Phylogenetics of Stelis and closely related genera (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae)

Stelis, one of the largest genera within Pleurothallidinae, was recently recircumscribed to include a few hundred more species, most of which had previously been assigned to Pleurothallis. Here, a new phylogenetic analysis of Stelis and closely related genera based on DNA sequences from nuclear ITS and chloroplast matK, based on a much larger sample, is presented; it includes more than 100 species assigned to Stelis and covers all proposed groupings within the genus, many of which have not previously been represented. Clades are proposed to enable easier discussion of groups of closely related species; each clade is characterized morphologically, ecologically, and geographically to explain the evidence found in the molecular analysis. Discussion of the evolutionary trends of character states found in the genus in its broad sense is given. The current taxonomy of the group is given and the possible taxonomical implications of the findings presented here are discussed.     

Spathacanthus magdalenae sp. nov. (Acanthaceae), a riparian forest species from Veracruz,Mexico

Spathacanthus magdalenae Cast.‐Campos (Acanthaceae) is described and illustrated as a new riparian forest species from central Veracruz and from the eastern slopes of the volcano Cofre de Perote, Mexico. The new species is similar to Spathacanthus parviflorus, but differs in wider leaves and longer corolla tube. A key to all four species of Spathacanthus is provided.     

Distribution of Clostridium botulinum Type E Strains in Nunavik,Northern Quebec,Canada

The distribution and levels of Clostridium botulinum type E were determined from field sites used by Inuit hunters for butchering seals along the coast of Nunavik. The incidence rates of C. botulinum type E in shoreline soil along the coast were 0, 50, and 87.5% among samples tested for the Hudson Strait, Hudson Bay, and Ungava Bay regions, respectively. Spores were detected in seawater or coastal rock surfaces from 17.6% of butchering sites, almost all of which were located in southern Ungava Bay. Concentrations of C. botulinum type E along the Ungava Bay coast were significantly higher than on the coasts of Hudson Strait and Hudson Bay, with the highest concentrations (270 to 1,800/kg of sample) found near butchering sites located along the mouths of large rivers. The Koksoak River contained high levels of C. botulinum type E, with the highest median concentration (270/kg) found in sediments of the marine portion of the river. C. botulinum type E was found in the intestinal contents (4.4%) and skins (1.4%) of seals. A high genetic biodiversity of C. botulinum type E isolates was observed among the 21 butchering sites and their surroundings along the Nunavik coastline, with 83% of isolates (44/53) yielding distinct pulsed-field gel electrophoresis genotypes. Multiple sources of C. botulinum type E may be involved in the contamination of seal meat during butchering in this region, but the risk of contamination appears to be much higher from environmental sources along the shoreline of southern Ungava Bay and the sediments of the Koksoak River.     

Vocalizations and courtship displays of the Bittern Botaurus stellaris

Capsule We report on the courtship behaviour of the Eurasian Bittern from direct observation in rice fields.     

Lepanthes variabilis (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae), a new endemic species from Costa Rica

Lepanthes variabilis, a new species from Costa Rica, is described and illustrated. It is endemic to the northern part of the Talamanca mountain range, from 2750–2850 m. It is compared to the similar L. minutilabia, which also occurs in Costa Rica.     

Burkholderia sp. SCMS54 reduces cadmium toxicity and promotes growth in tomato

Cadmium (Cd) can enter soil through the use of fertilisers, calcareous, pesticides and industrial and/or domestic effluents. Cd can leach into groundwater and be taken up by plants, potentially leading to reductions in plant growth and yield. In soil, plant roots interact with heavy metal (HM)‐tolerant microorganisms that may promote plant growth. Soil microorganisms may also be able to solubilise or mobilise soil metals, thereby acting as bioremediators. A better understanding of the interaction among plants, metals, microorganisms and soil will lead to improved plant tolerance. Two multi‐tolerant bacteria from the Burkholderia genus were isolated from Cd‐contaminated and Cd‐uncontaminated soil of a coffee plantation. In addition to its high tolerance to Cd, the strain SCMS54 produces indole‐acetic acid (IAA), solubilises inorganic phosphate and produces siderophores, demonstrating its potential to contribute to beneficial plant–microorganism interactions. When interacting with tomato plants exposed to Cd, the bacterium led to decreases in plant peroxide and chlorosis levels, promoted relative plant growth and decreased the root absorption of Cd, resulting in increased plant tolerance to this highly toxic HM. The results indicated that the inoculation of tomato plants with Burkholderia sp. SCMS54 promotes better growth in plants cultivated in the presence of Cd. This phenomenon appears to be attributed to a mechanism that decreases Cd concentrations in the roots via a beneficial interaction between the bacteria and the plant roots.     

