Ecological world

                        Voting for the Public Award of the REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest is open 1-28 February 2017. Voting is open to all members of the public. The REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest was launched in 2016 and received over fifty project submissions from across Europe. The aim of the contest is to recognize groundbreaking projects and ideas addressing food waste. Public Award: REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest Vote Now:  Public Award REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest (link is external) (link is external)  of the REFRESH Food Waste Solution Contest and have the opportunity to present their project at the  REFRESH Food Waste 2017 Conference (link is external) (link is external)   on 18 May 2017 in Berlin. (link is external)  (Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain) and organizes the contest and the conference. Each person can vote once pe...

The damage of wood by fungi is essentially caused by the degradation of the cell wall by fungi, which decreases the mechanical wood properties and substantially reduces wood use.  However, wood quality is also influenced by bacterial, algal and fungal discolorations (e.g., Grosser 1985; Zabel and Morrell 1992; Eaton and Hale 1993). Discolorations in the wood of living trees, in round wood, timber and wood in service are long-known problems and are based on different biotic and abiotic causes (Bauch 1984, 1986; Kreber and Byrne 1994; Koch et al. 2002; Koch 2004; ).  Discolorations in standing trees occur after wounding by wound reactions of the tree  and by the colonization of the stemwood with bacteria and fungi as a result of microorganism-own pigments (e.g., melanin of blue-stain fungi, Zink and Fengel 1989) or of their metabolism (brown, white, and soft rot in trees, chemical reactions of accessory compounds after pH-change by wetwood bacteria and in the spla...

Mycorrhiza ("fungal root") is the association of mutual benefit (mutualistic in-teraction) between a fungus and the root of a higher plant (Agerer et al. to 1986; Willenborg 1990; Allen 1991; Schwantes 1996; Smith and Read 1997; Varma and Hock 1999; Egli and Brunner 2002; v.d. Heijden and Sanders 2002; Peterson et al. 2004). About 80 -95% of the higher plants are capable of mycorrhization (e.g., Bothe and Hildebrandt 2003). Mycorrhizas are differently grouped. The grouping according to Hock and Bartunek (1984) in distinguishes three major forms. "Hartig net (Kottke and Oberwinkler 1986). The colonized roots do no longer possess root hairs; instead hyphae or rhizomorphs radiate into the soil. In the endotrophic mycorrhiza (endomycorrhiza) of the orchids, only a loose hyphal net is formed around the root, and the hyphae settle inside the cells in the root bark area. As an intermediate, the ectendotrophic mycorrhiza is particularly present on roots of 1 to 3-year...

     The wood-inhabiting fungi as well as their colonization and damaging of wood are influenced by various physical/chemical and biological influences .      Physical/chemical factors comprise nutrients, water, air, temperature, pH value, light, and the force of gravity. Biological influences arise because of reciprocal effects between different organisms as antagonism, synergism, and symbiosis (e.g., Rypaek 1966; Kaarik 1975; Rayner and Boddy 1988). When investigating the various factors, laboratory methods do not reflect the situa-tion under natural conditions. Often it is difficult to vary a parameter without affecting the others. The individual factors in nature do not work isolated, but strengthen or weaken themselves mutually. Table 3.1. Influences on fungal activity physical/chemical: nutrients, water, air, temperature, pH-value, light, force of gravity biological: antagonism, synergism, symbiosis  Nutrients    ...

Fatty acid profiles MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry Microorganisms synthesize over 200 different fatty acids. The presence of specific acids and their relative amounts are constant for a particular species. Since the 1960s, bacteria and fungi are identified by gas chromatographic analysis of fatty acids, which were previously derivatized to methyl esters. The technique has also been used to identify wood-decay fungi like Phanerochaete chrysosporium, P. sordaria, Trametes versicolor, T. hirsuta, and T. pubescens (Diehl et al. 2003). The technique of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was developed in the 1980s, and was used in many fields for peptide, protein, and nucleic acid analyses Otirgens 2004; Welker et al. 2004). The method was suitable to differentiate and identify viruses, bacteria, and fungi (yeasts and Deuteromycetes) (e.g., Fenselau and Demirev 2001). In MALDI-TOF MS, biomolecules and even whole cells ...

                Determination keys and descriptions for Deuteromycetes are based on mor-phology, color, and development (conidiogenesis) of conidia and conidio-genous cells  (Carmichael et al. 1980; Domsch et al. 1980; v. Arx 1981; Wang 1990; Hoog and Guarro 1995; Schwantes 1996; Kiffer and Morelet 2000; Samson et al. 2004). The fruit bodies of Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes serve to identify species on the basis of macro- and microscopic characteristics using keys or illustrated books: Kreisel 1961; Domariski 1972; Domariski et al. 1973; Breitenbach and Kranzlin 1981, 1986, 1991, 1995; Moser 1983; Jiilich 1984; Hanlin 1990; Jahn 1990; Wang and Zabel 1990; Ryvarden and Gilbertson 1993, 1994; Huckfeldt and Schmidt /005; yeasts: Barnett et al. 1990).  There are identification kits for yeasts that employ assimilation tests of carbohydrates with a specifically adapted database, and also growth tests on carbon sources that are bo...

                       DNA-Arrays DNA-arrays (DNA-chips, microarrays) are tools in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological diagnosis of pathogens (genotyping, pathotyping) (Beier et al. 2002; Wiehlmann et al. 2004). Basis is the increasing availability of sequence information of various viruses and bacteria.  One chip can carry up to 10,000 different DNA probes (e.g., oligonucleotides), which are raster-like bound on its surface. Nucleic acid molecules of the sample hybridize specifically with the corresponding DNA probe, and the hybridized chip areas are detected colori-metrically.  Compared to PCR techniques, the sensitivity of the chip technology is lower than with species-specific PCR, and the chip techniques need experi-enced staff and expensive laboratory equipment. The great miniaturization and automation, however, allow the analyses of a great number of samples in a short time. Specific oligonucleo...

Main Issues and Positions for the 17th COP                                                   The objective of this briefing was to provide Members with an overview of the key issues at stake at the CITES COP 17 and to introduce the new role of the EU as a single Party entity. A short overview of the history of CITES was provided, along with the current positions of the main Parties on key issues of importance. In a final section, the brief identified main conclusions and recommendations for Members of the ENVI Committee to establish their own perspectives on the subject of CITES and the potential role of the EU. The briefing was conducted using published documents, press releases, official position papers, studies and other relevant sources from national, international and EU institutions and NGOs. The document is available for download. http://e...