Intensively Managed Research Articles

272 Relationships of salivary cortisol and automated brush system usage in freestall housed dairy cattle

Abstract The dairy industry has seen a significant shift in animal welfare practices, with growing emphasis on providing optimal living conditions for indoor-housed animals. Intensive management of dairy cows has become increasingly common, offering a controlled setting that ensures the well-being and productivity of the cow. Enrichment strategies such as automated brushes are proposed as a means for intensively managed dairy cows to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. These behavioral benefits can contribute to an enriched living environment. Additionally, automated brushes have been shown to decrease cortisol concentrations which can lead to impacts such as heightened immune systems and increased productivity. With this known, the objective of this study was to evaluate the usage of an automated brush systems influence on cortisol concentrations of lactating dairy cows housed in a freestall setting. Cows (n = 29) over three trials (20 d each) were evaluated for duration of brush activity utilizing scan sampling of video recordings (0500 h-0900 h and 1700 h-2100 h; post milking) totaling 8 h/d throughout each trial. Animals were managed in accordance with standard operating procedures of the dairy, and all data was passively collected without influencing behavioral changes. Video capture was performed using a four camera closed-circuit media recording system. Cameras were placed in the corners of the pen, allowing full view of animals interacting with the brush system. Video images were scored using NOLDUS Observer XT. Saliva collection was performed during milking sessions using Salimetrics SalivaBio Children’s Swab kits. Salivary samples were analyzed using commercially available cortisol ELISA kits. Results indicate that cows exhibited greater cortisol concentrations in the mornings compared with the evenings (P = 0.018) and showed increased brush usage in the evenings compared with the mornings (P = 0.019). These findings suggest a pattern where cows tend to have increased cortisol concentrations in the mornings and engage in more brush usage behavior during the evenings. An analysis was conducted to examine relationships between brush usage and cortisol concentration, specifically focusing on the effects of automated brush usage on cortisol levels. Cortisol concentration was only slightly related to brush usage (R2 = 0.03; P ≤ 0.01). Partitioning the trial in halves provided insight of continuous brush usage and its relation to cortisol. Results illustrate (d 1 to 10), brush usage and cortisol were slightly correlated (R2 = 0.13; P ≤ 0.01) during the first half of the study, while there was no relationship noted during the second half (R2 = 0.002; P = 0.22). In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between automated brush systems and cortisol in lactating dairy cows housed in a freestall setting. Though these findings contrast those in literature, this details the need for additional research to elucidate brush usage impact on dairy cow hormonal status.

Vineyard cover crop management strategies and their effect on soil properties across Europe

AbstractVineyard soils are often of inherently poor quality with low organic carbon content. Management can improve soil properties and thus soil fertility. In European wine‐growing regions, a broad range of inter‐row management strategies evolved based on specific local site conditions and the varying effects of management intensities on soil, water balance, yield and grape quality. Accordingly, there is a need to investigate the effects of locally common cover crop management strategies and tillage intensity on soil organic carbon content and soil physical parameters. In this study, we investigated the impact of the most common inter‐row management practices in Austria, France, Romania and Spain. In all countries, we compared paired sites. Each site with cover crops and inter‐row management of low intensity was compared with one site with (temporarily) bare soil and high management intensity. All studied sites with cover crops and low management intensity, except those in Spain, had higher organic carbon contents than the paired more intensively managed vineyards. However, the highly water‐limited Spanish vineyards with temporary cover crops had lower organic carbon contents than the paired sites with bare soil. Sites with more organic carbon had better results for bulk density, percolation stability (PS), hydraulic conductivity and available soil water, with soil hydraulic parameters being less pronounced than others. Country comparison of inter‐row weed control systems showed that PS was particularly low in sampled vineyards in Romania and Spain, where weed control is based on intensive mechanical tillage. Alternating management systems with tillage every second inter‐row showed a decrease in soil structure compared with permanent green cover. Thus, inter‐row management with cover crops and reduced tillage increases soil organic carbon content and improves soil structure compared with bare soil management. If local constraints, such as water scarcity, do not allow year‐round planting, alternating inter‐row management with several years of alternating periods may be an option to mitigate those adverse effects. However, negative impact on the soil structure occurs with the very first tillage operation, whereas negative effects on the carbon balance only appear after long‐term use of tillage.

