Mapping of snow-damaged trees based on bitemporal airborne LiDAR data

The use of multitemporal LiDAR data in forest-monitoring applications has been so far largely unexplored. In this work, we aimed to develop and test a simple method for the detection of snow-induced canopy changes by employing bitemporal LiDAR data acquired in 2006–2010. Our study area was located in southern Finland (62°N, 24°E), where snow-induced damage occurred in 10 permanent Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)-dominated plots in winter 2009–2010. For the detection of snow-damaged crowns, we developed a ?CHM method by contrasting bitemporal LiDAR canopy height models (CHMs) and analyzing the resulting difference image, using binary image operations to extract the damaged crowns. Furthermore, we examined the structural and spatial factors that could explain snow damage at the individual tree level. The ?CHM method developed is based on two threshold parameters, i.e., the required height difference in the contrasted CHMs and the minimum plausible area of damage. When testing the performance of ?CHM method, we found that the plot-level omission error rates were 19–75%, while the commission error rates were 0–21%. Furthermore, the relative estimation accuracy of the damaged crown projection area (DCPA) ranged from ?16.4 to 5.4%. The observed damage could be explained at tree level by stem tapering, relative tree size, and local stand density. To conclude, ?CHM method developed constitutes a potential tool for the monitoring of structural canopy changes in the dominant tree layer if dense multitemporal LiDAR data are available.     

Autosomal trisomy in a heifer

A malformed Ayrshire heifer had one additional autosome in all the lymphocyte metaphases studied. Chromosome banding techniques showed the karyotype of the calf to be 2n = 61, XX, +24.Slight prognathia of the lower jaw and peculiar abbrevations in the structure of the genitals were the most apparent anomalies, in addition to heart abnormalities, a poorly-closed urachus and slow growth rate.     

Serum Vitamin E Concentration of Horses on Different Vitamin E Supplementation Levels

Abstract

The influence of vitamin E supplementation on blood serum vitamin E concentration as well as the seasonal variation of serum vitamin concentration was investigated. Forty horses were divided into a control and three vitamin E supplementation (experimental) groups. The levels of the vitamin E supplementation in the three experimental groups were 1, 3 or 5 mg/kg body weight (bwt) per day. The vitamin was dosed orally. The supplementation was started either at the beginning or in the middle of the indoor (winter) feeding period. There was seasonal variation in the serum vitamin E content; the serum vitamin concentration increased during the grazing and decreased during the indoor feeding period. The basal feeding and a daily supplement of 1 mg/kg bwt were not adequate to maintain or increase the serum vitamin E concentration during the indoor feeding period in an exercising horse. The minimum daily intake of vitamin E would seem to be greater than 1.5 mg/kg bwt. It is suggested that a daily supplement of 3 to 5 mg/kg bwt may be required by horses in training to increase the serum vitamin E levels. This amounts to 1500–2500 mg/day for a horse weighing 500 kg. Supplementation should be started at the beginning of the indoor feeding period.     

Weakening of salmonella with selected microbial metabolites of berry-derived phenolic compounds and organic acids

Gram-negative bacteria are important food spoilage and pathogenic bacteria. Their unique outer membrane (OM) provides them with a hydrophilic surface structure, which makes them inherently resistant to many antimicrobial agents, thus hindering their control. However, with permeabilizers, compounds that disintegrate and weaken the OM, Gram-negative cells can be sensitized to several external agents. Although antimicrobial activity of plant-derived phenolic compounds has been widely reported, their mechanisms of action have not yet been well demonstrated. The aim of our study was to elucidate the role of selected colonic microbial metabolites of berry-derived phenolic compounds in the weakening of the Gram-negative OM. The effect of the agents on the OM permeability of Salmonella was studied utilizing a fluorescence probe uptake assay, sensitization to hydrophobic antibiotics, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) release. Our results show that 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propionic acid (3,4-diHPP), 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid, 3-phenylpropionic acid, and 3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)propionic acid efficiently destabilized the OM of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium and S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Infantis as indicated by an increase in the uptake of the fluorescent probe 1-N-phenylnaphthylamine (NPN). The OM-destabilizing activity of the compounds was partially abolished by MgCl2 addition, indicating that part of their activity is based on removal of OM-stabilizing divalent cations. Furthermore, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, 3-hydroxyphenylacetic acid, and 3,4-diHPP increased the susceptibility of S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium strains for novobiocin. In addition, organic acids present in berries, such as malic acid, sorbic acid, and benzoic acid, were shown to be efficient permeabilizers of Salmonella as shown by an increase in the NPN uptake assay and by LPS release.     

