Reacidification Effects on Water Chemistry and Plankton in a Limed Lake in Sweden

Water chemistry and plankton has been monitored in three Lakes in Tyresta National park SE of Stockholm since 1977. Liming operations started in Lake Långsjön and Lake Trehörningen in 1978 and were repeated every 3–5 years, while Lake Årsjön is an unlimed reference Lake. During 1991–1999, the annual pH median in Lake Långsjön and Lake Årsjön ranged between 6.6–7.1 and 5.2–5.8, respectively, and the composition of phyto- and zooplankton in these lakes did not change markedly. After a final treatment in 1991, the liming of Lake Trehörningen was terminated intentionally. As a result, pH decreased from an annual median 7.1 in 1991, to 6.1 in 1999 (5.8 in 1998). Total organic carbon (TOC) did not change markedly during this period, while the levels of calcium decreased. Metals, known to be influenced by acidification, especially cadmium, manganese and aluminium (Al), increased. The labile-inorganic forms of Al also reached higher levels, especially in 1998. Following the decreasing pH, the total number of phytoplankton taxa decreased by ca 40%. Among zooplankton, the cladocerans Holopedium gibberum, Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Daphnia longispina, common during the limed period, became rare.     

Carbon stocks, soil respiration and microbial biomass in fire-prone tropical grassland, woodland and forest ecosystems

A thorough understanding of the role of microbes in C cycling in relation to fire is important for estimation of C emissions and for development of guidelines for sustainable management of dry ecosystems. We investigated the seasonal changes and spatial distribution of soil total, dissolved organic C (DOC) and microbial biomass C during 18 months, quantified the soil CO₂ emission in the beginning of the rainy season, and related these variables to the fire frequency in important dry vegetation types grassland, woodland and dry forest in Ethiopia. The soil C isotope ratios (δ¹³C) reflected the 15-fold decrease in the grass biomass along the vegetation gradient and the 12-fold increase in woody biomass in the opposite direction. Changes in δ¹³C down the soil profiles also suggested that in two of the grass-dominated sites woody plants were more frequent in the past. The soil C stock ranged from being 2.5 (dry forest) to 48 times (grassland) higher than the C stock in the aboveground plant biomass. The influence of fire in frequently burnt wooded grassland was evident as an unchanged or increasing total C content down the soil profile. DOC and microbial biomass measured with the fumigation-extraction method (C_mic) reflected the vertical distribution of soil organic matter (SOM). However, although SOM was stable throughout the year, seasonal fluctuations in C_mic and substrate-induced respiration (SIR) were large. In woodland and woodland-wooded grassland C_mic and SIR increased in the dry season, and gradually decreased during the following rainy season, confirming previous suggestions that microbes may play an important role in nutrient retention in the dry season. However, in dry forest and two wooded grasslands C_mic and SIR was stable throughout the rainy season, or even increased in this period, which could lead to enhanced competition with plants for nutrients. Both the range and the seasonal changes in soil microbial biomass C in dry tropical ecosystems may be wider than previously assumed. Neither SIR nor C_mic were good predictors of in situ soil respiration. The soil respiration was relatively high in infrequently burnt forest and woodland, while frequently burnt grasslands had lower rates, presumably because most C is released through dry season burning and not through decomposition in fire-prone systems. Shifts in the relative importance of the two pathways for C release from organic matter may have strong implications for C and nutrient cycling in seasonally dry tropical ecosystems.     

Relationship between ATP content and motility in bovine spermatozoa with reference to the effects of the bull and the A.I. centre.

Deep-frozen semen from 28 bulls belonging to 6 different A.I. centres was studied after thawing and the ATP content in the spermatozoa was assayed using a bioluminescence technique. The sperm motility was subjectively estimated under a phase contrast microscope and the sperm concentration of each ejaculate was calculated in a haemocytometer. The overall mean ATP content was 16.6 nmoles ATP/spermatozoa x 10(8). There was a significant variation in ATP content between A.I. centres. Significant differences between bulls in ATP content were found as well as a significant correlation between ATP concentration and the number of motile spermatozoa. This may indicate that ATP assessment may be useful as an additional, objective laboratory test.     

