Night Air Temperature Research Articles

The main technological parameters of growing highly productive fodder crops on the drained lands of the humid zone of Ukraine

The most effective use of highly-productive crop species in fodder production and obtaining of sustainable yields of agricultural products is only possible when following scientifically sound technological processes of land reclamation in combination with a set of agronomic measures for their cultivation.
 The aim of the research is to develop the main technological parameters of growing highly productive fodder crops (Japanese millet, amaranth and fodder beans) on the drained lands in the humid zone of Ukraine.
 The results of research on determining the main technological parameters of growing highly-productive fodder crops (Japanese millet, amaranth and fodder beans) on drained lands are highlighted.
 It was specified that when cultivating these crops it is necessary to adhere to the optimal sowing dates taking into account the purpose of their use (green mass, grain). When they are sown too early there is a decrease in field seed germination and increase of germination period, thinning of crop plantings, intensive spread of weeds and also the probability of crops damage by spring frosts increases. When they are sown too late, especially in case of small-seeded crops (amaranth), drying of the top layer of soil is possible, which is unacceptable in the period of germination and emergence of seedlings. The most favorable conditions for the formation of herbage when cultivating on drained peat soils are formed when the crops are sown on May 15 (by 8.1–16.7% more of herbage and by 2.1–9.6% of dry matter is formed).
 The main technological parameters of cultivating Japanese millet, amaranth and fodder beans are determined, incl. by phases of development and taking into account the critical periods of their optimal moisture supply, agronomic measures and optimal fertilizer rates.
 The admissible terms in which the reclamation system should provide drainage of excess waters and the recommended levels of ground waters and the humidity rates in a soil root layer in the vegetative period at the crop cultivation were determined.
 It was specified that during the growing season the needs of Japanese millet, amaranth and fodder beans in moisture in the soil root layer change depending on their biological needs and current meteorological conditions. Soil moisture rates were specified as following: on peat soils the optimal one is 65–75%, the lowest permissible one in the summer period is 55–60%; on mineral soils, respectively - 65-80% and 55-60% of FMHC.
 It was established that modern climate change in the Western Polissya of Ukraine (uneven distribution of precipitation during the growing season, abnormal average daily air temperature fluctuations and low night air temperatures (˂10oС in summer months) have a negative impact on the cultivation of heat-loving crops (Japanese millet). In the context of climate change, it is necessary to provide for the accumulation of sufficient water volumes in storage tanks or reservoirs to supply them for irrigation of cultivated crops during dry growing seasons and to ensure optimal water regulation parameters.
 On radioactively contaminated reclaimed lands of the Chemerne peat-bog array with a rate of 137Cs radionuclide contamination of up to 1 Ki/km2, the contamination rates in the vegetative mass of Japanese millet, amaranth and fodder beans during the research years was within acceptable limits, so it can be used freely for feeding animals.

Fungsi Taman Kota Untuk Mitigasi Dampak Urban Heat Island di Kota Bandung

Forest parks can take a role in mitigating negative impact of Urban Heat Island. Therefore, this study was conducted to clarify ecological function of three forest parks i.e Ganesha, Maluku, and Tegalega forest park in mitigating Urban Heat Island. Land classification and surface temperature were determined by analyzing Landsat 8 image with QGIS. Air temperature was measured by mobile station through north-south and east-west of Bandung City area. There are four types of land classification in Bandung as follows: settlements, water body, bare soil, and vegetation. In Bandung City, vegetation cover is around 20.72%; surface temperatures in the afternoon varies from 23 to 39.6°C, while during the night air temperatures varies from 20.5 to 24.9°C. Northern part of Bandung tends to have cooler air temperature due to high coverage of vegetation. Tegalega forest park can reduce temperature up to 2.6°C, while in Maluku forest park is 1.98°C and Ganesha forest park is 0.75°C. Therefore, the existence of forest parks is important in urban area because they can take a part to reduce negative impact of Urban Heat Island.

