British Oak Research Articles

Description of Dryocola gen. nov. and two novel species, Dryocola boscaweniae sp. nov. and Dryocola clanedunensis sp. nov. isolated from the rhizosphere of native British oaks

While investigating the role of the rhizosphere in the development of Acute Oak Decline, bacterial strains belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae were isolated from rhizosphere soil following enrichment for the Enterobacterales. Partial sequencing of several housekeeping genes showed that these strains could not be assigned to an existing genus. Overall, 16 strains were investigated using a polyphasic approach to determine their taxonomic status. This involved phenotypic testing and fatty acid analysis paired with phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA and housekeeping gene sequences, as well as phylogenomic analysis of whole genome sequences. Phylogenomic and phylogenetic analyses consistently demonstrated that the 16 isolates could be separated into two distinct clusters in a monophyletic clade situated between the genera Cedecea and Buttiauxella. The two clusters could be genotypically and phenotypically differentiated from each other and from their closest neighbours. As such we propose the description of Dryocola boscaweniae gen. nov. sp. nov. (type strain H6W4T = CCUG 76177T = LMG 32610T) and Dryocola clanedunesis sp. nov. (type strain H11S18T = CCUG 76181T = LMG 32611T).

Pseudomonas kirkiae sp. nov., a novel species isolated from oak in the United Kingdom, and phylogenetic considerations of the genera Pseudomonas, Azotobacter and Azomonas.

As the current episode of Acute Oak Decline (AOD) continues to affect native British oak in the United Kingdom, ongoing isolations from symptomatic and healthy oak have yielded a large Pseudomonas species population. These strains could be divided into taxa representing three potential novel species. Recently, two of these taxa were described as novel Pseudomonas species in the Pseudomonas fluorescens lineage. Here, we demonstrate using a polyphasic approach that the third taxon represents another novel Pseudomonas species. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing assigned the strains to the Pseudomonas aeruginosa lineage, while multilocus sequence analysis (based on partial gyrB, rpoB and rpoD sequences) placed the 13 strains in a single cluster on the border of the Pseudomonas stutzeri group. Whole genome intra-species comparisons (based on average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization) confirmed that the strains belong to a single taxon, while the inter-species comparisons with closest phylogenetic relatives yielded similarity values below the accepted species threshold. Therefore, we propose these strains as a novel species, namely Pseudomonas kirkiae sp. nov., with the type strain FRB 229T (P4CT=LMG 31089T=NCPPB 4674T). The phylogenetic analyses performed in this study highlighted the difficulties in assigning novel species to the genus Pseudomonas due to its polyphyletic nature and close relationship to the genus Azotobacter. We further propose that a thorough taxonomic re-evaluation of the genus Pseudomonas is essential and should be performed in the near future.

Pests in the City: Managing Public Health Risks and Social Values in Response to Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) in the United Kingdom

Oak processionary moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) or OPM was accidentally introduced into London on imported oak trees and now poses a threat to the future of oak in the urban landscape. Early attempts at eradication of the moth failed and significant resources have since been spent by government on monitoring and controlling OPM (through the use of insecticides or bio-pesticides) as it spreads into new areas. OPM is regulated in the UK to minimize risk of new introductions and reduce spread. Surveying for OPM and issuing of statutory notices for control is based on a geographical system of core, control and protected zones. While OPM will defoliate the trees leaving them vulnerable to other pests and diseases and stress factors, the caterpillars can also harm people and animals via tiny urticating hairs with the potential for dermatological or respiratory impacts. However, the biggest threat to the iconic British oak may be that the perceived risks associated with OPM, and costs of management may lead land managers to fell their oak trees, and not plant oak in the future. There is a need to better understand awareness, risk perceptions and decision-making around OPM management. We use a conceptual framework to explore decision-making and the trade-offs between the social, economic and ecological values associated with oak trees, and assessment of risk related to both the moth and control options. Twenty nine interviews were conducted in two London boroughs and across Greater London and in some surrounding counties covering a range of land types (e.g., parks, school grounds, amenity areas and private gardens) with infested or non-infested oak. We found a lack of evidence of human health impacts from OPM although land managers were concerned about public duty of care and potential reputational damage if they do not manage OPM. To address the challenges of dealing with OPM, land managers were taking a risk-based approach and managing OPM where it posed the highest potential risk to people. Respondents expressed strong emotional attachments to oak but it also has high biodiversity value which can lead to difficult decisions about management options. A risk-based approach moves beyond a ‘one-size-fits-all’ control method and focuses available resources where they are most needed and socially acceptable. An approach that allows for multiple values and perspectives on risk may provide a more sustainable long-term option for OPM management to ensure the future of oak in the city.

