Movement patterns of an avian generalist predator indicate functional heterogeneity in agricultural landscape

Landscape Ecology - Biodiversity is closely related to landscape heterogeneity, but both are difficult to evaluate directly. Apex predators, such as raptors, are potential surrogate indicators of...     

Low Mw-lignin fractions together with vegetable oils as available oligomers for novel paper-coating applications as hydrophobic barrier

Lignin residues are available in large amounts as kraft lignin from chemical pulping processes. This lignin is mainly incinerated in recovery boilers. The recovery boilers are often the bottle-necks in the overall pulping process when pulp production increases are desired. Through cross-flow nano-filtration of the black liquor from kraft pulping, a low-molecular weight lignin fraction can be removed thus decreasing the organic load on the recovery boilers. The low-molecular weight lignin fraction furthermore exhibit different characteristics compared to other commercial kraft lignins and represents a new raw material source in novel applications.The low-molecular weight lignin was used together with a vegetable oil to produce a new hydrophobic lignin derivative similar to suberin. The lignin and the lignin derivative was analysed with FT-IR, UV–vis and SEC. The ability of the product to make paper surfaces hydrophobic was also evaluated.The results demonstrate the possibility to make a suberin-like lignin derivative that is potentially of interest in paper-coating applications due to its capability to interact well with wood fibres and make paper hydrophobic.     

Evidence of Lower Productivity in Long Term Limed Lakes as Compared to Unlimed Lakes of Similar pH

Ecosystem development in lime-treated waters in Sweden has been followed since 1989 in a programme for integrated studies of the effects of liming acidified waters (ISELAW). Observations after prolonged liming (>10 y) indicate a phosphorus depletion in the limed lakes which contrasts to the increased phosphorus supply often following within the initial years after lime treatment. After prolonged liming, the levels of total phosphorus are lower as compared to neutral reference lakes at identical TOC, and the phosphorus/TOC -ratio is consequently lower in limed lakes. Depletion of dissolved inorganic nitrogen during the summer is also lower in limed as compared to neutral reference lakes. Phytoplankton biomass and species number also lower in the limed lakes as compared to unlimed neutral references. Furthermore the bacterial number per unit TOC is lower in the long term limed lakes, possibly as a result of phosphorus limitation. As to the higher trophic levels, the benthic soft-bottom fauna of limed lakes (specifically the sublittoral fauna) is poorer in terms of species diversity and abundance. Also fish community composition indicates lower productivity in the limed lakes. Taken together there is thus evidence that the long term limed lakes have a lower trophic level than reference lakes.     

The Distribution of Soluble Copper- and Zinc-Binding Proteins in Liver and Kidney of Chronic Copper-Poisoned Goats

The distribution of copper and zinc among the soluble proteins in the liver and kidney from chronic copper-poisoned goats was examined after gel filtration of the proteins. The concentrations of copper in the liver and kidney cortex from five experimentally copper-poisoned goats were: 550–810 µg/g liver and 190–420 µg/g kidney cortex (wet weight). In general the copper-binding proteins from, both the liver and kidney samples were separated into two different fractions with approximate molecular weights (m.w.) of > 65,000 and 10,000, respectively. From the liver samples, varying amounts of copper were eluted in a fourth fraction with m.w. < 2,000. In the majority of kidney samples the dominating copper-binding protein fraction was the high molecular weight fraction. Absolute amounts of copper recovered in the metallothionein-like protein fraction were nearly the samt for all samples investigated. The distribution of zinc-binding proteins in both liver and kidney samples was nearly the same. The high molecular weight fraction dominated, and no zinc was bound to metallothionein-like proteins.     

