Phosphorus and aluminium solubility relationships in acidic lowbush blueberry barren soils in Maine

Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) is a native plant that is not cultivated, but managed in areas of sufficient plant density to provide commercial yields. A cropping systems study was initiated to compare how organic and three levels of conventional (low, medium and high input) management practices affected soil properties at 12 grower fields in the lowbush blueberry barrens of Maine. The fields under organic and low‐conventional treatments did not receive any fertilizer inputs. The high and medium conventional treatment fields received optimal and reduced diammonium phosphate inputs, respectively. Three measurements of soil P (modified‐Morgan soil test, oxalate extractable and total P) showed no significant effect of management treatment on the phosphorus status of the soils. This suggests that soil P may be leaching below the 0–10 cm rooting zone which was investigated in this study. Equilibrium chemical speciation of soil/water extracts showed that gibbsite was controlling the solubility of Al in these barren soils and that P was undersaturated with respect to amorphous Al(OH)₂PO₄. A laboratory one‐point P sorption study showed that dissolved organic matter derived from the organic pad sampled from the study sites did not inhibit the adsorption of the added P. This suggests that addition of carbon‐rich soil amendments such as compost may not increase P bioavailability of these acidic soils with high Al (oxy)hydroxide (gibbsite) mineral content.     

Changing stock of biomass carbon in a boreal forest over 93 years

The growing stock more than doubled from 1.6 to 3.4 million m³ between 1912 and 2005 in forests on an area of 387 km² in southern Finland. The stock expansion continued for 93 years noting interim results, which were available for 1959, 1982, 1994 and 1999. Forested area in the region hardly changed. Carbon sequestration was mainly a result of a long-term recovery from forest degradation, a legacy of land use in the 18th and 19th centuries. Tree demography responded to management change especially of mature stands: Average tree size and stocking density of stands increased. On average the expanding biomass stock sequestered 18 tons C annually per km² (18 g C per m²). In comparison, the emissions of fossil carbon in the region were estimated at 12 tons C per km² (12 g C per m²) on average. However, fossil CO₂ emissions exceeded biomass sequestration in recent decades. The powerful and persistent expansion of the carbon stock was an unintended co-benefit of forestry, which was motivated by the intention to improve timber yield. On the more negative side the change in management introduced clear-cuts, and a loss of diverse elements of the pre-industrial biota.     

Genetic characterization of Portuguese brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) and comparison with other European populations

Abstract– Allozyme and other protein loci were examined to study the genetic structure of Portuguese brown trout ( Salmo trutta ) populations. A total of 247 individuals from three tributaries of the Lima hydrological basin and a hatchery, all located in northern Portugal, were analyzed. Four of 22 protein coding loci were found to be polymorphic: CK-A1^*, GPI-A2^*, MPI-2^* and TF^*. A new allelc at the latter locus was found in Atlantic populations. The data obtained for Portuguese brown trout were compared with published data for 14 European populations and three hatchery stocks. Six polymorphic loci (CK-A1^*, GPI-A2^*, GPI-B2^*, LDH-C^*, ME^* and MPI-2^*) were used in a cluster analysis. This showed the similarity of Portuguese natural populations and northern Iberian populations and that Portuguese hatchery fish have an autochthonous origin, distinct from that of other Atlantic hatchery stocks.     

Effect of glyphosate on the tripartite symbiosis formed by Glomus intraradices,Bradyrhizobium japonicum,and genetically modified soybean

Most soybeans grown in North America are genetically modified (GM) to tolerate applications of the broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate; as a result, glyphosate is now extensively used in soybean cropping systems. Soybean roots form both arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and rhizobial symbioses. In addition to individually improving host plant fitness, these symbioses also interact to influence the functioning of each symbiosis, thereby establishing a tripartite symbiosis. The objectives of this study were to (1) estimate the effects of glyphosate on the establishment and functioning of AM and rhizobial symbioses with GM soybean, and (2) to estimate the interdependence of the symbioses in determining the response of each symbiosis to glyphosate. These objectives were addressed in two experiments; the first investigated the importance of the timing of glyphosate application in determining the responses of the symbionts and the second varied the rate of glyphosate application. Glyphosate applied at recommended field rates had no effect on Glomus intraradices or Bradyrhizobium japonicum colonization of soybean roots, or on soybean foliar tissue [P]. N₂-fixation was greater for glyphosate-treated soybean plants than for untreated-plants in both experiments, but only when glyphosate was applied at the first trifoliate soybean growth stage. These data deviate from previous studies estimating the effect of glyphosate on the rhizobial symbiosis, some of which observed negative effects on rhizobial colonization and/or N₂-fixation. We did observe evidence of the response of one symbiont (stimulation of N₂-fixation following glyphosate) being dependent on co-inoculation with the other; however, this interactive response appeared to be contextually dependent as it was not consistent between experiments. Future research needs to consider the role of environmental factors and other biota when evaluating rhizobial responses to herbicide applications.     

