Ongoing climate change has emerged as a major scientific challenge in the current century. Grassland ecosystems are considered net carbon (C) sinks to mitigate climate change. However, they are in turn, influenced by climate change and management practices, providing feedback to climate change via soil microbial community and biogeochemical fluxes. In this thesis, I examined the impact of warming, altered precipitation, and defoliation on soil microbial composition and function, C and N dynamics, and fluxes in soil respiration (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), together with other belowground ecosystem functions, within two ecosites in a northern native temperate grassland in central Alberta, Canada, over a two-year period. Fungi-to-bacteria ratio was not affected by climatic parameters or defoliation, indicating a high degree of resistance in the below ground community to the treatments imposed. However, C substrate utilization was influenced by warming and defoliation, as was soil microbial biomass. In contrast, soil respiration (or C loss) was not. Soil respiration acclimatized rather quickly to warming, and N2O and CH4 effluxes showed minor responses to warming at both ecosites, regardless of defoliation. These results suggest warming is unlikely to lead to positive climate change feedback due to soil-based responses, regardless of ongoing land use. However, altered precipitation ( 50%) demonstrated greater impacts on C and N fluxes relative to warming and defoliation. Increased precipitation stimulated soil C loss to the atmosphere, potentially generating positive feedback for climatic warming in this northern temperate grassland. / Soil Science

Darbo tikslas Nustatyti paprastosios pušies (Pinus sylvestris L.) klonų išsilaikymą ir fenologijos ypatumus lokalios amoniako taršos sąlygomis. Darbo objektas Tyrimai 2011 m. vykdyti Jonavos miškų urėdijos, Pagelažių girininkijos teritorijoje, esančiose sėklinėje plantacijoje, kuri nuo AB „Achemos yra nutolusi 6 km. Sėklinė plantacija buvo įveista 1966-1971 m. Pasodinta 30 vietinės kilmės pliusinių medžių klonų, naudota kvadratinė schema. Metodika Buvo išmatuoti visų medžių skersmenys Šiaurės-Pietų ir Vakarų-Rytų kryptimis bei įvertinta defoliacija. Apskaičiuoti visų medžių klonų vidurkiai, F kriterijus, bei paveldėjimo koeficientas. Duomenų analizei panaudota programa STATISTICA. Darbo rezultatai Tarp nagrinėjamų parametrų tarp atskirų klonų buvo esminiai genetiniai skirtumai. Paveldėjimo koeficientas − nuo 0.13 iki 0.18. Defoliacijos paveldėjimo koeficientas buvo didesnis negu skersmens. Išskirti atskiri klonai, kurių parametrai turi esminį skirtumą. Mažesnės defoliacijos klonai buvo didesnio skersmens. Darytina prielaida, kad šie klonai gerai toleruoja aplinkos taršą. Šiai hipotezei patvirtinti reikalinga klonų metinio radialinio prieaugio genetinio salygotumo tyrimas, skirtingose oro amoniako taršos koncentracijose. / Purpose The aim of the study was to determine retenton and phenology of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) clones under local ammonia pollution condition. Object Investigation was accomplised in seed plantation of Pageleziai forestry of Jonava forestry district distance 6 km from nitrogen fertilizer factory. Seed plantation was created in 1966-1971 m. There was planted 30 local genesis plus trees of Scots pine clones and exposition of field with quadratic scheme. Methods During investigation was measured all trees diametrical values of the North-South and West-East direction and the same valued defoliation. All trees were calculated means, F-test, and heritage coefficient. Describing data analysis used STATISTICA. Results Investigation between all parameters and individual clones assessed significant genetics differences. Heritage coefficient range between 0.13 and 0.18. Heritage coefficient of the defoliation were larger than diametrical values. Seperation of the individual clones parameters showed significant diferences. Clones with less defoliation were larger diameters. Assumption of this study is that these clones can tolerate environmental pollution. The hypothesis confirmed are needed annual radial increment of the clones study of the genetic conventionality under different concentration of air ammonia pollution.

No description available.

No description available.

