Dietary protein for young grazing sheep: Interactions with gastrointestinal parasitism

Effects of protein supplementation and of nematode control on production responses in young grazing sheep and on nematode population dynamics were assessed. Young Merino wether sheep (n = 270) were allocated to one of three supplementation (Su) treatments and one of three regimes of nematode control (drench, Dr) in a factorial design. Each of the nine treatments was replicated three times in a randomised complete block. Animals received no supplement (SuO) or were given supplements at a level equivalent to 200 g day⁻¹, fed three times a week. The supplements contained 25% lucerne meal with either 75% sunflower meal (Su1) or 75% formaldehyde-treated sunflower meal (Su2). Nematode control regimes were: not drenched unless survival of individual animals was threatened (DrO); drenched according to a strategic drenching programme (Dr1); treatment with a controlled-release albendazole capsule (Dr2). Infections with Haemonchus contortus were suppressed by use of closantel. Due to drought conditions and lack of pasture growth, lucerne hay was fed to all sheep from Week 14 onwards (350 g per head per day, fed twice a week). Supplementation reduced the need for ‘survival drenching’ in Dr0 sheep considerably. Live-weight gain was increased significantly by supplementation with Su1 or Su2 during the 36-week experiment. Undrenched animals given Su1 or Su2 tended to grow faster than unsupplemented animals in the Dr1 and Dr2 groups. Greasy wool production and fibre diameter were increased by supplementation and anthelmintic treatment. Faecal worm egg counts (FEC) in undrenched sheep were significantly lower for Su1 and Su2 sheep than for Su0 sheep. There were no effects of supplementation on FEC in Dr1 or Dr2 sheep. Worm burden was generally unaffected by supplementation, while the drenching treatments Dr1 and Dr2 reduced worm burden at Week 16 and to a lesser extent at Week 27. Trichostrongylus colubriformis was the predominant nematode species, with smaller numbers of Nematodirus spp., Trichostrongylus vitrinus, Trichostrongylus axei and Ostertagia circumcincta also present. It was concluded that supplementary feeding with protein meal substantially reduced production losses attributable to nematode infections in young grazing sheep. This appears to be due to an enhanced resilience of the host, rather than any major changes in development of protective immunity.     

Demographic trends in Claremont California’s street tree population

The aim of this study was to quantify street tree population dynamics in the city of Claremont, CA. A repeated measures survey (2000 and 2014) based on a stratified random sampling approach across size classes and for the most abundant 21 species was analyzed to calculate removal, growth, and replacement planting rates. Demographic rates were estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian framework. The community-level (all species) median growth rate was 1.41% per year (95% CI: 1.21–1.65%) with Pinus brutia and Pistacia chinensis growing significantly faster than the community-level median. The community-level median removal rate was 1.03% per year (95% CI: 0.66–1.68%), with no significant differences between species and the community-level medium. Once removed, only 7.2% (95% CI: 4.4–12.9%) were replaced annually. Presence of overhead utility lines influenced tree removal rates while age, diameter-at-breast-height, and prior tree condition influenced tree growth. Overall live aboveground biomass in sampled sites was 713.29 Mg in 2000 and increased to 877.36 Mg by 2014. Biomass gain from growth outweighed loss from removals nearly three-fold; replacement contributed 0.5% of the total biomass gain. We conclude that to increase the resilience of the street tree population will require 1) an increase in percent of full stocking or biomass stock and 2) a shift in the species palette to favor species less vulnerable to pests and expected disturbance from climate change and 3) ongoing monitoring to detect departures from baseline demographic rates.     

