Effects of acid rain on growth and nutrient concentrations in Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings grown in a nutrient-rich soil

The effects of artificially applied acid precipitation on growth and nutrient concentrations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) seedlings were investigated in a long-term acid irrigation experiment in field conditions. Seedlings of northern and southern origin were planted in boxes containing peat and composted soil rich in nutrients, and sprinkler irrigated with water acidified with nitric and sulphuric acids to pH 3 or pH 4 for periods varying from two to three and a half growing seasons during 1986-1989. Water irrigated (pH 5.4-7.6) and non-irrigated groups of seedlings were also included in the experiment. At the end of the experiment needles, main and lateral shoots and roots were collected from the seedlings for the determination of height growth and biomass partitioning, and for the analysis of S, N, Mg, P, K, Ca, Mn and Fe concentrations. The treatment effects compared to the irrigated control were studied using multivariate analyses of variance and covariance. In the pine seedlings the total dry matter production increased by 25-70% compared with the irrigated controls when the total wet deposition to the seedlings exceeded 67 kg S ha(-1) and 36 kg N ha(-1) (e.g. after two growing seasons' exposure of the pH 3 treatment). The increase was mainly due to an increase in needle dry weight (54-72% greater at pH 3) and root weight (20-65% greater at pH 3), whereas the height growth or shoot weight growth were less affected. The northern provenance pine seedlings responded more clearly to the pH 3 irrigation than the southern ones. The treatments had no consistent effects on any of the growth variables studied in the spruce seedlings, however. The pines had higher root and foliage Ca concentrations as a result of the acid irrigation, whereas in spruce, acid rain decreased the Ca concentration in needles and shoots. Root Mn and Fe concentrations were higher in both species as a result of the pH 3 treatment. A higher soil conductivity and Ca concentration resulted from the prolonged pH 3 treatment. The results strongly support the hypothesis that the long-term growth and nutrient allocation response of conifers to acid precipitation is dependent both on the tree species and on the nutritional status of the soil.     

Interactions between copper and cadmium modify metal organ distribution in mature tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus

Sexually mature female tilapia were exposed to sublethal concentrations of waterborne Cu and/or Cd over 6 days, and subsequent body concentrations of these metals were determined in several organs. The results show that the distribution of Cu and Cd was metal and organ specific. This is demonstrated, for example, by the observation that in tilapia, Cu exposure did not result in Cu accumulation in the liver, whereas in the intestinal wall, notably high concentrations of Cu and Cd were measured in metal exposed fish. In addition to single metal exposed fish, we also determined Cu and Cd body distribution in Cu?Cd co-exposed fish. The observed interactions in metal accumulation were most pronounced in the organs of fish exposed to low, environmentally realistic, metal concentrations.     

Estimation of volatile organic compounds in Kuwaiti houses after the Gulf war

Interest in indoor air quality is steadily increasing. Exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is associated with health effects as diverse as childhood respiratory disease, lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. In an effort to assess the environmental impact indoors from possible sources of VOCs, such as (i) open oil lakes, (ii) chemical and petrochemical industries and (iii) indoor pollution from household items, concentrations of aliphatic and aromatic VOCs, comprising n-hexane to n-hexadecane, benzene, toluene, xylene, ethyl benzene, methanol and o-dichlorobenzene, were measured in indoor air samples from seven different cities in Kuwait using a gas chromatograph. The data for the period March to May 1993 are presented. The VOCs, as measured, were surprisingly low and they are below the concentrations set by the American Hygienists Association. However, although the concentration of the estimated VOCs being low, were cumulative effects of them entering the human body and water sources cannot be ruled out.     

Labelling ecofriendly products in india — an emerging option for environmental production

Summary The labelling of ecofriendly products has been introduced in a number of developed countries to assist in the protection of the environment. Recently, developing countries like India, have introduced the scheme. This paper examines the steps involved in establishing the Indian Ecomark. For the successful implementation of the scheme the effective coordination of a number of agencies is necessary. Consumers, as well as manufacturers, have to be educated in the longterm benefits of the scheme. Initiatives necessary for the successful implementation of Ecomark have been highlighted.Mr S. S. Arvind is a member of faculty at the Centre for Energy, Environment and Technology, at the Administrative Staff College of India. He is currently on secondment to the Centre for Technology Development, Clark University, 950, Main Street, Worcester MA 01610-1477, USA. Mr E.V. Muley is a scientist working for the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road, New Delhi 110003, India.     

