Microbial structural diversity estimated by dilution-extinction of phenotypic traits and T-RFLP analysis along a land-use intensification gradient

The present work tested whether the relationship between functional traits and inoculum density reflected structural diversity in bacterial communities from a land-use intensification gradient applying a mathematical model. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was also performed to provide an independent assessment of species richness. Successive 10-fold dilutions of a soil suspension were inoculated onto Biolog GN(R) microplates. Soil bacterial density was determined by total cell and plate counts. The relationship between phenotypic traits and inoculum density fit the model, allowing the estimation of maximal phenotypic potential (Rmax) and inoculum density (KI) at which Rmax will be half-reduced. Though Rmax decreased with time elapsed since clearing of native vegetation, KI remained high in two of the disturbed sites. The genetic pool of bacterial community did not experience a significant reduction, but the active fraction responding in the Biolog assay was adversely affected, suggesting a reduction in the functional potential.     

Historical review and insights on the livestock tick-borne disease research of a developing country: The Philippine scenario

Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) remain to be a global animal health threat. Developing countries like the Philippines is not exempt to this. Despite the potential impact TBDs can give to these countries, local government initiatives and researches remain to be limited. In the Philippines, most epidemiological studies were confined only to specific areas, and predominantly in the Northern Area. Due to its unique geography and limited studies, the current nationwide status of most TBDs could not be clearly established. This review mainly covered published studies and presented challenges in the conduct of TBD research in the Philippines, which may be similar to other Southeast Asian or developing countries. To date, reported livestock TBD pathogens in the Philippines include Anaplasma, Babesia, Theileria, and Mycoplasma spp. With the ubiquitous presence of the Rhipicephalus microplus ticks in the country, it is highly probable that other pathogens transmitted by these vectors could be present. Despite studies on different TBDs in the livestock sector, the Philippine government has not yet heightened its efforts to implement tick control measures as part of the routine animal health program for local farmers. Further studies might be needed to determine the nationwide prevalence of TBDs and the presence of other possible tick species and TBD pathogens. The Philippine scenario may present situations that are similar to other developing countries.     

Crop diversity and fallow management in a tropical deciduous forest shifting cultivation system

Shifting cultivation is important to many of the inhabitants of tropical forest regions. Much scientific research has been conducted on this form of agriculture in the humid tropics, but the drier portions of the tropics remain less studied. The shifting cultivation system practiced in the tropical deciduous forests of western Guerrero, Mexico, provides insight into such production systems, especially with regard to crop diversity and fallow characteristics. This system is characterized by low crop diversity, based primarily on maize (Zea mays)cultivation, and a general lack of fallow management. The farmers also utilize several strategies not common to many other regions, including highly seasonal labor allocation patterns, varying fallow cycle lengths, and the occasional application of chemical inputs.     

The macrolepidoptera of farm woodlands: determinants of diversity and community structure

The Farm Woodland Scheme, which provided incentives to convert agricultural land to timber production, contained an implicit assumption that farm woodlands produce important benefits for wildlife. The moth fauna of 18 farm woodlands in the Vale of York was surveyed between May and November 1991. The aims were twofold. The first was to determine if there were benefits for moth species diversity. The second was to ascertain whether concepts of island biogeography and the plant species richness of the woods were related to the moth species composition.Eleven families, 214 species and over 16 000 individuals of moths were recorded. Classification of the species presence/absence matrix indicated that small woods (less than 1ha) did not have characteristic woodland moth communities. Woods larger than 5ha were judged to be more valuable for the long-term conservation of woodland moth diversity. The best predictor of moth species richness was the herbaceous plant species richness within woodlands. Species richness of the family Geometridae was positively related to woodland area, as well as to woodland shape (compact shapes being preferable to elongated shapes). Characteristic woodland species are influenced by isolation (less isolated woods being richer in species). The implications of different powers of dispersal between moth families are discussed. Farm woodlands will be of more value for the conservation of the Macrolepidoptera if they are large, compact and incorporate remnants of existing woodland with extant herbaceous vegetation. These should be factors which are taken into consideration when providing incentives to establish and manage farm woodlands.     

