Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Late Fall and Winter Nitrogen Fertilization of Turfgrass in Two Pacific Northwest Climates

Late fall N fertilization of cool-season turfgrass in northern climates is a common practice. Previous research has been focused in climates where freezing temperatures pre- vail. Research in more moderate northern climates where turf may not go through winter dormancy is scarce. Four fertilizer N sources and an untreated control were applied in four different months (November, December, January, or February) to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in Puyallup, Wash. , and to kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) In Pullman, Wash. , to compare their effects in moderate (Puyallup) and freezing (Pullman) winter climates. In Pullman, only November applications of ammonium sulfate (AmS) or polymer coated sulfur coated urea (PCSCU) enhanced winter turfgrass quality. In Puyallup, November or December application of AmS, PCSCU, or polymer coated urea (PCU) resulted in enhanced winter quality. Polymer coated urea yielded a delayed initial response and a longer residual effect in the spring. Isobutylidenediurea (IBDU) did not improve winter turf quality in either Pullman or Puyallup. Although there was no quality response following January fertilizer application, there was suppression of red thread (Laetisaria fuciformis (McAlpine) Burds. ) symptoms in Puyallup, indicating N uptake. Late fall fertilizer N in eastern Washington should be confi ned to November, using soluble or more quickly available slow-release nitrogen fertilizers. The application window can be extended to December in western Washington, and more slowly available coated ureas can be effectively used. Late fall N fertilization of cool season turf- grass in northern climates has become widely practiced over the last 15 to 20 years. Recom- mendations vary state-by-state, but generally include application of N at rates from 4.9 to 7.4 g·m -2 from November to mid-December (Rieke and Lyman, 2002; Stahnke et al., 2000; Street and White, n.d.). Recommended fertilizer types include soluble quick-release sources such as urea, ammonium nitrate, and ammonium sul- fate, and slow release sources such as coated urea products. Although visible growth of turf is slow dur- ing this time, the plant still takes up and utilizes N. Miltner et al. (1996) recovered 36% of 15 N-
Validation of a Three-Point Gait-Scoring System for Field Assessment of Walking Ability of Commercial Broilers

ABSTRACT A 3-point gait-scoring system used to evaluate broiler walking ability in welfare audits of commercial flocks in the United States was compared with the 6-point Kestin system. In 2 university trials, market-age broilers of 2 commercial varieties were gait-scored by 2 observers for each scoring system. Subsamples of birds were rescored and evaluated in latency-to-lie (LTL) tests. Too few birds had significant walking difficulties in these trials to allow for a good comparison of the 2 scoring systems across all the gait score categories, but the data were encouraging despite sampling limitations. There was a significant association between the 2 systems, and both had substantial between-observer agreement. Both scoring systems had significant correlations with LTL, but the variation of LTL was too high to give gait score or LTL much predictive value for each other. In the field observations, 2 teams of observers scored broilers 47 to 61 d of age on 5 commercial farms each. Two pairs of observers on each team scored the same birds, each pair using the 3-point system or the Kestin system. Broilers with walking problems were oversampled to obtain an adequate number in each gait score category. Weighted κ statistics showed substantial between-observer agreement in each system but more so in the 3-point system, suggesting that the application of the 3-point system was more consistent between observers. Spearman correlations between 3-point and Kestin scores for individual birds indicated good correspondence between the 2 systems. The simplicity of the 3-point gait-scoring system appears to facilitate between-observer agreement, making it preferable to more complex systems for use in commercial animal welfare audits. The correspondence between the gait-scoring systems validates the 3-point system in light of the 6-point Kestin system.
Biology of the Adult Stage of Ufens principalis (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an Egg Parasitoid of Homalodisca spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Southern California

