Tree height and not climate influences intraspecific variations in wood parenchyma fractions of angiosperm species in a mountain forest of eastern China

AbstractPremise: Parenchyma is an important cell type in the secondary xylem of angiospermtrees, with considerable variability in its abundance. However, the functional significance of these variations and their roles in plant ecological strategies is poorlyunderstood at the inter‐ and intraspecific levels.Methods: For this study, fractions of axial parenchyma cells (AP) and ray parenchymacells (RP) in xylem tissue were quantified for 156 individuals of 45 tree species alongan elevational gradient from 600 to 1600 m a.s.l. in eastern China. Environmentalfactors and height of sampled trees at each sampling site were also measured. Linearmixed models were employed to assess the relative extent of both intraspecific andinterspecific variations in parenchyma cells in xylem tissue fractions and to identifyintraspecific variations along environmental gradients (e.g., temperature andhumidity) and tree heights.Results: Interspecific variations explained the large diversity in AP fractions. Conversely, intraspecific variations accounted for ~50% of the overall variations in RPfractions. Further, intraspecific variations in the RP and the total AP and RP fractionsexhibited negative correlations with tree heights but showed no significant relationship with climate.Conclusions: Intraspecific variations in parenchyma cells in xylem tissue fractions arenot necessarily an adaptation or acclimation to changes in the environment but arecoordinated with tree heights

Advanced supercapacitor electrodes:Lignin-derived carbonaceous materials and graphene composites with inorganic additives for enhanced energy storage

Recently, sustainable supercapacitors have received much more attention as potential energy storage devices than fossil fuel-derived one because of their high power density, long life cycle, broad range of operating temperatures and environmentally friendly nature. However, developing environmentally friendly supercapacitors with impressive electrochemical stability at low cost is a significant challenge. Lignin, a readily accessible noncarbohydrate, is an interesting and promising electrode material for supercapacitor applications because of its low cost, high carbon content, and multifunctionality. This review article explores the recent progress of lignin/lignin-derived graphene or carbon-inorganic additive-based electrodes for supercapacitor applications. Initially, a brief overview of lignin categorisation, synthesis techniques, and properties is provided. Then, the most recent advancements in the synthesis methodologies and potential of lignin-derived graphene-like sheet electrodes and lignin-derived carbon/graphene-metal oxide or hydroxides/graphene oxide-based composite electrodes for supercapacitors are thoroughly discussed. Finally, the study is summarised, and the future challenges of lignin-based supercapacitors are addressed.</p

Tree height and not climate influences intraspecific variations in wood parenchyma fractions of angiosperm species in a mountain forest of eastern China

AbstractPremise: Parenchyma is an important cell type in the secondary xylem of angiospermtrees, with considerable variability in its abundance. However, the functional significance of these variations and their roles in plant ecological strategies is poorlyunderstood at the inter‐ and intraspecific levels.Methods: For this study, fractions of axial parenchyma cells (AP) and ray parenchymacells (RP) in xylem tissue were quantified for 156 individuals of 45 tree species alongan elevational gradient from 600 to 1600 m a.s.l. in eastern China. Environmentalfactors and height of sampled trees at each sampling site were also measured. Linearmixed models were employed to assess the relative extent of both intraspecific andinterspecific variations in parenchyma cells in xylem tissue fractions and to identifyintraspecific variations along environmental gradients (e.g., temperature andhumidity) and tree heights.Results: Interspecific variations explained the large diversity in AP fractions. Conversely, intraspecific variations accounted for ~50% of the overall variations in RPfractions. Further, intraspecific variations in the RP and the total AP and RP fractionsexhibited negative correlations with tree heights but showed no significant relationship with climate.Conclusions: Intraspecific variations in parenchyma cells in xylem tissue fractions arenot necessarily an adaptation or acclimation to changes in the environment but arecoordinated with tree heights

Understanding barriers to peatland restoration and possible pathways_Shetland_D3_O Connor Glenk.pdf

