New patterns of the tree beta diversity and its determinants in the largest savanna and wetland biomes of South America

Clear and data-driven bioregionalizations can provide a framework to test hypotheses and base biodiversity conservation.Here we used occurrence and abundance data in combination with objective analytical methods to propose two bioregionalization schemes for tree species of the Cerrado and the Pantanal in South America.We also evaluated the contribution of three sets of determinants of the occurrence-and abundance-based subregions.We compiled data on tree species composition from 894 local assemblages based on species occurrences,and from 658 local assemblages based on species abundances.We used an unconstrained community-level modelling approach and clustering techniques to identify and map tree subregions for the occurrence and the abundance data sets,separately.Hierarchical clustering analyses were conducted to investigate floristic affinities between the subregions and to map broader floristic regions.We used multinomial logistic regression models,deviance partitioning,and rank-sum tests to assess the main subregion correlates.We identified 18 occurrence-and four abundance-based subregions in the Cerrado-Pantanal.The hierarchical classifications grouped the occurrence-based subregions into nine floristic zones and abundance-based subregions into two broad floristic zones.Variation in subregions were explained mainly by environmental factors and spatial structure in both occurrence and abundance data sets.The occurrence-and abundance-based subregions are complementary approaches to disentangle macroecological patterns and to plan conservation efforts in the Cerrado and the Pantanal.Our findings based on occurrence data revealed more complex and interdigitated boundaries between subregions of tree species than previously reported.The environment,historical stability,and human effects act in a synergetic way on the distribution of the subregions.Finally,the relevance of contemporary environmental factors to the subregion patterns we found alert us to the profound impact global warming may have on the spatial organization of the Cerrado-Pantanal tree flora.

A Review on Clustering Methods for Climatology Analysis and Its Application over South America

South America’s climatic diversity is a product of its vast geographical expanse, encompassing tropical to subtropical latitudes. The variations in precipitation and temperature across the region stem from the influence of distinct atmospheric systems. While some studies have characterized the prevailing systems over South America, they often lacked the utilization of statistical techniques for homogenization. On the other hand, other research has employed multivariate statistical methods to identify homogeneous regions regarding temperature and precipitation, but their focus has been limited to specific areas, such as the south, southeast, and northeast. Surprisingly, there is a lack of work that compares various multivariate statistical techniques to determine homogeneous regions across the entirety of South America concerning temperature and precipitation. This paper aims to address this gap by comparing three such techniques: Cluster Analysis (K-means and Ward) and Self Organizing Maps, using data from different sources for temperature (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CRU) and precipitation (ERA5, ERA5-Land, and CPC). Spatial patterns and time series were generated for each region over the period 1981-2010. The results from this analysis of spatially homogeneous regions concerning temperature and precipitation have the potential to significantly benefit climate analysis and forecasts. Moreover, they can offer valuable insights for various climatological studies, guiding decision-making processes in diverse fields that rely on climate information, such as agriculture, disaster management, and water resources planning.

Epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease in South America: A systematic review

BACKGROUND The worldwide epidemiology of inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)is rapidly changing.Increasing Crohn’s disease(CD)and ulcerative colitis(UC)incidence and prevalence have been recorded in developing regions such as Asia,Africa and Eastern Europe where it was previously thought to be uncommon.Whether this is also the case in South America is not well known.Demonstration that developing regions worldwide have increasing IBD incidence would indicate that environmental change plays a significant role in the development of IBD.AIM To report the incidence,prevalence and disease characteristics of CD and UC within the South American continent.METHODS A systematic review was conducted by searching published studies in major international and regional databases(MEDLINE,EMBASE and Scopus)between January 1990 and December 2018.Outcomes considered were incidence,prevalence,phenotype,environmental and genetic factors,ethnicity and gender.A pair of independent reviewers screened and reviewed all identified articles.RESULTS One hundred and sixty two citations were initially retrieved with 18 studies included in this systematic review.The majority of included studies were from Brazil(n=13,72%).The incidence of UC ranged from 4.3-5.3/100000 personyears whilst the incidence of CD ranged from 0.74-3.5/100000 person-years.Prevalence ranged from 15.0-24.1/100000 inhabitants for UC and from 2.4-14.1/100000 inhabitants for CD.The incidence and prevalence of both UC and CD has increased significantly in Brazil over the past 21 years.Pancolitis was the most common disease distribution in patients with UC whilst colonic involvement was the most common distribution in CD.People residing in urban areas were at higher risk of developing both CD and UC.CONCLUSION The IBD burden in South America is increasing at a rate possibly even greater than other developing regions around the world.There is a paucity of highquality epidemiological studies and further robust and representative data are required to further explore modifiable risk factors and disease phenotypes.