ABSTRACT Aspects of the biology of the adult stage of Ufens principalis Owen (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), an important parasitoid of Homalodisca (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) eggs in southern California, were studied. The field-based sex ratio of U. principalis was significantly different from 1:1 and was female biased (62% females). Females and males did not differ significantly in size based on measurements of head width and hind tibia length, and these two variables were highly correlated. There was a significant effect of female age on egg load. Females aged 1, 4, and 5 d had significantly higher egg loads than freshly emerged females. There was also a significant positive linear relationship between egg load and hind tibia length. Egg load averaged 37.9 ± 1.1 eggs. Eggs, which measured 207.8 ± 12.2 µm in length, were elliptical with an anterior nipple-shaped constriction. The longevity of adults was significantly affected by temperature and food (1:1, honey/water). Food had a greater effect in prolonging life as temperature decreased from 35.0 to 10.0°C. The most long-lived adults were fed on honey and kept at 10.0°C (20.2 ± 3.3 d). The rate of parasitism was significantly affected by host age, being significantly higher for 0-h-old eggs than for 12-24-h-old host eggs. There was no significant difference in parasitism between 0-h- and 0-6-h-old eggs and between 0–6 and 12-24-h-old eggs.
Observations on the population and breeding status of the African White-backed Vulture, the Black-chested Snake Eagle, and the Secretarybird in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

The breeding success of the nests of 60 African White-backed Vultures Gyps africanus, nine Black-chested Snake Eagles Circaetus pectoralis and 12 Secretarybirds Sagittarius serpentarius was monitored for three years, during a seven-year population dynamics study on raptors in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP). We also report on nest site selection, timing of breeding, population fluctuations and anthropogenic factors that affect mortality. On average, African White-backed Vultures produced 0.47 young per breeding attempt per year (ypby), Black-chested Snake Eagles 0.67 ypby, and Secretarybirds 2.2 ypby. Most African White-backed Vultures laid eggs in June, and both Black-chested Snake Eagles and Secretarybirds laid mostly in June and July. Mean nest heights were as follows: African White-backed Vultures 11m, Black-chested Snake Eagles 5m, and Secretarybirds 6m. Populations of Black-chested Snake Eagles and Secretarybirds fluctuated between years and in some years most of the populations moved away, especially during very dry periods. Anthropogenic threats include poisoning, drowning and roadkills.
The Spermatozoon of Capilloventer Australis and the Systematic Position of the Capilloventridae (Annelida: Oligochaeta)

The spermatozoon and spermiogenesis of Capilloventer australis, an oligochaete annelid belonging to the family Capilloventridae, were examined with the aim of supplying further elements for the discussion of the phylogenetic position of the family. Capilloventer australis has a typical oligochaete spermatozoon, with an acrosome tube, mitochondria between the nucleus and flagellum, and a basal cylinder inside the basal body. The acrosome is plesiomorphic, with many characters in common with the Enchytraeidae. The nucleus is twisted, as that of most microdriles, but the middle piece is highly apomorphic in being formed by 11 mitochondria that are not in the usual radial arrangement. The basal cylinder is long and similar to that of the Enchytraeidae. Some features of spermiogenesis, including the acute angle between the nuclear and flagellar axes, are probably plesiomorphic. The spermatological study here presented supports a basal position for the Capilloventridae among the oligochaetes.
Research news: February 2009

An important debate in conservation concerns whether sustainable harvesting is acceptable as a means of conserving biodiversity or whether the main thrust should be towards increasing the number of totally protected areas. In no area is the debate more apparent than in the protection of forests world-wide and the use of sustainable forest management (SFM). Those in favour of SFM say that it is economically viable with lower operating costs and higher profits than conventional methods (Gascon et al., 1998), that protected areas cannot stand alone surrounded by a sea of degraded landscape and that SFM is the best way of ensuring buffer zones around such reserves (Cabarle, 1998), and that commercial logging is unlikely to stop, and with only 8 per cent of the world's forests under protection it is unlikely that a policy of protection can avoid massive species extinctions. Other evidence suggests that SFM is not economically viable and is therefore unlikely to be adopted by many commercial enterprises, that it may actually encourage companies to log continuously in remote forests, and that after nearly two decades of effort only a tiny percentage of tropical forests is managed sustainably (Bowles et al., 1998).
Age, growth and mortality of karut croaker Johnius carutta, Bloch, 1794 off Visakhapatnam, south-east coast of India