Heat Transfer Characteristics of Paraffin in Staggered Fins Heat Exchanger for the Cooling Process to Room Cooling Applications

The night air temperature which is below or equal to the temperature of human thermal comfort is very potential to be used to help reduce the thermal load of the room. This utilization can help minimize the electrical energy consumption of air conditioning systems. Phase change material (PCM) can be used to utilize the potential of cold air at night as latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES). One model of the application of PCM is the heat exchanger. PCM fills one part of the heat exchanger. The characteristics of heat transfer need to be known so that it can know the cooling rate and the time required in the process. The variable used in this study is the inlet air velocity. In this research, a staggered fins-type heat exchanger which contains PCM with paraffin material is used in the cooling process. The results showed that an increase in speed would accelerate the cooling rate. At a velocity of 3 m.s−1, the average cooling rate of the PCM mass unity was 6.4 °C.hr’.kg−1. With this rate of cooling, the potential for cold night air for about two to three hours can be utilized for the PCM freezing process.

Self-Reported Sleep Disturbance from Road, Rail and Aircraft Noise: Exposure-Response Relationships and Effect Modifiers in the SiRENE Study.

This survey investigates the cross-sectional association between nighttime road, rail and aircraft noise exposure and the probability to be highly sleep disturbed (%HSD), as measured by self-report in postal and online questionnaires. As part of the Swiss SiRENE study, a total of 5592 survey participants in the entire country were selected based on a stratified random sample of their dwelling. Self-reported sleep disturbance was measured using an ICBEN-style 5-point verbal scale. The survey was carried out in four waves at different times of the year. Source-specific noise exposure was calculated for several façade points for each dwelling. After adjustment for potential confounders, all three noise sources showed a statistically significant association between the nighttime noise level LNight at the most exposed façade point and the probability to report high sleep disturbance, as determined by logistic regression. The association was strongest for aircraft noise and weakest for road traffic noise. We a priori studied the role of a range of effect modifiers, including the “eventfulness” of noise exposure, expressed as the Intermittency Ratio (IR) metric, bedroom window position, bedroom orientation towards the closest street, access to a quiet side of the dwelling, degree of urbanization, sleep timing factors (bedtime and sleep duration), sleep medication intake, survey season and night air temperature. While bedroom orientation exhibited a strong moderating effect, with an Leq-equivalent of nearly 20 dB if the bedroom faces away from the nearest street, the LNight-%HSD associations were not affected by bedroom window position, sleep timing factors, survey season, or temperature.

Carbon Dioxide Exchange of Woody Plants in Urban Ecosystems

The study of all factors that contribute to the carbon balance in the biosphere is of paramount importance due to the current increase in carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. This article presents data on the carbon dioxide exchange for the needles of common spruce (Picea abies L.) and Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii L.) in an urban environment (based on the example of Moscow). It is established that the warm spell in autumn 2018 contributed to the prolongation of the period of carbon dioxide uptake by coniferous trees. Our analysis into the effect of environmental factors on the needle photosynthetic activity has revealed that the intensity of photosynthesis depends only on the level of illumination. The midday increase in air temperature failed to affect the photosynthesis intensity, which is probably explained by the adaptation of the plants to low night and morning air temperatures. A regression analysis has shown that the dependence of CO2 assimilation on illumination represented a logarithmic curve (with the approximation validity coefficient (R2) of 0.8). The effect of environmental conditions on conifer photosynthesis in autumn has proven to be species-specific. Common spruce was the most resistant to environmental factors: its photosynthetic activity was 1.4 times higher than that of Douglas fir. Calculations revealed that the level of CO2 assimilation was 3.6 and 2.7 times higher than the light respiration level for common spruce and Douglas fir, respectively, which indicates a positive carbon dioxide exchange and an important role of coniferous trees in regulating the carbon balance of an urban ecosystem.

