- Volume 10, Number 1 (2023)
TRANSFORMATIVE ADAPTATIONS: UNDERSTANDING LIVELIHOOD CHALLENGES IN KAPSOKWONY DIVISION, MT. ELGON, AMID CLIMATE SHIFTS
Esther Wambui Githinji, Patrick Mutua Ndungu
Climate change poses a significant threat to mountain ecosystems worldwide, exacerbated by various anthropogenic stressors such as land encroachment, fragmentation, habitat degradation, and destruction. This complex interaction has far-reaching consequences for livelihoods, particularly in regions like Kapsokwony Division, Mt. Elgon Sub-County, where agriculture and ecosystem services play a vital role. As climate change and variability lead to erratic and unpredictable rainfall patterns, agricultural productivity is declining, resulting in reduced soil fertility due to erosion and increased evapo-transpiration. According to the IPCC, temperature increases beyond 1.5°C - 2.5°C can have severe impacts on land productivity and livelihoods. In this context, households...
DECODING THE THREAT: DIAPORTHE PARANAENSIS AND ITS ALARMING EFFECTS ON PEACH CROPS
Gabriel Oliveira Santos, Isabella Maria da Silva
With the global human population rapidly approaching eight billion, the imperative to safeguard sensitive ecosystems has never been more critical for the planet's long-term survival. Wetlands, vital components of the Earth's ecological health, encompass approximately 6% of terrestrial land areas worldwide. In the United States alone, they span 274 million acres, constituting a remarkable 14% of the world's wetlands (Reddy & DeLaune, 2008). These ecosystems serve as crucial carbon reservoirs, estimated to store between 350-535 gigatons of carbon (Mitra et al., 2005). However, the looming specter of climate change, characterized by shifting global temperatures and erratic flood-drought cycles, poses an...
BATTLING FRUIT ROT: DIAPORTHE PARANAENSIS AS A LOOMING DANGER TO PEACH HARVESTS
Isabella Maria da Silva, Gabriel Oliveira Santos, Juliana Pereira Costa
Peach (Prunus persica) holds a significant position as the third most vital temperate fruit crop globally, following apple and pear trees. In 2019, Brazil emerged as a notable contributor to peach production, yielding 183.1 thousand tons within approximately 16 thousand hectares, with Rio Grande do Sul leading the pack at 110.2 thousand tons and São Paulo following closely with 32.9 thousand tons. However, peaches, being among the temperate fruits, possess a high susceptibility to spoilage due to their rapid post-harvest metabolism, resulting in quick loss of pulp firmness, rot, and withering. This accelerated ripening process curtails their shelf life, thus...