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Phytophagous insects enhance nitrogen flux in a desert creosotebush community (1990)

Lightfoot, David C. ; Whitford, Walter G.

Springer

Oecologia 82 (1990), S. 18-25

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ISSN: 1432-1939

Keywords: Desert shrubs ; Larrea tridentata ; Nitrogen cycling ; Insects

Source: Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000

Topics: Biology

Notes: Summary We tested the hypothesis that herbivorous insects on desert shrubs contribute to short-term nitrogen cycling, and increase rates of nitrogen flux from nutrient rich plants. Creosotebush (Larrea tridentata) shrubs were treated with different combinations of fertilizer and water augmentations, resulting in different levels of foliage production and foliar nitrogen contents. Foliage arthropod populations, and nitrogen in canopy dry throughfall, wet throughfall and stemflow were measured to assess nitrogen flux rates relative to arthropod abundances on manipulated and unmanipulated shrubs over a one-month period during peak productivity. Numbers and biomass of foliage arthropods were significantly higher on fertilized shrubs. Sap-sucking phytophagous insects accounted for the greatest numbers of foliage arthropods, but leaf-chewing phytophagous insects represented the greatest biomass of foliage arthropods. Measured amounts of bulk frass (from leaf-chewing insects) were not significantly different among the various treatments. Amounts of nitrogen from dry and wet throughfall and stemflow were significantly greater under fertilized shrubs due to fine frass input from sap-sucking insects. Increased numbers and biomass of phytophagous insects on fertilized shrubs increased canopy to soil nitrogen flux due to increased levels of herbivory and excrement. Nitrogen excreted by foliage arthropods accounted for about 20% of the total one month canopy to soil nitrogen flux, while leaf litter accounted for about 80%.

Type of Medium: Electronic Resource

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00318528

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Prediction of the properties of model polymer solutions and blends (1994)

Ghonasgi, D. ; Chapman, Walter G.

Hoboken, NJ : Wiley-Blackwell

AIChE Journal 40 (1994), S. 878-887

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ISSN: 0001-1541

Keywords: Chemistry ; Chemical Engineering

Source: Wiley InterScience Backfile Collection 1832-2000

Topics: Chemistry and Pharmacology , Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology

Notes: In this work we present an extension of the statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT) developed for associating fluids by applying this extension to polymer solutions and blends. The polymer molecule is modeled as a flexible chain made of bonded spherical segments. These segments interact with the Lennard-Jones potential. The extension of SAFT is compared with molecular simulation results for polymer solutions and blends. Since the same force model is used in the simulation and theory, this comparison is a strong test of the assumptions made in deriving the theory. Results are presented for pure polymers of up to 50 segments long, polymer solutions of a polymer 20 segments long dissolved in its own monomer, and blends of polymers of 25 segments each. The theory produces results that are in better agreement with simulation results than the Flory-Huggins theory for the systems studied.

Additional Material: 9 Ill.