Variations in the length of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles under the influence of climatic factors and solar activity in different conditions of northern taiga

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of climatic factors on the growth of pine needles in different conditions of the water regime of soil. Studies were conducted in lichen pine forests, cowberry pine forests, blueberry pine forests, shrub-sphagnum pine forest and pine on swamp in the Arkhangelsk forestry regions (northern taiga). The needle length is influenced by solar activity (the Wolf number). The effect of solar activity on increasing the needle length is greatest in optimal growing conditions. In northern taiga conditions, air temperature is the main climatic factor affecting the growth of needles. In the blueberry, cowberry and lichen pine forests, an inverse high correlation of the needle length with the night air temperature of August of the current year was revealed. The pine on swamp revealed a high correlation between the needle length and the air temperature at the end of July of the current year of needle development. In the year preceding the needle development, a high inverse correlation was found between the needle length and the temperature of mid-September in the cowberry and blueberry pine forests. In the current year, high correlations of the lengths of needles and precipitation were observed in extreme growing conditions.<br />

Synthesize of the integrative trigeneration system for a «solar house» in the Middle East region

This research aims to synthesize a trigeneration system for a house based on an autonomous small solar photovoltaic plant, which could meet the year-round private consumers' needs for heat and cold supply. The climatic data on the Middle East countries, such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, were used. Day and night air temperatures in different regions of these countries throughout the year and the total daily radiation, which comes onto a horizontal surface area, were determined. The obtained results revealed that the entire territory of the Middle East is suitable for the development of solar power supply. Seasonal and daily temperature fluctuations require the year-round use of artificial cold for air conditioning and heating of premises. As a result of the analysis, the generalized circuit solution of the small integrated trigeneration system, based on the photovoltaic solar station, was synthesized. Additional solar collectors with a water heater-accumulator provide hot water supply. Air conditioning and heating are provided by a refrigerating machine. The time of modes change is determined by ambient temperature, which does not correspond to comfortable temperature in particular premises. The temperature mode in premises is maintained by the fresh air flow from the active ventilation system, cooled or heated in heat-exchanger of a machine. To harmonize the operation of all elements of the system, the toolkit for determining thermal loads and temperatures modes on premises and elements of the trigeneration system were developed. The study makes it possible to argue that houses can solve energy, environmental problems of regions, satisfy the social needs of the population in the Middle East countries

How Does Botrytis cinerea Infect Red Raspberry?

Botrytis cinerea, causal agent of gray mold, is one of the most important pathogens affecting raspberry in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and worldwide. Fungicides are currently applied to control the disease starting from 5 to 10% bloom and continuing on a calendar basis throughout the season rather than according to inoculum level or infection risk primarily because the disease cycle on red raspberry is poorly understood. Botrytis cinerea was isolated from raspberry flowers and fruit sampled at seven developmental stages during each of 2015 and 2016 in a northwestern Washington raspberry field untreated with fungicides. Incidence of colonization of flowers was low (15% of total sampled flowers), but increased as fruit developed, and peaked in mature fruit (67% of total sampled fruit). In the early stages of flower development, B. cinerea recovery was greatest from the carpel (80% of carpels colonized) compared with other floral organs. As fruit matured, additional floral parts were colonized by B. cinerea, possibly facilitating secondary internal or external infections of mature fruit. Average weekly minimum air temperature, average weekly night air temperature, cumulative rain, average weekly leaf wetness percentage, and duration of leaf wetness >90% were significantly positively correlated with B. cinerea colonization of raspberry in NW Washington during two seasons of this study. Our data does not support the hypothesis that the bloom period is the critical window for B. cinerea colonization of red raspberry and suggest that later colonization of developing fruit may be more important for gray mold development on raspberry. The outcomes of this research provide useful information for improvement of gray mold disease management strategies for red raspberry in NW Washington and elsewhere.

