Form Of Grass Research Articles

Recognition of organic camouflage using neural networks

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming increasingly important for military operations, including reconnaissance, providing battlefield support, and performing a variety of missions. The possibility of attacking targets using a group of UAVs increases the relevance of protection measures, in particular, camouflage. The literature review highlights the experience of using UAVs in military spheres of activity and their high efficiency in reconnaissance and support on the battlefield. Visual orientation on the terrain using high-resolution images was considered as a priority direction of UAV navigation in the conditions of the operation of electronic warfare tools. On the basis of hybrid convolutional neural networks, hardware for working with the UAV platform is serially produced. It is suggested to use vines for masking stationary objects due to their rapid growth and the corresponding quality/cost ratio. The purpose of the work is to check the effectiveness of masking small objects using herbaceous and spindly plants in relation to the prospects of their identification by optical means. The research was conducted using our own data obtained from UAVs in the visible range on experimental fields and the botanical garden of NUBiP of Ukraine and on pictures of buildings from the Internet. It has been experimentally established that the variety of shapes, sizes and structures of vegetation complicates the recognition process for convolutional neural networks. The appearance of plants can change significantly depending on the angle of photography, lighting and the state of mineral nutrition. Organic camouflage in the form of grasses and vines can completely or partially hide buildings and structures, changing their brightness and contour. This can obscure details and increase the risk of false object recognition. For example, structures covered with Aristolochia manshuriensis Kom. vines were correctly recognized only 27% of the time using a neural network. Convolutional neural networks require a large amount of data to train if the goal is to achieve high accuracy. However, if data with vine-covered objects is limited or unavailable, the training process may be insufficient, which may affect the network's ability to accurately recognize such objects.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AT SUTERU FARM, TEGAL WARU VILLAGE, CIAMPEA DISTRICT, BOGOR REGENCY

Suteru Farm is a Holland fries (FH) dairy farm that was established in 2013, with 32 biological assets and a farm area of 11,000m2. The location of this farm is in the vicinity of the community housing of Tegal Waru Village, Ciampea District, Bogor Regency, where the average layout of the residences is still far from one another so that they still have vacant land to plant productive plants. Our goal in conducting community service activities at Suteru Farm is to help form a community forum for producing feed crops around the farm, optimizing vacant land to become productive for plant feed by providing knowledge and skills for the community in cultivating feed crops, providing knowledge and skills in making fermentation green plants from cultivation to marketing, providing skills in livestock financial management. Efforts made for Suteru Farm and other farms in the Tegal Waru Village area need to offer several solutions including: 1) Optimization of vacant land around the community's residential yards by cultivating forage in the form of grass and legumes; 2) Application of preservation technology including fermentation; 3) Centralized management in one container for the management of fermented cattle feed so that it goes directly to the hands of the farm; and 4) improve the financial management of livestock in order to increase profitability. The target that we set for this activity is to run within 8 (eight) months, through the field survey method of potential vacant land, Forum Group Discussion (FGD) with Suteru Farm management and representatives of the local community by discussing knowledge about forage crop cultivation, forage grass fermentation and marketing. , lectures and trainings, practices from the solutions offered to mentoring.

Aplikasi Pencacah Pakan Ternak pada Peternak Kambing Isbani Farm

The feed given to goats is generally in the form of grass and cocoa pods. The grass that is given directly without being chopped is not eaten as a whole by the goat, but what is chopped first is eaten until it runs out. This service program aims to apply a forage chopper machine for goats at Isbani Farm so that the forage becomes fine in size. The method for reducing or smoothing the size of forage is to use a chopper in the chopping process. This chopper is in the form of two blades mounted on the axle and driven by diesel so that it can rotate and chop forage material. Service activities include problem formulation with partners, preparation of chopper machines, training on the use of chopping machines for partners and program evaluation. Partners are very open in conveying problems and very cooperative in coordinating. The animal feed material chopper machine can be well prepared; covering frame; the chopper and the driving motor. The training and application of the counting machine to partners went well; partners can absorb the knowledge and skills provided by the community service team. Evaluation of the service program went well; partners' knowledge increased by about 45%. It is necessary to conduct training in making silage or durable feed from agricultural waste feed ingredients such as corn stalks, rice straw and cassava leaves. It is necessary to create a sustainable program so that the partner assistance process is sustainable.

