Using place names to interpret former floodplain connectivity in the Morava River,Czech Republic

Toponyms, or place names have been used to reveal historical land-use patterns based on degree of wetness in the Morava River floodplain. Eleven patch types were plotted on three land cover types representing broad ecological niches with different moisture regimes for four time periods. The river’s simultaneous decrease in sinuosity, which underscores the loss of the landscape’s ecohydrological connectivity, was quanified. The results show that long-term human-dominated land use worked in concert with a naturally occuring seasonal flood regime. The findings strongly indicate that high human density and intensive exploitation can co-exist with a functioning floodplain. Landscape change was interpreted by using a new concept, that of the place-name patch, which can be universally applied to interpret historical land use changes in river basins. Our method is reproducible in river basins with a history of intensive human use.     

Relationships between the root system size and its hydraulic properties in white spruce seedlings

Seedlings grown under different N supply were examined for relationships between root system size attributes and its hydraulic properties. These relationships were also studied on seedlings of different stock types (grown in different container types). Measurements with root pressure probes were taken at various times after germination, under applied hydrostatic pressure and non-limiting soil moisture. Different N-treatments and stock types were used solely to produce seedling of different sizes, especially root system sizes. Specific root hydraulic conductivity (Lp_r) typically declined with an increasing root system size and correlations between Lp_r and the root system size attributes were often negative. The flow of water through the root system correlated well with root system size attributes only in young (3–4 month old) seedlings but the correlations were inconsistent among different N treatments and stock types. Neither the root system surface area nor dry weight reliably reflected its ability to absorb and conduct water. Generally, the amount of water delivered through the root system and available for transpiration per unit or leaf surface area or unit of leaf dry weight correlated poorly or negatively with the root system size. Practical and scientific implications of the findings are discussed. *Paper presented at Forest Seedling Root Development Conference: From the Nursery to the Field, Eugene, Oregon, May 12–13, 2004.     

In vitro regeneration of plantlets from mature embryos of Pinus ayacahuite

A plantlet regeneration protocol was developed for Pinus ayacahuite var. ayacahuite (Ehrenb.). Embryos from mature seeds from ten provenances were cultured in a 16-h photoperiod for 3 days on a medium containing 30 mM sucrose and 0.7% agar. Cotyledons from these embryos were subcultured onto MCM medium (Bornman 1983) supplemented with 50 micro M N(6)-benzyladenine and 90 mM sucrose for 2 weeks. Bud development and shoot elongation were maximized by subculturing the explants on half strength AE medium (von Arnold and Ericksson 1981), supplemented with 60 mM sucrose and 0.05% activated charcoal every 30 days. Seed source had a significant effect on the responses of the embryos to the bud induction protocol. For the provenance with the best response to bud induction, about 79% of the cultured cotyledons formed buds, and each cotyledon formed a mean of 9.1 buds, so that about 70 shoots could be induced from each seed. The best rooting response (40% rooting) was obtained by treating the shoots for 8 h with 100 micro M naphthalene acetic acid.     

World view of Gmelina arborea: opportunities and challenges

Gmelina arborea Roxb. (gmelina) occurs naturally in 11 countries in tropical and subtropical regions of Asia. Approximately 700,000?ha of gmelina have now been established in plantations, small woodlots and agroforestry settings in west-central and eastern Africa, southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and northern Latin America. It is expected that planting areas will expand to 800,000?ha by 2020. The species has generated interest because of its fast growth and quick return on investment. Its wood can be used for a multitude of products that range from pulp to furniture parts. Gmelina also has great utility in agroforestry systems. Intensive breeding and improved clones will bring better growth, more uniform wood, better disease resistance, and products of higher quality to both local and international markets. Several factors might limit the degree of improvement and use of gmelina: (a) the species is susceptible to insect attacks and disease which might limit plantation expansion, (b) artificial pollinations are labor intensive and sometimes difficult to complete successfully, thus delaying breeding cycles and deployment of elite populations and clones and (c) the wood density of gmelina is approximately 410?kg/m³ at 8 years of age, which is lower than most commercial species of eucalypts and acacias. Low density affects pulp yields and product strength. These challenges can be met by: (a) development of clones resistant to insect and disease attacks as a cost effective means to maintain plantation stocking and productivity, (b) development of one-stop pollination techniques to increase pollination success rates and reduce the work loads in breeding programs, and (c) utilization of the great tree to tree variation in wood properties in gmelina to develop new races of trees that have both desirable growth rates and dense wood. Access to a broad genetic base of gmelina is central to meeting these challenges.