Potential of Thermal Energy Storage Using Coconut Oil for Air Temperature Control

The role of thermal mass in indoor air-cooling during the day is a common area of study, which is particularly relevant for an era characterized by energy crises. Thermal energy storage (TES) technologies for application in rooms and buildings are not well developed. This study focuses on the use of coconut oil (co_oil) as a temperature control agent for room air conditioning systems in tropical countries such as Indonesia, given its capability to store large amounts of heat at temperatures around its melting point. Heat exchange studies between co_oil and the air environment were performed by considering three factors: Temperature difference between co_oil and the air environment, the heat absorption behavior and the release of co_oil, and the mass of co_oil required to have a significant effect. The co_oil cell sizes were formulated as responses to natural day and night air temperature profiles, while the performance of the co_oil mass for decreasing room air temperature was predicted using a thermal chamber.

Comparison of seasonal surface temperature trend, spatial variability, and elevation dependency from satellite-derived products and numerical simulations over the Tibetan Plateau from 2003 to 2011

ABSTRACTLand surface temperature (LST) and near-surface air temperature products have been commonly used in the studies of global climate change. In this work, we compare satellite-observed LST from Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer (AATSR) and surface skin temperature and 2 m air temperature (T2) simulated from High Asian Refined analysis (HAR) to provide an independent overview of the surface/air temperature trend over Tibetan Plateau (TP) region in 2003–2011. We investigate the seasonal trend, spatial variability, and the elevation dependency of LST and air temperature over TP for the last decade. Linear regression method is applied to all data sets to illustrate the warming and cooling trends and variability of temperature over the study area. Our analysis shows that an overall warming slope is 0.04 K year–1 in the day trend and 0.05 K year–1 in the night and the trend slope is stronger in the simulated HAR data sets than that in the AATSR LST, especially for the night air temperature. However, in regions with elevation above 4000 m, the proportion of areas with the warming trend is less than 50% except in autumn from HAR data sets. The Namco and Qomolangma sites show an apparent trend of warming and cooling, respectively. The results from both satellite observations and numerical outputs show that warming trend over the entire TP was not obvious during last decade and the cooling trend was even found in the northeast TP.

Night air conditioning of buildings by external air ventilation

Buildings contain the environment in which almost all human activities take place, and therefore, nowadays, they represent a great sink of energy. Establishing thermal comfort conditions within these buildings is responsible for a large portion of their energy demand. This paper aims at providing a theoretical framework of the performance and the trends in research and implementation of night air conditioning by outside air ventilation. The bibliographic search was conducted in the academic directory Scopus, and the information extracted was processed in the VOSviewer software, through which text mining, map of terms and networks of investigative action were carried out. The literature showed that direct ventilation has a more significant cooling potential in regions characterized by a high difference between day and night air temperatures. The effectiveness of night cooling and the reliable prediction of thermal behavior are strongly related to the model adopted for the convection algorithm. A reliable prediction of heat transfer by convection requires an approach based on computational simulations of fluid dynamics, which are much more demanding in terms of computational power, compared to simulations of the variation of energy flows as a function of time. Most studies showed that the position of the thermal mass is not significant, while the amount of ventilation air is of great importance. In particular, the energy demand for cooling a building decreases sharply if the air flow rates increase.

Night air conditioning of buildings by external air ventilation

Buildings contain the environment in which almost all human activities take place, and therefore, nowadays, they represent a great sink of energy. Establishing thermal comfort conditions within these buildings is responsible for a large portion of their energy demand. This paper aims at providing a theoretical framework of the performance and the trends in research and implementation of night air conditioning by outside air ventilation. The bibliographic search was conducted in the academic directory Scopus, and the information extracted was processed in the VOSviewer software, through which text mining, map of terms and networks of investigative action were carried out. The literature showed that direct ventilation has a more significant cooling potential in regions characterized by a high difference between day and night air temperatures. The effectiveness of night cooling and the reliable prediction of thermal behavior are strongly related to the model adopted for the convection algorithm. A reliable prediction of heat transfer by convection requires an approach based on computational simulations of fluid dynamics, which are much more demanding in terms of computational power, compared to simulations of the variation of energy flows as a function of time. Most studies showed that the position of the thermal mass is not significant, while the amount of ventilation air is of great importance. In particular, the energy demand for cooling a building decreases sharply if the air flow rates increase.

