Changes in forest soil organic matter quality affected by windstorm and wildfire

Purpose

Windthrows and fires are major natural disturbances in forest ecosystems, which can affect organic matter in the surface and the mineral layer of forest soil. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the changes occurring in the structure and properties of humic acid (HA) in the lands where windthrows and wildfires occurred.

Materials and methods

In November 2004, the forest in the area of 12,000 ha in the Tatra National Park, Slovakia, was seriously damaged by northern wind gusts exceeding 200 km/h. In July 2005, a wildfire broke out in a 220 ha of wind-damaged area. The HAs have been isolated from four research plots: (a) the area where the fallen trees were removed (EXT); (b) an area after windstorm covered by wood from struck trees (NEX), left for spontaneous succession; (c) an area after extracted timber, damaged by the surface wildfire (FIR); and (d) a reference intact spruce forest area (REF). Changes in the chemical structure of the HAs isolated from the research plots were determined on the basis of elemental analysis and UV-Vis, EPR, IR, and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.

Results and discussion

All used analytical methods showed a decrease in the humification degree of the humic acids extracted from the soils where the spruce forest has been affected by a wildfire and a windthrow. In the case of the control sample HA (REF), the calculated atomic H/C and O/C ratios and the degree of aromaticity (α) calculated from the ¹³C NMR spectra were higher, indicating higher aromaticity of HA from the REF area. The more complex and developed structure of REF HA was confirmed by the higher value of E^1%₆ and the lower E4/E6 ratio obtained using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Also, the higher g-parameters determined from the EPR spectra of the stable radicals present in HA confirmed the lower aromaticity on the plots that have been subjected to the calamities. The ¹³C NMR spectra and the elemental analysis show that the structure of the HA extracted from the NEX plot is the closest to the REF.

Conclusions

The results of the systematic research showed significant changes in the structure of HA taken from spruce forest soils that were subjected to windstorms and fires. An enrichment of the HAs in aliphatic carbon and so a lower humification degree of the organic matter in the areas calamity-affected were observed. The results clearly indicate that the HAs extracted from the disturbed plots of the spruce forest are not as stable as those extracted taken from the control plot.

     

Needle blight caused by Dothistroma pini in Slovakia: distribution,host range and mating types

Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) has been observed in Slovakia during the last two decades. Up until 2017, Dothistroma septosporum has only been detected and molecularly confirmed to cause DNB in Slovakia. Here, we report the detection of Dothistroma pini at six localities around Slovakia, representing different plantation types. Four pine species (Pinus sylvestris, P. nigra, P. mugo and P. jeffreyi) were confirmed as hosts of D. pini in Slovakia, of which only P. mugo has been previously reported as host in Slovakia. Three gene regions (ITS, EF1 –α, and ß-tubulin) of each of the 13 isolates were sequenced and assigned as D. pini. Based on ITS sequences, the studied isolates represent the haplotypes Dp_HAP.1, Dp_HAP.2. Both mating types were detected but at different localities. Our results suggest that in addition to D. septosporum, D. pini may contribute to DNB also in Slovakia.     

Koi herpesvirus and carp edema virus threaten common carp aquaculture in Croatia

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is a very important fish species for warm-water aquaculture in Croatia. All Croatian carp farms are subjected to a surveillance programme for the presence of koi herpesvirus (KHV), causing a deadly disease called koi herpesvirus disease (KHVD). However, there is no surveillance for other viral pathogens of importance like carp edema virus (CEV), a causative agent of koi sleepy disease (KSD). During regular testing within the KHVD surveillance programme, we tested samples for CEV simultaneously. The screening indicated possible outbreaks of KHVD and KSD. During 2016, KHVD broke out in an isolated area and soon thereafter a KHV eradication programme was successfully performed. However, during 2018 and 2019, two additional mortality events occurred in lakes in the southern part of Croatia during the spring. Samples from both events tested positive for CEV. An epidemiological investigation confirmed the introduction of infected carps from an infected farm to one of the lakes. To prevent the spreading of CEV into open waters, it is of utmost importance to introduce CEV testing before fish movement or to perform regular testing of all carp farms in the country to determine CEV prevalence for the purpose of implementation of control measures.     

