scholarly journals Big dairy data to disentangle the effect of geo-environmental, physiological and morphological factors on milk production of mountain-pastured Braunvieh cows

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Solange Duruz ◽  
Elia Vajana ◽  
Alexander Burren ◽  
Christine Flury ◽  
Stéphane Joost
Keyword(s):  
Milk Production ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
New Model ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Lactation Cycle

1.SummaryThe transhumance system, which consists in moving animals to high mountain pastures during summer, plays a considerable role in preserving both local biodiversity and traditions, as well as protecting against natural hazard. In cows, particularly, milk production is observed to decline as a response to food shortage and climatic stress, leading to atypical lactation curves that are barely described by current lactation models. Here, we relied on five million monthly milk records from over 200,000 Braunvieh and Original Braunvieh cows to devise a new model accounting for transhumance, and test the influence of environmental, physiological, and morphological factors on cattle productivity. Counter to expectations, environmental conditions in the mountain showed a globally limited impact on milk production during transhumance, with cows in favourable conditions producing only 10% less compared to cows living in adverse conditions, and with precipitation in spring and altitude revealing to be the most production-affecting variables. Conversely, physiological factors as lactation number and pregnancy stage presented an important impact over the whole lactation cycle with 20% difference in milk production, and may therefore alter the way animals respond to transhumance. Finally, the considered morphological factors (cow height and foot angle) presented a smaller impact during the whole lactation cycle (10% difference in milk production). The present findings can help farmers to establish sustainable strategies for alleviating the negative effects of transhumance on productivity and preserving this important livestock practice.

scholarly journals Big dairy data to unravel effects of environmental, physiological and morphological factors on milk production of mountain-pastured Braunvieh cows

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 200638
Author(s):  
Solange Duruz ◽  
Elia Vajana ◽  
Alexander Burren ◽  
Christine Flury ◽  
Stéphane Joost
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Natural Hazard ◽  
Food Shortage ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Physiological Factors ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
New Model ◽  
Lactation Cycle

The transhumance system, which consists in moving animals to high mountain pastures during summer, plays a considerable role in preserving both local biodiversity and traditions, as well as protecting against natural hazard. In cows, particularly, milk production is observed to decline as a response to food shortage and climatic stress, leading to atypical lactation curves that are barely described by current lactation models. Here, we relied on 5 million monthly milk records from over 200 000 Braunvieh and Original Braunvieh cows to devise a new model accounting for transhumance, and test the influence of environmental, physiological and morphological factors on cattle productivity. Counter to expectations, environmental conditions in the mountain showed a globally limited impact on milk production during transhumance, with cows in favourable conditions producing only 10% more compared with cows living in detrimental conditions, and with precipitation in spring and altitude revealing to be the most production-affecting variables. Conversely, physiological factors such as lactation number and pregnancy stage presented an important impact over the whole lactation cycle with 20% difference in milk production, and alter the way animals respond to transhumance. Finally, the considered morphological factors (cow height and foot angle) presented a smaller impact during the whole lactation cycle (10% difference in milk production). The present findings help to anticipate the effect of climate change and to identify problematic environmental conditions by comparing their impact with the effect of factors that are known to influence lactation.

Morphological and Molecular Diversity of Benthic Cyanobacteria Communities Versus Environmental Conditions in Shallow, High Mountain Water Bodies in Eastern Pamir Mountains (Tajikistan)

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iwona Jasser ◽  
Iwona Kostrzewska-Szlakowska ◽  
Jan Kwiatowski ◽  
Dovutsho Navruzshoev ◽  
Małgorzata Suska-Malawska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Molecular Diversity ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Benthic Cyanobacteria ◽  
Pamir Mountains

scholarly journals Photoprotective Strategies in Mediterranean High-Mountain Grasslands

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Rosina Magaña Ugarte ◽  
María Pilar Gómez-Serranillos ◽  
Adrián Escudero ◽  
Rosario G. Gavilán
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Detrimental Effect ◽  
Ultraviolet B ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Central Spain ◽  
Adverse Conditions ◽  
Optimal Functioning ◽  
Mountain Grasslands ◽  
Lutein Content ◽  
Mountain Plants

Albeit the remarkably high Ultraviolet B loads, high temperatures, and drought stress substantiate the need for efficient photoprotective strategies in Mediterranean high-mountain plants, these remain understudied. Considering the sensitivity of photosystems to extreme conditions, we evaluated an environmental gradient’s weight on the photoprotection of five high-mountain specialists from Central Spain. Diurnal and seasonal variations in chlorophyll, chlorophyll fluorescence, carotenoids, and xanthophylls in consecutive and climatically contrasting years were taken to evaluate the effect of the impending climate coarsening at the photosystem level. Our results revealed significant differences among species in the xanthophyll cycle functioning, acting either as a continuous photoprotective strategy enhancing photochemistry-steadiness; or prompted only to counteract the cumulative effects of atypically adverse conditions. The lutein cycle’s involvement is inferred from the high lutein content found in all species and elevations, acting as a sustained photoprotective strategy. These findings added to high de-epoxidation state (DEPS) and minor seasonal changes in the chlorophyll a/b ratio, infer the xanthophyll and Lutein cycles are crucial for upkeeping the photosystems’ optimal functioning in these plants heightening their photoprotective capacity during periods of more unfavorable conditions. Nevertheless, an atypically dry growing season’s detrimental effect infers the feasible surpassing of stress-thresholds and the precariousness of the communities’ functional diversity under climate change.