We summarize research aimed at improving our understanding of perceptions regarding peatland management, barriers to peatland restoration, and options for addressing the barriers. The research focuses on the Shetland Islands, Scotland, where greenhouse gas emissions from Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) make up more than two thirds of overall net emissions, largely due to emissions from peatlands which are often in degraded condition. Therefore, addressing peatland management is key to meeting local and national climate change targets. Specifically, there is a need to improve the condition of peatlands through rewetting – often termed “peatland restoration”.Crofting and small farms dominate agricultural activity on the Shetland Islands, offering opportunities and challenges to addressing ongoing peatland degradation, for example in relation to managing common grazing areas. While there are existing examples of successful peatland restoration on land used for grazing, concurrent restoration activity takes place primarily on wind energy project sites that form part of the energy transition of the Islands and Scotland as a whole.The objectives of our research were (i) to develop an understanding of barriers to peatland restoration on land managed by crofters and small farms; and (ii) to suggest possible pathways to mitigate the barriers and challenges that should be considered. Towards this end, we conducted a mix of informal interviews and semi-structured interviews with a wide range of participants across decision-making on peatlands, including crofters, NGOs, landowners, and community representatives.We identify four main barriers, related to:changes to criteria for public funding for peatland restoration;an uncertain policy arena;a need to better understand the institutional context for peatland; restoration on the Shetland Islands; anda lack of policies that are sufficiently adapted to the local context.Drawing on the factors contributing to the above barriers, we identify possible pathways forward for Scottish Government when trying to incentivise and encourage increased participation of crofters and small farmers in peatland restoration. These are:finding mechanisms to deliver agricultural support payments that may be better aligned social and cultural values of the land management sector;linking in restoration efforts as part of the broader approach to ‘Island proofing’; andempowering decentralised delivery partners with understanding of different context to allocate funding towards restoration projects.Overall, while peatland restoration offers huge potential for reducing LULUCF emissions alongside multiple other environmental benefits, encouraging communities to turn towards such activities requires changes to our social, political and economic systems, too. These changes, if taken, can shift towards a more just governance future for rural communities who would benefit materially and culturally from restored healthy peatlands

Breeding for pig welfare: Opportunities and challenges

Acceptable animal welfare is an integral part of sustainability. Selective breeding for improved animal welfare can benefit the economic and environmental aspects of pig farming, as well as being of direct benefit to the animal itself. Several traits have major welfare consequences but have proved difficult to improve through management change alone. Here we consider how past selection for productivity has affected welfare and give three examples of the state of the art in selective breeding aimed at improving welfare traits in their own right. Selection for complex welfare-relevant traits poses practical, economic and ethical challenges. Current and emerging innovations will significantly reduce the economic and practical barriers to breeding and allow efficient selection for traits that previously have been too expensive to record. Examples will be given of the new phenotyping techniques and genetic methodologies that are expanding the range of welfare traits that selection pressure can be exerted upon

A review on the scope and challenges of Saccharum spontaneum waste in the context of lignocellulosic biomass for sustainable bioenergy applications

Bioenergy production from lignocellulosic biomass waste is among the most promising options to produce sustainable economic fuel in an eco-friendly way. This review is an attempt to use and explore Saccharum spontaneum grass as a potential lignocellulosic biomass waste to produce bioenergy. Many advantages, like high cellulose and hemicellulose content, renewable nature, huge availability, and non-participation in the food chain, make this biomass a waste of immense interest. Nevertheless, existing challenges and limitations need to be addressed in view of sustainable bioenergy production from this biomass. In this review, an overview of the utilization of waste Saccharum spontaneum grass as a potential feedstock for developing bioenergy has been provided in view of its physicochemical properties, which are fascinating from the perspective of renewable energy production. Furthermore, advanced and lower-cost strategies are being discussed, along with the possible challenges found in pretreatment, bioconversion, and bioenergy production using lignocellulosic biomass. In view of available research studies on the utilization of Saccharum spontaneum grass to produce bioenergy, numerous processes and key strategies have been discussed and evaluated with those of different LCBs for the production of renewable energies. Additionally, existing limitations and future scope, along with possible solutions in the process of producing green energy, have been discussed.</p

Optimizing N applications increases maize yield and reduces environmental costs in a 12-year wheat-maize system

ContextMaize plays a crucial role in global food security, while extensive use of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in maize production has posed severe environmental risks. The challenge of optimizing N fertilizer applications to obtain high maize yield, high NUE and low N losses has received considerable attention but lacks evidence from long-term field experiments.ObjectiveThis study aims to quantify the influences of long-term continuous N applications on soil mineral N (SMN) and their subsequent effects on root growth, aboveground biomass accumulation, yield formation, and environmental benefits of maize, and determine the optimal N rate that ensures sustained high maize yield and environmental sustainability over the long-term.MethodsA winter wheat-summer maize double cropping system was established in the North China Plain (NCP) in 2010. This included five continuous N fertilizer treatments during the maize season, comprising 0, 75, 150, 225 and 300 kg N ha−1, which were denoted as N0, N75, N150, N225 and N300 in the study.ResultsIncreasing N rates resulted in higher N surpluses and SMN, leading to much higher aboveground biomass and maize yield, but also caused reduced NUE over the 12-year period. Specifically, the mean maize yield was 6.7, 8.8, 9.9, 10.4 and 10.1 Mg ha−1 for the N0–N300 treatments during 2011–2022, respectively. The low yield in the N0 treatment was mainly because long-term zero N inputs led to low SMN thus restricting roots growth, aboveground biomass accumulation and yield formation. In contrast, high SMN inhibited roots distribution, which subsequently negatively influenced post-silking dry matter remobilization and yield and thus caused a much lower harvest index (HI) in the N300 treatment. Effects of N fertilizer on maize yield intensified along with increasing experimental duration, thus requiring more N to achieve high yields in the latter years. The optimal N rates showed a strong positive correlation with the annual maximum yields over the experimental period, averaging 153 kg N ha−1 in achieving high yield, high NUE and low surplus.ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that the prolonged low N input could result in soil depletion, limiting maize growth and thereby compromising yield sustainability. Conversely, excessive N application led to SMN accumulation and higher N loss risks. The optimal N rate is 153 kg N ha−1 that can obtain long-term high maize yield stability while minimizing environmental costs in the NCP.ImplicationsOur long-term experimental results provide robust evidence for optimizing N fertilizer applications in achieving high yield and high NUE with low N surplus in maize production in the wheat-maize double cropping in the NCP and similar cropping systems worldwide

