Detecting Sulfuric and Nitric Acid Rain Stresses on Quercus glauca through Hyperspectral Responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shanqian; Zhang, Xiuying; Ma, Yuandan; Li, Xinhui; Cheng, Min; Zhang, Xiaomin; Liu, Lei

2018-03-09

Acid rain, which has become one of the most severe global environmental issues, is detrimental to plant growth. However, effective methods for monitoring plant responses to acid rain stress are currently lacking. The hyperspectral technique provides a cost-effective and nondestructive way to diagnose acid rain stresses. Taking a widely distributed species ( Quercus glauca ) in Southern China as an example, this study aims to monitor the hyperspectral responses of Q. glauca to simulated sulfuric acid rain (SAR) and nitric acid rain (NAR). A total of 15 periods of leaf hyperspectral data under four pH levels of SAR and NAR were obtained during the experiment. The results showed that hyperspectral information could be used to distinguish plant responses under acid rain stress. An index (green peak area index, GPAI) was proposed to indicate acid rain stresses, based on the significantly variations in the region of 500-660 nm. Light acid rain (pH 4.5 SAR and NAR) promoted Q. glauca growth relative to the control groups (pH 5.6 SAR and NAR); moderate acid rain (pH 3.0 SAR) firstly promoted and then inhibited plant growth, while pH 3.0 NAR showed mild inhibitory effects during the experiment; and heavy acid rain (pH 2.0) significantly inhibited plant growth. Compared with NAR, SAR induced more serious damages to Q. glauca . These results could help monitor acid rain stress on plants on a regional scale using remote sensing techniques.

Morfometria de frutos e sementes e germinação de carobinha (Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata Farias & Proença, após o armazenamento Fruit and seed morphometry and germination of "carobinha" (Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata seeds after storage

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A Sangalli

2012-01-01

Full Text Available O trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar a morfometria dos frutos e sementes de carobinha (Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata e o efeito de temperaturas na germinação de sementes armazenadas em ambiente sem controle de temperatura e umidade relativa. O estudo foi realizado no Laboratório de Sementes da UFGD, Dourados, MS. Em amostra de 120 frutos e de 550 sementes foi determinado: o comprimento, a largura, a espessura, o número de sementes por fruto, e a massa dos frutos. A germinação foi estudada após três períodos de armazenamento das sementes (120, 480 e 720 dias a temperatura ambiente e sob quatro temperaturas de germinação: três constantes (18, 25 e 30ºC com luz contínua e sob condição de tempera alternada, 20-30ºC, com fotoperíodo de 12 horas. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, em arranjo fatorial 3 x 4, com quatro repetições. As variações nas medidas de frutos e sementes representam indício da alta variabilidade genética populacional. As sementes armazenadas por 120 dias e submetidas à germinação na temperatura de 25ºC resultaram em 69,4% de germinação e índice de velocidade de germinação - IVG, de 0,983. Sob temperaturas de germinação de 30ºC, constante, e de 20-30ºC, alternada, obtiveram-se 63,9% e 63,8% de germinação e 0,486 e 0,413 de IVG, respectivamente. Sob temperatura de 18ºC a germinação foi lenta e menor, 27,7% e IVG de 0,119. As sementes armazenadas por 480 e 720 dias não germinaram. Com base no comportamento fisiológico das sementes é possível classificar Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata como espécie intermediária (entre ortodoxa e recaucitrante.This study aimed to evaluate the morphometry of fruits and seeds of Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata ("carobinha" and the effect of temperature on the germination of seeds that were stored in environment without controlled temperature and relative humidity. The study was carried out at

Elevated UV-B radiation increased the decomposition of Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca leaf litter in subtropical China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Song, Xinzhang Z.; Zhang, Huiling L.; Jiang, Hong; Yu, Shuquan Q. [Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Lin' an (China). The Nurturing Station for the State Key Lab. of Subtropical Silviculture; Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry Univ., Lin' an (China). Zhejiang Provincial Key Lab. of Carbon Cycling and Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems; Chang, Scott X. [Alberta Univ., Edmonton (Canada). Dept. of Renewable Resources; Peng, Changhui H. [Quebec Univ., Montreal (Canada). Inst. of Environment Sciences

2012-03-15

Ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation reaching the earth's surface has been increasing due to ozone depletion and can profoundly influence litter decomposition and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. The role of UV-B radiation in litter decomposition in humid environments is poorly understood; we thus investigated the effect of UV-B radiation on litter decomposition and nitrogen (N) release in a humid subtropical ecosystem in China. We conducted a field-based experiment using the litterbag method to study litter decomposition and N release under ambient and elevated (31% above ambient) UV-B radiation, using the leaf litter of two common tree species, Cinnamomum camphora and Cyclobalanopsis glauca, native to subtropical China. Elevated UV-B radiation significantly increased the decomposition rate of C. camphora and C. glauca leaf litter by 16.7% and 27.8%, respectively, and increased the N release from the decomposing litter of C. glauca but not C. camphora. Elevated UV-B radiation significantly accelerated the decomposition of litter of two native tree species and the N release from the decomposition litter of C. glauca in humid subtropical China, which has implications for soil carbon flux and forest productivity. (orig.)

Symbiotic and nonsymbiotic hemoglobin genes of Casuarina glauca

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen-Lyon, K; Jensen, Erik Østergaard; Jørgensen, Jan-Elo

1995-01-01

Casuarina glauca has a gene encoding hemoglobin (cashb-nonsym). This gene is expressed in a number of plant tissues. Casuarina also has a second family of hemoglobin genes (cashb-sym) expressed at a high level in the nodules that Casuarina forms in a nitrogen-fixing symbiosis with the actinomycete...... of the Casuarina gene. The finding that the nonsymbiotic Casuarina gene is also correctly expressed in L. corniculatus suggests to us that a comparable non-symbiotic hemoglobin gene will be found in legume species. Udgivelsesdato: 1995-Feb...

Phytochemical composition and antinociceptive activity of Bauhinia glauca subsp. hupehana in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jinlong; Zhao, Qizhi; Wei, Lei; Yang, Yu; Xu, Rui; Yu, Nengjiang; Zhao, Yimin

2015-01-01

In traditional medicine, Bauhinia glauca subsp. hupehana has long been used as an analgesic agent in China. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive activity of the ethanol extract of the aerial parts of B. glauca subsp. hupehana (BHE) in rats and its chemical fingerprint. The antinociceptive activity of BHE was assessed in mice using chemically and heat-induced pain models, such as the acetic acid-induced writhing, hot plate, tail-flick and glutamate tests. Naltrexone hydrochloride, a non-selective opioid receptor antagonist, was utilized to determine the involvement of the opioid system. In addition to this, the involvements of the cGMP and ATP-sensitive K+ channel pathways were also detected using methylene blue and glibenclamide. The oral administration of BHE (at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) produced significant and dose-related inhibitions in both the chemically and heat-induced pain models. Interestingly, in the abdominal constriction test, when the dose of BHE was increased to 800 mg/kg (p.o., n = 10), the inhibition rate was 100%. The antinociceptive mechanism may involve the cGMP pathway and ATP sensitive K+ channel pathway. The central antinociceptive effect was not antagonized by naltrexone. One phenolic acid, one lignin and five flavonoids were isolated from BHE. The antinociceptive activity of BHE was most likely due to the presence of the flavonoids. The acute toxicity results showed that BHE was safe at a high dose (2 g/kg, p.o.). The current investigation demonstrates that B. glauca subsp. hupehana is a potential candidate for the development of novel, non-opioid, analgesic phytomedicines.

Efeito do volume do tubete no crescimento inicial de plântulas de Cordia trichotoma (Vell. Arrab. ex Steud e Jacaranda micranta Cham

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Ubirajara Contro Malavasi

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This study compared the effects of container volume upon initial seedling growth of Cordia trichotoma (Vell. Arrab. ex Steud and Jacaranda micranta Cham. 180 days after the planting. The plastic containers used were filled with commercial nursery substrate and displayed volumes of 55, 120, 180 and 300 cm3. No mortality was recorded among seedlings of all container sizes. There were no statistical differences in respect of height and stem diameter from seedlings cultivated in 120, 180 and 300 cm3 containers 180 days after the planting date.

Overexpression of Laccaria bicolor aquaporin JQ585595 alters root water transport properties in ectomycorrhizal white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Hao; Kemppainen, Minna; El Kayal, Walid; Lee, Seong Hee; Pardo, Alejandro G; Cooke, Janice E K; Zwiazek, Janusz J

2015-01-01

The contribution of hyphae to water transport in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings was examined by altering expression of a major water-transporting aquaporin in Laccaria bicolor. Picea glauca was inoculated with wild-type (WT), mock transgenic or L. bicolor aquaporin JQ585595-overexpressing (OE) strains and exposed to root temperatures ranging from 5 to 20°C to examine the root water transport properties, physiological responses and plasma membrane intrinsic protein (PIP) expression in colonized plants. Mycorrhization increased shoot water potential, transpiration, net photosynthetic rates, root hydraulic conductivity and root cortical cell hydraulic conductivity in seedlings. At 20°C, OE plants had higher root hydraulic conductivity compared with WT plants and the increases were accompanied by higher expression of P. glauca PIP GQ03401_M18.1 in roots. In contrast to WT L. bicolor, the effects of OE fungi on root and root cortical cell hydraulic conductivities were abolished at 10 and 5°C in the absence of major changes in the examined transcript levels of P. glauca root PIPs. The results provide evidence for the importance of fungal aquaporins in root water transport of mycorrhizal plants. They also demonstrate links between hyphal water transport, root aquaporin expression and root water transport in ECM plants. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Typha angustifolia L. X T. latifolia L. (T.) (glauca Godr.) in Nederland

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ooststroom, van S.J.; Reichgelt, Th.J.

1962-01-01

Typha x glauca Godr., the hybrid of T. angustifolia L. and T. latifolia L. was found in the Netherlands for the first time in 1847 and again in 1946, as appears from the collections in the Rijksherbarium, Leiden. Fig. 1 shows the differences found in the female flowers, the pollen, and the

[Effects of simulated acid rain on Quercus glauca seedlings photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Jia; Jiang, Hong; Yu, Shu-quan; Jiang, Fu-wei; Yin, Xiu-min; Lu, Mei-juan

2009-09-01

Taking the seedlings of Quercus glauca, a dominant evergreen broadleaf tree species in subtropical area, as test materials, this paper studied their photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence, and chlorophyll content under effects of simulated acid rain with pH 2.5, 4.0, and 5.6 (CK). After 2-year acid rain stress, the net photosynthetic rate of Q. glauca increased significantly with decreasing pH of acid rain. The acid rain with pH 2.5 and 4.0 increased the stomatal conductance and transpiration rate, and the effect was more significant under pH 2.5. The intercellular CO2 concentration decreased in the order of pH 2.5 > pH 5.6 > pH 4.0. The maximum photosynthetic rate, light compensation point, light saturation point, and dark respiration rate were significantly higher under pH 2.5 and 4.0 than under pH 5.6, while the apparent quantum yield was not sensitive to acid rain stress. The maximal photochemical efficiency of PS II and the potential activity of PS II under pH 2.5 and 4.0 were significantly higher than those under pH 5.6. The relative chlorophyll content was in the order of pH 2.5 > pH 5.6 > pH 4.0, and there was a significant difference between pH 2.5 and 4.0. All the results suggested that the photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence of Q. glauca increased under the effects of acid rain with pH 2.5 and 4.0, and the acid rain with pH 2.5 had more obvious effects.

Pollination ecology of the invasive tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca: comparisons across native and non-native ranges

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Jeff Ollerton

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Interactions with pollinators are thought to play a significant role in determining whether plant species become invasive, and ecologically generalised species are predicted to be more likely to invade than more specialised species. Using published and unpublished data we assessed the floral biology and pollination ecology of the South American native Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae which has become a significant invasive of semi-arid parts of the world. In regions where specialised bird pollinators are available, for example hummingbirds in California and sunbirds in South Africa and Israel, N. glauca interacts with these local pollinators and sets seed by both out-crossing and selfing. In areas where there are no such birds, such as the Canary Islands and Greece, abundant viable seed is set by selfing, facilitated by the shorter stigma-anther distance compared to plants in native populations. Surprisingly, in these areas without pollinating birds, the considerable nectar resources are only rarely exploited by other flower visitors such as bees or butterflies, either legitimately or by nectar robbing. We conclude that Nicotiana glauca is a successful invasive species outside of its native range, despite its functionally specialised hummingbird pollination system, because it has evolved to become more frequently self pollinating in areas where it is introduced. Its invasion success is not predictable from what is known of its interactions with pollinators in its home range.

Variation in phenology and monoterpene patterns of defoliated and nondefoliated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca).

Science.gov (United States)

Rose-Marie Muzika; Judith Engle; Catherine Parks; Boyd. Wickman

1993-01-01

Foliage was collected from paired Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) trees characterized as either "resistant" or "susceptible" western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attack. Resistant trees produced more...

The effect of intermittent dosing of Nicotiana glauca on teratogenesis in goats.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, K D; Panter, K E; Lee, S T; Gardner, D R

2015-01-01

Sustained inhibition of fetal movement in livestock species, induced by several poisonous plants, can result in numerous skeletal-contracture malformations. Lupines are responsible for a condition in cattle referred to as "crooked calf syndrome" that occurs when pregnant cattle graze teratogenic lupines. Similar malformations are also seen in animals poisoned by Conium maculatum (coniine) and Nicotiana glauca (anabasine). A proposed management strategy to limit these types of birth defects includes utilizing an intermittent grazing schedule to allow short durations of grazing lupine-infested areas interrupted by movement to a lupine-free pasture. The objective of this study was to use a goat model to determine if an intermittent schedule of five continuous days on treatment followed by two days off treatment would be sufficient to decrease, or prevent, the incidence of anabasine-induced malformations. The data from this study suggest that, for N. glauca in goats, the intermittent grazing program of five days exposure with two days of non-exposure is insufficient to prevent significant skeletal malformations from occurring. However, this study did demonstrate an inverse relationship between the amount of serum anabasine in the dam and the extent of fetal movement. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Integrated analysis of 454 and Illumina transcriptomic sequencing characterizes carbon flux and energy source for fatty acid synthesis in developing Lindera glauca fruits for woody biodiesel.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zixin; An, Jiyong; Wang, Jia; Niu, Jun; Ma, Chao; Wang, Libing; Yuan, Guanshen; Shi, Lingling; Liu, Lili; Zhang, Jinsong; Zhang, Zhixiang; Qi, Ji; Lin, Shanzhi

2017-01-01

Lindera glauca fruit with high quality and quantity of oil has emerged as a novel potential source of biodiesel in China, but the molecular regulatory mechanism of carbon flux and energy source for oil biosynthesis in developing fruits is still unknown. To better develop fruit oils of L. glauca as woody biodiesel, a combination of two different sequencing platforms (454 and Illumina) and qRT-PCR analysis was used to define a minimal reference transcriptome of developing L. glauca fruits, and to construct carbon and energy metabolic model for regulation of carbon partitioning and energy supply for FA biosynthesis and oil accumulation. We first analyzed the dynamic patterns of growth tendency, oil content, FA compositions, biodiesel properties, and the contents of ATP and pyridine nucleotide of L. glauca fruits from seven different developing stages. Comprehensive characterization of transcriptome of the developing L. glauca fruit was performed using a combination of two different next-generation sequencing platforms, of which three representative fruit samples (50, 125, and 150 DAF) and one mixed sample from seven developing stages were selected for Illumina and 454 sequencing, respectively. The unigenes separately obtained from long and short reads (201, and 259, respectively, in total) were reconciled using TGICL software, resulting in a total of 60,031 unigenes (mean length = 1061.95 bp) to describe a transcriptome for developing L. glauca fruits. Notably, 198 genes were annotated for photosynthesis, sucrose cleavage, carbon allocation, metabolite transport, acetyl-CoA formation, oil synthesis, and energy metabolism, among which some specific transporters, transcription factors, and enzymes were identified to be implicated in carbon partitioning and energy source for oil synthesis by an integrated analysis of transcriptomic sequencing and qRT-PCR. Importantly, the carbon and energy metabolic model was well established for oil biosynthesis of developing L

Pollinator networks, alien species and the conservation of rare plants: Trinia glauca as a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carvalheiro, L.G.; Barbosa, E.R.; Memmott, J.

2008-01-01

1. Despite the essential role of pollination in the maintenance of many rare plant species, conservation management plans rarely consider the service of pollination. 2. This study identifies the main pollinators of a rare English plant species, Trinia glauca (Apiaceae), and provides recommendations

Micropropagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière from orthotropic stem explants.

Science.gov (United States)

Sarmast, Mostafa Khoshhal; Salehi, Hassan; Khosh-Khui, Morteza

2012-07-01

The objectives of the present work were in vitro propagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière (Norfolk Island pine) with focus on the evaluation of the mean number of shoots per explant (MNS/E) and mean length of shoots per explants (MLS/E) produced by different parts of the orthotropic stem of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca in response to plant growth regulators. Norfolk Island pine axillary meristems responded very well to the 2-iso-pentenyl adenine (2iP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) levels. Explants taken from stem upper segments in the media containing 2iP had a higher MNS/E (3.47) and MLS/E (6.27 mm) in comparison to those taken from stem lower segments, which were 0.71 and 0.51 mm, respectively. Using 0.045 μM TDZ in the MS medium not only resulted in 4.60 MNS/E with 7.08 mm MLS/E but proliferated shoots showed a good performance as well. Investigating the best position of stem explant on mother plant as well as the best concentrations of growth regulators were performed which were useful for efficient micropropagation of this plant. Thirty three percent of explants were rooted in the MS medium containing 3 % sucrose, supplemented with 7.5 μM of both NAA and IBA for 2 weeks before transferring to a half strength MS medium without any growth regulator. Plantlets obtained were acclimatized and transferred to the greenhouse with less than 20 % mortality. This procedure considered the first successful report for regeneration and acclimatization of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca plantlet through main stem explants.

Size and distribution of Pandarus satyrus (Copepoda: Pandaridae on the blue shark Prionace glauca (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae in Costa Rica

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José Rodrigo Rojas M.

2001-03-01

Full Text Available A total of 80 specimens of Pandarus satyrus, a cosmopolitan ectoparasitic copepod, were taken from fishery catches of blue sharks (Prionace glauca in the Eastern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All specimens were found in the dorsal surface of pectoral fins (8-30 per shark. Longer specimens were most abundant.Un total de 80 especímenes de Pandarus satyrus, un copépodo ectoparásito cosmopolita, fueron tomados de tiburones azules (Prionace glauca capturados en la costa del Pacífico Oriental de Costa Rica. Todos los especímenes fueron encontrados en la superficie dorsal de las aletas pectorales (entre 8 y 30 por tiburón. Los parásitos más grandes son los más abundantes.

Pollination in Jacaranda rugosa (Bignoniaceae): euglossine pollinators, nectar robbers and low fruit set.

Science.gov (United States)

Milet-Pinheiro, P; Schlindwein, C

2009-03-01

Nectar robbers access floral nectar in illegitimate flower visits without, in general, performing a pollination service. Nevertheless, their effect on fruit set can be indirectly positive if the nectar removal causes an incremental increase in the frequency of legitimate flower visits of effective pollinators, especially in obligate outcrossers. We studied pollination and the effect of nectar robbers on the reproductive fitness of Jacaranda rugosa, an endemic shrub of the National Park of Catimbau, in the Caatinga of Pernambuco, Brazil. Xenogamous J. rugosa flowers continuously produced nectar during the day at a rate of 1 mul.h(-1). Female and male Euglossa melanotricha were the main pollinators. Early morning flower visits substantially contributed to fruit set because stigmas with open lobes were almost absent in the afternoon. Ninety-nine per cent of the flowers showed damage caused by nectar robbers. Artificial addition of sugar water prolonged the duration of flower visits of legitimate flower visitors. Removal of nectar, simulating the impact of nectar robbers, resulted in shorter flower visits of euglossine bees. While flower visits of nectar-robbing carpenter bees (Xylocopa frontalis, X. grisescens, X. ordinaria) produced only a longitudinal slit in the corolla tube in the region of the nectar chamber, worker bees of Trigona spinipes damaged the gynoecium in 92% of the flowers. This explains the outstandingly low fruit set (1.5%) of J. rugosa in the National Park of Catimbau.

Antioxidant activity from the leaf extracts of Jacaranda puberula Cham., Bignoniaceae, a Brazilian medicinal plant used for blood depuration

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Paula Macedo Lessa dos Santos

Full Text Available The antioxidant activity of leaf extracts from Jacaranda puberula Cham., Bignoniaceae, was assayed by the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl free radical scavenging method. Three phytomedicines (F1, F2, and F3 used as blood depurative, were tested by the same method. The free radical scavenger potential was measured by the discoloration of the solution. The EC50 values from Gingko bilobaEGb 761® extract and rutin, used as antioxidant for medical purposes, were used as reference. The ethanol extract (EE, ethyl acetate (EA, butanol (EB, aqueous (EAq and the sample A (obtained from extract EB, showed lower EC50 values than other extracts and phytomedicines. The antioxidant activity (AA of the extracts was related with the presence of the polyphenol compounds such as verbascoside (1 and cis-caffeoyl aldehyde (2. These structures were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods and comparison with literature data.

Genetic diversity in populations of Isatis glauca Aucher ex Boiss. ssp. from Central Anatolia in Turkey, as revealed by AFLP analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Özbek, Özlem; Görgülü, Elçin; Yıldırımlı, Şinasi

2013-12-01

Isatidae L. is a complex and systematically difficult genus in Brassicaceae. The genus displays great morphological polymorphism, which makes the classification of species and subspecies difficult as it is observed in Isatis glauca Aucher ex Boiss. The aim of this study is characterization of the genetic diversity in subspecies of Isatis glauca Aucher ex Boiss. distributed widely in Central Anatolia, in Turkey by using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique. Eight different Eco RI-Mse I primer combinations produced 805 AFLP loci, 793 (98.5%) of which were polymorphic in 67 accessions representing nine different populations. The data obtained by AFLP was computed with using GDA (Genetic Data Analysis) and STRUCTURE (version 2.3.3) software programs for population genetics. The mean proportion of the polymorphic locus (P), the mean number of alleles (A), the number of unique alleles (U) and the mean value of gene diversity (He) were 0.59, 1.59, 20, and 0.23 respectively. The coancestry coefficient (ϴ) was 0.24. The optimal number of K was identified as seven. The principal component analysis (PCA) explained 85.61% of the total genetic variation. Isatis glauca ssp. populations showed a high level of genetic diversity, and the AFLP analysis revealed that high polymorphism and differentiated subspecies could be used conveniently for population genetic studies. The principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) based on the dissimilarity matrix, the dendrogram drawn with UPGMA method and STRUCTURE cluster analysis distinguished the accessions successfully. The accessions formed distinctive population structures for populations AA, AB, E, K, and S. Populations AG1 and AG2 seemed to have similar genetic content, in addition, in both populations several hybrid individuals were observed. The accessions did not formed distinctive population structures for both populations AI and ANP. Consequently, Ankara province might be the area, where species Isatis glauca Aucher

Analytical method for the evaluation of the outdoor air contamination by emerging pollutants using tree leaves as bioindicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Barroso, Pedro José; Martín, Julia; Santos, Juan Luis; Aparicio, Irene; Alonso, Esteban

2018-01-01

In this work, an analytical method, based on sonication-assisted extraction, clean-up by dispersive solid-phase extraction and determination by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, has been developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of 15 emerging pollutants in leaves from four ornamental tree species. Target compounds include perfluorinated organic compounds, plasticizers, surfactants, brominated flame retardant, and preservatives. The method was optimized using Box-Behnken statistical experimental design with response surface methodology and validated in terms of recovery, accuracy, precision, and method detection and quantification limits. Quantification of target compounds was carried out using matrix-matched calibration curves. The highest recoveries were achieved for the perfluorinated organic compounds (mean values up to 87%) and preservatives (up to 88%). The lowest recoveries were achieved for plasticizers (51%) and brominated flame retardant (63%). Method detection and quantification limits were in the ranges 0.01-0.09 ng/g dry matter (dm) and 0.02-0.30 ng/g dm, respectively, for most of the target compounds. The method was successfully applied to the determination of the target compounds on leaves from four tree species used as urban ornamental trees (Citrus aurantium, Celtis australis, Platanus hispanica, and Jacaranda mimosifolia). Graphical abstract Analytical method for the biomonitorization of emerging pollutants in outdoor air.

Ácaros predadores (Acari em plantas nativas e cultivadas do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Predators mites (Acari in native and cultivated plants of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

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Noeli Juarez Ferla

2002-12-01

Full Text Available This research was carried out in twenty counties of the following regions in the state of Rio Grande do Sul: Plain, Central Depression, Plateau and Coast Plain to find out the diversity of mite predators in these places. Forty-six vegetable species were sampled, thirty species of miles of the families Anystidae, Ascidae, Cheyletidae, Cunaxidae, Phyloseiidae and Stigmaeidae were mel. The Phytoseiidae were the mite that presented the greatest diversity, being present in the majority of the sample plants. Most of the Phytoseiidae that were met belong to five species of the Euseius Wainstein, 1962 genus, the second genus of this family was Iphiseiodes DeLeon, 1966, with just one species. The Stigmaeidae come up as second family in number but fewer than Phytoseiidae. In this family, the most common mite belong to the Agistemus Sumers, 1960 genus. The biggest of the mites species (13 species, was met in Morus spp. (Moraceae and Tabebuia spp. (Bignoniaceae; Phaseolus vulgaris (Papilionaceae; only one species of the mite was met in Campomanesia spp. (Myrtaceae, Phaseolus vulgaris (Papilionaceae and Rosa spp. (Rosaceae. In Alamanda spp.(Apocinaceae, Ficus spp. (Moraceae, Jacaranda mimosifolia (Bignoniaceae and Solanum spp. (Solanaceae were met mites predators. A dichotomic key is presented to separate the families, genus and species of the mites.

Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). IV. Montana and Idaho near the Continental Divide

Science.gov (United States)

Gerald Rehfeldt

1988-01-01

Seventy-seven seedling populations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) sampled from near the Continental Divide in Idaho and Montana exhibited pronounced genetic differences when compared in three common environments. Differentiation involved several traits that are components of an annual developmental cycle that must be completed within a growing...

Genetic diversity in natural populations of Jacaranda decurrens Cham. determined using RAPD and AFLP markers

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Bianca W. Bertoni

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Jacaranda decurrens (Bignoniaceae is an endemic species of the Cerrado with validated antitumoral activity. The genetic diversity of six populations of J. decurrens located in the State of São Paulo was determined in this study by using molecular markers for randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD and amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP. Following optimization of the amplification reaction, 10 selected primers generated 78 reproducible RAPD fragments that were mostly (69.2% polymorphic. Two hundred and five reproducible AFLP fragments were generated by using four selected primer combinations; 46.3% of these fragments were polymorphic, indicating a considerable level of genetic diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA using these two groups of markers indicated that variability was strongly structured amongst populations. The unweighted pair group method with arithmatic mean (UPGMA and Pearson's correlation coefficient (RAPD -0.16, p = 0.2082; AFLP 0.37, p = 0.1006 between genetic matrices and geographic distances suggested that the population structure followed an island model in which a single population of infinite size gave rise to the current populations of J. decurrens, independently of their spatial position. The results of this study indicate that RAPD and AFLP markers were similarly efficient in measuring the genetic variability amongst natural populations of J. decurrens. These data may be useful for developing strategies for the preservation of this medicinal species in the Cerrado.

Luta biológica clássica com Hyperaspis pantherina Fürsch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae no combate à Orthezia insignis Browne (Homoptera: Ortheziidae em jacarandá Biological control with Hyperaspis pantherina Fürsch (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae to control Orthezia insignis Browne (Homoptera: Ortheziidae on blue jacaranda

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Ana Paula Félix

2008-12-01

Full Text Available Os jacarandás e várias plantas ornamentais que ornamentam passeios e áreas ajardinadas da cidade do Funchal encontram-se infestados pela cochonilha Orthezia insignis Browne. Para combater esta praga foi importada do Quénia, uma joaninha, Hyperaspis pantherina Fürsch. Este predador é específico de O. insignis e tem sido utilizado, com sucesso em programas de luta biológica, em vários países de África, no Peru, Hawai e na Ilha de Santa Helena. Na Ilha da Madeira, desde Julho de 2002, H. pantherina está a ser criado em laboratório e largado em jacarandás infestados com o objectivo de combater a cochonilha-dojacarandá através da luta biológica clássica. Referem-se as largadas de H. pantherina e o sistema de monitorização adoptado para verificar a aclimatação do predador.The Jacaranda trees and other ornamental plants used in sidewalks and gardenlike areas of sidewalks and other gardened areas of the downton Capital city of Madeira Island (Funchal, are infested by the Jacaranda or Lantana Bug, Orthezia insignis Browne. A ladybird, Hyperaspis pantherina Fürsch, was imported from Kenya to control this pest. This ladybird is a specific predator of O. insignis and it has been used, successfully in biological control programs, in several countries of Africa, in Peru, Hawaii and in Santa Helena Island. In Madeira Island, H. pantherina is being reared in laboratory and released into infested jacarandas since July 2002, in a classical biological control way. The releasing of H. pantherina is described in detail as well as the adopted monitoring system to verify its acclimation.

Effects of cloning and root-tip size on observations of fungal ITS sequences from Picea glauca roots

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel L. Lindner; Mark T. Banik

2009-01-01

To better understand the effects of cloning on observations of fungal ITS sequences from Picea glauca (white spruce) roots two techniques were compared: (i) direct sequencing of fungal ITS regions from individual root tips without cloning and (ii) cloning and sequencing of fungal ITS regions from individual root tips. Effect of root tip size was...

Efeito do volume do tubete no crescimento inicial de plântulas de Cordia trichotoma (Vell. Arrab. ex Steud e Jacaranda micranta Cham.

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Ubirajara Contro Malavasi

2010-08-01

Full Text Available O ensaio comparou os efeitos de tubetes de quatro volumes no crescimento de mudas de Cordia trichotoma (Vell. Arrab. ex Steud e Jacaranda micranta Cham. até 180 dias após o plantio (DAP. Foram utilizados tubetes plásticos de seção circular e volume de 55, 120, 180 e 300 cm3 preenchidos com substrato comercial. Os resultados indicaram que, durante a fase de viveiro na qual não fora anotada nenhuma mortalidade, os tubetes menores causaram diminuição da massa seca do sistema radicular e do número de radicelas. O crescimento a campo em altura e diâmetro das mudas das duas espécies utilizadas no ensaio resultou em similaridade estatística entre as originadas de tubetes com volumes de 120, 180 e 300 cm3 ao final de 180 dias após plantio.

Size and distribution of Pandarus satyrus (Copepoda: Pandaridae) on the blue shark Prionace glauca (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) in Costa Rica.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas, J R; Rodríguez Solano, O; Morales-Ramírez, A

2001-03-01

A total of 80 specimens of Pandarus satyrus, a cosmopolitan ectoparasitic copepod, were taken from fishery catches of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) in the Eastern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. All specimens were found in the dorsal surface of pectoral fins (8-30 per shark). Longer specimens were most abundant.

Modular organization of the white spruce (Picea glauca) transcriptome reveals functional organization and evolutionary signatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Raherison, Elie S M; Giguère, Isabelle; Caron, Sébastien; Lamara, Mebarek; MacKay, John J

2015-07-01

Transcript profiling has shown the molecular bases of several biological processes in plants but few studies have developed an understanding of overall transcriptome variation. We investigated transcriptome structure in white spruce (Picea glauca), aiming to delineate its modular organization and associated functional and evolutionary attributes. Microarray analyses were used to: identify and functionally characterize groups of co-expressed genes; investigate expressional and functional diversity of vascular tissue preferential genes which were conserved among Picea species, and identify expression networks underlying wood formation. We classified 22 857 genes as variable (79%; 22 coexpression groups) or invariant (21%) by profiling across several vegetative tissues. Modular organization and complex transcriptome restructuring among vascular tissue preferential genes was revealed by their assignment to coexpression groups with partially overlapping profiles and partially distinct functions. Integrated analyses of tissue-based and temporally variable profiles identified secondary xylem gene networks, showed their remodelling over a growing season and identified PgNAC-7 (no apical meristerm (NAM), Arabidopsis transcription activation factor (ATAF) and cup-shaped cotyledon (CUC) transcription factor 007 in Picea glauca) as a major hub gene specific to earlywood formation. Reference profiling identified comprehensive, statistically robust coexpressed groups, revealing that modular organization underpins the evolutionary conservation of the transcriptome structure. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Chemical and magnetic analyses on tree bark as an effective tool for biomonitoring: A case study in Lisbon (Portugal).

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Brignole, Daniele; Drava, Giuliana; Minganti, Vincenzo; Giordani, Paolo; Samson, Roeland; Vieira, Joana; Pinho, Pedro; Branquinho, Cristina

2018-03-01

Tree bark has proven to be a reliable tool for biomonitoring deposition of metals from the atmosphere. The aim of the present study was to test if bark magnetic properties can be used as a proxy of the overall metal loads of a tree bark, meaning that this approach can be used to discriminate different effects of pollution on different types of urban site. In this study, the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, V and Zn were measured by ICP-OES in bark samples of Jacaranda mimosifolia, collected along roads and in urban green spaces in the city of Lisbon (Portugal). Magnetic analyses were also performed on the same bark samples, measuring Isothermal Remanent Magnetization (IRM), Saturation Isothermal Remanent Magnetization (SIRM) and Magnetic Susceptibility (χ). The results confirmed that magnetic analyses can be used as a proxy of the overall load of trace elements in tree bark, and could be used to distinguish different types of urban sites regarding atmospheric pollution. Together with trace element analyses, magnetic analyses could thus be used as a tool to provide high-resolution data on urban air quality and to follow up the success of mitigation actions aiming at decreasing the pollutant load in urban environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cestodes of the blue shark, Prionace glauca (Linnaeus 1758), (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae), off the west coast of Baja California Sur, Mexico.

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Méndez, Oscar; Galván-Magaña, Felipe

2016-03-03

The cestode species recovered from the spiral intestines of 27 blue sharks (Prionace glauca) (Linnaeus, 1758) are reported from the western coast of Baja California Sur (BCS). The sampling was undertaken on a monthly basis from January 2003 to January 2004. The helminthological examination indicated the presence of four species of cestodes: Platybothrium auriculatum Yamaguti, 1952; Prosobothrium japonicum Yamaguti, 1934; Anthobothrium caseyi (Yamaguti, 1934) Ruhnke & Caira, 2009; and Paraorygmatobothrium prionacis (Yamaguti, 1934) Ruhnke, 1994. Of all the 27 sharks examined, 88.8% were infected with at least one cestode species. The most frequent species was P. auriculatum infecting 85% of the spiral intestines examined. In contrast the species with the highest mean intensity was P. prionacis (80.4 200). The species richness of cestodes in P. glauca is very similar in other regions of the world despite its wide distribution; however, this richness is low compared with other species of sharks within the same family. The feeding and host-specific are important factors that influence the parameters of infection of cestodes in this shark. On the west coast of BCS, Prionace glauca feeds mainly on red crab Pleuroncodes planipes Stimpson, 1860; squids Gonatus californiensis Young, 1972, Ancistrocheirus lesueurii (D'Orbigny, 1842), Haliphron atlanticus Steenstrup, 1861, and low proportion of fish teleosts as Merluccius productus (Ayres, 1855), Sardinops sp. Hubbs, 1929 and Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1872. We speculate that these prey could be involved as the second intermediate hosts of these cestodes, as in other members of these genera, although the life cycles of none are known.

Mercúrio total em músculo de cação Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758 e de espadarte Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, na costa sul-sudeste do Brasil e suas implicações para a saúde pública Total mercury in muscle of the shark Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758 and swordfish Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758, from the South-Southeast coast of Brazil and the implications for public health

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Adriana C. L. Dias

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Foram analisadas as concentrações de mercúrio total (THg em tecido muscular do tubarão azul Prionace glauca e do teleósteo Xiphias gladius, vulgarmente conhecido como espadarte, provenientes das regiões sul e sudeste da costa brasileira, para verificar se estas se encontram dentro dos padrões legais para consumo humano. As amostras foram obtidas utilizando-se o programa REVIZEE, de agosto a setembro de 2001, e por intermédio de uma empresa de pesca em Itajaí, Santa Catarina. Foi analisado um total de 95 espécimes, testando-se as correlações entre THg, comprimento (cm e peso (kg. As concentrações de mercúrio total em todas as amostras variaram de 0,13 a 2,26µgg-1 (peso úmido. A média de mercúrio total em P. glauca foi de 0,76 ± 0,48µgg-1 (p.u., e em X. gladius foi de 0,62 ± 0,31µgg-1 (p.u. com diferença não significativa (teste Mann-Whitney, p Total mercury (THg was analyzed in muscle tissue from the blue shark Prionace glauca and the swordfish Xiphias gladius, obtained from the South and Southeast coast of Brazil, to verify compliance with current limits for human consumption. Samples were obtained through the REVIZEE Program and a commercial fishery in Itajaí, Santa Catarina State. A total of 95 specimens were analyzed (48 X. gladius and 47 P. glauca, and correlations were checked between THg and fish length and weight. THg ranged from 0.13 to 2.26µgg-1 (fresh weight, and there was no significant difference between the means for P. glauca, 0.76 ± 0.48µgg-1 (f.w. and X. gladius, 0.62 ± 0.31 (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.05. In 16% of samples, THg was above the limits set by the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA, namely 1µgg-1, and 62% exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO limit of 0.5µgg-1. The ingestion of 100g/ day-1 of P. glauca or X. gladius would result in a daily THg intake of more than twice the WHO (1990 suggested limit.

[Phenolic acid derivatives from Bauhinia glauca subsp. pernervosa].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qiao-Li; Wu, Zeng-Bao; Zheng, Zhi-Hui; Lu, Xin-Hua; Liang, Hong; Cheng, Wei; Zhang, Qing-Ying; Zhao, Yu-Ying

2011-08-01

To study the chemical constituents of Bauhinia glauca subsp. pernervosa, eleven phenolic acids were isolated from a 95% ethanol extract by using a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica gel, ODS, MCI, Sephadex LH-20, and semi-preparative HPLC. By spectroscopic techniques including 1H NMR, 13C NMR, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS, these compounds were identified as isopropyl O-beta-(6'-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside (1), ethyl O-beta-(6'-O-galloyl)-glucopyranoside (2), 3, 4, 5-trimethoxyphenyl-(6'-O-galloyl)-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (3), 3, 4, 5-trimethoxyphenyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside (4), gallic acid (5), methyl gallate (6), ethyl gallate (7), protocatechuic acid (8), 3, 5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid (9), erigeside C (10) and glucosyringic acid (11). Among them, compound 1 is a new polyhydroxyl compound; compounds 2, 10, and 11 were isolated from the genus Bauhinia for the first time, and the other compounds were isolated from the plant for the first time. Compounds 6 and 8 showed significant protein tyrosine phosphatase1B (PTP1B) inhibitory activity in vitro with the IC50 values of 72.3 and 54.1 micromol x L(-1), respectively.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the blue shark Prionace glauca (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhiniformes).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiao; Xiang, Dan; Ai, Weiming; Shi, Xiaofang

2015-04-01

In this study, we first presented the complete mitochondrial genome of the blue shark Prionace Glauca, a pelagic and oceanic species. It is 16,705 bp in length and contains 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes and 1 putative control region. The overall base composition is 31.6% A, 24.4% C, 13.1% G and 30.9% T. Overlaps and short inter-genic spaces are located in the genome. The tRNA-Ser2 loses the dihydrouridine arm and cannot be folded into the typical clover-leaf secondary structure. Two start codons (GTG and ATG) with two stop codons (TAG and TAA) or with one incomplete stop codon (T) are found in the 13 protein-coding genes. The control region contains high A + T (69.9%) and low G (12.0%).

THE DYNAMICS OF TOTAL AMYLASE\\'S ACTIVITY IN PANICUM MILIACEUM AND SETARIA GLAUCA DURING THE GERMINATION PERIOD

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Elena Ciornea

2006-08-01

Full Text Available : It was studied the dynamics of total amylase\\'s activity in millet (Panicum miliaceum and bristle grass (Setaria glauca during the germination period. The enzymatic activity was determined by the Noelting - Brenfeld method, the results obtained being expressed in M maltose / g. In both millet and bristle grass, it was evidenced that both parameters taken into study (the species and the germination time do influence the enzymatic activity, although to a different extent.

Interspecific transfer of only part of genome by fusion between non-irradiated protoplasts of Nicotiana glauca and X-ray irradiated protoplasts of N. Langsdorffii

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoh, K.; Futsuhara, Y.

1983-01-01

To transfer only part of genome, X-ray irradiated suspension cell protoplasts of N. langsdorffii were fused with suspension cell protoplasts of N. glauca by polyethylene glycol. Somatic hybrid calli were selected by the growth in the hormone-free medium. Some of somatic hybrid calli from fusion with irradiated protoplasts indicated the loss of small subunit polypeptide of fraction 1 protein which was coded by N. langsdorffii nuclear DNA. Cytological analysis provided an information on significant decrease of chromosomes in somatic hybrid calli from fusion with irradiated protoplasts, compared with the somatic hybrid calli from fusion with non-irradiated protoplasts. In addition, isozyme analysis revealed that somatic hybrid calli from fusion with irradiated protoplasts lost particular bands of N. langsdorffli. These results demonstrate the tranfer of only part of genome from N, langsdorffii to N, glauca by fusion with X-ray irradiated protoplasts

MORFOGÉNESIS IN VITRO DE Pseudotsuga menziesii VAR. glauca

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María Guadalupe Carrillo-Benítez

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Se evaluó la respuesta morfogénica a partir de embriones cigóticos cultivados in vitro de semilla almacenada (un año de Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca recolectada en Tlaxcala. Las semillas fueron desinfestadas con detergente y H2O2 (3 % v/v durante 48 h en agitación a 50 rpm, cultivadas en el medio de Murashige y Skoog (1962 sin reguladores. La germinación ocurrió después de siete días y posteriormente subcultivados a un medio MS con 2,4-D (3 mg·L-1 y BA (1 mg·L-1. Con los callos obtenidos en un medio HS se evaluaron tres concentraciones de ABA para promover formación de estructuras embrionarias, presentándose el mejor tratamiento con concentración de 10.0 mg·L-1 (P<.0001. El mejor desarrollo de plántulas se presentó empleando un medio Murashige y Skoog (1962 con sacarosa al 6 %. Se usaron micorrizas para mejor adaptación de plántulas a suelo. No hubo formación de raíces.

Registro de un Monstruo Diprósopo de Tiburón Azul (Prionace glauca) en Chile

OpenAIRE

Hevia-Hormazábal, Valentina; Pastén-Marambio, Víctor; Vega, Alonso

2011-01-01

Un espécimen de siameses de tiburón azul, Prionace glauca, fue recolectado durante actividades de pesca en el norte de Chile. Según una clasificación basada en el grado de duplicación y el sitio de fusión de los gemelos, el espécimen corresponde a un monstruo del tipo diprósopo tetroftalmo. El individuo tiene una duplicación craneofacial parcial con presencia de cuatro globos oculares e igual número de narinas. Las cavidades orales están interconectadas convergiendo en una única faringe. El t...

Elevated ozone negatively affects photosynthesis of current-year leaves but not previous-year leaves in evergreen Cyclobalanopsis glauca seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Weiwei; Feng, Zhaozhong; Wang, Xiaoke; Niu, Junfeng

2014-01-01

To assess the effects of leaf age/layer on the response of photosynthesis to chronic ozone (O 3 ), Cyclobalanopsis glauca seedlings, a dominant evergreen broadleaf tree species in sub-tropical regions, were exposed to either ambient air (AA) or elevated O 3 (AA + 60 ppb O 3 , E-O 3 ) for two growing seasons in open-top chambers. Chlorophyll content, gas exchange and chlorophyll a fluorescence were investigated three times throughout the 2nd year of O 3 exposure. Results indicated that E-O 3 decreased photosynthetic parameters, particularly light-saturated photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry of current-year leaves but not previous-year leaves. Stomatal conductance of plants grown under ambient conditions partially contributed to the different response to E-O 3 between leaf layers. Light radiation or other physiological and biochemical processes closely related to photosynthesis might play important roles. All suggested that leaf ages or layers should be considered when assessing O 3 risk on evergreen woody species. -- Highlights: • Response of evergreen Cyclobalanopsis glauca to O 3 was investigated. • Elevated O 3 significantly reduced photosynthesis of current-year leaves. • Previous-year leaves showed little response to O 3 . • Stomatal conductance contributes to the response difference to O 3 among leaf ages. -- Impacts of elevated O 3 on photosynthesis of evergreen woody species depend on leaf ages

Comparison of Separation of Seed Oil Triglycerides Containing Isomeric Conjugated Octadecatrienoic Acid Moieties by Reversed-Phase HPLC

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Anh Van Nguyen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Relative retention analysis and increment approach were applied for the comparison of triglycerides (TGs retention of a broad set of plant seed oils with isomeric conjugated octadecatrienoic acids (CLnA by reversed-phase HPLC for “propanol-2-acetonitrile” mobile phases and Kromasil 100-5C18 stationary phase with diode array detection (DAD and mass spectrometric (MS detection. The subjects of investigation were TGs of seed oils: Calendula officinalis, Catalpa ovata, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Centranthus ruber, Momordica charantia, Trichosanthes anguina, Punica granatum, Thladiantha dubia, Valeriana officinalis, and Vernicia montana. It was found that a sequence of elution of TGs of the same types is the same without any inversions for full range of mobile phase compositions: punicic (C18:39Z11E13Z < jacaric (C18:38Z10E12Z < catalpic (C18:39E11E13Z < α-eleostearic (C18:39Z11E13E < calendic (C18:38E10E12Z < β-eleostearic (C18:39E11E13E < all-E calendic (C18:38E10E12E acids. TGs and fatty acid compositions were calculated for all oil samples. Regularities of solute retentions as a function of isomeric conjugated octadecatrienoic acid moiety structure are discussed. Thus, it was proven that it is possible to differentiate TGs of complex composition with moieties of all natural CLnA by retention control accomplished by electronic spectra comparison, even though there are only three types of electronic-vibration spectra for seven isomeric CLnA.

The role of Nicotiana gluca Graham (paraguayan herbs) as an adjuvant in immunomodulation of Newcastle disease vaccine for broilers Estudo da ação de Nicotiana glauca Graham (erva paraguaia) como coadjuvante em vacina contra a doença de Newcastle em frangos de corte

OpenAIRE

Fabiane Pereira Gentilini; Telmo Vidor; Rogério Freitag; Marcos Antônio Anciuti; Caren Gularte Quincozes; Marlete Brum Cleff; Geferson Fischer; Carlos Eduardo Nogueira

2008-01-01

The Nicotiana glauca is a native plant species from Argentina, but found all over South América, being used against headaches, rheumatism, injuries, ulcers, and so on. Researchers have considered it as having immunomodulation effect. This study was conducted to investigate the use of a aqueous extract of Nicotiana glauca Graham as an immunomodulator (adjuvant) of a Newcastle disease vaccine.. A total of 56 broilers were distributed into 4 ...

Modeling the distribution of white spruce (Picea glauca) for Alaska with high accuracy: an open access role-model for predicting tree species in last remaining wilderness areas

Science.gov (United States)

Bettina Ohse; Falk Huettmann; Stefanie M. Ickert-Bond; Glenn P. Juday

2009-01-01

Most wilderness areas still lack accurate distribution information on tree species. We met this need with a predictive GIS modeling approach, using freely available digital data and computer programs to efficiently obtain high-quality species distribution maps. Here we present a digital map with the predicted distribution of white spruce (Picea glauca...

Caracterização anatômica e química de folhas de Jacaranda puberula (Bignoniaceae presente na Mata Atlântica

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Maria Bernadete Gonçalves Martins

Full Text Available A espécie Jacaranda puberula (Bignoniaceae é conhecida popularmente como "carobinha" sendo utilizada na medicina popular em comunidades tradicionais. O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar a caracterização anatômica e química das folhas de J. puberula. Para a análise anatômica utilizou-se a microscopia de luz e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV. Para a análise química utilizou-se a Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Eficiência (CLAE. O mesofilo é dorsiventral, a epiderme unisseriada com cutícula espessa, tricomas glandulares do tipo peltado e tricomas tectores em ambas as faces da epiderme, parênquima clorofiliano com duas a três camadas de células paliçádicas e quatro a cinco camadas de células formando o parênquima lacunoso, de tamanho pequeno, com muitos espaços intercelulares, hipoestomática com nervura pinada. Os estudos através de MEV evidenciaram a epiderme recoberta com cera epicuticular e glândulas peltadas com maior incidência na epiderme da face abaxial, constituídas por oitos células secretoras apicais. A análise cromatográfica do extrato etanólico evidenciou a presença de fitoquinóides e flavonóides.

Identification and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in the blue shark Prionace glauca, and cross-amplification in other shark species.

Science.gov (United States)

Mendonça, F F; Ussami, L H F; Hashimoto, D T; Pereira, L H G; Porto-Foresti, F; Oliveira, C; Gadig, O B F; Foresti, F

2012-06-01

Two to 14 alleles were found to be segregating per locus (mean 5·2), with observed and expected heterozygosities ranging from 0·08 to 0·78 and 0·08 to 0·94, respectively. Cross-amplification of six of these microsatellite loci indicated that they are also polymorphic in three species of Carcharhiniformes and two species of Lamniformes. The newly developed primers reported here constitute a useful tool for genetic population analyses on Prionace glauca and, potentially, other related species. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Polychlorinated biphenyls and DDT in swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and blue shark (Prionace glauca) from Brazilian Coast. Preliminary results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Azevedo e Silva, C E; Azeredo, A; Meire, R; Torres, J P [Laboratorio de Radioisotopos E.P.F., Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Inst. de Biofisica Carlos Chagas Filho, UFRJ; Brito, Jr, J L; Malm, O [Projeto Mamiferos Aquaticos, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Dept. de Oceanografia, UERJ

2004-09-15

There is conclusive evidence showing that, in general, fish in meals human diet contributes with a significant proportion of the total intake of PCBs and others organochlorine compounds, particularly fish with higher fat content. Thus, human exposure to PCBs is predominantly via diet, and especially from fish and seafood products. Comparatively, little is know about organochlorine contaminants in elasmobranch species, although they are also top predators. Characteristically, sharks are live longer, with comparatively slow rates of growth that in conjuction with their high trophic position may contribute to the accumulation of high concentrations of pollutants. Blue shark and swordfish are carnivorous fishes of great economic importance. This study investigate the concentration of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and DDTs in samples of muscle tissues of blue shark (Prionace glauca) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius) from Brazilian Coast.

Potential therapeutic agents for circulatory diseases from Bauhinia glauca Benth.subsp. pernervosa. (Da Ye Guan Men).

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yingzhan; Ling, Junhong; Zhang, Peng; Zhang, Xiangrong; Zhang, Na; Wang, Wenli; Li, Jiayuan; Li, Ning

2015-08-15

Because of platelets as critical factor in the formation of pathogenic thrombi, anti-platelet activities have been selected as therapeutic target for various circulatory diseases. In order to find potential therapeutic agents, bioassay-directed separation of Bauhinia glauca Benth.subsp. pernervosa. (called Da Ye Guan Men as a traditional Chinese medicine) was performed to get 29 main components (compounds 1-29) from the bioactive part of this herbal. It was the first time to focus on the composition with anti-platelet aggregation activities for this traditional Chinese medicine. The constituents, characterized from the effective extract, were established on the basis of extensive spectral data analysis. Then their anti-platelet aggregation effects were evaluated systematically. On the basis of the chemical profile and biological assay, it was suggested that the flavonoid composition (5 and 18) should be responsible for the anti-platelet aggregation of the herbal because of their significant activities. The primary structure and activity relationship was also discussed briefly. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Ecological patterns, distribution and population structure of Prionace glauca (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae) in the tropical-subtropical transition zone of the north-eastern Pacific.

Science.gov (United States)

Vögler, Rodolfo; Beier, Emilio; Ortega-García, Sofía; Santana-Hernández, Heriberto; Valdez-Flores, J Javier

2012-02-01

Regional ecological patterns, distribution and population structure of Prionace glauca were analyzed based on samples collected on-board two long-line fleets operating in oceanic waters (1994-96/2000-02) and in coastal oceanic waters (2003-2009) of the eastern tropical Pacific off México. Generalized additive models were applied to catch per unit of effort data to evaluate the effect of spatial, temporal and environmental factors on the horizontal distribution of the life stages (juvenile, adult) and the sexes at the estimated depth of catch. The presence of breeding areas was explored. The population structure was characterized by the presence of juveniles' aggregations and pregnant females towards coastal waters and the presence of adult males' aggregations towards oceanic waters. The species exhibited horizontal segregation by sex-size and vertical segregation by sex. Distribution of the sex-size groups at oceanic waters was seasonally affected by the latitude; however, at coastal oceanic waters mainly females were influenced by the longitude. Latitudinal changes on the horizontal distribution were coupled to the seasonal forward and backward of water masses through the study area. Adult males showed positive relationship with high temperatures and high-salinities waters (17.0°-20.0 °C; 34.2-34.4) although they were also detected in low-salinities waters. The distribution of juvenile males mainly occurred beyond low temperatures and low-salinities waters (14.0°-15.0 °C; 33.6-34.1), suggesting a wide tolerance of adult males to explore subartic and subtropical waters. At oceanic areas, adult females were aggregated towards latitudes ecological key region to the reproductive cycle of P. glauca. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Movements of Blue Sharks (Prionace glauca) across Their Life History

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Vandeperre, Frederic; Aires-da-Silva, Alexandre; Fontes, Jorge; Santos, Marco; Serrão Santos, Ricardo; Afonso, Pedro

2014-01-01

Spatial structuring and segregation by sex and size is considered to be an intrinsic attribute of shark populations. These spatial patterns remain poorly understood, particularly for oceanic species such as blue shark (Prionace glauca), despite its importance for the management and conservation of this highly migratory species. This study presents the results of a long-term electronic tagging experiment to investigate the migratory patterns of blue shark, to elucidate how these patterns change across its life history and to assess the existence of a nursery area in the central North Atlantic. Blue sharks belonging to different life stages (n = 34) were tracked for periods up to 952 days during which they moved extensively (up to an estimated 28.139 km), occupying large parts of the oceanic basin. Notwithstanding a large individual variability, there were pronounced differences in movements and space use across the species' life history. The study provides strong evidence for the existence of a discrete central North Atlantic nursery, where juveniles can reside for up to at least 2 years. In contrast with previously described nurseries of coastal and semi-pelagic sharks, this oceanic nursery is comparatively vast and open suggesting that shelter from predators is not its main function. Subsequently, male and female blue sharks spatially segregate. Females engage in seasonal latitudinal migrations until approaching maturity, when they undergo an ontogenic habitat shift towards tropical latitudes. In contrast, juvenile males generally expanded their range southward and apparently displayed a higher degree of behavioural polymorphism. These results provide important insights into the spatial ecology of pelagic sharks, with implications for the sustainable management of this heavily exploited shark, especially in the central North Atlantic where the presence of a nursery and the seasonal overlap and alternation of different life stages coincides with a high fishing

Improvement of grafting procedures for the ornmental species: I. Picea pungens Engelm. var. glauca Regel

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Ioan Blada

2011-11-01

Full Text Available In order to get ornamental trees for landscaping, Colorado blue spuce (Picea pungens Engelm. var. glauca Regel scions were grafted on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. rootstocks.An original double-side-veneer grafting method was applied in five experimental or basic variants. The plastic tapes and the ecological Ceraltin® wax developed by the Research and Development of Bio-stimulators (CCDB BIOS Cluj were tested. In addition, two controls in which the classic raffia and the traditional hot wax and the classic side-veneer-grafting method were used. The obtained results, expressed in percents, were transformed in arcsin square root of percent values, and then a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA was used. Highly significant (p < 0.001 statistical differences were found between all grafting variants, including controls. The Duncan test proved that original double-side-veneer grafting method and the new developed materials, i.e. plastic tapes and the ecological Ceraltin® wax have contributed in getting a better grafting success compared to the controls.Thus, the double-side-veneer grafting method and the two grafting materials are highly recommended to be used in getting grafted Colorado blue spuce ornamental trees.

Improvement of grafting procedures for the ornamental species: I. Picea pungens Engelm. var. glauca Regel

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Ioan Blada

2013-12-01

Full Text Available In order to get ornamental trees for landscaping, Colorado blue spuce (Picea pungens Engelm. var.glauca Regel scions were grafted on Norway spruce (Picea abies (L. Karst. rootstocks. An original double-side-veneer grafting method was applied in five experimental or basic variants. The plastic tapes and the ecological Ceraltin wax developed by the Research and Development of Bio-stimulators (CCDB BIOS Cluj were tested. In addition, two controls in which the classic raffia and the traditional hot wax and the classic side-veneer-grafting method were used. The obtained results, expressed in percents, were transformed in arcsin square root of percent values, and then a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA was used. Highly significant (p < 0.001 statistical differences were found between all grafting variants, including controls. The Duncan test proved that original double-side-veneer grafting method and the new developed materials, i.e. plastic tapes and the ecological Ceraltin wax have contributed in getting a better grafting success compared to the controls.Thus, the double-side-veneer grafting method and the two grafting materials are highly recommended to be used in getting grafted Colorado blue spuce ornamental trees.