Plant species richness in intensively managed temperate wet grasslands: current state and the importance of edge habitats

This study investigates within-site variation in the diversity and composition of aboveground vegetation and seed bank in intensively managed wet grasslands of north-western Germany, comparing field edges, field margins and field interiors. We tested the hypothesis that unfertilized buffer strips at field edges function as refugia of characteristic species even in grasslands that are managed intensively for silage production. In 55 grassland sites on each marsh and moor soils, respectively, we conducted vegetation surveys, seed bank analyses and soil chemical measurements in field edge, margin and interior plots, and searched for the factors causing within-site variation in vegetation composition. The total species pool was small at the 110 sites, i.e. 148 species in the aboveground vegetation and 107 species in the seed bank, demonstrating severe impoverishment. The α-diversity decreased from 23 species (median) per 200 m2 at the edge to 15 species in the interior, with 38 species occurring only at field edges. The number of species with conservation value was very low in aboveground vegetation and seed bank and was only slightly higher at the edge than in the interior. Soil P availability was ca. 30% lower at the unfertilized edges than in the interior. We conclude that unfertilized buffer strips at grassland edges may help reducing nutrient leaching from high-input grassland systems, but they have mostly lost their refugial function for phytodiversity after decades of intensive management. Restoration efforts with seed or green hay transfer from richer source habitats are needed to promote biodiversity in field-edge buffer strips.

Unraveling spatial heterogeneity of soil legacy phosphorus in subtropical grasslands.

Humans have profoundly altered phosphorus (P) cycling across scales. Agriculturally driven changes (e.g., excessive P-fertilization and manure addition), in particular, have resulted in pronounced P accumulations in soils, often known as "soil legacy P." These legacy P reserves serve as persistent and long-term nonpoint sources, inducing downstream eutrophication and ecosystem services degradation. While there is considerable scientific and policy interest in legacy P, its fine-scale spatial heterogeneity, underlying drivers, and scales of variance remain unclear. Here we present an extensive field sampling (150-m interval grid) and analysis of 1438 surface soils (0-15 cm) in 2020 for two typical subtropical grassland types managed for livestock production: Intensively managed (IM) and Semi-natural (SN) pastures. We ask the following questions: (1) What is the spatial variability, and are there hotspots of soil legacy P? (2) Does soil legacy P vary primarily within pastures, among pastures, or between pasture types? (3) How does soil legacy P relate to pasture management intensity, soil and geographic characteristics? and (4) What is the relationship between soil legacy P and aboveground plant tissue P concentration? Our results showed that three measurements of soil legacy P (total P, Mehlich-1, and Mehlich-3 extractable P representing labile P pools) varied substantially across the landscape. Spatial autoregressive models revealed that soil organic matter, pH, available Fe and Al, elevation, and pasture management intensity were crucial predictors for spatial patterns of soil P, although models were more reliable for predicting total P (68.9%) than labile P. Our analysis further demonstrated that total variance in soil legacy P was greater in IM than SN pastures, and intensified pasture management rescaled spatial patterns of soil legacy P. In particular, after controlling for sample size, soil P was extremely variable at small scales, with variance diminished as spatial scale increased. Our results suggest that broad pasture- or farm-level best management practices may be limited and less efficient, especially for more IM pastures. Rather, management to curtail soil legacy P and mitigate P loading and losses should be implemented at fine scales designed to target spatially distinct P hotspots across the landscape.

The Low Congruence between Plant and Animal Diversity in Field Ridges of Intensively Managed Paddy Landscapes, China.

Field ridges are commonly viewed as the stable semi-natural habitats for maintaining plant diversity in the agricultural landscape. The high plant diversity could further support higher animal diversity. But following the adoption of well-facilitated farmland construction measures in China, many field ridges have been disproportionately neglected or destroyed. Empirical studies delineating the relationships between plant and animal diversity in these field ridges in the paddy landscape remain scant, especially in China, which has the most rice production. A two-year field ridge evaluation was conducted in the Chengdu Plain area, covering 30 paddy landscapes. This investigation scrutinizes the shape attributes of field ridges, their plant diversity, and the associated animal α-diversity and community compositions, including spiders, carabids, birds, frogs, and rice planthoppers. In the results of Pearson's correlation analysis, a significant inconsistent correlation was observed between plant diversity and animal diversity. The analysis of community structure heterogeneity also revealed no correspondence for species composition between plant and animal communities (i.e., spiders, carabids, and birds), while the non-metric multidimensional scale analysis indicated a substantial difference in the species composition of spiders or plants even within the same field ridge between 2020 and 2021. We argue that the implementation of intensive management practices in paddy landscapes, such as machine ploughing and harvesting and herbicide spraying with drones, leads to a scarcity of stable animal and plant communities in field ridges. Therefore, besides retaining these field ridges in paddy landscapes, maintaining the long-term stable ridges by refraining from herbicide spraying or artificial weeding, as well as avoiding winter wheat cultivating in field ridges, will contribute to protecting biodiversity of field ridges as semi-natural habitats.