Regulation of body reserves in a hunted wader: Implications for cold‐weather shooting restrictions

Abstract Severe winter weather can reduce avian energetic reserves. At such times, reducing disturbance, and therefore energy expenditure, through science‐based policy is crucial to mitigating negative impacts on survival. We used allometric equations to examine the energy reserves of Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, a popular quarry species across most of Europe, in relation to time of winter, location and temperature. We used data from 221 dissected birds, shot in Britain in two winters (2013/14, 2014/15), and 1,689 live birds captured during six consecutive winters (2010/11 to 2015/16). Woodcock are able to store large amounts of energy as fat in mid‐winter and increase energy reserves as night air temperature drops to below 0°C, provided the ground thaws during the day. In the event of cold weather in Britain, the mean potential flight distance of woodcock, based on mobilizable energy estimates of shot birds, is 860 km. If they do not move away, woodcock could withstand frozen conditions without feeding for a mean of 6 days. Synthesis and applications. To reduce the effects of cold weather on Eurasian woodcock S. rusticola, shooting should be restricted before energy reserves are depleted. Current policies vary across Europe, but our results suggest that restrictions should come into force sooner, after 4 days of continually frozen ground at inland sites. Restrictions should cover large regions and remain in operation for 7 days after the end of the cold spell.

Tidal Fluctuation Influenced Physicochemical Parameter Dynamics in Coastal Groundwater Mixing Zone

Tidal fluctuation could modify the physicochemical parameters in coastal groundwater mixing zone (CGMZ) notably, which in turn largely impacts on the reactive transport, discharge, and cycling of carbon, nutrients, trace metals, and other dissolved constituents. In this study, to capture the dynamic of groundwater physicochemical parameters (e.g., salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and oxidation/reduction potential) under the effect of tidal fluctuation, in situ measurement of groundwater is conducted along a 2D transection at different tidal stages. The results demonstrate visible periodic variations of parameters like salinity, temperature, DO, and pH, while the groundwater pH oscillation displays a phase lag behind the tidal fluctuation. Furthermore, the salinity variation at the near-surface area is mainly controlled by the mixing process between the infiltrated seawater and groundwater. Barring the mixing process, the groundwater temperature at the near-surface area is also affected by day and night air temperature difference. Meanwhile, the depleting DO and declining pH indicate that the biodegradation via aerobic respiration is highly active in CGMZ and acts as one of the major impact factors for the DO dynamic. The sharp contrast between the high removal rate of DO (7.25 mmol m−3 day−1) and relatively low production rate of H+ (9.38 μmol m−3 day−1) demonstrates the existence of the processes consuming H+ and DO besides aerobic respiration such as dissolution of carbonates, and respiration of microorganism and mangrove roots. Moreover, owing to the mixing process, the salinity transition zone overlaps with the oxidization/reduction potential transition zone. The enrichment of Fe2+ and Mn2+ could well explain the highly reducing saline groundwater observed in this study. In a nutshell, all physicochemical parameters are sensitive to tidal fluctuation, which provides implication for further study on the variation of biogeochemical process in CGMZ.

