3rd CRN PI/ IAI-IGBP Meeting “Building Global Change Networks in the Americas”

This report documents the 3rd Collaborative Research Network (CRN) PI/IAI-IGBP Meeting held on January 27-28, 2003, in Mendoza, Argentina. The meeting served as a forum for 14 Principal Investigators (PIs) to present progress on IAI-funded projects concerning global change in the Americas and to discuss strategic partnerships between the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (IGBP).

• Research on biogeochemical cycles in semi-arid regions of Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela indicates that soil erosion and mineralization are primary drivers of carbon loss. In Brazil, 43% of carbon losses were attributed to erosion and 57% to soil organic matter mineralization, with soil losses averaging 493 tons ha-1 over 35 years in overgrazed or sloped areas.
• Dendrochronological studies have established long-term climate records in the Americas, including a 5,666-year Fitzroya chronology and an 1,854-year ENSO reconstruction. The project has also established the first tree-ring laboratories in Mexico, Bolivia (operational October 2000), and Peru (April 2001).
• Analysis of the relationship between climate variability and human health shows that malaria incidence in northern Amazonia, Brazil, naturally decreases during ENSO years. In the Caribbean, dengue epidemics are more probable during an El Niño or El Niño + 1 year and show a close association with temperature.
• The Andean Amazon Rivers Analysis and Management (AARAM) project found that approximately 1,200 km2 (about 10% of the 12,500 km2 study area) was deforested between 1986 and 1996, with road building and population density identified as the most important drivers at the Parroquia scale.
• Research on the impact of UV-B radiation in salt marshes indicates that plants with apical meristems, such as Salicornia, are more susceptible to detrimental effects than those with basal meristems, such as Juncus and Spartina.
• The PROSUR network is investigating climate variability in the Mercosur region, specifically focusing on the Rio de la Plata Basin. A pilot project is assessing the impact of climate variability on surface runoff and stream flow, while a human dimensions project analyzes social communication of catastrophic floods related to El Niño.
• The SACC Consortium is studying the Western South Atlantic, focusing on the role of shelf sea surface temperature (SST) variations on regional climate. Key initiatives include Project NICOP, which examines the impact of Rio de la Plata discharge over the continental shelf, and Project PIRATA, which studies ocean-atmosphere interactions in the tropical Atlantic.
• The EPCOR project uses interhemispheric comparative studies of the Humboldt and California Current systems to understand the interaction of human harvesting with natural climate variability and its ecological response.
• The IAI and IGBP proposed a strategic partnership to link regional research in the Americas to a global agenda. This includes the potential for IAI scientists to become correspondent members of IGBP Scientific Steering Committees and the proposal to publish a synthesis book on global change in the Americas in the IGBP book series.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2003). 3rd CRN PI/ IAI-IGBP Meeting “Building Global Change Networks in the Americas”. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. 3rd CRN PI/ IAI-IGBP Meeting “Building Global Change Networks in the Americas”. 2003. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=3rd CRN PI/ IAI-IGBP Meeting “Building Global Change Networks in the Americas” |date=30 April 2003 |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch20033rd, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{3rd CRN PI/ IAI-IGBP Meeting “Building Global Change Networks in the Americas”}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2003}, month = apr, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/8_CRN.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }