Environmental Change and the Sustainability of European Forests

Summary

It is some years now since forest decline was a major public concern in Europe and was one of the principal environmental issues around which international research programs were focused. A number of internationally coordinated activities were initiated in the 1980s and 1990s and have continued until now; these contributed significantly to our current understanding of forestry and to the way in which forestry policies have developed. In short, the concept of sustainable development has had an increasing influence and is now of immeasurable value in forest policy, with sustainable forest management well established as its guiding principle. This sequence of events is examined here. The extent to which understanding has advanced is remarkable; much has changed. Arguably this period gave the first indication of the extent to which forests and ecosystems globally are threatened by environmental change. On the basis of the last 20 years, it is tempting to conclude that we now have an effective institutional framework and have made excellent progress. However, some of the recorded ecosystem responses seem anomalous; there are surprises in system responses, e.g., the linkage between sulphur and nitrogen depositions and forest growth. Even more importantly some specific pollutant problems remain and will intensify, and climate change has become an environmental issue of overwhelming importance.     

The value of incorporating carcass trait phenotypes in terminal sire selection indexes to improve carcass weight and quality of heavy lambs

Genetic selection for carcass traits is paramount to maximize the profitability and long‐term sustainability of any meat‐producing livestock species. The main objectives of this research were to evaluate the efficiency of indicator traits for the genetic improvement of lamb carcass traits and to determine the value of including carcass traits into terminal sire selection indexes for the Canadian sheep industry. The carcass traits included hot carcass weight (HCW), fat depth at the GR site (FATGR) and average carcass conformation score (AVGCONF), and were measured on heavy lambs (slaughter age less than 365 days and HCW greater than 16.3 kg) in commercial abattoirs. Growth traits were found to be moderately efficient indicator traits for the genetic improvement of HCW but selection on ultrasound traits was necessary to substantially improve the carcass quality traits (FATGR and AVGCONF). Economic selection indexes were designed by adding various combinations of carcass traits into the Canadian Sheep Genetic Evaluation System terminal indexes. Records measured on individuals and progeny were assumed to be the sources of information for live animal and carcass traits, respectively. The changes in index accuracy, efficiency and expected correlated response were used to assess the value of their inclusion. HCW was found to have a large economic value, and its inclusion into terminal selection indexes was expected to substantially increase their accuracy (0.08–0.12 points) and efficiency (20%–30%). However, further including FATGR (measured 110 mm from the carcass midline over the 12th rib) and AVGCONF had little impact on the accuracy (≤0.03) and efficiency (1%–7%) of the proposed indexes. Thus, the inclusion of carcass traits into the existing terminal selection indexes could be beneficial for the genetic improvement of HCW, but further research is needed to determine optimal methods of increasing carcass fatness and muscularity.     

计算机视觉技术在智慧羊场中的研究进展

智慧羊场具有科学化、标准化管理的优点,是羊场转型发展的趋势。计算机视觉技术是人工智能的核心,可以实现非接触性、自动化、实时监测羊的个体信息。本文总结并分析了计算机视觉在羊场的个体识别方法、行为识别方法、体尺与体重估测、疾病监测的研究现状,并指出计算机视觉在智慧羊场的进一步发展趋势。 [关键词] 计算机视觉|智慧羊场|个体识别|行为识别|体尺与体重估测|疾病监测     

应用智能监控系统改善大型牧场奶牛繁殖性能的探讨

本试验旨在探讨应用智能监控系统对荷斯坦泌乳牛发情揭发率和受胎率的改善情况。试验选用澳亚集团东营神州澳亚四场的2237头泌乳天数为40~200d的各胎次荷斯坦泌乳牛,随机分为2组,未佩带项圈的806头为对照组,另一组佩带有项圈的1431头为试验组。对照组依靠尾根涂蜡笔进行发情揭发,试验组依靠智能监控系统进行发情揭发,尾根涂蜡笔作为校正对比。另外,对照组和试验组饲喂相同的日粮,采用相同的预同期繁育方案,并且是相同的繁育人员。整个试验期持续6个月。结果表明,试验组发情揭发比例与配种比例都高于对照组(P>0.05);试验组全期的受胎率显著高于对照组(高10个百分点,P<0.05),配次为1、2~3次时的受胎率,试验组分别极显著(P<0.01)和显著(P<0.05)高于对照组;试验组情期受胎率显著高于对照组(高将近10个百分点,P<0.05);试验组全期的发情揭发率高于对照组(高3个百分点,P>0.05);试验组全期的21d怀孕率显著高于对照组(高4个百分点,P<0.05)。因此得出,智能监控系统设备可以完全替代人工涂蜡笔进行发情揭发工作,并可提高合计配次受胎率、情期受胎率、发情揭发率和21d怀孕率,以及提高夜间的发情揭发率和受胎率,有助于改善繁育效益。     

A proposal to leverage high-quality veterinary diagnostic laboratory large data streams for animal health,public health,and One Health

Test data generated by ~60 accredited member laboratories of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians (AAVLD) is of exceptional quality. These data are captured by 1 of 13 laboratory information management systems (LIMSs) developed specifically for veterinary diagnostic laboratories (VDLs). Beginning ~2000, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) developed an electronic messaging system for LIMS to automatically send standardized data streams for 14 select agents to a national repository. This messaging enables the U.S. Department of Agriculture to track and respond to high-consequence animal disease outbreaks such as highly pathogenic avian influenza. Because of the lack of standardized data collection in the LIMSs used at VDLs, there is, to date, no means of summarizing VDL large data streams for multi-state and national animal health studies or for providing near-real-time tracking for hundreds of other important animal diseases in the United States that are detected routinely by VDLs. Further, VDLs are the only state and federal resources that can provide early detection and identification of endemic and emerging zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are estimated to be responsible for 2.5 billion cases of human illness and 2.7 million deaths worldwide every year. The economic and health impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is self-evident. We review here the history and progress of data management in VDLs and discuss ways of seizing unexplored opportunities to advance data leveraging to better serve animal health, public health, and One Health.     

