Soil physical characteristics of peat soils

Drainage and intensive use of fens lead to alterations in the physical characteristics of peat soils. This was demonstrated using parameters of water balance (available water capacity) and the evaluated unsaturated hydraulic conductivity. Deriving the distribution of the pore size from the water retention curve was flawed because of shrinkage due to drainage, especially at high soil water potentials. These errors became greater as the peat was less influenced by soil‐genetic processes. The water retention curves (desorption) evaluated in the field and the laboratory satisfactorily corresponded. However, the wetting‐ and drainage‐curves obtained in the field differed up to 30 vol.‐% water content at same soil water potentials. These differences were largely due to a wetting inhibition.     

Model calculations of water dynamics in lysimeters filled with granular industrial wastes

A three‐year long lysimeter experiment with a fine‐grained aluminum (Al) recycling by‐product and a mixture of this by‐product and a coal combustion waste was conducted. The wastes were proposed as possible soil substitutes in an engineered surface barrier covering a potash mining residue mount. To evaluate the suitability of the wastes as surface barrier material, their hydrological behavior under field conditions must be known. Lysimeter experiments provide one means to study the hydrological behavior of soils or soil‐like materials. However, it is difficult to estimate the long‐term hydrological behavior from short‐term lysimeter studies. The present study was conducted therefore to derive from short‐term lysimeter observations the long‐term hydrological behavior of the two waste materials. The lysimeter data were used to calibrate the one‐dimensional soil water flow model HYDRUS‐1D. With the calibrated model, hydrological simulations for the site of the residue mount were carried out for a period of 31 yr. Calculated long‐term annual seepage from the lysimeters was 237 mm for the pure Al waste and 186 mm for the mixture, or 39% and 24% of the average annual precipitation (764 mm). The average discharge of the bare mount is 482 mm or 63%. We conclude that a soil cover could considerably reduce the discharge and that the mixture is better suited as surface barrier than the pure Al waste.     

Assessing the sublethal impacts of anthropogenic stressors on fish: An energy‐budget approach

Fish are increasingly exposed to anthropogenic stressors from human developments and activities such as agriculture, urbanization, pollution and fishing. Lethal impacts of these stressors have been studied but the potential sublethal impacts, such as behavioural changes or reduced growth and reproduction, have often been overlooked. Unlike mortality, sublethal impacts are broad and difficult to quantify experimentally. As a result, sublethal impacts are often ignored in regulatory frameworks and management decisions. Building on established fish bioenergetic models, we present a general method for using the population consequences of disturbance framework to investigate how stressors influence ecologically relevant life processes of fish. We partition impact into the initial energetic cost of attempts to escape from the stressor, followed by the energetic impacts of any injury or behavioural change, and their consequent effects on life processes. As a case study, we assess the sublethal effects of catch and release angling for the European sea bass (Dicentrachus labrax, Moronidae), a popular target species for recreational fishers. The energy budget model described is not intended to replace existing experimental approaches but does provide a simple way to account for sublethal impacts in assessment of the impact of recreational fisheries and aid development of robust management approaches. There is potential to apply our energy budget approach to investigate a broad range of stressors and cumulative impacts for many fish species while also using individual‐based models to estimate population‐level impacts.     

The Effect of AQUI‐S® Sedation on Primary,Secondary, and Tertiary Stress Responses during Salmon Smolt,Salmo salar L., Transport and Transfer to Sea

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of AQUI‐S^® (5.0 mg/L) sedation compared with nonsedation on the primary (plasma cortisol), secondary (osmoregulation), and tertiary (mortality) stress responses in Atlantic salmon smolts during transport and transfer to sea. AQUI‐S sedation during on‐ and off‐loading sufficiently reduced the primary stress response to lower mortality (2.5%) during transfer to sea compared with unsedated fish, which experienced a mortality rate above 11.5%. The unsedated fish experienced an acute mortality, which only stabilized 16 d after the transport. None of the secondary stress responses measured in this experiment could contribute in explaining this phenomenon, with the possible exception of plasma magnesium. While osmolality and chloride increased in both groups during the experiment, it did not seem to be related to the difference in the primary stress response documented in the sedated and unsedated groups. It instead appeared to be an effect of the salinity change from freshwater to seawater after transport. Plasma magnesium differed between the groups, while plasma magnesium in the AQUI‐S‐sedated group returned to prestress levels 12 h after transport. The unsedated group showed no such recovery even 1 wk after transport, which may indicate a disturbance in hydromineral balance and give plausible explanation for delayed mortality this group experienced. AQUI‐S shows promise as a stress‐reducing sedative for Atlantic salmon smolts and if used properly could improve animal welfare and survivability during and after common aquaculture‐related incidents.     

