Everything counts! - Warum kleine Gemeinden die Gewinner der Zensuserhebung 2011 sind

The population and housing census 2011 was an EU-wide census in all EU member states. In Germany, the basis was a largely register-based method. In this paper, it is shown that communities with less than 10.000 inhabitants have significantly less relative losses in the number of inhabitants compared to communities with more than 10.000 inhabitants.Comment: in Germa

The Arctic picoeukaryote Micromonas pusilla benefits synergistically from warming and ocean acidification

In the Arctic Ocean, climate change effects such as warming and ocean acidification (OA) are manifesting faster than in other regions. Yet, we are lacking a mechanistic understanding of the interactive effects of these drivers on Arctic primary producers. In the current study, one of the most abundant species of the Arctic Ocean, the prasinophyte Micromonas pusilla, was exposed to a range of different pCO2 levels at two temperatures representing realistic current and future scenarios for nutrient-replete conditions. We observed that warming and OA synergistically increased growth rates at intermediate to high pCO2 levels. Furthermore, elevated temperatures shifted the pCO2 optimum of biomass production to higher levels. Based on changes in cellular composition and photophysiology, we hypothesise that the observed synergies can be explained by beneficial effects of warming on carbon fixation in combination with facilitated carbon acquisition under OA. Our findings help to understand the higher abundances of picoeukaryotes such as M. pusilla under OA, as has been observed in many mesocosm studies

The in vitro cultivation of Bursaphelenchus spp. at the reference laboratory for quarantine pests at Julius Kühn-Institut in Braunschweig

Das Forstquarantänelabor des Julius Kühn-Instituts in Braunschweig (Deutschland) kuratiert eine einzigartige Sammlung lebender Bursaphelenchus-Arten, zudem Dauer­präparate und ITS-RFLP Muster dieser Arten. Die Sammlung wurde von Dr. Helen Braasch gegründet und umfasst derzeit 48 Arten in 305 verschiedenen Isolaten. Diese Isolate wurden über 30 Jahre hinweg weltweit aus verschiedenen Habitaten (Bäumen) und anderen Bezugs­quellen, wie Holzimporten einschließlich Holzverpackungsmaterial, gesammelt. Die Aufzucht der Nema­toden auf sporulierenden und nicht sporulierenden Botrytis cinerea – Kulturen ist anspruchsvoll, arbeitsintensiv und erfordert sowohl Erfahrung als auch Geduld.The Forest quarantine laboratory at Julius Kühn-Institut in Braunschweig (Germany) curates a unique collection of living Bursaphelenchus species, permanent slides and ITS-RFLP profiles. The collection was initiated by Dr. Helen Braasch and currently comprises 48 species in 308 different isolates. These isolates were collected over 30 years across the globe from various habitats and sources, like forest trees and wood imports including wooden packaging material. Cultivation of the nematodes on sporulating and non-sporulating Botrytis cinerea is sophisticated, labor-intensive and requires both, experience and patience

Resilience by diversity: Large intraspecific differences in climate change responses of an Arctic diatom

The potential for adaptation of phytoplankton to future climate is often extrapolated based on single strain responses of a representative species, ignoring variability within and between species. The aim of this study was to approximate the range of strain-specific reaction patterns within an Arctic diatom population, which selection can act upon. In a laboratory experiment, we first incubated natural communities from an Arctic fjord under present and future conditions. In a second step, single strains of the diatom Thalassiosira hyalina were isolated from these selection environments and exposed to a matrix of temperature (38C and 68C) and pCO 2 levels (180 latm, 370 latm, 1000 latm, 1400 latm) to establish reaction norms for growth, production rates, and elemental quotas. The results revealed interactive effects of temperature and pCO 2 as well as wide tolerance ranges. Between strains, however, sensitivities and optima differed greatly. These strain-specific responses corresponded well with their respective selection environments of the previous com- munity incubation. We therefore hypothesize that intraspecific variability and the selection between coexist- ing strains may pose an underestimated source of species’ plasticity. Thus, adaptation of phytoplankton assemblages may also occur by selection within rather than only between species, and species-wide inferences from single strain experiments should be treated with caution