Age, growth and mortality parameters of karut croaker Johnius carutta were studied using the length data of 3,406 specimens ranging in length from 11 to 24.5 cm, collected from Visakhapatnam coast during January 2008 to December 2009. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters estimated were L∞ = 26.7 cm, annual K= 0.67 y-1, to= -0.1366 and T max (longevity) = 4.3 years. Length attained by the end of the first, second, third and fourth years were estimated as 14.2, 20.3, 23.4 and 25.0 cm respectively. Natural mortality (M) was estimated as 1.10, Total mortality (Z) 2.24 and fishing mortality (F) as 1.14. Exploitation rate (E) was 0.51. The growth performance index (Φ) for J. carutta (sexes pooled) was estimated as 2.679. The fishery was largely (91%) supported by first and second year age groups which are within the length groups from 13.5 to 18.9 cm.
Growth of the razor clam Ensis directus, an alien species in the Wash on the east coast of England

Samples of shells of the razor clam Ensis directus were examined in order to characterize annually forming shell marks (annuli). Shells from different grounds were aged by naked-eye examination. Back measurements at the identified annuli were used to generate length at age data, to which von Bertalanffy growth parameters were fitted.
Are growth forms consistent predictors of leaf litter quality and decomposability across peatlands along a latitudinal gradient?

1 Plant growth forms are widely used to predict the effects of environmental changes, such as climate warming and increased nitrogen deposition, on plant communities, and the consequences of species shifts for carbon and nutrient cycling. We investigated whether the relationship between growth forms and patterns in litter quality and decomposition are independent of environmental conditions and whether growth forms are as good as litter chemistry at predicting decomposability. 2 We used a natural, latitudinal gradient in NW Europe as a spatial analogue for future increases in temperature and nitrogen availability. Our screening of 70 species typical of Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands showed that leaf litters of Sphagnum mosses, evergreen and deciduous shrubs, graminoids and forbs differed significantly in litter chemistry and that the ranking of the growth forms was independent of the region for all litter chemistry variables. Differences among growth forms were usually larger than differences related to the environmental gradient. 3 After 8 and 20 months incubation in outdoor, Sphagnum‐based decomposition beds, growth forms generally differed in decomposability, but these patterns varied with latitude. Sphagnum litters decomposed slower than other litters in all regions, again explaining its high representation in organic deposits of peatlands. Forb litters generally decomposed fastest, while the differences among the other growth forms were small, particularly at higher latitudes. 4 Multiple regression analyses showed that growth forms were better at predicting leaf litter decomposition than chemical variables in warm‐temperate peatlands with a high N‐load, but less so in the subarctic, low‐N region. 5 Our results indicate that environmental changes may be less important in determining ecosystem leaf litter chemistry directly than are their indirect effects through changes in the relative abundance of growth forms. However, climatic and nutritional constraints in high‐latitude peatlands promote convergence towards nutrient‐efficient plant traits, resulting in similar decomposition rates of vascular growth forms despite differences in litter chemistry. The usefulness of the growth‐form concept in predicting plant community controls on ecosystem functioning is therefore somewhat limited.
Multiple Pleistocene refugia in the widespread Patagonian tree Embothrium coccineum (Proteaceae)

Embothrium coccineum J.R. Forst. & G.Forst is an endemic tree of the Patagonian temperate forest. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of last glaciation events on the genetic structure of this widespread and ecologically tolerant species, to postulate possible refugial areas. Phylogeographic analyses were performed using chloroplast DNA sequences (trnL-trnF spacer and ndhC-trnV spacer) from individuals collected in 34 populations along the total range of the species, and these results were compared with a similar study in Nothofagus. A total of 22 haplotypes were found, three of which were widely distributed while 13 were found at only one location. Historical demography suggests a long period of stable effective population size, decreasing gradually towards the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), followed by an increase in population size that stabilised 2500 years ago. The phylogeographic analyses reflect recent events of colonisation after the LGM from multiple refugia. In the northern area of its distribution probably the species survived in several pockets within the Andes mountain range and in Cordillera de la Costa in Chile. In the south, it is suggested that Embothrium survived the glacial period at the edge of the glaciers. These findings are in agreement with the fossil pollen record that shows 10 000-year-old grains in the south, suggesting colonisation from nearby areas when ice retreated. Embothrium is a coloniser that naturally occurs as scattered individuals within mixed forests. Hence, the shallow phylogeographic structure reported here reflects a Pleistocene signature highly impacted by drift resulting in the randomly fixation of new variants reducing the cpDNA structure.
A METHODOLOGICAL COMPARISON OF PHOTOSYNTHETIC OXYGEN EVOLUTION AND ESTIMATED ELECTRON TRANSPORT RATE IN TROPICAL ULVA (CHLOROPHYCEAE) SPECIES UNDER DIFFERENT LIGHT AND INORGANIC CARBON CONDITIONS 1