Bibliography: leaves 245-271 / xiv, 271 leaves, [47] leaves of plates : ill ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Plant Physiology, 1985

ABSTRACT Assessing the impact of herbivory on plant growth and reproduction is important to predict the success of biocontrol of invasive plants. Leaf area production is most important, as photosynthesis provides the foundation for all plant growth and fitness. High levels of defoliation generally reduce the productivity of plants. However, leaf area production fluctuates during the season and compensational growth may occur, which both complicate accurate estimations of defoliation impacts. Under field conditions the interaction with neighbouring species and the availability of soil nutrients need to be assessed in order to gauge long term effects of weed invasions on natural environments. In this thesis I have investigated seasonal leaf area dynamics in Buddleia davidii following repeated artificial defoliation, to quantify compensational leaf production and to understand the regulatory mechanisms involved. The impact of defoliation on photosynthesis, seed production, germination and nitrogen translocation patterns were analysed. Finally, possible facilitation between B. davidii and a native nitrogen fixer, Coriaria arborea, and the impact of B. davidii on soil nutrient availability were investigated. In defoliated B. davidii, increased node production (34%), leaf size (35%) and leaf longevity (12%) resulted in 52% greater total emergent leaf area in the short term. However, with time and diminishing tissue resources the compensation declined. No upregulation of photosynthesis was observed in pre-existing leaves. Compensational leaf area production occurred at the expense of reproduction but the germination capacity of individual seeds was unaffected. In B. davidii, nitrogen reserves are stored in old leaves. Thus, the defoliation-induced decline in tissue reserves led to changes in the remobilisation pattern and increased the importance of soil uptake but biomass production especially that of roots had declined significantly (39%). Slight facilitation effects from the neighbouring nitrogen fixer and VA-mycorrhizae were observed on B. davidii in the field, while its impact on soil chemistry during spring was negligible. Defoliation of B. davidii resulted in priority allocation of resources to compensational leaf growth and a concomitant reduction in flower and seed production. The compensational leaf production greatly increased the demand for nitrogen, while continued leaf removal decreased the pool of stored nitrogen. This led to changes in nitrogen remobilisation and an increased importance of root uptake. However, the significant decline in root growth will likely impair adequate nutrient uptake from the soil, which is especially important where B. davidii invades nutrient poor habitats and will increase the success of biocontrol of the species. While mycorrhizae increase nutrient accessibility for B. davidii, it is likely that the additional stress of defoliation will negate the small facilitative effects from nitrogen-fixing species like C. arborea. This research provides new insights into the mechanisms regulating leaf area dynamics at the shoot level and systemic physiological responses to defoliation in plants, such as nitrogen translocation. The compensation in leaf area production was considerable but only transitory and thus, the opportunity to alleviate effects of leaf loss though adjustment of light capture limited. However, to ascertain that photosynthesis at whole plant level does not increase after defoliation, more detailed measurements especially on new grown leaves are necessary. In general, defoliation had greatly reduced plant growth and performance so that an optimistic outlook for controlling this species can be given. Conclusions about the wider impacts of B. davidii on soil chemistry and community function will require further research.

Mémoire (M.Ress.Renouv.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1998. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2018-02-09T12:25:49Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA15MA192.pdf: 1575532 bytes, checksum: 64b6fd74ab7e674270e1107fbb51b295 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-09T12:25:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGCA15MA192.pdf: 1575532 bytes, checksum: 64b6fd74ab7e674270e1107fbb51b295 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-15 / UNIEDU / FUMDES / The pastures regrowth is a continuous event-dependent and leaf area, as this characteristic affects the growth processes. Accordingly, removal of the leaf area (frequency and magnitude) over a period occupancy must provide forage accumulation effects. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of defoliation on concomitant herbage accumulation of grass-Kikuyu swards (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. Ex. Chiov.) Under intermittent stocking, testing the hypothesis that there is a reduction in herbage accumulation during the lowering of pastures. The objective of Experiment II was to evaluate the effect of removing leaves fully expanded at the stretching expanding leaves testing the hypothesis that the leaf elongation expanding terminates immediately when all fully expanded leaves are defoliated in oat pastures (Avena strigosa). Treatments consisted of four proportions of defoliation (40, 50, 60 and 70% relative to the initial height) combined at the same height in pre-grazing (20 cm). The experimental design was a randomized complete block design with three replications. Each paddock was busy for heifers and dry cows of the Dutch race in the form of daily strip (2), with periods of occupation of 24 hours and supply of 3 kg DM / 100 kg BW above the desired residue. The rates of growth processes and herbage accumulation were determined by tillers technique marked (20 tillers / track), and the field of readings taken at four moments during the occupation (08:00, 12:00, 18:00, 8:00). In addition, 10 tillers / track were excluded from grazing (using exclusion cages) and evaluated in their morphogenetic rhythms, for the derivation of some data. The variables studied were: elongation rate; proportion of fully expanded leaves and leafless expansion; forage accumulation rate. The effects (linear, quadratic and cubic) of defoliation severity were assessed with the help of orthogonal polynomial contrasts generated by the IML procedure of SAS statistical package for treatments not equidistant. The significance level was 5%. The severity of defoliation targets were not achieved effectively, but a contrast between them was established (40, 46,54% of initial height) having some effect on the viable analyzed (P <0.05). It was found that there was a linear effect between the proportion of leaf area index removed and elongation of leaf blades a day and that consequently the greater leaf area removal negatively affect forage accumulation of pickets with the presence of animals. The percentage of leaf blades bare in treatments with higher proportion kneeling directly affected forage accumulation rate per day. It was concluded that the main determinant that affects the forage accumulation during the occupation period is the rate of IAF removed, and that the occupation reduces forage accumulation. Already with the second experiment it concluded that with the removal of all tiller leaves the fully expanded leaf elongation reduces instantly expanding leaves / A rebrotação de pastos é um evento contínuo e dependente da área foliar, uma vez que tal característica influencia os processos de crescimento de plantas forrageiras. A remoção da área foliar (frequência e magnitude) verificada durante um período de ocupação deve apresentar efeitos no acúmulo de forragem. Sendo assim, o objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da desfolhação no concomitante acúmulo de forragem em pastos de capim-quicuiu (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. Ex. Chiov.) sob lotação intermitente (experimento I). Adicionalmente, um ensaio foi realizado para testar o efeito da remoção de folhas totalmente expandidas no alongamento de folhas em expansão (experimento II). Os tratamentos do experimento I consistiram de quatro proporções de desfolhação (40, 50, 60 e 70% em relação à altura inicial) combinadas a uma mesma altura em pré-pastejo (20 cm). Os tratamentos do experimento II basearam-se na desfolhação (10 perfilhos) ou não (10 perfilhos) de todas as folhas totalmente expandidas do perfilho. O delineamento experimental foi de blocos completos casualisados com três repetições. Cada piquete foi ocupado por novilhas e vacas secas da raça Holandês na forma de faixa diária (2), com períodos de ocupação de 24 horas e oferta de 3 kg de MS/100 kg PV acima do resíduo pretendido para o experimento I. As taxas dos processos de crescimento e acúmulo de forragem foram determinadas através da técnica de perfilhos marcados, sendo as leituras de campo realizadas em quatro momentos durante a ocupação (08:00, 12:00, 18:00, 08:00). Adicionalmente, 10 perfilhos/faixa foram excluídos do pastejo (com o uso de gaiolas de exclusão) e avaliados em seus ritmos morfogênicos, para a derivação de alguns dados. As variáveis estudadas foram: taxa de alongamento; proporção de folhas totalmente expandidas e em expansão desfolhadas; taxa de acúmulo de forragem. Os efeitos (linear, quadrático e cúbico) da severidade de desfolhação foram avaliados com o auxílio de contrastes de polinômios ortogonais gerado pelo procedimento IML do pacote estatístico SAS para tratamentos não equidistantes. O nível designificância foi de 5%. As metas de severidade de desfolhação não foram efetivamente alcançadas, mas um contraste entre elas foi criado (40, 46, 48, 54% da altura inicial), apresentando efeito sobre a proporção de folhas em expansão e expandidas desfolhadas (P < 0,05). As variáveis de crescimento e produção não responderam significativamente (P > 0,05) às severidades de desfolhação alcançadas, mas variaram de acordo com a proporção do IAF removido (P < 0,05). Com o aumento da proporção de IAF removido, houve uma redução no alongamento de lâminas foliares e no acúmulo de forragem. No experimento II foi verificado que com a remoção de todas as folhas expandidas, houve uma redução na taxa de alongamento foliar nos primeiros dois dias após sua remoção. É possível concluir com o experimento I que o principal determinante que compromete o acúmulo de forragem durante o período de ocupação é a porcentagem do IAF removido, e que a ocupação reduz o acúmulo de forragem. Já com o experimento II foi possível concluir que com a remoção de todas as folhas completamente expandidas dos perfilhos o alongamento de lâmina foliar de folhas em expansão reduz instantaneamente

