An attempt was made to develop a truly quantitative approach to temperature, based on models derived from nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory. Three different procedures for measuring the degree of complexity of the temperature curve were compared, and the possible correlations between these measurements and certain physiopathologically relevant parameters in healthy subjects were examined. Twenty-three healthy subjects (10 males, 13 females) between 18 and 85 years of age had their temperature measured every 10 min for at least 30 h. These time series were used to determine the approximate entropy (ApEn), a detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), and the fractal dimension by the compass method (FD(c)). There was good correlation between the different methods of measuring the complexity of the curve [ r=-0.603 for ApEn vs. DFA ( p=0.002), r=0.438 for ApEn vs. FDc ( p=0.04) and r=-0.647 for DFA vs. FDc ( p=0.0008)]. Both the fractal dimension and the approximate entropy were inversely correlated with age [ r=-0.637 ( p=0.001) and r=-0.417 ( p=0.03), respectively], while the DFA increased with age ( r=0.413, p=0.04). The results thus suggest that complexity of the temperature curve decreases with age. The complexity of the temperature curve can be quantified in a consistent fashion. Age is associated with lower complexity of the temperature curve.
Humid montane scrublands (HMs) represent one of the least studied ecosystems in Ecuador, which in the last decade have been seriously threatened by the increase in wildfires. Our main objective was to evaluate the effects of wildfire severity on physicochemical soil properties in the HMs of southern Ecuador. For this purpose, fire severity was measured using the Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and the difference between pre-fire and post-fire (NBR Pre-fire-NBR Post-fire) over three contrasted periods (years 2019, 2017, and 2015) was determined. Likewise, 72 soil samples from burned HMs and 72 soil samples from unburned HMs were collected at a depth of 0 to 10 cm, and some physical (bulk density and texture) and biochemical (pH, soil organic matter, and total nutrients) soil properties were analyzed and statistically processed by one-way ANOVA and principal component analysis (PCA). Results indicate that burned HMs showed mixed-severity burning patterns and that in the most recent wildfires that are of high severity, SOM, N, P, Cu, and Zn contents decreased drastically (PCA: component 1); in addition, there was an increase in soil compaction (PCA: component 2). However, in older wildfires, total SOM, N, P, K, and soil pH content increases with time compared even to HMs that never burned (p-value < 0.05). These results can help decision makers in the design of policies, regulations, and proposals for the environmental restoration of HMs in southern Ecuador affected by wildfires.
Background The Indigenous Kichwa Saraguro people of southern Ecuador have long relied on traditional burning to manage their environment. However, their traditional use of fire in one of the most important ecosystems in southern Ecuador, the herbaceous paramo, is not well known. This lack of knowledge does not allow for the improvement of local regulations related to integrated fire management, which is a shortcoming compared to other regulations applied in South America. In this context, and to understand the impacts of the Indigenous use of fire, a climatic analysis of the area was carried out, generating a historical climograph (period: years 1981–2021) and four annual climographs that were contrasted with a remote sensing study of fire severity over 4 years (years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021). In addition, traditional fire use was determined through the application of semi-structured interview questionnaires applied to 61 women and 89 men, whose data were analyzed with the level of information fidelity (LIF), informant consensus factor (ICF), and principal component analysis (PCA). Therefore, in this study, we argue that it is important to incorporate the concepts of (i) wildfire severity and (ii) cultural burning in wildfire policies and regulations in southern Ecuador. Results The results indicate that low-severity fires occur within the Saraguro territory and that fire use knowledge is transmitted to new generations incorporating both how and where to perform traditional burning. They also know when to burn using the burning calendar that is generally applied during the climatic phenomenon known as “Veranillo del Niño” (VdN). Conclusions These results can help decision-makers design policies, regulations, and proposals for the correct use of fire as a tool for the management of ecosystems in southern Ecuador affected by wildfires. In addition, the results can be used to improve the National Strategy for Integrated Fire Management 2021–2025 promoted by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Ecological Transition of Ecuador.
El propósito de esta investigación fue determinar los estilos de aprendizaje por género y carrera, así como las estrategias de enseñanza más efectivas en educación superior en Ecuador. Se tomó como grupo focal a estudiantes de Edafología de la Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) y se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo, utilizando el Cuestionario Honey-Alonso de Estilos de Aprendizaje (CHAEA); además, se consultaron las estrategias que más impactaron en la enseñanza. Las preferencias fueron de moderadas a bajas para los cuatro estilos de aprendizaje según la carrera y género; las estrategias más efectivas fueron: video, clase magistral y trabajo de campo-laboratorio-aula. Se evidenció que los educandos no aprenden de una única manera, sino que tienen diversos estilos de aprendizaje, por lo que se deberían aplicar estrategias que amplíen el rango de capacidades de aprendizaje.
Forest site classification adapted to the respective site conditions is one prerequisite for sustainable silviculture. This work aims to initiate the forest site classification for pine plantations in the southern Andean region of Ecuador. Forest productivity, estimated by the dominant height of 20-year-old trees (DH 20 ), was related to data from climate, topography, and soil using 23 plots installed in pine plantations in the province of Loja. Forest site productivity was classified as: low (class C: 13.4 m), middle (class B: 16.6 m), and high (Class A: 22.3 m). Strong determinants to differentiate the forest site classes were: the short to medium term available Ca and K stocks (organic layer + mineral soil standardized to a depth of 60 cm), soil acidity, the C:N ratio, clay and sand content, forest floor thickness, altitude, and slope. The lowest forest productivity (Class C) is mainly associated with the lowest short to medium term available K and Ca stocks. Whereas, in site classes with the highest forest productivity, pines could benefit from a more active microbial community releasing N and P, since the soil pH was about 1 unit less acidic. This is supported by the lowest forest floor thickness and the narrowest C:N ratio.
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