Tropical America Research Articles

Intensified future heat extremes linked with increasing ecosystem water limitation

Abstract. Heat extremes have severe implications for human health, ecosystems, and the initiation of wildfires. While they are mostly introduced by atmospheric circulation patterns, the intensity of heat extremes is modulated by terrestrial evaporation associated with soil moisture availability. Thereby, ecosystems provide evaporative cooling through plant transpiration and soil evaporation, which can be reduced under water stress. While it has been shown that regional ecosystem water limitation is projected to increase in the future, the respective repercussions on heat extremes remain unclear. In this study, we use projections from 12 Earth system models to show that projected changes in heat extremes are amplified by increasing ecosystem water limitation in regions across the globe. We represent the ecosystem water limitation with the ecosystem limitation index (ELI) and quantify temperature extremes through the differences between the warm-season mean and maximum temperatures. We identify hotspot regions in tropical South America and across Canada and northern Eurasia where relatively strong trends towards increased ecosystem water limitation jointly occur with amplifying heat extremes. This correlation is governed by the magnitude of the ELI trends and the present-day ELI which denotes the land–atmosphere coupling strength determining the temperature sensitivity to evaporative cooling. Many regions where ecosystem functioning is predominantly energy-limited or transitional in the present climate exhibit strong trends towards increasing the water limitation and simultaneously experience the largest increases in heat extremes. Sensitivity of temperature excess trends to ELI trends is highest in water-limited regions, such that in these regions relatively small ELI trends can amount to drastic temperature excess trends. Therefore, considering the ecosystem's water limitation is key for assessing the intensity of future heat extremes and their corresponding impacts.

Isotopic composition of convective rainfall in the inland tropics of Brazil

Abstract. Strong convective systems characterize the tropical central-southern region of Brazil. These systems provide abundant water supply for agroindustrial activities and pose flood risks to large cities. Here, we present high-frequency (2–10 min; inter- and intra-event) rainfall isotopic compositions (n = 90 samples) to reveal regional and local atmospheric processes controlling the isotopic variability of convective systems between 2019–2021. Inter-event rainfall weighted-average (δwgd) values were low (δ18Owgd ≤ −10.0 ‰) due to the higher rainfall along the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model trajectories from the Amazon forest during the summer. In contrast, during autumn and spring seasons HYSPLIT model trajectories from the Atlantic Ocean and southern Brazil exhibited lower rainfall amounts, resulting in high δ18Owgd ≥ −4.2 ‰. This strong regional δwgd pattern often masks intra-event isotopic variability. Therefore, we analyzed the vertical structure of local rainfall using reflectivity (Z) from microradar data. Variations in Z indicate that microphysical processes as raindrops fall led to changes in δ18O and deuterium excess (d-excess). Our findings establish a novel framework for evaluating the meteorological controls on the isotopic variability of convective precipitation in tropical South America, fill the gap in high-frequency studies in this region, and generate an isotopic dataset for convective model evaluations.

The Epidemiological Particularities of Malignant Hemopathies in French Guiana: 2005-2014.

French Guiana is a French Overseas territory with singular features: it has a high prevalence of HIV and HTLV-1, its population is ethnically mixed, with widespread poverty, and up to 20% of the population lives in geographic isolation. In this context, we used registry data to estimate incidence and mortality due to hematological malignancies and to compare them with France and tropical Latin America. ICD codes C90 and C88 were compiled between 2005 and 2014. The direct standardization of age structure was performed using the world population. Survival analysis was performed, and Kaplan-Meier curves were drawn. The overall standardized incidence rate was 32.9 per 100,000 male years and 24.5 per 100,000 female years. Between 2005 and 2009, the standardized incidence rate was 29.6 per 100,000 among men and 23.6 per 100,000 among women, and between 2010 and 2014, it was 35.6 per 100,000 among men and 25.2 per 100,000 among women. Multiple myeloma/plasmocytoma and mature t/NK cell lymphomas, notably adult t-cell lymphoma/leukemia due to HTLV-1 infection, were the two most common hematologic malignancies and causes of death. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence estimates were greater than global estimates. After adjusting for age, sex, and type of malignancy, people born in a foreign country independently had a poorer case-fatality rate, presumably reflecting difficulties in accessing care. The epidemiology of hematological malignancies in French Guiana has features that distinguish it from mainland France or from Latin America. The incidence of multiple myeloma and adult t-cell lymphoma/leukemia was significantly greater in French Guiana than in France or other Latin American countries.

