6种灌木不同器官生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征

通过研究晋北地区草地黄刺玫、沙棘、荆条、酸枣、绣线菊和柠条等6种常见灌木的叶片、新生枝、老龄枝生物量及其碳、氮含量的分配特征,旨在为草地准确估算草地植物碳、氮循环提供依据。结果表明:黄刺玫的地上生物量最大,是酸枣的7倍。沙棘叶片生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;黄刺玫新生枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大;柠条老龄枝生物量占地上生物量的比例最大。黄刺玫、沙棘和荆条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为叶片、老龄枝、新生枝;绣线菊、酸枣和柠条的地上部分各器官生物量分配特征相似,由高到低表现为老龄枝、叶片、新生枝。6种灌木地上部分各器官碳含量差异不显著,氮含量分布由高到低为叶片、新生枝、老龄枝。     

放牧管理对西藏高寒沼泽植物群落结构和土壤碳氮的影响

对西藏当雄县3种不同放牧管理模式(冬季放牧、冬春季放牧和全年放牧)下的高寒沼泽的植物群落结构和土壤碳氮进行了调查。调查发现,3种放牧管理模式下的高寒沼泽植物群落总盖度差异不显著,而优势物种藏嵩草的高度和盖度差异显著;放牧管理对沼泽群落结构和物种多样性影响较大,随着放牧强度的增加,物种丰富度增加;放牧利用显著降低了高寒沼泽湿地群落优势物种藏嵩草的高度和盖度,其优势度也显著降低,使得高寒沼泽逐渐退化。冬季放牧、冬春季放牧和全年放牧沼泽地上生物量和地下生物量依次降低。同时,随着放牧强度的增加,高寒沼泽表层土壤有机碳氮的含量也显著降低,且高寒沼泽表层土壤碳氮与地上和地下生物量显著正相关。通过对比分析,冬季放牧是当前西藏高寒沼泽较好的放牧管理模式。     

不同改良措施对退化高寒草甸土壤种子库的影响

利用萌发法研究了甘南退化高寒草甸不同改良措施(经综合恢复即围封+划破草皮+补播+灭鼠(ESRD)、围封+灭鼠(ED)、围封(E))下土壤种子库的特征。结果表明,在所调查的样地中共统计到35种植物,隶属18科29属。对甘南退化高寒草甸采取综合恢复(ESRD)时,土壤种子库物种数趋于增加,比ED高出16.9%,比E高出63.9%。ESRD措施下土壤种子库密度为2451.5粒/m2,比ED高出354.8粒/m2,比E高出957.1粒/m2;杂类草所占的比例也有所减少,比ED低19.3%,比E低26.2%;物种的丰富度和多样性指数均低于其他两种措施。3组改良措施鼠丘种子库密度依次为ESRD(938.1粒/m2)ED(762.8粒/m2)E(719.1粒/m2);鼠丘上禾本科物种所占比率为综合恢复ESRD(23.26%)ED(12.31%)E(11.92%)。ESRD改良下鼠丘上的物种的丰富度和多样性指数均小于其他组。说明对退化高寒草甸草地及时进行综合恢复和灭鼠以及对鼠丘进行补播是改良天然退化草地的重要手段。     

9种牧草对青海同德牧区土壤特性的影响

通过对青海省高寒牧区常见的9种多年生牧草单播2年后耕层0~15cm土壤理化(pH、容重(BD)、有机碳(SOC)、全氮(TN)、无机碳(C)及微生物学性质(微生物生物量碳(Cmic)、氮(Nmic)和群落代谢功能)等指标的测定分析,结果表明,研究区域只有在种植披碱草2年后土壤有机碳含量有所增加,说明与其他草种相比,种植披碱草利于有机质的积累;试验在每年施肥1次的情况下,土壤氮含量仍然偏低,说明此区氮素被过度利用,处于缺乏水平,因此每年增施氮肥数量、频率以及时间上应加强管理。通过对不同牧草种植区土壤各因子的聚类分析,发现贫花鹅观草、无芒雀麦、紫野麦草和扁穗冰草之间相似度较高,表明其对土壤养分及微生物群落功能的影响较为接近,故在大面积种植的时候可根据牧草地上生物量/质量的高低进行选择性播种。从土壤质量方向考虑,种植杂花苜蓿、红豆草和西北羊茅不利于土地的改良。     

Comparison of emission estimates for non‐CO2 greenhouse gases from livestock and poultry in Korea from 1990 to 2010

It has often been claimed that non‐carbon dioxide greenhouse gases (NCGGs), such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated greenhouse gases, are significant contributors to climate change. Here we nvestigate emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from livestock and poultry production, which is recognized as a major source of those NCGGs, in Korea over the period of 1990 through 2010. Based on the data on livestock and poultry populations, emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide are first derived based on the Tier 1 approach. Then, the Tier 2 approach is adopted to obtain emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from cattle, which are known to be the largest sources of these NCGGs and account for about 70% of emissions from livestock and poultry in Korea. The result indicates that the Tier 2 estimates of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management are significantly different from the Tier 1 estimates over the analysis period.     

