Farms In Scotland Research Articles

Extraction kits could affect the interpretation of metabarcoding results of sediment samples taken around salmon farms

Differences in PCR strategies and errors, sequencing errors and methods used for extractions affect sequence data and potentially its interpretation. These effects could vary based on the target fragments, which are also influenced by limitations of incomplete databases. In this study, we tested the effects of two different proprietary DNA extraction kits on sediment samples, for the purposes of benthic monitoring of salmon farms. The levels of organic enrichment at farms show a gradient from cage edge to more distant locations. The effects of enrichment on benthic communities can be established with metabarcoding. We collected samples at three salmon farms in Scotland, at varying distances from cage edge. The sediments underneath two of the farms was fine while the sediment under the other was coarse, with a larger mean particle size. We extracted the samples with two different kits, each using a different mass of sediment – Qiagen DNeasy PowerSoil Pro (0.5 g) and Qiagen DNeasy PowerMax (5 g). We then subjected each extract to three independent PCRs targeting 16S (bacterial) and CO1 (eukaryotic) fragments. The PCR products of samples and blanks were sequenced with an Illumina MiSeq instrument on a single run. We denoised the sequenced data using DADA2 and rarefied it before analysis (Callahan et al. 2016). The 16S data was annotated against the seven-level SILVA database (Quast 2012). We collated this data at ‘Family’ level. The CO1 data was filtered to remove Amplicon Sequence Variants (ASVs) present in only one sample and ASVs with a frequency of less than ten reads across all samples. The read count data of family level 16S and ASVs of CO1 were transformed and converted to Bray-Curtis dissimilarity matrices (Bray and Curtis 1957). A permutational multivariate analysis of variance was carried out. We also ordinated these data with non-metric multi-dimensional scaling. 474 bacterial families and 3380 eukaryotic ASVs were included in the analysis. The samples extracted with both kits demonstrated a gradient based on distance from cage edge. This gradient in sampling stations was observed with both the 16S and CO1 markers. Data from both markers and kits showed a greater distinction between cage edge stations and more distant stations in the farms characterised by fine sediment. The two extraction kits showed similar trends but differed in their results. The 16S data showed a separation of samples by extraction kit along the y-axis. PowerMax extractions were associated with higher values on the y-axis (Fig. 1). The multivariate analysis of variance of the 16S data showed that extraction kit contributes to approximately 7% (p<0.001) of variation in data. The CO1 ASV data also showed a grouping of samples of both kits along the x-axis on the basis of distance from the farm (Fig. 1). The CO1 data showed that extraction kits contribute to about 5% (p<0.001) of the variation. The results of the two extraction kits were more similar to each other with the CO1 marker than with 16S. The greater axes values and grouping in the CO1 ordination, indicate that it is able to split farms and distances better than 16S. We show that both extraction kits demonstrated a gradient according to distance from the cage edge. However, there was a systematic difference between the extraction kits. Variability due to kit was greater with the 16S marker despite it including fewer bacterial families than CO1 ASVs. We recommend that the same extraction kit be used to develop protocols for monitoring of fish farms with metabarcoding. Though both kits demonstrate the same major trend, subtle differences may not be distinguished. These variations between the kits could influence the results and interpretation of metabarcoding.

Isolation of a New Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus (IPNV) Variant from a Fish Farm in Scotland.

The aquatic virus, infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV), is known to infect various farmed fish, in particular salmonids, and is responsible for large economic losses in the aquaculture industry. Common practices to detect the virus include qPCR tests based on specific primers and serum neutralization tests for virus serotyping. Following the potential presence of IPNV viruses in a fish farm in Scotland containing vaccinated and IPNV-resistant fish, the common serotyping of the IPNV isolates was not made possible. This led us to determine the complete genome of the new IPNV isolates in order to investigate the cause of the serotyping discrepancy. Next-generation sequencing using the Illumina technology along with the sequence-independent single primer amplification (SISPA) approach was conducted to fully characterize the new Scottish isolates. With this approach, the full genome of two isolates, V1810–4 and V1810–6, was determined and analyzed. The potential origin of the virus isolates was investigated by phylogenetic analyses along with tridimensional and secondary protein structure analyses. These revealed the emergence of a new variant from one of the main virus serotypes, probably caused by the presence of selective pressure exerted by the vaccinated IPNV-resistant farmed fish.