A review: Pharmacological and phytochemical update of Passiflora edulis F. Flavicarpa

A native of tropical America (Brazil), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis F. Flavicarpa) is a desirable, high-value crop that is a member of the Passifloraceae family. The fruits of the yellow species (Passiflora edulis F. Flavicarpa) are almost round to oval in shape, with a stiff peel that is smooth and waxy, and weigh approximately 35-40 grams. Plants are used medicinally all over the world for their many health advantages; this particular plant has the highest concentration of phytoconstituents. Numerous phytoconstituents, including flavonoids, tannins, phenols, glycosides, fatty acids, and alkaloids, are present, according to the review. According to reports, Passiflora edulis F. Flavicarpa has anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-microbial, anti- cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, anti-sedative, and anti-oxidant qualities. It can also be used as a colon cleanser and have a variety of therapeutic uses for ailments like osteoarthritis and asthma. The various plant parts have also been used as sedatives, sleep aids, ulcer and hemorrhoid treatments, and digestive aids. The ethnopharmacology, phytoconstituents, and medicinal advantages of plants are briefly reviewed in the article, emphasizing the need for more study and advancement in the pharmaceutical field.

Reproductive biology of Senna spectabilis (DC.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby (Fabaceae) - an invasive tree species in the tropical forests of the Western Ghats, India

Senna spectabilis (DC.) H.S.Irwin & Barneby is an invasive tree species native to tropical America and is commonly found in the forest areas of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Its aggressive growth rate and ability to quickly cover up open and degraded lands in forest ecosystems make it challenging to control its spread. Reproductive studies of S. spectabilis and its pollen-ovule ratio indicate this species is cross-pollinating. The species is self-compatible, owing to the simultaneous occurrence of xenogamy, geitonogamy and autogamy. This reproductive strategy helps the taxon to colonise degraded areas and invade the forest ecosystem. The anthesis is diurnal and sometimes asynchronous. Peak insect visitors were observed from 0900 h to 1230 h, with the major visitor being Tetragonula iridipennis. Xylocopa violaceae was also a regular visitor along with resident Formicidae members, such as Oecophylla smaragdina and Myrmicaria brunnae. They feed on the floral parts, like tender petals and sepals. The reproductive syndrome of this plant favours maximum fertilization.

Global potential distributions and conservation status of rice wild relatives

Societal Impact StatementRice wild relatives (RWR) provide valuable genetic resources for modern rice breeding, yet knowledge gaps constrain their conservation and further utilization. To address these gaps, the potential distributions of 22 RWR taxa were modeled, and their conservation statuses were assessed. Most taxa were identified as medium priority for further conservation. Further ex‐situ collecting hotspots are in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, West Africa, and tropical Americas, while habitat protection lies in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, and West Africa. Climate change may shift equatorial habitats to higher latitudes and mountain habitats to higher altitudes.Summary Rice wild relatives (RWR) provide valuable genetic resources for modern rice breeding. However, knowledge gaps on their geographic distributions and conservation status constrain their conservation and further utilization. To fill these critical gaps, we modeled the potential distributions of 22 RWR taxa under current climate scenarios, assessed their conservation status, both ex situ (in genebanks or botanical gardens) and in situ (in protected areas), and examined changes in taxa richness of RWR in predicted areas under future climate scenarios. The RWR were primarily distributed in tropical Asia to tropical Australia, tropical Africa, and South and Central America. We identified 4 out of 22 taxa as high priority (HP) for further conservation action and 18 taxa as medium priority (MP). Hotspots requiring further collecting for ex situ conservation are concentrated in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, West Africa, and tropical Americas. Meanwhile, habitat protection should be enhanced in Southeast and South Asia, Northern Australia, and West Africa. Under future climate change, suitable habitats near the equator are expected to shift toward higher latitudes and some in lower‐latitude basins may become unsuitable due to excessive heat, resulting in decreased taxa richness in these areas. Additionally, suitable habitats in high mountain areas may shift to higher altitudes, potentially augmenting taxa richness in the highlands. Our findings provide vital insights to guide future rescue conservation efforts for RWR.

