Farm cooperation to improve sustainability

In this paper, it is demonstrated that partnership arrangements between farmers might be a way to secure the economic viability of their farms as well as to increase profitability. The article discusses empirical analyses of three different forms of collaboration, with an emphasis on the environmental improvements associated with collaboration. Collaboration between a dairy farm and a crop farm is analyzed in the first case. The results show that potential gains from improved diversification and crop rotation are substantial, and even larger when the collaboration also involves machinery. The second analysis considers external integration between farrowing and finishing-pig operations. Gains from collaboration originate from biological and technical factors, such as improved growth rate of the pigs and better utilization of buildings. Finally, an evaluation of a group of collaborating crop farmers is performed. In this case, the benefits that arise are mainly due to reduced machinery costs and/or gains due to other factors, such as improved crop rotation and managerial/marketing strategies.     

Stable isotope fractionation analysis as a tool to monitor biodegradation in contaminated acquifers

The assessment of biodegradation in contaminated aquifers has become an issue of increasing importance in the recent years. To some extent, this can be related to the acceptance of intrinsic bioremediation or monitored natural attenuation as a means to manage contaminated sites. Among the few existing methods to detect biodegradation in the subsurface, stable isotope fractionation analysis (SIFA) is one of the most promising approaches which is pronounced by the drastically increasing number of applications. This review covers the recent laboratory and field studies assessing biodegradation of contaminants via stable isotope analysis. Stable isotope enrichment factors have been found that vary from no fractionation for dioxygenase reactions converting aromatic hydrocarbons over moderate fractionation by monooxygenase reactions (epsilon=-3 per thousand) and some anaerobic studies on microbial degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons (epsilon=-1.7 per thousand) to larger fractionations by anaerobic dehalogenation reactions of chlorinated solvents (epsilon=between -5 per thousand and -30 per thousand). The different isotope enrichment factors can be related to the respective biochemical reactions. Based on that knowledge, we discuss under what circumstances SIFA can be used for a qualitative or even a quantitative assessment of biodegradation in the environment. In a steadily increasing number of cases, it was possible to explain biodegradation processes in the field based on isotope enrichment factors obtained from laboratory experiments with pure cultures and measured isotope values from the field. The review will focus on the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorinated solvents as the major contaminants of groundwater. Advances in the instrumental development for stable isotope analysis are only mentioned if it is important for the understanding of the application.     

Phytoextraction with Brassica napus L.: a tool for sustainable management of heavy metal contaminated soils

Phytoextraction is a promising tool to extract metals from contaminated soils and Brassica napus L. seems to be a possible candidate species for this purpose. To select accessions with the ability to accumulate cadmium, hydroponically grown 21 day old seedlings of 77 B. napus L. accessions were exposed to 0.2 microM CdSO(4) for an additional 10 days. The effects of Cd on several parameters were quantified i.e.; shoot Cd concentration ([Cd](shoot)), total amount of Cd in shoots (Total Cd) and the shoot to root Cd concentration ratio (S/R ratio). Though generally natural variation was low for [Cd](shoot), Total Cd and S/R ratio, a number of accessions could be selected. Our results indicated that Total Cd and S/R ratio are independent parameters for Cd accumulation and translocation. The selected varieties were then tested in field experiments on two locations nearby metal smelters. The two locations differed in extractable soil Cd, Zn, Ca concentration and pH levels. On both locations B. napus L. accessions showed significant differences in [Cd](shoot) and Total Cd. Furthermore we found significant correlations between Cd and Zn accumulation in shoots. There were site-specific effects with respect to Cd accumulation in the B. napus L. accessions, however, two accessions seem to perform equally well on both sites. The results of the field experiment suggest that certain B. napus L. accessions are suitable for phytoextraction of moderately heavy metal contaminated soils.     

Power and Sample Size Calculations for Linear Hypotheses Associated with Mixtures of Many Components using Fixed-Ratio Ray Designs

Response surface methodology, often supported by factorial designs, is the classical experimental approach that is widely accepted for detecting and characterizing interactions among chemicals in a mixture. In an effort to reduce the experimental effort as the number of compounds under study is increased, ray designs have been proposed to study combinations of chemicals. When interest is restricted to relevant mixing ratios, we are only interested in making inference along the specific rays of interest, as opposed to methods which use designs that require more experimental effort to support the estimation of a response surface over a broader experimental region. Methods have been developed for the test of additivity along multiple fixed-ratio rays. Of primary importance is the detection of interactions with reasonable power. The objective of this paper is to address power and sample size issues related to the hypothesis of no interaction.     

Investigation of long-term hazards of chemical weapon agents in the environment of Sardasht area,Iran

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The present study aimed to investigate the persistence and existence of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) and related dissipation products in the...     

