Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide has the potential to alter leaf litter chemistry, potentially affecting decomposition and rates of carbon and nitrogen cycling in forest ecosystems. This study was conducted to determine whether growth under elevated atmospheric CO2 altered the quality and microbial decomposition of leaf litter of a widely distributed northern hardwood species at sites of low a...

A bioeconomic computer model was constructed to simulate biological and economic inputs and outputs for life cycle swine production. Parameters and relationships used in model were developed and verified by comparison with experimental results in the literature. The bioeconomic model was constructed by several modules such as growth and development, pregnancy, lactation, and replacement gilt et...

Question: What are the physical and chemical effects of plant litter on annual grassland community composition, aboveground net primary production (ANPP), and density? Location: California annual grassland. Methods: We manipulated litter and light levels independently and in concert. Litter removal and litter addition treatments tested both the physical and chemical impacts of litter’s presence...

BACKGROUND Sows' ability to produce an excessive amount of piglets has shaped modern piglet production and there has been a steady increase in litter size during the last decades. This development has caused some negative side-effects, such as an increase in the proportion of stillborn piglets, a decrease in the proportion of weaned piglets and a larger variation in quality of piglets. Swedish ...

Limits to sustained energy intake (SusEI) during lactation in Swiss mice have been suggested to reflect the secretory capacity of the mammary glands. However, an alternative explanation is that milk production and food intake are regulated to match the limited growth capacity of the offspring. In the present study, female Swiss mice were experimentally manipulated in two ways - litter sizes wer...

Poultry industry wastes, namely feathers and poultry litter, are an interesting source of substrate for biogas production. The aim of this work was to assess the biomethane potential of raw poultry wastes, as well as the possibility of enhancing this potential by favouring the hydrolysis of cellulolytic and proteinaceous material in the wastes by using bioaugmentation and thermochemical pre-tre...

a selection program is being implemented to improve meat production in makooei sheep. increasing litter size per ewe is the main objective, but possible repercussions on weight traits of lambs should be considered. the aim of this study was to estimate heritability along with genetic and phenotypic correlations between ewe's reproductive vs. weight traits in makooei ewes. data were comprised of...

Boreal forests are characterized by spatially heterogeneous soils with low N availability. The decomposition of coniferous litter in these systems is primarily performed by basidiomycete fungi, which often form large mycelia with a well-developed capacity to reallocate resources spatially- an advantageous trait in heterogeneous environments. In axenic microcosm systems we tested whether fungi i...