Site of acid-base relevant ion transfer in the gills of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to environmental hypercapnia

In order to delineate the contribution of primary vs. secondary circulatory circuits in the gill for acid-base and ionic regulation, the flow and composition of the fluids in the central venous sinus (CVS) and the systemic circuit of rainbow trout were studied by application of a previously developed microcannulation technique during normocapnic and hypercapnic conditions. The average haematocrit (Hct) of blood from dorsal aorta (DA) and sinus venosus (SV) ranged from 20.1 to 26.7%, whereas average Hct in the fluid from the branchial vein (BV), representing drainage from the central venous sinus (CVS), was in the range of 4.2 to 7.0%. Under normocapnic conditions, the largest fraction of cardiac output, 92.9%, was directed through the systemic vascular circuit, whereas the CVS circuit was perfused with 7.1 % of cardiac output. Hypercapnia did not significantly affect the blood flow distribution between the two circuits. The pattern of acid-base regulation in dorsal aortic blood reflected the characteristic response of fish exposed to environmental hypercapnia. Upon initiation of environmental hypercapnia (2% CO₂), plasma P_{CO 2} was elevated in all three flow compartments (CVS, DA, SV), inducing an extracellular respiratory acidosis of about 0.4 pH units. pH and [HCO₃ ^-] values in the DA were consistently lower, than those for both CVS and SV sites throughout the hypercapnic period. During the 8h of exposure plasma bicarbonate concentration was elevated by about 12 mM, complemented by a fall in extracellular [Cl^-] of about 10 mM in all three compartments. The amount of HCO₃ ^- gained at the CVS site during 8h of hypercapnia (3.3 mmol · kg^-1) exceeds the amount accumulated in the extracellular space (2.1 mmol·kg^-1), suggesting the CVS as the main site of ionic acid-base regulation in trout.     

Temporal changes in plasma thyroid hormone,growth hormone and free fatty acid concentrations,and hepatic 5′-monodeiodinase activity,lipid and protein content during chronic fasting and re-feeding in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Temporal changes in growth, plasma thyroid hormone, cortisol, growth hormone (GH) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations, hepatic T₃ content and hepatic 5-monodeiodinase activity were measured in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) subjected to a sustained fast for up to eight weeks, and during a four-week re-feeding period. The purpose of the study was to examine aspects of the endocrine control of energy partitioning processes characteristic of short-term (acute; fasting) and long-term (chronic; starvation) food-deprivation states in fish, and to explore the role of the thyroid hormones, cortisol and GH in the energy repartitioning that takes place during an acute anabolic (re-feeding) state following chronic food deprivation.Differences in growth rate between fed and fasted groups were evident after two weeks, but significant weight loss by the fasted groups was not evident until between four and six weeks into the fast. Hepatosomatic indices (HSIs) were significantly reduced in the fasted fish within seven days, and as early as two days in one study; recovery of the HSI in fasted fish was evident within three days of re-feeding. Liver protein content (expressed as % wet weight) was consistently depressed in the fasted fish in only one of the three studies. Liver total lipid content (expressed as % wet weight) was depressed in the fasted fish within two days of food deprivation. Because of the rapid and sustained decrease in the HSI of fasted fish, the hepatic total protein and lipid reserves, when considered on a body weight basis, were markedly lowered within the first few days of the fast. Plasma GH concentrations exhibited a bi-modal pattern of change, with a transient fall in levels, followed by a sustained increase in fasted fish. The indicators of interrenal activity were suggestive of a depressed pituitary-interrenal axis in fasted animals; plasma cortisol levels were elevated to levels of fed animals within one day of re-feeding. The indicators of thyroid hormone economy (plasma thyroid hormone levels, liver triiodothyronine content, hepatic 5-monodeiodinase (MD) activity, thyroid epithelial cell height) were similarly indicative of a depressed pituitary-thyroid axis in fasted animals, with recovery to levels of the fed animals within one week. Despite the compensatory changes in accumulation of reserves (as indicated by a compensatory increase in HSI), there were no apparent compensatory changes in any of the endocrine parameters evident during the re-feeding period.     

Effect of variable retention cutting on the relationship between growth of coarse roots and stem of Picea mariana

Silviculture heading for structural heterogeneity creates many single trees standing at stand margins, inner edges or in remnant tree groups. As they played just a minor role in the age class forest, the growth behaviour of strongly released trees is rather unexplored. Here we show how retention cutting, presently spreading in the boreal of Québec province, affects stem and coarse root growth of remained single black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton]. Increment cores from roots and stems of 125 trees show that retention cutting triggers coarse root growth of the remaining trees. Compared with reference trees retention trees accelerate root in relation to stem growth. Mean and variability of the root–stem allometry significantly rise after retention cutting. The found acceleration of root in relation to stem growth means mechanical stabilisation of the retention trees and corroborates the retention cutting method. Evaluation of silvicultural treatments can be incomplete and misleading as long as they are just based on aboveground reactions and neglect root growth.     

