Effects of fertilisation on phosphorus pools in the volcanic soil of a managed tropical forest

Acacia koa forests benefit from phosphorus fertilisation, but it is unknown if fertilisation is a short or long term effect on P availability. Past research suggests that P cycling in soils with high P sorption capacity, such as Andisols, was through organic pathways. We studied leaf P and soil P fractions in a tropical forest Andisol for 3 years after fertilisation with triple super phosphate. Leaf P concentration and labile P remained high after fertilisation. Fertilisation had increased all the inorganic P fractions over the length of the study, while organic P fractions had not. The results suggested that the organic P fractions had a reduced role as a source of labile P after fertilisation. The size and dynamics of the sodium hydroxide- and hydrochloric acid-extractable P pools would suggest that either pool could be major sources of labile P. Because of the high level of poorly crystalline minerals in Andisols (allophone and imogolite), it would be expected that applied P would quickly lead to strong P sorption onto mineral surfaces and thus a rapid decline in P availability. We propose that the high organic matter present in these soils had masked some of the Al and Fe sorption sites, which allowed the sorption and desorption when large amounts of addition P were applied.     

An assessment of Hawaiian dry forest condition with fine resolution remote sensing

Remote sensing offers the potential to spatially map forest cover quickly and reliably for inventory purposes. We developed a new image analysis approach using an integrated methodology of “object-based” image classification techniques and field-based measurements to quantify forest cover in a degraded dry forest ecosystem on the leeward side of the Island of Hawaii. This new approach explicitly recognized the transitional areas between tree crowns and tree shades (tree shadows) as a unique class and fully utilized them for the quantification of canopy cover. Object-oriented classification of Ikonos-2 satellite images allowed delineation of tree shades and crowns and the transitional areas between them from objects with similar reflectance and size that were surrounding the trees. These included patches of fountain (Pennisetum setaceum) and kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum) grass, lava outcrops and lava–grass mixtures. Crown-shade transitions were clearly differentiated in spite of their wide range of spectral values and reflectance similarities with areas of lava–grass mixture. Segments representing tree shades and dark lava outcrops were also classified into their respective classes even if they were contiguous. The image estimates of canopy cover using the tree shade plus transition classes were linearly related with field estimates of canopy cover (R² = 0.86 and slope = 0.976). Based on this relationship, dry forest cover throughout the 2627-ha area was estimated at 7.7 ± 1.9%. An immediate application of this new approach is to select and delineate areas with higher canopy cover in order to concentrate ecological restoration and conservation efforts.     

Vertical distribution of resting spores of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plasmodiophora brassicae</Emphasis> in soil

Pratylenchus zeae parasitizes various crops and damages the host roots, resulting in decreased yield and quality of the host plants. Alignments of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) Cytochrome Oxidase I (COΙ) sequences revealed the genetic variation among Pratylenchus species. The results indicated 0.2–2.4% intraspecific variations for mtDNA COI sequences among eight P. zeae populations, and 25.4–35.1% interspecific variations between P. zeae and other Pratylenchus species. Based on the mtDNA COΙ region, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed for the rapid and specific detection of P. zeae. The optimal conditions for the LAMP assay were 64 °C for 40 min. The LAMP products were confirmed using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), analysis with the restriction enzyme Bam HI and visual inspection by adding SYBR Green I to the products. The LAMP assay could detect P. zeae populations from different hosts and different geographical origins specifically. The LAMP assay was also sensitive, detecting 0.1 individual P. zeae, which was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. This is the first report of the detection of Pratylenchus spp. using LAMP. In addition, the results also suggested that use of the COI gene might allow for good resolution at the Pratylenchus species level.     

Growth and fillet quality attributes of five genetic strains of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) reared in a partial water reuse system and harvested at different sizes

Genetics and harvest size influence fish growth performance and product quality attributes, making selection of fish strain and harvest size critical for optimizing quality. Definition of performance and quality outcomes in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) environment may guide selection of fish stocks best suited for RAS farmers to meet production and product quality goals. Accordingly, five genetic lines of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss were reared to 3 kg in a partial water reuse system and sampled at common harvest sizes (0.5, 1, 2 and 3 kg) to compare growth performance and product quality attributes. Fish weight affected fish processing yields and cook yields. Genetic line affected fish weight. When correcting for fish size, differences in fillet yields due to genetic line were present. Both fish weight and genetic line affected different organ indices, fillet colour scores and mortality. Muscle composition and texture were similar at each harvest, but changed with increasing fish size over time. Differences in growth performance and product quality traits due to genetic line identify variation in available fish stocks, and balancing change to these traits due to fish size can guide producer selection of fish stocks and optimal harvest size to meet individual production goals.     

