Dry matter production,nutrient uptake,and growth of cotton as affected by potassium fertilization

Insufficient potassium (K) nutrition produces detrimental effects on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield and fiber quality. To further understand the deleterious effects caused by K deficiency, a 2‐yr (1991 and 1992) field study was conducted to determine how dry matter partitioning and nutrient concentrations of various plant tissues for the cotton genotypes, ‘DES 119’ and ‘MD 51 ne’, were altered by varying the application rate of fertilizer K and nitrogen (N). All plots received a preplant application of 112 kg N ha^‐1, and half of the plots were later sidedressed with an additional 38 kg N ha^‐1. Within each N treatment, half the plots received 112 kg K ha^‐1, preplant incorporated, with the remaining plots not receiving any fertilizer K. Dry matter harvests were taken three times in 1991 and two times in 1992. At cutout (slowing of vegetative growth and flowering), plants that received K fertilization had a 14% more leaf area index (LAI), a 3% increase in the number of main stem nodes, and a 2% increase in plant height. However, those plants had a 12% lower specific leaf weight (SLW) than plants receiving no K fertilization. By the end of season, the of K fertilization had resulted in more stem (21%), bur (13%), seed (19%), and lint weight (20%), but harvest index was not affected. Varying the level of N fertilization did not affect any of these dry matter parameters at any harvest. In general, the larger plants produced under K fertilization had reduced concentrations of N, phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), and sodium (Na) in the various plant parts. While N uptake efficiency was not affected by K fertility, plants that received K fertilization had increased efficiency of fertilizer N use and of N utilization within the plant. The smaller LAI of the K deficient plants probably reduced the photosynthetic capacity per plant. A reduced assimilation capacity could explain the inefficiency of N use, lint yield reductions, and poorer fiber quality often associated with K deficiencies.     

Risk frames on shark diving websites: implications for global shark conservation

• 1. Decision‐makers can leverage understanding about the human dimensions (HD) of shark conservation to inform more effective conservation action. Characterizing risk frames on shark diving websites can provide insight about the HD of shark conservation and deepen understanding of the role of risk in influencing human relationships with wildlife.
• 2. The objectives of the current study were to: (1) describe risk frames (e.g. victim, perpetrator) found on shark diving websites; (2) explore themes among and between risk frames; and (3) synthesize implications for conservation.
• 3. Content among 53 websites was analysed in December 2008; 15% used only a perpetrator frame, 21% used only a victim frame, 36% used both frames and 28% used neither frame.
• 4. Websites with a conservation link were more likely to use a victim frame (T = 0.283, P<0.05). The occurrence of both frames on study websites speaks to the relevancy of applying risk‐related thinking to shark conservation.
• 5. This research highlights how risk frames are contextualized on selected shark diving websites. Integrated with understanding of the ecological processes surrounding sharks and their conservation, HD information such as that presented here can contribute to more effective shark conservation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

     

Heavy methanes as atmospheric tracers

Methane-21 ((13)CD(4)) is potentially a useful nonradioactive tracer for testing atmospheric transport and diffusion models on a continental scale. In an experiment to demonstrate this long-range utility, the release of 84 grams of methane-21 was detected at distances of 1500 to about 2500 kilometers at concentrations of about 1 part in 2 x 10(16) parts (by volume) in the air by a technique in which methane was separated and the methane-21 content was measured with a mass spectrometer.     

Relative effects of mammal herbivory and plant spacing on seedling recruitment following fire and mining

Background  

There is much debate concerning which ecological constraints are the most limiting factors to seedling recruitment in disturbed communities. We provide the first comparison between selective herbivory and plant competition effects among two post-mined forest ecosystems (primary succession) and one post-fire woodland ecosystem (secondary succession). Animal exclosure assessments of nine common species across eight sites were performed for comparison within three locations separated by up to 200 km. Additionally, we asked whether pre-browsed plants differed in nutrient content between or within species in the separate systems.     

Dietary astaxanthin supplementation for hatchery‐cultured red king crab,Paralithodes camtschaticus,juveniles

We conducted large‐scale production trials in Seward, Alaska, USA to investigate effects of dietary astaxanthin supplementation on survival, growth and shell colouration of recently settled juvenile (C1–C4) red king crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus). We supplemented a control diet of commercial crustacean feeds with astaxanthin, and fed these diets to juvenile king crabs at densities of 2000 and 4000 crabs m^?2 for 56 days. We assessed survival and growth by counting crabs and individually measuring carapace width and weighing crabs at the start and end of the experiment, and quantified crab colour (hue, saturation, brightness) in digital photographs. Diets containing astaxanthin had higher survival, suggesting that astaxanthin may provide nutritional or immune system benefits. Crabs had lower hue, higher saturation and lower brightness values when fed diets containing astaxanthin, suggesting that red king crab colouration is plastic and responds to diet. Astaxanthin is likely an important dietary component for hatchery or laboratory reared red king crab juveniles, and should be considered for aquaculture and other rearing of this and possibly other crustacean species.