates that Mexico currently represents the most mature aeropalynological ecosystem in the region, supported by multi-site monitoring, open weekly reporting (REMA), multiple city-level pollen calendars, and emerging computational approaches for pollen identification. Across countries, recurrent high-impact taxa include Cupressaceae, Fraxinus, Platanus, Olea, Poaceae, Urticaceae, Amaranthaceae, Rumex, Ambrosia, and Parietaria, with local dominance shaped by biogeography and urban vegetation. Key gaps include limited long-term continuity outside a few cities, variable methodology (sampler type, taxonomic resolution, units, thresholds), and scarce linkage of pollen exposure metrics with clinical outcomes. Future priorities include harmonized volumetric monitoring, interoperable data standards, routine publication of pollen calendars and thresholds, integration with meteorology for forecasting, and expansion of digital decision-support tools to improve prevention and management of allergic respiratory diseases in Latin America. Full article

Rapid housing expansion exacerbates the urban heat island (UHI) effect, yet the influence of household-level awareness on sustainable housing decisions remains underexplored, particularly in tropical contexts. This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) into a moderated-mediation model to examine how UHI awareness shapes the relationships among attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, socioeconomic factors, purchase intention, and willingness to pay (WTP) for heat-mitigating housing. Survey data from 441 homebuyers in Bandung City, Indonesia, were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (SEM). Results reveal that awareness fundamentally alters decision pathways: without awareness, subjective norms (β = 0.066, p-value = 0.007) and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.050, p-value = 0.005) significantly influence WTP via purchase intention; with high awareness, attitude becomes the sole significant predictor (β = 0.109, p-value = 0.035), while the effects of social pressure (β = −0.015, p-value = 0.130) and perceived control (β = −0.005, p-value = 0.376) diminish. The model explains 50.1% of the variance in purchase intention (R² = 0.501) but only 14.7% of the variance in WTP (R² = 0.147), reflecting the low-price premiums respondents are willing to pay (0–5%). These findings highlight that climate-specific awareness acts as a cognitive filter, guiding pro-environmental housing choices, and underscore the importance of awareness-driven interventions for promoting sustainable urban development in tropical cities. Full article