Year-Round Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) Production in a Flow-Through Aquaponic System

<em><em></em></em><p>Aquaponics is the combination of hydroponics and aquaculture that sustainably produces both animal and plant food products. Soluble nutrients are released into water by the fish providing nutrition for plant growth. Lettuce (<em>Lactuca sativa</em> L.) is one of the most popular vegetables grown in aquaponic systems. In this experiment, the feasibility of year-round lettuce production utilizing a cold water flow-through aquaponic system (FTS) growing trout (<em>Oncorhynchus mykiss</em>) in a high tunnel was evaluated. A high tunnel is a greenhouse-like facility constructed with polyethylene covering a metal frame which extends the growing season and protects the crop from cold temperatures. The average night air temperature inside the high tunnel during winter in Wardensville, WV was 2.9±3.4 °C and it helped extend the growing period into the fall and winter. Results from this pilot scale experiment showed the potential for year-round lettuce production in an FTS. Average yield (fresh harvest weight per tray) in the spring season was the highest, while productivity (average yield per week) during the summer season was higher than that in spring. During the extended growing seasons (fall and winter), more than a quarter (30.6%) of the total lettuce production was obtained. The yield per unit area (7.4 kg m<sup>-2</sup>) from our pilot study was significantly higher than that from the reported average field production (3.1 kg m<sup>-2</sup>) in the U.S. except California and Arizona where year-round production of lettuce occurs. To compensate for lower lettuce yields during cold seasons, high value crops requiring less nutrients and tolerant to the colder environment may be considered.</p>

Photosynthesis and Photosynthetic Electron Flow in the Alpine Evergreen Species Quercus guyavifolia in Winter.

Alpine evergreen broadleaf tree species must regularly cope with low night temperatures in winter. However, the effects of low night temperatures on photosynthesis in alpine evergreen broadleaf tree species are unclear. We measured the diurnal photosynthetic parameters before and after cold snap for leaves of Quercus guyavifolia growing in its native habitat at 3290 m. On 11 and 12 December 2013 (before cold snap), stomatal and mesophyll conductances (gs and gm), CO2 assimilation rate (An), and total electron flow through PSII (JPSII) at daytime were maintained at high levels. The major action of alternative electron flow was to provide extra ATP for primary metabolisms. On 20 December 2013 (after cold snap), the diurnal values of gs, gm, An, and JPSII at daytime largely decreased, mainly due to the large decrease in night air temperature. Meanwhile, the ratio of photorespiration and alternative electron flow to JPSII largely increased on 20 December. Furthermore, the high levels of alternative electron flow were accompanied with low rates of extra ATP production. A quantitative limitation analysis reveals that the gm limitation increased on 20 December with decreased night air temperature. Therefore, the night air temperature was an important determinant of stomatal/mesophyll conductance and photosynthesis. When photosynthesis is inhibited following freezing night temperatures, photorespiration and alternative electron flow are important electron sinks, which support the role of photorespiration and alternative electron flow in photoportection for alpine plants under low temperatures.

Protein and starch characteristics of milled rice from different cultivars affected by transplantation date.

The effects of transplantation date on milled rice (physicochemical, amino acids composition and protein profiling) of different cultivars and their starch characteristics (granules size distribution, pasting and thermal) were investigated. Head rice yield increased (2.0-4.1%) and chalky grains (5-10%) decreased with delaying the paddy transplantation of different cultivars by 20days. Delayed transplantation of paddy significantly increased asparagine, glutamine, threonine, cysteine, methionine, tryptophan, lysine and proline content in milled rice. Early transplantation of paddy showed higher accumulation of glutelin and prolamines than that in milled rice from delayed transplantation. The change in amino acid composition of milled rice with delay in transplantation was related to variation in accumulation of glutelin and prolamines. Starch from delayed transplanted paddy showed higher peak viscosity and lower breakdown viscosity than those from early transplanted paddy. These differences were due to higher accumulation of amylose in starch from delayed transplanted paddy than that from early transplanted paddy due to exposure of former to lower night air temperature during starch synthesis.