The carbon footprint of livestock farms under conventional management and silvopastoral systems in Jalisco, Chiapas, and Campeche (Mexico)

Livestock production is one of the most important agricultural sources of greenhouses gasses (GHG). Transforming the livestock sector is a critical task to mitigate the effects of climate change, and the implementation of silvopastoral systems (SPS) may be a way to do so. Carbon footprint (CF) estimation was carried out for 131 conventional livestock farms (CONF) and SPS farms (SPSF) selected in the states of Jalisco, Chiapas and Campeche (Mexico). GHG emissions were estimated based on interviews with the farmers and farm monitoring to collect information about management, milk production and the live weight gain (LWG) of calves (for meat production) using national emission factors. Emissions from animals, fossil fuels, electricity and nitrogen fertilizers were estimated using Tier I and II criteria. Land use distribution was recorded for each farm, and their carbon fixation in total biomass and soils was estimated using studies from tropical Latin America. CF was estimated for area and for production of milk and the LWG of calves. SPSF had lower GHG emissions, higher carbon fixation rates and a better CF than CONF (5.7 vs. 8.0 t CO2e/ha/year; 6.9 vs. 5.5 t C/ha/year and − 5.0 vs. −2.9 t CO2e/ha/year, respectively). The CF of milk production and calf LWG were − 68.6 to −4.6 kg CO2e/kg and − 3.2 to −0.1 t CO2e/kg, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of implementing SPS to mitigate climate change in livestock production, given its contribution to GHG emissions and the importance of capturing atmospheric carbon in biomass and soils. National and regional policies should focus on promoting implementing SPS as an active and effective strategy for improving CF in livestock farms.

A Review of the Tribe Vernonieae (Asteraceae) in South India

The tribe Vernonieae of the Asteraceae with about 70 genera and 1500 species has two main centres of distribution in tropical America and tropical Africa. It is also fairly well represented in south-east Asia. 37 genera are monotypie. In South India about 50 species belonging to 5 genera have been recorded. This review makes a current assessment of the systematic status of the tribe from various points of view, morphology-anatomy, cytology, chemical constituents, geographical distribution, based on a recent study of the tribe by one of the authors. It has been shown that some of the morphological-anatomical attributes like, trichomes, stomata, pappus, inflorescence, cytological situation as revealed by a karyomorphological analysis, chemical constitutes like flavonoid compounds and geographical distributional features, may all be of value in the assessment of the systematic status of the taxa concerned. Some nomenclatural aspects have also been discussed.

Optimization of a novel Renealmia ligulata (Zingiberaceae) essential oil extraction method through microwave-assisted hydrodistillation

Renealmia is a tropical plant genus within the Zingiberaceae family. In tropical South America, Renealmia plants are known for their therapeutic uses against bone and muscle pain, colds, and to counteract snake bite symptoms. Despite the biomedical importance of Renealmia metabolites, the components of their essential oils (EO) have been scarcely studied, and a cause thereof is the lack of local efficient, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly EO extraction methods. This work addressed the optimization of an EO extraction method from the aerial parts and rhizomes of Renealmia ligulata plants based on microwave-assisted hydrodistillation (MAHD) with an ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) pretreatment. Three MAHD extraction variables (radiation power, radiation exposure length, and solvent volume) were studied on their own and in combination using a response surface analysis to determine the value combinations leading to optimal EO yields. The results showed that the best average extraction duration time was 42.5 min, combined with a radiation power of 765 W and a solvent volume 225.9 mL for 30 g of aerial part plant material or 799 W and 145 mL of solvent for 20 g of plant rhizomes. A GC-MS analysis of the obtained R. ligulata EOs revealed that their main component was epi-Eudesmol (28% in plant aerial parts and 13% in rhizomes), which is a molecule of interest considering its reported neuro-protective properties.