A reflection on Pentecostalism and montanism from the perspective of the indigenous religion of Cybele or the great mother of the gods

The Church of Pentecost (CoP) has been identified as the fastest growing Christian denomination and the largest Protestant church in Ghana since 1989.1 Even though the CoP is grouped among the Classical Pentecostal Churches in Ghana, together with the Assemblies of God (AG), Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) and the Apostolic Church (AC), some scholars tend to describe it as an indigenous Ghanaian Pentecostal church for various reasons.2 For example, Asamoah-Gyadu indicates that - although it identifies with the classical Pentecostal tradition, the CoP has acquired a unique indigenous character, marking it out as different in outlook from, say, the Assemblies of God, whose American imprint after sixty years of existence in Ghana is still quite obvious.3 To some extent, some of the leaders of the CoP also seem to have similar view that the CoP is an indigenous Ghanaian church. Writing the introduction to the ‘History of The Church of Pentecost Volume 1’, Apostle D K Anan, the then chairman of the History Committee, points out that ‘The Church of Pentecost, from its inception, has been an indigenous, a do-it-yourself Church.’4 This assumption agrees with the claims of Rev. James McKeown, the first superintendent and chairman of the CoP that he wanted to plant ‘local species’ in African soil, since he believed that a British oak is more likely to struggle in Ghana.

Radiocarbon Calibration around AD 1900 from Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris) tree rings from Northern Norway

ABSTRACTTo resolve an inconsistency around AD 1895 between radiocarbon (14C) measurements on oak from the British Isles and Douglas fir and Sitka spruce from the Pacific Northwest, USA, we measured the 14C content in single-year tree rings from a Scots pine tree (Pinus sylvestris L.), which grew in a remote location in Saltdal, northern Norway. The dataset covers the period AD 1864–1937 and its results are in agreement with measurements from the US Pacific coast around 1895. The most likely explanation for older ages in British oak in this period seems to be 14C depletion associated with the combustion of fossil fuels.

Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nest provisioning rates are correlated with seasonal caterpillar availability in British Oak Quercus woodlands

Capsule Maximum provisioning rates occurred during the seasonal peak in caterpillar availability, controlling for brood age and time of day.Aims To determine if the seasonal availability of caterpillars influenced Wood Warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix nest provisioning rates.Methods Remote cameras were used to monitor nest visits at 14 nests in 8 British oak Quercus woodlands during 2013. The timing of the caterpillar peak was estimated by monitoring the production of caterpillar faecal pellets under oak trees.Results Maximum provisioning rates occurred when the date of provisioning coincided with the date of peak caterpillar availability, but the percentage change in provisioning rates during asynchrony was dependent on brood age. Younger broods experienced a greater decline in provisioning rates than older broods during asynchrony. Provisioning rates peaked in the morning and declined during the day, but when caterpillar availability was low there was little within-day variation.Conclusion Provisioning rates show seasonal variation that is correlated with caterpillar availability. Previous studies suggest that Wood Warbler reproductive fitness is independent of synchrony between the breeding cycle and the caterpillar peak, however, the implications for adult fitness are unknown and should be investigated further.