Managing reactive nitrogen in spring wheat cropping systems: insights from Kabul, Afghanistan

Ammonia (NH3) volatilization and nitrate leaching are significant pathways of reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses in agriculture, leading to environmental concerns. This study investigates nitrogen (N) losses in wheat production near Kabul, Afghanistan, aiming to improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for food security and environmental protection. Three fertilizer treatments were tested: (A) animal manure (2 t h−1) + 50% chemical fertilizer (urea and diammonium phosphate, DAP), (B) night soil (2 t ha−1) + 50% chemical fertilizer, and (C) full dose of chemical fertilizer, with sub-treatments varying in N application (25% less, 25% excess, and farmers' practice). A no-fertilizer control treatment was included. Ammonia emissions and nitrate-N (NO3-N) and ammonium (NH4-N) leaching were monitored, and NUE was calculated. Subsurface application (treatment A2) reduced ammonia emissions by 41.82% compared to 55% in surface applications (treatment A3) and 15% in control plots. Ammonium-N losses were lower in subsurface application (31%) than surface applications (53%). NUE was highest in surface application (103%) and lowest in subsurface (84%). Moreover, Partial Factor Productivity (PFP) was higher in treatments with 25% less N compared to those with 25% excess and conventional practice. The novelty of this study lies in the implementation of subsurface application techniques to reduce N losses and enhance NUE in this region, where such techniques are rarely used. These results offer a model for improving NUE by optimizing fertilizer and manure inputs, applicable to similar agricultural systems globally

Growth resilience to weather variation in commercial free-ranging chickens in Ethiopia

Background: The poultry industry in sub-Saharan Africa is a rapidly developing sector mostly based on smallholder farming. Increased demand for poultry-derived products, driven by the growing economy and population, has intensified importations of highly productive exotic breeds and crossbreeding with local ecotypes. However, commercial chickens with exotic genes often struggle to adapt to the local climate under smallholder farmers management. Understanding the chicken response to weather changes is crucial for developing selection schemes that ensure proper adaptation. In the present study, we derived individual phenotypes for growth resilience of commercial free-ranging chickens to changing weather conditions in Ethiopia. In addition, we performed genomic association analyses to assess the genetic background of these phenotypes and identify potential candidate genes of interest. Results: Novel resilience phenotypes describing changes in chicken growth profiles in response to weather fluctuation were developed. Variations in daily air temperature, relative humidity and amount of precipitation had the strongest impact on growth. Significant genomic variance was detected for growth resilience to changes in air temperature measurements and a temperature-humidity index. Genomic markers correlated with these resilience traits were mostly located within or near candidate genes associated with lipid metabolism and adipocyte homeostasis. Some of these genes have been previously linked to animal responses to environmental stressors in other species. Conclusions: The phenotypes of growth resilience of chickens to changing weather conditions exhibited significant genomic variation. The outcomes of this study may facilitate the genomic selection of commercial chickens that are not only highly productive, but also capable of maintaining their production levels under varying weather conditions.</p

Piglet mortality and morbidity: Inevitable or unacceptable?

Piglet mortality is a problem with complex aetiology, predisposed by the natural biology of a polytocous species which produces multiple offspring allocated disproportionate resources both in the pre- and post-natal environment. Intensive sibling rivalry to acquire limited uterine resources prenatally, and then limited nutrients postnatally, leads to a high risk of mortality for the weakest among the offspring. In the domestic pig these risks have been exacerbated by intensive selection for economic traits such as prolificacy and leanness. Therefore a certain amount of mortality would seem expected. The acceptability of death can be a subject of much ethical debate. However, even if death itself is not considered a welfare issue, the manner of dying is, particularly when it involves pain and/or suffering. Thus, whilst the life history strategy of the pig encompasses mortality risk, at what point does the inevitable become unacceptable for animal welfare