Isothiocyanate concentration in Kohlrabi (Brassica oleracea L. Var. gongylodes) plants as influenced by sulfur and nitrogen supply

Glucosinolates (GSss) represent bioactive compounds of Brassica vegetables whose health-promoting effects merely stem from their breakdown products, particularly the isothiocyanates (ITCs), released after hydrolysis of GSs by myrosinase. GSs are occasionally discussed as transient S reservoirs, but little is known concerning the interactive effect of S and N supply on ITC concentrations. Therefore, kohlrabi plants were grown in a pot experiment with varied S (0.00, 0.05, and 0.20 g pot (-1)) and N (1, 2, and 4 g pot (-1)) supplies. Plant growth exhibited a classical nutrient response curve with respect to both S and N. The ITC profile of kohlrabi tubers was dominated by methylthiobutyl ITC (11-1350 micromol (g DM) (-1)), followed by sulforaphan (7-120 micromol (g DM) (-1)), phenylethyl ITC (5-34 micromol (g DM) (-1)), and allyl ITC (5-38 micromol (g DM) (-1)), resulting from the hydrolysis of glucoerucin, glucoraphanin, gluconasturtiin, and sinigrin, respectively. The ITC profile was in agreement with reported data, and concentrations of all ITCs were substantially reduced in response to increasing N and decreasing S supply. A growth-induced dilution effect could be ruled out in most cases, and the results do not support the hypothesis that GS acts as transient reservoir with respect to S.     

Characterization of soil profiles and elemental concentrations reveals deposition of heavy metals and phosphorus in a Chicago-area nature preserve,Gensburg Markham Prairie

Purpose

Gensburg Markham Prairie (GMP), a high-quality tallgrass prairie and wetland in the Chicago area, is surrounded by high-traffic highways and residential communities. Anthropogenic inputs are a concern given observed ecosystem degradation around the periphery of the prairie. To understand soil quality and the potential for habitat degradation in GMP, we evaluated concentrations of metals and phosphorus in soil profiles, identified possible sources of contamination, and assessed the likelihood that contamination would impact the prairie ecosystem.

Materials and methods

We collected 15 intact soil cores (to a depth of 120 cm) and 22 surface soil samples (0–10-cm depth), determined the soil type, and measured pH, organic matter, and concentrations of Pb, Cu, Zn, Mg, Fe, K, Ca, and P using ICP-OES. To quantify soil pollution, we calculated the element enrichment factor (EF) and single element pollution index (SEPI) for each sample. We also used principal component analysis (PCA) to interpret relationships between site variables, elemental concentrations, and sources of metals.

Results and discussion

Heavy metals (Pb, Cu, and Zn) and P were found to accumulate in surface samples. The mean EF values for Pb, Cu, Zn, and P revealed significant enrichment of these elements in the soil profiles. However, SEPI analyses indicate that GMP soils have a low level of contamination. PCA revealed that concentrations are highest for samples with high organic matter content near the ground surface and that Pb, Cu, and Zn have common sources of pollution.

Conclusions

We observed enrichment of Pb, Cu, Zn, and P because of deposition from the urban built environment, but the enrichment levels are low enough that they are not expected to negatively impact the ecosystem of GMP. The detailed soil chemistry data constitute a spatial contamination map that can be used to assess potential long-term impacts on the ecosystem, such as reduction of plant growth and species diversity, and inform site management and biodiversity conservation efforts.