A new approach to trenching experiments for measuring root-rhizosphere respiration in a lowland tropical forest

Soil respiration in tropical forests is a major source of atmospheric CO₂. The ability to partition soil respiration into its individual components is becoming increasingly important to predict the effects of disturbance on CO₂ efflux from the soil as the responses of heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration to change are likely to differ. However, current field methods to partition respiration suffer from various methodological artefacts; root-rhizosphere respiration is particularly difficult to estimate. We used trenched subplots to estimate root-rhizosphere respiration in large-scale litter addition (L+), litter removal (L−) and control (CT) plots in a lowland tropical semi-evergreen forest in Panama. We took a new approach to trenching by making measurements immediately before-and-after trenching and comparing them to biweekly measurements made over one year. Root-rhizosphere respiration was estimated to be 38%, 17% and 27% in the CT, L+, and L− plots, respectively, from the measurements taken immediately before and one day after trenching in May-June 2007. Biweekly measurements over the following year provided no estimates of root-rhizosphere respiration for the first seven months due to decomposition of decaying roots. We were also unable to estimate root-rhizosphere respiration during the dry season due to differences in soil water content between trenched and untrenched soil. However, biweekly measurements taken during the early rainy season one year after trenching (May-June 2008) provided estimates of root-rhizosphere respiration of 39%, 24% and 36% in the CT, L+, and L− plots, respectively, which are very similar to those obtained during the first day after trenching. We suggest that measurements taken immediately before and one day after root excision are a viable method for a rapid estimation of root-rhizosphere respiration without the methodological artefacts usually associated with trenching experiments.     

Effects of best management practices on dry matter production and fruit production efficiency of oil palm

Enhancing dry matter production with higher partitioning to fruit bunches is important for sustainable intensification of oil palm. A series of best management practices including site-specific nutrient management, canopy management, and harvesting has been developed for oil palm plantations. However, the effects of these practices on dry matter production and partitioning, and how the effects vary with climatic and soil conditions of plantation sites, remain largely unknown. We established a four-year field trial including 30 paired commercial blocks across Sumatra and Kalimantan, Indonesia. The paired treatments included site-specific best management practices, and standard estate practices as the control. The annual production of aboveground dry matter was 30.0 ± 0.5 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (mean ± se) under best management practices, higher than 28.8 ± 0.5 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ under standard estate practices. The bunch index, an indicator of the fruit production efficiency, increased by 12% under best management practices compared to standard estate practices. Partitioning of dry matter to the fronds decreased by 8% under best management practices, compared to standard estate practices. The positive effect of best management practices on the annual production of total aboveground dry matter was stronger in the plantation site with higher annual rainfall. These results are useful for optimizing management practices to improve sustainable intensification of oil palm.     

Compensatory Growth Responses During Reproductive Phase of Cowpea after Relief of Water Stress

Unpredictable drought affects growth and yield of dryland cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) during rainy season. With the objective of identifying compensatory growth responses after relief of water stress, pot-grown plants (cv. C-752) were water-stressed at flowering, and physiological responses, short term dry matter partitioning upon relief of water stress, and productivity at maturity were studied. Water stress decreased, to varying degrees, leaf water potential, stomatal conductance, photosynthesis rate and transpiration rate. Recovery in assimilation lagged behind that in water relations. Assimilate supply seemed to be limiting early pod growth upon relief of water stress due to low photosynthesis rate, reduced leaf area per pod, and increased partitioning to leaf expansion. However, later pod growth was not limited by assimilate supply and final dry matter per pod was similar in both non-stressed and stress-affected plant. Cowpea exhibited the following growth responses during pod-fill stage upon relief of water stress: 1. increase in leaf area, 2. shift in dry matter partitioning in favour of leaf expansion, 3. extended green leaf duration, and 4. increase in pod number. These partially compensating physiological responses probably ensure reasonable productivity of dryland cowpea during rainy season.     