A Review and Analysis of Rangeland and Wildland Soil Health

Soil health is focused on intensively managed (IM) soils (often farmed soils), by-passing extensively managed (EM) soils (range lands, deserts, shrub lands, tundra). High economic value products are generated by IM systems. Many EM lands are of cultural, recreational, scenic, or scientific value. However, and despite the fact that they provide forage for domestic and wild animals, they are not always of high economic value. IM and EM soils are evaluated on the same health scales. The contention herein is all soils formed under soil state conditions under the absence of human interventions are inherently healthy. But a given soil has dynamic properties that determine its management as IM or EM. An EM sagebrush steppe soil may be deemed unhealthy as a result of low organic matter and short growing season. An IM grassland steppe soil is healthy as a result of high organic matter and a long growing season. The sagebrush soil, however, provides habitat for culturally important sage grouse. The grassland soil may provide, when plowed, habitat for economically important soybeans. Soil taxonomies can be used to establish inherent health of undisturbed soils. Determining a soil’s dynamic nature is a different construct. Here, four different sets of EM soils were evaluated to showcase their diversity, evaluate levels of health and display their often-unconventional dynamic characteristics. An argument is made that a soil’s health, an inherent condition, is not the same as its dynamic condition (potential to produce goods and services). Soil health changes are usually slowly driven by soil state factors but can be dramatically changed by humans. Otherwise, soil health can be viewed as a near constant ecosystem attribute. The dynamic nature of soils change according to needs placed by humans. EM soils may be healthy but lack attention since their dynamic nature is not traditional and often of low economic value. Evaluation of soil health and dynamic value on EM lands is often exacerbated by information absence. Strategies to circumvent this include sampling design, reference sites and standardized ways of EM soil health determination. A case is made that baselines of soil health can be taken from soil surveys, taxonomic names, and soil data from map units, where such information exists. Certified supplementary information is ambiguously available, but may be crucial. Outdoor living laboratories that feature inherent soil health and dynamic soil alternatives may help circumvent information voids.

The Productivity and Carbon Exchange of an Intensively Managed Pasture in Central Kentucky

Intensive pasture management that aims at providing season-long forage while minimizing soil degradation is increasingly becoming an important grazing strategy in Kentucky. Typically, it involves the use of high-yielding warm and cool season forage species that are well suited to local soil and climate conditions, meeting the dual-purpose provision of high nutritional value while remaining resilient to grazing pressure and changing climate. Monitoring carbon exchange is a crucial component for effective pasture management to promote sustainable pastureland management practices. We hypothesized that pasturelands, when intensively managed, would exhibit a small but important CO2 cumulative uptake year-round. We used the Eddy covariance method to measure the net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) and productivity of an intensively managed pastureland at Kentucky State University Research and Demonstration station from 2015 to 2020. The study has two objectives: to quantify interannual variability in net ecosystem exchange, and examine the controlling environmental factors, in particular temperature, sunlight, and precipitation of NEE. Diurnal and seasonal fluctuations followed typical patterns of carbon uptake and release. Overall, the pasture site consistently was carbon sink except for 2016, in part due to a warmer winter season than usual, sequestering 1394 gCm−2 over the study period. Precipitation and temperature were critical environmental factors underpinning seasonal CO2 uptake and release. Of critical importance was the net carbon uptake during the non-growing season.

