Local government and urban forest governance: insights from Scotland

While the benefits of urban forests (UFs) are well-researched, less is known about how to steer collective action for conserving and strengthening this resource, and particularly the role of local government. We address this knowledge gap through a study of urban forest governance in Scotland, United Kingdom. Applying a mixed-methods approach including semi-structured interviews, document analysis and surveys, covering 26 out of the total of 32 Scottish local authorities (LAs), we show that UF management by Scottish LAs is largely reactive. This can be explained by limited funding and knowledge of the resource, poor knowledge of the scale and state of the UF, fragmented management structures, and the tendency to perceive trees as a liability as opposed to an asset. However, some LAs successfully resist this trend through city officials acting as frontrunners within their organisations. They do so by championing activities such as investing in tools for socioeconomic valuation of the UF, pursuing grant funding, breaking down silos through organisational reorganisation, preparing city-level trees and woodland strategies, cross-sectoral partnership working and community engagement. Fundamental change, however, relies on the combination of these activities and therefore requires a whole-organisation commitment to UF sustainability across different domains relevant to predicting UF outcomes.     

杉木人工林土壤养分及酸杆菌群落结构变化

【目的】研究浙江开化杉木人工林连栽过程中土壤养分及寡营养细菌酸杆菌群落变化规律,揭示不同类型杉木林地导致土壤肥力变化的酸杆菌分子生态学机制,为该地区杉木人工林林分结构调整、土壤资源的科学管理以及构建健康土壤生态系统提供科学依据。【方法】以马尾松林(对照)、马尾松林皆伐后的一代杉木林、杉木林迹地自然更新二代林土壤为研究对象,测定不同深度土层(0～20 cm, 20～40 cm)的土壤pH、束缚水含量、有机碳及主要速效养分含量,比较分析土壤肥力水平,同时进行土壤细菌16S rDNA高通量测序分析了优势酸杆菌群的结构变化。【结果】1)马尾松林改植杉木后土壤酸化显著,碱解氮、有效磷及速效钾含量显著降低(P<0.05),不同林地肥力水平大致规律表现为马尾松林>杉木一代林>杉木连栽林。2) 3种森林类型的土壤细菌中酸杆菌门均占明显优势(32.68%～49.17%),且连栽后的杉木连栽林0～20 cm土层酸杆菌占比显著高于马尾松林0～20 cm土层(P<0.05)。3)共检测出18个酸杆菌类群,其中Gp2在各个样地中均为绝对优势菌群,占酸杆菌群的47.74%～68.80%,Gp1占21.69%～29.72%,其次是Gp3占13.30%～22.41%。酸杆菌类群中Gp2优势加强,同时Gp3具有由优势菌属转变为次优势菌属的趋势。Gp1和Gp10相对丰度分别与土壤pH呈显著负相关(P=0.035)和显著正相关(P=0.035),Gp2相对丰度与土壤有效磷呈显著负相关(P=0.010)。【结论】马尾松林改植杉木及杉木人工林连栽过程中土壤肥力水平降低,而土壤寡营养细菌酸杆菌相对丰度提高,酸杆菌群落作为土壤优势菌群随土壤环境变化而不断调整,这预示着酸杆菌在杉木人工林土壤物质循环中起非常重要作用。     

Pollen transfer from invasive Carpobrotus spp. to natives - A study of pollinator behaviour and reproduction success

The influence of invasive plant species on native community composition is well-documented, but less is known about underlying mechanisms. Especially scarce is knowledge about effects on biotic interactions such as relationships between native plants and their pollinators. In this study we investigate if pollen transfer from the invasive and highly pollen productive Carpobrotus spp. affects seed production and/or seed quality in three native species. We monitored pollinator movements and pollen loads on pollinators and native stigmas, and in a field pollination experiment we investigated the effect of invasive pollen on reproduction. Invasive pollen adhered to pollinators, pollinators switched from Carpobrotus spp. to natives, invasive pollen was transferred to native stigmas, and it affected seed production in one species. Although all possible steps for interference with seed production were found to be qualitatively taken, invasive pollen has probably little impact on the native community because the frequency of invasive pollen transfer to natives was low. However, pollination interactions may change with plant abundance and our study provides evidence that pollen transfer from Carpobrotus spp. to natives does occur and have the potential to affect seed production. We found the species identity of shared pollinators to be of importance, higher flower constancy and lower capacity of pollen adherence are likely to result in less invasive pollen transfer.     

