Variations in phenology and growth of European white birch (Betula pendula) clones

Phenology can have a profound effect on growth and climatic adaptability of northern tree species. Although the large interannual variations in dates of bud burst and growth termination have been widely discussed, little is known about the genotypic and spatial variations in phenology and how these sources of variation are related to temporal variation. We measured bud burst of eight white birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones in two field experiments daily over 6 years, and determined the termination of growth for the same clones over 2 years. We also measured yearly height growth. We found considerable genetic variation in phenological characteristics among the birch clones. There was large interannual variation in the date of bud burst and especially in the termination of growth, indicating that, in addition to genetic effects, environmental factors have a strong influence on both bud burst and growth termination. Height growth was correlated with timing of growth termination, length of growth period and bud burst, but the relationships were weak and varied among years. We accurately predicted the date of bud burst from the temperature accumulation after January 1, and base temperatures between +2 and -1 degrees C. There was large clonal variation in the duration of bud burst. Interannual variation in bud burst may have important consequences for insect herbivory of birches.     

Temperature responses of NO and N2O emissions from boreal organic soil

Both NO and N₂O are produced in soil microbial processes and have importance in atmospheric physics and chemistry. In recent years several studies have shown that N₂O emissions from organic soils can be high at low temperatures. However, the effects of low temperature on NO emissions from soil are unknown. We studied in laboratory conditions, using undisturbed soil cores, the emissions of NO and N₂O from organic soils at various temperatures, with an emphasis on processes and emissions during soil freezing and thawing periods. We found no soil freezing- or thawing-related emission maxima for NO, while the N₂O emissions were higher both during soil freezing and thawing periods. The results suggest that different factors are involved in the regulation of NO and N₂O emissions at low temperatures.     

Long-term response of weed control intensity on Scots pine survival, growth and nutrition on former arable land

The effects of post-planting weed control intensity on the cover and composition of ground vegetation, and on growth, survival and foliar nutrient concentrations of 4-year old bare-rooted Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings were studied over a 15-year period with experimentation on former arable land. Weed control treatments with terbuthylazine and glyphosate were carried out 1?C3 times during successive years, either as overall or as spot applications. The vegetation cover and the shading effect of vegetation decreased with increasing weed control intensity. The more intensive the weed control was, the better was the afforestation result in terms of tree seedling growth and survival. Overall application repeated three times increased seedling survival by 79 percentage points, and their final height, breast height, diameter, and stand volume after 15 years were increased by 183, 19, 15, and 822%, respectively. Weed control did not affect the foliage nutrient concentrations, except for magnesium. However, increase in weed control intensity was reflected in larger needle size 5 years after planting.     

Factors causing temporal and spatial variation in heterotrophic and rhizospheric components of soil respiration in afforested organic soil croplands in Finland

Partitioning soil respiration (SR) into its components, heterotrophic and rhizospheric respiration, is an important step for understanding and modelling carbon (C) cycling in organic soils. However, no partitioning studies on afforested organic soil croplands exist. We separated soil respiration originating from the decomposition of peat (SR_P), and aboveground litter (SR_L) and root respiration (SR_R) in six afforested organic soil croplands in Finland with varying tree species and stand ages using the trenching method. Across the sites temporal variation in SR was primarily related to changes in soil surface temperature (?5 cm), which explained 71–96% of variation in SR rates. Decomposition of peat and litter was not related to changes in water table level, whereas a minor increase in root respiration was observed with the increase in water table depth. Temperature sensitivity of SR varied between the different respiration components: SR_P was less sensitive to changes in soil surface temperature than SR_L or SR_R. Factors explaining spatial variation in SR differed between different respiration components. Annual SR_P correlated positively with peat ash content while that of SR_L was found to correlate positively with the amount of litter on the forest floor, separately for each tree species. Root respiration correlated positively with the biomass of ground vegetation. From the total soil respiration peat decomposition comprised a major share of 42%; the proportion of autotrophic respiration being 41% and aboveground litter 17%. Afforestation lowered peat decomposition rates. Nevertheless the effect of agricultural history can be seen in peat properties for decades and due to high peat decomposition rates these soils still loose carbon to the atmosphere.     