138 An examination of cow behavior with an automated brush system in an intensively managed dairy system

Abstract In recent years, the dairy industry has seen a significant shift in animal welfare practices, with growing emphasis on providing optimal living conditions for indoor-housed animals. Intensive management of dairy cows has become increasingly common, offering a controlled setting that ensures the well-being and productivity of the cow. Enrichment strategies such as automated brushes are proposed as a means for intensively managed dairy cows to improve their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Automated brushes have been shown to promote natural behaviors such as grooming and scratching, reducing boredom and promoting social interactions among cattle. These behavioral benefits can contribute to an enriched living environment. With this known, the objective of this study was to evaluate the usage of an automated brush system for grooming behaviors by lactating dairy cows housed in a freestall setting. A total of 29 cows (Holstein-Friesian and Jersey) over three trials (21 d each) were analyzed for duration of automated brush use using scan sampling of video recordings (0500h-0900h and 1700h-2100h); post milking) totaling eight hours per day throughout each trial. Animals were housed in a single pen with sand bedding at the Joe Bearden Dairy Research Center and managed in accordance with standard operating procedures of the unit. All data were passively collected without influencing behavioral changes. Video capture was in 4k resolution using a four camera closed-circuit media recording system. Cameras were placed in the corners of the pen, allowing full view of animals interacting with the brush system. Video images were scored using the open-source behavioral analysis software BORIS. Temperature and humidity were recorded daily using wall mounted monitors. Results indicate that cows increased brush use in the evenings (277.7±18.1s vs 221.7± 18.1s; P < 0.01). An analysis of heat index and brush usage was performed for relationships towards assessing thermal effects of automated brush usage. However, heat index was not related to brush usage (R2 = 0.003; P = 0.69), suggesting animal motivation for brush interaction was not affected by temperature or humidity during the trial periods. Lastly, an examination of continued interest in the automated brush system was performed by partitioning each trial into two equal fractions representing the first and second halves. Results provide evidence of animals utilizing the automated brush similarly throughout the trial (P = 0.18), suggesting there was continued interest throughout the evaluated period. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the behavior of lactating dairy cows in response to an automated brush system in a freestall setting. These findings have implications for animal welfare and farm management strategies, suggesting that automated brush systems can be effectively utilized to enhance the well-being of dairy cows, providing them with opportunities for comfortable grooming experiences, regardless of environmental variations.

Removing Barriers, Bridging the Gap, and the Changing Role of the Health Care Professional with Automated Insulin Delivery Systems.

As all people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and some with type 2 diabetes (T2D) require insulin, there is a need to develop management methods that not only achieve glycemic targets but also reduce the burden of living with diabetes. After insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors, the next step in the evolution of diabetes technology is automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, which have transformed intensive insulin management over the past decade, as these systems address the shortcomings of previous management options. However, AID use remains fairly limited, and access represents a major barrier to use for many people with diabetes, despite these systems being standard of care. Therefore, the future of AID will necessitate addressing barriers related to social determinants of health, finances, and an expansion of the number and type of health care professionals (HCPs) prescribing AID systems. These crucial steps will be essential to ensure that everyone with intensively managed diabetes can use AID systems. The impact of implementing these changes will create a shift in the future of diabetes care that will result in achievement of more targeted glycemia and psychosocial outcomes for all people with diabetes and an expansion of the role of all HCPs in AID-related diabetes care. Even more importantly, by addressing social determinants of health and clinical inertia related to AID, the field can address disparities in outcomes across countries, race, gender, socioeconomic status, and insurance status. Furthermore, the increased use of AID system will provide more time during appointments for a shift in the discussion away from fine tuning insulin dosing and toward a focus on more topics related to behavior and conversations about general health. This will include psychosocial outcomes, and quality of life. In addition, these changes can hopefully allow for time to discuss more general issues, such as cardiovascular health, obesity prevention, diabetes-related complications, and other health-related concerns.

Harvest block aggregation as a driver of intensive moose browsing pressure on hardwood regeneration in a temperate forest