Biogeographic diversification in Nolana(Solanaceae),a ubiquitous member of the Atacama and Peruvian Deserts along the western coast of South America

The present paper reconstructs the biogeographic diversification for Nolana L.f. （Solanaceae）, a genus of 89 endemic species largely restricted to fog-dependent desert lomas formations of coastal Peru and Chile. Previous efforts have reconstructed a phylogenetic estimate for Nolana using a combination of molecular markers. Herein, we expand on those results to examine hypotheses of biogeographic origins and diversification patterns. Nolana occupies habitats within a continuous coastal desert and forms a terrestrial archipelago of discrete ＂islands＂ unique in size, topography, and species composition. Each locality contains at least one Nolana species and many contain multiple species in sympatry. The genus has a Chilean origin, with the basal clades confined to Chile with wide geographic and ecological distributions. Peru contains two strongly supported clades, suggesting two introductions with subsequent radiation. A Chilean clade of shrubby, small-flowered species appears to have had its origins from the same ancestors of the second line that radiated in Peru and northern Chile. Nolana galapagensis is endemic to the Islas Galapagos, with origins traced to Peruvian taxa with a divergence time of 0.35 mya. Rates of diversification over the past 4.02 mya in Nolana, in one of the driest habitats on Earth, suggest rapid adaptive radiation in several clades. Success in Nolana may be attributed to characters that confer a competitive advantage in unpredictable and water-dependent environments, such as succulent leaf anatomy and ecophysiology, and the reproductive mericarp unique to Nolana. The processes affecting or shaping the biota of western South America are discussed.

African Cassava Whitefly,Bemisia tabaci,Resistance in African and South American Cassava Genotypes

The whitefly,Bemisia tabaci,is a major pest of cassava,particularly in Africa where it is responsible both for the transmission of plant viruses and,increasingly,for direct damage due to feeding by high populations.To date,there have been no practical solutions to combat this emerging problem,due to the inability of the subsistence farmers that grow cassava to afford expensive inputs such as insecticides.A programme of research was carried out linking institutes in Africa,the UK and South America,to identify possible resistance sources in cassava to the whitefly,Bemisia tabaci.The South American genotype MEcu 72 and several Ugandan cassava landraces including Ofumba Chai,Nabwire 1 and Mercury showed good levels of resistance to B.tabaci.Field and screen-house experiments showed that all of the improved,high-yielding cassava mosaic disease（CMD）resistant cassava genotypes assessed were highly susceptible to B.tabaci and supported high populations of all life stages.These data support the hypothesis that the continuing high populations of cassava B.tabaci in Uganda are due,in part,to the widespread adoption of CMD-resistant cassava varieties during the CMD pandemic.They also show that the whitefly,Aleurotrachelus socialis,resistance present in the South American cassava genotypes could have broader applicability in the Old World.

Complex causes and consequences of rangeland greening in South America -multiple interacting natural and anthropogenic drivers and simultaneous ecosystem degradation and recovery trends

Land-surface greening has been reported globally over the past decades.While often seen to represent ecosystem recovery,the impacts on biodiversity and society can also be negative.Greening has been widely reported from rangelands,where drivers and processes are complex due to its high environmental heterogeneity and societal dynamics.Here,we assess the complexity behind greening and assess its links to various drivers in an iconic,heterogeneous rangeland area,the IberáWetlands and surroundings,in Argentina.Time-series satellite imagery over the past 19 years showed overall net greening,but also substantial local browning both in protected and unprotected areas,linking to land use,temporal changes in surface water,fire,and weather.We found substantial woody expansion mainly in the unprotected land,with 37%contributed by tree plantations and the remaining 63%by spontaneous woody expansion,along with widespread transitions from terrestrial land to seasonal surface water.Fire occurrences tended to reduce greening with unprotected areas experiencing widespread and frequent fire.However,protected areas had more browning in unburnt areas than burned areas.Temporal variation in annual precipitation and temperature tended to nonlinearly influence fire occurrences with an interplay of human fire management,further shaping the vegetation greening,pointing to high complexity behind the observed rangeland greening involving interactions among local drivers.Our findings highlight that the observed overall greening is an outcome of multiple trends with clear negative impacts on biodiversity and the local livestock-oriented culture(notably expanding tree plantations)and spontaneous vegetation dynamics,partly involving spontaneous woody expansion.The latter has positive potential for biodiversity and ecosystem services in terms of woodland recovery,but can become negative in such a natural savanna region if expansions develop on a too broad scale,highlighting the importance of ensuring recovery of natural fire and herbivory regimes in protected areas along with sustainable rangeland management elsewhere.

