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Chris Offutt Reveals A Family Secret In 'My Father, The Pornographer'
Published August 27, 2015 at 12:43 PM CDT
TERRY GROSS, HOST:
This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross. I can't imagine what it would be like if my father had been a pornographer, so I read with fascination what it's like for writer Chris Offutt to be the son of a pornographer. Offutt is the author of a forthcoming memoir called "My Father, The Pornographer," which was excerpted in early February in The New York Times magazine. We're going to hear the interview I recorded with him in March as we continue our end of summer series featuring some of our favorite interviews.
Chris Offutt is known for his fiction and literary memoirs. His father was known by his 17 pen names, under which he wrote nearly 375 porn books. He also wrote two science fiction and 24 fantasy novels. His first porn book was published in 1968, and in 1970, he shut down his small insurance agency, thinking porn would be more profitable. The timing was right, with the sexual revolution expanding the market. His readers probably wouldn't have guessed that he wrote from his home in Kentucky in what Chris Offutt describes as a hill-and-holler community, a ZIP code with a creek.
While Chris was growing up there, the source of his father's income was a family secret. In 2013, when Chris was 54, his father died and left Chris with the inheritance of thousands of letters and tens of thousands of novel pages. Chris moved back to his childhood home for several months to sort the papers and assemble a bibliography. By the way, this interview is not explicit about porn. It's really about the father.
Chris Offutt, welcome to FRESH AIR. You write that your father considered himself the class operator in the field of pornography. What was he known for in the field?
CHRIS OFFUTT: Well, I'm not really sure. There hasn't been a great deal of scholarship on the field of pornography to separate out what one writer was known for with another. Dad believed that he had introduced various anatomical descriptions into pornography that had not been there before. He also believed that he had introduced the fact that a female could derive a great deal of pleasure. Then, that had not been seen in pornography before.
At the same time, it's hard to know if that was true or not. The point, though, is that Dad believed it, and he thought he was a very good writer. And the other reason for that was that he believed that other porn writers were copying his style and some of these pioneering uses of anatomical language (laughter) regarding sexuality.
GROSS: So your father, initially, was selling insurance, and he quit his job to help raise money for things like your orthodontia - your braces. And he became a team with your mother, who typed the manuscripts. And I mean, like, what a huge shift in the family to go from this, like, very secure kind of job to writing pornography and having your mother type it. I mean, was she comfortable even reading what he was writing?
OFFUTT: Oh, yeah. She was part and parcel from the beginning. He was a successful businessman in sales, but wasn't happy. He'd always written since he was a child and wanted to write, but at age 36, he had four kids and a mortgage. And I needed orthodontic care, and all of my siblings and me were in school, so Mom had suggested that she get a job outside of the home to pay for the dental care. And Dad didn't want to do that, so he - they just hatched this plan.
And it took me a couple years to realize that it seemed like Dad was writing this, but I did not know that Mom was actually typing all of his final manuscripts for submission to the publishers. She could zip through it. I would come home from school - would walk through the woods along a little path - into the house to the sound of two typewriters simultaneously clattering away. (Laughter) It was an unusual circumstance, but I knew Dad was a writer. I just assumed that it was science fiction.
GROSS: To give us more of a sense of what your father wrote, can you name some of the titles of some of his books?
OFFUTT: Sure. I'd be happy to do that. I should also tell you that the book is dedicated to 17 people, all of - or 18 people - Dad and all of his pseudonyms.
GROSS: (Laughter) That's hysterical.
OFFUTT: Yeah, well, I - it seemed to make sense. OK, well, the first one was called "Bondage Babes." In 1968, he published five - "Bondage Babes," "Swapper Town," "Sex Toy," "Gang Swap" and "The Seductress." "Bruise," which I believe to be his best porn novel - the one that Dad thought was the best was called "Mongol!" with an exclamation point. I've never been - he had 12 or 14 books that had exclamation points in the title, so I'm not sure how to pronounce it - "Mongol!" maybe - "Mongol!" "Fruit Of The Loin" - "The Devoured" is vampires in New York City - not a bad book. I could keep on going. I mean, there's a lot.
GROSS: So I don't know if any of the stories are radio-friendly that your father told in his fiction, but is there one that would give us a sense of the kind of story that he dreamed up?
OFFUTT: (Laughter) Radio-friendly? One that I enjoyed the most - these two couples crash-landed on a - (laughter) on a deserted island, but come to find out the island wasn't deserted, after all. It was just unexplored. The middle of the island had a volcano. On the other side of the volcano lived a primitive culture that would drop virgins into the volcano to sacrifice to the gods for good weather and good luck, right? Now, the other side, where they crash-landed, was occupied and inhabited by all the virgins who'd managed to escape from the other side of the volcano. So you can imagine, then, what went on after the plane landed - crash-landed - and everybody survived. It was pretty interesting, like one of the guys goes native, and one of the guys doesn't. And there's some morality in there and great concerns about impacting on this culture that had not been Westernized or anything.
GROSS: The way pornography often works in families is that parents, if they read pornography, hide it from their children.
OFFUTT: Yeah.
GROSS: And the children who read pornography hide it from their parents. So how did the conversation in the family get opened? Did they tell you about the porn, or did you confront them with the fact that you suspected that this is what they were doing?
OFFUTT: Neither. There was no official, formal conversation where - this is what we're doing, and you should know, or anything like that. It was a maintained secret as much as possible. Part of it was just living in a small community and a conservative community in the hills of Kentucky. But it wasn't till I was out of the house and in my 20s that Dad became more forthcoming about his pornographic work. My understanding prior to that had been he was a functioning science fiction writer, and the pornography was generating supplemental income.
GROSS: You write that when you found - that after your father died and you went through his books, you found that he had a cataloging system for writing pornography that had whole sections ready to go and do a kind of cut-and-paste in the appropriate book. So it had pages with, like, 150 synonyms for pain. There were sections for descriptions of the mouth, for descriptions of the tongue, the face, the legs, for kisses, spanking, distress. So it sounds like he cataloged all of this and had it all ready to paste into the appropriate book. And then he'd kind of X it out of the catalog so he wouldn't use it a second time. I - I've never heard of somebody writing that way before.
OFFUTT: Me, neither. It was a remarkable discovery. In addition to what you described, there were also pages and pages like that of descriptions for the science fiction and for the fantasy, pages of description of landscape or of a storm or of a night sky. And what he did is he would watch television at night with a big clipboard and write longhand. And we would all be sitting there watching television. Dad was writing. We were kids. And I realized later that this was what he was doing at that - during those hours. He wasn't writing a novel or a short story, but he was just inventing descriptions while watching television. He liked to watch TV and write.
I was quite taken by this approach. He was working at a great speed under enormous pressure - not deadline pressure, but just economic pressure, you know? There were rarely contracts for these books in advance, you know? But he had to support his family, and he wrote one book in three days. His personal record was 94 pages in a single day. And the system that he devised reminded me of an assembly line of a car factory where you just have all the raw material and drop it in place as it goes down the assembly line, and at the end, there's a car. I have never met another writer who worked with this technique, and it was extensive. There were - there were a lot of these notebooks, Terry.
GROSS: My guest is writer Chris Offutt. We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH AIR.
(SOUNDBITE OF GUITAR MUSIC)
GROSS: My guest is writer Chris Offutt. He's writing a memoir about his father, who wrote hundreds of porn novels under pseudonyms, including the name John Cleve.
I'm wondering how your parents told you about the facts of life?
OFFUTT: (Laughter).
GROSS: I remember my mother giving me one of those books that are all about like the animals and the insects, with, like, a quarter of a page about the humans (laughter). But, I mean, considering that your father was so obsessed with sexuality and that he was writing the porn, your mother was typing the manuscripts, they had - how did they tell you? How did they break the news? Or maybe you already knew.
OFFUTT: I never had a conversation with my mother along these lines. There were two boys and two girls. Presumably, she spoke to my sisters, and Dad was in charge of my brother and me. I don't know what he told my brother. I do know how he dealt with it with me. He took me on a drive in a car, which was very rare for us to spend time privately together. He didn't leave the house much. He just worked 10, 12 hours a day for many years, so for him to leave the house and ask me to accompany him was a pretty big deal. Dad also liked to talk. I mean, he talked a lot when he was around people, and this car ride was notable for his silence. And then he would begin a few - to talk to me and just sort of sputter and stutter and trail off. And I didn't understand what was going on because this was so unlike Dad, who really loved to talk. Then we finally got back home, and he handed me a pamphlet on the reproduction of frogs.
GROSS: (Laughter).
OFFUTT: And - yeah. So - which, you know, as - for a 12, 13-year-old boy, it was very confusing. You know, the tadpole stage was - I don't really know how this fits into anything. But, you know - and I recount this in the book. There's something, to me, poignant and plaintive and quite unusual about a career pornographer who then was uncomfortable discussing sexuality with his son undergoing puberty.
GROSS: Right. That must've been really confusing to you, too. How did your parents hide the porn books from you?
OFFUTT: Well, Dad had an office in the house that was - had been a bedroom on the second floor, and we were just forbidden to enter - all of us. Nobody was allowed to enter it. The door was either closed or partially closed at all times. You had to knock to get admitted. You had to wait till Dad would allow you to come in, and that extended to my mother if she was bringing him coffee. I mean, you know, the key was don't disturb Dad when he's working.
And so that's where it was. And now and again when I was a kid, I would, of course, go in there when Mom and Dad were out of town and look around. And - but even in his office - and this was - is still interesting to me - even within his office, he - it was concealed. And I didn't realize it until after he'd died there was a - you know, he had a wall of - two walls of built-in bookshelves that he'd had hired to put in there. And behind every row of books was another deeper and higher row of books that was pornography. So there was an element of it that was hiding it either from the family or the world or possibly himself.
GROSS: Do you think that you grew up with this sense of secrets, you know, and that maybe even that - even if you didn't know that the secrets pertained to sex and pornography, that you've somehow picked up on that anyways? I mean, I guess I'm wondering what impact it had on you to grow up with all this secrecy, and especially since the secrets had to do with writing about sex.
OFFUTT: Yes, there was an element of secrecy to it that I grew up with. I don't know what the impact would've been. I mean, Dad was - he was obsessed with sex, and he would talk about it, but obliquely, you know? He would often make jokes in sort of a naughty style of comments and all. But there was still a pall of secrecy that hung over the house that we all, you know, felt, or at least, certainly, I did. So as far as the impact, I'm not really sure, you know, other than it could have motivated me to write memoir, for example, which is the opposite of a pseudonymous, secret writing life.
GROSS: Oh, that's true. That's a really good point. And I wonder how you feel about this forthcoming memoir about your father because you will be exposing all of the secrets he kept throughout his life, all the pseudonyms that he wrote under, everything that he hid from his family and from his neighbors.
OFFUTT: How do I feel about it?
GROSS: Yeah, do you - does it worry you that maybe your father would be upset? Or do you think your father would be happy that finally it can be revealed what a genius he was, you know, 'cause I know he saw himself that way?
OFFUTT: Yeah, I - there was a part of me when I worked on it that - I mean, I worked on it pretty hard for a couple of years, and at times, I would be concerned that I was betraying the big family secret. And I would talk to my siblings about it, and I talked to my mother about it. And, you know, they all pointed out the obvious, which was, Dad's dead, and you can't betray him. So I don't have any great concerns along those lines. As Mom said the other night, he would have loved the attention, and he liked attention. But there was some part of him that did not want to fully reveal the extent of this, of his output and his interest while he was alive.
He started out as - in sales for Procter & Gamble - traveling salesman to little country stores for - with Procter & Gamble products - then moved into selling health and life insurance. So sales relies on a great deal of self-belief, and I think that Dad incorporated that into his writing life. I don't know that I've met anyone else who believed in himself as much as Dad did. And Dad fervently and fervidly and absolutely believed that after he was dead, in the 21st century, he would be well-known and extremely famous for the pornography that he wrote under the name John Cleve.
So to answer the question, how would he feel about it? Yes, you know, in a way, this book, to a certain extent, is fulfilling the - his own prophecy that he made about his legacy in the world. If it's true - I don't know if it'll wind up true or not, but he would really have enjoyed it, yes.
GROSS: So this is a question I've never asked anybody before.
OFFUTT: Oh.
GROSS: I've never had the occasion to.
OFFUTT: Well, let me get ready here. I'm just going to be a first for FRESH AIR.
GROSS: Ready? OK. So...
OFFUTT: All right.
GROSS: (Laughter) So when you read your father's pornography after he died - I mean, the purpose of pornography is to be arousing, but when the author is your father, is it possible to be aroused by it?
OFFUTT: Not exactly. The fact that I was reading my father's work was always present in it. And the book actually deals with - one chapter really examines very carefully the effect on me of the total immersion in pornography for 18 months. When I say total, I mean...
GROSS: While you were writing the book.
OFFUTT: Writing the book, going through it, cataloging 1,800 pounds of archival material, looking at it and just dealing with it. You know, it was - it was a little overwhelming, to say the least.
GROSS: What do you mean when you say overwhelming?
OFFUTT: Well, you know, say you love chocolate, and you wind up with a job in the chocolate factory, maybe you lose your taste for chocolate.
GROSS: Got it.
OFFUTT: The book talks about it pretty honestly - about just the effects of it. And, you know, they weren't all great.
GROSS: Right.
OFFUTT: The thing about Dad's work, though, is there's an innocence to it, if that makes any sense. There's a quaintness to it, in contrast to what is available on the Internet, for example, now.
OFFUTT: So this golden age of porn is also - it was taboo. It was underground. There was tongue-in-cheek. A lot of Dad's stuff was funny, was satirical. And you just don't see anything like that today in terms of - I'm not sure what - if there is mainstream porn. It seems like it's moved to the Internet, but there's not a lot of humor or tongue-in-cheek or satire with it.
GROSS: One more thing about your father, the pornographer. Your mother is still alive. She's in her early 80s now. Your father died in 2013. Can you talk to her openly about the collaboration they had, where your father wrote the porn books, and your mother typed the manuscripts? Is she comfortable talking about that?
OFFUTT: She's very comfortable and open talking about it, I think, for a couple of reasons. First of all, she's 80, and, you know, this was stuff that happened at least - that wound down 30 years ago in her life. She also moved to Mississippi, where I live. And, perhaps surprising to many people, Oxford, Miss., is slightly more - is more progressive than the town where she lived before, where she had a greater concerns about this.
She always referred to them with me as your father's sex books. That was how she saw them. And the last time we spoke, she expressed a little bit of surprise at their popularity 'cause, as she said, they were all the same. The same things happened - just different names and different venues. So the answer is yes, she is quite open to talking about it and is charmingly so. And, you know, she is this 80-year-old Southern lady who lived all of her life in two counties in Kentucky, and now can sort of reveal her own past, which - there's a part of her that thinks it's kind of cool.
GROSS: Chris Offutt, thank you so much for talking with us.
OFFUTT: Thank you. Thanks for having me on.
GROSS: Chris Offutt is writing a memoir called "My Father, The Pornographer." We spoke last March. Coming up, an interview with Larry David. I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Apalit Church is a Neo-Renaissance-style church located at Apalit, in the province of Pampanga, Philippines. The additional construction of the two towers beside the church served as reinforcements to improve the structural integrity of the church. Also, the church houses bells manufactured by the Sunicos.

