Wageningen University and Research Centre

About: Wageningen University and Research Centre is a education organization based out in Wageningen, Netherlands. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Sustainability. The organization has 23474 authors who have published 54833 publications receiving 2608897 citations.

Nondestructive estimates of above‐ground biomass using terrestrial laser scanning

Abstract: Allometric equations are currently used to estimate above-ground biomass (AGB) based on the indirect relationship with tree parameters Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can measure the canopy structure in 3D with high detail In this study, we develop an approach to estimate AGB from TLS data, which does not need any prior information about allometry We compare these estimates against destructively harvested AGB estimates and AGB derived from allometric equations We also evaluate tree parameters, diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree height, estimated from traditional field inventory and TLS data Tree height, DBH and AGB data are collected through traditional forest inventory, TLS and destructive sampling of 65 trees in a native Eucalypt Open Forest in Victoria, Australia Single trees are extracted from the TLS data and quantitative structure models are used to estimate the tree volume directly from the point cloud data AGB is inferred from these volumes and basic density information and is then compared with the estimates derived from allometric equations and destructive sampling AGB estimates derived from TLS show a high agreement with the reference values from destructive sampling, with a concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) of 0·98 The agreement between AGB estimates from allometric equations and the reference is lower (CCC = 0·68–0·78) Our TLS approach shows a total AGB overestimation of 9·68% compared to an underestimation of 36·57–29·85% for the allometric equations The error for AGB estimates using allometric equations increases exponentially with increasing DBH, whereas the error for AGB estimates from TLS is not dependent on DBH The TLS method does not rely on indirect relationships with tree parameters or calibration data and shows better agreement with the reference data compared to estimates from allometric equations Using 3D data also enables us to look at the height distributions of AGB, and we demonstrate that 80% of the AGB at plot level is located in the lower 60% of the trees for a Eucalypt Open Forest This method can be applied in many forest types and can assist in the calibration and validation of broad-scale biomass maps

Diversity and natural functions of antibiotics produced by beneficial and plant pathogenic bacteria.

Abstract: Soil- and plant-associated environments harbor numerous bacteria that produce antibiotic metabolites with specific or broad-spectrum activities against coexisting microorganisms. The function and ecological importance of antibiotics have long been assumed to yield a survival advantage to the producing bacteria in the highly competitive but resource-limited soil environments through direct suppression. Although specific antibiotics may enhance producer persistence when challenged by competitors or predators in soil habitats, at subinhibitory concentrations antibiotics exhibit a diversity of other roles in the life history of the producing bacteria. Many processes modulated by antibiotics may be inherently critical to the producing bacterium, such as the acquisition of substrates or initiation of developmental changes that will ensure survival under stressful conditions. Antibiotics may also have roles in more complex interactions, including in virulence on host plants or in shaping the outcomes of multitrophic interactions. The innate functions of antibiotics to producing bacteria in their native ecosystem are just beginning to emerge, but current knowledge already reveals a breadth of activities well beyond the historical perspective of antibiotics as weaponry in microbial conflicts.

Towards industrial products from microalgae

Abstract: Microalgae show an enormous potential as sustainable feedstock for numerous bioproducts. The current work analyzes the feasibility of business cases for different markets of products from microalgae. We perform a techno-economic evaluation of the whole process chain including cultivation, biorefinery and market exploitation for a 100 hectares facility in six locations. Our projections show a current cost per unit of dry biomass of 3.4 € kg−1 for microalgae cultivation in Spain (excluding biorefining products), with an expected reduction to 0.5 € kg−1 in ten years. A sensitivity analysis reveals the roadmap to achieve this. Production of high-value products (e.g. pigments) would be currently profitable, with a net present value of 657 M€ in 15 years. Markets aimed at food and chemical commodities require further cost reductions for cost competitiveness, reachable in the next decade.

Nutritional management of gut health in pigs around weaning.

Abstract: Early weaning of piglets is often accompanied by a severe growth check and diarrhoea. It is well established that this process is multi-factorial and that post-weaning anorexia and under-nutrition are major aetiological factors. Gastrointestinal disturbances include alterations in small intestine architecture and enzyme activities. Recent data indicate transiently-increased mucosal permeability, disturbed absorptive-secretory electrolyte balance and altered local inflammatory cytokine patterns after weaning. These responses appear to operate according to two distinct temporal patterns, an acute response followed by a long-lasting adaptation response. Pigs coexist with a diverse and dense commensal microbiota in their gastrointestinal tract. Most of these microbes are beneficial, providing necessary nutrients or protection against harmful pathogens for the host. The microbial colonisation of the porcine intestine begins at birth and follows a rapid succession during the neonatal and weaning period. Following the withdrawal of sow's milk the young piglets are highly susceptible to enteric diseases partly as a result of the altered balance between developing beneficial microbiota and the establishment of intestinal bacterial pathogens. The intestinal immune system of the newborn piglet is poorly developed at birth and undergoes a rapid period of expansion and specialisation that is not achieved before early (commercial) weaning. Here, new insights on the interactions between feed components, the commensal microbiota and the physiology and immunology of the host gastrointestinal tract are highlighted, and some novel dietary strategies are outlined that are focused on improving gut health. Prebiotics and probiotics are clear nutritional options, while convincing evidence is still lacking for other bioactive substances of vegetable origin.