In many regions of the world, browsing pressure by ungulates has increased over the last century, often reaching unsustainable levels. Overbrowsing by ungulates is threatening biodiversity and causing delays in the establishment of forest regeneration. Moose (Alces alces) is considered as an ecological engineer, as it can cause severe impacts on stand structure, composition, quality, and succession through overbrowsing. In conifer-dominated stands, moose browsing pressure has been shown to vary with the distribution of forage and cover patches across the landscape, but such spatial relationships have not been explored in hardwood-dominated landscapes, where intensive forest management can create clustered patches of good-quality forage and cover, ideal conditions for wintering moose. We investigated the influence of local and landscape variables on browsing by North American moose (Alces alces americana) on commercial and non-commercial woody regeneration in an intensively managed forest landscape of northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. We predicted that browsing pressure at the local scale (vegetation sampling plot) would increase with moose winter counts in the surrounding landscape (1 to 3 km radius). We modeled moose counts as a function of environmental features and road density, using a quasi-Poisson regression. According to an aerial survey (25 km2 sampling plots), moose counts increased with the proportion of forage patches (disturbed stands < 20 years old), whereas they decreased with the proportion of mixed mature stands > 80 years old, which offer both forage and cover. We extrapolated this model to a 2770 km2 study area and used predicted counts as an independent variable to assess its influence on browsing pressure. In 720 plots of 4.15 m2, browsing pressure was quantified using occurrence (i.e. proportion of seedlings/saplings with at least one twig browsed during the previous winter) and intensity (i.e. mean proportion of twigs browsed per stem) on commercial and non-commercial tree seedlings and saplings. We explained variation in occurrence and intensity using zero-inflated models with snow precipitation and local vegetation variables as covariates. Browsing pressure increased with predicted moose counts within a 3 km radius, with snow precipitation and with the proportion of coniferous trees in the canopy, whereas it decreased with sapling density. These results highlight the importance of seedlings and saplings in moose winter diet and confirm the attraction of moose toward recent (<20-year-old) harvest blocks during winter. Therefore, we should avoid aggregating harvest blocks to decrease their attractiveness to moose and browsing pressure on natural hardwood regeneration.

Grassland extensification enhances nest densities of ground‐nesting wild bees

Abstract Ground‐nesting wild bees provide essential pollination services in agroecosystems, but they are jeopardized by intensive agricultural management. To mitigate such negative impacts, agri‐environment schemes have been implemented. While the success of enhancing floral food resources is relatively well studied, the role of agri‐environmental schemes in providing suitable nesting habitat remains underexplored. We studied the effectiveness of meadow extensification according to the Swiss agri‐environment scheme in promoting nesting of ground‐nesting bees. Using a paired design, we quantified their nests during four rounds (March–June) in pairs of nine randomly selected extensively (i.e. no fertilizer input, postponed first mowing) and nine intensively managed meadows with similar soil properties, slope, exposure and landscape context. Nest numbers and vegetation characteristics were surveyed in areas of 250 m2. Vegetation properties were also assessed in 0.5 × 0.5 m plots around nest locations and randomly selected locations without nests within each meadow to assess their role as drivers of nesting incidence (nest presence/absence) at this plot scale. We found substantially higher nest numbers of ground‐nesting bees in extensively (mean ± SE per sampling round = 46.8 ± 14.2) compared to intensively managed meadows (0.8 ± 0.3; no nests in three of nine intensively managed meadows). Extensively managed meadows harboured nests of several dominant crop pollinator species, including aggregations of, for example, Lasioglossum malachurum contributing to high nest densities in some of them. Number of nests was negatively related to grass cover and vegetation height, which were lower in extensively compared to intensively managed meadows. Plot‐level nesting incidence increased with bare ground and moss cover, and decreased with grass cover. Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that extensively managed meadows are better nesting habitats for ground‐nesting bees than intensively managed meadows, if reduced management intensity is associated with altered vegetation characteristics such as reduced grass cover and vegetation height, and small‐scale availability of bare ground, driving these effects. This highlights that maintaining and promoting extensive management of meadows can promote ground‐nesting wild bees, including dominant crop pollinators, not only by enhancing floral resources but also by improving nesting opportunities in agroecosystems.

Using high-throughput sequencing to investigate summer truffle consumption by chipmunks in relation to retention forestry

Intensive management of forests for wood modifies forest biodiversity, affecting the composition of plant and animal communities as well as microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) form mutualistic relationships with trees, but there is evidence that the abundance and diversity of EMF declines under intensive forest management. The dispersal of some EMF, including that of truffles, depends on small mammals consuming their fruiting bodies and dispersing spores through feces. To better understand provisioning of this ecosystem service within intensively managed forests, we applied high-throughput, DNA amplicon sequencing to scat collected from Townsend’s chipmunks (Neotamias townsendii) inhabiting retention patches in recently clearcut-conifer stands. Across two summers, we collected 165 chipmunk scat samples from 43 clearcut-conifer stands in the Pacific Northwest (USA). We identified 81 truffle species representing 16 families, which included many rare and uncommon taxa. Retention patch sizes varied from 9 to 222 trees (0.002–0.83 ha) but we did not detect an effect of retention patch size on the richness of truffles in chipmunk scat samples. However, truffle richness was slightly higher in scat samples collected from chipmunks in retention patches compared to individuals sampled in adjacent clearcuts. Furthermore, the abundance of certain truffle species in chipmunk scat varied in relation to retention patch size and location (riparian or upland), suggesting retention forestry practices may influence truffle community composition. Throughout the sampling season, we detected a 44% decline in truffle species richness and a significant reduction in abundance (i.e., sequence reads) for > 50% of common truffle taxa. Our application of high-throughput sequencing of scat effectively captured variation in truffle species consumption by chipmunks. Our results confirm that common small mammals play an important role in the dispersal of EMF across recently logged forests (<8 years since harvest) and indicate that retaining relatively small (∼10 tree) green-tree patches may promote truffle dispersal by providing small mammal habitat.

