15 research outputs found
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Biomass allocation to resource acquisition compartments is affected by tree density manipulation in European Beech after three decades
This study reports on an investigation of fine root and foliage productivity in forest stands dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and exposed to contrasting intensities of mature forest harvesting. The main aim of this study was to consider the long-term effects of canopy manipulation on resource acquisition biomass compartments in beech. We made use of an experiment established in 1989, when five different light availability treatments were started in plots within a uniform forest stand, ranging from no reduction in tree density to full mature forest removal. We measured fine root standing stock in the 0ā30 cm soil layer by coring in 2013 and then followed annual fine root production (in-growth cores) and foliage production (litter baskets) in 2013ā2015. We found that the plot where the tree density was reduced by 30% had the lowest foliage and the highest fine root production. In 2013, this plot had the highest fine root turnover rate (0.8 yearā1), while this indicator of fine root dynamics was much lower in the other four treatments (around 0.3 yearā1). We also found that the annual fine root production represented around two thirds of annual foliage growth on the mass basis in all treatments. While our findings support the maintenance of source and sink balance in woody plants, we also found a long-lasting effect of tree density manipulation on investment into resource acquisition compartments in beech forests
Influence of the protein content of boar seminal plasma on spermatozoa viability, motility and acrosome integrity in diluted semen stored for 3 days
The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of the protein content of seminal plasma on the motility, viability and acrosome integrity of spermatozoa in extended semen stored for 3 days. A total of 32 semen samples (from four boars) with high (4 mg/ml) and 32 semen samples (from four boars) with low (2 mg/ml) protein content were investigated. The semen samples were diluted by BTS at a ratio of 1:4, and stored for 72 h at 17oC. The percentages of live sperm (LS), live sperm with damaged acrosome (LDA) and total sperm with damaged acrosome (TDA) were detected by flow cytometry. Sperm progressive motility (PM) was detected using CASA. After 72 h of storage, the percentage of LS and PM was significantly (P lt 0.01) higher, and the LDA and TDA were significantly (P lt 0.01) lower in samples with high protein content than in the samples with low protein content (LS = 66 vs. 44%, PM = 64 vs. 48%, LDA = 15 vs. 21% and TDA = 29 vs. 45%, respectively). When comparing the difference between 0 and 72 h of storage, the percentage decrease in LS and PM, while increase in LDA and TDA were significantly higher in the samples with low (LS: 75 to 44%; PM: 68 to 48%; LDA: 11 to 21% and TDA: 23 to 45%) than in the samples with high protein content (LS: 78 to 66%; PM: 70 to 64%; LDA: 9 to 15% and TDA: 17 to 29%). We concluded that protein content in seminal plasma has a significant influence on progressive motility, viability and acrosome integrity in diluted semen stored for 3 days
Reproduktivna efikasnost visoko-mleÄnih krava posle telenja
The aim of this work was to determine incidence of calving and postcalving reproduction disorders and their effect on the major parameters of cows reproductive efficiency at dairy farm in the R. Serbia. Total number of 1835 high-milking dairy cows (av. milk production >8500L/305d of lactation) records has been reviewed during one year period, at the large dairy farm in area of Vojvodina (R. Serbia). Normal calving and puerperal period without health problems was observed at 583 cows (27,6%), while different abnormalities during and after calving were recorded in 1252 cows (72,4%). The highest percentages of registered peripartal disorders were dystocia and endometritis (62% and 64%, respectively), affecting almost the same percentage of cows. Peripartal disorders had statistically significant influence (P lt 0.05) on the increase of number of services/conception (3,5 vs. 2,7, reproductive disorders vs. healthy cows, respectively), prolongation of the interval from first postpartal insemination till conception (110 vs. 57 days, reproductive disorders vs. healthy cows, respectively), and increase of days open period (214 vs. 146 days, reproductive disorders vs. healthy cows, respectively). This results have confirmed increased incidence of reproduction disorders during calving and postcalving period that significantly reduces reproductive efficiency in high milking dairy cows after parturition.Istraživanja u mnogim zemljama, tokom poslednjih decenija, pokazuju permanentan pad reproduktivne efikasnosti krava visoke mleÄnosti. Cilj ovog rada je da se utvrdi da li i u kojoj meri, peripartalni poremeÄaji imaju uticaja na osnovne parametre reproduktivne efikasnosti krava u naÅ”im proizvodnim uslovima. Istraživanjem je obuhvaÄeno ukupno 1835 krava, tokom jedne godine, na jednoj velikoj farmi sa visokom proizvodnjom mleka (proseÄna proizvodnja >8500L/305 dana laktacije) u regionu Vojvodine (Republika Srbija). Od ukupnog broja ispitivanih krava, telenje je proÅ”lo bez poremeÄaja kod 583 krave (27,6%), a razliÄiti poremeÄaji tokom i posle telenja su ustanovljeni kod 1.252 krave (72,4%). NajÄeÅ”Äe ustanovljeni peripartalni poremeÄaji kod visoko mleÄnih krava su teÅ”ko teljenje (62%) i endometritis (64%). Peripartalni poremeÄaji imaju statistiÄki znaÄajan uticaj (P lt 0,05) na poveÄanje indeksa osemenjavanja (3,5 prema 2,7), produženje intervala od prvog do fertilnog osemenjavanja (57 prema 110 dana), kao i na produženje trajanja servis perioda (146 prema 214 dana), u poreÄenju sa kravama bez poremeÄaja. Dobijeni rezultati pokazuju da na farmama visoko mleÄnih krava poviÅ”ena uÄestalost peripartalnih reproduktivnih poremeÄaja koji znaÄajno utiÄu na smanjenje reproduktivne efikasnosti krava nakon partusa