Relationship between grain yield and quality of durum wheats from different eras of breeding

High protein content and a strong gluten are required in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) to process semolina into a suitable final pasta product. The variation in grain protein content and quality realized through breeding and the concomitant variation in biomass production and partitioning have been analyzed by comparing in a 2-year field trial, four groups of cultivars released in different eras and areas of breeding. Three groups of cultivars represented the evolution of the Italian germplasm from the first landraces and genealogical selections (Group 1) to the cultivars constituted by crossing Mediterranean types with Syriacum types (Group 2), and the modern dwarf and semi-dwarf cultivars (Group 3). Group 4 was an ICARDA collection of breeding lines bred for adaptation to high altitudes. The measured traits included both biomass production and its partitioning to the grain, and total nitrogen uptake and its partitioning to the grain. Grain protein percentage, gluten content and gluten index were utilized as quality traits. Breeding resulted in an increased earliness, reduced height without significant decreases in total biomass, and improved partitioning. The concomitant total nitrogen uptake did not change, whereas the changed biomass partitioning caused a parallel change in nitrogen partitioning, with an increase in nitrogen harvest index from 0.41 to 0.59. The lower protein percentage in the grains of modern cultivars was therefore not due to a reduced nitrogen uptake, nor to a lower NHI or to less milligram of nitrogen per grain, but to the dilution effect caused by the heavier grains of modern cultivars. A notable increase in gluten index was observed in the modern cultivars, reflecting an improvement in the pasta-making quality of grain proteins.     

Modelling Biomass Accumulation and Partitioning in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Quantitative information regarding biomass accumulation and partitioning in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is limited or inconclusive. The objective of this study was to obtain baseline values for extinction coefficient (K_S), radiation use efficiency (RUE, g MJ^?1) and biomass partitioning coefficients of chickpea crops grown under well‐watered conditions. The stability of these parameters during the crop life cycle and under different environmental and growth conditions, caused by season and sowing date and density, were also evaluated. Two field experiments, each with three sowing dates and four plant densities, were conducted during 2002–2004. Crop leaf area index, light interception and crop biomass were measured between emergence and maturity. A K_S value of 0.5 was obtained. An average RUE of 1 g MJ^?1 was obtained. Plant density had no effect on RUE, but some effects of temperature were detected. There was no effect of solar radiation or vapour pressure deficit on RUE when RUE values were corrected for the effect of temperature. RUE was constant during the whole crop cycle. A biphasic pattern was found for biomass partitioning between leaves and stems before first‐seed stage. At lower levels of total dry matter, 54 % of biomass produced was allocated to leaves, but at higher levels of total dry matter, i.e. under favourable and prolonged conditions for vegetative growth, this portion decreased to 28 %. During the period from first‐pod to first‐seed, 60 % of biomass produced went to stems, 27 % to pods and 13 % to leaves. During the period from first‐seed to maturity, 83 % of biomass was partitioned to pods. It was concluded that using fixed partitioning coefficients after first‐seed are not as effective as they are before this stage. Environmental conditions (temperature and solar radiation) and plant density did not affect partitioning of biomass.     

应用两相分离技术研究红壤微生物组成的探讨

采集了鄂南不同母质和利用现状的6个红壤样，用2％PEG＋6％Dextran两相分离技术（Aqueous two-phase partitioning technique，简写为A2PP）纯化细菌，测定细菌生物量，研究两相分离技术在土壤微生物研究领域的可应用性。结果表明：（1）采用0．1％胆酸钠、钠型离子交换树脂、玻璃珠与土壤一起在4℃下振荡2h，能较好地分散土壤细菌。供试土样细菌分离率介于0．41。0．60之间，不同母质发育的红壤相比，细菌分离率高低依次为：砂页岩〉花岗岩〉第四纪红色粘土；（2）A2PP技术能较好地纯化土壤中的细菌。6个供试原样的细菌多与土壤颗粒及有机质结合在一起，而两相分离技术能够得到较为纯净的细菌个体，土样细菌大多被分离存在于PEG相中，纯化率为63％～78％；细菌提取率介于0．31-0．48，不同母质发育土壤细菌提取率顺序与细菌分离率顺序相同；（3）供试土样的细菌形态都以小球状、小杆状细菌为主。     

Plant species richness and composition in managed grasslands: The relative importance of field management and environmental factors

Decline of grassland diversity throughout Europe within the last decades is threatening biological diversity and is a major conservation problem. There is an urgent need to determine the underlying factors that control vascular plant species richness and composition in managed grasslands. In this study, 117 grasslands were sampled using standardised methods. Explanatory variables were recorded for each grassland site, reflecting the local field management, site-specific environmental conditions and large-scale spatial trends. Using variation partitioning methods, we determined the pure and shared effects of these three sets of explanatory variables on the plant species richness and composition in grasslands. Most of the explained variation in plant species richness was related to the joint effect of local field management and environmental variables. However, the applied variation partitioning approach revealed that the pure effect of spatial variables contributed relatively little to explaining variation in both the plant species richness and species composition. The largest fractions of explained variation in plant species composition were accounted for by the pure effects of environmental and local field management variables. Moreover, the results revealed that the main mechanisms by which these sets of explanatory variables affect plant species vary according to the type of management regime under study. From our findings we could conclude that particularly a reduction of nitrogen fertilisation on meadows and grazing at a low stocking rate on pastures can help to conserve biodiversity.