Palabras clave: Conservación, Mejoramiento, Plantaciones, Propiedades de madera, Silvicultura

Resumen. La Gmelina arborea Roxb. (gmelina) es nativa de 11 países, en regiones tropicales y subtropicales de Asia. Hasta el momento, aproximadamente 700,000 ha de gmelina han sido establecidas en plantaciones, lotes de árboles y en sitios agroforestales en el oeste central y el este de África, el sureste de Asia, el Pacifico Sur y el norte de América Latina. Se espera que para el año 2020, las áreas de plantación se hayan extendido a 800,000?ha. Esta especie ha generado interés debido a su rápido crecimiento y pronto retorno de inversión. Su madera puede ser utilizada en una multitud de productos, los cuales van desde pulpa de madera hasta partes para muebles. Además, la gmelina es de gran utilidad en programas agroforestales. El mejoramiento genético intensivo y clones mejorados darán como resultado un mejor crecimiento, madera más uniforme, mejor resistencia a las enfermedades y productos de mayor calidad tanto para los mercados locales como los internacionales.

Existen varios factores que pueden limitar el grado de mejoramiento y el uso de la gmelina: (a) la susceptibilidad de la especie al ataque de los insectos y las enfermedades, lo cual puede limitar la expansión de las plantaciones, (b) las polinizaciones artificiales requieren de mucha mano de obra y son dificiles de completar lo cual demora ciclos de mejoramiento y la utilización de las poblaciones élite y clones, y (c) la densidad de la madera de la gmelina a los 8 años de edad, de aproximadamente 410?kg/m³, es más baja que la densidad de la mayoría de las especies comerciales de eucalipto y acacias. La baja densidad afecta los rendimientos de pulpa y la fortaleza del producto. Estos retos pueden ser superados por medio de: (a) el desarrollo de clones resistentes al ataque de insectos y enfermedades como una forma económica y efectiva de mantener la densidad de plantaciones y su productividad, (b) el desarrollo de técnicas de polinización de un solo paso para aumentar las tasas de éxito de la polinización y reducir las cargas de trabajo en los programas de mejoramiento, y (c) el uso de la gran variabilidad de las propiedades de madera de la gmelina de árbol a árbol, para poder desarrollar nuevas razas de árboles las cuales tengan buenas tasas de crecimiento, y una densidad de madera deseada. El acceso a una amplia base genética es clave para poder alcanzar estos retos.

     

The effects of surgically implanted dummy tags on the survival,growth performance,and physiology of pikeperch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sander lucioperca</Emphasis>)

The aim of this work was to determine the impact of surgically implanted telemetry transmitters (TTs) on the growth, survival, hematological and biochemical indexes, and wound healing in juvenile pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) (body weight 60–90 g). Two incision suturing methods were used—silk sutures (experiment I—group ST) or tissue adhesive (experiment II—group GT). After tagging, the fish were held in a recirculating system for 35 days. No statistically significant differences were noted in the growth or condition indexes analyzed among the fish tagged with TT compared with those from the control groups (untagged). Substantial individual variability was noted, however, in the parameters examined in both the control and tagged groups. Among the hematological indexes, statistically significant differences were only noted in experiment I. Lower values of mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular hemoglobin were noted in group ST. Among the biochemical parameters, creatinine was statistically significantly threefold lower, magnesium and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels were lower, and ammonia levels were higher in group ST than in the control group. In experiment II, significant differences were only noted for ALP. Tissue adhesive was the superior and more effective method for closing the incision after TT implantation in juvenile pikeperch. This type of suturing facilitated faster healing, and it had less of an impact on juvenile pikeperch welfare.     

The use of bromelain as a feed additive in fish diets: Growth performance,intestinal morphology,digestive enzyme and immune response of juvenile Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus)

Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from Ananas comosus and has great potential to affect several physiological functions. The current study examined the effect of bromelain added to commercial feed at concentrations of 0 g (control), 10 g (B1) and 20 g (B2) per kg diet on growth, feed utilization, intestinal morphology, digestive enzyme and immune response of juvenile Sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus) for 56 days. At the end of this experiment, the highest final body weight was detected in fish fed diet of B2 compared to control. The protein content of whole fish was higher in fish fed diet of B1 and B2, but the content of calcium, iron, copper and zinc was noted lower in fillets of fish fed diet of B1 and B2. Supplementation with bromelain significantly increased the height of mucosal folds, enterocytes and the supranuclear zone of the epithelial cells compared to control diet. The enzymatic activity of lipase and pepsin was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in fish fed diet of B1 and B2. The highest activity of lysozyme, total protein level and total immunoglobulin and the proliferative activity of T and B cells were detected in fish fed diet of B2 compared to control, where no significant (p > 0.05) difference was found in ceruloplasmin, metabolic activity of spleen macrophages and potential killing activity of spleen phagocytes between different treatments.     

Perennial growth and salinity tolerance in wheat × wheatgrass amphiploids varying in the ratio of wheat to wheatgrass genomes

Since wheat and other annual cereal crops are often harvested for forage instead of grain in California, replacing them with perennial crops could save energy and reduce the release of heat-trapping gases. To assess the potential for perennial crops based on wheat, biomass yield and stand persistence were studied for nine wheat×wheatgrass amphiploids (8x to 14x) and five wheatgrass species (2x to 10x) over three seasons in the Central Valley, California. The 8x and 10x amphiploids died after one biomass harvest and a single summer period. In contrast, the 14x amphiploids, which were sterile, continued producing biomass over the entire period of the trial. They were also highly salt-stress tolerant with little decline in biomass production in response to an increase in salinity from 100 and 250 mM NaCl in a solution-culture study. The development of a salt-stress-tolerant perennial crop based on wheat for the California-type climate will require either a substantial improvement in perennial growth of low-ploidy (8x) amphiploids or the development of technology for efficient vegetative propagation of the sterile high-ploidy (14x) amphiploids.     

