Flood risk and associated impacts are major societal and policy concerns following widespread flooding in December 2015, which cost the UK economy an estimated £5 billion. Increasing advocacy for alternatives to conventional hard engineering solutions is accompanied by demands for evidence. This study provides a systematic review and meta‐analysis of direct evidence for the effect of tree cover on channel discharge. The results highlighted a deficiency in direct evidence. From 7 eligible studies of 156 papers reviewed, the results show that increasing tree cover has a small statistically significant effect on reducing channel discharge. Meta‐analysis reveals that tree cover reduces channel discharge (standardised mean difference −0.35, 95%CI, −0.71 to 0.00), but the effect was variable (I2 = 81.91%), the potential for confounding was high, and publication bias is strongly suspected (Egger Test z = 3.0568, p = .002). Due to the lack of direct evidence the overall strength of evidence is low, indicating high uncertainty. Further primary research is required to understand reasons for heterogeneity and reduce uncertainty. A Bayesian network parameterised with data from the meta‐analysis supports investment in integrated catchment management, particularly on infrastructure density and water storage (reservoirs), for effective responses to flood risk.
Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is attracting interest as a key contributor to global food and nutritional security. This study evaluated the effects of and interactions between sowing date (mid-April vs. early May) and variety ('Atlas' and 'Jessie') on the performance of quinoa in northeast England over three seasons (2016)(2017)(2018). Grain yield was about 1 Mg ha −1 on average across all treatments, associated with poor crop establishment (56.6%) and a prolonged crop growth cycle (165 d). The highest grain yield of 1.70 Mg ha −1 was achieved from the late-maturing variety Atlas in 2017, which was also supported by the highest harvest index and yield components. Grain yield, protein content, and Zn concentration were all significantly higher for the late sowing, whereas total antioxidant concentration was significantly higher in response to the early sowing date. Grain Zn (43.8 mg kg −1 ), Fe (123.1 mg kg −1 ), and protein (13.4%) concentrations were higher on average than those reported for major cereals with particularly high protein (14.8%) and Zn (63.8 mg kg −1 ) concentrations achieved in 2017. Despite the relatively low yield, varietal differences in crop yield and development can be targeted for future crop improvements to suit the cool temperate climate of northeast England.
INTRODUCTIONQuinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) has been identified by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations as one of the crops destined to offer food security in the next century and the year 2013 was designated as the International Year of Quinoa because of its potential contribution to sustainable food production . Quinoa grain has a range of nutritional benefits, including its gluten-free status, low glycemic index, and good balance of essential amino acids, fiber, lipids, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, which are increasing the demand for quinoa products globally (Alvarez-Jubete et al., 2010; Angioloni & Abbreviations: HI, harvest index; TGW, thousand-grain weight.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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