Impact of grassland contract policy on soil organic carbon losses from alpine grassland on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Carbon storage in the soils on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau plays a very important role in the global carbon budget. In the 1990s, a policy of contracting collective grasslands to smaller units was implemented, resulting in a change from the traditional collective grassland management to two new management patterns: a multi‐household management pattern (MMP: grassland shared by several households without enclosures) and a single‐household management pattern (SMP: grassland enclosed and used by only one household). In 2016, 50 MMP and 54 SMP winter pastures on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau were sampled to assess the differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) between the two management patterns. Results showed that average SOC was significantly greater under MMP than under SMP, with an estimated 0.41 Mg C/ha/yr lost due to SMP following the new grassland contract. Based on the government's grassland policy, four grassland utilization scenarios were developed for both summer and winter pastures. We found that if the grassland were managed under SMP, likely C losses ranged between 0.31 × 10⁷ and 6.15 × 10⁷ Mg C/yr across the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau relative to MMP, which more closely resembles pre‐1990s grassland management. Previous estimates of C losses have only considered land use change (with cover change) and ignored the impacts driven by land management pattern changes (without cover change). The new data suggest that C losses from the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau are greater than previously estimated, and therefore that the grassland contract policy should be reviewed and SMP households should be encouraged to reunite into the MMP. These findings have potential implications for land management strategies not only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau but also other grazing regions globally where such practices may exist.     

Do cover crops change the lability of phosphorus in a clayey subtropical soil under different phosphate fertilizers?

Plants have developed different mechanisms to absorb and solubilize phosphorus (P) in the soil, especially in environments with low P availability. This study evaluated the effects of different winter cover crops on soil P availability in a clayey subtropical (Hapludox) soil receiving soluble P fertilizer and a rock phosphate applied to the summer crop, under no‐tillage. The experiment was carried out over 3 yrs (2009–2011) with five different cover crop species: common vetch, fodder radish, ryegrass, black oat, white clover and fallow as control. The soil was sampled after the third year of cover crop cultivation and analysed for inorganic and organic P forms according to the well‐established Hedley fractionation procedure. Phosphate fertilizers promoted accumulation of both labile and nonlabile P pools in soil in the near surface layer, especially under rock phosphate. Fertilizer applications were not able to change P fractions in deeper layers, emphasizing that the Brazilian clayey soils are a sink of P from fertilizer and its mobility is almost nil. Although the cover crops recycled a great amount of P in tissue, in a short‐term evaluation (3 yrs) they only changed the content of moderately labile P in soil, indicating that long‐term studies are needed for more conclusive results.     

Phenological and physiological evaluation of first and second cropping periods of sorghum and maize crops

Environmental conditions influence phenology and physiological processes of plants. It is common for maize and sorghum to be sown at two different periods: the first cropping (spring/summer) and the second cropping (autumn/winter). The phenological cycle of these crops varies greatly according to the planting season, and it is necessary to characterize the growth and development to facilitate the selection of the species best adapted to the environment. The aim of this study was to characterize phenological phases and physiological parameters in sorghum and maize plants as a function of environmental conditions from the first cropping and second cropping periods. Two parallel experiments were conducted with both crops. The phenological characterization was based on growth analyses (plant height, leaf area and photoassimilate partitioning) and gas exchange evaluations (net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration and water-use efficiency). It was found that the vegetative stage (VS) for sorghum and maize plants was 7 and 21 days, respectively, longer when cultivated during the second cropping. In the first cropping, the plants were taller than in the second cropping, regardless of the crop. The stomatal conductance of sorghum plants fluctuated in the second cropping during the development period, while maize plants showed decreasing linear behaviour. Water-use efficiency in sorghum plants was higher during the second cropping compared with the first cropping. In maize plants, in the second cropping, the water-use efficiency showed a slight variation in relation to the first cropping. It was concluded that the environmental conditions as degree-days, temperature, photoperiod and pluvial precipitation influence the phenology and physiology of both crops during the first and the second cropping periods, specifically cycle duration, plant height, leaf area, net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and water-use efficiency, indicating that both crops respond differentially to environmental changes during the growing season.     

Assessing seed desiccation responses of native trees in the Caribbean

New Forests - Native trees from the Caribbean were tested for seed desiccation responses, by adapting the “100-seed test” protocol. Ninety-seven seed lots of 91 species were collected...     