The role of Nicotiana gluca Graham (paraguayan herbs as an adjuvant in immunomodulation of Newcastle disease vaccine for broilers Estudo da ação de Nicotiana glauca Graham (erva paraguaia como coadjuvante em vacina contra a doença de Newcastle em frangos de corte

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Fabiane Pereira Gentilini

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The Nicotiana glauca is a native plant species from Argentina, but found all over South América, being used against headaches, rheumatism, injuries, ulcers, and so on. Researchers have considered it as having immunomodulation effect. This study was conducted to investigate the use of a aqueous extract of Nicotiana glauca Graham as an immunomodulator (adjuvant of a Newcastle disease vaccine.. A total of 56 broilers were distributed into 4 experimental groups. Each one of them received 3 dosages of this vaccine with or without the addition of different concentrations of the extract Using hemmoaglutination inhibition techniques , the results have shown differences (P<0.05 in the third sera collection. An increase in the antibody titer with the inclusion of 5 mg/dosage of the extract (Treatment 3 as compared to 1 mg/dosage (Treatment 2 and 10 mg/dosage of the extract (Treatment 4 was observed, However, birds from Treatment 3 did not differ (P> 0.05 from Treatment 1. These results indicated that further investigations are required, including the use of cytotoxicity tests in vitro, to evaluate the immunomodulation effect of this extract.

KEY WORDS: Immunomodulation effect, Nicotiana glauca Graham, vaccine.

Single-Step BLUP with Varying Genotyping Effort in Open-Pollinated Picea glauca

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Blaise Ratcliffe

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Maximization of genetic gain in forest tree breeding programs is contingent on the accuracy of the predicted breeding values and precision of the estimated genetic parameters. We investigated the effect of the combined use of contemporary pedigree information and genomic relatedness estimates on the accuracy of predicted breeding values and precision of estimated genetic parameters, as well as rankings of selection candidates, using single-step genomic evaluation (HBLUP. In this study, two traits with diverse heritabilities [tree height (HT and wood density (WD] were assessed at various levels of family genotyping efforts (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% from a population of white spruce (Picea glauca consisting of 1694 trees from 214 open-pollinated families, representing 43 provenances in Québec, Canada. The results revealed that HBLUP bivariate analysis is effective in reducing the known bias in heritability estimates of open-pollinated populations, as it exposes hidden relatedness, potential pedigree errors, and inbreeding. The addition of genomic information in the analysis considerably improved the accuracy in breeding value estimates by accounting for both Mendelian sampling and historical coancestry that were not captured by the contemporary pedigree alone. Increasing family genotyping efforts were associated with continuous improvement in model fit, precision of genetic parameters, and breeding value accuracy. Yet, improvements were observed even at minimal genotyping effort, indicating that even modest genotyping effort is effective in improving genetic evaluation. The combined utilization of both pedigree and genomic information may be a cost-effective approach to increase the accuracy of breeding values in forest tree breeding programs where shallow pedigrees and large testing populations are the norm.

Single-Step BLUP with Varying Genotyping Effort in Open-Pollinated Picea glauca.

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Ratcliffe, Blaise; El-Dien, Omnia Gamal; Cappa, Eduardo P; Porth, Ilga; Klápště, Jaroslav; Chen, Charles; El-Kassaby, Yousry A

2017-03-10

Maximization of genetic gain in forest tree breeding programs is contingent on the accuracy of the predicted breeding values and precision of the estimated genetic parameters. We investigated the effect of the combined use of contemporary pedigree information and genomic relatedness estimates on the accuracy of predicted breeding values and precision of estimated genetic parameters, as well as rankings of selection candidates, using single-step genomic evaluation (HBLUP). In this study, two traits with diverse heritabilities [tree height (HT) and wood density (WD)] were assessed at various levels of family genotyping efforts (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100%) from a population of white spruce ( Picea glauca ) consisting of 1694 trees from 214 open-pollinated families, representing 43 provenances in Québec, Canada. The results revealed that HBLUP bivariate analysis is effective in reducing the known bias in heritability estimates of open-pollinated populations, as it exposes hidden relatedness, potential pedigree errors, and inbreeding. The addition of genomic information in the analysis considerably improved the accuracy in breeding value estimates by accounting for both Mendelian sampling and historical coancestry that were not captured by the contemporary pedigree alone. Increasing family genotyping efforts were associated with continuous improvement in model fit, precision of genetic parameters, and breeding value accuracy. Yet, improvements were observed even at minimal genotyping effort, indicating that even modest genotyping effort is effective in improving genetic evaluation. The combined utilization of both pedigree and genomic information may be a cost-effective approach to increase the accuracy of breeding values in forest tree breeding programs where shallow pedigrees and large testing populations are the norm. Copyright © 2017 Ratcliffe et al.

Morphological analysis of the oviduct, oviducal gland and isthmus of the blue shark Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758 (Elasmobranchii: Carcharhiniformes

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Bianca S. Rangel

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Oviducal gland present in elasmobranchs is correlated to the organism's reproductive strategy, and its functions are to produce mucus, to form the egg's tertiary envelope and to store sperm. The gland contains four zones: club, papillary,baffle and terminal. The structures of the oviduct, oviducal gland and isthmus of blue shark Prionace glauca were described using macroscopic, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The epithelium of the oviduct and isthmus is folded and is a simple, columnar, ciliated lining epithelium with glandular cells. In the oviducal gland, the lining tissues in the four zones are similar to the oviduct and isthmus lining. The terminal zone shows the presence of sperm in the lumen of the secretory tubules, which remains stored even in the absence of recent copulation. Here, these organs were studied and their connections in an attempt to elucidate the mechanisms of reproduction in the blue shark, showing the three-dimensional aspects, thus adding morphological information important for the understanding of the structure and functioning of these organs of fundamental importance in the life of the majority of elasmobranchs.

ALCALOIDES BISBENCILISOQUINOLINICOS AISLADOS DE LA ESPECIE NATIVA Berberís glauca (HBK Y EVALUACIÓN DE SU ACTIVIDAD ANTIALIMENTARIA

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Barbara Moreno Murillo

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Durante el estudio de la potencial actividad tóxica del extracto alcohólico de ios tallos de la especie nativa Berberís glauca (HBK (Berberidaceae. Se realizaron bioensayos con larvas del crustáceo Artemia salina, y de los insectos Musca domestica (Díptera y Spodoptera sunia (Lepidoptera. La fracción alcaloidal soluble en CHCl, obtenida por extracción ácido-base del extracto etanólico mostró notable acción antialimentaria frente a larvas de 3° y 4° estadio de la polilla S. sunia. La separación cromatográfica guiada por bioensayos permitió aislar y purificar de la fracción de mayor actividad varios alcaloides benciltctrahidroisoquinolínicos. Por métodos espectroscópicos se identificaron berbamina, isotalicberina. O- metilisotalicberina y 7- 0-demetilisotalicberina. Este es el primer reporte sobre la presencia de bases diméricas bisbenciltetrahidroisoquinolínicas (bbi en especies de Berberís colombianas. Además se detectó la presencia de una base dimérica novedosa de PM 712 cuya dilucidación estructural no se ha establecido en forma completa.

World without borders-genetic population structure of a highly migratory marine predator, the blue shark (Prionace glauca).

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Veríssimo, Ana; Sampaio, Íris; McDowell, Jan R; Alexandrino, Paulo; Mucientes, Gonzalo; Queiroz, Nuno; da Silva, Charlene; Jones, Catherine S; Noble, Leslie R

2017-07-01

Highly migratory, cosmopolitan oceanic sharks often exhibit complex movement patterns influenced by ontogeny, reproduction, and feeding. These elusive species are particularly challenging to population genetic studies, as representative samples suitable for inferring genetic structure are difficult to obtain. Our study provides insights into the genetic population structure one of the most abundant and wide-ranging oceanic shark species, the blue shark Prionace glauca, by sampling the least mobile component of the populations, i.e., young-of-year and small juveniles (<2 year; N  = 348 individuals), at three reported nursery areas, namely, western Iberia, Azores, and South Africa. Samples were collected in two different time periods (2002-2008 and 2012-2015) and were screened at 12 nuclear microsatellites and at a 899-bp fragment of the mitochondrial control region. Our results show temporally stable genetic homogeneity among the three Atlantic nurseries at both nuclear and mitochondrial markers, suggesting basin-wide panmixia. In addition, comparison of mtDNA CR sequences from Atlantic and Indo-Pacific locations also indicated genetic homogeneity and unrestricted female-mediated gene flow between ocean basins. These results are discussed in light of the species' life history and ecology, but suggest that blue shark populations may be connected by gene flow at the global scale. The implications of the present findings to the management of this important fisheries resource are also discussed.

Clonal variation in gas exchange and freezing tolerance development of interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) during autumn acclimation

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Fan, Shihe; Grossnickle, S.C. [British Columbia Research Corp., Vancouver, BC (Canada). Forest Biotechnology Centre

1999-08-01

Variation in physiological response during autumn acclimation was investigated in somatic seedlings of 10 interior spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x P. engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) clones from five full-sib families. Experiments were conducted on 2-yr-old seedlings through simulation in a growth chamber. Throughout the experimental period, gas-exchange parameters (net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance to water vapour and instantaneous water-use efficiency) were measured weekly and freezing tolerance was determined five times. Results showed that as seedlings acclimated to decreasing air temperature and photoperiod, stomatal conductance decreased linearly, photosynthesis was unchanged until air temperature and photoperiod were below 10 deg C and 11 h, respectively, water-use efficiency nearly doubled and freezing tolerance increased in a curvilinear fashion. There was significant between- and within-family clonal variation in all of these physiological parameters. 47 refs, 7 figs

Alcaloides bisbencilisoquinolinicos aislados de la especie nativa berberís glauca (HBK y evaluación de su actividad antialimentaria

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Bárbara Moreno-Murillo

2010-07-01

Full Text Available Durante el estudio de la potencial actividad tóxica del extracto alcohólico de ios tallos de la especie nativa Berberís glauca (HBK (Berberidaceae. se realizaron bioensayos con larvas del crustáceo Artemia salina, y de los insectos Musca domestica (Díptera y Spodoptera sunia (Lepidoptera. La fracción alcaloidal soluble en CHCl, obtenida por extracción ácido-base del extracto etanólico mostró notable acción antialimentaria frente a larvas de 3° y 4° estadio de la polilla S. sunia. La separación cromatográfica guiada por bioensayos permitió aislar y purificar de la fracción de mayor actividad varios alcaloides benciltctrahidroisoquinolínicos. Por métodos espectroscópicos se identificaron berbamina, isotalicberina. O- metilisotalicberina y 7- 0-demetilisotalicberina. Este es el primer reporte sobre la presencia de bases diméricas bisbenciltetrahidroisoquinolínicas (bbi en especies de Berberís colombianas. Además se detectó la presencia de una base dimérica novedosa de PM 712 cuya dilucidación estructural no se ha establecido en forma completa.

Development and microstructure of tooth histotypes in the blue shark, Prionace glauca (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae) and the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Lamniformes: Lamnidae).

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Moyer, Joshua K; Riccio, Mark L; Bemis, William E

2015-07-01

Elasmobranchs exhibit two distinct arrangements of mineralized tissues in the teeth that are known as orthodont and osteodont histotypes. Traditionally, it has been said that orthodont teeth maintain a pulp cavity throughout tooth development whereas osteodont teeth are filled with osteodentine and lack a pulp cavity when fully developed. We used light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution micro-computed tomography to compare the structure and development of elasmobranch teeth representing the two histotypes. As an example of the orthodont histotype, we studied teeth of the blue shark, Prionace glauca (Carcharhiniformes: Carcharhinidae). For the osteodont histotype, we studied teeth of the great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Lamniformes: Lamnidae). We document similarities and differences in tooth development and the microstructure of tissues in these two species and review the history of definitions and interpretations of elasmobranch tooth histotypes. We discuss a possible correlation between tooth histotype and tooth replacement and review the history of histotype differentiation in sharks. We find that contrary to a long held misconception, there is no orthodentine in the osteodont teeth of C. carcharias. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Immediate effects of nectar robbing by Palestine sunbirds (Nectarinia osea) on nectar alkaloid concentrations in tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca).

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Kaczorowski, Rainee L; Koplovich, Avi; Sporer, Frank; Wink, Michael; Markman, Shai

2014-04-01

Plant secondary metabolites (PSMs), such as alkaloids, are often found in many parts of a plant, including flowers, providing protection to the plant from various types of herbivores or microbes. PSMs are also present in the floral nectar of many species, but typically at lower concentrations than in other parts of the plant. Nectar robbers often damage floral tissue to access the nectar. By doing so, these nectar robbers may initiate an increase of PSMs in the floral nectar. It is often assumed that it takes at least a few hours before the plant demonstrates an increase in PSMs. Here, we addressed the question of whether PSMs in the floral tissue are immediately being released into the floral nectar following nectar robbing. To address this research question, we investigated whether there was an immediate effect of nectar robbing by the Palestine Sunbird (Nectarinia osea) on the concentration of nectar alkaloids, nicotine and anabasine, in Tree Tobacco (Nicotiana glauca). We found that the concentration of anabasine, but not nicotine, significantly increased in floral nectar immediately following simulated nectar robbing. These findings suggest that nectar robbers could be ingesting greater amounts of PSMs than they would if they visit flowers legitimately. As a consequence, increased consumption of neurotoxic nectar alkaloids or other PSMs could have negative effects on the nectar robber.

Habitat conditions and phenological tree traits overrule the influence of tree genotype in the needle mycobiome-Picea glauca system at an arctic treeline ecotone.

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Eusemann, Pascal; Schnittler, Martin; Nilsson, R Henrik; Jumpponen, Ari; Dahl, Mathilde B; Würth, David G; Buras, Allan; Wilmking, Martin; Unterseher, Martin

2016-09-01

Plant-associated mycobiomes in extreme habitats are understudied and poorly understood. We analysed Illumina-generated ITS1 sequences from the needle mycobiome of white spruce (Picea glauca) at the northern treeline in Alaska (USA). Sequences were obtained from the same DNA that was used for tree genotyping. In the present study, fungal metabarcoding and tree microsatellite data were compared for the first time. In general, neighbouring trees shared more fungal taxa with each other than trees growing in further distance. Mycobiomes correlated strongly with phenological host traits and local habitat characteristics contrasting a dense forest stand with an open treeline site. Genetic similarity between trees did not influence fungal composition and no significant correlation existed between needle mycobiome and tree genotype. Our results suggest the pronounced influence of local habitat conditions and phenotypic tree traits on needle-inhabiting fungi. By contrast, the tree genetic identity cannot be benchmarked as a dominant driver for needle-inhabiting mycobiomes, at least not for white spruce in this extreme environment. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

Effects of Harvesting Systems and Bole Moisture Loss on Weight Scaling of Douglas-Fir Sawlogs (Pseudotsuga Menziesii var. glauca Franco

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Jarred D. Saralecos

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Characterizing the moisture loss from felled trees is essential for determining weight-to-volume (W-V relationships in softwood sawlogs. Several factors affect moisture loss, but research to quantify the effects of bole size and harvest method is limited. This study was designed to test whether bole size, harvest method, environmental factors, and the associated changes in stem moisture content of felled Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Franco affected the weight-to-volume relationship of sawlogs. Thirty trees in three size classes (12.7–25.4 cm, 25.5–38.1 cm, 38.2–50.8 cm were felled and treated with one of two harvesting processing methods. Moisture content was sampled every two days for four weeks. Results showed 6% greater moisture loss in the crowns of stems that retained limbs after felling compared to stems with limbs removed after harvesting. Additionally, moisture loss rate increased as stem size decreased. The smallest size class lost 58% moisture content compared to 34% in the largest size class throughout the study duration. These stem moisture content changes showed a 17% reduction in average sawlog weight within the largest size class, shifting current W-V relationships from 2.33 tons m−3 to 1.94 tons m−3 during the third seasonal quarter for northern Idaho Douglas-fir and potentially altering relationships year-round.

Testing the importance of plant strategies on facilitation using congeners in a coastal community.

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He, Qiang; Cui, Baoshan; Bertness, Mark D; An, Yuan

2012-09-01

Much is known about how environmental stress mediates the strength of facilitation, but less is known about how different plant traits affect facilitation. We examined interactions between the shrub Tamarix chinensis and two congeneric forbs (Suaeda salsa and S. glauca) on the Chinese coast. Although S. salsa and S. glauca are both annuals, morphologically similar, and have synchronous phenologies, they have contrasting adaptive strategies. S. glauca is salt intolerant but competitively superior, and S. salsa is salt tolerant but competitively inferior. Field surveys showed that S. glauca was associated with T. chinensis canopies while S. salsa was more abundant in open areas. A T. chinensis removal experiment showed that S. glauca cover was lower and soil salinity higher after two years in removal than in control plots. Transplant experiments showed that S. salsa performance under T. chinensis canopies was reduced by competition from S. glauca and T. chinensis, while in open areas S. glauca was not affected by S. salsa competition. Thus, contrasting competitive abilities and stress tolerances of S. glauca and S. salsa underlie their facilitative and competitive interactions with T. chinensis, suggesting that plant strategies are critical to the outcome of species interactions.

Biorregulador e pré-condicionamento osmótico na germinação de sementes e no crescimento inicial da muda de carobinha (Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata Farias & Proença - Bignoniaceae Bioregulator and priming on seed germination and initial growth of "carobinha" (Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata Farias & Proença - Bignoniaceae seedlings

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C Kissmann

2011-01-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de tratamentos pré-germinativos na emergência das plantas e no crescimento inicial das mudas de Jacaranda decurrens subsp. symmetrifoliolata Farias & Proença. Foram realizados dois experimentos. No primeiro, as sementes, separadas em claras e escuras, foram submetidas aos tratamentos pré-germinativos: 1 KNO3 (20000 mg L-1; 2 ácido giberélico (GA3 50 mg L-1, 3 GA3 100 mg L-1 4 GA3 200 mg L-1; 5 Stimulate 5 mL 0,5 kg-1 de sementes; 6 Stimulate 10 mL 0,5 kg-1 de sementes; 7 água 24 horas; 8 testemunha. A semeadura foi realizada em bandejas de células preenchidas com substrato terra + substrato comercial. Os cinco melhores tratamentos foram selecionados para avaliação do crescimento da muda. As plantas com 120 dias de idade provenientes dos seguintes tratamentos: 3 GA 100 mg L-1 4 GA 200 mg L-1; 5 Stimulate 5 mL 0,5 Kg-1 de sementes 6 Stimulate 10 mL 0,5 Kg-1 de sementes e 8 Testemunha, foram transplantadas para embalagens de plástico de 3 Kg com substrato terra + areia + cama-de-frango (1:1:1 - v:v, mantidas em sombreamento de 50% e avaliadas aos 70, 130, 170 e 210 dias após o transplante. Em geral, as sementes claras apresentaram maior germinabilidade e índice de velocidade de germinação (IVG em relação às sementes escuras. Entretanto, as plantas provenientes dessas sementes apresentaram menor crescimento do que as plantas provenientes das sementes escuras. No segundo experimento as sementes foram pré-embebidas em solução de: 1 PEG 6000 (-1,0 MPa; 2 PEG 6000 (-1,0 MPa + KNO3 (20000 mg L-1 (-1,0 MPa; 3 KNO3 (20000 mg L-1 (-1,0 MPa; 4 Água e 5 água deionizada, e incubadas em BOD a 10ºC e 20ºC durante 0 (controle, 6, 12 e 24 horas. Após esses períodos elas foram secas em ambiente de laboratório até atingirem a massa apresentada antes do condicionamento e, posteriormente, incubadas em BOD a 20-30ºC com 8 h escuro e 12 h de luz. Os tratamentos pré-germinativos n

insect diet of some afrotropical insectivorous passerines at the jos

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Such studies identify the food resources ... Insectivorous birds are beneficial to agriculturists as they control ... devastated by tin-mining activities, a high human population has ... dominated by Jacaranda mimosaefolia, Parkia clappertoniana,.

A comparison of genomic selection models across time in interior spruce (Picea engelmannii × glauca) using unordered SNP imputation methods.

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Ratcliffe, B; El-Dien, O G; Klápště, J; Porth, I; Chen, C; Jaquish, B; El-Kassaby, Y A

2015-12-01

Genomic selection (GS) potentially offers an unparalleled advantage over traditional pedigree-based selection (TS) methods by reducing the time commitment required to carry out a single cycle of tree improvement. This quality is particularly appealing to tree breeders, where lengthy improvement cycles are the norm. We explored the prospect of implementing GS for interior spruce (Picea engelmannii × glauca) utilizing a genotyped population of 769 trees belonging to 25 open-pollinated families. A series of repeated tree height measurements through ages 3-40 years permitted the testing of GS methods temporally. The genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) platform was used for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery in conjunction with three unordered imputation methods applied to a data set with 60% missing information. Further, three diverse GS models were evaluated based on predictive accuracy (PA), and their marker effects. Moderate levels of PA (0.31-0.55) were observed and were of sufficient capacity to deliver improved selection response over TS. Additionally, PA varied substantially through time accordingly with spatial competition among trees. As expected, temporal PA was well correlated with age-age genetic correlation (r=0.99), and decreased substantially with increasing difference in age between the training and validation populations (0.04-0.47). Moreover, our imputation comparisons indicate that k-nearest neighbor and singular value decomposition yielded a greater number of SNPs and gave higher predictive accuracies than imputing with the mean. Furthermore, the ridge regression (rrBLUP) and BayesCπ (BCπ) models both yielded equal, and better PA than the generalized ridge regression heteroscedastic effect model for the traits evaluated.

Variation in Wood Quality in White Spruce (Picea Glauca (Moench Voss. Part I. Defining the Juvenile–Mature Wood Transition Based on Tracheid Length

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Cyriac Serge Mvolo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Estimations of transition age (TA and juvenile wood proportion (JWP are important for wood industries due to their impact on end-product quality. However, the relationships between analytical determination of TA based on tracheid length (TL and recognized thresholds for adequate end products have not yet been established. In this study, we used three different statistical models to estimate TA in white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss based on TL radial variation. We compared the results with technological maturity. A two-millimeter threshold, previously suggested for good paper tear strength, was used. Tracheid length increased from pith to bark and from breast height to upper height. Juvenile wood (JW was conical with the three models. At breast height, TA ranged from 11 to 27 years and JWP ranged from 15.3% to 47.5% across the three models. The linear mixed model produced more conservative estimates than the maximum-quadratic-linear (M_Q_L model. Both the linear mixed model and the M_Q_L model produced more conservative TA estimates than the piecewise model. TA estimates by the MIXED model, and to a lesser extent by the M_Q_L model, were equivalent to those for real mature wood, whereas TA estimates by the piecewise model were considerably lower, falling into the transition wood area.

Polyphenolic enriched extract of Cassia glauca Lamk, improves streptozotocin-induced type-1 diabetes linked with partial insulin resistance in rats.

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Veerapur, V P; Pratap, V; Thippeswamy, B S; Marietta, P; Bansal, Punit; Kulkarni, P V; Kulkarni, V H

2017-02-23

Traditionally Cassia glauca (CG) has been used to treat diabetes. The study was undertaken to evaluate anti-diabetic and antioxidant activity of polyphenolic enriched extract of CG in standardized streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. The effect of ethanol (CGE) and water (CGW) extracts of CG (200 and 400mg/kg) treatment were evaluated in STZ (50mg/kg, iv) induced diabetic rats. On 10 th day, oral glucose tolerance test and degree of insulin resistance was calculated. On 13 th day, insulin tolerance test was performed to know the peripheral utilization of glucose. On 15 th day, blood glucose, lipid profiles and endogenous antioxidant levels were estimated. In addition, the effects on oral glucose/sucrose tolerance test in normal rats. Further, HPLC fingerprinting profile of CGE and simultaneous quantification of biomarkers were carried out. Supplementation with CGE and CGW significantly reduced STZ-induced deleterious effects and improved glucose tolerance, and insulin tolerance. In addition, supplementation also decreased oxidative stress by improving endogenous antioxidant levels. Furthermore, administration significantly improves sucrose tolerance suggesting that extract possess inhibition of α-glucosidase enzyme. Further, HPLC studies revealed that CGE contains three bioactive polyphenolic compounds viz., rutin (0.10±0.01mg/g), luteolin-7-glucoside (0.06±0.01mg/g) and isorhoifolin (0.7±0.05mg/g). Observed beneficial outcome of CG might be attributed to the presence of polyphenolic compounds and mediated by interacting with multiple targets of diabetes and oxidative stress. Taken together, this study provided the scientific evidence for the traditional use of CG. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of wildfire on soil physical and chemical properties in a Nothofagus glauca forest, Chile Efecto del fuego en las propiedades físicas y químicas en un bosque de Nothofagus glauca en Chile

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CREIGHTON M. LITTON

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Effects of a wildfire on soil chemical and physical properties in a Nothofagus glauca (Phil. Krasser forest in the Coastal Mountain Range of south-central Chile were investigated. Response of the soil during the first two years following a wildfire was examined, where data from soil in a burned forest were compared to that in an adjacent, unburned stand. The effects that wildfire have on soil properties in this highly fragmented ecosystem are not well understood, but results from this study suggest similar responses to those found in other mediterranean forest systems. Both physical (bulk density, percent soil moisture, and soil organic matter content and chemical properties (exchangeable inorganic nitrogen, extractable phosphorus, exchangeable potassium, and soil pH were examined, and data presented here suggest that soil properties vary in their initial response to fire in this ecosystem. Soil organic matter content and soil moisture decreased following fire and remained lower than values from unburned plots for the duration of the study. Exchangeable potassium increased initially after burning, but values in burned plots decreased with time and by the end of two years were significantly lower than in unburned soil. In turn, extractable phosphorus and soil pH both increased immediately following wildfire and values in burned plots remained significantly higher than unburned plots for the entire measurement period. Exchangeable inorganic nitrogen reached higher levels in soil of burned plots for the autumn measurements (April 1997 and 1998 and lower values in burned plots for the spring measurements (November 1997 and 1998. Soil bulk density remained unchanged following fire. In general, changes in soil properties following fire were greatest at the 0-5 cm layer and more modest at the 5-10 cm sampling depth. These changes were related primarily to oxidation of the detrital layer during fire and concurrent changes in the soil environment

Floral visitors and reproductive strategies in five melittophilous species of Bignoniaceae in Southeastern Brazil

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Yuriko A. N. Pinto Yanagizawa

2007-11-01

Full Text Available In order to evaluate the pollination strategies of Bignoniaceae, the floral biology and the floral visitors in five species, three cerrado shrubs (Arrabidaea brachypoda (DC. Bor., Jacaranda decurrens Cham., and Jacaranda oxyphylla Cham., and two lianas from the border of a semideciduous seasonal forest (Arrabidaea samydoides (Cham. Sandw., and Arrabidaea triplinervia H. Baill. were studied in Botucatu, São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. The flowering periods were partially overlapping, especially between species in the same habitat. All the five species were functionally allogamous, melittophilous, nototribic and mainly pollinated by long tongued large bees. Some medium-sized and small pollen-foraging bees were occasional legitimate visitors, whereas others visitors were robbers/thieves. Each species showed a particular set of pollinators. Only two pollinator species were observed in more than one bignon. There was no partition of pollinators even among the species of bignons blooming at the same time at the same habitat.Com objetivo de avaliar as estratégias de polinização de espécies de Bignoniaceae, foram estudados a biologia floral e os visitantes florais de cinco espécies, três arbustivas do cerrado (Arrabidaea brachypoda (DC. Bor., Jacaranda decurrens Cham. e Jacaranda oxyphylla Cham. e duas lianas da orla da floresta estacional semidecidual (Arrabidaea samydoides (Cham. Sandw. e Arrabidaea triplinervia H. Baill., na região de Botucatu (22º52'20" S e 48(026'37" W, estado de São Paulo, sudeste do Brasil. Os períodos de florescimento, principalmente entre espécies do mesmo habitat, apresentaram sobreposição parcial. Observou-se que as cinco espécies são alogâmicas funcionais, melitófilas, nototríbicas, polinizadas principalmente por abelhas grandes de língua comprida. Algumas abelhas coletoras de pólen de tamanho médio e pequeno atuaram como polinizadoras ocasionais, enquanto outros visitantes foram pilhadores. Cada

Conservation and divergence of gene expression plasticity following c. 140 million years of evolution in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and interior spruce (Picea glauca×Picea engelmannii).

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Yeaman, Sam; Hodgins, Kathryn A; Suren, Haktan; Nurkowski, Kristin A; Rieseberg, Loren H; Holliday, Jason A; Aitken, Sally N

2014-07-01

Species respond to environmental stress through a combination of genetic adaptation and phenotypic plasticity, both of which may be important for survival in the face of climatic change. By characterizing the molecular basis of plastic responses and comparing patterns among species, it is possible to identify how such traits evolve. Here, we used de novo transcriptome assembly and RNAseq to explore how patterns of gene expression differ in response to temperature, moisture, and light regime treatments in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) and interior spruce (a natural hybrid population of Picea glauca and Picea engelmannii). We found wide evidence for an effect of treatment on expression within each species, with 6413 and 11,658 differentially expressed genes identified in spruce and pine, respectively. Comparing patterns of expression among these species, we found that 74% of all orthologs with differential expression had a pattern that was conserved in both species, despite 140 million yr of evolution. We also found that the specific treatments driving expression patterns differed between genes with conserved versus diverged patterns of expression. We conclude that natural selection has probably played a role in shaping plastic responses to environment in these species. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Evaluation of shrub and tree species used for revegetating copper mine wastes in the south-western United States. [Dodonea viscosa (L. ) Jacq. , Baccharis sarothroides Gray, Cerdicium microphyllum Torr. , and Nicotiana glauca Grah

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Norem, M A; Day, A D; Ludeke, K L

1982-12-01

The revegetation work begun in 1970 at Cyprus Pima Mine, an open pit copper mine south-west of Tucson, Arizona, was evaluated to determine the effects of slope aspect and mining waste material on plant survival and growth. Only one shrub, Dodonea viscosa (L.) Jacq. (hopbush), survived on the east slope. Baccharis sarothroides Gray (desert broom) was prolific on the north aspect. Cerdicium microphyllum Torr. (palo verde) survived best on the east slope and Nicotiana glauca Grah. (desert tobacco) survived only on the north slope. The survival of the other tree species was not affected by slope aspect. Slope exposure did not affect tree size, except for Eucalyptus microtheca Muell. (tiny capsule eucalyptus) which grew larger on the north slope. E. rostrata Schlechtend (red gum eucalyptus) grew taller in overburden than in tailing on the east slope. Differences in soil material within each slope exposure did not significantly affect growth of the other tree species. In semi-arid regions, such as south-western Arizona, even slight differences in available moisture may determine the survival of a plant species in the area. (Refs. 11).

MORPHOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME WILD AND CULTIVATED ISATIS SPECIES

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Süleyman KIZIL

2007-04-01

Full Text Available The study evaluated Isatis tinctoria, I. constricta, I. glauca, I. cochlearis, I. aucheri and I. demiriziana during 2002-03 and 2003-04 growing seasons for different agronomic characteristics affecting the percentage of dye in them. The results showed wide variations in the agronomic characteristics of Isatis constricta, Isatis cochlearis, Isatis aucheri, Isatis demiriziana collected from wild; compared to culture Isatis tinctoria and Isatis glauca. I. tinctoria showed early emergence (36 day compared to other species, and I. glauca was determined as late fl owering (512 day species. Among Isatis species, I. glauca showed the maximum plant height (113.4 cm, stem diameter (10.84 mm seed yield per plant (103.0 g . Whereas, I. tinctoria produced the largest number of branches per plant (16.8 plant-1 and the maximum number of seeds (17918 per plant.

Conifer R2R3-MYB transcription factors: sequence analyses and gene expression in wood-forming tissues of white spruce (Picea glauca

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Grima-Pettenati Jacqueline

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Several members of the R2R3-MYB family of transcription factors act as regulators of lignin and phenylpropanoid metabolism during wood formation in angiosperm and gymnosperm plants. The angiosperm Arabidopsis has over one hundred R2R3-MYBs genes; however, only a few members of this family have been discovered in gymnosperms. Results We isolated and characterised full-length cDNAs encoding R2R3-MYB genes from the gymnosperms white spruce, Picea glauca (13 sequences, and loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L. (five sequences. Sequence similarities and phylogenetic analyses placed the spruce and pine sequences in diverse subgroups of the large R2R3-MYB family, although several of the sequences clustered closely together. We searched the highly variable C-terminal region of diverse plant MYBs for conserved amino acid sequences and identified 20 motifs in the spruce MYBs, nine of which have not previously been reported and three of which are specific to conifers. The number and length of the introns in spruce MYB genes varied significantly, but their positions were well conserved relative to angiosperm MYB genes. Quantitative RTPCR of MYB genes transcript abundance in root and stem tissues revealed diverse expression patterns; three MYB genes were preferentially expressed in secondary xylem, whereas others were preferentially expressed in phloem or were ubiquitous. The MYB genes expressed in xylem, and three others, were up-regulated in the compression wood of leaning trees within 76 hours of induction. Conclusion Our survey of 18 conifer R2R3-MYB genes clearly showed a gene family structure similar to that of Arabidopsis. Three of the sequences are likely to play a role in lignin metabolism and/or wood formation in gymnosperm trees, including a close homolog of the loblolly pine PtMYB4, shown to regulate lignin biosynthesis in transgenic tobacco.

Genetic differentiation and phylogeography of Mediterranean-North Eastern Atlantic blue shark (Prionace glauca, L. 1758 using mitochondrial DNA: panmixia or complex stock structure?

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Agostino Leone

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Background The blue shark (Prionace glauca, Linnaeus 1758 is one of the most abundant epipelagic shark inhabiting all the oceans except the poles, including the Mediterranean Sea, but its genetic structure has not been confirmed at basin and interoceanic distances. Past tagging programs in the Atlantic Ocean failed to find evidence of migration of blue sharks between the Mediterranean and the adjacent Atlantic, despite the extreme vagility of the species. Although the high rate of by-catch in the Mediterranean basin, to date no genetic study on Mediterranean blue shark was carried out, which constitutes a significant knowledge gap, considering that this population is classified as “Critically Endangered”, unlike its open-ocean counterpart. Methods Blue shark phylogeography and demography in the Mediterranean Sea and North-Eastern Atlantic Ocean were inferred using two mitochondrial genes (Cytb and control region amplified from 207 and 170 individuals respectively, collected from six localities across the Mediterranean and two from the North-Eastern Atlantic. Results Although no obvious pattern of geographical differentiation was apparent from the haplotype network, Φst analyses indicated significant genetic structure among four geographical groups. Demographic analyses suggest that these populations have experienced a constant population expansion in the last 0.4–0.1 million of years. Discussion The weak, but significant, differences in Mediterranean and adjacent North-eastern Atlantic blue sharks revealed a complex phylogeographic structure, which appears to reject the assumption of panmixia across the study area, but also supports a certain degree of population connectivity across the Strait of Gibraltar, despite the lack of evidence of migratory movements observed by tagging data. Analyses of spatial genetic structure in relation to sex-ratio and size could indicate some level of sex/stage biased migratory behaviour.

Screening of Venezuelan medicinal plant extracts for cytostatic and cytotoxic activity against tumor cell lines.

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Taylor, Peter; Arsenak, Miriam; Abad, María Jesús; Fernández, Angel; Milano, Balentina; Gonto, Reina; Ruiz, Marie-Christine; Fraile, Silvia; Taylor, Sofía; Estrada, Omar; Michelangeli, Fabian

2013-04-01

There are estimated to be more than 20,000 species of plants in Venezuela, of which more than 1500 are used for medicinal purposes by indigenous and local communities. Only a relatively small proportion of these have been evaluated in terms of their potential as antitumor agents. In this study, we screened 308 extracts from 102 species for cytostatic and cytotoxic activity against a panel of six tumor cell lines using a 24-h sulphorhodamine B assay. Extracts from Clavija lancifolia, Hamelia patens, Piper san-vicentense, Physalis cordata, Jacaranda copaia, Heliotropium indicum, and Annona squamosa were the most cytotoxic, whereas other extracts from Calotropis gigantea, Hyptis dilatata, Chromolaena odorata, Siparuna guianensis, Jacaranda obtusifolia, Tapirira guianensis, Xylopia aromatica, Protium heptaphyllum, and Piper arboreum showed the greatest cytostatic activity. These results confirm previous reports on the cytotoxic activities of the above-mentioned plants as well as prompting further studies on others such as C. lancifolia and H. dilatata that have not been so extensively studied. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Revisión histórica de los estudios sobre la biología, ecología y toxicología del tiburón azul Prionace glauca en aguas del Pacífico ecuatoriano

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Calle-Morán, Marcos

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Blue shark Prionace glauca is a species that represents a great economic and ecological importance. However, the information related to its biology and others aspects of its population is limited. Nevertheless these kinds of studies are very important for a suitable management of fishery activities. The aim of this research was to develop a historical review for all biological, ecological and toxicological studies made in the coastal and marine ecosystems of the Ecuadorian Pacific. A review of the specializedliteraturewas carried out for many documents such as thesis, technical reports, scientific papers,and others. According to results obtained, in Ecuador there have been four scientific research studies from 2012: These were two of Biology (one of reproductive aspects in Santa Rosa de Salinas and another about age and growth in Manta and the others two of Ecology and Toxicology (one on mercury bioaccumulation and bio-magnification of mercury, and another on the concentration of mercury and cadmium; both conducted in Santa Rosa de Salinas.The works were developed by state and private universities through thesis, while a draft was in preparation for scientific publication as part of a research project in a private institution of higher education

Litter drives ecosystem and plant community changes in cattail invasion.

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Farrer, Emily C; Goldberg, Deborah E

2009-03-01

Invaded systems are commonly associated with a change in ecosystem processes and a decline in native species diversity; however, many different causal pathways linking invasion, ecosystem change, and native species decline could produce this pattern. The initial driver of environmental change may be anthropogenic, or it may be the invader itself; and the mechanism behind native species decline may be the human-induced environmental change, competition from the invader, or invader-induced environmental change (non-trophic effects). We examined applicability of each of these alternate pathways in Great Lakes coastal marshes invaded by hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca). In a survey including transects in three marshes, we found that T. x glauca was associated with locally high soil nutrients, low light, and large amounts of litter, and that native diversity was highest in areas of shallow litter depth. We tested whether live T. x glauca plants or their litter induced changes in the environment and in diversity with a live plant and litter transplant experiment. After one year, Typha litter increased soil NH4+ and N mineralization twofold, lowered light levels, and decreased the abundance and diversity of native plants, while live Typha plants had no effect on the environment or on native plants. This suggests that T. x glauca, through its litter production, can cause the changes in ecosystem processes that we commonly attribute to anthropogenic nutrient loading and that T. x glauca does not displace native species through competition for resources, but rather affects them non-trophically through its litter. Moreover, because T. x glauca plants were taller when grown with their own litter, we suggest that this invader may produce positive feedbacks and change the environment in ways that benefit itself and may promote its own invasion.

A high degree of genetic diversity is revealed in Isatis spp. (dyer's woad) by amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP).

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Gilbert (nee Stoker), G.; Garton, S.; Karam, A.; Arnold, M.; Karp, A.; Edwards, J.; Cooke, T.; Barker, A.

2002-05-01

Genetic diversity in 38 genotypes, representing 28 individual genotypes from five landraces of Isatis tinctoria (three German: Tubingen, Potsdam and Erfurt, one Swiss and one English), five genotypes of Isatis indigotica (Chinese woad) and five genotypes of Isatis glauca, were investigated using AFLP analysis. Five primer combinations detected a total of 502 fragments of which 436 (86.9%) were polymorphic. The level of polymorphism recorded within each species was 29.8, 86.9 and 35.8% for I. indigotica, I. tinctoria and I. glauca, respectively. Clearly, genetic diversity within I. tinctoria was greater than that observed in I. indigotica or I. glauca. Cluster analyses of the AFLP data using UPGMA and PCO revealed the complete separation of the genotypes of each species into distinct groups. I. indigotica separated as an entirely independent group, whereas I. glauca formed a separate cluster within the I. tinctoria group. Indeed, I. tinctoria and I. glauca are more closely related to each other than either is to I. indigotica. In addition, the genotypes of each landrace, apart from one from the English group, were clearly discriminated. However, the anomalous genotype did associate with the rest of its group when it was linked with the Erfurt group. These results provide new and useful information about the make-up of the Isatis genome, which has not previously been evaluated. They will be useful in the selection of plant material for variety development and conservation of the gene-pool.

Melanomacrophages in three species of free-ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, the blue shark Prionacae glauca (L.), the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus Rafinesque, and the thresher, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre).

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Borucinska, J D; Kotran, K; Shackett, M; Barker, T

2009-10-01

The melanomacrophage aggregates or cells (MMC) are commonly used as biomarkers of exposure to pollution in fish, albeit their numbers and morphological characteristics can be influenced not only by environmental toxins but also by a range of physiological parameters and pathological conditions. Accordingly, before we can use MMC as biomarkers in any fish species, their normal, 'background' characteristics have to be established in apparently healthy fish. The knowledge of MMC in sharks is minimal. The aim of this study was to characterize MMC from 51 free-ranging, large pelagic sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, including shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus, thresher, Alopias vulpinus and blue shark, Prionacae glauca. The rationale of this study was twofold. First, because, sharks have life histories predisposing them to the accumulation of environmental toxins they constitute good sentinel species of the health of the global marine ecosystem. Second, because many shark populations are in decline or threatened by extinction, we need to expand our understanding of their health status in order to develop appropriate protective measures. All sharks were collected by sports fishing gear between June and August in 2007. Their health condition was assessed by necropsy, morphometrics, and by microscopic examination of gonads, livers, spleens and kidneys. Routine, haematoxylin and eosin and/or Pearl's reagent-stained paraffin embedded sections were studied by light microscopy. Our results provide the first data on the morphometric and morphological characteristics of MMC in viscera of apparently healthy free-ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic.

GROWTH OF AMAZON NATIVE SPECIES SUBMITTED TO THE PLANTATION IN THE RORAIMA STATE

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Helio Tonini

2009-10-01

Full Text Available An important forest research challenge in the Amazonian is finding forms of reforesting degraded areas with the use of a larger number of native species and identify tropical species commercially attractive adapted to clear-cut areas. This work had as objectives to evaluate the initial growth in diameter and height of six native Amazonian species in a preliminary species trial. The data were obtained from measures of 72 trees 9 years after planting. The selected species for this study were cupiúba (Goupia glabra, cumaru (Dipterix odorata, andiroba (Carapa guianensis, brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, pará-pará (Jacaranda copaia and tatajuba (Bagassa guianensis. The cumulative growth curves for diameter and height was obtained by the Chapman – Richards function. In spite of the low age of the stands, it was obtained good fit to the function for the studied species. Pará-pará (Jacaranda copaia, presented best diameter and height growth in all the ages. The diameter mean annual increment analysis showed that, except for the cupiúba (Goupia glabra,  can be expected  increments larger than  2 cm, by appropiate spacings and thinning.

Crescimento de espécies nativas da Amazônia submetidas ao plantio no estado de Roraima

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Helio Tonini

2008-01-01

Full Text Available An important forest research challenge in the Amazonian is finding forms of reforesting degraded areas with the use of a larger number of native species and identify tropical species commercially attractive adapted to clear-cut areas. This work had as objectives to evaluate the initial growth in diameter and height of six native Amazonian species in a preliminary species trial. The data were obtained from measures of 72 trees 9 years after planting. The selected species for this study were cupiúba (Goupia glabra, cumaru (Dipterix odorata, andiroba (Carapa guianensis, brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa, pará-pará (Jacaranda copaia and tatajuba (Bagassa guianensis. The cumulative growth curves for diameter and height was obtained by the Chapman – Richards function. In spite of the low age of the stands, it was obtained good fit to the function for the studied species. Pará-pará (Jacaranda copaia, presented best diameter and height growth in all the ages. The diameter mean annual increment analysis showed that, except for the cupiúba (Goupia glabra, can be expected increments larger than 2 cm, by appropiate spacings and thinning.

Vegetation Resources of Rocky Mountain Arsenal, Adams County, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

1989-10-01

SUCCULENTS Opuntia polyacantha Plains Prickly Pear Cactaceae Table 4 .(cont’d.) Scientific Name Common Name Family Name Yucca glauca Spanish Bayonet Agavaceae...Lycium halimitolium Matrim~ony Bush Solanceae Salix exigua Coyote Willow Salicaceae CACTI AND SUCCULENTS Coryphantha vivipara Ball Cactus Cactaceae ...Qpuntia compressa Prickly Pear Cactus Cactaceae Opuntia polyacantha Plains Prickly Pear Cactaceae Yucca glauca Spanish Bayonet Agavaceae cq Nl Nl Co~ V c0

MORPHOLOGICAL AND AGRONOMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SOME WILD AND CULTIVATED ISATIS SPECIES

OpenAIRE

KIZIL, Süleyman

2006-01-01

The study evaluated Isatis tinctoria, I. constricta, I. glauca, I. cochlearis, I. aucheri and I. demiriziana during 2002-03 and 2003-04 growing seasons for different agronomic characteristics affecting the percentage of dye in them. The results showed wide variations in the agronomic characteristics of Isatis constricta, Isatis cochlearis, Isatis aucheri, Isatis demiriziana collected from wild; compared to culture Isatis tinctoria and Isatis glauca. I. tinctoria showed early emergence (36 day...

Plasticity of trophic interactions among sharks from the oceanic south-western Indian Ocean revealed by stable isotope and mercury analyses

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Kiszka, Jeremy J.; Aubail, Aurore; Hussey, Nigel E.; Heithaus, Michael R.; Caurant, Florence; Bustamante, Paco

2015-02-01

Sharks are a major component of the top predator guild in oceanic ecosystems, but the trophic relationships of many populations remain poorly understood. We examined chemical tracers of diet and habitat (δ15N and δ13C, respectively) and total mercury (Hg) concentrations in muscle tissue of seven pelagic sharks: blue shark (Prionace glauca), short-fin mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus), oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus), scalloped hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini), pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus), crocodile shark (Pseudocarcharias kamoharai) and silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis), from the data poor south-western tropical Indian Ocean. Minimal interspecific variation in mean δ15N values and a large degree of isotopic niche overlap - driven by high intraspecific variation in δ15N values - was observed among pelagic sharks. Similarly, δ13C values of sharks overlapped considerably for all species with the exception of P. glauca, which had more 13C-depleted values indicating possibly longer residence times in purely pelagic waters. Geographic variation in δ13C, δ15N and Hg were observed for P. glauca and I. oxyrinchus. Mean Hg levels were similar among species with the exception of P. kamoharai which had significantly higher Hg concentrations likely related to mesopelagic feeding. Hg concentrations increased with body size in I. oxyrinchus, P. glauca and C. longimanus. Values of δ15N and δ13C varied with size only in P. glauca, suggesting ontogenetic shifts in diets or habitats. Together, isotopic data indicate that - with few exceptions - variance within species in trophic interactions or foraging habitats is greater than differentiation among pelagic sharks in the south-western Indian Ocean. Therefore, it is possible that this group exhibits some level of trophic redundancy, but further studies of diets and fine-scale habitat use are needed to fully test this hypothesis.

Warming and neighbor removal affect white spruce seedling growth differently above and below treeline.

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Okano, Kyoko; Bret-Harte, M Syndonia

2015-01-01

Climate change is expected to be pronounced towards higher latitudes and altitudes. Warming triggers treeline and vegetation shifts, which may aggravate interspecific competition and affect biodiversity. This research tested the effects of a warming climate, habitat type, and neighboring plant competition on the establishment and growth of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedlings in a subarctic mountain region. P. glauca seedlings were planted in June 2010 under 4 different treatments (high/control temperatures, with/without competition) in 3 habitats (alpine ridge above treeline/tundra near treeline /forest below treeline habitats). After two growing seasons in 2011, growth, photosynthesis and foliar C and N data were obtained from a total of 156, one-and-a-half year old seedlings that had survived. Elevated temperatures increased growth and photosynthetic rates above and near treeline, but decreased them below treeline. Competition was increased by elevated temperatures in all habitat types. Our results suggest that increasing temperatures will have positive effects on the growth of P. glauca seedlings at the locations where P. glauca is expected to expand its habitat, but increasing temperatures may have negative effects on seedlings growing in mature forests. Due to interspecific competition, possibly belowground competition, the upslope expansion of treelines may not be as fast in the future as it was the last fifty years.

Interspecific Competition and Trade-offs in Resource Allocation are the Key to Successful Growth of Seedlings of White Spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) at Subarctic Treelines in Warming Alaska.

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Okano, K.; Bret-Harte, M. S.

2015-12-01

Alpine treelines in Alaska have advanced for the past 50 years in response to the recent climate warming. However, further increases in temperatures may cause treeline species drought stress and increase susceptibility to insect outbreaks and fire. Complex factors such as soil conditions and plant species composition also impact the growth of seedlings, which are essential to sustain boreal forests. Our goals were to assess 1) the current optimal elevation for the treeline species Picea glauca (white spruce) seedlings and how it is altered by climate change, and 2) their growth/survival strategies at each environmental site. We studied the growth response of spruce seedlings along an altitudinal gradient at 6 sites, consisting of tundra, forest, or transitional ecotone in Denali National Park and one forest site in Fairbanks, AK. In May 2012, four-month old seedlings were planted with or without naturally occurring plants to compare the presence or absence of the interspecific interaction. Summer temperatures were increased by one small greenhouse per site. Over 2 growing seasons, growth was measured non-destructively, and then the seedlings were harvested. Relative growth rate (RGR) in height was increased significantly as the altitude was increased. Elevated temperature increased height only in seedlings at a high-altitude forest. Seedlings with neighboring plants had a higher RGR in height than seedlings that had neighbors removed, while significantly wider diameters were measured from the seedlings without neighbors. A weak trend of declining diameter width with increasing altitudes was seen. Seedlings that grew taller did not grow their stems wider, indicating trade-offs in resource allocation. None of the altitudinal sites had a clear advantage for the growth of the seedlings. Habitat microclimate and the interaction with other species could be more important than the altitude or temperatures and hence, key to the survival and growth of spruce seedlings in

Demonstration of paternal inheritance of plastids in Picea (Pinaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stine, M.

1988-01-01

Chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) was purified from Picea glauca, P. pungens, P. engelmannii, and P. omorika, and was digested with several restriction endonucleases. Interspecific restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) of cpDNA were identified. The RFLPs were identified as cpDNA by the hybridization of cloned, 32 -P labeled, petunia cpDNA to the polymorphic bands, and by the lack of hybridization of a cloned and labeled mtDNA probe from maize. Chloroplast DNA RFLPs that showed no intraspecific variation when examined across the natural range for each species, were used as markers to follow the inheritance of plastids in interspecific hybrids. The inheritance of plastids was determined for F 1 -hybrids from reciprocal crosses of P. glauca and P. pungens, P. glauca and P. omorika, and F 1 -hybrids of P. engelmannii x pungens. All 31 F 1 -hybrids examined showed the cpDNA genotypes of the pollen parent, or the paternal species

In vitro acaricidal efficacy of plant extracts from Brazilian flora and isolated substances against Rhipicephalus microplus (Acari: Ixodidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Valente, Paula Pimentel; Amorim, Juliana Mendes; Castilho, Rachel Oliveira; Leite, Romário Cerqueira; Ribeiro, Múcio Flávio Barbosa

2014-01-01

The tick Rhipicephalus microplus causes significant losses in livestock cattle and has developed increasing resistance to the primary acaricides that are used to treat these infections. The objective of this study was to identify new biomolecules or isolated substances showing acaricidal activity from plants. Larval packet tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of 11 species of plants and three isolated substances (betulinic acid, eugenol, and nerolidol) on R. microplus. An adult female immersion test was performed with the substance that showed the highest larvicidal activity, which was evaluated for inhibition of reproduction. Tests using Licania tomentosa, Hymenaea stigonocarpa, Hymenaea courbaril, Stryphnodendron obovatum, Jacaranda cuspidifolia, Jacaranda ulei, Struthanthus polyrhizus, Chrysobalanus icaco, Vernonia phosphorea, Duguetia furfuracea, and Simarouba versicolor extracts as well as the isolated substance betulinic acid indicated lower acaricidal effects on R. microplus larvae. The extract displaying the best larvicidal activity was the ethanolic extract from L. tomentosa at a concentration of 60%, resulting in a mortality rate of 40.3%. However, nerolidol and eugenol showed larvicidal activity, which was highest for eugenol. Nerolidol caused a 96.5% mortality rate in the R. microplus larvae at a high concentration of 30%, and eugenol caused 100% mortality at a concentration of 0.3%. In the adult immersion test, 5% eugenol was identified as a good biomolecule for controlling R. microplus, as demonstrated by its high acaricidal activity and inhibition of oviposition.

Evaluation of Frankia and Rhizobial strains as inocula for nitrogen-fixing trees in saline conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hafeez, F.Y.; Hameed, S.; Malik, K.A.

1998-01-01

Frankia strains isolated from various Casuarina species were screened for nodulation and N 2 -fixing ability on C. glauca and C. obesa under controlled-environment conditions. Five out of thirteen strains induced effective root nodules on C. glauca, but none did so on C. obesa; two strains were selected. Similarly, various rhizobial strains were screened for nodulation and N 2 fixation on four Acacia species and finally three were selected for compatibility with A. ampliceps. The two Frankia strains (CcOl and CcI3) and three Rhizobium strains (Abal, Ar2-1 and PMA63/1) were checked for NaCl-tolerance in vitro, and were used as inocula to estimate N 2 fixation in fast-growing trees under highly saline field conditions. The isotope-dilution method was used to estimate the proportion and amount of N 2 -fixed by A. ampliceps and C. glauca with Eucalyptus camaldulensis as the non-fixing check. After a year, A. ampliceps plants formed a few root nodules at low Ec c levels, but during the second and third years profuse nodulation was observed. In 1-year-old plants the fraction of N derived from fixation (Ndfa) ranged from 7 to 55% (average 31%) in A. ampliceps and from 7 to 24% (average 15%) in C. glauca, and after two years %Ndfa for A. ampliceps increased markedly, with values up to 86%. On the other hand, increases in %Ndfa for C. glauca were insignificant, possibly due to the use of E. camaldulensis as the non-fixing reference plant. Infection of tree roots by vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM), scored after 3 years, showed a negative relationship with soil electric conductivity, as did VAM spore number. The spores isolated from saline soils had thicker walls than those from a fertile soil. Decreases in the soil salinity levels were observed at the end of the 3-year experiment. (author)

Toward a predictive model for water and carbon fluxes of non-native trees in urban habitats

Science.gov (United States)

McCarthy, H. R.; Jenerette, G. D.; Pataki, D. E.

2008-12-01

There is considerable interest in estimating uptake of water and carbon by urban trees, in order to assess some of the major costs and benefits associated with maintaining or expanding urban tree cover. However, making large-scale estimates of water and carbon fluxes is challenging in urban ecosystems, where community composition and environmental conditions are highly altered and experimental data is sparse. This is particularly true in regions such as southern California, where few trees are native, yet many species can flourish given supplemental irrigation. In such scenarios one practical way to scale water and carbon fluxes may be to identify reliable traits which can be used to predict gas exchange when trees are transplanted to a new environment. To test this approach, leaf level gas exchange measurements were conducted on eight common urban tree species within the Los Angeles basin. The objective was to determine how well gas exchange parameters, including maximum photosynthesis and stomatal conductance, sensitivity of stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and water use efficiency (WUE), can be predicted based on the native habitat and climate (temperature and precipitation) of each study species. All of the species studied naturally occur in humid tropical or subtropical climate zones where precipitation varies widely from ~400 - 3000 mm per year. We found Jacaranda (Jacaranda chelonia) and honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) to have the highest photosynthesis and reference (at VPD=1 kPa) conductance, and to be most sensitive to VPD. WUE was found to be greatest in Indian laurel fig (Ficus microcarpa), rose gum (Eucalyptus grandis) and Queensland lacebark (Brachychiton discolor). The relative ordering of maximum photosynthesis and conductance across species was not entirely predictable based on our current knowledge of the native habitats of each species: several other species had similar native climates to Jacaranda and honey locust, yet

Land cover changes affect soil chemical attributes in the Brazilian Amazon

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Murilo Rezende Machado

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Forest plantations may minimize the effects of deforestation in the Amazon. However, there are differences among species in terms of their influences on soil recovery. The effects of monospecific plantations of Acacia mangium, Dipteryx odorata, Jacaranda copaia, Parkia decussata,and Swietenia macrophylla, and areas of pasture and native forest on the chemical soil attributes of the Brazilian Amazon were evaluated. One bulked soil sample was collected per plot (0.00-0.05, 0.05-0.10, and 0.10-0.30 m; three plots of 128 m2 in each area. No significant differences in most of the soil attributes were observed among the forest plantations. However, soil K+ and P were higher in the Swietenia macrophylla plantations, while higher values of Ca2+, sum of bases, and pH occurred in Jacaranda copaia plantations. In the native forest, the pH, and P content were lower, whereas the soil organic matter (SOM content, soil organic carbon (SOC content, cation exchange capacity (CEC, N content, H+Al content, and Al3+ content were higher than in the plantations. The lowest values of SOM, SOC, CEC, K+, Mg2+, N, H+Al, and Al3+ occurred in the pasture. None of the forest species led to the return of the original soil chemical attributes of the native forest. However, S. macrophylla and J. copaia plantations presented the highest positive edaphic influences.

SELECTION OF A METHOD TO PRODUCE ACTIVATED CHARCOAL USING FOUR FOREST SPECIES

OpenAIRE

Herrera Builes, Jhon Fredy; Morales Yepes, Wilmar Alexander; Pérez Schile, Juan David

2004-01-01

La presente investigación se realizó en los laboratorios de Carbones y de Productos Forestales, de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín. Ésta se orientó hacia la selección de un método para obtener carbón activado a partir de las especies forestales pino pátula (Pinus patula), chingalé (Jacaranda copaia), pino tecunumani (Pinus tecunumanii) y roble (Quercus humboldtii). Cada una de las maderas se caracterizó, determinando sus propiedades físicas de densidades y contracciones. Se...