An Analysis of Urban Size and Territorial Location Effects on Employment Probabilities: The Spanish Case

The probability of being employed varies depending on several factors. Many of these are related to personal characteristics such as educational level, age, gender, or number and age of children. Nevertheless, other factors may be relevant, in particular the geographical environment. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relevance of urban size and the position of each territory (in terms of its distance from large metropolises) for the probability of being employed in the Spanish economy. Following the set of economic regions suggested by Polése, Shearmur and Rubiera (2007 ), we try to explain the spatial patterns of employment distribution. Our results show some relevant differences between these alternative economic areas. We find that municipalities with similar sizes and located at a similar distance from a metropolis but belonging to different Autonomous Communities or provinces share similar employability patterns.     

Comparative morphology of Phytophthora species on rubber

Eighty-nine Phytophthora isolates from rubber throughout the world were examined critically. Five species were distinguished: P. palmivora morphological form I (MF1), P. meadii, P. botryosa, P. citricola, P. citrophthora and one currently designated P. palmivora (MF4). P. citrophthora is reported for the first time from rubber in the Ivory Coast and Indonesia, and mating types are given.     

Veränderungen der Vegetation durch experimentelle Erdgasbehandlung

Changes in vegetation caused by experimental leakage of natural gas The response of vegetation to natural gas leakage was studied in Central Bohemia, Czechoslovakia, in 1978–84. The gas used was of the following chemical composition: 93·8% methane, 3·6% ethane, 0·8% propane, 0·25% butane, 0·3% carbon dioxide. The test crops were planted in 60·5 m plots containing underground bores from which gas was released into the soil through distribution pipes. In addition, the response of some weed species was recorded. The important effects of contamination observed were restricted growth and decrease in the number of individuals present. A change in the green colour of leaves was recorded in Medicago sativa, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, Secale cereale, Lolium multiflorum. Beta vulgaris and Zea mays. An obvious shift of developmental stages was found in Solanum tuberosum. Helianthus annuus and Zea mays (delay of recruitment and blooming). Restricted or even failure of reproduction can be considered the typical effect of exposure to natural gas: this holds true especially for Allium cepa, Triticum aestivum, Hordeum distichon, Trifolium sp.div., Medicago sativa, and most of the weedy species. Various growth deformations, mostly found in the underground parts of the plants (tubers and roots in Solanum tuberosum, Beta vulgaris), can be ascribed to the unfavourable conditions of soil aeration. Plants of Chenopodium album and Medicago sativa growing in the vicinity of the gas release point had an increased number of stomata. There were changes in the course of the reflectance curves estimated in the population of Trifolium pratense subsp. sativum. There was a conspicuous decrease of the near infrared reflectance in the stand exposed to gas in comparison with the control. Decrease of coverage and density of the stands reduced species diversity and changes in the species' composition (reduction of sensitive species) are the general consequences of natural gas leakage. The first symptoms on the vegetation were observed after 15–30 days which corresponds to about 80–150 m³ of discharged gas.     

Morphological Basis of Resistance in Cotton to the WhiteflyBemisia Tabaci

The morphological basis of resistance to the whiteflyBemisia tabaci Genn. (Aleyrodidae: Hemiptera) was studied. The plant characters examined were leaf area, thickness of leaf lamina, hair density, hair length, angle of insertion of leaf hair, and density of gossypol glands. Hair density and leaf thickness were positively correlated with the population ofB. tabaci, and a positive correlation was obtained between the adult whitefly population and gossypol glands on stem internodes. Cotton genotype USA-22 (sparsely hairy) was found to be more tolerant toB. tabaci than was genotype USA-13 (velvety hairy). The use of thinner and glabrous leaved cotton varieties is suggested to minimize the whitefly menace in cotton.