Geographical variation in macrohabitat use and preferences of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina

Geographical variation in wildlife–habitat relationships has seldom been studied. We explored macrohabitat use and geographically distinct responses to habitat availability in the Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina near the centre (Lithuania) and on the edge (Estonia) of its European distribution range, and in different zones within Estonia. Land cover types and distances to landscape elements, as well as landscape diversity, were measured around 198 Eagle nests and random forest points. Out of six macrohabitat characteristics, two (landscape diversity, area of optimal foraging habitat) showed no geographical variation in use, or preferences by the Eagle. Whereas variation in the use of suboptimal foraging habitats and forests could be attributed to regional differences in their availability, there were geographically distinct preferences for distances between nests and landscape elements. The species avoided anthropogenic edges in Lithuania but tended even to prefer their proximity in Estonia; Eagles selected nest-sites near remote waterbodies throughout Estonia but there was no such preference in Lithuania. The results did not support the hypothesis that latitudinal or range centre-to-periphery gradients existed in habitat relationships of the species; the main factor behind the geographical variation was probably land-use history. In general, the diversity of geographical effects indicated that extrapolating local habitat relationships to other areas may give erroneous results, and large-scale conservation planning regarding species' habitat may be ineffective.     

FRET-based screening assay using small-molecule photoluminescent probes in lysate of cells overexpressing RFP-fused protein kinases

An assay was developed for the characterization of protein kinase inhibitors in lysates of mammalian cells based on the measurement of FRET between overexpressed red fluorescent protein (TagRFP)-fused protein kinases (PKs) and luminophore-labeled small-molecule inhibitors (ARC-Photo probes). Two types of the assay, one using TagRFP as the photoluminescence donor together with ARC-Photo probes containing a red fluorophore dye as acceptor, and the other using TagRFP as the acceptor fluorophore in combination with a terbium cryptate-based long-lifetime photoluminescence donor, were used for FRET-based measurements in lysates of the cells overexpressing TagRFP-fused PKs. The second variant of the assay enabled the performance of the measurements under time-resolved conditions that led to substantially higher values of the signal/background ratio and further improved the reliability of the assay.     

Biochar application to a fertile sandy clay loam in boreal conditions: effects on soil properties and yield formation of wheat, turnip rape and faba bean

Background and aims

We studied the effect of different biochar (BC) application rates on soil properties, crop growth dynamics and yield on a fertile sandy clay loam in boreal conditions.

Methods

In a three-year field experiment conducted in Finland, the field was divided into three sub-experiments with a split-plot experimental design, one for each crop: wheat (Triticum aestivum), turnip rape (Brassica rapa), and faba bean (Vicia faba). The main plot factor was BC rate (0, 5 and 10 t DM ha^?1) and the sub-plot factor was the N-P-K fertiliser rate. Soil physico-chemical properties as well as plant development, yield components and quality were investigated.

Results

BC addition did not significantly affect the soil chemical composition other than the increased C and initially increased K contents. Increased soil moisture content was associated with BC application, especially at the end of the growing seasons. BC decreased the N content of turnip rape and wheat biomass in 2010, thus possibly indicating an initial N immobilisation. In dry years, the seed number per plant was significantly higher in faba bean and turnip rape when grown with BC, possibly due to compensation for decreased plant density and relieved water deficit. However, the grain yields and N uptake with BC addition were not significantly different from the control in any year.

Conclusions

Even though BC application to a fertile sandy clay loam in a boreal climate might have relieved transient water deficit and thereby supported yield formation of crops, it did not improve the yield or N uptake.     

Identification of the ability of highly charged nanomolar inhibitors of protein kinases to cross plasma membranes and carry a protein into cells

A fluorescently labeled adenosine-oligoarginine conjugate (ARC), nanomolar bisubstrate analogue-type inhibitor of basophilic protein kinases PKA and PKC, readily enters cells of different origin and localizes into cytoplasm and nucleus. Moreover, the biotinylated derivative of ARC is able to deliver avidin, a non-covalently attached protein cargo, into cells.     

Temperature Responses to Infrared-Loading and Water Table Manipulations in Peatland Mesocosms

We initiated a multi-factor global change experiment to explore the effects of infrared heat loading (HT) and water table level (WL) treatment on soil temperature (T) in bog and fen peatland mesocosms. We found that the temperature varied highly by year, month, peatland type, soil depth, HT and WL manipulations. The highest effect of HT on the temperature at 25 cm depth was found in June for the bog mesocosms (3.34-4.27℃) but in May for the fen mesocosms (2.32-4.33℃) over the 2-year study period. The effects of WL in the bog mesocosms were only found between August and January, with the wet mesocosms warmer than the dry mesocosms by 0.48-2.03 ℃ over the 2-year study period. In contrast, wetter fen mesocoams were generally cooler by 0.16-3.87℃. Seasonal changes of temperatures elevated by the HT also varied by depth and ecosystem type, with temperature differences at 5 cm and 10 cm depth showing smaller seasonal fluctuations than those at 25 cm and 40 cm in the bog mesocosrns. However, increased HT did not always lead to warmer soil, especially in the fen mesocosms. Both HT and WL manipulations have also changed the length of the non-frozen season.     

