Dry matter production,morphology and nutritive value of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dactylis glomerata</Emphasis> growing under different light regimes

Plant growth, morphology and nutritive value under shade can differ between temperate grasses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify the dry matter (DM) production, sward morphology, crude protein (CP%), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and macro-nutrient concentrations (P, K, Mg, Ca and S) in a grazed cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) pasture under 10-year-old Pinus radiata D. Don forest. Four levels of light intensity were compared: full sunlight (100% photosynthetic photon flux density-PPFD), open + wooden slats (∼43% PPFD), trees (∼58% PPFD) and tree + slats (∼24% PPFD). The mean total DM production was 8.2 t DM ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the open and 3.8 t DM ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the trees + slats treatment. The changes in cocksfoot leaf area index (LAI) were related to variations in morphological aspects of the sward such as canopy height and tiller population. CP% increased as PPFD declined with mean values of 18.6% in open and 22.5% in the trees + slats treatment. In contrast, the intensity of fluctuating shade had little effect on OMD with a mean value of 79 ± 3.2%. The mean annual macro-nutrient concentrations in leaves increased as the PPFD level declined mainly between the open and the trees + slats treatments. It therefore appears that heavily shaded dominant temperate pastures in silvopastoral systems limit animal production per hectare through lower DM production rates and per animal through reduced pre-grazing pasture mass of lower bulk density from the etiolated pasture.     

Carbon accumulation along a stand development sequence of Nothofagus antarctica forests across a gradient in site quality in Southern Patagonia

Above- and below-ground C pools were measured in pure even-aged stands of Nothofagusantarctica (Forster f.) Oersted at different ages (5–220 years), crown and site classes in the Patagonian region. Mean tissue C concentration varied from 46.3% in medium sized roots of dominant trees to 56.1% in rotten wood for trees grown in low quality sites. Total C concentration was in the order of: heartwood > rotten wood > sapwood > bark > small branches > coarse roots > leaves > medium roots > fine roots. Sigmoid functions were fitted for total C accumulation and C root/shoot ratio of individual trees against age. Total C accumulated by mature dominant trees was six times greater than suppressed trees in the same stands, and total C accumulated by mature dominant trees grown on the best site quality was doubled that of those on the lowest site quality. Crown classes and site quality also affected the moment of maximum C accumulation, e.g. dominant trees growing on the worse site quality sequestered 0.73 kg C tree⁻¹ year⁻¹ at 139 years compared to the best site where 1.44 kg C tree⁻¹ year⁻¹ at 116 years was sequestered. C root/shoot ratio decreased over time from a maximum value of 1.3–2.2 at 5 years to a steady-state asymptote of 0.3–0.7 beyond 60 years of age depending on site quality. Thus, root C accumulation was greater during the regeneration phase and for trees growing on the poorest sites. The equations developed for individual trees have been used to estimate stand C accumulation from forest inventory data. Total stand C content ranged from 128.0 to 350.9 Mg C ha⁻¹, where the soil C pool represented 52–73% of total ecosystem C depending on age and site quality. Proposed equations can be used for practical purposes such as estimating the impact of silvicultural practices (e.g. thinning or silvopastoral systems) on forest C storage or evaluating the development of both above- and below-ground C over the forest life cycle for different site qualities for accurate quantification of C pools at regional scale.     

Evaluation of a hand‐held evaporimeter (VapoMeter®) for the measurement of transepidermal water loss in healthy dogs

In humans, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is measured by noninvasive techniques using either open‐ or closed‐chamber instruments. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of a hand‐held, closed chamber device (Vapometer^®) to measure TEWL in canine skin. Repeated measurements obtained from multiple body sites in one short and one long‐coated dog had mean coefficients of variation ranging from 20% to 33%. In the short‐coated dog, TEWL ranged from a mean of 5.8 g/m²/h on the ventral abdomen to 24.4 g/m²/h between the shoulders. In the long‐coated dog, mean TEWL values ranged from 26.3 g/m²/h on the right chest wall to 51.3 g/m²/h in the right axilla. TEWL readings differed significantly at different body sites and showed significant day‐to‐day variation. In a comparison of a further 20 dogs, TEWL readings obtained from the lateral thorax differed significantly between dogs. Furthermore, in seven of the twenty dogs, readings differed significantly when one side was compared with the other. The Vapometer^® was able to measure TEWL in canine skin and yielded values similar to those previously reported in the literature using other devices. However, for use in clinical studies, the significant site to site, day‐to‐day and dog to dog variations would make changes induced by disease, drugs, dietary supplements or topical agents very difficult to reliably detect.     