Biochemistry of lignification

The complete set of enzymes that catalyze the reactions from l-phenylalanine to substituted cinnamyl alcohols is now known. The latter compounds are the primary building stones of lignin. The individual reactions and the possible modes of regulation of this pathway are discussed. The polymerization of cinnamyl alcohols to lignin is mediated by peroxidase. The significance of cell-wall-bound peroxidases in this process and the origin of hydrogen peroxide are reviewed. Finally, the possible role of lignification in relation to disease resistance is discussed.     

Community assembly in epiphytic lichens in early stages of colonization

Colonization studies may function as natural experiments and have the potential of addressing important questions about community assembly. We studied colonization for a guild of epiphytic lichens in a former treeless heathland area of 170 km2 in southwest Norway. We investigated if epiphytic lichen species richness and composition on aspen (Populus tremula) trees corresponded to a random draw of lichen individuals from the regional species pool. We compared lichen communities of isolated young (55-120 yr) and old (140-200 yr) forest patches in the heathland area to those of aspen forest in an adjacent reference area that has been forested for a long time. All thalli (lichen bodies) of 32 selected lichen species on trunks of aspen were recorded in 35 aspen sites. When data for each site category (young, old, and reference) were pooled, we found the species richness by rarefaction to be similar for reference sites and old sites, but significantly lower for young sites. The depauperated species richness of young sites was accompanied by a skew in species composition and absence of several species that were common in the reference sites. In contrast, genetic variation screened with neutral microsatellite markers in the lichen species Lobaria pulmonaria showed no significant differences between site categories. Our null hypothesis of a neutral species assembly in young sites corresponding to a random draw from the regional species pool was rejected, whereas an alternative hypothesis based on differences in colonization capacity among species was supported. The results indicate that for the habitat configuration in the heathland area (isolated patches constituting < 0.4% of the area) lichen communities may need a colonization time of 100-150 yr for species richness to level off, but given enough time, isolation will not affect species richness. We suggest that this contradiction to expectations from classical island equilibrium theory results from low extinction rates.     

Completely disjunct mitochondrial DNA haplotype distribution without a phylogeographic break in a planktonic developing gastropod

Planktonic developing organisms are generally assumed to be good dispersers showing little genetic structuring in neutral markers. At first glance, this also applies to the planktonic developing periwinkle Tectarius striatus, an endemic gastropod from Macaronesia (i.e. Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands), where the only sign of genetic structuring hitherto is provided by a non-significant allozyme/RAPD heterogeneity between the Cape Verde Islands and the other archipelagos. However, partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b and cytochrome oxidase I genes now show that the Cape Verde Islands and the three other archipelagos have no haplotypes in common, whereas the latter three do share several haplotypes. Nevertheless, this highly disjunct haplotype distribution does not entail a phylogeographic break separating the haplotypes of both areas in two reciprocally monophyletic groups. This remarkable geographic and phylogenetic structuring may be explained by assuming that T. striatus colonized the Macaronesian archipelagos in periods when sea levels were lower (and/or volcanic activity was higher), so that seamounts peaked above sea level and could act as stepping-stones. Yet, after the last glacial period seamounts submerged, thus preventing further stepping-stones mediated dispersal of T. striatus between the Cape Verde Islands and the other archipelagos, while not affecting dispersal among the latter because of their closer proximity and connectivity. Hence, these contrasting patterns of neutral genetic variation in T. striatus show that genetic structuring in planktonic developing species may be far more complex than is usually assumed.     

Epipelagic mesozooplankton succession and community structure over a marine ouffall area in the northeastern South China Sea

This study analyses distribution and abundance patterns of mesozooplankton communities at 13 stations in the coastal waters over a marine outfall area in the northeastern South China Sea. Cruises were conducted in March, June and September 2002, and plankton samples were collected with a 333 microm North Pacific net. The Mesozooplankton was dominated by calanoid Copepods, Cladocera, Chaetognatha and Pteropoda. Stations located near the entrance of the harbor provided a relatively higher abundance of Noctilucales and Radiolarians. In total, 20 zooplankton groups were identified in which, Calanoida, Cladocera, Chaetognatha, Pteropoda, Poecilostomatoida and Appendicularia comprised 92.77% of the total zooplankton abundance. Copepoda dominated in all three cruises, comprising 65.32% of the total mesozooplankton abundance. Samples collected in June recorded higher mesozooplankton abundance than March and September samples. Onshore stations recorded higher BOD values, higher abundance of Noctilucales and Radiolarians and a relativelylower abundance of the overall mesozooplankton. Total mesozooplankton abundance did not correlate significantly with temperature, pH, or dissolved oxygen, but correlated negatively with BOD.