Ultraestructura de las Células Luteínicas en la Hembra Bovina

An ultrastructural study to the corpus luteum (CL) from 263 non pregnant female cattle slaughtered in slaughter-houses of León (Spain) was done. The luteal cells are classified in five types, noted with roman numbers. We made a comparison between these cells and the cells described in the literature. We believe that luteal cells have a development from type I to V, the first type is the principal inside the developing CL. The types II and III are in the mature CL, and the two last types are in the degenerating CL. It will be the same cell in different stages of development. We did not find characteristic structures to differentiate luteal cells originating from the granulosa or the theca.     

A non-haemagglutinating isolate of mink enteritis virus

A virus was isolated from mink showing clinical and pathological signs of mink enteritis. This virus was identified as mink enteritis virus (MEV) from results of serological tests, determination of its density in CsCl (1.415 g cm^?3), and morphology, including size (20 nm in diameter). The isolate was designated MEV-S. In contrast to other known MEV strains, the MEV-S isolate has no haemagglutinating (HA) activity with swine red blood cells (RBCs) at 4°C and pH 6.8.Neither was there any HA at other pH values and temperatures, or when worse, bovine and rhesus monkey RBC's were used.     

Total Phosphorous Distribution and Bioavailability in the Bed Sediments of an Atlantic Basin (Galicia,NW Spain): Spatial Distribution and Vertical Profiles

Water, Air, & Soil Pollution - The Anllóns basin (NW Spain) has been included in the Natura 2000 Network and declared as Site of Community Importance. The main contamination problems of...     

Climate and groundwater effects on the establishment, growth and death of Prosopis caldenia trees in the Pampas (Argentina)

Semiarid woodlands dominated by Prosopis caldenia thrive at the dry edge of the Argentinean Pampas. Deforestation and increased precipitation have driven sustained water table level rise in the region that are likely to affect the dynamics of remnant woody vegetation patches. Here we analyze the effect of climate and groundwater level on the establishment, growth and death of P. caldenia located on lowland (current water table <0.5 m deep) and upland (current water table 8 m deep) positions within rolling sandy landscape. Standard dendrochronological techniques were applied on 98 cross sections and cores of P. caldenia trees. Results allowed us to estimated that trees in the lowland established a few years earlier than in the upland (1929 vs. 1936) and died between 1991 and 2002, while trees in higher positions are still alive. As a result of a faster growth in the lowland, maximum mean basal area increment took place earlier (1950s vs. 1990s) and achieved a higher mean value than in the upland (41.63 vs. 37.41 mm²). While mean annual chronologies were not associated across stands, an opposite highly significant association was found for the mean growth trends suggesting long-term effects of water table depths on growth. We found a different association between mean annual growth and climate, with lowland trees showing a negative response to precipitation before and during the growing season, and upland trees displaying a positive response to summer rainfall inputs. Temperature at the end of the growing season had a positive effect in the lowland whereas temperature during the growing season had a positive effect in the upland. These results show how groundwater can induce diverging sensitivity of forest growth and survival to climate variability, enhancing growth at optimum depths (2-8 m in our study) but depressing it or even killing trees when it approaches the surface (<2 m in our study). Groundwater dynamic should be considered in forest management and conservation strategies in semiarid woodlands in Central Argentina.     

Studies of transplacental and perinatal infection with two clones of a single Aujeszky's disease (pseudorabies) virus isolate

The effect of Aujeszky's disease virus (ADV) infection in the last third of gestation was studied using two clones from an ADV isolate. Twelve sows were infected with one or other clone at 85 +/- 1 days of gestation. The dose of infection was 5 X 10(6) TCID50 per sow. The clinical and serological responses to the infection were different. One clone, Ls-1, produces a severe and acute illness. The course of the disease went from 9 to 14 days while the other clone, Ls-2, caused a mild or silent infection and for a shorter time. Transplacental infection occurred in only one sow which had been infected with Ls-2. The litter consisted of 8 mummified fetuses. Sows infected with Ls-1 produced piglets or mummified fetuses that were virus-negative. Perinatal infection was found in litters from both groups. Colostrum-deprived piglets that did not have postpartum contact with the sow, produced specific antibodies, 2 out of 6 born to sows infected with Ls-1 and 1 out of 4 born to sows infected with Ls-2. The antibody titers in colostrum-fed piglets were related to the extent of clinical response of the sows to the infection. Litters born to sows infected with Ls-1 had mean SNT titers from 1/12 to 1/112 while litters born to sows infected with Ls-2 showed titers of 1/2 or less than 2.     