Taxonomic Evaluation of Zingiberaceae

The order Scitaminales is generally accepted as a well-knit assemblage of closely related and highly advanced monocotyledons and forms a natural group. Among the families of the order, the Zingiberaceae are the largest and are best represented in India, there being 21 genera including more than 200 species.The family is of special interest from the taxonomic stand point. On the basis of morphological differences, Schumann (1904) divided the Zingiberaceae into two subfamilies : the Zingiberoideae with many genera and Gostoidae with four genera namely, Costus (tropics), Monocostus (Peru), Dimerocostus (tropical America) and Tapeinochilus (Tabutu). The Costoideae differs from the rest of the family in showing vegetative and floral organization that is unique among the flowering plants. Therefore, morphologically, they form a natural group that deserves the status of a subfamily.It is accepted that taxonomy should be based on evidences from as many disciplines as possible in the final evaluation of its units. But among the Costoideae, only Costus has been studied in detail. As the other genera of the Costoideae agree with Costus in anatomy, Tomlinson (1956) considers it reasonable to assume that the features that serve to distinguish Costus from the Zingiberaceae are equally diagnostic for the Costoidae as a whole. A list of diagnostic characters obtained from various disciplines are given in table I. These evidences also reveal that Costoideae is distinct and forms a natural group deserving the rank of a subfamily.Certain-outstanding feature of the Costoideae are unique not only to the family, but also to the order Scitaminales as a whole. Perhaps, because of these Tomlinson (1956) has suggested that the Costoideae may possibly be given a family rank. However, although Tomlinson’s view is really encouraging, it is necessary to study the features of other genera of the Costoideae, with respect to various disciplines, in order to decide such an issue, instead of depending on the results obtained only on Costus.The Zingiberaceae is further subdivided into three tribes Globbeae, Hedychieae and Zingibereae on the basis of the nature of lateral staminodes and the ovary. For the taxonomic consideration of tribes, there are no adequate data. However, it can be said that further research in the divergent fields on many more genera may only help in solving the taxonomic problems.To a systematist the four families of the Scitaminales show an interesting floral organization, although they form a natural group because of certain morphological features common to all the families. A line of reduction in the number of stamens and ovules can be recognised in this order. The data available from various disciplines are too inadequate to verify the prevailing systematic arrangement of the families of the order. Nevertheless, the available embryological data consolidated in the table II unmistakably speak of a common ancestry of the families and their grouping in the order Scitaminales. At the same time certain distinguishing features of each family are probably suggestive of a family rank for each of them.

Global, regional, and national temporal trend in burden of major depressive disorder from 1990 to 2019: An analysis of the global burden of disease study

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Comprehensive description of the global burden of MDD and its attributable risk factors is essential for policymaking but currently lacking. In this study, we aim to estimate the burden of MDD in terms of incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs), along with its attributable risk factors at global, regional, and rational level between 1990 and 2019, using data from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2019. Data analysis was completed on July 1, 2023. In 2019, 274.80 million (95 % uncertainty interval [UI], 241.28 to 312.77) new cases of MDD were identified globally, with an increase of 59 % from 1990. A total of 37.20 million (25.65 to 51.22) YLDs were attributable to MDD, accounting for the largest proportion of mental disorder YLDs (29.7 %). Countries in the low sociodemographic index quantile exhibited the highest age-standardized incidence rate of MDD, with Uganda (7836.2, per 100,000 person-years, 6713.7 to 9181.1) and Palestine (7687.7, 6546.1 to 9023.9) reporting the highest rates among them. The United States had the highest increase in age-standardized rates, with an average annual percent change of 0.99. Females had 1.6 times higher age-standardised rates than males, ranging from 1.2 (Oceania) to 2.2 (tropical Latin America) times across 21 regions. Globally, the proportions of YLDs due to MDD attributable to bullying victimization, childhood sexual abuse, and intimate partner violence were 4.86 %, 5.46 %, and 8.43 % in 2019, respectively. The heavy burden of MDD serves as a stark reminder that a coordinated response from governments and health communities is urgently needed to scale up mental health services and implement effective interventions, particularly in low-income countries.

A Note on <i>Centrosema virginianum</i> (L.) Benth.

This note provides a full description of centrosema virginianum (L.) Benth. (with a plate). An introduced ornamental plant from tropical America now spreading in the Forests of Tenmalai. The history of its introduction and nomenclature is also briefly discussed.

Nine new species of Horismenus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) in Brazil, with an emphasis on the fauna of one of the largest tropical forests on the planet, the Atlantic Forest

Horismenus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) is one of the largest genera in Eulophidae, and additional collecting in tropical America will undoubtedly add numerous new species. Here we describe nine new species of Horismenus from material collected in Brazil, mainly in Atlantic Forest remnants: H. amplicavus sp. nov., H. atlanticus sp. nov., H. bilineatus sp. nov., H. crastoensis sp. nov., H. novaiguassuensis sp. nov., H. parvicavus sp. nov., H. pterathrix sp. nov., H. sagittatus sp. nov., and H. saueri sp. nov. In addition, we also provide images, diagnoses, and comments to facilitate the identification of each new species.