Forage Diversification of Parent Bali Cattle in Simantri Group 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti, Baru Village Tabanan Bali Indonesia

Simantri is agricultural integration activity in Bali, Indonesia covering food crops, horticulture businesses, animal husbandry, fisheries, plantations, and forestry crops in one area/activity location. The Simantri Group 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti Desa Baru has been formed since 2009, with available feed sources in the form of grasses that grow naturally (nature grass) and some forage plants such as gamal (Gliricidia sepium) and agricultural crop waste. Forage is the main feed for ruminants, which can be in the form of grasses or fodder plants such as legumes. Partners lack knowledge in the field of feed, especially learning about types of forage that are superior in quantity and quality, and are willing to increase the variety of quality forage sources available throughout the season. Partners also want to get special forage seeds and how to cultivate them. It is necessary to conduct action research for Simantri 733 Manah Cika Guna Bhakti Livestock Farmer Group in Banjar Dinas Baru, Baru Village, Marga District, Tabanan Regency, Bali, to help solve problems faced by partners by providing knowledge about superior types of forage, the introduction of technology and skills in cultivation such as land preparation, seed selection, planting, and care. This international collaboration activity was carried out well and smoothly on October 30, 2021, attended by 20 members of the Simantri group. The method used is the method of extension, active participation of farmers, and exploratory. Based on the evaluation results, the Simantri group has recognized several superior forages and has mastered the technology for the cultivation of superior types of forage. Mastery of technology reaches 80%, so it is necessary to provide further assistance to the group during the first and second cutting and preservation techniques so that the rainforest remains of good quality

ECONOMIC AND MEDICAL VALUES OF THE LAMIACEAE (LABIATAE) (BALLIBABAGİLLER) FAMILY

Lamiaceae family are flowering plants represented by over 7000 species and can spread almost all over the world. It is mostly in the form of grass, rarely tree and bush; They have leaves that are in a verticillate (annular) arrangement and contain essential oil. Their economic and medical importance is high. Besides being consumed as flavoring spice, tea and traditional medicine, they are also used as food plant and ornamental plant. The active ingredients of the essential oils of Lamiacea members; It has been used frequently in the treatment of many diseases, both among the people and in medicine. In addition to heart diseases and gynecological diseases; They are also widely used in musculoskeletal problems, mouth and eye disorders. It is necessary to ensure the continuation of the descendants of these family members, who are real treasures, and to benefit from their characteristics more effectively. For this, more scientific studies should be carried out and priority should be given to controlled agriculture and breeding studies.

Basic Needs in Horses?-A Literature Review.

Simple SummaryAll animals have requirements that are essential for their welfare, and when these basic needs are not met, the animal suffers. In horses, it is claimed that these needs include social contact, social companionship, free movement and access to roughage in the form of grass, hay and/or straw. To validate this claim, this review examines 38 studies that reported on horses’ responses when one or more of these factors are restricted. We categorised the type of responses investigated: (a) Stress (e.g., increased stress hormones), (b) Active (e.g., increased aggression), (c) Passive (e.g., depressive-like behaviour) and (d) Abnormal Behaviour (e.g., stereotypies), and analysed the frequencies with which the investigated responses were shown. Overall, the studies reported that horses did react to restrictions in the described basic needs, especially to combinations of restricted social contact, free movement and access to roughage. The observation of passive responses and the development of abnormal behaviour provided compelling evidence that horses were suffering under these restrictions, and existing abnormal behaviours indicated that they had suffered at some time in the past. We conclude that the literature supports the claim that social contact, free movement and access to roughage are basic needs in horses and need to be taken into consideration to ensure their mental and physical welfare in management and training.Every animal species has particular environmental requirements that are essential for its welfare, and when these so-called “basic needs” are not fulfilled, the animals suffer. The basic needs of horses have been claimed to be social contact, social companionship, free movement and access to roughage. To assess whether horses suffer when one or more of the four proposed basic needs are restricted, we examined several studies (n = 38) that reported behavioural and physiological reactions to these restrictions. We assigned the studies according to the four types of responses investigated: (a) Stress, (b) Active, (c) Passive, and (d) Abnormal Behaviour. Furthermore, the number of studies indicating that horses reacted to the restrictions were compared with the number of studies reporting no reaction. The limited number of studies available on single management restrictions did not allow conclusions to be drawn on the effect of each restriction separately, especially in the case of social companionship. However, when combinations of social contact, free movement and access to roughage were restricted, many of the horses had developed responses consistent with suffering. Passive Responses, indicating acute suffering, and Abnormal Behaviour, indicating suffering currently or at some time in the past, were especially clearly demonstrated. This provides further evidence of the usefulness of assessing behavioural parameters in combination with physiological measurements when evaluating horse welfare. This meta-analysis of the literature confirms that it is justified to claim that social contact, free movement and access to roughage are basic needs in horses.