Mycorrhizal colonization is compatible with exponential fertilization to improve tree seedling quality

This study tested the ability of exponential fertilization to minimize the tradeoff of increased seedling size and nutrient concentration with good root colonization by mycorrhizae. Two native Hawaiian tree species were tested. Four rates of nitrogen (N) (0–3 g per seedling) were delivered by the method of exponential fertilization to seedlings with and without inoculation with a native strain of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus. For both species, the highest growth and nutrient concentrations occurred with mycorrhizal colonization at 1–2 g N per seedling. Growth of inoculated seedlings was significantly lower at 3.0 g N per seedling, likely due to a large reduction in mycorrhizal colonization. Our results demonstrate that mycorrhizal colonization is not only compatible with exponential fertilization, combined they produce larger seedlings with higher nutrient content. This should improve outplanting success in degraded or challenging sites.     

Impacts of sea-level rise on sediment microbial community structure and function in two New England salt marshes,USA

Purpose

There is growing evidence for a tight linkage between the structure and function of microbial communities and for the importance of this relationship in ecosystem responses to disturbances such as sea-level rise (SLR). While the role of plants in determining the capacity of salt marshes to keep pace with SLR through sediment accretion has received considerable attention, the role of microbes in offsetting these gains via decomposition is less understood.

Materials and methods

We conducted a controlled experiment to determine the structural and functional responses of microbes to SLR, using soil from the low intertidal zone of two New England salt marshes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, USA. We used terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (t-RFLPs) generated from microbial 16S rDNA to evaluate community composition and diversity and focused on changes in respiration with SLR, measured as total respired carbon normalized by percent organic matter, as a surrogate for decomposition rate.

Results and discussion

We observed a 24% reduction in microbial respiration with a simulated rise in sea level of 40 cm. This functional change was accompanied by a structural shift in microbial community composition among samples from New Hampshire but not Massachusetts, assessed via principal coordinate analysis of t-RFLP data. We also found greater microbial diversity within our New Hampshire samples, suggesting that low diversity may constrain community compositional shifts.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that decreased microbial respiration could alleviate the negative effects of SLR on salt marsh surface elevation, at least in the short term, and that the diversity of the soil microbial community may positively influence functional responses such as respiration.

     

Pharmacokinetics of tulathromycin in fetal sheep and pregnant ewes

Macrolides are important antimicrobials frequently used in human and veterinary medicine in the treatment of pregnant women and pregnant livestock. They may be useful for the control of infectious ovine abortion, which has economic, animal health, and human health impacts. In this study, catheters were surgically placed in the fetal vasculature and amnion of pregnant ewes at 115 (±2) days of gestation. Ewes were given a single dose of 2.5 mg/kg tulathromycin subcutaneously, and drug concentrations were determined in fetal plasma, maternal plasma, and amniotic fluid at 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 144, and 288 hr after drug administration. Pharmacokinetic parameters in maternal plasma were estimated using noncompartmental analysis and were similar to those previously reported in nonpregnant ewes. Tulathromycin was present in fetal plasma and amniotic fluid, indicating therapeutic potential for use against organisms in these compartments, though concentrations were lower than those in maternal plasma. Time‐course of drug concentrations in the fetus was quite different than that in the ewe, with plasma concentrations reaching a plateau at 4 hr and remaining at this concentration for the remainder of the sampling period (288 hr), raising questions about how tulathromycin may be transported into or metabolized and eliminated by the fetus.     

Water Quality and Plankton Communities in Hybrid Catfish (♀ Channel Catfish,Ictalurus punctatus × ♂ Blue Catfish,Ictalurus furcatus) Ponds After Partial Fish Harvest

Twelve 0.4‐ha ponds were stocked with 10,000 hybrid catfish fingerlings in March 2015. Six ponds were partially harvested in August to remove fish larger than ～0.57 kg. All remaining fish were removed in October and November. Partial harvest of faster‐growing fish removed ～26% of the fish initially stocked; feeding rate (and therefore external nutrient loading) was reduced by about the same amount. However, reduced nutrient loading after partial fish harvest had no meaningful effects on water quality, phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton and zooplankton community structure, or supplemental aeration. Lack of ecosystem change was caused by persistent internal recycling of nutrients added to the system before partial harvest and continued high (albeit reduced) external nutrient loading after partial harvest. Decisions to employ partial fish harvest to manage single‐cropped hybrid catfish ponds should be based on economic considerations and risk reduction rather than the expectation that fish biomass reduction will improve water quality.