Estimating antimicrobial usage based on sales to beef and dairy farms from UK veterinary practices.

Accurate estimation of antimicrobial use (AMU) is important in assessing reduction of agricultural AMU. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate several approaches for estimating AMU at the herd level and to report on AMU for beef and dairy farms in Scotland. Pharmaceutical sales data for 75 cattle herds (2011-2015) were screened for antimicrobial products and aggregated by herd and year. Several denominators for usage estimates were calculated and compared for their suitability at the herd level. The median total mass of active ingredient sold per kg of bovine livestock was 9.5 mg/kg for beef herds and 14.3 mg/kg for dairy herds. The 'highest priority critically important' antimicrobials (HPCIA) were by total mass of active ingredient, 10.6% of all sales; by total defined daily dose veterinary (DDDVet), 29.8% and by DCDvet, 20.0%. These are the first estimates of AMU for beef cattle in the UK, and for cattle of any kind in Scotland. Estimates of herd-level usage based on population correction unit (PCU) were sensitive to low values for PCU for specific herd-years due to their demographic composition. Pharmaceutical sales data can provide useful estimates of AMU, but estimating usage per PCU is not appropriate for comparing groups of cattle with different demographic compositions or for setting herd-level targets. Total mass of active ingredient per kilogram of livestock is more stable and hence suitable than PCU-based methods for assessing AMU at the herd level.

Food Waste in Primary Production: Milk Loss With Mitigation Potentials.

Sources and quantities of milk loss in primary production are presented in this paper through an analysis of results from a 2018 survey. Responses from 43 dairy farms in Scotland showed that milk losses occurred due to withdrawal periods for veterinary treatment, parlor infrastructure, and lapses in management routine. A partial life cycle assessment detailed flows of milk from cow to farm gate and captured farm inputs such as imported feeds and fertilizers. Incidence of animal health events such as mastitis, that routinely lead to milk withdrawal were quantified alongside strategies carried out by farmers to reduce milk loss. Treatment for mastitis accounted for 76% of all milk withdrawal days and the remaining 24% stemmed from therapies for health events such as uterine disorders and lameness. Withdrawal periods for mastitis treatments averaged 4.5 days, with a mean incidence of 20% of cows in a herd. Across all farms, an average of 98.2% of total milk produced was sold, 0.66% was purposely retained, 0.55% was rejected due to antibiotic residues, 0.5% was lost from parlor to bulk tank infrastructure and a further 0.09% was rejected by the processor. Carbon footprints found greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions averaged 0.849 kg CO2e/kg across farms for the milking herd. A scenario of 20% fewer withdrawal days reduced GHG's on average by 0.6%. Additional mitigation was attained by reductions in milk loss from parlor infrastructure and the bulk tank, and this showed a 1% reduction in GHG emissions could be achieved through higher volumes of milk sales. Categorizing responses by management system type highlighted differences in proportional losses between all year round housed and conventional grazing regimes. The most predominant health disorder leading to milk withdrawal was mastitis, however losses due to other health events and parlor infrastructure were not insignificant on Scottish dairy farms.

The Consequences of Air Density Variations over Northeastern Scotland for Offshore Wind Energy Potential

Hywind-Scotland is a wind farm in Scotland that for many reasons is at the leading edge of technology and is located at a paradigmatic study area for offshore wind energy assessment. The objective of this paper is to compute the Capacity Factor ( C F ) changes and instantaneous power generation changes due to seasonal and hourly fluctuations in air density. For that reason, the novel ERA5 reanalysis is used as a source of temperature, pressure, and wind speed data. Seasonal results for winter show that C F values increase by 3% due to low temperatures and denser air, with economical profit consequences of tens of thousands (US$). Hourly results show variations of 7% in air density and of 26% in power generation via FAST simulations, emphasizing the need to include air density in short-term wind energy studying.

Using public comments to gauge social licence to operate for finfish aquaculture: Lessons from Scotland

Research and development in the aquaculture industry tends to focus on environmental and economic outcomes. However, with increasing use of marine space, competition between different industries and priorities for coastal communities is a social issue that is coming to the fore. Public perception and local social acceptability have been identified by the industry as key factors in the sustainable growth of finfish aquaculture. With the EU, and the UK and Scottish Governments targeting Blue Growth sectors for development, the drivers of social acceptability issues with finfish aquaculture require attention. Social Licence to Operate (SLO) is a theory which has proved useful in describing the relationship between industry and local communities. This study thematically analyses public comments made on planning applications for new finfish farms in Scotland, and uses SLO theory to explore local scale social interactions and the drivers of public perception of the aquaculture industry. It reveals the complexities of SLO, including areas of concern for engaged members of the public and shows that there are key actors which shape and drive engagement with the debate around whether finfish farms are acceptable. It finds that information used by the public to make decisions around aquaculture is often compiled and distributed by the key actors. This brings into question how much influence local communities have in SLO negotiations. Finally, it reflects that further thought and dialogue within and between research institutes, regulators, industry and local communities is needed to create a more equitable approach to negotiating SLO for finfish aquaculture.

Spatio-temporal and risk factor analysis of alleles related to Scrapie resistance in sheep in Great Britain before, during and after a national breeding program

Certain genotypes of sheep have been identified to increase their susceptibility (the VRQ allele) or resistance (the ARR allele) to classical scrapie. This study’s aim was to assess the spatio-temporal pattern of the ARR and VRQ alleles in Great Britain (GB) and to explore the risk factors associated to their presence.Data was collected from the GB scrapie active surveillance program, the sheep and goat inventory survey (GB census survey) and the agricultural survey for the period 2002-2015. Spatio-temporal trends of genotypes were assessed through the use of choropleth maps, spatial cluster and linear regression analyses. Multivariable mixed effect logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between the resistant or susceptible genotypes, and breeds, farm purpose, animal purpose, surveillance stream, country location and herd size.The results show a significant upward trend in the frequency of most resistant ARR alleles (1.15% per year, 95%CI: 0.76-1.53) and significant downward trend of most susceptible VRQ alleles (-0.40% per year; 95%CI: -0.69 to -0.10]. The trend continues after the termination of the national scrapie plan in 2009. Breeds such as Herdwick (OR = 0,26; 95%CI: 0.14-0.46), Shetland (OR = 0.22; 95%CI: 0.13-0.39), Swaledale (OR = 0.58; 95%CI: 0.47-0.73), Scottish blackface (OR = 0.54; 95%CI: 0.41-0.71) and Welsh Montain (OR: 0.59; 95%CI: 0.44-0.79) were identified with lower odds ratios of having the resistant ARR allele, while Beulah speckled face (OR = 1.58; 95%CI: 1.04-2.41), Jacob (OR = 2.91; 95%CI: 1.33-6.40), Lleyn (OR = 2.94; 95%CI: 1.28-6.74) and Suffolk (OR = 2.19; 95%CI: 1.69-2.84) had higher odds ratios of having the ARR allele. Other risk factors associated to presence of ARR allele were finishing farms (OR = 1.15; 95%CI: 1.06-1.24) and farms in Scotland (OR = 0,78; 95%CI: 0.73-0.83) and in Lowland grazing areas (OR = 1.53; 95%CI: 1.39-1.67). Factors associated with presence the VRQ genotype were farms in Scotland (OR = 0,85; 95%CI: 0.77-0.93) and breeds such as Herdwick (OR = 2.2; 95%CI: 1.08-4.97), Shetland (OR = 4.12; 95%CI: 2.20-7.73) and Sweledale (OR = 1.51; 95%CI: 1.10-2.09). For the most resistant genotype, two significant spatial clusters were identified: a high-risk cluster in the south-west of GB (RR = 1.51, p < 0.001) and a low-risk cluster in northern GB (RR = 0.65, p < 0.001). For the most susceptible genotypes, one significant high-risk cluster was identified in Wales (RR = 2.89 and p = 0.013).Surveillance for classical scrapie could be improved with a risk-based approach by focussing on those areas and farm types identified to have higher frequency of VRQ alleles and less frequency of ARR alleles. Scrapie control strategies could focus on developing breeding programs on farms with Shetland, Herdwick and Swaledale breeds.

Detection of potentially human infectious assemblages of Giardia duodenalis in fecal samples from beef and dairy cattle in Scotland.

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and assemblages of Giardia duodenalis present in Scottish beef and dairy cattle at different ages, to try to ascertain if cattle could play a role in the spread of zoonotic assemblages of Giardia. A total of 388 fecal samples (128 beef and 253 dairy, seven of unknown breed) were collected from 19 farms in Scotland. Samples were sub-divided by host age, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 7-24 and ⩾25 weeks. DNA was extracted and tested by PCR to detect G. duodenalis DNA. Of the 388 samples, 126 tested positive, giving an overall prevalence of 32.5%, with positive samples being observed in all age groups tested. The prevalence in dairy cattle was 44.7% (113/235), which was significantly higher (P &lt; 0.001) than the prevalence in beef cattle 10.1% (13/128). Sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of assemblage E (77.2%, sequence types E-S1-E-S5), assemblage B (18.2%) and assemblage A (sub-assemblages AI-AII) (4.6%). These data demonstrate that G. duodenalis is found routinely in both dairy and beef cattle throughout Scotland; the presence of assemblages A and B also indicates that cattle may play a role in the spread of potentially zoonotic assemblages of Giardia.

Achieving on-farm practice change through facilitated group learning: Evaluating the effectiveness of monitor farms and discussion groups

Group extension promises to be more effective than conventional approaches, in particular when combined with participatory approaches, but little is known about how group extension approaches work as part of advisory programmes in a European context and the factors that influence their success. This paper investigates two examples of group extension for knowledge exchange and innovation among farmers: discussion groups within the Beef Technology Adoption Programme (BTAP) in Ireland and monitor farms in Scotland. An analytical framework is developed for the systematic analysis of group extension approaches as embedded in advisory programmes. Drawing on empirical data from qualitative interviews, participant observation and document analysis, we analyse how the design of an extension programme shapes its delivery, its outcomes and the measurability of outcomes. We distinguish levels of learning and adoption, and argue that in general these are higher for discussion groups than for the wider monitor farm participants, although the most substantial practice changes can be expected for the monitor farmer. We conclude that the more structured the group extension approach and the more detailed the programme targets, the more likely it is to achieve the expected (technology adoption) outcomes. However, such a prescriptive programme will struggle to simultaneously encourage farmer-led processes. The more open and flexible the approach, the more potential options for experimenting and learning are created, but this requires farmers to adopt a mindset of being active knowledge creators rather than knowledge consumers, and outcomes are more difficult to measure.

The changing environment of conservation conflict: Geese and farming in Scotland

Abstract Conflict between conservation objectives and human livelihoods is ubiquitous and can be highly damaging, but the processes generating it are poorly understood. Ecological elements are central to conservation conflict, and changes in their dynamics — for instance due to anthropogenic environmental change — are likely to influence the emergence of serious human–wildlife impacts and, consequently, social conflict. We used mixed‐effects models to examine the drivers of historic spatio‐temporal dynamics in numbers of Greenland barnacle geese (Branta leucopsis) on the Scottish island of Islay to identify the ecological processes that have shaped the environment in which conflict between goose conservation and agriculture has been triggered. Barnacle goose numbers on Islay increased from 20,000 to 43,000 between 1987 and 2016. Over the same period, the area of improved grassland increased, the number of sheep decreased and the climate warmed. Goose population growth was strongly linked to the increasing area of improved grassland, which provided geese with more high quality forage. Changing climatic conditions, particularly warming temperatures on Islay and breeding grounds in Greenland, have also boosted goose numbers. As the goose population has grown, farms have supported geese more frequently and in larger numbers, with subsequent damaging effects on grassland. The creation of high‐quality grassland appears to have largely driven the problem of serious economic damage by geese. Our analysis also reveals the drivers of spatial variation in goose impacts: geese were more likely to occur on farms closer to roosts and those with more improved grassland. However, as geese numbers have increased they have spread to previously less favoured farms. Synthesis and applications. Our study demonstrates the primary role of habitat modification in the emergence of conflict between goose conservation and agriculture, alongside a secondary role of climate change. Our research illustrates the value of exploring socio‐ecological history to understand the processes leading to conservation conflict. In doing so, we identify those elements that are more controllable, such as local habitat management, and less controllable, such as climate change, but which both need to be taken into account when managing conservation conflict.