Oxygen stable isotope ratios from British oak tree-rings provide a strong and consistent record of past changes in summer rainfall

United Kingdom (UK) summers dominated by anti-cyclonic circulation patterns are characterised by clear skies, warm temperatures, low precipitation totals, low air humidity and more enriched oxygen isotope ratios (δ18O) in precipitation. Such conditions usually result in relatively more positive (enriched) oxygen isotope ratios in tree leaf sugars and ultimately in the tree-ring cellulose formed in that year, the converse being true in cooler, wet summers dominated by westerly air flow and cyclonic conditions. There should therefore be a strong link between tree-ring δ18O and the amount of summer precipitation. Stable oxygen isotope ratios from the latewood cellulose of 40 oak trees sampled at eight locations across Great Britain produce a mean δ18O chronology that correlates strongly and significantly with summer indices of total shear vorticity, surface air pressure, and the amount of summer precipitation across the England and Wales region of the United Kingdom. The isotope-based rainfall signal is stronger and much more stable over time than reconstructions based upon oak ring widths. Using recently developed methods that are precise, efficient and highly cost-effective it is possible to measure both carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios simultaneously from the same tree-ring cellulose. In our study region, these two measurements from multiple trees can be used to reconstruct summer temperature (δ13C) and summer precipitation (δ18O) with sufficient independence to allow the evolution of these climate parameters to be reconstructed with high levels of confidence. The existence of long, well-replicated oak tree-ring chronologies across the British Isles mean that it should now be possible to reconstruct both summer temperature and precipitation over many centuries and potentially millennia.

DONALD, Diana, with contributions by DONALD, Paul. The art of Thomas Bewick. Reaktion Books, London: 2013. Pp 328; illustrated. Price £ 40.00 (hardback). ISBN 9781780231099.

The Art of Thomas Bewick. By DIANA DONALD. London: Reaktion Books. 2013.327 pp. £40.Thomas Bewick has often seemed to be cursed with the same attitude, from both admirers and detractors, as John Clare. The two men are often seen as being 'simple'; sometimes simpleminded, but certainly men whose work is open and accessible, devoid of subtlety and complication. They have tended to be viewed as artists who may have been technically gifted, but with the qualification that this was something they were born with rather than the product of long dedication to their chosen craft; their work is looked on as a straightforward response to their surroundings rather than the result of conscious artistry.Happily, for Bewick at least, things have changed rapidly of late, with much scholarship which has provided a broader and more intelligent view of the man and his work. In 2003 the Bewick Society celebrated the 250th anniversary of Thomas Bewick's birth by publishing a volume of Bewick Studies in association with the British Library and Oak Knoll Press. One of the contributors to this volume, Nigel Tattersfield, then produced a biographical dictionary of bookplates from the workshop of Ralph Beilby, Thomas Bewick and Robert Bewick, followed by a volume devoted to John Bewick. In 2011 he published a magnificent three-volume work entitled Thomas Bewick: The Complete Illustrative Work which, as well as giving full details of Bewick's illustrations, contains much valuable information on Bewick and his workshop. Another notable milestone came with the publication of Jenny Uglow's engaging biography, Nature's Engraver, reviewed here in 2007.In 2009 the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham curated an exhibition of Bewick's vignettes, which subsequently travelled to the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle and to the Harris Museum and Art Gallery in Preston. As well as displaying the vignettes, which have always been such a popular feature of Bewick's British Birds and his History of Quadrupeds, this exhibition featured a short film by the eminent Bewick scholar Iain Bain showing how a wood block was made and, most valuably, just what was involved in printing from such a block. The exhibition catalogue, entitled Thomas Bewick: Tale-Pieces, reproduced the vignettes together with three essays by Jenny Uglow, Nigel Tattersfield, and a typically stimulating and perceptive piece by the late and much-lamented Tom Lubbock.Following on from all this activity we now have a wonderful book by Diana Donald entitled The Art of Thomas Bewick. Perhaps the first thing to be said about the book is that it is beautifully produced and a joy to use. At a time when so many tawdry books are issued, at far higher prices than is asked for this one, this is worthy of note. Printed on high-quality paper, copiously illustrated, wellwritten, properly edited and stoutly bound, the book reflects great credit on its author and on Reaktion Books. Professor Donald is an art historian whose earlier work includes Endless Forms: Charles Darwin, Natural Science and the Visual Arts and Pictur- ing Animals in Britain, 1750-1850. She is therefore well placed to comment on someone like Bewick, whose work spans the arts and sciences. As the title of the book suggests, this is an attempt to treat Bewick as an artist, the first time this has been tried. …