     

When international impulses hit home: The role of domestic policy subsystem configurations in explaining different types of sustainability strategies

This paper deals with the role of new ideas and actors regarding national level strategy processes and their respective output. Accordingly, the theoretical framework addresses the relation between a policy subsystem's receptiveness to new ideas and actors and the actual presence of new actors and/or new ideas induced by international impulses (independent variables), and the likely influence of the configuration of these factors on strategy processes and their output. Depending on actual subsystem configurations, we deduce four ideal types of strategy processes and outputs (dependent variables): change-oriented, output-oriented, process-oriented and rhetorical strategies.Empirically, we have conducted a comparative analysis of the effects of one legally binding and two non-legally binding international agreements in terms of the changes induced by means of national strategy processes: the Austrian Biodiversity Strategy, the Austrian Forest Dialogue, and the Austrian Strategy for Sustainable Development. These strategies all have their roots in the UNCED Conference in 1992. The respective discourses and agreements introduced new idea sets to national policy processes also promoting participatory, long-term, cross-sectoral and multi-level strategy processes.The empirical analysis confirms effects of the international impulses in terms of introducing new ideas and actors. However, our case studies also point out that the actual effects of similar international impulses for change seem to be systematically mediated by the pre-existing domestic policy subsystem configurations, resulting in substantially different strategy processes and outputs, ranging from quite substantive changes to a mere rhetorical fulfillment of international agreements.     

Taxonomical study into two new species of Philometra (Nematoda: Philometridae) previously identified as Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935)

Males of the nematode Philometra lateolabracis (Yamaguti, 1935), the type species of the genus Philometra Costa, 1845, were discovered for the first time in gonads of its type host, the Japanese seaperch, Lateolabraxjaponicus (Cuvier). Morphological comparisons carried out between the collected male and female P. lateolabracis with the male and female philometrid nematodes previously reported as P. lateolabracis infecting chicken grunt, Parapristipoma trilineatum (Thunberg), and red sea bream, Pagrus major (Temminck et Schlegel), revealed that the latter represent two new species, Philometra isaki sp. n. and Philometra madai sp. n., respectively. Molecular comparison of ITS2 rDNA between P. lateolabracis and P. madai supported the morphological conclusion that the two nematodes obtained from different fish species should be assigned to different species.     

Soil water storage appears to compensate for climatic aridity at the xeric margin of European tree species distribution

Based on macroecological data, we test the hypothesis whether European tree species of temperate and boreal distribution maintain their water and nutrient supply in the more arid southern margin of their distribution range by shifting to more fertile soils with higher water storage than in their humid core distribution range (cf. soil compensatory effects). To answer this question, we gathered a large dataset with more than 200,000 plots that we related to summer aridity (SA), derived from WorldClim data, as well as soil available water capacity (AWC) and soil nutrient status, derived from the European soil database. The soil compensatory effects on tree species distribution were tested through generalized additive models. The hypothesis of soil compensatory effects on tree species distribution under limiting aridity was supported in terms of statistical significance and plausibility. Compared to a bioclimatic baseline model, inclusion of soil variables systematically improved the models’ goodness of fit. However, the relevance measured as the gain in predictive performance was small, with largest improvements for P. sylvestris, Q. petraea and A. alba. All studied species, except P. sylvestris, preferred high AWC under high SA. For F. sylvatica, P. abies and Q. petraea, the compensatory effect of soil AWC under high SA was even more pronounced on acidic soils. Soil compensatory effects might have decisive implications for tree species redistribution and forest management strategies under anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, soil compensatory effects deserve more intensive investigation, ideally, in studies combining different spatial scales to reduce the uncertainty associated with the precision of soil information.     

Long-term amendment of four different compost types on a loamy silt Cambisol: impact on soil organic matter,nutrients and yields

This study investigated the long-term effects of different composts (urban organic waste compost (OWC), green waste compost (GWC), cattle manure compost (MC) and sewage sludge compost (SSC)) compared to mineral fertilisation on a loamy silt Cambisol, after a 7-year start-up period. The compost application rate was 175 kg N ha^?1, with 80 kg mineral N ha^?1 and without. Soil characteristics (soil organic carbon (SOC), carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio and soil pH), nutrients (nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P) and potassium (K)) and crop yields were investigated between 1998 and 2012. SOC concentrations were increased by compost applications, being highest in the SSC treatments, as for soil pH. N contents were significantly higher with compost amendments compared to mineral fertilisation. The highest calcium-acetate-lactate (CAL)-extractable P concentrations were measured in the SSC treatments, and the highest CAL-extractable K concentrations in the MC treatments. Yields after compost amendment for winter barley and spring wheat were similar to 40 kg mineral N ha^?1 alone, whereas maize had comparable yields to 80 kg mineral N ha^?1 alone. We conclude that compost amendment improves soil quality, but that the overall carbon (C) and N cycling merits more detailed investigation.     

