projectbriefs_crn3_sp-bbc2c587de494f7c.pdf

This document is a collection of project briefs from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) detailing various scientific research initiatives across the Americas. The projects focus on environmental sustainability, climate change adaptation, and the intersection of ecological health and human well-being, covering topics such as the nitrogen cycle, tropical dry forests, climate services, malaria transmission in the Amazon, freshwater ecosystem risks, water security in arid zones, ocean dynamics, the impact of road construction in rainforests, phytoplankton services, and urban hydrological risks.

• Excessive use of nitrogen fertilizers without agronomic or environmental criteria degrades soil and contaminates water. The IAI-supported project led by Jean Pierre Ometto emphasizes the need for immediate policies in Latin America to ensure "la salud del suelo y un buen balance de nutrientes" to maintain food production and reduce negative impacts.
• In South America, only 20% of wastewater is treated. Researchers from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) warn that if wastewater treatment plants are not increased and optimized, the amount of nitrogen reaching coasts could triple by 2050.
• Tropical dry forests are significantly understudied compared to humid tropical forests, with a ratio of only one scientific article on dry forests for every 300 on humid ones. The Tropi-Dry network has found that climate change is increasing the prevalence of lianas, which destroy forests by strangling host trees.
• The 'usable science' project created a consolidated climate database for the southeast of South America using 329 meteorological stations. This system allows for the monitoring of droughts and the forecasting of yields for key crops including soy, corn, and wheat.
• A computational Agent-Based Model (MBA) demonstrated that malaria transmission in the southwestern Amazon is influenced by land use and climate dynamics. In Peru, the model showed that houses isolated at the edges of populations are more susceptible to the disease than those in the center, far from rivers.
• The VOCES project identified that the Patagonian Sea acts as a significant agent for absorbing atmospheric CO2, which is deposited on the ocean floor for hundreds of years. Additionally, the Patagonian Sea experiences year-round 'upwelling' (surgencia) driven by the Malvinas Current, unlike other regions where it is wind-driven and short-lived.
• Research on the Interoceanic Highway (Ruta Interoceánica) in Peru found that road construction alters the distribution of wild rodents, increasing human contact and health risks. A study of 97 rodents found 78% were positive for Bartonella and 24% for Leptospira, both of which can cause fatal infectious diseases.
• Phytoplankton provides critical ecosystem services, including the production of half of the planet's available oxygen and the absorption of approximately one-third of global CO2 emissions. The Antares Network monitors these organisms as "sensors of climate change."
• In the Gran Chaco region, replacing forests with annual crops resulted in a loss of 66 Mg C/ha of surface biomass and a 40% loss of carbon in the top 1m of soil. However, maintaining forest patches can increase conservation results by 30-50% without significantly reducing productivity.
• Drought emergency simulations in Chiquimula, Guatemala, revealed significant weaknesses in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food (MAGA), including a "broken telephone" (teléfono roto) between departments, high employee turnover, and a lack of standardized surveys for data collection.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (n.d.). projectbriefs_crn3_sp-bbc2c587de494f7c.pdf. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/ProjectBriefs_CRN3_sp.pdf

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. projectbriefs_crn3_sp-bbc2c587de494f7c.pdf. n.d. https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/ProjectBriefs_CRN3_sp.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=projectbriefs_crn3_sp-bbc2c587de494f7c.pdf |url=https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/ProjectBriefs_CRN3_sp.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearchndprojectbriefscrn3spbbc2c587de494f7cpdf, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{projectbriefs\_crn3\_sp-bbc2c587de494f7c.pdf}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, url = {https://archive.iai.int/admin/site/sites/default/files/ProjectBriefs_CRN3_sp.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }