Forestry expansion and land-use patterns in the Nelson Region,New Zealand

The expansion of plantation forestry in New Zealandduring the last century has altered the landscape and will continue to do so in the future. The implementation of recent resource management policy, the 1991 Resource Management Act (RMA), will also influence the impact of future plantation expansion on the landscape. It is necessary to analyze current land-use patterns in order to predict effects on future landscapes. This study analyzed the current land-use patterns of the Nelson region by examining the relationship between land-use and site conditions and by characterizing the distribution pattern of land-use depending on distance from the city. The distribution pattern was considered from an economic perspective, based on the Barlowe’s model of land use distribution. The relationship between the current land-use pattern and previous land management policy was also examined using the Land Use Capability. Consequently, in addition to the physical attributes of the land, the influence of land-use management policy was obvious. Thus the RMA will undoubtedly influence land-use changes in the future. It is therefore necessary to understand the factors determining changes in land-use patterns in conjunction with the district plan of the RMA to predict future changes in land-use.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Availability of squid viscera meal with cadmium removal treatment as a feed ingredient for fingerling black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli

Two 12-week feeding experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of squid viscera meal with cadmium removal treatment (dCSVM), which contained 1.5–2.0 mg/kg cadmium, as an alternative protein source to sardine meal in diets for fingerling black rockfish Sebastes schlegeli. Initial mean body weights in experiments 1 and 2 were 23.0 and 6.4 g, and the replacement rates of sardine meal with dCSVM in the test diets were 20–80 % and 30–60 %, respectively. In experiment 1, inclusion of dCSVM at 40 % and higher replacement rates of sardine meal retarded the growth of fish due partly to inferior dCSVM protein digestibility. The cadmium (Cd) concentrations in fish muscle of all treatment groups were below the detection limit (<0.1 mg/dry matter). In experiment 2 using dCSVM containing Cd at a lower level and having a higher protein digestibility than in experiment 1, no significant differences were observed in the growth between the control and 60 % replacement groups, although feed efficiency gradually decreased with the increase of dCSVM inclusion. These results show that dCSVM is safe and useful as an alternative protein source and could replace up to 60 % of sardine meal in fingerling black rockfish diets.     

Accumulation mechanism of γ-aminobutyric acid in tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under low O2 with and without CO2

The storage of ripe tomatoes in low-O(2) conditions with and without CO(2) promotes γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) accumulation. The activities of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and α-ketoglutarate-dependent GABA transaminase (GABA-TK) were higher and lower, respectively, following storage under hypoxic (2.4 or 3.5% O(2)) or adjusted aerobic (11% O(2)) conditions compared to the activities in air for 7 days at 25 °C. GAD activity was consistent with the expression level of mRNA for GAD. The GABA concentration in tomatoes stored under hypoxic conditions and adjusted aerobic conditions was 60-90% higher than that when they are stored in air on the same day. These results demonstrate that upregulation of GAD activity and downregulation of GABA-TK activity cause GABA accumulation in tomatoes stored under low-O(2) conditions. Meanwhile, the effect of CO(2) on GABA accumulation is probably minimal.     

The effect of docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic acids in live food on the development of abnormal morphology in hatchery-reared brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini

We examined the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on the rates of abnormal morphology in juvenile brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini. Larvae during the D–E stages (15–24 days post hatching) were fed live food containing various amounts of DHA and/or EPA prepared using emulsified oils (DHA ethyl ester, EPA ethyl ester, and corn oil). Larvae during the F–I stages were fed Artemia enriched with a commercial diet supplement. We found that DHA and EPA promoted larval development and improved the incidence of morphological abnormalities in brown sole juveniles to a similar extent. However, DHA was more effective than EPA in preventing the appearance of morphological abnormalities in brown sole. The incidence of normal morphology was clearly improved by an increase of the DHA content in brown sole larvae at 25 days post-hatching. These results suggest that it is important to promote larval development and feed larvae with live food containing high levels of DHA during the D–E stages to prevent morphological abnormalities in brown sole juveniles.     

Azaphilones, furanoisophthalides, and amino acids from the extracts of Monascus pilosus-fermented rice (red-mold rice) and their chemopreventive effects

Six azaphilones, monascin (1), ankaflavin (2), rubropunctatin (3), monascorburin (4), rubropunctamine (5), and monascorburamine (6), two furanoisophthalides, xanthomonasin A (7) and xanthomonasin B (8), and two amino acids, (+)-monascumic acid (9) and (-)-monascumic acid (10), isolated from the extracts of Monascus pilosus-fermented rice (red-mold rice) were evaluated for their inhibitory effects on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced inflammation in mice, on the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by TPA in Raji cells, and on the activation of (+/-)-(E)-methyl-2[(E)-hydroxy-imino]-5-nitro-6-methoxy-3-hexemide (NOR 1), a nitric oxide (NO) donor. Among the compounds tested, seven compounds (1-6 and 10) on TPA-induced inflammation, and six compounds (1, 3-5, 9, and 10) on EBV-EA activation, exhibited potent inhibitory effects. All of the compounds tested showed moderate inhibitory effects on NOR 1 activation.     

Removal of competitive native species combined with tree planting can accelerate the initial afforestation process:an experiment in an old field in Japan invaded by dwarf bamboo and kudzu

Restoring natural forests after field abandon-ment is a land management objective that fosters the re-covery of forest biodiversity. We performed seeding and transplanting of native tree species 40 yea...     

Estimation of the period sensitive for the development of abnormal morphology in brown sole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini</Emphasis> fed live food enriched with docosahexaenoic acid

The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of a feeding regimen of live food enriched with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on the rates of abnormal morphology in larval brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini. Live foods were enriched with oil emulsion to produce both high-DHA and low-DHA content. Larvae in group 1 (control) were fed low-DHA-content live foods throughout the experiment. Conversely, larvae in group 2 were fed high-DHA live foods from 15 days post-hatching (dph), when larvae were D stage. Larvae in group 3 were fed high-DHA live foods from 25 dph, when larvae consisted mainly of E stage. The occurrence of normal morphology development in group 2 was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of groups 1 and 3, suggesting that normal morphology of brown sole is determined during the critical larval period (D–E stages).     

Rural participatory buffer zone management in northeastern Thailand

The past protected area management system which emphasized the ownership and control of forest by the state and overlooked the interaction between human and resources has failed because the annual rate of deforestation in Thailand is still as high as 2.6%. This paper aims to introduce a new approach to protected area management that would involve local people in the process. A case of buffer zone management through collaborative efforts is examined here. The project is located at the southeastern corner of the buffer zone of Phu Kheio Wildlife Sanctuary, Northeastern Thailand. Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) techniques including secondary data study, physical survey, participatory meeting, and semi-structured interviewing were employed in data gathering. The results discussed here suggest that there is a chance to create a better understanding among rural people of the importance of afforestation and nature conservation that will lead to a better management of resources in the future.     

Otolith microstructure of brown sole <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini</Emphasis>: validation of daily ring formation and the occurrence of microstructure denoting metamorphosis

Brown sole Pseudopleuronectes herzensteini larvae and juveniles were reared to validate daily otolith ring formation. At 15°C, a check (a distinct ring) formed on the sagittae and lapilli at 6 days after hatching, and clear increments regularly formed outside the check. For both otoliths, the relationship between the number of days after hatching and number of increments was linear, and the slope of the line was approximately 1; therefore, daily formation was validated. At 12°C, the check formed on the lapillus 8 days after hatching. Accessory primordia (AP) began forming on the sagittae of metamorphosing larvae, and the shape of the sagittae became complicated. AP were not formed on the lapillus; concentric rings were formed throughout larval and juvenile stages. Wide and obscure increments formed on the lapilli during metamorphosis (metamorphosing zone, MZ). Based on MZ, concentric rings that have formed on the lapilli of juveniles can be separated into larval and juvenile rings. The morphs of large juveniles’ lapilli were bilaterally asymmetric, and the blind-side lapilli were most suitable for otolith microstructure analysis. This study provides fundamental information for otolith microstructure analysis in wild brown sole.