Migration strategies of brown trout (Salmo trutta) in a subarctic river system as revealed by stable isotope analysis

We estimated the proportions of anadromous and freshwater‐resident brown trout (Salmo trutta) in different parts of the subarctic River Näätämöjoki/Neidenelva system (Finland and Norway) using carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen stable isotope analyses of archived scales as identifiers of migration strategy. Our results showed that carbon stable isotope values were the best predictor of migration strategy. Most individuals fell into two clearly distinct groups representing anadromous (47%) or freshwater‐resident (42%) individuals, but some fish had intermediate carbon values suggesting repeated movement between freshwater and the sea. The proportion of anadromous individuals decreased steadily with distance from the sea forming a spatial continuum in migration strategies which is probably maintained by the combination of several factors such as divergent availability of food resources, variable migration costs and genetic differences. These within‐catchment differences in migration strategies should be taken into account in fisheries management practices.     

Short‐term releases of CO2 from newly mixed biochar and calcareous soil

The work aimed to quantify native organic C mobilized in one calcareous soil in the 21 days after addition of biochar at a range of large to very large applications. The experiment was carried out in unplanted microcosms, and CO₂ flux was used as a measure of net mineralization. A rapid methodological approach, which does not require ¹³C as a tracer, was used to assess any priming effects induced by the biochar. The amount of CO₂‐C mobilized was small relative to the amount of biochar C and proportional to the amount of the biochar added. The additional CO₂‐C was similar to the content of the water‐soluble organic carbon in the biochar added with each application. No interaction with native soil C, that is priming effect, was observed.     

自然低温胁迫下3种桉树的叶绿素荧光特性研究

对临安市3种桉树幼苗叶片叶绿素荧光特性进行研究,结果表明,自然低温下,各桉树表现出不同的适应性,总的来说,邓桉>柳桉>巨桉;自然低温(日最低气温-3.6℃)对柳桉和巨桉造成较大损害,而邓桉可通过维持相对较高的光化学效率,以及利用不断增加的qN来进行耗散,具有较强的抵抗低温胁迫伤害的能力。     

Soil organic carbon stock variability in the Northern Gangetic Plains of India: interaction between agro‐ecological characteristics and cropping systems

Soil organic carbon (SOC) content and its spatial distribution in the Northern Gangetic Plain (NGP) Zone of India were determined to establish the cause–effect relationship between agro‐ecological characteristics, prevailing crop management practices and SOC stock. Area Spread Index (ASI) approach was used to collect soil samples from the NGP areas supporting predominant cropping systems. Exponential ordinary kriging was found most suitable geo‐statistical model for developing SOC surface maps of the NGP. Predicted surface maps indicated that 43.7% area of NGP had 0.5–0.6% SOC, while the rest of the area was equally distributed with high (0.61–0.75%) and low (< 0.5%) SOC content levels. Averaged across cropping systems, maximum SOC content was recorded in Bhabar and Tarai Zone (BTZ), followed by Central Plain Zone (CPZ), Mid‐Western Plain Zone (MWPZ), Western Plain Zone (WPZ) and South‐Western Plain Zone (SWPZ) of the NGP. The SOC stock was above the optimum threshold (> 12.5 Mg/ha) in 97.8, 57.6 and 46.4% areas of BTZ, CPZ and MWPZ, respectively. Only 9.8 and 0.4% area of WPZ and SWPZ, respectively, had SOC stock above the threshold value. The variation in SOC stock was attributed largely to carbon addition through recycling of organic sources, cropping systems, tillage intensity, crop or residue cover and land‐use efficiency, nutrient‐use pattern, soil texture and prevailing ecosystem. Adoption of conservation agriculture, balanced use of nutrients, inclusion of legumes in cropping systems and agro‐forestry were suggested for enhancing SOC stock in the region.     

