Does the persistence of sweet chestnut depend on cultural inputs? Regeneration,recruitment, and mortality in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus</Emphasis>- and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Castanea</Emphasis>-dominated forests

Key message

Quercus secondary forests show a gradual transition toward mixed forests, with sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa ) becoming increasingly abundant in the western Spanish Central System. Additionally, in chestnut-dominated stands, it shows a certain resistance to competitive displacement by Quercus pyrenaica . Our results partially refute the traditional view that C. sativa is unable to recruit in the absence of cultural inputs.

Context

Sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa, is a component of European broadleaf forests and is one of the most managed trees. Due to a reduction in cultural inputs, chestnut-dominated stands tend to be invaded by other species, and it is unclear how chestnut is able to persist in natural mixed forests.

Aims

Our work aimed to identity the main factors that limit the establishment of C. sativa and to analyze the recruitment and mortality processes of C. sativa trees.

Methods

The age, growth ring patterns, regeneration density, and the spatial structure of trees and saplings in 11 plots in the Spanish Central System were analyzed.

Results

Chestnut seedling density increased with C. sativa basal area, but transition toward the sapling stage appeared limited owing to light availability. In Quercus pyrenaica secondary forests, sparse canopies did not constrain chestnut regeneration, and in old chestnut stands, C. sativa showed a certain resistance to competitive displacement. By contrast, mixed young coppices showed a high mortality, most likely due to competition with other vigorous resprouters.

Conclusion

Quercus secondary forests showed a gradual transition toward mixed forests with sweet chestnut becoming increasingly more abundant. In old stands, C. sativa is likely to persist under a gap-phase mode of regeneration. Our results partially refute the traditional view that C. sativa is unable to recruit in the absence of cultural inputs.

     

In Vitro propagation of juvenileNothofagus leoni Espinosa (Fagaceae)

Nothofagus leoni has a restricted distribution in Chilean forests. This work determines suitable culture conditions forin vitro multiplication and rooting through shoots obtained from seedlings. Broadleaved Tree Medium was suitable for shoot multiplication. A medium with a pulse of 0.55 μM BA in the first subculture and two subcultures on BA-free medium resulted in a multiplication rate at day 63 of × 5.7, without callus growth or shoot neoformation. Rooted shoots of good quality (number and length of roots without callus growth) were obtained with 1.23 μM IBA (91.4% of rooting). The first roots appeared at day 11, reaching a higher speed of rooting at day 15.     

Comparing theoretical irrigation requirement and actual irrigation for citrus in Florida

Florida ranks first in citrus production, with nearly 68% of all U.S. citrus growing in the season 2005-2006. Most of the citrus groves are located from central to south Florida, and agricultural irrigation permitting is regulated by three of Florida's five water management districts. Most of the permitting for citrus production in Highlands, Polk and Hillsborough counties is conducted by the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), and quantities are based on the District's AGMOD computer program. In 2003, the SWFWMD implemented new permit criteria so that permitted amounts were more representative of actual water use. This paper compares grower reported citrus irrigation water use in Highlands, Polk and Hillsborough counties from 1994 through 2005 with permitted and theoretical irrigation requirements calculated by a daily water balance. Two different sets of crop coefficients (K_c's) developed for citrus in Florida were compared in the daily soil water balance calculation of theoretical irrigation requirements. The percentage of irrigated area considered in this study ranged from 40 to 60% to simulate a range of grower practices. Meteorological data from two weather stations and additional rainfall information from 50 locations within the three counties was used in the water balance. Missing and error values in the meteorological historical record data were filled with weather generators. The multiannual average water consumption (including cold protection water use) from growers ranged from 243 (Hillsborough) to 406 mm (Highlands) and the multiannual average permitted irrigation requirement (without cold protection) ranged from 295 to 557 mm. The simulated gross irrigation requirements under different scenarios of location-K_c-wetted area were variable but mostly lower than the limits established by the district, except for some scenarios in Polk County, whose maximum simulated irrigation value reached 578 mm year⁻¹. In general, permitted limits recommended by the SWFWMD seem to be reasonable for the actual water use by growers in these counties.     

Seabird mortality at trawler warp cables and a proposed mitigation measure: A case of study in Golfo San Jorge, Patagonia, Argentina

We studied the interaction between seabirds and warp cables in the high-seas Argentine hake Merluccius hubbsi trawl fishery operating in Golfo San Jorge, Argentina, and tested the efficacy of a simple mitigation measure designed to reduce mortality at warp cables. Observations were made onboard hake trawlers during the height of the fishing season, between December 2004 and April 2005. Thirteen seabird species used food made available by fishing operations. The most frequent and abundant seabirds (% occurrence, mean maximum number per haul) were the Kelp gull Larus dominicanus (98.1%, 348.5) and the Black-browed albatross Thalassarche melanophrys (96.1%, 132.2). Contacts with warp cables were recorded for six species in 81.4% of hauls, with a mean number of contacts per haul of 14.4 ± 23.8 (range = 0-127). A total of 53 individuals were killed due to interactions with nets and cables, resulting in a total cable mortality rate of 0.14 birds/haul. Considering the fishery’s fishing effort, the estimated total number of birds killed during the study was 2703 (CV = 0.8), of which 306 (CV = 0.9) were killed due to contacts with warp cables (255 Kelp gulls and 51 Black-browed albatross). The tested device consisted of a plastic cone attached to each warp cable. In hauls with mitigation device, the number of contacts was reduced by 89% and no seabirds were killed. Mean distances between seabirds and cables were significantly larger in hauls with than without mitigation device (2.6 vs 0.9 m). The proposed device could be easily applied in this and other trawl fisheries operating in Argentine waters. Increased effort should be placed in implementing mitigation measures and the monitoring of cable related mortality associated to high-seas trawlers operating in the Argentine Continental Shelf.     