基于SEPLS模型的GIAHS恢复力评估框架及其在保护成效评估中的应用

由联合国粮农组织认定的全球重要农业文化遗产(GIAHS)是一类典型的社会生态生产景观(SEPLS),在传统知识传承保护、粮食与食物安全保障、农业生物多样性保护、气候变化应对等诸多方面具有重要意义。为了更好、更有效地开展GIAHS保护及管理工作,本文在分析GIAHS评估重要性和恢复力概念的基础上,以联合国大学(UNU)等团队开发的社会生态生产景观恢复力评估框架(SEPLS模型)为基础,构建了GIAHS恢复力评估框架(GIAHS-RAF),明确了其评估及计算过程。并以中国第1个GIAHS项目——浙江青田稻鱼共生系统(Qingtian Rice-Fish Culture System in Zhejiang Province, RFC)为例,通过对核心保护区——龙现村在2004年(GIAHS项目授牌前)和2016年(GIAHS授牌11年)的恢复力状况进行评估,探讨模型在GIAHS保护成效评估中的适用性。研究结果显示:1)2016年龙现村恢复力整体状况相对较弱,各项资本评估得分为:物质资本(0.75)经济资本(0.63)人类资本(0.61)社会资本(0.57)自然资本(0.38);2)虽然农户收入来源多样且社会经济基础设施能较好地满足社区需求,但是遗产地内部农业物种较少,农户对于系统提供的粮食多样性尚不是非常满意; 3)相较于2004年,经过11年的保护工作,研究区恢复力有所提高,说明GIAHS项目的实施对该遗产的恢复力有积极影响,尤其是物质资本和经济资本两方面。评估结果与该区域相关研究结果及实地调查情况一致,说明所构建的GIAHS恢复力评估框架可以很好地应用于对GIAHS项目及其他相关农业文化遗产的保护成效评估工作。     

A comparison of the population genetics of Lethrinus miniatus and Lutjanus sebae from the east and west coasts of Australia: Evidence for panmixia and isolation

Lethrinus miniatus and Lutjanus sebae are important commercial and recreational species of reef fish. Within Australian waters the former species is less widespread than the latter and has a discontinuous distribution, whilst the latter is continuously distributed in tropical Australian waters. The demographic attributes of these species (e.g. long life span, low rates of natural mortality) make them vulnerable to over-exploitation. Consequently, conservative harvest strategies including no-take zones for these species have been adopted by fisheries management agencies to control exploitation. Information on the genetic stock structure of these species is important for developing specific management strategies. However, little is known about genetic stock structures within and between east and west Australian populations of these species. The current study used the mitochondrial genome hypervariable region 1 (HVR1) of the control region to examine variation between two sites from both the east and west Australian coasts for each species. HVR1 for L. sebae did not differ genetically either within or between coasts (F_st < 0.018, p > 0.15) at the sites studied, suggesting a panmictic population structure. Similarly, L. miniatus did not differ significantly between sites sampled within coast. However, the west coast HVR1 for L. miniatus east and west coast populations, were discrete (F_st of at least 0.92, p < 0.0001). The degree of genetic sub-division between east and west coast populations indicates that they should be managed as discrete stocks. Further, when considering both species, the lower genetic (both haplotype and nucleotide) diversity in three of the four sites on the west coast of Australia, indicates that this region is genetically impoverished and neutrality tests suggest that selection is responsible. Consequently, west Australian populations will be less resilient to perturbations (e.g. fishing, climate change) than east Australian populations, which have higher genetic diversity.     

Comparisons of Mayan forest management, restoration, and conservation

Numerous communities associated with at least five distinct ethnic Mayan groups in southern Mexico and Central America continue to rely upon forested areas as integral components of their agricultural systems. They carefully manage these areas so that forests provide food, raw materials, and animals. Management practices include removing and planting of woody and herbaceous species, apiculture, and seed harvest. Mayan agroforestry systems in geographically and ecologically distinct areas of Mesoamerica were evaluated to better understand traditional agroforestry system components and how indigenous Mayan agroforestry could be a part of regional forest conservation and restoration. Systems were within Mexican land grant areas (ejidos) or on contested land. Although these systems rely upon different woody species and management techniques, common among them are: (1) the use of multi-stage and successional pathways with forest as a part of the larger system, (2) species that are believed by traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to accelerate forest regeneration - more than 30 tree species are recognized and managed as potential facilitators of forest regeneration and (3) direct human consumption of forest products at all stages of regeneration.     

