Variation in leaf surface hydrophobicity of wetland plants: the role of plant traits in water retention

Leaf surface wetness has numerous physiological and ecological consequences, and the morphological structures on the leaf surface can affect its extent and duration, contributing to interception rates in the scale of the whole ecosystem. Wetland plants have developed morphological adaptations to high water level allowing them to avoid water excess. Droplet contact angle and surface free energy are measurable parameters which relate to how the plant influences water usage and redistribution. We analysed patterns of contact angle and the surface free energy of the adaxial and abaxial surface of 10 wetland plant species and related them to the optimal habitat conditions and functional traits of the plants. Despite the consistent environment of these plants, we found them to vary greatly in terms of leaf surface wettability and surface free energy, with contact angles ranging from 75 to 169° and surface free energy, from 1.32 to 30.38 mJ/m2. Canopy height and leaf longevity were significantly correlated to leaf wettability, whilst SLA (Specific Leaf Area) and leaf shape were not related to hydrophobicity. Investigating adaptations of wetland plants to their environment showed that including wettability and surface free energy in combination with other plant traits improves our understanding of water plant-soil-water interactions in wetland habitats

Analiza rozwoju wybranych inwestycji celu publicznego w gminie Zbuczyn ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem potrzeb młodzieży

Rozwój inwestycji celu publicznego ma wpływ na jakość życia mieszkańców terenów wiejskich. Zwiększa atrakcyjność obszaru, co przekłada się na wzrost poziomu zadowolenia mieszkańców, a w dalszej perspektywie w prowadzi do wzrostu liczby mieszkańców. Celem naszych badań była analiza potrzeb rozwoju inwestycji celu publicznego na przykładzie gminy wiejskiej. Do badań wybrano następujące obiekty celu publicznego: świetlice wiejskie, biblioteki, boiska sportowe oraz place zabaw. Obszarem badań objęto gminę Zbuczyn, położoną w województwie mazowieckim, w powiecie siedleckim, która zajmuje obszar 210,8 km2. Na podstawie informacji uzyskanych z urzędu gminy, analizy dokumentów planistycznych oraz wizji lokalnej wykonano mapę przestrzennego rozmieszczenia wybranych obiektów celu publicznego. Analizę potrzeb rozwoju wykonano na podstawie przeprowadzonej ankiety wśród mieszkańców gminy. Badania ankietowe przeprowadzono jesienią 2017 r. na 227-osobowej grupie. Ze względu na charakter analizowanych obiektów ankieta skierowana była głównie do osób młodych (65% ankietowanych poniżej 18. roku życia). Gmina Zbuczyn ma dobrą bazę obiektów celu publicznego, którą zna i z której korzysta aż 77% ankietowanych. Z badań ankietowych wynika, że frekwencja korzystania z tych obiektów wzrasta w miarę zmniejszania się odległości do określonych obiektów. Według mieszkańców odległość powyżej 5 km jest już dystansem, który w znacznym stopniu ogranicza dostęp do danego obiektu. Mieszkańcy odczuwają brak głównie obiektów sportu, turystyki i rekreacji, np. pływalni, lodowisk, siłowni plenerowych itp. Przy podejmowaniu decyzji o rozwoju wspomnianych obiektów gmina powinna brać pod uwagę ich przestrzenne rozmieszczenie na terenie gminie, jak również zachęcać mieszkańców do większego zaangażowania się w proces planistyczny

Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy for Black Carbon Screening of Agricultural Soils under Industrial Anthropopressure

Visible and near-infrared spectroscopy (VIS-NIRS) is a fast and simple method increasingly used in soil science. This study aimed to investigate VIS-NIRS applicability to predict soil black carbon (BC) content and the method’s suitability for rapid BC-level screening. Forty-three soil samples were collected in an agricultural area remaining under strong industrial impact. Soil texture, pH, total nitrogen (Ntot) and total carbon (Ctot), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil organic matter (SOM), and BC were analyzed. Samples were divided into three classes according to BC content (low, medium, and high BC content) and scanned in the 350–2500 nm range. A support vector machine (SVM) was used to develop prediction models of soil properties. Partial least-square with SVM (PLS-SVM) was used to classify samples for screening purposes. Prediction models of soil properties were at best satisfactory (Ntot: R2 = 0.76, RMSECV = 0.59 g kg−1, RPIQ = 0.65), due to large kurtosis and data skewness. The RMSECV were large (16.86 g kg−1 for SOC), presumably due to the limited number of samples available and the wide data spread. Given our results, the VIS-NIRS method seems efficient for classifying soil samples from an industrialized area according to BC content level (training accuracy of 77% and validation accuracy of 81%)

