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Actinobacteria of the acI lineage are often the numerically dominant bacterial phylum in surface freshwaters, where they can account for > 50% of total bacteria. Despite their abundance, there are no described isolates. In an effort to obtain enrichment of these ubiquitous freshwater Actinobacteria, diluted freshwater samples from Lake Grosse Fuchskuhle, Germany, were incubated in 96-well culture plates. With this method, a successful enrichment containing high abundances of a member of the lineage acI was established. Phylogenetic classification showed that the acI Actinobacteria of the enrichment belonged to the acI- B2 tribe, which seems to prefer acidic lakes. This enrichment grows to low cell densities and thus the oligotrophic nature of acI- B2 was confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With this work we intend to stress the importance of considering discrete depth sampling for bacterial community analysis of stratified aquatic systems. Depth is a very important parameter to consider when sampling bacterial communities, as their abundance and composition can change within the distinct water layers. Stratified lakes are good model systems to study these connections since changes in environmental parameters can occur on a cm-scale at the thermo- and/or chemocline. Lake Grosse Fuchskuhle was sampled at discrete fine-scale depths at three time points covering a stage in which the lake was stratified and the beginning of winter mixing. In this paper we present the most abundant bacterial groups at the different depths sampled and also the most abundant operational taxonomic units ( OTUs). Overall, oxygen was found to be an important factor shaping the microbial community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of branch scars on the initiation and occurrence of red heart in beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) was studied on 17 trees with red heartwood and 14 trees with no discoloured heartwood, all of which were selected from a 120-year-old high-forest stand in Germany. Logistic regression was used to predict the probability of red heart occurrence for a given tree. The model was based on individual probabilities derived from geometric relationships between scar and knot morphologies, and integrated the diameter at breast height. Using this model, 27 of 31 trees were correctly classified, and the two groups of trees were clearly distinguished by probabilities below 0.25 and above 0.85 (with one exception). Given the constitution of the model, only 17 of 616 scars were found to initiate red heart formation, and the parameters of mechanistic variables were strongly correlated. The results suggest specifying the relationship between scars, knots and red heart, and extending the scope of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]