Adaptation, Resilience and CAP Reform: A Comparison of Crofts and Livestock Farms in Scotland

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we assess the recent and anticipated changes on Scotland’s livestock-producing crofts, using a representative survey of Scottish farmers undertaken in 2013. We find that crofters are similar to other livestock farmers, both inside and outside of the traditional crofting counties, in terms of age, years of involvement in the holding and percentage of identified successors, but are less likely to own their holdings or to operate them for profit. Crofters reported being more subsidy dependent than other livestock producers, and many appear likely to retreat from crofting in the event of substantive subsidy reductions. However, crofting respondents identified input costs, regulations, commodity prices and climate change as having had greater influence on how they manage their crofts than the 2005 transition to the ‘Single Farm Payment’. Overall, crofters reported making fewer changes than their counterparts in non-crofting counties, but similar levels to those of other livestock farmers within crofting counties, suggesting less ‘room for manoeuvre’ within the remote areas in which most crofts are located. However, there is some evidence that ‘active’ crofts are ‘bouncing forward’ in response to recent challenges, particularly into forestry and agri-tourism, also reporting significantly higher perceived economic prospects.

Exploring factors affecting on-farm renewable energy adoption in Scotland using large-scale microdata

This paper uses large-scale micro data to identify key factors affecting the decision to adopt renewable energy generation (wind, solar and biomass) on farms in Scotland. We construct an integrated dataset that includes the compulsory agricultural census and farm structural survey that cover almost all farms in Scotland. In addition to farm owner demographics and farm business structures, we also assess the effect of diversification activities such as tourism and forestry, as well as the spatial, biophysical and geophysical attributes of the farms on the adoption decision. We find that diversified farms are more likely to adopt renewable energy, especially solar and biomass energy. Farms are also more likely to adopt renewable energy if they have high local demand for energy, or suitable conditions for renewable energy production. We find that biophysical factors such as the agricultural potential of farm land are important in adoption decisions. We identify adopter profiles for each type of renewable energy, and map the geographic location of potential adopters. We argue that renewable energy policy should be more integrated with farm diversification policy and farm support schemes. It should also be tailored for each type of renewable energy, for the potential adopter profiles of wind, solar and biomass energy all differ in farm characteristics and geographic distribution.

Nitrous oxide emission sources from a mixed livestock farm

The primary aim of this study was to identify and compare the most significant sources of nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soils within a typical mixed livestock farm in Scotland. The farm area can be considered as representative of agricultural soils in this region where outdoor grazing forms an important part of the animal husbandry. A high temporal resolution dynamic chamber method was used to measure N2O fluxes from the featureless, general areas of the arable and pasture fields (general) and from those areas where large nitrogen additions are highly likely, such as animal feeding areas, manure heaps, animal barns (features). Individual N2O flux measurements varied by four orders of magnitude, with values ranging from −5.5 to 80,000 μg N2O-N m−2 h−1. The log-normal distribution of the fluxes required the use of more complex statistics to quantify uncertainty, including a Bayesian approach which provided a robust and transparent method for “upscaling” i.e. translating small-scale observations to larger scales, with appropriate propagation of uncertainty. Mean N2O fluxes associated with the features were typically one to four orders of magnitude larger than those measured on the general areas of the arable and pasture fields. During warmer months, when widespread grazing takes place across the farm, the smaller N2O fluxes of the largest area source – the general field (99.7% of total area) – dominated the overall N2O emissions. The contribution from the features should still be considered important, given that up to 91% of the fluxes may come from only 0.3% of the area under certain conditions, especially in the colder winter months when manure heaps and animal barns continue to produce emissions while soils reach temperatures unfavourable for microbial activity (<5 °C).

A farm level approach to explore farm gross margin effects of soil organic carbon management

This paper investigates farm gross margin effects of management measures aimed at enhancing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks to maintain soil fertility while providing important ecosystem services. An optimising farm level model, ScotFarm, is used to investigate the farm gross margin effects of selected SOC management measures for arable farms in Scotland (UK) and Aragon (Spain). The sensitivity of model results to effects on crop yields and costs of production is tested for each measure. The results suggest that considerable regional differences in the financial viability of SOC measures exist. Tillage management is the only measure with positive effects on farm gross margins of Scottish farms at baseline levels of yield effects and input costs. In the case of farms in Aragon, Spain, fertiliser management, crop rotations (with legumes) and tillage management (in later years) show improvements in gross margins. Residue management is estimated to have a negative effect on farm gross margins for both Scottish and Spanish crop farms. Results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that effects of SOC management on farm gross margins are more sensitive to a change in crop yields than to changes in input costs. The findings point to further research needs with respect to the trade-offs between yield effects and changes in input costs arising from the adoption of SOC management measures, and have implications for agricultural policy design aimed at enhancing SOC stocks under a changing climate.