Isolamento de microssatélites de espécies madeireiras no contexto da sustentabilidade genética no manejo florestal

OpenAIRE

VINSON, Christina Cleo

2004-01-01

Aborda isolamento de microssatélites de espécies madeireiras no contexto da sustentabilidade genética no manejo florestal com o objetivo de isolar e caracterizar uma bateria de marcadores microssatélites para espécies arbóreas da Floresta Amazônica: Jacaranda copaia, Bagassa guianensis e Dipteryx odorata. Estes estudos vem sendo realizados como parte do projeto Dendrogene, e as análises genéticas populacionais posteriores fornecerão subsídios para conservação e manejo sustentável destas espéc...

La pesquería de tiburones oceánicos-costeros en los litorales de Colima, Jalisco y Michoacán

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Angélica Cruz

2011-06-01

Full Text Available La pesquería de tiburón es una de las más importantes en el Pacífico mexicano, en la actualidad no se cuentan con los datos de la composición específica de las capturas de las diferentes flotas. En el presente trabajo se describen aspectos biológicos-pesqueros de las especies de tiburón, capturadas por la flota palangrera de mediana altura del puerto de Manzanillo, en un periodo anual de abril 2006-abril 2007, los muestreos se realizaron mensualmente a bordo de estas embarcaciones. La composición de las capturas estuvo representada por nueve especies (n=1 962, de las cuales Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron, 1839 (88.12% sostiene esta pesquería y en segundo lugar Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758 (8.21%. Las especies poco frecuentes fueron Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758 con (1.78%, Alopias pelagicus (Nakamura, 1935 (0.82%, Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861 (0.45%, Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1839 (0.35%, Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839 (0.1%, Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839 (0.1% é Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810 (0.05%. La fecundidad estimada para C. falciformis fue de 3-7 crías/hembra con tallas de 30-45cm LT; 40.57+2.03cm LT y P. glauca con 5-52 crías/hembra, con tallas de 5-18.6cm LT; 11.61±0.21cm LT. Por lo tanto se asume que C. falciformis presenta un ciclo concurrente y P. glauca probablemente un ciclo bianual consecutivo.Fishery of oceanic and coastal sharks in Colima, Jalisco and Michoacán. Shark fishery is one of the most important activities in the Mexican Pacific coast, nevertheless, there is few data available about the specific captures done by the fleet along the coast. This study describes fishery biology aspects of the shark species catched by the semi-industrial long-line fleet of Manzanillo. Monthly samplings were made on board of these vessels during an annual period from April 2006 to April 2007. Captured species composition (n=1 962 organisms was represented by nine species. The one

Evaluación de dos especies de Leucaena, asociadas a Brachiaria brizantha y Clitoria ternatea en un sistema silvopastoril de Nayarit, México: I. Comportamiento agronómico Evaluation of two Leucaena species, associated to Brachiaria brizantha and Clitoria ternatea in a silvopastoral system from Nayarit, Mexico: I. Agronomic performance

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J Bugarín

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Con el objetivo de evaluar el comportamiento agronómico de dos especies de Leucaena, asociadas a Brachiaria brizantha y Clitoria ternatea en un sistema silvopastoril en la llanura costera norte del estado de Nayarit, en México, se desarrolló la presente investigación. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro repeticiones por tratamiento (proporción de leguminosa:gramínea: 1 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha (30:70; 2 L. glauca-B. brizantha (30:70; 3 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha- C. ternatea (28:52:20; 4 L. glauca-B. brizantha-C. ternatea (28:52:20; 5 B. brizantha (100. Con una frecuencia mensual se midió el crecimiento de las especies arbóreas, además de la supervivencia y el comportamiento de la relación leguminosa:gramínea en el sistema. L. glauca mostró una mayor altura (66 cm y diámetro (0,98 cm cuando se combinó con brachiaria y clitoria, y L. leucocephala un mayor número de ramas (8,7 y altura (4,5 cm. En la sobrevivencia se observaron valores de 70 a 80% después de un año de implementado el sistema. De acuerdo con los resultados se concluye que la mezcla de las leguminosas arbóreas con C. ternatea y B. brizantha es una importante opción en las condiciones ecológicas del trópico seco mexicano.This study was conducted with the objective of evaluating the agronomic performance of two Leucaena species, associated to Brachiaria brizantha and Clitoria ternatea in a silvopastoral system in the northern coastal prairie of the Nayarit state, Mexico. A randomized block design was used with four repetitions per treatment (legume:grass proportion: 1 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha (30:70; 2 L. glauca-B. brizantha (30:70; 3 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha- C. ternatea (28:52:20; 4 L. glauca-B. brizantha-C. ternatea (28:52:20; 5 B. brizantha (100. Tree growth was measured on a monthly basis, in addition to survival and the performance of the legume:grass relationship in the system. L. glauca showed more height (66 cm and diameter

In vivo and in vitro antiplasmodial activities of some plants traditionally used in Guatemala against malaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Franssen, F F; Smeijsters, L J; Berger, I; Medinilla Aldana, B E

1997-07-01

We present an evaluation of the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic effects of four plants commonly used in Guatemalan folk medicine against malaria. Methanol extracts of Simarouba glauca D. C., Sansevieria guineensis Willd, Croton guatemalensis Lotsy, and Neurolaena lobata (L.)R.Br. significantly reduced parasitemias in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Dichloromethane fractions were screened for their cytotoxicities on Artemia salina (brine shrimp) larvae, and 50% inhibitory concentrations were determined for Plasmodium falciparum in in vitro cultures. Both chloroquine-susceptible and -resistant strains of P. falciparum were significantly inhibited by these extracts. Of all dichloromethane extracts, only the S. glauca cortex extract was considered to be toxic to nauplii of A. salina in the brine shrimp test.

The correct name for a subspecies of Oenothera fruticosa L. (Onagraceae

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Warren Wagner

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In 1978 when Straley adopted the name Oenothera fruticosa L. subsp. glauca (Michx. Straley for one of the two recognized subspecies of O. fruticosa it was the correct name for this taxon; however, since that time the botanical code has changed so that now an autonym is treated aspriority over the name or names of the same date and rank that established it. This change means that since 1981 O. fruticosa subsp. glauca was no longer the correct name. The appropriate combination for it is made here as O. fruticosa L. subsp. tetragona (Roth W.L. Wagner. Original material for the basionym, O. tetragona, is no longer extant so a neotype is designated.

The correct name for a subspecies of Oenothera fruticosa L. (Onagraceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Warren L

2014-01-01

In 1978 when Straley adopted the name Oenothera fruticosa L. subsp. glauca (Michx.) Straley for one of the two recognized subspecies of O. fruticosa it was the correct name for this taxon; however, since that time the botanical code has changed so that now an autonym is treated as having priority over the name or names of the same date and rank that established it. This change means that since 1981 O. fruticosa subsp. glauca was no longer the correct name. The appropriate combination for it is made here as O. fruticosa L. subsp. tetragona (Roth) W.L. Wagner. Original material for the basionym, O. tetragona, is no longer extant so a neotype is designated.

Mid-Atlantic elasmobranchs: Suitable metal scouts?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, Paulo; Tristão da Cunha, Regina; Rodrigues, Armindo dos Santos

2017-01-01

Heavy metals are a hazard to marine fauna and human health. In this study we assess stable isotopes and metal content in Prionace glauca and Isurus oxyrinchus and analyse these results within and among other species and across regions and geographical areas. Also, we evaluate their suitability, together with Raja clavata and Galeorhinus galeus, as Mid-Atlantic bioindicators. Prionace glauca and I. oxyrinchus shared the same trophic level in a pelagic food web and did not present significant differences between genders or metals, except for As. Arsenic and Hg accumulated while Cd and Pb were not detected. One I. oxyrinchus presented Hg values above regulatory limits. A high Hg exposure was associated with I. oxyrinchus since its maximum weekly intake was exceeded. Elasmobranchs can be used as metal sentinels, each presenting different key features which defines a good marine bioindicator, allowing long-term monitoring at different temporal and spatial scales. - Highlights: • We analysed P. glauca and I. oxyrinchus muscle from Mid-Atlantic. • We determined stable isotopes, trophic ecology and heavy metal content. • Results reflect bioaccumulation for As and Hg. • Oxyrinchus already presented Hg values above regulatory limits. • Mid-Atlantic elasmobranchs appear to be effective metal bioindicators.

Growth and reproduction respond differently to climate in three Neotropical tree species.

Science.gov (United States)

Alfaro-Sánchez, Raquel; Muller-Landau, Helene C; Wright, S Joseph; Camarero, J Julio

2017-06-01

The response of tropical forests to anthropogenic climate change is critically important to future global carbon budgets, yet remains highly uncertain. Here, we investigate how precipitation, temperature, solar radiation and dry- and wet-season lengths are related to annual tree growth, flower production, and fruit production in three moist tropical forest tree species using long-term datasets from tree rings and litter traps in central Panama. We also evaluated how growth, flower, and fruit production were interrelated. We found that growth was positively correlated with wet-season precipitation in all three species: Jacaranda copaia (r = 0.63), Tetragastris panamensis (r = 0.39) and Trichilia tuberculata (r = 0.39). Flowering and fruiting in Jacaranda were negatively related to current-year dry-season rainfall and positively related to prior-year dry-season rainfall. Flowering in Tetragastris was negatively related to current-year annual mean temperature while Trichilia showed no significant relationships of reproduction with climate. Growth was significantly related to reproduction only in Tetragastris, where it was positively related to previous year fruiting. Our results suggest that tree growth in moist tropical forest tree species is generally reduced by drought events such as those associated with strong El Niño events. In contrast, interannual variation in reproduction is not generally associated with growth and has distinct and species-specific climate responses, with positive effects of El Niño events in some species. Understanding these contrasting climate effects on tree growth and reproduction is critical to predicting changes in tropical forest dynamics and species composition under climate change.

Selection of Wild Plant Species from Organic Rice Field in Sumberngepoh Village in Malang as Attractant of Trichogramma spp. (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae

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Wahyu Kusumayanti Putri

2014-09-01

Full Text Available One of the actions in biological control is the use of parasitoid. Some wild plant species can attract those parasitoid. By the fact, the objective of this research are to select some of wild plant species attracting Trichogramma spp. These wild plant were belong to Asteraceae (Eupatorium odoratum, Bidens pilosa, Crassocephalum crepidioides and Mimosaceae (Parkia speciosa, Leucaena glauca, Mimosa pudica. Mass rearing of trichogramma spp. was prepared for those purpose. The selection were conducted by using four armed olfactometer. The percentage of the tested Trichogramma spp. attracted to the wild plant species was noted as well as their orientation duration to select the plant species. The difference of the mean of their orientation duration was analyzed statistically by T-Test. Both of plant familia can attract the parasitoid. This were the plant species that attracted Trichogramma spp. From the most attractive to the lowest one : B. pilosa 22 %, E. odoratum 18.6 %, M. pudica 18.2 %, C. crepidioides 13.8 %, P. speciosa 13.6 %, and L. glauca 13.6 %. For the orientation duration, this are the plant species that can attract the parasitoid from the fastest one to the slowest one : P. speciosa 45.5 seconds, C. crepidioides 46.2 seconds, L. glauca 49 seconds, E. odoratum 50.6 seconds , B. pilosa 53.4 seconds, and M. pudica 55.2 seconds. Keywords : Asteraceae, Mimosaceae, Trichogramma spp.

Wood Anatomy in Several Genera of Nigerian Annonaceae

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Olatunji Olusanya OLATUNJI

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The anatomical characteristic of the wood of Annona muricata, A. senegalensis, Xylopia aethiopica, A. glauca, A. squamosa, Cleistopholis patens, Monodora tenuifolia and Greenwayodendron suaviolis were investigated in search of their stable taxonomic attribute. Thirty-two wood samples were collected from eight species of Annonnaceae (four specimens each. Fixation of the most healthy and fresh wood of each species was done using 500 ml of FAA (Formalin Acetic Acid and dehydrated in a series of ethanol while infiltration was done using tertiary-butyl-alcohol prepared in accordance with Johansen’s method. The sectioning was carried out with a rotary microtome and the slide containing the wood samples were examined using power shots s70 camera attached to computer. The results revealed several interesting wood anatomical features such as the presence of numerous fibre, ray cells, vessels, absence of axial parenchyma in some species, growth ring ranges from distinct to indistinct. Rays are composed of upright cells in A. muricata, fibre tracheid are also uncommon in A. muricata but common in G. suaviolis. Axial parenchyma are common in A. glauca and A. squamosa but absent in other species. The wood structure of A. glauca and A. squamosa are similar to that of C. patens, but the absence of axial parenchyma distinguished it from them. The results are important in understanding the relationships between and within the species.

Biología reproductiva de cinco especies ornitófilas en un fragmento de bosque caducifolio secundario en Venezuela

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C Grases

1998-12-01

Full Text Available La biología floral, biología de polinización y sistema de apareamiento fueron estudiados en dos especies nativas y tres especies introducidas presentes en un fragmento de bosque caducifolio secundario en Venezuela. Todas las especies estudiadas presentaron corolas tubulares, largas y estrechas; predominando los colores rojos. La antesis de todas las especies fue diurna, entre las 04:00 y las 11:00. La producción de néctar fue alta, excepto para Salvia coccinea (Lamiaceae (nativa. Nicotiana glauca (Solanaceae (nativa y Erythrina mitis (Fabaceae (introducida compartían sus polinizadores Chlorostilbon mellisugus y Amazilia tobaci (Apodiformes, Throchilidae. S. coccinea recibió visitas legítimas de Heliconius erato (Lepidóptera. Kalanchöe daigremontiana y K. pinnata (Crassulaceae (exóticas no recibieron ninguna visita legítima. Todas las especies fueron hermafroditas. K. daigremontiana y K. pinnata resultaron xenógamas obligadas; mientras S. coccinea, N. glauca y E. mitis resultaron parcialmente autocompatibles no autógamas. Las cinco especies mostraron una alta a-signación de biomasa total con respecto a otros sistemas de polinización. La a-signación de biomasa reproductiva fue siempre menor a las asignaciones de biomasa de atracción y de biomasa vegetativa floral. La asignación de biomasa masculina fue mayor que la femenina para N. glauca, S. coccinea y E. mitis, y menor para K. daigremontiana y K. pinnata. Las especies introducidas no parecen afectar notoriamente las eficiencias reproductivas de las especies nativas. Las eficiencias reproductivas de las especies nativas fueron superiores a las de las especies introducidas. Las eficiencias reproductivas de las especies introducidas resultaron bajas, debido a que se encuentran afectadas por la ausencia de sus polinizadores naturales.The floral biology, the pollination biology and the mating system were studied in two native and three introduced species of an arboretum in

Targeted isolation, sequence assembly and characterization of two white spruce (Picea glauca BAC clones for terpenoid synthase and cytochrome P450 genes involved in conifer defence reveal insights into a conifer genome

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Ritland Carol

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conifers are a large group of gymnosperm trees which are separated from the angiosperms by more than 300 million years of independent evolution. Conifer genomes are extremely large and contain considerable amounts of repetitive DNA. Currently, conifer sequence resources exist predominantly as expressed sequence tags (ESTs and full-length (FLcDNAs. There is no genome sequence available for a conifer or any other gymnosperm. Conifer defence-related genes often group into large families with closely related members. The goals of this study are to assess the feasibility of targeted isolation and sequence assembly of conifer BAC clones containing specific genes from two large gene families, and to characterize large segments of genomic DNA sequence for the first time from a conifer. Results We used a PCR-based approach to identify BAC clones for two target genes, a terpene synthase (3-carene synthase; 3CAR and a cytochrome P450 (CYP720B4 from a non-arrayed genomic BAC library of white spruce (Picea glauca. Shotgun genomic fragments isolated from the BAC clones were sequenced to a depth of 15.6- and 16.0-fold coverage, respectively. Assembly and manual curation yielded sequence scaffolds of 172 kbp (3CAR and 94 kbp (CYP720B4 long. Inspection of the genomic sequences revealed the intron-exon structures, the putative promoter regions and putative cis-regulatory elements of these genes. Sequences related to transposable elements (TEs, high complexity repeats and simple repeats were prevalent and comprised approximately 40% of the sequenced genomic DNA. An in silico simulation of the effect of sequencing depth on the quality of the sequence assembly provides direction for future efforts of conifer genome sequencing. Conclusion We report the first targeted cloning, sequencing, assembly, and annotation of large segments of genomic DNA from a conifer. We demonstrate that genomic BAC clones for individual members of multi-member gene

Targeted isolation, sequence assembly and characterization of two white spruce (Picea glauca) BAC clones for terpenoid synthase and cytochrome P450 genes involved in conifer defence reveal insights into a conifer genome.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamberger, Björn; Hall, Dawn; Yuen, Mack; Oddy, Claire; Hamberger, Britta; Keeling, Christopher I; Ritland, Carol; Ritland, Kermit; Bohlmann, Jörg

2009-08-06

Conifers are a large group of gymnosperm trees which are separated from the angiosperms by more than 300 million years of independent evolution. Conifer genomes are extremely large and contain considerable amounts of repetitive DNA. Currently, conifer sequence resources exist predominantly as expressed sequence tags (ESTs) and full-length (FL)cDNAs. There is no genome sequence available for a conifer or any other gymnosperm. Conifer defence-related genes often group into large families with closely related members. The goals of this study are to assess the feasibility of targeted isolation and sequence assembly of conifer BAC clones containing specific genes from two large gene families, and to characterize large segments of genomic DNA sequence for the first time from a conifer. We used a PCR-based approach to identify BAC clones for two target genes, a terpene synthase (3-carene synthase; 3CAR) and a cytochrome P450 (CYP720B4) from a non-arrayed genomic BAC library of white spruce (Picea glauca). Shotgun genomic fragments isolated from the BAC clones were sequenced to a depth of 15.6- and 16.0-fold coverage, respectively. Assembly and manual curation yielded sequence scaffolds of 172 kbp (3CAR) and 94 kbp (CYP720B4) long. Inspection of the genomic sequences revealed the intron-exon structures, the putative promoter regions and putative cis-regulatory elements of these genes. Sequences related to transposable elements (TEs), high complexity repeats and simple repeats were prevalent and comprised approximately 40% of the sequenced genomic DNA. An in silico simulation of the effect of sequencing depth on the quality of the sequence assembly provides direction for future efforts of conifer genome sequencing. We report the first targeted cloning, sequencing, assembly, and annotation of large segments of genomic DNA from a conifer. We demonstrate that genomic BAC clones for individual members of multi-member gene families can be isolated in a gene-specific fashion. The

INTERGROWTH-21st Gestational Dating and Fetal and Newborn Growth Standards in Peri-Urban Nairobi, Kenya: Quasi-Experimental Implementation Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Millar, Kathryn; Patel, Suha; Munson, Meghan; Vesel, Linda; Subbiah, Shalini; Jones, Rachel M; Little, Sarah; Papageorghiou, Aris T; Villar, Jose; Wegner, Mary Nell; Pearson, Nick; Muigai, Faith; Ongeti, Catherine; Langer, Ana

2018-06-22

The burden of preterm birth, fetal growth impairment, and associated neonatal deaths disproportionately falls on low- and middle-income countries where modern obstetric tools are not available to date pregnancies and monitor fetal growth accurately. The INTERGROWTH-21 st gestational dating, fetal growth monitoring, and newborn size at birth standards make this possible. To scale up the INTERGROWTH-21 st standards, it is essential to assess the feasibility and acceptability of their implementation and their effect on clinical decision-making in a low-resource clinical setting. This study protocol describes a pre-post, quasi-experimental implementation study of the standards at Jacaranda Health, a maternity hospital in peri-urban Nairobi, Kenya. All women with viable fetuses receiving antenatal and delivery services, their resulting newborns, and the clinicians caring for them from March 2016 to March 2018 are included. The study comprises a 12-month preimplementation phase, a 12-month implementation phase, and a 5-month post-implementation phase to be completed in August 2018. Quantitative clinical and qualitative data collected during the preimplementation and implementation phases will be assessed. A clinician survey was administered eight months into the implementation phase, month 20 of the study. Implementation outcomes include quantitative and qualitative analyses of feasibility, acceptability, adoption, appropriateness, fidelity, and penetration of the standards. Clinical outcomes include appropriateness of referral and effect of the standards on clinical care and decision-making. Descriptive analyses will be conducted, and comparisons will be made between pre- and postimplementation outcomes. Qualitative data will be analyzed using thematic coding and compared across time. The study was approved by the Amref Ethics and Scientific Review Committee (Kenya) and the Harvard University Institutional Review Board. Study results will be shared with stakeholders

Effect of pre- and post-heading waterlogging on growth and grain yield of four millets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asana Matsuura

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Seeds of Panicum miliaceum, Panicum sumatrense, Setaria glauca, and Setaria italica were raised in polyvinylchloride tubes filled with soil to determine interspecific differences in waterlogging tolerance and the effect of pre- and post-heading waterlogging on growth and grain yield. Four treatments were conducted including control (no-waterlogging stress during growth. Pre-heading waterlogging treatment was initiated 17 days after sowing to heading (TC. Post-heading waterlogging treatment was initiated heading till harvest (CT. Waterlogging treatment was initiated 17 days after sowing to harvesting (TT. The grain yield of P. miliaceum, S. glauca, and S. italica decreased 16, 18, and 4%, while that of P. sumatrense increased 210% under TT treatment and this showed P. sumatrense had most waterlogging tolerance. The grain yield was more affected under TC treatment in S. italica and P. miliaceum. However, there was not significant differences the grain yield between TC and CT treatment in P. sumatrense and S. glauca. Total dry weight, total root dry weight, number of crown root, and the proportion of lysigenous aerenchyma of P. sumatrense were significantly higher than those of other millets at harvesting. Plant growth rate, total root dry weight, number of crown root, and the proportion of lysigenous aerenchyma of P. sumatrense were significantly higher than those of other millets at heading. These results suggest that P. sumatrense exhibits waterlogging tolerance by enhancing root growth characterized by a high proportion of lysigenous aerenchyma in the crown root.

Floral Morphology and Some Other Characteristics of Iso-genomic Alloplasmics of Nicotianatabacum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berbec A

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Cytoplasms of several Nicotiana species - N. amplexicaulis, N. bigelovii, N. debneyi, N. eastii, N. exigua, N. glauca, N. glutinosa, N. goodspeedii, N. knightiana, N. occidentalis, N. plumbaginifolia, N. raimondii, N. suaveolens, N. undulata - were bred into the N. tabacum genomic background of flue cured tobacco cv. Zamojska 4. The collection includes also a cytoplasmic male sterile (cms analogue of cv. Zamojska 4 with mutated cytoplasm of N. tabacum. Some of the alloplasmics were originally obtained in this laboratory (N. amplexicaulis, N. eastii, N. exigua, N. glauca, N. knightiana, N. raimondii. The remaining ones were acquired from other laboratories and backcrossed into Zamojska 4. All alien cytoplasms except that of N. knightiana produced full male sterility in Zamojska 4. The extent of male organ modifications varied from complete absence of stamens (N. suaveolens, N. tabacum to petaloid and stigmatoid structures (most common effect to malformed stamens (N. amplexicaulis, N. glauca to apparently normal stamens (N. raimondii, N. knightiana. The majority of the alloplasmics showed response to tentoxin that was compatible with the cytoplasm donor. The exceptions were those involving N. exigua, N. raimondii, (N. raimondii I, and the cytoplasmic mutant of N. tabacum. There was some variation in growth and morphology among the alloplasmic variants of Zamojska 4. Under field infestation alloplasmics with the cytoplasm of N. plumbaginifoliaand N. eastiishowed symptoms of blue mold whereas the remaining alloplasmics and cv. Zamojska 4 were highly tolerant of that disease.

Regular article

African Journals Online (AJOL)

手塚　孝弘

2013-04-10

Apr 10, 2013 ... sionally on the cotyledons and first and second leaves, but generally ... Kanagawa, Japan) and vermiculite (Nittai Co., Osaka, Japan) and were grown in a ..... cDNA clone from genetic tumors formed on a Nicotiana glauca-N.

Forage intake and weight gain of ewes is affected by roughage mixes during winter in northeastern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Zhiming; Wang, Yunbo; Yuan, Xia; Wang, Ling; Wang, Deli

2017-08-01

We studied the effect of dietary roughage species and their combinations on forage intake and growth rate of ewes during winter in a pastoral-farming area of northeast China. Twenty-five Northeast crossbred ewes (fine-wool sheep × Small-tailed Han sheep) were randomly selected and divided into five groups (G1, G2, G3, G4 and G5). During a 30 day feeding trial, each group of ewes were offered the same basal diet (composed of 0.36 kg chopped maize stalk (10 mm), 0.14 kg corn meal, 0.05 kg soybean meal and 1.2 g NaCl) and one of the five supplementary roughage mixes, namely 100% Leymus chinensis hay (G1), 100% Vigna radiata stalk (G2), L. chinensis hay plus Suaeda glauca (G3), V. radiata stalk plus S. glauca (G4) and L. chinensis hay plus V. radiata stalk and S. glauca (G5). The results showed that roughage mixes had significant influences on daily roughage intake and daily weight gain of ewes. Ewes had greater daily roughage intake when supplemented with three species of roughage compared to the roughage with one species; however, there was no significant difference between G1 and G2, G3 and G4, or between G4 and G5. The average daily gain of ewes was also greater when they were supplemented with the roughage combination of L. chinensis, V. radiata stalk and S. glauca. No difference in average daily weight gain was observed between the G4 and G5 treatments (P > 0.05). The lowest average daily weight gain was observed when the ewes were supplemented with V. radiata stalk alone (G2) (P ewes with various roughages simultaneously in winter could improve their forage intake and average daily weight gain compared to offering the ewes only one type of dietary roughage. Further, feeding roughage supplements containing a diverse mix of roughage species represents one method for increasing roughage utilization in livestock production during winter in the pastoral-farming areas of northeastern China. © 2016 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

Total mercury in sharks along the southern Brazilian Coast Mercúrio total em tubarões capturados na costa brasileira

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E.T. Mársico

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Pesquisou-se a concentração de mercúrio total na porção muscular de 39 exemplares de tubarões de três diferentes espécies Prionace glauca, Isurus oxyrhynchus, Sphyrna zygaena, capturados na costa sul do Brasil, Santa Catarina. O teor de mercúrio foi determinado por espectrofotometria de absorção atômica por vapor frio. Observou-se ampla variação na concentração de mercúrio total com valor individual máximo excedendo o limite estabelecido pela legislação brasileira, de 1.0µg.g-1 em um exemplar fêmea de P. glauca. Nessa espécie, a concentração de Hg-total aumentou proporcionalmente ao comprimento total (r=0,62; P<0,0001. Não foi evidenciada diferença estatisticamente significativa entre exemplares fêmeas e machos.

Phytoremediation of arsenic in submerged soil by wetland plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Jomjun, Nateewattana; Siripen, Trichaiyaporn; Maliwan, Saeouy; Jintapat, Nateewattana; Prasak, Thavornyutikarn; Somporn, Choonluchanon; Petch, Pengchai

2011-01-01

Wetland aquatic plants including Canna glauca L., Colocasia esculenta L. Schott, Cyperus papyrus L. and Typha angustifolia L. were used in the phytoremediation of submerged soil polluted by arsenic (As). Cyperus papyrus L. was noticed as the largest biomass producer which has arsenic accumulation capacity of 130-172 mg As/kg plant. In terms of arsenic removal rate, however, Colocasia esculenta L. was recognized as the largest and fastest arsenic remover in this study. Its arsenic removal rate was 68 mg As/m2/day while those rates of Canna glauca L., Cyperus papyrus L. and Typha angustifolia L. were 61 mg As/m2/day, 56 mg As/m2/day, and 56 mg As/m2/day, respectively. Although the 4 aquatic plants were inferior in arsenic accumulation, their high arsenic removal rates were observed. Phytostabilization should be probable for the application of these plants.

A plant genetically modified that accumulates Pb is especially promising for phytoremediation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gisbert, Carmina; Ros, Roc; Haro, Antonio de; Walker, David J.; Pilar Bernal, M.; Serrano, Ramon; Navarro-Avino, Juan

2003-01-01

From a number of wild plant species growing on soils highly contaminated by heavy metals in Eastern Spain, Nicotiana glauca R. Graham (shrub tobacco) was selected for biotechnological modification, because it showed the most appropriate properties for phytoremediation. This plant has a wide geographic distribution, is fast-growing with a high biomass, and is repulsive to herbivores. Following Agrobacterium mediated transformation, the induction and overexpression of a wheat gene encoding phytochelatin synthase (TaPCS1) in this particular plant greatly increased its tolerance to metals such as Pb and Cd, developing seedling roots 160% longer than wild type plants. In addition, seedlings of transformed plants grown in mining soils containing high levels of Pb (1572 ppm) accumulated double concentration of this heavy metal than wild type. These results indicate that the transformed N. glauca represents a highly promising new tool for use in phytoremediation efforts

La pesquería de tiburones oceánicos-costeros en los litorales de Colima, Jalisco y Michoacán

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Angélica Cruz

2011-06-01

Full Text Available La pesquería de tiburón es una de las más importantes en el Pacífico mexicano, en la actualidad no se cuentan con los datos de la composición específica de las capturas de las diferentes flotas. En el presente trabajo se describen aspectos biológicos-pesqueros de las especies de tiburón, capturadas por la flota palangrera de mediana altura del puerto de Manzanillo, en un periodo anual de abril 2006-abril 2007, los muestreos se realizaron mensualmente a bordo de estas embarcaciones. La composición de las capturas estuvo representada por nueve especies (n=1 962, de las cuales Carcharhinus falciformis (Bibron, 1839 (88.12% sostiene esta pesquería y en segundo lugar Prionace glauca (Linnaeus, 1758 (8.21%. Las especies poco frecuentes fueron Sphyrna zygaena (Linnaeus, 1758 con (1.78%, Alopias pelagicus (Nakamura, 1935 (0.82%, Carcharhinus longimanus (Poey, 1861 (0.45%, Alopias superciliosus (Lowe, 1839 (0.35%, Carcharhinus leucas (Valenciennes, 1839 (0.1%, Carcharhinus limbatus (Valenciennes, 1839 (0.1% é Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810 (0.05%. La fecundidad estimada para C. falciformis fue de 3-7 crías/hembra con tallas de 30-45cm LT; 40.57+2.03cm LT y P. glauca con 5-52 crías/hembra, con tallas de 5-18.6cm LT; 11.61±0.21cm LT. Por lo tanto se asume que C. falciformis presenta un ciclo concurrente y P. glauca probablemente un ciclo bianual consecutivo.

From Microhabitat of Floral Nectar Up to Biogeographic Scale: Novel Insights on Neutral and Niche Bacterial Assemblies.

Science.gov (United States)

Aizenberg-Gershtein, Yana; Izhaki, Ido; Halpern, Malka

2017-07-01

Microbial model systems are very useful in addressing macro-ecological questions. Two major theories exist to date, to explain the community structure of organisms: (1) the dispersal (neutral) assembly theory which predicts that community similarity decreases with increasing geographic distance, independent of any environmental variables, and (2) the niche assembly theory which predicts that the communities' compositions are more homogeneous among sites characterized by similar environmental conditions. Our study system offered a unique opportunity to investigate the relative role of environmental conditions and spatial factors in shaping community composition. We explored the bacterial community composition (BCC) of Nicotiana glauca floral nectar using the Illumina MiSeq technique at three spatial scales (plants, site, and region) and two taxonomic levels. Floral nectar samples were collected from 69 N. glauca plants at 11 different sites along a 200-km transect in Israel, along three biogeographic regions. A distance decay of BCC was found among all plants throughout Israel, but such pattern was not found among either sites or biogeographical regions. The BCC was also governed by environmental conditions in all examined scales (from the plant up to the biogeographical region). We also found that taxonomic resolution (89 and 97% sequence identity for clustering operational taxonomic units) affected the results of these BCC analyses. Hence, our study revealed that the BCC in N. glauca floral nectar is shaped by both the environmental conditions and the distance between plants, depending on the sampling scale under examination as well as by taxonomic resolution.

Climate sensitivity of reproduction in a mast-seeding boreal conifer across its distributional range from lowland to treeline forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Roland, Carl A; Schmidt, Joshua H; Johnstone, Jill F

2014-03-01

Mast-seeding conifers such as Picea glauca exhibit synchronous production of large seed crops over wide areas, suggesting climate factors as possible triggers for episodic high seed production. Rapidly changing climatic conditions may thus alter the tempo and spatial pattern of masting of dominant species with potentially far-reaching ecological consequences. Understanding the future reproductive dynamics of ecosystems including boreal forests, which may be dominated by mast-seeding species, requires identifying the specific cues that drive variation in reproductive output across landscape gradients and among years. Here we used annual data collected at three sites spanning an elevation gradient in interior Alaska, USA between 1986 and 2011 to produce the first quantitative models for climate controls over both seedfall and seed viability in P. glauca, a dominant boreal conifer. We identified positive associations between seedfall and increased summer precipitation and decreased summer warmth in all years except for the year prior to seedfall. Seed viability showed a contrasting response, with positive correlations to summer warmth in all years analyzed except for one, and an especially positive response to warm and wet conditions in the seedfall year. Finally, we found substantial reductions in reproductive potential of P. glauca at high elevation due to significantly reduced seed viability there. Our results indicate that major variation in the reproductive potential of this species may occur in different landscape positions in response to warming, with decreasing reproductive success in areas prone to drought stress contrasted with increasing success in higher elevation areas currently limited by cool summer temperatures.

History of fire and Douglas-fir establishment in a savanna and sagebrush-grassland mosaic, southwestern Montana, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Emily K. Heyerdahl; Richard F. Miller; Russell A. Parsons

2006-01-01

Over the past century, trees have encroached into grass- and shrublands across western North America. These include Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) encroaching into mountain big sagebrush Nutt. ssp. vaseyana (Rydb.) Beetle) from stable islands of savanna in...

Vulnerability of white spruce tree growth in interior Alaska in response to climate variability: dendrochronological, demographic, and experimental perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

A.D. McGuire; R.W. Ruess; A. Lloyd; J. Yarie; J.S. Clein; G.P. Juday

2010-01-01

This paper integrates dendrochronological, demographic, and experimental perspectives to improve understanding of the response of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) tree growth to climatic variability in interior Alaska. The dendrochronological analyses indicate that climate warming has led to widespread declines in white spruce growth...

Spatial ecology of blue shark and shortfin mako in southern Peru: local abundance, habitat preferences and implications for conservation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adams, Grant D.; Flores, Daniel; Flores, Oscar Galindo

2016-01-01

While global declines of pelagic shark populations have been recognized for several years, conservation efforts remain hampered by a poor understanding of the spatial distribution and ecology. Two species of conservation concern are the blue shark Prionace glauca and the shortfin mako shark Isuru...

Validation of molecular markers associated with perpetual flowering in octoploid Fragaria germplasm

Science.gov (United States)

Perpetual flowering (PF) is a highly desirable trait within cultivated strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) for the commercial and home garden markets. The most widely used source of the PF trait was originally introgressed from a wild Fragaria virginiana subsp. glauca accession collected in the Wasatc...

Structure and resilience of fungal communities in Alaskan boreal forest soils

Science.gov (United States)

D. Lee Taylor; Ian C. Herriott; Kelsie E. Stone; Jack W. McFarland; Michael G. Booth; Mary Beth Leigh

2010-01-01

This paper outlines molecular analyses of soil fungi within the Bonanza Creek Long Term Ecological Research program. We examined community structure in three studies in mixed upland, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP), and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) forests and examined taxa involved in cellulose...

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Journal of Biosciences. Samira Mansour. Articles written in Journal of Biosciences. Volume 38 Issue 4 November 2013 pp 815-823 Review. Casuarina glauca: A model tree for basic research in actinorhizal symbiosis · Chonglu Zhong Samira Mansour Mathish Nambiar-Veetil Didier Bogusz Claudine ...

Phenology of Lymantria monacha (Lepidoptera:Lymantriidae) laboratory reared on spruce foliage or a newly developed artificial diet

Science.gov (United States)

Melody A. Keena; Alice Vandel; Oldrich. Pultar

2010-01-01

Lymantria monacha (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) is a Eurasian pest of conifers that has potential for accidental introduction into North America. The phenology over the entire life cycle for L. monacha individuals from the Czech Republic was compared on Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (white spruce) and a newly...

Guioa cav. (Sapindaceae): Taxonomy, phylogeny, and historical biogeography

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Welzen, van P.C.

1989-01-01

A monograph of the genus Guioa Cav. (Sapindaceae) is presented. 64 species are recognized; one species, Guioa subfalcata, is regarded as a dubious species. A general key and several regional keys provide access to the species. One species, Guioa glauca, is subdivided into two varieties. The

Stocktype and vegetative competition influences on Pseudotsuga menziesii and Larix occidentalis seedling establishment

Science.gov (United States)

Jeremiah R. Pinto; Bridget A. McNassar; Olga A. Kildisheva; Anthony S. Davis

2018-01-01

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mayr) Franco), and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) are species of ecological and commercial importance that occur throughout the Western United States. Effective reforestation of these species relies on successful seedling establishment, which is affected by planting stock quality, stocktype size, and...

Performance of the Forest Vegetation Simulator in managed white spruce plantations influenced by eastern spruce budworm in northern Minnesota

Science.gov (United States)

Matthew B. Russell; Anthony W. D' Amato; Michael A. Albers; Christopher W. Woodall; Klaus J. Puettmann; Michael R. Saunders; Curtis L. VanderSchaaf

2015-01-01

Silvicultural strategies such as thinning may minimize productivity losses from a variety of forest disturbances, including forest insects. This study analyzed the 10-year postthinning response of stands and individual trees in thinned white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) plantations in northern Minnesota, USA, with light to moderate defoliation...

The Fetal Cleft palate: V. Elucidation of the Mechanism of Palatal Clefting in the Congenital Caprine Model

Science.gov (United States)

Maternal ingestion of Nicotiana glauca from gestation days 32 through 41 results in a high incidence of cleft palate in Spanish goats. This caprine cleft palate model was used to evaluate the temporal sequence of palatal shelf fusion throughout the period of cleft induction with the poisonous plant...

Nieuwe vondsten van Eragrostis minor Host, E. pilosa (L.) Beauv. en andere van oorsprong adventieve grassen in 1982

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongepier, J.W.

1983-01-01

As additions to a previous paper by the same author (Jongepier, 1982) some new localities, mostly in the province of Zeeland, are given for Eragrostis minor Host, E. pilosa (L.)Beauv., Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv., S. verlicillata (L.) Beauv. and Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers., based on records during

Soil compaction and organic matter affect conifer seedling nonmycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal root tip abundance and diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Michael P. Amaranthus; Debbie Page-Dumroese; Al Harvey; Efren Cazares; Larry F. Bednar

1996-01-01

Three levels of organic matter removal (bole only; bole and crowns; and bole, crowns, and forest floor) and three levels of mechanical soil compaction (no compaction, moderate compaction, and severe soil compaction) were studied as they influence Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) and western white...

Assessing the bioconfinement potential of a Nicotiana hybrid platform for use in plant molecular farming applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Rice, J Hollis; Mundell, Richard E; Millwood, Reginald J; Chambers, Orlando D; Stewart, C Neal; Davies, H Maelor

2013-08-06

The introduction of pharmaceutical traits in tobacco for commercial production could benefit from the utilization of a transgene bioconfinement system. It has been observed that interspecific F1Nicotiana hybrids (Nicotiana tabacum × Nicotiana glauca) are sterile and thus proposed that hybrids could be suitable bioconfined hosts for biomanufacturing. We genetically tagged hybrids with green fluorescent protein (GFP), which was used as a visual marker to enable gene flow tracking and quantification for field and greenhouse studies. GFP was used as a useful proxy for pharmaceutical transgenes. Analysis of DNA content revealed significant genomic downsizing of the hybrid relative to that of N. tabacum. Hybrid pollen was capable of germination in vitro, albeit with a very low frequency and with significant differences between plants. In two field experiments, one each in Tennessee and Kentucky, we detected outcrossing at only one location (Tennessee) at 1.4%. Additionally, from 50 hybrid plants at each field site, formation of 84 and 16 seed was observed, respectively. Similar conclusions about hybrid fertility were drawn from greenhouse crosses. In terms of above-ground biomass, the hybrid yield was not significantly different than that of N. tabacum in the field. N. tabacum × N. glauca hybrids show potential to contribute to a bioconfinement- and biomanufacturing host system. Hybrids exhibit extremely low fertility with no difference of green biomass yields relative to N. tabacum. In addition, hybrids are morphologically distinguishable from tobacco allowing for identity preservation. This hybrid system for biomanufacturing would optimally be used where N. glauca is not present and in physical isolation of N. tabacum production to provide total bioconfinement.

Some observations on age relationships in spruce-fir regeneration

Science.gov (United States)

Barton M. Blum

1973-01-01

Measurement of the ages of seedlings of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L) Mill.), red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) 15 years after the first harvest of a two-cut shelterwood operation revealed that very few potential crop-tree seedlings in the sample occurred as advance...

Dicty_cDB: SHH135 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available and phloem from mature trees Picea glauca cDNA clone GenomeQuebec_Id:GQ00610_L03 5', mRNA sequence. 44 1e-0...RNA, partial cds. 1265 0.0 1 DV977319 |DV977319.1 GQ00610.B3.1_L03 GQ006: Cambium

Confirmation of the occurrence of a second killer whale morphotype ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Although dietary information is scant, one stomach contained the remains of several elasmobranchs, identified from a DNA subsample as blue sharks Prionace glauca, a dietary item that, if habitual, might account for the tooth wear. This morphotype, referred to here as 'flat-toothed' and which in several respects resembles ...

Symbiotic and nonsymbiotic hemoglobin genes of Casuarina glauca

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jacobsen-Lyon, K; Jensen, Erik Østergaard; Jørgensen, Jan-Elo

1995-01-01

Frankia. Both the nonsymbiotic and symbiotic genes retained their specific patterns of expression when introduced into the legume Lotus corniculatus. We interpret this finding to mean that the controls of expression of the symbiotic gene in Casuarina must be similar to the controls of expression...... of the leghemoglobin genes that operate in nodules formed during the interaction between rhizobia and legumes. Deletion analyses of the promoters of the Casuarina symbiotic genes delineated a region that contains nodulin motifs identified in legumes; this region is critical for the controlled expression...... of the Casuarina gene. The finding that the nonsymbiotic Casuarina gene is also correctly expressed in L. corniculatus suggests to us that a comparable non-symbiotic hemoglobin gene will be found in legume species. Udgivelsesdato: 1995-Feb...

Response of Lutz, Sitka, and white spruce to attack by Dendroctonus rufipennis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) and blue stain fungi

Science.gov (United States)

Richard A. Werner; Barbara L. Illman

1994-01-01

Mechanical wounding and wounding plus inoculation with a blue-stain fungus, Leptographium abietinum (Peck), associated with the spruce beetle, Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby), caused an induced reaction zone or lesion around the wound sites in Lutz spruce, Picea lutzii Little, Sitka spruce, P. sitchensis (Bong.) Carr., and white spruce, P. glauca (Moench) Voss, in...

Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

C. glauca can grow in difficult sites, colonize eroded lands and improve their fertility, thereby enabling the subsequent growth of more demanding plant species. As a result, this tree is increasingly used for reforestation and reclamation of degraded lands in tropical and subtropical areas such as China and Egypt. Many tools ...

Compilation of 1992 Annual Reports of the Navy ELF Communications System Ecological Monitoring Program. Volume 2. Tabs C - F

Science.gov (United States)

1993-08-01

Picea glauca, and Pinus resinosus. Centaurea maculosa has increased since 1983 until it is now the most I abundant flowering plant on the hill. Also...population of Centaurea maculosa that bloomed in late July, in spite of the drought and hot temperatures. ThisI plant was not as abundant at the F2

Establishment and growth of white spruce on a boreal forest floodplain: interactions between microclimate and mammalian herbivory

Science.gov (United States)

Amy C. Angell; Knut. Kielland

2009-01-01

White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) is a dominant species in late-successional ecosystems along the Tanana River, interior Alaska, and the most important commercial timber species in these boreal floodplain forests. Whereas white spruce commonly seed in on young terraces in early primary succession, the species does not become a conspicuous...

Age, growth and reproductive biology of the blue shark Prionace ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The age, growth and reproductive biology of the blue shark Prionace glauca from South African waters were assessed using 205 specimens, ranging in total length (TL) from 72 to 313 cm. Greater number of males (120) than females (85) were examined as they were more frequently caught. Age and growth parameters ...

The extent of population genetic subdivision differs among four co-distributed shark species in the Indo-Australian archipelago

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Giles Jenny

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The territorial fishing zones of Australia and Indonesia are contiguous to the north of Australia in the Timor and Arafura Seas and in the Indian Ocean to the north of Christmas Island. The area surrounding the shared boundary consists of a variety of bio-diverse marine habitats including shallow continental shelf waters, oceanic trenches and numerous offshore islands. Both countries exploit a variety of fisheries species, including whaler (Carcharhinus spp. and hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna spp.. Despite their differences in social and financial arrangements, the two countries are motivated to develop complementary co-management practices to achieve resource sustainability. An essential starting point is knowledge of the degree of population subdivision, and hence fisheries stock status, in exploited species. Results Populations of four commercially harvested shark species (Carcharhinus obscurus, Carcharhinus sorrah, Prionace glauca, Sphyrna lewini were sampled from northern Australia and central Indonesia. Neutral genetic markers (mitochondrial DNA control region sequence and allelic variation at co-dominant microsatellite loci revealed genetic subdivision between Australian and Indonesian populations of C. sorrah. Further research is needed to address the possibility of genetic subdivision among C. obscurus populations. There was no evidence of genetic subdivision for P. glauca and S. lewini populations, but the sampling represented a relatively small part of their distributional range. For these species, more detailed analyses of population genetic structure is recommended in the future. Conclusion Cooperative management between Australia and Indonesia is the best option at present for P. glauca and S. lewini, while C. sorrah and C. obscurus should be managed independently. On-going research on these and other exploited shark and ray species is strongly recommended. Biological and ecological similarity between species may

Identification of factors influencing shark catch and mortality in the Marshall Islands tuna longline fishery and management implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bromhead, D; Clarke, S; Hoyle, S; Muller, B; Sharples, P; Harley, S

2012-04-01

Recent average annual catches of sharks by tuna longline vessels fishing in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) are estimated to be between 1583 and 2274 t. Although 22 shark species have been recorded by the observer programme for this fishery, 80% of the annual catch comprises only five species: blue shark Prionace glauca, silky shark Carcharhinus falciformis, bigeye thresher shark Alopias superciliosus, pelagic thresher shark Alopias pelagicus and oceanic whitetip shark Carcharhinus longimanus. Wire leaders (i.e. branch lines or traces) were also used by nearly all observed vessels. Generalized additive model (GAM)-based analyses of catch rates indicated that P. glauca and A. superciliosus are caught in higher numbers when vessels fish in relatively cooler waters, at night, close to the full moon, when the 27° C thermocline is close to the surface and during El Niño conditions. In contrast, C. falciformis, A. pelagicus and C. longimanus are caught in higher numbers when shark lines are used (all three species) or hooks are set at a shallow depth (A. pelagicus and C. longimanus and, also, P. glauca). These findings are generally consistent with current knowledge of these species' habitat preferences, movement and distribution. The results of these analyses were combined with information pertaining to shark condition and fate upon capture to compare the likely effectiveness of a range of potential measures for reducing shark mortality in the longline fishery. Of the options considered, the most effective would be to combine measures that reduce the catch rate (e.g. restrictions on the use of wire leaders, shark baits and shark lines) with measures that increase survival rates after post-capture release (e.g. finning bans). © 2012 Secrtariat of the Pacific Community. Journal of Fish Biology © 2012 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

An orange fluorescent protein tagging system for real-time pollen tracking.

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Rice, J Hollis; Millwood, Reginald J; Mundell, Richard E; Chambers, Orlando D; Abercrombie, Laura L; Davies, H Maelor; Stewart, C Neal

2013-09-27

Monitoring gene flow could be important for future transgenic crops, such as those producing plant-made-pharmaceuticals (PMPs) in open field production. A Nicotiana hybrid (Nicotiana. tabacum × Nicotiana glauca) shows limited male fertility and could be used as a bioconfined PMP platform. Effective assessment of gene flow from these plants is augmented with methods that utilize fluorescent proteins for transgenic pollen identification. We report the generation of a pollen tagging system utilizing an orange fluorescent protein to monitor pollen flow and as a visual assessment of transgene zygosity of the parent plant. This system was created to generate a tagged Nicotiana hybrid that could be used for the incidence of gene flow. Nicotiana tabacum 'TN 90' and Nicotiana glauca were successfully transformed via Agrobacterium tumefaciens to express the orange fluorescent protein gene, tdTomato-ER, in pollen and a green fluorescent protein gene, mgfp5-er, was expressed in vegetative structures of the plant. Hybrids were created that utilized the fluorescent proteins as a research tool for monitoring pollen movement and gene flow. Manual greenhouse crosses were used to assess hybrid sexual compatibility with N. tabacum, resulting in seed formation from hybrid pollination in 2% of crosses, which yielded non-viable seed. Pollen transfer to the hybrid formed seed in 19% of crosses and 10 out of 12 viable progeny showed GFP expression. The orange fluorescent protein is visible when expressed in the pollen of N. glauca, N. tabacum, and the Nicotiana hybrid, although hybrid pollen did not appear as bright as the parent lines. The hybrid plants, which show limited ability to outcross, could provide bioconfinement with the benefit of detectable pollen using this system. Fluorescent protein-tagging could be a valuable tool for breeding and in vivo ecological monitoring.

Geographical Variation in the Terpene Composition of the Leaf Oil of Douglas Fir,

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The two forms of Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii and var. glauca, differ quite considerably with regard to the monoterpenes of...their leaf oils. Several chemical races, differing quantitatively in certain monoterpenes , appear to exist in each variety and the leaf oil composition seems to be particularly useful in classifying intermediate forms. (Author)

Dicty_cDB: CHD758 [Dicty_cDB

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available nce. 38 0.29 2 CO488299 |CO488299.1 GQ02511.B3_K04 GQ025: Annual flush SHOOTS diurnal cycle- trees Picea gla...511.B3_O14 GQ025: Annual flush SHOOTS diurnal cycle- trees Picea glauca cDNA clone GQ02511_O14 5', mRNA sequ

Short Communication First documented southern transatlantic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The first documented recapture of a South African-tagged juvenile blue shark Prionace glauca off Uruguay lends weight to the hypothesis of a single blue shark population in the South Atlantic. The presence of neonate blue sharks with umbilical scars and females with post-parturition scars, as well as the high frequency of ...

Tree seed handling, processing, testing, and storage at Hayward State Nursery, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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Gordon Christians

2008-01-01

The Hayward State Nursery, Wisconsin grows more than 40 species from seeds. Up to 6000 bushels of raw unprocessed tree and shrub seeds are collected each year, and all seeds are collected in Wisconsin or adjacent states. All white spruce (Picea glauca) and some white pine seeds (Pinus strobus) are collected from orchards containing...

Grazing preference and utilization of soil fungi by Folsomia candida (Collembola)

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Hedenec, Petr; Frouz, Jan

2016-04-01

Soil fungi are important food resources for soil fauna. Here we ask whether the collembolan Folsomia candida shows selectivity in grazing between four saprophytic fungi (Penicillium chrysogenum, Penicillium expansum, Absidia glauca, and Cladosporium herbarum), whether grazing preference corresponds to effects on collembolan reproduction, and whether the effects of fungi on grazing and reproduction depends on the fungal substrate, which included three kinds of litter (Alnus glutinosa, Salix caprea, and Quercus robur) and one kind of agar (yeast extract). On agar, Cladosporium herbarum and Absidia glauca were the most preferred fungi and supported the highest collembolan reproduction. On fungal-colonized litter, grazing preference was more affected by litter type than by fungal species whereas collembolan reproduction was affected by both litter type and fungal species. On fungal-colonized litter, the litter type that was most preferred for grazing did not support the highest reproduction, i.e., there was an inconsistency between food preference and suitability. Alder and willow were preferred over oak for grazing, but alder supported the least reproduction.

Evaluación de dos especies de Leucaena, asociadas a Brachiaria brizantha y Clitoria ternatea en un sistema silvopastoril de Nayarit, México: II. Producción y composición bromatológica de la biomasa Evaluation of two Leucaena species, associated to Brachiaria brizantha and Clitoria ternatea in a silvopastoral system from Nayarit, Mexico: II. Biomass production and bromatological composition

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J Bugarín

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Con el objetivo de caracterizar la producción y la calidad nutricional de la biomasa en un sistema silvopastoril de la llanura costera norte del estado de Nayarit, México, se desarrolló la presente investigación. Los tratamientos fueron: 1 Leucaena leucocephala-B. brizantha (30:70; 2 Leucaena glauca-B. brizantha (30:70; 3 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha-C. ternatea (28:52:20; 4 L. glauca-B. brizantha-C. ternatea (28:52:20; 5 B. brizantha (100. Se estimó la producción de biomasa y se determinó: materia seca, cenizas, materia orgánica, proteína bruta, hemicelulosa y las fracciones de fibra ácido y neutro detergente. Los valores más bajos en cuanto a la producción de biomasa, a los seis meses de establecido el sistema, fueron para el testigo (0,78 t/ha, con diferencias significativas. A su vez, la combinación de las tres especies aportó los mejores resultados (1,64 y 1,69 t/ha para los tratamientos 3 y 4, respectivamente y a los nueve meses triplicaron la producción de biomasa. Hubo diferencias significativas en la composición bromatológica en todas las combinaciones evaluadas. No obstante, todas las especies mostraron características nutricionales adecuadas y constituyen una alternativa para los sistemas silvopastoriles tropicales en esta región.This study was conducted with the objective of characterizing the biomass production and nutritional quality in a silvopastoral system of the northern coastal plain of the Nayarit state, Mexico. The treatments were: 1 Leucaena leucocephala-B. brizantha (30:70; 2 Leucaena glauca-B. brizantha (30:70; 3 L. leucocephala-B. brizantha- C. ternatea (28:52:20; 4 L. glauca-B. brizantha-C. ternatea (28:52:20; 5 B. brizantha (100. The biomass production was estimated and the following indicators were determined: dry matter, ashes, organic matter, crude protein, hemicellulose and the fractions of acid and neutral detergent fiber. The lowest values regarding biomass production, six months after

SOMATIC MITOSES IN CELLS OF PICEA GLUCA CULTIVATED IN VITRO.

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RISSER, P G

1964-02-07

The cytology of one strain of tumor tissue from the spruce tree, Picea glauca, grown in vitro for more than a year was examined. The cells of this strain are characterized by a uniform chromosome number of 24, and the strain appears to be quite stable. The implications of the results of this study and previous studies on similar material are discussed.

Jenis dan Status Konservasi Ikan Hiu yang Tertangkap di Tempat Pelelangan Ikan (TPI Labuan Bajo, Manggarai Barat, Flores

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Ismail Syakurachman Alaydrus

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The study aimed to determine the types of sharks are caught, sold and conservation status in the fish auction place (TPI Labuan Bajo, West Manggarai, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara have been conducted in February and March 2014 in Labuan Bajo. The research method was the survey method and used Market Survey sampling techniques and identification by Rapid Assessment method. Descriptively analyzed data, displayed in the form of narration and a table. Based on the results of the study, found 114 individual sharks, 55 individual males, 59 females were classified into three orders, namely Orectolobiformes, Lamniformes, and Carcharhiniformes; 4 families that Carcharhinidae, Odontaspididae, Rhynchobatidae, and Ginglymostomatidae; 5 genera namely Carcharhinus, Triaenodon, Rhyncobatus, Prionace, and Rhizoprionodon and 9 types of sharks that Carcharhinus melanopterus, Triaenodon obesus, Carcharhinus limbatus, Carcharhinus taurus, Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos, Rhynchobatus australiae, Prionace glauca, Rhizoprionodon acutus, and Nebrius ferrugineus. Based on the state of conservation, shark found in Labuan Bajo TPI classified Vulnerable and Near Threatened, the dominant type of shark found is Carcharhinus melanopterus (91 fishes while the least was found is Rhynchobatus australiae, Prionace glauca, Rhizoprionodon acutus, and Nebrius ferrugineus (each 1 individual.

An Inventory of the Vascular Flora of Fort Greely, Interior Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

2001-02-01

Alnus tenuifolia Nutt. [= Alnus incana (L.) Moench ssp. tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung] Alnus viridis Vill. ssp. crispa (Ait.) A. Love & D. Love...Festuca rubra L., in part] Festuca saximontana Rydb. *Festuca vivipara (L.) Smith [= “Festuca vivipara”] Fragaria virginiana Duchesne ssp. glauca...tenuifolia (Nutt.) Breitung] Alnus viridis Vill. ssp. crispa (Ait.) A. Love & D. Love [= Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh ssp. crispa] Betula glandulosa Michx. Betula

Sterling C. Robertson Dam and Limestone Lake on the Navasota River, Texas (Leon, Limestone and Robertson Counties).

Science.gov (United States)

1976-04-01

flatsedge (Cyperus s p.) , and Spanish mulberry (Callicarpa americana). Common bottomland forest species included pecan ( Carya illinoensis ), post...ona-wiibT Bull Briar Smilax glauca Cat Greenbriar Salix nigra Black Willow Carya illinoensis Pecan Carya texana Black Hickory Q-erustlefata Post Oak... illinoensis ), post oak (Quercus stellata). hackberry (Ce/is sp.), elm (Ulmus sp.), and holly. Species common in the prairie site included Croton sp., prairie

In vivo and in vitro antiplasmodial activities of some plants traditionally used in Guatemala against malaria.

OpenAIRE

Franssen, F F; Smeijsters, L J; Berger, I; Medinilla Aldana, B E

1997-01-01

We present an evaluation of the antiplasmodial and cytotoxic effects of four plants commonly used in Guatemalan folk medicine against malaria. Methanol extracts of Simarouba glauca D. C., Sansevieria guineensis Willd, Croton guatemalensis Lotsy, and Neurolaena lobata (L.)R.Br. significantly reduced parasitemias in Plasmodium berghei-infected mice. Dichloromethane fractions were screened for their cytotoxicities on Artemia salina (brine shrimp) larvae, and 50% inhibitory concentrations were de...

