Anatomical and histological characterization of ileal and jejunal Peyer's patch in lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus)

Tragulidae is a primitive ungulate family within the order Cetartiodactyla, suborder Ruminantia. Domestic ruminants such as cattle, sheep, and goat have two types of Peyer's patches (PP): jejunal and ileal PP, in which there are morphological and functional differences. In this study, lesser mouse deer (Tragulus javanicus) PP was studied by gross anatomical and histological procedures. At the fetal stage, both types of PP were formed in the small intestine. Ileal PP was observed as a single continuous aggregation of lymphatic follicles extending cranially from the ileo-caecal junction. However, jejunal PP was observed as multiple and discrete accumulations of lymphatic follicles. This study showed that the lesser mouse deer has two types of PP in the small intestine. In addition, the anatomical and histological characteristics of jejunal and ileal PP are quite similar to those of other ruminants' jejunal and ileal PP. Further studies are needed to analyze immune function of both PP in lesser mouse deer in order to determine the evolutionary process of Cetartiodactyla.     

Biological effect of tyrosine kinase inhibitors on three canine mast cell tumor cell lines with various KIT statuses

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) can be important in the treatment of canine mast cell tumor (cMCT). Meanwhile, some TKIs have been identified as substrates for ABCB1. The inhibitory effect of four TKIs (axitinib, imatinib, masitinib, and vatalanib) for proliferation and phosphorylation of c-Kit receptor as well as the expression and function of ABCB1 were investigated in three cMCT cell lines (HRMC, VIMC1, and CMMC1). The IC(50) values of the TKIs in HRMC, the only cell line with wild-type KIT, were clearly higher than those in CMMC1 and VIMC1. In HRMC and CMMC1, both the growth and phosphorylation of c-Kit receptor were suppressed proportionally by the TKIs. VIMC1 required higher concentrations for the inhibition of c-Kit receptor phosphorylation than those in cell growth. The treatment with cyclosporine increased the effects of the TKIs on VIMC1 since ABCB1 was expressed in VIMC1. The results indicated that cMCT cell lines harboring wild-type KIT had lower sensitivity to TKIs. The growth of VIMC1 was seemingly reduced by TKIs through the inhibition of other tyrosine kinases than c-Kit receptor. There was little influence of ABCB1 on TKI effects to the proliferation of VIMC1. These results will be helpful to understand the different sensitivity to TKIs in cMCT patients.     

Litter decomposition and nutrients dynamics in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nothofagus antarctica</Emphasis> forests under silvopastoral use in Southern Patagonia

The role of environmental variables on litter decomposition and its nutrient release in Nothofagus antarctica forest in Patagonia is poorly understood. Moreover, in these forests under silvopastoral use there are few antecedents. Litter decomposition and nutrient release of grasses and tree leaves were evaluated under different crown cover and two site quality stands during 480 days. Organic matter decomposition varied with crown cover for both types of litter, achieving mean values of 23 and 34% for maximal and minimal crown cover, respectively. Total transmitted radiation was the main environmental factor explaining 61 and 49% of the variation of grass and tree leaves decay rates, respectively. N, P, and Ca were mineralized during first 60 days in decomposing tree leaves and then immobilized without differences between crown cover. The K was immobilized during the evaluated period. In decomposing grass leaves the results varied according to site quality and time. There was a tendency of nutrient mineralization at the first 120 days and then immobilization. The removal of trees for silvopastoral use of N. antarctica may increase litter decomposition by changing the microclimate, but nutrients release or immobilization was mainly affected for their concentration in decomposing material.     

Drivers of adoption of eucalypt tree farming by smallholders in Thailand

Eucalypt (Eucalyptus spp.) tree farming is a source of income for many smallholders in developing and emerging countries and critical to the resource supply of many pulp and paper companies. These companies rely on smallholders adopting tree farming, sometimes by offering a contract. This paper reports a study from four regions of Thailand, where smallholder eucalypt tree farming is important, which investigated what characteristics of smallholders were associated with greater adoption of tree farming. A total of 461 eucalypt tree farmers and 171 non-tree farmers were randomly selected and surveyed in these regions, using a door-to-door household survey. A logit analysis corroborated hypotheses about the drivers of adoption. Qualitative analyses were used to inform interpretation of the quantitative results and shed light on the role of eucalypt tree farming in smallholders’ livelihood. Results demonstrate that those with suitable land available are more likely to adopt eucalypt tree farming than others. In addition, perception of land tenure security matters in the adoption of tree growing, but holding a formal land tenure document does not. Adoption of eucalypt tree farming in Thailand is not part of a land use intensification strategy. Instead, eucalypts are used as an alternative crop for low productivity land, on which eucalypts are the most profitable crop. Eucalypt tree farming also gives smallholders an opportunity to diversify their income. In addition, this alternative land use has the advantage of requiring low labour inputs between planting and harvest. This is particularly advantageous for many tree growers who have off-farm income or rely on hired labour for farming their land.     