Utilization of digital differential display to identify differentially expressed genes related to rumen development

This study aimed to identify the genes associated with the development of the rumen epithelium by screening for candidate genes by digital differential display (DDD) in silico. Using DDD in NCBI's UniGene database, expressed sequence tag (EST)‐based gene expression profiles were analyzed in rumen, reticulum, omasum, abomasum and other tissues in cattle. One hundred and ten candidate genes with high expression in the rumen were derived from a library of all tissues. The expression levels of 11 genes in all candidate genes were analyzed in the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum of nine Japanese Black male calves (5‐week‐old pre‐weaning: n = 3; 15‐week‐old weaned calves: n = 6). Among the 11 genes, only 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐CoA synthase 2 (HMGCS2), aldo‐keto reductase family 1, member C1‐like (AKR1C1), and fatty acid binding protein 3 (FABP3) showed significant changes in the levels of gene expression in the rumen between the pre‐ and post‐weaning of calves. These results indicate that DDD analysis in silico can be useful for screening candidate genes related to rumen development, and that the changes in expression levels of three genes in the rumen may have been caused by weaning, aging or both. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science     

In vitro rumen fermentation and digestibility of buffaloes as influenced by grape pomace powder and urea treated rice straw supplementation

This study aimed to investigate the effect of grape pomace powder levels and roughage sources on gas kinetics, digestibility and fermentation of swamp buffaloes by using in vitro techniques. The experimental design was a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design. Factor A was two sources of roughage (untreated rice straw, RS, and 3% urea treated rice straw, UTRS) and factor B was four levels of grape pomace powder (GPP) supplementation (0, 2, 4, 6% of substrate) on a dry matter basis. Results revealed that GPP supplementation at 2, 4 and 6% of substrate influenced gas kinetics. Cumulative gas production tended to be lower in the supplemented group. In vitro true digestibility was higher in the GPP supplementation at 2% with UTRS while microbial mass was higher in the supplemented groups. Supplementation of GPP significantly increased the total volatile fatty acids, especially propionate. Calculated methane production was subsequently decreased in the supplemented groups. Bacterial population was higher while protozoal population was lower by GPP supplementation. It could be concluded that supplementation of GPP at 2% of the substrate with UTRS improved in vitro true digestibility, rumen fermentation end‐products as well as reducing methane production.     

Effects of water‐misting sprays with forced ventilation on post mortem glycolysis,AMP‐activated protein kinase and meat quality of broilers after transport during summer

Effects of water‐misting sprays with forced ventilation on post mortem glycolysis, adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) and meat quality of broilers after transport during summer were investigated in the present paper. A total of 105 mixed‐sex Arbor Acres broilers were divided into three treatment groups: (i) 45 min transport without rest (T); (ii) 45 min transport with 1 h rest (TR); and (iii) 45 min transport with 15 min water‐misting sprays with forced ventilation and 45 min rest (TWFR). Each treatment consisted of five replicates with seven birds each. The results indicated that the water‐misting sprays with forced ventilation could mitigate the stress caused by transport under high temperature conditions during summer, which reduced the energy depletion in post mortem Pectoralis major (PM) muscle. This resulted in a higher energy status compared to the T group, which would decrease the expression of phosphorylation of AMPK (p‐AMPK). Furthermore, decreased the expression of p‐AMPK then slowed down the rate of glycolysis in post mortem PM muscle during the early post mortem period, which in turn lessened the negative effects caused by transport on meat quality. In conclusion, water‐misting sprays with forced ventilation may be a better method to control the incidence of the pale, soft and exudative meat in broilers.     

Effect of Prosopis (mesquite) invasion and clearing on vegetation cover in semi-arid Nama Karoo rangeland,South Africa

The Nama-Karoo is the largest of the three biomes that comprise the semi-arid Karoo-Namib ecoregion of southern Africa. Large tracts of Nama-Karoo rangeland have been invaded by alien leguminous trees of the genus Prosopis. We assessed the impact of Prosopis invasion and clearing on vegetation cover in heavily grazed Nama-Karoo rangeland on two sheep farms in the Beaufort West district of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Our results suggest that, below critical threshold cover levels, Prosopis trees do not affect indigenous vegetation and add to overall rangeland vegetation cover. However, once Prosopis cover exceeds critical thresholds, the trees begin to negatively impact on indigenous vegetation (especially grasses) and overall vegetation cover. In addition, our data suggest that vegetation cover recovers after Prosopis clearing, being temporarily higher than pre-invasion levels possibly as a result of enhanced post-invasion soil fertility. Lastly, our results suggest that Prosopis trees reduce rangeland erosion potential at low cover and increase it after they exceed critical threshold cover. Information about thresholds of Prosopis impact can be used to direct clearing efforts for maximum benefit when resources are limited.     

Informing Community Engagement in Sea Turtle Conservation by Examining Non-Conservation-Related Participation in Northeast Brazil

Participation in conservation programs is often viewed as a necessity, but understanding of this participation is limited. This research takes a different approach by also examining participation in non-conservation-related activities. Questionnaires (N = 339) were administered in four Brazilian coastal communities where the national sea turtle conservation project conducts monitoring and outreach. Employing social capital as a conceptual framework, measurements included participation in civic, community, and social activities along with group participation and collective action. Confirmatory factor analysis was used for validating measures of social capital and conservation perceptions. Structural equation modeling indicated that social capital has a positive relationship with participation in sea turtle conservation, suggesting that general levels of participation and community norms of participation could be just as influential as conservation perceptions to engage communities in conservation. Information gained by deconstructing participation may be used to design and target conservation programs, improving overall participation.