Vitality structure of the populations of some weed species in crop sowings

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E. M. Tikhonova

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Features of development of populations of weed species (Cirsium arvense (L. Scop., Sonchus arvensis L., Melandium album (Mill. Garke, Setaria glauca (L. Beauv., Fallopia convolvulus (L. А. Lоve in most typical crops in the forest-steppe zone of the Sumy region. It was studied the crop sowings (winter wheat, rye, barley, buckwheat, pea which was not subjected to the herbicide treatment.

Evaluación de la actividad antimalárica de algunas plantas utilizadas en la medicina tradicional cubana

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M. RODRíGUEZ-PéREZ

2009-01-01

Full Text Available

La búsqueda de nuevas alternativas terapéuticas es una alta prioridad en la lucha por el control de la malaria. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar extractos preparados a partir de plantas seleccionadas en base a información etnobotánica obtenida de la Medicina Tradicional Cubana. Extractos de seis plantas (Bambusa vulgaris, Parthenium hysterophorus, Melaleuca leucadendron, Indigofera suffruticosa, Artemisia absinthium, Simarouba glauca, fueron evaluados in vitro frente a la cepa F32/Tanzania de Plasmodium falciparum, S. glauca, P. hysterophorus, M. leucadendron y A. absinthium mostraron valores de Concentración Mínima Inhibitoria en el rango de 3,1 a 50 µg/mL, mientras B. vulgaris e I. suffruticosa presentaron valores negativos contra esta cepa. Al evaluar estas cuatro especies in vivo frente a Plasmodium berghei NK65, mostraron mayor actividad inhibidora A. absinthium con un 65,9% de reducción de la parasitemia a la dosis de 500 mg/kg, M. leucadendron con un 50% de reducción a la dosis de 250 mg/kg y S. glauca con una reducción del 43,2% a la dosis de 100 mg/kg. Los extractos que mostraron menor toxicidad fueron A. absinthium, y M. leucadendron. Estos resultados muestran las potencialidades antimaláricas de algunas plantas medicinales utilizadas en Cuba y trazan el camino para estudios posteriores de sus constituyentes químicos activos. Palabras-claves: Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium berghei; plantas antimaláricas; etnobotánico.

Sobrevivência de espécies arbóreas plantadas em clareiras causadas pela colheita de madeira em uma floresta de terra firme no município de Paragominas na Amazônia brasileira Survival of seedlings planted in gaps after harvesting in a terra firme rain forest in Paragominas region in the Brazilian Amazonia

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Jaqueline Macêdo Gomes

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Analisou-se a sobrevivência de mudas plantadas em 400 clareiras causadas por exploração florestal de impacto reduzido, em floresta de terra firme na Amazônia Oriental. Foram plantadas 3.818 mudas de 17 espécies, das quais apenas Schizolobium amazonicum não ocorre na área de estudo. A distância entre as mudas plantadas foi de aproximadamente 5m. As avaliações ocorreram em 2005 e 2006. Com base na sobrevivência das mudas aos 11 meses após o plantio, as espécies indicadas para o enriquecimento de clareiras são: Schizolobium amazonicum, Cedrela odorata, Jacaranda copaia, Manilkara huberi, Astronium gracile, Pouteria bilocularis, Tabebuia impetiginosa,Pseudopiptadenia suaveolens, Cordia goeldiana, Parkia gigantocarpa, Simarouba amara, Sterculia pilosa, Laetia procera, Dinizia excelsa e Schefflera morototoni. Estudos sobre a taxa de crescimento, em períodos mais longos, são necessários para confirmar a utilização dessas espécies em plantios de enriquecimento de clareiras oriundas de exploração florestal, como alternativa para aumentar a produtividade e o valor econômico das florestas naturais manejadas na Amazônia brasileira.Survival of seedlings planted in 400 gaps created by reduced impact logging in a terra firme forest in the Eastern Amazonia was evaluated. 3,818 seedlings from 17 species occurring in the study area, except for Schizolobium amazonicum (paricá, which is rare in natural forests of Paragominas region, were planted in the gaps. Spacing of planted seedlings was 5m. According to survival of seedlings during 11 months after planting, the species Schizolobium amazonicum, Cedrela odorata, Jacaranda copaia, Manilkara huberi, Astronium gracile, Pouteria bilocularis, Tabebuia impetiginosa,Pseudopiptadenia suaveolens, Cordia goeldiana, Parkia gigantocarpa, Simarouba amara, Sterculia pilosa, Laetia procera, Dinizia excelsa and Schefflera morototoni can be suggested for enriching in gaps created by reduced impact logging

Survival of Saplings in Recovery of Riparian Vegetation of Pandeiros River (MG

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Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study monitored the survival of saplings planted according to different recovery models in a riparian forest of the Pandeiros river (Januária, MG. The models consisted of planting the saplings in lines of 2 or 4 m with presence (T2S and T4S, respectively or absence of direct seeding (T2 and T4, respectively. We planted 16,259 saplings of 17 botanical families, 32 genera and 33 species. The saplings, in general, presented a survival rate after one year of 34.4% (±1.8. The species with highest survival rates were Jacaranda brasiliana, with 85.0% (±13.5 of survival, Anadenanthera colubrina, with 70.1% (±7.0, and Triplaris gardneriana, with 69.3% (±9.1. Survival did not vary between the models tested, probably due to the short evaluation period (12 months.

The Action of Antidiabetic Plants of the Canadian James Bay Cree Traditional Pharmacopeia on Key Enzymes of Hepatic Glucose Homeostasis

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Abir Nachar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available We determined the capacity of putative antidiabetic plants used by the Eastern James Bay Cree (Canada to modulate key enzymes of gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis and key regulating kinases. Glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase and glycogen synthase (GS activities were assessed in cultured hepatocytes treated with crude extracts of seventeen plant species. Phosphorylation of AMP-dependent protein kinase (AMPK, Akt, and Glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3 were probed by Western blot. Seven of the seventeen plant extracts significantly decreased G6Pase activity, Abies balsamea and Picea glauca, exerting an effect similar to insulin. This action involved both Akt and AMPK phosphorylation. On the other hand, several plant extracts activated GS, Larix laricina and A. balsamea, far exceeding the action of insulin. We also found a significant correlation between GS stimulation and GSK-3 phosphorylation induced by plant extract treatments. In summary, three Cree plants stand out for marked effects on hepatic glucose homeostasis. P. glauca affects glucose production whereas L. laricina rather acts on glucose storage. However, A. balsamea has the most promising profile, simultaneously and powerfully reducing G6Pase and stimulating GS. Our studies thus confirm that the reduction of hepatic glucose production likely contributes to the therapeutic potential of several antidiabetic Cree traditional medicines.

Allometry of Sapwood Depth in Five Boreal Trees

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M. Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes sapwood variability and allometry within individuals of Populus tremuloides, Pinus contorta, Pinus banksiana, Picea mariana, and Picea glauca. Outside bark diameter at breast height (DBH and sapwood depth (sd in four cardinal directions were measured in individuals in stands in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The microscopical analysis of wood anatomy was used to measure sd, and the error associated with the measures was observed. Sapwood allometry analyses examined the influence of DBH on sd and on sapwood area (SA. All species were observed to have varying sapwood depths around the trunk with statistical analyses showing that Pinus banksiana has a well defined preference to grow thicker in the North-East side. The largest sd values were observed for the Populus tremuloides set. Unlike Populus tremuloides and Picea glauca, for the species Pinus contorta, Pinus banksiana, and Picea mariana, incremental growth in DBH does not directly drive sapwood growth in any direction. For these three species, SA increases only because of increases in DBH as sd remains nearly constant. These results show that sapwood depth and sapwood area seem to behave differently in each studied species and are not always proportional to the tree size as is normally assumed.

Allometry of Sapwood Depth in Five Boreal Trees

OpenAIRE

M. Rebeca Quiñonez-Piñón; Caterina Valeo

2017-01-01

This paper analyzes sapwood variability and allometry within individuals of Populus tremuloides, Pinus contorta, Pinus banksiana, Picea mariana, and Picea glauca. Outside bark diameter at breast height (DBH) and sapwood depth (sd) in four cardinal directions were measured in individuals in stands in Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada. The microscopical analysis of wood anatomy was used to measure sd, and the error associated with the measures was observed. Sapwood allometry analyses examined th...

Characterization of three Agrobacterium tumefaciens avirulent mutants with chromosomal mutations that affect induction of vir genes.

OpenAIRE

Metts, J; West, J; Doares, S H; Matthysse, A G

1991-01-01

Three Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants with chromosomal mutations that affect bacterial virulence were isolated by transposon mutagenesis. Two of the mutants were avirulent on all hosts tested. The third mutant, Ivr-211, was a host range mutant which was avirulent on Bryophyllum diagremontiana, Nicotiana tabacum, N. debneyi, N. glauca, and Daucus carota but was virulent on Zinnia elegans and Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato). That the mutant phenotype was due to the transposon insertion was d...

The family Bignoniaceae in the Environmental Protection Area Serra Branca, Raso da Catarina, Jeremoabo, Bahia, Brazil

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Luiza Regina Silva

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Bignoniaceae comprises 82 genera and 827 species distributed mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few species in temperate climates, and is most diverse in South America. The Brazil is the center of diversity for the group, with about 406 species in 33 genera, of which 22 genera and 90 species occur in the Caatinga. The floristic survey of Bignoniaceae in the Environmental Protection Area Serra Branca included analysis of 31 specimens collected from August 2009 to February 2012. The analyses were supplemented with dried collections from the following herbaria: ALCB, HRB and HUEFS. Nine genera and 11 species were recorded: [Anemopaegma Mart ex DC; Bignonia L.; Cuspidaria DC.; Fridericia Mart.; Handroanthus Mattos; Jacaranda Juss; Lundia DC.; Mansoa DC. and Tabebuia Gomes ex DC.]. Fridericia was the most representative genus with three species. The taxonomic treatment includes a key for the identification, descriptions, illustrations, photos, data of the geographical distribution, reproductive phenology and comments about the species.

A MULTIVARIATE APPROACH TO ANALYSE NATIVE FOREST TREE SPECIE SEEDS

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Alessandro Dal Col Lúcio

2006-03-01

Full Text Available This work grouped, by species, the most similar seed tree, using the variables observed in exotic forest species of theBrazilian flora of seeds collected in the Forest Research and Soil Conservation Center of Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, analyzedfrom January, 1997, to march, 2003. For the cluster analysis, all the species that possessed four or more analyses per lot wereanalyzed by the hierarchical Clustering method, of the standardized Euclidian medium distance, being also a principal componentanalysis technique for reducing the number of variables. The species Callistemon speciosus, Cassia fistula, Eucalyptus grandis,Eucalyptus robusta, Eucalyptus saligna, Eucalyptus tereticornis, Delonix regia, Jacaranda mimosaefolia e Pinus elliottii presentedmore than four analyses per lot, in which the third and fourth main components explained 80% of the total variation. The clusteranalysis was efficient in the separation of the groups of all tested species, as well as the method of the main components.

Selection of a method to produce activated charcoal using four forest species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrera Builes, Jhon Fredy; Morales Yepes, Wilmar Alexander; Perez Schile, Juan David

2004-01-01

This investigation was conducted in the coal and of forest products laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, sede Medellin. It was oriented towards the selection of a method to obtain activated carbon form the following forest species; pino patula (Pinus patula), chingale Jacaranda copaia) pino tecunumani (pinus tecunumani) and roble (Quercus humboldti). The wood of each was characterized determining their physical properties of density and contraction. Seven different methods were tested; chemical activation chemical-physical activation with CO 2 chemical-physical activation with CO 2 and water vapor; chemical-physical activation with water vapor; physical activation with CO 2 ; physical activation with water vapor and physical activation with CO 2 and water vapor. The variables studied were residence time and temperature. Taking as a parameter the Iodine index, the chemical-physical activation with water vapor was selected, obtaining an Iodine index of over 800 for all the species studied with the exception of roble that only attained 764 which is still acceptable for water treatment

New locality of Orobanche coerulescens Stephan ex Willd. (Orobanchaceae at the NW limit of its geographical range

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Renata Piwowarczyk

2011-01-01

Full Text Available A new locality of Orobanche coerulescens Stephan ex Willd. in the Wyżyna Małopolska upland (Garb Pińczowski hummock in central Poland is presented. Over 290 specimens were recorded in a xerothermic grassland of the class Festuco-Brometea comprising species of the class Koelerio glaucae-Corynephoretea canescentis on alkaline, sandy soil. O. coerulescens is extinct at the majority of its localities in Poland and only two localities are known at present.

The timing and nature of Late Quaternary vegetation changes in the northern Great Plains, USA and Canada: a re-assessment of the spruce phase

Science.gov (United States)

Yansa, Catherine H.

2006-02-01

This paper revises the chronology for the northward migration of Picea glauca (white spruce) across the northern Great Plains, following the recession of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, and reinterprets the species composition and structure of the late-glacial vegetation on the basis of pollen and plant-macrofossil analysis. The timing of spruce migration is based on 26 14C ages obtained from Picea macrofossils. The date for the appearance of white spruce in southern South Dakota, USA, remains unchanged, 12,600 14C yr BP (ca 15,000 cal yr BP), but its arrival in southern Saskatchewan, Canada, by 10,300 14C yr BP (ca 12,100 cal yr BP) is about 1500 years later than previously estimated based on an organic sediment date. Picea glauca thus migrated northwards at an average rate of 0.38 km/ 14C year (0.30 km/calendar year), significantly slower than the previously published rate of 2 km/ 14C year. White spruce trees probably inhabited lake shorelines, whereas prairie, parkland, and boreal plants occupied both lowlands and uplands, forming an open white spruce parkland. This interpretation differs from a previous reconstruction of a boreal-type spruce forest and thus offers another paleoclimatic interpretation. Precipitation was probably low and summer temperatures relatively mild, averaging about 19 °C.

Efektivita množení okrasných dřevin dřevitými řízky ve vztahu k termínu množení

OpenAIRE

Korbáš, Dalibor

2016-01-01

The object of work was experimental prove of term-impact of taking cuttings for reproduction with woody cuttings by selected cultivars and determinating the most appropriate term for cutting offtake. The experiment was established in the company Pasič LTD. in Dolní Životice on the 9th of January 2015 and ended on the 27th of August 2015. For the experiment were chosen difficult rooted cultivars of conifers: Picea abies 'Nidiformis', Picea glauca 'Conica', Taxus baccata 'Fastigiata Aurea...

Evaluación de la degradabilidad in situ en bovinos suplementados con cuatro especies arbóreas

OpenAIRE

Roa V, María; Muñoz M, Javier

2012-01-01

Objetivo. Evaluar degradabilidad in situ en rumen de cuatro especies forrajeras: Acacia Roja (Delonix regia), pízamo (Eritryna glauca), Cratilia (Cratylia argentea) y casco de vaca (Bahuinia variegata), para determinar su calidad nutricional. Materiales y métodos. Cuatro hembras rumino-fistuladas en un diseño de sobrecambio simple, pastoreando en Brachiaria decumbens, suplementadas en la mañana con tres kg de hojas deshidratadas de las cuatro especies mencionadas, de un año de establecidas y ...

A new species of Otatea (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae) from Querétaro, Mexico

OpenAIRE

Ruiz-Sánchez, Eduardo

2012-01-01

Based on recent systematic studies of the genus Otatea, that included an extensive taxonomic investigation of herbaria specimens, and recent fieldwork in the Mexican state of Querétaro, a new Otatea species, O. ramirezii, is here described and illustrated. The new species is endemic to the Sierra Gorda in Querétaro, Mexico. It is compared with Otatea acuminata, O. carrilloi and O. glauca, from which it can be separated by the presence of only one (rarely two) branches per node, erect culm lea...

Novel genomes and genome constitutions identified by GISH and 5S rDNA and knotted1 genomic sequences in the genus Setaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Meicheng; Zhi, Hui; Doust, Andrew N; Li, Wei; Wang, Yongfang; Li, Haiquan; Jia, Guanqing; Wang, Yongqiang; Zhang, Ning; Diao, Xianmin

2013-04-11

The Setaria genus is increasingly of interest to researchers, as its two species, S. viridis and S. italica, are being developed as models for understanding C4 photosynthesis and plant functional genomics. The genome constitution of Setaria species has been studied in the diploid species S. viridis, S. adhaerans and S. grisebachii, where three genomes A, B and C were identified respectively. Two allotetraploid species, S. verticillata and S. faberi, were found to have AABB genomes, and one autotetraploid species, S. queenslandica, with an AAAA genome, has also been identified. The genomes and genome constitutions of most other species remain unknown, even though it was thought there are approximately 125 species in the genus distributed world-wide. GISH was performed to detect the genome constitutions of Eurasia species of S. glauca, S. plicata, and S. arenaria, with the known A, B and C genomes as probes. No or very poor hybridization signal was detected indicating that their genomes are different from those already described. GISH was also performed reciprocally between S. glauca, S. plicata, and S. arenaria genomes, but no hybridization signals between each other were found. The two sets of chromosomes of S. lachnea both hybridized strong signals with only the known C genome of S. grisebachii. Chromosomes of Qing 9, an accession formerly considered as S. viridis, hybridized strong signal only to B genome of S. adherans. Phylogenetic trees constructed with 5S rDNA and knotted1 markers, clearly classify the samples in this study into six clusters, matching the GISH results, and suggesting that the F genome of S. arenaria is basal in the genus. Three novel genomes in the Setaria genus were identified and designated as genome D (S. glauca), E (S. plicata) and F (S. arenaria) respectively. The genome constitution of tetraploid S. lachnea is putatively CCC'C'. Qing 9 is a B genome species indigenous to China and is hypothesized to be a newly identified species. The

Transcriptome mining, functional characterization, and phylogeny of a large terpene synthase gene family in spruce (Picea spp.

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Dullat Harpreet K

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In conifers, terpene synthases (TPSs of the gymnosperm-specific TPS-d subfamily form a diverse array of mono-, sesqui-, and diterpenoid compounds, which are components of the oleoresin secretions and volatile emissions. These compounds contribute to defence against herbivores and pathogens and perhaps also protect against abiotic stress. Results The availability of extensive transcriptome resources in the form of expressed sequence tags (ESTs and full-length cDNAs in several spruce (Picea species allowed us to estimate that a conifer genome contains at least 69 unique and transcriptionally active TPS genes. This number is comparable to the number of TPSs found in any of the sequenced and well-annotated angiosperm genomes. We functionally characterized a total of 21 spruce TPSs: 12 from Sitka spruce (P. sitchensis, 5 from white spruce (P. glauca, and 4 from hybrid white spruce (P. glauca × P. engelmannii, which included 15 monoterpene synthases, 4 sesquiterpene synthases, and 2 diterpene synthases. Conclusions The functional diversity of these characterized TPSs parallels the diversity of terpenoids found in the oleoresin and volatile emissions of Sitka spruce and provides a context for understanding this chemical diversity at the molecular and mechanistic levels. The comparative characterization of Sitka spruce and Norway spruce diterpene synthases revealed the natural occurrence of TPS sequence variants between closely related spruce species, confirming a previous prediction from site-directed mutagenesis and modelling.

PERBEDAAN HASIL TANGKAPAN HIU DARI RAWAI HANYUT DAN DASAR YANG BERBASIS DI TANJUNG LUAR, LOMBOK

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Agus Arifin Sentosa

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Aktivitas penangkapan hiu sebagai target tangkapan utama bagi perikanan rawai di Tanjung Luar, Lombok Timur berlangsung sepanjang tahun dengan upaya penangkapan yang terus meningkat. Tingginya upaya penangkapan dapat meningkatkan jumlah dan jenis hasil tangkapan. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui perbedaan hasil tangkapan hiu dari alat tangkap rawai hanyut dan rawai dasar yang dioperasikan oleh nelayan yang berbasis di PPI Tanjung Luar, Lombok Timur. Data tangkapan diperoleh melalui catatan enumerator di Tanjung Luar, Lombok Timur pada Januari – November 2015. Analisis data dilakukan secara deskriptif dan perhitungan laju tangkap. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa laju tangkap rawai hiu yang dioperasikan nelayan Tanjung Luar berfluktuasi tiap bulan dengan rerata 73,98±40,58 kg/hari dan rerata laju pancing 4,32±2,23 ekor/100 pancing. Laju tangkap cenderung mulai mengalami peningkatan mulai bulan April dan mencapai puncaknya sekitar November. Laju tangkap rawai hanyut lebih tinggi dibandingkan rawai dasar. Total hasil tangkapan didominasi oleh Carcharhinus falciformis (42,12%, Prionace glauca (10,51% dan C. limbatus (10,32% dimana C. falciformis dan P. glauca cenderung lebih banyak tertangkap oleh rawai hanyut sedangkan C. limbatus banyak tertangkap oleh rawai dasar. Jenis hiu hasil tangkapan rawai dasar lebih beragam (26 jenis dibanding rawai hanyut (18 jenis. Rawai hanyut cenderung lebih banyak menangkap jenis hiu dengan status konservasi rawan dan langka menurut Daftar Merah IUCN serta masuk dalam Appendiks CITES.

Uptake and depuration of pharmaceuticals in aquatic invertebrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meredith-Williams, Melanie; Carter, Laura J.; Fussell, Richard; Raffaelli, David; Ashauer, Roman; Boxall, Alistair B.A.

2012-01-01

The uptake and depuration of a range of pharmaceuticals in the freshwater shrimp (Gammarus pulex) and the water boatman (Notonecta glauca) was studied. For one compound, studies were also done using the freshwater snail Planobarius corneus. In G. pulex, bioconcentration factors (BCFs) ranged from 4.6 to 185,900 and increased in the order moclobemide < 5-fluoruracil < carbamazepine < diazepam < carvedilol < fluoxetine. In N. glauca BCFs ranged from 0.1 to 1.6 and increased in the order 5-fluorouracil < carbamazepine < moclobemide < diazepam < fluoxetine < carvedilol. For P. corneus, the BCF for carvedilol was 57.3. The differences in degree of uptake across the three organisms may be due to differences in mode of respiration, behaviour and the pH of the test system. BCFs of the pharmaceuticals for each organism were correlated to the pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficient of the pharmaceuticals. - Highlights: ► One of the first studies exploring the uptake of pharmaceuticals into aquatic invertebrates. ► Data presented on uptake, depuration rates and bioconcentration for a range of pharmaceuticals. ► Uptake is correlated with the pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficient. ► Findings can be used to better predict impacts of pharmaceuticals on the aquatic environment. - The factors affecting the degree of uptake of pharmaceuticals into aquatic invertebrates were studied. The results indicate that species traits such as respiration and behaviour of the organisms and pH-corrected liposome–water partition coefficients are important factors in determining pharmaceutical uptake.

Medicinal plants from the Yanesha (Peru): evaluation of the leishmanicidal and antimalarial activity of selected extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Valadeau, Céline; Pabon, Adriana; Deharo, Eric; Albán-Castillo, Joaquina; Estevez, Yannick; Lores, Fransis Augusto; Rojas, Rosario; Gamboa, Dionicia; Sauvain, Michel; Castillo, Denis; Bourdy, Geneviève

2009-06-25

Ninety-four ethanolic extracts of plants used medicinally by the Yanesha, an Amazonian Peruvian ethnic group, for affections related to leishmaniasis and malaria were screened in vitro against Leishmania amazonensis amastigotes and against a Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant strain. The viability of Leishmania amazonensis amastigote stages was assessed by the reduction of tetrazolium salt (MTT) while the impact on Plasmodium falciparum was determined by measuring the incorporation of radio-labelled hypoxanthine. Six plant species displayed good activity against Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine resistant strain (IC(50) Piper aduncum L. and Piper sp.) and the leaves of Jacaranda copaia (Aubl.) D. Don (Bignoniaceae). Eight species displayed interesting leishmanicidal activities (IC50 < 10 microg/ml): Carica papaya L. (Caricaceae), Piper dennisii Trel (Piperaceae), Hedychium coronarium J. König (Zingiberaceae), Cestrum racemosum Ruiz & Pav. (Solanaceae), Renealmia alpinia (Rottb.) Zingiberaceae, Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae), Hyptis lacustris A. St.-Hil. ex Benth. (Lamiaceae) and Calea montana Klat. (Asteraceae). Most of them are used against skin affections by Yanesha people. Results are discussed herein, according to the traditional use of the plants and compared with data obtained from the literature.

Interspecific variation in leaf pigments and nutrients of five tree species from a subtropical forest in southern Brazil

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MÁRCIA BÜNDCHEN

2016-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to analyze the seasonal variation in the nutrient and pigment content of leaves from five tree species - of which three are perennial (Cupania vernalis, Matayba elaeagnoides and Nectandra lanceolata and two are deciduous (Cedrela fissilis and Jacaranda micrantha - in an ecotone between a Deciduous Seasonal Forest and a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Leaf samples were collected in the four seasons of the year to determine the content of macronutrients (N, K, P, Mg, Ca, S and photosynthetic pigments (Chla, Chlb, Chltot, Cartot, Chla:Chlb and Cartot:Chltot. The principal component analysis showed that leaf pigments contributed to the formation of the first axis, which explains most of the data variance for all species, while leaf nutrient contribution showed strong interspecific variation. These results demonstrate that the studied species have different strategies for acquisition and use of mineral resources and acclimation to light, which are determinant for them to coexist in the forest environment.

Desembarque artesanal en Ilo Moquegua: Flota espinelera. 1994-2001

OpenAIRE

Treviño Bernal, Hugo; Tejada Cáceres, Alex; Zambrano Pinto, Martín; Huamaní Delgado, Isaac

2016-01-01

La flota espinelera artesanal de Ilo-Moquegua, durante los años 1994-2001 desembarcó especies oceánicas. La información sobre áreas de pesca, volúmenes de captura, composición por especies, número de anzuelos, tipo de carnada y días de pesca se obtuvo de los pescadores espineleros. Se desembarcaron 11 especies, destacando: perico (Coryphaena hippurus), tiburón azul (Prionace glauca), tiburón diamante (Isurus oxyrinchus), pez espada (Xiphias gladius) y tiburón martillo (Sphyrna zygaena). Otras...

Notes on the typification of some species of Aloe (Asphodelaceae/Aloaceae

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H. F. Glen

1995-10-01

Full Text Available Lecto- or neotypes are designated for Aloe thompsoniae Groenew.. A. micracantha Haw .. A. schmidticma Regel (a synonym of/4,  cooperi Baker. A. longistyla Baker. A. aristata Haw., A. longiaristata Schult. & Schult. f„ (a synonym of the preceding name, A. humilis (L. Mill. var.  incurva Haw.. A. glauca Mill., A. niuricata Schult. (a synonym of the preceding name. A. saponaria (Aiton Haw. var.  latifolia Haw. (a new synonym of A. maculata All. and A. pluridens Haw. The confusing citation of the type of A. thomcroftii Pole Evans is clarified.

SELECCIÓN DE UN MÉTODO PARA PRODUCIR CARBÓN ACTIVADO UTILIZANDO CUATRO ESPECIES FORESTALES SELECTION OF A METHOD TO PRODUCE ACTIVATED CHARCOAL USING FOUR FOREST SPECIES

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Jhon Fredy Herrera Builes

2004-12-01

Full Text Available La presente investigación se realizó en los laboratorios de Carbones y de Productos Forestales, de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Medellín. Ésta se orientó hacia la selección de un método para obtener carbón activado a partir de las especies forestales pino pátula (Pinus patula, chingalé (Jacaranda copaia, pino tecunumani (Pinus tecunumanii y roble (Quercus humboldtii. Cada una de las maderas se caracterizó, determinando sus propiedades físicas de densidades y contracciones. Se experimentaron siete métodos; activación química, activación químico - física con CO2, activación químico - física con CO2 y vapor de agua, activación químico - física con vapor de agua, activación física con CO2, activación físico con vapor de agua y activación física con CO2 y vapor de agua. Las variables que se estudiaron fueron el tiempo de residencia y la temperatura. Tomando como parámetro el índice de yodo se seleccionó el método de activación químico - física con vapor de agua, obteniéndose índices de yodo, por encima de 800 para todas las especies estudiadas, a excepción del roble que solo alcanzó 764, que aun es aceptable para el tratamiento de aguas.This investigation was conducted in the Coal and of Forest Products Laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia , Sede Medellín. It was oriented towards the selection of a method to obtain activated carbon form the following forest species; pino pátula (Pinus patula, chingalé (Jacaranda copaia, pino tecunumani (Pinus tecunumanii and roble (Quercus humboldtii. The wood of each was characterized determining their physical properties of density and contraction. Seven different methods were tested; chemical activation, chemical-physical activation with CO2, chemical-physical activation with CO2 and water vapor; chemical-physical activation with water vapor; physical activation with CO2; physical activation with water vapor, and physical activation with CO2

The effect of intermittent dosing of Nicotiana glauca on teratogenesis in goats

Science.gov (United States)

Sustained inhibition of fetal movement in livestock species, induced by several poisonous plants, can result in numerous skeletal-contracture malformations. Lupines are responsible for a condition in cattle referred to as “crooked calf syndrome” that occurs when pregnant cattle graze teratogenic lup...

Variación interespecífica de la calidad nutricional de diecisiete accesiones de Leucaena

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D. E. García

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Se realizó un experimento para evaluar, mediante el análisis de componentes principales (ACP, la variabilidad de la composición nutricional del follaje de diecisiete accesiones del género Leucaena (8 L. leucocephala, 5 L. lanceolata, 2 L. diversifolia, 1 L. glauca y 1 L. esculenta establecidas en Matanzas, Cuba, en condiciones tropicales y suelo Ferralítico Rojo Lixiviado. Se determinó el perfil bromatológico, los niveles de metabolitos secundarios y la degradabilidad ruminal. Mediante el ACP se formaron tres componentes y se extrajo un porcentaje de varianza intermedio (64.83. Los indicadores que explicaron mejor las variaciones entre las accesiones fueron la fracción proteica (PC y PV, la lignina, los compuestos polifenólicos (FT, TPP, TC, los fitatos y la degradabilidad ruminal (DMS, DPC, DFDN. Sin embargo, los niveles de MS, fracción fibrosa (FDN, FDA, FC, celulosa, mimosina y minerales presentaron variaciones menos importantes. Se identificaron tres grupos variabilicon características nutricionales diferenciadas. Aunque todas las accesiones presentaron buena composición proximal, las accesiones de L. diversifolia y L. esculenta presentaron mayor concentración de metabolitos secundarios y menor degradabilidad ruminal. En todos los casos la degradación de la MS, PC y FDN se vio afectada por los contenidos de polifenoles y fitatos. Las accesiones de L. leucocephala (LPIII-187, IH- 164, IH-449, IH-1069, IH-1140, Ecotec, IRI- 3164, IRI-3219, L. lanceolata (CIAT-17223, CIAT-17501, CIAT-17252, CIAT-17255, CIAT-17256 y L. glauca presentaron los mejores resultados

Aerial photographs with infra-red film to survey injury to vegetation in Styria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pollanschuetz, J

1973-01-01

This paper describes a successful operation in which injuries to Norway Spruce, chiefly caused by SO/sub 2/ pollution from smelters, was mapped from the air. Four zones varying in the severity of injury could be distinguished. They were characterized chiefly by differences in the number and age of needles present on the trees. The fourth zone contained only scattered, severely injured, but apparently highly resistant individual trees of Spruce. The photographs, however, did not reveal injuries that were not already visible to the naked eye. The relative resistance to air pollution of Blaufichte (Picea glauca) was noticed incidentally. 6 references.

Evaluación de la infestación de cinco especies de solanáceas al parasitismo del nemátodo del nudo de la raíz Meloidogyne incognita y el contenido de alcaloides en frutos de tomate de árbol y naranjilla injertados en estas especies

OpenAIRE

Navarrete Bastidas, Ximena Elianet

2017-01-01

Existe una alta incidencia del nemátodo Meloidogyne incognita en Solanáceas de importancia económica. Este patógeno ocasiona daños en la planta, llegando a producir hasta la muerte y ocasionando pérdidas para el agricultor. En la presente investigación, se evaluó la respuesta de infestación de cinco especies de Solanáceas silvestres (Solanum auriculatum, S.hirtum, S.hispidum, S.arboreum y Nicotiana glauca) al parasitismo de M. incognita. Se utilizó un diseño de bloques completamente al azar c...

Effects on the forest of sulfur dioxide from a sulfur fire near Edson, Alberta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hocking, D

1975-01-01

Sulfur was burnt in a sanitary landfill during August 9 and 10, 1974. Resulting sulfur dioxide impinged on the surrounding mixed forest for 29 h. About 4 ha of forest displayed visible injury symptoms of varying intensity soon after. However, only .4 ha remained permanently injured the next season. Here, white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and scattered individuals of balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L.), alder (Alnus tenuifolia Nutt.), and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were killed. This report describes the extent of injury, relative sensitivities of affected plant species, and recovery in the spring in 1975.

Antioxidant properties of species from the Brazilian cerrado by different assays

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K.S. Farias

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to screen the antioxidant activity of medicinal plant extracts from the Brazilian cerrado, through other methods than the total phenolic content and its correlation with the antioxidant activity. Ethanolic extracts of ten species were evaluated through three antioxidant assays, in vitro, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH, total antioxidant activity and reducing power; and by using the Folin-Ciocalteu method the total phenolic content was determined. Ethanolic extracts of Stryphnodendron obovatum, Cecropia pachystachya and Duguetia furfuraceae showed strong antioxidant activity (IC50<5 µg mL-1 in the DPPH free radical scavenging assay; the species Vernonia phosphorea, Hymenaea stignocarpa and Jacaranda ulei may also be highlighted. These results were confirmed in the assays of total antioxidant capacity and reducing power. The extracts of S. obovatum and V. phosphorea showed an abundant phenolic content; therefore, the phenolic content may play a role in the antioxidant activity. These two species, traditionally used in Brazil, showed great power in these assay systems and may be a promising source for the development of natural antioxidants and future candidates for phytochemical and pharmacological studies in related diseases.

Occurrence of leguminous trees

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirkbride, J.H.; Arkcoll, D.B.A.; Turnbull, J.W.; Magalhaes, L.M.S.; Fernandes, N.P.

1984-01-01

Five papers from the symposium are presented. Kirkbride, J.H. Jr.; Legumes of the cerrado. pp 23-46 (Refs. 55) A review is given. Some 548 legume species in 59 genera are listed that have been reported from cerrado vegetation. Felker, P.; Legume trees in semi-arid and arid areas. pp 47-59 (Refs. 41) A review is given of worldwide research activities. Arkcoll, D.B.; A comparison of some fast growing species suitable for woodlots in the wet tropics. pp 61-68 (Refs. 9) Studies are described near Manaus on intensive silviculture (for fuelwood production) of Eucalyptus deglupta, Cedrelinga catanaeformis (catenaeformis), Jacaranda copaia, and Inga edulis. Turnbull, J.W.; Six phyllodinous Acacia species for planting in the humid tropical lowlands. pp 69-73 (Refs. 14) Distribution, ecology, growth, and utilization are described for A. auriculiformis, A. mangium, A. aulacocarpa, A. crassicarpa, A. cincinnata, and A. polystachya. Magalhaes, L.M.S., Fernandes, N.P.; Experimental stands of leguminous trees in the Manaus region. pp 75-79 (Refs. 8) Performance up to age 20 yr of Cedrelinga catenaeformis, Dalbergia nigra, Dinizia excelsa, Dipteryx odorata, Dipteryx sp., Diplotropis sp., Eperua bijuga, Pithecellobium racemosum, Vouacapoua pallidior, and Hymenaea sp. is described.

Using Value Stream Mapping to improve quality of care in low-resource facility settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaswamy, Rohit; Rothschild, Claire; Alabi, Funmi; Wachira, Eric; Muigai, Faith; Pearson, Nick

2017-11-01

Jacaranda Health (JH) is a Kenya-based organization that attempts to provide affordable, high-quality maternal and newborn healthcare through a chain of private health facilities in Nairobi. JH needed to adopted quality improvement as an organization-wide strategy to optimize effectiveness and efficiency. Value Stream Mapping, a Lean Management tool, was used to engage staff in prioritizing opportunities to improve clinical outcomes and patient-centered quality of care. Implementation was accomplished through a five-step process: (i) leadership engagement and commitment; (ii) staff training; (iii) team formation; (iv) process walkthrough; and (v) construction and validation. The Value Stream Map allowed the organization to come together and develop an end-to-end view of the process of care at JH and to select improvement opportunities for the entire system. The Value Stream Map is a simple visual tool that allows organizations to engage staff at all levels to gain commitment around quality improvement efforts. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

The independent acquisition of plant root nitrogen-fixing symbiosis in Fabids recruited the same genetic pathway for nodule organogenesis.

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Sergio Svistoonoff

Full Text Available Only species belonging to the Fabid clade, limited to four classes and ten families of Angiosperms, are able to form nitrogen-fixing root nodule symbioses (RNS with soil bacteria. This concerns plants of the legume family (Fabaceae and Parasponia (Cannabaceae associated with the Gram-negative proteobacteria collectively called rhizobia and actinorhizal plants associated with the Gram-positive actinomycetes of the genus Frankia. Calcium and calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CCaMK is a key component of the common signaling pathway leading to both rhizobial and arbuscular mycorrhizal symbioses (AM and plays a central role in cross-signaling between root nodule organogenesis and infection processes. Here, we show that CCaMK is also needed for successful actinorhiza formation and interaction with AM fungi in the actinorhizal tree Casuarina glauca and is also able to restore both nodulation and AM symbioses in a Medicago truncatula ccamk mutant. Besides, we expressed auto-active CgCCaMK lacking the auto-inhibitory/CaM domain in two actinorhizal species: C. glauca (Casuarinaceae, which develops an intracellular infection pathway, and Discaria trinervis (Rhamnaceae which is characterized by an ancestral intercellular infection mechanism. In both species, we found induction of nodulation independent of Frankia similar to response to the activation of CCaMK in the rhizobia-legume symbiosis and conclude that the regulation of actinorhiza organogenesis is conserved regardless of the infection mode. It has been suggested that rhizobial and actinorhizal symbioses originated from a common ancestor with several independent evolutionary origins. Our findings are consistent with the recruitment of a similar genetic pathway governing rhizobial and Frankia nodule organogenesis.

Spatial and seasonal variations of leaf area index (LAI) in subtropical secondary forests related to floristic composition and stand characters

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wenjuan; Xiang, Wenhua; Pan, Qiong; Zeng, Yelin; Ouyang, Shuai; Lei, Pifeng; Deng, Xiangwen; Fang, Xi; Peng, Changhui

2016-07-01

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important parameter related to carbon, water, and energy exchange between canopy and atmosphere and is widely applied in process models that simulate production and hydrological cycles in forest ecosystems. However, fine-scale spatial heterogeneity of LAI and its controlling factors have yet to be fully understood in Chinese subtropical forests. We used hemispherical photography to measure LAI values in three subtropical forests (Pinus massoniana-Lithocarpus glaber coniferous and evergreen broadleaved mixed forests, Choerospondias axillaris deciduous broadleaved forests, and L. glaber-Cyclobalanopsis glauca evergreen broadleaved forests) from April 2014 to January 2015. Spatial heterogeneity of LAI and its controlling factors were analysed using geostatistical methods and the generalised additive models (GAMs) respectively. Our results showed that LAI values differed greatly in the three forests and their seasonal variations were consistent with plant phenology. LAI values exhibited strong spatial autocorrelation for the three forests measured in January and for the L. glaber-C. glauca forest in April, July, and October. Obvious patch distribution pattern of LAI values occurred in three forests during the non-growing period and this pattern gradually dwindled in the growing season. Stem number, crown coverage, proportion of evergreen conifer species on basal area basis, proportion of deciduous species on basal area basis, and forest types affected the spatial variations in LAI values in January, while stem number and proportion of deciduous species on basal area basis affected the spatial variations in LAI values in July. Floristic composition, spatial heterogeneity, and seasonal variations should be considered for sampling strategy in indirect LAI measurement and application of LAI to simulate functional processes in subtropical forests.

Lupines, poison-hemlock and Nicotiana spp: toxicity and teratogenicity in livestock.

Science.gov (United States)

Panter, K E; James, L F; Gardner, D R

1999-02-01

Many species of lupines contain quinolizidine or piperidine alkaloids known to be toxic or teratogenic to livestock. Poison-hemlock (Conium maculatum) and Nicotiana spp. including N. tabacum and N. glauca contain toxic and teratogenic piperidine alkaloids. The toxic and teratogenic effects from these plant species have distinct similarities including maternal muscular weakness and ataxia and fetal contracture-type skeletal defects and cleft palate. It is believed that the mechanism of action of the piperidine and quinolizidine alkaloid-induced teratogenesis is the same; however, there are some differences in incidence, susceptible gestational periods, and severity between livestock species. Wildlife species have also been poisoned after eating poison-hemlock but no terata have been reported. The most widespread problem for livestock producers in recent times has been lupine-induced "crooked calf disease." Crooked calf disease is characterized as skeletal contracture-type malformations and occasional cleft palate in calves after maternal ingestion of lupines containing the quinolizidine alkaloid anagyrine during gestation days 40-100. Similar malformations have been induced in cattle and goats with lupines containing the piperidine alkaloids ammodendrine, N-methyl ammodendrine, and N-acetyl hystrine and in cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs with poison-hemlock containing predominantly coniine or gamma-coniceine and N. glauca containing anabasine. Toxic and teratogenic effects have been linked to structural aspects of these alkaloids, and the mechanism of action is believed to be associated with an alkaloid-induced inhibition of fetal movement during specific gestational periods. This review presents a historical perspective, description and distribution of lupines, poison-hemlock and Nicotiana spp., toxic and teratogenic effects and management information to reduce losses.

Phenological observations on shrubs to predict weed emergence in turf

Science.gov (United States)

Masin, Roberta; Zuin, Maria Clara; Zanin, Giuseppe

2005-09-01

Phenology is the study of periodic biological events. If we can find easily recognizable events in common plants that precede or coincide with weed emergences, these plants could be used as indicators. Weed seedlings are usually difficult to detect in turf, so the use of phenological indicators may provide an alternative approach to predict the time when a weed appears and consequently guide management decisions. A study was undertaken to determine whether the phenological phases of some plants could serve as reliable indicators of time of weed emergence in turf. The phenology of six shrubs (Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Forsythia viridissima Lindl., Sambucus nigra L., Syringa vulgaris L., Rosa multiflora Thunb., Ziziphus jujuba Miller) and a perennial herbaceous plant [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] was observed and the emergence dynamics of four annual weed species [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop., Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertner, Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv., Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.] were studied from 1999 to 2004 in northern Italy. A correlation between certain events and weed emergence was verified. S. vulgaris and F. viridissima appear to be the best indicators: there is a quite close correspondence between the appearance of D. sanguinalis and lilac flowering and between the beginning of emergence of E. indica and the end of lilac flowering; emergences of S. glauca and S. viridis were predicted well in relation to the end of forsythia flowering. Base temperatures and starting dates required to calculate the heat unit sums to reach and complete the flowering phase of the indicators were calculated using two different methods and the resultant cumulative growing degree days were compared.

Invasive alien woody plants of the northern Cape

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L. Henderson

1991-10-01

Full Text Available The frequency and abundance of invasive alien woody plants were recorded along roadsides and at watercourse crossings in 31% (90/286 of the quarter degree squares in the study area. The survey yielded 23 species of which the most prominent invaders were Prosopis spp. The most prominent remaining species were: Opuntia ficus-indica, Nicotiana glauca and Melia azedarach. The greatest abundance and diversity of alien invader plants were recorded near human settlements. More than half of the total recorded species have invaded perennial riverbanks. The episodic Molopo and Kuruman Rivers have been invaded almost exclusively by  Prosopis spp., which in places have formed extensive stands.

Developmental and morphological studies of the suspensor and coleorhizae in some taxa of the subfamily mimosoideae (fabaceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi, C.Q.; Liu, M.; Zhang, X.X.; Cheng, X.Y.; Wang, C.

2015-01-01

The embryo development of Mimosa pudica and the seedling development of Acacia farnesiana, Albizzia julibrissin, Leucaena glauca and Mimosa pudica were studied by wax method in this paper. The results showed that M. pudica has a suspensor composed of about ten cells which degenerate and integrate into the embryo proper during the cotyledons development. The coleorhiza in M. pudica is from the residual suspensor cells and the cells produced by periclinal and anticlinal divisions of the meristematic cells in the embryo development. The coleorhiza in the four studied taxa is broken by the elongation of the primary root, withdraws and finally falls off during the seedling development. (author)

Ag-protein plasmonic architectures for surface plasmon-coupled emission enhancements and Fabry-Perot mode-coupled directional fluorescence emission

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Badiya, Pradeep Kumar; Patnaik, Sai Gourang; Srinivasan, Venkatesh; Reddy, Narendra; Manohar, Chelli Sai; Vedarajan, Raman; Mastumi, Noriyoshi; Belliraj, Siva Kumar; Ramamurthy, Sai Sathish

2017-10-01

We report the use of silver decorated plant proteins as spacer material for augmented surface plasmon-coupled emission (120-fold enhancement) and plasmon-enhanced Raman scattering. We extracted several proteins from different plant sources [Triticum aestivum (TA), Aegle marmelos (AM), Ricinus communis (RC), Jatropha curcas (JC) and Simarouba glauca (SG)] followed by evaluation of their optical properties and simulations to rationalize observed surface plasmon resonance. Since the properties exhibited by protein thin films is currently gaining research interest, we have also carried out simulation studies with Ag-protein biocomposites as spacer materials in metal-dielectric-metal planar microcavity architecture for guided emission of Fabry-Perot mode-coupled fluorescence.

Determination of phytoextraction potential of plant species for toxic elements in soils of abandoned sulphide-mining areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freitas, M.C.; Anawar, H.M.; Dionisio, I.; Dung, H.M.; Canha, N.; Bettencourt, A.; Capelo, S.; Henriques, F.; Pinto-Gomes, C.J.

2009-01-01

This study has determined contamination levels in soils and plants from the Sao Domingos mining area, Portugal, by k 0 -INAA. Total concentrations of As, Sb, Cr, Hg, Cu, Zn and Fe in soils were very high, exceeding the maximum limits in Portuguese legislation. Concentrations of toxic elements like As, Sb and Zn were highest in roots of Erica andevalensis, Juncus acutus, Agrostis castellana and Nicotiana glauca. Additionally, As, Br, Cr, Fe, Sb and Zn in all organs of most plants were above toxicity levels. Those species that accumulated relatively high concentrations of toxic elements in roots (and tops) may be cultivated for phytostabilisation of similar areas. (author)

New records of Brazilian cicadas including the description of a new species (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea, Cicadidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Sanborn, Allen F

2008-01-01

A new species of Proarna Stål is described from southern Brazil. Proarna gianucai sp. nov. is distinguished by its coloration and genitalia. The species inhabits coastal dune environments and is associated with the perennial grass Panicum racemosum (P. Beauv.) Spreng. Adults are active from December to March. The first records of Carineta durantoni Boulard, Carineta gemella Boulard, Carineta pilifera Walker, Fidicina christinae Boulard & Martinelli, Fidicina torresi Boulard & Martinellli, Fidicinoides determinata (Walker), Fidicinoides distanti (Goding), Fidicinoides glauca (Goding), Majeorona truncata Goding, and Zammara columbia Distant for Brazil are provided. The new species and new records bring the total cicada diversity of Brazil to 146 species.

Feeding behavior and trophic interaction of three shark species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve

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Diego Páez-Rosas

2018-05-01

Full Text Available There is great concern about the future of sharks in Ecuador because of the lack of biological knowledge of most species that inhabit the region. This paper analyzes the feeding behavior of the pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus, the blue shark (Prionace glauca and the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis through the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N, with the aim of determining the degree of interaction between these species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. No interspecific differences were found in use of oceanic vs. inshore feeding areas (δ13C: Kruskal–Wallis test, p = 0.09. The position in the hierarchy of the food web where A. pelagicus feeds differed from that of the other species (δ15N: Kruskal–Wallis test, p = 0.01. There were no significant differences in δ13C and δ15N values between males and females of the three species (Student’s t-test, p > 0.05, which suggests that both sexes have a similar feeding behavior. A specialist strategy was observed in P. glauca (trophic niche breadth TNB = 0.69, while the other species were found to be generalist (A. pelagicus TNB = 1.50 and C. falciformis TNB = 1.09. The estimated trophic level (TL varied between the three species. C. falciformis occupied the highest trophic level (TL = 4.4, making it a quaternary predator in the region. The results of this study coincide with the identified behavior in these predators in other areas of the tropical Pacific (Colombia and Mexico, and suggest a pelagic foraging strategy with differential consumption of prey between the three species. These ecological aspects can provide timely information when implementing in conservation measures for these shark species in the Tropical Pacific and Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Feeding behavior and trophic interaction of three shark species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Science.gov (United States)

Páez-Rosas, Diego; Insuasti-Zarate, Paul; Riofrío-Lazo, Marjorie; Galván-Magaña, Felipe

2018-01-01

There is great concern about the future of sharks in Ecuador because of the lack of biological knowledge of most species that inhabit the region. This paper analyzes the feeding behavior of the pelagic thresher shark ( Alopias pelagicus ), the blue shark ( Prionace glauca ) and the silky shark ( Carcharhinus falciformis ) through the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen ( δ 13 C and δ 15 N), with the aim of determining the degree of interaction between these species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. No interspecific differences were found in use of oceanic vs. inshore feeding areas ( δ 13 C: Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.09). The position in the hierarchy of the food web where A. pelagicus feeds differed from that of the other species ( δ 15 N: Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences in δ 13 C and δ 15 N values between males and females of the three species (Student's t -test, p  > 0.05), which suggests that both sexes have a similar feeding behavior. A specialist strategy was observed in P. glauca (trophic niche breadth TNB = 0.69), while the other species were found to be generalist ( A. pelagicus TNB = 1.50 and C. falciformis TNB = 1.09). The estimated trophic level (TL) varied between the three species. C. falciformis occupied the highest trophic level (TL = 4.4), making it a quaternary predator in the region. The results of this study coincide with the identified behavior in these predators in other areas of the tropical Pacific (Colombia and Mexico), and suggest a pelagic foraging strategy with differential consumption of prey between the three species. These ecological aspects can provide timely information when implementing in conservation measures for these shark species in the Tropical Pacific and Galapagos Marine Reserve.

Long-term ecological behaviour of abandoned uranium mill tailings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalin, Margarete

1984-12-01

Semi-aquatic and terrestrial areas on abandoned or inactive uranium mill tailings in Ontario were studied in order to identify the growth characteristics of the naturally invading species dominating these areas. Semi-aquatic areas of tailings sites have been invaded by cattails. These species formed wetland communities which varied in size, but all were essentially monocultures of Typha latifolia, T. angustifolia, or of the hybrids T. glauca. Sedges, Scripus cyperinus (wool-grass) and Phragmites australis (reed-grass), were found in transition zones between the cattail stand and the dry section of the tailings site. The expansion of the cattail stands appeared to be controlled by the hydrological conditions on the site, rather than the chemical characteristics of the tailings

GROWTH AND NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF TREE SPECIES IN CONTAMINATED SUBSTRATE BY LEACHABLE HERBICIDES

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Rebecca de Araújo Fiore

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Ecosystems contamination by residues of pesticides requires special attention to the herbicides subject to leaching. The objective was to select tree species to rhizodegradation contaminated by residues of 2,4-D and atrazine and to recompose riparian areas to agricultural fields, then reducing the risk of contamination of water courses. A total of 36 treatments consisted of the combinations of forest species were evaluated [Inga marginata (Inga, Schizolobium parahyba (guapuruvu, Handroanthus serratifolius (ipê amarelo, Jacaranda puberula (carobinha, Cedrela fissilis (cedro, Calophyllum brasiliensis (landin, Psidium mirsinoides (goiabinha, Tibouchina glandulosa (quaresmeira, Caesalpinia férrea (pau-ferro, Caesalpinia pluviosa (sibipiruna, Terminalia argêntea (capitão and Schinopsis brasiliensis (braúna] and three solutions simulating leachate compound (atrazine, 2,4-D and water - control, with four replicates each. The characteristics measured were plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, leaf area and dry biomass, and foliar nutrition. Forest species survived the herbicide application, and most showed an increase in macronutrients even under an herbicide application, and the Inga had the highest tolerance regarding growth analysis. It is recommended to use species that are more tolerant to Atrazine and 2,4-D in field experiments to confirm previous results of this simulation.

Anti-TNF-α Activity of Brazilian Medicinal Plants and Compounds from Ouratea semiserrata.

Science.gov (United States)

Campana, Priscilla R V; Mansur, Daniel S; Gusman, Grasielle S; Ferreira, Daneel; Teixeira, Mauro M; Braga, Fernão C

2015-10-01

Several plant species are used in Brazil to treat inflammatory diseases and associated conditions. TNF-α plays a pivotal role on inflammation, and several plant extracts have been assayed against this target, both in vitro and in vivo. The effect of 11 Brazilian medicinal plants on TNF-α release by LPS-activated THP-1 cells was evaluated. The plant materials were percolated with different solvents to afford 15 crude extracts, whose effect on TNF-α release was determined by ELISA. Among the evaluated extracts, only Jacaranda caroba (Bignoniaceae) presented strong toxicity to THP-1 cells. Considering the 14 non-toxic extracts, TNF-α release was significantly reduced by seven of them (inhibition > 80%), originating from six plants, namely Cuphea carthagenensis (Lythraceae), Echinodorus grandiflorus (Alismataceae), Mansoa hirsuta (Bignoniaceae), Ouratea semiserrata (Ochnaceae), Ouratea spectabilis and Remijia ferruginea (Rubiaceae). The ethanol extract from O. semiserrata leaves was fractionated over Sephadex LH-20 and RP-HPLC to give three compounds previously reported for the species, along with agathisflavone and epicatechin, here described for the first time in the plant. Epicatechin and lanceoloside A elicited significant inhibition of TNF-α release, indicating that they may account for the effect produced by O. semiserrata crude extract. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neighbourhood density and genetic relatedness interact to determine fruit set and abortion rates in a continuous tropical tree population.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, F A; Comita, L S

2008-12-07

Tropical trees may show positive density dependence in fruit set and maturation due to pollen limitation in low-density populations. However, pollen from closely related individuals in the local neighbourhood might reduce fruit set or increase fruit abortion in self-incompatible tree species. We investigated the role of neighbourhood density and genetic relatedness on individual fruit set and abortion in the neotropical tree Jacaranda copaia in a large forest plot in central Panama. Using nested neighbourhood models, we found a strong positive effect of increased conspecific density on fruit set and maturation. However, high neighbourhood genetic relatedness interacted with density to reduce total fruit set and increase the proportion of aborted fruit. Our results imply a fitness advantage for individuals growing in high densities as measured by fruit set, but realized fruit set is lowered by increased neighbourhood relatedness. We hypothesize that the mechanism involved is increased visitation by density-dependent invertebrate pollinators in high-density populations, which increases pollen quantity and carry-over and increases fruit set and maturation, coupled with self-incompatibility at early and late stages due to biparental inbreeding that lowers fruit set and increases fruit abortion. Implications for the reproductive ecology and conservation of tropical tree communities in continuous and fragmented habitats are discussed.

Nutrient retranslocation in forest species in the Brazilian Amazon

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Murilo Rezende Machado

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Internal retranslocation is an important mechanism for nutrient conservation in plants, which depends on different factors. However, there are little data about this subject, especially on tropical forest species. This study aimed to evaluate the macronutrient retranslocation dynamic and the influence of ecological (P: pioneer x NP: non-pioneer and phenological (ND: non-deciduous x D: semideciduous / deciduous characteristics on the macronutrient content of leaves of five tree species on monospecific plantations in the Brazilian Amazon: Acacia mangium Willd., Parkia decussata Ducke, Dipteryx odorata (Aublet Willd., Jacaranda copaia (Aubl. D. Don and Swietenia macrophylla King. Photosynthetically active green leaves and senescent leaves (leaf litter were collected. Retranslocation was estimated through an equation proposed by Attiwill, Guthrie and Leuning (1978. The pioneer species presented higher foliar contents of N; the non-pioneer species presented higher contents of K, Ca and S; and the results were inconclusive for P and Mg. The deciduous species presented higher foliar contents of K and of P, whereas the foliar contents of N, Ca, Mg and S were virtually identical between the phenological groups. The internal retranslocation of foliar nutrients in pioneer and non-deciduous species was higher than that of non-pioneer and deciduous species.

Photoenzymatic repair of ultraviolet-irradiated DNA in the cells of a shark, Prionace glauca

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodhead, A.D.; Achey, P.; Setlow, R.B.; Grist, E.

