Mild to moderate overweight in dogs: is there an impact on routine hematological and biochemical profiles,echocardiographic parameters and cardiac autonomic modulation?

Veterinary Research Communications - Obesity is considered the most common nutritional disease of dogs. Even though overt obesity is more likely to impair health, even moderately overweight dogs...     

Global genotype by environment trends in growth traits for Eucalyptus dunnii

New Forests - Eucalyptus dunnii Maiden (Dunn’s white gum) is a fast-growing tall tree with a restricted natural distribution in south-east Australia and favorable wood properties for pulp...     

Cacao,copoazu and macambo: Exploring Theobroma diversity in smallholder agroforestry systems of the Peruvian Amazon

Over the past decades, the general trend towards shade reduction and intensification of cacao management has led to biodiversity losses. In the Peruvian Amazon, the regional government is heavily promoting crop conversion to shift from regionally marketed foods towards cacao (Theobroma cacao) and copoazu (Theobroma grandiflorum). While this shift is already visibly impacting the farming landscape and the lives of many smallholder farmers, little is known about the reasons that drive farmers to choose certain types of Theobroma species or cacao varieties over others. In this paper, we addressed how cacao farmers perceive and manage specific and varietal Theobroma diversity. We interviewed cacao farmers (n?=?20) during a seed-exchange fair and adapted a version of the four-square analysis to explore which Theobromas are currently adopted by farmers and why. The native cacao variety (cacao chuncho) was the one cultivated by most farmers, followed by the more industrial clonal varieties. The source of seeds and seedlings for the most cultivated varieties was a mix of donations by public institutions (for clonal varieties) and informal exchange among farmers (mainly for native and criollo varieties, and species i.e. macambo (Theobroma bicolor) and cacauillo (Theobroma speciosum)). The cacao varieties incentivized by public institutions were the least desired for future investment. The motivations for farmers to plant Theobromas was mainly based on the perceived current and potential market, but their desire to invest in a given species or variety was also based on pest resistance, traditional use, farm diversification and taste. Copoazu and CCN cacao varieties are produced by many households in large areas, while macambo, cacauillo and the cacao varieties TSH and porcelana are produced by few households in small areas. Our study suggests that agroforestry systems that include alternative Theobroma species are multi-strata and more diverse than cacao-based systems. It highlights the risks of agrobiodiversity loss associated with the promotion of industrial cacao varieties, and the importance of seed and seedling access for the development of diverse farming systems. We recommend the expansion of local seed-sharing networks and the extension of public cacao-donation campaigns to neglected and underutilized Theobromas with socio-economic and environmental benefits, in order to make the local farming systems more diverse and resilient.

     

The high biodiversity and vulnerability of two Mediterranean bathyal seamounts support the need for creating offshore protected areas

1. Seamounts host some of the most important deep-sea ecosystems. The unique environmental characteristics of seamounts sustain rich biological hot spots, which, in recent times, have suffered the effects of intense fishing pressure.
2. Biodiversity and vulnerability data are extremely scarce for Mediterranean seamounts, and this, in addition to the complex socio-economic and juridical status of offshore sites, results in difficulty in identifying the best management strategies.
3. An extensive remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey was used to characterize the megabenthic assemblages of the summits of two upper bathyal seamounts, Ulisse and Penelope (Ligurian Sea, north-west Mediterranean Sea). The biogeographic implications of these findings and the possible environmental factors favouring the occurrence of these communities are discussed.
4. High densities of abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (mainly longlines) and a reduction in the average size of the fragile and slow-growing habitat-forming gorgonian Callogorgia verticillata indicate the occurrence of high levels of anthropogenic impacts on the summit regions, which are fishing grounds for artisanal and recreational fishers.
5. The recovery of fishing data describing the first catches in the 1970s proved to be useful in inferring the short- and long-term effects of fishing practices in these previously unexploited offshore areas. In particular, the local extinction of demersal top predators, subjected to exceptional catches nearly 50 years ago, highlights the slow recovery rate of such species.
6. Criteria defining vulnerability are discussed for the two study areas, and specific conservation actions, including the creation of regulated protected areas, are proposed.

     

Fragmentation patterns and systematic transitions of the forested landscape in the upper Amazon region,Ecuador 1990–2008

The analysis of the systematic transitions in the forested landscape and the study of the forest fragmentation patterns allow us to deepen our understanding of the changes in the vegetation ground cover. The importance of knowing the intricate patterns of the land usage of the upper basin of the Amazon region is widely recognized. This zone is one of the most diverse biological areas in the world, is home to large areas of mature tropical cloud forest and demonstrates high probabilities of stable climatic conditions in light of global warming. The research quan- tiffed systematic transitions through the ＂loss＂ and ＂gain＂ of the different categories of landscape during the eighteen-year study period of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region （EAR）, the forest fragmentation patterns were also analyzed based on a set of indicators. Therefore, with respect to the entirety of the landscape, the results registered for the ground coverage in forested areas during the first period （1990-2000）, show a decrease of 6.99% and an increase of 0.68%; and during the second period （2000-2008）, show a decrease of 3.99% and an increase of 2.14%. It demonstrated that forest and agricultural areas tended to replace or be replaced by herbaceous vegetation faster than expected fortuitously. Finally, the indices of fragmentation signaled intense changes during the 1990-2000 period with a reduction during the period 2000-2008. Per- centages registered in the Largest Patch Index （LPI） were between 79.58%; 52.39% and 49.99% respectively; while the Patch Density （PD） varied between 0.04; 0.06 and 0.07. This suggests the propensity of for- est cover to remain intact. The results of this investigation suggest a tendency towards stability in Ecuador＇s Amazon landscape. Within the framework for development and management of this area, the tendency is natural regeneration. This permits a consolidation of the conservation, reforestation, forestation and agricultural forestry plans, programs and systems for the protected areas in EAR.     

