Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Charcoal carbon pool in North American boreal forests

Wildfire is the primary disturbance mechanism in much of the boreal forest, initiating succession and influencing ecosystem processes. While most organic matter is consumed, a small amount is converted to charcoal. Fire derived charcoal is highly resistant to mineralization, acting as a recalcitrant C pool, as well as contributing to ecosystem function through nutrient retention and nitrification. In this study we examined the charcoal content of soils across a 14–208-year post-fire chronosequence in the southern boreal forest of North America, and compared wildfire derived charcoal to laboratory produced charcoal. Charcoal stocks averaged 4.09 Mg ha−1 representing 2.19 Mg C ha−1; 8–10% of soil C in typical boreal soils. NMR results showed charcoal to be primarily aryl C with smaller amounts of alkyl-C, O-alkyl, and methoxyl groups. Charcoal stocks changed substantially over time with C content declining from 56% to 46% and a loss of more labile C groups. Charcoal from stands greater than 140 years old was almost entirely aryl C. Laboratory produced charcoal between 300 and 350°C was found to have comparable properties to wildfire charcoal. Charcoal C stocks in our study are 2–3 times greater than those reported for Eurasian boreal ecosystems, where non-stand replacing fire is the predominant disturbance; suggesting global estimates of boreal charcoal C stocks may need to be revised upwards to account for greater wildfire intensity in North American boreal forests. Boreal charcoal stocks in this study were found to represent an important long-term soil C stock, large enough to affect soil processes. Changes in C content and chemical composition, however, occur over time, especially in the first ∼100 years. In the absence of fire, management of boreal charcoal stocks may be required to maintain ecosystem function and C balance.
Respiratory loss and bulk export of organic matter from cattle dung pats: a field study

Respiratory loss and bulk transport of organic matter from dung pats in a Danish pasture were measured by a chromic oxide marker technique. Measurements covered the period until a dung age of 7-8 weeks. On average, respiration and transport contributed 46% and 54% of organic matter disappearance in three spring experiments: in three autumn experiments the corresponding values were 25% and 75%. Thus, both processes are important. The rate of transport was highest at the bottom of the pat, whereas the highest respiratory rate occurred in the top and periphery. During the first 10–14 days transport predominated, probably owing to the activity of dung insects, whereas respiration was remarkably low. During the remaining period, transport was probably affected mainly by earthworms. Respiration seemed to be mostly microbial and to proceed during dung pat decay in essentially the same way as did cellulolytic activity. Earthworms did not significantly affect the respiration of pats.
Residence time of a freshwater embayment connected to a large lake

The average length of time water remains within the boundaries of an aquatic system is a key parameter controlling the system's biogeochemical behavior. This timescale, generally referred to as the hydraulic residence time, provides a first‐order description of multiple and complex processes that drive transport. The procedures to estimate these transport timescales are reviewed and, through the analysis of numerical simulations, the links between residence timescales and the underlying hydrodynamic processes in a canonical freshwater embayment, Little Sodus Bay (LSB), are explored. LSB has negligible through‐flow and is connected permanently to Lake Ontario (LO) through a narrow and shallow channel. Exchange in the channel is the result of a multiple balance where spatial thermal variations (baroclinic forcing), oscillations in water level (barotropic forcing), frictional mixing, wind, and the effects of unsteadiness are all important. The simulations indicate that baroclinic processes are the dominant exchange and mixing mechanisms in embayments like LSB. The largest density gradients across the channel are caused by episodic upwelling events in LO during the stratified season, when exchange rates increase by at least an order of magnitude. The mean residence timescales undergo dramatic variations in time and space and, in general, are comparable to the timescales of the systems' variability itself. The simulations reveal that temporal variations of mean residence timescales occur at interannual, seasonal, and down to synoptic timescales, and are closely related to the occurrence and frequency of upwelling events.
Antimicrobial activity of selected medicinal plants of Margalla Hills, Islamabad, Pakistan