Ten-year response of the herbaceous layer to an operational herbicide-shelterwood treatment in a northern hardwood forest

Shelterwood seed cutting in conjunction with herbicide site preparation has proven effective at regenerating Allegheny hardwood forests, but the long-term impact of this silvicultural system on herbaceous vegetation has not been determined. From 1994 to 2004, we studied the impacts of operational herbicide site preparation using glyphosate plus sulfometuron methyl herbicides in the context of a shelterwood seed cut. Our study took place on 10 partially cut sites on the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. Half of each site received herbicide and half did not in a split-plot design with repeated measures. Fences were erected after year six because deer impact had increased. Resilience of individual species and the community were determined using measures of percent cover by species or species groups and indices of diversity and similarity comparing post-treatment to pre-treatment conditions and controls. In the short term, abundance of all species was reduced and there were four fewer species on average in treated areas. No species was eliminated by herbicide across all sites in the long term. Graminoids were more abundant on treated plots after year six. Targeted ferns remained less abundant on treated than control plots after 10 years. Species richness recovered within 4 years following treatment. Shannon Diversity and Shannon Evenness were greater in treated than in control plots over the full study period, but the differences were not significant in any single year. The richness-based Jaccard index of similarity did not differ between control and treatment plots after year two, while relative abundance influenced indices showed significant differences through year eight. Results suggest that herbaceous layer vegetation is resilient to the disturbance created by herbicide-shelterwood treatments.     

Lowland rainforest avifauna and human disturbance: persistence of primary forest birds in selectively logged forests and mixed-rural habitats of southern Peninsular Malaysia

We compared the composition and structure of primary forest avifauna among primary forests, selectively logged forests and mixed-rural areas (e.g. villages and agricultural areas) of Peninsular Malaysia. We found that forests that were selectively logged at least 30 years ago contained only 73-75% of the 159 species of extant primary forest birds, with an increased proportion of dominant species. We estimated that only 28-32% of the primary forest species utilized the mixed-rural habitat, and that the number of species that bred in the agricultural landscapes might be even lower. The microhabitat of different species most affected their vulnerability to disturbance. Most small, arboreal frugivores and omnivores, and insectivores that fed from tree trunks, showed greater persistence in the mixed-rural habitat than ground dwelling bird species, which were affected most by disturbance. Resource abundance and variables that were closely related to forest disturbance such as the density of large trees, density of dead trees, canopy cover density and shrub volume influenced the distribution of the primary forest birds. Large primary forest reserves and a revision of short-cycle logging regimes (ca. 30 years) are needed if we are to conserve the lowland rainforest avifauna of Peninsular Malaysia and other parts of Southeast Asia.     

Evaluating the quality of street trees in Washington,D.C.: Implications for environmental justice

Urban street trees are part of the bundle of environmental amenities that support healthy social, economic, and environmental functions. In this study, we systematically evaluate the quality of 196,825 street trees at the US. Census tract level in Washington D.C., as well as related impacts from socioeconomic, landscape patterns and environmental factors using Ordinary least-squares (OLS) regression, geographically weighted regression (GWR) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Our results reveal that environmental and socioeconomic factors can explain most of the spatial variation of street tree quality in Washington, D.C. There is a substantial statistical negative relationship between median household income and the percent of street trees under stress, which provided the evidence of the inequities of street tree quality in Washington D.C. Higher-income neighborhoods exhibited a lower proportion of street trees under stress. In addition, the extreme summer temperature is positively associated with the proportion of street trees under stress. The quality of street trees is directly impacted by environmental and landscape pattern factors. There is also an indirect impact from socioeconomic factor toward quality of street trees. Our findings suggest that multiple variables, related to income, age, education, landscape pattern, and environment contribute to the quality of street trees in D.C. Based upon our findings, we identify strategies and insights for urban street tree management in DC to not only address environmental inequity and injustice, but also promote a more inclusive and resilient urban greenery system.     

Adaptation to Change and Re-designing of Governance Systems: Cases from Small-Scale Rural Forestry

Changes in small-scale forest governance as a reaction to global changes are viewed from the system dynamics perspective, focused on two levels of dynamic systems: the policy system with sets of interactions at the national level and the management system at the local level. These interactions are considered through permanent adaptation and re-shaping of stakeholders’ networks and positions provoking further changes in the systems. Empirical evidence has been obtained from two case studies related to small-scale rural forestry in distinct contexts—France (the Territorial Forestry Charters) and Kyrgyzstan (collaborative forest management and leasing of forest plots)—and viewed through a theoretical framework of social-political systems dynamics. The changes caused by the systems’ capacity for adaptability and resilience are expressed through a double spiral of decision-making, characterising the interactions between national policies and local management practices. The analysis leads to a conclusion that changes are basically determined by the formal and informal stakeholders’ strategies developed in a specific context and their mutual adaptation aimed at system resilience.