A fine‐scale genetic linkage map reveals genomic regions associated with economic traits in walnut (Juglans regia)

A genetic linkage map of walnut containing 2,220 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 16 linkage groups (LGs) was constructed using an F₁ mapping population from a cross between “Chandler” and “Idaho,” two contrasting heterozygous parents. Five quantitative yield traits, lateral fruitfulness, harvest date and three nut traits (shell thickness, nut weight and kernel fill) were then mapped on to linkage groups. A significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) in LG 11 with negative additive effects suggested heterozygote superiority in the expression of lateral bearing. A set of three QTLs explaining ~10% of the variation in harvest date was located in LG 1. Shell thickness, nut weight and kernel fill were under the control of two to three linked pleiotropic QTLs in LG 1 segregating from “Idaho.” The marginal positive additive effects of QTLs for harvest date, shell thickness and nut weight and small negative additive effects for kernel fill suggested that the QTLs had a marginal effect on the expression of these traits.     

Determination of growth-stage-specific crop coefficients (KC) of maize and sorghum

A ratio of crop evapotranspiration (ET_C) to reference evapotranspiration (ET_O) determines a crop coefficient (K_C) value, which is related to specific crop phenological development to improve transferability of the K_C values. Development of K_C can assist in predicting crop irrigation needs using meteorological data from weather stations. The objective of the research was conducted to determine growth-stage-specific K_C and crop water use for maize (Zea Mays) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) at Texas AgriLife Research field in Uvalde, TX, USA from 2002 to 2008. Seven lysimeters, weighing about 14 Mg, consisted of undisturbed 1.5 m × 2.0 m × 2.2 m deep soil monoliths. Six lysimeters were located in the center of a 1-ha field beneath a linear-move sprinkler system equipped with low energy precision application (LEPA). A seventh lysimeter was established to measure reference grass ET_O. Crop water requirements, K_C determination, and comparison to existing FAO K_C values were determined over a 3-year period for both maize and sorghum. Accumulated seasonal crop water use ranged between 441 and 641 mm for maize and between 491 and 533 mm for sorghum. The K_C values determined during the growing seasons varied from 0.2 to 1.2 for maize and 0.2 to 1.0 for sorghum. Some of the values corresponded and some did not correspond to those from FAO-56 and from the Texas High Plains and elsewhere in other states. We assume that the development of regionally based and growth-stage-specific K_C helps in irrigation management and provides precise water applications for this region.     

An assessment of the concentrations of PCDDs/Fs in contaminated bottom sediments and their sources and ecological risk

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to determine the levels of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin and polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDD/F), two types of persistent organic pollutant (POP), in an urban retention reservoir located in an industrial zone within a coal-mining region. It also assesses the potential ecological risk of the PCDDs/Fs present in bottom sediments and the relationship between their content and the fraction of organic matter.

Materials and methods

The sediment samples were collected from Rybnik Reservoir, located in the centre of the Rybnik Coal Region, Silesia, one of Poland’s major industrial centres. Seventeen PCDD/F congeners in the surface of the sediments were analysed using high-resolution gas chromatography and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/HRMS).

Results and discussion

The toxic equivalency (TEQ) of the PCDDs/Fs in the sediments ranged from 1.65 to 32.68 pg TEQ g^?1. PCDDs constituted 59–78% of the total PCDDs/Fs, while the PCDFs accounted for 22–41%. The pattern of PCDD/F congeners in the sediments was dominated by OCDD. However, the second-most prevalent constituents were OCDF and ∑HpCDFs in the low TOC sediment (< 10 g TOC kg^?1), but HpCDD in the rich TOC samples (> 10 g TOC kg^?1). PCDD/F concentrations in the sediment samples were 2- to 38-fold higher than the sediment quality guidelines limit, indicating high ecological risk potential. Although a considerable proportion of PCDDs/Fs in the bottom sediments from the Rybnik Reservoir were derived from combustion processes, they were also obtained via transport, wastewater discharge, high-temperature processes and thermal electricity generation. The PCDD/F concentrations were significantly correlated with all fractions of organic matter; however, the strongest correlation coefficients were found between PCDDs/Fs and humic substances. Besides organic matter, the proportions of silt/clay fractions within sediments played an important role in the transport of PCDDs/Fs in bottom sediments.

Conclusions

The silt/clay fraction of the bottom sediments plays a dominant role in the movement of PCDDs/Fs, while the organic matter fraction affects their sorption. The results indicate that the environmental behaviour of PCDDs/Fs is affected by the quantity and quality of organic matter and the texture of sediments.