Monitoring infection with Piscine myocarditis virus and development of cardiomyopathy syndrome in farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Norway

An epidemiological study was carried out in Norway in 2015–2018, investigating the development of infection with Piscine myocarditis virus (PMCV) and development of cardiomyopathy syndrome (CMS) in farmed Atlantic salmon. Cohorts from 12 sites were followed and sampled every month or every other month from sea transfer to slaughter. PMCV was detected at all sites and in all sampled cages, and fish in six sites developed clinical CMS. The initial infection happened between 1 and 7 months post‐sea transfer, and the median time from infection with PMCV until outbreak of CMS was 6.5 months. Generally, fish from sites with CMS had higher viral titre and a higher prevalence of PMCV, compared to sites that did not develop clinical CMS. The virus persisted until the point of slaughter at most (11 out of 12) of the sites. The detection of PMCV in all sites suggests that PMCV is more widespread than previously known. Screening for PMCV as a tool to monitor impending outbreaks of CMS must be supported by observations of the health status of the fish and risk factors for development of disease.     

Effects of chronic sub‐lethal nitrite exposure at high water chloride concentration on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar,Linnaeus 1758) parr

The present study examined the protective effects of water chloride (Cl^?) towards nitrite toxicity in Atlantic salmon parr during 84‐day long nitrite exposure. Effects on growth, histology, blood indices and gene expression were studied at a fixed nominal Cl^? concentration of 200 mg/L and at several water nitrite concentrations (0, 0.5, 2, 5 and 10 mg/L NO₂^?–N). The specific growth rate was significantly reduced during the first three weeks at a Cl:NO₂^?–N ratio of 21:1, suggesting the activation of coping mechanisms at the later stages of the experiment. No significant effect of nitrite on gill histology and mortality was found. Nitrite accumulated in plasma; however, a Cl:NO₂^?–N ratio of 104:1 or higher prevented nitrite entry. The concentration of NO₂^?–N in plasma was significantly reduced at the end of the study, supporting the hypothesis of coping mechanisms. Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (cftr)‐1 showed a significant up‐regulation at highest nitrite concentration on day 22, and in three of the highest exposure groups at the end of the experiment. Our findings suggest that a Cl:NO₂^?–N ratio above 104:1 should be maintained through episodes of nitrite accumulation in water during the production of Atlantic salmon parr.     

Depressed growth of non‐chlorotic vine grown in calcareous soil is an iron deficiency symptom prior to leaf chlorosis

The development of iron deficiency symptoms (growth depression and yellowing of the youngest leaves) and the distribution of iron between roots and leaves were investigated in different vine cultivars (Silvaner, Riparia 1G and SO4) grown in calcareous soils. As a control treatment all cultivars were also grown in an acidic soil. Only the cultivars Silvaner and Riparia 1G showed yellowing of the youngest leaves under calcareous soil conditions at the end of the cultivation period. All cultivars including SO4 showed severe shoot growth depression, by 50 % and higher, before yellowing started or without leaf yellowing in the cultivar SO4. Depression of shoot growth occurred independently from that of root growth. In a further treatment the effect of Fe‐EDDHA spraying onto the shoot growth of the cultivar Silvaner after cultivation in calcareous soil was investigated. Prior to Fe application plants were non‐chlorotic, but showed pronounced shoot growth depression. Spraying led to a significant increase in shoot length, though leaf growth was not increased. Accordingly, depression of shoot growth of non‐chlorotic plants under calcareous soil conditions and with ample supply of nutrients and water has been evidenced to be at least partly an iron deficiency symptom. We suggest that plant growth only partially recovered because of dramatic apoplastic leaf Fe inactivation and/ or a high apoplastic pH which may directly impair growth. Since growth was impaired before the youngest leaves showed chlorosis we assume that meristematic growth is more sensitively affected by Fe deficiency than is chlorophyll synthesis and chloroplast development. In spite of high Fe concentrations in roots and leaves of the vines grown in calcareous soils plants suffered from Fe deficiency. The finding of high Fe concentrations also in young, but growth retarded green leaves is a further indication that iron deficiency chlorosis in calcareous soils is caused by primary leaf Fe inactivation. However, in future, only a rigorous study of the dynamic changes of iron and chlorophyll concentration, leaf growth and apoplastic pH at the cellular level during leaf development and yellowing will provide causal insights between leaf iron inactivation, growth depression, and leaf chlorosis.<?show $6#>     