H2S gas biological removal efficiency and bacterial community diversity in biofilter treating wastewater odor

The objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of using a biofilter system to treat hydrogen sulfide (H2S) contaminated air and to characterize its microbial community. The biofilter system was packed with peat. During the experimental work, the peat was divided in three layers (down, middle, and up). Satisfactory removal efficiencies of H2S were proved and reached 99% for the majority of the run time at an empty bed retention time (EBRT) of 60 s. The polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method was used to uncover the changes in the microbial community between the different layers. Analysis of SSCP profiles demonstrated significant differences in community structure from a layer to another with a strong decrease in species diversity towards the up layer. It was found that the used support was suitable for microorganism growth, and may have a potential application in H2S biofiltration system.     

Effects of water and temperature stresses on radiation use efficiency in a semi-arid grassland

Accurate estimation of radiation use efficiency (RUE) is essential in modeling plant productivity, but little information on RUE is available for dry grassland. To quantify the RUE, aboveground biomass (AGB) and photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by plants (IPAR) were measured under different conditions of soil water and air temperature in a Mongolian field for 2 years. A wide range of RUE (0.23–1.06 g AGB/MJ IPAR) was found in negative association with variations in soil water and low temperature stresses. Compared with the temperature stress, the water stress was a strong down-regulator on RUE, verifying that drought is the major concern on radiation utilization in the study area. The maximum RUE was then found to be 2.34±0.16 g AGB/MJ IPAR by excluding the effects of water and temperature stresses. This study is one of the few assessments on RUE for natural grasslands under various levels of seasonally varying water and temperature conditions.     

Ethylene removal efficiency and bacterial community diversity of a natural zeolite biofilter

To establish an economical and environmentally friendly technology for ethylene removal from horticultural facilities and industrial point sources, a bench-scale natural zeolite biofiltration system was developed in this study. The system was evaluated for its performance in removing ethylene from an artificially contaminated air stream and characterized for its bacterial diversity under varied ethylene concentrations, and in different spatial stages of the filter. The biofilter enabled to approximately 100% remove ethylene at loading rates of 0.26-3.76 g m⁻³ h⁻¹ when operated with inoculum containing enriched ethylene-degrading bacteria. The bacterial diversity and abundance varied with the height of the biofilter. Moreover, the occurrence and predominance of specific bacterial species varied with the concentrations of ethylene introduced into the biofilter, as observed by PCR-DGGE methods. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the biofilter system supported a diverse community of ethylene-degrading bacteria, with high similarity to species in the classes Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Bacilli, and Actinobacteria.     

Economics of technical efficiency in white honey production: Using stochastic frontier production function

This study estimates and compares technical efficiency levels among beekeeping projects with various production capacities using a sample drawn from Fayoum Governorate in Egypt. The study also compares among beekeeping’s most important economic indicators, estimates the optimum production amount, and investigates why technical efficiency in Egyptian beekeeping is declining. We conclude that the average cost to produce one ton of honey decreases when production capacity increases. Furthermore, the average total, net return, and return on investment of one Egyptian pound increases when production capacity increases. Moreover, the results of a stochastic frontier production function indicate an increased return to scale. Finally, the results of maximum likelihood estimation show that technical inefficiency helps explain the deviation of actual from optimal production amounts.     

Impact of pocket gopher disturbance on plant species diversity in a shortgrass prairie community

Summary We examined the impact of pocket gopher disturbances on the dynamics of a shortgrass prairie community. Through their burrowing activity, pocket gophers (Thomomys bottae) cast up mounds of soil which both kill existing vegetation and create sites for colonization by competitively-inferior plant species. Three major patterns emerge from these disturbances: First, we show that 10 of the most common herbaceous perennial dicots benefit from pocket gopher disturbance; that is, a greater proportion of seedlings are found in the open space created by pocket gopher disturbance than would be expected based on the availability of disturbed habitat. Additionally, these seedlings exhibited higher growth rates than adjacent seedlings of the same species growing in undisturbed habitat. Second, we tested two predictions of the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis and found that species diversity was greatest for plots characterized by disturbances of intermediate age. However, we did not detect significant differences in diversity between plots characterized by intermediate and high levels of disturbance, indicating that many species are adapted to or at least tolerant of high levels of disturbance. Third, we noted that the abundance of grasses decreased with increasing disturbance, while the abundance of dicots increased with increasing disturbance.     