1978-01-01

Cells from several tissues of the blue shark have been tested for the presence of photoreactivating enzyme using a sensitive assay requiring only 250 ng of DNA. Photoactivating enzyme was found to be present in thyroid, liver, brain and kidney cells. There has been much debate concerning the significance of the reported distribution of photoreactivating enzyme in animal tissues, but the information available is too limited for generalizations to be made. It is suggested that the present assay might allow rapid and easy survey of a wide spectrum of organisms. (author)

Áreas prioritárias na Amazônia para conservação dos recursos genéticos de espécies florestais nativas: fase preliminar Priority areas for genetic resources conservation of native Forest Species: preliminary phase

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Angela Maria Conte Leite

1993-07-01

Full Text Available O CENARGEN/EMBRAPA está realizando a prospecção das áreas prioritárias para a conservação in situ dos recursos genéticos de espécies com importância sócio-econômica para cada bioma existente no Brasil, buscando a conservação da variabilidade genética das mesmas. Para a prospecção da floresta tropical úmida amazônica, inicialmente foram feitos levantamentos de herbários nacionais bem como de literatura, para tentar definir os padrões de distribuição geográfica de algumas espécies prioritárias da região. A ocorrência das mesmas foi correlacionada com solos, clima, vegetação e com a existência de unidades de conservação na Amazônia, no intuito de se propor as áreas mais adequadas para a implantação de reservas genéticas (conservação in situ e de bancos de germoplasma (conservação ex situ à campo. As espécies relatadas no presente trabalho são Aniba rosaeodora Ducke (pau-rosa, Bertholletia excelsa H.B.K. (castanha-do-Pará, Carapa quianensis Aubl. (andiroba, Cedrela fissilis Veil, e C. odorata L. (cedros, Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. e C. multijuga Hayne (copaibas, Cordia goeldiana Huber (freijó, Jacaranda copaia (Aubl. D. Dom (pará-pará, Simaruba amara Aubl. e Virola sebifera Aubl. e V. surinamensis Warb. (ucuúbas e Voucapoua americana Aubl. e V. pallidor Ducke (acapús. Trabalhos posteriores com as mesmas incluirão a corroboração à campo dos dados obtidos nos herbários e na literatura, bem como estudos a nível de população dentro das áreas selecionadas.CENARGEN/EMBRAPA is investigating priority areas for in situ conservation of genetic resources of socially and economically important species. Herbaria and the literature were consulted to determine the distribution patterns of some tropical rain forest species. Known species distribution were correlated with soils, climate, vegetation types and the existence of conservation units, in order to propose the establishment of genetic reserves for

Congenital skeletal malformations and cleft palate induced in goats by ingestion of Lupinus, Conium and Nicotiana species.

Science.gov (United States)

Panter, K E; Keeler, R F; Bunch, T D; Callan, R J

1990-01-01

Three piperidine alkaloid containing plants, Conium maculatum (poison-hemlock), Nicotiana glauca (tree tobacco) and Lupinus formosus (lunara lupine), induced multiple congenital contractures (MCC) and palatoschisis in goat kids when their dams were gavaged with the plant during gestation days 30-60. The skeletal abnormalities included fixed extension or flexure of the carpal, tarsal, and fetlock joints, scoliosis, lordosis, torticollis and rib cage abnormalities. Clinical signs of toxicity included those reported in sheep, cattle and pigs--ataxia, incoordination, muscular weakness, prostration and death. One quinolizidine alkaloid containing plant, Lupinus caudatus (tailcup lupine), on the other hand, which is also known to cause MCC in cows, caused only slight signs of toxicity in pregnant goats and no teratogenic effects in their offspring.

Antibacterial activity of selected Myanmar medicinal plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nwe Yee Win; Nyunt Wynn; Mar Mar Nyein; Win Myint; Saw Hla Myint; Myint Khine

2001-01-01

Thirteen plants which are traditionally used for the treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea in Myanmar were selected and tested for antibacterial activity by using agar disc diffusion technique. Polar and nonpolar solvents were employed for extraction of plants. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the extracts with the most significant predominant activity were evaluated by plate dilution method. The plants Eugenia jambolana, Quisqualis indica, Leucaena glauca and Euphorbia splendens var. 1 were found to show significant antibacterial activity. It was also observed that extracts using nonpolar solvents did not show any antibacterial activity and extracts using polar solvents showed antibacterial activity on tested bacteria, indicating that the active chemical compound responsible for the antibacterial action must be a polar soluble compound. (author)

Optimization of enzymatic cartilage hydrolysis from Prionace glauca wastes for the production of chondroitin sulphate

OpenAIRE

Vázquez, José Antonio; Blanco, M.; Noriega, Diana; Fraguas, Javier; Pastrana, Lorenzo; González Sotelo, Carmen; Pérez Martín, Ricardo Isaac

2014-01-01

Comunicación presentada en el Total Food Conference 2014 Science and technology for the economic and sustainable exploitation of agri-food chain wastes and co-products, Norwich, Uk, 11-13 November (2014)

Characterization of cholinesterases present in brain and muscle tissues of juvenile blue shark (Prionace glauca

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Luís Miguel Fonseca Alves

2014-06-01

Regarding the in vitro exposure to chlorpyrifos-oxon, we have observed a dose-response pattern showing higher ChE inhibitions with increasing pesticide concentrations and with more than 90% inhibition in the highest concentrations, which reveals the potential of this biomarker for biomonitoring studies and contaminant effect assessment in the blue shark.

Nutrient content, in vitro ruminal fermentation characteristics and methane reduction potential of tropical tannin-containing leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatta, Raghavendra; Saravanan, Mani; Baruah, Luna; Sampath, Koratekere T

2012-12-01

Plant tannins as rumen modifiers are better than chemicals or antibiotic-based modifiers since these compounds are natural products which are environmentally friendly and therefore have a better acceptance with regard to feed safety issues. Tropical plants containing phenols such as tannins were found to suppress or eliminate protozoa from the rumen and reduce methane and ammonia production. The screening of these plants is an important step in the identification of new compounds and feed additives which might contribute to mitigate rumen methanogenesis. The present study was carried out to determine the efficacy of tannins from tropical tree leaves for their methane reduction properties. Activity of tannins, as represented by the increase in gas volume with the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-6000 as a tannin binder (tannin bioassay) was highest in Ficus bengalensis (555%), followed by Azardirachta indica (78.5%). PEG addition did not alter (P > 0.05) methane percentage in Ficus racemosa, Glyricidia maculata, Leucena leucocephala, Morus alba and Semaroba glauca, confirming that tannins in these samples did not affect methanogenesis. The increase (P 0.05) in the protozoa population in Autocarpus integrifolia, Ficus bengalensis, Jatropha curcus, Morus alba and Sesbania grandiflora, demonstrating that methane reduction observed in these samples per se was not due to defaunation effect of the tannin. The increase in total volatile fatty acid concentration in samples with PEG ranged from 0.6% to > 70%. The highest increase (%) in NH(3)-N was recorded in Azardirachta indica (67.4), followed by Ficus mysoriensis (35.7) and Semaroba glauca (32.6) leaves, reflecting strong protein binding properties of tannin. The results of our study established that in vitro methanogenesis was not essentially related to the density of protozoa population. Tropical tree leaves containing tannins such as Autocarpus integrifolia, Jatropha curcus and Sesbania grandiflora have the

Philodryas chamissonis (Reptilia: Squamata: Colubridae preys on the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides (Mammalia: Microbiotheria: Microbiotheriidae Philodryas chamissonis (Reptilia: Squamata: Dipsadidae predando o marsupial arborícola Dromiciops gliroides (Mammalia: Microbiotheria: Microbiotheriidae

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S. Muñoz-Leal

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Philodryas chamissonis, the Chilean long-tailed snake, is a diurnal predator mainly of Liolaemus lizards, but also of amphibians, birds, rodents and juvenile rabbits. Dromiciops gliroides (Colocolo opossum is an arboreal marsupial endemic of temperate rainforest of southern South America. Little information is available about this marsupial's biology and ecology. Here we report the predation of one Colocolo opossum by an adult female P. chamissonis in a mixed Nothofagus forest, composed mainly by N. dombeyi, N. glauca and N. alpina trees, in the "Huemules de Niblinto" National Reserve, Nevados de Chillán, Chile. Since these two species have different activity and habitat use patterns, we discuss how this encounter may have occurred. Although it could just have been an opportunistic event, this finding provides insights into the different components of food chains in forest ecosystems of Chile.Philodryas chamissonis, cobra de cauda comprida ("Culebra de cola larga", é uma cobra diurna, predadora principalmente de lagartos do gênero Liolaemus, mas também de anfíbios, aves, roedores e coelhos jovens. Dromiciops gliroides (colocolo é um marsupial arborícola endêmico das florestas temperadas do sul da América do Sul. Há pouca informação disponível sobre a biologia e a ecologia deste marsulpial. É reportada, neste estudo, a predação de um colocolo por uma fêmea adulta de P. chamissonis, em uma floresta mista de Nothofagus, composta principalmente por árvores N. dombeyi, N. glauca e N. alpina, na Reserva Nacional de Huemules de Niblinto, Nevados de Chillán, Chile. Uma vez que estas duas espécies possuem diferentes padrões de atividade e de uso de habitat, discute-se como este evento poder ter ocorrido. Embora este possa ter sido apenas um evento oportunístico, o achado fornece novas informações sobre os diferentes componentes da cadeia alimentar nos ecossistemas florestais do Chile.

Can native plant species be preserved in an anthropogenic forest landscape dominated by aliens? A case study from Mediterranean Chile

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Steffi Heinrichs

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Plantations with fast growing exotic tree species can negatively affect native plant species diversity and promote the spread of alien species. Mediterranean Chile experienced major landscape changes with a vast expansion of industrial plantations of Pinus radiata in the past. However, with increasing knowledge of biodiversity effects on ecosystem services Chilean forest owners now aim to integrate the conservation of native biodiversity into forest management, but data on native species diversity and establishment within a plantation landscape is scarce. Here we investigated plant species diversity and composition in four forest management options applied within a landscape dominated by P. radiata plantations in comparison to an unmanaged reference: (i a clear cut, (ii a strip cut, (iii a native canopy of Nothofagus glauca and (iv a young P. radiata plantation. We wanted to assess if native plant species can be maintained either by natural regeneration or by planting of native tree species (Nothofagus glauca, N. obliqua, Quillaja saponaria within this landscape. Results show a high diversity of native and forest plant species within the different management options indicating a high potential for native biodiversity restoration within an anthropogenic landscape. In particular, herbaceous species can benefit from management. They are rare in unmanaged natural forests that are characterized by low light conditions and a thick litter layer. Management, however, also promoted a diversity of alien species. The rapid spread of alien grass species after management can deter an initial establishment of native tree species or the survival and growth after planting mainly under dry but less under sufficient moisture conditions. The most unsuccessful option for promoting native plant species was clear cutting in a dry area where alien grasses were abundant. For drought-tolerant tree species such as Quillaja saponaria, though

Homeopathy for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Banerjee, Kushal; Mathie, Robert T; Costelloe, Céire; Howick, Jeremy

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and effectiveness of homeopathic intervention in the treatment of seasonal or perennial allergic rhinitis (AR). Randomized controlled trials evaluating all forms of homeopathic treatment for AR were included in a systematic review (SR) of studies published up to and including December 2015. Two authors independently screened potential studies, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Primary outcomes included symptom improvement and total quality-of-life score. Treatment effect size was quantified as mean difference (continuous data), or by risk ratio (RR) and odds ratio (dichotomous data), with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Meta-analysis was performed after assessing heterogeneity and risk of bias. Eleven studies were eligible for SR. All trials were placebo-controlled except one. Six trials used the treatment approach known as isopathy, but they were unsuitable for meta-analysis due to problems of heterogeneity and data extraction. The overall standard of methods and reporting was poor: 8/11 trials were assessed as "high risk of bias"; only one trial, on isopathy for seasonal AR, possessed reliable evidence. Three trials of variable quality (all using Galphimia glauca for seasonal AR) were included in the meta-analysis: nasal symptom relief at 2 and 4 weeks (RR = 1.48 [95% CI 1.24-1.77] and 1.27 [95% CI 1.10-1.46], respectively) favored homeopathy compared with placebo; ocular symptom relief at 2 and 4 weeks also favored homeopathy (RR = 1.55 [95% CI 1.33-1.80] and 1.37 [95% CI 1.21-1.56], respectively). The single trial with reliable evidence had a small positive treatment effect without statistical significance. A homeopathic and a conventional nasal spray produced equivalent improvements in nasal and ocular symptoms. The low or uncertain overall quality of the evidence warrants caution in drawing firm conclusions about intervention effects. Use of either Galphimia glauca or a homeopathic nasal spray

The Cholevinae of Romania (exclusive of Leptodirini) (Coleoptera, Leiodidae) with special reference to the hypogeal records.

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Nitzu, Eugen

2013-01-01

The first catalogue of the Romanian Cholevinae (excluding Leptodirini) is presented, based on revised and new records. The overall distribution and distribution in Romania are documented for every species, with particular reference to subterranean environment (caves and subterranean superficial environment). Epigeal and hypogeal records are listed separately. Thirty two of forty nine species group taxa recorded in the Romanian fauna occur both in the epigeal and subterranean environment, 14 of them frequently recorded in the latter. Many species, dependant on the subterranean environment during certain stages of their life cycle, are considered troglophilic or subtroglophilic: Choleva cisteloides dacica Jeannel 1922, Ch. glauca Britten, 1918, Catops picipes Fabricius, 1792, C. longulus Kellner, 1846 and C. tristis Panzer, 1874. The Romanian fauna of Cholevinae is more similar to that of the Central Europe than the Balkan Peninsula.

Genetic engineering with tobacco protoplasts. [Hybridization by fusion of leaf protoplasts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, H H

1976-01-01

Interspecific hybridization by fusion of leaf protoplasts of Nicotiana glauca (GG) and N. langsdorffii (LL) was confirmed and extended. Enzymatic digestion of leaf tissues to obtain protoplats was followed by fusion with the aid of polyethylene glycol. The hybrid calli were selected by their better growth on defined culture media. Mature hybrid plants were identified by their morphology and tumor formation. Cytological examination revealed a range in chromosome numbers from 56 to 64 rather than the amphiploid GGLL number of 42. About 75 percent of the hybrids were fertile. The potential range in combining widely disparate genotypes by somatic cell fusion was demonstrated by fusing tobacco GGLL protoplasts with human HeLa cells. The HeLa nucleus was observed inside the plant protoplasts, thus forming an interkingdom heterokaryon.

Piperidine alkaloids: human and food animal teratogens.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Benedict T; Lee, Stephen T; Panter, Kip E; Brown, David R

2012-06-01

Piperidine alkaloids are acutely toxic to adult livestock species and produce musculoskeletal deformities in neonatal animals. These teratogenic effects include multiple congenital contracture (MCC) deformities and cleft palate in cattle, pigs, sheep, and goats. Poisonous plants containing teratogenic piperidine alkaloids include poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), lupine (Lupinus spp.), and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) [including wild tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)]. There is abundant epidemiological evidence in humans that link maternal tobacco use with a high incidence of oral clefting in newborns; this association may be partly attributable to the presence of piperidine alkaloids in tobacco products. In this review, we summarize the evidence for piperidine alkaloids that act as teratogens in livestock, piperidine alkaloid structure-activity relationships and their potential implications for human health. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sea-ice induced growth decline in Arctic shrubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Forchhammer, Mads

2017-08-01

Measures of increased tundra plant productivity have been associated with the accelerating retreat of the Arctic sea-ice. Emerging studies document opposite effects, advocating for a more complex relationship between the shrinking sea-ice and terrestrial plant productivity. I introduce an autoregressive plant growth model integrating effects of biological and climatic conditions for analysing individual ring-width growth time series. Using 128 specimens of Salix arctica , S. glauca and Betula nana sampled across Greenland to Svalbard, an overall negative effect of the retreating June sea-ice extent was found on the annual growth. The negative effect of the retreating June sea-ice was observed for younger individuals with large annual growth allocations and with little or no trade-off between previous and current year's growth. © 2017 The Author(s).

Postrelease survival, vertical and horizontal movements, and thermal habitats of five species of pelagic sharks in the central Pacific Ocean

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Musyl, Michael K.; Brill, Richard W.; Curran, Daniel S.

2011-01-01

]) in the central Pacific Ocean to determine speciesspecific movement patterns and survival rates after release from longline fishing gear. Only a single postrelease mortality could be unequivocally documented: a male blue shark which succumbed seven days after release. Meta-analysis of published reports......From 2001 to 2006, 71 pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) were deployed on five species of pelagic shark (blue shark [Prionace glauca]; shortfin mako [Isurus oxyrinchus]; silky shark [Carcharhinus falciformis]; oceanic whitetip shark [C. longimanus]; and bigeye thresher [Alopias superciliosus...... and the current study (n=78 reporting PSATs) indicated that the summary effect of postrelease mortality for blue sharks was 15% (95% CI, 8.5-25.1%) and suggested that catch-and-release in longline fisheries can be a viable management tool to protect parental biomass in shark populations. Pelagic sharks displayed...

In vivo function of Pgβglu-1 in the release of acetophenones in white spruce

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Melissa H. Mageroy

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Eastern spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferiana Clemens (ESBW is a major forest pest which feeds on young shoots of white spruce (Picea glauca and can cause landscape level economic and ecological losses. Release of acetophenone metabolites, piceol and pungenol, from their corresponding glycosides, picein and pungenin, can confer natural resistance of spruce to ESBW. A beta-glucosidase gene, Pgβglu-1, was recently discovered and the encoded enzyme was characterized in vitro to function in the release of the defensive acetophenone aglycons. Here we describe overexpression of Pgβglu-1 in a white spruce genotype whose metabolome contains the glucosylated acetophenones, but no detectable amounts of the aglycons. Transgenic overexpression of Pgβglu-1 resulted in release of the acetophenone aglycons in planta. This work provides in vivo evidence for the function of Pgβglu-1.

Nutrient and mineral composition during shoot growth in seven species of Phyllostachys and Pseudosasa bamboo consumed by giant panda.

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Christian, A L; Knott, K K; Vance, C K; Falcone, J F; Bauer, L L; Fahey, G C; Willard, S; Kouba, A J

2015-12-01

During the annual period of bamboo shoot growth in spring, free-ranging giant pandas feed almost exclusively on the shoots while ignoring the leaves and full- height culm. Little is known about the nutritional changes that occur during bamboo shoot growth, if nutritional changes differ among species, or how these changes might influence forage selection. Our objective was to examine the nutrient and mineral composition during three phases of shoot growth (180 cm) for seven species of bamboo (Phyllostachys (P.) aurea, P. aureosulcata, P. bissetii, P. glauca, P. nuda, P. rubromarginata, Pseudosasa japonica) fed to captive giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo. Total dietary fiber content of bamboo shoots increased (p 180 cm, while crude protein, fat and ash exhibited significant declines (p panda diets when available. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition © 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Abiotic alterations caused by forest fragmentation affect tree regeneration: a shade and drought tolerance gradient in the remnants of Coastal Maulino Forest Alteraciones abióticas causadas por la fragmentación del bosque afectan la regeneración arbórea: un gradiente de tolerancia a la sombra y la sequía en los remanentes del Bosque Maulino Costero

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PABLO C GUERRERO

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Plant regeneration is strongly determined by light and soil moisture differences between habitáis; both variables are modified by large-scale forest fragmentation. Several studies have indicated this alteration as the mechanism involved in tropical forest community change. The effects of fragmentation may be much more severe in Mediterranean and deciduous forests, because plant species in these forests show a stress tolerance tradeoff between shade and drought. Our study was performed in the deciduous fragmented Coastal Maulino Forest: Reserva Nacional Los Queules (RNLQ and surrounding small fragments. We hypothesised that Aristotelia chilensis (shade intolerant but drought tolerant should increase its regeneration in small patches as a consequence of the change in habitat suitability (i.e. luminous and drier, while Cryptocarya alba (shade tolerant but drought intolerant should have less regeneration in small fragments. We also expected that Nothofagus glauca and N. obliqua, which have shade and drought tolerances intermedíate between A. chilensis and C. alba, should respond less to forest fragmentation. We used two estimations of plant regeneration: (i seedling and sapling densities via field observations and (ii seed germination and seedling establishment via a field-based experiment. Natural regeneration patterns of C. alba indicated a depressed regeneration within small forest fragments compared to RNLQ, although experimental germination, establishment and recruitment proportions did not vary between habitáis. In contrast, A. chilensis regeneration was favored by forest fragmentation, with increased seedling and sapling densities and germination in small forest fragments. Both N. glauca and N. obliqua were less affected by forest fragmentation in their natural and experimental regeneration. This study highlights the relevance of studying changes in abiotic factors as a consequence of human activities, and considering safe sites (defined

Anatomía y usos de la madera de ocho especies tropicales de Quintana Roo, México

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Silvia Rebollar

1998-12-01

Full Text Available Se estudió la anatomía de la madera de ocho especies procedentes de asociaciones secundarias de las selvas alta y mediana subperennifolia del estado de Quintana Roo: Acacia gaumeri, Diphysa carthagenensis Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena glauca, Senna racemosa, Murraya paniculata, Maytenus guatemalensis, y Pimenta dioica, de acuerdo con la metodología establecida. Son especies de interés por su distribución, abundancia en el estado, y por los usos que tradicionalmente les han dado los campesinos mayas en postería, cercas, construcción rural durmintes, tablones y leña, debido a las cualidades de dureza y resistencia a la humedad y a los insectos. Las especies presentan porosidad difusa, los vasos con puntuaciones areoladas opuestas y alternas, la placa perforada es simple; el parénquima axial se presenta aliforme y en bandas; con cristales en todas las especies a excepción de Acacia gaumeri y Senna racemosa. Los rayos son bajos finos y numerosos; las fibras son de tipo libriforme. Las diferencias encontradas son: el arreglo de los poros, tipo de parénquima axial y radial, la presencia de fibrotraqueidas y traqueidas vasculares y tílides.This paper describes the wood anatomy of Acacia gaumeri Blake, Diphysa carthagenensis Jacq., Gliricidia sepium (Jacq. Steud., Leucaena glauca (L. Benth., Senna racemosa (Mill Irwin & Barneby, Murraya paniculata L.Mant., Maytenus guatemalensis Lundell, and Pimenta dioica (L. Merr. These species are aesthetically attractive as well as hard, highly durable and resistant to insects and locally are widely used in posts, fences, sleepers and rural buildings. Samples were collected from the rainforest in Quintana Roo, Mexico. One tree for each species was collected, and macroscopic and microscopic characteristics were described and measured in wood samples, permanent slides and macerated material. Woods have diffuse porosity, simple perforation plates, alternate and opposite vessel pits and small rays. Crystals

Determining baselines and variability of elements in plants and soils near the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Crock, J.G.; Severson, R.C.; Gough, L.P.

1992-01-01

Recent investigations on the Kenai Peninsula had two major objectives: (1) to establish elemental baseline concentrations ranges for native vegetation and soils; and, (2) to determine the sampling density required for preparing stable regional geochemical maps for various elements in native plants and soils. These objectives were accomplished using an unbalanced, nested analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) barbell sampling design. Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) BSG (feather moss, whole plant), Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (white spruce, twigs and needles), and soil horizons (02 and C) were collected and analyzed for major and trace total element concentrations. Using geometric means and geometric deviations, expected baseline ranges for elements were calculated. Results of the ANOVA show that intensive soil or plant sampling is needed to reliably map the geochemistry of the area, due to large local variability. For example, producing reliable element maps of feather moss using a 50 km cell (at 95% probability) would require sampling densities of from 4 samples per cell for Al, Co, Fe, La, Li, and V, to more than 15 samples per cell for Cu, Pb, Se, and Zn.Recent investigations on the Kenai Peninsula had two major objectives: (1) to establish elemental baseline concentrations ranges for native vegetation and soils; and, (2) to determine the sampling density required for preparing stable regional geochemical maps for various elements in native plants and soils. These objectives were accomplished using an unbalanced, nested analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) barbell sampling design. Hylocomium splendens (Hedw.) BSG (feather moss, whole plant), Picea glauca (Moench) Voss (white spruce, twigs and needles), and soil horizons (02 and C) were collected and analyzed for major and trace total element concentrations. Using geometric means and geometric deviations, expected baseline ranges for elements were calculated. Results of the ANOVA show that intensive soil or plant sampling is needed to

Composição florística da vegetação arbórea de um trecho de floresta estacional semidecídua em Viçosa, Minas Gerais, e espécies de maior ocorrência na região Floristic composition of trees in a seasonal semidecious forest in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, and species of greater ocurrence in the region

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Walnir Gomes Ferreira Júnior

2007-12-01

Full Text Available É grande a demanda por estudos ecológicos em florestas que possam embasar trabalhos de recuperação, conservação da biodiversidade e apoio à legislação ambiental. Entre esses estudos, primordialmente está o levantamento da flora. Nesse sentido, este trabalho teve como objetivo determinar a composição florística de um trecho da Reserva da Biologia, em Viçosa, MG, em regeneração natural há 80 anos, bem como realizar uma análise comparativa com outros trabalhos conduzidos na região, fornecendo, assim, informações que poderão embasar estudos sobre recuperação e conservação da biodiversidade dos fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. Os dados florísticos foram obtidos mediante a amostragem fitossociológica em 1 ha, pelo método de parcelas contíguas, em que todos os indivíduos arbóreos com circunferência de tronco >15 cm a 1,30 m do solo foram amostrados. Registraram-se 130 espécies, distribuídas em 94 gêneros, pertencentes a 38 famílias botânicas. A análise desses dados conjuntamente com de outros levantamentos realizados em trechos distintos da Reserva da Biologia, no campus da UFV, denota a marcante influência de variáveis ambientais locais (topografia, declividade, face de exposição solar e disponibilidade hídrica na distribuição da riqueza florística desse fragmento. Casearia decandra, Guapira opposita, Apuleia leiocarpa, Dalbergia nigra, Jacaranda macratha, Matayba elaeagnoides, Piptadenia gonoacantha, Bathysa nicholsonii, Carpotroche brasiliensis, Luehea grandiflora, Mabea fistulifera, Ocotea odorifera, Sorocea bonplandii e Zanthoxylum rhoifolium foram as espécies de maior ocorrência nos fragmentos estudados na região de Viçosa e adjacências, apresentando potencial para uso na recuperação florestal de áreas degradadas.There is a great demand for ecological studies on forests focusing on biodiversity conservation and establishment of environmental laws. The major need, however, is

Influence of air pollution on epiphytic lichens at Kopmanholm

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moberg, R

1968-01-01

Investigations were conducted to determine the effects of pollutants from a sulfate pulp factory at Kopmanholmen, Sweden on epiphytic lichens. In 1965 the factory produced 130,000 tons of pulp, 9000 tons of chlorine, 10,000 tons of alkalies and 4000 tons of sulfuric acid. The air is polluted by sulfur dioxide, organic compounds of sulfur, chlorine, and hydrogen sulfide. Results indicate that no zone is completely lacking lichen vegetation. Alectoria implexa, Cetraria glauca, Parmeliopsis aleurites and P. hyperopta are especially sensitive to air pollution. Alectoria jubata, Cetraria chlorophylla, C. pinastri, Parmelia physodes and Parmeliopsis ambigua, although injured, seem to be less sensitive to air pollution because they were collected close to the factory. The injuries on the lichens are probably not caused by a single component, but the various pollutants interact and probably intensify the effect of each other. Groups of trees in the polluted area reduce the injuries.

Species composition of the vegetation along the Sherichhu River, lower montane area of Eastern Bhutan

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Tenzin Jamtsho

2017-06-01

Full Text Available An investigation of the riparian vegetation along the Sherichhu River, lower montane area of Eastern Bhutan was conducted from April to December 2015 to explore the plant communities in terms of species composition. A total number of 18 plots were placed within the remnant patches of the vegetation on either side of the river. In total, 172 species of vascular plant has been recorded. The cluster analysis suggested four types of plant communities in the study area viz., the MallotusDesmodium-Rhus shrubland and the Syzygium venosum woodland communities, which are located in V-shaped valleys and the Albizia-Flueggea woodland and Quercus glauca woodland communities located in U-shaped valleys. In broad-spectrum, the topographic features and environmental variables i.e. litter accumulation and flooding condition might also have some impact on the species composition of the plant communities of this vegetation.

[Effect of UV-B radiation on release of nitrogen and phosphorus from leaf litter in subtropical region in China].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Xin-Zhang; Zhang, Hui-Ling; Jiang, Hong; Yu, Shu-Quan

2012-02-01

The release of nitrogen and phosphorus from leaf litter of six representative species, Cunninghamia lanceolata, Pinus massoniana, Schima superba, Cinnamanun camphora, Cyclobalanopsis glauca and Castanopsis eyeri, was investigated with litterbag method under ambient and reduced UV-B radiation (22.1% below ambient) treatments in subtropical region. The results showed that, the N dynamics exhibited three patterns: immobilization, mineralization-immobilization and mineralization-immobilization-mineralization. P dynamics also exhibited three different patterns: mineralization, immobilization-mineralization-immobilization and no large change. Compared with ambient treatment, the reduced treatment significantly delayed the N release from C. eyeri and P release from both C. glanca and C. eyeri (Plitter decomposition. The C: P ratios can partly explain the P dynamics during decomposition. The more works need to be done to better understand the role of UV-B radiation in the forest ecosystem in humid subtropical China under global environment change.

Inheritance of Budbreak and Correlation with Early Height Growth in White Spruce (Picea glauca) from New England

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald C. Wilkinson

1977-01-01

Variation in budbreak date among 37 half-sib families of white spruce in a replicated one-parent progeny test plantation in southern Maine was only 5 days. Differences in the mean date of budbreak between years were greater than those between families, but the genetic correlation between date of budbreak in different years was .661. Heritability estimates ranged from ....

Plantas medicinais usadas para tratamentos dermatológicos, em comunidades da Bacia do Alto Paraguai, Mato Grosso

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M. Macedo

Full Text Available O uso de plantas medicinais no Brasil e em especial no Estado de Mato Grosso vem sendo registrado em suas comunidades rurais e tradicionais. Este trabalho visa identificar plantas com potencial dermatológico utilizada pelas comunidades: quilombolas, ribeirinhas, rurais e tradicionais dos municípios de Barão de Melgaço, Nossa Senhora do Livramento, Poconé e Santo Antônio de Leverger. Fez-se a coleta de material botânico fértil e levantamento sobre o uso desses vegetais com a população local. Este material encontra-se identificado e depositado em Coleção de Referência de Plantas Medicinais no UFMT, Herbário Central. Registraram-se 36 espécies utilizadas no tratamento de doenças como afecções, feridas e úlceras, erisipelas, herpes labial e verrugas. Destacam-se espécies como: Astronium fraxinifolium Schott.; Bixa orellana L.; Brosimum gaudichaudii Tréc.; Cassia grandis Lf.; Heliotropium indicum L.; Jacaranda brasiliana (Lam. Pers.; Macrosiphonia velame (St. Hil. Mull. Arg.; Pistia stratiotes L.; Senna alatal. Roxb., entre outras. Estes vegetais são freqüentemente usados na forma de banhos e chás. O órgão vegetal mais utilizado foi as folhas, seguido de cascas do caule, frutos, óleo, raiz, planta inteira, seiva e sementes. O avanço da fronteira agropecuária nesse Estado é constante preocupação dos botânicos e das comunidades que ao longo das décadas usufruem desse potencial medicinal.

Apoptosis- and differentiation-inducing activities of jacaric acid, a conjugated linolenic acid isomer, on human eosinophilic leukemia EoL-1 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wai-Nam; Leung, Kwok-Nam

2014-11-01

Conjugated linolenic acids (CLNAs) are a group of naturally occurring positional and geometrical isomers of the C18 polyunsaturated essential fatty acid, linolenic acid (LNA), with three conjugated double bonds (C18:3). Although previous research has demonstrated the growth-inhibitory effects of CLNA on a wide variety of cancer cell lines in vitro, their action mechanisms and therapeutic potential on human myeloid leukemia cells remain poorly understood. In the present study, we found that jacaric acid (8Z,10E,12Z-octadecatrienoic acid), a CLNA isomer which is present in jacaranda seed oil, inhibited the in vitro growth of human eosinophilic leukemia EoL-1 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Mechanistic studies showed that jacaric acid triggered cell cycle arrest of EoL-1 cells at the G0/G1 phase and induced apoptosis of the EoL-1 cells, as measured by the Cell Death Detection ELISAPLUS kit, Annexin V assay and JC-1 dye staining. Notably, the jacaric acid-treated EoL-1 cells also underwent differentiation as revealed by morphological and phenotypic analysis. Collectively, our results demonstrated the capability of jacaric acid to inhibit the growth of EoL-1 cells in vitro through triggering cell cycle arrest and by inducing apoptosis and differentiation of the leukemia cells. Therefore, jacaric acid might be developed as a potential candidate for the treatment of certain forms of myeloid leukemia with minimal toxicity and few side effects.

INDICATED SPECIES TO RESTORATION OF RIPARIAN FORESTS IN SUBWATERSHED OF PEIXE-BOI RIVER, PARÁ STATE

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Igor do Vale

2014-09-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509815736This study aims to indicate native species to be used in the restoration of degraded riparian forests in the subwatershed of Peixe-Boi river. All trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (DBH > 5 cm were inventoried in ten areas of secondary forest and six areas of igapó forest. The results were analyzed by Principal Component Analysis and the silviculture of the species was assessed by literature review. In Igapó areas 66 species were found; the areas had low richness and low diversity index of Shannon, when compared with data from the secondary forests. The floristic composition was heterogeneous, and the floristic similarity is higher between areas that are closer geographically. In the secondary forests were found 175 species; the areas showed high abundance of individuals, high species richness, diversity and evenness. Secondary forests were separated according to geographic proximity and age, which is directly linked to the successional stage. The PCA analysis established the ecological importance of 29 tree species; however only ten species had enough silvicultural information. Due to a greater ecological importance and viable silvicultural techniques available in the literature, Carapa guianensis, Pachira aquatica, Spondias mombin, Tapirira guianensis and Virola guianensis are the most suitable species to restore the degraded areas, in association with Inga edulis, Jacaranda copaia, Pseudopiptadenia psilostachya, Simarouba amara and Vismia guianensis of the secondary forests, that can be planted in the borders and in the nearby areas of igapó forests.

Long-term impacts of selective logging on two Amazonian tree species with contrasting ecological and reproductive characteristics: inferences from Eco-gene model simulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinson, C C; Kanashiro, M; Sebbenn, A M; Williams, T C R; Harris, S A; Boshier, D H

2015-08-01

The impact of logging and subsequent recovery after logging is predicted to vary depending on specific life history traits of the logged species. The Eco-gene simulation model was used to evaluate the long-term impacts of selective logging over 300 years on two contrasting Brazilian Amazon tree species, Dipteryx odorata and Jacaranda copaia. D. odorata (Leguminosae), a slow growing climax tree, occurs at very low densities, whereas J. copaia (Bignoniaceae) is a fast growing pioneer tree that occurs at high densities. Microsatellite multilocus genotypes of the pre-logging populations were used as data inputs for the Eco-gene model and post-logging genetic data was used to verify the output from the simulations. Overall, under current Brazilian forest management regulations, there were neither short nor long-term impacts on J. copaia. By contrast, D. odorata cannot be sustainably logged under current regulations, a sustainable scenario was achieved by increasing the minimum cutting diameter at breast height from 50 to 100 cm over 30-year logging cycles. Genetic parameters were only slightly affected by selective logging, with reductions in the numbers of alleles and single genotypes. In the short term, the loss of alleles seen in J. copaia simulations was the same as in real data, whereas fewer alleles were lost in D. odorata simulations than in the field. The different impacts and periods of recovery for each species support the idea that ecological and genetic information are essential at species, ecological guild or reproductive group levels to help derive sustainable management scenarios for tropical forests.

Impacts of selective logging on inbreeding and gene flow in two Amazonian timber species with contrasting ecological and reproductive characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Vinson, C C; Kanashiro, M; Harris, S A; Boshier, D H

2015-01-01

Selective logging in Brazil allows for the removal of up to 90% of trees above 50 cm diameter of a given timber species, independent of a species' life history characteristics or how quickly it will recover. The genetic and demographic effects of selective logging on two Amazonian timber species (Dipteryx odorata Leguminosae, Jacaranda copaia Bignoniaceae) with contrasting ecological and reproductive characteristics were assessed in the same forest. Genetic diversity and gene flow were characterized by genotyping adults and seed sampled before and after logging, using hypervariable microsatellite markers. Overall, there were no short-term genetic impacts on the J. copaia population, with commercial application of current Brazilian forest management regulations. In contrast, for D. Odorata, selective logging showed a range of genetic impacts, with a 10% loss of alleles, and reductions in siring by pollen from trees within the 546-ha study area (23-11%) and in the number of pollen donors per progeny array (2.8-1.6), illustrating the importance of the surrounding landscape. Asynchrony in flowering between D. odorata trees led to trees with no breeding partners, which could limit the species reproduction and regeneration under current regulations. The results are summarized with other published studies from the same site and the implications for forest management discussed. The different types and levels of impacts associated with each species support the idea that ecological and genetic information by species, ecological guild or reproductive group is essential in helping to derive sustainable logging guidelines for tropical forests. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

COPPER ACCUMULATION IN SOILS AND VEGETATION OF POLLUTED AREA COPŞA MICĂ

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Nicoleta Vrînceanu

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The study carried out in order to estimate the distribution and accumulation of copper in soils and vegetation fromCopşa Mică area used a radial network centered in the source of pollution – S.C. SOMETRA S.A. Copşa Mică. Soil andplant samples taken from the radial nodes of the network were analyzed to determine the content of copper. Values ofcopper content in plant ranged between 4.2 mg/kg and 97 mg/kg. Based on these results has been obtained a regressionequation that estimates the copper content in plants as function of the total copper content in soil. The spontaneousvegetation developed in the investigated area includes plants belonging to the following species: Amaranthusretroflexus, Artemisia vulgaris, Asclepias syriaca, Calamagrostis epigeios, Calamagrostis pseudophragmites, Cynodondactylon, Daucus carota, Equisetum arvense, Phragmites australis, Picris hieracioides, Setaria glauca, Sinapisarvensis, Verbascum phlomoides and Xanthium strumarium. The copper pollution doesn’t represent a major problem inCopşa Mică area.

Insights into Conifer Giga-Genomes1

Science.gov (United States)

De La Torre, Amanda R.; Birol, Inanc; Bousquet, Jean; Ingvarsson, Pär K.; Jansson, Stefan; Jones, Steven J.M.; Keeling, Christopher I.; MacKay, John; Nilsson, Ove; Ritland, Kermit; Street, Nathaniel; Yanchuk, Alvin; Zerbe, Philipp; Bohlmann, Jörg

2014-01-01

Insights from sequenced genomes of major land plant lineages have advanced research in almost every aspect of plant biology. Until recently, however, assembled genome sequences of gymnosperms have been missing from this picture. Conifers of the pine family (Pinaceae) are a group of gymnosperms that dominate large parts of the world’s forests. Despite their ecological and economic importance, conifers seemed long out of reach for complete genome sequencing, due in part to their enormous genome size (20–30 Gb) and the highly repetitive nature of their genomes. Technological advances in genome sequencing and assembly enabled the recent publication of three conifer genomes: white spruce (Picea glauca), Norway spruce (Picea abies), and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). These genome sequences revealed distinctive features compared with other plant genomes and may represent a window into the past of seed plant genomes. This Update highlights recent advances, remaining challenges, and opportunities in light of the publication of the first conifer and gymnosperm genomes. PMID:25349325

Effect of different levels of air pollution on photosynthetic activity of some lichens

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Ewa Niewiadomska

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Four lichen species: Hypogymnia physodes, Pseudevernia furfuracea, Parmelia saxatilis, and Platismatia glauca were collected from two sites (S. Poland with a different air pollution level: "Kamienica valley" (less polluted and "Kopa" (more polluted. The thalli were compared with respect to their: net photosynthetic rate (PN, fluorescence parameters (Fv/Fm, Fm, Fm/Fo, chlorophyll a+b content, and phaeophytinization quotient (O.D.435/O.D.415. PN intensity, chlorophyll a+b and O.D.435/O.D.415 were reduced only in Pa furfuracea collected from Kopa, which is in agreement with the Hawksworth-Rose scale of sensitivity of lichens to air pollution. Fluorescence parameters were significantly lowered in all lichens coming from the more polluted site (except of Fv/Fm and Fm/F0 in P. saxatilis. Parameters based on chlorophyll fluorescence measurements enable to reveal the very early signs of decreased photosynthetical capacity of the thalli, caused by air pollution, before changes in the other photosynthetic parameters become mesurable.

Examination as to the classification of representative tree species at Satoyama coppice forest using multiwavelength range data observed from aircraft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Setojima, M.; Imai, Y.; Funahashi, M.; Kawai, M.; Katsuki, T.

2006-01-01

In this study, we examined the possibility of classifying representative tree species at Satoyama coppice forest based on spectral reflectance of the tree species. We used the airborne hyperspectral data observed in exhibition leaf stage at the test forest (about 3.4ha) in Tama Forest Science Garden (Hachioji, Tokyo) , where the forest type similar to that of Satoyama is preserved. The classification accuracy was verified by comparing the results of interpretation of color aerial photographs taken in spring and autumn in chronological order and the field survey. As a result, the 534-556 nm (band 6 and band 7) in the visible range and 739-762 nm (band 15 and band 16), 785nm (band 17) in the near infrared range are effective bands for classification of the species of such trees as Castanopsis sieboldii, Quercus glauca, Zelkova serrata, Quercus serrata, Cryptomeria japonica, and Chamaecyparis obutusa, which are representative trees in Satoyama coppice forest in Tama district

Pyridine-type alkaloid composition affects bacterial community composition of floral nectar.

Science.gov (United States)

Aizenberg-Gershtein, Yana; Izhaki, Ido; Santhanam, Rakesh; Kumar, Pavan; Baldwin, Ian T; Halpern, Malka

2015-06-30

Pyridine-type alkaloids are most common in Nicotiana species. To study the effect of alkaloid composition on bacterial community composition in floral nectar, we compared the nicotine-rich wild type (WT) N. attenuata, the nicotine biosynthesis-silenced N. attenuata that was rich in anatabine and the anabasine-rich WT N. glauca plants. We found that the composition of these secondary metabolites in the floral nectar drastically affected the bacterial community richness, diversity and composition. Significant differences were found between the bacterial community compositions in the nectar of the three plants with a much greater species richness and diversity in the nectar from the transgenic plant. The highest community composition similarity index was detected between the two wild type plants. The different microbiome composition and diversity, caused by the different pyridine-type alkaloid composition, could modify the nutritional content of the nectar and consequently, may contribute to the change in the nectar consumption and visitation. These may indirectly have an effect on plant fitness.

A taxonomic study on the diversity of Indian Knema Lour. (Myristicaceae

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Dipanwita Banik

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A taxonomic study on the diversity of the genus Knema Lour. belonging to the family Myristicaceae R. Br. in India revealed the distribution of the ten taxa under four series in North East and Peninsular India and Andaman and Nicobar Islands including two endemic species. Knema ser. Obovoideae W.J. de Wilde is synonymised here under ser. Knema. Series Knema is represented by two species and ser. Glaucae W.J. de Wilde by one species in North East India, while ser. Laurinae W.J. de Wilde is represented by three species and two subspecies in North East India and Andaman and Nicobar Island, and ser. Glomeratae W.J. de Wilde by 2 species in South and NE India. This is the first taxonomic study on the genus in India. All the taxa are cited with updated nomenclature, diagnostic characters, distribution, phonological data, vernacular names, line drawings, photo plates and specimens examined in various herbaria. Taxonomic keys are provided for easy identification of these taxa.

Investigating Potential Toxicity of Leachate from Wood Chip Piles Generated by Roadside Biomass Operations

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John Rex

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Roadside processing of wood biomass leaves chip piles of varying size depending upon whether they were created for temporary storage, spillage, or equipment maintenance. Wood chips left in these piles can generate leachate that contaminates streams when processing sites are connected to waterways. Leachate toxicity and chemistry were assessed for pure aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx., lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl., hybrid white spruce (Picea engelmannii x glauca Parry, and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. Britton as well as from two wood chipping sites using mixes of lodgepole pine and hybrid or black spruce. Leachate was generated using rainfall simulation, a static 28-day laboratory assay, and a field-based exposure. Leachate generated by these exposures was analyzed for organic matter content, phenols, ammonia, pH, and toxicity. Findings indicate that all wood chip types produced a toxic leachate despite differences in their chemistry. The consistent toxicity response highlights the need for runoff management that will disconnect processing sites from aquatic environments.

Comparison of Rooting Strategies to Explore Rock Fractures for Shallow Soil-Adapted Tree Species with Contrasting Aboveground Growth Rates: A Greenhouse Microcosm Experiment.

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Nie, Yunpeng; Chen, Hongsong; Ding, Yali; Yang, Jing; Wang, Kelin

2017-01-01

For tree species adapted to shallow soil environments, rooting strategies that efficiently explore rock fractures are important because soil water depletion occurs frequently. However, two questions: (a) to what extent shallow soil-adapted species rely on exploring rock fractures and (b) what outcomes result from drought stress, have rarely been tested. Therefore, based on the expectation that early development of roots into deep soil layers is at the cost of aboveground growth, seedlings of three tree species ( Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Delavaya toxocarpa , and Acer cinnamomifolium ) with distinct aboveground growth rates were selected from a typical shallow soil region. In a greenhouse experiment that mimics the basic features of shallow soil environments, 1-year-old seedlings were transplanted into simulated microcosms of shallow soil overlaying fractured bedrock. Root biomass allocation and leaf physiological activities, as well as leaf δ 13 C values were investigated and compared for two treatments: regular irrigation and repeated cycles of drought stress. Our results show that the three species differed in their rooting strategies in the context of encountering rock fractures, however, these strategies were not closely related to the aboveground growth rate. For the slowest-growing seedling, C. glauca , percentages of root mass in the fractures, as well as in the soil layer between soil and bedrock increased significantly under both treatments, indicating a specialized rooting strategy that facilitated the exploration of rock fractures. Early investment in deep root growth was likely critical to the establishment of this drought-vulnerable species. For the intermediate-growing, A. cinnamomifolium , percentages of root mass in the bedrock and interface soil layers were relatively low and exhibited no obvious change under either treatment. This limited need to explore rock fractures was compensated by a conservative water use strategy. For the fast-growing, D

Comparison of Rooting Strategies to Explore Rock Fractures for Shallow Soil-Adapted Tree Species with Contrasting Aboveground Growth Rates: A Greenhouse Microcosm Experiment

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Yunpeng Nie

2017-09-01

Full Text Available For tree species adapted to shallow soil environments, rooting strategies that efficiently explore rock fractures are important because soil water depletion occurs frequently. However, two questions: (a to what extent shallow soil-adapted species rely on exploring rock fractures and (b what outcomes result from drought stress, have rarely been tested. Therefore, based on the expectation that early development of roots into deep soil layers is at the cost of aboveground growth, seedlings of three tree species (Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Delavaya toxocarpa, and Acer cinnamomifolium with distinct aboveground growth rates were selected from a typical shallow soil region. In a greenhouse experiment that mimics the basic features of shallow soil environments, 1-year-old seedlings were transplanted into simulated microcosms of shallow soil overlaying fractured bedrock. Root biomass allocation and leaf physiological activities, as well as leaf δ13C values were investigated and compared for two treatments: regular irrigation and repeated cycles of drought stress. Our results show that the three species differed in their rooting strategies in the context of encountering rock fractures, however, these strategies were not closely related to the aboveground growth rate. For the slowest-growing seedling, C. glauca, percentages of root mass in the fractures, as well as in the soil layer between soil and bedrock increased significantly under both treatments, indicating a specialized rooting strategy that facilitated the exploration of rock fractures. Early investment in deep root growth was likely critical to the establishment of this drought-vulnerable species. For the intermediate-growing, A. cinnamomifolium, percentages of root mass in the bedrock and interface soil layers were relatively low and exhibited no obvious change under either treatment. This limited need to explore rock fractures was compensated by a conservative water use strategy. For the fast

Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphate fertilization on initial growth of six arboreal species of cerrado

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Kenia Alves Pereira Lacerda

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the benefit of inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Glomus clarum, for the initial growth of some native arboreal species of the Cerrado biome, namely gabiroba (Campomanesia cambessedeana, baru (Dipterix alata, jatobá (Hymenaea courbaril, ingá (Inga laurina, caroba (Jacaranda cuspidifolia and chichá (Sterculia striata, in unsterilized soil with low (0.02 mg L‑1 and high (0.2 mg L‑1 concentrations of P in the soil solution. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse, using 1.5 kg vases, for up to 120 days. The experimental design for each arboreal species was completely randomized, with ten replicates in a 2x2 factorial design (inoculated and noninoculated seedlings, and two levels of phosphorus (P in the soil solution. Arboreal plants of the Cerrado biome showed increased mycorrhizal colonization from inoculation with Glomus clarum, except chichá, as this species showed a high indigenous colonization, not differing from the colonization promoted by inoculated fungi. Inoculation promoted increased growth in baru, gabiroba, ingá, caroba and chichá, increasing shoot dry matter (MSPA and root dry matter (MSR. In caroba, this effect was synergistic with application of P to the soil. Baru and jatobá showed increased dry matter with application of P to the soil only. The mycotrophy (mycorrhizal dependence of species and their response to inoculation and to phosphorus are discussed. In order to produce quality seedlings of caroba, gabiroba, chichá and ingá, combining inoculation with Glomus clarum and phosphate fertilization of the soil is recommended, while for jatobá and baru only the application of P to the soil is recommended.

Species choice, provenance and species trials among native Brazilian species

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Drumond, M A

1982-01-01

Six papers from the conference are presented. Drumond, M.A., Potential of species native to the semi-arid tropics, 766-781, (Refs. 18), reports on Anadenanthera macrocarpa, Mimosa species, Schinopsis brasiliensis, Spondias tuberosa, Ziziphus joazeiro, Cnidoscolus phyllacanthus, Bursera leptophleos (leptophloeos), Tabebuia impetiginosa, Astronium urundeuva, and Mimosa caesalpinia. Monteiro, R.F.R., Speltz, R.M., Gurgel, J.T. do A.; Silvicultural performance of 24 provenances of Araucaria angustifolia in Parana, 814-824, (Refs. 8). Pires, C.L. da S., Kalil Filho, A.N., Rosa, P.R.F. da, Parente, P.R., Zanatto, A.C.S.; Provenance trials of Cordia alliodora in the State of Sao Paulo, 988-995, (Refs. 9). Nogueira, J.C.B., Siqueira, A.C.M.F., Garrido, M.A.O., Gurgel Garrido, L.M. do A., Rosa, P.R.F., Moraes, J.L. de, Zandarin, M.A., Gurgel Filho, O.A., Trials of some native species in various regions of the State of Sao Paulo, 1051-1063, (Refs. 9) describes Centrolobium tomentosum, Peltophorum dubium, Tabebuia vellosoi, Cariniana legalis, and Balfourodendron riedelianum. Batista, M.P., Borges, J.F., Franco, M.A.B.; Early growth of a native species in comparison with exotics in northeastern Para, Brazil, 1105-1110, (Refs. 3). Jacaranda copaia is compared with Gmelina arborea, Pinus caribaea various hondurensis, Eucalyptus deglupta, and E. urophylla. Lima, P.C.F., Souza, S.M. de, Drumond, M.A.; Trials of native forest species at Petrolina, Pernambuco, 1139-1148, (Refs. 8), deals with Anadenanthera macrocarpa, Piptadenia obliqua, Pithecellobium foliolosum, Astronium urundeuva, Schinopsis brasiliensis, Cassia excelsa, Caesalpinia pyramidalis, Parkia platycephala, Pseudobombax simplicifolium, Tabebuia impetiginosa, Caesalpinia ferrea, and Aspidosperma pyrifolium. 18 references.

Nuptial nectary structure of Bignoniaceae from Argentina

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Guillermo L. Rivera

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Rivera, G. L. 2000. Estructura de nectarios nupciales en Bignoniaceae de Argentina.Darwiniana 38(3-4: 227-239.Se investigaron las características de los nectarios florales en 37 especies de Bignoniaceae. Se encontróun nectario nupcial asociado al eje floral en todas las especies, pudiéndose distinguir dos tipos principalesde acuerdo a su grado de desarrollo y funcionalidad: 1 vestigial y no secretor y 2 bien desarrollado ysecretor. El primero es característico de las especies de Clytostoma mientras que el segundo está presenteen el resto de las especies estudiadas. Dos variedades del tipo secretor pueden discernirse de acuerdo a suposición y forma: 1 anular, encontrado en Adenocalymma, Amphilophium, Anemopaegma, Arrabidaea,Dolichandra, Eccremocarpus, Macfadyena, Melloa, Pithecoctenium, Tabebuia, y Tecoma y 2 cilíndrico,presente en Argylia, Cuspidaria, Jacaranda, Mansoa, Parabignonia, Pyrostegia, y Tynnanthus.Anatómicamente se distinguen dos tejidos: 1 una epidermis monoestratificada, cubierta por una cutículay con un número variable de estomas y 2 un tejido secretor compuesto por células parenquimáticasdispuestas en forma compacta. Tanto el tamaño del nectario como la relación nectario/ovario fueusualmente más grande en lianas (Bignoniaceae que en árboles (Tecomeae. El tipo de nectario fueinvariable entre las especies de un mismo género, pero no así entre los géneros de una misma tribu. Lascaracterísticas de los nectarios analizados en este estudio como la vascularización, la presencia detricomas y el tipo de nectario fueron constantes en las especies analizadas, adquiriendo por lo tanto unimportante valor taxonómico

Ultrasound studies of the effects of certain poisonous plants on uterine function and fetal development in livestock.

Science.gov (United States)

Bunch, T D; Panter, K E; James, L F

1992-05-01

Ingestion of locoweed (Astragalus spp. and Oxytropis spp.) by pregnant livestock may result in fetal malformations, delayed placentation, reduced placental and uterine vascular development, hydrops amnii, hydrops allantois, abnormal cotyledonary development, interruption of fetal fluid balance, and abortion. Ultrasonography of pregnant sheep fed locoweed demonstrated that abortion was first preceded by changes in fetal heart rate and strength of contraction and structural changes of the cotyledons, followed by increased accumulation of fetal fluid within the placental membranes and death of the fetus. During pregnancy the toxic agent in locoweed (swainsonine) apparently passes through the placental barrier to the fetus and during lactation through the milk to the neonate. Poison-hemlock (Conium maculatum), wild tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca), and lunara lupine (Lupinus formosus) all contain piperidine alkaloids and induce fetal malformations, including multiple congenital contractures and cleft palate in livestock. Ultrasonography studies of pregnant sheep and goats gavaged with these plants during 30 to 60 d of gestation suggests that the primary cause of multiple congenital contractures and cleft palate is the degree and the duration of the alkaloid-induced fetal immobilization.

Climatic Sensitivity of a Mixed Forest Association of White Spruce and Trembling Aspen at Their Southern Range Limit

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Sophan Chhin

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Climatic sensitivity of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss was examined growing in association with trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx. at their southern limit of distribution in a transitional ecotone between the southern boreal forest and northern prairie region. The study was carried out in the Spruce Woods Provincial Park (SWPP located in southwestern Manitoba, Canada. The dry regional climate restricted trembling aspen growth during the growing season via moisture deficiency and temperature induced drought stress. Warm, mild winters also negatively affected radial growth of trembling aspen. Growth of white spruce was moderated by conditions within the aspen stands as radial growth patterns showed low variability from year to year, a low common growth signal, and a stronger response to temperature than to precipitation. Nonetheless, the dry regional climate still restricted growth of white spruce during the growing season via temperature induced drought stress. The findings of the study for white spruce support the stress gradient hypothesis in which facilitative interactions between tree species are expected under harsher environmental conditions.

Can snowshoe hares control treeline expansions?

Science.gov (United States)

Olnes, Justin; Kielland, Knut; Juday, Glenn P; Mann, Daniel H; Genet, Hélène; Ruess, Roger W

2017-10-01

Treelines in Alaska are advancing in elevation and latitude because of climate warming, which is expanding the habitat available for boreal wildlife species, including snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus). Snowshoe hares are already present in tall shrub communities beyond treeline and are the main browser of white spruce (Picea glauca), the dominant tree species at treeline in Alaska. We investigated the processes involved in a "snowshoe hare filter" to white spruce establishment near treeline in Denali National Park, Alaska, USA. We modeled the pattern of spruce establishment from 1970 to 2009 and found that fewer spruce established during periods of high hare abundance. Multiple factors interact to influence browsing of spruce, including the hare cycle, snow depth and the characteristics of surrounding vegetation. Hares are abundant at treeline and may exclude spruce from otherwise optimal establishment sites, particularly floodplain locations with closed shrub canopies. The expansion of white spruce treeline in response to warming climate will be strongly modified by the spatial and temporal dynamics of the snowshoe hare filter. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Ecological Distribution Of The Genus Crotalaria In Nigeria

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Odewo

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Geographical distribution and morphological features of the genus Crotalaria were studied. Methods follow conventional practice as reported by previous studies. Thirty six species of the genus Crotalaria were shown to be distributed in Nigeria. The genera were allopathic in nature. The species such as C. bongensis C. atrorubens C. cleomifolia C. anthyllopsis C. cuspidata C. bamendul C. calycina C. hyssopifolia C. incana C. graminicola and C. macrocalyx were prominent in savannah zones while C. acervata C. cylindrical C. cephalotes C. comosa C. retusa C.doniana C. glauca C. falcata C. goreensis among others were common in cultivated areas in forest zone of Nigeria. Qualitative leaf morphological features of selected crotalaria species in Nigeria were also revealed. It shows that the leaf margin leaf surface and leaf base are similar in features except in leaf shape that vary from lanceolate C. comosa and C. bongensis oblanceolate C. retusa C. goreensis C. ononoidea and C. lachnosema to obovate C. mucronata and C. naragutensis. This implies that most of the genus Crotalaria displays similar characteristic and the features among them shows overlap.

Electromagnetic characterization of white spruce at different moisture contents using synthetic aperture radar imaging

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Ingemi, Christopher M.; Owusu Twumasi, Jones; Yu, Tzuyang

2018-03-01

Detection and quantification of moisture content inside wood (timber) is key to ensuring safety and reliability of timber structures. Moisture inside wood attracts insects and fosters the development of fungi to attack the timber, causing significant damages and reducing the load bearing capacity during their design life. The use of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) techniques (e.g., microwave/radar, ultrasonic, stress wave, and X-ray) for condition assessment of timber structures is a good choice. NDE techniques provide information about the level of deterioration and material properties of timber structures without obstructing their functionality. In this study, microwave/radar NDE technique was selected for the characterization of wood at different moisture contents. A 12 in-by-3.5 in-by-1.5 in. white spruce specimen (picea glauca) was imaged at different moisture contents using a 10 GHz synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensor inside an anechoic chamber. The presence of moisture was found to increase the SAR image amplitude as expected. Additionally, integrated SAR amplitude was found beneficial in modeling the moisture content inside the wood specimen.

