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1,183 documents from Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
Where does the forest come back from? Soil and litter seed banks and the juvenile bank as sources of vegetation resilience in a semiarid Neotropical forest
The research identifies litter seed banks and juvenile banks, rather than soil seed banks, as the primary reservoirs for woody species regeneration in the Chaco forest. While these reservoirs align with established vegetation in low-intensity areas, their capacity to support resilience declines as land-use intensity increases.
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Document type: Research paper
Ecological and social basis for the development of a sand barrier breaching model in Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay
The research establishes a new breaching protocol for the sand barrier at Laguna de Rocha, Uruguay, replacing artificial opening practices that began in the 1950s and may have caused negative physical and biological effects since the 1980s. The protocol uses indicators such as water depth, sand barrier berm elevation, and rainfall forecasts to guide management decisions. The process relied on a participatory advisory group active for over 15 years to reach a consensus among scientists, authorities, and local stakeholders.
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Document type: Research paper
Translating fire impacts in southwestern Amazonia into economic costs
The research assesses the economic and environmental costs of forest fires in Acre, Brazil, finding that an extreme drought in 2010 caused burned areas to be 16 times larger than in normal years, resulting in economic losses of approximately US$ 243.36 million, or 7.03% of the state's GDP.
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Document type: Research paper
Producción, circulación y uso de la información climática: contribuciones de la antropología al estudio de los servicios climáticos
The paper argues that the increasing demand for climate services requires an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates anthropology to examine the human dimensions of how climate information is produced and used. It suggests that systematic reflection on knowledge production practices is essential for developing a more participatory and broader science.
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Document type: Research paper
U.S.-Mexico Hydrodiplomacy: Foundations, Change, and Future Challenges
The document examines the history and evolution of U.S.-Mexico hydrodiplomacy, centered on the Treaty of 1944 and subsequent cooperative agreements. It notes that while climate change, population growth, and economic development have intensified water scarcity along the border, binational institutions have become more adept at implementing innovative water management adaptations, supporting the theory that robust institutions can foster cooperation over conflict even under complex conditions.
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Document type: Research paper
A multicriteria assessment of vulnerability to extreme rainfall events on the Pacific coast of Mexico
The study identifies Guasave and Escuinapa as the most vulnerable municipalities to extreme rainfall events in Sinaloa, Mexico, using a model that weights geographic exposure and economic conditions as the primary determinants of vulnerability.
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Document type: Research paper
Drivers of fire anomalies in the Brazilian Amazon: lessons learned from the 2019 fire crisis
The study identifies a strong correlation between active fire anomalies in the Brazilian Amazon and deforestation, noting that the 2019 crisis was particularly severe in the states of Acre, Amazonas, and Roraima.
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Document type: Research paper
El Niño-driven changes in global fire 2015/16
The study finds that the 2015/16 El Niño led to a 4% increase in global burned area and a 5% increase in fire emissions compared to a 'No El Niño' scenario, resulting in a 4% reduction in the terrestrial carbon sink. South America experienced the most significant impact, with a 13% increase in burned area and emitted carbon, primarily driven by temperature increases between August and October in central-southern Brazil.
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Document type: Research paper
Nitrogen emissions in Latin America: a conceptual framework of drivers, impacts and policy responses
The paper establishes a conceptual framework for understanding nitrogen dynamics in Latin America, identifying a tension between socioeconomic demand drivers and political/institutional structural drivers. Using Brazil as a case study, it argues that while demand for food, energy, and housing drives emissions, the ability to implement effective policy responses depends on governance and institutional forcefulness.
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Document type: Research paper
Post-fire resprouting capacity of seasonally dry forest species: two quantitative indices
The study introduces two quantitative indices, RCI 1 (ECRD/ECTD) and RCI 2 (MRD/MTD), to assess post-fire resprouting capacity in the arid Chaco of Argentina. Testing 1,046 plants across 20 species, the researchers found that both indices correlate strongly with resprouting vigour and provide more detail than survival-only assessments. Results indicate that resprouting capacity decreases as the estimated composite diameter of trunks (ECTD) increases, and that growth form influences RCI 2 values, with tree/shrubs and trees generally showing higher RCI 1 values than shrubs.
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Document type: Research paper
Biogeographical patterns and areas of endemism for the Magellan region based on the distribution of crustacean species (Amphipoda, Copepoda, and Euphausiacea)
The study identifies three primary areas of endemism in the Magellan region based on the distribution of Amphipoda, Copepoda, and Euphausiacea: Chiloé, the Atlantic coast, and Fueguia. The findings suggest that the Atlantic coast and Fueguia areas do not align strictly with previously defined provinces and provide new biogeographic insights for marine protected areas including Burdwood Bank, Yaganes, and the Diego Ramírez-Drake Passage.
