Seasonal Changes in the Milt Quality of Waigieu Seaperch,Psammoperca waigiensis: Implications for Artificial Propagation

Milt quality of Waigieu seaperch was sampled at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the spawning season to assess if the sampling season has an effect on milt quality parameters. The milt volume and total sperm production were higher at the middle of the spawning season while the sperm concentration in milt was significantly higher at the beginning and the end of the spawning season. Sperm morphology and the major parameters of seminal plasma (pH, total protein, Mg²⁺, or Ca²⁺ concentrations) did not differ throughout the spawning season. The concentrations of Na⁺ and the osmolality increased throughout the spawning season. The percentage of motile cells did not differ during the spawning season while the duration of sperm motility (swimming duration) and velocity (swimming speed) were significantly different during the spawning season. The fertilization rate (75.7 ± 6.8%) and hatching rate (56.5 ± 3.1%) at the middle of the spawning season were higher than at the beginning and end periods. Results indicated that milt quality parameters and fertility success in the middle of the spawning season were higher compared to earlier and later sampling dates. Thus, we recommend collecting milt during this time for maximal fertilization and hatching success.     

台湾中部暖温带阔叶林年轮特征、生长与树龄结构

台湾目前对于阔叶树种的生长轮少有研究,尤其对于天然阔叶林的生长趋势与模型的相关研究更是缺乏,许多资料仍相当不足,有鉴于此,本研究将针对台湾中部地区的典型暖温带阔叶林进行生长轮的研究与探讨。神木溪保护林于2003年已设置完成18个长期观察的森林动态样区,本研究采用第13~18共6个样区内所有胸径大于6 cm之阔叶树,依据林分特征调查结果,钻取大于6 cm胸径林木,钻取高度约在胸径位置,共取得22科33属39种合计448支树芯。年轮分析运用实体显微镜配合CCD拍摄,目视各树种内年轮的变异,并加以分类,作为年轮目视判视与计数年轮的依据,并用Velmax系统量测年轮宽度,应用树冠级模式(CCM)、定期生长量模式(PAI)及混合模式(Mixed)建立各冠层生长趋势,并解析各树种树龄结构,以提供台湾最大面积、分布最广之楠槠及栎林带林分经营之参考。年轮特征上,属于散孔材树种占79%;半环孔材树种占18%;环孔材树种占3%。生长趋势上,所有树种的平均生长速率统计结果为3.53 mm/a。冠层产生垂直层次分化作用明显,显示出其生长的趋势,上主冠层直径增长情形最快,平均生长率为4.47 mm/a;主冠层其次,平均生长率为2.95 mm/a;底冠层速率最慢,平均生长率为2.92 mm/a。PAI模式显示大部分树种的生长趋势是呈现年轮宽度随树龄增加而增加或线性常数的情形。树龄估算以树冠级模式、PAI模式和混合模式3种模式估算,全部平均年龄分别为55、60、59年。混合模式的利用可以降低单独使用树冠级模式或PAI模式的误差率。树龄结构上,依树冠级模式、PAI模式及混合模式龄级分布结果,本样区充满耐阴性树种前生苗与灌木,逐渐形成典型的复层林。树龄出现2种分群,第1种大多为耐阴性树种的小苗,树木建立时间为20世纪后期;第2种在1900年左右形成了1个独立的单峰。年轮不明显区别造成类型分类的困难,轮宽不规则也无法明确定年,PAI模式需要大量的各龄阶树芯数据建立回归模式,所得到的模型才具有足够之代表性,混合模式虽解决了部分树龄推估的误差,但仍有其他问题,因此日后应更进一步进行探讨与分析,方能对森林生态系之永续经营与发展产生一定程度的帮助。本研究提供暖温带阔叶林林分径向生长与树龄结构信息,以供森林收获采伐和森林永续经营参考。      

Methanotrophy-driven accumulation of organic carbon in four paddy soils of Bangladesh