Ground-level climate at a peatland wind farm in Scotland is affected by wind turbine operation

The global drive to produce low-carbon energy has resulted in an unprecedented deployment of onshore wind turbines, representing a significant land use change for wind energy generation with uncertain consequences for local climatic conditions and the regulation of ecosystem processes. Here, we present high-resolution data from a wind farm collected during operational and idle periods that shows the wind farm affected several measures of ground-level climate. Specifically, we discovered that operational wind turbines raised air temperature by 0.18 °C and absolute humidity (AH) by 0.03 g m−3 during the night, and increased the variability in air, surface and soil temperature throughout the diurnal cycle. Further, the microclimatic influence of turbines on air temperature and AH decreased logarithmically with distance from the nearest turbine. These effects on ground-level microclimate, including soil temperature, have uncertain implications for biogeochemical processes and ecosystem carbon cycling, including soil carbon stocks. Consequently, understanding needs to be improved to determine the overall carbon balance of wind energy.

Pooling sheep faecal samples for the assessment of anthelmintic drug efficacy using McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC in gastrointestinal strongyle and Nematodirus infection

In small ruminants, faecal egg counts (FECs) and reduction in FECs (FECR) are the most common methods for the assessment of intensity of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes infections and anthelmintic drug efficacy, respectively. The main limitation of these methods is the time and cost to conduct FECs on a representative number of individual animals. A cost-saving alternative would be to examine pooled faecal samples, however little is known regarding whether pooling can give representative results. In the present study, we compared the FECR results obtained by both an individual and a pooled examination strategy across different pool sizes and analytical sensitivity of the FEC techniques. A survey was conducted on 5 sheep farms in Scotland, where anthelmintic resistance is known to be widespread. Lambs were treated with fenbendazole (4 groups), levamisole (3 groups), ivermectin (3 groups) or moxidectin (1 group). For each group, individual faecal samples were collected from 20 animals, at baseline (D0) and 14 days after (D14) anthelmintic administration. Faecal samples were analyzed as pools of 3–5, 6–10, and 14–20 individual samples. Both individual and pooled samples were screened for GI strongyle and Nematodirus eggs using two FEC techniques with three different levels of analytical sensitivity, including Mini-FLOTAC (analytical sensitivity of 10 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG)) and McMaster (analytical sensitivity of 15 or 50 EPG).For both Mini-FLOTAC and McMaster (analytical sensitivity of 15 EPG), there was a perfect agreement in classifying the efficacy of the anthelmintic as ‘normal’, ‘doubtful’ or ‘reduced’ regardless of pool size. When using the McMaster method (analytical sensitivity of 50 EPG) anthelmintic efficacy was often falsely classified as ‘normal’ or assessment was not possible due to zero FECs at D0, and this became more pronounced when the pool size increased. In conclusion, pooling ovine faecal samples holds promise as a cost-saving and efficient strategy for assessing GI nematode FECR. However, for the assessment FECR one will need to consider the baseline FEC, pool size and analytical sensitivity of the method.

Viability of the Happy Factor™ targeted selective treatment approach on several sheep farms in Scotland