Integration of Northern spotted owl habitat and fuels treatments in the eastern Cascades,Washington, USA

The restoration of natural fire regimes has emerged as a primary management objective within fire-prone forests in the interior western US. However, this objective becomes contentious when perceived to be in conflict with the conservation of rare wildlife species. For example, the integration of fire ecology in disturbance-prone forests of eastern Washington with the recovery of the Northern spotted owl has been described as a management dilemma. We intersected modeled spotted owl habitat with mapped priority fuels treatment areas in order to determine the magnitude of the potential conflict between fuels management and owl conservation. Our results show that there is considerable overlap within dry forests between high suitability spotted owl habitat and moderate-high priority fuels treatment areas (34% overlap). However, there is also considerable overlap of lower suitability spotted owl habitat with moderate-high priority fuels treatment areas (35% overlap) providing opportunities to accomplish multiple management objectives if one considers a landscape perspective. We propose that a conservation strategy for the Northern spotted owl in the eastern Cascades consider the following: emphasize landscape restoration of dry forests within which spotted owl habitat is embedded; landscapes considered for restoration need to be large enough to accomodate the effects of fire disturbances and still retain sufficient habitat to support spotted owl populations; and include adaptive management allowing for adequate monitoring and feedback for managers to make needed adjustments.     

Concentrations of clindamycin in the mandibular bone of companion animals

Concentrations of clindamycin in the mandible were determined in 17 dogs and 13 cats with severe plaque, gingivitis/periodontitis, and calculus that were treated orally with clindamycin (11 mg/kg) once daily for 5 days prior to professional teeth cleaning and extractions. The animals were patients at the Dental Department of the Clinic for Surgery and Ophthalmology of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Austria. Clindamycin levels were determined during postextractional alveoloplasty. Approximately 1 to 3 mm3 of mandible was removed from the intraradicular septum in multirooted teeth and from the protruding labial/buccal alveolar rim with a small rongeur. The mean concentration of clindamycin was 8.18 microg/g in dogs (range=3.16 to 24.08 microg/g) and 17.43 microg/g in cats (range=2.45 to 51.60 microg/g). The concentration of clindamycin in the mandibles of dogs and cats may be useful to combat infections after periodontal procedures, tooth extractions, or injuries to the mandible.     

Effect of Salinity on Hatching in Neobenedenia melleni, a Monogenean Ectoparasite of Seawater-Cultured Tilapia

Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the effect of salinity on embryonic development and hatching in Neobenedenia melleni , a monogenean ectoparasite of seawater-cultured (37 ppt) Florida red tilapia ( Oreochromis urolepis hornorum × O. mossambicus ). Eggs, collected from adult monogeneans at 37 ppt, were exposed to different salinities (0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 37 ppt) for 48, 72 or 96 h. Varying degrees of post-treatment development and hatching occurred when natural seawater conditions were restored. Hatching success generally declined with decreasing salinity and increasing duration of exposure. Under all durations of exposure, hatching success remained relatively high (≥ 69.6%) at salinities of 24 ppt and above, but declined markedly (≤ 32.5%) at lower salinities. Hatching did not occur in eggs exposed to fresh water (0 ppt) for 72 and 96 h. The most effective treatments in preventing hatching, other than prolonged exposure to fresh water, were 96 h exposures to low-salinity brackish water. Percent hatch after 96 h exposure to 6, 12 and 18 ppt was 5.5, 11.9 and 5.8%, respectively.     

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