Proteolytic and Structural Changes in Rye and Triticale Roots under Aluminum Stress

Proteolysis and structural adjustments are significant for defense against heavy metals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the Al3+ stress alters protease activity and the anatomy of cereale roots. Azocaseinolytic and gelatinolytic measurements, transcript-level analysis of phytocystatins, and observations under microscopes were performed on the roots of Al3+-tolerant rye and tolerant and sensitive triticales exposed to Al3+. In rye and triticales, the azocaseinolytic activity was higher in treated roots. The gelatinolytic activity in the roots of rye was enhanced between 12 and 24 h in treated roots, and decreased at 48 h. The gelatinolytic activity in treated roots of tolerant triticale was the highest at 24 h and the lowest at 12 h, whereas in treated roots of sensitive triticale it was lowest at 12 h but was enhanced at 24 and 48 h. These changes were accompanied by increased transcript levels of phytocystatins in rye and triticale-treated roots. Light microscope analysis of rye roots revealed disintegration of rhizodermis in treated roots at 48 h and indicated the involvement of root border cells in rye defense against Al3+. The ultrastructural analysis showed vacuoles containing electron-dense precipitates. We postulate that proteolytic-antiproteolytic balance and structural acclimation reinforce the fine-tuning to Al3+

The Leaf Wettability of Various Potato Cultivars

Leaf wettability has an impact on a plant’s ability to retain water on its leaf surface, which in turn has many environmental consequences. In the case of the potato leaf (Solanum tuberosum L.), water on the leaf surface may contribute to the development of a fungal disease. If fungal disease is caused, this may reduce the size of potato harvests, which contribute significantly to meeting global food demand. The aim of this study was to assess the leaf wettability of five potato cultivars (i.e., Bryza, Lady Claire, Rudawa, Russet Burbank, Sweet Caroline) in the context of its direct and indirect impact on potato yield. Leaf wettability was assessed on the basis of contact angle measurements using a sessile drop method with an optical goniometer. For Bryza and Rudawa cultivars, which showed, respectively, the highest and the lowest contact angle values, light microscopy as well as scanning electron microscopy analyses were performed. The results of the contact angle measurements and microscopic image analyses of the potato leaf surfaces indicated that the level of wettability was closely related to the type of trichomes on the leaf and their density. Therefore, higher resistance of the Rudawa cultivar to biotic stress conditions could be the result of the presence of two glandular trichome types (VI and VII), which produce and secrete metabolites containing various sticky and/or toxic chemicals that may poison or repel herbivores

Nitrate nitrogen and phosphate concentrations in drainflow: An example of clay soil

Nutrients dissolved in water and not taken by plants leach into deeper soil layers or flow out to surface water through pipe drainage systems, causing ground or surface water contamination. Thus, drainflow from agricultural areas has significant influence on surface water eutrophication. The objectives of this study were to evaluate nitrate nitrogen and phosphate concentrations and load changes in drainflow using as an example clay soil analyzed in period spanning the years 2010 and 2013. Field research was conducted at an experimental site in Lidzbark Warmiński, in the Province of Warmia and Mazury (województwo warmińsko-mazurskie) in Poland. Mollic Gleysols developed from loam and clay dominate in this area. The experimental field has a tile drainage system with 21 m drain spacing and average 0.9 m drain depth. Winter wheat (Triticum L.) and oilseed rape (Brassica napus) were cultivated in 2009–2012 and in 2012–2013, respectively. Chemical analysis of water samples was performed with a Hach Lange DR 3900 spectrophotometer. Annual rainfall ranged from 555 mm in 2013 to 814 mm in 2012. Average nitrate nitrogen daily loads ranged from 0.07 to 0.58 kg ha-1, while the total annual nitrate load varied from 7.5 to 34.6 kg ha-1. Daily loads of phosphate were about ten times lower than daily loads of nitrate and the total annual phosphate load ranged from 0.1 to 2.0 kg ha-1. Neither nitrate nor phosphate concentrations are strongly depended on drainflow, but the nitrate nitrogen concentration indicates some relationship with the season. A substantial increase in the nitrate nitrogen concentration appears at snow melting (March) and continues until the end of May, peaking in the third decade of April, when the cultivated crops begin the vegetative growth. The phosphate concentration did not undergo significant changes during the investigated period

Risk for Major Bleeding in Patients Receiving Ticagrelor Compared With Aspirin After Transient Ischemic Attack or Acute Ischemic Stroke in the SOCRATES Study (Acute Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack Treated With Aspirin or Ticagrelor and Patient Outcomes)

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