Physicochemical characteristics were determined in the longissimus lumborum muscle, after 8 days of ageing of steers (n = 12) and bulls (n = 12) from Mertolenga breed slaughtered directly from pasture (day 0) or after a finishing period of 50, 100 and 150 days in a feed-lot facility. Bulls and steers presented similar live weight (averaging 388 kg), carcass weight (CW; averaging 213 kg), dressing percentage (averaging 60%), carcass fatness (11.9% CW) and carcass fat thickness (averaging 3.03 mm). Live weight, CW, carcass fatness and fat thickness increased along time-on-feed. Gender only had a negligible effect on meat characteristics, with b* and h* being the only parameters of colour affected by gender, also presenting a significant interaction gender × time-on-feed. Nevertheless, both the genders presented a high-quality grade concerning tenderness (Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF)). L* increased until 50 days on feed and decreased afterwards, whereas a* and C* values increased along time-on-feed. Pigment content was also affected by time-on-feed and showed a gender × time-on-feed interaction. Beef colour became darker and redder along time-on-feed, but still in a colour range highly acceptable by Portuguese consumers. Despite the increase in intramuscular fat and myofibrillar fragmentation index, as well as the decrease in collagen content of steers and bulls along time-on-feed, it did not affect the tenderness/hardness, indicating a small effect of time-on-feed in meat characteristics. Despite only small differences in carcass characteristics and meat-quality parameters that have been noticed along time-on-feed, those differences were only significant after 100 days on feed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. The first PC axis (39.6% of the total variance) included colour variables a*, b* and C*, and carcass fatness, fat thickness, CW and live weight, whereas the second one (12.7% of the total variance) included h*, cooking losses and dressing-out. The principal component (PC) analysis confirmed the lack of differences between bulls and steers and indicates a differentiation of the first two periods of feeding (0 and 50 days on feed) from the two latter (100 and 150 days on feed) periods of feeding.
R E S U M OAs alterações climáticas (AC) constituem actualmente uma das maiores ameaças ambientais globais, com repercussões sociais e económicas para todo o planeta e humanidade. Os recursos hídricos, nomeadamente nas componentes de gestão da procura, do fornecimento e riscos infra-estruturais, são uma das áreas mais vulneráveis às AC. Este trabalho pretende ser um contributo para a gestão dos recursos hídricos em Portugal integrando a gestão do risco associado aos impactes das AC. Neste sentido, o trabalho inclui: i) a análise da variabilidade climática e da detecção das AC em Portugal; ii) a identificação do impacte de futuros cenários climáticos nos recursos hídricos e a identificação das maiores ameaças e fatores de risco; iii) a análise das estratégias de adaptação e sistemas de compensação existentes; iv) e a identificação de medidas adicionais a implementar em Portugal de modo a reduzir os riscos das AC na gestão da água.Palavras-chave: Alterações Climáticas, Recursos Hídricos, Risco, Gestão da água, Adaptação
Climate Change and Water Management in Portugal A B S T R A C TPresently climate change (CC) is one of the greatest global environmental threats, with social and economic repercussions for the entire planet and humanity. Due to their vulnerability to CC, water resources are of major concern, particularly in the components of demand management, supply and infrastructure risks. This work intends to be a contribution for water resource management in Portugal, integrating risk management and climate change impacts. In this sense, this work includes: i) an analysis of climatic variability and climate change in Portugal; ii) an identification of the impacts of climate change scenarios in water resources and an identification of the major pressures and risk factors; iii) an analysis of the adaptation strategies and existing compensation systems; iv) and an identification of the additional measures to be implemented in Portugal, in order to reduce climate change impacts in water resources.
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