Stable isotopes and gut contents indicate differential resource use by coexisting asp (Leuciscus aspius) and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca)

Differential use of habitat and prey resources is an important mechanism that may allow coexistence of sympatric species. Unlike interactions between smaller cyprinid and percid fishes, the resource use by coexisting predatory asp (Leuciscus aspius) and pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) is relatively unknown. Here, gut content and stable isotope analyses were used to study ontogenetic dietary shifts and interspecific trophic niche overlap between asp and pikeperch coexisting in two reservoirs. The hypothesis that both species show an ontogenetic dietary shift from small invertebrates to large fish prey, but at the same time use different prey resources to reduce potential competitive interactions, was validated. The isotopic niches of the two predators showed no, or only a moderate, degree of overlap (0%–65%). The ontogenetic changes in the degree of interspecific isotopic niche overlap were different in the two reservoirs, suggesting that trophic segregation can be dynamic and variable among systems. Gut contents revealed that small (<100 mm standard length) asp consumed mostly terrestrial invertebrates and emerged aquatic insects, whereas small pikeperch foraged on zooplankton, larval and pupal stages of aquatic insects and fish. Larger individuals (>100 mm) of both species were predominantly piscivorous, with asp consuming more cyprinid prey and pikeperch more percid prey. Coexisting asp and pikeperch populations are able to utilise different prey resources, thereby reducing potential negative competitive interactions.     

Residual plant nutrients in crop residues – an important resource

With increasing demand for sustainable production, the need to effectively utilise site-based resources increases. One such resource is the remaining crop residues, both above and below ground, after harvest. In order to assess the magnitude of this resource, this study determined the plant nutrient contribution of residues from 17 different crops in seven different regions of Slovakia over a nine-year period. The soil profile 0.0–0.3?m was taken into account at belowground residues sampling. The results showed that winter rape, mustard, corn maize, triticale, winter rye with straw and sunflower left the most residues, exceeding 8 tons of dry biomass per hectare. Root crops (sugar beet, potatoes) and peas left less than 3 tons of residual dry biomass per hectare. Using these data, the nutrient potential coefficient, i.e. the amount of nutrients left by production of one ton of the main product was calculated by polynomial regression. With these coefficients and the known yield of a given crop, it was possible to calculate how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium each crop leaves in the soil after harvest. It was found that the amount of nitrogen left ranged from 20 to 132?kg, phosphorus from 2 to 24?kg and potassium from 13 to 218?kg per hectare. This has to be taken into account when calculating the fertiliser requirement of the subsequent crop in order to achieve better resource utilisation, thereby reducing the risk of eutrophication and improving farm profits by reducing expenditure on fertiliser.     

The hosts and geographic range of Dothistroma needle blight in Slovakia

The occurrence and distribution of Dothistroma needle blight (DNB) were studied in 2014–2017 around Slovakia. A total of 84 localities, both native and planted, were investigated, and the presence of DNB was confirmed in 73 of them. In all positive locations, symptoms typical of DNB were observed and the Dothistroma species was confirmed using species‐specific primers either from fungal cultures or directly from needles. Both Dothistroma species—D. septosporum and D. pini—were identified. Both species occurred together in 29 locations, only D. septosporum in 42 and only D. pini in two locations. The host range of D. septosporum included 10 pine species and two spruce species. The host range of D. pini comprised the same number of pine hosts but only one spruce species. Five pine hosts, P. aristata, P. coulteri, P. densiflora, P. jeffreyi, P. × schwerinii, and one spruce host P. abies are new hosts species of D. pini. P. densiflora and Picea pungens have earlier been reported to be susceptible for DNB. In this study, D. septosporum was found from both tree species.     

St. John’s Wort Herbal Teas – Biological Potential and Chemometric Approach to Quality Control

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - St. John’s wort has been used for centuries in traditional medicine of many cultures, and nowadays it is well-known as a clinically important antidepressant...     

Comparison of Chemical Composition and Biological Properties of Essential Oils Obtained by Hydrodistillation and Steam Distillation of Laurus nobilis L.

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition - The purpose of this study was to compare the yield, chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of essential oils isolated from leaves of Laurus...