Scale-dependent importance of environment, land use and landscape structure for species richness and composition of SE Norwegian modern agricultural landscapes

Knowledge of variation in vascular plant species richness and species composition in modern agricultural landscapes is important for appropriate biodiversity management. From species lists for 2201 land-type patches in 16 1-km² plots five data sets differing in sampling-unit size from patch to plot were prepared. Variation in each data set was partitioned into seven sources: patch geometry, patch type, geographic location, plot affiliation, habitat diversity, ecological factors, and land-use intensity. Patch species richness was highly predictable (75% of variance explained) by patch area, within-patch heterogeneity and patch type. Plot species richness was, however, not predictable by any explanatory variable, most likely because all studied landscapes contained all main patch types – ploughed land, woodland, grassland and other open land – and hence had a large core of common species. Patch species composition was explained by variation along major environmental complex gradients but appeared nested to lower degrees in modern than in traditional agricultural landscapes because species-poor parts of the landscape do not contain well-defined subsets of the species pool of species-rich parts. Variation in species composition was scale dependent because the relative importance of specific complex gradients changed with increasing sampling-unit size, and because the amount of randomness in data sets decreased with increasing sampling-unit size. Our results indicate that broad landscape structural changes will have consequences for landscape-scale species richness that are hard or impossible to predict by simple surrogate variables.     

Localization of the porous partition responsible for pressurized gas transport in Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn

The pressurized gas transport which improves the oxygen supply of the roots of the wetland tree black alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.), is based on the existence of a thermo-osmotically active porous tissue partition in the lower part of the trunk with pore diameters in the range of, or smaller than, the mean free path length of the gas molecules (e.g., 70 nm for O(2) at 20 degrees C and 100 kPa). Anatomical studies have shown that only the cambial layer or the phellogen of the lenticels have intercellular spaces small enough to be responsible for thermo-osmotic activity. The final localization of the thermo-osmotically active partition and the determination of the pore sizes were done by diffusion and effusion experiments with basal trunk pieces of 3- to 4-year-old trees. The mean pore sizes of the intercellular system were not smaller than 100 nm in diameter in the cambial layer separating the bark from the wood, but 14 +/- 7 nm in diameter in the phellogen underlying the lenticels. Because of these small pores, the phellogen of the lenticels is the significant thermo-osmotically active partition for the transport of air to the root system in black alder.     

Influence of long term ammonia exposure on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) parr growth and welfare

The objective of this study was to determine the long‐term effects of ambient unionized ammonia nitrogen (NH₃‐N) combined with different feeding regimes on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L parr growth, welfare and smoltification. Previous studies on the parr stage of Atlantic salmon have mostly focused on acute exposure, or at low temperatures. Atlantic salmon parr were exposed for 105 days (at 12°C, pH 6.8) to four sublethal ammonia concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 35 μg L^?1 NH₃‐N (0.1–25 mg L^?1 TAN) at two feeding levels: full feed strength (+20% overfeeding) and 1/3 of full feed strength. After 21 days, it was observed that 32 μg L^?1 NH₃‐N reduced growth rate of parr fed full ration, but this effect was not evident at the end of the exposure. Feed utilization was not affected by ammonia exposure at any sampling point. Increasing ammonia levels were associated with a higher prevalence and severity of gill damage at 22 days but not at the end of the exposure. The examination of welfare indicators revealed only a few pathologies, not related to ammonia exposure. In addition, higher ammonia concentrations did not appear to influence the development of hypo‐osmoregulatory ability during parr‐smolt transformation.     