Gross oxygen evolution was compared with the electron transport rate (ETR), estimated from chl a fluorescence parameters on the common tropical green macro alga Ulva fasciata Delile with confirmatory carbon saturation curves from U. reticulata Forskål. Theoretically, the relationship between estimated ETR and gross oxygen evolution should be 4:1, that is, four electrons are transported through PSII for each molecule of oxygen evolved. However, deviations of the 4:1 relationship have previously been reported. Measurements were conducted with two commercially available and portable pulse amplitude modulated (PAM) chl fluorometers. We sought experimental approaches that minimize discrepancies between the two different measuring techniques of photosynthetic rates, both for in situ and laboratory conditions. Using fresh algal tissue for each of the different irradiances gave the best fit of gross oxygen evolution and ETR even at irradiances above light saturation, where large discrepancies between oxygen evolution and ETR are common. With increasing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations, there was a curvilinear response of gross oxygen evolution in relation to ETR. We therefore suggest to establish DIC saturation curves in the laboratory, oxygen evolution is probably the most relevant choice. Photorespiration could not readily explain a curvilinear response of O2 evolution and proportionally higher ETR at high irradiances. ETRs measured with the rapid light curve function of the PAM were compared with steady‐state rates of gross and net oxygen evolution, and the ETR was found to decrease at higher irradiances whereas oxygen evolution was constant.
Portent or accident? Two new records of thermophilic fish from the central Mediterranean

The blue tang Acanthurus coeruleus Bloch and Schneider, 1801 and the Red Sea bannerfish Heniochus intermedius Steindachner, 1893 are reported for the first time from the Maltese Islands, which also represents the first central Mediterranean record for both species. The new records are based on an individual of A. coeruleus observed in October 2013 and a specimen of H. intermedius caught in November 2014; no individuals of either species have been found since. The occurrence of these species in Malta may be due to a westwards range expansion in the Mediterranean, given that both species were previously recorded from the Levantine Sea, but they could also have been introduced directly in Maltese waters through the aquarium trade or by shipping, particularly since evidence for established populations in the eastern Mediterranean is lacking. The relevance of these new additions of thermophilic fishes to the central Mediterranean ichthyofauna is discussed in relation to ongoing biotic changes in this sea.
The exercise physiology of snapper (Pagrus auratus): implications for the better commercial harvesting of an iconic New Zealand finfish

