98024 research outputs found
Sort by
Optimization of Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS) for Germplasm Fingerprinting and Trait Mapping in Faba Bean
Get PDFFaba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important pulse crop with a wide range of agroecological adaptations. The development of genomic tools and a comprehensive catalog of extant genetic diversity are crucial for developing improved faba bean cultivars. The lack of a cost-effective genotyping platform limits the characterization of large germplasm collections, understanding of genetic diversity across populations, and implementing breeder's tools like genomic selection. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) offers high-resolution genotyping for both model and crop plant species, even without a reference genome sequence. The genome fragments targeted by GBS depend substantially on the restriction enzyme (RE) used for the complexity reduction step. Species with complex genomic architecture require optimization of GBS with proper RE to realize the full potential of GBS. Here, we evaluated various REs in the GBS method and identified that the combination of ApeKI/MseI proved to be the most appropriate for faba bean based on the best library quality, a high number of genomic loci spread across chromosomes, and high enrichment loci associated with the gene space. With the new optimized protocol, we constructed a genetic map using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population and identified a QTL for seed hilum color on Chromosome 1. In addition, we also genotyped a diversity panel and performed a genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for important agronomic traits, including plant height (PH), flowering time (FT), and number of pods per plant (PPP). We identified six SNP markers significantly associated with these traits and listed potential candidate genes. The optimized faba bean-specific GBS procedure will facilitate access to the untapped genetic diversity for genetic research and breeding and may facilitate functional genomics.202
The impact of tourist destinations on wildlife in northern Finland
Get PDFIncreased tourism impact, recreational activities and structures in natural areas can affect wildlife by increasing urbanization, landscape fragmentation and disturbance. I examined the potential effects of tourist destinations on four forest grouse (Tetraoninae) and five mammalian species in northern Finland. I analyzed density data obtained from wildlife counts carried out by hunters around ten tourist destinations. The densities of mountain hare and mustelid species were negatively correlated with the distance to a tourist destination. The densities of adult grouse, juvenile grouse, mountain hare, and mustelids were positively correlated with the area of mixed forests surrounding the destinations. The densities of adult and juvenile grouse were positively correlated, while the densities of pine marten and mustelids were negatively correlated with the area of agricultural land surrounding the destinations. The densities of the studied wildlife species varied among destinations and years. It seems that current recreational activities have not caused significant changes in the occurrence and abundance of wildlife species in the surroundings of the tourist destinations studied. Location of a destination, predator densities, and landscape structure around the destination had the most impact on the density of wildlife species.202
A computationally feasible multi-trait single-step genomic prediction model with trait-specific marker weights
Get PDFBackground
Regions of genome-wide marker data may have differing influences on the evaluated traits. This can be reflected in the genomic models by assigning different weights to the markers, which can enhance the accuracy of genomic prediction. However, the standard multi-trait single-step genomic evaluation model can be computationally infeasible when the traits are allowed to have different marker weights.
Results
In this study, we developed and implemented a multi-trait single-step single nucleotide polymorphism best linear unbiased prediction (SNPBLUP) model for large genomic data evaluations that allows for the use of precomputed trait-specific marker weights. The modifications to the standard single-step SNPBLUP model were minor and did not significantly increase the preprocessing workload. The model was tested using simulated data and marker weights precomputed using BayesA. Based on the results, memory requirements and computing time per iteration slightly increased compared to the standard single-step model without weights. Moreover, convergence of the model was slower when using marker weights, which resulted in longer total computing time. The use of marker weights, however, improved prediction accuracy.
Conclusions
We investigated a single-step SNPBLUP model that can be used to accommodate trait-specific marker weights. The marker-weighted single-step model improved prediction accuracy. The approach can be used for large genomic data evaluations using precomputed marker weights.202
Tietoa luomuruoan ympäristövaikutuksista
Get PDFAmmattikeittiöt viestivät luomun käytöstä asiakkailleen ja perustelevat luomutuotteiden hankintoja päättäjille. Luomun käytössä ja viestinnässä ympäristökestävyys on tärkeä teema. Luonnonvarakeskus on tuottanut tässä raportissa esitetyn tausta-aineiston ammattikeittiöiden luomuviestinnän tueksi.
Erilaiset elinkaariarvioinnin (LCA) avulla tuotetut merkinnät ovat yleistyneet elintarvikkeiden kestävyyden vertailuissa. Elinkaariarvioinnin erityispiirteenä on, että aiheutetut ympäristövaikutukset kohdistetaan tuotteille, jolloin tuotantojärjestelmän tuotantovolyymi tulee myös otetuksi huomioon. Tuotantopinta-alaa kohden laskettu kuormitus taas kertoo meille paikalliseen ekosysteemiin kohdistuvasta kuormituksesta. Molemmilla tarkastelutavoilla on paikkansa luomuruoantuotannon kestävyyttä arvioitaessa.
Suurin osa ruoantuotannon ympäristövaikutuksista syntyy tuotantoketjun alkupäässä maatiloilla. Myöhempien elinkaaren vaiheiden, kuten prosessoinnin ja kuljetusten, osuus on yleensä vähäinen. Ympäristövaikutukset kohdistuvat ilmastoon, vesistöihin ja maaekosysteemeihin. Ilmastovaikutuksia voidaan tarkastella tuotantopinta-alaa kohden tai vaihtoehtoisesti elinkaariarvioinnille tyypillisesti tuoteyksikköä kohden. Vesistöjä rehevöittävä vaikutus ja kemikaalikuormitus ovat luonteeltaan paikallisempia, sillä ne kohdistuvat peltojen läheisiin vesistöihin ja valuma-alueiden läpi virrattuaan myös laajemmille vesistöalueille. Maataloustuotannon monimuotoisuusvaikutukset ovat kytköksissä tuotantosuuntiin ja tuotantotapoihin ja ovat luonteeltaan hyvin paikallisia.
