Population studies on Phytophthora infestans on potatoes and tomatoes in southern Germany

Fifty-seven isolates of Phytophthora infestans from blighted potato foliage were collected in 1995 in southern Germany and analysed for mating type and sensitivity to metalaxyl. Fifty-six of them were characterised as A1 and one as A2 mating types. Resistance to metalaxyl was observed frequently: 53 isolates were resistant, three were partially sensitive, and one was sensitive. In a subsequent field study in 1999, 84 isolates collected from blighted potato and tomato foliage were analysed for mating type. Seventy-two were characterised as A1 and twelve as A2 mating types. The response of 76 isolates to metalaxyl and to propamocarb was tested. The majority (42) of the 76 isolates was classified as resistant to metalaxyl; 31 were partially sensitive and only three isolates were sensitive. The results with propamocarb were less discrete; 10 isolates were classified as resistant and three were clearly sensitive. AFLP fingerprinting was used to examine the genetic structure of the southern German P. infestans population collected in 1999 and indicated that the tested population can be sub-divided into a tomato group, a potato group and a mixed group containing isolates collected from both crops. The presence of Ia and IIa mitochondrial DNA haplotypes indicates that the German P. infestans isolates belong to the new pathogen population that has also been reported in neighbouring regions of Europe. The present study indicates that at the beginning of the season only a few genotypes were present, and the population became genetically more variable at the end of the growing season

A population and harvest intensity estimate for Sooty Shearwater, Puflinus griseus, on Taukihepa (Big South Cape), New Zealand

We estimated the total number of burrow entrances, chicks and total population size of the Sooty Shearwater, Puffinusgriseus, colony on Taukihepa (Big South Cape), the largest of the 36 Titi Islands where Titi (Sooty Shcarwater chicks) are harvested. Between 1999 and 2005 we surveyed six manu (family birded areas) as well as a colony in the interior forested region on the island, measuring entrance density and burrow occupancy and habitat variables, as well as recording birders' harvest intensity. We found little support for any relationship between habitat variables and entrance density on the surveyed manu. Therefore we used a detailed aerial image to map areas and extrapolate these estimates to island totals and a simple population model, incorporating known demographic parameters to calculate the total population size. We estimated that the island contains 1.67 million (95% CI: 1.47-1.88) burrow entrances and 1.12 million (0.959-1.28) breeding pairs, equating to a total of 5.31 million (95% CI: 3.98-6.77) juveniles, pre-breeders and adults associated with the island. Assuming the harvest intensity on the surveyed manu 0.18% (0.16-0.21) was similar elsewhere on the unsurveyed but harvested region of the island, we estimated that ofthe 807000 (712000-901 000) fledging chicks on the island, 137000 (105000-173000) are harvested each year. These findings highlight the importance of the island both in terms of total Sooty Shearwater population in New Zealand and to the Rakiura Maori who harvest the Titi

Ammonia Inhibition in Thermophilic Anaerobic Digestion of Dairy Cattle Manure

This study investigated the effect of five different concentrations of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN)and free ammonia (FA) on the methane yield and digester performance under thermophilic conditions(50°C). Five identical continuously fed digesters were used. The experiment was run for four timeshydraulic retention time (HRT). Data were statitically analysed using the data Analysis Tool Packavailable with the Microsoft Excel program. Different ammonia levels were obtained by pulsing urea toobtain the target level of TAN and FA, and to subsequently maintaining the concentration of ammonialevels by daily urea additions. The result showed a strong negative correlation between both TAN andFA concentrations and methane yield. The methane yield was reduced by 24, 30, 52 and 66% indigesters that had TAN levels of 2.9, 3.6, 4.4 and 5.1 g/L, respectively, corresponding to 0.7, 1.1,1.5 and1.8 g/L FA. Total volatile fatty acid and especially isovaleric and isobutyric acid concentrations wereelevated during ammonia inhibition. Concentration of TAN in the biogas digester exceeding 3 g/Lindicating that very often the full biogas potential is not achieved due to ammonia inhibition and thatlonger HRT should be used to compensate or a lower process temperature should be chosen

The Properties of Field Elliptical Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift. I: Empirical Scaling Laws

We present measurements of the Fundamental Plane (FP) parameters (the effective radius, the mean effective surface brightness, and the central velocity dispersion) of six field elliptical galaxies at intermediate redshift. The imaging is taken from the Medium Deep Survey of the Hubble Space Telescope, while the kinematical data are obtained from long-slit spectroscopy using the 3.6-m ESO telescope. The Fundamental Plane appears well defined in the field even at redshift $\approx$ 0.3. The data show a shift in the FP zero point with respect to the local relation, possibly indicating modest evolution, consistent with the result found for intermediate redshift cluster samples. The FP slopes derived for our field data, plus other cluster ellipticals at intermediate redshift taken from the literature, differ from the local ones, but are still consistent with the interpretation of the FP as a result of homology, of the virial theorem and of the existence of a relation between luminosity and mass, $L \propto M^{\eta}$. We also derive the surface brightness vs. effective radius relation for nine galaxies with redshift up to $z \approx0.6$, and data from the literature; the evolution that can be inferred is consistent with what is found using the FP.Comment: 17 pages, including 9 figures, MNRAS, accepte

Massive, Absorption-selected Galaxies at Intermediate Redshifts

The nature of absorption-selected galaxies and their connection to the general galaxy population have been open issues for more than three decades, with little information available on their gas properties. Here we show, using detections of carbon monoxide (CO) emission with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), that five of seven high-metallicity, absorption-selected galaxies at intermediate redshifts, $z \approx 0.5-0.8$, have large molecular gas masses, $M_{\rm Mol} \approx (0.6 - 8.2) \times 10^{10} \: {\rm M}_\odot$ and high molecular gas fractions ($f_{\rm Mol} \equiv \: M_{\rm Mol}/(M_\ast + M_{\rm Mol}) \approx 0.29-0.87)$. Their modest star formation rates (SFRs), $\approx (0.3-9.5) \: {\rm M}_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, then imply long gas depletion timescales, $\approx (3 - 120)$ Gyr. The high-metallicity absorption-selected galaxies at $z \approx 0.5-0.8$ appear distinct from populations of star-forming galaxies at both $z \approx 1.3-2.5$, during the peak of star formation activity in the Universe, and lower redshifts, $z \lesssim 0.05$. Their relatively low SFRs, despite the large molecular gas reservoirs, may indicate a transition in the nature of star formation at intermediate redshifts, $z \approx 0.7$.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures; accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. Minor changes to match the version in press in ApJ