Survival after curative pancreaticoduodenectomy for ampullary adenocarcinoma in a South American population:A retrospective cohort study

BACKGROUND Ampullary adenocarcinoma(AAC)is a rare neoplasm that accounts for only 0.2%of all gastrointestinal cancers.Its incidence rate is lower than 6 cases per million people.Different prognostic factors have been described for AAC and are associated with a wide range of survival rates.However,these studies have been exclusively conducted in patients originating from Asian,European,and North American countries.AIM To evaluate the histopathologic predictors of overall survival(OS)in South American patients with AAC treated with curative pancreaticoduodenectomy(PD).METHODS We analyzed retrospective data from 83 AAC patients who underwent curative(R0)PD at the National Cancer Institute of Peru between January 2010 and October 2020 to identify histopathologic predictors of OS.RESULTS Sixty-nine percent of patients had developed intestinal-type AAC(69%),23%had pancreatobiliary-type AAC,and 8%had other subtypes.Forty-one percent of patients were classified as Stage I,according to the AJCC 8 th Edition.Recurrence occurred primarily in the liver(n=8),peritoneum(n=4),and lung(n=4).Statistical analyses indicated that T3 tumour stage[hazard ratio(HR)of 6.4,95%confidence interval(CI)of 2.5-16.3,P<0.001],lymph node metastasis(HR:4.5,95%CI:1.8-11.3,P=0.001),and pancreatobiliary type(HR:2.7,95%CI:1.2-6.2,P=0.025)were independent predictors of OS.CONCLUSION Extended tumour stage(T3),pancreatobiliary type,and positive lymph node metastasis represent independent predictors of a lower OS rate in South American AAC patients who underwent curative PD.

Depth to the bottom of magnetic layer in South America and its relationship to Curie isotherm,Moho depth and seismicity behavior

We have estimated the DBML（depth to the bottom of the magnetic layer） in South America from the inversion of magnetic anomaly data extracted from the EMAG2 grid. The results show that the DBML values, interpreted as the Curie isotherm, vary between -10 and -60 km. The deepest values（〉-45） are mainly observed forming two anomalous zones in the central part of the Andes Cordillera. To the east of the Andes, in most of the stable cratonic area of South America, intermediate values（between -25 and-45 km） are predominant. The shallowest values（〈-25 km） are present in northwestern corner of South America, southern Patagonia, and in a few sectors to the east of the Andes Cordillera. Based on these results, we estimated the heat flow variations along the study area and found a very good correlation with the DBML. Also striking is the observation that the thermal anomalies of low heat flow are closely related to segments of flat subduction, where the presence of a cold and thick subducting oceanic slab beneath the continent, with a virtual absence of hot mantle wedge, leads to a decrease in the heat transfer from the deeper parts of the system.After comparing our results with the Moho depths reported by other authors, we have found that the Curie isotherm is deeper than Moho in most of the South American Platform（northward to -20°S）, which is located in the stable cratonic area at the east of the Andes. This is evidence that the lithospheric mantle here is magnetic and contributes to the long wavelength magnetic signal. Also, our results support the hypothesis that the Curie isotherm may be acting as a boundary above which most of the crustal seismicity is concentrated. Below this boundary the occurrence of seismic events decreases dramatically.

