No diurnal variation in rate or carbon isotope composition of soil respiration in a boreal forest

Characterization of soil respiration rates and delta(13)C values of soil-respired CO(2) are often based on measurements at a particular time of day. A study by Gower et al. (2001) in a boreal forest demonstrated diurnal patterns of soil CO(2) flux using transparent measurement chambers that included the understory vegetation. It is unclear whether these diurnal patterns were solely the result of photosynthetic CO(2) uptake during the day by the understory or whether there were underlying trends in soil respiration, perhaps driven by plant root allocation, as recently demonstrated in Mediterranean oak savannah. We undertook intensive sampling campaigns in a boreal Picea abies L. Karst. forest to investigate whether diurnal variations in soil respiration rate and stable carbon isotope ratio (delta(13)C) exist in this ecosystem when no understory vegetation is present in the measurement chamber. Soil respiration rates and delta(13)C were measured on plots in which trees were either girdled (to terminate the fraction of soil respiration directly dependent on recent photosynthate from the trees), or not girdled, every 4 h over two 48-hour cycles during the growth season of 2004. Shoot photosynthesis and environmental parameters were measured concurrently. No diurnal patterns in soil respiration rates and delta(13)C were observed in either treatment, despite substantial variations in climatic conditions and shoot photosynthetic rates in non-girdled trees. Consequently, assessment of daily soil respiration rates and delta(13)C in boreal forest systems by single, instantaneous daily measurements does not appear to be confounded by substantial diurnal variation.     

Towards a tiered test strategy for plant protection products to address mixture toxicity by alternative approaches in human health assessment

Plant protection products (PPPs) consist of pesticide active substances and co‐formulants. Generally, active substance effects are assumed to dominate in PPP toxicity. Nevertheless, co‐formulants may well affect the toxicity of PPPs via toxicodynamic and toxicokinetic interaction. To account for potential mixture effects and improve PPP data requirements for application in risk assessment, a tiered test strategy is proposed. The strategy is based on a comparison of PPP and active substance toxicity, which enables the prioritisation of PPPs for further testing, adaptation of the toxicological threshold value or removal of toxic co‐formulants from the PPP. Moreover, it focuses on the integrative assessment of existing information and newly generated data using alternative test methods. The proposed strategy will improve PPP toxicological assessment by accounting for mixture toxicity, providing a set of regulatory options for risk assessment and the necessary data for hazard assessment. The predictivity of alternative methods for PPPs will improve by evaluation of their reliability and uncertainty. © 2020 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by JohnWiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Nitrogen availability of various biogas residues applied to ryegrass

Biogas plants in Germany are producing an increasing amount of biogas residues to be recycled via agricultural crop production. To test whether the wide range of various substrates used in the anaerobic digestion can affect the chemical composition and nutrient availability, seven biogas residues derived from different substrates were investigated with respect to their N supply to ryegrass. Both the short‐term and the long‐term N availability were studied in a 309‐d pot experiment lasting for five successive growth cycles each starting with a fertilizer application. The organic fertilizers were applied based on an equal amount of ammonium‐N (300 mg N per pot) and compared to mineral N from ammonium nitrate of equal dosage. Biogas residues varied greatly in their chemical composition (ammonium‐N 0.20% to 0.51%, N_total 0.36% to 0.75%, and C_org 1.85% to 4.75% in fresh matter). After the first growth cycle, the N availability of the biogas residues applied based on ammonium‐N was at least equal to that from ammonium nitrate. Differences in N offtake after one fertilizer application were negatively correlated to the C_org : N_org ratio of the organic fertilizers. After five successive fertilizer applications, the N utilization of most of the organic fertilizers was increased compared to that of the mineral fertilizer. It is concluded that biogas residues provide plant‐available N at least corresponding to their ammonium content and that the accumulation of organic N in soil through repeated application of biogas residues contributes to N release.     

