Characteristic site disturbance due to harvesting and extraction machinery traffic on sensitive forest sites with peat soils

The effects of wood harvesting and extraction machinery traffic on sensitive forest sites with peat soils were characterised with the objective of quantifying the threshold levels beyond which significant site impacts (compaction and rutting) would occur. The treatments involved running the machines in selected extraction racks (i.e., 3 m wide machine routes) while conducting normal wood thinning and extraction operations comprising one and two passes by the harvester and the forwarder with full payload, respectively. Soil disturbance thresholds were established by testing the level of significance of the difference in induced soil damage and compaction before and after machine traffic treatments. For volumetric soil water content lying between 10.0 and 14.9%, threshold cone penetration resistance levels for two 600/55–30.5 tyres were found to range from 594 to 640 kPa for deep-raised peat soil with initial strength lying between 524 and 581 kPa. In general, the proportion of the total rut depth data in each rack that exceeded the threshold level of 21.5 cm was about 5%. The threshold value corresponds to sinkage equivalent to 15% of the overall wheel diameter of the harvester, above which machine mobility would be hampered considerably. In addition, after harvester traffic the mean rut depth per unit rack length was 10.2×10⁻² cm/m, and it ranged from 0.7 to 24.7×10⁻² cm/m.     

Effect on Rendement Napole genotype on metabolic markers in Ossabaw pigs fed different levels of fat

We investigated effects of Rendement Napole (RN ) genotype on metabolic markers in Ossabaw pigs fed diets with different levels of dietary fat. Thirty‐two pigs, belonging to either the wild‐type (WT , rn⁺/rn⁺) or carrier (CAR , RN ^?/rn⁺) genotypes (n  = 16/genotype), were divided into two dietary groups, (high fat [HF ] or low fat [LF ]) diets, for 12 weeks (n  = 8 pigs/genotype/diet) after which pigs were killed for gene expression analysis by RT ‐PCR . Feeding HF diet caused increased daily gain (ADG , p  <  .05) and final body weight (BW ) (p  <  .05) in comparison with the LF diet (p  <  .05). Feed efficiency (gain:feed) was higher (p  <  .05) in pigs on the HF and was higher (p  <  .05) in CAR pigs compared to WT . There was genotype × diet interaction (p  =  .05) on final BW such that CAR animals on LF diet had the same final BW as animals of both genotypes on HF diet. Carrier pigs on LF diet had higher (p  <  .05) average daily gain and gain:feed than WT pigs. There was a trend (p  <  .08) for a higher feed consumption in pigs on the LF diet. Backfat thickness was higher (p  <  .01) in pigs on the HF diet. Serum triglyceride was higher (0.62 vs. 0.33 mg/dl, p  <  .01) in pigs on HF diet. Serum insulin was higher (p  <  .05) in CAR versus WT pigs (0.40 vs. 0.015 μg/ml). Pigs on the HF diet had a higher (p  <  .05) serum insulin compared to those on the LF diet (0.032 vs. 0.023 μg/ml). Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1‐alpha was higher (p  <  .05) in the longissimus dorsi and semitendinosus muscles of pigs on HF diet. Acyl‐CoA oxidase I was elevated (p  <  .05) in the liver of pigs on HF diet. Fatty acid synthase was lower in the longissimus dorsi muscle, liver and mesenteric fat (p  <  .05) of carrier pigs. The RN gene regulates specific metabolic markers in the Ossabaw pigs.     

Roles of bootstrap resampling,measure of central tendency,and method for calculating thermal units when developing phenology models for pest management

The successful development of phenology models from field studies depends on many factors, some of which are entirely under the control of pest managers. For example, one such factor is the choice of method for calculating thermal units. In this study, we have demonstrated that four methods for calculating thermal units provided for acceptable predictions of one phenological event of one insect species, while another method for calculating thermal units did not. The measure of central tendency (mean or median) that is used to estimate lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. Here, we show that predictions that were made when using phenology models based on median lower developmental temperatures and median required thermal summations were superior to predictions that were made when using phenology models based on mean lower developmental temperatures and mean required thermal summations. The use of bootstrap vs. non-bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations is yet another factor that pest managers can control when developing phenology models from field studies. In this study, we found that calculating and using bootstrap estimates of lower developmental temperatures and required thermal summations in phenology models did not improve the predictions of one phenological event for one insect species. The implications of these and other findings are discussed.     

Environmental risk factors for equine West Nile virus disease cases in Texas

West Nile Virus (WNV) was first detected in the Texas equine population during June 2002. Infection has since spread rapidly across the state and become endemic in the equine population. Environmental risk factors associated with equine WNV attack rates in Texas counties during the period 2002 to 2004 were investigated. Equine WNV attack rates were smoothed using an empirical Bayesian model, because of the variability among county equine populations (range 46−9,517). Risk factors investigated included hydrological features (lakes, rivers, swamps, canals and river basins), land cover (tree, mosaic, shrub, herbaceous, cultivated and artificial), elevation, climate (rainfall and temperature), and reports of WNV-positive mosquito and wild bird samples. Estimated county equine WNV attack rate was best described by the number of lakes, presence of broadleaf deciduous forest, presence of cultivated areas, location within the Brazos River watershed, WNV-positive mosquito status and average temperature. An understanding of environmental factors that increase equine WNV disease risk can be used to design and target disease control programs.     

Detection of airborne inoculum of Leptosphaeria maculans and Pyrenopeziza brassicae in oilseed rape crops by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays

The potential use of DNA-based methods for detecting airborne inoculum of Leptosphaeria maculans and Pyrenopeziza brassicae , both damaging pathogens of oilseed rape, was investigated. A method for purifying DNA from spores collected using Hirst-type spore samplers and detecting it using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays is described. For both pathogens, the sensitivities of the DNA assays were similar for spore-trap samples and pure spore suspensions. As few as 10 spores of L. maculans or P. brassicae could be detected by PCR and spores of both species could be detected against a background of spores of six other species. The method successfully detected spores of P. brassicae collected using spore traps in oilseed rape crops that were infected with P. brassicae. Leptosphaeria maculans spores were detected using spore traps on open ground close to L. maculans -infected oilseed rape stems. The potential use of PCR detection of airborne inoculum in forecasting the diseases caused by these pathogens is discussed.