Temperature extremes nip invasive macrophyte Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray in the bud: potential geographic distributions and risk assessment based on future climate change and anthropogenic influences.

Cabomba caroliniana A. Gray, an ornamental submerged plant indigenous to tropical America, has been introduced to numerous countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania, impacting native aquatic ecosystems. Given this species is a popular aquarium plant and widely traded, there is a high risk of introduction and invasion into other environments. In the current study the potential global geographic distribution of C. caroliniana was predicted under the effects of climate change and human influence in an optimised MaxEnt model. The model used rigorously screened occurrence records of C. caroliniana from hydro informatic datasets and 20 associated influencing factors. The findings indicate that temperature and human-mediated activities significantly influenced the distribution of C. caroliniana. At present, C. caroliniana covers an area of approximately 1531×104 km2 of appropriate habitat, especially in the south-eastern parts of South, central and North America, Southeast Asia, eastern Australia, and most of Europe. The suitable regions are anticipated to expand under future climate scenarios; however, the dynamics of the changes vary between different extents of climate change. For example, C. caroliniana is expected to expand to higher latitudes, following global temperature increases under SSP1-2.6 and SSP2-4.5 scenarios, however, intolerance to temperature extremes may mediate invasion at higher latitudes under future extreme climate scenarios, e.g., SSP5-8.5. Owing to the severe impacts its invasion causes, early warning and stringent border quarantine processes are required to guard against the introduction of C. caroliniana especially in the invasion hotspots such as, Peru, Italy, and South Korea.

Dynamics and drivers of fungal communities in a multipartite ant-plant association

BackgroundFungi and ants belong to the most important organisms in terrestrial ecosystems on Earth. In nutrient-poor niches of tropical rainforests, they have developed steady ecological relationships as a successful survival strategy. In tropical ant-plant mutualisms worldwide, where resident ants provide the host plants with defense and nutrients in exchange for shelter and food, fungi are regularly found in the ant nesting space, inhabiting ant-made dark-colored piles (“patches”). Unlike the extensively investigated fungus-growing insects, where the fungi serve as the primary food source, the purpose of this ant-fungi association is less clear. To decipher the roles of fungi in these structures within ant nests, it is crucial to first understand the dynamics and drivers that influence fungal patch communities during ant colony development.ResultsIn this study, we investigated how the ant colony age and the ant-plant species affect the fungal community in the patches. As model we selected one of the most common mutualisms in the Tropics of America, the Azteca-Cecropia complex. By amplicon sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region, we analyzed the patch fungal communities of 93 Azteca spp. colonies inhabiting Cecropia spp. trees. Our study demonstrates that the fungal diversity in patches increases as the ant colony grows and that a change in the prevalent fungal taxa occurs between initial and established patches. In addition, the ant species significantly influences the composition of the fungal community in established ant colonies, rather than the host plant species.ConclusionsThe fungal patch communities become more complex as the ant colony develops, due to an acquisition of fungi from the environment and a substrate diversification. Our results suggest a successional progression of the fungal communities in the patches during ant colony growth and place the ant colony as the main driver shaping such communities. The findings of this study demonstrate the unexpectedly complex nature of ant-plant mutualisms in tropical regions at a micro scale.

Contributions of Initial Conditions and Meteorological Forecast to Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Hydrological Forecast Skill in Western Tropical South America.

Hydrological predictions at subseasonal-to-seasonal (S2S) time scales can support improved decision-making in climate-dependent sectors like agriculture and hydropower. Here, we present an S2S hydrological forecasting system (S2S-HFS) for western tropical South America (WTSA). The system uses the global NASA Goddard Earth Observing System S2S meteorological forecast system (GEOS-S2S) in combination with the generalized analog regression downscaling algorithm and the NASA Land Information System (LIS). In this implementation study, we evaluate system performance for 3-month hydrological forecasts for the austral autumn season (March-May) using ensemble hindcasts for 2002-17. Results indicate that the S2S-HFS generally offers skill in predictions of monthly precipitation up to 1-month lead, evapotranspiration up to 2 months lead, and soil moisture content up to 3 months lead. Ecoregions with better hindcast performance are located either in the coastal lowlands or in the Amazon lowland forest. We perform dedicated analysis to understand how two important teleconnections affecting the region are represented in the S2S-HFS: El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO). We find that forecast skill for all variables at 1-month lead is enhanced during the positive phase of ENSO and the negative phase of AAO. Overall, this study indicates that there is meaningful skill in the S2S-HFS for many ecoregions in WTSA, particularly for long memory variables such as soil moisture. The skill of the precipitation forecast, however, decays rapidly after forecast initialization, a phenomenon that is consistent with S2S meteorological forecasts over much of the world.