Local management to support local fisheries: Rāhui (temporary closure) and bag limits for blackfoot abalone (Haliotis iris) in southern New Zealand

1. Spatially discrete stocks that vary in life history traits on a reef-to-reef scale present a challenge for fisheries managers. Nationally or regionally applied one-size-fits-all approaches to management fail to account for this variability, and when coupled with fishing pressure this can result in serial depletion and localized extinction.
2. Where mechanisms for local management exist, as they do in New Zealand via customary protection areas (Taiāpure Local Fisheries, Mātaitai Reserves), managers have the opportunity to trial tools on scales relevant to the stocks managed. This study assesses the effect of bag limits and a rāhui (temporary closure) in managing the spatially discrete, and culturally important, blackfoot abalone (Haliotis iris, pāua) in the East Otago Taiāpure, in southern New Zealand.
3. Using surveys spanning 8 years and 26 sites, the rāhui was found to have had mixed results: halting the decline in pāua density at 0 m but not 0.5 m depths. The rāhui did, however, result in an increase in the percentage of individuals above the minimum legal size at both depths.
4. Where bag limits alone had been applied, pāua densities and the percentage of legal-sized individuals continued to decline over the 8-year period, with the loss of large individuals, translating into a decline in estimated egg production.
5. Growth estimates from mark–recapture and surveys of juvenile abundance at sites inside and outside the rāhui highlight the fine-scale variability in pāua life history even within this local area. This suggests there may be biological impediments to pāua management using bag limits alone.
6. Though pāua restoration efforts have had mixed results to date, this study highlights the potential for legally empowered local managers and communities to respond to fisheries declines in their own local area in an action-driven, adaptable, and timely way.

     

Observations on mouse-infective stocks of Cowdria ruminantium: attempts to demonstrate persistence of the organism in mice immune to the Kwanyanga stock

Mice immunised against the Kwanyanga stock of Cowdria ruminantium by infection and treated with oxytetracycline proved immune to challenge on day 40 and also to a second challenge on day 125 after infection. Treatment with the experimental dithiosemicarbazone gloxazone on days 59 and 73 did not abolish immunity to challenge on day 125. No persistence of the organism in immune mice that had been challenged on day 40 could be demonstrated by subinoculating blood and liver homogenate on day 126. These results are different from findings reported elsewhere with the mouse-infective Kumm stock.     

Causal agents of bovine theileriosis in southern Africa

Summary One pathogenic and 4 mild bovineTheileria strains from southern Africa, all transmitted byRhipicephalus appendiculatus, were compared amongst themselves as well as to bovine and buffalo strains of theT. parva complex from eastern and southern Africa and to bovine strains ofT. taurotragi from Tanzania considered to be derived from eland antelope. Criteria used were parasitological, clinical, serological and cross-immunity characters.The mild strains are similar to bovineT. taurotragi. Serological evidence suggested thatT. taurotragi is also infective to sheep. The pathogenic strain belongs to theT. parva complex; the latter consists of a series of types with different behaviour ranging from thelawrencei-type (of buffalo) causing Corridor disease, through thebovis-type causing Rhodesian malignant theileriosis to theparva-type causing classical East Coat fever. Seven cattle-tick passages of abovis-type strain did not result in transformation into aparva-type.Four species of bovineTheileriae are now known to occur in southern Africa:T. parva (lawrencei- andbovis-types) andT. taurotragi, both transmitted byR. appendiculatus, andT. mutans andT. velifera both withAmblyomma spp. as vectors.

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Agentes Causales De Theileriosis En El Sur De Africa

Resumen Se compararon 5 cepas deTheileria del sur de Africa, 1 patógena y 4 benignas, todas transmitidas porRhipicephalus appendiculatus, entre si y también con cepas derivadas de bovinos y búfalos, del complejoT. parva, del sur y este de Africa, y con cepas bovinas deT. taurotragi de Tanzania derivadas de antílope eland. Los criterios de evaluación utilizados fueron parasitológico, clínico, serológico, utilizando también los caracteres de inmunidad cruzada.Las cepas benignas son similares aT. taurotragi de bovinos. Las pruebas serológicas indicaron que esta última es también infectiva para ovejas. Las cepas patógenas pertenecen al complejoT. parva; este último consiste de un rango de tipos con diferente comportamiento que van desde el tipolawrencei (búfalo) que causa la enfermedad Corridor, a través del tipobovis que causa la theileriosis maligna de Rodesia, hasta el tipoparva que causa la típica Fiebre de la Costa Este. Siete pasajes a través de bovinos y garrapatas de un tipobovis, no produjo transformación alguna al tipoparva.Se conocen entonces 4 especies deTheileriae bovina en el sur de Africa :T. parva (tiposlawrencei ybovis) yT. taurotragi, ambas transmitidas porR. appendiculatus, yT. mutans yT. velifera, ambas transmitidas porAmblyomma spp.

