Stand density and growth of Norway spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> (L.) Karst.) and European beech (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagus sylvatica</Emphasis> L.): evidence from long-term experimental plots

On the basis of nine Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and ten European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) thinning experiments in Germany, for which both residual and removed stock had been registered first during 1870, I scrutinize how moderate and heavy thinning from below (B-, C-grade) affects the production of merchantable volume compared with light thinning (A-grade). In relation to A-grade, cumulative merchantable volume (CV) of B- and C-grade amounts in average to 103–107% in juvenile and to 97–102% in mature Norway spruce stands. The corresponding findings for European beech are 101–106% and 94–102%. CV of individual stands varies between 89% and 130% for Norway spruce and 73% and 155% for European beech (CV of A-grade = 100%). These findings are substantiated by the relation between stand density (SDI) and periodic annual increment (PAI). On the B- and C-grade plots of spruce and beech, respectively, SDI was reduced down to 41–91% and 31–83% of the A-grade. When SDI is reduced in young stands, PAI follows a unimodal curve. Norway spruce’s PAI culminates in 109% if SDI is reduced to 59%; European beech’s PAI culminates in 123% when density is reduced to 50%. Whereas Norway spruce’s growth reacts most positively on thinning under poor site conditions and with increment reduction on favourable sites, European beech behaves oppositely. With stand development the culmination point of the unimodal relation moves towards maximum density, so that in older stands PAI follows the increasing pattern, which is the left portion of a unimodal curve. A model is presented which apparently unifies contradictory patterns of stand density–growth reactions by integrating relative stand density, average tree size and site fertility effects, and makes the findings operable for forest management.     

Different clinical,virological, serological and tissue tropism outcomes of two new and one old Belgian type 1 subtype 1 porcine reproductive and respiratory virus (PRRSV) isolates

In this study, the pathogenic behavior of PRRSV 13V091 and 13V117, isolated in 2013 from two different Belgian farms with enzootic respiratory problems shortly after weaning in the nursery, were compared with the Belgian strain 07V063 isolated in 2007. Full-length genome sequencing was performed to identify their origin. Twelve weeks-old pigs were inoculated intranasally (IN) with 13V091, 13V117 or 07V063 (9 pigs/group). At 10 days post inoculation (dpi), 4 animals from each group were euthanized and tissues were collected for pathology, virological and serological analysis. 13V091 infection resulted in the highest respiratory disease scores and longest period of fever. Gross lung lesions were more pronounced for 13V091 (13%), than for 13V117 (7%) and 07V063 (11%). The nasal shedding and viremia was also most extensive with 13V091. The 13V091 group showed the highest virus replication in conchae, tonsils and retropharyngeal lymph nodes. 13V117 infection resulted in the lowest virus replication in lymphoid tissues. 13V091 showed higher numbers of sialoadhesin⁻ infected cells/mm² in conchae, tonsils and spleen than 13V117 and 07V063. Neutralizing antibody response with 07V063 was stronger than with 13V091 and 13V117. It can be concluded that (i) 13V091 is a highly pathogenic type 1 subtype 1 PRRSV strain that replicates better than 07V063 and 13V117 and has a strong tropism for sialoadhesin⁻ cells and (ii) despite the close genetic relationship between 13V117 and 07V063, 13V117 has an increased nasal replication and shedding, but a decreased replication in lymphoid tissues compared to 07V063.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-015-0166-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

体重决定猪回肠内的蛋白吸收率

<正>近期伊利诺伊大学的J.A.Almeida博士、 Hans H.Stein博士以及Carsten Pedersen博士联手展开体重对于标准化回肠蛋白质和氨基酸吸收率的影响试验,结论证明,20 kg以下的仔猪回肠对于粗蛋白和氨基酸的吸收率比20~50 kg的育成猪和50~110 kg的育肥猪低。而且同一猪群的不同猪只也表现出吸收率的差异性。例如,在测定的300只仔猪中粗蛋白和氨基酸的吸收率     

Investigation of the allergenic potential of wines fined with various proteinogenic fining agents by ELISA

Hidden allergens are a common problem in food safety that has been known for many years. This is why the European Parliament adopted Directive 2003/89/EC amending 2000/13/EC. In addition to specific ingredients, Directive 2003/89/EC also requests the declaration of specific products that were used in the production and could be a risk for allergic individuals. This also includes the declaration of fining agents and lysozyme used in wines. In fact, it could be assumed that fining agents would be almost completely removed during the manufacturing process; however, until now there has been no necessity to analyze wine for these fining agents. By applying enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), residuals of fining agent proteins and the stabilizer lysozyme were investigated in various German wines. The results showed no detectable amounts of fining agents in wines, except for dried egg white and lysozyme, both derived from hen's egg white. For those products, adverse reactions against treated wines could not be excluded.     

Nitrogen turnover and N2O production in the forest floor of beech stands as influenced by forest management

Effects of forest management (thinning) on gross ammonification, net ammonification, net nitrification, microbial biomass, and N₂O production were studied in the forest floor of adjacent untreated control (“C”) and thinned (“T”) plots in three beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) stands in the Swabian Jura (Southern Germany) during three intensive field campaigns in the year 2004. The investigated sites are located less than 1 km apart on the slopes of a narrow valley. Due to different exposure (southwest, northeast, northwest), the three sites are characterized by warm‐dry microclimate (southwest site, SW) and cool‐moist microclimate (northeast site, NE; and northwest site, NW). Measurements at the NW site covered the second year (13 to 20 months) after thinning, and measurements at the SW and NE sites covered the sixth year (61 to 68 months) after thinning. Mean gross ammonification varied insignificantly across the six plots (range: 37.5 ? 31.2 to 51.0 ? 10.5 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1). The SW site was characterized by very low net nitrification and nitrate (NO ) concentrations that were not significantly different between control and thinned plot. In contrast, for the thinned plot at the NE site (NET), significantly increased mean net nitrification (2.3 ? 1.2 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1 at the NET plot vs. 0.4 ? 0.2 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 d^–1 at the NEC plot) and mean extractable NO concentrations (43.9 ? 22.8 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 at the NET plot vs. 4.1 ? 0.8 mg N (kg dry soil)^–1 at the NEC plot) were observed. The differences in net nitrification and NO concentrations across the research plots were related to differences in the forest‐floor C : N ratios: net nitrification increased exponentially below a threshold C : N value of about 25. The results of this study indicate that the forest floor of the warm‐dry SW site is very resistant to N loss triggered by thinning due to high C : N ratios around 30. Under the cool‐moist microclimate of the NE site, a significantly lower C : N ratio of 22.1 at the thinned plot (control plot: 26.7) coincided with significantly increased net nitrification. Thus, different responses of net nitrification to thinning under different microclimate appear to be triggered by different C : N ratios. Nitrous oxide production was mainly governed by forest‐floor water content, and since differences in water content at adjacent control and thinned plots were low, N₂O production was not significantly different between adjacent control and thinned plots.     

Crown allometry and growing space requirements of four rare domestic tree species compared to oak and beech: implications for adaptive forest management

European Journal of Forest Research - Rare domestic tree species are increasingly being viewed as promising alternatives and additions to current main tree species in forests facing climate change....