Worldwide, an increasing demand for fish and fisheries products, together with socioeconomic pressure for industry expansion, is placing considerable pressure on wild fish stocks – more than 80% of which are considered by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) to be either maximally- or over-exploited. Adding value to the existing catch and/or improving the sustainability of current wild capture methods may offer a means of providing industry growth while negating the need for increased landings. In particular, the peri-mortem condition of a fish plays an integral role in the condition of the tissues post-mortem and hence in product quality, with harvesting techniques that result in stress or fatigue yielding a lower quality product. An understanding of the physiology of the target species and its response to harvest is therefore essential to implementing targeted improvements in harvesting technologies. For species harvested using trawl-based technologies, this includes knowledge of their exercise physiology, in particular their swimming capacity, since this is a key determinant of the interaction between fish and trawl gears, and hence of the nature and severity of stress experienced and of the condition of fish at landing. This thesis describes a series of discrete studies relating to the exercise physiology of juvenile snapper, Pagrus auratus, an iconic New Zealand finfish that comprises important recreational and commercial fisheries. In particular, we sought to characterise the capacity of snapper for sustained swimming activity, including how performance may differ between fish of different size or with environmental temperature; to determine the consequences of exhaustive exercise for both subsequent swimming activity, an important determinant of survival in escaping or discarded catch, and for tissue biochemistry, which ultimately determines product quality in harvested fish; to validate the use of laboratory-based simulations for the study of capture-related stress by comparing the response of laboratory-exercised snapper with commercially caught fish; and to determine the tolerance of snapper to environmental hypoxia, and further, the possible consequences of hypoxia for swimming capacity and for recovery in fish retained for subsequent rested-type harvest. The capacity of snapper for sustained swimming activity was characterised through the use of incremental exercise tests to determine critical swimming speeds, Ucrit. Juvenile snapper (94-107 mm length, 16-157 g mass) demonstrated a strong swimming capacity, with individual fish attaining critical swimming speeds of up to 7.1 body lengths per second (bl s⁻¹). Swimming performance demonstrated an allometric association, with absolute critical speeds increasing with fish size, whilst relative performance favoured smaller fish. The relation was described by the function Ucrit (m s⁻¹) = 0.003412 [length (mm)] + 0.2669. Critical swimming performance also exhibited variation in response to environmental variables. Thermal…
GROWTH AND YIELD RESPONSE OF ZEA MAIZE TO DIFFERENT TREATMENTS OF BIOFERTILIZERS

Two biofertilizers like Azotobacter and Azospirillum were used to inoculate maize seeds. Treatments included: T1=Control (Recommended dose NPK only), T2=Azotobacter + 50% NPK, T3=Azotobacter + 100% NPK, T4=Azospirillum + 50% NPK, T5= Azospirillum + 100% NPK and T6=Azotobacter + Azo-spirillum + 50% NPK. The results showed that all the traits relating to growth and yield responded significantly (P<0.01) to biofertilizers and T5 ranked 1st with 9.83 green leaves plant-1 at harvest, 135.50 cm plant height, 70.33 g cob weight. Similarly, T3 (Azotobacter + 100% NPK) ranked 2nd with 8.33 green leaves plant-1 at harvest, , 126.83 cm plant height, 17.16 cm ear length, 68.50 g ear weight, The control treatment T1 ranked 3rd 8.00 green leaves plant-1 at harvest, 107.66 cm plant height, 63.16 g cob weight. However, T6 (Azotobacter + Azospirillum + 50% NPK), T4 (Azospirillum + 50% NPK) and T2 (Azotobacter + 50% NPK) ranked 4th, 5th and 6th. Hence, seed inoculation with Azospirillum + 100% NPK proved to be more effective than Azotobacter for producing profitable maize production for grain and fodder purpose.
COMPARATIVE DEMOGRAPHY OF THREE SPECIES OF SCLERACTINIAN CORALS USING AGE- AND SIZE-DEPENDENT CLASSIFICATIONS'

Three species of massive reef-building coral, Goniastrea aspera, G. favulus, and Platygyra sinensis, were studied on two fringing reef flats in the central Great Barrier Reef from 1982 to 1984. Total population sizes ranged from 25 to 292 colonies, and remained relatively constant. Population structures and dynamics based on both age and size were described. Differences between these two classifications were primarily due to tissue fission or shrinkage of colonies. In populations dominated by small size classes, young corals were not necessarily the most abundant. Similarly, populations dominated by the largest size classes were not always dominated by the oldest corals. In several populations, mean colony size decreased slightly with increasing age, though variability in size also increased. Mortality patterns were similar in all three species, with the youngest genets and smallest ramets suffering the highest death rates. While mortality in older or larger corals was low, the incidence of partial mortality and fission was higher in these groups. Age-specific fecundity increased rapidly once reproductive age was reached at - 5 yr, but fecundity decreased slightly in the older age classes due to the decrease in mean colony size. Estimated mean generation times ranged from 33 to 37 yr.