The identification of grey mullet species by disc electrophoresis

Electrophoresis was carried out on the water-soluble muscle protein (myogen) of six grey mullets (Mugilidae), caught off the Mediterranean coast of Israel. With the obtained electropherograms it was possible to identify the adults and juveniles of five species of grey mullet. A tentative key for species determination based on the myogen electrophoretic pattern of five species (Liza ramada (Risso, 1826), L. aurata (Risso, 1810), L. provensalis (Risso, 1826), L. saliens (Risso, 1810) and Mugil cephalus (Linnaeus, 1758)) is given. Of the sixth species, Oedalechilus labeo (Cuvier, 1829), only one small adult and six juvenile specimens were obtained.A fast moving band occurred in the pattern of all juveniles of the investigated species. This fraction decreased during growth of all species, it became faint in adults of L. saliens, L. provensalis and L. ramada and was not observed in adult L. aurata and M. cephalus.     

SWARD PRODUCTIVITY UNDER ALTERNATE OR REPEATED CUTTING OF ADJACENT SMALL AREAS

Cutting patterns producing high and low areas were imposed on swards of Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne to test whether output could be increased when compared with traditional uniform cutting methods. In two experiments, swards of both grasses were divided into parallel 9 cm strips which were cut alternately on different occasions to a height of 5 cm. These swards yielded a similar quantity of herbage DM to that from other swards cut uniformly at the same height and frequency. In a third experiment, swards of Lolium perenne were divided into alternate strips of unequal width (9 and 4.5 cm). The narrow strips were allowed to grow to a height of 15 cm and were occasionally trimmed at this height. The wide strips were cut to 5 cm at 2–or 4–weekly intervals. Areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks yielded significantly more DM when adjacent to high areas than when adjacent to areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks (i.e. under uniform cutting). The interaction between adjacent areas having different defoliation regimes is discussed in relation to the possibility of obtaining some additional output from a suitable no niform cutting system compared with uniform cutting. Sward productivity under no niform grazing patterns of livestock is also discussed.     

Management of radioactive waste

The safe management of the solid radioactive waste material generated by the various operations that make up the rapidly growing nuclear electric power industry, the nuclear reactors themselves, and the plants which provide new fuel for these reactors and process the spent fuel which results from reactor operations are discussed.     

Burial of vegetation by erosion debris near ski lifts on Cairngorm,Scotland

The extent of accelerated erosion from ground damaged near ski lifts was found to have reached a peak in about 1969, with a marked decline since then. This decline was attributable to reseeding of damaged ground, provision of drains and grading of dirt roads. Burial experiments showed that where erosion debris had covered vegetation, recovery at best took several years, and with depths above about 7 cm, was almost negligible.