Assessment of Climate Change over South America under RCP 4.5 and 8.5 Downscaling Scenarios

Four sets of downscaling simulations based on the Eta Regional Climate Model forced by two global climate models, the HadGEM2-ES and the MIROC5, and two RCP scenarios—8.5 and 4.5, have been carried out. The objective of this work is to assess the climate change over South America based on the Eta simulations. The future changes are shown in timeslices of 30 years: 2011-2040;2041-2070 and 2071-2100. The climate change response of the Eta simulations nested in HadGEM2-ES is larger than the Eta nested in MIROC5. Major warming area is located in the central part of Brazil. In austral summer, the reduction of precipitation in the central part and the increase in the southeastern part of the continent are common changes in these simulations, while the EtaHadGEM2-ES intensifies the decrease of precipitation in central Brazil, the Eta-MIROC5 expands the area of increase of precipitation in southern Brazil toward the end of the century. In austral winter, precipitation decrease is found in the northern part of South America and in most of Central America, whereas the reduction in southeastern South America is limited to near coastal region. The time series of temperatures show that warming trends are larger in the Eta-HadGEM2-ES than in the Eta-MIROC5 simulations. Heavier precipitation rates are projected in the Central-South of Brazil toward the end of the century. Increase in the length of consecutive dry days (CDD) in Northeast of Brazil and the decrease of consecutive wet days (CWD) in the Amazon region are common features in these simulations.

Mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling induced feedback to the ocean in the western coast of South America

The feedback induced by mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling to the ocean in the western coast of South America was studied using the Regional Ocean Modeling System(ROMS).To represent the feedback,an empirical mesoscale wind stress perturbation model was constructed from satellite observations,and was incorporated into the ocean model.Comparing two experiments with and without the mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling,it was found that SST in the mesoscale coupling experiment was reduced in the western coast of South America,with the maximum values of 0.5℃in the Peru Sea and 0.7℃in the Chile Sea.A mixed layer heat budget analysis indicates that horizontal advection is the main term that explains the reduction in SST.Specifically,the feedback induced by mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling to the ocean can enhance vertical velocity in the nearshore area through the Ekman pumping,which brings subsurface cold water to the sea surface.These results indicate that the feedback due to the mesoscale wind stress-SST coupling to the ocean has the potential for reducing the warm SST bias often seen in the large-scale climate model simulations in this region.

Evidence of An Early Cretaceous Giant Dyke Swarm in Northeast Brazil(South America):A Geodynamic Overview

The Mesozoic break-up and drifting of the Equatorial Atlantic margin in the northeast Brazil(South America)is characterized by a modest magmatic activity compared with the Southern Atlantic margin,where the Paraná-

Spatial Distribution of CO2 Concentration over South America during ENSO Episodes by Using GOSAT Data

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the most important greenhouse gases;its concentration and distribution have important implications on climate change. The El Ni?o Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the Earth’s strongest climate fluctuation on inter-annual time scales and has global impacts. However, to date, there is no research on how ENSO affects the spatial distribution of CO2 concentration. In this study, we used spatial CO2 data from the ENVIronmentSATellite (ENVISAT) and the Greenhouse Gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT), the long duration monthly mean atmospheric CO2 from Mauna Loa Observatory, Multivariate ENSO Index (MEI) from Earth System Research Laboratory to analyze the way that ENSO affects spatial distribution of CO2 concentration in South America, which is affected by ENSO seriously. Our research revealed that monthly CO2 growth rate has a moderate, positive correlation relationship with MEI. We used geostatistics to predict and simulate the spatial distribution of CO2 and found that in south of 12°S, CO2 concentration of ENSO warm episode is lower than the one of ENSO cold and neutral episodes. ENSO impacts CO2 spatial distribution mainly in November, December, January and February;moderate-high concentration zone of ENSO warm episode more concentrates in the northern part of South America.

Climate Fields over South America and Variability of SACZ and PSA in HadGEM2-ES

Historical simulations (present climate) and projections under RCP8.5 scenario (future climate) by HadGEM2-ES of temperature and precipitation are analyzed during the four seasons in South America. Projections of precipitation are discussed in terms of atmospheric circulation. The South Atlantic Convergence Zone (SACZ) and the Pacific South America (PSA) patterns are analyzed in simulations of present climate and in future climate projections. The model shows small systematic errors over South America, larger close to the northern South American coast in DJF and MAM. The seasonal variability of precipitation, temperature and wind fields is very well reproduced, mainly the summer/winter differences. The SACZ and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) are well simulated. The good model performance to reproduce the precipitation, temperature and wind fields, in the present climate, gives confidence in the projection results subject to the future scenarios. Changes from the present time to the future indicate increased precipitation over southern and southeastern Brazil and areas nearby and the tropical western South American coast. Reduced precipitation is projected over eastern Amazonia, northern South America and southern Chile. The changes are related to changes in the low level wind flow over the tropical North Atlantic, which reduces the advection of moisture to the continent and also to the increased low level flow over central South America southwards, which increases the humidity in the southern regions. The upper level flow changes are also consistent with the precipitation changes. There is a weakening of the Bolivian High and a strengthening of the subtropical jet over the continent. The SACZ dipole pattern is well simulated and in the future projections the southern center anomalies are more intense than in the present time. The PSA1 and PSA2 patterns are well represented in the present climate, but in the future projection only one dominant mode is identified as the typical teleconnection over the Pacific and South America.