The present studies focus on the antimicrobial activities of the crude methanolic extracts of different plant parts of thirteen selected medicinal plants namely: Woodfordia fruiticosa , Adhatoda vasica , Chenopodium ambrosoides , Viburnum cotinifolium , Euphorbia hirta , Vitex negundo , Peganum harmala , Broussonetia papyrifera , Taraxacum officinale , Urtica dioica , Verbascum thapsus , Caryopteris grata and Mimosa rubicaulis collected from Margalla Hills Islamabad, Pakistan against four Gram positive namely: Staphylococcus aureus , Bacillus subtilis , Micrococcus luteus and Enterococcus faecalis and five Gram negative namely: Escherichia coli , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Klibsella pneumonia , Vibrio cholera and Enterobacter coccus bacterial strains. The fungal strains used were Aspergilus niger , Aspergilus flavus , Aspergilus fumigates and Rhyzoctonia solani . Woodfordia fruiticosa , Chenopodium ambrosoides , Viburnum cotinifolium , Euphorbia hirta , Vitex negundo and M. rubicaulis exhibited higher antibacterial activity showing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values as 1 mg/ml against E. faecalis and E. coccus . E. hirta was most affective against E. coli by inhibiting the growth showing MIC value of 1.0 mg/ml. Maximum antifungal activity against A. niger was exhibited by C. grata (87.77%) followed by E. hirta (79.72%) and V. cotinifolium (72.39%), respectively. A. vasica showed greater inhibitory properties (89.50%) against A. fumigates . Maximum inhibitory activity against R. solani was shown by V. negundo (100%). V. cotinifolium exhibited maximum activity against A. flavus (88.93%) and A. fumigates (82.6%). Key words:
Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) species diversity in the Pampas, Argentina

Abstract. A study was conducted to describe the major features of geographical and temporal variation in the diversity of grassland grasshopper species (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) in different sites of the Pampas, Argentina. Species richness and relative abundance were assessed at 12 sites in eastern La Pampa and western Buenos Aires provinces, from 1994 through 1999. Mean species richness at the regional level was 10, and 34 grasshopper species were collected throughout of the study. Comparison with grasshopper species diversity from the Great Plains of North America is discussed. An evaluation of the proportions of species in each of the three distribution groups (broad, intermediate and narrow) revealed that, over all sites, broadly distributed species made up 14.7% of species composition and intermediately and narrowly distributed species made up 26.5% and 58.8%, respectively. The three top‐ranked species in the studied sites were Dichroplus elongatus, D. pratensis and Staurorhectus longicornis. Results showed that, contrary to what was expected, one of the widely distributed species in the region (i.e. Baeacris punctulatus) does not always constitute one of the most abundant species. Finally, the loss of one of the historically most common species in the Pampas, D. maculipennis, is also discussed.
The Regulatory and Monetary Policy Nexus in the Repo Market

We examine the interaction of regulatory reforms and changes in monetary policy in the U.S. repo market. Using a proprietary data set of repo transactions, we find that differences in regional implementation of Basel III capital reforms intensified European dealers' window-dressing by 80%. Money funds eligible to use the Fed's reverse repo (RRP) facility cut their private lending almost by half and instead lent to the Fed when European dealers withdraw, contributing to smooth implementation of Basel III. In a difference-in-differences setting, we show that ineligible funds lent 15% less to European dealers as they find their withdrawal for reporting purposes inconvenient. We find that intermediation through the RRP led to quantity and not pricing adjustments in the market, which is consistent with the RRP facility anchoring market rates.
Species groups can be transferred across different scales

Aim To test whether species groups (i.e. assemblages of species co‐occurring in nature) that are statistically derived at one scale (broad, medium, or fine scale) can be transferred to another scale, and to identify the driving forces that determine species groups at the various scales.
Experimental warming and long-term vegetation dynamics in an alpine heathland

High mountain ecosystems are vulnerable to the effects of climate warming and Australia’s alpine vegetation has been identified as particularly vulnerable. Between 2004 and 2010, we monitored vegetation changes in a warming experiment within alpine open grassy-heathland on the Bogong High Plains, Victoria, Australia. The study was part of the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX Network) and used open-topped chambers (OTC) to raise ambient growing-season temperatures by ~1°C at two sites. We assessed the effects of experimental warming on vegetation composition, diversity and cover using ordination, linear models and hierarchical partitioning. Results were compared with vegetation changes at four long-term (non-ITEX) monitoring sites in similar vegetation sampled from 1979 to 2010. The warming experiment coincided with the driest 13-year period (1996–2009) since the late 1880s. At the ITEX sites, between 2004 and 2010, graminoid cover decreased by 25%, whereas forb and shrub cover increased by 9% and 20%, respectively. Mean canopy height increased from 7 cm to 10 cm and diversity increased as a result of changes in relative abundance, rather than an influx of new species. These vegetation changes were similar to those at the four non-ITEX sites for the same period and well within the range of changes observed over the 31-year sampling period. Changes at the non-ITEX sites were correlated with a decrease in annual precipitation, increase in mean minimum temperatures during spring and increase in mean maximum temperature during autumn. Vegetation changes induced by the warming experiment were small rather than transformational and broadly similar to changes at the long-term monitoring sites. This suggests that Australian alpine vegetation has a degree of resilience to climate change in the short to medium term (20–30 years). In the long term (>30 years), drought may be as important a determinant of environmental change in alpine vegetation as rising temperatures. Long-term vegetation and climate data are invaluable in interpreting results from short-term (≤10 years) experiments.
Linking environmental heterogeneity to the distribution and prevalence of Myxobolus cerebralis: A comparison across sites in a northern Utah watershed