Fumonisin B-glucose reaction products are less toxic when fed to swine

The effects of fumonisin B-glucose reaction products in swine diets was examined. Pigs were fed diets containing 528 micromol of total fumonisin B/kg (FB), 528 micromol of total FB-glucose adducts/kg (FB-G, 122 micromol of unreacted FB/kg), or 0 micromol of total FB/kg for 15 days to test the efficacy of the FB-G reaction products in detoxifying FB. Weight gain in FB pigs was lower than in FB-G or controls, which was correlated with feed intake reduction in FB pigs. Serum aspartate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and total bilirubin in FB pigs were higher than in FB-G or control pigs. Serum sphinganine/shingosine ratios in FB pigs were higher than in FB-G or control pigs. Microscopic examination of tissues from FB pigs showed generalized liver necrosis and apoptosis with marked cellular pleomorphism and disorganized hepatic cords. The liver and kidneys in the FB-G group appeared to be normal. Tissues of controls were free of lesions. Results suggest that dietary FB-G products are less toxic to swine and may provide an detoxification approach in instances of widespread FB grain contamination (p < 0.05).     

Classification of pumpkin seed oils according to their species and genetic variety by attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), followed by multivariate treatment of the spectral data, was used to classify seed oils of the genus Cucurbita (pumpkins) according to their species as C. maxima, C. pepo, and C. moschata. Also, C. moschata seed oils were classified according to their genetic variety as RG, Inivit C-88, and Inivit C-2000. Up to 23 wavelength regions were selected on the spectra, each region corresponding to a peak or shoulder. The normalized absorbance peak areas within these regions were used as predictors. Using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), an excellent resolution among all categories concerning both Cucurbita species and C. moschata varieties was achieved. The proposed method was straightforward and quick and can be easily implemented. Quality control of pumpkin seed oils is important because Cucurbita species and genetic variety are both related to the pharmaceutical properties of the oils.     

Removal of nutrient limitations by long-term fertilization decreases nocturnal water loss in savanna trees

Under certain environmental conditions, nocturnal transpiration can be relatively high in temperate and tropical woody species. We have previously shown that nocturnal sap flow accounts for up to 28% of total daily transpiration in woody species growing in a nutrient-poor Brazilian Cerrado ecosystem. In the present study, we assessed the effect of increased nutrient supply on nocturnal transpiration in three dominant Cerrado tree species to explore the hypothesis that, in nutrient-poor systems, continued transpiration at night may enhance delivery of nutrients to root-absorbing surfaces. We compared nocturnal transpiration of trees growing in unfertilized plots and plots to which nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) had been added twice yearly from 1998 to 2005. Three independent indicators of nocturnal transpiration were evaluated: sap flow in terminal branches, stomatal conductance (g(s)), and disequilibrium in water potential between covered and exposed leaves (DeltaPsi(L)). In the unfertilized trees, about 25% of the total daily sap flow occurred at night. Nocturnal sap flow was consistently lower in the N- and P-fertilized trees, significantly so in trees in the N treatment. Similarly, nocturnal g(s) was consistently lower in fertilized trees than in unfertilized trees where it sometimes reached values of 150 mmol m(-2) s(-1) by the end of the dark period. Predawn gs and the percentage of nocturnal sap flow were linearly related. Nocturnal DeltaPsi(L) was significantly greater in the unfertilized trees than in N- and P-fertilized trees. The absolute magnitude of DeltaPsi(L) increased linearly with the percentage of nocturnal sap flow. These results are consistent with the idea that enhancing nutrient uptake by allowing additional transpiration to occur at night when evaporative demand is lower may avoid excessive dehydration associated with increased stomatal opening during the day when evaporative demand is high.     

Influence of provenance,silvicultural regime and tree shape on the quality of maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) timber

The aim of this study was to establish the sources of variation in maritime pine wood properties related to appearance and strength, because of the importance of this wood in the sawing industry in Galicia (NW Spain). Ten trees from each of ten plots of the species (i.e., 100 trees) growing in Galicia were felled and sawn to produce the structural planks required for studying the presence of external strength-reducing characteristics. The planks were sampled from the basal logs to 16 m height in the stems, yielding cross sections of target dimensions 100 × 40 mm to 200 × 200 mm. We propose a model in which individual tree height and dominant height are used to predict the knottiness of planks from trees in mature stands. The abundance of externally visible knots on faces and edges of sawn planks is therefore more dependent on the stand location than on the prior silvicultural treatment of the stand.