Life Sciences Commons^™

Utilization Of Soil In Northern Latitudes, Vasil Ivanovich Ustinov

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

About half of the territory of the Soviet Union is located in the Far North and in regions with similar conditions, including the vast lands of the tundra and forest tundra as well as the various subzones of the taiga. More than 500 million hectares are considered as forage-bearing land: grazing for reindeer and other farm animals, hay land, and potential arable land. Many scientists believe that up to 5 million head of reindeer may be kept grazing these lands. In recent times, great attention has been paid to the rearing of horses, elks, and musk­oxes in northern latitudes. Measures …

The Function Of Grasslands In The Concentrated And Specialized Agriculture And In The Management Of Landscape, Blazej Krcmar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concentration and specialization of the large­scale agricultural production have come to the focus in recent years and, due to this fact, a new type of landscape is being formed. It is now of topical value to keep a given level of ecosystems heterogeneity. This is essential both in making the production more intensive and in conserving the necessary equilibrium of nature. A slight reduction of natural ecosystems, espe­cially of grassland swards, by the so-called intensification of agroecosystems might bring about an undesired ecological crisis of land­scape. To prevent this danger is our task.

Studies On The Alteration Of Grassland Ecosystems Under Intensification Of Grassland Management In The Gdr, Rudolf Hundt

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The objective of the investigations described in this paper consisted in finding out the effect of industry-like production methods on grassland ecosystems from the plant-sociolog­ical, ecological, and agricultural points of view. In 1954, grassland phytocoenoses in the Elbe river valley near Dessau and in the Mulde river valley near Wurzen had been the object of geobotanical investigations. These investiga­tions were repeated in 1976. Sprinkler irrigation, intensive eutrophication, and ihe inclusion of grazing resulted in a complete change of the ecosystems. The productiveness of the swards improved substantially both in quantitative and in qualitative respect, and the number of species declined …

Persistence Of Various Grassland Components Under Varying Compaction Of The Sward, Vladimir Regal, Miloslava Vesela

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Studies on poaching-reistant successors on 32 types of plant stands and the evaluation of 210 stands on test runs helped to select the species of highest resistance to poaching. By means drawn of such regarding studies the conclusions composition have of grassbeen sports mixtures for grounds, stress-resistant playgrounds, swards airfields, (pastures,and others). position, Poa These Lolium pratensis mixtures perenne bemay be ingthe of simple predominant com­ of species. Tr(folium repens may and serve for short-growing supplementingspecies the stand. In mountainous, Festuca more rubra humid lo­ cations Agrostis with tenuis poorer proved soils, suitable for supplemen­and tation.

Wildfires 1n Semiarid Artemisia/ Stipa Grasslands, James A. Young, Raymond A. Evans

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

We investigated plant succession after acciden­tal burning of Artemisia/ Stipa grasslands. Burn­ing is the most important catastrophic stand renewal process for this grazing resource. The most striking impact of burning was the com­plete removal of the dominant shrub Artemisia tridentata Nutt. which does not sprout after removal of the aerial portion of the plant. Numerous other species of shrubs do root­sprout after burning and assume dominance of the plant community for 10 to 15 years. The native perennial grasses were not unduly in­jured by the fire, but the density of perennial grass had been greatly reduced by a century of …

The Evaluation Of Relationships Between Ecological Factors And Production On Permanent Grassland, Vladimir Krajovic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On 42 sites in 10 districts of the Carpathian region of the CSSR, relationships were exam­ined between grassland production and region­al, climatic (precipitation, temperature, solar radiation), and soil conditions (soil type, pH, S, 'r, V, C0., nutrients, and clay fraction). To this, five variants of fertilization were used (0; PK; 120 kg N/ha + PK, 240 kg N/ha + PK; 480 kg N/ha + PK). None of the natural ecofactors is generally characteristic enough for determining an opti­mal production. But the nutrition and the utilization of grass stands are important under each condition. Therefore, a system of differ­entiated grassland management …