Trade-offs between ligninase and cellulase and their effects on soil organic carbon in abandoned Moso bamboo forests in southeast China

A vast expanse of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens J.Houz.) forests in subtropical areas was once intensively managed but has been abandoned in recent years. However, the response of soil organic carbon (SOC) to abandonment management remains unclear, partly because how carbon-degrading enzymes vary with abandonment management and the role of this change in the soil carbon cycle are still poorly understood, which restricts the scientific evaluation of carbon sink benefits of these abandoned Moso bamboo forests. The results of the survey, based on 40 Moso bamboo forests, showed that compared with intensive management, abandonment management for 7–10 and 11–14 years exhibited a significant decrease in ligninase activities (a reduction of 12.14 % and 44.41 %, respectively) and a significant increase in SOC content (an increase of 49.39 % and 52.64 %, respectively). However, abandonment management did not affect cellulase activities or easily oxidizable organic carbon content (p > 0.05), but significantl increased non-easily oxidizable organic carbon (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the total nitrogen (TN) content and pH value increased with prolonged abandonment, and these trade-offs between ligninase and cellulase were primarily driven by pH and TN. The ligninase-to-cellulase activities ratio is the most key factor affecting NEOC and SOC changes in abandoned Moso bamboo forests. Together, these findings demonstrate the response of carbon-degrading enzyme trade-offs to abandonment management and highlight the role of these trade-offs in controlling SOC accumulation. In addition, the different responses of different SOC fractions to abandonment management deserve attention in future studies.

Functional group richness increases multifunctionality in intensively managed grasslands

AbstractBackgroundAgricultural yields have increased continuously over the last few decades. However, a focus solely on production can harm the environment. Diversification of agriculture has been suggested to increase production and sustainability. Biodiversity experiments showed positive effects on ecosystems and productivity. However, application of these results to intensively managed grasslands has been questioned due to differences in plant species and management regimes. Research on whether diversity can benefit multifunctionality, that is, an integrated index of multiple ecosystem functions, under intensive management, is still scarce.MethodsTo address this, we manipulated plant species richness from one to six species spanning three functional groups (legumes, herbs, and grasses) in intensively managed multispecies grassland leys and examined seven ecosystem functions.ResultsWe found that multifunctionality increased with functional group and species richness. Legume+herb mixtures showed high multifunctionality, while grass monocultures and mixtures with high proportions of grasses had low multifunctionality. Different plant species and plant communities drove different ecosystem functions. Legumes and herbs improved productivity and water availability, while grasses enhanced invasion resistance. These results indicate that multifunctionality and individual ecosystem functions can be promoted through targeted combinations of plants with complementary ecological traits.ConclusionsPlant diversity can improve multifunctionality also under intensive management, potentially benefitting agroeconomics and sustainability.

Microbial pathways driving stable soil organic carbon change in abandoned Moso bamboo forests in southeast China

Mineral-associated organic carbon (MOC) is a stable component of the soil carbon (C) pool, critical to realize carbon sequestration and coping with climate change. Many Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) forests in subtropical and tropical areas that used to be intensively managed have been left unmanaged. Still, studies on MOC changes occurring during the transition from intensive management to unmanagement are lacking. Besides, the understanding of the role of microorganisms in MOC accumulation is far from satisfactory. Based on the combination of field investigation and laboratory analysis of 40 Moso bamboo forest sampling plots with different unmanaged chronosequence's in southeast China, we observed the MOC content in Moso bamboo forests left unmanaged for 2–5 years had decreased, whereas that in forests left unmanaged for 11–14 years had increased compared with that in intensively managed forests. Specifically, the MOC contents in forests left unmanaged for 11–14 years were significantly higher than in those under intensive management or unmanaged for 2–5 years. Moreover, we found that microorganisms drove MOC change through two different pathways: (i) more microorganisms led to more soil nutrients, which led to more amino sugars, ultimately resulting in the accumulation of MOC, and (ii) microorganisms promoted the accumulation of MOC by influencing the content of metal oxides (poorly crystalline aluminum oxides and free aluminum oxides). We believe that ignoring the interaction between microorganisms and metal oxides may lead to uncertainty in evaluating the relative contribution of microbial residues to MOC.

