Vegetation Survey Undertaken Using Automatically Located Photographs during Horse Trek in the Dachigam National Park, India

An efficient way is needed to undertake large scale monitoring of grassland vegetation. Satellite images or aero-photographs are very useful for this purpose, but extensive ground truth data are required to make accurate analysis and interpretation. However, obtaining large-scale information from detailed vegetation surveys by manually deter-mining species composition is difficult and costly. As an alternative to traditional land-based methods, we used a GPS digital camera that determines locations automatically and captures pictures for vegetation survey. Our testing was done in the Dachigam National Park where grassland has been heavily grazed by goat, sheep, and cattle (Hasegawa et al, 2012). Hence, evaluating the variations in grassland conditions in the large area of the national park is important

Comparing technical efficiency of organic and conventional coffee farms in Nepal using data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach used to estimate technical efficiency and followed by regressing the technical efficiency scores to farm specific characters under tobit regression model. Primary data was collected from random samples of 240 (120 from each) coffee famers. Mean technical efficiency score was 0.89 and 0.83 in organic and conventional coffee farming respectively. Farms operating under CRS, DRS and IRS were 31.67, 3.83 and 37.5% respectively in organic coffee and 29.17, 25 and 45.83% respectively in conventional farming areas. Tobit regression showed the variation in technical efficiency was related education, farm experience and training/extension services and excess to credit.Production frontier, Resource use, Technical efficiency, Organic, Altitude, Productivity Analysis,

Cadmium Phytoremediation Potential of Napiergrass Cultivated in Kyushu, Japan

Napiergrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), a C4 tropical species, has been used for forage since it has high dry matter productivity, sustainability over several years in low-altitudinal sites of Kyushu, and little damage from serious pests. Recently, this grass has gained attention due to its potential as a bioethanol feedstock and for phytoremediation. Napiergrass cultivar Wruk Wona was grown as an annual crop in cadmium- (Cd-) contaminated soils under two cutting frequencies. Annual dry matter yield was not affected significantly by cutting frequency, but the concentration and uptake of Cd were higher when cut twice rather than only once, due to high Cd content of the herbage from the second cutting. Therefore, the soil Cd concentration was reduced by 4.6% when managed by cutting twice in a single year of Napiergrass cultivation

Relationship between Soil Chemical and Physical Properties and Vegetation in the Latest Decade of Alpine Grasslands of Southern Qinghai, China

The Tibetan Plateau is one of the most important ecosystems in the world (Yang et al. 2009), particularly because of the global importance of its climate (Tian et al. 2008; Wang et al. 2008). Grassland ecosystems on the plateau are sensitive to global change, because the plateau is located in marginal land areas where the growth and distribution of plants depend heavily on local climatic conditions (Zhang et al. 1996). The alpine grassland of Qinghai Province in China has been traditionally used for extensive grazing by sheep and yak (Bos grunniens), but is now degraded from overgrazing. This study investigated the relationship between soil chemical and physical properties and vegetation of alpine grasslands of southern Qinghai, China

Genetic variation in \u3ci\u3eMiscanthus\u3c/i\u3e X \u3ci\u3egiganteus\u3c/i\u3e and the importance of estimating genetic distance thresholds for differentiating clones

Miscanthus x giganteus (Mxg) is an important bioenergy feedstock crop, however, genetic diversity among legacy cultivars may be severely constrained. Only one introduction from Japan to Denmark of this sterile, triploid, vegetatively propagated crop was recorded in the 1930s. We sought to determine if the Mxg cultivars in North America were all synonyms, and if they were derived from the European introduction. We used 64 nuclear and five chloroplast simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to estimate genetic similarity for 27 Mxg accessions from North America, and compared them with six accessions from Europe, including the species’ type-specimen. A subset of accessions was also evaluated by restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq). In addition, we assessed the potential of new crosses to increase Mxg genetic diversity by comparing eight new triploid Mxg progeny grown from seed, along with samples of the parental species M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis. Estimates of genotyping error rates were essential for distinguishing between experimental error and true genotypic differences among accessions. Given differences in estimated error rates and costs per marker for SSRs and RAD-seq, the former is currently more cost-effective for determining if two accessions are genetically identical. We concluded that all of the Mxg legacy cultivars were derived via vegetative propagation from a single genet. In contrast with the Mxg legacy cultivars, genetic similarity to the type-specimen of eight new triploid Mxg progeny ranged from 0.46 to 0.56. Though genetic diversity among the Mxg legacy cultivars is critically low, new crosses can provide much-needed variation to growers

Genetic structure of Miscanthus sinensis and Miscanthus sacchariflorus in Japan indicates a gradient of bidirectional but asymmetric introgression