Vertebrate distributions relative to clear-cut edges in a boreal forest landscape

Clearcutting is the main method of harvesting boreal forests, to some extent mimicking natural disturbances by fire and wind-felling. Effects of clearcutting on vertebrate fauna in managed forests was examined by small mammal trapping in spring and autumn, winter censuses of mammal snow tracks and censuses of birds in spring and summer in one central and one edge (125 m) section of large clearcuts and mature forests, respectively. There was a separate clearcut fauna, at least on large clearcuts, that was well distinguished from the forest fauna. There was not any physiognomic ecotone but the forest fauna showed a marked edge effect with larger numbers of many species in the peripheral parts of the forest. In the forests examined, with a Western European bird fauna, there were no typical interior forest species, in contrast to northern taiga forests. The present forest species easily changed distributions seasonally and according to variations in snow conditions and food abundance. Such generalist species in the boreal forest will therefore vary considerably in local density according to landscape composition but will also show large-scale persistence. They may have been selected for as a result of man's restructuring of temperate and boreal landscapes, e.g. by forest management. Edge effects seem to arise for several reasons but will probably only apply to generalist species.     

Comparison of Programmed and Supervised Control Systems for Field Crops1

The effects of increasing inputs of pesticides, nitrogen and growth regulators were studied in field trials in winter wheat and spring barley in southern Sweden. The trials also included a comparison of different strategies: no control, routine control and supervised control. In 1982 EPIPRE, a computerized pest and disease management system developed in the Netherlands, was included. High inputs of nitrogen only slightly influenced the yields. In winter wheat, routine control, comprising one insecticide and three fungicide sprays, heavily increased the yield and was more profitable than supervised control. On an average only 1.2 pesticide sprays were carried out in supervised plots. However, in spring barley supervised control was slightly more profitable than routine control comprising one fungicide and one insecticide application. The average number of sprays in supervised was 0.6 only. In both winter wheat and barley the yield increase for routine control significantly increased with increasing nitrogen level. In barley a significant relationship between number of aphids per tiller and yield increase could be proved.     

Integrated resource monitoring by means of remote sensing, GIS and spatial modelling in Arid Environments

Abstract. The ultimate goal of resource monitoring is to analyse the spatial distribution of the balance between supply and demand of a certain resource. Remote sensing techniques are commonly used for the assessment of the supply of resources. By integrating remote sensing with the related techniques of geographical information systems and spatial modelling, the demand as well as the accessibility of resources can be analysed. The article gives an overview over methods for integrated resource monitoring. Examples from arid environments are also presented.     

Poor semen quality in Irish wolfhounds: A clinical, hormonal and spermatological study

On the basis of clinical observations, Irish wolfhounds were suspected as being subject to a relatively high incidence of soft testicular consistency and low semen quality. Thirty-seven Irish wolfhounds and 67 dogs of other breeds (control group) were therefore examined. Conventional andrological studies were performed in both groups, these included libido testing, palpation and measurement of testes and semen evaluation. Semen evaluation was performed both manually and by videomicrographic analysis. Testosterone concentrations were measured both before and after human chorionic gonadotropin challenge in the Irish wolfhounds. The Irish wolfhounds had lower libidos than the control group. More Irish wolfhounds (21-2 per cent) exhibited low semen quality than the control group (6-1 per cent). Soft testicular consistency occurred more frequently in Irish wolfhounds (25-7 per cent) than in the control group (10-5 per cent). In the control group, bodyweight correlated significantly with total sperm count. Serum testosterone concentration did not correlate with semen quality parameters.     

Treatment of traumatic arthritis in the horse with intra-articular orgotein (palosein)

A total of 134 horses of various breeds were treated for aseptic arthritis of traumatic origin using Orgotein (Palosein). The drug was injected into 192 affected joints of these animals. Recovery rates of 94 per cent were recorded in cases which had shown lameness for less than 2 months before treatment commenced and 49 per cent in those lame for longer than 2 months.     