Assessing the invasion risk of weeds from the APG-IV grade-superasterids in Moradabad district

The global proliferation of invasive plant species is causing havoc in ecological and agricultural ecosystems. Early warning and avoidance of high-risk introductions of such species is critical for minimising losses and increasing gains. The Weed Risk Assessment method has been a successful prediction project for forecasting naturalisations of weed species in four Moradabad sub-districts. A research looked at 17 weed species in the Superasterids Grade of the APG-IV classification system. The study highlights that 53% of the reported weed species were of low rank, 35% of medium rank, and 12% were of high risk rank status. In our investigation, we discovered that Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. had the highest weed risk score (25) while Mirabilis jalapa L. and Opuntia elatior Mill. had the lowest weed risk score (1.08). The study reports that 75% of the weed species were herbs. Ruderal weeds (41%) were the most common, followed by Agrestal weeds (41%) and (18%) were in both categories. In terms of the origin of weed species, mostly weeds were from Tropical America (62%), and the minimum from Tropical Africa (6%).

Landscape and Socioeconomic Factors Determine Malaria Incidence in Tropical Forest Countries.

Deforestation, landscape dynamics, and socioeconomic factors within the tropical Americas, Africa, and Asia may have different impacts on malaria incidence. To evaluate how these drivers affect malaria incidence at the global and regional scale, we collected malaria incidence rates from 2000 to 2019 from 67 tropical countries, along with forest loss, land use change types, and socioeconomic elements. LASSO regression, linear mixed effect modeling, and k-fold cross validation were used to create and evaluate the models. Regionality plays a role in the significance of varying risk factors. The Tropical Americas model had the highest coefficient of determination (marginal R2 = 0.369), while the Africa model showed the highest predictive accuracy with only a 17.4% error rate. Strong associations between tree cover loss (β = -4037.73, p < 0.001) and percentage forest area (β = 5373.18, p = 0.012) in Africa, and percent of key biodiversity areas under protection (β = 496.71, p < 0.001; β = 1679.20, p < 0.001) in the tropical Americas and Asia with malaria incidence indicates that malaria risk should be considered during conservation policy development, and recommends that individual approaches to policy and investment be considered when implementing malaria interventions on different spatial scales.

Systematic Review on Evidence based Therapeutic Potential of &lt;i&gt;Pithecellobium dulce&lt;/i&gt; for Health Benefits

Plants are proved as a beneficial source of natural products having therapeutic uses for long back periods. Epidemiological studies suggested that approximately 33% of drugs in developed countries are derived from a plant. Pithecellobium dulce is one of the plants which have significant diverse medicinal properties. It is a native fruit of tropical America, and it is cultivated throughout India, especially in Andaman. It is rich in flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, etc. Experimental studies show that P. dulce shows antidiabetic, abortifacient, antitumor, anodyne and larvicidal activities. Furthermore, it shows significant activity against diarrhea, eye inflammation, and anti-venomous as well. It has a specific place in the traditional system of medicine and can be a miraculous part of modern medicine in the future. So, the present review has been designed to explore the pharmaceutical and therapeutic properties of P. ducle based on the available scientific literature.

Strong Green‐Up of Tropical Asia During the 2015/16 El Niño

AbstractEl Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the main climate mode that drives the interannual variability in climate and consequently vegetation greenness. While widespread green‐up has been reported and examined in tropical America during El Niño, it remains unclear how vegetation in tropical Asia changes during the period. Here, we used four remote sensing‐based leaf area index (LAI) products to investigate changes in vegetation greenness during the 2015/16 El Niño in tropical Asia. We found a strong green‐up during the 2015/16 El Niño in tropical Asia, with its regional average LAI stronger than that of tropical America. The drivers for the green‐up vary across the region, with radiation being the main driver for continental tropical Asia, and temperature and soil water anomalies in the west and east parts of maritime tropical Asia, respectively. These findings provide important insights into the response of tropical Asia's vegetation to extreme climate anomalies.