Soil inoculation with the biocontrol agent Clonostachys rosea and the mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices results in mutual inhibition, plant growth promotion and alteration of soil microbial communities

Interactions between the biocontrol fungus Clonostachys rosea IK 726 and a tomato/Glomus intraradices BEG87 symbiosis were examined with and without wheat bran, which served as a food base for C. rosea. In soil without wheat bran amendment, inoculation with C. rosea increased plant growth and altered shoot nutrient content resulting in an increase and decrease in P and N content, respectively. Inoculation with G. intraradices had no effect on plant growth, but increased the shoot P content. Dual inoculation with G. intraradices and C. rosea followed the pattern of C. rosea in terms of plant growth and nutrient content. Wheat bran amendment resulted in marked plant growth depressions, which were counteracted by both inoculants and dual inoculation increased plant growth synergistically. Amendment with wheat bran increased the population density of C. rosea and reduced mycorrhizal fungus colonisation of roots. The inoculants were mutually inhibitory, which was shown by a reduction in root colonisation with G. intraradices in treatments with C. rosea and a reduction in colony-forming units (cfu) of C. rosea in treatments with G. intraradices, irrespective of wheat bran amendment. Moreover, both inoculants markedly influenced soil microbial communities examined with biomarker fatty acids. Inoculation with G. intraradices increased most groups of microorganisms irrespective of wheat bran amendment, whereas the influence of C. rosea on other soil microorganisms was affected by wheat bran amendment. Overall, inoculation with C. rosea increased and decreased most groups of microorganisms without and with wheat bran amendment, respectively. In conclusion, despite mutual inhibition between the two inoculants this interaction did not impair their observed plant growth promotion. Both inoculants also markedly influenced other soil microorganisms, which should be further studied in relation to their plant growth-promoting features.     

Non-parametric multivariate comparisons of soil fungal composition: Sensitivity to thresholds and indications of structural redundancy in T-RFLP data

Complex soil microbial data produced by molecular profiling techniques, such as terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), are often analysed using multivariate statistical methods. Despite this, there has been little evaluation of the sensitivity of multivariate methods to routine data manipulations such as the application of noise thresholds. We examine effects of three percentage area thresholds (0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0%; i.e. ranging from low to commonly applied) on non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordinations of soil fungal T-RFLP profiles. We then interpret threshold effects by introducing the concept of structural redundancy in T-RFLP data.NMDS ordinations compared 20 soil samples (encompassing seven sites, two forest types, and three locations) for T-RFLP presence/absence data, which were produced using primers specific to the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, and three separate restriction enzymes (HinfI, AluI and TaqI). Increasing thresholds from 0.1% to 1.0% led to decreases in average number of detected reproducible fragments per site of 57% (HinfI), 75% (AluI), and 69% (TaqI). However, despite the removal of many fragments unique to site/forest type/location, the application of increasing thresholds did not significantly change NMDS patterns for any enzyme in both the complete data and in a more weakly structured sub-group (involving one forest type and two locations). Thus, our data indicate that application of area thresholds up to 1.0% would have minimal impact on NMDS-based comparisons of soil fungal composition.Robustness of NMDS patterns to considerable fragment loss with increasing threshold suggested a degree of ‘structural redundancy’ in our T-RFLP data – that is, multiple fragments per soil sample were interchangeable in the way they contributed to between-sample NMDS patterns. Indeed, for each restriction enzyme, we found 3–4 peels of data (i.e. mutually exclusive sub-sets) that were capable of reproducing overall patterns in presence/absence data at the 0.1% threshold. Despite potential in the T-RFLP method for production of more than one fragment per fungal species/phylotype, we present arguments to support at least some translation of structural redundancy in T-RFLP data to structural redundancy in fungal community comparisons (i.e. the between-soil similarity patterns can be explained by, or are imprinted in, multiple groups of fungal phylotypes). Our analyses highlight structural redundancy as an efficient method for identifying key phylotypes responsible for differences in community composition among soils, and as a promising starting point for improved understanding of many aspects of spatial soil ecology.     