Antifungal activity of resveratrol oligomers from Cyphostemma crotalarioides

Resveratrol and its oligomers: ε-viniferine, gnetin C, Pallidol and gnetin E, as well as three new dehydrodimers, cyphostemmines A–C, have been isolated from the roots of Cyphostemma crotalarioides (Ampelidaceae). Such compounds have not been reported previously in the family Ampelidaceae. Cis ε-viniferin has also been characterized as a minor component of the extract; it may have undergone partial transformation in solution into trans ε-viniferin. ©1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Insecticidal activity of daphnane diterpenes from Lasiosiphon kraussianus (Meisn) (Thymelaeaceae) roots

A methanol extract of roots of Lasiosiphon kraussianus (Meisn) (Thymelaeaceae) showed potent insecticidal activity against Aphis gossypii (Glov) and Drosophila melanogaster (Meig). Bioassay-driven fractionation of this extract led to the isolation and characterisation of two known daphnane diterpenoids: Excoecaria toxin (1) and wikstrotoxin D (2) . The two natural products were inferior to methomyl in activity against A gossypii and Myzus persicae (Sulz) in contact assays but were superior in ingestion assays against D melanogaster. This is the first report on insecticidal activities of compounds 1 and 2 . AChE was insensitive to the two natural products. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Genetic relationship of diploid wheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Triticum</Emphasis> spp.) species assessed by SSR markers

Genetic diversity of 139 accessions of diploid Triticum species including Triticum urartu, Triticum boeoticum and Triticum monococcum was studied using 11 SSR (simple sequence repeats) markers. A total of 111 alleles with an average of 10 alleles per locus were detected. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of each SSR marker ranged from 0.30 to 0.90 with an average value of 0.62. Among the three Triticum species T. urartu had the highest number of total alleles (Na?=?81), private alleles (Npa?=?15) and showed higher genetic diversity (Hex?=?0.58; PIC?=?0.54). The genotypes from Turkey exhibited the highest genetic diversity (PIC?=?0.6), while the least diversity was observed among 4 Georgian accessions (PIC?=?0.11). Cluster analysis was able to distinguish 139 wheat accessions at the species level. The highest genetic similarity (GS) was noted between T. boeticum and T. monococcum (GS?=?0.84), and the lowest between T. urartu and T. monococcum (GS?=?0.46). The grouping pattern of the PCoA analysis corresponded with cluster analysis. No significant differences were found in clustering of T. urartu and T. monococcum accessions with respect to their geographic regions, while within T. boeoticum species, accessions from Iran were somewhat associated with their geographical origin and clustered as a close and separate group. The results from our study demonstrated that SSR markers were good enough for further genetic diversity analysis in einkorn wheat species.     

Blue honeysuckle (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lonicera caerulea</Emphasis> L.) vegetative growth cessation and leaf drop phenological adaptation to a temperate climate

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is a northern-adapted crop species with extremely early phenology and cold hardiness. Restricted adaptation to temperate climates is a current limitation to the crop’s mainstream potential for large-scale production. Based on the broad germplasm base at the University of Saskatchewan, vegetative growth cessation and leaf drop phenology were characterized to complement analysis of spring phenological adaptation in a temperate climate. A multi-trial site of three foundation groups and a single-site trial of three improved groups compared with their parental foundation genotypes were conducted in the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada in 2012 and 2013. The current study shows that blue honeysuckle germplasm contains considerable phenological variation that will permit adaptation to temperate climates. It also demonstrates that breeding for improved adaptation is possible using the existing germplasm resources. For Russian germplasm with the earliest phenology, adaptation to northern latitudes and short growing seasons results in early floral initiation, which presents an indirect limitation to production in more southern latitudes due to secondary flowering. Early leaf drop indirectly limits production and is related to poor adaptation to high chill environments. Skew toward later leaf drop in improved groups, produced from hybridization with Japanese and Kuril germplasm with intermediate and late phenologies, respectively, shows that development of better adaptation to southern latitudes can be achieved.     

