Variation in prey selection and foraging success associated with early‐life ontogeny and habitat use of American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula)

Many fishes are planktivorous during early life and switch to piscivory or consume larger food items as ontogeny progresses. In contrast, paddlefish start as particulate feeders and later become filter feeders. Few studies have identified food items essential for paddlefish growth, survival and recruitment surrounding this ontogenetic diet shift. The objectives of this study were to investigate (i) prey types consumed by paddlefish, (ii) variability in prey selection surrounding an ontogenetic diet shift and (iii) whether habitat affected paddlefish prey selection or foraging success. We analysed gut contents of 189 wild age‐0 paddlefish from the middle Mississippi River (MMR) and also conducted a laboratory experiment to address these objectives. We found that paddlefish primarily foraged on benthic macroinvertebrates in the MMR, which differed from previous studies in lentic systems, suggesting young paddlefish prey selection may be labile depending on habitat (i.e., lotic versus lentic). Dominant prey of wild‐caught and experimental age‐0 paddlefish were caddisfly larvae (Trichoptera), followed by hemipterans and amphipods. We found little evidence that habitat attributes affected foraging success, but the most common prey items consumed were associated with wing dike habitat and the upstream and downstream tips of alluvial islands. Our experimental study revealed that if provided a mixture of organisms, age‐0 paddlefish will primarily consume macroinvertebrates while age‐1 paddlefish will mainly filter zooplankton. Overall results suggest young paddlefish prey selection can be highly variable, but also heavily reliant on a narrow group of prey resources.     

Irrigation of paddy soil with industrial landfill leachate: impacts in rice productivity,plant nutrition,and chemical characteristics of soil

Treated industrial effluents have high levels of nutrients and dissolved organic matter. The irrigation of rice by flooding can increase nutrient uptake and grain yield. Therefore, this study evaluated the nutrient contents in the shoots and grain of the rice crop and also the chemical of the soil after irrigation of the crop with leachate of the treated industrial effluent. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using pots filled with 20 kg of soil in a randomized block design with three replications. The treatments consisted of control (irrigation with distilled water) and four concentrations of the leachate (25, 50, 75, and 100 %) for irrigation. At the end of the experiment, the nutrient contents in tissues of rice plants, sterility of spikelets, and grain mass were evaluated. Results showed that irrigation with the leachate at 25 % content increased the macro- and micronutrients’ concentrations in the shoot biomass and grain, except for potassium and iron. Irrigation with the industrial leachate decreased tillering and grain yield; however, it increased chlorophyll content, sterility of spikelets, and sodium intake at this leachate concentration. The potassium and sodium levels and the electrical conductivity values of soils irrigated with treated industrial leachate were increased. The use of the treated leachate from industrial effluents is an alternative that reuses the nutritional load, but the volume of leachate should be limited and monitored to prevent the sodicity in the soil and problemsdue to eutrophication.     

Forecasting the Genetic Impacts of Net Pen Failures on Gulf of Mexico Cobia Populations Using Individual‐based Model Simulations

Offshore net pen fish farming provides a cost‐efficient means for production of marine finfish, and there is great interest in development of net pen operations in domestic waters. However, there are concerns over the possible genetic and ecological impacts that escaped fish may have on wild populations. We used individual‐based simulations, with parameter values informed by life history and genetic data, to investigate the short‐term (50 yr) impacts of net pen failures on the genetic composition of cobia, Rachycentron canadum, stocks in the Gulf of Mexico. Higher net pen failure rates resulted in greater genetic impacts on the wild population. Additionally, the use of more genetically differentiated source populations led to larger influxes of non‐native alleles and greater temporal genetic change in the population as a result of net pen failure. Our results highlight the importance of considering the appropriate source population for broodstock collection in net pen aquaculture systems and help to provide a general set of best management practices for broodstock selection and maintenance in net pen aquaculture operations. A thorough understanding of the genetic diversity, stock structure, and population demography of target species is important to determine the impact escapees can have on wild populations.     

Comparative functional responses of native and high‐impacting invasive fishes: impact predictions for native prey populations

Comparative functional responses (FRs) can predict impacts of invasive species, including piscivorous fishes, via quantifying their depletion of native food resources as a function of prey density. The utility of FRs for predicting impacts on prey populations by invasive fishes of different trophic guilds was tested here by comparing the FRs of the invaders Cyprinus carpio and Carassius auratus, with three native, trophically analogous fishes, Barbus barbus, Squalius cephalus and Tinca tinca. Chironomid larvae and Gammarus pulex were used as prey items. Predictions, developed from studies on the foraging of C. carpio and C. auratus in the literature, were that the invaders would have significantly higher consumption rates for chironomids than the native fishes, but not for G. pulex. Mean consumption rates for chironomids were significantly lower for both invaders than B. barbus and S. cephalus, but were similar to T. tinca. Barbus barbus had a significantly lower consumption rate of G. pulex than both invaders, but there were no significant differences between S. cephalus, T. tinca and the invaders. All FRs were type II, with FR curves for the invaders preying upon chironomids never being significantly higher than the native fishes, contrary to predictions. For G. pulex, some significant differences were apparent between the invaders and native fishes, but again were contrary to predictions. These results indicated that when predation impacts of invasive fishes could also be a function of their population density and body sizes, these parameters should be incorporated into FR models to improve impact predictions.     

Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Prebiotic Mixture of Mannan Oligosaccharide and Poly‐β‐Hydroxybutyrate on the Growth Performance,Immunity, and Survival of Rainbow Trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792), Fingerlings

This study investigated the effects of dietary poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and disease resistance of rainbow trout fingerlings. A total of 420 fingerlings, distributed equally into four different groups, each with three replicates, were fed a basal diet (control), 2% PHB (PHB), 0.2% MOS (MOS), or a diet supplemented with a mixture of 2% PHB and 0.2% MOS (PHB+MOS) for 60 d. Results showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS did not cause significant improvement in the growth performance of the fingerlings. The gut pH was markedly reduced; however, the activities of the digestive enzymes (except for pepsin and amylase by dietary PHB) were not significantly improved by the dietary supplements. Results also showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS markedly increased the resistance of the fingerlings toward Yersinia ruckeri infection, while the lowest total antibody was observed in fish fed control and MOS, indicating that MOS exerts its protective effects by modulating other mechanisms. Overall, this study provided a first screening effort to determine the effects of PHB and/or MOS as dietary supplements in rainbow trout fingerlings to develop an optimal prebiotic mix for improving the growth and health status of rainbow trout.     

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.     

Cannibalism facilitates gigantism in a nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) population

Cannibalism is a taxonomically widespread phenomenon that can fundamentally affect the structure and stability of aquatic communities, including the emergence of a bimodal size distribution (“dwarfs” and “giants”) in fish populations. Emergence of giants could also be driven or facilitated by parasites that divert host resources from reproduction to growth. We studied the trophic ecology of giant nine‐spined sticklebacks (Pungitius pungitius) in a Finnish pond to evaluate the hypotheses that gigantism in this population would be facilitated by cannibalism and/or parasitic infections by Schistocephalus pungitii cestode. Stomach content analyses revealed an initial ontogenetic dietary shift from small to large benthic invertebrates, followed by cannibalism on 10–20‐mm‐long conspecifics by giant individuals. However, stable nitrogen isotopes (δ¹⁵N) indicated a concave relationship between fish size and trophic position, with relatively low trophic position estimates suggesting only facultative cannibalism among giants. The unexpectedly high trophic position of the intermediate‐sized fish may reflect substantial, but temporary, predation on eggs or young‐of‐the‐year conspecifics, but may also partly result from starvation caused by S. pungitii infection. However, it seems implausible that parasitic infections (i.e. castration) would explain gigantism among nine‐spined sticklebacks because all >100‐mm giants were unparasitised. Hence, the present results suggest that an ontogenetic niche shift from an invertebrate diet to intercohort cannibalism may facilitate the occurrence of gigantism in nine‐spined sticklebacks.     

The effectiveness of consistent roguing in managing banana bunchy top disease in smallholder production in Africa

The removal of infected individuals is a common practice in the management of plant disease outbreaks. It minimizes the contact between healthy individuals and inoculum sources by reducing the infectious window of contaminated individuals. This requires early detection and consistent removal at landscape scale. Roguing of mats with symptoms of banana bunchy top disease (BBTD) in Cavendish banana production systems has been tested in Australia, using trained personnel, but has never been tested in smallholder systems. We studied the effectiveness of long-term consistent roguing in prolonging the productivity of banana orchards under smallholder farming systems in highland banana and plantain dominated production systems in Africa. We assessed the possibility of low-risk seed sourcing from the managed plots. Roguing reduced BBTD incidence to 2% in managed farmer fields and to 10% in experimental field plots, while a nonmanaged field eventually collapsed in the same period. With roguing, new infections decreased monthly compared to an exponential increase in a nonmanaged field. The emergence of new infections in both managed and nonmanaged farms followed a seasonal cycle. BBTD managed plots were a source of low-risk seed for replacing the rogued mats in the same fields, but perhaps not safe for use in nonendemic areas. We conclude that it is possible for smallholder farmers to recover and maintain banana productivity with rigorous roguing, which would entail early identification of symptoms and early removal of diseased mats. Studies are needed on the intensity of roguing under different disease and production conditions.     

How do hedgerows influence soil organic carbon stock in livestock‐grazed pasture?

Hedgerows have the potential to influence ecosystem function in livestock‐grazed pasture. Despite this, they are often ignored when quantifying farmland ecosystem service delivery. In this study, we assess the contribution of hedgerows to the ecosystem function of carbon (C) storage, with a particular emphasis on soil organic carbon (SOC). We measured SOC stock (kg C m^?2), on an equivalent soil mass basis, at 0–0.15 m depth in pasture adjacent to 38 hedgerows (biotic) and 16 stone walls or fences (abiotic controls) across ten farms in the county of Conwy, Wales, UK. Pasture SOC stock (~7 kg C m^?2) was similar adjacent to biotic and abiotic field boundaries, positively associated with soil moisture and negatively with soil bulk density (BD). For biotic boundaries, two further variables were significantly associated with SOC stock, distance from hedgerow (decrease in SOC stock) and slope orientation (upslope SOC stock greater than downslope). For pasture adjacent to hedgerows, a model combining the aforementioned variables (BD, soil moisture, distance from hedgerow, slope orientation) explained 78% of variation in SOC stock. This study demonstrates that whilst hedgerows do have subtle positive effects on SOC stock in adjacent pasture, SOC storage adjacent to field boundaries is influenced more by soil moisture content and BD than field boundary type.