The Yield Dependence Of Grass/Clover Mixtures On Different Environmental Conditions, Zygmunt Gryncewicz, Franciszek Gospodarczyk

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Red clover as pure crop as well as in mixture with grasses gave the best yields in foothill locations (450 m above sea level) above all under conditions of sufficient precipitation. In mountain locations (850 m above sea level) grasses showed better growth, accounting for the main part in the overall herbage crop. In the mixtures compared, meadow fescue proved to be the best component in all alti­tudes, Italian ryegrass was best in lowland areas, and timothy in the highest altitudes. Best yields in terms of oat equivalents were obtained from mixtures consisting of 75% clover and 25 % grasses. …

Flood Adaptation And Productivity Of Savanna Grasses, E Gonzalez Jimenez, A Escobar

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Savannas subjected to seasonal flooding occupy· vast areas of the Tropics. Above-ground bio­mass values for Venezuelan flooded savannas are high and related to the longer availability of water. C3 plants colonized the waterlogged unit and showed the highest productivity and nutritive value. This natural system permits a prolonged grazing season. These first results show the great potential for animal production of this ecosystem, stressing the need for coor­dinated research efforts in order to gain a better understanding of it.

Studies On Site, Vegetation And Intensification Of Temporarily Flooded Grassland Of The Lower Oder River Near Schwedt, Gisbert Schalitz

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

On the temporarily flooded grassland of the lower Oder River near Schwedt, yields can be considerably increased by establishing high­yielding Phalaris arundinacea stands. In the drier zone it is indispensable to kill the old sward. To this effect, adequate methods should be chosen according to the type of existing vegetation. In the range of moisture-tolerant plant as­sociations, increased nitrogen fertilization will allow to build up high-yielding pure stands in short time.

Lead Content In Meadow Vegetation From Non­Contaminated Areas, Andrzej Sapek

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In 270 samples of selected meadow plant spe­cies, taken from natural sites and permanent meadows in the 1st-cut period, the lead con­tent was determined. Mean lead content in particular species fluctuated from 0.36 ppm in Phalaris arundinacea to 1.38 ppm in Carex vulpina. On a whole, the lead content was lower in grasses than in herbs. No relationship between the total lead content in soil and plants has been proved. On the other hand, a positive and often significant relationship between the lead content in particular plant species and their potassium, copper, nickel, and phospho­rus contents was observed.

Influence Of Plant Nutrition And Method Of Utilization On The Accumulation And Decomposition Of Root Matter In Meadow Soils, Yan Liyv, Rikhard Toomre

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Root matter formation of forage plants de­pends primarily on soil fertility. In fertile soils and under intensive fertilization less root matter is formed than in soils of low fertility. The decomposition of root matter as influenced by microbiological processes was found to be more intensive under grazing than under mow­ing. The application of high rates of nitrogen fertilizer (more than 200 kg N/ha) over longer periods is likely to cause undesirable changes in the relationship between forage plants and soil microorganisms, this resulting in yield decline and in lower efficiency of the fertilizers applied.

The Influence Of Grassland Plants Ort The Accu1nulation Of Humus And Nitrogen In The Soil In The Conditions Of The Estonian Ssr, Arnold Sau

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The accumulation of nitrogen and humus in soil under perennial grassland plants was studied between 1965 and 1974 in a trial laid out on carbonated reddish brown sandy loam moraine of original levels of 0.22 % humus and 18 m %1 nitrogen, the C: N ratio being 7 .2. Nitrogen and humus accumulation in the moraine was found to proceed the faster, the higher were the yields of above-ground and underground plant matter. In the course of 10 years, the humus content in the upper 5 cm of soil reached 1.92 to 2.26 % for the higher­yielding variants (grasses+ 150 …

Nitrogen Status Of A Shortgrass Prairie, Pasture Ecosystem, Robert G. Woodmansee, Jerrold L. Dodd, Rudolph A. Bowman, Charles E. Dickinson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Nitrogen was partitioned among soil organic matter, living and dead plant material, micro­organisms, above-ground and below-ground animals, and mineral N in a shortgrass prairie, pasture ecosystem in eastern Colorado, USA Soil organic matter contained the largest amount of N (89.5 %), and dead plant material contained 6.8 % of the total N in the system. Living organisms contained 3.4 % of the N in the ecosystem. Mineral N accounted for 0.2 %. Less than 1.0 % of the N in the system was located above ground. The amount of N im­mobilized in animals was small.