History
In 1597, the Parish of Apalit was separated from the Parish of Calumpit. Fr. Pedro de Vergara was installed as the first curé of Apalit.

On June 28, 1844, the traditional fluvial procession called Libad honouring Saint Peter the Apostle was instituted by Capitán del Pueblo Don Pedro Armayan Espíritu.

On July 22, 2017, the holy relic of St. Peter was enthroned in the Parish. The holy relic is a fragment of the bones of the remains of St. Peter. This is the only church that has the relic of St. Peter other than St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Architectural history

Fr. Juan Cabello
 He began the construction of the church and convento from 1641 until 1645.

Fr. Simón de Alarcia
 From 1854 to 1860, he tried to build a three-nave church using stone and brick materials. However, records do not indicate if he was able to finish the church.
 1863: the church is destroyed in an earthquake that damaged buildings in Manila.

Fr. Antonio Redondo
 Following the initial plans of Don Ramón Hermosa, an assistant officer to the Minister of Public Works, he laid the foundations of the new church in January 1876.
 The construction of the church was completed in 1883. It was reconsecrated during the town fiesta of that year.

Fr. Toribio Fanjul
 The two belltowers were completed in 1896.

Msgr. Rústico C. Cuevas
 1989: Major renovations were conducted at the church.

Architectural features

Apalit Church measures 59 meters long and 14 meters wide. The facade resembles Neo-Renaissance Style with its plain, low segmental pediment and the symmetrical alignment of 2 flanking towers. The semi-circular main door with a circular window above is framed by receding semicircular arches in relief.

The ceiling art paintings, also known as trompe l'oeil were done by a native of Apalit (Marcilino "Siling" Serrano), under the supervision of Caesare Alberoni, an Italian free-lance painter. One notable ceiling art paintings was located in the cupola of the Apalit Church, giving a rendition of the Apocalypse.