Reversible cation exchange on macroscopic CdSe/CdS and CdS nanorod based gel networks

Over the past decades, cation exchange reactions applied to nanoparticles have opened up synthetic pathways to nanocrystals, which were not accessible by other means before. The limitation of cation exchange on the macroscopic scale of bulk materials is given by the limited ion diffusion within the crystal structure. Lyogels or aerogels are macroscopic, highly voluminous, porous materials composed of interconnected nanoscopic building blocks and hence represent a type of bridge between the macroscopic and the nanoscopic world. To demonstrate the feasibility of cation exchange on such macroscopic nanomaterials, the cation exchange on CdSe/CdS core/shell and CdS nanorod based lyogels to Cu2−xSe/ Cu2−xS and Cu2−xS and the reversible exchange back to CdSe/CdS and CdS lyogels is presented. These copper-based lyogels can also be used as an intermediate state on the way to other metal chalcogenidebased macroscopic structures. By reversed cation exchange back to cadmium an additional proof is given, that the crystal structures remain unchanged. It is shown that cation exchange reactions can also be transferred to macroscopic objects like aerogels or lyogels. This procedure additionally allows the access of aerogels which cannot be synthesized via direct destabilization of the respective colloidal solutions

Innovative diagnostic methods to detect harmful wood-inhabiting insects

Eine nicht-invasive Diagnose holzzerstörender Schadorganismen ist von großer Bedeutung um Eingriffe in kostbare Holzprodukte und lebende Bäume auf ein Minimum zu beschränken. Hier stellen wir zwei ganz unterschied­liche Methoden vor, eine physikalische und eine molekularbiologische, die einen schonenden Nachweis von Insekten­larven im Holz ermöglichen. Beide Methoden sind bereits zum Teil erfolgreich zur Analyse des Asiatischen Laubholzbockkäfers (Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB) eingesetzt worden und eignen sich als Frühwarnsysteme in der Bekämpfung von Quarantäneschadinsekten.Non-invasive diagnosis of harmful wood-inhabiting orga­nisms is of great importance in order to minimize interventions in valuable wood products and living trees. Here we present two methods, an acoustical and a molecular one, which enable gentle detection of insect larvae in wood and wood products. In parts, both methods have been successfully applied for the analysis of the Asian longhorn beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB) and appear suitable as early warning systems in the control of quarantine insect pests

Bacteria producing contractile phage tail-like particles (CPTPs) are promising alternatives to conventional pesticides

Diese Übersichtsarbeit verfolgt das Ziel, über bakterielle kontraktile Phagenderivate (englisch CPTPs) und ihr Potenzial als effiziente und Schadorganismus-spezifische Alternativen zu konventionellen chemischen Pflanzenschutzmitteln in der Land-/Forstwirtschaft und im Gartenbau zu informieren. CPTPs werden von verschiedenen Bakterien in diversen Habitaten für den interbakteriellen Konkurrenzkampf sowie zur Beeinflussung eukaryotischer Wirte, wie Pilze und Insekten, verwendet. Diese Arbeit präsentiert interessante und bemerkenswerte Beispiele für den vielfältigen Einsatz von CPTPs als leistungsfähige biologische Bekämpfungsmittel. Wir stellen die verschiedenen Typen von CPTPs vor und legen einen besonderen Fokus auf diejenigen, die eine Wirkung gegen Schadinsekten besitzen. Zusätzlich stellen wir zwei kürzlich etablierte Webservices vor, die das permanent wachsende Wissen über CPTPs mit einem Auswahlverfahren für die besten Bakterienkandidaten kombinieren, um eine zielgerichtete Anwendung der CPTPs in der nachhaltigen Pflanzenproduk­tion zu ermöglichen.This mini-review aims at raising the interest in contractile phage tail-like particles (CPTPs) of bacteria as an efficient and pest-specific alternative to conventional chemical pesticides in agriculture, horticulture and forestry. CPTPs are used by various bacteria in diverse environments for interbacterial competition or for manipulation of eukaryotic hosts, such as fungi or insects. This review gives examples for the versatile use of CPTPs as powerful biological control agents. We introduce the different types of CPTPs with a special focus on those with activity against insect plant pests. In addition, we present two currently established web services that combine the permanently increasing knowledge on CPTPs with a selection approach of the best candidate bacteria for targeted CPTP application in sustainable plant production