Influence of drying vs. freezing of archived soil samples on soil organic matter fractions

Archived soil samples are a valuable tool for any long‐term soil research. We analysed total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and soil organic matter fractions in 38 archived soil samples that were stored for up to 21 years and compared air‐dried storage to frozen storage conditions. Samples include top‐ and upper subsoils, different soil texture and land use with C contents between 4.3 and 174 mg g^?1. The results from this study reveal no changes in total C and N contents with storage time up to 21 years or type of storage (freezing vs. air drying). The analyses of soil physical fractions also revealed no significant differences between air‐dried stored and frozen stored samples for most samples. However, we found indications, that freezing of soil material might lead to changes in the mineral fractions for soils containing high amounts of water. Therefore, and as archiving soils in a frozen state is more expensive than storing air‐dried samples, we recommend the use of air‐dried samples for C quality analyses of archived soil samples.     

Biological activity of carbonic nano-structures—comparison via enzymatic bioassay

Purpose

The aim of the work is to compare the biological activity of carbonic nano-structures of natural and artificial origination, namely, humic substances (HS) and fullerenols.

Materials and methods

The representative of the fullerenol group, С₆₀О_y(OH)_x where у?+?x?=?20–22, was chosen. Enzyme-based luminescent bioassay was applied to evaluate toxicity and antioxidant properties of HS and fullerenol (F); chemiluminescent luminol method was used to study a content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the solutions. Toxicity of the bioactive compounds was evaluated using effective concentrations ЕС₅₀; detoxification coefficients D_OxT were applied to study and compare antioxidant activity of the compounds. Antioxidant activity and ranges of active concentrations of the bioactive compounds were determined in model solutions of organic and inorganic oxidizers—1,4-benzoquinone and potassium ferricianide.

Results and discussion

Values of ЕС₅₀ revealed higher toxicity of HS than F (0.005 and 0.108 g L^?1, respectively); detoxifying concentrations of F were found to be lower. Antioxidant ability of HS was demonstrated to be time-dependent; the 50-min preliminary incubation in oxidizer solutions was suggested as optimal for the detoxification procedure. On the contrary, F’ antioxidant effect demonstrated independency on time. Antioxidant effect of HS did not depend on amphiphilic characteristics of the media (values of D_OxT were 1.3 in the solutions of organic and inorganic oxidizers), while this of F was found to depend: it was maximal (D_OxT?=?2.0) in solutions of organic oxidizer, 1,4-benzoquinone.

Conclusions

Both HS and F demonstrated toxicity and low-concentration antioxidant ability; however, quantitative characteristics of their effects were different. The differences were explained with HS polyfunctionality, higher ability to decrease ROS content, non-rigidity, and diffusion restrictions in their solutions. Antioxidant effect of the bioactive compounds was presumably attributed to catalytic redox activity of their π-fragments. The paper demonstrates a high potential of luminescent enzymatic bioassay to study biological activity of nano-structures of natural and artificial origination.

     

Cultivation of the Paracalanid Copepod,Bestiolina similis (Calanoida: Crustacea)

First feed production continues to be a major barrier to the cultivation of many fish species. Although copepod nauplii are a suitable food, consistency and high production have been difficult. Temporal changes in production in batch cultures of the calanoid copepod, Bestiolina similis, were investigated to develop management strategies for the use of copepod nauplii as a live food. Population abundances and female egg production rates were measured, and recruitment and mortality rates were calculated. Relative expression levels of a molecular biomarker for stress, heat shock protein hsp70, were determined using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The population cycle included a period of rapid increase in abundances, followed by a steep decline and a period of stable but low population densities. Initially, egg production exceeded 25 eggs per female per day and low mortality rates prevailed. The population decline was preceded by upregulation of hsp70 and followed by an 80–90% decline in female fecundity and an increase in mortality rates. Egg production rates remained below four eggs per female per day even after new generations of females reached adulthood. The predictable population cycle provides opportunities to coordinate nauplius production rates with first feed needs of fish larvae.     

Formulated Feed Supports Weight Gain and Survivorship in Juvenile Sea Urchins Lytechinus variegatus

In adult sea urchins, formulated feeds can support both weight gain and gonad production; however, studies demonstrating the effects of formulated feeds on juvenile sea urchin growth are limited. In this study, juvenile sea urchins (test diameter: 3.20–7.33 mm, N = 12 per treatment) were reared individually in artificial seawater and fed with one of four experimental feeds: (1) mixed‐taxa algal biofilm (MTAB), (2) freeze‐dried MTAB, (3) a commercial, small‐mammal feed (Friskies^® cat treats), or (4) a semipurified feed formulated for sea urchins. The MTAB and sea urchin feed supported weight gain and survival throughout the study; however, those individuals fed with the sea urchin feed exhibited a short lag period at the onset of feeding. This short lag period may be, in part, because of an initial lack of attraction of the urchins to the formulated feed. Furthermore, we hypothesize that gut physiology or gut flora must acclimatize to a new diet (all sea urchins were reared initially on the MTAB diet). The freeze‐dried MTAB and mammal feed did not support substantial weight gain. This study suggests that sea urchin juveniles as small as 3–4 mm can utilize formulated feeds for growth.