Critical drainage and nitrate leaching losses from manures applied to freely draining soils in Great Britain

Abstract. Pig slurry was applied by open-slot injection to experimental plots on a sandy loam site at ADAS Gleadthorpe, Nottinghamshire. Volume and distribution of over-winter drainage were adjusted through the use of rainfall exclusion covers or irrigation. The resultant slurry N leaching over the range of drainage values tested (up to 300 mm) could be satisfactorily described by curve-fitting, using a quadratic or exponential function. Initial simulations of slurry N leaching using the manure nitrogen decision support system manner (v. 3.0) compared poorly with the experimental data, predicting both earlier and greater amounts of nitrate leaching. However, the lack of fit could be explained by consideration of the likely ammonia emissions following slurry injection, the actual volumetric soil moisture capacity at the experimental site and the likely time delay for the nitrification of slurry N following application. Good agreement between modelled and observed data was achieved when these factors were taken into account. The manner model was used to simulate nitrate leaching beyond the range of drainage treatments tested in the experiments and the anticipated sigmoidal relationship between nitrate leaching and drainage was observed. The model was then used to study the effects of manure application timing and the likely impact on nitrate leaching, across the range of rainfall conditions found in Great Britain. Simulations for a range of manure types were undertaken, with manures applied at rates up to the limit of permitted N loading on freely draining sandy loams. Rainfall inputs for these simulations were based on long-term average climatic data. Results are presented for two contrasting manure types, cattle slurry and poultry manure, both of which are subject to controls in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) in Great Britain.     

Foraging behaviour and habitat use by Antechinus flavipes and Sminthopsis murina (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae) in response to predation risk in eucalypt woodland

We examined the foraging behaviour and habitat use of two species of small Australian mammal (Antechinus flavipes and Sminthopsis murina) in response to predation risk in remnant eucalypt woodland. Predation risk was manipulated by providing refuge in the form of ground level wire netting to reduce risks from avian and mammalian predators. Giving-up-densities (GUD) using artificial food trays (20 mealworms in 1.5 l vermiculite) quantified the foraging behaviour in response to predation risk, by measuring the quitting harvest rate. Both A. flavipes and S. murina had lower GUDs (number of mealworms remaining) under the netting than in the open, most likely because these areas have lower predation risk. Animals also made greater visits to tracking tunnels under the netting compared to in the open. Tracking animal movements using fluorescent pigments also revealed preference for natural microhabitats that were structurally complex with animals moving most where logs and rock crevices were present. These results suggest that small mammals may use habitat structure to reduce their risks of predation. If future studies are able to demonstrate commensurate population-level responses, manipulation of habitat may be a useful management option to complement the direct control of exotic predators such as foxes and feral cats.     

Rapid wastage of Alaska glaciers and their contribution to rising sea level

We have used airborne laser altimetry to estimate volume changes of 67 glaciers in Alaska from the mid-1950s to the mid-1990s. The average rate of thickness change of these glaciers was -0.52 m/year. Extrapolation to all glaciers in Alaska yields an estimated total annual volume change of -52 +/- 15 km3/year (water equivalent), equivalent to a rise in sea level (SLE) of 0.14 +/- 0.04 mm/year. Repeat measurements of 28 glaciers from the mid-1990s to 2000-2001 suggest an increased average rate of thinning, -1.8 m/year. This leads to an extrapolated annual volume loss from Alaska glaciers equal to -96 +/- 35 km3/year, or 0.27 +/- 0.10 mm/year SLE, during the past decade. These recent losses are nearly double the estimated annual loss from the entire Greenland Ice Sheet during the same time period and are much higher than previously published loss estimates for Alaska glaciers. They form the largest glaciological contribution to rising sea level yet measured.     

