Nachhaltige Fruchtfolgesysteme für den biologischen Energiepflanzenanbau in Österreich

Biogas production is a key technology for sustainable use of biomass from agricultural production. An optimisation of biogas production from energy crops should not confine to the consideration of the biogas process. To assure a durable success, cropping of energy plants has to be designed according to the principles of sustainable crop rota-tions. Only in site-adapted and ecologically balanced crop rotation systems, energy crop production is meaningful. The general aim of this study was to develope site-adapted crop rotation systems including energy crops as main and catch crops. Study regions were chosen to represent large regions of Austria. To include a great share of the crop species relevant for Austria, sites from the dry region (NUTS III region „Weinviertel”), the transition zone (NUTS III region „Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen, Northern part“) and the Northern Alps (NUTS III region „Mostviertel-Eisenwurzen, Southern part) were chosen. Altogether, three different categories of model crop rotations were designed: 1. Typical regional model crop rotations 2. Crop rotations for energy crop production (I) with the aim of optimising methane hectare yields considering ethical and economic guidelines 3. Crop rotations for energy crop production (II) with the aim of maximal methane hectare yields The methane hectare yields in organic crop rotations I amounted to around 830 to 1700 Nm3 ha-1 a-1. Crop rotations II yielded around 2430 to 3650 Nm3 ha-1 a-1. Highest values were achieved on farms with a great share of energetically used fodder crops

Identification of constrained sequence elements across 239 primate genomes

Noncoding DNA is central to our understanding of human gene regulation and complex diseases1,2, and measuring the evolutionary sequence constraint can establish the functional relevance of putative regulatory elements in the human genome3–9. Identifying the genomic elements that have become constrained specifically in primates has been hampered by the faster evolution of noncoding DNA compared to protein-coding DNA10, the relatively short timescales separating primate species11, and the previously limited availability of whole-genome sequences12. Here we construct a whole-genome alignment of 239 species, representing nearly half of all extant species in the primate order. Using this resource, we identified human regulatory elements that are under selective constraint across primates and other mammals at a 5% false discovery rate. We detected 111,318 DNase I hypersensitivity sites and 267,410 transcription factor binding sites that are constrained specifically in primates but not across other placental mammals and validate their cis-regulatory effects on gene expression. These regulatory elements are enriched for human genetic variants that affect gene expression and complex traits and diseases. Our results highlight the important role of recent evolution in regulatory sequence elements differentiating primates, including humans, from other placental mammals

A global catalog of whole-genome diversity from 233 primate species.

The rich diversity of morphology and behavior displayed across primate species provides an informative context in which to study the impact of genomic diversity on fundamental biological processes. Analysis of that diversity provides insight into long-standing questions in evolutionary and conservation biology and is urgent given severe threats these species are facing. Here, we present high-coverage whole-genome data from 233 primate species representing 86% of genera and all 16 families. This dataset was used, together with fossil calibration, to create a nuclear DNA phylogeny and to reassess evolutionary divergence times among primate clades. We found within-species genetic diversity across families and geographic regions to be associated with climate and sociality, but not with extinction risk. Furthermore, mutation rates differ across species, potentially influenced by effective population sizes. Lastly, we identified extensive recurrence of missense mutations previously thought to be human specific. This study will open a wide range of research avenues for future primate genomic research

The landscape of tolerated genetic variation in humans and primates.

Personalized genome sequencing has revealed millions of genetic differences between individuals, but our understanding of their clinical relevance remains largely incomplete. To systematically decipher the effects of human genetic variants, we obtained whole-genome sequencing data for 809 individuals from 233 primate species and identified 4.3 million common protein-altering variants with orthologs in humans. We show that these variants can be inferred to have nondeleterious effects in humans based on their presence at high allele frequencies in other primate populations. We use this resource to classify 6% of all possible human protein-altering variants as likely benign and impute the pathogenicity of the remaining 94% of variants with deep learning, achieving state-of-the-art accuracy for diagnosing pathogenic variants in patients with genetic diseases

Notes on the distribution and habitat use of marmosets (Callitrichidae: Mico) from south-central Amazonia

Currently, 15 species of Amazon marmosets (genus Mico) are known to science. The Amazon marmosets occur primarily in southern Brazilian Amazonia, the arc of deforestation, and are among the least studied primates of the neotropics. This is particularly the case for M. acariensis and M. chrysoleucos, both endemic to the Aripuanã–Sucundurí interfluve, south-central Amazonia. Mico acariensis was not studied beyond the species description, and the only information currently available is the pelage colouration of the holotype, inferred coordinates of the type locality, and a field report with two additional localities of occurrence. Regarding M. chrysoleucos, in addition to the species description, there are taxonomic reviews, the report of a second occurrence record, and a study on the species range. We provide here new occurrence records that extend the distribution of M. chrysoleucos; provide new records for and update the distribution of M. acariensis; and propose the existence of a hybrid zone in the Aripuanã–Sucundurí interfluve, i.e. around the known distribution boundaries of M. acariensis, M. chrysoleucos, and M. melanurus, and we also discuss habitat use patterns of Amazon marmosets