Biological methane oxidation is a crucial process in the global carbon cycle that reduces methane emissions from paddy fields and natural wetlands into the atmosphere.However,soil organic carbon accumulation associated with microbial methane oxidation is poorly understood.Therefore,to investigate methane-derived carbon incorporation into soil organic matter,paddy soils originated from different parent materials(Inceptisol,Entisol,and Alfisol) were collected after rice harvesting from four major rice-producing regions in Bangladesh.Following microcosm incubation with 5%(volume/volume)¹³ CH₄,soil¹³ C-atom abundances significantly increased from background level of 1.08% to 1.88%–2.78%,leading to a net methane-derived accumulation of soil organic carbon ranging from 120 to 307 mg kg^-1.Approximately 23.6%–60.0% of the methane consumed was converted to soil organic carbon during microbial methane oxidation.The phylogeny of¹³ C-labeled pmoA(enconding the alpha subunit of the particulate methane monooxygenase) and 16 S rRNA genes further revealed that canonical α(type II) and γ(type I) Proteobacteria were active methane oxidizers.Members within the Methylobacter-and Methylosarcina-affiliated type Ia lineages dominated active methane-oxidizing communities that were responsible for the majority of methane-derived carbon accumulation in all three paddy soils,while Methylocystis-affiliated type IIa lineage was the key contributor in one paddy soil of Inceptisol origin.These results suggest that methanotroph-mediated synthesis of biomass plays an important role in soil organic matter accumulation.This study thus supports the concept that methanotrophs not only consume the greenhouse gas methane but also serve as a key biotic factor in maintaining soil fertility.     

第四纪红土发育的水稻土微团聚体特性的初步研究

赣中丘陵地区广泛分布着由第四纪红土发育的水稻土,它是重要的产粮地区,也是低产田分布较广的地区。提高低产的红壤性水稻土的肥力,一向是大家所关心的问题,各有关单位做了不少的研究。关于红壤性水稻土的结构特性及胶结物质等曾有研究^[1,9],但对结构形成具有重要意义的微团聚体的特性及其与农业措施的关系,研究较少。土壤微团聚体质和量的研究,可分别土壤肥力的高低,也可阐明輪作、耕作和施肥等措施在培肥中的作用。作者^[4,6]曾进行中性水稻土有机矿质复合体的研究,在此基础上,本文拟就红壤性水稻土中微团聚体¹⁾的特性及其与土壤肥力的关系作一初步了解,为进一步开展这方面的研究提供线索。     

Resource Use Assessment of Shrimp,Litopenaeus vannamei and Penaeus monodon,Production in Thailand and Vietnam

Resource use was investigated at 34 Litopenaeus vannamei and five Penaeus monodon farms in Thailand and 30 L. vannamei and 24 P. monodon farms in Vietnam. Farms varied in water surface areas for production, reservoirs, canals, and settling basins; in pond size and depth; and in water management, stocking density, feeding rate, amendment input, aeration rate, crop duration, and crops per year. Production of L. vannamei averaged 17.3 and 10.9 m.t./ha/yr, and feed conversion ratio averaged 1.49 and 1.33 in Thailand and Vietnam, respectively. On average, production of 1 m.t. of L. vannamei required 0.58 ha land, 5,400 m³ water, 60 GJ energy, and 1218 kg wildfish in Thailand and 1.76 ha land, 15,100 m³ water, 33.7 GJ energy, and 1264 kg wildfish in Vietnam. Resource use per metric ton of shrimp declined with greater production intensity. In Thailand, P. monodon was produced at 0.2–0.4 m.t./ha/yr, with no inputs but water and postlarvae. In Vietnam, P. monodon production averaged 3.60 m.t./ha/yr. Production of 1 m.t. of P. monodon required 0.80 ha land, 36,000 m³ water, 47.8 GJ energy, and 1180 kg wildfish, and resource use per ton production declined with increasing production intensity.     

Economics of Sustainable Intensification of Aquaculture: Evidence from Shrimp Farms in Vietnam and Thailand