Effects of porcine relaxin on induced parturition in beef heifers

Two-year-old crossbred beef heifers were used to test the effects of porcine relaxin (pRelaxin) alone, or in combination with dexamethasone, on the induction of parturition, the incidence of dystocia, and retained placentas. Effects of treatment on pelvic area, postpartum interval, milk production, colostrum quality, calf birth weight, calf vigor, and calf performance were also evaluated. On Day 275 of gestation, heifers from two fetal-sire groups were randomly assigned to one of four groups in a 2 × 2 factorial design and received: no treatment (controls, N = 19), 20 mg of dexamethasone intramuscularly (im) (n = 22), 5 mg of pRelaxin (3,000 U/mg) im (n = 19), or 20 mg of dexamethasone plus 5 mg of pRelaxin (n = 17). Length of gestation (in days) was less (P < 0.05) in heifers treated with dexamethasone (279.8 ± 1.0) than in controls (286.6 ± 0.9), but was not influenced (P > 0.05) by treatment with pRelaxin. The incidence of retained placentas in heifers treated only with dexamethasone (27.3%) was not reduced by concomitant treatment with pRelaxin (35.3%). Retained placentas were not observed in any control heifers and in only one heifer (5.2%) treated solely with pRelaxin. Ease of calving (1 = unassisted, 5 = abnormal presentation) was not influenced by treatment (P > 0.05), even though birth weights (in kilograms) of calves from heifers treated with dexamethasone (36.4 ± 0.8) were less (P < .01) than those of calves from nondexamethasone-treated heifers (39.2 ± 0.8). Dexamethasone tended to reduce (P < 0.07) calf vigor (1 = healthy and strong, 5 = dead on arrival; 1.48 ± 0.11 vs. 1.18 ± 0.11), but was not (P > 0.05) influenced by pRelaxin. The duration of the postpartum anestrous interval (73.1 ± 1.8 d across groups) and pelvic areas following treatment and parturition were not influenced (P > 0.05) by dexamethasone or pRelaxin. Although determinants of colostrum quality (P < 0.01) and quantity (P < 0.08) of milk produced were influenced by dexamethasone, adjusted 205-d weights of calves did not differ (P > 0.05) among groups. In conclusion, treatment with pRelaxin alone failed to induce parturition or, when combined with dexamethasone, to reduce the incidence of retained placentas.     

Climate variability and marine survival of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in the Oregon production area

Time series of adult recruitment for natural runs of coho salmon from the Oregon coastal region (1970–94) and marine survival of hatchery-reared coho salmon from California to Washington (1960–94) are significantly correlated with a suite of meteorological and oceanographic variables related to the biological productivity of the local coastal region. These variables include strong upwelling, cool sea surface temperature (SST), strong wind mixing, a deep and weakly stratified mixed layer, and low coastal sea level, indicating strong transport of the California Current. Principal component analysis indicates that these variables work in concert to define the dominant modes of physical variability, which appear to regulate nutrient availability and biological productivity. Multiple regression analysis suggests that coho marine survival is significantly and independently related to the dominant modes acting over this region in the periods when the coho first enter the ocean and during the overwintering/spring period prior to their spawning migration. Linear relationships provided good fits to the data and were robust, capable of predicting randomly removed portions of the data set.     

Present state of imposex in neptune whelk Neptunea arthritica inhabiting shallow waters around Hokkaido, Japan

ABSTRACT:   The state of imposex in Neptunea arthritica from seven sites along the coast of Hokkaido, Japan was examined in 2002 based on the criteria: (i) relative penis size index (RPSI); (ii) imposex frequency; (iii) stage frequency distribution of imposex in adult and immature whelks; and (iv) sex ratio. RPSI differed from site to site, although values from all sites were low (0.186–5.294). In particular, the RPSI values for four sites were very low (<1.0). In sites where immature whelks were also collected, the frequency of imposex was considerably lower in immature (7.7%–55.6%) than in adult whelks (50%–95.2%) except at one site. The imposex stage frequency distribution also differed among sites, and the trend in the adult whelks corresponded with their RPSI value. Female whelks showing severe imposex (Stage 3 and 3+) were restricted to large individuals.     

Grain number and grain weight in wheat lines contrasting for stem water soluble carbohydrate concentration

In wheat, the ability to store and remobilise large amounts of stem water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) to grain constitutes a desirable trait to incorporate into germplasm targeted to regions with frequent terminal drought. The main aim of this paper was to examine the relationships between WSC storage, grain number and grain weight across several environments. A small set of recombinant inbred lines (2–4) contrasting in stem WSC were grown in six field trials where water availability, sowing date and/or N level were manipulated, with line yields ranging from 400 to 850 g m⁻² across experiments. Biomass, N and WSC concentration (WSCc, mg g⁻¹ dry weight) and amount (WSCa, g m⁻²) were monitored. A resource-oriented area-based model [Fischer, R.A., 1984. Growth and yield of wheat. In: Smith, W.H., Bante, S.J. (Eds.), Potential Productivity of Field Crops Under Different Environments. International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, pp. 129–154] and intrinsic rates of organ growth were used to investigate the consequences on grain number of potential competition between spike and stem around flowering.     