Traditional agroforestry systems of multi-crop “milpa” and “chichipera” cactus forest in the arid Tehuacán Valley,Mexico: their management and role in people’s subsistence

Agroforestry systems (AFS) derived from the cactus forest “chichipera” and cultivated with “milpa”, the traditional multi-crop system of maize-beans-squash were studied in the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico. Plant management types practiced by people, role of agricultural and forest resources in households’ subsistence, and consequences of changes in AFS were investigated through ethnobotanical, ecological, and economic approaches. People maintain in this AFS 122 plant species that provide useful products for 14 different purposes. Nearly 90% of useful plants are native to the region, representing 54% of all plant species recorded in the chichipera forest. Management strategies were identified occurring on 63 species at landscape, parcel, and individual plant levels. About 67% of managed plant species are left standing during clearance of vegetation; 35% are transplanted to the parcels’ surrounding area, 32% receive particular protection, and 10 species from other areas are cultivated inside the fields. During years of higher rainfall (~745 mm) AFS supply nearly 75% of the maize grain and 50% of the maize straw used as fodder by households. AFS with intermediate vegetation cover have higher economic value than monocultures and forest. However, plots with low forest cover and monocultures are progressively more common as consequence of socio-cultural processes. Local traditional ecological knowledge and management techniques are crucial for managing resilience of these AFS.     

Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?

The morpho-physiological quality of seedlings is negatively affected by the wide scale use of forest soils as substrates in developing countries. With the objective of finding long-term sustainable supply of growing media, compost was produced from shredded branches of three fast growing species (Acacia cyanophylla (AA), Acacia cyclops (AS) and Eucalyptus gomphocephala (EG). The composting process covered three different periods over the course of a year. Pile temperatures were monitored daily and the composts were routinely sampled and analyzed for 19 chemical variables. Although composting is feasible year-round in arid climates, compost produced in the humid cool conditions of autumn, winter and early spring reaches the maturation phase more quickly than compost produced under hot, dry summer conditions. It also requires less turning and water. The evolution of the composting process and quality of the final product can be assessed using three chemical variables (C/N, pH, EC). Seed germination rates in the three types of compost were similar to that in a peat:vermiculite substrate and vigorous high quality seedlings were produced in the two acacia composts. However, compost-grown seedlings had significantly smaller shoots and root systems than those produced in peat substrate. Principal components analyses showed that the quality of a compost-based substrate is reproducible and that its final chemical composition can be predicted from its raw organic materials. The EG composts had higher pH than the acacia composts, whereas the AA and EG composts were higher in mineral salts than the AS.     

Effects of seed traits on the success of direct seeding for restoring southern Thailand’s lowland evergreen forest ecosystem

The success of direct seeding, as a low-cost approach to forest restoration, varies with tree species and seed characteristics. A system to predict which tree species are likely to be suitable for direct seeding would therefore be useful for improving forest restoration projects. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effects of seed traits on the success of direct seeding to restore tropical forest in southern Thailand. Seeds of 19 indigenous lowland tropical forest tree species were collected, from both the east and west sides of the Thailand peninsular and the following parameters measured: seed size, shape, coat thickness and moisture content. Field trials were established to determine seed germination rates and to calculate a “direct seeding suitability score” for each species, which combined seedling establishment and growth rates. Seed size, shape and moisture content were associated with germination percentage. Species with higher seedling survival tended to have large or intermediate-sized seeds, round or oval seeds and seeds with low or medium moisture content. Only seed coat thickness was significantly correlated with the suitability score (r = 0.65, p < 0.01). Seed coat thickness >0.4 mm coincided with higher rank suitability score. These conditions successfully predicted the success or failure of direct seeding for 15 out of 19 species tested. Eight tree species are recommended as suitable for restoring lowland evergreen forest ecosystems in southern Thailand, by direct seeding.     

Impact of species-specific dispersal and regional stochasticity on estimates of population viability in stream metapopulations

Species dispersal is a central component of metapopulation models. Spatially realistic metapopulation models, such as stochastic patch-occupancy models (SPOMs), quantify species dispersal using estimates of colonization potential based on inter-patch distance (distance decay model). In this study we compare the parameterization of SPOMs with dispersal and patch dynamics quantified directly from empirical data. For this purpose we monitored two metapopulations of an endangered minnow, redside dace (Clinostomus elongatus), using mark-recapture techniques across 43 patches, re-sampled across a 1 year period. More than 2,000 fish were marked with visible implant elastomer tags coded for patch location and dispersal and patch dynamics were monitored. We found that species-specific dispersal and distance decay models provided qualitatively similar rankings of viable patches; however, there were differences of several orders of magnitude in the estimated intrinsic mean times to extinction, from 24 and 148 years to 362 and >100,000 years, depending on the population. We also found that the rate of regional stochasicity had a dramatic impact for the estimate of species viability, and in one case altered the trajectory of our metapopulation from viable to non-viable. The divergent estimates in time to extinction times were likely due to a combination species-specific behavior, the dendritic nature of stream metapopulations, and the rate of regional stochasticity. We demonstrate the importance of developing comparative analyses using species- and patch-specific data when determining quantitative estimates for mean time to extinction, which in the case of redside dace, were highly sensitive to different estimates of dispersal.