Development of a joint system using a compressed wooden fastener I: evaluation of pull-out and rotation performance for a column—sill joint

Compressed wooden plates and dowels were used to connect members in post-and-beam structures as a substitute for a steel fastener. In order to take advantage of the characteristic properties of compressed wood and to achieve optimum joint performance, two compressed wooden plates were used in each joint to give multiple shear planes for each compressed wooden dowel. Consequently, this type of joint showed very good properties in pull-out and momen-trotation performance, and its engineering design could be further optimized. This joint is expected to be introduced to many kinds of structural systems, including long-span frame structures made of domestic timber found in Japanese residential houses.     

Vulnerability of Community-Based Forest Management to Climate Variability and Extremes: Emerging Insights on the Contribution of REDD+

Climate change spurs havoc on social-ecological system. People and places vulnerable to climate change have been the focus of many discussions. However, in the forestry sector, limited studies have been conducted that link human vulnerability to recent initiatives, such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation or REDD+, especially in highly vulnerable countries. Using case studies from the Philippines, this paper focuses on the vulnerability of two community-based forest management (CBFM) organizations, with and without REDD+ readiness intervention, to show the impacts of climate variability and extremes. Two balance-weighted approaches, the livelihood vulnerability index and the IPCC-framework, were used in the vulnerability assessments. Results revealed high vulnerability of both CBFM organizations, although Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) livelihood vulnerability is largely aggravated by its exposure to disaster, climate variability and extremes, accessibility to health facilities and water supply. The long history of CBFM implementation in both organizations have minimal contribution in enhancing the adaptive capacity of members to cope with and adapt to climate change impacts. REDD+ (readiness), does not insure reduced vulnerability to climate change, unless sustainable livelihood is achieved. As the State controls forest resources, the rights of CBFM-organizations to commercially benefit from these resources are limited, a disincentive to the development of new and viable development programs in CBFM areas, such as REDD+. This also constrains the achievement of climate resiliency.     

Cross-crop effects on larval growth,survivorship and fecundity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Helicoverpa armigera</Emphasis>

The cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera is a destructive pest that affects a variety of crop plants. Because of its polyphagous feeding habit, mobility as adults, and high fecundity, the expanding infestations of H. armigera in different crops have caused economic losses and difficulties for pest population management. In Brazil, a sequence of different crop systems in the same area and crop rotation during the year can create a spatio-temporal mosaic of crops where H. armigera can persist. However, the consequences of the simultaneous and/or alternating presence of host plants for H. armigera populations through generations are unknown. In this study, we simulated, in the laboratory, hypothetical situations for the availability of soybean and cotton crops in the landscape. We evaluated the effects of: (1) the number of generations during which a population feeds on a host-plant species; (2) the succession of host-plant species on which populations have fed for two generations; and (3) the parental host plant on the fitness of H. armigera populations. Only the current host plant on which larvae fed affected the performance of the H. armigera populations. Decrease of mortality rates during the immature period was slowed when the larvae fed on soybean. The lowest value of reproductive potential (R ₀) was found for individuals originating from mating between females and males reared in cotton. Our results indicated that pest-management and biological-control plans for H. armigera should be developed on a regional scale rather than for just a specific crop area.     

Germinate to exterminate: chemical stimulation of Spongospora subterranea resting spore germination and its potential to diminish soil inoculum

Hoagland's solution (HS), a defined nutrient supplement for plants, has been previously reported to stimulate zoospore release from resting spores of the potato pathogen Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea. This study obtained direct empirical evidence for an increase in zoospore release with HS treatment, and identified Fe‐EDTA as the stimulant component of HS. Stimulation of resting spores by HS and Fe‐EDTA resulted in greater and earlier zoospore release compared to a distilled water control, and in the presence of a susceptible tomato host plant resulted in enhanced root infection. Given the labile nature of S. subterranea zoospores, it was postulated that stimulation of premature release of zoospores from the dormant resting spores in absence of susceptible hosts could reduce soil inoculum levels. In two glasshouse trials in the absence of host plants, both Fe‐EDTA and HS soil treatments reduced S. subterranea soil inoculum levels, providing proof of concept for the ‘germinate to exterminate’ approach to inoculum management.     

Prospects for management strategies of invasive crayfish populations with an emphasis on biological control

• 1. The white‐clawed crayfish, Austropotamobius pallipes (Lereboullet), is the only freshwater crayfish indigenous to Great Britain and Ireland. It has a widespread, though declining distribution in England and parts of Wales but does not occur naturally in Scotland.
• 2. The North American signal crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus (Dana), is not native to Europe and was introduced to Britain in the 1970s. The signal crayfish out‐competes the native white‐clawed crayfish as it is larger and more aggressive. It is also responsible for the introduction and spread of crayfish plague, which has devastated white‐clawed crayfish populations in Europe.
• 3. Signal crayfish populations are causing significant changes to the equilibrium of native flora and fauna through increased grazing and predation pressures; they also contribute to habitat degradation through burrowing.
• 4. Manual removal of crayfish using traps and pond trials with biocides have met with moderate success in reducing crayfish numbers and containing populations. However, with new populations of signal crayfish being reported each year within the UK, there is now an urgent need to develop a strategy with which to eradicate or contain their spread.
• 5. Signal crayfish have populated many habitat types in the UK, each of which may require a different control strategy; hence no single strategy or universal solution is likely to be attainable.
• 6. Signal crayfish are susceptible to various biocides and microbial pathogens but significant scientific research will be required to develop safe biological control methods and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to control these invasive organisms. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Relationship between effective solar radiation and sap flow process during an entire growing season in Western Mountains of Beijing