On-line Analysis of Stack Gas Composition by a Low Resolution FT-IR Gas Analyzer

Stack gases of wood and oil burning boilers were analyzed by a low resolution FT-IR gas analyzer. Concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrogen cyanide (HCN), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), methane (CH₄), and water vapor (H₂O) were predicted in real time by multicomponent analysis. Detection limits, linearity, analysis accuracy and long time repeatability were experimentally determined for selected gas components. Applicability of the measurement method was demonstrated by analysis of stack gas mixtures of known concentrations. The results indicate that all the primary stack gas components can be measured by the low resolution FT-IR gas analyzer with comparable results to single component measurement methods.     

Worldwide status of burbot and conservation measures

Although burbot ( Lota lota Gadidae) are widespread and abundant throughout much of their natural range, there are many populations that have been extirpated, endangered or are in serious decline. Due in part to the species' lack of popularity as a game and commercial fish, few regions consider burbot in management plans. We review the worldwide population status of burbot and synthesize reasons why some burbot populations are endangered or declining, some burbot populations have recovered and some burbot populations do not recover despite management measures. Burbot have been extirpated in much of Western Europe and the United Kingdom and are threatened or endangered in much of North America and Eurasia. Pollution and habitat change, particularly the effects of dams, appear to be the main causes for declines in riverine burbot populations. Pollution and the adverse effects of invasive species appear to be the main reasons for declines in lacustrine populations. Warmer water temperatures, due either to discharge from dams or climate change, have been noted in declining burbot populations at the southern extent of their range. Currently, fishing pressure does not appear to be limiting burbot populations world-wide. We suggest mitigation measures for burbot population recovery, particularly those impacted by dams and invasive species.     

Forest drainage: a threat to benthic biodiversity of boreal headwater streams?

1. Forest drainage, including mainly ditching of waterlogged peatlands in order to increase wood growth, has caused substantial changes in the hydrology and water quality of Finnish streams. However, knowledge on the ecological impact of these changes is poor. This paper studies the potential impact of forest drainage, catchment characteristics and habitat factors on the water quality and benthic macroinvertebrates in headwater streams of the River Isojoki, western Finland. An intensive programme of water sampling was carried out at nine study sites, while zoobenthic samples covered a total of 18 streams. 2. According to multivariate regression models concentrations of aluminium and suspended solids in stream water at nine study sites increased significantly with increasing forest drainage of the catchment area. Further, drainage intensity contributed significantly to the decrease in minimum values of alkalinity. 3. In a Canonical Correspondence Analysis, the variation in macroinvertebrate species distribution and abundance was largely explained by drainage intensity, moss coverage and the concentrations of aluminium and iron in stream water. A significant positive correlation was established between the species richness of benthic macroinvertebrates and the proportional cover of vegetation on the stream bed, whereas a significant negative correlation was found between species richness and sand cover. 4. The results suggest that drainage has significantly contributed to the deterioration of water quality and habitat structure, and impoverishment of benthic communities in the headwater streams of the River Isojoki. In order to protect the ecological integrity of such boreal headwater streams, more effective protection schemes in forestry practices and rehabilitation of the adversely affected streams and their catchment areas are needed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Indirect regulation of heterotrophic peat soil respiration by water level via microbial community structure and temperature sensitivity