The aim of this study was to examine the use of Happy Factor™ weight based targeted selective treatment (TST) on several commercial farms in Scotland in combination with findings from a long term trial on a research farm to assess the potential for TST use in varying farming operations as an alternative to the current regimen of whole flock treatment. Lambs on each farm were regularly weighed and climatic conditions and pasture availability measured for inclusion into the Happy Factor™ model to calculate weight targets. Half of the lambs were allocated to TST treatment and any failing to reach the weight target was treated with the anthelmintic of choice on that farm, while the remaining half of each flock was treated with anthelmintic as per normal practice on that farm (routine treatment, RT). The research farm (farm 1) hosted a long term trial using four anthelmintic treatment regimes over 6 years, and data from two regimes are presented here, alongside findings from three further farms: two commercial enterprises (farms 2 and 3) and a research farm operating as a commercial analogue with two breeds (farms 4a and 4b). The effect of TST strategy on lamb productivity and the number of anthelmintic treatments was investigated. There was no evidence (p>0.300) that mean bodyweight or growth rate was different between TST and RT groups on any of the farms and 95% confidence intervals of TST and RT groups generally suggested that TST had negligible unfavourable effects on the average growth of lambs for most of the farms. Growth rates ranged from 97.39 to 189.16g/day reflecting the varied nature of the farms. All commercial farms used significantly less (1.34 RT versus 1.14 TST treatments per animal, p<0.05) anthelmintic in lambs following TST, with a reduction from 1, 1, 1.03 and 1.14 to 0.77, 0.57, 0.82 and 0.81 in the number of treatments per animal for farms 2, 3, 4a and 4b respectively. This study suggests that TST is a viable means of controlling parasitic disease without incurring production losses.

Wait for Me by Caroline Leech

Reviewed by: Wait for Me by Caroline Leech Kate Quealy-Gainer Leech, Caroline Wait for Me. HarperTeen/HarperCollins, 2017 [384p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-06-245988-6 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 978-0-245990-9 $9.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 7-10 Upkeep of the family farm in Scotland has become difficult for seventeen-year-old Lorna and her father since her two brothers are deployed in World War II. When the local POW camp assigns them a German as a farmhand, however, she’s repulsed by the thought of inviting the enemy to her home—and then she’s shaken when she sees the disfigured soldier who she’s meant to work beside. Paul Vogel, however, is both a hard worker and a gentle soul, and it becomes clear to Lorna that Paul is, like her brothers, longing for the war to be over so he can return home. It also becomes clear to Lorna that she’s falling in love with Paul, a thorny situation in a small town with plenty of anti-German sentiment. The forbidden love plot is a tried and true favorite with romance fans, and Paul and Lorna’s secret meetings and increasingly heated kisses and the rising probability that they will be found out work together like a finely tuned machine, producing delicious combinations of sighs, gasps, and swoons. Paul is refreshingly non-broody, and while he has plenty reason to be angsty—both his mother and sister were killed in the Dresden bombing—Leech instead casts him with a quiet sense of sadness and steely determination not for revenge but for a peaceful life. Lorna is wonderfully feisty without being too modern for her era, and she approaches her romance with Paul much like she approaches most things, with wit, honesty, and compassion. The ending is far too rosy to be realistic, but it’s a forgivable offense that brings Paul and Lorna a satisfying happy ending. Copyright © 2016 by The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

MOVEMENTS OF LIVE SALMONIDS IN SCOTLAND: CONSERVATION OF NETWORK STRUCTURE

MOVEMENTS OF LIVE SALMONIDS IN SCOTLAND: CONSERVATION OF NETWORK STRUCTURE

Biotic and Abiotic Factors Interact to Regulate Northern Peatland Carbon Cycling

Understanding the spatio-temporal variability of controls on peatland carbon (C) cycling is essential to project the effects of future environmental change. While there is understanding of individual drivers of C cycling, the effect of multiple drivers, including interactions, remains poorly understood. Using a spatially and temporally explicit sampling framework, we examined the effects of biotic and abiotic controls on key indicators of peatland functioning: ecosystem respiration (Reco), photosynthesis (Pcal), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), methane (CH4) fluxes, and pore water dissolved organic carbon concentration ([DOC]). Measurements were made over 12 months in a blanket peatland hosting a wind farm in Scotland, UK. Overall, we found that (i) season and plant functional type (PFT) explained most variation in Reco and Pcal, (ii) PFT and spatial location within the wind farm, which integrates several peat properties, were dominant predictors of CH4 fluxes, and (iii) season and location within the wind farm correlated with pore water [DOC]. Examination of predictors indicated that interactions, between and within biotic and abiotic factors, explained a significant amount of variation in greenhouse gas fluxes and [DOC]. These findings indicate that combinations of biotic and abiotic factors could mediate or exacerbate the effects of future environmental change on peatland C cycling. Given this, studies of C cycling need to capture the spatial and temporal variance of biotic and abiotic factors and their interactions to project the likely impacts of environmental change.