Central England temperature since AD 1850: the potential of stable carbon isotopes in British oak trees to reconstruct past summer temperatures

AbstractIn regions with seasonal temperate climatic regimes, tree growth is rarely controlled by any single environmental factor. As a consequence, the development of robust palaeoclimate reconstructions has proved challenging. Tree‐ring stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C), however, are controlled primarily by photosynthetic rate, not by net growth. Therefore, at sites where climatic controls on tree‐ring growth are not strongly expressed, a robust (isotopic) palaeoclimate signal may still potentially be preserved. This hypothesis was tested using a 160‐year record of δ13C measured from the pooled latewood cellulose of six Quercus petraea L. (sessile oak) trees from Allt Lan‐las in West Wales, UK. Raw δ13C values were corrected for changes in the isotopic ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide and for changes in the behaviour of trees due to the increasing availability of atmospheric CO2 since AD 1850. Strong correlations with local summer temperature and sunshine are reported, and also with the Central England Temperature record over the full length of the isotopic chronology (AD 1850–2010) (r = 0.69, P < 0.001). We conclude that tree‐ring stable isotopes can be used to extract strong palaeoclimate signals even from oak trees growing in a temperate maritime climate. This demonstrates the potential for extracting robust palaeoclimatic information from the very long and well‐replicated oak chronologies which have been developed in western and central Europe primarily for dating rather than palaeoclimatic research purposes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rudyard Kipling: A Bibliography

Rudyard Kipling: A Bibliography

Books as History: The Importance of Books Beyond Their Texts

Books as History: The Importance of Books Beyond Their Texts

A Guide to the Printed Work of Jessie M. King

A Guide to the Printed Work of Jessie M. King

Early Victorian Illustrated Books: Britain, France and Germany, 1820‐1860

Early Victorian Illustrated Books: Britain, France and Germany, 1820‐1860

Marine 14C reservoir ages for 19th century whales and molluscs from the North Atlantic

In order to compare radiocarbon dates on marine and terrestrial samples the former have to be corrected for a reservoir age. We present reservoir ages from dating 21 whales collected 1860–1901 and recalculating dates of 23 molluscs collected 1857–1926. Most of the whales were caught along the coast of Norway, but one is from France and one from Iceland. We assume the former mainly lived in the North and equatorial Atlantic and in the Norwegian Sea. Whales feed only on pelagic organisms and will provide the reservoir age for the open ocean surface water. However, they travel long distances and will integrate the reservoir ages of the different water masses along their way. Molluscs (dated from Norway, Spitsbergen and Arctic Canada) are stationary and monitor the sea water passing their dwelling site, but some also take up carbon from particulate food or sediment pore water. Coastal water also often contains some continental carbon. We present two different views on how to analyze and interpret the data. Mangerud recommends to use reservoir ages based on a combination of the whale and mollusc dates, i.e. 380±30 and 360±30 yr relative to Intcal04 and British oak, respectively, and a Δ R value of 20±30 for the surface water in the N-Atlantic and Norwegian Sea. Bondevik and Gulliksen maintain that the reservoir age—and Δ R—along the Norwegian coast is latitude dependant, with Δ R-values increasing from −3±22 in the South to 105±24 at Spitsbergen. Whales, reflecting North Atlantic open ocean surface water have lower Δ R (7±11) than most molluscs.

Wynkyn de Worde, Father of Fleet Street

Wynkyn de Worde, Father of Fleet Street

The utility and limitations of chloroplast DNA analysis for identifying native British oak stands and for guiding replanting strategy

