Long-term tillage effects on soil quality

Public interest in soil quality is increasing, but assessment is difficult because soil quality evaluations are often purpose- and site-specific. Our objective was to use a systems engineering methodology to evaluate soil quality with data collected following a long-term tillage study on continuous corn (Zea mays L.). Aggregate characteristics, penetration resistance, bulk density, volumetric water content, earthworm populations, respiration, microbial biomass, ergosterol concentrations, and several soil-test parameters (pH, P, K, Ca, Mg, Total-N, Total-C, NH₄-N, and NO₃-N) were measured on Orthic Luvisol soil samples collected from Rozetta and Palsgrove silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Hapludalfs) soils. Plots managed using no-till practices for 12 years before samples were collected for this study had surface soil aggregates that were more stable in water and had higher total carbon, microbial activity, ergosterol concentrations, and earthworm populations than either the chisel or plow treatments. Selected parameters were combined in the proposed soil quality index and gave ratings of 0.48, 0.49, or 0.68 for plow, chisel, or no-till treatments, respectively. This indicated that long-term no-till management had improved soil quality. The prediction was supported by using a sprinkler infiltration study to measure the amount of soil loss from plots that had been managed using no-till or mold-board plow tillage. We conclude that no-till practices on these soils can improve soil quality and that the systems engineering methodology may be useful for developing a more comprehensive soil quality index that includes factors such as pesticide and leaching potentials.     

Cellular and subcellular compartmentation of sulphate in leaves in relation to low sulphur mobility

Tracer kinetics and single cell sampling both suggest that S is compartmented differently in vacuoles of epidermal and mesophyll cells. Cytoplasmic S turns over rapidly, but vacuolar turnover in both cell types is too slow to support plant growth, thus accounting in part for the apparent low mobility of S in mature leaves.     

Tin streaming and channel changes some preliminary observations from Dartmoor, England

The valley floor of the North Teign River on Dartmoor has been much modified by tin streaming activity, particularly during the nineteenth century. Field measurements of channel size at sample sites along the river were collected, to asses whether the tin streamed reaches had undergone observable channel changes. Close similarities in the relationships between channel size and drainage area for both natural and streamed sites suggest that no real channel changes are apparent at the present time, but differences in the relationships between channel size and total stream length for the natural and streamed sites show that the uppermost natural sites are considerably larger than the streamed sites at similar locations. Integration of the relationships between channel size and total stream length allows a comparison of estimated total network volumes for the streamed and natural sites, and the estimated volume for the streamed river is about 18 % smaller than that of the natural channel over the same reach. Channel change is believed to be related to changes in the size composition of sediment load in the stream, occasioned by the modified distribution of valley floor sediments brought about by the streaming activities.     

The impact of high non-starch polysaccharide intake on serum micronutrient concentrations in a cohort of women

OBJECTIVE: Many public health campaigns encourage increased fibre consumption, but short-term studies suggest that various components of dietary fibre inhibit the absorption of certain micronutrients including carotenoids. These do not take into account long-term adaptation to nutrient intake levels. We aimed to investigate the effect of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) fibre on plasma micronutrient concentrations in a large free-living population consuming their usual diet. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. Semi-weighed 4-day food diaries were analysed for micronutrient and NSP fibre intakes. Blood samples were taken and analysed for carotenoids, vitamin A, vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folic acid, vitamin C and trace metals. SETTING: Participants in a large national cohort study who lived within 30 miles of Leeds. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and eighty-three middle-aged women. RESULTS: The association between NSP intake and plasma nutrient concentrations was assessed taking into account nutrient intakes and other dietary and lifestyle factors. Higher levels of NSP were not associated with lower plasma concentrations of the micronutrients measured, even allowing for the higher nutrient levels generally found in high-fibre foods. CONCLUSIONS: Amongst middle-aged women we have shown that current guidelines for increasing the population's NSP consumption can be safely applied. Such guidelines are unlikely to reduce serum micronutrient concentrations, although other, more vulnerable population groups may benefit from further investigation.     

A bayesian approach to regional and local-area prediction from crop variety trials

The inclusion of covariates in models for analyzing variety × environmental data sets allows the estimation of variety yields for specific locations within a region as well as for the region as a whole. Here we explore a Bayesian approach to the estimation of such effects and to the choice of variety using a possibly incomplete variety × location × year data set that includes location × year covariates. This approach allows expert knowledge of the crop and uncertainty about local circumstances to be incorporated in the analysis. It is implemented using Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. An example is used to illustrate the approach and investigate its robustness.     

Canopy processes in a changing climate

Forest canopies exchange a large part of the mass and energy between the earth and the atmosphere. The processes that regulate these exchanges have been of interest to scientists from a diverse range of disciplines for a long time. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Canopy Processes Working Group provides a forum for these scientists to explore canopy processes at scales ranging from the leaf to the ecosystem. Given the changes in climate that are being experienced in response to rising [CO(2)], there is a need to understand how forest canopy processes respond to altered environments. Globally, native and managed forests represent the largest terrestrial biome and, in wood and soils, the largest terrestrial stores of carbon. Changing climates have significant implications for carbon storage in forests, as well as their water use, species diversity and management. In order to address these issues, the Canopy Processes Working Group held a travelling workshop in south-east Australia during October 2010 to examine the impact of changing climates on forest canopies, highlighting knowledge gaps and developing new research directions.     

Genetic and environmental variation in wood properties of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acacia melanoxylon</Emphasis>

Context  

Australian blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon), is a fast-growing, high-quality, appearance-grade timber species native to eastern Australia. Some of its key wood properties are percentage heartwood, heartwood colour, basic density, wood stiffness and green moisture content. Variation in these properties affects log value, processing and marketing.     

Fiber-optical analog of the event horizon

The physics at the event horizon resembles the behavior of waves in moving media. Horizons are formed where the local speed of the medium exceeds the wave velocity. We used ultrashort pulses in microstructured optical fibers to demonstrate the formation of an artificial event horizon in optics. We observed a classical optical effect: the blue-shifting of light at a white-hole horizon. We also showed by theoretical calculations that such a system is capable of probing the quantum effects of horizons, in particular Hawking radiation.