Conservation needs for the endangered New Zealand sea lion,Phocarctos hookeri

1. Understanding population size and trend is critical information in species management and conservation. To enable accurate population trend estimates, consistent robust monitoring of a species is essential, particularly for a species such as the New Zealand (NZ) sea lion, Phocarctos hookeri , which has experienced an almost continuous decline in pup production since the late 1990s.
2. This research examines the pup production estimates for all known breeding sites for this species, and using a stage‐structured matrix population model, estimates population size and trend between 1995 and 2015.
3. Overall, it is estimated that 2,316 pups were born in 2015, a decrease of 13% since 1995 and a 27% decline since the highest pup production estimate in 1998. This decline has been driven by the significant decline of 48% at the main breeding area, the Auckland Islands since 1998.
4. Using the stage‐structured matrix population model a total species population size of 11,767 sea lions (95% CrI: 10,790–12,923) was estimated. This is the lowest population size of any sea lion species. Trend data for the Auckland Islands indicated that pup and population numbers have decreased at 1.9% yr^?1 in the last 20 yr, while total species population decline is 0.6% yr^?1.
5. Estimates of population trends for this species have been hindered by inconsistent monitoring at most breeding sites. This study strengthens the growing field of research highlighting the need for consistent long‐term monitoring for the conservation management of endangered species.

     

Impact of sedimentation history for As distribution in Late Pleistocene-Holocene sediments in the Hetao Basin,China

Journal of Soils and Sediments - To understand the impact of geochemical sedimentation history for arsenic (As) distribution in the sediment profiles of the Hetao Basin, we (1) evaluated sediments...     

Efficiency of inorganic fungicides against the formation of Erysiphe necator chasmothecia in vineyards

BACKGROUND

A reduction in chasmothecia, an important inoculum of grape powdery mildew (Erysiphe necator Schwein.), is essential for disease control in vineyards; the use of fungicides during the formation of chasmothecia on vine leaves, late in the growing season, may accomplish this. Inorganic fungicides, such as sulphur, copper, and potassium bicarbonate, are very useful for this purpose because of their multisite mode of action. The aim of this study was to evaluate chasmothecia reduction using different fungicide applications late in the growing season in commercially managed vineyards and in an exact application trial.

RESULTS

Chasmothecia on vine leaves were reduced in commercial vineyards by four copper (P = 0.01) and five potassium bicarbonate (P = 0.026) applications. The positive effect of potassium bicarbonate was also confirmed in the application trial, where two applications showed lower chasmothecia numbers than the control (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The application of inorganic fungicides reduced the amount of chasmothecia as the primary inoculum source. Potassium bicarbonate and copper are of further interest for disease control as these fungicides can be used by organic and conventional wine growers. The application of these fungicides should be carried out as late as possible before harvest to reduce chasmothecia formation and, consequently, the potential for powdery mildew infestation in the subsequent season. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Knotwood and bark extracts: strong antioxidants from waste materials

The antioxidant properties of hydrophilic extracts of knotwood of several industrially important tree species were evaluated by lipid-peroxidation inhibition and peroxyl-trapping capacity tests. The results were compared with the antioxidant properties of hydrophilic extracts of bark, and pure lignans and flavonoids isolated from knotwood extracts. The knot extracts from several tree species were stronger antioxidants than the bark extracts, which can, however, also be classified as strong antioxidants. In addition, the antioxidant properties of most of the knotwood extracts are stronger than the pure compounds. It is concluded that knotwood is a rich source of natural antioxidants.     

Review of ground-based methods to measure the distribution of biomass in forest canopies

? Context

Ecological research and an effective forest management need accurate information on the structure of the forest canopy to understand the biochemical, physiological and biogeochemical processes within a forest.

? Research question

This paper reviews the currently available instruments for measuring the distribution of biomass within forest canopies. We compare the most well-established approaches and present the different measurable parameters. A special focus lies on the resolution of the obtained data.