Nutrient Leaching In Hydromorphic Grassland Soils As Established In Lysimeters, Gerhart Mundel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Lysimeter experiments were laid out for study­ing the leaching of nitrogen, calcium, po­tassium, and phosphorus from different hy­dromorphic soils. Most of the hydromorphic soils, above all those of low-bog sites, have to be considered as instable open systems from the very be­ginning of their cultivation. Matter removal well exceeds the amount of matter introduced into these soils. The degree of nutrient leaching in most cases is clearly dependent on the soil humus status. Attention is drawn to the in­tensive calcium leaching and the low level of nitrogen removal as compared with an­pydromorphic soils. The level of potassium leaching is closely …

Available Soil Nutrients Related To Species Composition Of Some Meadow Communities In North-Western Bohemia, Emilie Balatova-Tulackova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

The pH value as well as the content of humus and some available nutrients (Ca, Mg, K, P, N) were assessed in soil samples taken from the upper part of the rhizosphere in 15 different types of moist meadows situated in north­western Bohemia. The results obtained were evaluated mainly from the point of view of the occurrence of Ca, K, and Pin soil related to the species composition (which is the decisive factor in its classification in the phytocenolog­ical system). The greatest indicative value is shown by plants with relatively narrow ecolog­ical amplitude in the given phytocenological bounds, such as …

Yearly Nitrogen Budget In Natural And Fertilized Grasslands Of A Bohemian-Moravian Highlands District, Milada Findeisova, Vladimir Ruzicka, Blanka Ulehlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Simplified models are presented of nitrogen cycling in the three grassland ecosystems, as compiled from soil, plant, rain- and lysimetric water analyses pertaining to an experimental site near Kamenicky, in the nature conservancy area Zdarske vrchy in the Bohemian-Moravian highlands. The plant stands, all originally classified as Polygalo-Nardetum strictae, in­clude a control and two stands as modified by two levels of fertilization for three years. The increment of nitrogen harvested decreases con­siderably at the higher level of fertilization, while the nitrogen losses from the ecosystem increase and the atmospheric nitrogen fixation decreases dramatically.

Mineral Composition Of Vegetation Related To Primary Production In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystems, Jana Jakrlova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Concentration and ratio of mineral nutrients, dynamics of mineral nutrient uptake per 1 m2, and the contents of mineral nutrients in per­manent biomass reserve and in maximum biomass were assessed in three selected types of meadow ecosystems representing a natural hydrological series in a given area (dry, moist, wet). The assessment was based on chemical analyses (N, P, K, Na, Ca, Mg) and production analysis of above-ground and underground parts of defined vegetation.

Total above-ground biomass produced per year was estimated (from the dry type to the wet one) at 706, 1070, 2430 g • W • m-2, re­spectively; total …

Biomass Budget And Energy Flow In Alluvial Meadow Ecosystem, Milena Rychnovska, Blanka Ulehlova, Jana Jakrlova, Marta Tesrova

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Primary production, production processes, and decomposition have been studied in alluvial meadow ecosystems for 6 years. Water has been found to be the decisive factor in the energy flow and mineral elements turnover. The quality and quantity of production and decomposition processes depend on the oc­currence and duration o( floods. Permanent pool of underground biomass in Alopecurus pratensis stand makes 45.3 %, permanent pool of shoot biomass makes 54.7 % of the total biomass. 19.4 % of the total biomass is taken off as forage. 11. 7 % of shoot biomass is de­composed during the summer season, and 3 .1 …

Current Aspects Of Eco-Physiological Studies Of Meadow Plants, Momcilo Konic

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Basic parameters applied in eco-physiological studies of meadow plants are: water balance (hydration, transpiration intensity, amounts and forms of water, water deficit, etc.), assim­ilation balance (CO2 balance, assimilation performance, compensation effect), matter pro­duction. Eco-physiological studies should be followed by microclimatic measurements and the anatomical analysis of the meadow plants under study. Eco-physiological studies of meadow plants, if performed in a complex and systematic way, constitute the safest basis for detennining the characters of the entire meadow plant com­munity under the concrete conditions of natural factors prevailing in terms of natural condi­tions and human influence.