There are 6 bells located at the Apalit Church, 5 of which came from Fundicion de Hilario Sunico Jaboneros.

Below were the list of the bells with corresponding inscriptions:

Present condition

Marker from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines

The marker of Church of Apalit was installed in 1939 at Apalit, Pampanga. It was installed by Philippines Historical Committee (now National Historical Commission of the Philippines).

Gallery

References

Roman Catholic churches in Pampanga
Augustinian churches in the Philippines
Churches in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Fernando

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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President Ghani met with the Ambassador of H.H. Prince Karim Aga Khan in Kabul
By Khaama Press / in Afghanistan / on Saturday, 01 Sep 2018 08:38 PM / 0 Comment / 1226 views
President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani met with Nurjehan Mawani, the Ambassador of High Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan in Afghanistan, to discuss the future of Aga Khan Development Network development projects in Afghanistan.
The Office of the President, ARG Palace, in a statement said the meeting was organized in ARG Presidential Palace on Saturday morning.
The statement further added that two sides discussed the implementation of projects by Aga Khan Development Network in various countries in energy, communications, and agriculture.
According to ARG Palace, President Ghani and Ambassador Mawani also discussed facilitation for the implementation of similar projects in Afghanistan.
President Ghani said the relevant authorities will provide the required facilities for the Aga Khan Foundation and other private investors to invest in Afghanistan.
The Aga Khan Development Network has played a key role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan during the past several years.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed for the implementation of a project for social, economic, and environmental development in the areas located along Kabul River by acting Finance Minister Dr. Humayoun Qayoumi, acting Urban Develoment Minister Roshan Wolasmal, Charrge d'Affairs of the Embassy of Germany Christophe Pilix, and the head of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture Ajmal Maiwandi.
The project would be funded by the government of Germany with an aim to develop the social and economic infrastructures of Kabul, having an estimated value of 18.058 million Euros.
According to ARG Palace, the project include renovation and construction of Industrial Machinery Enterprise, social, economic, and environmental development in the areas along Kabul River, including Deh Afghanan, Andarabi, Joi Sher, the first and second districts of Chendawol, preservation of cultural heritages including local development councils, reconstruction of the general and green areas and establishment of a perspective for economic development through professional training in handicraft and other industries in Jangalak training center.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Mandy Moore Says Britney Spears' Conservatorship Ending 'Was Such a Long Time Coming'
People Exclusive
"I'm just so thrilled that she finally got the freedom that she so deserved," Mandy Moore said of Britney Spears, who first dominated the pop charts around the same time as the actress
PEOPLE.com Page Avatar
By Nicholas Rice November 15, 2021 10:03 AM
Mandy Moore; Britney Spears
Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock; Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic
Mandy Moore couldn't be more thrilled for Britney Spears following the termination of the pop icon's conservatorship after 13 years.
Last week, Los Angeles County judge Brenda Penny approved Jamie Spears' petition to end the conservatorship of his daughter Britney, after the singer made clear over the summer that she wanted out of the legal situation.
Speaking with PEOPLE (The TV Show!)'s special correspondent Adrianna Costa at the 2021 Baby2Baby Gala in Los Angeles over the weekend, Moore, 37, explained that the #FreeBritney movement was something "we were all following."
"I'm just so thrilled that she finally got the freedom that she so deserved," Moore said. "I mean, this was such a long time coming."
For more on Britney Spears' freedom from her conservatorship and other top stories, listen below to our daily podcast on PEOPLE Every Day.
"But, [I'm] happy that the story has a happy ending," the This Is Us star added of the pop singer, 39, whom she rose to fame alongside in the late '90s and early 2000s.
RELATED: Britney Spears' Conservatorship Is Over: Cher, Paris Hilton, Cyndi Lauper and More Celebs React
| Credit: Nicholas Hunt/Filmmagic
Spears' conservatorship of the estate and of the person were terminated Friday. Her temporary conservator John Zabel will retain "administrative powers" in the trust and estate.
Her personal conservator Jodi Montgomery will "be there for anything she needs," according to Montgomery's attorney Lauriann Wright.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The "Toxic" singer's attorney, Mathew Rosengart, called the end to her conservatorship a "monumental day" after the ruling. "What's next for Britney is up to one person — and this is the first time we can say this in a decade. It's up to Britney," he said. "Britney, as of today, is a free woman."
Spears also expressed her elation on Instagram, posting a video of #FreeBritney supporters celebrating in the street outside the courthouse. "Good God I love my fans so much it's crazy !!! I think I'm gonna cry the rest of the day !!!! Best day ever … praise the Lord … can I get an Amen ???? #FreedBritney," she wrote.
RELATED VIDEO: Britney Spears' 13-Year Conservatorship Ends Following Judge's Court Approval
Moore is just one of the many stars who have celebrated and cheered on Spears amid her legal victory.
On Saturday, Lady Gaga celebrated the end of Spears' conservatorship on Instagram, sharing a throwback photo of herself in drag as her alter ego Jo Calderone, kissing Spears at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
"I have loved Britney Spears her whole career. I looked up to her, admired her strength—she empowered so many people and still does. I couldn't be more happy for you today. You never deserved what happened, Thank God 4 today," Gaga wrote in the caption. "You're a superstar and a super-human being. I LOVE YOU."
Cher, meanwhile, shared a statement on Twitter after the news, writing, "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOA 🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂🎂SHES FREEE,FREE,FREE 💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼💃🏼 FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE‼ FREE AS A🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊. 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦"
Paris Hilton also celebrated when she shared a throwback photo of herself and Spears. "I'm so happy that this day has finally come. This moment is so long overdue. @BritneySpears is finally free!!! You're the most resilient, kind and inspiring soul. We all love you so so much! Your best days are yet to come! #FreedBritney," Hilton, 40, wrote on Twitter.
Beverly Johnson on André Leon Talley's Impact: 'When You're a Trailblazer, You Take a Lot of Arrows'
90 Day Fiancé: Before the 90 Days Sneak Peek: Kim Asks Usman to Share a Hotel Room with Her
U.S. Skating Champs Like Nathan Chen & Mariah Bell Open Up About Podium Dreams and Olympic Prep
Figure Skater Jason Brown Shares Letter to His Younger Self Ahead of Olympic Return: 'Dream Big'


Why buy three gadgets if one can do the job? That seems to be the message from Cynett, which has introduced the GrooveTraveller Complete Car Kit – a car FM transmitter, charger and holder for the iPod and iPod nano.
It's essentially a variation on the iTrip – so if you've got one of those, I can't see this offering great value. And don't forget, these aren't strictly legal – though this sort of FM transmitting should be free from restriction by the end of the year. But if you're still keen, you'll be interested to know that the GrooveTraveller plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, then plays music from your iPod through a spare FM frequency, between the transmission range 87.5 – 108.0 MHz. While it's playing, the GrooveTraveller charges your iPod's battery and holds it in position within easy reach with an 180 degree adjustable and lockable arm so it won't slide around your car.
It's available now, priced around £40. There's plenty of these devices hitting the market right now, so it's probably best to shop around before you dive in.


