Concurrent rice‐shrimp‐crab farming systems in the Mekong Delta: Are conditions (sub) optimal for crop production and survival?

The Mekong Delta is the most important rice‐ and shrimp‐producing region for food and economic security in Vietnam. Rice‐shrimp farming is practised where salinity fluctuates substantially between wet and dry seasons. Research points to several potential risk factors for rotational systems, but how these link directly to both rice and shrimp production remains poorly quantified for systems that stock and harvest animals year‐round. We examined water and soil quality of 18 rice‐shrimp‐crab ponds, in which shrimp and crab are grown in both wet and dry seasons, in the Cà Mau Province of Vietnam. Multiple lines of evidence indicated that environmental conditions experienced by both rice and shrimp were suboptimal and contributed to low yields and survival. Year‐round cropping of shrimp and crab was associated with sustained suboptimal salinity, intensified by drought, for the wet‐season cultivation of rice. Although rice seedlings were sown in all 18 ponds, only three had a harvestable crop. Low shrimp production and survival was associated with sustained suboptimal water temperatures (too high), salinity (too high in the dry season and too low in the wet season) and dissolved oxygen concentrations (too low). Food availability and quality may also have affected shrimp production. Improving productivity of rice‐shrimp‐crab ponds in the study region may require (1) separation of rice and shrimp crops and improving efficiency of soil washing practices such that salinity conditions are more suitable for each when grown, and (2) management intervention to increase oxygenation of water, and the availability and quality of food for shrimp.     

Occurrence of filamentous fungi and mycotoxins in wrapped forages in Sweden and Norway and their relation to chemical composition and management

A study was conducted on 124 farms in Sweden and Norway where fungal (all farms) and mycotoxin (100 of the 124 farms) presence was examined in wrapped forage bales. Samples were also analysed for chemical composition, and data on the bale production and storage system on each farm were collected. Fungi, analysed by three common sampling methods, were found in bales from 89% of the visited farms (110 farms). The most frequently isolated fungal species from the bale surface was Penicillium roqueforti. Mycotoxins were present in 39% of the 100 samples analysed. The most common mycotoxins present were enniatin B (14 farms) followed by deoxynivalenol (12 farms). The risk of finding fungi in baled forage samples was higher with odds ratio (OR) of 5.1 when less than eight layers of stretch film were applied, low seal integrity of wrapping (OR 172 at <10 s of seal integrity), higher dry‐matter content (OR 1.17–1.56 per % unit DM) and higher concentrations of acetic acid (OR 47.5 per g DM) and ethanol (OR 3.4 per g DM). Mycotoxin presence was not found to be correlated with any of the chemical characteristics of the baled forage, or with any forage production and management factors. A positive correlation was present between total fungal counts and general mycotoxin presence, but not between specific mycotoxins and the toxin‐producing fungal species.     

Peat replacement in horticultural growth media: the adequacy of coir,paper sludge and biogas digestate as growth medium constituents for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)

Purpose: Due to environmental concerns, efforts are made to replace the use of peat in horticultural growth media by organic wastes. Four growth media were prepared with the purpose of achieving adequate physical and chemical properties for plant production. Materials and methods: Growth media prepared from mixtures of coir (C) and paper sludge (P), respectively, with two biogas digestates from food waste (D₁ and D₂), were tested. These mixtures, 20% D₁ or D₂?+?80% C or P (v/v), were evaluated as growth media for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Results and conclusion: The growth media were all physically stable during the growing period, provided all the macronutrients and most of the micronutrients necessary for plant growth, adequate pH conditions, as well as an adequate electrical conductivity. The mixture of D₂ and P produced the highest biomass compared to a mineral fertilised peat (control), with a biomass production of 76% of the control for lettuce and 54% for tomato. Causes for the biomass reduction relative to the control may be related to ammonium toxicity effects, and/or limited plant-available water. The digestates, particularly D₁, seemed also to have a phytotoxic effect on the germination.     

Potential use of pervious concrete for maintaining existing mature trees during and after urban development

During the development of parking lots and pedestrian areas, mature trees are often removed from the site and replaced with saplings after development is completed. This research aims to study the possibility of using pervious porous concrete as an alternative pavement that may help to keep existing mature trees, and all the benefits they can provide, alive after site development. Three different pavement treatments: (1) no pavement; (2) impervious standard concrete; and, (3) pervious porous concrete were compared over 2 years to test their ability to modify growth and leaf gas exchange of existing 15–18-year-old American sweetgum (Liquidamber styraciflua) trees. Soil water and temperature dynamics of the pervious plots were closely correlated with those in the control plots. Plots treated with pervious concrete had greater soil water content than plots with standard concrete in the deeper soil layers in some seasons, but not during the summer. Tree diameter (dbh) relative growth rates were similar across the three pavement types. There was no effect of the treatments on leaf water potential or leaf gas exchange. The data presented in this paper suggest that pervious porous concrete does not provide additional benefits in ensuring growth and survival of pre-existing mature trees in new urban developments.     

Forest proximity rather than local forest cover affects bee diversity and coffee pollination services

Context

As agricultural demands for land continues to expand, strategies are urgently needed to balance agricultural production with biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service provision in agricultural landscapes.

Objectives

We used a factorial landscape design to assess the relative contributions of forest proximity and local forest cover to bee diversity and the provision of coffee pollination services.