Effect of Irrigation Timing on Root Zone Soil Temperature, Root Growth and Grain Yield and Chemical Composition in Corn

High air temperatures during the crop growing season can reduce harvestable yields in major agronomic crops worldwide. Repeated and prolonged high night air temperature stress may compromise plant growth and yield. Crop varieties with improved heat tolerance traits as well as crop management strategies at the farm scale are thus needed for climate change mitigation. Crop yield is especially sensitive to night-time warming trends. Current studies are mostly directed to the elevated night-time air temperature and its impact on crop growth and yield, but less attention is given to the understanding of night-time soil temperature management. Delivering irrigation water through drip early evening may reduce soil temperature and thus improve plant growth. In addition, corn growers typically use high-stature varieties that inevitably incur excessive respiratory carbon loss from roots and transpiration water loss under high night temperature conditions. The main objective of this study was to see if root-zone soil temperature can be reduced through drip irrigation applied at night-time, vs. daytime, using three corn hybrids of different above-ground architecture in Uvalde, TX where day and night temperatures during corn growing season are above U.S. averages. The experiment was conducted in 2014. Our results suggested that delivering well-water at night-time through drip irrigation reduced root-zone soil temperature by 0.6 °C, increase root length five folds, plant height 2%, and marginally increased grain yield by 10%. However, irrigation timing did not significantly affect leaf chlorophyll level and kernel crude protein, phosphorous, fat and starch concentrations. Different from our hypothesis, the shorter, more compact corn hybrid did not exhibit a higher yield and growth as compared with taller hybrids. As adjusting irrigation timing would not incur an extra cost for farmers, the finding reported here had immediate practical implications for farm scale adaptation to hot environments.

РОСТ И ПРОДУКЦИЯ КИВАНО В УСЛОВИЯХ ОТКРЫТОГО ГРУНТА НА ЮГЕ ЗАПАДНОЙ СИБИРИ

Kiwano plants, or horned cucumber (Cucumis metuliferus E. Mey ex Naudin) was grown in the open field in several experimental plots in the south of West Siberia (54,95025 N, 83,09763 E). Fruits production was correlated with night air temperature sum and soil organic matter content, reaching the maximum of 2.7 kg (fresh phytomass) per plant. Fruit size and some basic juice characteristics were similar to those of kiwano fruits grown elsewhere in the world. The vegetative phytomass grown was correlated with day air temperature sum, being practically independent of soil chemical properties. Thus kiwano can be recommended as a crop to be grown in the open field in the south of West Siberia and other regions of Russia with similar soil and environmental conditions.

Environmental determinants of contrasting caddisfly (Insecta, Trichoptera) biodiversity in the Neretva and Bosna river basins (Bosnia and Herzegovina) under temperate and mediterranean climates

The caddisfly community composition and structure were studied in the Mediterranean (i.e., central part of Herzegovina) and the temperate (i.e., Central Bosnia) regions of the country which differ considerably regarding the climate, hydrology, geomorphology, and vegetation. In both studied areas, four rivers with seven sampling sites each were selected for light-trapping of adult caddisflies during a one-year period. A total of 97 species were collected (i.e., 52 in Herzegovina during 2003 and 67 in Central Bosnia during 2004) and seven of them are first records for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Marked differences in caddisfly community composition and structure between the two regions were found and confirmed by a cluster analysis of comparable river sites. These differences could be primarily linked to observed variability in environmental factors. Also, distinct phenological patterns of caddisflies were found in the Mediterranean and temperate parts, respectively, and these were further analyzed in detail for the five most abundant common species. For the populations in Central Bosnia, generally later and shorter periods of flight were recorded. Therefore, we tested the influence of meteorological parameters (night air temperature during the light-trapping, and monthly values of air temperature, precipitation, humidity, cloudiness, and wind speed) on flight activity and periodicity of caddisflies in both regions. Air temperature proved to be the most important of tested parameters influencing caddisfly flight patterns (rs > 0.87 for monthly values and rs > 0.44 for air temperatures during light-trapping; p < 0.001). Thus, temperature during light-trapping and minimum monthly values seem to be important for the flight of caddisflies, since these values were significantly different (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively) in the two regions of the country. Additionally, in this paper we will discuss some implications for conservation of caddisflies due to the predicted climate change.