ENDOSCOPIC RETROGRADE CHOLANGIO-PANCREATOGRAPHY IN DOGS WITH CHRONIC GASTROINTESTINAL PROBLEMS

Endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography is a combination of endoscopy and fluoroscopy used for radiographic imaging of the biliary and pancreatic ducts. In order to assess its feasibility and to describe abnormal findings in dogs, this technique was performed in 30 dogs with nonspecific chronic gastrointestinal disturbances. Using an 11-mm side-view endoscope, retrograde cholangiography was successful in 20/30 dogs (67%) and pancreatography in 21/30 (70%). Success was affected by intraduodenal food, mucus or blood, problems in papillary cannulation, stomach overdistention, body size, and changes in duodenal mucosa. It was impossible to perform the procedure in dogs weighing < 10 kg with the available material. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography revealed findings that differed from previous reports in healthy beagles in 5/20 dogs. Findings included enlarged common bile duct (n = 2), intraductal filling defects (n = 2), and deviated course of common bile duct (n = 1), and major papilla stenosis (n = 1). In the dog with major papilla stenosis and intraductal filling defects, endoscopic guided sphincterotomy was performed. Endoscopic retrograde pancreatography revealed an abnormal course of the accessory pancreatic duct in 2/21 dogs. In both dogs with proven end-stage pancreatic acinar atrophy, the left duct branch did not run distal the stomach to the left but went parallel to the right duct branch and the duodenum. Repeated clinical and laboratory examinations revealed no signs of complications after endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography. It was concluded that this imaging technique is promising for the diagnosis of biliary and pancreatic diseases in dogs. It also offers the chance for new treatment options such as endoscopic guided sphincterotomy in dogs.     

七氟醚、氟烷、异氟醚对犬肝肾功能影响的临床比较

为评价七氟醚对肝肾功能的影响，并与氟烷和异氟醚作比较，对动物医院就诊的心肺功能正常，拟作手术治疗的61头患犬进行麻醉试验，所有犬均以l-美散痛和安定作为麻醉前给药。分别以1．5％七氟醚、1．0％氟烷、1．5％异氟醚维持手术麻醉，所有3组中无一组可见肝肾毒性副作用。至七氟醚麻醉后48h，GLDH，AST，ALT，γ-GT，总胆红素，AP，尿素氮和肌酐显示正常。     

Growth of Mature Beech in Relation to Ozone and Nitrogen Deposition: an Epidemiological Approach

Stem increment of mature Fagus sylvatica L. from 57 plots in Switzerland was analysed with respect to environmental factors using multilinear regression. Nitrogen (N) deposition was positively correlated with stem growth, with an increase by 41.8% (confidence interval 38.9-44.2) per 10 kg N ha^-1 a^-1. There was a negative relationship between ozone (O₃) dose and diameter increment. The fit was better for maximum rather than average exposure values. Coefficients indicated growth changes of -22.5% (14.3-28.6 confidence interval) and -35.1% (17.8-47.3) respectively per 10 ppm hours. These changes exceed the -6.1% found in experiments with beech seedlings. This difference is mainly attributed to the fact that the seedling data are calculated for a single season's exposure whereas the stem increment data extend over four years, representing the product of four annual reductions. Increased sensitivity of mature trees compared to seedlings, however, is also suggested.     

Lysimeter experiment to investigate the potential influence of diffusion-limited sorption on pesticide availability for leaching

Pesticide leaching from soil has been shown to decrease with increasing time from application to irrigation. It is hypothesized that the availability of compounds for leaching decreases due to diffusion and sorption inside soil aggregates. Previous work showed that pesticide sorption inside soil aggregates increases significantly during the first days after application. The study presented here tested if diffusion into aggregates could explain the leaching of four aged pesticides from manually irrigated soil cores. Azoxystrobin, chlorotoluron, cyanazine, and bentazone were applied to 30 undisturbed cores (25 cm long, 23.7 cm diameter) from a clay loam soil. The soil cores were irrigated 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after application. Leachate was collected and analyzed. The amount of pesticide found in leachate decreased rapidly with time from application. Pesticide losses in leachate declined 2.5-27 times faster than total residues in soil. The decline was 4-5 times faster for the more strongly sorbed pesticides (azoxystrobin, chlorotoluron, and cyanazine) than for bentazone. In previous work, we derived a model to describe sorption and diffusion of the pesticides in small aggregates from the same soil. The diffusion model was used here to describe sorption inside the large aggregates in the soil cores and extended to describe pesticide leaching by interaggregate flow. The model showed a significant decline in leaching with time from application, which supports the theory that diffusion-limited sorption in aggregates influences the availability for pesticide leaching, although it does not exclude alternative explanations for this decline. The model well described the decline in leaching for three out of four pesticides. The interaggregate transport model could, however, not account for the amount of preferential flow in the cores and underestimated the leaching of bentazone.