低温胁迫对蓝莓枝条呼吸作用及生理生化指标的影响

为明确蓝莓枝条不同部位的耐低温能力,利用人工模拟低温胁迫的方法研究了蓝莓1年生枝条尖端、1年生枝条基端和2年生枝条对低温胁迫的生理响应。结果表明:低温胁迫下蓝莓不同部位枝条的各生理指标之间虽然具有一定的相关性,但不同生理指标的相关系数差异较大,即蓝莓枝条不同生理过程对低温的敏感性明显不同。其中,0℃时1年生枝条特别是其尖端的呼吸速率明显高于2年生枝条,但其呼吸作用对低温也特别敏感,当温度降低到-10℃时即均发生明显的降低,且1年生枝条尖端的降低幅度最大。另外,低温胁迫下1年生枝条尖端的丙二醛(MDA)含量和相对电导率增加幅度也明显大于1年生枝条基端和2年生枝条,即1年生枝条尖端对低温胁迫更为敏感。低温胁迫下不同部位枝条虽可以通过增加可溶性糖(SS)和可溶性蛋白(SP)等渗透调节物质,以及增强SOD和POD等抗氧化酶活性的方式来提高其抗寒能力,但当温度降低到-40℃时,不但抑制了蓝莓1年生枝条尖端可溶性蛋白的合成,并且1年生枝条尖端和基端的SOD活性较-20℃时也有不同程度的降低,即-40℃时1年生枝条特别是其尖端蛋白质合成的抑制以及抗氧化酶活性的降低可能是导致其蓝莓在我国北方大兴安岭地区易发生冻、干梢现象的主要原因。而1年生枝条基端和2年生枝条具有较强抗低温能力的原因除了其本身代谢活性较低,对低温不敏感外,低温下有效积累渗透调节物质和增强抗氧化酶的活性在降低其膜质过氧化程度和电解质外渗方面发挥了重要的作用。     

Soil property differences among high‐ and average‐yielding soya bean areas in Arkansas,USA

Soya bean [Glycine max (L.) Merr] yields >6719 kg/ha (100 bu/ac) have only recently and infrequently been achieved. Quantifying soil property differences between high‐ and average‐yielding areas can help to further identify non‐plant‐related properties contributing to soya bean yield potential. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of region and soil depth on soil property differences between high‐ and average‐yielding areas. In each of the seven regions of the ‘Grow for the Green’ yield contest in Arkansas, prior to or just after harvest in 2014 and 2015, soil samples were collected from the top 20 cm of one contest high‐yield (HY ) area that was in close proximity to an average‐yield (AY ) area. Across all regions and both years, soya bean yields differed (P  <  0.05) between yield areas, averaging 4701 and 5498 kg/ha in AY and HY areas, respectively. Averaged across soil depth and years, numerous soil properties differed (P  <  0.05) between HY and AY areas within at least one of seven regions. Total soil C content was at least 20.2% greater in the HY than in the AY area in three of seven regions. Extractable soil P content was, on average, 19.4 kg/ha greater in HY than in AY areas in three of the seven regions. Results from this study have the potential to help producers better understand soil properties that contribute to or hinder achieving ultra‐high (>6719 kg/ha) soya bean yields.     

茶树小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2的克隆与表达分析

[目的]进一步了解茶树小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2在逆境胁迫条件下的分子生物学功能.[方法]利用RT-PCR技术从茶树‘迎霜’中克隆得到CsHSP1 7.2基因,运用生物信息学软件分析其核苷酸和编码蛋白,通过Real-timePCR分析其表达模式.[结果]该基因开放阅读框长度为453 bp,编码150个氨基酸,蛋白质相对分子质量为17.2×10a,理论等电点5.56;无信号肽位点,属于非分泌型蛋白;被定位于细胞质中.系统发育树分析表明,茶树CsHSP1 7.2与水稻(GenBank登录号:P27777)和花生(ABC41131)的进化关系较近,属于小分子量热激蛋白基因家族第Ⅰ亚族.qRT-PCR分析发现,茶树CsHSP17.2属于组成型基因;高温(38℃)处理1h能显著提高CsHSP17.2 mRNA的相对表达量(P＜0.05);干旱(100 g·L-1 PEG 6000)、高盐(200 mmol· L-1 NaCl)和外源脱落酸(200 mg· L-1 ABA)处理条件下,该基因的转录水平均出现不同程度的上调.[结论]克隆得到茶树‘迎霜’小分子量热激蛋白基因CsHSP17.2,其在花中表达量最高,且响应高温、干旱、高盐和外源脱落酸胁迫.     