Influence of region of provenance and climate factors on wood anatomical traits of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus nigra</Emphasis> Arn. subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">salzmannii</Emphasis>

Region of provenance is defined as an area with uniform ecological conditions where stands with similar phenotypic or genetic features are found. This study assesses the effect of differing climate conditions of eight Spanish regions of provenance of Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. salzmannii on earlywood anatomical traits measured in samples from basal discs from mature trees. Results showed that variation in wood biometry between provenances was high and more pronounced than intrapopulation variation. When comparing P. nigra with other Mediterranean pines, high intertracheid wall strength values are associated with better adaptation of pines to arid conditions. However, the intraspecific variations of this parameter in P. nigra did not follow the same pattern, due to the influence of mechanical support requirements. Trees subject to greater aridity were characterised by short tracheids, apparently resulting from their poorer growth, and high frequency of rays and ray parenchyma cells, which would allow trees to store greater amounts of starch, which is the source of metabolites invested in minimising the limitations imposed by water stress. Severe winter cold spells were strongly associated with high axial resin canal frequency and large radial resin canals, creating a powerful, preformed defence system. Increased tracheid lumen involved an increase in the size of bordered pits, favouring sap flow between tracheids, in addition to an increase in the maximum diameter of cross-field pits, favouring the flow of water and metabolites between the axial and radial systems. The high influence of region of provenance on structural variation in P. nigra shows the importance of provenance in the selection of seed origin for reforestation.     

Foliar anatomical and morphological variation in Nothofagus pumilio seedlings under controlled irradiance and soil moisture levels

Foliar anatomy and morphology are strongly related to physiological performance; therefore, phenotypic plasticity in leaves to variations in environmental conditions, such as irradiance and soil moisture availability, can be related to growth rate and survivorship, mainly during critical growth phases, such as establishment. The aim of this work was to analyze changes in the foliar internal anatomy (tissue proportions and cell dimensions) and external morphology (leaf length, width and area) of Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. et Endl.) Krasser seedlings growing in a greenhouse under controlled irradiance (three levels) and soil moisture (two levels) during one growing season (measured three times), and to relate them to physiological traits. Three irradiance levels (4, 26 and 64% of the natural incident light) and two soil moisture levels (40 and 80% soil capacity) were evaluated during November, January and March. Internal foliar anatomy of seedlings was analyzed using digital photographs of histological cuttings, while leaf gross morphology was measured using digital calipers and image analysis software. Most internal anatomical variables presented significant differences under different irradiance levels during the growing season, but differences were not detected between soil moisture levels. Palisade parenchyma was the tissue most sensitive to irradiance levels, and high irradiance levels (64% natural incident light) produced greater values in most of the internal anatomical variables than lower irradiance levels (4-24% natural incident light). Complementarily, larger leaves were observed in medium and low irradiance levels, as well as under low soil moisture levels (40% soil capacity). The relationship of main results with some eco-physiological traits was discussed. Foliar internal anatomical and external morphological plasticity allows quick acclimation of seedlings to environmental changes (e.g., during harvesting). These results can be used to propose new forest practices that consider soil moisture and light availability changes to maintain high physiological performance of seedlings.     

Aboveground stand-level biomass estimation: a comparison of two methods for major forest species in northwest Spain

Context

The scaling-up approach (which requires the use of individual tree biomass equations and data) is one of the most commonly used methods for estimating stand biomass at a local scale. However, biomass prediction over large management areas requires more efficient methods.

Aims

Two methods of estimating aboveground stand biomass were developed and compared: stand biomass equations (SBE) including observed stand variables, and SBE including biomass expansion factors (BEF) and stand volume.

Methods

Two types of systems of additive equations were fitted simultaneously for components and total aboveground stand biomass, to ensure additivity. Inherent correlations among biomass components were also taken into account in the fitting process.

Results

The systems explained a high percentage of the observed variability. The SBE systems that included observed stand variables provided more accurate estimates than those that included BEF and stand volume. However, the latter were found to be more precise for stem wood and total aboveground biomass prediction.

Conclusions

Both approaches provide a direct link between forest inventory data, outputs from whole-stand growth models, and biomass estimates at stand level. Taking into account that the inventory effort is similar for both alternatives, the choice of which to use will depend on the data available and on the relative importance of the biomass components for the end-users.     

Spatial sap flow and xylem anatomical characteristics in olive trees under different irrigation regimes

The compensation heat pulse (CHP) method is widely used to estimate sap flow and transpiration in conducting organs of woody plants. Previous studies have reported a natural azimuthal variability in sap flow, which could have practical implications in locating the CHP probes and integrating their output. Sap flow of several olive trees (Olea europaea L. cv. 'Arbequina') previously grown under different irrigation treatments were monitored by the CHP method, and their xylem anatomical characteristics were analyzed from wood samples taken at the same location in which the probes were installed. A significant azimuthal variability in the sap flow was found in a well-irrigated olive tree monitored by eight CHP probes. The azimuthal variability was well related to crown architecture, but poorly to azimuthal differences in the xylem anatomical characteristics. Well-irrigated and deficit-irrigated olive trees showed similar xylem anatomical characteristics, but they differed in xylem growth and in the ratio of nocturnal-to-diurnal sap flow (N/D index). The results of this work indicate that transpiration cannot be accurately estimated by the CHP method in olive trees if a small number of sensors are employed and that the N/D index could be used as a sensitive water status indicator.