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:33:39Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-07-26Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:44:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_cj_dr_jabo.pdf: 317118 bytes, checksum: f4634086de9339bbdcfc22de27d467da (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes estresses sobre o acúmulo e partição de massa seca, abortamento, desenvolvimento, produção de grãos e concentração de metabólitos glicídicos e nitrogenados em plantas de milho, conduziuse um experimento em casa de vegetação. Os tratamentos foram: testemunha; plantas com desfolhamento de 66%; omissão do nitrogênio; déficit hídrico (20 - 30% da capacidade de retenção); sombreamento de 70%. Os estresses foram impostos dos dois aos quarenta dias após a polinização (DAP) e as avaliações realizadas em cinco coletas aos 0, 10, 20, 30 e 40 DAP. A omissão de N na fase reprodutiva não afetou a massa seca das plantas e não promoveu alterações nos grãos das plantas de milho, em função da grande remobilização deste elemento acumulado nas folhas e colmos durante o período vegetativo. O desfolhamento reduziu o acúmulo de massa seca no colmo e na espiga, causou abortamento de grãos, não afetou a massa dos grãos remanescentes, resultando em menor número e produção de grãos por planta. O sombreamento intensificou a translocação de fotossintatos do colmo e folhas para os grãos, causou redução no acúmulo de massa seca na planta, abortamento de grãos, menor peso dos grãos remanescentes, menor acúmulo de amido e menor produção de grãos por planta. O déficit hídrico reduziu a área foliar, a fotossíntese, o período de enchimento dos grãos, o acúmulo de MS na planta e a translocação de fotoassimilados para os grãos, resultando em abortamento de grãos do ápice da espiga, acúmulo de açúcares redutores e aminoácidos livres nas folhas e colmos e menor massa de grãos e produção por planta. A redução na produção foi maior no estresse por déficit hídrico, sombreamento de 70%, desfolhamento de 66% e deficiência de N, sendo o número de grãos por espiga e peso médio dos grãos os componentes da produção mais afetados. / To evaluate the effect of different stress on the accumulation and distribution of dry matter, abortion, development and production of grains and concentration of glycidic and nitrogen metabolites in maize plant, it was conducted an experiment on greenhouse conditions. The following treatments were used: control; defoliation (plants 66% defoliated); nitrogen omission; water deficit (20 - 30% of the retention capacity); shading (70%). The stress factors were imposed from two to forty days after pollination (DAP) and the analyses at 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 DAP. The nitrogen omission at the reproductive stage did not affect plant dry mass or grains because of the high rate of remobilization of the N accumulated in leaves and stems during the vegetative stage. Defoliation reduced the dry matter accumulation in the stem and ears, increased kernel abortion, no caused any effect on photoassimilate translocation or weight from remaining grains. Also, resulted in a decrease on the total-N level, amino acids, grain reducing sugars and starch, fewer grains and lower production per plant. Shading intensified photoassimilate translocation indicating that in shaded plants the photosynthesis limitation is supplied by the high remobilization rate of reducing sugars, sucrose and starch from the stem and leaves to the grain. However, this stress causes reduction of dry matter accumulation, kernel abortion, and lower weight of remaining grains, starch accumulation and production of grains per plant. The water deficit reduced leaf area, photosynthesis, grain filling period, dry matter accumulation and photoassimilate translocation from vegetative organs to kernels, resulting in kernel abortion at the ear top, accumulation of reducing sugars and free amino acids in leaves and stems and lower weight of 1,000 grains and production per plant... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below)