Proteomic profiles during adventitious rooting of Eucalyptus species relevant to the cellulose industry

New Forests - Adventitious rooting (AR) is an obligatory step for vegetative propagation of commercial woody species. Paper industries have interest in Eucalyptus globulus Labill and its hybrids...     

山羊肺淋巴系的研究

24例山羊肺经肺实质和肺胸膜下注射30％普鲁士蓝氯仿溶液，剖查其器官内淋巴管及淋巴流向。结果表明，山羊肺的器官内淋巴管有浅淋巴管和深淋巴管2种。左肺尖叶淋巴管注入左支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管左淋巴结，左肺心叶淋巴管注入左支气管肺淋巴结、气管支气管左淋巴结和气管支气管中淋巴结，左肺膈叶淋巴管注入气管支气管左淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结；右肺尖叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管前淋巴结，右肺心叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结和气管支气管右淋巴结，右肺膈叶淋巴管注入气管支气管右淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结，右肺副叶淋巴管注入右支气管肺淋巴结、气管支气管中淋巴结和纵隔后淋巴结。     

The advantages of the use of vitamin E and selenium for the prevention and therapy of porcine stress syndrome

In a feeding trial lasting for months Halothane-positive fattening pigs were put on a diet containing different concentrations of vitamin E and selenium. After a Myostress application vitamin E and selenium were additionally injected in order to examine stress resistance (CK-test) and regenerative capacity (histological examination of Musculus longissimus dorsi) of skeletal muscle. The study revealed that neither high dietary levels of vitamin E/selenium nor a vitamin E/selenium treatment applied after stress are capable of preventing stress related myopathy nor can they influence its healing up favourably.     

Clinical response of nasal adenocarcinoma to cisplatin chemotherapy in 11 dogs.

In 11 dogs with nasal adenocarcinoma, IV treatment with 2 to 8 cycles of cisplatin at a dosage of 60 mg/m2 of body surface, given at 3-week intervals, resulted in a survival time of 8 to 128 weeks (mean, 32.7 weeks; median, 20 weeks). Radiography revealed complete remission in 2 dogs and partial remission in 1 dog, for an overall response rate of 27%. Clinical problems such as nasal discharge (n = 11), sneezing (n = 6), and epistaxis (n = 4) resolved in 1 to 2 weeks in all dogs after beginning chemotherapy.     

Immunodeficiency associated with lymphosarcoma in a horse.

Immune system dysfunction and immunoglobulin deficiency was diagnosed in a 2-year-old horse with disseminated lymphosarcoma. Prolonged (35 days) parenteral nutrition was delivered to support the horse during a period in which immune function studies could be performed. Correction of nutritional compromise by use of parenteral nutrition did not correct the immunoglobulin deficiency, and results of lymphocyte phenotype testing did not indicate abnormal proportions of leukocytes. Lymphoblast transformation studies were suggestive of a circulating immunosuppressive factor in the horse's serum. Normal cell function was detected when the cells were stimulated in precolostral equine serum.     

Evaluation of the Hennessy grading probe to predict yields of lamb carcasses fabricated to multiple end points.

Lamb carcasses (n = 278) were selected immediately after slaughter and fat thickness was measured with the SP2 Hennessy grading probe (HP) at the interface of the 12th and 13th ribs, 3.8 cm from the backbone. After a 24-h chilling period, carcasses were graded by a USDA grader and probed with the HP to obtain a fat thickness measure on the chilled carcass. One hundred sixty-five carcasses were fabricated into wholesale cuts (.64 cm of external fat trim), and 113 carcasses were fabricated into tray-ready retail cuts (.25 cm of external fat trim). Carcass weight, fat thickness (metal probe), adjusted fat thickness, hot and chilled carcass HP fat measures, as well as kidney and pelvic fat percentage and USDA yield grade, were highly correlated to cutting yield for both fabrication methods. Regression models developed to predict wholesale cut yields using HP or grader-collected measures were similar with respect to predictive accuracy. Fat thickness explained most of the variation in wholesale and tray-ready cut yields among the variables collected by the grader. Kidney and pelvic fat accounted for more of the variation in yield of wholesale cuts during stepwise regression to determine HP equations, but for predicting tray-ready yields, fat thickness taken with the HP accounted for the largest amount of variation. Equations developed to predict tray-ready retail cut yields using the HP or USDA grader-collected carcass measures were similar in the amount of variation explained. Kidney and pelvic fat percentage must be included in equations to maximize predictive accuracy when this depot site is left in carcasses.