Immunology and Homeopathy. 4. Clinical Studies—Part 2

Science.gov (United States)

Bellavite, Paolo; Ortolani, Riccardo; Pontarollo, Francesco; Piasere, Valeria; Benato, Giovanni; Conforti, Anita

2006-01-01

The clinical studies on the effectiveness of homeopathy in respiratory allergy (18 randomized trials and 9 observational studies) are described. The literature of common immunologic disorders including also upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and otorhinolaryngology (reported in part 1), is evaluated and discussed. Most of initial evidence-based research was addressed to the question of whether homeopathic high dilutions are placebos or possess specific effects, but this question has been often equivocal and is still a matter of debate. The evidence demonstrates that in some conditions homeopathy shows significant promise, e.g. Galphimia glauca (low dilutions/potencies) in allergic oculorhinitis, classical individualized homeopathy in otitis and possibly in asthma and allergic complaints, and a few low-potency homeopathic complexes in sinusitis and rhinoconjunctivitis. A general weakness of evidence derives from lack of independent confirmation of reported trials and from presence of conflicting results, as in case of homeopathic immunotherapy and of classical homeopathy for URTI. The suitable methods to evaluate homeopathy effectiveness, without altering the setting of cure, are also analyzed. PMID:17173103

The Transcriptomics of Secondary Growth and Wood Formation in Conifers

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Ana; Paiva, Jorge; Louzada, José; Lima-Brito, José

2013-01-01

In the last years, forestry scientists have adapted genomics and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to the search for candidate genes related to the transcriptomics of secondary growth and wood formation in several tree species. Gymnosperms, in particular, the conifers, are ecologically and economically important, namely, for the production of wood and other forestry end products. Until very recently, no whole genome sequencing of a conifer genome was available. Due to the gradual improvement of the NGS technologies and inherent bioinformatics tools, two draft assemblies of the whole genomes sequence of Picea abies and Picea glauca arose in the current year. These draft genome assemblies will bring new insights about the structure, content, and evolution of the conifer genomes. Furthermore, new directions in the forestry, breeding and research of conifers will be discussed in the following. The identification of genes associated with the xylem transcriptome and the knowledge of their regulatory mechanisms will provide less time-consuming breeding cycles and a high accuracy for the selection of traits related to wood production and quality. PMID:24288610

DOMINANCE PATTERN CHANGES OF A LICHEN-RICH CORYNEPHORUS GRASSLAND IN THE INLAND OF THE NETHERLANDS

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F.J.A. DANIELS

2008-04-01

Full Text Available This paper documents the pattern changes of a Corynephorion-grassland during the period 1981-2004. All 2-3 years the dominant moss- and lichen microcommunity (mc types and the dominant grass species were recorded in all 936 square meter subplots of a 26 m x 36 m plot. The study site is situated in the National Park “De Hoge Veluwe”, the Netherlands. The area is roamed mainly by deer and wild sheep. Climate is oceanic. Main purpose of the study is long-term monitoring of vegetation dynamics in relation to grazing and climate. In 1981 the densely vegetated plot was mainly dominated by the Cladonia glauca – Trapeliopsis granulosa mc type (5, the Cladonia glauca mc type with reindeer lichens (6 and the Cladonia portentosa mc type (8 and the grasses Corynephorus canescens (C and Festuca filiformis (F. The subplot dominance of Corynephorus canescens appeared positively correlated with that of mc type 5, whereas the subplot dominance of Festuca filiformis was correlated with those of mc types 6 and 8. The Campylopus introflexus mc type (4 was dominant in one subplot only. During 1981-1984 the subplot dominance frequency of mc types 6 and 8 increased, while that of mc type 5 decreased. These changes are in line with known progressive succession features of the Spergulo-Corynephoretum. During 1984-1994 almost all mc types from 1981 disappeared and in 1994 the plot was almost completely dominated by the Campylopus introflexus mc type (4 and Corynephorus canescens. In the beginning of this period (1985, 1986, 1987 some winter months were very cold and dry (continental. Thereafter the oceanic Festuca filiformis and Cladonia portentosa (mc type 8 died off. Moreover game density in the National Park increased. The resulting open places with sand and litter were easily occupied by the highly invasive neophytic moss Campylopus introflexus (mc type 4. From 1994 onwards we observe again a development towards the situation of 1981.The dominance frequency of

DOMINANCE PATTERN CHANGES OF A LICHEN-RICH CORYNEPHORUS GRASSLAND IN THE INLAND OF THE NETHERLANDS

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O. LEPPING

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This paper documents the pattern changes of a Corynephorion-grassland during the period 1981-2004. All 2-3 years the dominant moss- and lichen microcommunity (mc types and the dominant grass species were recorded in all 936 square meter subplots of a 26 m x 36 m plot. The study site is situated in the National Park “De Hoge Veluwe”, the Netherlands. The area is roamed mainly by deer and wild sheep. Climate is oceanic. Main purpose of the study is long-term monitoring of vegetation dynamics in relation to grazing and climate. In 1981 the densely vegetated plot was mainly dominated by the Cladonia glauca – Trapeliopsis granulosa mc type (5, the Cladonia glauca mc type with reindeer lichens (6 and the Cladonia portentosa mc type (8 and the grasses Corynephorus canescens (C and Festuca filiformis (F. The subplot dominance of Corynephorus canescens appeared positively correlated with that of mc type 5, whereas the subplot dominance of Festuca filiformis was correlated with those of mc types 6 and 8. The Campylopus introflexus mc type (4 was dominant in one subplot only. During 1981-1984 the subplot dominance frequency of mc types 6 and 8 increased, while that of mc type 5 decreased. These changes are in line with known progressive succession features of the Spergulo-Corynephoretum. During 1984-1994 almost all mc types from 1981 disappeared and in 1994 the plot was almost completely dominated by the Campylopus introflexus mc type (4 and Corynephorus canescens. In the beginning of this period (1985, 1986, 1987 some winter months were very cold and dry (continental. Thereafter the oceanic Festuca filiformis and Cladonia portentosa (mc type 8 died off. Moreover game density in the National Park increased. The resulting open places with sand and litter were easily occupied by the highly invasive neophytic moss Campylopus introflexus (mc type 4. From 1994 onwards we observe again a development towards the situation of 1981.The dominance frequency of

Whitefly species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae on wild and cultivated plants in the horticultural region of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina Especies de moscas blancas (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae sobre plantas silvestres y cultivadas en la región hortícola de Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

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Gustavo G. Gonsebatt

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Whiteflies of economic importance are polyphagous, being able to develop on a large number of cultivated and spontaneous plants. We recorded the whitefly species on vegetable and flower crops and the wild plants associated, under greenhouse and field conditions, for two years. We observed two species: Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood and the Bemisia tabaci complex (Gennadius. T vaporariorum was recorded on 24 plant species (11 families, 12 and 8 of which are new hosts in Argentina and in the world, respectively. The B. tabaci complex was recorded only on flower production systems, on 19 plant species (11 families, 14 and 7 of which are new hosts in Argentina and in the world, respectively. The crops Glycine max (L. and Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., the wild species Amaranthus blitum L., Amaranthus quitensis Kunth, Conyza bonariensis (L., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Sonchus oleraceus L. and Wedelia glauca (Ortega O. Hoffm. ex Hicken were hosts of both species. The only parasitoid recorded was Eretmocerus californicus near corni Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae from T. vaporariorum. This study, which is the first systematic survey of host plants in the region, intends to provide a better knowledge of the range of whiteflies host plants in Argentina.Las moscas blancas de importancia económica son polífagas y capaces de desarrollarse sobre numerosas plantas cultivadas y espontáneas. Registramos las especies de moscas blancas sobre cultivos hortícolas y de flores, y sobre las plantas silvestres asociadas. Observamos dos especies: Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood y el complejo Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius. T. vaporariorum fue registrada sobre 24 especies de plantas (11 familias, 12 y 8 de las cuales son hospedantes nuevos para Argentina y a nivel mundial, respectivamente. El complejo B. tabaci fue registrado solo en sistemas de producción de flores, sobre 19 especies de plantas (11 familias, 14 y 7 de las cuales son nuevos hospedantes para

Hyphomycetes isolados da água e do solo da Reserva Florestal de Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, Brasil Hyphomycetes from water and soil at the Dois Irmãos Forest Reserve, Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil

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Marilene da Silva Cavalcanti

2007-12-01

Full Text Available (Hyphomycetes isolados da água e do solo, da Reserva Florestal de Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, Brasil. Visando ampliar o conhecimento sobre a diversidade de fungos em ambientes aquáticos, coletas da água e do solo das margens dos açudes do Vale do Prata e do Meio foram efetuadas na Reserva Florestal de Dois Irmãos, Recife, Estado de Pernambuco. Dentre outras, foram isoladas cinco espécies pouco comuns de Hyphomycetes. As amostras de água foram coletadas abaixo da lâmina d'água e as de solo nas margens dos referidos açudes. As amostras de solo foram submetidas a diluições até 1:10000 e 1 mL de cada suspensão foi plaqueado no meio de Martin acrescido de cloranfenicol (50 mg/L. Alíquotas (1 mL das amostras de água foram semeadas no mesmo meio. As placas foram deixadas em temperatura ambiente (27 ºC±2, durante 3-4 dias, para o desenvolvimento de colônias e posterior isolamento dos fungos. Dentre as espécies identificadas Curvularia tuberculata Jain, Dendrosporium lobatum Plakidas & Edgerton ex Crane, Dichotomophthoropsis nymphaearum (Rand M. B. Ellis, Phaeoisaria glauca (Ellis & Everh. Hoog & Papendorf e Trichurus spiralis Hasselbring são destacadas porque haviam sido pouco referidas e não descritas anteriormente no Brasil.(Hyphomycetes from water and soil at the Dois Irmãos Forest Reserve, Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil. To increase our knowledge regarding fungal diversity in aquatic environments, water and soil were collected at the edge of two dams (Açude do Vale do Prata and Açude do Meio at the Dois Irmãos Forest Reserve, Recife, Pernambuco state. Five uncommon species of Hyphomycetes were found, among others. Water samples were collected below the water surface and soil samples from the shores of these dams. Soil samples were diluted to 1:10000, and 1 mL of each suspension was plated in Martin's medium with 50 mg/L chloranphenicol. Water samples (1 mL were plated in the same medium. The plates were left at room

Assessing the extent of "conflict of use" in multipurpose tropical forest trees: a regional view.

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Herrero-Jáuregui, Cristina; Guariguata, Manuel R; Cárdenas, Dairon; Vilanova, Emilio; Robles, Marco; Licona, Juan Carlos; Nalvarte, Walter

2013-11-30

In the context of multiple forest management, multipurpose tree species which provide both timber and non-timber forest products (NTFP), present particular challenges as the potential of conflicting use for either product may be high. One key aspect is that the magnitude of conflict of use can be location specific, thus adding complexity to policy development. This paper focuses on the extent to which the potential for conflict of use in multipurpose tree species varies across the Amazonian lowland forests shared by Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela, emphasizing the economic dimension of conflict. Based on a review of the current normative and regulatory aspects of timber and NTFP extraction in the five countries, the paper also briefly discusses the opportunities and constraints for harmonization of timber and NTFP management of multipurpose species across the region. It was found that about half of the 336 timber species reviewed across the five countries also have non-timber uses. Eleven timber species are multipurpose in all five countries: Calophyllum brasiliense, Cedrela odorata, Ceiba pentandra, Clarisia racemosa, Ficus insipida, Jacaranda copaia, Schefflera morototoni, Simarouba amara and Terminalia amazonia. Seven other multipurpose species occurred only in either Venezuela (Tabebuia impetiginosa, Spondias mombin, Pentaclethra macroloba, Copaifera officinalis, Chlorophora tinctoria, Carapa guianensis) or Ecuador (Tabebuia chrysantha). Four multipurpose tree species presented the highest potential of conflict of use across the region: Dipteryx odorata, Tabebuia serratifolia, Hymenaea courbaril and Myroxylon balsamum yet these were not evenly distributed across all five countries. None of the five studied countries have specific legislation to promote sustainable use of any of the multipurpose species reported here and thus mitigate potential conflict of use; nor documented management options for integration or else segregation of both their

Occurence, spread and possibilities of invasive weeds control in sugar beet

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Konstantinović Branko I.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Floristically rich and diverse weed comunity of sugar beet is in our country represented by 150 weed species. They are not all equaly significant in weediness of this crop. Only a limited number of them participate in weed comunity composition. These are: Abuthilon theophrasti Medic., Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Amaranthus retroflexus L., Chenopodium album L., Cirsium arvense (L Scop., Convolvulus arvensis L., Cynodon dactylon (L Pers. Digitaria sanguinalis (L Scop., Hibiscus trionum L., Rubus caesius L. Echinochloa crus-gall L., Polygonum aviculare L., P. lapathifolium L., P. persicaria L., Setaria glauca (L P. B., S. viridis (L P. B., Solanum nigrum L. and Sorghum halepense (L Pers. In shooting period up to 4-8 weeks upon emergence, sugar beet is under the haviest harmfull inluence of weeds, especially invasive ones such as: Abuthilon theophrasti Medic. Ambrosia artemisiifolia L., Cirsium arvense (L Scop., Iva xanthifolia L. Sorghum halepense (L Pers. and Xanthium strumarium L. Sugar beet growing requires intensive cultural practices, i.e. basic and additional tillage and cultivation. Due to the widening of weed problems, frequent herbicide use in several applications is needed in the longer time period.

[Allelopathic effects of invasive weed Solidago canadensis on native plants].

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Mei, Lingxiao; Chen, Xin; Tang, Jianjun

2005-12-01

With growth chamber method, this paper studied the allelopathic potential of invasive weed Solidago canadensis on native plant species. Different concentration S. canadensis root and rhizome extracts were examined, and the test plants were Trifolium repens, Trifolium pretense, Medicago lupulina, Lolium perenne, Suaeda glauca, Plantago virginica, Kummerowia stipulacea, Festuca arundinacea, Ageratum conyzoides, Portulaca oleracea, and Amaranthus spinosus. The results showed that the allelopathic inhibitory effect of the extracts from both S. canadensis root and rhizome was enhanced with increasing concentration, and rhizome extracts had a higher effect than root extracts. At the lowest concentration (1:60), root extract had little effect on the seed germination and seedling growth of T. repens, but rhizome extract could inhibit the germination of all test plants though the inhibitory effect varied with different species. The inhibition was the greatest for grass, followed by forb and legume. 1:60 (m:m) rhizome extract had similar effects on seed germination and radicel growth, but for outgrowth, the extract could inhibit Kummerowia stipulacea, Amaranthus spinosus and Festuca arundinacea, had no significant impact on Lolium perenne, Plantago virginica, Ageratum conyzoides, Portulaca oleracea and Amaranthus spinosus, and stimulated Trifolium repens, Trifolium pretense and Medicago lupulina.

Soil Microbial Community Structure Evolution along Halophyte Succession in Bohai Bay Wetland

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Mingyang Cong

2014-01-01

Full Text Available It is urgent to recover Bohai Bay costal wetland ecosystem because of covering a large area of severe saline-alkali soil. To explore the relationship between halophyte herbaceous succession and microbial community structure, we chose four local communities which played an important role in improving soil microenvironment. We performed phospholipid fatty acid analysis, measured soil parameters, and evaluated shifts of microbial community structure. Results showed that microbial community structure changed significantly along succession and bacteria community was dominant. Total phospholipid fatty acid content increased in different successional stages but decreased with depth, with similar variations in bacterial and fungal biomass. Soil organic carbon and especially total nitrogen were positively correlated with microbial biomass. Colonization of pioneering salt-tolerant plants Suaeda glauca in saline-alkali bare land changed total soil microorganism content and composition. These results showed that belowground processes were strongly related with aboveground halophyte succession. Fungal/bacterial ratio, Gram-negative/Gram-positive bacteria ratio, total microbial biomass, and fungi and bacteria content could indicate the degree of succession stages in Bohai Bay wetland ecosystem. And also these findings demonstrated that microbial community biomass and composition evolved along with vegetation succession environmental variables.

Plant Species Rather Than Climate Greatly Alters the Temporal Pattern of Litter Chemical Composition During Long-Term Decomposition

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Li, Yongfu; Chen, Na; Harmon, Mark E.; Li, Yuan; Cao, Xiaoyan; Chappell, Mark A.; Mao, Jingdong

2015-10-01

A feedback between decomposition and litter chemical composition occurs with decomposition altering composition that in turn influences the decomposition rate. Elucidating the temporal pattern of chemical composition is vital to understand this feedback, but the effects of plant species and climate on chemical changes remain poorly understood, especially over multiple years. In a 10-year decomposition experiment with litter of four species (Acer saccharum, Drypetes glauca, Pinus resinosa, and Thuja plicata) from four sites that range from the arctic to tropics, we determined the abundance of 11 litter chemical constituents that were grouped into waxes, carbohydrates, lignin/tannins, and proteins/peptides using advanced 13C solid-state NMR techniques. Decomposition generally led to an enrichment of waxes and a depletion of carbohydrates, whereas the changes of other chemical constituents were inconsistent. Inconsistent convergence in chemical compositions during decomposition was observed among different litter species across a range of site conditions, whereas one litter species converged under different climate conditions. Our data clearly demonstrate that plant species rather than climate greatly alters the temporal pattern of litter chemical composition, suggesting the decomposition-chemistry feedback varies among different plant species.

Actions of piperidine alkaloid teratogens at fetal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

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Green, Benedict T; Lee, Stephen T; Panter, Kip E; Welch, Kevin D; Cook, Daniel; Pfister, James A; Kem, William R

2010-01-01

Teratogenic alkaloids are found in many species of plants including Conium maculatum L., Nicotiana glauca, Nicotiana tabaccum, and multiple Lupinus spp. Fetal musculoskeletal defects produced by alkaloids from these plants include arthrogyropisis, scoliosis, torticollis, kyposis, lordosis, and cleft palate. A pharmacodynamic comparison of the alkaloids ammodendrine, anabasine, anabaseine, anagyrine, and coniine in SH-SY5Y cells and TE-671 cells was made. These alkaloids and their enantiomers were more effective in depolarizing TE-671 cells which express the human fetal-muscle type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) relative to SH-SY5Y cells which predominately express autonomic nAChRs. The rank order of potency in TE-671 cells was: anabaseine>(+)-anabasine>(-)-anabasine > (+/-)-anabasine>anagyrine>(-)-coniine > (+/-)-coniine>(+)-coniine>(+/-)-ammodendrine>(+)-ammodendrine. The rank order potency in SH-SY5Y cells was: anabaseine>(+)-anabasine>(-)-coniine>(+)-coniine>(+)-ammodendrine>anagyrine>(-)-anabasine>(+/-)-coniine>(+/-)-anabasine>(-)-ammodendrine. The actions of these alkaloids at nAChRs in both cell lines could be distinguished by their maximum effects in depolarizing cell membrane potential. The teratogenic action of these compounds may be related to their ability to activate and subsequently desensitize nAChRs.

Lichens as indicators of air pollution in a steal producing town in South Wales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pratt, F B

1970-01-01

The lichen flora of a given region depends upon a multiplicity of factors. Some factors act directly or indirectly upon the lichen thallus; in addition the lichen thallus is capable, to some extent at least, of exerting a modifying influence upon the macro- and micro-environment. The polluted centre of Port Talbot, a steel town, has a restricted number of Crustose and rather Depauperate species. This lichen desert is quite small possibly because either (a) the atmosphere is not heavily polluted, or (b) there is a rapid dilution of pollutants. With distance away from Port Talbot there is an increase in the number of lichen species and a change in the proportion of the various growth forms. Abutting the lichen desert is a zone in which parmelia sulcata, P. saxatilis, Cladonia coniocraea, and C. fimbriata are the most widely represented species. This is followed by a further zone dominated by USNEA comosa, U. florida, Cetraria glauca, and Cladonia impexa in particular. It must be noted that these zones are not clearly defined; there is a gradation in growth forms and a gradual change in the abundance of various species.

Lichens as indicators of air pollution in a steel producing town in South Wales. [Cladonia, Parmelia, Usnea, Cetraria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pyatt, F B

1970-01-01

The lichen flora of a given region depends upon a multiplicity of factors. Some factors act directly or indirectly upon the lichen thallus; in addition the lichen thallus is capable, to some extent at least, of exerting a modifying influence upon the macro- and micro-environment. The polluted centre of Port Talbot, a steel town, has a restricted number of crustose and rather depauperate species. This lichen desert is quite small possibly because either (a) the atmosphere is not heavily polluted, or (b) there is a rapid dilution of pollutants. With distance away from Port Talbot there is an increase in the number of lichen species and a change in the proportion of the various growth forms. Abutting the lichen desert is a zone in which Parmelia sulcata, P. saxatilis, Cladonia coniocraea, and C. fimbriata are the most widely represented species. This is followed by a further zone dominated by Usnea comosa, U. florida, Cetraria glauca, and Cladonia impexa in particular. It must be noted that these zones are not clearly defined; there is a gradation in growth forms and a gradual change in the abundance of various species.

Do Offspring of Insects Feeding on Defoliation-Resistant Trees Have Better Biological Performance When Exposed to Nutritionally-Imbalanced Food?

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Roberto Quezada-Garcia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss trees that are resistant or susceptible to spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem. attack were identified in a southern Quebec plantation. Due to high mortality-induced selective pressures imposed by resistant trees on spruce budworm larvae, insects that survive on resistant trees exhibited greater biological performance than those on susceptible trees. We tested the hypothesis that this better biological performance is maintained across generations when progeny were subjected to nutritional stress. We collected pupae from resistant and susceptible trees (phenotype. Adults were reared under controlled laboratory conditions. Progeny were subsequently reared on two types of artificial diet (high vs. low quality. Low quality diet simulated food quality deterioration during outbreak conditions. Results confirmed that surviving insects collected from resistant trees have better performance than those from susceptible trees. Offspring performance (pupal mass, developmental time was affected only by diet quality. These results suggest that adaptive advantages that would be acquired from parents fed on resistant trees are lost when progeny are exposed to nutritionally-imbalanced food, but the effects persist when larvae are fed a balanced diet. Offspring mortality, fecundity and fertility were positively influenced by parental origin (tree phenotype.

Physico Chemical Characteristics of Lakhna Devi Temple Water Tank, Lakhna, Bakewar, Etawah, U.P. with reference to Cyanobacterial Diversity

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Omesh Bajpai

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Fresh water bodies in populated plains of tropical countries face various disturbances in the form of pollutant and nutrient inflow, heavy metal and elemental precipitation (wet or dry and constant silt inflow (natural or anthropogenic. The physico-chemical characteristics are very much important for any water body. In lentic water bodies these characteristics shows very much variation because in summer they have less and in rains large amount of water. These adverse constrain effectively influence the algal assemblage and can be a good indicator of overall health of the water body. In the study different Physico-chemical characteristics and algal diversity were monthly observed for one year duration (Jun. 2008 to May 2009. Some of 31 species of Cyanobacteria recorded from the study site viz. Microcystis aerughinosa, M. flos-aquae, M. robusta, Chroococcus minor, C.minutes, Gloeocapsa magma, Aphanocapsa littoralis, Aphanothece microscopis, Coelosphaerium kuetzingianum, Merismopedia glauca, M. tenuissima, Arthrospira spriulinoides, Spirulina gigantean, S. major, Oscillatoria formosa, O. subuliformis, O. princeps, Phormidium ambiguum, P. fragile, P. lucidum, Lyngbya contorta, O. epiphytica, O.majuscule, Cylindrospermum minutissimum, Nostoc commune, N. punctiforme, Anabaena oscillarioides, A. oryzae, Calothrix gloeocola, Rivularia aquatic and Gloeotrichia pisum.

Genetic architecture of wood properties based on association analysis and co-expression networks in white spruce.

Science.gov (United States)

Lamara, Mebarek; Raherison, Elie; Lenz, Patrick; Beaulieu, Jean; Bousquet, Jean; MacKay, John

2016-04-01

Association studies are widely utilized to analyze complex traits but their ability to disclose genetic architectures is often limited by statistical constraints, and functional insights are usually minimal in nonmodel organisms like forest trees. We developed an approach to integrate association mapping results with co-expression networks. We tested single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 2652 candidate genes for statistical associations with wood density, stiffness, microfibril angle and ring width in a population of 1694 white spruce trees (Picea glauca). Associations mapping identified 229-292 genes per wood trait using a statistical significance level of P wood associated genes and several known MYB and NAC regulators were identified as network hubs. The network revealed a link between the gene PgNAC8, wood stiffness and microfibril angle, as well as considerable within-season variation for both genetic control of wood traits and gene expression. Trait associations were distributed throughout the network suggesting complex interactions and pleiotropic effects. Our findings indicate that integration of association mapping and co-expression networks enhances our understanding of complex wood traits. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Characterization of biominerals in species of Canna (Cannaceae

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Enrique J Baran

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Plant biominerals are not always well characterized, although this information is important for plant physiology and can be useful for taxonomic purposes. In this work, fresh plant material of seven wild neotropical species of genus Canna, C. ascendens, C. coccinea, C. indica, C. glauca, C. plurituberosa, C. variegatifolia and C. fuchsina sp. ined., taken from different habitats, were studied to characterize the biominerals in their internal tissues. For the first time, samples from primary and secondary veins of leaves were investigated by means of infrared spectroscopy, complemented with X-ray powder diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy. The spectroscopic results, supported by X-ray powder diffractometry, suggest that the calcium oxalate is present in the form of whewellite (CaC2O4×H2O in all the investigated samples. It is interesting to emphasize that all IR spectra obtained were strongly similar in all species studied, thus indicating an identical chemical composition in terms of the biominerals found. In this sense, the results suggest that the species of Canna show similar ability to produce biogenic silica and produce an identical type of calcium oxalate within their tissues. These results can be an additional trait to support the relationship among the families of Zingiberales. Rev. Biol. Trop. 58 (4: 1507-1515. Epub 2010 December 01.Los biominerales de las plantas no siempre han sido bien caracterizados aunque esta información es importante en fisiología vegetal y puede ser de utilidad para fines taxonómicos. En este trabajo se estudió material vegetal fresco de siete especies silvestres neotropicales: Canna, C. ascendens, C. coccinea, C. indica, C. glauca, C. plurituberosa, C. variegatifolia and C. fuchsina sp. ined., provenientes de diferentes localidades, con el fin de caracterizar los biominerales presentes en sus tejidos foliares internos. Por vez primera, muestras de venas primarias (ejes foliares y secundarias de

Plantas medicinais no tratamento do transtorno de ansiedade generalizada: uma revisão dos estudos clínicos controlados Medicinal plants for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: a review of controlled clinical studies

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Thalita Thais Faustino

2010-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Revisar os estudos clínicos controlados sobre a efetividade de plantas medicinais/fitoterápicos no transtorno de ansiedade generalizada. MÉTODO: Realizou-se uma busca (Medline, Web of Science, SciELO, Biblioteca Cochrane por artigos originais utilizando as palavras ["plant OR phytomed* OR extract OR herbal OR medicinal (OR specific name plants"] AND ("anxie* OR anxioly* OR tranquil* OR GAD", delimitada a "human OR clinical trial OR randomized controlled trial OR meta-analysis OR review" e à língua inglesa. Os critérios de inclusão foram: estudos randomizados, comparativos e duplo-cegos. RESULTADOS: Foram selecionados sete dos 267 artigos encontrados. O Piper methysticum (kava-kava foi o fitoterápico mais estudado, sendo sugerido um efeito ansiolítico. Entretanto, a maioria destes estudos incluiu outros transtornos de ansiedade e os dois estudos com transtorno de ansiedade generalizada apresentaram resultados contraditórios. Estudos isolados envolvendo Ginkgo biloba, Galphimia glauca, Matricaria recutita (camomila, Passiflora incarnata e Valeriana officinalis indicaram potencial efeito ansiolítico no transtorno de ansiedade generalizada. A Ginkgo biloba e a Matricaria recutita apresentaram um effect size ('d' de Cohen = 0,47 e 0,87 similar ou superior ao dos ansiolíticos atuais (0,17-0,38. Não foram localizados estudos com outras plantas. CONCLUSÃO: Apesar do potencial terapêutico dos fitoterápicos no transtorno de ansiedade generalizada, poucos ensaios clínicos controlados foram identificados, com a maioria apresentando limitações metodológicas.OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to identify controlled trials, which evaluated effectiveness of herbal medicines in subjects suffering generalized anxiety disorder. METHOD: Controlled studies (randomized, comparative with placebo and/or standard drug, double-blind were sought through electronic and hand-searches. The word strategy used "plant OR phytomed* OR extract OR herbal OR

Plantas lenhosas da Floresta Ombrófila Mista do Parque Municipal das Araucárias – Guarapuava (PR / Woody plants of the Mixed Ombrophylous Forest the Araucaria Municipal Park - Guarapuava (PR

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Juliano Cordeiro

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Foi realizado o levantamento florístico das espécies lenhosas da uma área de 41 ha de Floresta Ombrófila Mista (FOM do Parque Municipal das Araucárias, localizado em Guarapuava (PR com coordenadas geográficas 25º 20’ 44” e 25º 21’ 35” de latitude Sul e 51º 27’ 31” e 51º 28’ 16” de longitude Oeste. O patamar altimétrico do Parque fica em torno dos 1070 m.s.n.m., o predomínio é relevo suave ondulado e solo do tipo Latossolo Bruno Ácrico Húmico. O levantamento foi realizado de mar/04 a out/08 com média de uma visita a cada vinte dias. Foram identificadas 107 espécies, pertencentes a 77 gêneros e 41 famílias botânicas, distribuídos nas formas biológicas de microfanerófitos (n=44, mesofanerófitos (n=39, nanofanerófitos (n=15, lianas (n=8 e megafanerófito (n=1. As famílias que apresentaram maior diversidade foram: Solanaceae com 12 espécies, Myrtaceae com nove, Fabaceae com oito, Bignoniaceae com seis, Asteraceae com cinco. Estas famílias agruparam 37,4% das espécies, enquanto que as outras 38 famílias responderam por 62,6% da diversidade. Aproximadamente 60,5% das famílias são representadas por apenas uma espécie cada. Considerando o critério a frequência Allophylus edulis (A. St.-Hil., A. Juss & Cambess. Hieron. ex Niederl., Casearia decandra Jacq., Cedrela fissilis Vell., Cinnamodendron dinisii Schwacke, Jacaranda puberula Cham., Matayba elaeagnoides Radlk., Ocotea porosa (Nees & Mart. Barroso, Ocotea puberula (Rich. Nees, Ocotea pulchella (Nees Mez, Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi, Vernonanthura discolor (Spreng. H. Rob. e Zanthoxylum rhoifolium Lam. podem ser consideradas espécies companheiras da Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol. Kuntze na florística da FOM. Os dados quanto ao total de espécies da FOM ainda são incompletos. Faz-se necessário que levantamentos sejam direcionados aos escassos remanescentes que restam e que o critério amostral estenda-se sobre todas as formas biol

Evaluation of roadside greenbelt trees damage caused by strangler plants in Bogor

Science.gov (United States)

Danniswari, Dibyanti; Nasrullah, Nizar

2017-10-01

Certain plants are called stranglers (hemiepiphyte) because they grow on host trees and slowly choking the host, which often results in the host’s death. The existence of strangler plants on roadside greenbelt trees is quite common in Bogor, but they may cause tree’s failure and threaten users’ safety. To prevent such hazard, evaluation of roadside greenbelt trees damage caused by strangler plants is important. This study was directed to analyse the vegetation of strangler plants in Bogor, to assess the damage caused by stranglers, and to compose strangled trees maintenance recommendations. This study was conducted in March to May 2014 by doing survey at five major roads in Bogor, which were Jalan Ahmad Yani, Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Pemuda, Jalan Semeru, and Jalan Juanda. The results showed that strangler species found in Bogor are Ficus benjamina, Ficus glauca, Ficus elastica, and Schefflera actinophylla. The most common species in Bogor is F. benjamina. Host trees that tend to be preferred by strangler plants are trees with large trunk, many branches, and medium to high height. The maintenance for every strangled tree is different according to the damage level, mild to severe damage could be treated by strangler root cutting to tree logging, respectively.

Modelling growth-competition relationships in trembling aspen and white spruce mixed boreal forests of Western Canada.

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Huang, Jian-Guo; Stadt, Kenneth J; Dawson, Andria; Comeau, Philip G

2013-01-01

We examined the effect of competition on stem growth of Picea glauca and Populus tremuloides in boreal mixedwood stands during the stem exclusion stage. We combined traditional approaches of collecting competition data with dendrochronology to provide retrospective measurements of stem diameter growth. Several competition indices including stand basal area (BA), the sum of stem diameter at breast height (SDBH), and density (N) for the broadleaf and coniferous species, as well as similar indices considering only trees with diameters greater than each subject (BAGR, SDBHGR, and NGR), were evaluated. We used a nonlinear mixed model to characterize the basal area increment over the past 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years as a function of growth of nearby dominant trees, the size of the subject trees, deciduous and coniferous competition indices, and ecoregions. SDBHGR and BAGR were better predictors for spruce, and SDBHGR and NGR were better for aspen, respectively, than other indices. Results showed strongest correlations with long-term stem growth, as the best models integrated growth for 10-25 years for aspen and ≥ 25 for spruce. Our model demonstrated a remarkable capability (adjusted R(2)>0.67) to represent this complex variation in growth as a function of site, size and competition.

Modelling growth-competition relationships in trembling aspen and white spruce mixed boreal forests of Western Canada.

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Jian-Guo Huang

Full Text Available We examined the effect of competition on stem growth of Picea glauca and Populus tremuloides in boreal mixedwood stands during the stem exclusion stage. We combined traditional approaches of collecting competition data with dendrochronology to provide retrospective measurements of stem diameter growth. Several competition indices including stand basal area (BA, the sum of stem diameter at breast height (SDBH, and density (N for the broadleaf and coniferous species, as well as similar indices considering only trees with diameters greater than each subject (BAGR, SDBHGR, and NGR, were evaluated. We used a nonlinear mixed model to characterize the basal area increment over the past 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years as a function of growth of nearby dominant trees, the size of the subject trees, deciduous and coniferous competition indices, and ecoregions. SDBHGR and BAGR were better predictors for spruce, and SDBHGR and NGR were better for aspen, respectively, than other indices. Results showed strongest correlations with long-term stem growth, as the best models integrated growth for 10-25 years for aspen and ≥ 25 for spruce. Our model demonstrated a remarkable capability (adjusted R(2>0.67 to represent this complex variation in growth as a function of site, size and competition.

Hydrolysates of Fish Skin Collagen: An Opportunity for Valorizing Fish Industry Byproducts.

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Blanco, María; Vázquez, José Antonio; Pérez-Martín, Ricardo I; Sotelo, Carmen G

2017-05-05

During fish processing operations, such as skinning and filleting, the removal of collagen-containing materials can account for up to 30% of the total fish byproducts. Collagen is the main structural protein in skin, representing up to 70% of dry weight depending on the species, age and season. It has a wide range of applications including cosmetic, pharmaceutical, food industry, and medical. In the present work, collagen was obtained by pepsin extraction from the skin of two species of teleost and two species of chondrychtyes with yields varying between 14.16% and 61.17%. The storage conditions of the skins appear to influence these collagen extractions yields. Pepsin soluble collagen (PSC) was enzymatically hydrolyzed and the resultant hydrolysates were ultrafiltrated and characterized. Electrophoretic patterns showed the typical composition of type I collagen, with denaturation temperatures ranged between 23 °C and 33 °C. In terms of antioxidant capacity, results revealed significant intraspecific differences between hydrolysates, retentate, and permeate fractions when using β -Carotene and DPPH methods and also showed interspecies differences between those fractions when using DPPH and ABTS methods. Under controlled conditions, PSC hydrolysates from Prionace glauca , Scyliorhinus canicula , Xiphias gladius, and Thunnus albacares provide a valuable source of peptides with antioxidant capacities constituting a feasible way to efficiently upgrade fish skin biomass.

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of white spruce stems during the transition from active growth to dormancy.

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Galindo González, Leonardo M; El Kayal, Walid; Ju, Chelsea J-T; Allen, Carmen C G; King-Jones, Susanne; Cooke, Janice E K

2012-04-01

In the autumn, stems of woody perennials such as forest trees undergo a transition from active growth to dormancy. We used microarray transcriptomic profiling in combination with a proteomics analysis to elucidate processes that occur during this growth-to-dormancy transition in a conifer, white spruce (Picea glauca[Moench] Voss). Several differentially expressed genes were likely associated with the developmental transition that occurs during growth cessation in the cambial zone and the concomitant completion of cell maturation in vascular tissues. Genes encoding for cell wall and membrane biosynthetic enzymes showed transcript abundance patterns consistent with completion of cell maturation, and also of cell wall and membrane modifications potentially enabling cells to withstand the harsh conditions of winter. Several differentially expressed genes were identified that encoded putative regulators of cambial activity, cell development and of the photoperiodic pathway. Reconfiguration of carbon allocation figured centrally in the tree's overwintering preparations. For example, genes associated with carbon-based defences such as terpenoids were down-regulated, while many genes associated with protein-based defences and other stress mitigation mechanisms were up-regulated. Several of these correspond to proteins that were accumulated during the growth-to-dormancy transition, emphasizing the importance of stress protection in the tree's adaptive response to overwintering. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Autumn photosynthetic decline and growth cessation in seedlings of white spruce are decoupled under warming and photoperiod manipulations.

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Stinziano, Joseph R; Way, Danielle A

2017-08-01

Climate warming is expected to increase the seasonal duration of photosynthetic carbon fixation and tree growth in high-latitude forests. However, photoperiod, a crucial cue for seasonality, will remain constant, which may constrain tree responses to warming. We investigated the effects of temperature and photoperiod on weekly changes in photosynthetic capacity, leaf biochemistry and growth in seedlings of a boreal evergreen conifer, white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss]. Warming delayed autumn declines in photosynthetic capacity, extending the period when seedlings had high carbon uptake. While photoperiod was correlated with photosynthetic capacity, short photoperiods did not constrain the maintenance of high photosynthetic capacity under warming. Rubisco concentration dynamics were affected by temperature but not photoperiod, while leaf pigment concentrations were unaffected by treatments. Respiration rates at 25 °C were stimulated by photoperiod, although respiration at the growth temperatures was increased in warming treatments. Seedling growth was stimulated by increased photoperiod and suppressed by warming. We demonstrate that temperature is a stronger control on the seasonal timing of photosynthetic down-regulation than is photoperiod. Thus, while warming can stimulate carbon uptake in boreal conifers, the extra carbon may be directed towards respiration rather than biomass, potentially limiting carbon sequestration under climate change. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Catch, effort and bycatch of longline fishery in central Peru

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Liliana Ayala

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aims of this study is to report some characteristics of fishing trips, effort, catches, fishing areas and bycatch through observations on board and logbooks. 85% of sets were in the first 574 Km of distance from the coast (309 nautical miles. Farthest set was located at 1320 Km (712 nautical miles. A total of 382000 hooks were used to catch Mahi mahi, in 224 sets and 29 fishing trips, 94.6% of catch was Mahi mahi, 2.7% blue shark (Prionace glauca y 1,3% mako shark (Isurus oxyrinchus. Also, 103790 hooks were used to catch sharks, in 109 sets y 12 trips, 81.9% of catch was blue sharks and 16.8% mako sharks. Catch per Unit of Effort (CPUE for Mahi mahi shows significative difference among seasons; with a peak from November to January. CPUE for shark shows significative difference among seasons, with peaks in September and October. The Green turtle Chelonia mydas agassizii was the most caugth species and two of three were juveniles. All Loggerhead turtles, Caretta caretta, caught were juveniles. A petrel is reported as bycatch and, probably, mammal bycatch is scarce. Considering the huge effort of this fishery, it is important to monitor it and establish management actions.

Pattern-process interactions at alpine treeline in southwest Yukon, Canada

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Danby, R.

2011-12-01

Results from an ensemble of studies conduced in southwest Yukon have uncovered a distinct "top-down/bottom-up" interaction at alpine treeline whereby terrain-induced gradients of solar radiation result in fundamental differences in plant-scale biological processes which, in turn, structure vegetation pattern at the landscape scale. Varied insolation creates differences in snow depth and timing of melt, soil temperature, and permafrost on opposing slopes that result in distinct physiological differences in white spruce (Picea glauca), the dominant treeline conifer. Measurement of young individuals indicated that secondary growth and lateral growth was significantly greater on south-facing slopes. Photosynthetic efficiency was reduced in individuals on south-facing slopes, while over-winter damage and mortality was significantly greater. Population-level processes also differed. Dendroecology and repeat photography indicated that treeline advanced on south-facing slopes during the 20th century, but that range expansion was limited on north-facing slopes. These process-related differences appear to be the mechanism for differences in treeline pattern at the landscape scale, including a higher treeline elevation and greater clustering of individuals on south-facing slopes. These results can be used to inform theory on the functional causation of treeline, rationalize differential treeline dynamics observed worldwide, and better inform predictions of future treeline dynamics.

Statistical Modelling of Temperature and Moisture Uptake of Biochars Exposed to Selected Relative Humidity of Air

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Luciane Bastistella

2018-02-01

Full Text Available New experimental techniques, as well as modern variants on known methods, have recently been employed to investigate the fundamental reactions underlying the oxidation of biochar. The purpose of this paper was to experimentally and statistically study how the relative humidity of air, mass, and particle size of four biochars influenced the adsorption of water and the increase in temperature. A random factorial design was employed using the intuitive statistical software Xlstat. A simple linear regression model and an analysis of variance with a pairwise comparison were performed. The experimental study was carried out on the wood of Quercus pubescens, Cyclobalanopsis glauca, Trigonostemon huangmosun, and Bambusa vulgaris, and involved five relative humidity conditions (22, 43, 75, 84, and 90%, two mass samples (0.1 and 1 g, and two particle sizes (powder and piece. Two response variables including water adsorption and temperature increase were analyzed and discussed. The temperature did not increase linearly with the adsorption of water. Temperature was modeled by nine explanatory variables, while water adsorption was modeled by eight. Five variables, including factors and their interactions, were found to be common to the two models. Sample mass and relative humidity influenced the two qualitative variables, while particle size and biochar type only influenced the temperature.

LD50 and repellent effects of essential oils from Argentinian wild plant species on Varroa destructor.

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Ruffinengo, Sergio; Eguaras, Martin; Floris, Ignazio; Faverin, Claudia; Bailac, Pedro; Ponzi, Marta

2005-06-01

The repellent and acaricidal effects of some essential oils from the most typical wild plant species of northern Patagonia, Argentina, on Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman were evaluated using a complete exposure test. Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., and mites (five specimens of each per dish) were introduced in petri dishes having different oil concentrations (from 0.1 to 25 micro per cage). Survival of bees and mites was registered after 24, 48, and 72 h. An attraction/repellence test was performed using a wax tube impregnated with essential oil and another tube containing wax only. The lowest LD50 values for mites were registered for Acantholippia seriphioides (A. Gray) Mold. (1.27 microl per cage) and Schinus molle L. (2.65 microl per cage) after 24 h, and for Wedelia glauca (Ortega) O. Hoffm. ex Hicken (0.59 microl per cage) and A. seriphioides (1.09 microl per cage) after 72 h of treatment. The oil with the highest selectivity ratio (A. mellifera LD50/V. destructor LD50) was the one extracted from S. molle (>16). Oils of Lippia junelliana (Mold.) Troncoso, Minthostachys mollis (HBK) Grieseb., and Lippia turbinata Grieseb. mixed with wax had repellent properties. None of the oils tested had attractive effects on Varroa mites.

Defoliation of interior Douglas-fir elicits carbon transfer and stress signalling to ponderosa pine neighbors through ectomycorrhizal networks.

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Song, Yuan Yuan; Simard, Suzanne W; Carroll, Allan; Mohn, William W; Zeng, Ren Sen

2015-02-16

Extensive regions of interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca, IDF) forests in North America are being damaged by drought and western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis). This damage is resulting from warmer and drier summers associated with climate change. To test whether defoliated IDF can directly transfer resources to ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosae) regenerating nearby, thus aiding in forest recovery, we examined photosynthetic carbon transfer and defense enzyme response. We grew pairs of ectomycorrhizal IDF 'donor' and ponderosa pine 'receiver' seedlings in pots and isolated transfer pathways by comparing 35 μm, 0.5 μm and no mesh treatments; we then stressed IDF donors either through manual defoliation or infestation by the budworm. We found that manual defoliation of IDF donors led to transfer of photosynthetic carbon to neighboring receivers through mycorrhizal networks, but not through soil or root pathways. Both manual and insect defoliation of donors led to increased activity of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase and superoxide dismutase in the ponderosa pine receivers, via a mechanism primarily dependent on the mycorrhizal network. These findings indicate that IDF can transfer resources and stress signals to interspecific neighbors, suggesting ectomycorrhizal networks can serve as agents of interspecific communication facilitating recovery and succession of forests after disturbance.

Densities of breeding birds and changes in vegetation in an alaskan boreal forest following a massive disturbance by spruce beetles

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Matsuoka, S.M.; Handel, C.M.; Ruthrauff, D.R.

2001-01-01

We examined bird and plant communities among forest stands with different levels of spruce mortality following a large outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis (Kirby)) in the Copper River Basin, Alaska. Spruce beetles avoided stands with black spruce (Picea mariana) and selectively killed larger diameter white spruce (Picea glauca), thereby altering forest structure and increasing the dominance of black spruce in the region. Alders (Alnus sp.) and crowberry (Empetrum nigrum) were more abundant in areas with heavy spruce mortality, possibly a response to the death of overstory spruce. Grasses and herbaceous plants did not proliferate as has been recorded following outbreaks in more coastal Alaskan forests. Two species closely tied to coniferous habitats, the tree-nesting Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) and the red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), a major nest predator, were less abundant in forest stands with high spruce mortality than in low-mortality stands. Understory-nesting birds as a group were more abundant in forest stands with high levels of spruce mortality, although the response of individual bird species to tree mortality was variable. Birds breeding in stands with high spruce mortality likely benefited reproductively from lower squirrel densities and a greater abundance of shrubs to conceal nests from predators.

Whitefly species (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae on wild and cultivated plants in the horticultural region of Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gustavo G. GONSEBATT

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Las moscas blancas de importancia económica son polífagas y capaces de desarrollarse sobre numerosas plantas cultivadas y espontáneas. Registramos las especies de moscas blancas sobre cultivos hortícolas y de flores, y sobre las plantas silvestres asociadas. Observamos dos especies: Trialeurodes vaporariorum (Westwood y el complejo Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius. T. vaporariorum fue registrada sobre 24 especies de plantas (11 familias, 12 y 8 de las cuales son hospedantes nuevos para Argentina y a nivel mundial, respectivamente. El complejo B. tabaci fue registrado solo en sistemas de producción de flores, sobre 19 especies de plantas (11 familias, 14 y 7 de las cuales son nuevos hospedantes para Argentina y a nivel mundial, respectivamente. Los cultivos Glycine max (L. y Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., las especies silvestres Amaranthus blitum L., Amaranthus quitensis Kunth, Conyza bonariensis (L., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Sonchus oleraceus L. y Wedelia glauca (Ortega O. Hoffm. ex Hicken fueron hospedantes de ambas especies. El único parasitoide registrado fue Eretmocerus californicus cercano a corni Haldeman (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae sobre T. vaporariorum. Este estudio que constituye el primer relevamiento sistemático de plantas hospedantes en la región, aporta un mayor conocimiento sobre el rango de plantas hospedantes de las moscas blancas en Argentina.

Adaptation of lodgepole pine and interior spruce to climate: implications for reforestation in a warming world.

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Liepe, Katharina J; Hamann, Andreas; Smets, Pia; Fitzpatrick, Connor R; Aitken, Sally N

2016-02-01

We investigated adaptation to climate in populations of two widespread tree species across a range of contrasting environments in western Canada. In a series of common garden experiments, bud phenology, cold hardiness, and seedling growth traits were assessed for 254 populations in the interior spruce complex (Picea glauca, P. engelmannii, and their hybrids) and for 281 populations of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). Complex multitrait adaptations to different ecological regions such as boreal, montane, coastal, and arid environments accounted for 15-20% of the total variance. This population differentiation could be directly linked to climate variables through multivariate regression tree analysis. Our results suggest that adaptation to climate does not always correspond linearly to temperature gradients. For example, opposite trait values (e.g., early versus late budbreak) may be found in response to apparently similar cold environments (e.g., boreal and montane). Climate change adaptation strategies may therefore not always be possible through a simple shift of seed sources along environmental gradients. For the two species in this study, we identified a relatively small number of uniquely adapted populations (11 for interior spruce and nine for lodgepole pine) that may be used to manage adaptive variation under current and expected future climates.

Regional tree growth and inferred summer climate in the Winnipeg River basin, Canada, since AD 1783

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St. George, Scott; Meko, David M.; Evans, Michael N.

2008-09-01

A network of 54 ring-width chronologies is used to estimate changes in summer climate within the Winnipeg River basin, Canada, since AD 1783. The basin drains parts of northwestern Ontario, northern Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and is a key area for hydroelectric power production. Most chronologies were developed from Pinus resinosa and P. strobus, with a limited number of Thuja occidentalis, Picea glauca and Pinus banksiana. The dominant pattern of regional tree growth can be recovered using only the nine longest chronologies, and is not affected by the method used to remove variability related to age or stand dynamics from individual trees. Tree growth is significantly, but weakly, correlated with both temperature (negatively) and precipitation (positively) during summer. Simulated ring-width chronologies produced by a process model of tree-ring growth exhibit similar relationships with summer climate. High and low growth across the region is associated with cool/wet and warm/dry summers, respectively; this relationship is supported by comparisons with archival records from early 19th century fur-trading posts. The tree-ring record indicates that summer droughts were more persistent in the 19th and late 18th century, but there is no evidence that drought was more extreme prior to the onset of direct monitoring.

Downward Migration of Coastal Conifers as a Response to Recent Land Emergence in Eastern Hudson Bay, Québec

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Bégin, Yves; Bérubé, Dominique; Grégoire, Martin

1993-07-01

Postglacial uplift in the eastern Hudson Bay area is among the most rapid in the world (300 m during the last 8000 yr). Although emergence curves based on 14 C-dated raised shorelines give a consistent basis for modeling relative sea-level changes, such a low-resolution dating method is inappropriate for estimating trends over recent decades. A major downward displacement of white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and tamarack ( Larix laricina (DuRoi) K. Koch) occurred on protected shores as a response to shoreline retreat during this century. Analysis of the age distribution of trees indicates a progradation of white spruce and tamarack on gently sloping terrain ranging from 1.3 and 2.6 cm/yr, respectively, toward the sea. Improvement of climatic conditions during the 20th century favored such expansion which was probably faster than the real land emergence rates, but recent episodes of high water levels caused regression of forest margins over the highly exposed shores. Nevertheless, the downward trend of the treeline over this century substantiates the projections of 14C-dated coastal emergence curves during the modern period (1.0 to 1.3 cm/yr) by providing an estimate of the maximum rates of shoreline retreat.

Local adaptation in migrated interior Douglas-fir seedlings is mediated by ectomycorrhizas and other soil factors.

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Pickles, Brian J; Twieg, Brendan D; O'Neill, Gregory A; Mohn, William W; Simard, Suzanne W

2015-08-01

Separating edaphic impacts on tree distributions from those of climate and geography is notoriously difficult. Aboveground and belowground factors play important roles, and determining their relative contribution to tree success will greatly assist in refining predictive models and forestry strategies in a changing climate. In a common glasshouse, seedlings of interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) from multiple populations were grown in multiple forest soils. Fungicide was applied to half of the seedlings to separate soil fungal and nonfungal impacts on seedling performance. Soils of varying geographic and climatic distance from seed origin were compared, using a transfer function approach. Seedling height and biomass were optimized following seed transfer into drier soils, whereas survival was optimized when elevation transfer was minimised. Fungicide application reduced ectomycorrhizal root colonization by c. 50%, with treated seedlings exhibiting greater survival but reduced biomass. Local adaptation of Douglas-fir populations to soils was mediated by soil fungi to some extent in 56% of soil origin by response variable combinations. Mediation by edaphic factors in general occurred in 81% of combinations. Soil biota, hitherto unaccounted for in climate models, interacts with biogeography to influence plant ranges in a changing climate. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

DIFFERENCES IN WETLAND PLANT COMMUNITY ESTABLISHMENT WITH ADDITIONS OF NITRATE-N AND INVASIVE SPECIES (PHALARIS ARUNDINACEA AND TYPHA X GLAUCA). (R825335)

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Concl...

Mercury and selenium in blue shark (Prionace glauca, L. 1758) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius, L. 1758) from two areas of the Atlantic Ocean

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Branco, Vasco [National Institute for Agronomy and Fisheries Research (INIAP/IPIMAR), Avenida de Brasilia, 1449-006 Lisbon (Portugal)], E-mail: vbranco@ipimar.pt; Vale, Carlos; Canario, Joao [National Institute for Agronomy and Fisheries Research (INIAP/IPIMAR), Avenida de Brasilia, 1449-006 Lisboa (Portugal); Santos, Miguel Neves dos [National Institute for Agronomy and Fisheries Research (INIAP/IPIMAR), South Regional Center for Fisheries Research (IPIMAR/CRIPSul), Avenida 5 de Outubro s/n, 8700-305 Olhao (Portugal)

2007-12-15

Muscle, liver and stomach contents of 64 blue sharks and 52 swordfishes, caught between September 2004 and February 2005 near the Azores (area A) and the Equator (area E), were analysed for mercury and selenium. Levels of mercury were relatively high (blue shark: 0.032-2.5 {mu}g g{sup -1}; swordfish: 0.031-9.8 {mu}g g{sup -1}) and comparable to values reported in the literature. However, mercury and organic mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of specimens from E were significantly higher than those from A. A similar trend was registered in stomach contents, suggesting higher uptake of Hg in specimens from E. This difference was also observed in the relationship between concentration in muscle and size, indicating a higher accumulation rate in specimens from E. The accumulation of Se in the liver of both species showed a positive correlation with inorganic mercury concentrations, pointing to a detoxifying mechanism of organic mercury in these species through Se-Hg liaisons. - Mercury levels differ in Azores and Equator, and detoxification by selenium occurs.

Mercury and selenium in blue shark (Prionace glauca, L. 1758) and swordfish (Xiphias gladius, L. 1758) from two areas of the Atlantic Ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Branco, Vasco; Vale, Carlos; Canario, Joao; Santos, Miguel Neves dos

2007-01-01

Muscle, liver and stomach contents of 64 blue sharks and 52 swordfishes, caught between September 2004 and February 2005 near the Azores (area A) and the Equator (area E), were analysed for mercury and selenium. Levels of mercury were relatively high (blue shark: 0.032-2.5 μg g -1 ; swordfish: 0.031-9.8 μg g -1 ) and comparable to values reported in the literature. However, mercury and organic mercury concentrations in muscle and liver of specimens from E were significantly higher than those from A. A similar trend was registered in stomach contents, suggesting higher uptake of Hg in specimens from E. This difference was also observed in the relationship between concentration in muscle and size, indicating a higher accumulation rate in specimens from E. The accumulation of Se in the liver of both species showed a positive correlation with inorganic mercury concentrations, pointing to a detoxifying mechanism of organic mercury in these species through Se-Hg liaisons. - Mercury levels differ in Azores and Equator, and detoxification by selenium occurs

Herbal medicines in the treatment of psychiatric disorders: 10-year updated review.

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Sarris, Jerome

2018-03-25

This paper provides a 10-year update of the 2007 systematic review of herbal medicines studied in a broad range of psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, seasonal affective, bipolar, psychotic, phobic, somatoform, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. Ovid Medline, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched for herbal medicines with both pharmacological and clinical evidence of psychotropic activity. This updated review now covers clinical trial evidence for 24 herbal medicines in 11 psychiatric disorders. High-quality evidence was found to exist for the use of Piper methysticum (Kava), Passiflora spp. (passionflower) and Galphimia glauca (galphimia) for anxiety disorders; and Hypericum perforatum (St John's wort) and Crocus sativus (saffron) for major depressive disorder. Other encouraging herbal medicines with preliminary evidence include Curcuma longa (turmeric) in depression, Withania somnifera (ashwagandha) in affective disorders, and Ginkgo biloba (ginkgo) as an adjunctive treatment in Schizophrenia. Although depression and anxiety are commonly researched, many other mental disorders still require further prospective investigation. Although the previous review suggested increasing the adjunctive study of select herbal medicines with pharmaceuticals, this was still only found to sparingly occur in research designs. Aside from this, future focus should involve the incorporation of more biomarker analysis, in particular pharmacogenomics, to determine genetic factors moderating response to herbal medicines. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of two iron(III) chelators on the iron, cadmium, lead and nickel accumulation in poplar grown under heavy metal stress in hydroponics.

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Mihucz, Victor G; Csog, Árpád; Fodor, Ferenc; Tatár, Enikő; Szoboszlai, Norbert; Silaghi-Dumitrescu, Luminiţa; Záray, Gyula

2012-04-15

Poplar (Populus jacquemontiana var. glauca cv. Kopeczkii) was grown in hydroponics containing 10 μM Cd(II), Ni(II) or Pb(II), and Fe as Fe(III) EDTA or Fe(III) citrate in identical concentrations. The present study was designed to compare the accumulation and distribution of Fe, Cd, Ni and Pb within the different plant compartments. Generally, Fe and heavy-metal accumulation were higher by factor 2-7 and 1.6-3.3, respectively, when Fe(III) citrate was used. Iron transport towards the shoot depended on the Fe(III) chelate and, generally, on the heavy metal used. Lead was accumulated only in the root. The amounts of Fe and heavy metals accumulated by poplar were very similar to those of cucumber grown in an identical way, indicating strong Fe uptake regulation of these two Strategy I plants: a cultivar and a woody plant. The Strategy I Fe uptake mechanism (i.e. reducing Fe(III) followed by Fe(II) uptake), together with the Fe(III) chelate form in the nutrient solution had significant effects on Fe and heavy metal uptake. Poplar appears to show phytoremediation potential for Cd and Ni, as their transport towards the shoot was characterized by 51-54% and 26-48% depending on the Fe(III) supply in the nutrient solution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Glyphosate (Ab)sorption by Shoots and Rhizomes of Native versus Hybrid Cattail (Typha).

