Large-scale assessment of artificially coated seeds for forest regeneration across Sweden

We report the results of two years' field performance of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings regenerated using artificially coated seeds. The coated seeds were used for regeneration on 12 clearcut sites, covering a 1000 km latitudinal gradient across Sweden. The coating was either combined with arginine-phosphate fertilizer (10 mg N per seed) or had no additions. Interactions with environmental variables associated with sites were also assessed. Coated seeds were deployed in May-June 2017 and surveyed in August-September of 2018 and 2019. After two years, the mean establishment rate of seedlings from coated seeds was 56 +/- 4% across the 12 sites. The fertilizer addition did not affect survival, and the biomass response to fertilizer varied significantly between sites. Maximum precipitation and wind speed during the first six weeks after deployment were correlated with seedling survival, regardless of fertilization treatment. Establishment increased with increasing precipitation and decreased with increasing wind speed. This highlights the importance of initial weather conditions for the seeds' establishment. Our data suggest that Scots pine regeneration using coated seeds can be practiced in boreal forests, but also that the method is sensitive to the weather conditions at the time of deployment of the seeds

Effect of feline characteristics on plasma N-terminal-prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide concentration and comparison of a point-of-care test and an ELISA test

Background: Increased plasma concentration of N-terminal-prohormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) can be detected in cats with cardiac disease. Potential effects of feline characteristics on NT-proBNP concentration may influence clinical usefulness. Objectives: To evaluate potential effects of feline characteristics on NT-proBNP plasma concentration and to compare NT-proBNP plasma concentrations in healthy cats with results in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) cats with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) using an ELISA and a point-of-care test (POCT), and assess if POCT results reflect ELISA results. Animals: One hundred healthy cats of 3 breeds and 39 HCM cats were included. Methods: Diseases other than HCM were excluded by physical examination, blood pressure measurement, echocardiography, hematology, and serum biochemistry.Results Higher NT-proBNP concentrations were found in males than in females in healthy (P = .005) and in HCM cats (P = .0021), but breed had no effect on NT-proBNP concentrations. Using >= 100 pmol/L as a cutoff for abnormal samples, ELISA and POCT had similar sensitivity (SE; 72 and 74%) and specificity (SP; 97 and 98%) for detecting cats with HCM, cats with HCM and LAE (SE, both 100%; SP, 97 versus 98%), and cats with HCM without LAE (SE, both 69%; SP, 97 versus 98%), respectively, when compared to healthy cats. Conclusions and Clinical Importance: Breed had no effect on plasma NT-proBNP concentrations, but higher concentrations were found in male than in female cats. The ELISA and POCT had similar SE and SP for detecting HCM. Both tests could identify all HCM cats with LAE but not all HCM cats without LAE

Effect of arginine-phosphate addition on early survival and growth of Scots pine, Norway spruce and silver birch

Applying arginine-phosphate (AP) to tree seedlings at planting is a novel silvicultural practice in Northern Europe to improve the success of forest regeneration. We present three case-studies of the potential advantages of adding AP at planting on the establishment and damage susceptibility of seedlings in pure and mixed plantings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst. ) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) over two years in the field. Location of study sites were in southern (S), northeastern (NE) and northwestern (NW) Sweden. The main agents of damage were pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.) on conifers at the south site, browsing of birch at all sites and browsing/other top damage to conifers at the north sites. The effect of adding AP varied between the sites. It was positive for survival of pine at site S, despite considerable damage by pine weevil. However, at the S site more of the surviving spruce and birch were browsed when treated with AP. At the NE site AP-treatment had positive effects on conifer growth. At the NW site adding AP positively affected survival and growth of all three species, and AP-treated seedlings of all species were less browsed than untreated seedlings. AP treatment presents a potential tool to improve the success of forest regeneration, especially when establishing pine stands in south Sweden

Cardiac troponin I in healthy Norwegian Forest Cat, Birman and domestic shorthair cats, and in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Objectives The aims of this study were to assess the potential associations between the serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentration in healthy cats and feline characteristics, systolic blood pressure, heart rate (HR), echocardiographic measurements and storage time; and to compare cTnI concentrations in healthy cats with concentrations in cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), with or without left atrial enlargement (LAE) and in cats with HCM, to assess potential associations between cTnI concentration and echocardiographic variables. Methods Cardiac TnI was analysed using an Abbott ARCHITECT ci16200 analyser in serum from prospectively included healthy Norwegian Forest Cat (NF; n = 33), Birman (n = 33) and domestic shorthair (DSH; n = 30) cats, and from 39 cats with HCM, with or without LAE. Results In healthy cats, higher cTnI concentrations were found in Birman cats than in NF cats (P = 0.014) and in neutered male cats than in intact females (P = 0.032). Cardiac TnI was positively associated with HR (P <0.0001). In cats with HCM, cTnI concentration was positively associated with left ventricular wall thickness and with left atrial-to-aortic root ratio (all P <= 0.010). Cats with HCM had higher cTnI concentrations than healthy cats, and cTnI concentrations were higher in cats with HCM and LAE than in those with HCM without LAE (all P = 0.0003). Conclusions and relevance Breed and sex may affect serum cTnI concentrations in healthy cats. The cTnI concentration increased with increasing severity of HCM