Molecular systematics and species limits in the Philippine fantails (Aves: Rhipidura)

Islands have long-attracted scientists because of their relatively simple biotas and stark geographic boundaries. However, for many islands and archipelagos, this simplicity may be overstated because of methodological and conceptual limitations when these biotas were described. One archipelago that has received relatively little recent attention is the Philippine islands. Although much of its biota was documented long ago, taxonomic revision and evolutionary study has been surprisingly scarce, and only a few molecular phylogenetic studies are beginning to appear. We present a molecular phylogeny and taxonomic revision for the Philippine fantails (Aves: Rhipidura) using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences. Our results suggest that current taxonomy underestimates diversity in the group. Some morphologically distinct subspecies warrant species status, whereas one was indistinguishable genetically and morphologically and should not be retained. A few taxa require additional sampling for thorough taxonomic assessment. Patterns of diversity within Philippine Rhipidura mostly corroborate predictions of the Pleistocene aggregate island complex (PAIC) hypothesis, in which diversity is expected to be partitioned by deep water channels separating Pleistocene aggregate islands rather than by current islands. Substantial structure within PAIC clades indicates that additional drivers of diversification should be considered.     

Impact of Agricultural Land-use Change on Carbon Storage in Boreal Alaska

Climate warming is most pronounced at high latitudes, which could result in the intensification of the extensively cultivated areas in the boreal zone and could further enhance rates of forest clearing in the coming decades. Using paired forest‐field sampling and a chronosequence approach, we investigated the effect of conversion of boreal forest to agriculture on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics in interior Alaska. Chronosequences showed large soil C losses during the first two decades following deforestation, with mean C stocks in agricultural soils being 44% or 8.3 kg m^?2 lower than C stocks in original forest soils. This suggests that soil C losses from land‐use change in the boreal region may be greater than those in other biomes. Analyses of changes in stable C isotopes and in quality of soil organic matter showed that organic C was lost from soils by combustion of cleared forest material, decomposition of organic matter and possibly erosion. Chronosequences indicated an increase in C storage during later decades after forest clearing, with 60‐year‐old grassland showing net ecosystem C gain of 2.1 kg m^?2 over the original forest. This increase in C stock resulted probably from a combination of large C inputs from belowground biomass and low C losses due to a small original forest soil C stock and low tillage frequency. Reductions in soil N stocks caused by land‐use change were smaller than reductions in C stocks (34% or 0.31 kg m^?2), resulting in lower C/N ratios in field compared with forest mineral soils, despite the occasional incorporation of high‐C forest‐floor material into field soils. Carbon mineralization per unit of mineralized N was considerably higher in forests than in fields, which could indicate that decomposition rates are more sensitive in forest soils than in field soils to inorganic N addition (e.g. by increased N deposition from the atmosphere). If forest conversion to agriculture becomes more widespread in the boreal region, the resulting C losses (51% or 11.2 kg m^?2 at the ecosystem level in this study) will induce a positive feedback to climatic warming and additional land‐use change. However, by selecting relatively C‐poor soils and by implementing management practices that preserve C, losses of C from soils can be reduced.     

Adaptive strategies in the breakdown of shifting cultivation: The case of Mambwe,Lamha, and Lala of northern Zambia

Many researchers have commented on the remarkable ability of African shifting cultivators to adjust their agricultural methods to available resources. In northern Zambia, where the shifting cultivators depend on woodlands as an agricultural fallow crop, deforestation is prevalent under the increasing population pressure. Adaptations to the less vigorous forest cover have taken various forms, but all of them can be described as succession to a common system of shifting cultivation. In many respects, these can be regarded as part of a process of agricultural adaptive radiation as the affected populations were pushed into new environments as a result of warfare and/or population pressure.     