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Effects of In Utero Exposure to Di-n-Butyl Phthalate on Testicular Development in Rat
Adsorption Property and Mechanism of Oxytetracycline onto Willow Residues
Impact of Psychosocial Environment on Young Children's Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties
Wang, N.
Jiao, J.
Jia, Y.
Influence of Afforestation on the Species Diversity of the Soil Seed Bank and Understory Vegetation in the Hill-Gullied Loess Plateau, China
Juying Jiao
Yanfeng Jia
Dongli Wang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, CAS & MWR, Yangling 712100, China
School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 710119, China
College of Water Conservancy, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang 110866, China
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Liaoning Technical University, Fuxin 123000, China
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2017, 14(10), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14101285
Received: 25 September 2017 / Revised: 19 October 2017 / Accepted: 22 October 2017 / Published: 24 October 2017
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proceedings of 2nd International Symposium on Environment Science and Health)
The Chinese Loess Plateau region has long been suffering from serious soil erosion. Thus, large-scale afforestation has continued during the past decades in order to control soil erosion. Afforestation can dramatically alter nutrient cycles, affect soil-carbon storage, and change hydrology. However, it is unknown how afforestation influences species diversity of the soil seed bank and understory vegetation compared with spontaneous restoration of abandoned land. Forest land with trees planted 30 years ago, abandoned slope land restored spontaneously for 30 years, and the corresponding slopes with remnant natural vegetation were selected as sampling sites. The species richness both in the soil seed bank and vegetation was significantly higher on the afforested slope compared to the spontaneously restored abandoned land. The species similarity between the afforested slope and the remnant slope land was high both in the soil seed bank and standing vegetation compared to the abandoned land. The soil seed bank density varied from 1778 ± 187 to 3896 ± 221 seeds/m2, and more than half of it was constituted by annual and biennial species, with no significant difference among sampling habitats. However, the afforested slope had higher seed density of grass and shrub/subshrubs compared to the abandoned slope. The present study indicates that in the study region, characterized by serious soil erosion, afforestation can better facilitate vegetation succession compared to spontaneously restoration of abandoned slope land.
Keywords: afforestation; soil erosion; species diversity; soil seed bank; abandoned land afforestation; soil erosion; species diversity; soil seed bank; abandoned land
Soil erosion is regarded as one of the global environmental problems which cause land degradation and ecosystem disequilibrium [1]. In the Chinese hill-gullied Loess Plateau region, soil erosion is frequent and serious because of the special climate, complex landform and intensive human activity [2,3]. Previously, a large part of the natural vegetation had been destroyed and the land turned into farmland, thus aggravating soil erosion and ecological degradation [3]. It is estimated that nearly 1.6 billion tons of soil are lost from the plateau each year, and droughts, floods, and dust storms are common occurrences [4]. Therefore soil and water conservation is a vital problem that compromises the safety of both ecosystem and society. Revegetation is an effective approach to control soil erosion and improve the ecosystem. The presence of grass or trees can reduce runoff and conserve soil and water [5,6,7]. Thus, slope farmlands have been increasingly abandoned for revegetation [2,3]. However, the spontaneous revegetation process is slow because serious soil erosion causes loss of soil nutrient and water [8], as well as of plant diaspore [9,10,11]. Seedling survival and growth are further limited by abiotic factors, such as high temperature and radiation, limited availability of soil water [12], and physic damage caused by storms and slope runoff [13,14]. Under such conditions, native species regeneration may benefit from habitat amelioration by afforestation, which counteracts the above abiotic stress factors [15,16]. To this aim, some fast-growing and drought-resisting woody species, such as Robinia pseudoacacia and Caragana korshinskii, are planted to accelerate revegetation and ecosystem restoration.
Afforestation is considered an important approach to rehabilitate degraded lands and their ecosystems [17,18]. Generally, a forest is planted to control soil erosion, improve soil traits, provide habitat for species conservation, and offer other ecological services [15,19,20]. In the artificial forest or shrubland, microclimate and nutrient cycle are modified [15,21,22] to influence the rate and trajectory of understory vegetation recovery and succession [23,24,25]. Herbaceous understory plays a key role in the restoration of biodiversity and in the conservation of soil and water in plantations. In temperate broadleaved forests, it forms the richest stratum in terms of plant diversity, and it influences the healthy development of the whole forest [26]. However, since afforestation influences the habitat and affects the understory plant recruitment and growth, intense debate surrounds the extent to which these anthropogenic forests protect or degrade biodiversity [24,27,28]. Tree species selections and site environments can also influence the subsequent species invasion and establishment, and later, the community structure and ecological function [19,27,29,30].
The presence of a native seed source in the vicinity and its successful dispersal to the artificial forest are necessary for native seeds to contribute to the restoration of native biodiversity [31]. The seed dispersal and soil seed bank both play important roles in species recruitment and succession [32,33]. Studies indicate that tree plantations can facilitate native species regeneration by attracting seed dispersal agents from nearby native communities [34]. Simultaneously, the soil seed bank is an important component of vegetation dynamics [35]. In forests, soil seed banks bear the marks of former land use and forest management, and play an important role in vegetation dynamics [36]. The historical land use is a key factor that can influence the soil seed bank composition for a long-period [37,38,39]. Although the original vegetation is destroyed during land preparation and tree planting, many species persist in the soil as seeds [37,40]. In particular, pioneer species with a large soil seed bank would control the herbaceous layer at an early stage of afforestation or after disturbance [39]. However, during the development of the plantation, many of the open-field species which are shade-intolerable will disappear and will be replaced by successional species or native understory species [41].
The Loess Plateau region in northwest China is well-known of its serious soil erosion. Afforestation is broadly used to control soil erosion, accelerate vegetation restoration, and improve ecological environments [18,42]. The ecological impact of afforestation becomes the focus of intense debate during the afforestation process [42,43]. Being afforestation a primary measure of intervention, its influence on the soil characteristics such as soil erodibility, soil water, soil fertility [44,45], and its ecological function on erosion control, catchment-water yield and soil carbon sequestration were the focus of previous studies [46,47,48]. However, there is scarce knowledge about whether afforestation modifies the habitat to affect structure and species diversity of the soil seed bank and understory vegetation. The objectives of the present study were to assess the influence of afforestation on the soil seed bank and understory vegetation after 30 years of natural succession.
2.1. Study Site
This study was carried out in Zhifanggou watershed, which is located in An'sai county, in the Loess Plateau region (109°19′30′′ E, 36°51′30′′ N) at 1010–1431 m above sea level. The watershed has a semiarid climate with an average annual precipitation of 505 mm (1970–2006). Over 60% of the precipitation falls during the rainy season (July–September), usually in the form of storms. The annual evaporation is over 1460 mm, and the mean temperature is approximately 8.8 °C (from −11 °C to 30 °C). Within the study region, the landscape includes inter-gully slopes and gully slopes, and the land surface is fragmented by deeply incised and densely distributed gullies (gully density 8.06 km·km−2).
Although this area is located in the forest-steppe region, according to the literature the main body of the Loess Plateau appears to be covered by herbaceous or shrub species, but not by forest [49,50]. In fact, the native forest has almost been destroyed and replaced by typical steppe as a consequence of long-term human activity. Some native forest woody species are scattered over the steppe as isolated trees. The main native species in the different successional stages and landscapes are herbs, such as Artemisia scoparia, Artemisia gmelinii, Artemisia giraldii, Lespedeza davurica, Stipa bungeana, Bothriochloa ischaemun [44], and a few native shrubs, such as Rosa xanthina, Sophora viciifolia, and Syringa julianae. Broad planting species, such as R. pseudoacacia and C. korshinskii are also scattered throughout the landscapes.
2.2. Soil Samples and Standing Vegetation Investigation
In order to investigate the influence of afforestation on the soil seed bank, a south-facing slope planted with R. pseudoacacia and subject to natural succession for 30 years (Ps), and a north-facing slope planted with C. korshinskii and subject to natural succession for 30 years (Pn) were selected to collect soil samples. At the same time, south-facing and north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation were selected (Rs and Rn, respectively). The soil samples prepared for germination experiments were collected in the four types of habitats. Nine plots, each 5 m × 5 m, were located on each habitat. At each plot, 20 soil cores (diameter 4.8 cm) were collected in the 0–10 cm soil layers. The soil samples were collected in April, July and October in 2009. Additionally, the data about two abandoned slope lands (one a south-facing slope and the other a north-facing slope) with spontaneous restoration for 30 years (As and An, respectively) were used for comparison with the afforestation site. The soil seed bank samples in these two slopes were collected in April, August, and October in 2005. Every time, six 10 cm × 10 cm soil samples of 0–10 cm in depth were collected separately from each slope. The understory vegetation and the standing vegetation on the remnant slope land and on the abandoned slope land were investigated in July of the study year. Three 1 m × 1 m quadrats were surveyed in each sampling plot. The species composition was studied by recording the species that grew in the quadrat. The density of a given species was calculated as the number of individuals of that species per square meter. The coverage of each plant species was estimated by two experts at the same time.
