Mortality of silver fir and Norway Spruce in the Western Alps — a semi-parametric approach combining size-dependent and growth-dependent mortality

Question

Tree mortality can be modeled using two complementary covariates, tree size and tree growth. Tree growth is an integrative measure of tree vitality while tree diameter is a good index of sensitivity to disturbances and can be considered as a proxy for tree age which may indicate senescence. Few mortality models integrate both covariates because classical model calibration requires large permanent plot data-sets which are rare. How then can we calibrate a multivariate mortality model including size and growth when permanent plots data are not available?

Location

To answer this question, we studied Abies alba and Picea abies mortality in the French Swiss and Italian Alps.

Method

Our study proposes an alternative semi-parametric method which includes a random sample of living and dead trees with diameter and growth measurements.

Results

We were able to calibrate a mortality model combining both size-dependent and growth-dependent mortality. We demonstrated that A. alba had a lower annual mortality rate (10%) than P. abies (18%) for low growth (< 0.2 mmyear^?1). We also demonstrated that for higher diameters (DBH ≥ 70 cm), P. abies had a higher mortality rate (0.45%) than A. alba (0.32%).

Conclusion

Our results are consistent with the mechanisms of colonization-competition trade-off and of successional niche theory which may explain the coexistence of these two species in the Alps. The method we developed should be useful for forecasting tree mortality and can improve the efficiency of forest dynamics models.     

Phytoavailability of lead altered by two Pelargonium cultivars grown on contrasting lead-spiked soils

Purpose

This study assesses the potential of two contrasted fragrant Pelargonium cultivars to induce pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) changes in the soil solution, Pb speciation, and their subsequent effects on rhizosphere phytoavailable Pb.

Materials and methods

Rooted plantlets were grown in special devices, floating on aerated nutrient solution in PVC tanks. This setup allows roots to be physically separated, through a mesh, from a 3-mm soil matrix layer that can be considered as rhizosphere soil. Two contrasted soils, each spiked with Pb-rich particles, emitted from a battery recycling industry, were used at total burdens of 500 and 1500 mg Pb kg^?1 in addition to a control unspiked soil. Soil solution pH, phytoavailable Pb, DOC, Pb adsorption, precipitation on roots, and Pb phases in soil and plant were investigated.

Results and discussion

Attar of Roses (Attar) cultivar acidified its rhizosphere by 0.4 pH units in both spiked soils. Concolor Lace (Concolor) was unable to change soil solution pH on soil-1 and increased it by 0.7 units on soil 2. Concentrations of Pb in soil solution from Attar plants were always higher than those of Concolor ones. DOC contents of both unspiked soil-1 and soil-2 without plants were not significantly different. In the case of spiked samples, DOC contents in the rhizosphere soil were increased by three and two times for Attar and Concolor, respectively, compared to the unspiked soil without plant. Both cultivars were able to increase DOC contents, independent of soil type and level of contamination. Accumulation of Pb in shoots and roots was higher in Attar as compared to Concolor due to enhanced available Pb as a result of pH and DOC modifications of the rhizosphere soil. Significant amounts of Pb were adsorbed on roots of both cultivars. X-ray elemental analysis of precipitates on roots revealed the association of Pb with P in cylinder-like structures. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy revealed that Pb was present, to a major extent in the inorganic form, mainly as PbSO₄ in the soil, whereas it was complexed with organic species within plant tissues. The conversion of Pb into organic species could decrease toxicity, may enhance plant tolerance, and could increase translocation.

Conclusions

Plant-induced changes were responsible for the modification of lead phases within the soil. Immobile forms present in the source leaded particles as well as in the soils were converted into soluble species, ultimately improving the phytoavailable or soil solubilized Pb.

     

Spatially discriminating Russian wheat aphid induced plant stress from other wheat stressing factors

The Russian wheat aphid (RWA) Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) is a major pest of winter wheat and barley in the United States. RWA induces stress to the wheat crop by damaging plant foliage, lowering the greenness of plants, and affecting productivity. The utilization of multispectral remote sensing is effective at detecting plant stress in agricultural crops. Stress to wheat plants detected in fields can be caused by several factors that can vary spatially in their presence and intensity across a field. Stress can result from factors such as nutrient deficiency, drought, diseases, and pests that can occur individually or collectively. The present study investigated the potential of using spatial pattern metrics derived from multispectral images in combination with topographic and edaphic variables to identify a set of variables to differentiate the stress induced by RWA from other stress causing factors. A discriminant function analysis was applied to 15 discriminating variables. A set of 13 variables were retained to develop a model to differentiate the three types of stress. Overall, 97 percent of patches of stress used to validate the model were correctly categorized. Stressed patches caused by RWA were 98 percent correctly classified, patches caused by drought were 94 percent correctly classified, and patches caused by agronomic conditions were 99 correctly classified. It is possible to discriminate stress induced by RWA from other stress causing factors in multispectral data when spatial attributes of the stress causing factors are incorporated in the analysis.     