STUDY OF FODDER PLANTS IN RAMNAGAR OF NAINITAL DISTRICT IN UTTARAKHAND INDIA

India, has a broad spectrum of eco-climate ranging from humid temperate to alpine and tropical to semi-arid, which possess a wide range of genetic diversity in forage resource i.e., in form of grasses, legumes, trees, crop plants etc. Uttarakhand is well endowed with a variety of livestock along with the hallmark of large population and low productivity of livestock in the state. In hills of Uttarakhand, the major sources of forage are forests and pasture grassland, crop residue and cultivated fodder. The production and availability of green fodder is not uniform throughout the year. The contribution of leaves as forage, produced from forest trees, forest bushes and herbaceous plants is remarkable. During present study, a total of 34 species of non-cultivated plants, belonging to 26 genera of 17 families have been documented as fodder plant and Poaceaeis the dominant family of fodder

IPTEK BAGI MASYARAKAT MESIN PENCACAH PELEPAH DAN DAUN KELAPA SAWIT UNTUK PAKAN SAPI DI DESA SEMPAN

The growth and development of cattle is very dependent on the maintenance process, including the availability of feed in the surrounding environment, to meet the daily needs of cattle. In order for cow feed to be available and available, it is necessary to have a natural source of cow feed because it is easily available and has a high level of availability, namely in the natural surroundings. This natural source is in the form of grass or leaves that can be consumed directly by cattle, the availability of the feed is not influenced by weather conditions so that it can be obtained anytime and in large quantities. The grass that is available in the environment can be eaten directly by the cows, but the leaves must be processed first to make it easier for the cows to eat. For example, oil palm leaves and fronds, because the size of the palm fronds is quite large, so they cannot be directly used, it is necessary to have a chopping process so that they can be consumed by cows. Of course, the census process manually can be done but it is not effective, it requires a lot of time and a lot of effort. Based on these problems, it is necessary to mechanize the chopping process in order to simplify the process. The purpose of science and technology for the community in cattle breeder farmer groups in general is to increase the quality and capacity of production, especially cattle. Meanwhile, in particular, this IbM activity is expected to collaborate between partners and proposers from educational institutions. Partners can develop their business because they can meet the need for more animal feed through appropriate technology machines in the form of animal feed chopper machines, while institutions can apply science and technology directly and apply their knowledge into appropriate technology and can also introduce Polman educational institutions to the wider community.

Perencanaan lanskap Villa Cloud Nine Estate dengan pendekatan permakultur di Kecamatan Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali

Villa Cloud Nine Estate is one of the tourism accommodations that cares about environmental problems in Bali. This villa has the potential for permaculture planning. A permaculture is a place that can be used for the management of agriculture and livestock to improve the quality of land, provide results and income, and remain sustainable into the future. This study aims to determine the condition of the site and its potential so as to produce a landscape plan that fits the characteristics of the villa landscape. The stages of this research are preparation, inventory, analysis, synthesis and site planning. The results of the data analysis show that the site has low land characteristics with high rainfall throughout the year. The character of the landscape on the site is natural with the main landscape elements in the form of grass and trees. The basic concept produced in this study is The Journey of Permaculture. Landscape planning is designed based on the concept of space, the concept of circulation, the concept of vegetation, and the concept of hydrology. The layout is divided to create zones that can save the time and effort needed. The vegetation is divided into production plants, conservation plants and supporting plants. Villa Cloud Nine Estate is one of the tourist accommodations that applies permaculture on the site.