Hydrology-oriented (adaptive) silviculture in a semiarid pine plantation: How much can be modified the water cycle through forest management?

Hydrology-oriented silviculture might adapt Mediterranean forests to climatic changes, although its implementation demands a better understanding and quantification on the water fluxes. The influence of thinning intensity (high, medium, low and a control) and its effect on the mid-term (thinned plots in 1998 and 2008) on the water cycle (transpiration, soil water and interception) and growth [basal area increment (BAI)] were investigated in 55-year-old Aleppo pine trees. Thinning enhanced a lower dependence of growth on climate fluctuations. The high-intensity treatment showed significant increases in the mean annual BAI (from 4.1 to 17.3 cm²) that was maintained in the mid-term. Thinning intensity progressively increased the sap flow velocity (v _s) in all cases with respect to the control. In the mid-term, an increased functionality of the inner sapwood was also observed. Mean daily tree water use ranged from 5 (control) to 18 (high intensity) l tree^?1. However, when expressed on an area basis, daily transpiration ranged from 0.18 (medium) to 0.30 mm (control), meaning that in spite of the higher transpiration rates in the remaining trees, stand transpiration was reduced with thinning. Deep infiltration of water was also enhanced with thinning (about 30 % of rainfall) and did not compete with transpiration, as both presented opposite seasonal patterns. The changes in the stand water relationships after 10 years were well explained by the forest cover metric. The blue to green water ratio changed from 0.15 in the control to 0.72 in the high-intensity treatment, with the remaining treatments in the 0.34–0.48 range.     

Stem mapping and estimating standing volume from stereoscopic hemispherical images

Sustainable forest management requires knowledge of forest structure and dynamics as well as an estimation of growing stock. The forest inventory provides the data for estimating stand variables. The measurement device MU2005-01738, patented by the Center for Forest Research (INIA-CIFOR), provides stereoscopic hemispherical images which can allow the 3D restoration of the stand around the sampling point. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology for forest stand mapping as well as tree diameter and height measurement along with volume estimation from the stereoscopic hemispherical images provided by the MU2005-01738. Using the MU2005-01738, Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantations were sampled. Distance, diameter, height and volume were derived from the stereoscopic hemispherical images of 30 trees located at distances ranging from 0 to 15 m from the device. These variables were then compared with field measurements and the estimation errors analyzed. The (root-mean-squared error) RMSE was 0.23 m (8.95 %) for tree position and 1.51 cm (10.43 %) for diameter at breast height measurement at distances of less than 8 m. In the case of stem height and individual tree volume estimation, the RMSE was 2.59 m (23.05 %) and 0.025 m³ (17.94 %), respectively. The analysis of measurement errors indicated that the measurement precision decreases beyond 8 m from the device as well as for directions close to the baseline (the line between the optical centers of the two images), whereas the precision was highest for directions near to the line which is perpendicular to the base line. Future research should focus on improving measurement accuracy and possible applications in the field of forestry of the techniques presented in this study.     

Inter-specific competition and management modify the morphology, nutrient content and resorption in Scots pine needles

Influence of tree-to-tree competition on nutrient resorption is still not well understood. To contribute filling this gap, we assessed the effects of thinning (0, 20 and 30 % extraction of basal area) and canopy type (beech–pine vs. pine subplots) on needle dry weight, needle length, nutrient content and nutrient resorption (N, P and K) in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles of different cohorts, 8–9 years after thinning. Thinning and canopy type often concurrently affected needle morphology (e.g. lighter and shorter needles in 30 % thinning, heavier and longer needles in pine canopy on the first year of study) and nutrient content (e.g. decrease in N, P and K in 30 %; N, P and K higher in pine canopy on the first year of study). However, effects of thinning appeared only in older cohorts for N and P but were found in old and new cohorts for needle dry weight, needle length and K, indicating that some thinning effects remained after 8–9 years. Canopy effects on morphology and nutrient content were more frequent in recent cohorts, in relation to an increase in beech cover over time. While no clear effects of thinning on the nutrient resorption were observed, higher values were observed in the pine than in the mixed canopy, which could be related to a higher Scots pine stem growth in those patches. The observed differences between treatments will likely increase as the stand develops, probably leading to beech trees being dominant, and as future thinnings are carried out.