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Zheng, Tianye; Sutton, Nora B; de Jager, Pim; Grosshans, Richard; Munira, Sirajum; Farenhorst, Annemieke

2017-11-01

Wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America are integrated with farmland and contain mixtures of herbicide contaminants. Passive nonfacilitated diffusion is how most herbicides can move across plant membranes, making this perhaps an important process by which herbicide contaminants are absorbed by wetland vegetation. Prairie wetlands are dominated by native cattail (Typha latifolia) and hybrid cattail (Typha x glauca). The objective of this batch equilibrium study was to compare glyphosate absorption by the shoots and rhizomes of native versus hybrid cattails. Although it has been previously reported for some pesticides that passive diffusion is greater for rhizome than shoot components, this is the first study to demonstrate that the absorption capacity of rhizomes is species dependent, with the glyphosate absorption being significantly greater for rhizomes than shoots in case of native cattails, but with no significant differences in glyphosate absorption between rhizomes and shoots in case of hybrid cattails. Most importantly, glyphosate absorption by native rhizomes far exceeded that of the absorption occurring for hybrid rhizomes, native shoots and hybrid shoots. Glyphosate has long been used to manage invasive hybrid cattails in wetlands in North America, but hybrid cattail expansions continue to occur. Since our results showed limited glyphosate absorption by hybrid shoots and rhizomes, this lack of sorption may partially explain the poorer ability of glyphosate to control hybrid cattails in wetlands.

Increased accumulation of cuticular wax and expression of lipid transfer protein in response to periodic drying events in leaves of tree tobacco.

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Cameron, Kimberly D; Teece, Mark A; Smart, Lawrence B

2006-01-01

Cuticular wax deposition and composition affects drought tolerance and yield in plants. We examined the relationship between wax and dehydration stress by characterizing the leaf cuticular wax of tree tobacco (Nicotiana glauca L. Graham) grown under periodic dehydration stress. Total leaf cuticular wax load increased after each of three periods of dehydration stress using a CH2Cl2 extraction process. Overall, total wax load increased 1.5- to 2.5-fold, but composition of the wax was not altered. Homologous series of wax components were classified into organic groups; n-hentriacontane was the largest component (>75%) with alcohols and fatty acids representing drying event. Leaves excised from plants subjected to multiple drying events were more resistant to water loss compared to leaves excised from well-watered plants, indicating that there is a negative relationship between total wax load and epidermal conductance. Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are thought to be involved in the transfer of lipids through the extracellular matrix for the formation of cuticular wax. Using northern analysis, a 6-fold increase of tree tobacco LTP gene transcripts was observed after three drying events, providing further evidence that LTP is involved in cuticle deposition. The simplicity of wax composition and the dramatic wax bloom displayed by tree tobacco make this an excellent species in which to study the relationship between leaf wax deposition and drought tolerance.

Transcript and metabolite profiling for the evaluation of tobacco tree and poplar as feedstock for the bio-based industry.

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Ruprecht, Colin; Tohge, Takayuki; Fernie, Alisdair; Mortimer, Cara L; Kozlo, Amanda; Fraser, Paul D; Funke, Norma; Cesarino, Igor; Vanholme, Ruben; Boerjan, Wout; Morreel, Kris; Burgert, Ingo; Gierlinger, Notburga; Bulone, Vincent; Schneider, Vera; Stockero, Andrea; Navarro-Aviñó, Juan; Pudel, Frank; Tambuyser, Bart; Hygate, James; Bumstead, Jon; Notley, Louis; Persson, Staffan

2014-05-16

The global demand for food, feed, energy and water poses extraordinary challenges for future generations. It is evident that robust platforms for the exploration of renewable resources are necessary to overcome these challenges. Within the multinational framework MultiBioPro we are developing biorefinery pipelines to maximize the use of plant biomass. More specifically, we use poplar and tobacco tree (Nicotiana glauca) as target crop species for improving saccharification, isoprenoid, long chain hydrocarbon contents, fiber quality, and suberin and lignin contents. The methods used to obtain these outputs include GC-MS, LC-MS and RNA sequencing platforms. The metabolite pipelines are well established tools to generate these types of data, but also have the limitations in that only well characterized metabolites can be used. The deep sequencing will allow us to include all transcripts present during the developmental stages of the tobacco tree leaf, but has to be mapped back to the sequence of Nicotiana tabacum. With these set-ups, we aim at a basic understanding for underlying processes and at establishing an industrial framework to exploit the outcomes. In a more long term perspective, we believe that data generated here will provide means for a sustainable biorefinery process using poplar and tobacco tree as raw material. To date the basal level of metabolites in the samples have been analyzed and the protocols utilized are provided in this article.

The Species and Origin of Shark Fins in Taiwan's Fishing Ports, Markets, and Customs Detention: A DNA Barcoding Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Po-Shun; Hung, Tzu-Chiao; Chang, Hung-An; Huang, Chien-Kang; Shiao, Jen-Chieh

2016-01-01

The increasing consumption of shark products, along with the shark's fishing vulnerabilities, has led to the decrease in certain shark populations. In this study we used a DNA barcoding method to identify the species of shark landings at fishing ports, shark fin products in retail stores, and shark fins detained by Taiwan customs. In total we identified 23, 24, and 14 species from 231 fishing landings, 316 fin products, and 113 detained shark fins, respectively. All the three sample sources were dominated by Prionace glauca, which accounted for more than 30% of the collected samples. Over 60% of the species identified in the fin products also appeared in the port landings, suggesting the domestic-dominance of shark fin products in Taiwan. However, international trade also contributes a certain proportion of the fin product markets, as four species identified from the shark fin products are not found in Taiwan's waters, and some domestic-available species were also found in the customs-detained sample. In addition to the species identification, we also found geographical differentiation in the cox1 gene of the common thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus), the pelagic thresher shark (A. pelagicus), the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena), and the scalloped hammerhead shark (S. lewini). This result might allow fishing authorities to more effectively trace the origins as well as enforce the management and conservation of these sharks.

Shark teeth as edged weapons: serrated teeth of three species of selachians.

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Moyer, Joshua K; Bemis, William E

2017-02-01

Prior to European contact, South Pacific islanders used serrated shark teeth as components of tools and weapons. They did this because serrated shark teeth are remarkably effective at slicing through soft tissues. To understand more about the forms and functions of serrated shark teeth, we examined the morphology and histology of tooth serrations in three species: the Tiger Shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), Blue Shark (Prionace glauca), and White Shark (Carcharodon carcharias). We show that there are two basic types of serrations. A primary serration consists of three layers of enameloid with underlying dentine filling the serration's base. All three species studied have primary serrations, although the dentine component differs (orthodentine in Tiger and Blue Sharks; osteodentine in the White Shark). Smaller secondary serrations are found in the Tiger Shark, formed solely by enameloid with no contribution from underlying dentine. Secondary serrations are effectively "serrations within serrations" that allow teeth to cut at different scales. We propose that the cutting edges of Tiger Shark teeth, equipped with serrations at different scales, are linked to a diet that includes large, hard-shelled prey (e.g., sea turtles) as well as smaller, softer prey such as fishes. We discuss other aspects of serration form and function by making analogies to man-made cutting implements, such as knives and saws. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

The Species and Origin of Shark Fins in Taiwan's Fishing Ports, Markets, and Customs Detention: A DNA Barcoding Analysis.

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Po-Shun Chuang

Full Text Available The increasing consumption of shark products, along with the shark's fishing vulnerabilities, has led to the decrease in certain shark populations. In this study we used a DNA barcoding method to identify the species of shark landings at fishing ports, shark fin products in retail stores, and shark fins detained by Taiwan customs. In total we identified 23, 24, and 14 species from 231 fishing landings, 316 fin products, and 113 detained shark fins, respectively. All the three sample sources were dominated by Prionace glauca, which accounted for more than 30% of the collected samples. Over 60% of the species identified in the fin products also appeared in the port landings, suggesting the domestic-dominance of shark fin products in Taiwan. However, international trade also contributes a certain proportion of the fin product markets, as four species identified from the shark fin products are not found in Taiwan's waters, and some domestic-available species were also found in the customs-detained sample. In addition to the species identification, we also found geographical differentiation in the cox1 gene of the common thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus, the pelagic thresher shark (A. pelagicus, the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena, and the scalloped hammerhead shark (S. lewini. This result might allow fishing authorities to more effectively trace the origins as well as enforce the management and conservation of these sharks.

Varying boreal forest response to Arctic environmental change at the Firth River, Alaska

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andreu-Hayles, Laia; D'Arrigo, Rosanne; Anchukaitis, Kevin J; Beck, Pieter S A; Goetz, Scott; Frank, David

2011-01-01

The response of boreal forests to anthropogenic climate change remains uncertain, with potentially significant impacts for the global carbon cycle, albedo, canopy evapotranspiration and feedbacks into further climate change. Here, we focus on tree-ring data from the Firth River site at treeline in northeastern Alaska, in a tundra–forest transition region where pronounced warming has already occurred. Both tree-ring width (TRW) and maximum latewood density (MXD) chronologies were developed to identify the nature of tree growth and density responses to climatic and environmental changes in white spruce (Picea glauca), a dominant Arctic treeline species. Good agreement was found between the interannual fluctuations in the TRW chronology and summer temperatures from 1901 to 1950, whereas no significant relationships were found from 1951 to 2001, supporting evidence of significant divergence between TRW and summer temperature in the second half of the 20th century. In contrast to this unstable climatic response in the TRW record, the high frequency July–August temperature signal in the MXD series seems reasonably stable through the 20th century. Wider and denser rings were more frequent during the 20th century, particularly after 1950, than in previous centuries. Finally, comparison between the tree-ring proxies and a satellite-derived vegetation index suggests that TRW and MXD correlate with vegetation productivity at the landscape level at different times of the growing season.

Cloning and characterization of chitinases from interior spruce and lodgepole pine.

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Kolosova, N; Breuil, C; Bohlmann, J

2014-05-01

Chitinases have been implicated in the defence of conifers against insects and pathogens. cDNA for six chitinases were cloned from interior spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii) and four from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta). The cloned interior spruce chitinases were annotated class I PgeChia1-1 and PgeChia1-2, class II PgeChia2-1, class IV PgeChia4-1, and class VII PgeChia7-1 and PgeChia7-2; lodgepole pine chitinases were annotated class I PcChia1-1, class IV PcChia4-1, and class VII PcChia7-1 and PcChia7-2. Chitinases were expressed in Escherichia coli with maltose-binding-protein tags and soluble proteins purified. Functional characterization demonstrated chitinolytic activity for the three class I chitinases PgeChia1-1, PgeChia1-2 and PcChia1-1. Transcript analysis established strong induction of most of the tested chitinases, including all three class I chitinases, in interior spruce and lodgepole pine in response to inoculation with bark beetle associated fungi (Leptographium abietinum and Grosmannia clavigera) and in interior spruce in response to weevil (Pissodes strobi) feeding. Evidence of chitinolytic activity and inducibility by fungal and insect attack support the involvement of these chitinases in conifer defense. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Species and Origin of Shark Fins in Taiwan’s Fishing Ports, Markets, and Customs Detention: A DNA Barcoding Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Po-Shun; Hung, Tzu-Chiao; Chang, Hung-An; Huang, Chien-Kang; Shiao, Jen-Chieh

2016-01-01

The increasing consumption of shark products, along with the shark’s fishing vulnerabilities, has led to the decrease in certain shark populations. In this study we used a DNA barcoding method to identify the species of shark landings at fishing ports, shark fin products in retail stores, and shark fins detained by Taiwan customs. In total we identified 23, 24, and 14 species from 231 fishing landings, 316 fin products, and 113 detained shark fins, respectively. All the three sample sources were dominated by Prionace glauca, which accounted for more than 30% of the collected samples. Over 60% of the species identified in the fin products also appeared in the port landings, suggesting the domestic-dominance of shark fin products in Taiwan. However, international trade also contributes a certain proportion of the fin product markets, as four species identified from the shark fin products are not found in Taiwan’s waters, and some domestic-available species were also found in the customs-detained sample. In addition to the species identification, we also found geographical differentiation in the cox1 gene of the common thresher sharks (Alopias vulpinus), the pelagic thresher shark (A. pelagicus), the smooth hammerhead shark (Sphyrna zygaena), and the scalloped hammerhead shark (S. lewini). This result might allow fishing authorities to more effectively trace the origins as well as enforce the management and conservation of these sharks. PMID:26799827

Variation in stem morphology and movement of amyloplasts in white spruce grown in the weightless environment of the International Space Station.

Science.gov (United States)

Rioux, Danny; Lagacé, Marie; Cohen, Luchino Y; Beaulieu, Jean

2015-01-01

One-year-old white spruce (Picea glauca) seedlings were studied in microgravity conditions in the International Space Station (ISS) and compared with seedlings grown on Earth. Leaf growth was clearly stimulated in space whereas data suggest a similar trend for the shoots. Needles on the current shoots of ground-based seedlings were more inclined towards the stem base than those of seedlings grown in the ISS. Amyloplasts sedimented in specialized cells of shoots and roots in seedlings grown on Earth while they were distributed at random in similar cells of seedlings tested in the ISS. In shoots, such amyloplasts were found in starch sheath cells located between leaf traces and cortical cells whereas in roots they were constituents of columella cells of the cap. Nuclei were regularly observed just above the sedimented amyloplasts in both organs. It was also frequent to detect vacuoles with phenolic compounds and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) close to the sedimented amyloplasts. The ER was mainly observed just under these amyloplasts. Thus, when amyloplasts sediment, the pressure exerted on the ER, the organelle that can for instance secrete proteins destined for the plasma membrane, might influence their functioning and play a role in signaling pathways involved in gravity-sensing white spruce cells. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DIVERSITY OF PLANT COMMUNITIES IN SECONDARY SUCCESSION OF IMPERATA GRASSLANDS IN SAMBOJA LESTARI, EAST KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

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Ishak Yassir

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Regeneration of  Imperata grassland areas is becoming increasingly important, both to create new secondary forest and to recover the original biodiversity. The diversity of  plant communities in secondary succession of  Imperata grasslands was studied using 45 subplots of  9 linear transects (10 m x 100 m. Data was collected and all stems over 10 cm dbh were identified, the Importance Values Index (IVI for all trees were calculated, saplings and seedlings were counted  and analysed, and soil samples were taken and analysed. Results showed that  after more than 10 years of  regeneration, 65 families were encountered consisting of  164 species, which were dominated by Vernonia arborea Buch.-Ham, Vitex pinnata L., Macaranga gigantea (Reichb.f. & Zoll. Muell.Arg., Symplocos crassipes C.B. Clarke, Artocarpus odoratissimus Miq., and Bridelia glauca Blume. The effects of  regeneration, from Imperata grassland to secondary forest, on soil were the strongest in the A-horizon where an increase in carbon, N content, and pH were observed. Our result shows that Imperata grasslands appear to be permanent because of  frequent fires and human interferences and so far few efforts have been made to promote sustainable rehabilitation. If  protected from fire and other disturbances, such as shifting cultivation, Imperata grassland will grow and develop into secondary forest.

Species catch composition, length structure and reproductive indices of swordfish (Xiphias gladius at Easter Island zone Composición de especies, estructura de tallas e índices reproductivos de pez espada (Xiphias gladius en la zona de isla de Pascua

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Rodrigo Vega

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The species composition, size distribution, and gonadal index (GI of swordfish (Xiphias gladius are reported from catches obtained by longliners in the zone of Easter Island in the southeastern Pacific. Five cruises were made during the summer season between 2001 and 2006 completing a total of 150 fishing sets. A total of 3,781 fish belonging to 24 species were registered, of which 17 were commercial and 6 were bycatch. Of the total, 44.1% were swordfish, 28.3%> sharks, 12.1% marlins, 8.4%> tunas and 7.1%o other teleosts. Amongst the sharks the most important species was the blue shark (Prionace glauca, 16.5%> followed by the brown shark (Carcharhinus spp., 6.9%>. Amongst the tunas and istiophorids, striped marlin (Tetrapturus audax, 8.0% and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares, 4.9% were also important (≥ 4% in number. The number of units by species, the nominal yield in number and weight and the gutted average weight are reported in addition to size statistics. The population structure of swordfish was dominated by males and differences in the average length between sexes were not found. Individuals with high values of GI were observed during every survey, mainly during December-February which suggests a reproductive area for this species. The blue shark showed a predominance of males, and differences in the average length between sexes were observed, possibly due to a spatial and temporal segregation.Se reportan la composición de especies, estructura de talla, y el índice gonádico (IG de pez espada (Xiphias gladius, desde capturas obtenidas por embarcaciones palangreras en la zona de isla de Pascua en el Pacífico suroriental. En el periodo estival entre 2001 y 2006, se realizaron cinco cruceros completando un total de 150 lances de pesca. Se registró un total de 3.781 peces pertenecientes a 24 especies, de las cuales 17 fueron comerciales y seis incidentales. Del total, 44,1% fue pez espada, 28,3%> tiburones, 12,1% marlines, 8,4%o atunes

Hummingbirds and the plants they visit in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, Mexico Colibríes y las plantas que visitan en la Reseva de la Biosfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México

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Raúl Ortiz-Pulido

2012-03-01

Full Text Available We describe the relative abundance, plant species visited, and plant communities used by hummingbird species inhabiting the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve, a semiarid area in South-central Mexico. We recorded 14 hummingbird species and 35 plant species distributed in 4 plant communities during our study. We found 86 different hummingbird-plant interactions. Amazilia violiceps and Cynanthus latirostris were the most common hummingbirds, while C. latirostris, A. violiceps, and Cynanthus sordidus were the hummingbirds that visited more plant species. Hummingbirds were distributed differentially between plant communities inside the reserve, with 12 species being present in the arboreal plant community of the lowlands, 11 both in cactus forest and perennial spine shrub plants, and 6 in perennial unarmed shrub plants. Cercidium praecox (Fabaceae was the plant species with the highest number of visiting hummingbird species (10 species. Cactus forest and perennial spine shrub plants were the plant communities with largest number of possible interactions (57 and 51, respectively. The mean connectance value of the interaction matrix was similar between plant communities (near to 22%, but lower than those reported previously in other places. In the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Biosphere Reserve the hummingbird-plant interaction system will be preserved if the hummingbirds C. latirostris, A. violiceps, C. sordidus, and L. clemenciae, and the plants C. praecox, I. arborescens, E. chiotilla, and N. glauca, are protected.Describimos la abundancia relativa, especies de plantas visitadas y tipos de vegetación utilizados por los colibríes de la Reserva de la Biosfera Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, México. Durante nuestro de estudio registramos 14 especies de colibríes y 35 especies de plantas utilizadas por ellos dentro de cuatro tipos de vegetación, representando 86 diferentes interacciones colibrí-planta. Amazilia violiceps y Cynanthus latirostris fueron los

Massive consumption of gelatinous plankton by Mediterranean apex predators.

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Luis Cardona

Full Text Available Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were used to test the hypothesis that stomach content analysis has systematically overlooked the consumption of gelatinous zooplankton by pelagic mesopredators and apex predators. The results strongly supported a major role of gelatinous plankton in the diet of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus, little tunny (Euthynnus alletteratus, spearfish (Tetrapturus belone and swordfish (Xiphias gladius. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta in the oceanic stage and ocean sunfish (Mola mola also primarily relied on gelatinous zooplankton. In contrast, stable isotope ratios ruled out any relevant consumption of gelatinous plankton by bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix, blue shark (Prionace glauca, leerfish (Lichia amia, bonito (Sarda sarda, striped dolphin (Stenella caerueloalba and loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta in the neritic stage, all of which primarily relied on fish and squid. Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus were confirmed as crustacean consumers. The ratios of stable isotopes in albacore (Thunnus alalunga, amberjack (Seriola dumerili, blue butterfish (Stromaeus fiatola, bullet tuna (Auxis rochei, dolphinfish (Coryphaena hyppurus, horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus, mackerel (Scomber scombrus and pompano (Trachinotus ovatus were consistent with mixed diets revealed by stomach content analysis, including nekton and crustaceans, but the consumption of gelatinous plankton could not be ruled out completely. In conclusion, the jellyvorous guild in the Mediterranean integrates two specialists (ocean sunfish and loggerhead sea turtles in the oceanic stage and several opportunists (bluefin tuna, little tunny, spearfish, swordfish and, perhaps, blue butterfish, most of them with shrinking populations due to overfishing.

Controls of growth phenology vary in seedlings of three, co-occurring ecologically distinct northern conifers.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, D Scott

2007-08-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of temperature and seed-source elevation on height-growth phenology of three co-occurring and ecologically distinct northern conifers (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia (lodgepole pine), Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. (interior spruce) and Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. (subalpine fir)). Seed from populations of the three indigenous and co-occurring species was collected across an elevational transect on the southwestern slope of McBride Peak, near Prince George, BC. Collection sites were at elevations of 750 to 1850 m, the latter being close to the tree line. In 2003, seeds were germinated and seedlings raised under favorable growing conditions in a temperature-controlled glasshouse. In 2004, seedlings of each population were grown in natural daylengths at a location within 50 km of the seed collection site both in a temperature-controlled glasshouse and at a nearby field site, and height growth was recorded twice a week throughout the growing season. Species differed in both the date and the accumulated heat sum above 5 degrees C for the initiation and cessation of shoot extension. Growth durations (which integrate growth initiation and growth cessation) were more similar among species in the field than in the glasshouse. This suggests that different mechanisms of phenological control among co-occurring species can result in adaptive "equivalence" under a particular set of climatic conditions.

Plasmodesmata without callose and calreticulin in higher plants - open channels for fast symplastic transport?

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Kirill N. Demchenko

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Plasmodesmata (PD represent membrane-lined channels that link adjacent plant cells across the cell wall. PD of higher plants contain a central tube of endoplasmic reticulum called desmotubule. Membrane and lumen proteins seem to be able to move through the desmotubule, but most transport processes through PD occur through the cytoplasmic annulus (Brunkard et al., 2013. Calreticulin (CRT, a highly conserved Ca2+-binding protein found in all multi-cellular eukaryotes, predominantly located in the ER, was shown to localize to PD, though not all PD accumulate CRT. In nitrogen fixing actinorhizal root nodules of the Australian tree Casuarina glauca, the primary walls of infected cells containing the microsymbiont become lignified upon infection. TEM analysis of these nodules showed that during the differentiation of infected cells, PD connecting infected cells, and connecting infected and adjacent uninfected cells, were reduced in number as well as diameter (Schubert et al., 2013. In contrast with PD connecting young infected cells, and most PD connecting mature infected and adjacent uninfected cells, PD connecting mature infected cells did not accumulate CRT. Furthermore, as shown here, these PD were not associated with callose, and based on their diameter, they probably had lost their desmotubules. We speculate that either this is a slow path to PD degradation, or that the loss of callose accumulation and presumably also desmotubules leads to the PD becoming open channels and improves metabolite exchange between cells.

Stoichiometric variation of halophytes in response to changes in soil salinity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, X; Gao, Y; Wang, D; Chen, J; Zhang, F; Zhou, J; Yan, X; Li, Y

2017-05-01

Variation in soil salt may change the stoichiometry of a halophyte by altering plant ecophysiology, and exert different influences on various plant organs, which has potentially important consequences for the nutrition of consumers as well as nutrient cycling in a saline ecosystem. Using a greenhouse pot experiment, we investigated the effect of salinity variability on the growth and stoichiometry of different organs of Suaeda glauca and Salicornia europaea - two dominant species of important ecological and economic value in the saline ecosystem. Our results showed that appropriate salt stimulated the growth of both species during the vigorous growth period, while high salt suppressed growth. Na significantly increased with increased salt in the culture, whereas concentrations of other measured elements and K:Na ratio for both species significantly decreased at low salt treatments, and became more gradual under higher salt conditions. Furthermore, with the change of salt in culture, variations in leaf (degenerated leaf for S. europaea, considered as young stem) stoichiometry, except N:P ratio, were large and less in stems (old stems for S. europaea) than in roots, reflecting physiological and biochemical reactions in the leaf in response to salt stress, supported by sharp changes in trends. These results suggest that appropriate saline conditions can enhance biological C fixation of halophytes; however, increasing salt could affect consumer health and decrease cycling of other nutrients in saline ecosystems. © 2017 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Role of brown bears (Ursus arctos) in the flow of marine nitrogen into a terrestrial ecosystem.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilderbrand, G V; Hanley, Thomas A; Robbins, Charles T; Schwartz, C C

1999-12-01

We quantified the amount, spatial distribution, and importance of salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.)-derived nitrogen (N) by brown bears (Ursus arctos) on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. We tested and confirmed the hypothesis that the stable isotope signature (δ 15 N) of N in foliage of white spruce (Picea glauca) was inversely proportional to the distance from salmon-spawning streams (r=-0.99 and Pbrown bears, relative to their distance from a stream, were highly correlated with δ 15 N depletion of foliage across the same gradient (r=-0.98 and -0.96 and Pbrown bears were 37.2±2.9 kg/year per bear (range 23.1-56.3), of which 96% (35.7±2.7 kg/year per bear) was excreted in urine, 3% (1.1±0.1 kg/year per bear) was excreted in feces, and bear) was retained in the body. On an area basis, salmon-N redistribution rates were as high as 5.1±0.7 mg/m 2 per year per bear within 500 m of the stream but dropped off greatly with increasing distance. We estimated that 15.5-17.8% of the total N in spruce foliage within 500 m of the stream was derived from salmon. Of that, bears had distributed 83-84%. Thus, brown bears can be an important vector of salmon-derived N into riparian ecosystems, but their effects are highly variable spatially and a function of bear density.

Lichen compounds restrain lichen feeding by bank voles (Myodes glareolus).

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Nybakken, Line; Helmersen, Anne-Marit; Gauslaa, Yngvar; Selås, Vidar

2010-03-01

Some lichen compounds are known to deter feeding by invertebrate herbivores. We attempted to quantify the deterring efficiency of lichen compounds against a generalist vertebrate, the bank vole (Myodes glareolus). In two separate experiments, caged bank voles had the choice to feed on lichens with natural or reduced concentrations of secondary compounds. We rinsed air-dry intact lichens in 100% acetone to remove extracellular compounds non-destructively. In the first experiment, pairs of control and rinsed lichen thalli were hydrated and offered to the bank voles. Because the lichens desiccated fast, we ran a second experiment with pairs of ground control and compound-deficient thalli, each mixed with water to porridge. Eight and six lichen species were tested in the first and second experiment, respectively. In the first, bank voles preferred compound-deficient thalli of Cladonia stellaris and Lobaria pulmonaria, but did not discriminate between the other thallus pairs. This was likely a result of deterring levels of usnic and stictic acid in the control thalli. When lichens were served as porridge, significant preference was found for acetone-rinsed pieces of Cladonia arbuscula, C. rangiferina, Platismatia glauca, and Evernia prunastri. The increased preference was caused mainly by lower consumption of control thalli. Grinding and mixing of thallus structures prevented bank voles from selecting thallus parts with lower concentration of secondary compounds and/or strengthened their deterring capacity. We conclude that some lichen secondary compounds deter feeding by bank voles.

Phylogenetic Analyses of Armillaria Reveal at Least 15 Phylogenetic Lineages in China, Seven of Which Are Associated with Cultivated Gastrodia elata.

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Ting Guo

Full Text Available Fungal species of Armillaria, which can act as plant pathogens and/or symbionts of the Chinese traditional medicinal herb Gastrodia elata ("Tianma", are ecologically and economically important and have consequently attracted the attention of mycologists. However, their taxonomy has been highly dependent on morphological characterization and mating tests. In this study, we phylogenetically analyzed Chinese Armillaria samples using the sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, translation elongation factor-1 alpha gene and beta-tubulin gene. Our data revealed at least 15 phylogenetic lineages of Armillaria from China, of which seven were newly discovered and two were recorded from China for the first time. Fourteen Chinese biological species of Armillaria, which were previously defined based on mating tests, could be assigned to the 15 phylogenetic lineages identified herein. Seven of the 15 phylogenetic lineages were found to be disjunctively distributed in different continents of the Northern Hemisphere, while eight were revealed to be endemic to certain continents. In addition, we found that seven phylogenetic lineages of Armillaria were used for the cultivation of Tianma, only two of which had been recorded to be associated with Tianma previously. We also illustrated that G. elata f. glauca ("Brown Tianma" and G. elata f. elata ("Red Tianma", two cultivars of Tianma grown in different regions of China, form symbiotic relationships with different phylogenetic lineages of Armillaria. These findings should aid the development of Tianma cultivation in China.

Towards lidar-based mapping of tree age at the Arctic forest tundra ecotone.

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Jensen, J.; Maguire, A.; Oelkers, R.; Andreu-Hayles, L.; Boelman, N.; D'Arrigo, R.; Griffin, K. L.; Jennewein, J. S.; Hiers, E.; Meddens, A. J.; Russell, M.; Vierling, L. A.; Eitel, J.

2017-12-01

Climate change may cause spatial shifts in the forest-tundra ecotone (FTE). To improve our ability to study these spatial shifts, information on tree demography along the FTE is needed. The objective of this study was to assess the suitability of lidar derived tree heights as a surrogate for tree age. We calculated individual tree age from 48 tree cores collected at basal height from white spruce (Picea glauca) within the FTE in northern Alaska. Tree height was obtained from terrestrial lidar scans (= 3 m), yielding strong predictive relationships between height and age (R2 = 0.86, RMSE 12.21 years, and R2 = 0.93, RMSE = 25.16 years, respectively). The slope coefficient for small and large tree models (16.83 and 12.98 years/m, respectively) indicate that small trees grow 1.3 times faster than large trees at these FTE study sites. Although a strong, predictive relationship between age and height is uncommon in light-limited forest environments, our findings suggest that the sparseness of trees within the FTE may explain the strong tree height-age relationships found herein. Further analysis of 36 additional tree cores recently collected within the FTE near Inuvik, Canada will be performed. Our preliminary analysis suggests that lidar derived tree height could be a reliable proxy for tree age at the FTE, thereby establishing a new technique for scaling tree structure and demographics across larger portions of this sensitive ecotone.

Influenţa stadiului de pornire în vegetaţie a portaltoiului şi a nivelului de altoire asupra procentului de prindere în cazul altoirii la molidul argintiu[Influence of the parent stock phenology and grafting level on successfull grafting of silver Colorado spruce

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George Mazăre

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Having no importance for Romanian forestry, Picea pungens Engelm. is an ornamental species, often seen in Romanian parks and gardens. There are cultivated especially glauca and argentea forms. The biggest problem of this forms is getting seedlings. The generative way is not recommended because, although at begin those specimens obtained have the characteristic color of the variety, with the passage of time the color disappears. So, the vegetative way remains the only possible way in order to obtain best specimens. Propagation method used in these experiments is side-veener- grafting. The rootstock was represented by Picea abies, which was grafted with scion collected from Picea pungens argentea variety. The experiment factors were vegetative stage of rootstock and grafting level. Regarding the first factor, we chose two graduations, the grafting being made on less active rootstock and well active rootstock. Regarding the grafting level, the graft was made to the first growth, on the second and on the third growth. The behavior of grafted seedlings was followed throughout the growing season, with the work of care applied in the process, but the final inventory of surviving grafts was made at the end of the growing season. To interpret the results on grafting efficiency, expressed by number of slips caught, the data obtained from the measurements were statistically processed by variance analysis method, using the method of multiple comparisons (the Duncan test.

Implementation of the Realized Genomic Relationship Matrix to Open-Pollinated White Spruce Family Testing for Disentangling Additive from Nonadditive Genetic Effects

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Omnia Gamal El-Dien

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The open-pollinated (OP family testing combines the simplest known progeny evaluation and quantitative genetics analyses as candidates’ offspring are assumed to represent independent half-sib families. The accuracy of genetic parameter estimates is often questioned as the assumption of “half-sibling” in OP families may often be violated. We compared the pedigree- vs. marker-based genetic models by analysing 22-yr height and 30-yr wood density for 214 white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench Voss] OP families represented by 1694 individuals growing on one site in Quebec, Canada. Assuming half-sibling, the pedigree-based model was limited to estimating the additive genetic variances which, in turn, were grossly overestimated as they were confounded by very minor dominance and major additive-by-additive epistatic genetic variances. In contrast, the implemented genomic pairwise realized relationship models allowed the disentanglement of additive from all nonadditive factors through genetic variance decomposition. The marker-based models produced more realistic narrow-sense heritability estimates and, for the first time, allowed estimating the dominance and epistatic genetic variances from OP testing. In addition, the genomic models showed better prediction accuracies compared to pedigree models and were able to predict individual breeding values for new individuals from untested families, which was not possible using the pedigree-based model. Clearly, the use of marker-based relationship approach is effective in estimating the quantitative genetic parameters of complex traits even under simple and shallow pedigree structure.

[Effects of different types of litters on soil organic carbon mineralization].

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Xue-Jun; Pan, Jian-Jun; Chen, Jin-Ying; Yang, Zhi-Qiang; Zhang, Li-Ming; Sun, Bo; Li, Zhong-Pei

2009-06-15

Using litter incubation experiment in laboratory, decomposition discrepancies of four typical litters from Zijin Mountain were analyzed. The results show that organic carbon mineralization rates of soil with litters all involve fast and slow decomposition stages, and the differences are that the former has shorter duration,more daily decomposition quantity while the latter is opposite. Organic carbon mineralization rates of soil with litters rapidly reached maximum in the early days of incubation, and the order is soil with Cynodon dactylon litter (CK + BMD) (23.88 +/- 0.62) mg x d(-1), soil with Pinus massoniana litter (CK+ PML) (17.93 +/- 0.99) mg x d(-1), soil with Quercus acutissima litter (CK+ QAC) (15.39 +/- 0.16) mg x d(-1) and soil with Cyclobalanopsis glauca litter (CK + CGO) (7.26 +/- 0.34) mg x d(-1), and with significant difference between each other (p litter initial chemical elements. The amount of organic carbon mineralized accumulation within three months incubation is (CK + BMD) (338.21 +/- 6.99) mg, (CK + QAC) (323.48 +/- 13.68) mg, (CK + PML) (278.34 +/- 13.91) mg and (CK + CGO) (245.21 +/- 4.58) mg. 198.17-297.18 mg CO2-C are released during litter incubation, which occupies 20.29%-31.70% of the total litter organic carbon amounts. Power curve model can describe the trends of organic carbon mineralization rate and mineralized accumulation amount,which has a good correlation with their change.

Morfología del polen en especies de Canna (Cannaceae y su implicancia sistemática

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María de las Mercedes Ciciarelli

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Se estudió la morfología de los granos de polen de ocho táxones de Canna, C. ascendens, C. coccinea, C. compacta, C. glauca, C. indica, C. paniculata, C. variegatifolia y C. fuchsina, nueva especie aún no descrita, que fueron estudiadas usando microscopio de luz y microscopio electrónico de barrido. Nosotros utilizamos la técnica de Wodehouse en muestras de 20 granos por espécimen para medir la intina con el microscopio de luz; y la densidad de espinas (en campos de 400μm2 con el microscopio electrσnico de barrido. Los granos de polen son esfιricos, equinados y omniaberturados. El esporodermo presenta una exina muy delgada cubriendo una intina gruesa. La superficie del esporodermo puede ser corrugada, microperforada, sub-reticulada, rugada, rugulada, plegada-estriada, micro-estriada, microgranulada o lisa. Las espinas están formadas por exina, cubiertas total o parcialmente por trifina. La intina esta formada por dos capas, es la parte más gruesa de la pared. La ornamentación equinada es un rasgo genérico en Canna, pero el tamaño, la superficie y el color del polen, y la densidad y forma de las espinas, son rasgos diagnósticos de las especies. La morfología del polen apoya el tratamiento de C. coccinea y C. indica como especies diferentes. Canna fuchsina crece formando densas colonias silvestres en selvas ribereñas húmedas de las provincias de Buenos Aires y Santa Fe, Argentina; sus características sugieren relaciones no muy bien entendidas en el grupo de taxones, algunos son híbridos tales como C. x generalis. Sin embargo, estas plantas muestran granos normales, bien formados, cercanos a los de C. coccinea, que germinan sobre el estigma de flores frescas, nosotros decidimos incluir su polen en este estudio.Pollen morphology in species of Canna (Cannaceae, and systematics implications. The morphology of pollen grains of eight taxa of Canna, C. ascendens, C. coccinea, C. compacta, C. glauca, C. indica, C. paniculata, C

Development of highly reliable in silico SNP resource and genotyping assay from exome capture and sequencing: an example from black spruce (Picea mariana).

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Pavy, Nathalie; Gagnon, France; Deschênes, Astrid; Boyle, Brian; Beaulieu, Jean; Bousquet, Jean

2016-03-01

Picea mariana is a widely distributed boreal conifer across Canada and the subject of advanced breeding programmes for which population genomics and genomic selection approaches are being developed. Targeted sequencing was achieved after capturing P. mariana exome with probes designed from the sequenced transcriptome of Picea glauca, a distant relative. A high capture efficiency of 75.9% was reached although spruce has a complex and large genome including gene sequences interspersed by some long introns. The results confirmed the relevance of using probes from congeneric species to perform successfully interspecific exome capture in the genus Picea. A bioinformatics pipeline was developed including stringent criteria that helped detect a set of 97,075 highly reliable in silico SNPs. These SNPs were distributed across 14,909 genes. Part of an Infinium iSelect array was used to estimate the rate of true positives by validating 4267 of the predicted in silico SNPs by genotyping trees from P. mariana populations. The true positive rate was 96.2% for in silico SNPs, compared to a genotyping success rate of 96.7% for a set 1115 P. mariana control SNPs recycled from previous genotyping arrays. These results indicate the high success rate of the genotyping array and the relevance of the selection criteria used to delineate the new P. mariana in silico SNP resource. Furthermore, in silico SNPs were generally of medium to high frequency in natural populations, thus providing high informative value for future population genomics applications. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ecological aspects of air pollution from an iron-sintering plant at Wawa, Ontario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, A G; Gorham, E

1963-01-01

At Wawa, in northern Ontario, vegetation has been damaged severely by sulphur dioxide pollution from an iron-sintering plant. Damage is mainly restricted to a narrow strip northeast from the sinter plant, since southwest winds are strongly predominant. It is traceable from the air for at least 20 miles in this direction and is estimated as severe within 11 miles and very severe within 5 miles. Within about 10 miles NE. From the sinter plant ground flora variety declines markedly, from about 20-40 species per 40 square meter quadrant beyond this distance to 0-1 species within 2 miles of the pollution source. At the same time sulphate in lake and pond waters increases greatly, from normal levels of about 0.2-0.3 milliequivalents per liter to more than 0.5 meq/l within 11 miles NE and up to 2 meq/l within 2 miles NE from the sinter plant. Waters within about 5 miles NE are strongly acid (pH 3.2-3.8), but are not low in calcium. Soluble sulphate in the surface soil rises sharply within about 4 miles NE from the pollution source, where, also, soil erosion is very pronounced, though traceable farther out. The phanerogms most tolerant of air pollution are Polygonum cilinode and Sambucus pubens, which are infrequent in the normal forest vegetation. In quadrant studies along a northeast transect, seedlings of Pinus strobus were not observed within 30 miles from the sinter plant, while those of Picea glauca, P. mariana, and Populus tremuliodes were not recorded within 15 miles.

Stocktype and Vegetative Competition Influences on Pseudotsuga menziesii and Larix occidentalis Seedling Establishment

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Jeremiah R. Pinto

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mayr Franco, and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt. are species of ecological and commercial importance that occur throughout the Western United States. Effective reforestation of these species relies on successful seedling establishment, which is affected by planting stock quality, stocktype size, and site preparation techniques. This study examined the effects of container volume (80, 130, 200, and 250 cm3 and vegetative competition on seedling survival and physiological and morphological responses for two years, post-outplanting. Glyphosate application (GS and grass planting (HC were used to achieve low and high levels of competition. For all measured attributes, the container volume × vegetative competition was not significant. Mortality was strongly influenced by competition, with higher mortality observed for Douglas fir and western larch planted in HC plots one (28% and 98% and two (61% and 99% years following outplanting. When competition was controlled, seedlings of both species exhibited greater net photosynthesis (>9 μmol m−2 s−1, greater predawn water potential (>−0.35 MPa, and lower mortality (2–3% following one year in the field, indicating establishment success. The 80 cm3 stocktype remained significantly smaller and exhibited lower growth rates for the duration of the study, while all other stocktypes were statistically similar. Our results demonstrate the importance of controlling vegetative competition regardless of stocktype, especially for western larch, and suggest that benefits to post-planting seedling physiology and growth in relation to container size plateau beyond 130 cm3 among the investigated stocktypes.

Fertility-dependent effects of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities on white spruce seedling nutrition.

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Smith, Alistair J H; Potvin, Lynette R; Lilleskov, Erik A

2015-11-01

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EcMF) typically colonize nursery seedlings, but nutritional and growth effects of these communities are only partly understood. To examine these effects, Picea glauca seedlings collected from a tree nursery naturally colonized by three dominant EcMF were divided between fertilized and unfertilized treatments. After one growing season seedlings were harvested, ectomycorrhizas identified using DNA sequencing, and seedlings analyzed for leaf nutrient concentration and content, and biomass parameters. EcMF community structure-nutrient interactions were tested using nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) combined with vector analysis of foliar nutrients and biomass. We identified three dominant species: Amphinema sp., Atheliaceae sp., and Thelephora terrestris. NMDS + envfit revealed significant community effects on seedling nutrition that differed with fertilization treatment. PERMANOVA and regression analyses uncovered significant species effects on host nutrient concentration, content, and stoichiometry. Amphinema sp. had a significant positive effect on phosphorus (P), calcium and zinc concentration, and P content; in contrast, T. terrestris had a negative effect on P concentration. In the unfertilized treatment, percent abundance of the Amphinema sp. negatively affected foliar nitrogen (N) concentration but not content, and reduced foliar N/P. In fertilized seedlings, Amphinema sp. was positively related to foliar concentrations of N, magnesium, and boron, and both concentration and content of manganese, and Atheliaceae sp. had a negative relationship with P content. Findings shed light on the community and species effects on seedling condition, revealing clear functional differences among dominants. The approach used should be scalable to explore function in more complex communities composed of unculturable EcMF.

Investigation of Polarization Phase Difference Related to Forest Fields Characterizations

Science.gov (United States)

Majidi, M.; Maghsoudi, Y.

2013-09-01

The information content of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data significantly included in the radiometric polarization channels, hence polarimetric SAR data should be analyzed in relation with target structure. The importance of the phase difference between two co-polarized scattered signals due to the possible association between the biophysical parameters and the measured Polarization Phase Difference (PPD) statistics of the backscattered signal recorded components has been recognized in geophysical remote sensing. This paper examines two Radarsat-2 images statistics of the phase difference to describe the feasibility of relationship with the physical properties of scattering targets and tries to understand relevance of PPD statistics with various types of forest fields. As well as variation of incidence angle due to affecting on PPD statistics is investigated. The experimental forest pieces that are used in this research are characterized white pine (Pinus strobus L.), red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss), black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill) B.S.P.), poplar (Populus L.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.) , aspen and ground vegetation. The experimental results show that despite of biophysical parameters have a wide diversity, PPD statistics are almost the same. Forest fields distributions as distributed targets have close to zero means regardless of the incidence angle. Also, The PPD distribution are function of both target and sensor parameters, but for more appropriate examination related to PPD statistics the observations should made in the leaf-off season or in bands with lower frequencies.

Quantifying root-reinforcement of river bank soils by four Australian tree species

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Docker, B. B.; Hubble, T. C. T.

2008-08-01

The increased shear resistance of soil due to root-reinforcement by four common Australian riparian trees, Casuarina glauca, Eucalyptus amplifolia, Eucalyptus elata and Acacia floribunda, was determined in-situ with a field shear-box. Root pull-out strengths and root tensile-strengths were also measured and used to evaluate the utility of the root-reinforcement estimation models that assume simultaneous failure of all roots at the shear plane. Field shear-box results indicate that tree roots fail progressively rather than simultaneously. Shear-strengths calculated for root-reinforced soil assuming simultaneous root failure, yielded values between 50% and 215% higher than directly measured shear-strengths. The magnitude of the overestimate varies among species and probably results from differences in both the geometry of the root-system and tensile strengths of the root material. Soil blocks under A. floribunda which presents many, well-spread, highly-branched fine roots with relatively higher tensile strength, conformed most closely with root model estimates; whereas E. amplifolia, which presents a few, large, unbranched vertical roots, concentrated directly beneath the tree stem and of relatively low tensile strength, deviated furthest from model-estimated shear-strengths. These results suggest that considerable caution be exercised when applying estimates of increased shear-strength due to root-reinforcement in riverbank stability modelling. Nevertheless, increased soil shear strength provided by tree roots can be calculated by knowledge of the Root Area Ratio ( RAR) at the shear plane. At equivalent RAR values, A. floribunda demonstrated the greatest earth reinforcement potential of the four species studied.

Digestive enzyme activities are higher in the shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, than in ectothermic sharks as a result of visceral endothermy.

Science.gov (United States)

Newton, Kyle C; Wraith, James; Dickson, Kathryn A

2015-08-01

Lamnid sharks are regionally endothermic fishes that maintain visceral temperatures elevated above the ambient water temperature. Visceral endothermy is thought to increase rates of digestion and food processing and allow thermal niche expansion. We tested the hypothesis that, at in vivo temperatures, the endothermic shortfin mako shark, Isurus oxyrinchus, has higher specific activities of three digestive enzymes-gastric pepsin and pancreatic trypsin and lipase-than the thresher shark, Alopias vulpinus, and the blue shark, Prionace glauca, neither of which can maintain elevated visceral temperatures. Homogenized stomach or pancreas tissue obtained from sharks collected by pelagic longline was incubated at both 15 and 25 °C, at saturating substrate concentrations, to quantify tissue enzymatic activity. The mako had significantly higher enzyme activities at 25 °C than did the thresher and blue sharks at 15 °C. This difference was not a simple temperature effect, because at 25 °C the mako had higher trypsin activity than the blue shark and higher activities for all enzymes than the thresher shark. We also hypothesized that the thermal coefficient, or Q 10 value, would be higher for the mako shark than for the thresher and blue sharks because of its more stable visceral temperature. However, the mako and thresher sharks had similar Q 10 values for all enzymes, perhaps because of their closer phylogenetic relationship. The higher in vivo digestive enzyme activities in the mako shark should result in higher rates of food processing and may represent a selective advantage of regional visceral endothermy.

EVALUATION OF THE IMPACT OF THE ECKLONIA MAXIMA EXTRACT ON SELECTED MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF YELLOW PINE, SPRUCE AND THUJA STABBING

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Jacek Sosnowski Sosnowski

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The study was focused on the impact of an extract of Ecklonia maxima on selected morphological features of yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex C. Lawson, prickly spruce (Picea pungens Engelm. Variety Glauca, thuja (Thuja occidentalis variety Smaragd. The experiment was established in April 12, 2012 on the forest nursery in Ceranów. April 15, 2013 was introduced research agent in the form of a spraying an aqueous solution extract of Ecklonia maxima with trade name Kelpak SL. Biologically active compounds in the extract are plant hormones: auxin and cytokinin. There were studied increment in plant height, needle length of yellow pine, twigs length in prickly spruce and thuja. The measurements of increment in length of twigs and needles were made in each case on the same, specially marked parts of plants and have carried them on the 27th of each month beginning in May and ending in September. The results were evaluated statistically using the analysis of variance. Medium differentiations were verified by Tukey's test at a significance level p ≤ 0.05. The study showed that the diversity of traits features in the experiment was depended on the extract, the tree species and the measurement time. The best results after the extract using showed a pine and spruce. Seaweed preparation contributed to increment increased of trees height for in the pine and spruce and the needles length of pine and twigs of spruce. The species showing no reaction to the extract was thuja.

Estimation of base temperatures for nine weed species.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinmaus, S J; Prather, T S; Holt, J S

2000-02-01

Experiments were conducted to test several methods for estimating low temperature thresholds for seed germination. Temperature responses of nine weeds common in annual agroecosystems were assessed in temperature gradient experiments. Species included summer annuals (Amaranthus albus, A. palmeri, Digitaria sanguinalis, Echinochloa crus-galli, Portulaca oleracea, and Setaria glauca), winter annuals (Hirschfeldia incana and Sonchus oleraceus), and Conyza canadensis, which is classified as a summer or winter annual. The temperature below which development ceases (Tbase) was estimated as the x-intercept of four conventional germination rate indices regressed on temperature, by repeated probit analysis, and by a mathematical approach. An overall Tbase estimate for each species was the average across indices weighted by the reciprocal of the variance associated with the estimate. Germination rates increased linearly with temperature between 15 degrees C and 30 degrees C for all species. Consistent estimates of Tbase were obtained for most species using several indices. The most statistically robust and biologically relevant method was the reciprocal time to median germination, which can also be used to estimate other biologically meaningful parameters. The mean Tbase for summer annuals (13.8 degrees C) was higher than that for winter annuals (8.3 degrees C). The two germination response characteristics, Tbase and slope (rate), influence a species' germination behaviour in the field since the germination inhibiting effects of a high Tbase may be offset by the germination promoting effects of a rapid germination response to temperature. Estimates of Tbase may be incorporated into predictive thermal time models to assist weed control practitioners in making management decisions.

INVESTIGATION OF POLARIZATION PHASE DIFFERENCE RELATED TO FOREST FIELDS CHARACTERIZATIONS

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M. Majidi

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The information content of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR data significantly included in the radiometric polarization channels, hence polarimetric SAR data should be analyzed in relation with target structure. The importance of the phase difference between two co-polarized scattered signals due to the possible association between the biophysical parameters and the measured Polarization Phase Difference (PPD statistics of the backscattered signal recorded components has been recognized in geophysical remote sensing. This paper examines two Radarsat-2 images statistics of the phase difference to describe the feasibility of relationship with the physical properties of scattering targets and tries to understand relevance of PPD statistics with various types of forest fields. As well as variation of incidence angle due to affecting on PPD statistics is investigated. The experimental forest pieces that are used in this research are characterized white pine (Pinus strobus L., red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait., jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb., white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill B.S.P., poplar (Populus L., red oak (Quercus rubra L. , aspen and ground vegetation. The experimental results show that despite of biophysical parameters have a wide diversity, PPD statistics are almost the same. Forest fields distributions as distributed targets have close to zero means regardless of the incidence angle. Also, The PPD distribution are function of both target and sensor parameters, but for more appropriate examination related to PPD statistics the observations should made in the leaf-off season or in bands with lower frequencies.

Variation in carbohydrate source-sink relations of forest and treeline white spruce in southern, interior and northern Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Sveinbjörnsson, Bjartmar; Smith, Matthew; Traustason, Tumi; Ruess, Roger W; Sullivan, Patrick F

2010-08-01

Two opposing hypotheses have been presented to explain reduced tree growth at the treeline, compared with growth in lower elevation or lower latitude forests: the carbon source and sink limitation hypotheses. The former states that treeline trees have an unfavorable carbon balance and cannot support growth of the magnitude observed at lower elevations or latitudes, while the latter argues that treeline trees have an adequate carbon supply, but that cold temperatures directly limit growth. In this study, we examined the relative importance of source and sink limitation in forest and treeline white spruce (Picea glauca) in three mountain ranges from southern to northern Alaska. We related seasonal changes in needle nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) content with branch extension growth, an approach we argue is more powerful than using needle NSC concentration. Branch extension growth in the southernmost Chugach Mountains was much greater than in the White Mountains and the Brooks Range. Trees in the Chugach Mountains showed a greater seasonal decline in needle NSC content than trees in the other mountain ranges, and the seasonal change in NSC was correlated with site-level branch growth across mountain ranges. There was no evidence of a consistent difference in branch growth between the forest and treeline sites, which differ in elevation by approximately 100 m. Our results point to a continuum between source and sink limitation of growth, with high-elevation trees in northern and interior Alaska showing greater evidence of sink limitation, and those in southern Alaska showing greater potential for source limitation.

Mutation breeding in Ajonjoli (Sesamum indicum, L.) for adaptation to the cropping system in Venezuela

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oropeza, F.; Murty, B.R.; Bravo, R.M.

1984-01-01

Sesame, the main edible oil crop in Venezuela, is grown in a cropping system under peculiar ecological conditions after rice, sorghum or maize on residual moisture. The yields are variable with 350 to 500 Kg/Ha. The available varieties are not synchronous in flowering, have poor root development, and are susceptible to Fusarium sp, Phytophtora and Macrophomina. Some are very late (more than 115 days) with 1-3 capsules of variable size and unpredictable yield. A mutational rectification program using locally adapted varieties was started in 1981, to develop material suitable for the above ecological conditions. The main characteristics for improvement are: earliness, with maturity of 75 to 90 days, synchronous flowering, uniform ripening, indehiscence at harvesting but easy threshing, suitable plant type for mechanical harvesting, resistance specially to Macrophomina spp, without adverse effect on oil content, quality and yield and improved productivity and stability under moisture stress and improved fertilizer utilization. Eight varieties were treated with gamma radiation from Csub(o) 60 at 0, 20, 40, 60, 80 KR to determine varietal responses. The results show marked varietal differences in germination, growth and survival. The other three varieties: Aceitera, Arawaca, Turen were the most susceptible to radiation, while Glauca was the most resistant. Probit analysis of data for germination, vigor seedling height and survival revealed that no single character is adequate to determine LD 50 dose in mutation breeding. The need for taking all the parameters of regression analysis like b-tilde, and σ-circumflex to characterize varietal responses is discussed along with plans for the next stage of work. (author)

Migration Pathways, Behavioural Thermoregulation and Overwintering Grounds of Blue Sharks in the Northwest Atlantic

Science.gov (United States)

Campana, Steven E.; Dorey, Anna; Fowler, Mark; Joyce, Warren; Wang, Zeliang; Yashayaev, Igor

2011-01-01

The blue shark Prionace glauca is the most abundant large pelagic shark in the Atlantic Ocean. Although recaptures of tagged sharks have shown that the species is highly migratory, migration pathways towards the overwintering grounds remain poorly understood. We used archival satellite pop-up tags to track 23 blue sharks over a mean period of 88 days as they departed the coastal waters of North America in the autumn. Within 1–2 days of entering the Gulf Stream (median date of 21 Oct), all sharks initiated a striking diel vertical migration, taking them from a mean nighttime depth of 74 m to a mean depth of 412 m during the day as they appeared to pursue vertically migrating squid and fish prey. Although functionally blind at depth, calculations suggest that there would be a ∼2.5-fold thermoregulatory advantage to swimming and feeding in the markedly cooler deep waters, even if there was any reduced foraging success associated with the extreme depth. Noting that the Gulf Stream current speeds are reduced at depth, we used a detailed circulation model of the North Atlantic to examine the influence of the diving behaviour on the advection experienced by the sharks. However, there was no indication that the shark diving resulted in a significant modification of their net migratory pathway. The relative abundance of deep-diving sharks, swordfish, and sperm whales in the Gulf Stream and adjacent waters suggests that it may serve as a key winter feeding ground for large pelagic predators in the North Atlantic. PMID:21373198

Spatial correlations between browsing on balsam fir by white-tailed deer and the nutritional value of neighboring winter forage.

Science.gov (United States)

Champagne, Emilie; Moore, Ben D; Côté, Steeve D; Tremblay, Jean-Pierre

2018-03-01

Associational effects, that is, the influence of neighboring plants on herbivory suffered by a plant, are an outcome of forage selection. Although forage selection is a hierarchical process, few studies have investigated associational effects at multiple spatial scales. Because the nutritional quality of plants can be spatially structured, it might differently influence associational effects across multiple scales. Our objective was to determine the radius of influence of neighbor density and nutritional quality on balsam fir ( Abies balsamea ) herbivory by white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) in winter. We quantified browsing rates on fir and the density and quality of neighboring trees in a series of 10-year-old cutovers on Anticosti Island (Canada). We used cross-correlations to investigate relationships between browsing rates and the density and nutritional quality of neighboring trees at distances up to 1,000 m. Balsam fir and white spruce ( Picea glauca ) fiber content and dry matter in vitro true digestibility were correlated with fir browsing rate at the finest extra-patch scale (across distance of up to 50 m) and between cutover areas (300-400 m). These correlations suggest associational effects, that is, low nutritional quality of neighbors reduces the likelihood of fir herbivory (associational defense). Our results may indicate associational effects mediated by intraspecific variation in plant quality and suggest that these effects could occur at scales from tens to hundreds of meters. Understanding associational effects could inform strategies for restoration or conservation; for example, planting of fir among existing natural regeneration could be concentrated in areas of low nutritional quality.