Projecting Extreme Changes in Summer Rainfall in South America by the Middle of the 21st Century

Extreme rainfall events can be considered a natural manifestation of the environment in which they are embedded and foreknowledge about their future behavior is very important, especially for decision makers. In this context, we aimed to explore the future behavior of extreme rainfall intensity through numerical simulations with the ETA model. The model was forced with a scenario of high greenhouse gas emissions for the middle of the 21st Century as described for A1B emission scenario. We detailed the main changes in accumulated rainfall produced by heavy events, very heavy events and rare events over a broad area of South America with a focus on the tropical sector. The methodology applied here is capable of separating extreme events and establishing the quantity of rainfall yielded by them. We have found that in the near future (2041-2050) rare events will tend to increase over the Amazon basin, followed by reductions in heavy and very heavy events. Conversely, heavy, very heavy and rare events are expected to decline over north-east Brazil. Furthermore, increases were found for heavy, very heavy and rare events over southern Brazil.

Climate Projections and Uncertainties over South America from MRI/JMA Global Model Experiments

This paper analyses the climate change projected for the near and distant future in South America using MRI/JMA (Japanese Meteorological Agency) global model simulations with resolutions of 20 and 60 km. Changes in mean climate, as well as in the annual cycles and interannual variability of temperature and precipitation are discussed. An analysis is also made of the uncertainties of the 60 km resolution model experiments. For the near and distant future, both, the 20 km and 60 km resolution MRI/JMA models project that temperature changes will be positive in all seasons. The greatest values of change are over the Andes and over tropical and subtropical latitudes of the study region. In all the subregions analysed, the 20 km model projects greater changes in the annual cycle of mean temperature than the 60 km model. Changes in summer precipitation are positive over most of the continent, except for southern Chile. Autumn precipitation is projected to increase over northern Argentina and north-western South America and to decrease over central Chile in winter, which might be due to the southward shift of the Pacific storm-track. The most significant positive change in Southeastern South America (SESA) is projected to occur in spring precipitation. In general, projected changes in the annual cycle are greater in the rainy seasons of each subregion. No significant changes are expected in the interannual variability of temperature and precipitation. La Plata basin is projected to experience increased runoff, which would indicate that the projected rise in precipitation would have stronger effect than projected warming. The analysis of climate projection uncertainties revealed that temperature projections are more reliable than precipitation projections;and that uncertainty in near future simulations is greater than in simulations of the end of the century.

Distribution,Properties,Land Use and Management of Mollisols in South America

Mollisols are common in South America. They cover about 8.87 × 10 7 ha, 1.3 × 10 7 ha and 4.3 × 10 6 ha in Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil respectively, which is 11.5% of the world total. Most of South American Mol- lisols were developed on Pleistocene and Holocene sediments and lie within the limits of the temperate zone, though the extreme north is bordering subtropical and the extreme south is within a cold-temperate zone. All suborders of Mollisols occur in Argentina, the most extensive being Udolls followed by Ustolls, whereas only Udolls, Aquolls and Albolls occur in Uruguay. Vertisols in Uruguay have many properties similar to Mollisols, and the occurrence of Vertisols is strongly associated with Mollisols. The Pampean Mollisols are a significant component of the global breadbasket of modern times. The main Argentine crops are wheat,corn,sorghum, barley, soybeans and sunflower, while Mollisols in Uruguay remain mostly dedicated to cattle and sheep grazing though crop production has been increasing very rapidly in the last decade. Throughout South America, research has shown that Mollisols are experiencing losses of soil organic matter and nutrients, and degradation of physical properties after long cropping periods, resulting in soil scientists calling for increased conservation practices to reduce future losses and a deterioration of soil quality, and thus a more sustainable agriculture in the region.