Effect of proteine content in boar seminal plasma on the sperm motility in diluted semen stored for 3 days
Recently, it was frequently demonstrated that fertility of sows after artificially inseminated is lower than after mating. This is associated with a reduced fertilization capacity of overdiluted insemination doses. The aim of this study was to investigate the sperm motility in the semen samples, forming from the ejaculates with high or low protein content, stored in vitro on 17 degrees C for 3 days. Progressive motility was significantly higher (p lt 0.01) in the ejaculates with high, compared to the ejaculates with low protein content (82% vs. 76%). After 3 days of storage, in the1:4 dilution proportion, the average progressive motility was significantly (p lt 0.01) decreased in relation to this value in native semen from the boars with high (82% to 64%), as well from the boars with low protein content in seminal plasma (76% to 48%). However, the average diluted semen progressive motility was significantly greater (p lt 0.01) in the boars with high (64%), compared to the boars with low protein content in seminal plasma (48%). The number of good diluted semen samples (>= 65% progressive motility), was also significantly (p lt 0.01) greater in the boars with high (41%), compared to the boars with low protein content in seminal plasma (12%). These results show that seminal plasma proteins play an important role in maintaining the sperm progressive motility of diluted semen in vitro stored for 3 days
Investigations of mature Scots pine stands in wind-throw areas in Norway spruce forests in Western Rhodopes
We investigated the current health condition (defoliation), state of natural regeneration, and mycoflora and phytopathogen-caused attacks in Scots pine forests (Pinus sylvestris L.) planted in the 1960s in areas affected by wind disturbances in the West Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria. Some damage types (resin outflow and anthropogenic damage) were present to a low extent in the research plots (S ā Selishte and PK ā Pobit Kamak). Some were missing completely (damage by deer and other animals, the presence of lignicolous fungi and abiotic damage). The most important results of this study were the following: i) the occurrence of the bark beetle pest Tomicus minor Hartig (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) was recorded on average in 4.6 (S) and 2.3 (PK) of fallen shoots under the tree crown within 1 m diameter around the stem; ii) significant damage to tree crowns due to the loss of assimilation organs in Scots pine trees (28% ā S and 39% ā PK, respectively) was several times higher than that recorded in Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) (10%); iii) tree species composition resulting from natural regeneration showed 95ā100% proportion of Norway spruce despite the predominance of Scots pine in the maternal stand. These observations might provide evidence of unsuitable environmental conditions in the studied localities for pine forests on the southern range of the natural P. sylvestris occurrence. Forest management in similar ecological and climatic conditions should aim at significant diversification of the forest stand structure by utilizing tree species suitable for the given ecosystems
Citoplazmatske kapi spermatozoida nerastova ā abnormalnost ili fizioloÅ”ka pojava?
Reprodukcija svinja danas predstavlja osetljivo polje delovanja veterinarske službe koje
znaÄajno utiÄe na profitabilnost svinjarske proizvodnje. Bez obzira na ovu Äinjenicu, neki
standardni pregledi razreÄenog semena nerastova kroz duži vremenski period predstavljaju
nezamenljiv naÄin kontrole kvaliteta dobijenog ejakulata. Cito-morfoloÅ”ki pregled izvodi se u
svrhu procene uÄestalosti pojavljivanja abnormalno graÄenih spermatozoida. Citoplazmaske kapi
javljaju se na srednjem delu spermatozoida, a po mestu lokacije, dele se na proksimalne i distalne.
Distalne citoplazmatske kapi ukazuju na nezrelost spermatozoida, rano uvoÄenje mladih
nerastova u reproduktivnu eksploataciju, prekomerno iskoriÅ”Äavanje priplodnjaka ili pak
poslediÄno pojavljivanje ovakvih spermatozoida kao odgovor na ambijentalne oscilacije ili druge
zdravstvene probleme vezane za nerasta. Ovaj rad predstavlja istraživanje koje je sprovedeno na
nerastovima (n=30), durok i landras rasne pripadnosti. Eksperimentalna grupa životinja dobijala
je peroralno zajedno sa kompletnom smeŔom za ishranu, dodatak preparata sa antioksidativnim
potencijalom. Za potrebe bojenja spermatozoida koriÅ”Äena je modifikovana metoda āāu jednom
korakuā (Mortimer, 1994; JoviÄin i sar., 2012). Primena dvofaktorske ANOVE za ponovljena
merenja pokazala je da nema statistiÄki znaÄajne razlike izmeÄu kontrolne i eksperimentalne
grupe nerastova u nalazima citoplazmatskih kapi spermatozoida (%) (F(7, 112)= 1,65, p= 0,13) u
odabranim vremenskim taÄkama. Iako nije zabeležena statistiÄki znaÄajna razlika, ovakav
rezultat, odnosno konstanta u broju ovakvih spermatozoida nerastova oznaÄava i ujednaÄenost
uslova pod kojim je ekseriment sproveden.Zbornik radov