Forage Resources for Bali Cattle (Bos javanicus) in Small Holder Farming Systems in South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

Bali cattle (Bos javanicus) are a vital component of Indonesia’s crop-livestock farming systems. A research has been conducted to analyze the resources of cattle forage and it’s use on the systems of small holder farming in Bone regency, South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. The research particularly conducted on the centre of “Bali cattle” development at Libureng district, Bone regency aiming to optimize the use of available forage and introducing the new forage. Research conducted on 4 (four) controlled villages namely Mattirowalie village, Bune village, Tappale villageand Laburasseng village. The determination ofselected farmers or called as “best bet farmers” conducted through selection towards the farmers to each village. The results of selection of “best bet farmers” obtained 5 (five) persons in each village so total farmer were 20 persons “best betfarmers expected to be the example case study farmer or the pioneer farmer for the other farmers in conducting the innovative technology of improving cattle forage. The results of research showed that the forage resources of cattle were varied.The system of feed giving the combined foragebetween shepherd system and cut-carry system.If compared with the forage resources condition of cattle after this project implemented, there were the significant influence where farmers have been familiar to plant the forage in form of grasses and legumesthen remain rice and peanut crop residues conservation for their cattle, while before they only focused on Native pasture or field grasses mixture and a little plants straw or crop residues.

SHEEP BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IN BUMDES CIBADAK KECAMATAN BANJARSARI CIAMIS REGENCY

BUMDes Cibadak village, Banjarsari sub-district Ciamis district is one of the BUMdes that runs businesses in the sheep farming sector. This business began in 2018. The types of sheep managed in this business include breeding sheep, fattening sheep and contest sheep. Sheep are made clean and attractive cages. Like a series of villages that are bounded by a partition for each sheep, one barrier is called the Lamb Hotel. The managers are around six residents. His job is to feed, keep the cage clean, bathe and keep sheep safe from being stolen. The sheep that are kept there are sheep belonging to BUMDes, and there are sheep deposited by investors. Sheep nurse receives her profit-sharing wage after being treated 4 months later and the sale proceeds from the distribution, namely for sheep owned by BUMDes, each party receives 50%. While the sheep from investors for the results of 40% for investors, 40% for caregivers and 20% paid to BUMDes as BUMDes cash input. The problem faced in caring for sheep is sheep feed in the form of grass during the dry season to get it experiencing difficulties because they have to find grass in distant regions which is considered inconvenient for sheep caregivers, besides the cost is also relatively expensive because they have to pay for gasoline and motorcycle maintenance. While giving food 3 times a day ie. 09.00 hours, hours. 14.00 and hour. 17:00. In addition, because those who care for sheep are not breeders or farmers, so there are those who are not careful in caring for their sheep, so they must be completed by other sheep nurses. The research objectives are 1) Knowing the role of the Cibadak BUMDes in the management of sheep businesses 2) Analyzing the development of sheep management businesses. The research method is qualitative with a descriptive approach, resource persons from the Head of the Cibadak village and the head of the sheep manager. Research site in Cibadak village, Banjarsari, Ciamis Regency. Research results, that in the management of these sheep require careful planning, because it involves living things, BUMDes as the party responsible for sheep management needs to work together with other villages, especially related to the problems of those caring for sheep, security against theft of sheep and the problem of supplying feed, In addition, the plan for the Cibadak BUMDes to develop contest sheep needs to be considered again because the maintenance costs are high and more complicated and prone to theft of these animals due to the relatively high prices. In this regard, supervision (Controlling) needs to be done intensively and involves the village security (Linmas)

