Forest Research Institute

About: Forest Research Institute is a facility organization based out in Dehra Dūn, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Forest management. The organization has 5320 authors who have published 7625 publications receiving 185876 citations.

Fungi in decayed roots of conifer seedlings in forest nurseries, afforested clear-cuts and abandoned farmland

Abstract: Fungi colonizing decayed roots of Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies seedlings were assessed by pure-culture isolation and direct sequencing of DNA extracted from roots collected from three environments: bare-root forest nurseries; afforested clear-cuts; and abandoned farmland. Pure-culture isolation from 1500 roots collected from 480 seedlings (240 of each tree species) yielded 1110 isolates which, based on mycelial morphology and ITS rDNA sequencing, were found to represent 87 distinct taxa. Direct ITS rDNA sequencing from decayed sections of 140 roots (70 of each tree species) yielded 160 sequences representing 58 taxa. Direct sequencing revealed a significantly higher fungal diversity per root segment than pure-culture isolation. Overall, a total of 131 taxa were found, 92 of which (70·2%) were identified at least to genus level. Only 14 taxa (10·7%) were detected by both methods, while 73 (55·7%) were detected exclusively by isolation and 44 (33·6%), exclusively by sequencing. The pathogens Fusarium oxysporum (25·6%) and Nectria radicicola (14·9%) were the most common isolates. In contrast, direct sequencing most frequently detected endophyte Phialocephala fortinii (33·1%) and Chalara sp. NS234A2 (10·0%). There were no significant differences in species richness between roots from the different environments, but there was a marked effect on fungal community structure. The results demonstrate that different fungi inhabit decayed roots of conifer seedlings in different environments, and that pure-culture isolation and direct sequencing are complementary methods that are both necessary for a complete description of the fungal communities colonizing diseased conifer roots.

The effect of a new zealand beech forest canopy on the kinetic energy of water drops and on surface erosion

Abstract: Rain and throughfall drops were sampled during rain events in a New Zealand beech forest and the frequency distributions of drop mass and kinetic energy calculated. The kinetic energy of throughfall under the canopy was always greater than that of rainfall in the open, notwithstanding interception losses. During a typical rain event in which 51 mm fell in 36 h, the total kinetic energy of throughfail was 1.5 times greater than that of rainfall, and the mean amount of sand splashed from sample cups was 3.1 times greater under the canopy than in the open. It appears that where mineral soil is exposed at the surface, by animal trampling or burrowing for example, rates of soil detachment by splash under a forest canopy will probably exceed those in the open.

Efficacy and safety of adjunctive cariprazine in inadequate responders to antidepressants: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adult patients with major depressive disorder.

Abstract: BACKGROUND Cariprazine is an atypical antipsychotic currently under investigation as adjunctive therapy in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who have inadequate response to standard antidepressant therapy. METHOD A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, flexible-dose study was conducted from December 2011 to December 2013 in adults who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for MDD and had an inadequate antidepressant response. Eligible patients were randomized to 8-week adjunctive treatment with placebo (n = 269), cariprazine 1-2 mg/d (n = 274), or cariprazine 2-4.5 mg/d (n = 276). The primary efficacy parameter was change from baseline to week 8 in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score; P values were adjusted for multiple comparisons. Safety assessments included adverse events, clinical laboratory tests, vital signs, electrocardiograms (ECGs), and suicidality. RESULTS Compared with placebo, reduction in MADRS total score at week 8 was significantly greater with adjunctive cariprazine 2-4.5 mg/d (least squares mean difference [LSMD] = -2.2; adjusted P = .0114), but not with cariprazine 1-2 mg/d (LSMD = -0.9; adjusted P = .2404). Significant LSMDs for MADRS total score change were detected at all earlier study visits (weeks 2, 4, 6) in the 2- to 4.5-mg/d group and at weeks 2 and 4 in the 1- to 2-mg/d group (all P values < .05). Treatment-emergent adverse events reported in ≥ 10% of patients in either cariprazine dosage group were akathisia (22.3%), insomnia (13.6%), and nausea (12.8%) (all in 2- to 4.5-mg/d group). Mean changes in metabolic parameters, vital signs, and ECG parameters were generally similar between groups. No suicide-related adverse events were reported. DISCUSSION These results show that adjunctive cariprazine 2-4.5 mg/d was effective and generally well tolerated in adults with MDD who had inadequate responses to standard antidepressants. Further clinical studies to confirm these results are warranted. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01469377.

Reliable plantlet formation from embryos and seedling shoot tips of radiata pine

Abstract: A method has been devised for the reliable production of plantlets from embryos and seedling shoot tips of Pinus radiata D.Don (radiata pine). Buds were induced on an agar or liquid Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) medium containing 5.0 mg/l benzylaminopurine (BAP). Except for some abnormal buds, the buds grew into elongated shoots on an agar SH medium without cytokinin. The transfer of shoots from a SH medium to a Gresshoff and Doy (GD) medium was found to be an important pretreatment which increased the survival of the shoots when they were placed in a peat and pumice mix for root formation. Elongated shoots were induced to form roots under non-sterile conditions in a humid environment with occasional misting. An intervening 5-day treatment of shoots in an agar medium containing 2.0 mg/l indolebutyric acid (IBA) and 0.5 mg/l napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) significantly increased the percentage of shoots forming roots and the number of roots formed per shoot over control shoots placed directly in the peat:pumice mix. An enhanced level of CO2 during root formation had no effect on the time of root formation or on the percentage of shoots forming roots. These results concerning the elongation, growth and rooting of adventitious shoots are now being applied to the development of very large numbers of plantlets starting from cotyledons from partially germinated seeds.

Inhibition of the response in Ips typographus to the aggregation pheromone; field evaluation of verbenone and ipsenol

Abstract: Field bioassay showed that the aggregation of the spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus on traps baited with the attractive synthetic pheromone mixture, was significantly reduced by the addition of verbenone and ipsenol, which act as inhibitors. When both components were added the reduction in trap catches was most significant and the proportion of responding male beetles caught was significantly reduced. It is hypothesized that verbenone released by the boring beetles counteracts the effect of the aggregation pheromone and shifts the attack to uninfested bark areas of the three under attack or to neighbouring trees. Also ipsenol inhibits the response to the aggregation pheromone, but an explanation of the actual biological function of ipsenol may rest until the absolute configuation of ipsenol released by I. typographus has been established. Zusammenfassung Hemmung der Reaktion von Ips typographus auf das Aggregationspheromon; Freilandversuche mit Verbenon und Ipsenol Freilandexperimente zeigten, das die Anlockung des Buchdruckers Ips typographus an Fallen, die mit einer synthetischen Pheromonmischung versehen waren, durch Verbenon und Ipsenol, die beide als Hemmstoff wirken, signifikant reduziert wurde. Wenn beide Komponenten zusammenwirkten, war die Verminderung der Fallenfange am starksten. Es wird die Hypothese aufgestellt, das das von den sich einbohrenden Kafern produzierte Verbenon der Aggregationskomponente entgegenwirkt und damit den Kaferanflug auf die noch nicht befallenen Rindenareale des Befallsbaumes oder benachbarter Baume verlagert. Auch Ipsenol wirkt hemmend, doch wird eine Erklarung seiner aktuellen biologischen Funktion zuruckgestellt, bis seine Rolle im Pheromonspektrum von Ips typographus voll erkannt ist.