There is growing interest in sustainable intensification of aquaculture production. Yet little economic analysis has been done on farm‐level effects of the economic sustainability of production intensification. Data from 83 shrimp farms (43 in Vietnam and 40 in Thailand) were used to identify (through principal component and cluster analyses) 13 clusters of management practices that reflected various scales of production intensity that ranged from 0–1999 kg/ha/crop to 10,000 kg/ha/crop and above, for both Penaeus monodon and Litopenaeus vannamei in Vietnam and Thailand. The clusters identified reflected sets of management practices that resulted in differing yields despite similarities in stocking densities among some clusters. The enterprise budget analysis developed showed that the more intensively managed clusters outperformed the less intensively managed clusters in economic terms. More intensively managed farm clusters had lower costs per metric ton of shrimp produced and were more profitable. The greater yields of shrimp produced per hectare of land and water resources in more intensively managed shrimp farms spread annual fixed costs across a greater volume of shrimp produced and reduced the cost per metric ton of shrimp. Costs per metric ton of shrimp produced decreased from the lowest to the highest intensity level (from US$10,245 at lowest intensity to US$3484 at highest for P. monodon and from US$24,301 to US$5387 for L. vannamei in Vietnam and from US$8184 at the lowest intensity level to US$3817 at the highest intensity level per metric ton for L. vannamei in Thailand). Costs of pond amendments used in shrimp production were particularly high in Vietnam and largely unwarranted, whereas fixed costs associated with the value of land, production facilities, equipment, and labor were sufficiently high in Thailand so that net returns were negative in the long run. Nevertheless, economic losses in Thailand were less at greater levels of intensification. The study demonstrated a clear value proposition for shrimp farmers to use natural resources (such as land) and other inputs in an efficient manner and supports findings from corresponding research on farm‐level natural resource use efficiency. Additional research that incorporates economic analysis into on‐farm studies of sustainable intensification of aquaculture is needed to provide ongoing guidance related to sustainable management practices for aquaculture.     

Osmoregulatory and immunological status of the pond-raised striped catfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pangasianodon hypophthalmus</Emphasis> S.) as affected by seasonal runoff and salinity changes in the Mekong Delta,Vietnam

In Vietnam, the production of striped catfish Pangasianodon hypophthalmus S. reached more than 1.2 millions of tons in 2014 and is mainly gathered in the Mekong Delta (South Vietnam). A survey was carried out during the dry season 2013 (March–April) and rainy season 2014 (July–August) in 12 fish farms of the lower (Tra Vinh Province) and higher (Can Tho Province) Mekong River Delta. This study allowed drawing up current key osmoregulatory and innate immune parameters of striped catfish in aquaculture depending on the geographical location, particularly the proximity to the River Mekong Estuary and the seasonal surface runoff. In the dry season, plasma osmolality was positively correlated with salinity. Gill Na⁺K⁺ ATPase dropped in the rainy season, while kidney Na⁺K⁺ ATPase remained stable. Abundance of immune blood cells, especially thrombocytes and monocytes, tended to increase in farms located in tidal area. Production of reactive oxygen species in the spleen, kidney lysozyme activity and plasma complement activity did not vary whatever the season or the proximity to the estuary. Plasma lysozyme activity was 50-fold higher than in kidney and increased in the rainy season as well as in tidal sites. Kidney complement activity decreased in the dry season, especially in tidal sites. In conclusion, regarding key osmoregulatory and immune factors, striped catfish farms located in the Mekong Delta may be affected by seasonal and regional salinity and runoff fluctuations.     

Productivity of Sargassum linearifolium in potassium fortified inland saline water under laboratory conditions

Growing aquatic species in inland saline water (ISW) is one way to reduce the adverse impact of ISW to agriculture farms. This 84‐day laboratory‐trial was conducted to study the growth of Sargassum linearifolium cultured in ocean water (OW), ISW, ISW fortified with potassium equivalent to 100% (ISW100), 66% (ISW66) and 33% (ISW33) of potassium in OW at 35 g/L. The biomass and cumulative specific growth rate (SGR) of S. linearifolium increased significantly (p < .05) with increased potassium in ISW until 56 days and then declined. The ISW100 and OW resulted in similar growth patterns and yielded peak biomass at day 42, proving static biomass for the next 28 days before declining. The biomass of S. linearifolium cultured in ISW and ISW33 significantly (p < .05) decreased and was lower than in ISW100 and died after day 56. The SGR of S. linearifolium in OW, ISW100 and ISW66 levelled off and showed no difference during the first 56 days. The S. linearifolium biomass and SGR negatively and significantly (p < .05) correlated with the concentrations of nitrate, phosphate in all waters. The increased potassium concentration in ISW similar to its concentration in SW brought the growth of S. linearifolium cultured to a level that was similar in OW.