Drought Tolerance and Water Use of Cereal Crops: A Focus on Sorghum as a Food Security Crop in Sub‐Saharan Africa

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA. Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to production. Crop production, specifically staple cereal crop production, will have to adapt to water scarcity and improved water productivity (output per water input) to meet food requirements. We propose inclusion and promotion of drought‐tolerant cereal crops in arid and semi‐arid agro‐ecological zones of SSA where water scarcity is a major limitation to cereal production. Sorghum uniquely fits production in such regions, due to high and stable water‐use efficiency, drought and heat tolerance, high germplasm variability, comparative nutritional value and existing food value chain in SSA. However, sorghum is socio‐economically and geographically underutilized in parts of SSA. Sorghum inclusion and/or promotion in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA, especially among subsistence farmers, will improve water productivity and food security.     

Movement rules for juvenile steelhead: dynamic linking of movement behaviour to habitat and density

We incorporated explanatory factors including stream habitat type and fish density into individual‐based models with dynamic connections among adjacent habitat units to infer dispersal behaviour of juvenile steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss in a Great Lakes watershed. We used mark–recapture data and an inverse modelling approach to estimate daily probability of steelhead moving out of a habitat unit, P(move), according to four competing models. The models used included (i) a null model where all fish had equal movement probability; (ii) a habitat‐dependent model where P(move) depended on the habitat type; (iii) a density‐dependent model of P(move); and (iv) a model where P(move) depended on both density and habitat type. The habitat‐dependent model provided the most parsimonious fit to the observed data according to Akaike's information criteria (AICc). In the null model, P(move) averaged 0.70, whereas P(move) averaged 0.75 in pools, 0.68 in riffles and 0.73 in runs in the habitat‐dependent model.     

Time‐lapse monitoring of soil water content using electromagnetic conductivity imaging

The volumetric soil water content (θ) is fundamental to agriculture because its spatiotemporal variation in soil affects the growth of plants. Unfortunately, the universally accepted thermogravimetric method for estimating volumetric soil water content is very labour intensive and time‐consuming for use in field‐scale monitoring. Electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments have proven to be useful in mapping the spatiotemporal variation of θ. However, depth‐specific variation in θ, which is important for irrigation management, has been little explored. The objective of this study was to develop a relationship between θ and estimates of true electrical conductivity (σ) and to use this relationship to develop time‐lapse images of soil θ beneath a centre‐pivot irrigated alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) crop in San Jacinto, California, USA. We first measured the bulk apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a – mS/m) using a DUALEM‐421 over a period of 12 days after an irrigation event (i.e. days 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8 and 12). We used EM4Soil to generate EM conductivity images (EMCIs). We used a physical model to estimate θ from σ, accounting for soil tortuosity and pore water salinity, with a cross‐validation RMSE of 0.04 cm³/cm³. Testing the scenario where no soil information is available, we used a three‐parameter exponential model to relate θ to σ and then to map θ along the transect on different days. The results allowed us to monitor the spatiotemporal variations of θ across the surveyed area, over the 12‐day period. In this regard, we were able to map the soil close to field capacity (0.27 cm³/cm³) and approaching permanent wilting point (0.03 cm³/cm³). The time‐lapse θ monitoring approach, developed using EMCI, has implications for soil and water use and management and will potentially allow farmers and consultants to identify inefficiencies in water application rates and use. It can also be used as a research tool to potentially assist precision irrigation practices and to test the efficacy of different methods of irrigation in terms of water delivery and efficiency in water use in near real time.