Improving boreal forest regeneration in a variable climate

Regeneration of boreal forests in Sweden mainly involves planting Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings on clear-cut areas, although there is an increasing interest in planting broadleaves and in applying continuous cover forestry (CCF). Seedling establishment is generally enhanced by mechanical soil preparation. With a warming climate, increases in drought periods and pests can reduce the regeneration success and further consideration of site conditions may be needed during planting. This thesis aims to better adapt boreal forest regeneration practices to local environments. My studies have focused on regeneration with seedlings of Scots pine (Papers I-IV), Norway spruce (Papers II & III) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) (Paper II) by analyzing data collected from field experiments from 16 sites in Sweden. Based on this field data, I have evaluated the effects of planting positions (Papers I & III), environmental conditions (Paper I), seedling sizes (Paper III), arginine-phosphate addition (Papers I, II & III), and competition with mature trees (Paper IV). Pine survival was, overall, higher, and less variable over a wide range of site conditions when planted in mineral soil than in capped mounds, especially during dry weather (Paper I). Growth of pine was equal when planted in mineral soil and in capped mounds on most sites studied in Paper I, while growth of pine and spruce in general was lower in mineral soil than in hinge and capped mound positions in Paper III. Damage and mortality by pine weevil on pine and spruce was higher in planting positions where organic material was present (Paper III). Addition of arginine-phosphate enhanced seedling survival and growth on some, but not all sites (Papers I & II), and its effect varied between sites and tree species (Papers I & II) and, for pine, with seedling size (Paper III). For pine seedlings, root isolation and fertilization enhanced growth along the edge of a mature forest (Paper IV), while only root isolation enhanced growth beneath a closed canopy of mature trees (Paper IV). These results emphasize that adapting regeneration practices to the site conditions at the time of planting is a key to success

Effects of Planting Position, Seedling Size, and Organic Nitrogen Fertilization on the Establishment of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway Spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) Seedlings

The forest regeneration phase in Sweden commonly involves mechanical soil preparation followed by the planting of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) or Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) seedlings. The prepared soil offers planting positions with different properties, including reduced damage by pine weevils (Hylobius abietis L.). Nitrogen fertilization can be applied at the time of planting to aid establishment of the seedlings. In this study, we compared the effects of different planting positions, organic nitrogen fertilization, and different seedling sizes on the early survival and growth of Scots pine and Norway spruce seedlings. The main planting positions were capped mound, hinge, and mineral soil. Seedlings planted close to organic material were categorized as being in "low-quality positions", since proximity to organic material increases pine weevil attraction. Higher mortality rates related to pine weevil damage were recorded for the seedlings planted in the low-quality positions, regardless of seedling size or N fertilization. Pine weevil attack rates increased with increasing seedling size. Growth was, in general, lowest in the mineral soil positions. The effect of organic N fertilization on growth was positive for the spruce regardless of the planting position or seedling size, while it depended on the planting position and seedling size for the pine, indicating that the effects of organic N fertilization depend on the seedling species, seedling size, and planting position

Environmental controls on seedling establishment in a boreal forest: implications for Scots pine regeneration in continuous cover forestry

In nutrient poor and dry forest sites common to northern Scandinavia, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is the most common species both in managed and natural forests. However, Scots pine is sensitive to competition during establishment. Harvesting of all trees within a given area, i.e., clear-cutting, liberates regenerating seedlings from competition with mature trees. However, recently, clear-cut-free or continuous cover forestry has been the subject of substantial debate. When choosing a management method, it is important to recognize how competitive interactions direct the success of Scots pine regeneration. We studied Scots pine regeneration at three environments: beneath the canopy of mature trees, at the canopy edge in full sunlight, and distant from the canopy with no influence of mature trees. We imposed three treatments in each of these environments: root isolation (i.e., trenching), nitrogen (N) fertilization, and control plots. Root isolation enhanced seedling performance under the canopy of mature trees. Nitrogen fertilization enhanced seedling performance to a greater extent in the clear-cut than at the forest edge. However, N fertilization had no effect under the canopy. In the N-fertilized plots, we measured higher N content in the soil under the canopy than in the open environments, indicating that not all excess N was obtained by the mature trees. N-uptake might have been limited by competition for water in the N-fertilized plots. Our results suggest that belowground competition limits the success of regeneration of Scots pine. However, N fertilization presents a tool to compensate for underground competition along canopy edges