Abstract Given the variable effects of Myxobolus cerebralis (the parasite that causes whirling disease) on trout populations in different streams across the intermountain West, it is important to understand the role of environmental variation in determining the distribution and prevalence (percent infected) of M. cerebralis in newly infected watersheds. We investigated the relationship between a selected group of environmental factors and the distribution and prevalence of M. cerebralis in wild salmonid populations in the Logan River, Utah. We also compared the results of polymerase chain reaction analyses of wild (free-ranging) fish and fish reared in sentinel cages. These results indicated that despite its recent widespread distribution, the prevalence of the parasite varied greatly across sites. The lowest prevalence among cutthroat Oncorhynchus clarki was found at the headwaters, where the average summer temperature was below 9.5°C, whereas high prevalence was associated with temperatures above 12°C.
Conservation genetics of edaphic endemics in naturally isolated habitats: a case study with Geocarpon minimum (Caryophyllaceae)1

Abstract Theory predicts that edaphic endemics should exhibit high levels of population differentiation due to restricted gene flow among patchily distributed habitats. Here, we tested this prediction with the federally threatened annual Geocarpon minimum, an edaphic endemic restricted to sandstone outcrops and slick spots associated with saline prairies in the Southeastern United States. We used AFLP data to quantify population genetic variation and structure in 13 G. minimum populations using a bulked sampling scheme. Modest but significant components of genetic variance are partitioned among populations (16%) and among regions (north, south; 3%). The maintenance of private bands within most G. minimum populations suggests limited gene flow among geographically isolated populations. However, a Mantel test failed to detect a pattern of isolation by distance. Estimates of within population variation in G. minimum are relatively low compared to other edaphic endemics with similar life-histories. Results suggest conservation efforts should focus on protecting genetically unique populations and ensuring that genetic variability is adequately captured in ex situ collections.
The Impact of Environmental Accountant's Ability on CSR Disclosure and Profitability of the Listed Companies in the Stock Exchange of Thailand

The objective of this study is to explore the impact of accountants` ability to recognize environmental aspect on CSR declaration and profitability of the listed companies in the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET). This model adopted two kinds of variables: two unobserved variables and two observed variables and utilized Form 56-1 data and notes to financial statement year 2016 of 150 listed companies in SET. By use a statistical method of descriptive analysis, causal relationship model and LISREL 8.80 Student Edition Program. The result shows that environmental accountant's ability to recognize environmental items EARE) has positive impact on corporate social responsibility Report (CSRD) with a statistical significance level of . 01 and coefficient of influence at 0.33 for corporate social responsibility report (CSRD) has positive impact on profitability (PFBL) whit coefficient of influence is at 1.00 and a statistical significance level of . 01. The implication of this research is that environmental accountant's ability can enhance opportunity of firm in improving profitability through the use of CSR disclosure.
Relation between explant age, total phenols and regeneration response in tissue cultured cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

The aim of this study is to determine total phenol amount of the explants and to expose relation between explant age, total phenols and regeneration response for tissue culture and gene transfer systems of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). In this study, total phenol amount of 7, 14, 21 and 28 day old cotton (G. hirsutum L) var. Nazilli 84S explants and excreted total phenols into culture media were determined during the germination period. Explants were originated from roots, hypocotyls, cotyledons and leaves. After germination, they were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media, supplemented with 0.1 mg/L kinetin (KIN) and grown at 25C under fluorescent light (7500 lux), 16 h light and 8 h dark for 3 weeks. Different regeneration ratios were obtained relative to explant age and total phenol amounts. Regenerated shoots were rooted on woody plant medium (WPM) supplemented with 1 mg/L indole-3-butyric acid (IBA).
Spatial and seasonal patterns of European short-snouted seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus distribution in island coastal environments

