Chemical underpinning of the tea bag index: An examination of the decomposition of tea leaves

Decomposition is a key flux of terrestrial carbon to the atmosphere. Therefore, gaining a better understanding of how plant litter decomposes in soil, and what governs this process, is vital for global climate models. The Tea Bag Index (TBI) was introduced by Keuskamp et al. (2013) as a novel method for measuring litter decomposition rate and stabilisation. The TBI uses two types of tea bags representing fast (green tea) and slow (rooibos tea) decomposition substrates as standardised litter bags. To date, the TBI method has been used in over 2000 locations across the globe. However, before now, there has been no information on how the composition of the tea leaves change during incubation. These data are crucial in determining the validity of the use of the TBI method globally, to ensure the tea leaves decompose in a way that is representative of so-called “native” litters. To provide chemical underpinning of the TBI method, a laboratory incubation of the tea bags was conducted with destructive sampling at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63, 70, 77, 84, and 91 d. The incubated tea was analysed for total C and N. In addition, C was characterised as alkyl, O-alkyl, aromatic, or carbonyl C using solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy with cross-polarization and magic angle spinning (CPMAS NMR). The results suggest that changes in carbon in both tea types are comparable to other litter studies, with a net decrease in total C and relative proportion of O-alkyl C fraction, which contains carbohydrates and cellulose. We conclude that the decomposition of tea leaves in the bags used in the TBI is representative of other litters

How can we develop an increased awareness of equality & diversity issues amongst our staff

This paper charts a service development initiative, which consisted of a valuing diversity pathway including awareness training days for NHS staff in one Mental Health and Learning Disability Trust. The purpose of the training days was to give staff and service users the opportunity to explore each other’s perspectives, beliefs, values, knowledge and behaviours to better prepare them to tackle inequalities and improve access to services. The main aim of a valuing diversity awareness pathway as stated in this paper is to give staff and service users the opportunity to ensure that staff working in all care services are better prepared to tackle inequalities and to improve access to services for vulnerable groups of people such as those with a learning disability and others with mental health issues requiring treatment. It is recognised that to meet diverse needs both staff and service users need to recognise the value of their differences. The South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (SWYPFT) and the University of Huddersfield worked together to produce the pathway. Both of these organisations are committed to valuing diversity and they have a strong history of partnership working. The following paper provides background information, an overview of the innovative approach taken to develop the pathway and a more detailed account of the design, delivery and evaluation of the training days

Apportioning bacterial carbon source utilization in soil using 14C isotope analysis of FISH-targeted bacterial populations sorted by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS): 14C-FISH-FACS

An unresolved need in microbial ecology is methodology to enable quantitative analysis of in situ microbial substrate carbon use at the population level. Here, we evaluated if a novel combination of radiocarbon- labelled substrate tracing, Fluorescence in situ Hybridisation (FISH) and Fluorescence-Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) to sort the FISH-targeted population for quantification of incorporated radioactivity (14C-FISH-FACS) can address this need. Our test scenario used FISH probe PSE1284 targeting Pseudomonas spp. (and some Burkholderia spp.) and salicylic acid added to rhizosphere soil. We examined salicylic acid-14C fate (mineralized, cell-incorporated, extractable and non-extractable) and mass balance (0-24 h) and show that the PSE1284 population captured ~50% of the Nycodenz extracted biomass 14C. Analysis of the taxonomic distribution of the salicylic acid biodegradation trait suggested that PSE1284 population success was not due to conservation of this trait but due to competitiveness for the added carbon. Adding 50KBq of 14C sample-1 enabled detection of 14C in the sorted population at ~60-600 times background; a sensitivity which demonstrates potential extension to analysis of rarer/ less active populations. Given its sensitivity and compatibility with obtaining a C mass balance, 14C-FISH-FACS allows quantitative dissection of C flow within the microbial biomass that has hitherto not been achieved

Potential ecological effects of Piriformospora indica, a possible biocontrol agent, in UK agricultural systems

Piriformospora indica (Sebacinaceae), a root endophytic fungus, was originally isolated from an arid sub-tropical soil. P. indica forms mutualistic symbioses with a broad range of host plants, increases biomass production, resistance and tolerance to fungal pathogens and abiotic stresses. These characteristics make it a very attractive component of more sustainable agriculture. So, it is desirable to understand its wider ecosystem effects. We determined how long P. indica could survive in the soil and how it interacts with other soil microorganisms and some important arable weeds. Survival of P. indica in the soil, under winter and summer conditions in the UK was tested by isolating DNA and RNA of P. indica from pots of soil which had been left open to winter-summer weather conditions without host plants, followed by PCR and reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) with P. indica-specific primers. P. indica effects on other soil and root microorganisms were tested by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of DNA extracted from soil and roots from pots in which P. indica-infected wheat had been grown. The effect of P. indica on growth of black-grass (Alopecuris myosuroides), wild-oat (Avena fatua) and cleavers (Galium aparine) was tested alone and in competition with wheat. In soil P. indica-mRNA and DNA could still be detected after eight months, but not after 15 months. Soils from P. indica-inoculated pots had distinct fungal and bacterial species communities which were more diverse than non-inoculated controls. P. indica infected A. myosuroides and A. fatua but was not detected in G. aparine. The average above-ground competitiveness of the weeds with wheat was decreased. If applied to field crops in the UK, P. indica would be persistent for up to 15 months and likely to alter competitive relations within vegetation. Increased soil microbial diversity during the first eight weeks after inoculation, although usually desirable, could alter soil composition or functioning

Biochar alteration of the sorption of substrates and products in Soil Enzyme Assays

Pine wood and barley straw biochar amendments to Kettering and Cameroon sandy silt loam soils (15, 30, or 150 mg biochar g−1 soil) caused significant reductions (up to 80%

Signposts: Resource for staff developers

This guide is for staff developers who work with new tertiary teachers, and provides guidelines on how to use 'Signposts: A professional development resource for new teaching staff in the tertiary sector'. It is the result of a project funded by the Ako Aotearoa Northern Hub

Utah State University - University Libraries Metadata Application Profile for CONTENTdm Digital Collections, version 2.0

The Utah State University Libraries Digital Collections Application Profile outlines the metadata fields, mappings, definitions, and resources used to assign metadata for digital collections in the USU CONTENTdm repository. Utah State University is a collection partner of the Mountain West Digital Library (MWDL). Therefore, this profile pulls substantially from the MWDL application profile 3.0, which is available at this URL: https://github.com/mountainwestdl/mwdl-map/wiki/MWDL-Metadata-Application-Profil