Survival and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings in north Sweden: effects of planting position and arginine phosphate addition

Forest regeneration by tree planting on harvested sites in the boreal forests of northern Europe is frequently preceded by site preparation to increase survival and growth of the seedlings. We studied whether a small addition of arginine phosphate (AP treatment) at the time of planting would further enhance the seedlings' early performance. Following two growth seasons, we investigated survival and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings on 11 locations between latitudes 61.1 degrees N and 67.1 degrees N in the boreal forest of northern Sweden. The planting positions of seedlings were on capped mounds and bare mineral soil following mechanical site preparation, and in non-prepared soil. We found that seedling survival following site preparation increased with AP treatment. On capped mounds, seedling survival was more variable and appeared more dependent on precipitation during the first month after planting than seedlings positioned in the mineral soil. The positive effect of AP treatment on seedling growth differed between sites and was more pronounced on sites with longer growing seasons. AP treatment had no significant effect on survival of seedlings planted in non-prepared soil, while the positive effect on growth was more pronounced at sites with higher fertility using this planting position

Influence of clinical setting and cat characteristics on indirectly measured blood pressure and pulse rate in healthy Birman, Norwegian Forest, and Domestic Shorthair cats

Background Measured indirect blood pressure (BP) results in cats in a clinical environment might be affected by stress and characteristics of the cats.Hypothesis To investigate the influence of clinical setting, cat characteristics, and life situation on BP and pulse rate (PR) in healthy cats.Animals Ninety-four healthy Domestic Shorthair, Birman and Norwegian Forest cats.Methods Blood pressure measured by high-definition oscillometry in 3 settings: cat placed in its own carrier with veterinarian present; cat placed in carrier with owner alone present; and cat placed on table with veterinarian present. Statistical analyses were performed using mixed linear models.Results Systolic BP (SBP) did not differ among settings. Higher mean arterial pressure (MAP), diastolic BP (DBP), and PR were found when measurements were performed with cat placed on table, rather than in carrier. Coefficients of variation (CVs) higher for SBP, MAP, DBP, and PR when measured with cat placed on table than in carrier. Birman cats had lower BP than other breeds. Systolic BP, MAP, DBP, and PR increased with age. Cats allowed outdoors had lower PR than cats living strictly indoors.Conclusion and Clinical Importance No difference in SBP was found among settings, but measuring BP with the cat placed on the examination table gave higher MAP, DBP, PR, and CV than measuring BP with the cat in its carrier. Breed affected BP, with lower BP in Birman cats than other breeds. Blood pressure increased with age. Pulse rate was lower in cats allowed outdoors than cats living strictly indoors

Differences in metabolic profiles between the Burmese, the Maine coon and the Birman cat-Three breeds with varying risk for diabetes mellitus

Feline diabetes mellitus shares many features with type 2 diabetes in people, regarding clinical presentation, physiology, and pathology. A breed predisposition for type 2 diabetes has been identified, with the Burmese breed at a fivefold increased risk of developing the condition compared to other purebred cats. We aimed to characterize the serum metabolome in cats (n = 63) using nuclear magnetic resonance metabolomics, and to compare the metabolite pattern of Burmese cats with that of two cat breeds of medium or low risk of diabetes, the Maine coon (MCO) and Birman cat, respectively. Serum concentrations of adiponectin, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 were also measured (n = 94). Burmese cats had higher insulin and lower adiponectin concentrations than MCO cats. Twenty one metabolites were discriminative between breeds using a multivariate statistical approach and 15 remained significant after adjustment for body weight and body condition score. Burmese cats had higher plasma levels of 2-hydroxybutyrate relative to MCO and Birman cats and increased concentrations of 2-oxoisocaproic acid, and tyrosine, and lower concentrations of dimethylglycine relative to MCO cats. The metabolic profile of MCO cats was characterized by high concentrations of arginine, asparagine, methionine, succinic acid and low levels of acetylcarnitine while Birman cats had the highest creatinine and the lowest taurine plasma levels, compared with MCO and Burmese. The pattern of metabolites in Burmese cats is similar to that in people with insulin resistance. In conclusion, the metabolic profile differed between healthy cats of three breeds. Detection of an abnormal metabolome might identify cats at risk of developing diabetes