2.3. Germination Experiments
The soil seed bank was identified using the germination method after the soil samples had been concentrated. The air-dried soil samples were sieved using a pore size of 0.15 mm, and the soil retained in the sifter was the concentrated soil samples [51]. The germination experiment was conducted in a greenhouse. The concentrated soil samples were distributed over a 2 cm deep perlite layer in 24 × 15 × 5 cm plastic trays, to obtain a 0.5 cm high layer. During the experiments, the temperature in the greenhouse fluctuated between 11 and 35 °C, with a mean value of 25 °C. The germination trays were watered regularly. The seedlings were identified and removed, or replanted for later identification. The soil was dried and thoroughly stirred for the next germination period when no seedlings emerged within two weeks after the peak of seedling emergence. The germination experiment was terminated when there was no seedling emergence for four weeks, and the germination continued for approximately four months (15 March to 15 July in 2009). Also, the soil seed bank samples collected in 2005 were identified using the germination method [52].
2.4. Statistical Analysis
We characterized species richness, diversity and evenness in each habitat, in order to reveal the influence of afforestation on the soil seed bank and understory vegetation. Three species diversity indices were employed:
Species number as the richness index (S).
Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H'):
H ′ = − ∑ ( P i ) ln ( P i ) ,
Pielou evenness index (J):
J = H ′ ln S ,
where S is the number of species, Pi is the proportion of individuals or the abundance of the ith species expressed as a proportion of the total number of species in the community, and ln is the natural logarithm.
In order to reveal the differences in species composition between the soil seed bank and standing vegetation in the same and different habitats, Sorensen similarity coefficient was employed:
C C = 2 w a + b ,
where CC is the Sorensen similarity coefficient; w is the number of species present in both plots; a and b are the number of species in each of the investigated plot.
Species were ascribed to functional groups: annuals and biennials, perennial grasses, perennial herbs, semi-scrubs and shrubs, trees.
The differences in species diversity in both the soil seed bank and standing vegetation over different habitats were analyzed using ANOVA. The soil seed density was transformed using log(x + 1) to satisfy the homogeneity of variance assumption.
The soil seed bank density was significantly different among the habitats (F = 3.988, p = 0.007) (Figure 1). On the south-facing slope, the seed bank density was significantly lower on the abandoned land (1778 ± 187 seeds/m2) than on both the planted slope land (3415 ± 415 seeds/m2) and the land with remnant vegetation (3249 ± 348 seeds/m2), but there was no significant difference between the last two. On the north facing-slope, the seed bank density on the planted slope land (2600 ± 378 seeds/m2) was significantly lower than in the other two habitats. The soil seed bank species richness varied between 7.0 ± 0.4 and 23.4 ± 1.2, and was significantly different among the habitats (F = 27.235, p < 0.001). The species richness was significantly higher on the planted slope than on both the south- and north-facing slopes of the abandoned land. However, the species richness was higher on the slope with remnant vegetation than on the planted slope, especially on the north-facing slope.
The vegetation coverage varied significantly in the different habitats (F = 10.488, p < 0.001) (Figure 2). The understory vegetation on the south-facing planted slope had the lowest coverage (15.8 ± 0.9%), which was significantly lower than in the other two habitats. On the north-facing slope, the understory vegetation had the lowest coverage (26.0 ± 2.4%), which was close to the vegetation coverage on the remnant slope and significantly lower than the vegetation coverage on the abandoned slope. The species richness varied between 5.0 ± 0.7 and 11.2 ± 1.6, and was significantly different among habitats (F = 9.660, p < 0.001). The species richness on the abandoned slope was significantly lower than on the planted slope and the remnant slope, on both south- and north-facing aspects.
In total, this study identified 88 species belonging to 35 families in the soil seed bank and in the standing vegetation (Table 1). In particular, 63 species belonging to 24 families and 50 species belonging to 20 families were identified in the soil seed bank and standing vegetation, respectively. The species belonging to composite, gramineae and leguminosae represented a large part of the identified species. The total number of species in the soil seed bank varied from 14 to 43 in different habitats. The slope remnant vegetation had the highest species number, whereas the abandoned slope land had the lowest species number. In the standing vegetation, the total species number varied from 12 to 27, and the lowest species number was recorded on the abandoned land.
The species diversity indices of standing vegetation and the soil seed bank changed in the different habitats (Figure 3). The Shannon-Wiener diversity index for the soil seed bank (F = 8.887, p < 0.001) and standing vegetation (F = 6.101, p < 0.001) was significantly difference in the habitats. The abandoned slope had the lowest Shannon-Wiener diversity index compared to the planted slope and the remnant slope. However, the Pielou evenness index for the soil seed bank and standing vegetation was not significantly difference in different habitats.
The Sorensen similarity coefficient between standing vegetation and the soil seed bank changed from 0.19 ± 0.05 to 0.43 ± 0.05, and was significantly difference in the different habitats (F = 6.087, p = 0.001) (Figure 4). On the south-facing slope, the similarity coefficient was the lowest on the planted slope, and the highest on the abandoned slope. On the north-facing slope, the similarity coefficient was the lowest on the abandoned slope, and whereas it had similar value in the other two habitats. Regarding the soil seed bank, the similarity coefficient between the planted slope and remnant slope was 0.69 and 0.70, on both the south- and north-facing slopes (for the abandoned slope and remnant slope, it was 0.55 and 0.53 on both the south- and north-facing slopes). Regarding the standing vegetation, the similarity coefficient between the planted slope and remnant slope was 0.41 and 0.52 on both the south- and north-facing slope (for the abandoned slope and remnant slope, it was 0.47 and 0.38 on both the south- and north-facing slope).
The proportion of species belonging to different function groups in the soil seed bank and standing vegetation varied among the habitats (Table 2). In every habitat, the annuals/biennials species constituted more than half of the soil seed bank density (with the exception of the south-facing remnant slope), with the species number taking more than 30%. However, in the vegetation, these species had low coverage, and even no coverage in the south-facing abandoned slope and remnant slope. The species richness of perennial herbs was more than 25% both in the soil seed bank and standing vegetation, but their soil seed bank density was low. A few species belonging to shrub and subshrub were found in the soil seed bank, but in the vegetation they had higher coverage, especially on the south-facing remnant slope and north-facing abandoned slope. In the sampling plots, the native tree species were rare both in the soil seed bank and standing vegetation.
Significant differences in the densities and species diversity of seeds in the soil seed bank among study habitats were found in this study. The density of the soil seed bank in the plantation changed from 2600 ± 378 to 3415 ± 415 seeds/m2 in the 0–10 cm soil layer. This value was relatively low compared with the correspondent one determined for the abandoned slope land that underwent natural recovery for about 15 years and had a soil seed bank density greater than 10,000 seeds/m2 [52]. The seed bank density in the plantation was similar to the one for a plantation in the rocky mountain region of Beijing, which was also planted with R. pseudoacacia and other deciduous broadleaf tree or shrub species [53]. The species number of the soil seed bank ranged from 14 to 43. After 30 years of succession, the abandoned slope land had a lower species richness compared to the planted slope, on both south- and north-facing slopes. In addition, the species richness was similar on the planted slope and on the remnant slope. Moreover, the species richness in the standing vegetation was considerably higher on the planted slope than on the abandoned slope, on both the south- and north-facing slopes.
The Shannon-Wiener diversity index and Pielou evenness index of the soil seed bank and standing vegetation were not significantly different for plantation and remnant slope, but they were both higher compared to the abandoned slope land with natural restoration. Species diversity is the main indicator of community changes in the restoration of abandoned land in the Loess Plateau [54]. Therefore, these results indicated that, with respect to the abandoned land with natural restoration, the planting treatment had a positive influence on the diversity of soil seed bank and standing vegetation.