SHEEP BUSINESS MANAGEMENT IN BUMDES CIBADAK KECAMATAN BANJARSARI CIAMIS REGENCY

BUMDes Cibadak village, Banjarsari sub-district Ciamis district is one of the BUMdes that runs businesses in the sheep farming sector. This business began in 2018. The types of sheep managed in this business include breeding sheep, fattening sheep and contest sheep. Sheep are made clean and attractive cages. Like a series of villages that are bounded by a partition for each sheep, one barrier is called the Lamb Hotel. The managers are around six residents. His job is to feed, keep the cage clean, bathe and keep sheep safe from being stolen. The sheep that are kept there are sheep belonging to BUMDes, and there are sheep deposited by investors. Sheep nurse receives her profit-sharing wage after being treated 4 months later and the sale proceeds from the distribution, namely for sheep owned by BUMDes, each party receives 50%. While the sheep from investors for the results of 40% for investors, 40% for caregivers and 20% paid to BUMDes as BUMDes cash input. The problem faced in caring for sheep is sheep feed in the form of grass during the dry season to get it experiencing difficulties because they have to find grass in distant regions which is considered inconvenient for sheep caregivers, besides the cost is also relatively expensive because they have to pay for gasoline and motorcycle maintenance. While giving food 3 times a day ie. 09.00 hours, hours. 14.00 and hour. 17:00. In addition, because those who care for sheep are not breeders or farmers, so there are those who are not careful in caring for their sheep, so they must be completed by other sheep nurses. The research objectives are 1) Knowing the role of the Cibadak BUMDes in the management of sheep businesses 2) Analyzing the development of sheep management businesses. The research method is qualitative with a descriptive approach, resource persons from the Head of the Cibadak village and the head of the sheep manager. Research site in Cibadak village, Banjarsari, Ciamis Regency. Research results, that in the management of these sheep require careful planning, because it involves living things, BUMDes as the party responsible for sheep management needs to work together with other villages, especially related to the problems of those caring for sheep, security against theft of sheep and the problem of supplying feed, In addition, the plan for the Cibadak BUMDes to develop contest sheep needs to be considered again because the maintenance costs are high and more complicated and prone to theft of these animals due to the relatively high prices. In this regard, supervision (Controlling) needs to be done intensively and involves the village security (Linmas)

KECERNAAN BAHAN KERING DAN BAHAN ORGANIK PAKAN YANG MENDAPAT SUPLEMENTASI UREA MOLLASES MULTINUTRIENT BLOK (UMMB) DARI BEBERAPA JENIS LIMBAH PERTANIAN DAN RUMPUT LAPANG

DRIED MATERIALS AND ORGANIC MATERIALS WHICH ARE SUPPLYING UREA MOLLASES MULTINUTRIENT BLOCKS OF (UMMB) FROM SEVERAL AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND EQUIPMENT GRASS. The common forages are given for ruminants in the form of grasses coming from pastures or lawns, bunds, and roadside. In addition, there are still sources of animal feed that has not been utilized optimally the agricultural waste. Some obstacles to the utilization of agricultural waste as animal feed is caused by the generally low quality of agricultural waste with high fiber content, low protein, and low digestibility so that when it is used as a basal feed it is necessary to add other feed ingredien ts that have good quality to meet the needs livestock in improving productivity. One way to optimize the nutritional value of agricultural waste is by providing feed supplements such as urea molasses multinutrient block (UMMB). The research was conducted in Tonsewer Village, Tompaso Barat District for 40 days starting from November 2016 until December 2016. The animals used in this study were male PO cattle, aged 12 - 18 months as many as 4 tails with weight ± 100 kg and feed given is field grass (RL), corn straw (JJ), rice straw (JP), and groundnut straw (JKT), and UMMB as a supplement feed. This study used a 4 x 4 Latin Square Design experiment with 4 cattle and 4 treatments. The results of this study indicate that the diversity analysis showed that the treatment had significantly different effect (P <0.05) on the consumption and digestibility of BK and BO. The digestibility of feedstuff DM was R1 (67,51%), R2 (68,57%), R3 (63,51%) and R4 (72,78%) and BO digestibility was R1 (72,78%) , R2 (74.22%), R3 (67.33%), and R4 (67.33%). Key words: crop residues, UMMB, DM, OM digestibility and ongole crossbred cattle

Penanaman Kaliandra Sebagai Kayu Energi dan Hijauan Makanan Ternak Pada Pertanaman Agroforestri Masyarakat Desa Gerbosari, Samigaluh Kulon Progo