O manejo do pastejo tem grande influência sobre produtividade animal a pasto, resposta à adubação e longevidade da pastagem, seja em sistemas adubados ou não adubados. É necessário conhecer o manejo do pastejo mais adequado para cada sistema. Neste estudo em Piracicaba SP, Brasil, foram analisadas respostas de Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia adubado (A) e não adubado (NA), à manejos do pastejo com interrupção da rebrota aos 95% de interceptação luminosa (I.L.) e três severidades de desfolha (alturas de resíduo de 20cm, 30cm, e 50cm). As pastagens adubadas receberam 572 kgN.ha-1, 472 kgK2O.ha-1 e 230 kgP2O5.ha-1, e as pastagens não adubadas não receberam nenhum tipo de fertilização. O pastejo foi realizada por bovinos. O delineamento foi o de blocos completos casualizados, com 6 tratamentos (A20, A30, A50, NA20, NA30 e NA50) e 5 repetições, totalizando 30 unidades experimentais (piquetes) de 400 m² cada. O período de avalições foi de julho de 2010 a março de 2011. Não foi possível atingir 95% de I.L. nos tratamentos NA20 e NA30, que tiveram entrada aos 91% e 89% respectivamente, nos demais tratamentos a entrada dos animais ficou entre 94% e 96% de I.L.. O intervalo entre pastejos do tratamento NA50 foi de 130 dias, e dos tratamentos adubados 90d, 29d e 17d, para os períodos de inverno primavera e verão respectivamente. Não houve diferença de alturas de entrada nos tratamentos não adubados (91cm). A altura de entrada do tratamento A50 foi maior que ás dos tratamentos A30 e A20 (74cm x 56cm e 50cm respectivamente). A massa de forragem em pré pastejo variou entre 3596 e 9518 kgMS.ha-1, apresentando maior proporção de material morto e menor proporção de folhas nos resíduos de 50cm. A massa seca total em pós pastejo foi maior quanto maior a altura de resíduo (1224, 1926 e 5556 kgMS.ha-1 para os resíduos de 20cm, 30cm e 50cm respectivamente). A massa seca de folhas verdes em pós pastejo foi maior nos resíduos de 50cm (248, 470 e 1616 kgMS.ha-1 para os resíduos de 20cm, 30cm e 50cm respectivamente). A proporção de folhas no resíduo não variou entre alturas nos tratamentos adubados (28%), mas foi decrescente conforme reduções no resíduo dos não adubados (34%, 22% e 13% nos resíduos de 50cm, 30cm e 20cm respectivamente). O acúmulo total dos tratamentos adubados e não adubados foi de 19514 e 8897 kgMS.ha-1 respectivamente. O acúmulo dos pastos adubados foi de 3204, 7484 e 9703 kgMS.ha-1 no inverno, primavera e verão respectivamente. A proporção de perdas em relação ao cúmulo foi maior nos resíduos de 50cm em relação aos de 20cm e 30cm (46% x 30% e 29% respectivamente). A densidade populacional de perfilhos foi de 672 e 521 perfilhos.m-2 em pastos adubados e não adubados respectivamente. A infestação por plantas invasoras foi maior nos resíduos de 20cm, independentemente da adubação. É possível que o manejo do pastejo mais adequado seja de alturas pré e pós pastejo mais altas sem adubação, e mais baixas com adubação intensiva. / In pasture based production systems, grazing management has great influence over productivity, responses to fertilization and pasture longevity. There may be differences between best ways of managing the grazing process in tropical grasses under different fertility conditions. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of defoliation severity associated with defoliation frequency based in light interception (95%) over Panicum maximum cv. Tanzânia grasslands under hi and low fertilization. The experiment was conducted at São Paulo State University, Piracicaba SP Brazil. Treatments were factorial combinations of 2 fertility conditions, fertilized (F) and unfertilized (UF) grasslands and 3 defoliation intensities (20cm, 30cm and 50cm post grazing heights). Fertilized treatments received 572 kg N.ha-1, 472 kg K2O.ha-1 e 230 kg P2O5.ha-1, and unfertilized didnt receive any kind of fertilization. Beef cattle steers were used as defoliation agents. Treatments were distributed among the 30 experimental units (400 m² paddocks) according to a complete and randomized block design, with 6 treatments (F20, F30, F50, NF20, NF30 and NF50) and 5 replications. The evaluation period was from July, 2010 to March 2011. Unfertilized treatments with the lower post grazing heights (20cm and 30cm) could not reach 95% of light interception due to it leaves morphology (upright) and small tiller population. Grazing intervals were the same among fertilized treatments in the summer (17 days). Pasture height in the moment that it achieved 95% of light interception were higher for the unfertilized grasslands, and for the higher post grazing treatments. Smaller post grazing heights were related with greater leaf and less dead material proportion in the pre grazing forage mass. There was no effect of the residual heights over the leaf proportion in the post grazing mass considering the fertilized pastures. Lower defoliation intensities were related with bigger proportions of forage losses due to grazing process. Fertilized treatments produced 19514 kg of DM.ha-1 while the unfertilized treatments produced 8897 kg of DM.ha-1 in 198 days, and there was no influence of residual heights over this characteristic. Tiller densities were affected only by fertilization and not by the grazing intensity. However, the grazing intensity had effect in to the weed appearance.