A system for biohydrogen production was developed based on long-term continuous cultures grown on sugar beet molasses in packed bed reactors. In two separate cultures, consortia of fermentative bacteria developed as biofilms on granitic stones. In one of the cultures, a granular sludge was also formed. Metagenomic analysis of the microbial communities by 454-pyrosequencing of amplified 16S rDNA fragments revealed that the overall biodiversity of the hydrogen-producing cultures was quite small. The stone biofilm from the culture without granular sludge was dominated by Clostridiaceae and heterolactic fermentation bacteria, mainly Leuconostocaeae. Representatives of the Leuconostocaeae and Enterobacteriaceae were dominant in both the granules and the stone biofilm formed in the granular sludge culture. The culture containing granular sludge produced hydrogen significantly more effectively than that containing only the stone biofilm: 5.43 vs. 2.8 mol H(2)/mol sucrose from molasses, respectively. The speculations that lactic acid bacteria may favor hydrogen production are discussed.
Genders of dioecious species often show secondary sexual dimorphisms (not directly related to the sex organs), which may be related to reproductive demand for resources during the year. Our working hypothesis stated that phenology influences yearly sex-specific pattern of foliar nitrogen concentration in dioecious species. The concentration of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) of last year's needles (on part of twigs where strobili are bearing) was measured in 1-month intervals from March to November in Taxus baccata L. and Juniperus communis L. separately for males and females. Seasonal C concentration of needles was unrelated to gender, probably due to storage elsewhere in the plants. Needles of J. communis females had higher N concentration in March and April but this dropped to the same level as males after flowering and vegetative growth began. This suggests that females of J. communis, a species of N-poor habitats, have a long-term strategy of N storage. Nitrogen concentration was not different between the sexes during the rest of the growing season. In T. baccata, N concentration was higher in males throughout the analysed period, but the highest differences were in the period of intensive shoot elongation and radial growth. The high demand for N in the period of intensive growth and female cone maturation may result in restrictions in the vegetative growth of females. The results indicate that the time (phenology) and species-specific strategy significantly affect the concentration of N in females and males.
European yew (Taxus baccata L.) is a rare species, but is the focus of great interest because of the species recovery attempts and its use in medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the optimum conditions for the development of the young generation of this species. Four-year old yew seedlings were grown under artificial light reduction: 2, 8, and 30%, as well as in full light. The seedlings were then planted in natural conditions in fenced and unfenced areas. The results of six years field studies indicated that the greatest impact on survival was shown by the light conditions from the period before planting under the canopy of trees. Seedlings from the 2 and 8% of light showed the greatest mortality. The reason was the sudden change in light conditions, because at the time of planting (early spring), there was no reduction of light under deciduous trees. Almost all of the unfenced yew seedlings were grazed by deer, but yew survival in the unfenced group was surprisingly high despite the permanent grazing. This was explained by the high resistance of yew to cutting and the protection of seedlings by a dense layer of Rubus. The results indicated that yew trees require protection against animals for normal development, even if animals have not previously had contact with Taxus and that yew seedlings are very sensitive to sudden changes in light. Both conclusions can be applied in the development of natural and artificial regeneration of European yew and other endangered plants.
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