Endoparasitism in colonial hosts: patterns and processes

Parasitology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
pp. 841-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. L. L. HILL ◽  
B. OKAMURA
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Temporal Sampling ◽  
Colony Fission ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Novel Host ◽  
Patterns And Processes ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Lack Of Knowledge

SUMMARYThis study begins to redress our lack of knowledge of the interactions between colonial hosts and their parasites by focusing on a novel host-parasite system. Investigations of freshwater bryozoan populations revealed that infection by myxozoan parasites is widespread. Covert infections were detected in all 5 populations studied and were often at high prevalence while overt infections were observed in only 1. Infections were persistent in populations subject to temporal sampling. Negative effects of infection were identified but virulence was low. Infection did not induce mortality in the environmental conditions studied. However, the production of statoblasts (dormant propagules) was greatly reduced in bryozoans with overt infections in comparison to uninfected bryozoans. Overtly-infected bryozoans also grew more slowly and had low fission rates relative to colonies lacking overt infection. Bryozoans with covert infections were smaller than uninfected bryozoans. High levels of vertical transmission were achieved through colony fission and the infection of statoblasts. Increased fission rates may be a strategy for hosts to escape from parasites but the parasite can also exploit the fragmentation of colonial hosts to gain vertical transmission and dispersal. Our study provides evidence that opportunities and constraints for host-parasite co-evolution can be highly dependent on organismal body plans and that low virulence may be associated with exploitation of colonial hosts by endoparasites.

Phosphorus inputs unmask negative effects of ultraviolet radiation on algae in a high mountain lake

2007 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 423-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. CARRILLO ◽  
J. A. DELGADO-MOLINA ◽  
J. M. MEDINA-SÁNCHEZ ◽  
F. J. BULLEJOS ◽  
M. VILLAR-ARGAIZ
Keyword(s):  
Ultraviolet Radiation ◽  
Mountain Lake ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
High Mountain Lake

scholarly journals Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) antler characteristics reflecting the local environmental conditions

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-23
Author(s):  
Jan Kavan ◽  
Veronika Anděrová
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Individual Subject ◽  
Svalbard Reindeer ◽  
Invasive Method ◽  
Antler Size

AbstractA new non-invasive method based on picture analysis was used to estimate the conditions in Svalbard reindeer populations. The well-being of an individual subject is often expressed through visual indices. Two distinct reindeer populations were compared based on their antler parameters. Relative antler size and number of tines are variables supposed to reflect correspondingly the environmental conditions of sedentary populations within the growing season. The occurrence areas of two studied populations are distinctly isolated – separated with high mountain ridges, glaciers and fjords. The population in Petuniabukta occupies a sparsely vegetated region with harsh climatic conditions, whereas Skansbukta represents an area with continuous tundra vegetation cover, milder climatic conditions and, consequently, also a longer vegetation season. These environmental factors probably caused significant differences in the relative antler size and number of tines in the studied species. The Skansbukta population exhibited a larger relative antler size and higher number of tines than the population in Petuniabukta (both parameters differed significantly, p < 0.01). This difference reflects concisely the different environmental conditions of both locations. A comparison of Skansbukta population antler characteristics between years 2017 and 2018 did not reveal significant changes, most probably due to very similar atmospheric conditions in these two years (in terms of air temperature).

Effects of abomasal fat infusion on dry matter intake, milk production and splanchnic metabolism in dairy cows at two stages of lactation

1997 ◽  
Vol 1997 ◽  
pp. 21-21
Author(s):  
J.A. Benson ◽  
C.K. Reynolds ◽  
D.J. Humphries ◽  
D.E. Beever ◽  
S.M. Rutter
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Milk Production ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Energy Concentration ◽  
Dietary Energy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Stage Of Lactation ◽  
Fat Infusion ◽  
Fat Supplements ◽  
Two Stages

Fat is often fed to dairy cows as a means of increasing dietary energy concentration; however feeding fat often reduces feed intake. For many fat supplements this can be due to negative effects on rumen digestion, however feeding rumen inert fat and post ruminal infusions of fat can also depress intake although the mechanism by which this happens is not clear. The effect of fat on intake may also be influenced by stage of lactation as in early lactation fatty acid levels in the blood can be elevated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of fat infusion into the abomasum on dry matter (DM) intake, milk production and metabolism of splanchnic tissues (portal drained viscera (PDV) and liver) in early and mid lactation cows.

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