Long-term dynamics of leaf and root decomposition and nitrogen release in a grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) stands

The decomposition of the leaf litter, fine roots (d?<?2?mm) and coarser roots (2?≤?d?<?5?mm) of grey alder and silver birch, as well as of α-cellulose sheets using the litterbag method was studied in two experimental stands on Podzoluvisol soils in Southern Estonia. For both tree species, the coarser roots decomposed faster than the fine roots, (p?<?.05), tree species did not affect the decomposition rate of the roots (p?>?.5). The nitrogen (N) input to soil from aboveground litter was multiple times higher than the N flux from roots. The remaining relative ash-free mass of the leaves of grey alder and silver birch after three and a half years was similar. After 11 years the remaining relative ash-free mass of the fine and coarser roots of grey alder still accounted for around 10% of the initial value. For silver birch the remaining value was around 20% after 9 years. The litterbag method to underestimates in fertile soils the decomposition of organic matter and thus did not reflect the actual dynamics of decomposition.     

Herbivory by the pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) and short-snouted weevils (Strophosoma melanogrammum Forst. and Otiorhynchus scaber L.) during the conversion of a wind-thrown Norway spruce forest into a mixed-species plantation

The influence of above-ground insect herbivory and other agents of damage to seedlings was studied in a field experiment. Nine different tree species were planted in each of five randomised blocks. The species were: Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertner, Betula pendula Roth., Fagus sylvatica L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Larix eurolepis Henry, Picea abies (L.) Karst., Prunus avium L., Quercus robur L. and Tilia cordata Mill. The seedlings were monitored through the 2000–2002 growing seasons. Pine weevils (Hylobius abietis L.) fed significantly more on Norway spruce seedlings than on all other tree species. The following rough preference order was obtained: Norway sprucelarch>birch, beech, oak>cherry>alder, ash, lime. Thus, during the conversion of single-species coniferous plantations to mixed-species broadleaved stands, the use of costly insecticides against pine weevil is not required. Short-snouted weevils (e.g. Strophosoma melanogrammum Forst. and Otiorhynchus scaber L.) and other insects caused leaf and needle area loss primarily during the first growing season.     

Segment-based coancestry,additive relationship and genetic variance within and between the Norwegian and the Swedish Fjord horse populations

ABSTRACT

The Fjord horse originates from Norway but forms a global population due to several small populations in foreign countries. There exists no information about the additive relationship and the genetic variance between these subpopulations. By collecting blood samples from Norwegian and Swedish Fjord horses, a sample of 311 Norwegian and 102 Swedish horses gave 485,918 SNPs available for analysis. Their inbreeding coefficients were calculated and compared to the pairwise coancestry and the shared genomic segments. The effective population size was almost similar with the two methods in the Norwegian Fjord horse population (63 and 71), but very different in the Swedish population (269 and 1136) and unprecise due to a much smaller number of observations. The study showed that coancestry from shared genomic segments can be used to estimate additive genetic relationship and genetic variation within and between the global populations of the Fjord horse.     

ICP Waters — an International Programme for Surface Water Monitoring

The International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Acidification of Rivers and Lakes (ICP Waters) was established in July 1985 under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Executive Body of the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP). The Programme Centre is at the Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo. The main aim of the Programme is to assess, on a regional basis, the degree and geographical extent of acidification of surface waters. 23 countries in Europe and North America participate on a regular basis. The major findings in the programme cover (1) regional trends in water chemistry related to changes in S- and N-deposition, (2) dose/response relationships particularly between biology (invertebrates) and water chemistry (acidification status), (3) effects of acidification on aquatic fauna, (4) implications for the assessment of critical loads, and (5) nitrogen leaching. Both chemical and biological intercalibrations and intercomparisons are important parts of the programme activities.     

The genomic sequence of the accidental pathogen Legionella pneumophila

We present the genomic sequence of Legionella pneumophila, the bacterial agent of Legionnaires' disease, a potentially fatal pneumonia acquired from aerosolized contaminated fresh water. The genome includes a 45-kilobase pair element that can exist in chromosomal and episomal forms, selective expansions of important gene families, genes for unexpected metabolic pathways, and previously unknown candidate virulence determinants. We highlight the genes that may account for Legionella's ability to survive in protozoa, mammalian macrophages, and inhospitable environmental niches and that may define new therapeutic targets.