Methods

We quantified bee diversity and fruit set in 24 sun-grown coffee fields in Southeast Region of Brazil that were selected following a factorial sampling design to test the independent effects of local forest cover (in a radius of 400 m) and proximity to forest fragments. To assess the impact of landscape simplification, we also evaluated local coffee cover.

Results

Bee richness and abundance were higher in the proximity of forest fragments, but only bee abundance decreased when the coffee cover dominated the surrounding landscapes. Coffee fruit set was 16% higher overall with bee visitations compared with bee exclusion and increased to 20% when coffee bushes were near forest fragments, and the coffee cover was low. Surprisingly, local forest cover did not affect the bee community or coffee fruit set.

Conclusion

Our results provide clear evidence that the proximity of coffee crops to forest fragments can affect the abundance and richness of bees visiting the coffee flowers and thereby facilitate the provision of pollination services. The positive association between forest proximity and fruit set reinforces the importance of natural vegetation in enhancing bee diversity and, therefore, in the provision of pollination services. The negative effect of coffee cover on fruit set at the local scale suggests that the service demand can surpass the capacity of pollinators to provide it. These effects were independent of the local forest cover, although all studied landscapes had more than 20% remaining forest cover (within a 2 km radius), which is considered the extinction threshold for Atlantic Forest species. Interspersion of forest fragments and coffee plantations in regions with more than 20% of forest cover left could thus be a useful landscape management target for facilitating pollinator flows to coffee crops and thus for increasing coffee yields.

     

Landscape relatedness: detecting contemporary fine-scale spatial structure in wild populations

Context

Methods for detecting contemporary, fine-scale population genetic structure in continuous populations are scarce. Yet such methods are vital for ecological and conservation studies, particularly under a changing landscape.

Objectives

Here we present a novel, spatially explicit method that we call landscape relatedness (LandRel). With this method, we aim to detect contemporary, fine-scale population structure that is sensitive to spatial and temporal changes in the landscape.

Methods

We interpolate spatially determined relatedness values based on SNP genotypes across the landscape. Interpolations are calculated using the Bayesian inference approach integrated nested Laplace approximation. We empirically tested this method on a continuous population of brown bears (Ursus arctos) spanning two counties in Sweden.

Results

Two areas were identified as differentiated from the remaining population. Further analysis suggests that inbreeding has occurred in at least one of these areas.

Conclusions

LandRel enabled us to identify previously unknown fine-scale structuring in the population. These results will help direct future research efforts, conservation action and aid in the management of the Scandinavian brown bear population. LandRel thus offers an approach for detecting subtle population structure with a focus on contemporary, fine-scale analysis of continuous populations.

     

Strong fisheries management and governance positively impact ecosystem status

Fisheries have had major negative impacts on marine ecosystems, and effective fisheries management and governance are needed to achieve sustainable fisheries, biodiversity conservation goals and thus good ecosystem status. To date, the IndiSeas programme (Indicators for the Seas) has focussed on assessing the ecological impacts of fishing at the ecosystem scale using ecological indicators. Here, we explore fisheries ‘Management Effectiveness’ and ‘Governance Quality’ and relate this to ecosystem health and status. We developed a dedicated expert survey, focused at the ecosystem level, with a series of questions addressing aspects of management and governance, from an ecosystem‐based perspective, using objective and evidence‐based criteria. The survey was completed by ecosystem experts (managers and scientists) and results analysed using ranking and multivariate methods. Results were further examined for selected ecosystems, using expert knowledge, to explore the overall findings in greater depth. Higher scores for ‘Management Effectiveness’ and ‘Governance Quality’ were significantly and positively related to ecosystems with better ecological status. Key factors that point to success in delivering fisheries and conservation objectives were as follows: the use of reference points for management, frequent review of stock assessments, whether Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) catches were being accounted for and addressed, and the inclusion of stakeholders. Additionally, we found that the implementation of a long‐term management plan, including economic and social dimensions of fisheries in exploited ecosystems, was a key factor in successful, sustainable fisheries management. Our results support the thesis that good ecosystem‐based management and governance, sustainable fisheries and healthy ecosystems go together.     

Rebaling of silage and haylage and its effects on forage microbial and chemical composition—A pilot study

Use of big bale silage and haylage can be difficult on farms where daily forage consumption is comparatively low as speed of deterioration of forage after bale opening may be faster than feed-out rate. Production of smaller bales at harvest is possible, but expensive and work-intensive. Therefore, a pilot study of rebaling forage stored in big bales to smaller bales was conducted. Three separate experiments were included, where microbial and chemical composition of silage and haylage was studied before and after rebaling. In Experiment III, residual big bale forage stored and opened together with rebaled forage was included. Results showed that rebaled haylage and silage had higher yeast counts compared to initial forage; however, residual bales in Experiment III had yeast counts similar to rebaled forage, indicating an effect of storage time rather than of rebaling. In Experiment II, mould counts were higher in rebaled compared to initial silage, but not in haylage. Chemical composition was similar in initial and rebaled forage except for ammonia-N. In Experiment III, ammonia-N was higher in rebaled compared to initial and residual forage and was the only chemical variable affected by rebaling. Bale temperature during aerobic storage followed ambient temperature until day 6–8 in Experiment I and until day 14 in Experiment III where ambient temperature was lower. In conclusion, rebaling can be done without large changes in chemical composition of the forage, but yeast and mould counts may be higher in rebaled forage, and this risk should be considered when using this procedure.