Actinomycetes from sediments in the Trondheim fjord, Norway: diversity and biological activity

The marine environment represents a largely untapped source for isolation of new microorganisms with potential to produce biologically active secondary metabolites. Among such microorganisms, Gram-positive actinomycete bacteria are of special interest, since they are known to produce chemically diverse compounds with a wide range of biological activities. We have set out to isolate and characterize actinomycete bacteria from the sediments in one of the largest Norwegian fjords, the Trondheim fjord, with respect to diversity and antibiotic-producing potential. Approximately 3,200 actinomycete bacteria were isolated using four different agar media from the sediment samples collected at different locations and depths (4.5 to 450 m). Grouping of the isolates first according to the morphology followed by characterization of isolates chosen as group representatives by molecular taxonomy revealed that Micromonospora was the dominating actinomycete genus isolated from the sediments. The deep water sediments contained a higher relative amount of Micromonospora compared to the shallow water samples. Nine percent of the isolates clearly required sea water for normal growth, suggesting that these strains represent obligate marine organisms. Extensive screening of the extracts from all collected isolates for antibacterial and antifungal activities revealed strong antibiotic-producing potential among them. The latter implies that actinomycetes from marine sediments in Norwegian fjords can be potential sources for the discovery of novel anti-infective agents.     

Impact of biochar coated with magnesium (hydr)oxide on phosphorus leaching from organic and mineral soils

Purpose

Recent research suggests that Swedish organic arable soils have been under-recognized as a potential source of phosphorus (P) loading to water bodies. The aim of this study was to compare P losses through leaching from organic and high-fertility mineral soils. In addition, the effectiveness of a magnesium-salt-coated biochar applied below the topsoil as a mitigation strategy for reducing P losses was evaluated.

Materials and methods

Phosphorus leaching was measured from four medium- to high-P arable soils, two Typic Haplosaprists (organic 1 and 2), a Typic Hapludalf (sand), and an unclassified loam textured soil (loam), in a 17-month field study utilizing 90-cm-long lysimeters. A magnesium-salt-coated biochar was produced and characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XPD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and X-ray adsorption (XANES) spectroscopy, and its phosphate adsorption capacity was determined at laboratory scale. It was also applied as a 3-cm layer, 27 cm below the soil surface of the same lysimeters and examined as a mitigation measure to reduce P leaching.

Results and discussion

Total-P loads from the 17-month, unamended lysimeters were in the order of organic 2 (1.2 kg ha^?1)?>?organic 1 (1.0 kg ha^?1)?>?sand (0.3 kg ha^?1)?>?loam (0.2 kg ha^?1). Macropore flow, humic matter competition for sorption sites, and fewer sorption sites likely caused higher P losses from the organic soils. Analysis by XRD and SEM revealed magnesium was primarily deposited as periclase (MgO) on the biochar surface but hydrated to brucite (Mg(OH)₂) in water. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity (Q_max) of the coated biochar was 65.4 mg P g^?1. Lysimeters produced mixed results, with a 74% (P?<?0.05), 51% (NS), and 30% (NS) reduction in phosphate-P from the organic 1, organic 2, and sand, respectively, while P leaching increased by 230% (NS) from the loam.

Conclusions

The findings of this study indicate that P leached from organic arable soils can be greater than from mineral soils, and therefore, these organic soils require further investigation into reducing their P losses. Metal-enriched biochar, applied as an adsorptive layer below the topsoil, has the potential to reduce P losses from medium- to high-P organic soils but appear to be less useful in mineral soils.

     

Structural diversity of English yew (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus baccata</Emphasis> L.) populations

In Europe, the English yew species (Taxus baccata L.) is endangered. Intensive human land-use, including forest management, has caused a decrease of the yew populations all over Europe. In Austria, gene conservation forests are used for the in situ conservation of populations of this rare tree species by silvicultural treatments. In order to improve the conservation management in these gene conservation forests, this study addresses the relation between competition and viability of yew populations through the use of structural diversity indices. The structural indices, which include mingling, tree–tree distance, diameter, and tree height differentiation, were determined for a structural group of four trees as well as the neighbouring trees of the male and female yews at the monitoring plots on a regular grid in three gene conservation forests. Although the three study sites provided quite different environmental conditions for English yew, the vitality of each individual yew was influenced by the inter-specific competition of the neighbouring tree species at all sites. Low vitality was associated with a small mean distance to neighbours and large tree height differentiation. In conclusion, we suggest that a combination of different structural indicators is needed for an integrative assessment of conservation status in the gene conservation forests. This would help improve the evaluation of the impact management has on yew population viability.     

The prospects of silver fir (Abies alba Mill.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) in mixed mountain forests under various management strategies,climate change and high browsing pressure

European Journal of Forest Research - In the Dinaric Mountains, the future of silver fir and Norway spruce appears to be uncertain, especially given the threat of climate change to both species and...