We report a method using variation in the chloroplast genome (cpDNA) to test whether oak stands of unknown provenance are of native and/or local origin. As an example, a sample of test oaks, of mostly unknown status in relation to nativeness and localness, were surveyed for cpDNA type. The sample comprised 126 selected trees, derived from 16 British seed stands, and 75 trees, selected for their superior phenotype (201 tree samples in total). To establish whether these two test groups are native and local, their cpDNA type was compared with that of material from known autochthonous origin (results of a previous study which examined variation in 1076 trees from 224 populations distributed across Great Britain). In the previous survey of autochthonous material, four cpDNA types were identified as native; thus if a test sample possessed a new haplotype then it could be classed as non-native. Every one of the 201 test samples possessed one of the four cpDNA types found within the autochthonous sample. Therefore none could be proven to be introduced and, on this basis, was considered likely to be native. The previous study of autochthonous material also found that cpDNA variation was highly structured geographically and, therefore, if the cpDNA type of the test sample did not match that of neighbouring autochthonous trees then it could be considered to be non-local. A high proportion of the seed stand group (44.2 per cent) and the phenotypically superior trees (58.7 per cent) possessed a cpDNA haplotype which matched that of the neighbouring autochthonous trees and, therefore, can be considered as local, or at least cannot be proven to be introduced. The remainder of the test sample could be divided into those which did not grow in an area of overall dominance (18.7 per cent of seed stand trees and 28 per cent of phenotypically superior) and those which failed to match the neighbouring autochthonous haplotype (37.1 per cent and 13.3 per cent, respectively). Most of the non-matching test samples were located within 50 km of an area dominated by a matching autochthonous haplotype (96.0 per cent and 93.5 per cent, respectively), and potentially indicates only local transfer. Whilst such genetic fingerprinting tests have proven useful for assessing the origin of stands of unknown provenance, there are potential limitations to using a marker from the chloroplast genome (mostly adaptively neutral) for classifying seed material into categories which have adaptive implications. These limitations are discussed, particularly within the context of selecting adaptively superior material for restocking native forests.

The Bible as Book: The Reformation. Edited by Orlaith O'Sullivan. London: The British Library and Oak Knoll, 2000. x + 182 pp. £40.00.

The Bible as Book: The Reformation. Edited by Orlaith O'Sullivan. London: The British Library and Oak Knoll, 2000. x + 182 pp. £40.00.

Distribution of chloroplast DNA variation in British oaks (Quercus robur and Q. petraea): the influence of postglacial colonisation and human management

Variation in the non-coding region of chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was studied to determine the route and pattern of postglacial recolonisation of native oak throughout mainland Britain. In total, 1076 mature oak trees of either Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. or Quercus robur L. from 224 British ancient woodland sites were analysed, and represent the largest and most saturating molecular analysis of British oak undertaken to date. The majority of oaks (98%) possessed one of the three cpDNA haplotypes from lineage B that are commonly found in Spain and western regions of France. Thus, our findings strongly support the hypothesis that most native British Q. robur and Q. petraea originate from a Pleistocene refugium in the Iberian Peninsula. A haplotype previously thought to be the result of a de novo postglacial mutation in East Anglia, Native and Non-native in British Forestry. Proceedings of a Discussion Meeting, March 31–April 2, 1995. University of Warwick, pp. 38–55] was found at several sites in eastern Britain, including major population clusters in East Anglia, Tyneside and northeast Scotland. We propose that this haplotype was introduced to Britain via normal postglacial colonisation processes. Less than 2% of oak trees sampled possessed haplotypes from lineages which originate from more eastern refugia (Italy and Balkans). Whilst human-mediated translocation may be responsible for the occurrence of these haplotypes in Britain, single long distance dispersal events (of between 300 and 500km from France) cannot be excluded for at least one case. The majority of populations sampled (including those where both species are present) were fixed for a single haplotype (69%). However, significant areas of mixed haplotype woods occurred in the Welsh Marches and Scotland and the proportion of population fixation was lower and intra-population diversity higher for Q. robur (GST=0.661; hS=0.224) than for Q. petraea (GST=0.884; hS=0.089). The distribution of cpDNA variation in British oak populations is discussed and interpreted in the light of hypothesised recolonisation routes and dynamics, inter-specific hybridisation and chloroplast capture, and human impacts due to the management of ancient woodland.

For The Love of the Binding: Studies in Bookbinding History Presented to Mirjam Foot

For The Love of the Binding: Studies in Bookbinding History Presented to Mirjam Foot

The Bible as Book:

The Bible as Book: