Birds as major predators of fishes in the East Kleinemonde Estuary     

Paul D Cowley  Anja I Terörde  Alan K Whitfield 《African Zoology》2017,52(3):147-154

This study provides a quantitative account of fish predation by piscivorous birds in the temporarily open/closed East Kleinemonde Estuary and represents the first global attempt to simultaneously relate such consumption to production by a fish community in the same estuary. Cormorants and herons were the dominant predators and seasonal variations in the avifaunal community composition were noted. Based on comprehensive counts over three years, the piscivorous bird population was estimated to have consumed a maximum of 4 414?kg of fish in 1994, 2 400?kg in 1995/96 and 2 960?kg in 2004/05. In 1995/96 fish production in the East Kleinemonde Estuary (55.89?g m^?2 a^?1) was estimated at 9 780?kg and maximum bird predation amounted to 25% of annual fish production within the system over the same period, assuming that all birds counted on the estuary foraged there and that the diet of these birds comprised only fish. The above 1995/96 figures, together with an estimate of fish predation by the dominant piscivorous fish Lichia amia of 696?kg suggests that birds are probably the single most important natural predator of fishes within this estuary. An unusual mass invasion by marine Cape Cormorants Phalacrocorax capensis during July 1994 was responsible for large-scale predation of fish (2 155?kg) and resulted in the population of estuary-associated marine fishes declining from approximately 63 300 to about 18 600 individuals during the 1994 closed phase. Given that little or no marine fish recruitment was possible while the estuary mouth was closed, piscivorous birds are likely to have a higher predatory impact on populations of juvenile marine fishes in small temporarily closed estuaries than in larger permanently open systems.  相似文献   

Effect of grazing intensity and soil characteristics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen stocks in a temperate long-term grassland     

Anja Nüsse  Deborah Linsler  Michael Kaiser  Dorothee Ebeling  Bettina Tonn  Johannes Isselstein 《Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science》2017,63(12):1776-1783

The effects of different grazing pressures (GPs) on soil properties are not sufficiently understood. The objectives were to analyse the effects of three different extensive GPs on stocks of soil organic C and total N, soil microbial biomass C, basal respiration and mineral N in three different soil depths of a long-term pasture in Central Germany (FORBIOBEN field trial). No significant (p ≤ 0.05) effects of GP on weighted stocks of soil organic C, total N, soil microbial biomass C, mineral N and basal respiration rate were observed, suggesting that the C and N cycles are coupled in the three grazing treatments. Oxalate soluble Fe contents explained a marked part of the variation of soil organic C (multiple linear regression: R² = 0.64) and total N contents (R² = 0.64) in the soils, whereas almost all of the variability of soil microbial biomass C contents and basal respiration was explained by soil organic C contents. Overall, variabilities of soil organic C and N contents were largely explained by oxalate soluble Fe contents, whereas grazing intensity did not affect the C and N dynamics.  相似文献   

Biochar application to sandy soil: effects of different biochars and N fertilization on crop yields in a 3-year field experiment     

Anja Sänger  Katharina Reibe  Jan Mumme  Martin Kaupenjohann  Frank Ellmer  Christina-Luise Roß 《Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science》2017,63(2):213-229

During the past years, most biochar studies were carried out on tropical soils whereas perennial field experiments on temperate soils are rare. This study presents a 3-year field experiment regarding the effects of differently produced biochars (pyrolyzed wood, pyrolyzed maize silage, hydrothermal carbonized maize silage) in interaction with digestate incorporation and mineral N fertilizer application on soil C and N, crop yields of winter wheat, winter rye and maize and the quality of winter wheat. Soil C and plant available potassium were found to be significantly positive affected by pyrolyzed wood biochar whereas the latter only in combination with N fertilization. Crop yields of winter wheat, winter rye and maize were not affected by biochar and showed no interaction effects with N fertilizer supply. Wheat grain quality and nutrition contents were significantly affected by biochar application, for example, highest amounts of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium were determined in treatments amended with pyrolyzed maize silage biochar. Biochar induced an improved availability of plant nutrients, which apparently were not yield limiting in our case. These results limit the potentials of biochar for sustainable intensification in agriculture by increasing crop yields for the temperate zones. However, detection of other environmental benefits requires further investigations.  相似文献   

Impacts of Fair Trade certification on coffee farmers,cooperatives, and laborers in Nicaragua   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Joni Valkila  Anja Nygren 《Agriculture and Human Values》2010,27(3):321-333