Bone-metastasizing squamous-cell carcinoma of the skin in a dog

Bone-metastasizing squamous-cell carcinoma of a 6-year-old female Bedlington terrier is reported. The dog was operated on for a squamous-cell carcinoma in the axillary region. Four weeks after operation the dog developed signs of anaemia. It also became weak and showed neurological signs. Radiographs revealed areas of rarefaction in two vertebrae and densities in the lungs suggesting tumour metastases. The animal was destroyed and metastases were found in the axillary and internal iliac lymph nodes, the lungs, the first thoracic vertebra and the third lumbar vertebra. The tumour mass in the thoracic vertebra protruded into the spinal canal and compressed the spinal cord. The tumour cells in the primary tumour were of anaplastic type. Résumé. Un carcinome squamo-cellulaire, métastasiant les os est rapporté chez un Bedlington terrier femelle de six ans. On a opéré le chien d'un carcinome squamo-cellulaire dans la région axillaire. Quatre semaines après l'opération le chien a développé des signes d'anémie. Il s'est aussi affaibli et a montré des signes neurologiques. Des radiographies ont révélé des surfaces de raréfaction dans deux vertèbres et les densités dans les poumons ont suggéré des métastases de tumeur. L'animal a été detruit et on a trouvé des métastases dans les n?uds lymphatiques, iliaques internes et axillaires, les poumons, la première vertèbre thoracique et la troisième vertèbre lombaire. L'excroissance dans la vertèbre thoracique a fait saillie dans le canal vertébral et a comprimé la moelle épinière. Les cellules de la tumeur dans la tumeur primaire étaient de type anaplastique. Zusammenfassung: Von einem Knochen-metastasierenden schuppenzelligem Karzinom in einem 6 Jahre alten weiblichen Bedlington-Terrier wurde berichtet. Man operierte den Hund an einem schuppenzelligen Karzinom in der Achsellymphdrüsengegend. Vier Wochen nach der Operation entwickelte der Hund Anzeichen von Anämie. Auch wurde er schwach und zeigte neurologische Symptome. Röntgenaufnahmen zeigten Gebiete von Rarefactio in zwei Rücken-wirbeln und Verdichtungen in der Lunge liessen auf Tochtergeschwulste deuten. Man tötete den Hund und Metastasen fanden sich in den Achsellymphdrüsen und den innerlichen Darmbein-lymphknoten, der Lunge, dem ersten Brustwirbel und dem dritten Lendenwirbel. Der Massen-tumor in dem Brustwirbel ragte bis in den Kanal der Wirbelsäule hinein und drückte auf denWirbelsäulenstrang. Die Tumorzellen in dem Primärtumor waren vom anaplastischen Typ.     

The fate of imazapyr in a Swedish railway embankment

The long-term fate of the herbicide imazapyr [2-(4-isopropyl-4-methyl-5-oxo-2-imidazolin-2-yl)nicotinic acid] applied to a Swedish railway embankment was studied. Imazapyr was applied at 750 and 1500 g ha(-1) by a spraying train used for full-scale herbicide treatment operations. Soil and groundwater were sampled twice a year for 8 years after application of the herbicide, and the dissipation of imazapyr was studied by HPLC analysis of the residues in soil and groundwater. A clean-up procedure including solid-phase extraction was performed prior to detection by HPLC. Recoveries of imazapyr from soil and water samples were 76-98% and 61-90%, respectively, and detection levels were 0.003 mg kg(-1) and 0.05 microg litre(-1), respectively. Sorption, desorption and microbial amount and activity were also measured at the two locations. The organic matter content correlated positively and the pH negatively to the adsorption of imazapyr on soil, and increasing organic matter contents decreased desorption. Apart from the 0-10-cm top layers of both sites, the microbial amount and activity were small. The main proportion of imazapyr was found in the upper 30 cm of the soil, and degraded with a half-life in the range 67-144 days. Small amounts were transported to lower soil layers and to the groundwater in proportion to the amounts applied. Traces of imazapyr were detected in the groundwater even 8years after application. It was concluded that environmental risks from the use of herbicides on railway embankments could be reduced by including adsorption layers in the embankment during their construction and by reducing the dose of the herbicide used.