不同灌水模式对冬小麦籽粒产量和水、氮利用效率的影响

在田间试验条件下,以冬小麦品种泰农18为材料,设置灌底墒水(CK)、底墒水+拔节水(W1)、底墒水+拔节水+越冬水与灌浆水交替灌溉(越冬/灌浆水交替灌溉模式,W2)、底墒水+拔节水+开花水(优化传统灌溉模式,W3)、底墒水+越冬水+拔节水+灌浆水(传统灌溉模式,W4)5种灌溉模式,每处理每次灌水量均为600 m3·hm-2,研究了山东泰安偏旱年份(2009-2010年)不同灌溉模式对小麦籽粒产量、水分利用效率和氮素利用效率的影响.结果表明:在小麦全生育期119.7 mm降水量条件下,越冬/灌浆水交替灌溉模式(W2)与传统灌溉模式(W4)籽粒产量差异不显著,但水分利用效率显著高于传统灌溉模式,与灌水量相同的优化传统灌溉模式(W3)相比,其小麦籽粒产量明显提高,水分利用效率无显著差异;越冬/灌浆水交替灌溉模式和传统灌溉模式的氮肥偏生产力最高,且籽粒收获后越冬/灌浆水交替灌溉模式在0 ～100 cm土层的硝态氮积累量显著高于传统灌溉模式和优化传统灌溉模式,降低了硝态氮的淋溶损失.在本试验条件下,越冬/灌浆水交替灌溉模式(W2)是可以兼顾小麦籽粒产量、水分利用效率和氮素利用效率的最佳灌溉模式.     

膜下滴灌条件下滴水量和滴水频率对棉田土壤水分分布及水分利用效率的影响

通过两年的田间试验,研究了滴水量和滴水频率对膜下滴灌棉田土壤水分分布及棉花水分利用效率的影响.结果表明:从整个生育期来看,当滴水量(375 mm)相同时,高频滴灌(每3天1次)处理0～20 cm土层含水率较高而深层土壤湿润不够;低频滴灌(每10天1次)处理有利于水分的下渗和侧渗,深层土壤含水率较高,但水分补给不及时,表层土壤偏低;总体上中频滴灌(每7天1次)处理有利于水分在土壤剖面中的均匀分配.当滴水频率相同时,滴水量越大,土壤含水率越高,40 cm以下土层含水率也越高.不同处理的棉田耗水规律基本一致,苗期较低,平均不高于1.7 mm·d-1,蕾期开始上升至花铃期达到最高,日均耗水量可达8.7 mm·d-1,吐絮期回落到1.0 mm·d-1左右.总耗水量与降水和滴水量密切相关,而与滴水频率无关;滴水频率对棉花水分利用效率无显著影响,但水分利用效率随滴水量的增大而显著降低.少量滴灌(300 mm)虽然可以获得较高的水分利用效率,但减产严重,过量滴灌(450mm)无显著增产效应,水分浪费严重.在当地棉田自然条件下,采用中量(375 mm)+中低频(每7天或10天1次)的滴灌模式为宜.     

调亏灌溉和生物炭对大豆生长、产量及水分利用效率的影响

为了解生物炭及调亏灌溉对大豆的影响,以大豆"开育12号"为试验材料,采用随机区组试验设计,利用盆栽栽培条件,研究不同生物炭添加量B₀(0 t·hm^-2)、B₁(6t·hm^-2)、B₂(12 t·hm^-2)和不同程度调亏灌溉W₁(充分灌溉,70%田间持水量)、W₂(轻度调亏,55%～60%田间持水量)、W₃(重度调亏,45%～50%田间持水量)对大豆生长、产量及水分利用的影响。结果表明:轻度调亏灌溉不会影响大豆叶面积指数及地下部分干物质累积量,而大豆叶面积指数和地下部分干物质累积量随着生物炭使用量的增加而增加;地上部分干物质累积量随着调亏程度的加重而降低,而生物炭施用量为12 t·hm-2时,才会提高地上部分干物质累积量。调亏灌溉和生物炭均能影响大豆的耗水量,其中耗水量随着调亏程度的加剧而减少,而添加6 t·hm^-2生物炭耗水量最高,但有利于产量的形成。与充分灌溉不施用生...     