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Agent De La Theileriose Bovine En Afrique Australe

Résumé Une souche pathogène et quatre souches bovines bénignes deTheileria d'Afrique australe, toutes transmises parRhipicephalus appendiculatus ont été comparées entre elles, puis avec des souches de bovins et de buffles du complexe deT. parva de l'Afrique australe et orientale et enfin avec des souches bovines deT. taurotragi de Tanzanie considérées comme originaires de l'Elan du Cap. Les critères utilisés ont été d'ordre parasitologique, clinique, sérologique avec recherche des caractères d'immunité-croisée.Les sourches bénignes sont similaires àT. taurotragi. La sérologie a suggéreré queT. taurotragi est également infectieuse chez le mouton. La souche pathogène appartient au complexe deT. parva ; ce complexe consiste en une série de types présentant divers comportements depuis le typelawrencei du buffle causant l'affection Corridor, et le typebovis cause de la theileriose maligne de Rhodésie jusqu'au type parva cause de l'East Coast Fever classique. 7 passages bétail-tique d'une souche de typebovis n'ont pas réussi à la transformer en typeparva. 4 espèces de Theileries bovines sont maintenant connues en Afrique australe :T. parva (typeslawrencei etbovis) etT. taurotragi toutes deux transmises parR. appendiculatus, T. mutans etT. velifera avec toutes deuxAmblyomma spp. comme vecteurs.

     

A Preliminary Trial Using Multi-target Polymerase Chain Reaction (multiplex PCR) and Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) on the Same Feedstuffs to Detect Tissues of Animal Origin

A preliminary study using multi-target polymerase chain reaction (multiplex PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was done on the same feedstuffs to detect animal tissues. The results of the two methods differ somewhat: PCR-RFLP did not detect any signal in any sample, but multiplex PCR detected a signal in one sample. These findings could be a basis for further investigations.     

Stage-specific antigenicity in Theileria annulata: a case report

Blood from sick cattle in Bahrain transmitted piroplasms of Theileria annulata to a splenectomized calf. Larvae of Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum were infected on the calf and, after moulting, induced clinical theileriosis, associated with numerous schizonts, in the same calf. The animal was cured by specific treatment. Antigenic differences thus shown between piroplasms on the one hand, and sporozoites and schizonts on the other hand, were confirmed in the indirect fluorescent antibody test, as a significant titre to T. annulata piroplasm antigen developed after the inoculation of blood, but to schizont antigen only after the infective ticks had induced the appearance of schizonts.     

Modelling net photosynthetic rate of field-grown cocksfoot leaves under different nitrogen, water and temperature regimes

A simple multiplicative model using temperature, foliage nitrogen (N) concentration and water status was developed to predict the maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax) of field‐grown cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) leaves when none, one, two or all the factors were limiting. The highest Pmax was 27·4 μmol CO₂ m^–2 s^?1 in non‐limited conditions, which was defined as the standardized Pmax value dimensionless (Pmax_s=1). Pmax_s increased 0·058 units per °C from 10°C to the optimum range (19–23°C) (Pmax_s=1) and then declined 0·077 units of Pmax_s per °C from 23 to 31°C. Pmax_s=1 was also measured from 59 to 52 g N kg^?1 dry matter (DM) foliage N. Pmax_s then decreased at the rate of 0·115 units per 10 g N kg^?1 DM from 52 to 26 g N kg^?1 DM, and 0·409 units of Pmax_s per 10 g N kg^?1 DM from 26 to 15 g N kg^?1 DM. For predawn leaf water potential (ψ_lp), Pmax_s=1 was measured from ?0·1 to ?1·2 bar but declined linearly at a rate of 0·078 units per bar of ψ_lp from ?1·2 to ?14·0 bar because of a linear decrease in stomatal conductance. An interaction between low N content (≤20 g N kg^?1 DM) and high temperature (>23°C) was also detected. Together, this multiplicative model accounted for 0·82 of the variation in Pmax_s.