The purposes of community service entitled "Kaliandra Planting as Energy Wood and Forage Livestock Feed on Agroforestry Crops Gerbosari Village Community Samigaluh Kulon Progo" are 1). To provide additional knowledge of Kaliandra (Calliandracallothyrsus) utilisation other than HMT that is as a raw material of energy source and 2). To practice the technique of Kaliandra planting on agroforestry system in Gerbosari Village. The way cattle developed in Dusun Keceme is "cut and carry system" or grazing system. Grazing systems make farmers provide land for HMT planting either in the form of grass or tree leaves. Public dissemination and discussion with the community resulted in an agreement that the program is not only Kaliandra planting, but the utilisation of Kaliandra as an energy wood and wood pellet introduction is needed by Keceme Hamlet community. Methods of implementation of community service are through 4 stages in one unity of scheme. The methods are 1) program dissemination, 2) counselling, 3) practice of using a wood pellet stove and 4) planting. The community service program can provide an initial understanding of the community of Keceme Hamlet about the benefits of Kaliandra as an alternative to renewable energy that is in the form of wood pellets. The technique of agroforestry cultivation of Kaliandra has long been practised by the people of Keceme Hamlet that is on the edge of the terrace of the land.

Приживаемость и рост смешанных культур ели и лиственницы

One of the urgent tasks for intensive forest management is the scientific study of agricultural technology of creation of forest plantations, the study of peculiarities of growth, structure and formation. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of agrotechnical treatments on the survival and growth of mixed cultures of larch and spruce in the southern taiga subzone. In the areas of plantations test plots are laid in accordance with OST 56-69-83, silvicultural and forest inventory parameters are determined by conventional methods. Forest plantations are established in Prigorodny forestry of the Vologda district. Plantations were created under the same conditions, the same technology, with the same density. However, in one area of the mixed cultures agrotechnical treatments in the form of grass cutting were performed. The resulting research evidence suggests that mowing of weeds at the time of adaptation of the seedlings (first three to four years) in forest cultivated areas had a positive impact on the formation of mixed forest cultures of spruce and larch. The larch increasingly responded to this type of agro-technical care. From these data we see that the area of crops with weeds cutting has better survival of larch and all the morphometric parameters (height, root collar diameter, height increment). Trunks of larch in this area are in 2 times more than in the area of crops without conducted care. From this it follows that the larch, as light-demanding species, suffers from shading and it may die without timely care. Agrotechnical treatments as well affected positively on spruce plantation formation, but to a lesser extent than in larch plantation. On a plot of forest cultures with the agro-technical treatments (grass cutting) larger trunks with a greater increase in height are formed than in the area of crops that are not affected by care.

<b>Flora richness as an indicator of desert habitat quality in Kuwait</b>

An assessment of the vegetation in the arid desert habitats of Kuwait was carried out in 2008 and 2009. The richness of vegetation was examined in relation to human activity (e.g., grazing, recreational camping) and impact factors in two open areas (north of SAANR, NS; south of Kabd, SK) were compared with two protected areas (SAANR, Kabd). In total, 420 quadrats were sampled along 84 transects at random locations along off-road vehicle tracks in the study area. The data were classified using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) to divide samples into three groups of high internal similarity in terms of plant species presence. Total plant species richness was 20, 35, 2 and 17 species per area in SAANR, Kabd, NS and SK, respectively. Compared to protected areas, open grazed land had markedly fewer species and reduced vegetation cover in the form of grasses, forbs and shrubs. Habitat conditions were especially impoverished in NS, with 99% of samples supporting only one plant species. The low plant diversity in the unprotected open rangelands demonstrates the need for a new strategy to rehabilitate ecological habitats.