Effects of land management practices and land cover types on soil loss and crop productivity in Ethiopia: A review

Identifying land management practices (LMPs) that enhance on-site sediment management and crop productivity is crucial for the prevention, reduction, and restoration of land degradation and contributing to achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN). We reviewed studies in Ethiopia to assess the effects of LMPs on soil loss (84 studies) and crop productivity (34 studies) relative to control practice. Yield variability on conserved lands was assessed using 12,796 fixed plot data. Effects of LMP on soil loss were 0.5–55 t ha⁻¹y⁻¹ compared to control practices yielding 50 to 140 t ha⁻¹y⁻¹. More than 55% of soil loss records revealed soil loss less than the tolerable rate (10 t ha⁻¹). Area closure, perennial vegetation cover, agronomic practices, mechanical erosion control practices, annual cropland cover, and drainage groups of practices led to 74.0 ± 18.3%, 69.0 ± 24.6%, 66.2 ± 30.5%, 66.1 ± 18.0%, 63.5 ± 20.0%, and 40 ± 11,1% soil loss reduction, respectively. A yield increase of 25.2 ± 15.0%, 37.5 ± 28.0%, and 75.4 ± 85.0% was found from drainage, agronomy, and mechanical erosion control practices, respectively. The average yield loss by erosion on fields without appropriate land management practice and on conserved fields was 26.5 ± 26.0% and 25 ± 3.7%, respectively. The findings suggest that practices that entail a continuous presence of soil cover during the rainy season, perennial vegetation, retention of moisture, and barriers for sediment transport were most effective at decreasing soil loss and increasing productivity. This review provides evidence to identify the best LMP practices for wider adoption and inform decision-making on LMP investments towards achieving sustainable solutions to reverse land degradation.     

Fish assemblages in the Southern California Current: relationships with climate, 1951–2008

We examined the dominant patterns of variability in the fish fauna of the southern California Current based on a principal component (PC) analysis of the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations ichthyoplankton data set, 1951–2008. Eighty‐six taxa were analyzed, including all ecologically dominant fish species, both exploited and unexploited. The first three PCs accounted for 20.5, 12.4 and 6.8% of the variance of the data, respectively (total: 39.7%). Each was dominated by taxa from particular adult or larval habitats. PC 1 predominantly represented the coherent response of 24 mesopelagic taxa from 10 families and was most highly correlated with long‐term trends in midwater oxygen levels. PC 2 was dominated by six of the seven most abundant ichthyoplankton taxa in the region, predominantly California Current endemics including key pelagic species (northern anchovy, Pacific sardine and Pacific hake), rockfishes (genus Sebastes) and two midwater taxa. It was correlated primarily with sea surface temperature and exhibited a significant declining trend. PC 3 was dominated by coastal and reef‐associated fishes with predominantly southerly affinities. It was positively correlated with sea surface temperature and sea level height, a proxy for diminished flow of the California Current. The taxa dominating PCs 2 and 3 mostly spatially co‐occur as ichthyoplankton. These results suggest that fish assemblages in the California Current are predominantly influenced by environmental forcing of their ocean habitats as adults or larvae, or both.     

Growth and mortality of sibling triploid and diploid Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata (Gould), in the Camden Haven River

Growth and mortality of sibling triploid and diploid Sydney rock oysters, grown at two tidal heights, three stocking densities and three different sites on the Camden Haven River estuary, were compared. Triploids grew faster than diploids. The majority of the growth rate difference occurred after the oysters reached 2 years of age. By 3.2 years, triploids were 49% heavier than diploids. Oysters grown intertidally were larger than those grown subtidally. Oysters stocked at the lightest density of 2 L per basket grew to a significantly larger size than baskets stocked at 3 or 4 L. Growth rates were significantly different at the three sites. Growth was reduced the further the oysters were from the mouth of the estuary. There was no significant difference in mortality between ploidy level, but there were differences between tidal heights, stocking densities and sites. Intertidal oysters suffered higher mortality than subtidal. Oysters stocked at the highest density had a significantly higher mortality than the lowest density; neither of these was significantly different from the medium density. The site closest to the mouth of the estuary had significantly lower mortality than the middle and upper estuary sites.