Long-term dynamics of aboveground carbon stocks in managed loblolly pine plantations in the southeast United States

Intensively managed pine plantations in the southeastern US could not only meet the increasing demand for traditional wood products and biomass for energy, but also play a critical role in meeting US greenhouse gas emission reduction goals through additional carbon (C) sequestration. Adapting forest management to help mitigate climate change requires better understanding of long-term effects of silvicultural treatments on forest production and C sequestration. With two long-term culture-by-density research experiments for loblolly pine plantations across the southern US, we assessed the impacts of site quality, cultural intensity (operational and intensive), and planting density (741, 1483, 2224, 2965, 3706 and 4448 trees ha−1) on dynamics of aboveground net primary production in C (ANPPC), aboveground live tree C stocks (AGC), and cumulative C lost to tree mortality and other litter production (CLC), and total gross C capture (TGC). Cultural intensity significantly affected ANPPC and AGC before age 15 years, and CLC and TGC during the whole study period; while planting density significantly affected ANPPC before age 15 years, CLC after age 6 years, and AGC and TGC over time. Site quality significantly affected AGC at early and late ages, CLC at mid-rotation, and TGC at early ages. After age 20 years, higher quality sites still resulted in higher AGC than lower quality sites, while higher-planting densities might no longer promote aboveground live tree C stock. Intensive management practices that promote growth along with C accumulation in young stands do not necessarily result in higher C stocks in older stands. There exist a maximum C sequestration rate and a maximum C storage in loblolly pine plantations. Continuing carbon capture in the extended rotation or deferred harvest forests is in no way guaranteed to continuously increase carbon stocks. To develop effective climate-smart forest management recommendations, long-term dynamics of carbon capture, release, and storage, especially in managed forest plantations, need more research.

Divergent contribution of microbial- and plant-derived carbon to soil organic carbon in Moso bamboo forests left unmanaged

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) has a high carbon (C) sequestration capacity that can help mitigate global climate change. However, owing to strengthened environmental protection policies and rising labor costs, large areas of Moso bamboo forests have been left unmanaged after long-term intensive management. Consequently, the contribution of plant- and microbial-derived C as part of soil organic carbon (SOC) has not been reported in Moso bamboo forests. Here, we investigated the change of microbial necromass and plant-derived components in Moso bamboo forests with different unmanaged chronosequences (i.e., intensively managed currently or unmanaged for 2–5, 7–10, or 11–14 years), using biomarker. We observed that plant-derived C was significantly higher in unmanaged than in intensively managed forests and that the highest content was found in the forests left unmanaged for 7–10 years (3.69 g kg−1). No significant differences in microbial-derived C content were observed between Moso bamboo forests under intensive management and those left unmanaged for 2–5 years. However, compared with intensive management, left unmanaged for 7–10 and 11–14 years significantly increased microbial-derived C content. Overall, the quantitative importance of microbial-derived C as part of SOC was higher than that of plant-derived C (28.7–42.62 % vs 8.88–20.8 %, respectively). Moreover, we found that the major determinants of microbial- and plant-derived C were different. For microbial-derived C accumulation, plant biomass, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and soluble organic C were the dominant factors, and for plant-derived C accumulation, soil cation exchange capacity was the dominant factor. These findings provide new information about the changes in SOC accumulation in Moso bamboo forests left unmanaged and highlight the different accumulation mechanisms of plant- and microbial-derived C.

Assessment of Humoral Immune Response in Pre- and Post-Vaccinated Cattle Against Lumpy Skin Disease.

