Crown allometry and growing space requirements of four rare domestic tree species compared to oak and beech: implications for adaptive forest management

European Journal of Forest Research - Rare domestic tree species are increasingly being viewed as promising alternatives and additions to current main tree species in forests facing climate change....     

The effects of pre-sowing seed treatments on the germination and emergence of lettuce seeds at high salt concentrations

Radicle emergence in lettuce seeds cultivar ‘Hilde’ was reduced by NH₄NO₃ above 8×10^?2M, while radicle extension was inhibited by 8×10^?2M NH₄NO₃ and no seedlings emerged. Inhibition of radicle emergence by 8 and 16×10^?2M NH₄NO₃ was prevented by soaking seeds for 4 h before sowing in a mixture of $\text{GA}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>4</mtext><mtext>7</mtext>}}$ and kinetin+phosphate buffer, and was partially prevented by soaking them for 4 h before sowing in phosphate buffer. These treatments did not prevent inhibition of radicle emergence by 32×10^?2M NH₄NO₃, but seeds soaked in growth regulators or phosphate buffer before sowing and taken from this NH₄NO₃ solution after 7 days and washed to remove excess salt gave 45–52% germination compared with 12 % for untreated seeds. Pre-treatment of the seeds did not prevent the inhibitory effect of NH₄NO₃ on radicle extension. In field experiments seeds treated with growth regulators + phosphate buffer or phosphate buffer alone gave a higher final percentage emergence from soils given 125 kg N/ha than did untreated seeds.     

Cross-scale effects of land use on the functional composition of herbivorous insect communities

Landscape Ecology - Insect herbivores comprise the majority of macroinvertebrate communities of temperate grasslands and act as drivers for important ecosystem functions. Landscape- and local-level...     

Use of an inguinal approach adapted from equine surgery for cryptorchidectomy in dogs and cats: 26 cases (1999-2010)

OBJECTIVE-To determine whether a surgical technique used in cryptorchid horses can be used successfully to remove testicles retained in the inguinal region or abdominal cavity in dogs and cats. DESIGN-Retrospective case series. ANIMALS-22 dogs and 4 cats with cryptorchidism. PROCEDURES-In 1999 through 2010, 26 cryptorchid patients underwent surgery during which an incision was made over the inguinal ring and the undescended testicle was located for removal via identification of the vaginal process and the embryonic gubernaculum. Castration was performed once a testicle was located in the inguinal region or via removal of an intra-abdominally located testicle through the inguinal canal. RESULTS-4 dogs and 1 cat were bilaterally cryptorchid. Testicles were retained in the abdominal cavity in 18 dogs and in the inguinal region in 4 dogs; in all 4 cats, undescended testicles were located in the inguinal region. Twenty-one dogs and 4 cats were castrated without breaching the abdominal cavity; in one of those dogs, the inguinal ring was enlarged to permit extraction of a tumorous testicle. In 1 dog, the inguinal ring was enlarged into a paramedian laparotomy and viscera were manipulated to exteriorize an intra-abdominally located testicle because the gubernaculum had ruptured. Major intraoperative or long-term complications did not occur. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE-Results suggested that as in horses, the surgical approach over the inguinal ring, wherein the vaginal process and the remnant of the gubernaculum are identified and used to locate an undescended testicle for removal, can be used successfully in dogs and cats.     

Branchial cleft cyst in a bull.

Branchial cleft cyst was diagnosed in a 6-month-old Angus bull with a large swelling in the distal ventral neck region. A definitive diagnosis could not be attained from results of the clinical examination, radiography, and ultrasonography. Diagnosis was made from histologic examination of the surgically removed mass. Branchial cleft cysts are remnants of the branchial apparatus and are considered rare in domestic animals. The differential diagnosis should include the thymic form of bovine viral leukosis, thymoma, abscess, goiter, and thyroid gland tumors as well as other rare cysts that can develop in the same location.     