Seasonal contrasts in carbon resources and ecological processes on a tropical floodplain

1. Globally, tropical floodplains are highly productive ecosystems. This is largely because of predictable seasonal rains providing replenishing floodwaters that stimulate nutrient turnover which, in turn, substantially boosts both primary and secondary productivity. This is associated with concomitant shifts in the types of primary producers and associated food webs. 2. The Magela Creek floodplain on Kakadu National Park in northern Australia is one of the most studied tropical freshwater ecosystems in Australia and provides an opportunity to collate and examine information on organic carbon sources and pathways through food webs to gain a fundamental understanding of how these systems may function. 3. We reviewed biophysical information published since the early 1980s to construct an assessment of the carbon resources for the channel and floodplain. 4. We conclude that macrophytes, largely in the form of grasses and aquatic plants, produce the greatest above-ground biomass on the Magela Creek floodplain. Although macrophytes provide suitable substrata for the attachment of epiphytes, they do not appear to be an important carbon source for aquatic consumers themselves. Nevertheless, macrophytes do provide critical seasonal food and habitat structure for other producers and consumers on the floodplain, such as the abundant magpie geese. 5. We developed a generalised conceptual food web and carbon budget contrasting the ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ seasons for the Magela Creek system, as a representative of tropical seasonal floodplain systems. 6. Our conceptual model of tropical floodplains indicates that knowledge of the seasonal and spatial links and exchanges between the floodplain and the river is critical in understanding ecosystem function.

BIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES THAT MEDIATE MICRO-AGGREGATION OF CLAYS

The aggregation of clays after the addition of organic materials is described. Clays were incubated with or without added organic matter in the form of grass, straw, or charcoal and needed to be dried to a water potential of −1.5 MPa or less to aggregate. It was the fine fraction of the clay (<0.5 μm) that aggregated after organic additions, and this was apparent even in clays or clay mixtures that had a broad particle size distribution. Grass was more effective than straw at aggregating the clay. When chloroform was added to the samples, there was little aggregation, suggesting that micro-aggregation after the addition of organic material to clay is mainly microbially mediated. The aggregation of clay in the presence of added substrate was temperature dependent, with an optimum between 20 and 30 °C, but in the absence of substrate aggregation increased with temperature without a maximum. This supports the hypothesis that biological mechanisms are playing an important role in aggregation.

Emerging Technologies for Reuse of Lignocellulosic Materials: Recycling Our Disposed Wood and Paper

“Lignocellulosic materials” refer to the organic matter produced by plants on the Earth in the form of grasses, shrubs, agricultural crops, and trees. Worldwide, this plant growth (also called biomass) serves two sustaining functions for our planet: it degrades carbon dioxide to oxygen and it has been the origin or storage media of all non-atmospheric carbon. Leaving aside the related critical issues of fossil fuel depletion and global warming/cooling, lignocellulosic materials growing on the surface also serve many commercial purposes: food production, fuel sources, structural materials for housing and industry, paper products, and chemicals.Although lignocellulosic materials represent a sustainable resource base, the expanding use of paper and wood products has caused the developed countries to reevaluate the use and recovery of these natural biopolymerics. This issue of the MRS Bulletin explores some of the intricacies surrounding the recovery and reuse of these biomaterials. The applications for materials research are by no means exhaustively covered in these articles. Instead we illuminate the critical issues facing the paper recycling community and the technologies being applied to this resource to create marketable materials.

Population Dynamics of the Meadow Vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) in Nutrient-Enriched Old-Field Communities

We examined effects of changes in structure of old-field plant-communities on population dynamics of the meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus) following nutrient enrichment for 9 years. Population densities, recruitment, body mass, and survivorship of meadow voles were compared between nutrient-enriched (sludge- or fertilizer-treated) and control treatments in old-field communities established 9 years earlier. Eight 0.1-ha plots (two control and three each sludge- and fertilizer-treated) were stocked with meadow voles during early summer 1986. Population densities, rates of recruitment, and survivorship for voles were higher on control plots than on the other two treatments. Population-growth rates were positive on the control plots, whereas they were negative on nutrient-enriched plots. No significant differences in sex ratios or body mass of voles were detected between treatments. Although aboveground plant biomass was significantly higher on fertilizer-treated plots, edible biomass (plant species known to be consumed by voles) was significantly greater on control plots. Control plots also were more diverse and contained better vegetative cover in the form of grasses and forbs. Population dynamics of voles appeared to be regulated by plant-community structure, vegetative cover, plant diversity, and food quality, especially the diversity of edible plant species.