This paper analyzes the possibilities and challenges of Fair Trade certification as a movement seeking to improve the well-being of small-scale coffee growers and coffee laborers in the global South. Six months of fieldwork was conducted in 2005–2006 to study the roles of a wide range of farmers, laborers, cooperative administrators, and export companies in Fair Trade coffee production and trade in Nicaragua. The results of our evaluation of the ability of Fair Trade to meet its objectives indicate that Fair Trade’s opportunities to provide a significant price premium for participating farmers largely depend on world coffee prices in mainstream markets. While Fair Trade has promoted premiums for social development for participating producers and strengthened the institutional capacities of the cooperatives involved, its ability to enhance significantly the working conditions of hired coffee laborers remains limited.  相似文献   

Detection of bacterial and viral organisms from the conjunctiva of cats with conjunctivitis and upper respiratory tract disease     

Anja D. Hartmann  Jennifer Hawley  Christiane Werckenthin  Michael R. Lappin  Katrin Hartmann 《Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery》2010,12(10):775-782

  相似文献   

Clinical pharmacology of methadone in dogs     

Carina Ingvast-Larsson  Anja Holgersson  Ulf Bondesson†  Anne-Sofie Lagerstedt‡  & Kerstin Olsson§ 《Veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia》2010,37(1):48-56

ObjectiveTo investigate the pharmacokinetics and effects of methadone on behaviour and plasma concentrations of cortisol and vasopressin in healthy dogs.Study designRandomized, cross-over, experimental trial.AnimalsNine adult dogs (beagle and beagle cross breeds), four males and five females.MethodsMethadone hydrochloride, 0.4 mg kg^?1, was administered intravenously (IV) and subcutaneously (SC) with a crossover design. Drug and hormone analyses in plasma were performed using Liquid Chromatography–Electrospray Ionization–Tandem Mass Spectrometry and radioimmunoassay respectively. Behavioural data were collected using a standardized protocol.ResultsAfter IV administration, the plasma concentration of methadone at 10 minutes was 82.1 ± 9.2 ng mL^?1 (mean ± SD), the terminal half-life was 3.9 ± 1.0 hours, the volume of distribution 9.2 ± 3.3 L kg^?1 and plasma clearance 27.9 ± 7.6 mL minute^?1 kg^?1. After SC administration, time to maximal plasma concentration was 1.26 ± 1.04 hours and maximal plasma concentration of methadone was 23.9 ± 14.4 ng mL^?1, the terminal half-life was 10.7 ± 4.3 hours and bioavailability was 79 ± 22%. Concentrations of both cortisol and vasopressin were increased for an hour following IV methadone. The observed behavioural effects of methadone were decreased licking and swallowing and an increase in whining after SC administration. The latter finding is notable as it can be misinterpreted as pain when methadone is used as an analgesic.Conclusion and clinical relevanceWhen methadone was administered by the SC route, the half-life was longer, but the individual variation in plasma concentrations was greater compared with IV administration. Increased frequency of whining occurred after administration of methadone and may be a drug effect and not a sign of pain. Cortisol and vasopressin concentrations in plasma may not be suitable for evaluating analgesia after methadone treatment.  相似文献   

Search of environmental descriptors to explain the variability of the bacterial diversity from maize rhizospheres across a regional scale     

Thelma Castellanos  Anja B. Dohrmann  Gwenaël Imfeld  Susanne Baumgarte  Christoph C. Tebbe 《European Journal of Soil Biology》2009,45(5-6):383-393

The regional scale variability of the bacterial community inhabiting the rhizosphere was studied with soil collected from maize fields located in the Santo Domingo Valley (SDV; Baja California Sur, Mexico), a semi-arid agricultural ecosystem of approximately 200 km². The bacterial community structure was visualized by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) profiles of PCR-amplified partial 16S rRNA genes of directly extracted rhizosphere soil DNA. SSCP profiles of different SDV sites and an external field site in Germany were evaluated for their similarities and the contributing bacteria were characterized by DNA sequence analyses. SSCP profiles from each site were significantly different from the others, as revealed by permutation of pairwise similarities (P < 0.05). In comparison to the German site, SSCP profiles from SDV were more similar to each other despite contrasting soil salinity levels. Correspondence analysis revealed that among SDV sites, salinity levels, soil organic carbon and calcium (Ca²⁺) were most influential on the bacterial community structure. Depending on the phylogenetic group analyzed (Bacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas), the importance of these soil variables varied. Interestingly, the East–West direction also revealed an effect, suggesting that future explorations of bacterial diversity patterns should also consider landscape topography in search of explaining patterns of bacterial diversity in soils.  相似文献   