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is viral disease affecting cattle production and productivity in Ethiopia. As a prevention method, vaccinations have been used for a long period with a questionable output due to the existence of LSD outbreaks in vaccinated herds in different parts of Ethiopia. A longitudinal study was performed from October 2019 to April 2020 with the objective of assessing the humoral immune response of cattle with a serum neutralization test (SNT) from different management systems in central Ethiopia. In this study, theserum was collected from 113 cattle (extensive (60/113) and intensive (53/113) management systems) before and after vaccination. From collected sera, a limited number of cattle had seroconversion before vaccination (7.08%). On the other hand, it is obvious the seroconversion rises post vaccination. Accordingly, seroconversion starts to increase after a week (8.85% at 7 dpv) post-vaccination which proceeds to significantly increase at 30 days post vaccination (dpv) (41.65% (25/60)). Furthermore, the risk factor study before and after vaccination showed intensively managed cattle with significantly higher levels of antibody titer at 7 dpv (OR = 1.17; 95% CI = 0.22, 6.2; p = 0.016) and 30 dpv (OR = 3.67; 95% CI = 1.1, 12.29; p = 0.035) compared with that of extensively managed cattle. The other animal-related risk factor that showed a significant difference was breeds and a specific age group ([4½, 7] years) at 15 dpv (OR = 6.69; 95% CI = 2.02, 22.08; p = 0.002) and 30 dpv (OR = 4.24; 95% CI = 1.22, 14.71; p = 0.023); respectively. This study showed an overall lower antibody detection across the study, posing a question on the current LSD-vaccine efficacy. Therefore, a circulating strain of LSDV should be cross-checked with the vaccine strain and adaptations should be made from it.

Predicting Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Storage for Ma Bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) Plantations

The purpose of this study was to predict aboveground biomass (AGB) and aboveground carbon storage (AGCS) in Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) plantations. A total of 25 bamboo samples were selected and felled based on age and diameter at breast height (DBH) classes. Two types of allometric equations (with and without an age factor) were used to develop biomass models for foliage, branches, culms and aboveground parts. Moreover, three intensively managed Ma bamboo plantations were used in this study to predict AGB and AGCS. The above two biomass models and a diameter distribution model were used to predict AGB for the three bamboo stands. The AGCS was predicted based on the AGB and percent carbon content. The results showed that the proportions of foliage, branches and culms to AGB were 11.1, 23.7 and 65.2%, respectively, at the individual bamboo level. The mean percent carbon content was predicted to be 41.68, 44.21 and 46.72% for foliage, branches and culms, respectively. The allometric equation with the age factor had better predictive ability than that without the age factor, with the former having higher R2 and lower root mean square error values. Compared to the AGB predicted by the allometric model with the age factor at the stand level, the range of relative error was from −16.56 to 5.26% and from −40.0 to 71.7% for the AGB predicted by the allometric model without the age factor and that by the diameter distribution model, respectively. According to the allometric model with the age factor, the AGB and AGCS were predicted to be 35.7 ± 3.4 and 16.3 ± 1.5 Mg ha−1, respectively, in Ma bamboo plantations. The results also reflected that the current status of Ma bamboo management is intensive management, where the focus is on harvesting bamboo shoots.

Deciphering the Ramet System of a Bamboo Plant in Response to Intensive Management

Intensive management is a common practice in bamboo plantations to ensure higher shoot yields. However, the effects of these management practices on ramet systems are understudied. A pot experiment was conducted to explore the process of propagation for potted bamboo seedlings (Phyllostachys praecox C. D. Chu et C. S. Chao “Prevernalis”) from a single mother bamboo to a ramet system exposed to a chronosequence of intensively managed bamboo forest soils. The ramet system of potted bamboo seedlings reached seven branching grades after two growth cycles. During ramet system expansion, the rhizome length and rhizome internodes decreased with increasing branching grade and the extension of intensive management periods. In the bud bank for each branching grade, the front branching grade was dominated by the bud output, which was conducive to consolidating the occupied living space. The back branching grade was dominated by bud input to continue rhizome penetration. With increasing branching, the mulching soil significantly inhibited rhizome bud germination and dormant bud accumulation. The mulching soil was not conducive to branch expansion in the ramet system, and ramet system expansion was predominantly based on the branching of the rhizome modules. With increasing branching and the extension of intensive management periods, rhizome branches decreased markedly. Our findings indicate that bamboo mulching inhibits branching and causes a differential reaction in branching types. The long-term mulching of bamboo forest soil was not conducive to the healthy and sustainable growth of bamboo. These results provide a basis for further research on the relationship between the bamboo ramet system and its productivity, as well as the population construction and maintenance mechanisms of bamboo ramet systems in the field.