Population pressure,labor availability,and agricultural disintensification: The decline of farming on Rusinga Island,Kenya

Despite a steady increase in population since the 1930s, farmers on Rusinga Island in Kenya have abandoned many traditional intensive agricultural practices, including the construction of hillside terraces. At the same time, low crop yields have led to a chronic shortage of food on the island. This paper, based on an analysis of archival materials and a detailed agronomic study of the farming system, analyzes the causes of this process of disintensification. Labor scarcity resulting from migrant wage employment and the growing importance of the fishing industry has been a major factor in the decline of agriculture on the island. The loss of soil conservation practices and serious weed infestations have contributed to the collapse of farm productivity. This study highlights the importance of understanding not only the local ecology but also the broader political and economic environment in order to explain farmers' decisions and the process of agricultural change.     

Effects of fertigation scheme on N uptake and N use efficiency in cotton

While fertigation can increase fertilizer use efficiency, there is an uncertainly as to whether the fertilizer should be introduced at the beginning of the irrigation or at the end, or introduced during irrigation. Our objective was to determine the effect of different fertigation schemes on nitrogen (N) uptake and N use efficiency (NUE) in cotton plants. A pot experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions in year 2004 and 2005. According to the application timing of nitrogen (N) fertilizer solution and water (W) involved in an irrigation cycle, four nitrogen fertigation schemes [nitrogen applied at the beginning of the irrigation cycle (N–W), nitrogen applied at the end of the irrigation cycle (W–N), nitrogen applied in the middle of the irrigation cycle (W–N–W) and nitrogen applied throughout the irrigation cycle (N&W)] were employed in a completely randomized design with four replications. Cotton was grown in plastic containers with a volume of 84 l, which were filled with a clay loam soil and fertilized with 6.4 g of N per pot as unlabeled and ¹⁵N-labeled urea for 2004 and 2005, respectively. Plant total dry matter (DM) and N content in N–W was significantly higher than in N&W in both seasons, but these were not consistent for W–N and W–N–W treatments. In year 2005, a significantly higher nitrogen derived from fertilizer (NDFF) for the whole plant was found in W–N and N–W than that in W–N–W and N&W. Fertigation scheme had a consistent effect on total NUE: N–W had the highest NUE for the whole plant, but this was not significantly different from W–N. Treatments W–N and W–N–W had similar total NUE, and N&W had the lowest total NUE. After harvesting, the total residual fertilizer N in the soil was highest in W–N, lowest in N–W, but this was not significantly different from N&W and W–N–W treatments. Total residual NO₃–N in the soil in N&W and W–N treatments was 20.7 and 21.2% higher than that in N–W, respectively. The total ¹⁵N recovery was not statistically significant between the four fertigation schemes. In this study, the fertigation scheme N–W (nitrogen applied at the beginning of an irrigation cycle) increased DM accumulation, N uptake and NUE of cotton. This study indicates that Nitrogen application at the beginning of an irrigation cycle has an advantage on N uptake and NUE of cotton. Therefore, NUE could be enhanced by optimizing fertilization schemes with drip irrigation.     

Population Growth and Land Use Intensification in a Subsistence-based Indigenous Community in the Amazon

Shifting cultivation practiced by indigenous peoples living at low population densities in tropical forests has often been described as sustainable and compatible with conservation. However, shifting cultivation at increasing population densities has historically been, and still is, a main cause of deforestation worldwide. As many indigenous peoples in tropical forests currently experience rapid demographic growth, this raises the question to what extent their agricultural activities actually contribute to deforestation. This paper examines land use change in an indigenous community in the Ecuadorian Amazon which is only loosely connected to the market economy, and where agriculture is almost exclusively subsistence oriented. During the last seven decades, people have increasingly begun to clear fallows instead of old-growth forest to farm. Although the population was growing at an estimated 1.6% per year, the expansion of the area of land used for agriculture was only 0.4% per year, corresponding to an annual deforestation rate of only 0.015%. Whereas these changes may seem negligible in terms of deforestation, they do cause hardships to the local people, because of increasing walking distance to old-growth forest, and problems with weeds, pests, and decreasing soil productivity when farming after reclearing fallows.