Soil protection for a sustainable future: options for a soil monitoring network for Ireland

The increased recognition of the importance of soil is reflected in the UN Post‐2015 Development Agenda with sustainable development goals that directly and indirectly relate to soil quality and protection. Despite a lack of legally binding legislation for soil protection, the European Commission remains committed to the objective of soil protection. However, the achievement of a legally binding framework for soil protection relies on the implementation of a soil monitoring network (SMN) that can detect changes to soil quality over time. As beneficiaries do not pay for the provision of soil information, the options for soil monitoring are limited. The use of existing data sets should be considered first. Using Ireland as an example, this research explored the opportunities for a SMN for Ireland considering three existing national data sets. The options for a SMN are considered in terms of their spatial and stratified distribution, the parameters to be measured and an economic analysis of the options proposed. This research finds that for Ireland, either a 10 or a 16 km² grid interval stratified by land use and drainage class offers the best potential in relation to the spatial distribution of existing data sets to reflect local data at a national level. With existing data, the stratified SIS data using the 16 km² grid offers the best value for money, with baseline costs for analysis, excluding field costs, of between €706 481 and €2.8 million. Acknowledging the impossibility of measuring all parameters with ideal frequency, this study proposes a two‐tier system for optimized monitoring frequency. Parameters must anticipate future policy requirements. Finally, the implementation of a SMN must be accompanied by standardized methods, defined thresholds and action mandates to maintain soil quality within allowable limits.     

Drivers of fine-scale avian functional diversity with changing land use: an assessment of the effects of eco-estate housing development and management

Landscape Ecology - The effects of changing land use, and especially urbanisation, on species and functional diversity are of global concern. Eco-estates are a form of urban housing development...     

基于landsat8的贵州省2015年农业干旱监测研究

在全球气候变暖背景下,干旱普遍发生,而农业干旱对国民经济发展的影响尤为明显,同时农业干旱还威胁着国家的粮食安全和生态安全。基于贵州省2015年不同季节的landsat8 OIL遥感数据,利用影像数据所获取的植被覆盖指数和地表温度数据,拟合植被指数(NDVI)和地表温度(LST)的特征空间,设计得到贵州省2015年春、夏、秋、冬四个不同季节的不同的土壤湿度,将TVDI作为监测农业干旱状况的指标,得到贵州省2015年的农业干旱时空分布图。结果表明,土壤含水率的高低与植被覆盖和地表温度有关,且TVDI更适宜中等植被覆盖的土壤湿度反演。贵州省2015年全年旱情较缓,各地区均不存在春旱或伏旱,只有冬季绝大部分地区土壤含水率较低,更有力地促进了农业干旱的发生。因此,对农业干旱的监测研究为贵州省农业干旱的监测管理提供有力依据,为今后减少农业干旱的影响和进一步促进农业社会经济可持续发展具有重要的现实意义。     

红叶山茶(Camellia japonica)叶片色素含量与叶色参数的相关性分析

以3个红叶山茶品种‘红叶黑魔法’、‘黑魔法’和‘黑蛋石’为试验材料,分别测定叶片不同发育阶段叶绿素、类胡萝卜素、总花青苷含量及叶色参数L~*、a~*、b~*值,并通过相关性分析探讨叶色参数与叶片色素含量变化之间的关系。结果表明,首先,3个不同发育阶段叶片中叶绿素a、叶绿素b和类胡萝卜素含量呈上升趋势,不同品种同一发育阶段的色素含量相近。‘红叶黑魔法’和‘黑蛋石’叶片总花青苷含量在新叶展开10 d左右达到最大值,此后极显著下降,而‘黑魔法’叶片的花青苷含量则变化不大。其次,从色素比值来看,在新叶展开10 d时,花青苷的所占比值最大,‘红叶黑魔法’和‘黑蛋石’的花青苷比值分别达到87.88%和79.08%,极显著地高于叶绿素所占比值。到50 d时,花青苷比值下降至31.74%和23.68%,且3个品种花青苷含量相近,而叶绿素和类胡萝卜素比例则显著增加,这一结果较好地解释了这3个品种叶片的呈色变化,说明花青苷含量及其各种色素含量的比例变化是导致红叶山茶叶色变化的主要原因。最后,3个品种的a*值均与花青苷含量呈显著正相关,而与叶绿素a、叶绿素b、类胡萝卜素呈负相关,a~*值可作为描述红叶山茶品种叶色变化的代表性参数。     

磷供应水平对盆花月季'仙境'生长和品质的影响

以盆花月季'仙境'为试材,采用根部浇灌方式,设置0(P0)、10 (P10)、20(P20)、30(P30)g·柱-14个磷供应水平,研究了磷水平对盆花月季'仙境'根系生长、不同器官氮磷养分吸收、叶片SPAD值以及开花品质(花朵数量、花径、花朵干质量等)的影响,以期为月季养分管理提供参考依据.结果 表明:磷不同供应水平明显改变了'仙境'的根系形态,P20和P30处理较P0和P10处理,总根长增加了81％～111％,总根表面积扩大了133％～196％,细根总长度增加了95％～119％.植株不同器官(新生叶片、新生枝条和根系)生物量和氮、磷养分积累量表现出与根系生长类似的趋势.与P0和P10处理相比,P20和P30处理单株花朵数量增加128％～206％,叶片SPAD值增加16％～21％.与对照P0相比,P10、P20和P30花径分别增加12％、19％和24％.植株总根长与总氮和总磷吸收量表现出显著的正相关关系.综上所述,盆花月季'仙境'对不同磷供应水平表现出高度的根形态可塑性,适宜的磷供应水平促进根系生长和养分吸收,提高开花数量和品质.     

Verrucosamide,a Cytotoxic 1,4-Thiazepane-Containing Thiodepsipeptide from a Marine-Derived Actinomycete

A new cytotoxic thiodepsipeptide, verrucosamide (1), was isolated along with the known, related cyclic peptide thiocoraline, from the extract of a marine-derived actinomycete, a Verrucosispora sp., our strain CNX-026. The new peptide, which is composed of two rare seven-membered 1,4-thiazepane rings, was elucidated by a combination of spectral methods and the absolute configuration was determined by a single X-ray diffraction study. Verrucosamide (1) showed moderate cytotoxicity and selectivity in the NCI 60 cell line bioassay. The most susceptible cell lines were MDA-MB-468 breast carcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.26 µM, and COLO 205 colon adenocarcinoma with an LD₅₀ of 1.4 µM. Also isolated along with verrucosamide were three small 3-hydroxy(alkoxy)-quinaldic acid derivatives that appear to be products of the same biosynthetic pathway.     

Cryptococcal osteomyelitis in a dog

Osteomyelitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans was diagnosed in a three-year-old male Irish wolfhound. The case details and radiological findings of radiolucency and periosteal reaction of the left third metatarsal bone had lead to an initial diagnosis of a malignant bone tumour. Biopsy revealed a fungal granuloma and culture identified the causal organism. A four month course of ketaconazole was instigated and the lameness resolved. Twelve months after the end of treatment there was no recurrence of the problem.