? Results

It was found that only 3D laser scanners offer data with the resolution required by ecologists, private landholders, the forest industry and the public to detect trends in tree growth patterns and canopy interactions in all three spatial dimensions. But data validation, data analysis and parameter extraction are still under development, and the price of the instrument is quite high.

? Conclusion

Research should focus on the parameter extraction from terrestrial laser scanner data as this could allow the calculation of functional attributes for different sections of a canopy on a high spatial resolution. It could also help ecologists characterize the structure of forest stands in a quick and precise way.     

The Level II aggregated forest soil condition database links soil physicochemical and hydraulic properties with long-term observations of forest condition in Europe

Key message

Aggregated, consolidated, and derived soil physicochemical data of 286 ICP Forests Level II plots were completed with soil hydraulic properties for integrated use with forest monitoring data. Database access should be requested at http://icp-forests.net . Metadata associated available at https://metadata-afs.nancy.inra.fr/geonetwork/apps/georchestra/?uuid=153e599e-6624-4e2b-b862-8124386ea9cd&hl=eng

Context

The ICP Forests database is one of the most comprehensive forest ecosystem datasets in Europe and contains the accumulated results of more than two decades of harmonised forest monitoring all over Europe.

Aims

The aim of this paper is to share knowledge on the ICP Forests Level II soil data for broader use among forest scientists.

Methods

After standard analysis, quality checks, aggregation, and calculation of derived variables (e.g. nutrient stocks, base saturation, C:N ratio, and water retention parameters), data have been gathered into a static database (AFSCDB.LII.2.2), which will be updated to new versions as soon as new measurements become available.

Results

The database provides a basis for the combined evaluation of up to 130 unique soil variables of 286 plots with dynamic data on tree growth, ground vegetation, foliar chemistry, crown condition, tree phenology, leaf area index, ozone injury, litterfall, soil solution chemistry, deposition, ambient air quality, and meteorological data assessed on the same plots.

Conclusion

The unprecedented comprehensiveness and level of detail in this newly aggregated database may overcome existing restrictions so far impeding the realisation of large-scale forest ecosystem studies in Europe.

     

Comparing floristic composition in treefall gaps of certified, conventionally managed and natural forests of northern Honduras

? Forest certification sets requirements for minimizing the impacts of logging on the natural structure and floristic composition of forests.

? We assessed the impact of certification by comparing the floristic composition of 52 taxa of trees and shrubs in the treefall gaps of certified, conventionally managed and protected forests in northern Honduras.

? The highest abundance of light-benefiting taxa was found in certified forests, whereas conventionally managed forests were floristically more similar to natural forests. The environmental conditions measured in certified gaps were not favourable for a natural forest floristic composition.

? Past logging may have altered the species composition in certified forests relatively more than in conventionally managed forests. This implies that the need for restoration operations should be considered in certification requirements, along with landscape-level planning to enhance post-logging recovery.

     

Isolation and characterisation of water soluble polysaccharides from Norway spruce and Scots pine

Water soluble polysaccharides from Norway spruce, Scots pine, and Siberian larch were compared. For all species the total amount of polysaccharides isolated from the heartwood was higher than that from the sapwood. The heartwood polysaccharides had a high content of galactose and arabinose units, and some glucuronic acid units, suggesting the presence of acidic arabinogalactans. The total amounts of recovered water-soluble arabinogalactans were 1.9 mg/g for spruce heartwood, 5.3 mg/g for pine heartwood, and as much as 106 mg/g for larch heartwood. The other water-soluble polysaccharides were mainly glucomannans. The average ratio of Gal:Ara:GlcA in the water-soluble arabinogalactans of spruce heartwood was about 4.3:1:1, pine heartwood about 4.5:1:0.2, and larch heartwood about 6.7:1:0.1. The corresponding molar ratios then being about 3.6:1:0.8 for spruce, 3.8:1:0.2 for pine, and 5.6:1:0.08 for larch. Thus, the content of glucuronic acid units was especially high in the spruce heartwood arabinogalactans. The content of arabinose was slightly higher in spruce and pine than in larch heartwood arabinogalactans.