Water yield and biomass production for on a eucalypt-dominated Mediterranean catchment under different climate scenarios

Worldwide,forests are vital in the regulation of the water cycle regulation and in water balance allocation.Knowledge of ecohydrological responses of production forests is essential to support management strategies,especially where water is already scarce.Shifting climatological patterns are expected to impact thermopluviometric regimes,water cycle components,hydrological responses,and plant physiology,evapotranspiration rates,crop productivity and land management operations.This work(1)assessed the impacts of different predicted climate conditions on water yield;(2)inferred the impacts of climate change on biomass production on eucalypt-to-eucalypt succes sion.To this end,the widely accepted Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT)was run with the RCA,HIRHAM5 and RACMO climate models for two emission scenarios(RCP 4.5 and8.5).Three 12-year periods were considered to simulate tree growth under coppice regime.The results revealed an overall reduction in streamflow and water yield in the catchment in line with the projected reduction in total annual precipitation.Moreover,HIRHAM5 and RACMO models forecast a slight shift in seasonal streamflow of up to 2 months(for2024-2048)in line with the projected increase in precipitation from May to September.For biomass production,the extreme climate model(RCA)and severe emis sion scenario(RCP 8.5)predicted a decrease up to 46%.However,in the less extreme and more-correlated(with actual catchment climate conditions)climate models(RACMO and HIRHAM5)and in the less extreme emission scenario(RCP 4.5),biomass production increased(up to 20%),and the growth cycle was slightly reduced.SWAT was proven to be a valuable tool to assess climate change impacts on a eucalypt-dominated catchment and is a suitable decision-support tool for forest managers.

Green Tea(Camellia sinensis):Hypocholesterolemic Effects in Humans and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in Animals

In its essence, tea is an infusion of Camellia sinensis leaves and it is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, aside water. Animal and epidemiological studies have associated green tea consumption with several health benefits, which include hypocholesterolemic effect and anti-in-flammatory activity. In this study catechins levels of green tea and its effect on the lipid profile of humans were evaluated as well as the protective effects against H2O2-mediated damage in human fibroblasts and anti-inflammatory activity of (–)-epigallocatechingallate (EGCG). The daily consumption of 1200 mL of green tea for 30 days by 15 human volunteers promoted the decrease of cholesterol and LDL levels after 15 days, but this effect was not persistent after 30 days. No changes were observed in lipid profile after the consumption of green tea capsules. EGCG, a major green tea catechin, demonstrated an anti-inflammatory action in rats and an antioxidant effect in cultured human fibroblasts.