Landscape Management Problems Of Grassland Utilization In Mountainous Regions Of The Gdr, Peter Hentschel

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

In the medium-altitude mountains of the GDR, many meadows cannot be utilized for intensive forage production. Because of their importance for recreation, game feeding and nature con­servation, general afforestation is not possible. A model is presented that allows for every meadow to choose between intensive utili­zation, afforestation, and reservation for other social needs. Management methods for mead­ows not suitable for intensive utilization, espe­cially the employment of herbicides, are dis­cussed.

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Oregon Daisy (Erigeron Oreganus), Nora Dunkirk, Sue Vrilakas

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Oregon Daisy (Erigeron oreganus) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Avian Conservation And Translocations In The Mariana Archipelago, John V. Bender

Dissertations

Island birds are among the world’s most imperiled vertebrates, and conservation translocations are increasingly used to combat threats, but their success depends on understanding the mechanics of whether and how to conduct translocations effectively. In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, native forest birds persist across a chain of islands where habitat degradation and loss, invasive species, and extreme weather create persistent conservation challenges. For my dissertation, I investigated how avian conservation programs and translocations can be planned, implemented, and improved under biological, logistical, and social uncertainty. For Chapter 1 I analyzed 15 years of avian translocations across seven …

Oregon State Rank Assessment For Bensonia (Bensoniella Oregana), Nora Dunkirk, Sue Vrilakas, Gabriel Campbell

Institute for Natural Resources Publications

Oregon state conservation status assessment for Bensonia (Bensoniella oregana) using NatureServe methodology, 2026.

Upar-Guided Dendrimer Gel Nanoparticles Reprogram Inflammation To Stabilize Atherosclerotic Plaques, Hsin Yin Chuang, Huari Kou, Yue-Wern Huang, Hu Yang

Biological Sciences Faculty Research & Creative Works

Atherosclerosis is characterized by lipid deposition, chronic inflammation, and apoptosis within the arterial wall, leading to plaque progression and instability. Current lipid-lowering therapies fail to fully address residual cardiovascular risk driven by local inflammation and cell death. Here, we report the development of uPA-functionalized, rapamycin-encapsulated dendrimer nanoparticles (G5PM-uPA/RA) that preferentially accumulate in urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR)-enriched atherosclerotic plaque, including macrophage- and apoptosis-rich lesion microenvironments. G5PM-uPA/RA was constructed by cross-linking reaction-enabled flash nanoprecipitation in a custom-made multi-inlet vortex mixer, followed by thiol-maleimide conjugation of uPA for uPAR-guided targeting. The nanoparticles demonstrated uniform morphology, favorable stability, and efficient rapamycin loading. In …

Spatiotemporal Trends In Schistocephalus Solidus Infection Among Populations Of Alaskan Threespine Stickleback (Gasterosteus Aculeatus), A.M Wohlleben, Neva Meyer, N.C. Steinel

Biology

Understanding the dynamics of host-parasite interactions is essential for uncovering the ecological and evolutionary processes shaping natural populations. In this study, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of prevalence of the cestode Schistocephalus solidus in 4 Alaskan populations of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) over 11 years (1996 to 2006). Additionally, we assessed host tolerance through key indicators such as the Parasite Index and the presence of fibrotic scar tissue, a specialized form of resistance in this system. We observed fibrosis formation in both infected and uninfected fish across all populations, with notable year-to-year variability in Cornelius Lake. Here, fibrosis …