Hyperspectral Imaging of Macroinvertebrates—a Pilot Study for Detecting Metal Contamination in Aquatic Ecosystems

The applicability of spectral analysis in detection of freshwater metal contamination was assessed by developing and testing a novel hyperspectral imaging (HSI) application for aquatic insect larvae (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae). Larvae were first exposed to four different cadmium (Cd) concentrations: 0, 1, 10, and 100 μg L^?1 for 96 h. Individual larvae were then preserved in ethanol, inspected with microscopy for the number of anomalies in larval gills, and imaged by hyperspectral camera operating with wavebands between 500 and 850 nm. Three additional larvae from each exposure were analyzed for tissue Cd concentration. Although the larval tissue Cd concentrations correlated positively with actual water concentrations, the toxicity response of larvae, i.e., frequency of gill abnormalities, did not differ among the Cd concentrations. In contrast, hyperspectral imaging data indicated some concentration-response relationship of larval spectral properties to the Cd exposure, but it was too weak for reliable automatic distinction between exposed and unexposed larvae. In this pilot study a workflow for data processing for a novel application of hyperspectral imaging was developed. Based on the results of this preliminary study, the workflow in the imaging process will be optimized and its potential for detecting metal contamination of aquatic environments reassessed.     

Effect of linseed cake supplementation on digestibility and faecal and haematological parameters in dogs

The experiment was conducted with a 6 x 4 cyclic changeover design. Six adult Alaskan huskies were assigned to diets containing 0%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% linseed cake. A linear decrease in the apparent digestibilities of organic matter (OM) (p < 0.020), ether extract (EE) (p < 0.003), neutral detergent fibre (p < 0.015), nitrogen-free extract (NFE) (p < 0.001) and crude carbohydrates (p < 0.001) was noted. Digestibilities of dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) were unaffected by the treatment. Wet weight of faeces increased (p < 0.001) and DM of faeces decreased (p < 0.001) linearly as the percentage of dietary linseed cake increased. Serum cholesterol concentration tended to decrease (p = 0.094) as the proportion of linseed cake increased. Apparent OM, EE, CP and NFE digestibility coefficients for linseed cake were 52%, 77%, 54% and 37%, respectively, and the digestible energy (DE) value was 13.22 MJ/kg DM. Our results showed that working and racing dogs fed the extruded and kibbled diet can utilize up to 4.2% linseed cake of diet DM as a fibre source without severe reductions in nutrient digestibility or feed consumption. Even higher levels of linseed cake, up to 8.5% of diet DM, can be used for normal or obese dogs, but more faeces will be excreted.     

Analysis of technical lignins by two- and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy

Modern multidimensional NMR spectroscopic methods were applied to investigate the effects of kraft pulping and oxygen delignification on lignin side-chain structures. In addition to the two-dimensional HSQC measurements, the three-dimensional HSQC-TOCSY technique was utilized to elucidate the (1)H-(1)H and (1)H-(13)C correlations of individual spin systems and thus indicate a certain lignin side-chain structure. Unlike earlier, nonlabeled samples were used for 3D measurements. According to 2D and 3D NMR spectra, most of the structures identified in milled wood lignin (MWL) are still present in technical lignins after kraft pulping and oxygen delignification. Although the main reaction during kraft pulping is the cleavage of beta-O-4 linkages, these structures are still left in spent liquor lignin as well as in residual lignin. The amount of coniferyl alcohol and dihydroconiferyl alcohol end groups, as well as some unidentified saturated end groups, is higher in technical lignins than in MWL. Contrary to our earlier observations, no diphenylmethane structures were observed in any technical lignins. Vinyl aryl ether structures could not be detected in technical lignins either.     

Phosphorus and base cation accumulation and release patterns in decomposing Scots pine,Norway spruce and silver birch stumps

Tree stumps are integral constituents of managed forest ecosystems, but their role in nutrient cycling is poorly understood. We studied phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) dynamics in decomposing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and silver birch (Betula pendula) stumps in southern Finland in a chronosequence of 0-, 5-, 10-, 20-, 30- and 40-year-old clear-cut areas. Along with the decomposition of pine and spruce stumps, the amount of P in stumps increased, but K and Ca were released, and the amount of Mg initially decreased and then increased. All nutrients, except K, accumulated in birch stumps during the first ten years, but were released thereafter. After 40 years of decomposition, pine and spruce stumps contained 180% and 202% of their initial amounts of P, respectively. In addition, the amounts of Mg were larger than the initial amounts in 40-year decomposed pine (126%) and spruce (202%) stumps. In contrast, birch stumps lost 64% and 75%, respectively, of their initial amounts of P and Mg over a 40-year period. The stumps of all the species were found to release K and Ca. Pine, spruce and birch stumps lost 48%, 64% and 87% of their initial amount of K, and 49%, 35% and 42% of their initial amount of Ca, respectively, during the 40-year period. The results indicate that decomposing stumps of the major tree species in Fennoscandian forests are long-term nutrient pools and they serve as P sinks, thus potentially reducing P leaching after clear-cutting.