Category: Ecuador

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Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

ARGENTINA Argentina’s National University of Río Cuarto has developed an inoculant that hopes to improve sunflower growth under drought conditions. The technology consists of strains of the soil bacteria Bacillus pumilus (SF3 and SF4) and the endophytic (living in the plant) bacteria Achromobacter xylosoxidans (SF2) isolated from sunflowers under drought conditions. After fermenting these bacteria … Continue reading Pronghorns making a comeback in Mexico, pterosaurs in Brazil, and praying for dryland in Panama.

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Indigenous rights upheld in Colombia’s Tayrona Park, Bolivian farmland stressed by rising global quinoa demand, and obesity in Sao Paolo.

BOLIVIA Cultivated in the Andean highlands since 3000 B.C., quinoa is making waves in the global marketplace. With global demand for quinoa rising, countries like Bolivia are stressed to meet the rush. Bolivia is now producing 40 times as much quinoa as it did in 2000. But there are physical limits to quinoa’s growth. Last … Continue reading Indigenous rights upheld in Colombia’s Tayrona Park, Bolivian farmland stressed by rising global quinoa demand, and obesity in Sao Paolo.

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Thursday January 3

Rio de Janeiro’s polluted waterways, protecting Peru´s archaeological sites from Dakar damage, and more Latin American science moves towards open access BRAZIL Brazil’s government has pledged more than $300 million to clean up polluted waterways in Rio de Janeiro ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games. Not far from the planned site for 2016’s Olympic village sits Marapendi lagoon … Continue reading Thursday January 3

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Thursday December 20

Peru’s threatened anchovy fishery, new dinosaur found in Argentina, and Antarctica’s mosquito problem. ANTARCTICA An invasive species of mosquito (Eretmoptera murphyi) has been found in Antarctica and has some scientists worried about its effect on the continent. The mosquito, brought over by tourists and researchers alike, could deposit large amounts of nutrients in the soil … Continue reading Thursday December 20

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Thursday December 13

Walking Peru’s Nazca lines, studying airborne contaminants in Mexico, and looking at Ecuador’s receding glaciers. CHILE One of Latin America’s largest meat processing sites has been shut down in Chile following months of protests over the stench. Agrosuper’s pig processing plant in Freirina in northern Chile was closed in May of 2012 after fierce protests … Continue reading Thursday December 13

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Thursday December 6

A new butterfly found in Jamaica, Chile prepares for drought, and betting on Ecuador not to drill for oil. CHILE Scientists using the Magellan telescope in Chile have analyzed light coming from the most distant known quasar—the very energetic center of a galaxy—and found that it appears to be missing heavy elements like carbon and … Continue reading Thursday December 6

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Thursday October 4

Argentine scientists discover four new yeast species in Patagonian glaciers, stray dogs a health hazard in Mexico, and Chile opens up concessions for its lithium reserves. ARGENTINA Argentine scientists have identified four new strains of yeast in Patagonian glaciers and reported their findings in the journal Microbiology Ecology. The yeasts have adapted to living at … Continue reading Thursday October 4

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Thursday September 27

Ecuador dispatches scientific cruise to the Galapagos, genetically-modified mosquitoes combat dengue in Brazil, and Chile develops earthquake-resistant technology BRAZIL Genetically-modified mosquitoes released in Brazil have reduced the population of dengue-carrying mosquitoes in the region by 90%, according to the Brazilian science ministry. Another trial in the Cayman Islands have reduced dengue-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the … Continue reading Thursday September 27

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Thursday August 23

Cropdusters found guilty of illegal spraying near Cordoba, Argentina, Ecuador’s Tungurahua volcano spews lava and ash, and Chile to open up lithium mining. ARGENTINA UPDATE: In a landmark trial, a farmer and a pilot have been convicted of illegally cropdusting too close to a neighborhood in Cordoba, Argentina. This is the first time in Latin … Continue reading Thursday August 23

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Thursday August 16

Brazil’s Atlantic forests are losing mammal species, Argentine heart patients prescribed tango classes, and singing mice in Costa Rica may yield clues to human speech. ARGENTINA Patients in Buenos Aires recovering from heart surgery are being prescribed tango classes as part of their physical therapy. The Argentine rehabilitation program has been met with success and … Continue reading Thursday August 16

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Thursday July 12

An avian flu epidemic in Mexico, the ongoing cholera outbreak in Cuba and genetically-modified mosquitos to be released in Brazil ARGENTINA Argentina is planning on building a 173 square mile wind farm in Chubut province, Patagonia. The China Development Bank Corp. has offered a $3 billion loan to Generadora Eolica Argentina del Sur (Geassa) for … Continue reading Thursday July 12

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Thursday June 28

A new dinosaur found in Patagonia, a giant Galapagos tortoise dies and another Chilean energy project is delayed ARGENTINA Argentine paleontologists announced this week the discovery of a new genus and species (Bicentenaria argentina) of carnivorous dinosaur found in the country’s Neuquen province in northern Patagonia. The dinosaur measured 3 meters from tip to tail … Continue reading Thursday June 28