Previous studies in this region also indicated that afforestation can improve soil nutrients, vegetation structure, and species diversity [28,43,55,56]; in addition, plantations could improve available soil nutrients more significantly than natural grasslands in the gully areas where soil erosion is more serious [56]. In the R. pseudoacacia plantation, soil nutrients and moisture at the superficial soil layer improved with plantation succession age [57]. The planted forest and shrub land can also improve microenvironment factors. They effectively reduce sun radiation, air temperature, and soil temperature fluctuation, and enhance air humidity. Thus, in the study region with abiotic stress for vegetation regeneration, the plantation has a potentially positive role in the restoration of native biodiversity. The benefits of afforestation on the understory microenvironments and its positive role in native species succession were also found in other studies in stressed environments [15,58].
The relationship between the soil seed bank and standing vegetation changed with vegetation types, succession period, and management regime. In this study, seeds belonging to annuals and biennials represented a large part of the soil seed bank in each habitat. In contrast, in the vegetation, these species were always present in a small proportion (Table 2). This is similar to what was found in studies on the abandoned slope land in this region, which showed that the annuals and biennials can persisted in the soil seed bank with a high density [51]. Even after 30 years of succession the annuals and biennials in the standing vegetation are still more diffused in the plantation than in the remnant slope land. The seeds of grasses, perennial herbs, shrub and subshrubs had a relatively low density in the seed bank, but they were rich in species composition as a consequence of their short longevity in the seed bank. Because of their longevity and ability of vegetative regeneration, these species were the most represented in the standing vegetation [51].
In the soil seed bank, species similarity between plantation and remnant slope land was high on both the south- and north-facing slopes (similarity coefficients were 0.74 and 0.73, respectively). The dominant species in different successional stages on the abandoned slope land were investigated both in south- facing and north-facing plantation. Among these were the pioneer species A. scoparia, and the later stage species S. bungeana, L. davurica, B. ischcemum, C. chinensis, A. giraldii, A. gmelinii, etc. [44]. At the same time, in standing vegetation, the species similarity between plantation and remnant slope land was also higher compared to the species similarity between plantation and abandoned slope land. Many of the native perennial herbs, grasses and shrubs existed in plantations. In the study region, because of the high gully density, landscape mosaics are formed by patches of remnant vegetation, abandoned farmland, and plantation. This landscape is important for seed transmission from adjacent remnant vegetation patches to the plantation, and maintains the potential for recovery of the transformed sites [59]. Furthermore, plantation can improve the plant growth habitat, and more native species can resettle in plantations, so that the species similarity between plantation and remnant slope land is higher.
The tree species were rare both in the soil seed bank and in the standing vegetation. Even for planted species, the soil seed bank density was low for R. pseudoacacia, and no seed of C. korshinskii was found in the seed bank. The low seed density of R. pseudoacacia may be due to predation in the canopy seed bank and post-dispersal. The seedling of R. pseudoacacia was also rare in the forest. C. korshinskii is a sandy shrub, and seeds of C. korshinskii germinate quickly after dispersal. However, on the Loess land, the seed can-not get into the soil, so nearly all the germinated seeds died because of drought. For these reasons, it was difficulty for these two planted species to regenerate from seeds in the study region. The native tree species in the study region, such as Pyrus betulifolia, Salix matsudana, Populus simonii, Platycladus orientalis, etc. spread sparsely in the background of steppe and shrub [49]. The present vegetation type and pollen records from various topographic units show that herbs were dominant in this region [60]. One previous study indicated that the development of forests on abandoned fields takes 40–50 years in the Loess area of China [54]. However, in the present study, after 30 years of succession, there is no indication that the native forest species will recolonize the region. The lack of available propagule is one critical factor that limits native forest species regeneration [31,58]. In addition, the climate and Loess soil also limit forest development in this region [49,60,61].
The present study indicated that there is a positive influence of afforestation on the native species restoration, with respect to species diversity of the soil seed bank and standing vegetation. After 30 years of succession, the understory species composition was more similar to the one in the remnant slope than the one in abandoned land with natural restoration. Thus, in a stressed environment with serious erosion soil, afforestation with appropriate species can help the native species to resettle. However, there was rare native shrub resettling, and no tree species resettling in the plantation. More research is needed to determine whether this is caused by a lack of available propagule, or by the climate and deep Loess soil.
This study was supported by the National Science Foundation of China projects (41501290; 41371280). We acknowledged the assistance of State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau.
Ning Wang and Juying Jiao conceived and designed the experiments; Ning Wang, Yanfeng Jia and Dongli Wang performed the experiments; Ning Wang and Juying Jiao analyzed the data; Yanfeng Jia and Dongli Wang contributed materials; Ning Wang wrote the paper.
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Figure 1. Soil seed bank density and species richness varied among different habitats (Ps/Pn—south/north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation. The letters "a, b, c" above the bar indicates significant difference at the 0.05 level).
Figure 2. Vegetation coverage and species richness varied among different habitats (Ps/Pn—south/north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation. The letters "a, b, c" above the bar indicates significant difference at the 0.05 level).
Figure 3. Species diversity of the soil seed bank and standing vegetation in different habitats (Ps/Pn—south/north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation. The letters "a, b, c" above the bar indicates significant difference at the 0.05 level).
Figure 4. The Sorensen similarity coefficient between the soil seed bank and standing vegetation in different habitats (Ps/Pn—south/north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation. The letters "a, b, c" above the bar indicates significant difference at the 0.05 level).
Table 1. The characteristics of soil seed bank and vegetation in different habitats.
Soil Seed Bank (seeds/m2)
Vegetation Cover (%)
Annuals/biennials
Amaranthus tricolor 2
Androsace septentrionalis 23 28 4
Artemisia hedinii 94 6 250 553 11 0.2
Artemisia scoparia 1701 966 983 2072 1463 1448 0.1 0.1
Bidens pilosa 3 6
Bothriospermum chinense 5 31 4 4
Chenopodium serotinum 11 11 4 2
Digitaria sanguinalis 2
Dracocephalum moldavica 20 18 28 11 7 4 0.0 0.8 0.1
Echinochloa crusgali 2
Euphorbia humifusa 2 15 6 67 6 13
Eragrostis pilosa 17 2 6 15
Galium aparine 0.3
Incarvillea sinensis 0.1
Ixeris polycephala 2 11 11
Kochia scoparia 3 2
Leonurus artemisia 17
Linum stelleroides 12 15 26
Plantago asiatica 2 6 2
Salsola collina 61 57 2 0.6 0.9
Saussurea japonica 0.1 0.1 0.2
Setaria viridis 78 21 22 122 35 83 0.2
Sonchus oleraceus 2
Swertia bimaculata 123 370 133
Torilis scabra 2
Torularia humilis 11 158 50
Artemisia giraldii 12 6 2 41 0.6 0.8 9.4 1.2
Artemisia mongolica 0.3 0.4 0.1
Astragalus adsurgens 3 39 2 2
Astragalus scaberrimus 0.1
Bupleurum yinchowense 11 0.4
Dendranthema indicum 3 11 1.7 4.9
Diarthron linifolium 0.0
Geranium wilfordii 3
Gerbera anandria 7
Glycyrrhiza uralensis 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.2
Heteropappus altaicus 3 18 6 78 20 20 0.5 0.7 0.2 0.1
Ixeridium chinense 57 11 11 11 55 13
Ixeris sonchifolia Bge. Hance 149 48 22 37 175 0.1 0.1
Leontopodium leontopodioides 2 0.3
Linum perenne 2
Melilotus officinalis 3 17 4 18 0.1 1.7 0.7 0.1 0.3
Oxytropis discolor 2 0.1
Patrinia scabiosaefolia 12 23 6 9 74 2.1 0.8 3.6
Polygala tenuifolia 17 2 11 2 0.1 0.2
Potentilla bifurca 0.7 0.1
Potentilla tanacetifolia 66 44 2 4 0.2 0.8 0.0
Pulsatilla chinensis 0.2
Rubia cordifolia 2
Serratula centauroides 0.2
Thalictrum aquilegifolium 0.7
Vicia amoena Fisch. ex DC. 2 0.3 4.4
Viola dissecta 2 29 9 15 0.1
Viola philippica 0.1
Perennial grasses
Bothriochloa ischcemum 3 11 556 103 4 0.2 29.0 1.3
Carex lanceolata 20
Cleistogenes caespitosa 0.2
Cleistogenes chinensis 6 8 311 17 0.3 0.4 3.6 0.1
Cleistogenes hancei 6 0.3
Cleistogenes squarrosa 17 1.0 1.3
Helictotrichon schellianum 0.1
Koeleria cristata 0.5
Leymus secalinus 2
Melica radula 98
Melica scabrosa 54 9 24 0.2 0.4
Pennisetum centrasiaticum 0.2
Phragmites australis 0.7 0.4
Poa sphondylodes 63 193 907 134 1074 0.1
Stipa bungeana 743 89 39 17 11 48 9.0 4.1 0.5 2.3 0.6 0.6
Roegneria kamoji 2 0.1 0.0
Shrubs/Sub-shrubs
Ampelopsis glandulosa 0.8 1.7
Artemisia gmelinii 52 180 11 89 41 326 1.3 11.8 2.2 30.0 7.7 8.5
Buddleja alternifolia 3 114 6 3.1
Caragana korshinskii 1.2 3.3
Clematis fruticosa 4 2 0.9
Lespedeza cuneata 2 0.1
Lespedeza davurica 5 9 44 33 77 13 0.7 0.8 3.3 3.4 0.3
Lespedeza floribunda 3.9
Periploca sepium 2 0.5 0.8 0.2
Prinsepia utilis 2.3
Sophora davidii 24 7.9
Syringa oblata 6
Rubus parvifolius 0.1
Ziziphus jujuba 0.3
Ailanthus giraldii 0.7
Robinia pseudoacacia 71 2
Ulmus pumila 3.3
Note: Ps/Pn—south/ north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation.
Table 2. The soil seed bank density and vegetation coverage of different function groups vary among different habitats (A, Annuals/biennials, P, Perennial herbs, G, Perennial grasses, S, shrubs/sub-shrubs, T, Trees).
Soil seed bank density (seeds/m2) A 2109 1523 1061 2583 2277 1803
P 247 246 67 156 151 385
G 870 310 594 941 560 1291
S 60 190 56 122 260 354
T 71 2
Soil seed bank species richness A 13 12 6 10 17 14
P 9 14 4 5 10 14
G 6 5 2 3 4 9
S 3 3 2 2 5 6
T 1 1
Vegetation cover (%) A 1.2 1.1 1.2 0.2
P 1.6 6.0 4.5 4.2 9.9 15.1
G 10.3 5.3 30.7 3.8 5.5 2.1
S 2.5 13.8 5.5 34.2 30.3 10.9
T 3.3 0.7
Vegetation species richness A 6 3 3 2
P 6 12 6 5 5 12
Note: Ps/Pn—south/north-facing afforested slope land, As/An—south/north-facing abandoned slope land with spontaneous restoration, Rs/Rn—south/north-facing slope lands with remnant natural vegetation.