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Document type: Research paper
Analyzing water policy impacts on vulnerability cases across the rural-urban continuum in the arid Americas
The research examines four case studies in Argentina, Mexico, and the USA to demonstrate how disconnected or neoliberal water policies exacerbate vulnerabilities for less privileged groups in arid regions. It argues that water policies act as key non-climatic factors that can either increase or reduce climate vulnerability depending on their inclusivity and coordination with other resource policies.
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Document type: Research paper
Land use systems and livelihoods in demographically heterogeneous frontier stages in the Amazon
The research utilizes a 25-year panel dataset from Machadinho, Brazil, to analyze the relationship between household demographics and land use choices during frontier development. The study finds that as frontiers integrate into markets, successful settlers are those who diversify their livelihood strategies, moving from subsistence agriculture to a mix of on- and off-farm activities. This diversification prevents long-term deprivation and eventually makes land use choices independent of household demographic dynamics in advanced stages of development.
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Document type: Research paper
Dialogic science-policy networks for water security governance in the arid Americas
The paper argues that 'wicked problems' in water security require integrative science-policy interfaces. It defines 'dialogic science-policy networks' as interdisciplinary, international, cross-sectoral, open, continual, and flexible interactions that achieve inclusivity, involvement, interaction, and influence. The authors highlight the AQUASEC virtual center as a comprehensive example of such a network, which has since expanded into the International Water Security Network. While these networks facilitate scientific and policy achievements, they face significant challenges regarding steady commitment and financial support, and there remains a research gap in evaluating their long-term outcomes.
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Document type: Research paper
Adaptive management of fisheries in response to climate change
The document details the decline of the yellow clam (Mesodesma mactroides) along the Atlantic coast of South America due to rising sea surface temperatures and the subsequent recovery efforts in Uruguay. It highlights the use of co-management, conservative catch quotas, and phytoplankton monitoring as adaptive measures to build fishery resilience against climate stressors and harmful algal blooms.
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Document type: Case study
Vulnerabilidad costera en el noroeste de México: un enfoque multidisciplinario
The text advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the factors increasing social and environmental vulnerability in Northwest Mexico. It emphasizes that addressing the increased frequency and intensity of meteorological phenomena requires detailed knowledge of climate change determinants and strengthened institutional capacities to support sustainable futures and effective governance.
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Document type: Research paper
Plant functional traits along an old-field succession in the high tropical Andes
The study examined plant functional traits—including specific leaf area (SLA), CO2 assimilation rates (Amax), leaf nitrogen content (Nleaf), and biomass allocation—along a successional gradient in the high tropical Andes. Results indicate that traits associated with rapid growth dominate early succession, with SLA, Amax, and Nleaf decreasing as succession progresses for grasses. Notably, the study found no evidence that drought resistance traits dominate late succession stages, contradicting some previous research.
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Document type: Research paper
Negotiating Politics and Power: Perspectives on Environmental Justice from Jamaica’s Specialty Coffee Industry
The research examines how colonial legacies and neoliberal restructuring have created a 'disabling environment' for Jamaican coffee smallholders, characterized by low farm gate prices and limited support. It argues that climate change exacerbates these structural injustices, as industry leaders prioritize profit and privilege over the adaptation needs of farmers, leading to asymmetrical power structures that stifle smallholder agency.
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Document type: Research paper
Comparing vulnerability and institutional capacities in three Latin American coastal localities in response to extreme rainfall events
The study uses a multidisciplinary approach to assess how socio-economic indicators and institutional capacities—including social networks, legal frameworks, and citizen participation—affect the ability of coastal municipalities in Latin America to cope with climate-intensified extreme rainfall events. Findings suggest that local vulnerability is not directly linked to institutional capacity, and while legal frameworks and actor networks appear sufficient, there is a critical need to strengthen citizen participation and create public spaces for information exchange to improve future adaptation and response.
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Document type: Research paper
Interannual variability and trends of sea surface temperature around southern South America
The study identifies divergent sea surface temperature trends around southern South America between 1982 and 2017, with warming in mid-latitude regions and the Northern Patagonian Shelf, and cooling south of 50°S and on the Southern Patagonian Shelf. These trends became most significant between 2008 and 2017 and are linked to atmospheric forcing and large-scale climate modes including ENSO, the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation, and the Southern Annular Mode.
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Document type: Research paper