Effects of an evaporative cooling system on plasma cortisol, IGF-I, and milk production in dairy cows in a tropical environment

Access to an evaporative cooling system can increase production in dairy cows because of improved thermal comfort. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of ambient temperature on thermoregulation, plasma cortisol, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-I), and productive status, and to determine the efficiency of an evaporative cooling system on physiological responses under different weather patterns. A total of 28 Holstein cows were divided into two groups, one with and the other without access to a cooling system with fans and mist in the free stall. The parameters were analyzed during morning (0700 hours) and afternoon milking (1430 hours) under five different weather patterns throughout the year (fall, winter, spring, dry summer, and rainy summer). Rectal temperature (RT), body surface temperature (BS), base of tail temperature (TT), and respiratory frequency (RF) were lower in the morning (P?<?0.01). The cooling system did not affect RT, and both the groups had values below 38.56 over the year (P?=?0.11). Cortisol and IGF-I may have been influenced by the seasons, in opposite ways. Cortisol concentrations were higher in winter (P?<?0.05) and IGF-I was higher during spring-summer (P?<?0.05). The air temperature and the temperature humidity index showed positive moderate correlations to RT, BS, TT, and RF (P?<?0.001). The ambient temperature was found to have a positive correlation with the physiological variables, independent of the cooling system, but cooled animals exhibited higher milk production during spring and summer (P?<?0.01).     

Seasonal variation in leaf traits between congeneric savanna and forest trees in Central Brazil: implications for forest expansion into savanna

The ecology of forest and savanna trees species will largely determine the structure and dynamics of the forest–savanna boundaries, but little is known about the constraints to leaf trait variation imposed by selective forces and evolutionary history during the process of savanna invasion by forest species. We compared seasonal patterns in leaf traits related to leaf structure, carbon assimilation, water, and nutrient relations in 10 congeneric species pairs, each containing one savanna species and one forest species. All individuals were growing in dystrophic oxisols in a fire-protected savanna of Central Brazil. We tested the hypothesis that forest species would be more constrained by seasonal drought and nutrient-poor soils than their savanna congeners. We also hypothesized that habitat, rather than phylogeny, would explain more of the interspecific variance in leaf traits of the studied species. We found that throughout the year forest trees had higher specific leaf area (SLA) but lower integrated water use efficiency than savanna trees. Forest and savanna species maintained similar values of predawn and midday leaf water potential along the year. Lower values were measured in the dry season. However, this was achieved by a stronger regulation of stomatal conductance and of CO₂ assimilation on an area basis (A _area) in forest trees, particularly toward the end of the dry season. Relative to savanna trees, forest trees maintained similar (P, K, Ca, and Mg) or slightly higher (N) leaf nutrient concentrations. For the majority of traits, more variance was explained by phylogeny, than by habitat of origin, with the exception of SLA, leaf N concentration, and A _area, which were apparently subjected to different selective pressures in the savanna and forest environments. In conclusion, water shortage during extended droughts would be more limiting for forest trees than nutrient-poor soils.     

Life cycle assessment of cheese and whey production in the USA

Purpose

A life cycle assessment was conducted to determine a baseline for environmental impacts of cheddar and mozzarella cheese consumption. Product loss/waste, as well as consumer transport and storage, is included. The study scope was from cradle-to-grave with particular emphasis on unit operations under the control of typical cheese-processing plants.

Methods

SimaPro© 7.3 (PRé Consultants, The Netherlands, 2013) was used as the primary modeling software. The ecoinvent life cycle inventory database was used for background unit processes (Frischknecht and Rebitzer, J Cleaner Prod 13(13–14):1337–1343, 2005), modified to incorporate US electricity (EarthShift 2012). Operational data was collected from 17 cheese-manufacturing plants representing 24 % of mozzarella production and 38 % of cheddar production in the USA. Incoming raw milk, cream, or dry milk solids were allocated to coproducts by mass of milk solids. Plant-level engineering assessments of allocation fractions were adopted for major inputs such as electricity, natural gas, and chemicals. Revenue-based allocation was applied for the remaining in-plant processes.

Results and discussion

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are of significant interest. For cheddar, as sold at retail (63.2 % milk solids), the carbon footprint using the IPCC 2007 factors is 8.60 kg CO₂e/kg cheese consumed with a 95 % confidence interval (CI) of 5.86–12.2 kg CO₂e/kg. For mozzarella, as sold at retail (51.4 % milk solids), the carbon footprint is 7.28 kg CO₂e/kg mozzarella consumed, with a 95 % CI of 5.13–9.89 kg CO₂e/kg. Normalization of the results based on the IMPACT 2002+ life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) framework suggests that nutrient emissions from both the farm and manufacturing facility wastewater treatment represent the most significant relative impacts across multiple environmental midpoint indicators. Raw milk is the major contributor to most impact categories; thus, efforts to reduce milk/cheese loss across the supply chain are important.

Conclusions

On-farm mitigation efforts around enteric methane, manure management, phosphorus and nitrogen runoff, and pesticides used on crops and livestock can also significantly reduce impacts. Water-related impacts such as depletion and eutrophication can be considered resource management issues—specifically of water quantity and nutrients. Thus, all opportunities for water conservation should be evaluated, and cheese manufacturers, while not having direct control over crop irrigation, the largest water consumption activity, can investigate the water use efficiency of the milk they procure. The regionalized normalization, based on annual US per capita cheese consumption, showed that eutrophication represents the largest relative impact driven by phosphorus runoff from agricultural fields and emissions associated with whey-processing wastewater. Therefore, incorporating best practices around phosphorous and nitrogen management could yield improvements.