text:
Os tecidos Parenquimaticos sāo vivos e seus tipos principais sāo: o clorofiliano e o de reserva.

Parênquima Clorofiliano

Encontra-se nas folhas, entre a epiderme superior e a inferior.Suas células sāo dotadas de cloroplastos que contêm clorofila, logo, o parênquima clorofiliano tem funçāo fotossintetizante; além disto, desempenham também papel de assimilação.

Quanto à disposiçāo e à forma das células , podem-se observar dois tipos de parenquema clorofiliano: paliçádico e o lacunoso.

O paliçádico possui células justapostas e alongadas, lembrando uma paliçáda(estacas fincadas). O lacunoso possui  células arredondadas, que deixam lacunas (espaços)entre si. Sua funçāo é fazer fotossíntese e contribuir para o arejamento, isto é, para a circulaçāo de gases na folha.

Parênquima de Reserva

Especializado no acumulo de certas substâncias, pode ser classificado segundo a natureza do material armazenado. Assim temos:

Parênquima aquífero: Armazena água; sendo comum em regiões secas.

Parênquima aerífero (aerênquima): Acumula ar em grandes lacunas presentes entre suas células. Encontra-se em plantas aquáticas flutuantes,como por exemplo nos aguapés. O acúmulo de ar diminui a densidade relativa da planta e permite sua flutuação.

Parênquima amilífero: Bastante frequente em órgãos de reserva, armazena amido no interior de leucoplastos. Assim, o parênquima amilífero pode ser facilmente observado em tubérculos como a batata

Histologia vegetal


Most jockeys have to keep a close eye on their weight.
But that didn't stop veteran Woodbine rider Gary Boulanger from diving face-first into a birthday cake on Sunday.
Actually, Boulanger didn't have much choice in the matter. The Edmonton native's fellow jockeys at the Rexdale track presented him with a big beautiful cake for his 50th birthday and as he held it for the camera, a couple of jocks (one in particular) shoved it straight into his face.
Boulanger laughed at the incident. And why not. For the veteran jockey every day at the track is like a day in paradise. Boulanger absolutely loves riding for a living. A few years ago it was almost all snatched away after he suffered a catastrophic injury that almost ended his career, and nearly his life.
It was in 2005 at Florida's Gulfstream Park when Boulanger suffered severe injuries in a spill off his horse In Hand in the MacDiarmida Handicap. He emerged with a ruptured spleen, broken ribs, a detached tendon from his left elbow, and a blood clot on his brain – which necessitated surgeons removing a section of his skullcap to avoid damage from pressure caused by swelling. A couple of years later he suffered a seizure. But after intensive therapy and rehab he returned to the track in 2009 as a trainer and then began riding again in 2013 at Tampa Bay Downs before returning to Woodbine where he has re-established himself as one of the leading jockeys. He is on course to having a career season in 2017, his win on Sunday marked his 94th victory of the year. He also has eight stakes scores – including on Gigantic Breeze in the $175,000 Autumn Stakes last weekend for trainer Alexander (Sandy) McPherson. Ironically, his victory in Race 1 on Nature's Fortune on Sunday was for owner Sam-Son Farm, who also owned Dancethruthedawn the horse Boulanger rode to the Queen's Plate title on 2001.
Through all the tough times fighting back from his devastating injury (he has also suffered a broken back and both ankles have been broken in his career), Boulanger wasn't sure he'd ever make it back.
Though he's one of the oldest riders in the room, Boulanger feels great and hopes to keep riding for 2-3 more years.
According to Equibase, Boulanger has 3,480 thoroughbred victories and his rides have earned north of $73.5 million. Fellow Woodbine jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson said Boulanger is one of the most respected riders in the jockey's room, because of what he's been through and the way he carries himself.
Wilson said the video of the cake being pushed in his face speaks of that respect.
Boulanger said the trials and tribulations of his career, and especially the head injury, have made him appreciate what he has now more than when he was a young jock.
Boulanger has ridden some great horses in his time, including the Plate score with Dancethruthedawn and Leigh Court. He rode Leigh Court in the Breeders' Cup in 2014 after winning a number of stakes on the Eugene Melnyk-bred, Josie Carroll-trained filly.


text:
At This Very Moment
Now on June 27, 1912, 6 p.m. Your mind accepts this, absolutely. You have traveled back in time, soon you will open your eyes. You will walk into the corridor, and you will go downstairs and you will find Elise McKenna, who is in this hotel at this very moment.
– Bid Time Return (Or, Somewhere In Time), Richard Matheson
yamaha dx7
Spending a late night watching random Yamaha DX7 videos.
The thing is iconic, the synth sound of the 1980s. Arguably the early 90s, too; if you had a SEGA Mega Drive or Genesis, that thing's FM sound chip (YM2612) was also designed by Yamaha. Sounded a bit similar. In fact, a lot of early arcade machines had those Yamaha chips inside.
Tears For Fears. Depeche Mode. Mr. Mister. Laura Branigan's "Self Control" (one of my favorite bumpers from old episodes of Coast to Coast AM) featured a patch from the DX7, Tub Bells.
These days, you can get pretty close to a DX7 with the plugin Dexed. Close. Not perfect. I use it with FL Studio sometimes.
The Korg Volca FM, a neat (and comparatively cheap) little FM synthesizer, can also use DX patches.
Video is a wicked DX7 demo song uploaded on June 1, 2013 by PROJECT DX.
TV Head Strikes Again
This might just be some kind of guerrilla marketing for a doorbell camera, but I have to say I like their style.
Two years in a row, 60 CRT TVs in one night? Old school lives.
UFO Greifswald Lights – 1990
Uploaded by eeasynow on June 3, 2010. Seven bright lights appear over Greifswald, Germany, sighted by many witnesses on August 24, 1990.
ENSONIQ SQ-80 factory demo songs
It's the late 1980s, and I feel like listening to some SQ-80 demo songs. Uploaded by Synthesizer Home on July 24, 2014.
Bumper Music: Forever
By Night Tapes. Uploaded by David Dean Burkhart on August 6, 2019.
Haunted Paintings Make Some People Ill
Gloucestershire Live shares shocking footage of a paranormal show-and-tell gone wrong, when one woman fell ill after the reveal of a haunted painting.
The painting is titled "Sinister," recovered from a place called Revesby Abbey, and presented by the Haunted Objects Museum. At about 4:30 in the video, a woman complains that the painting has caused her to experience a terrible headache, and then (off camera) passes out.
According to GLive, she later underwent "spiritual cleansing with tuning forks" with the help of a nearby medium.


text:
Mama Juana - Mystical Dominican Republic Beverage
Mama Juana is something which can only be experienced by the Dominicans, the tourists, and Dominican resort lovers.
Mama Juana is a French word which has the same meaning as the English word demijohn. Demijohn means a sizeable squat bottle with a narrow neck, usually covered in wicker.
Evolution of Mama Juana:
Mama Juana was a drink evolved from its early form as herbal tea which was prepared by the Taino Indians. This drink included water from different tree bark and herbs. Earlier in the post-Columbus era, an additional ingredient, alcohol, was added to the recipe by the Spaniards when they were settling down in Santo Domingo. It is known that Jesus Rodriguez invented the drink as we know it today in the 1950s.
Preparation of Mama Juana:
Mama Juana is a beverage of the Dominican Republic and Haiti which is prepared by mixing rum, red wine, and honey and allowing it to soak in a bottle containing tree barks and herbs. It has a flavor like port wine and has a deep red color. There are various versions of the drink depending on the ingredients specific to different regions. However, the standard components include the Marabeili, Bohuco Pega Palo, Candelilla, Timacle, Maguey, and few others. People add their ingredients to the recipe such as cinnamon, raisins, strawberry, molasses, and lemon juice.
Benefits of Mama Juana:
Mama Juana is rumored to be aphrodisiac, but it is also consumed for its medicinal values.
It is a natural cure for all aches and pains.
It has various positive effects for the human health which range from a flu remedy to a digestion and circulation aid. It also works as a blood cleanser, sexual potency enhancer, kidney, and liver tonic.
The most common way to consume this drink in the Dominican Republic is neat or as a room temperature shot, which effects almost immediately. Hence, the drink is referred to as the "Baby Maker" or El Para Palo, which means 'lift the stick.'
Mama Juana is known to be an all-inclusive healer. Mixtures using cinnamon are mostly used to maintain blood sugar. Recipes including cloves are said to reduce pain, and as honey has been a natural cure for centuries, the Dominicans believe it think that it can improve symptoms of flu. It can also be consumed as an energy boost.
Mama Juana is often referred to as Viagra Dominic as this strong drink breaks down your inhibitions pretty quickly due to its potency.
Types of Mama Juana
Mama Juana is packed in two ways. The first is to merely take herbs and tree barks at home with you and then mix it with rum and wine by yourself. The other is the prepared version which is pre-mixed for direct consumption. The US and Canadian customs do not allow the passengers to carry Mama Juana if it is not in liquid form.
Mama Juana Market overview:
Recently Mama Juana has been quite popular due to the availability of its commercial brands in the Dominican Republic and internationally. Its premium brands are sold and exported globally. Brands that prepare ready to drink Mama Juana such as Tremols and Kalembú are also available and can easily be purchased in duty-free shops, resorts, and liquor stores. Aside from the Dominican Republic, the consumption of Mama Juana has also increased in Miami and Miami Beach, New York, Spain, and Peru. The drink is becoming a world household beverage.
A Household Beverage:
It is believed that Mama Juana is a unique addition to any gathering of friends and family. It helps in adding more fun and excitement to any gathering. These events, parties or meetings do not need any special lunch or dinner after tasting this delicious beverage. All you need to do is prepare your version of the drink and make it a new tradition at your household. This drink gives you the taste of the Dominican culture indeed.