In order to explore the relationship between the time processes of solar radiation and sap flow, sap flow velocity (SFV) of Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabulaeformis, effective solar radiation (ESR) and other environmental factors were synchronously monitored for one year in the Beijing Western Mountains by using a thermal dissipation probe (TDP) system and an automatic weather station. Results showed significant differences between changes in diurnal characteristics of ESR and sap flow in sunny days during three seasons. Starting times of sap flow occurred generally 1.5–3 hours later than those of solar radiation and there were small differences between Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabulaeformis. But peak times and stopping times of sap flow varied con-siderably with large contrasts in ESR. The duration of sap flow showed clear differences among the seasons owing to the variable rhythms of climate factors in Beijing. Fluctuation amplitude in the duration of sap flow remained relatively stable during the autumn but changed greatly during spring and summer. Changes in diurnal sap flow velocity of both Platycladus orientalis and Pinus tabu-laeformis were about 0–3 hours later than those of ESR but with the same configuration. The start of sap flow was mainly induced by the sudden intensification of ESR (sunrise effect). Seasonal models of SFV indicated that a cubic equation had the best fit. It was more practical to simulate seasonal water consumption models of trees with ESR. In further investigations, these models should be optimized.     

基于人工神经网络的数据处理和多目标群方法用土壤传递函数(PTFs)估算保水性

Pedotransfer functions(PTFs) have been developed to estimate soil water retention curves(SWRC) by various techniques.In this study PTFs were developed to estimate the parameters(θ s,θ r,α and λ) of the Brooks and Corey model from a data set of 148 samples.Particle and aggregate size distribution fractal parameters(PSDFPs and ASDFPs,respectively) were computed from three fractal models for either particle or aggregate size distribution.The most effective model in each group was determined by sensitivity analysis.Along with the other variables,the selected fractal parameters were employed to estimate SWRC using multi-objective group method of data handling(mGMDH) and different topologies of artificial neural networks(ANNs).The architecture of ANNs for parametric PTFs was different regarding the type of ANN,output layer transfer functions and the number of hidden neurons.Each parameter was estimated using four PTFs by the hierarchical entering of input variables in the PTFs.The inclusion of PSDFPs in the list of inputs improved the accuracy and reliability of parametric PTFs with the exception of θ s.The textural fraction variables in PTF1 for the estimation of α were replaced with PSDFPs in PTF3.The use of ASDFPs as inputs significantly improved α estimates in the model.This result highlights the importance of ASDFPs in developing parametric PTFs.The mGMDH technique performed significantly better than ANNs in most PTFs.     

Dietary protein for young grazing sheep: Interactions with gastrointestinal parasitism

Effects of protein supplementation and of nematode control on production responses in young grazing sheep and on nematode population dynamics were assessed. Young Merino wether sheep (n = 270) were allocated to one of three supplementation (Su) treatments and one of three regimes of nematode control (drench, Dr) in a factorial design. Each of the nine treatments was replicated three times in a randomised complete block. Animals received no supplement (SuO) or were given supplements at a level equivalent to 200 g day⁻¹, fed three times a week. The supplements contained 25% lucerne meal with either 75% sunflower meal (Su1) or 75% formaldehyde-treated sunflower meal (Su2). Nematode control regimes were: not drenched unless survival of individual animals was threatened (DrO); drenched according to a strategic drenching programme (Dr1); treatment with a controlled-release albendazole capsule (Dr2). Infections with Haemonchus contortus were suppressed by use of closantel. Due to drought conditions and lack of pasture growth, lucerne hay was fed to all sheep from Week 14 onwards (350 g per head per day, fed twice a week). Supplementation reduced the need for ‘survival drenching’ in Dr0 sheep considerably. Live-weight gain was increased significantly by supplementation with Su1 or Su2 during the 36-week experiment. Undrenched animals given Su1 or Su2 tended to grow faster than unsupplemented animals in the Dr1 and Dr2 groups. Greasy wool production and fibre diameter were increased by supplementation and anthelmintic treatment. Faecal worm egg counts (FEC) in undrenched sheep were significantly lower for Su1 and Su2 sheep than for Su0 sheep. There were no effects of supplementation on FEC in Dr1 or Dr2 sheep. Worm burden was generally unaffected by supplementation, while the drenching treatments Dr1 and Dr2 reduced worm burden at Week 16 and to a lesser extent at Week 27. Trichostrongylus colubriformis was the predominant nematode species, with smaller numbers of Nematodirus spp., Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Trichostrongylus axei and Ostertagia circumcincta also present. It was concluded that supplementary feeding with protein meal substantially reduced production losses attributable to nematode infections in young grazing sheep. This appears to be due to an enhanced resilience of the host, rather than any major changes in development of protective immunity.     

遗传标记及其在家禽育种中的应用

1 SNP SNP是染色体中遗传变异的最普通形式,如在人体已经检测基因组DNA中每1,000到2,000个单位有1个SNP,在某些区域估计每300个单位有一个SNP.基于SNP的高分辨率,遗传图谱在一些人的染色体上通常没有得到发展.正如其名称所指,SNP是发生在基因(启动子、外显子、或内含子)或基因之间(基因间隔区)的单个碱基改变或核苷酸变异.编码序列中的SNP以同义(不会导致氨基酸改变)或非同义(导致氨基酸改变)来分类.非同义SNP由于对蛋白质表达及最终对表现型的潜在影响而受到重视.相反,同义SNP可能对基因表达有微小的影响(除那些在启动子和其它基因组区域中,对DNA-蛋白质作重要的核苷酸或与RNA稳定性有关的核苷酸).同义和非同义SNP在基因图谱研究中均是很好的遗传标记.