Drought during canopy development has lasting effect on annual carbon balance in a deciduous temperate forest

* Climate change projections predict an intensifying hydrologic cycle and an increasing frequency of droughts, yet quantitative understanding of the effects on ecosystem carbon exchange remains limited. * Here, the effect of contrasting precipitation and soil moisture dynamics were evaluated on forest carbon exchange using 2 yr of eddy covariance and microclimate data from a 50-yr-old mixed oak woodland in northern Ohio, USA. * The stand accumulated 40% less carbon in a year with drought between bud-break and full leaf expansion (354 +/- 81 g C m(-2) yr(-1) in 2004 and 252 +/- 45 g C m(-2) yr(-1) in 2005). This was caused by greater suppression of gross ecosystem productivity (GEP; 16% = 200 g) than of ecosystem respiration (ER; 11% = 100 g) by drought. Suppressed GEP was traced to lower leaf area, lower apparent quantum yield and lower canopy conductance. The moisture sensitivity of ER may have been mediated by GEP. * The results highlight the vulnerability of the ecosystem to even a moderate drought, when it affects a critical aspect of development. Although the drought was preceded by rain, the storage capacity of the soil seemed limited to 1-2 wk, and therefore droughts longer than this are likely to impair productivity in the region.     

Adenosine-oligoarginine conjugate, a novel bisubstrate inhibitor, effectively dissociates the actin cytoskeleton

Aberrant regulation of protein kinases impairs normal cellular functioning and may lead to disease. The protein kinase involved in the regulation of the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, Rho-kinase (ROCK), phosphorylates various substrates (e.g. myosin light chain, myosin phosphatase), causing the formation of actin fibers and tension inside cells. Hyperactivation of ROCK, for example, causes hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. Thus, the design of highly specific protein kinase inhibitors is of the utmost importance. To date, the majority of inhibitors investigated have been found to mimic and compete with ATP. However, in the present study we characterized the cellular effects of a novel bisubstrate inhibitor -- adenosine-oligoarginine conjugate (ARC) -- designed to interfere simultaneously with the ATP site and the substrate-binding pocket of basophilic kinases. ARC effectively pulled down ROCK from cell lysates, showed no cytotoxicity and suppressed the assembly of the actin cytoskeleton (especially central actin bundles) as the result of interference with the activity of the kinase. Combination of ARC with chloroquine yielded a stronger inhibitory effect and gave results similar to treatment with Y-27632. However, treatment with ARC produced more actin fragments and yielded a longer-lasting effect than treatment with Y-27632. Additionally, quantification of phosphorylated myosin light chain levels in ARC-treated or Y-27632-treated cells implies that ARC is more effective than Y-27632 in suppressing the phosphorylation of at least one of the substrates of ROCK. We believe that the described bisubstrate strategy could be a useful lead for designing novel, highly specific inhibitors for different protein kinases.     

The effects of a permanently elevated water table in an acid sulphate soil on reed canary grass for combustion

Aims and background

Acid sulphate (AS) soils require careful management to prevent the environmental hazards that result from the oxidation of sulphide-bearing deep soil layers and the consequent acidification of soil and waters. Management with a high water table precludes many food crops, so their suitability for perennial energy cropping was investigated in a 3-year study using reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L., RCG).

Methods

Monolithic lysimeters made of undisturbed AS soil and equipped with ground-water level control and measurement instruments were planted with 1- year-old RCG turfs taken from a non-AS field. Two water tables were imposed, high (HWT, 20 cm below soil surface) and low (LWT, 70 cm below soil surface, considered normal for agriculturally managed AS soils) for a 3 year period. Growth and physiological characters of RCG were determined and its ash content and the elemental composition of its dry biomass (Ca, Cl, K, Mg, and S) were analysed.

Results

The level of the water table had significant effects on crop growth and quality. Shoots were 25 to 29 % taller, consequently yielding more dry matter in HWT than in LWT lysimeters. Concentrations of K, Mg and S that can affect the combustion process were higher in biomass harvested from LWT lysimeters than from the HWT plants. At the end of the experiment, the spatial distribution of roots within the soil profile differed between treatments. Roots penetrated to the bottom of LWT lysimeters with total root dry mass nearly twice that in HWT.

Conclusions

RCG intended for burning grows and performs well in acid sulphate soils managed with a raised water table. This management option minimizes the risk of acid flows from oxidized soils, and allows farmers to harvest a non-food crop from soils that would have to be drained to provide a food or feed crop.