Tässä raportissa tarkastellaan tutkimustiedon valossa luomutuotettujen raaka-aineiden ympäristökestävyyttä ja luomutuotannon ympäristökestävyyteen vaikuttavia tekijöitä. Tuotteiksi valittiin suomalaisten ammattikeittiön yleisesti käyttämiä luomutuotteita, joita ovat naudanliha, maito, kananmuna, viljat, palkoviljat, kasvikset, hedelmät ja kahvi. Vertailua lukiessa on tärkeää ymmärtää, että tutkimukset kertovat eroista, joita on havaittu tutkimusaineistoissa olevien tilojen välillä. Luomu- ja tavanomaisia tiloja on laaja kirjo vaihdellen hyvinkin paljon ympäristötoimia tekevistä tiloista tiloihin, jotka täyttävät minimivaatimukset. Tarkasteltavalla tuotteella, sen tuotantotavalla ja tuotanto-olosuhteilla on suuri vaikutus ympäristökestävyyteen.202
Assessing the Cost of Nutritionally Adequate and Low-Climate Impact Diets in Finland
Get PDFBackground
Dietary changes form an important component of the sustainability transition of food systems but could be hindered by the cost of sustainable diets.
Objectives
This study aimed to characterize the cost of nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable diets with low-greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) in Finland.
Methods
Two optimization models were built to find diets complying with nutritional and emissions requirements. The first model minimizes diet cost and the second one deviation from current diets. Both are calibrated to Finnish sociodemographic groups using dietary intake data, household budget survey data (for prices), and life cycle assessment coefficients (for GHGE). Three scenarios are simulated: “Health only” imposes only compliance with nutritional constraints, whereas “Health and GHGE-33%” and “Health and GHGE-50%” impose, in addition, minimum reductions in GHGE.
Results
Minimum cost diets have a low-carbon footprint [−65% (−73%) for females (males)] and low cost [−69% (−73%) for females (males)] when compared with current diets but lack diversity and cultural acceptability. The more culturally acceptable health-only minimum deviation diets are marginally less costly and have a lower climate impact than baseline diets across all population groups. Reducing GHGE results in a substantial decrease in the cost of the minimum deviation diets. The lower cost of the minimum deviation diets with reduced GHGE results from both intercategory and intracategory substitutions.
Conclusions
Affordability is not the key obstacle to the adoption of nutritionally adequate and lower GHGE diets, but cultural acceptability is. Reducing the climate footprint of diets can generate side benefits in terms of nutrition and affordability, which confirms that dietary change should be central to the sustainability transition of the Finnish food system. However, more attention should be paid to the issues of taste, convenience, social norms, and other aspects determining the cultural acceptability of sustainable diets.202
A perspective on the need for integrated frameworks linking species distribution and dynamic forest landscape models across spatial scales
Get PDFClimate change significantly alters species distributions. Numerous studies project the future distribution of species using Species Distribution models (SDMs), most often using coarse resolutions. Working at coarse resolutions in forest ecosystems fails to capture landscape-level dynamics, spatially explicit processes, and temporally defined events that act at finer resolutions and that can disproportionately affect future outcomes. Dynamic Forest Landscape Models (FLMs) can simulate the survival, growth, and mortality of (stands of) trees over long time periods at small resolutions. However, as they are able to simulate at fine resolutions, study landscapes remain relatively small due to computational constraints. The large amount of feedbacks between biodiversity, forest, and ecosystem processes cannot completely be captured by FLMs or SDMs alone. Integrating SDMs with FLMs enables a more detailed understanding of the impact of perturbations on forest landscapes and their biodiversity. Several studies have used this approach at landscape scales, using fine resolutions. Yet, many scientific questions in the fields of biogeography, macroecology, conservation management, among others, require a focus on both large scales and fine resolutions. Here, drawn from literature and experience, we provide our perspective on the most important challenges that need to be overcome to use integrated frameworks at spatial scales larger than the landscape and at fine resolutions. Future research should prioritize these challenges to better understand drivers of species distributions in forest ecosystems and effectively design conservation strategies under the influence of changing climates on spatially and temporally explicit processes. We further discuss possibilities to address these challenges.202
Mapping of the potential to substitute plastic in food packaging in finnish supermarkets
Get PDFSingle-use plastics (SUP), which are extensively utilized in food packaging, are one notable cause for the constantly growing littering issue. This novel study is one of the first attempts to systemically analyze food packaging data to reveal the potential for plastic packaging material reduction or substitution by utilizing a primary packaging material summary of single items sold in Finnish supermarkets. The outcome of the study indicates considerable dissimilarities among product groups concerning used packaging materials, weight, share of plastic, and sales volume. The analysis identified sweets and ready-to-eat meals as product groups for which there is a clear need, but also the most potential, to reduce the use of single-use plastics in food packaging. In these specific product groups, the sales share in euros is high (over 2%) and plastic is widely used (48–51%). The share of primary packaging material is also at a notable level (5–7%). Additionally, both product groups are significantly affected by the SUP directive and create a notable risk for littering. For ready-to-eat meals, the substitution potential of plastic is estimated to be close to 2,000 tonnes in Finland. Even so, sustainability is not solely accomplished by a replacement of the conventional packaging material with completely new solutions, and it is evident that there is no single and all-inclusive solution for future food packaging. Instead, the way to more environmentally friendly packaging combines several solutions of 4Rs - Reduce, Reuse, Replace, and Recycle.202