In order to supply optimum water to restore reed wetlands used for bird habitats, a field investigation and greenhouse experiment were conducted. Three water supplementation stages (early stage at 20 May, middle stage at 20 July and later stage at 20 September, respectively) and five depths (0, 10, 15, 20 and 35 cm over the surface, respectively) were established, with three replicates for each...

soil productivity and plant growth are usually affected by biological activities of earthworms. the objective of this study was a comparative evaluation of earthworm abundances in 20-year-old plantations of alder, oak, maple and cypress with the adjacent natural mixed broad-leaved deciduous forest in the caspian region of iran. in this research one sample plot, each 1 ha; was selected in every ...

The kisspeptins are neuropeptides that stimulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. The smallest endogenous kisspeptin, kisspeptin-10 (KP-10), binds to the receptor KISS1R with a similar affinity to the full-length peptide, kisspeptin-54 (KP-54), but is less effective in vivo, possibly because of increased enzymatic breakdown or clearance. The kisspeptin system may have therapeutic p...

Two field microplot tests were conducted in sandy soil to evaluate retention of ethoprop in relation to simulated rainfall levels. Ethoprop was applied at the equivalent of 13.5 kg a.i./ha, and simulated rainfall was added at rates of 2.5, 7.5, 15.0, and 22.5 cm over a 6-day period. Ethoprop concentration in the soil at 5-, 10-, and 40-day intervals indicated that it was depleted rapidly with i...

Strip-till has been used at a large scale in east central Kansas as an alternative to earlier planting dates under a no-till system. To determine the effects of planting corn (Zea mays) under previously established strip-tilled fertilized rows, experiments were conducted on an Osage silty clay loam soil in 2006 and 2008 and on a Woodson silt loam soil in 2009, 2010, and 2011 using three differe...

Disposal of poultry litter, a widely available organic manure in the southeastern USA because of a largescale poultry industry, is a major concern because of its contamination in surfaceand groundwater through N leaching and P runoff. Application of poultry litter in no-tilled intensive cropping system could increase soil C and N sequestration compared with the conventional-tilled system with i...

The surface damage caused by laser irradiation is studied to investigate the possibility of performing a depth-profile analysis of the hydrogen concentration in zircaloy-4 alloys using laserinduced plasma breakdown spectrometry. After laser irradiation, a heat-affected zone extending about 3 μm down from the top surface can be seen. The depth of this heat-affected zone is independent of the las...

Soil quality is influenced by inherent and anthropogenic factors. This study was conducted to provide multiple groups guidance on how to achieve and maintain improved soil quality/health. Our hypothesis was that tillage intensity was the primary anthropogenic factor degrading soil quality, and our objective was to prove that hypothesis through an intensive 2005 sampling of a central Iowa, USA f...

Trees in cropped fields may improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency by intercepting leached N, but crop yield will be reduced if the trees compete strongly with crops for N. Ideal trees for intercropping will take up N from deeper soil layers not accessed by the crop species. Spatiotemporal aspects of tree nitrogen capture niches were investigated within a hedgerow intercropping system by placing 1...