Northern peatlands contain a considerable share of the terrestrial carbon (C) pool, which climate change will likely affect in the future. The magnitude of this effect, however, remains uncertain, due mainly to difficulties in predicting decomposition rates in the old peat layers. We studied the effects of water level depth (WL) and soil temperature on heterotrophic soil respiration originating from peat decomposition (R_PD) in six drained peatlands using a chamber technique. The microbial community structure was determined through PLFA. Within the studied sites, temperature appeared to be the main driver of R_PD. However, our results indicate that there exist mechanisms related to lower WL conditions that can tone down the effect of temperature on R_PD. These mechanisms were described with a mathematical model that included the optimum WL response of R_PD and the effect of average WL conditions on the temperature sensitivity of R_PD. The following implications were apparent from the model parameterisation: (1) The instantaneous effect of WL on R_PD followed a Gaussian form; the optimum WL for R_PD was 61 cm. The tolerance of R_PD to the WL, however, was rather broad, indicating that the overall effect of WL was relatively weak. (2) The temperature sensitivity of R_PD depended on the average WL of the plot: plots with a high average WL showed higher temperature sensitivity than did those under drier conditions. This variation in temperature sensitivity of R_PD correlated with microbial community structure. Thus, moisture stress in the surface peat layer or, alternatively, the lowered temperature sensitivity of R_PD in low water level conditions via microbial community structure and biomass may restrict R_PD. We conclude that a warmer future climate may raise R_PD in drained peatlands only if the subsequent decrease in the moisture of the surface peat layers is minor and, thus, conditions remain favourable for decomposition.     

Spray Drying of Chitosan Acid Salts: Process Development,Scaling Up and Physicochemical Material Characterization

We investigated a spray drying process for preparing water-soluble salts of high molecular weight chitosan (CH) intended for pharmaceutical excipient applications. CH was derived from chitin of marine lobster origin (Panulirus argus). The effects of organic acid (acetic or lactic acid) and the ratio (difference) of inlet/outlet air temperature (140/90 °C or 160/100 °C) on spray drying were studied. The yield of spray-dried CH salt powders ranged from 50% to 99% in laboratory and industrial-scale processes. The spray-dried dry powder of CH salts consisted of spherical agglomerated particles with an average diameter of 36.2 ± 7.0 µm (CH acetate) and 108.6 ± 11.5 µm (CH lactate). After dispersing the spray-dried CH salt powder samples in purified water, the mean particle sizes obtained for the CH acetate salts were 31.4 nm (batch A001), 33.0 nm (A002) and 44.2 nm (A003), and for the CH lactate salts 100.8 nm (batch L001), 103.2 nm (L002) and 121.8 nm (L003). The optimum process conditions for spray drying were found: an inlet air temperature of 160 ± 5 °C, an outlet temperature of 100 ± 5 °C and an atomizer disk rotational speed of 18,200 min⁻¹. The X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results confirmed the amorphous state of the CH salts. The ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of CH acetate and lactate salts verified that the spray drying process does not affect the polymer backbone. In conclusion, both laboratory and industrial-scale spray drying methods for preparing water-soluble acid salts of CH are reproducible, and the physicochemical properties of the corresponding CH acid salts are uniform.     

Fusarium oxysporum,F. proliferatum and F. redolens associated with basal rot of onion in Finland

In recent years in Finland, Fusarium infections in onions have increased, both in the field and in storage, and Fusarium species have taken the place of Botrytis as the worst pathogens causing post‐harvest rot of onion. To study Fusarium occurrence, samples were taken from onion sets, harvested onions and also from other plants grown in the onion fields. Isolates of five Fusarium species found in the survey were tested for pathogenicity on onion. Fusarium oxysporum was frequently found in onions and other plants, and, of the isolates tested, 31% caused disease symptoms and 15% caused growth stunting in onion seedlings. Fusarium proliferatum, a species previously not reported in Finland, was also identified. Over 50% of the diseased onion crop samples were infected with F. proliferatum, and all the F. proliferatum isolates tested were pathogenic to onion. Thus, compared to F. oxysporum, F. proliferatum seems to be more aggressive on onion. Also some of the F. redolens isolates were highly virulent, killing onion seedlings. Comparison of the translation elongation factor 1α gene sequences revealed that the majority of the aggressive isolates of F. oxysporum f. sp. cepae group together and are distinct from the other isolates. Incidence and relative proportions of the different Fusarium species differed between the sets and the mature bulbs. More research is required to determine to what extent Fusarium infections spoiling onions originate from infected onion sets rather than the field soil.