Functional beetle diversity in managed grasslands: effects of region,landscape context and land use intensity

Current biodiversity conservation policies have so far had limited success because they are mainly targeted to the scale of individual fields with little concern on different responses of organism groups at larger spatial scales. We investigated the relative impacts of multi-scale factors, including local land use intensity, landscape context and region, on functional groups of beetles (Coleoptera). In 2008, beetles were suction-sampled from 95 managed grasslands in three regions, ranging from Southern to Northern Germany. The results showed that region was the most important factor affecting the abundance of herbivores and the abundance and species composition of predators and decomposers. Herbivores were not affected by landscape context and land use intensity. The species composition of the predator communities changed with land use intensity, but only in interaction with landscape context. Interestingly, decomposer abundance was negatively related to land use intensity in low-diversity landscapes, whereas in high-diversity landscapes the relation was positive, possibly due to enhanced spillover effects in complex landscapes. We conclude that (i) management at multiple scales, from local sites to landscapes and regions, is essential for managing biodiversity, (ii) beetle predators and decomposers are more affected than herbivores, supporting the hypothesis that higher trophic levels are more sensitive to environmental change, and (iii) sustaining biological control and decomposition services in managed grassland needs a diverse landscape, while effects of local land use intensity may depend on landscape context.     

Effect of the plant raising environment,transplant weight and date of transplanting on the subsequent growth and development of leeks (Allium porrum L.) grown for early production

Leek transplant weight at planting was greater for a given period of growth at 23°C than at 9°C but was unaffected by nutrition. A single line fitted to all the data, using a time-scale based on ‘effective day-degrees’ (with a base of 4°C and an upper limit of 23°C) accounted for over 76% of the variance in transplant weight at planting. Plant weight at harvest was positively related to transplant weight and fitting straight lines to each of the early and late harvest data sets from all the experiments accounted for 75% of the variance in plant weight at harvest. There were no ‘carry-over’ effects of temperature or nutrition from the plant-raising phase other than those on transplant weight. It was calculated, using data from two of the experiments where transplanting date was a factor, that yields fell by between 0.4 to 1.61 ha“1 for each week’s delay in planting over the period early April to mid-June. This loss in yield could be compensated by planting larger plants; 300 g plants could be produced in early August by planting 0.6 g, 0.9 g and 1.7 g plants in mid-April, mid-May and early/mid-June, respectively. The number of plants with flower initials at harvest increased with an increase in transplant weight and exceeded 10% with transplants of 0.5 g fresh weight or more and, for comparable transplant weights, was substantially greater from plants raised at 9° than 12°C. Flower initials were present even in crops from plants raised at 23°C. Transplants raised at 9°C produced up to 30% bolters at harvest but bolters were almost completely absent in crops established from plants raised at 12°C, 18°C or 23°C. Small plants (<0.4 g fresh weight) with 2-3 visible true leaves responded to cold.     

Electrical stimulation on skin wound healing in the horse: preliminary studies

The effect of low-level direct-current stimulation on skin wound healing in the horse was assessed. Self-sustaining electrical circuits with electrodes were implanted subcutaneously in or near the wound. Stimulation by direct current (10 or 20 microA) was used to determine the effect on equine skin healing. The efficacy of electrotherapy was evaluated by sequentially comparing the clinical appearance of the wound and measuring the size of the granulating wound bed. The histologic appearance of the healing stimulated wounds was compared with that in nonstimulated control wounds created on 9 horses. Seemingly, electrical stimulation had no discernible effect on experimentally created skin wounds. Clinical observation and histologic examination of the wounds indicated that severe tissue reaction from the implanted electrodes and concurrent local infection produced local detrimental effects to wound healing.     

Priming and pre-germination of parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) seed

Seedling emergence and growth responses to priming seeds in polyethylene glycol solutions, to germinating them before sowing and to a combined priming and pre-germination treatment were examined in the field and growth rooms using several stocks of seed. Priming or priming and pre-germinating seeds of a slowly germinating stock improved the percentage seedling emergence compared with untreated and pre-germinated seeds. In rapidly germinating stocks all three seed treatments showed similar levels of emergence which were higher than those of untreated seeds. Both priming and pre-germinating seeds reduced the mean emergence time and, in general, the effect of the combined treatment was greater than either treatment alone. Priming alone generally had no effect on the spread of emergence time or on seedling or plant weight variability, but pre-germinating seeds increased variability, particularly in a slowly germinating stock. Priming seeds before pre-germinating them reduced this variability.