PRI Jordan - Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast Inc.
It is awesome to be onsite in Jordan at "The greening of the Desert, The Sequel".
The awesome site "Greening the Desert The Sequel".
I am facilitating a Permaculture Design Certificate course over the next two weeks . We have eleven students that have come from or have lived in more than 20 countries which is amazing and of course having a big multicultural vibe.
We have just finished day 2 . Yesterday at the end of the day we put together an 18 day hot compost which we will be able to monitor as we go through the course.
Making the 18 day hot compost.
We are working our way through the first three chapters of the Bill Mollison book "Permaculture A Designers Manual". The students are being very receptive and reactive as we broach the subjects.
It is very interesting to be on the site and experiencing a very arid climate. Mind you it has been raining daily since I have been here. I am always intrigued with different cultures and having the students being so multicultural as well as the Jordanian people there is so much to see. The local people living nearby display an amazing contrast as there are quite new houses built within grazier compounds.
Housing and grazier compounds intermingled.
I of course am drawn to the animal system function however building construction methods is another of my passions.
Sheep in their open compound.
My access to internet is a bit sporadic so hopefully first you receive this post and I get to send more soon.
©2016 Tom Kendall; diyfoodandhealth.com, incorporating Permaculture Research Institute Sunshine Coast, simplicity, permaculture, self reliance and homesteading, PDC course Jordan.
Is tjhere an article or blog post anywhere that details the story – from the beginning, through what is there now? Would be much appreciated.
For more articles and a bit more of an idea on the progress of the site, please go here http://permaculturenews.org/?s=Greening+of+the+desert, this will give you a list of articles on the greening of the desert sites. Thanks for following our blog!


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text:
Siegfried Krische (* 20. Juni 1963 in Klagenfurt, Kärnten) ist ein österreichischer Polizeioffizier und darstellender Künstler als Clown.

Leben

Im Mai 1985 trat er in die österreichische Bundesgendarmerie ein und versah seinen Dienst auf dem Gendarmerieposten Ferlach (Kärnten) und Himberg (Niederösterreich) als eingeteilter Beamter. Durch die Ermittlungstätigkeiten in einem großen Betrugsfall kam er 1989 zur Kriminalabteilung Niederösterreich, Gruppe Wirtschaftskriminalität und wechselte 1993 als dienstführender Beamter in die "Einsatzgruppe zur Bekämpfung des Terrorismus" (EBT) der Staatspolizei im Bundesministerium für Inneres (BM.I). Nach seiner Ausbildung zum Gendarmerieoffizier an der Sicherheitsakademie des BM.I 1995/96 wurde er stellvertretender Bezirksgendarmeriekommandant in Bruck a.d. Leitha (Niederösterreich), danach Personalreferent im Gendarmeriezentralkommando (GZK) des BM.I und übt seit 1997 die Funktion des Bezirkspolizeikommandanten in Korneuburg (Niederösterreich) aus. Darüber hinaus bekleidete er jahrelang die Funktion des Explorationsleiters bei der Aufnahme zur Polizei, des Psychologietrainers bei der Grundausbildung der Polizei und des Disziplinaranwaltes bei der Disziplinarkommission im BM.I.

Neben seiner beruflichen Tätigkeit spondierte er zum Magister (Mag.), schloss die Studiengänge zum "Master of Business Administration" (MBA-Executive Management), "Master of Public Administration" (MPA), "Master of Science" (MSc) und "Master of Business Administration" (MBA-General Management) ab und promovierte zum Doktor (Dr.).

Im Jahre 2002 wurde ihm das Silberne Verdienstzeichen für die Verdienste um die Republik Österreich und im Jahre 2010 das Silberne Ehrenzeichen für die Verdienste um die Republik Österreich verliehen. Der Bundesfeuerwehrverband würdigte seine Leistungen im Jahre 2003 mit dem Verdienstzeichen III. Stufe und im Jahre 2011 mit dem Verdienstzeichen II. Stufe. Das Österreichische Rote Kreuz ehrte ihn im Jahre 2000 durch die Silberne Verdienstmedaille und im Jahre 2011 durch die Goldene Verdienstmedaille. Die Niederösterreichische Landesregierung befand sein langjähriges verdienstvolles Wirken als Polizist, Präsident des Police-Safety-Award und Künstler für besonders würdig, ihm im Jahre 2022 das Große Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um das Bundesland Niederösterreich zu verleihen.

Police Safety Award

"Diese besondere Auszeichnung für Menschen mit Courage" wurde von ihm 2009 ins Leben gerufen, um nicht nur ein Dankeschön an alle Angehörigen der Blaulichtorganisationen zu richten, sondern auch jene Menschen aus der Zivilbevölkerung vor den Vorhang zu bitten, die eine außergewöhnliche Leistung für die Sicherheit der Bevölkerung erbracht haben. Der "Police Safety Award" wird jährlich im Rahmen einer Galaveranstaltung in den Kategorien "Blaulicht", "Zivilcourage" und "Special" vergeben. Neben dem Award werden die Leistungen mit den Ehrenzeichen des "Police Safety Award" in Bronze, Silber und Gold gewürdigt.

Clown Poppo

Die von ihm verkörperte Figur des bunten Clowns mit hohem Hut und großen Schuhen entstand im Jahre 2002 durch Zufall, da der für den Kindergeburtstag seiner Tochter gebuchte Clown kurzfristig absagte. Er  unterhält mit Comedy, Zauberei, Bauchrednerei und eigenen Kinderliedern sein Publikum. Mit seiner Verkehrssicherheitsshow für Kindergartenkinder bringt er auf spielerische Art und Weise sein polizeiliches Wissen mit ein. Das Lied "Bei "Rot" bleib ich stehen..." wurde vom Kuratorium für Verkehrssicherheit fachbegutachtet.

Bei Benefizveranstaltungen zugunsten der Behindertenhilfe, des St. Anna Kinderspitals, des Vereins Happy Kids, des Vereins Kindercharity, dem Unterstützungsinstitut der Polizei Wien uvm. zeigte er sich mit seinen unentgeltlichen Auftritten als Clown Poppo. Er setzte sich  auch im Rahmen einer Show mit seinem Auftritt bei der Wohltätigkeitsveranstaltung "hope for dogs" für die Verbesserung der Tierschicksale ein.

Veröffentlichungen

 2004 Kinderliederalbum "Komm, sing und tanz mit mir"
 2007 Kinderliederalbum "hits 4 little kids"
 2009 Kinderliederalbum "fun4you"
 2016 Taschenbuch "Kinderpolizei als Element der schulischen Verkehrserziehung", Munderfing: Aumayer Verlag, ISBN 978-3-902923-55-4
 2016 Taschenbuch "Rollenbilder der Polizei: Der Kommandant als Manager einer Polizeiinspektion", Munderfing: Aumayer Verlag, ISBN 978-3-902923-56-1

Weblinks

 Website des Künstlers
 Police Safety Award
 Unterstützungsinstitut Polizei Wien (PDF; 3,2 MB)

Einzelnachweise

Gendarm (Österreich)
Polizist (Niederösterreich)
Polizist (Kärnten)
Träger des Silbernen Ehrenzeichens für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich (1952)
Träger des Großen Ehrenzeichens für Verdienste um das Bundesland Niederösterreich
Österreicher
Geboren 1963
Mann