The effect of catch crops on sulphate leaching and availability of S in the succeeding crop on sandy loam soil in Denmark

Sulphate leaching losses may reduce the long-term possibility of maintaining the S supply of crops in low input farming systems. The ability of catch crops (Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam), winter rape (Brassica napus L.) and fodder radish (Raphanus sativus L.)) to reduce soil sulphate concentrations in autumn and make it available to a succeeding crop was investigated in 1996–1998 on sandy loam soil in Denmark. All catch crops reduced soil sulphate concentrations in the autumn compared to bare soil. Especially, the cruciferous catch crops had the ability to deplete efficiently soil sulphate levels and thus, reduce the sulphate leaching potential. The S uptake in aboveground catch crop was 8, 22 and 36 kg S per ha for ryegrass, winter rape and fodder radish, respectively. In the following spring, sulphate levels of the autumn bare soil were low in the top 0.5 m and a peak of sulphate was found at 0.75–1 m depth. In contrast, where a fodder radish catch crop had been grown, high sulphate levels were present in the top 0.5 m, but only small amounts of sulphate were found at 0.5–1.5 m depth. In spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), that followed catch crops, S concentrations at heading and maturity revealed that the availability of soil S increased following winter rape and fodder radish, whereas there were indications that following ryegrass, the S availability was reduced compared to bare soil. This initial study showed that catch crops have a high potential for reducing sulphate leaching and may be used to synchronise S availability with plant demand in a crop rotation.     

Protein that makes sense in the Argentine ant

With a protein-based approach, we have identified and cloned the cDNA encoding a chemosensory protein (LhumCSP) in the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile. The open reading frame of the cloned cDNA encoded a signal peptide (20 residues), and a mature protein (pI 4.62) of 106 amino acid residues. The calculated molecular mass (12,453 Da) was in agreement with the molecular mass measured by on-line chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (12,448 Da), given the formation of two disulfide bridges. LhumCSP shared sequence similarity with various CSPs, particularly those identified and/or cloned from moth species. Also, LhumCSP showed the hallmark of the chemosensory proteins, i.e., four well conserved cysteine residues. The antennal protein was not detected in non-olfactory tissues (leg and thorax) contrary to a putative pheromone-binding protein isolated from the thorax of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta. In addition, these findings suggest that, as in Orthopterans and Phasmids, the protein that makes sense in the Argentine ant is not an odorant-binding protein, but rather a chemosensory protein.     

Ecoprofit-Styria-prepare Thirteen pollution prevention case studies in the Styrian industry

The paper focuses upon the organization of a federal state-funded pollution prevention project in the Styrian industry. The project includes 13 companies from the textile, pulp and paper, machine building, wood working and printed circuit board manufacturing industries, covering most of the sectors and sizes in the Styrian industry. It started in January 1994 and will last for one year. It will demonstrate the possibilities of pollution prevention and the need for further research work. This project will make use of the methods and tools that were refined in the Austrian Prepare project. As a first step, a systematic balance of all the inputs and outputs of a company is made, after which the weak points and inefficiencies of material and energy use are identified and the options for improvements, both economical and ecological, are defined. Consequently, modifications in products and production lead to a situation with less waste and emissions. The preliminary lessons from these projects are presented: as a rule, the utilities (consumption of process materials and water, cleaning, energy, preparatory and finishing steps) are treated as black boxes and usually represent a considerable optimization potential. In these areas especially there is usually a lack of information and coordination as well as a need for a systematic and comprehensive approach. Leadership in the company and creative consultants are needed for starting lasting successful pollution prevention projects.     

The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis

In 1858, two naturalists, Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace, independently proposed natural selection as the basic mechanism responsible for the origin of new phenotypic variants and, ultimately, new species. A large body of evidence for this hypothesis was published in Darwins Origin of Species one year later, the appearance of which provoked other leading scientists like August Weismann to adopt and amplify Darwins perspective. Weismanns neo-Darwinian theory of evolution was further elaborated, most notably in a series of books by Theodosius Dobzhansky, Ernst Mayr, Julian Huxley and others. In this article we first summarize the history of life on Earth and provide recent evidence demonstrating that Darwins dilemma (the apparent missing Precambrian record of life) has been resolved. Next, the historical development and structure of the modern synthesis is described within the context of the following topics: paleobiology and rates of evolution, mass extinctions and species selection, macroevolution and punctuated equilibrium, sexual reproduction and recombination, sexual selection and altruism, endosymbiosis and eukaryotic cell evolution, evolutionary developmental biology, phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance and molecular evolution, experimental bacterial evolution, and computer simulations (in silico evolution of digital organisms). In addition, we discuss the expansion of the modern synthesis, embracing all branches of scientific disciplines. It is concluded that the basic tenets of the synthetic theory have survived, but in modified form. These sub-theories require continued elaboration, particularly in light of molecular biology, to answer open-ended questions concerning the mechanisms of evolution in all five kingdoms of life.Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. hc mult. Ernst Mayr on the occasion of his 100th birthdayThis revised version was published online in March 2004, with corrections to the caption of Figure 6.