Carbon dioxide evolution from top- and subsoil as affected by moisture and constant and fluctuating temperature   总被引：8，自引：0，他引：8  

Anja Lomander  Thomas Kätterer  Olof Andrén 《Soil biology & biochemistry》1998,30(14):2017-2022

Topsoil (0–25 cm) and subsoil (30–55 cm) samples were taken from clay soil which had been cropped with reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea). After crumbling the soil into fragments <10 mm and removing visible organic debris, CO₂ evolution was measured in the laboratory at four moisture contents (17, 26, 36 and 50% H₂O for the topsoil and 16, 23, 31 and 41% for the subsoil) and at constant temperatures of −4, 0.3, 5, 15, 25, and temperatures fluctuating (weekly) between −4 and +5°C. Evolution of CO₂ after the addition of roots or stubble of P. arundinacea to the topsoil (25°C, 36% H₂O) was also studied. The CO₂ evolution increased significantly with temperature and moisture. The CO₂ evolution rate per unit of soil carbon was about two times higher for topsoil than for subsoil. Temperature fluctuation between −4 and +5°C did not enhance CO₂ evolution significantly compared with incubation at a constant 5°C and was even lower than or not significantly different from samples at 0.3°C.  相似文献   

Modelling the effects of temperature and moisture on CO₂ evolution from top- and subsoil using a multi-compartment approach   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Anja Lomander  Thomas Kätterer  Olof Andrén 《Soil biology & biochemistry》1998,30(14):2023-2030

A novel approach, at least for laboratory conditions, for analysis of the dependence of soil C evolution on temperature is presented. A two-component (labile and refractory organic C) parallel first-order model was fitted to CO₂ evolution rates from top- and subsoil, incubated at different combinations of temperature (constant −4, 0.3, 5, 15, 25, weekly fluctuating between −4 and +5°C) and moisture (17, 26, 36 and 50% H₂O for the topsoil and 16, 23, 31 and 41% for the subsoil) and to the evolution of CO₂ after the addition of roots or stubble of Phalaris arundinacea in the topsoil, measured at 25°C and 36% H₂O (Lomander et al., 1998). The size of the pools and their respective first-order rate constants were optimized simultaneously by a least-squares method. The optimization was carried out separately for top- and subsoil. Quadratic functions were fitted to the temperature and moisture responses. For topsoil samples in which roots or stubble were added, a three-component model (labile, refractory and stubble or roots) was used. The initial partitioning of the soil C, the decomposition rate constants for each partition and the temperature and moisture responses were all assumed to be identical to those of pure topsoil, while the initial pool sizes of added roots and straw were measured. The calculated temperature at which CO₂ evolution ceased (T_min) was −0.83°C, and a recalculation to Q₁₀-values resulted in increasing temperature response with decreasing temperature (Q₁₀=2.2 at 25°C and 12.7 at 0.3°C). Simulated CO₂ evolution rates agreed well with the measurements (R_adj²=0.96 and 0.81) for top- and subsoil, respectively. The multi-compartment approach was superior to the single-compartment approach, which gave R_adj²=0.88 and 0.76 for top- and subsoil, respectively. In general, CO₂ evolution rates obtained from the laboratory experiment were higher than those measured in the field, even after differences in temperature and moisture were taken into account. After 300 d in the laboratory at 25°C and 36% H₂O, 99% and 86% of the added straw and roots, respectively, had disappeared according to the described model. The CO₂-evolution rate per unit of soil carbon was about two times higher for topsoil than for subsoil.  相似文献   

Towards the construction of a resistance risk evaluation scheme     

Ton J. W. Rotteveel  Joost W. F. M. de Goeij  Anja F. van Gemerden 《Pest management science》1997,51(3):407-411

Pesticide resistance management needs an indication of the risk of resistance developing in pests against pesticide applications. This paper describes an evaluation system for the ranking of these risks. The term pests includes all organisms which are causing economic damage in agriculture, including weeds and plant pathogens. The system distinguishes six broad risk categories. It is based on expert judgement of answers to a maximum of ten questions on crop husbandry, pest biology and pest control. The system has been developed for registration purposes in The Netherlands, and is currently being discussed within the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO). ©1997 SCI  相似文献