A time travel through nematology in Germany – From the beginnings to the use of artificial intelligence

Das Nachrichtenblatt für den Deutschen Pflanzenschutzdienst, unser heutiges Journal für Kulturpflanzen, feiert seinen 100. Geburtstag. Seinem Ziel, „den im praktischen Pflanzenschutzdienst Tätigen Belehrung und Informationen (zu) übermitteln“, wie Otto Appel zur Einführung schrieb, ist es bis heute treu geblieben. Dies gilt auch für den Bereich der Nematologie. Die Themen haben sich dabei über die Zeit weiterentwickelt. Standen früher Biologie und Wirtspflanzenspektrum einzelner Arten pflanzenparasitärer Nematoden im Fokus des Interesses, so sind es heute Wirt-Parasit Interaktionen, Resistenz und Toleranz von Kulturpflanzen oder der Einfluss von Klimawandel und Globalisierung auf die Verbreitung und das Schadpotenzial der Nematoden. Der vorliegende Beitrag blickt zurück auf die Themen vor 100 Jahren, stellt am Beispiel laufender Arbeiten am Julius Kühn-Institut aktuelle Forschungsthemen vor und gibt einen Ausblick auf die Themen der Zukunft.The Nachrichtenblatt für den Deutschen Pflanzenschutzdienst, today's Journal of Cultivated Plants, celebrates its 100th birthday. It has remained true to its goal of “providing instruc­tion and information to those involved in the practical plant protection service” to this day as stated in its first issue by Otto Appel. This also applies to the field of nematology. The topics have expanded over time and developed further on an international level. While the main focus was initially on the biology and host plant spectrum of the various nematode species, today it is on host-parasite interactions, resistance and tolerance of cultivated plants and the influence of climate change and globalization on the distribution and harmful effects of nematodes. The present article looks back at the topics 100 years ago, presents current research topics using the example of ongoing work at the Julius Kühn Institute and provides an outlook on the topics of the future

Determinants of Deadwood-Inhabiting Fungal Communities in Temperate Forests: Molecular Evidence From a Large Scale Deadwood Decomposition Experiment

Despite the important role of wood-inhabiting fungi (WIF) in deadwood decomposition, our knowledge of the factors shaping the dynamics of their species richness and community composition is scarce. This is due to limitations regarding the resolution of classical methods used for characterizing WIF communities and to a lack of well-replicated long-term experiments with sufficient numbers of tree species. Here, we used a large scale experiment with logs of 11 tree species at an early stage of decomposition, distributed across three regions of Germany, to identify the factors shaping WIF community composition and Operational Taxonomic Unit (OTU) richness using next generation sequencing. We found that tree species identity was the most significant factor, corresponding to (P < 0.001) and explaining 10% (representing 48% of the explainable variance) of the overall WIF community composition. The next important group of variables were wood-physicochemical properties, of which wood pH was the only factor that consistently corresponded to WIF community composition. For overall WIF richness patterns, we found that approximately 20% of the total variance was explained by wood N content, location, tree species identity and wood density. It is noteworthy that the importance of determinants of WIF community composition and richness appeared to depend greatly on tree species group (broadleaved vs. coniferous) and it differed between the fungal phyla Ascomycota and Basidiomycota