This study represents the first report on seahorses in the Macaronesian islands (North-East Atlantic), determining the spatial and seasonal abundance, population structure and physical appearance of European short-snouted seahorse Hippocampus hippocampus. Animals were surveyed off Gran Canaria Island in two bays, Melenara and Sardina del Norte, within three habitats: rocky bottom, artificial substrata and seagrass. Populations were monitored over a 5-year period (spring 2006–winter 2011) using 15-minute visual fast count (VFC) surveys. Seahorses were characterised by low abundances, small proportions of subadults and roughly equal sex ratios at each site. We aimed to determine whether environmental conditions and geographical position could explain differences in seahorse abundance and population structure between the study sites. Melenara Bay (mean sighting rate = 0.44 individuals VFC–1; SD 0.72) offered protected environments where seahorse distribution varied with substratum type, irrespective of season. Strong hydrodynamic forces in winter affected abundance and size at exposed locations in Sardina del Norte Bay (mean sighting rate=0.21 individuals VFC−1; SD 0.52). Our findings contribute to the scarce available knowledge about this Data Deficient species (IUCN Red List), helping to establish future conservation strategies and management recommendations for the preservation of H. hippocampus populations around Gran Canaria Island and other localities with similar coastal environments.
Do Financing Constraints Lead to Incremental Tax Planning? Evidence from the Pension Protection Act of 2006

Over the last three decades, academic research has sought to understand how cash shortfalls impact a firm’s ability to take all available value-increasing investment projects. We investigate whether firms facing greater financing constraints turn to tax strategies that generate lower cash effective tax rates (ETRs) to mitigate the adverse effect of these financing constraints. We use the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA 2006) as an exogenous shock to financing constraints for pension firms, but not for other firms. Using a difference-in-difference research design, we predict and find that pension firms experience a decrease in their cash effective tax rates by 1.8 to 2.4 percentage points after the PPA 2006, relative to other firms. These cash tax savings mitigate the investment shortfall brought about by financing constraints by 19 percent. We also predict and find that the decline in cash ETRs is greater among firms more adversely affected by the PPA 2006. Our paper sheds light on the direction, causality, and economic magnitude of the association between financing constraints and tax planning activities. We also provide insight into the role of tax planning activities within firms’ broader corporate business strategies in responding to financing constraints.
The functional response of kangaroos, sheep and rabbits in an arid grazing system

Red kangaroos Macropus rufus, merino sheep Ovis aries and rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus were studied in grazing trial in the arid zone of W New South Wales. Animals grazed a chenopod shrubland composed of low halophytic bushes of Maireana pyramidata interspersed with a herb layer of annual forbs and grasses. Maximum food intakes of rabbits, kangaroos and sheep during the trial were 68, 62 and 61 g kg-0.75 day-1, respectively. These intakes are similar despite the 30% difference in basal metabolic rates between eutherians and marsupials. All species avoided Maireana but when food was scarce sheep switched to it more strongly than did the other herbivore species. Sheep consumed 20% of their intake as Maireana at a pasture biomass of 250 kg ha-1 compared to only 10% y the other two species at this biomass. Maireana reached 20% of the intake of rabbits and kangaroos at a pasture biomass of 100 kg ha-1. Harvesting efficiencies (ability to maintain food intake at low vegetation biomasses) of kangaroos, sheep and rabbits were considerably higher than that of sheep grazing sown pastures in higher rainfall areas. The three herbivore species appeared equally capable of reducing the pasture to an ungrazable residuum of less than 20 kg ha-1. The relationship between food intake and food availability for each species of herbivore was an asymptotic function, suggesting that this, rather than a linear function, is the typical pattern for most mammalian herbivores
Natural-gradient learning for spiking neurons

Due to their simplicity and success in machine learning, gradient-based learning rules represent a popular choice for synaptic plasticity models. While they have been linked to biological observations, it is often ignored that their predictions generally depend on a specific representation of the synaptic strength. In a neuron, the impact of a synapse can be described using the state of many different observables such as neutortransmitter release rates or membrane potential changes. Which one of these is chosen when deriving a learning rule can drastically change the predictions of the model. This is doubly unsatisfactory, both with respect to optimality and from a conceptual point of view. By following the gradient on the manifold of the neuron's firing distributions instead of one that is relative to some arbitrary synaptic weight parametrization, natural gradient descent provides a solution to both these problems. While the computational advantages of natural gradient are well-studied in ANNs, its predictive power as a model for in-vivo synaptic plasticity has not yet been assessed. By formulating natural gradient learning in the context of spiking interactions, we demonstrate how it can improve the convergence speed of spiking networks. Furthermore, our approach provides a unified, normative framework for both homo- and heterosynaptic plasticity in structured neurons and predicts a number of related biological phenomena.