Defining Life: A Conversation, K. Kofman, C. Adami, F. Baluška, J. Bongard, D. Brash, P. Calvo, G. Dodig-Crnkovic, P. Das, C. Fields, T. Froese, P. L. Gentili, G. Y. Georgiev, Scott F. Gilbert, T. N. W. Jackson, S. Kauffman, N. Lane, P. Marshall, D. Mcshea, W. Miller, S. Newman, A. Nunn, T. P. Pavlic, M. Picard, W. Ratcliff, A. Reber, J. Shapiro, A. Sloman, R. Solé, C. Sonnenschein, S. Stepney, R. Watson, O. Witkowski, M. Levin

Biology Faculty Works

Life is one of the most fascinating features of the physical world. Despite centuries of scientific study, experts still disagree about the definition, and even the possibility or utility of a definition, of this field. In a recent paper, we used AI to analyze the conceptual space formed by definitions of life given by a select set of modern workers in the life sciences and related fields. However, some of the most interesting material emerged as real-time conversations among those polled. In order to ensure that these ideas are not lost to the peer-reviewed scientific record, we here provide a …

Online Decoding Of Rat Self-Paced Locomotion Speed From Eeg Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Alejandro De Miguel, Nelson Totah, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective. Accurate and reliable neural decoding of locomotion holds promise for advancing clinical applications such as rehabilitation and prosthetic control, as well as for understanding neural correlates of action. Recent studies have demonstrated successful decoding of locomotion kinematics across species in motorized treadmill settings. However, efforts to decode locomotion speed directly and continuously in more natural contexts—where pace is self-selected rather than externally imposed—are scarce, and those that exist generally achieve only modest accuracy and require intracranial implants. Here, we aim to decode self-paced locomotion speed non-invasively and continuously using cortex-wide electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from rats. Approach. We introduce an …

Integrating Nutrition And Stress Into Life History Stages Of Wild Free-Ranging Female Pronghorn, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Juan J. Villalba, Shane B. Roberts, Susannah S. French

Wildland Resources Student Research

Studies addressing seasonal changes in diet quality and hormones are important for understanding the interactions between ecology and physiology. We collected fecal samples from free-ranging adult female pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) to examine the relationships between indicators of nutrition and glucocorticoid activity. This occurred during three population-level, life-history-correlated sampling periods across five subpopulations. We evaluated nutrition via fecal nitrogen, fecal 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (DAPA), and assessed glucocorticoid activity using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). We found positive relationships between fecal nitrogen and DAPA, whereas DAPA and fecal nitrogen with FGM varied in influence and strength, depending upon life history stage. Generally, …

Advances In Gene Editing Strategies For Viral Disease Resistance In Pigs: Knock-Out, Knock-In, And Overexpression Approaches, Zhao Namula, Takeshige Otoi, Aya Nakai, Megumi Nagahara, Maki Hirata, Fuminori Tanihara

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Highly contagious viral pathogens—such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, classical swine fever, and African swine fever—continue to pose serious threats to the swine industry and cause major global economic losses. Conventional disease control approaches, such as vaccination and biosecurity, are limited by viral heterogeneity and immune escape mechanisms. Gene editing technologies, most notably the CRISPR/Cas9 system, offer an innovative means of introducing innate viral disease resistance or resilience in pigs. The continuous improvement of these tools can provide a sustainable strategy to enhance animal welfare and global food security and reduce reliance on traditional control measures. This review provides …

Conservation Education And The Cultivation Of Environmental Responsibility: Case Studies From Sri Lanka, Jody Miller, Pasindu Dilshan Abegunawardhana

International Journal on Responsibility

Conservation education encompasses effective pedagogical practices that enhance knowledge of the environment and foster responsible environmental actions. In addition to building an informed citizenry, conservation education is shaped by theoretical stances about the components necessary to cultivate environmental responsibility among participants and their communities. Highlighting three of our own conservation education projects in Sri Lanka as case studies, we draw from research and debates about environmental responsibility to illustrate the incorporation of environmental engagement and responsibility into these efforts, and the difficulties that arise in doing so. Sri Lanka is one of eight global biodiversity hotspots prioritized for conservation intervention. …