Heterobasidion annosum: Development of Butt Rot following Thinning in two young First Rotation Stands of Norway Spruce

Severe butt rot caused by Heterobasidion annosum (Fomes annosus)developed in two stands of first rotation Norway spruce on oldagricultural land within 11 years of first thinning. At SiteI (Devon), 11 per cent of thinning stumps and 23 per cent ofclear felled stumps were found to be decayed when examined soonafter the crop was felled at age 37 years. It is estimated thatbetween 4.4 per cent and 6.6 per cent of potential volume waslost on clear felling. Significant butt rot had also developedin a 33-year-old stand of Norway spruce in Site II (Aberdeenshire)11 years after a Scots pine nurse crop was removed. Here, thedisease was found to be widespread on an area of 2 ha, and 73per cent of trees had butt rot. Decay extended 3 m up the stems,and occupied significant areas of the butt. In both cases, thepresence of butt rot in the crops led to premature clear felling,which resulted in additional loss of potential revenue. It seems most likely that the disease became established followinginfection of thinning stumps by airborne spores of the fungus:at Site I, the thinning stumps were not protected whilst atSite II it would appear that a chemical or biological treatmentapplied to the pine stumps failed. The subsequent rapid developmentof the disease was due, in part, to a variety of environmentaland edaphic factors.     

The variability in soil particle size test results by various subsampling techniques

Analysis of the results of 104 personnel who determined the particle size distribution of 16 different soil-size materials indicated that there was an effect of subsample preparation. Subsamples prepared using a chute splitter tended to be coarser than those prepared by coning and channelling. This effect was observed for material retained on 425 μm and 75 μm sieves from a variety of soil types. The results confirm those obtained on artificially prepared mixes. The conclusion is that the chute splitter is a more reliable method for obtaining the test portion than coning and channelling.     

Some Aspects of the Growth of Beech Trees and the Incidence of Beech Bark Disease on Chalk Soils

Growth characteristics and the incidence of beech bark diseasewere assessed within beech stands, aerial photographs of whichshowed discrete areas of foliar chlorosis. Chlorosis was mainlyconfined to distinct soil zones which contained microscopicallydivided chalk. Compared with the non-chlorotic trees, thosetrees growing in the chalky soil type had smaller mean diameterand had a higher current stocking density. The incidence ofthe early (insect infestation) phase of beech bark disease wasthe same on the two soil types, but the second phase (bark necrosis)was more severe on the chalky soil.     

Fomes annosus Butt-Rot of Sitka Spruce IV. Observations on the Distribution of Cryptosporiopsis abietina (Petrak) in the Stems of Rotted Trees

Cryptosporiopsis abietina was isolated from the heartwood of12 out of 18 Sitka spruce suffering from butt rot caused byFomes annosus, but from none of eight healthy trees from thesame plantations. C. abietina was present in a distinct zoneabove the tissue colonised by F. annosus. It was present inboth sound wood, and in wood with stain or incipient decay. C. abietina inhibited the growth of F. annosus on malt agar,and to a lesser extent in autoclaved Sitka spruce heartwood.The possible influence of this potentially antagonistic funguson infection by F. annosus is briefly discussed.     

Role of Services in Regional Economy Growth

ABSTRACT Although the final demand‐oriented export base paradigm dominates economic development theory and practice, its usefulness is increasingly questioned because of the changing structure of modern economies, empirical critiques of export‐led growth strategies, and studies that decompose the actual sources of growth. The importance of service industries, especially local services and their role in inducing economic growth, requires a measure that includes both forward and backward linkages to empirically account for the complete role of an industry. Using data for New York State, we demonstrate how the input‐output‐based method of hypothetical extraction can more appropriately measure the economic linkage of a broader range of contemporary economic sectors (including services) than traditional, final demand‐induced, backward‐linkage multipliers. Our analysis provides empirical support for greater economic development attention to be directed toward local services.     

Cultural Commodity Chains,Cultural Clusters,or Cultural Production Chains?

ABSTRACT The paper begins with a discussion of the definition of cultural industries. The paper's three main themes are concerned with, first: 1) a contestation of the generic application of the global commodity chain concept, 2) the need for a unique focus on cultural industries associated with the particular nature of its production process, and 3) the role of embedded judgments of quality is an integral part of this process. Second, the paper suggests that a restyled focus on production chains (involving the full cycle of production to use) might be more appropriate than “commodity chains” for this application. Finally, issues of spatiality and scale are discussed: it is argued that although global commodity chain debates explore linkages at a regional and national scale, they downplay linkages at the local level.