寒冷地区草原有毒有害牧草监测与防治

草原是内蒙古地区草食畜牧养殖产业健康发展的基础,同时也是优质牧草的主要来源。有毒有害牧草生长扩散预示着草场退化,对当地草食畜牧养殖产业健康发展会造成毁灭性打击。有毒有害植物生长发育,不仅会危害牲畜健康且还会严重消耗土壤的水分和养分,妨碍优良牧草繁殖生长,使草场产量和质量显著下降。在长时间草场利用过程中,很多农牧民群众只注重索取,不注重生态环境保护,使草场生产能力和抵抗能力逐渐变差,给有毒有害牧草繁殖生长提供了条件。因此需要加强寒冷地区草原有毒有害牧草的监测,并采取针对性措施进行防控,降低发病率。该文主要探讨内蒙古呼伦贝尔市寒冷地区草原有毒有害牧草的种类,并提出相应的防治措施。     

Soil aggregate formation and stability induced by starch and cellulose

Soil aggregate (SA) can be formed and stabilized when soil organic matter (SOM) is decomposed in the soil. However, the relationships between the SA dynamics and SOM with different decomposition rates have not been clarified. Therefore, this study examined the effects of the addition of polysaccharides to soil on SA formation and stability. A Japanese tropical soil was incubated for 99 d at 30 °C in a dark environment following the addition of 0.5% (w/w) starch or cellulose. The decomposition rates of the amendments, and SA formation and stability were evaluated by measuring soil respiration rates, and distribution fractions of soil aggregate sizes and mean weight diameter (MWD) of SA, respectively. The cumulative soil respirations with all treatments rapidly increased until Day 12 of the incubation. The initial slope of the cumulative soil respiration in the soil with starch was significantly higher than that in the soil with cellulose. In either soil with starch or cellulose, the fractions of macro-aggregates (>1000 μm in diameter) significantly increased, respectively, compared with control soil. However, the fractions of meso-aggregates (250–1000 μm) and nano-aggregate (<20 μm) in the soil with starch significantly decreased, while those fractions in the soil with cellulose fluctuated until Day 6. The MWDs reached the maximum on Day 6, indicating the SA formation in the soils with starch or cellulose. The increasing rate of the SA formation in the starch-amended soil was greatly higher than that in the cellulose-amended soil. After Day 6, the MWDs in the soils with either polysaccharide decreased with similar trends with no significant differences between treatments, indicating similar stability of the SA in both treatments. This study showed that the different decomposability of the organic amendments might influence the SA formation differently, but not the SA stability.     

Estimation of Runoff,Peak Discharge and Sediment Load at the Event Scale in a Medium‐Size Mediterranean Watershed Using the Annagnps Model

In this paper, the Annualized Agricultural Non‐Point Source (AnnAGNPS) model has been used to estimate runoff, peak discharge and sediment load at the event scale in a Mediterranean watershed. The study area is the Carapelle torrent, Southern Italy (area = 506 km²), where continuous rainfall, streamflow and sediment load data are available. Nineteen flood events have been registered in the period 2007–2009 and were used for the application of the model. The aim of the paper is to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the model at the event scale, in a medium‐size watershed, given the specific conditions of the semi‐arid environments. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out to assign the correct parameterization: the mean normalized output variation of the most meaningful input parameters pointed out the influence of the curve number on runoff, peak discharge and sediment load predictions (values greater than 1); the MN Manning's roughness coefficient and K, C and P factors of the universal soil loss equation showed a moderate influence on sediment load simulations (values between 0·5 and 1). The selection of the Soil Conservation Service synthetic storm types has been based on the observed storm events analysis to improve the peak discharge simulations. The model prediction has proved to be good for runoff (R² = 0·74, NSE = 0·75, W = 0·92) and peak discharge (R² = 0·85, NSE = 0·70, W = 0·94), and satisfactory for sediment yield (R² = 0·70, NSE = 0·63, W = 0·91). The relative error is lower for high events; this result is quite interesting in semi‐arid environments, where most of the annual sediment yield is concentrated in a few, severe events. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

插秧机作业面积测量远程监测系统软件设计——基于VisualBasic.NET 2010

为实现对插秧机作业区域自动识别和作业面积的自动测量,实时掌握跨区作业插秧机远程作业面积参量值,以VisualStudio平台上的VisualBasic.NET2010为开发环境,开发了一套高速插秧机跨区作业面积远程测量监测系统软件。该软件功能主要包括GPS定位轨迹及作业区域的识别、面积测量、数据通讯、数据显示和数据存贮。系统采用VisualBasic.NET2010语言进行开发,将远程跨区作业的插秧机面积测量监测数据经由GPRS网络进行无线传输到上位机,并采用SOCKET组件和ADO.NET技术实现系统数据通信,完成PC机与下位机之间数据的传输,对测量结果进行显示存储,同时通过系统误差分析完成系统的可行性判断。