Deep and Ultra-Deep Earthquakes Worldwide, Possible Anomalies in South America

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the worldwide variation of deep and ultra-deep earthquakes (DQ and UDQ) during the period 1996-2017. This project found only three locations around the globe presenting this kind of seismicity. Although there are other global settings showing deep seismicity, they are not periodical and cannot be considered by a statistical view. The three areas with intense activity for DQ and UDQ events are located mostly in subduction areas. The largest variations of DQ and UDQ border the Pacific Ocean and include the North Pacific, South Pacific, and South America. The major difference in this set is that the first two sites are subduction zones and the South American occurrences happened in the interior of the continent. Another anomaly is an internal layer between 300 - 500 km in South America that shows no tremors in the period studied. However, below 500 km activity reappears, even at extreme depths of up to 650 km. We suggested that the reason for those occurrences would be due to an anomaly in the asthenosphere in this region. This anomaly would probably be presenting a breakable material that was pushed by the Nazca platform against the South America plate. Other depths below 100 km in all the regions are discussed as well. We suggested that the reason for those occurrences was an anomaly created in the asthenosphere as part of the process of the South America collision with the Nazca plate. Part of the Nazca plate has subducted below South America, creating a slab as deep as 500 km. The convergent slab is still moving against South America and sinking due to the gravity and rotation of the Earth. The discrepancies in the occurrences we tracked at different locations indicated that this slab had different thicknesses around South America. We found similar results for Vanuatu and Fiji;in these regions UDQ events occur at the subduction zones under the ocean with depths greater than 700 km. Here, a possible explanation is that part of the lithosphere is subducted at these depths and is causing tremors.

Advances in Assessment of Geothermal Resources of South America

Updated data for 1417 localities have been assembled for purposes of assessments of geothermal resources in South America. Analyses of these data sets have allowed improved estimates of geothermal resource base and recoverable resources for thirteen countries in the continent. The results obtained have also allowed identification of more than 20 crustal blocks where the resource base per unit area (referred to the accessible depth limit of 3 km) is in the range of 100 to 1000 Giga Joules, while the recoverable resources per unit area are in the range of 1 to 100 Giga Joules. Most of the high temperature resources occur within regions of recent tectonic activities in southern and central Chile, highlands regions in Bolivia, and several localities along the magmatic arc covering western Ecuador, central volcanic belt of Colombia and northern Venezuela. In addition, isolated pockets of geothermal resources have been identified along the eastern Andean belt of Peru. There are indications of occurrence of medium and low temperature geothermal resources at depths of 1 to 3 km in several regions in the eastern sectors of the continent, mainly in the northeastern and central parts of Brazil. In addition, considerable progress has been made in assessments of low temperature resources associated with deep fracture systems in Precambrian terrains. Progress has also been achieved in assessment of low temperature resources in deep aquifers of Paleozoic sedimentary basins. The results of such estimates are currently being considered for planning large-scale exploitation of the Guarani aquifer system, which spans over large areas of western Uruguay, northern Argentina and southern Brazil.

Contemporary Crustal Motion and Deformation of South America Plate

This paper presents the contemporary motion and active deformation of South America plate and relative motion of Nazca-South America plate using space geodetic data. The South America plate is moving at average 14.5 mm/a with an azimuth of 15.2° and shrinking in the west-east at 10.9 mm/a. The geodetic deformations of sites with respect to the South America plate are in quite good agreement with the estimated deformations from NNR-NUVEL1A, but the deformation of the western South America regions is very large.

Energy Integration in South America Region and the Energy Sustainability of the Nations

The objective of this manuscript is to analyze relation involving the energy sector and socioeco-nomic growth and, then, contextualize the process of energy integration within the development policies in South America. The methodology considers data related to the world’s economy and energy consumption and energy integration policy in countries and regions;and, South America’s energy potential and the energy integration process. Results show that despite the political and institutional difficulties involving the process, energy integration can bring a lot of benefits for countries development. The process of energy integration in South America is divided in three moments, but in both periods the transnational energy projects were restricted, mostly, by a bi-lateral plan and the creation of physical links in a region. In the 21th century’s context, it should be noted Brazil’s participation which has been consolidated as a lead country in this process, and, also the IIRSA (Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in South America, nowadays renamed as COSIPLAN) like the main initiative in energy integration in the continent, in a context where the projects are no longer limited to traditional economic blocs. Finally, we note a lack of consensus in defining a comprehensive model of integration and solving asymmetries both within countries and between them.