Color analysis of storage roots from the USDA,ARS sweetpotato (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ipomoea batatas</Emphasis>) germplasm collection

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit in Griffin, GA maintains the United States germplasm collection for Ipomoea spp. (Convolvulaceae). During 2012–2014, 737 sweetpotato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., plant introductions (PI) were acquired as tissue-culture plantlets and then acclimated to greenhouse conditions at the USDA, ARS, U. S. Vegetable Laboratory (USVL), Charleston, SC. Single plants were transferred to plastic-covered plant beds to produce cuttings for replicated field trials. Storage roots were harvested from 690 PIs grown in the field and 695 PIs grown in pots. Color coordinates were obtained for each PI using a tristimulus colorimeter. Hue angle values (h*) ranged from 8.2° to 88.3° (\( \bar{x} \) = 54.9°) for the periderm (peel or skin) of field-grown storage roots (n = 690 PIs) and ? 9.4° (= 350.6°) to 96.2° (\( \bar{x} \) = 51.3°) for pot-grown roots (n = 695 PIs). The red–green coordinate (a*) ranged from 0.8 to 30.7 (\( \bar{x} \) = 12.8) for the periderm of field-grown roots and ? 2.0 to 44.9 (\( \bar{x} \) = 16.1) for pot-grown roots. The yellow–blue coordinate (b*) ranged from 2.8 to 33.1 (\( \bar{x} \) = 19.4) for the periderm of field-grown roots and ? 7.4 to 38.1 (\( \bar{x} \) = 19.3) for pot-grown roots. Color saturation (chroma, C*) ranged from 13.7 to 35.8 (\( \bar{x} \) = 24.9) for the periderm of field-grown roots and 14.9–45.5 (\( \bar{x} \) = 29.3) for pot-grown roots. Lightness (white–black, L*) ranged from 32.6 to 81.7 (\( \bar{x} \) = 54.6) for the periderm of field-grown roots and 32.1–88.2 (\( \bar{x} \) = 64.0) for pot-grown roots. Hue angles ranged from ? 13.1° (= 346.9°) to 100.9° (\( \bar{x} \) = 80.9°) for the stele (flesh) of field-grown storage roots (n = 672 PIs) and ? 29.9° to 103.5° (\( \bar{x} \) = 81.6°) for pot-grown roots (n = 676 PIs); a* ranged from ? 5.6 to 35.0 (\( \bar{x} \) = 8.0) for the stele of field-grown roots and ? 6.0 to 41.0 (\( \bar{x} \) = 7.6) for pot-grown roots; and b* ranged from ? 7.7 to 56.1 (\( \bar{x} \) = 34.6) for the stele of field-grown roots and ? 12.6 to 56.1 (\( \bar{x} \) = 31.8) for pot-grown roots. C* ranged from 12.7 to 65.8 (\( \bar{x} \) = 37.2) for the stele of field-grown roots and 8.9–65.7 (\( \bar{x} \) = 34.5) for pot-grown roots; and L* ranged from 27.8 to 91.1 (\( \bar{x} \) = 77.7) for the stele of field-grown roots and 28.2–91.9 (\( \bar{x} \) = 80.4) for pot-grown roots. There were significant relationships between stele color (h*) and percent dry matter, with orange stele having a significantly lower % dry matter (\( \bar{x} \) = 25.6%, n = 183) compared with roots with cream/white stele (\( \bar{x} \) = 30.8%, n = 373). There appears to be wide genetic diversity for root color characteristics for the United States sweetpotato germplasm collection.     

Voter‐Approved Annexations in an Urban Growth Boundary Regime: The Impacts on Housing Values,Density, and Economic Equity

Oregon is known for its strict Urban Growth Boundary (UGB) policies. While UGBs are designed to accommodate land supply for 20 years of growth, land within UGBs must be annexed into city limits before it can be developed at urban densities and serviced. In Oregon, cities use a variety of municipal annexation and voter‐approved annexation policies (VAAPs), providing an opportunity to study how different annexation policies affect land and housing markets, and affect urban density. Previous research on annexation has not considered how annexation policy influences housing values. This paper examines how VAAPs impact land growth, housing development, and density at the city level. It also examines how VAAPs impact housing values. Based on city‐level and tax‐lot‐level statistical analyses from 107 cities outside Portland Metro area, the results suggest that VAAPs negatively impact the availability of developable land within city limits. VAAPs also positively impact residential density and housing value. Lastly, VAAPs inequitably affect housing value between relatively high‐value housing and relatively low‐value housing, posing economic equity impacts for lower value housing. These findings provide important lessons for Oregon and other states. While VAAPs may increase residential density in cities, the policies may exacerbate affordability problems.