Unilateral introgression from diploids to tetraploids has been hypothesized to be an important evolutionary mechanism in plants. However, few examples have been definitively identified, perhaps because data of sufficient depth and breadth were difficult to obtain prior to the advent of affordable high-density genotyping. Throughout Japan, tetraploid Miscanthus sacchariflorus and diploid M. sinensis are common, and occasionally hybridize. In this study, we characterized 667 M. sinensis and 78 M. sacchariflorus genotypes from Japan using 20,704 SNPs and ten plastid microsatellites. Similarity of SNP genotypes between diploid and tetraploid M. sacchariflorus indicated that the tetraploids originated via autopolyploidy. Structure analysis indicated a gradient of introgression from diploid M. sinensis into tetraploid M. sacchariflorus throughout Japan; most tetraploids had some M. sinensis DNA. Among phenotypically M. sacchariflorus tetraploids, M. sinensis ancestry averaged 7% and ranged from 1-39%, with introgression greatest in southern Japan. Unexpectedly, rare (~1%) diploid M. sinensis individuals from northern Japan were found with 6-27% M. sacchariflorus ancestry. Population structure of M. sinensis in Japan included three groups, and was driven primarily by distance, and secondarily by geographic barriers such as mountains and straits. Miscanthus speciation is a complex and dynamic process. In contrast to limited introgression between diploid M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis in northern China, selection for adaptation to a moderate maritime climate likely favored cross-ploidy introgressants in southern Japan. Our results will help guide the selection of Miscanthus accessions for the breeding of biomass cultivars.Office of Science - Biological and Environmental Research, U.S. Department of Energy [Project ID 0017582]Energy Biosciences InstituteOpe

Effects of Resource Heterogeneity on Nitrogen Translocation within Clonal Fragments of Sasa palmata: an Isotopic (15N) Assessment

• Background and Aims Clonal fragments of the rhizomatous dwarf bamboo Sasa palmata, which widely predominates in temperate regions of Japan, were grown under heterogeneous resource conditions such as gap understoreys or nutrient-patchy grassland. Clonal fragments develop multiple ramets with long rhizomes and appear to be physiologically integrated by the translocation of assimilates. The glasshouse experiment reported here was designed to clarify the mechanisms of physiological integration of nitrogen more precisely

Aboveground plant biomass, carbon, and nitrogen dynamics before and after burning in a seminatural grassland of Miscanthus sinensis in Kumamoto, Japan

Although fire has been used for several thousand years to maintain Miscanthus sinensis grasslands in Japan, there is little information about the nutrient dynamics in these ecosystems immediately after burning. We investigated the loss of aboveground biomass; carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) dynamics; surface soil C change before and after burning; and carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes 2 h after burning in a M. sinensis grassland in Kumamoto, Japan. We calculated average C and N accumulation rates within the soil profile over the past 7300 years, which were 58.0 kg C ha−1 yr−1 and 2.60 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively. After burning, 98% of aboveground biomass and litter were consumed. Carbon remaining on the field, however, was 102 kg C ha−1. We found at least 43% of C was possibly lost due to decomposition. However, remaining C, which contained ash and charcoal, appeared to contribute to C accumulation in soil. There was no difference in the amount of 0–5 cm surface soil C before and after burning. The amount of remaining litter on the soil surface indicated burning appeared not to have caused a reduction in soil C nor did it negatively impact the sub-surface vegetative crown of M. sinensis. Also, nearly 50 kg N ha−1 of total aboveground biomass and litter N was lost due to burning. Compared with before the burning event, postburning CO2 and CH4 fluxes from soil appeared not to be directly affected by burning. However, it appears the short time span of measurements of N2O flux after burning sufficiently characterized the pattern of increasing N2O fluxes immediately after burning. These findings indicate burning did not cause significant reductions in soil C nor did it result in elevated CO2 and CH4 emissions from the soil relative to before the burning event

Carbon sequestration in soil in a semi-natural Miscanthus sinensis grassland and Cryptomeria japonica forest plantation in Aso, Kumamoto, Japan

Although Miscanthus sinensis grasslands (Misc-GL) and Cryptomeria japonica forest plantations (Cryp-FP) are proposed bioenergy feedstock systems, their relative capacity to sequester C may be an important factor in determining their potential for sustainable bioenergy production. Therefore, our objective was to quantify changes in soil C sequestration 47 years after a Misc-GL was converted to a Cryp-FP. The study was conducted on adjacent Misc-GL and Cryp-FP located on Mt. Aso, Kumamoto, Japan. After Cryp-FP establishment, only the Misc-GL continued to be managed by annual burning every March. Mass C and N, δ13C, and δ15N at 0–30 cm depth were measured in 5 cm increments. Carbon and N concentrations, C:N ratio, δ13C, and δ15N were measured in litter and/or ash, and rhizomes or roots. Although C input in Misc-GL by M. sinensis was approximately 36% of that in Cryp-FP by C. japonica, mean annual soil C sequestration in Misc-GL (503 kg C ha−1 yr−1) was higher than that in Cryp-FP (284 kg C ha−1 yr−1). This was likely the result of larger C input from aboveground litter to soil, C-quality (C:N ratio and lignin concentration in aboveground litter) and possibly more recalcitrant C (charcoal) inputs by annual burning. The difference in soil δ15N between sites indicated that organic C with N had greater cycling between heterotrophic microbes and soil and produces more recalcitrant humus in Misc-GL than in Cryp-FP. Our data indicate that in terms of soil C sequestration, maintenance of Misc-GL may be more advantageous than conversion to Cryp-FP in Aso, Japan