Discrimination of Cognacs and other distilled drinks by mid-infrared spectropscopy

Mid-infrared spectroscopy was applied to the analysis and discrimination of Cognacs and other distilled drinks (Armagnacs, whiskies, brandies, bourbons, rums, and counterfeit products). Strong correlations were found between dry extract spectra, polyphenolic dry extract spectra, and the total polyphenol concentration of samples, notably of Cognacs. Principal component analysis applied to spectral data made it possible to emphasize the importance of dry extract data when a distinction is made between Cognacs and Armagnacs, whiskies, bourbons, and rums, and of polyphenol concentration when Cognacs, brandies, and counterfeit products are separated. Ninety-six percent of samples in the test set were correctly assigned to Cognacs and non-Cognacs by partial least-squares discriminant analysis.     

Structuring of some basic pedological processes

In the first section, the author presents a detailed analysis of fundamental processes of pedological evolution in the light of the latest findings as to biogeochemical, mineralogical and granulometric aspects of pedogenesis on crystalline aluminosilicate rocks. This analysis is based on the nature of various geochemical weathering phenomena, on the one hand, and on problems related to the organization of plasmic elements (pédoplasmation) and their possible transfers as particles, on the other. With reference to the latter aspect, two major types of “pedogenesis” may be considered: “associative” pedogenesis in which plasma-skeleton links are kept, and “dissociative” pedogenesis in which plasma—skeleton links are disrupted and plasma is redistributed.Then, in the second section, a structuring of fundamental pedogenetic processes is proposed, based on the observation of three major phyla at the earth surface.Phylum I: Process with predominant biogeochemical evolution without plasma formation or with plasma destruction.Phylum II: Process with predominant biogeochemical evolution with plasma formation and reorganization in situ.Phylum III: Process with predominant textural evolution with plasma mobilization and redistribution.     

Artificial neural network implementation in single low-cost chip for the detection of insecticides by modeling of screen-printed enzymatic sensors response

This work presents a hardware implementation of artificial neural networks (ANNs) using a dsPIC^® microcontroller to resolve mixtures of pesticides measured by amperometric acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensors. The response of three biosensors with different concentrations of Chlorpyrifos Oxon (CPO) and Chlorfenvinfos (CFV) was modeled by two ANNs, which were implemented on the dsPIC^®. The performance of the ANNs was good, the prediction ability was better than 0.986 when the obtained values were compared with those expected for a set of eight external test samples, which were not used for training. This implementation is proposed to develop low-cost analytical chemical specialized tools.     

Rapid seedlings regeneration from seeds and vegetative propagation with sucker and rhizome of Eremospatha macrocarpa (Mann & Wendl.) Wendl and Laccosperma secundiflorum (P. Beauv.) Kuntze

To develop efficient seedling production methods for Laccosperma secundiflorum and Eremospatha macrocarpa, a study was conducted to examine regeneration using offsets combined with several physical and chemical treatments of seeds. Offsets categorized into small, medium and large diameters, were planted in three conditions: shaded and open nursery, and greenhouse. We tested sucker from E. macrocarpa, and sucker and rhizome from L. secundiflorum. For both species, high viability percentage (ranging from 55% to 100%) were observed for small and medium suckers planted in shaded nursery and greenhouse, against less than 49% for sucker planted in open nursery. The mean seedling emergence times were estimated to 84, 77 and 75 days after planting (DAP) for small, medium and large sucker of L. secundiflorum, respectively under open nursery condition, and 76, 75, 95 DAP for small, medium and large suckers of the same species, respectively in shaded condition. Greenhouse has a significant positive effect on E. macrocarpa seedlings emergence time. For this species, the mean seedling emergence times were estimated to 43 DAP for small sucker and 76, 93 DAP for medium and large suckers. No seedling was obtained from rhizome planted in all the growing conditions tested. Concerning seed dormancy breaking, germination percentages and rates were determined for 13 treatments. The best treatments were pre-soaking unscarified seeds for 4 days in 1.01 g l⁻¹ and 0.10 g l⁻¹ KNO₃, with 79% and 68% of germination, respectively and in 3.46 × 10⁻³ g l⁻¹ GA₃ for 68% of germination. These methods are suggested to improve germination of L. secundiflorum seeds. Successful and recommended methods for E. macrocarpa are pre-soaking scarified seeds in 3.46 × 10⁻³ g l⁻¹ and 3.46 × 10⁻⁴ g l⁻¹ GA₃, 96% and 94% of germination, respectively. Dormancy, probably a combination of mechanical and chemical dormancy, is present in the two species.     

CoRoT measures solar-like oscillations and granulation in stars hotter than the Sun

Oscillations of the Sun have been used to understand its interior structure. The extension of similar studies to more distant stars has raised many difficulties despite the strong efforts of the international community over the past decades. The CoRoT (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits) satellite, launched in December 2006, has now measured oscillations and the stellar granulation signature in three main sequence stars that are noticeably hotter than the sun. The oscillation amplitudes are about 1.5 times as large as those in the Sun; the stellar granulation is up to three times as high. The stellar amplitudes are about 25% below the theoretic values, providing a measurement of the nonadiabaticity of the process ruling the oscillations in the outer layers of the stars.