Biosynthesis of the major tetrahydroxystilbenes in spruce, astringin and isorhapontin, proceeds via resveratrol and is enhanced by fungal infection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammerbacher, Almuth; Ralph, Steven G; Bohlmann, Joerg; Fenning, Trevor M; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Schmidt, Axel

2011-10-01

Stilbenes are dibenzyl polyphenolic compounds produced in several unrelated plant families that appear to protect against various biotic and abiotic stresses. Stilbene biosynthesis has been well described in economically important plants, such as grape (Vitis vinifera), peanut (Arachis hypogaea), and pine (Pinus species). However, very little is known about the biosynthesis and ecological role of stilbenes in spruce (Picea), an important gymnosperm tree genus in temperate and boreal forests. To investigate the biosynthesis of stilbenes in spruce, we identified two similar stilbene synthase (STS) genes in Norway spruce (Picea abies), PaSTS1 and PaSTS2, which had orthologs with high sequence identity in sitka (Picea sitchensis) and white (Picea glauca) spruce. Despite the conservation of STS sequences in these three spruce species, they differed substantially from angiosperm STSs. Several types of in vitro and in vivo assays revealed that the P. abies STSs catalyze the condensation of p-coumaroyl-coenzyme A and three molecules of malonyl-coenzyme A to yield the trihydroxystilbene resveratrol but do not directly form the dominant spruce stilbenes, which are tetrahydroxylated. However, in transgenic Norway spruce overexpressing PaSTS1, significantly higher amounts of the tetrahydroxystilbene glycosides, astringin and isorhapontin, were produced. This result suggests that the first step of stilbene biosynthesis in spruce is the formation of resveratrol, which is further modified by hydroxylation, O-methylation, and O-glucosylation to yield astringin and isorhapontin. Inoculating spruce with fungal mycelium increased STS transcript abundance and tetrahydroxystilbene glycoside production. Extracts from STS-overexpressing lines significantly inhibited fungal growth in vitro compared with extracts from control lines, suggesting that spruce stilbenes have a role in antifungal defense.

The effects of the lodgepole sour gas well blowout on coniferous tree growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baker, K.A.

1991-01-01

A dendrochronological study was used to evaluate growth impacts on White Spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) resulting from the 1982 Lodgepole sour gas well blowout. Stem analysis was evaluated from four ecologically similar monitoring sites located on a 10 kilometre downwind gradient and compared to a control site. Incremental volume was calculated, standardized using running mean filters and analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Pre and post-blowout growth trends were analyzed between sites and were also evaluated over a height profile in order to assess growth impact variability within individual trees. Growth reductions at the two sites closest the wellhead were statistically significant for five post-blowout years. Growth at these condensate impacted sites was reduced to 9.8% and 38.1% in 1983. Differences in growth reductions reflect a gradient of effects and a dose-response relationship. Recovery of surviving trees has been rapid but is leveling off at approximately 80% of pre-blowout growth. growth reductions were greater and recovery rates slower than those previously predicted by other authors. Statistically significant differences in height profile growth responses were limited to the upper portions of the trees. Growth rates over a tree height profile ranged from 10% less to 50% more than growth rates observed at a 1.3 metres. Analytical methodologies detected and described growth differences over a height profile but a larger sample size was desirable. As is always the case in catastrophic events, obtaining pre-event baseline data is often difficult. Dendrochronological methods described in this paper offer techniques for determining pre-blowout growth and monitoring impacts and recovery in forested areas

Spatial Segregation and Aggregation of Ectomycorrhizal and Root-Endophytic Fungi in the Seedlings of Two Quercus Species

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Yamamoto, Satoshi; Sato, Hirotoshi; Tanabe, Akifumi S.; Hidaka, Amane; Kadowaki, Kohmei; Toju, Hirokazu

2014-01-01

Diverse clades of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi are potentially involved in competitive or facilitative interactions within host-plant roots. We investigated the potential consequences of these ecological interactions on the assembly process of root-associated fungi by examining the co-occurrence of pairs of fungi in host-plant individuals. Based on massively-parallel pyrosequencing, we analyzed the root-associated fungal community composition for each of the 249 Quercus serrata and 188 Quercus glauca seedlings sampled in a warm-temperate secondary forest in Japan. Pairs of fungi that co-occurred more or less often than expected by chance were identified based on randomization tests. The pyrosequencing analysis revealed that not only ectomycorrhizal fungi but also endophytic fungi were common in the root-associated fungal community. Intriguingly, specific pairs of these ectomycorrhizal and endophytic fungi showed spatially aggregated patterns, suggesting the existence of facilitative interactions between fungi in different functional groups. Due to the large number of fungal pairs examined, many of the observed aggregated/segregated patterns with very low P values (e.g., fungi could influence each other through interspecific competitive/facilitative interactions in root. To test the potential of host-plants' control of fungus–fungus ecological interactions in roots, we further examined whether the aggregated/segregated patterns could vary depending on the identity of host plant species. Potentially due to the physiological properties shared between the congeneric host plant species, the sign of hosts' control was not detected in the present study. The pyrosequencing-based randomization analyses shown in this study provide a platform of the high-throughput investigation of fungus–fungus interactions in plant root systems. PMID:24801150

Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru [version 2; referees: 1 approved, 2 approved with reservations

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Adriana Gonzalez-Pestana

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Peruvian waters exhibit high conservation value for sharks. This contrasts with a lag in initiatives for their management and a lack of studies about their biology, ecology and fishery. We investigated the dynamics of Peruvian shark fishery and its legal framework identifying information gaps for recommending actions to improve management. Further, we investigated the importance of the Peruvian shark fishery from a regional perspective. From 1950 to 2010, 372,015 tons of sharks were landed in Peru. From 1950 to 1969, we detected a significant increase in landings; but from 2000 to 2011 there was a significant decrease in landings, estimated at 3.5% per year. Six species represented 94% of landings: blue shark (Prionace glauca, shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus, smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena, common thresher (Alopias vulpinus, smooth-hound (Mustelus whitneyi and angel shark (Squatina californica. Of these, the angel shark exhibits a strong and significant decrease in landings: 18.9% per year from 2000 to 2010. Peru reports the highest accumulated historical landings in the Pacific Ocean; but its contribution to annual landings has decreased since 1968. Still, Peru is among the top 12 countries exporting shark fins to the Hong Kong market. Although the government collects total weight by species, the number of specimens landed as well as population parameters (e.g. sex, size and weight are not reported. Further, for some genera, species-level identification is deficient and so overestimates the biomass landed by species and underestimates the species diversity. Recently, regional efforts to regulate shark fishery have been implemented to support the conservation of sharks but in Peru work remains to be done.

Identification and Functional Characterization of Monofunctional ent-Copalyl Diphosphate and ent-Kaurene Synthases in White Spruce Reveal Different Patterns for Diterpene Synthase Evolution for Primary and Secondary Metabolism in Gymnosperms1[W][OA

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Keeling, Christopher I.; Dullat, Harpreet K.; Yuen, Mack; Ralph, Steven G.; Jancsik, Sharon; Bohlmann, Jörg

2010-01-01

The biosynthesis of the tetracyclic diterpene ent-kaurene is a critical step in the general (primary) metabolism of gibberellin hormones. ent-Kaurene is formed by a two-step cyclization of geranylgeranyl diphosphate via the intermediate ent-copalyl diphosphate. In a lower land plant, the moss Physcomitrella patens, a single bifunctional diterpene synthase (diTPS) catalyzes both steps. In contrast, in angiosperms, the two consecutive cyclizations are catalyzed by two distinct monofunctional enzymes, ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase (CPS) and ent-kaurene synthase (KS). The enzyme, or enzymes, responsible for ent-kaurene biosynthesis in gymnosperms has been elusive. However, several bifunctional diTPS of specialized (secondary) metabolism have previously been characterized in gymnosperms, and all known diTPSs for resin acid biosynthesis in conifers are bifunctional. To further understand the evolution of ent-kaurene biosynthesis as well as the evolution of general and specialized diterpenoid metabolisms in gymnosperms, we set out to determine whether conifers use a single bifunctional diTPS or two monofunctional diTPSs in the ent-kaurene pathway. Using a combination of expressed sequence tag, full-length cDNA, genomic DNA, and targeted bacterial artificial chromosome sequencing, we identified two candidate CPS and KS genes from white spruce (Picea glauca) and their orthologs in Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis). Functional characterization of the recombinant enzymes established that ent-kaurene biosynthesis in white spruce is catalyzed by two monofunctional diTPSs, PgCPS and PgKS. Comparative analysis of gene structures and enzyme functions highlights the molecular evolution of these diTPSs as conserved between gymnosperms and angiosperms. In contrast, diTPSs for specialized metabolism have evolved differently in angiosperms and gymnosperms. PMID:20044448

DNA barcoding of shark meats identify species composition and CITES-listed species from the markets in Taiwan.

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Liu, Shang-Yin Vanson; Chan, Chia-Ling Carynn; Lin, Oceana; Hu, Chieh-Shen; Chen, Chaolun Allen

2013-01-01

An increasing awareness of the vulnerability of sharks to exploitation by shark finning has contributed to a growing concern about an unsustainable shark fishery. Taiwan's fleet has the 4th largest shark catch in the world, accounting for almost 6% of the global figures. Revealing the diversity of sharks consumed by Taiwanese is important in designing conservation plans. However, fins make up less than 5% of the total body weight of a shark, and their bodies are sold as filets in the market, making it difficult or impossible to identify species using morphological traits. In the present study, we adopted a DNA barcoding technique using a 391-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene to examine the diversity of shark filets and fins collected from markets and restaurants island-wide in Taiwan. Amongst the 548 tissue samples collected and sequenced, 20 major clusters were apparent by phylogenetic analyses, each of them containing individuals belonging to the same species (most with more than 95% bootstrap values), corresponding to 20 species of sharks. Additionally, Alopias pelagicus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Isurus oxyrinchus, and Prionace glauca consisted of 80% of the samples we collected, indicating that these species might be heavily consumed in Taiwan. Approximately 5% of the tissue samples used in this study were identified as species listed in CITES Appendix II, including two species of Sphyrna, C. longimanus and Carcharodon carcharias. DNA barcoding provides an alternative method for understanding shark species composition when species-specific data is unavailable. Considering the global population decline, stock assessments of Appendix II species and highly consumed species are needed to accomplish the ultimate goal of shark conservation.

Xylem vulnerability to cavitation in Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa from contrasting habitats.

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Stout, Deborah H; Sala, Anna

2003-01-01

In the Rocky Mountains, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa (ssp.) ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws. & C. Laws) often co-occurs with Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Mayr) Franco). Despite previous reports showing higher shoot vulnerability to water-stress-induced cavitation in ponderosa pine, this species extends into drier habitats than Douglas-fir. We examined: (1) whether roots and shoots of ponderosa pine in riparian and slope habitats are more vulnerable to water-stress-induced cavitation than those of Douglas-fir; (2) whether species-specific differences in vulnerability translate into differences in specific conductivity in the field; and (3) whether the ability of ponderosa pine to extend into drier sites is a result of (a) greater plasticity in hydraulic properties or (b) functional or structural adjustments. Roots and shoots of ponderosa pine were significantly more vulnerable to water-stress-induced cavitation (overall mean cavitation pressure, Psi(50%) +/- SE = -3.11 +/- 0.32 MPa for shoots and -0.99 +/- 0.16 MPa for roots) than those of Douglas-fir (Psi(50%) +/- SE = -4.83 +/- 0.40 MPa for shoots and -2.12 +/- 0.35 MPa for roots). However, shoot specific conductivity did not differ between species in the field. For both species, roots were more vulnerable to cavitation than shoots. Overall, changes in vulnerability from riparian to slope habitats were small for both species. Greater declines in stomatal conductance as the summer proceeded, combined with higher allocation to sapwood and greater sapwood water storage, appeared to contribute to the ability of ponderosa pine to thrive in dry habitats despite relatively high vulnerability to water-stress-induced cavitation.

Changes in understory species occurrence of a secondary broadleaved forest after mass mortality of oak trees under deer foraging pressure

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Hiroki Itô

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The epidemic of mass mortality of oak trees by Japanese oak wilt has affected secondary deciduous broadleaved forests that have been used as coppices in Japan. The dieback of oak trees formed gaps in the crown that would be expected to enhance the regeneration of shade-intolerant pioneer species. However, foraging by sika deer Cervus nippon has also affected forest vegetation, and the compound effects of both on forest regeneration should be considered when they simultaneously occur. A field study was conducted in Kyôto City, Japan to investigate how these compound effects affected the vegetation of the understory layer of these forests. The presence/absence of seedlings and saplings was observed for 200 quadrats sized 5 m ×5 m for each species in 1992, before the mass mortality and deer encroachment, and in 2014 after these effects. A hierarchical Bayesian model was constructed to explain the occurrence, survival, and colonization of each species with their responses to the gaps that were created, expanded, or affected by the mass mortality of Quercus serrata trees. The species that occurred most frequently in 1992, Eurya japonica, Quercus glauca, and Cleyera japonica, also had the highest survival probabilities. Deer-unpalatable species such as Symplocos prunifolia and Triadica sebifera had higher colonization rates in the gaps, while the deer-palatable species Aucuba japonica had the smallest survival probability. The gaps thus promoted the colonization of deer-unpalatable plant species such as Symplocos prunifolia and Triadica sebifera. In the future, such deer-unpalatable species may dominate gaps that were created, expanded, or affected by the mass mortality of oak trees.

Survival and development of Lymantria monacha (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) on North American and introduced Eurasian tree species.

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Keena, M A

2003-02-01

Lymantria monacha (L.) (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae), the nun moth, is a Eurasian pest of conifers that has potential for accidental introduction into North America. To project the potential host range of this insect if introduced into North America, survival and development of L. monacha on 26 North American and eight introduced Eurasian tree species were examined. Seven conifer species (Abies concolor, Picea abies, P. glauca, P. pungens, Pinus sylvestris with male cones, P. menziesii variety glance, and Tsuga canadensis) and six broadleaf species (Betula populifolia, Malus x domestica, Prunus serotiaa, Quercus lobata, Q. rubra, and Q. velutina) were suitable for L. monacha survival and development. Eleven of the host species tested were rated as intermediate in suitability, four conifer species (Larix occidentalis, P. nigra, P. ponderosa, P. strobus, and Pseudotsuga menziesii variety menziesii) and six broadleaf species (Carpinus caroliniana, Carya ovata, Fagus grandifolia, Populus grandidentata, Q. alba, and Tilia cordata) and the remaining 10 species tested were rated as poor (Acer rubrum, A. platanoidies, A. saccharum, F. americana, Juniperus virginiana, Larix kaempferi, Liriodendron tulipfera, Morus alba, P. taeda, and P. deltoides). The phenological state of the trees had a major impact on establishment, survival, and development of L. monacha on many of the tree species tested. Several of the deciduous tree species that are suitable for L. monacha also are suitable for L. dispar (L.) and L. mathura Moore. Establishment of L. monacha in North America would be catastrophic because of the large number of economically important tree species on which it can survive and develop, and the ability of mated females to fly and colonize new areas.

EFECTO DE LA VEGETACIÓN EN LA INTERCEPCIÓN DE LA PRECIPITACIÓN EN LA PRECORDILLERA DE LA REGIÓN DEL MAULE, CHILE

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O. S. Vallejos-Barra

2010-01-01

Full Text Available En este estudio se comparó el comportamiento de un bosque secundario de Roble-Hualo, donde las especies predominantes son Nothofagus obliqua y Nothofagus glauca y una plantación de Pinus radiata D. Don de 12 años de edad, en el proceso precipitación - intercepción. El estudio se desarrolló en la Estación Experimental El Picazo, comuna de San Clemente, Región del Maule, Chile, entre el mes de julio de 2007 a julio de 2008, en dos microcuencas vecinas de dimensiones reducidas con condiciones similares de suelo, exposición y pendiente pero que diferían en la cobertura vegetal. Se caracterizó la vegetación de cada microcuenca y se establecieron indicadores de densidad de parcela. Los indicadores de la cobertura nativa superaron ampliamente a los de las coberturas exóticas. Para registrar la precipitación se instalaron dos pluviógrafos del tipo Hobo en cada microcuenca. Equidistante de ellas se ubicó otro pluviógrafo sin cobertura vegetal. Se registraron 21 tormentas caracterizando temporal y espacialmente el comportamiento de la precipitación abierta y bajo dosel. Los resultados indican que pese a tener diferencias numéricas las coberturas vegetales, éstas no se transforman en diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Además se observó que la intercepción depende en mayor medida de la arquitectura de copa, distribución espacial de los árboles y tipo de hojas, que de la cantidad de árboles por parcela.

Recent drought-induced decline of forests along a water-balance tipping point for ecosystems in western Canada

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Hogg, E. H.; Michaelian, M.

2017-12-01

In western Canada, the forest-prairie boundary corresponds to a hydrologically-defined ecosystem "tipping point" where long-term precipitation is barely sufficient to meet the water use requirements of healthy, closed-canopy forests. In the province of Alberta, the severe subcontinental drought of 2001-2002 heralded the beginning of a 15-year dry period, representing a northward incursion of prairie-like climates into boreal and cordilleran forests. This poses a significant concern for ecosystem functioning of these forests, given GCM projections for continued warming and drying under anthropogenic climate change during this century. Through a multi-scale monitoring approach, we have examined the regional-scale impacts of recent droughts and associated climatic drying on the productivity and health of two important boreal tree species: aspen (Populus tremuloides) and white spruce (Picea glauca). For aspen, the 2016 re-measurement of a regional network of 150 ground plots revealed that tree mortality has escalated, especially in stands exposed to the combined impacts of multi-year drought and insect defoliation. On average, mortality losses exceeded growth gains during 2000-2016 for the 54 aspen plots in Alberta, leading to a net multi-year decline in the aboveground biomass of these stands. For white spruce, tree-ring analysis of 40 stands across Alberta revealed that the prolonged dry period led to a 38% decline in average, tree-level growth in aboveground biomass. In both species, stand age was not a significant factor affecting forest sensitivity to drought and climatic drying, suggesting that these forests are at risk if the trend toward more frequent, severe drought continues in the region.

Biological control of the snail hosts of schistosomiasis in areas of low transmission: the example of the Caribbean area.

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Pointier, J P; Jourdane, J

2000-10-23

The biological control of schistosomiasis has already proven its efficiency in several habitats in the Caribbean area. Two main types of biological control agents, either trematode parasites or competitor snails have been studied and tested against the snail hosts of schistosomiasis in this region. The first one, Ribeiroia guadeloupensis, a trematode sterilizing Biomphalaria glabrata was successfully tested in a Guadeloupean pond housing a natural population of B. glabrata. The second agent involves several species of competitor snails belonging to the Ampullariidae (Pomacea glauca, Marisa cornuarietis) and Thiaridae (Tarebia granifera, Melanoides tuberculata) families. Ampullarid snails were tested with success in several West Indian islands such as Guadeloupe. Thiarid snails have also proven their efficiency but also their limits in several types of habitats in Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia and Venezuela. Competitor snails have also proven to be useful in preventing the recolonization by the snail hosts after molluscicide treatments. The case of the rivers of the littoral central part of Venezuela is particularly relevant to this issue. The island of Martinique also constitutes a good example of the importance of competitor snails in a post-transmission phase of schistosomiasis control. This island is a well-developed country where schistosomiasis transmission was interrupted in the 1970s. However, the reactivation of some transmission sites was observed in the 1980s. The introduction of M. tuberculata into these sites resulted in the interruption of transmission and the near total disappearance of the snail hosts. Presently, the thiarid snails have colonized the whole Martinican hydrographic system and maintain dense populations preventing an eventual recolonization by the planorbid snails and thus are maintaining a sustainable control.

Shark fisheries in the Southeast Pacific: A 61-year analysis from Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Pestana, Adriana; Kouri J., Carlos; Velez-Zuazo, Ximena

2016-01-01

Peruvian waters exhibit high conservation value for sharks. This contrasts with a lag in initiatives for their management and a lack of studies about their biology, ecology and fishery. We investigated the dynamics of Peruvian shark fishery and its legal framework identifying information gaps for recommending actions to improve management. Further, we investigated the importance of the Peruvian shark fishery from a regional perspective. From 1950 to 2010, 372,015 tons of sharks were landed in Peru. From 1950 to 1969, we detected a significant increase in landings; but from 2000 to 2011 there was a significant decrease in landings, estimated at 3.5% per year. Six species represented 94% of landings: blue shark ( Prionace glauca), shortfin mako ( Isurus oxyrinchus), smooth hammerhead ( Sphyrna zygaena), common thresher ( Alopias vulpinus), smooth-hound ( Mustelus whitneyi) and angel shark ( Squatina californica). Of these, the angel shark exhibits a strong and significant decrease in landings: 18.9% per year from 2000 to 2010. Peru reports the highest accumulated historical landings in the Pacific Ocean; but its contribution to annual landings has decreased since 1968. Still, Peru is among the top 12 countries exporting shark fins to the Hong Kong market. Although the government collects total weight by species, the number of specimens landed as well as population parameters (e.g. sex, size and weight) are not reported. Further, for some genera, species-level identification is deficient and so overestimates the biomass landed by species and underestimates the species diversity. Recently, regional efforts to regulate shark fishery have been implemented to support the conservation of sharks but in Peru work remains to be done. PMID:27635216

Interspecific variation in resistance of two host tree species to spruce budworm

Science.gov (United States)

Fuentealba, Alvaro; Bauce, Éric

2016-01-01

Woody plants regularly sustain biomass losses to herbivorous insects. Consequently, they have developed various resistance mechanisms to cope with insect attack. However, these mechanisms of defense and how they are affected by resource availability are not well understood. The present study aimed at evaluating and comparing the natural resistance (antibiosis and tolerance) of balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.) and white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench) Voss] to spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), and how drainage site quality as a component of resource availability affects the expression of resistance over time (6 years). Our results showed that there are differences in natural resistance between the two tree species to spruce budworm, but it was not significantly affected by drainage quality. Balsam fir exhibited higher foliar toxic secondary compounds concentrations than white spruce in all drainage classes, resulting in lower male pupal mass, survival and longer male developmental time. This, however, did not prevent spruce budworm from consuming more foliage in balsam fir than in white spruce. This response suggests that either natural levels of measured secondary compounds do not provide sufficient toxicity to reduce defoliation, or spruce budworm has developed compensatory mechanisms, which allow it to utilize food resources more efficiently or minimize the toxic effects that are produced by its host's defensive compounds. Larvae exhibited lower pupal mass and higher mortality in rapidly drained and subhygric sites. Drainage class also affected the amount of foliage destroyed but its impact varied over the years and was probably influenced by climatic variables. These results demonstrate the complexity of predicting the effect of resource availability on tree defenses, especially when other confounding environmental factors can affect tree resource allocation and utilization.

[Comparative leaf anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of 11 species of Laeliinae with emphasis on Brassavola (Orchidaceae)].

Science.gov (United States)

Noguera-Savelli, Eliana; Jáuregui, Damelis

2011-09-01

Brassavola inhabits a wide altitude range and habitat types from Northern Mexico to Northern Argentina. Classification schemes in plants have normally used vegetative and floral characters, but when species are very similar, as in this genus, conflicts arise in species delimitation, and alternative methods should be applied. In this study we explored the taxonomic and phylogenetic value of the anatomical structure of leaves in Brassavola; as ingroup, seven species of Brassavola were considered, and as an outgroup Guarianthe skinneri, Laelia anceps, Rhyncholaelia digbyana and Rhyncholaelia glauca were evaluated. Leaf anatomical characters were studied in freehand cross sections of the middle portion with a light microscope. Ten vegetative anatomical characters were selected and coded for the phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic reconstruction was carried out under maximum parsimony using the program NONA through WinClada. Overall, Brassavola species reveal a wide variety of anatomical characters, many of them associated with xeromorphic plants: thick cuticle, hypodermis and cells of the mesophyll with spiral thickenings in the secondary wall. Moreover, mesophyll is either homogeneous or heterogeneous, often with extravascular bundles of fibers near the epidermis at both terete and flat leaves. All vascular bundles are collateral, arranged in more than one row in the mesophyll. The phylogenetic analysis did not resolve internal relationships of the genus; we obtained a polytomy, indicating that the anatomical characters by themselves have little phylogenetic value in Brassavola. We concluded that few anatomical characters are phylogenetically important; however, they would provide more support to elucidate the phylogenetic relantionships in the Orchidaceae and other plant groups if they are used in conjunction with morphological and/or molecular characters.

Characterization of three Agrobacterium tumefaciens avirulent mutants with chromosomal mutations that affect induction of vir genes.

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Metts, J; West, J; Doares, S H; Matthysse, A G

1991-02-01

Three Agrobacterium tumefaciens mutants with chromosomal mutations that affect bacterial virulence were isolated by transposon mutagenesis. Two of the mutants were avirulent on all hosts tested. The third mutant, Ivr-211, was a host range mutant which was avirulent on Bryophyllum diagremontiana, Nicotiana tabacum, N. debneyi, N. glauca, and Daucus carota but was virulent on Zinnia elegans and Lycopersicon esculentum (tomato). That the mutant phenotype was due to the transposon insertion was determined by cloning the DNA containing the transposon insertion and using the cloned DNA to replace the wild-type DNA in the parent bacterial strain by marker exchange. The transposon insertions in the three mutants mapped at three widely separated locations on the bacterial chromosome. The effects of the mutations on various steps in tumor formation were examined. All three mutants showed no alteration in binding to carrot cells. However, none of the mutants showed any induction of vir genes by acetosyringone under conditions in which the parent strain showed vir gene induction. When the mutant bacteria were examined for changes in surface components, it was found that all three of the mutants showed a similar alteration in lipopolysaccharide (LPS). LPS from the mutants was larger in size and more heavily saccharide substituted than LPS from the parent strain. Two of the mutants showed no detectable alteration in outer membrane and periplasmic space proteins. The third mutant, Ivr-225, was missing a 79-kDa surface peptide. The reason(s) for the failure of vir gene induction in these mutants and its relationship, if any, to the observed alteration in LPS are unknown.

Anatomía foliar comparada y relaciones filogenéticas de 11 especies de Laeliinae con énfasis en Brassavola (Orchidaceae

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Eliana Noguera-Savelli

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Brassavola crece en un amplio rango altitudinal y de tipos de hábitat desde el Norte de México hasta el Norte de Argentina. En los sistemas de clasificación de las plantas se utilizan normalmente caracteres vegetativos y florales, pero cuando las especies son muy similares, como es el caso de este género, los conflictos surgen en la delimitación de las especies, por lo tanto deben ser aplicados métodos alternativos de identificación. En este trabajo se exploró el valor taxonómico y filogenético de la estructura anatómica de las hojas de Brassavola, se consideró como grupo interno a siete especies de este género y como grupo externo a Guarianthe skinneri, Laelia anceps, Rhyncholaelia digbyana y Rhyncholaelia glauca. Entonces se realizaron secciones transversales de hojas frescas para el estudio de los caracteres anatómicos. Diez caracteres anatómicosvegetativos fueron seleccionados y codificados para el análisis filogenético. La reconstrucción filogenética se llevó a cabo bajo el principio de máxima parsimonia utilizando el programa NONA a través de WinClada. Todas las especies son anatómicamente similares, no obstante, difieren en algunos rasgos como presencia o no: de papilas epidérmicas, de hipodermis, de células con engrosamientos espiralados en la pared secundaria de las células del mesofilo, de inclusiones cristalinas; además en el tipo de hoja de acuerdo al arreglo del mesofilo; en la organización de los haces vasculares y de los paquetes de fibras extravasculares. En el árbol de consenso estricto se obtuvo una politomía. Asimismo, fue evidente que los caracteres anatómicos analizados son filogenéticamente poco informativos; sin embargo, en conjunción con caracteres morfológicos y/o moleculares, podrían dilucidar las relaciones filogenéticas.Comparative leaf anatomy and phylogenetic relationships of 11 species of Laeliinae with emphasis on Brassavola (Orchidaceae. Brassavola inhabits a wide altitude

First quantification of subtidal community structure at Tristan da Cunha Islands in the remote South Atlantic: from kelp forests to the deep sea.

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Caselle, Jennifer E; Hamilton, Scott L; Davis, Kathryn; Thompson, Christopher D H; Turchik, Alan; Jenkinson, Ryan; Simpson, Doug; Sala, Enric

2018-01-01

Tristan da Cunha Islands, an archipelago of four rocky volcanic islands situated in the South Atlantic Ocean and part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), present a rare example of a relatively unimpacted temperate marine ecosystem. We conducted the first quantitative surveys of nearshore kelp forests, offshore pelagic waters and deep sea habitats. Kelp forests had very low biodiversity and species richness, but high biomass and abundance of those species present. Spatial variation in assemblage structure for both nearshore fish and invertebrates/algae was greatest between the three northern islands and the southern island of Gough, where sea temperatures were on average 3-4o colder. Despite a lobster fishery that provides the bulk of the income to the Tristan islands, lobster abundance and biomass are comparable to or greater than many Marine Protected Areas in other parts of the world. Pelagic camera surveys documented a rich biodiversity offshore, including large numbers of juvenile blue sharks, Prionace glauca. Species richness and abundance in the deep sea is positively related to hard rocky substrate and biogenic habitats such as sea pens, crinoids, whip corals, and gorgonians were present at 40% of the deep camera deployments. We observed distinct differences in the deep fish community above and below ~750 m depth. Concurrent oceanographic sampling showed a discontinuity in temperature and salinity at this depth. While currently healthy, Tristan's marine ecosystem is not without potential threats: shipping traffic leading to wrecks and species introductions, pressure to increase fishing effort beyond sustainable levels and the impacts of climate change all could potentially increase in the coming years. The United Kingdom has committed to protection of marine environments across the UKOTs, including Tristan da Cunha and these results can be used to inform future management decisions as well as provide a baseline against which future monitoring

Effectiveness of cattail ('Typha' spp. management techniques depends on exogenous nitrogen inputs

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Kenneth J. Elgersma

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Wetlands occupy a position in the landscape that makes them vulnerable to the effects of current land use and the legacies of past land use. Many wetlands in agricultural regions like the North American Midwest are strongly affected by elevated nutrient inputs as well as high rates of invasion by the hybrid cattail 'Typha' x 'glauca'. These two stressors also exacerbate each other: increased nutrients increase invasion success, and invasions increase nutrient retention and nutrient loads in the wetland. This interaction could create a positive feedback that would inhibit efforts to manage and control invasions, but little is known about the effects of past or present nutrient inputs on wetland invasive plant management. We augmented a previously-published community-ecosystem model (MONDRIAN to simulate the most common invasive plant management tools: burning, mowing, and herbicide application. We then simulated different management strategies and 3 different durations in low and high nutrient input conditions, and found that the most effective management strategy and duration depends strongly on the amount of nutrients entering the wetland. In high-nutrient wetlands where invasions were most successful, a combination of herbicide and fire was most effective at reducing invasion. However, in low-nutrient wetlands this approach did little to reduce invasion. A longer treatment duration (6 years was generally better than a 1-year treatment in high-nutrient wetlands, but was generally worse than the 1-year treatment in low-nutrient wetlands. At the ecosystem level, we found that management effects were relatively modest: there was little effect of management on ecosystem C storage, and while some management strategies decreased wetland nitrogen retention, this effect was transient and disappeared shortly after management ceased. Our results suggest that considering nutrient inputs in invaded wetlands can inform and improve management, and reducing

Evaluation of a new battery of toxicity tests for boreal forest soils: assessment of the impact of hydrocarbons and salts.

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Princz, Juliska I; Moody, Mary; Fraser, Christopher; Van der Vliet, Leana; Lemieux, Heather; Scroggins, Rick; Siciliano, Steven D

2012-04-01

The ability to assess the toxic potential of soil contamination within boreal regions is currently limited to test species representative of arable lands. This study evaluated the use of six boreal plant species (Pinus banksiana, Picea glauca, Picea mariana, Populus tremuloides, Calamagrostis Canadensis, and Solidago canadensis) and four invertebrate species (Dendrodrilus rubidus, Folsomia nivalis, Proisotoma minuta, and Oppia nitens) and compared their performance to a suite of standard agronomic soil test species using site soils impacted by petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) and salt contamination. To maintain horizon-specific differences, individual soil horizons were collected from impacted sites and relayered within the test vessels. Use of the boreal species was directly applicable to the assessment of the contaminated forest soils and, in the case of the hydrocarbon-impacted soil, demonstrated greater overall sensitivity (25th percentile of estimated species sensitivity distribution [ESSD25] = 5.6% contamination: 10,600 mg/kg fraction 3 [F3; equivalent hydrocarbon range of >C16 to C34] Of/Oh horizon, and 270 mg/kg F3 Ahg horizon) relative to the standard test species (ESSD25 = 23% contamination: 44,000 mg/kg F3 Of/Oh horizon, and 1,100 mg/kg F3 Ahg horizon). For salinity, there was no difference between boreal and standard species with a combined ESSD25 = 2.3%, equating to 0.24 and 0.25 dS/m for the Ah and Ck horizons. The unequal distribution of soil invertebrates within the layered test vessels can confound test results and the interpretation of the toxic potential of a site. The use of test species relevant to boreal eco-zones strengthens the applicability of the data in support of realistic ecological risk assessments applicable to the boreal regions. Copyright © 2012 SETAC.

Development and Application of a Fast Chromatography Technique for Analysis of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compounds in Plant Emissions

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Jones, C. E.; Kato, S.; Nakashima, Y.; Yamazakii, S.; Kajii, Y. J.

2011-12-01

for BVOC analysis, monitoring BVOC emissions from white spruce (Picea glauca) during plant chamber studies.

Diel Variation of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compound Emissions- A field Study in the Sub, Low and High Arctic on the Effect of Temperature and Light

Science.gov (United States)

Lindwall, Frida; Faubert, Patrick; Rinnan, Riikka

2015-01-01

Many hours of sunlight in the midnight sun period suggest that significant amounts of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) may be released from arctic ecosystems during night-time. However, the emissions from these ecosystems are rarely studied and limited to point measurements during daytime. We measured BVOC emissions during 24-hour periods in the field using a push-pull chamber technique and collection of volatiles in adsorbent cartridges followed by analysis with gas chromatography- mass spectrometry. Five different arctic vegetation communities were examined: high arctic heaths dominated by Salix arctica and Cassiope tetragona, low arctic heaths dominated by Salix glauca and Betula nana and a subarctic peatland dominated by the moss Warnstorfia exannulata and the sedge Eriophorum russeolum. We also addressed how climate warming affects the 24-hour emission and how the daytime emissions respond to sudden darkness. The emissions from the high arctic sites were lowest and had a strong diel variation with almost no emissions during night-time. The low arctic sites as well as the subarctic site had a more stable release of BVOCs during the 24-hour period with night-time emissions in the same range as those during the day. These results warn against overlooking the night period when considering arctic emissions. During the day, the quantity of BVOCs and the number of different compounds emitted was higher under ambient light than in darkness. The monoterpenes α-fenchene, α -phellandrene, 3-carene and α-terpinene as well as isoprene were absent in dark measurements during the day. Warming by open top chambers increased the emission rates both in the high and low arctic sites, forewarning higher emissions in a future warmer climate in the Arctic. PMID:25897519

Diel Variation of Biogenic Volatile Organic Compound Emissions--A field Study in the Sub, Low and High Arctic on the Effect of Temperature and Light.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindwall, Frida; Faubert, Patrick; Rinnan, Riikka

2015-01-01

Many hours of sunlight in the midnight sun period suggest that significant amounts of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) may be released from arctic ecosystems during night-time. However, the emissions from these ecosystems are rarely studied and limited to point measurements during daytime. We measured BVOC emissions during 24-hour periods in the field using a push-pull chamber technique and collection of volatiles in adsorbent cartridges followed by analysis with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Five different arctic vegetation communities were examined: high arctic heaths dominated by Salix arctica and Cassiope tetragona, low arctic heaths dominated by Salix glauca and Betula nana and a subarctic peatland dominated by the moss Warnstorfia exannulata and the sedge Eriophorum russeolum. We also addressed how climate warming affects the 24-hour emission and how the daytime emissions respond to sudden darkness. The emissions from the high arctic sites were lowest and had a strong diel variation with almost no emissions during night-time. The low arctic sites as well as the subarctic site had a more stable release of BVOCs during the 24-hour period with night-time emissions in the same range as those during the day. These results warn against overlooking the night period when considering arctic emissions. During the day, the quantity of BVOCs and the number of different compounds emitted was higher under ambient light than in darkness. The monoterpenes α-fenchene, α-phellandrene, 3-carene and α-terpinene as well as isoprene were absent in dark measurements during the day. Warming by open top chambers increased the emission rates both in the high and low arctic sites, forewarning higher emissions in a future warmer climate in the Arctic.

Sphagnum mosses as a microhabitat for invertebrates in acidified lakes and the colour adaptation and substrate preference in Leucorrhinia dubia (Odonata, Anisoptera)

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Henrikson, B.-I. (Dept. of Zoology, Sect. of Animal Ecology, Univ. of Goeteborg, Goeteborg (Sweden))

1993-01-01

The increase of peat mosses, Sphagnum spp., in acidified lakes leads to a changed microhabitat structure for benthic invertebrates. The importance of this change was investigated for some benthic invertebrates. Comparisons between quantitative samples of Sphagnum and debris within the acidified Lake Stora Haestevatten, in the Lake Gaardsjoen catchment of SW Sweden, showed significantly higher abundances of Chironomidae, Ceratopogonidae, Odonata, Trichoptera, Cladocera and Argyroneta aquatica (Araneae) in Sphagnum. For chironomidae and Cladocera the differences were tenfold. Special reference was made to the libellulid Leucorrhinia dubia which is common in acid lakes. In a laboratory test, late instar larvae of L. dubia were shown to change colour to correspond to the brown and green colour of Sphagnum. This result was completed with a field test where larvae of L. dubia were significantly more common in Sphagnum of the same colour as the larvae. The ability to change colour may have an adaptive value when coexisting with visual predators. Small larvae were more prevalent in Sphagnum and they also showed a preference for this substrate in the laboratory test. Laboratory tests showed mediumsized larvae preferred Sphagnum. Larvae of L. dubia were more successful as predators on Asellus aquaticus in Sphagnum substrate than in debris in the laboratory test. Laboratory predation tests with notonecta glauca, Corixa dentipes, Acilius sulcatus, Hyphydrus ovatus and L. dubia showed that they could all feed on larvae of L. dubia. The complex habitat structure of Sphagnum is probably the reason for the high abundance of invertebrates since it may serve as both shelter against predation and as foraging sites. it is probably important as a key habitat for young instars of, for example, L. dubia. In lakes with large Sphagnum mats, L. dubia can coexist with fish. The expansion of Sphagnum due to acidification will probably benefit many acid-tolerant invertebrate species. (au)

Drought effects on root and needle terpenoid content of a coastal and an interior Douglas fir provenance.

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Kleiber, Anita; Duan, Qiuxiao; Jansen, Kirstin; Verena Junker, Laura; Kammerer, Bernd; Rennenberg, Heinz; Ensminger, Ingo; Gessler, Arthur; Kreuzwieser, Jürgen

2017-12-01

Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) is a conifer species that stores large amounts of terpenoids, mainly monoterpenoids in resin ducts of various tissues. The effects of drought on stored leaf terpenoid concentrations in trees are scarcely studied and published data are partially controversial, since reduced, unaffected or elevated terpenoid contents due to drought have been reported. Even less is known on the effect of drought on root terpenoids. In the present work, we investigated the effect of reduced water availability on the terpenoid content in roots and needles of Douglas fir seedlings. Two contrasting Douglas fir provenances were studied: an interior provenance (var. glauca) with assumed higher drought resistance, and a coastal provenance (var. menziesii) with assumed lower drought resistance. We tested the hypothesis that both provenances show specific patterns of stored terpenoids and that the patterns will change in response to drought in both, needles and roots. We further expected stronger changes in the less drought tolerant coastal provenance. For this purpose, we performed an experiment under controlled conditions, in which the trees were exposed to moderate and severe drought stress. According to our expectations, the study revealed clear provenance-specific terpenoid patterns in needles. However, such patterns were not detected in the roots. Drought slightly increased the needle terpenoid contents of the coastal but not of the interior provenance. We also observed increased terpenoid abundance mainly in roots of the moderately stressed coastal provenance. Overall, from the observed provenance-specific reactions with increased terpenoid levels in trees of the coastal origin in response to drought, we conclude on functions of terpenoids for abiotic stress tolerance that might be fulfilled by other, constitutively expressed mechanisms in drought-adapted interior provenances. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights

DNA barcoding of shark meats identify species composition and CITES-listed species from the markets in Taiwan.

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Shang-Yin Vanson Liu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: An increasing awareness of the vulnerability of sharks to exploitation by shark finning has contributed to a growing concern about an unsustainable shark fishery. Taiwan's fleet has the 4th largest shark catch in the world, accounting for almost 6% of the global figures. Revealing the diversity of sharks consumed by Taiwanese is important in designing conservation plans. However, fins make up less than 5% of the total body weight of a shark, and their bodies are sold as filets in the market, making it difficult or impossible to identify species using morphological traits. METHODS: In the present study, we adopted a DNA barcoding technique using a 391-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI gene to examine the diversity of shark filets and fins collected from markets and restaurants island-wide in Taiwan. RESULTS: Amongst the 548 tissue samples collected and sequenced, 20 major clusters were apparent by phylogenetic analyses, each of them containing individuals belonging to the same species (most with more than 95% bootstrap values, corresponding to 20 species of sharks. Additionally, Alopias pelagicus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Isurus oxyrinchus, and Prionace glauca consisted of 80% of the samples we collected, indicating that these species might be heavily consumed in Taiwan. Approximately 5% of the tissue samples used in this study were identified as species listed in CITES Appendix II, including two species of Sphyrna, C. longimanus and Carcharodon carcharias. CONCLUSION: DNA barcoding provides an alternative method for understanding shark species composition when species-specific data is unavailable. Considering the global population decline, stock assessments of Appendix II species and highly consumed species are needed to accomplish the ultimate goal of shark conservation.

A comparative study of the ocular skeleton of fossil and modern chondrichthyans

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Pilgrim, Brettney L; Franz-Odendaal, Tamara A

2009-01-01

Many vertebrates have an ocular skeleton composed of cartilage and/or bone situated within the sclera of the eye. In this study we investigated whether modern and fossil sharks have an ocular skeleton, and whether it is conserved in morphology. We describe the scleral skeletal elements of three species of modern sharks and compare them to those found in fossil sharks from the Cleveland Shale (360 Mya). We also compare the elements to contemporaneous arthrodires from the same deposit. Surprisingly, the morphology of the skeletal support of the eye was found to differ significantly between modern and fossil sharks. All three modern shark species examined (spiny dogfish shark Squalus acanthias, porbeagle shark Lamna nasus and blue shark Prionace glauca) have a continuous skeletal element that encapsulates much of the eyeball; however, the tissue composition is different in each species. Histological and morphological examination revealed scleral cartilage with distinct tesserae in parts of the sclera of the porbeagle and blue shark, and more diffuse calcification in the dogfish. Strengthening of the scleral cartilage by means of tesserae has not been reported previously in the shark eye. In striking contrast, the ocular skeleton of fossil sharks comprises a series of individual elements that are arranged in a ring, similar to the arrangement in modern and fossil reptiles. Fossil arthrodires also have a multi-unit sclerotic ring but these are composed of fewer elements than in fossil sharks. The morphology of these elements has implications for the behaviour and visual capabilities of sharks that lived during the Devonian Period. This is the first time that such a dramatic variation in the morphology of scleral skeletal elements has been observed in a single lineage (Chondrichthyes), making this lineage important for broadening our understanding of the evolution of these elements within jawed vertebrates. PMID:19538630

Influence of stocking, site quality, stand age, low-severity canopy disturbance, and forest composition on sub-boreal aspen mixedwood carbon stocks

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Reinikainen, Michael; D’Amato, Anthony W.; Bradford, John B.; Fraver, Shawn

2014-01-01

Low-severity canopy disturbance presumably influences forest carbon dynamics during the course of stand development, yet the topic has received relatively little attention. This is surprising because of the frequent occurrence of such events and the potential for both the severity and frequency of disturbances to increase as a result of climate change. We investigated the impacts of low-severity canopy disturbance and average insect defoliation on forest carbon stocks and rates of carbon sequestration in mature aspen mixedwood forests of varying stand age (ranging from 61 to 85 years), overstory composition, stocking level, and site quality. Stocking level and site quality positively affected the average annual aboveground tree carbon increment (CAAI), while stocking level, site quality, and stand age positively affected tree carbon stocks (CTREE) and total ecosystem carbon stocks (CTOTAL). Cumulative canopy disturbance (DIST) was reconstructed using dendroecological methods over a 29-year period. DIST was negatively and significantly related to soil carbon (CSOIL), and it was negatively, albeit marginally, related to CTOTAL. Minima in the annual aboveground carbon increment of trees (CAI) occurred at sites during defoliation of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) by forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hubner), and minima were more extreme at sites dominated by trembling aspen than sites mixed with conifers. At sites defoliated by forest tent caterpillar in the early 2000s, increased sequestration by the softwood component (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. and Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) compensated for overall decreases in CAI by 17% on average. These results underscore the importance of accounting for low-severity canopy disturbance events when developing regional forest carbon models and argue for the restoration and maintenance of historically important conifer species within aspen mixedwoods to enhance stand-level resilience to disturbance agents and maintain

A degradation debt? Large-scale shifts in community composition and loss of biomass in a tropical forest fragment after 40 years of isolation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahawi, Rakan A; Oviedo-Brenes, Federico; Peterson, Chris J

2017-01-01

Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the biggest threats to tropical biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. We examined forest dynamics in a mid-elevation 365-ha fragment in southern Costa Rica. The fragment was isolated in the mid-1970s and belongs to the Las Cruces Biological Station. A 2.25-ha permanent plot was established in the center of the old-growth forest (>400 m to nearest edge boundary) and all plants >5 cm DBH were censused, mapped, and identified to species in two surveys taken ~5-6 years apart (>3,000 stems/survey). Although the reserve maintains high species richness (>200 spp.), with many rare species represented by only one individual, we document a strong shift in composition with a two-fold increase in the number of soft-wooded pioneer individuals. The dominant late-successional understory tree species, Chrysochlamys glauca (Clusiaceae), and most species in the Lauraceae, declined dramatically. Turnover was high: 22.9% of stems in the first survey were lost, and 27.8% of stems in the second survey represented new recruits. Mean tree diameter decreased significantly and there was a 10% decrease in overall biomass. Such alteration has been documented previously but only in smaller fragments or within ~100 m of an edge boundary. Further penetration into this fragment was perhaps driven by a progressive invasion of disturbance-adapted species into the fragment's core over time; the loss of once-dominant late successional species could be a contributing factor. The pattern found is of particular concern given that such fragments represent a substantial portion of today's remaining tropical habitat; further studies in similar-sized fragments that have been isolated for similar prolonged periods are called for.

Discrimination Factors and Incorporation Rates for Organic Matrix in Shark Teeth Based on a Captive Feeding Study.

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Zeichner, S S; Colman, A S; Koch, P L; Polo-Silva, C; Galván-Magaña, F; Kim, S L

Sharks migrate annually over large distances and occupy a wide variety of habitats, complicating analysis of lifestyle and diet. A biogeochemical technique often used to reconstruct shark diet and environment preferences is stable isotope analysis, which is minimally invasive and integrates through time and space. There are previous studies that focus on isotopic analysis of shark soft tissues, but there are limited applications to shark teeth. However, shark teeth offer an advantage of multiple ecological snapshots and minimum invasiveness during removal because of their distinct conveyor belt tooth replacement system. In this study, we analyze δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of the organic matrix in leopard shark teeth (Triakis semifasciata) from a captive experiment and report discrimination factors as well as incorporation rates. We found differences in tooth discrimination factors for individuals fed different prey sources (mean ± SD; Δ 13 C squid = 4.7‰ ± 0.5‰, Δ 13 C tilapia = 3.1‰ ± 1.0‰, Δ 15 N squid = 2.0‰ ± 0.7‰, Δ 15 N tilapia = 2.8‰ ± 0.6‰). In addition, these values differed from previously published discrimination factors for plasma, red blood cells, and muscle of the same leopard sharks. Incorporation rates of shark teeth were similar for carbon and nitrogen (mean ± SE; λ C = 0.021 ± 0.009, λ N = 0.024 ± 0.007) and comparable to those of plasma. We emphasize the difference in biological parameters on the basis of tissue substrate and diet items to interpret stable isotope data and apply our results to stable isotope values from blue shark (Prionace glauca) teeth to illustrate the importance of biological parameters to interpret the complex ecology of a migratory shark.

Patterns of cross-continental variation in tree seed mass in the Canadian Boreal Forest.

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Jushan Liu

Full Text Available Seed mass is an adaptive trait affecting species distribution, population dynamics and community structure. In widely distributed species, variation in seed mass may reflect both genetic adaptation to local environments and adaptive phenotypic plasticity. Acknowledging the difficulty in separating these two aspects, we examined the causal relationships determining seed mass variation to better understand adaptability and/or plasticity of selected tree species to spatial/climatic variation. A total of 504, 481 and 454 seed collections of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. B.S.P., white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb across the Canadian Boreal Forest, respectively, were selected. Correlation analyses were used to determine how seed mass vary with latitude, longitude, and altitude. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine how geographic and climatic variables influence seed mass. Climatic factors explained a large portion of the variation in seed mass (34, 14 and 29%, for black spruce, white spruce and jack pine, respectively, indicating species-specific adaptation to long term climate conditions. Higher annual mean temperature and winter precipitation caused greater seed mass in black spruce, but annual precipitation was the controlling factor for white spruce. The combination of factors such as growing season temperature and evapotranspiration, temperature seasonality and annual precipitation together determined seed mass of jack pine. Overall, sites with higher winter temperatures were correlated with larger seeds. Thus, long-term climatic conditions, at least in part, determined spatial variation in seed mass. Black spruce and Jack pine, species with relatively more specific habitat requirements and less plasticity, had more variation in seed mass explained by climate than did the more plastic species white spruce. As traits such as seed mass are related to seedling growth and survival, they

Importance of Arboreal Cyanolichen Abundance to Nitrogen Cycling in Sub-Boreal Spruce and Fir Forests of Central British Columbia, Canada

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Ania Kobylinski

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The importance of N2-fixing arboreal cyanolichens to the nitrogen (N-balance of sub-boreal interior hybrid spruce (Picea glauca × engelmannii and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa forests was examined at field sites in central BC, Canada. Host trees were accessed by a single-rope climbing technique and foliage as well as arboreal macrolichen functional groups were sampled by branch height in eight random sample trees from each of two high (High Cyano and two low (Low Cyano cyanolichen abundance sites for a total of 32 sample trees. Natural abundances of stable isotopes of N (15N, 14N and carbon (13C, 12C were determined for aggregate host tree and epiphytic lichen samples, as well as representative samples of upper organic and soil horizons (Ae and Bf from beneath host trees. As expected, N2-fixing cyanolichens had 2–6-fold greater N-contents than chlorolichens and a δ15N close to atmospheric N2, while foliage and chlorolichens were more depleted in 15N. By contrast, soils at all trees and sites were 15N-enriched (positive δ15N, with declining (not significant δ15N with increased tree-level cyanolichen abundance. Lichen functional groups and tree foliage fell into three distinct groups with respect to δ13C; the tripartite cyanolichen Lobaria pulmonaria (lightest, host-tree needles (intermediate, and bipartite cyanolichens, hair (Alectoria and Bryoria spp. and chlorolichens (heaviest. Branch height of host trees was an effective predictor of needle δ13C. Our results showed a modest positive correlation between host tree foliage N and cyanolichen abundance, supporting our initial hypothesis that higher cyanolichen abundances would elevate host tree foliar N. Further study is required to determine if high cyanolichen abundance enhances host tree and/or stand-level productivity in sub-boreal forests of central BC, Canada.

Interspecific variation in growth responses to tree size, competition and climate of western Canadian boreal mixed forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Xinyu; Huang, Jian-Guo; Cheng, Jiong; Dawson, Andria; Stadt, Kenneth J; Comeau, Philip G; Chen, Han Y H

2018-08-01

Tree growth of boreal forest plays an important role on global carbon (C) cycle, while tree growth in the western Canadian boreal mixed forests has been predicted to be negatively affected by regional drought. Individual tree growth can be controlled by many factors, such as competition, climate, tree size and age. However, information about contributions of different factors to tree growth is still limited in this region. In order to address this uncertainty, tree rings of two dominant tree species, trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss), were sampled from boreal mixed forest stands distributed across Alberta, Canada. Tree growth rates over different time intervals (10years interval, 1998-2007; 20years interval, 1988-2007; 30years interval, 1978-2007) were calculated to study the effects of different factors (tree size, competition, climate, and age) on tree growth. Results indicated that tree growth of two species were both primarily affected by competition or tree size, while climatic indices showed less effects on tree growth. Growth of trembling aspen was significantly affected by inter- and intraspecific competition, while growth of white spruce was primarily influenced by tree size, followed by competition. Positive relationship was found between growth of white spruce and competition index of coniferous group, suggesting an intraspecific mutualism mechanism within coniferous group. Our results further suggested that competition driven succession was the primary process of forest composition shift in the western Canadian boreal mixed forest. Although drought stress increased tree mortality, decline of stem density under climate change released competition stress of surviving trees, which in turn sustained growth of surviving trees. Therefore, climatic indices showed fewer effects on growth of dominant tree species compared to other factors in our study. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A degradation debt? Large-scale shifts in community composition and loss of biomass in a tropical forest fragment after 40 years of isolation.

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Rakan A Zahawi

Full Text Available Habitat loss and fragmentation are among the biggest threats to tropical biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. We examined forest dynamics in a mid-elevation 365-ha fragment in southern Costa Rica. The fragment was isolated in the mid-1970s and belongs to the Las Cruces Biological Station. A 2.25-ha permanent plot was established in the center of the old-growth forest (>400 m to nearest edge boundary and all plants >5 cm DBH were censused, mapped, and identified to species in two surveys taken ~5-6 years apart (>3,000 stems/survey. Although the reserve maintains high species richness (>200 spp., with many rare species represented by only one individual, we document a strong shift in composition with a two-fold increase in the number of soft-wooded pioneer individuals. The dominant late-successional understory tree species, Chrysochlamys glauca (Clusiaceae, and most species in the Lauraceae, declined dramatically. Turnover was high: 22.9% of stems in the first survey were lost, and 27.8% of stems in the second survey represented new recruits. Mean tree diameter decreased significantly and there was a 10% decrease in overall biomass. Such alteration has been documented previously but only in smaller fragments or within ~100 m of an edge boundary. Further penetration into this fragment was perhaps driven by a progressive invasion of disturbance-adapted species into the fragment's core over time; the loss of once-dominant late successional species could be a contributing factor. The pattern found is of particular concern given that such fragments represent a substantial portion of today's remaining tropical habitat; further studies in similar-sized fragments that have been isolated for similar prolonged periods are called for.

Characteristis of Soil Water and Salt Spatial Variations in the Spring Season in Typical Yellow River Delta Areas of Kenli County, China

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WANG Zhuo-ran

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The Yellow River Delta as an important area of reserved land resources, is faced with the problem of soil salinization. Grasping the status of soil water and salt as well as their spatial variation rules is an important foundation of prevention, control and use of soil salinization. This study selected Kenli County of the Yellow River Delta, obtained soil water and salt content data through field survey and lab experiments, and analyzed the status of soil water and salt as well as their spatial variation rules using statistics, GIS interpolation and buffer analysis methods. The results showed that the general salt content in the study area was mainly moderate. Salt content increased from soil surfacelayer to underlayer and salt content in each layer was significantly correlated. The areas with high saltness in surfacelayer, middlelayer and underlayer soil mainly distributed in the east near the Bohai Sea in Kenli County, while the areas with lower saltness mainly distributed in the southwest. Soil salt contents showed the trends of decrease, and soil water contents showed the trends of decrease first and then increase with the increase in distance to Bohai Sea. Stretching from the Yellow River, soil salt content showed increase tendency with the increase in distance to the Yellow River, and water content decreased first and then increased. The order from high saltness to low of different vegetation types was naked land>suaeda glauca>tamarix>vervain>reed>couch grass>paddy>cotton>winter wheat>maize, the order of different geomorphic types was depression>slightly sloping ground>slow hillock>beach heights. This study preliminary delineates soil water and salt status as well as their spatial variation rules in the spring season of the study area, and provides scientific basis for soil resource sustainable utilization in the Yellow River Delta.

Captura de tiburones en la región noroccidental de Cuba

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Consuelo Aguilar

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Los tiburones han sido una importante fuente de alimento e ingresos en Cuba. A pesar de esto, es muy escasa la información sobre este grupo y, en las últimas décadas, no han sido objeto de una investigación organizada. De octubre 2009 a junio 2011 se recolectaron datos biológicos (229 tiburones examinados y pesqueros en cuatro sitios de desembarque de la región noroccidental de Cuba. En esta región, los tiburones son capturados en pesquerías comerciales multiespecíficas en la plataforma insular y de manera incidental en pesquerías deportivas de corto radio de acción durante la captura de grandes especies pelágicas de mar abierto. Se registró un total de 17 especies; seis en pesca comercial, dominada por Carcharhinus perezii, Sphyrna mokarran y Carcharhinus leucas, y 14 en pesca deportiva (artesanal de pequeña escala, no propiamente recreacional, dominada por Isurus oxyrinchus, Isurus paucus, Carcharhinus longimanus, Carcharhinus falciformis, Galeocerdo cuvier y Prionace glauca. La CPUE mensual en las pesquerías deportivas, varió de 0,43 a 4,44 tiburones capturados por diez viajes de pesca. La mayoría de los tiburones oceánicos capturados en las pesquerías deportivas son especies altamente migratorias y sus poblaciones muestran gran conectividad ecológica en el Golfo de México y aguas adyacentes. Este hecho y la presencia de una gran proporción de individuos de C. longimanus y C. falciformis por debajo de la longitud de madurez, son resultados que deben ser considerados en los planes regionales de conservación y uso racional de los tiburones.

Evaluación de la degradabilidad in situ en bovinos suplementados con cuatro especies arbóreas

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María Roa V.

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Objetivo. Evaluar degradabilidad in situ en rumen de cuatro especies forrajeras: Acacia Roja (Delonix regia, pízamo (Eritryna glauca, Cratilia (Cratylia argentea y casco de vaca (Bahuinia variegata, para determinar su calidad nutricional. Materiales y métodos. Cuatro hembras rumino-fistuladas en un diseño de sobrecambio simple, pastoreando en Brachiaria decumbens, suplementadas en la mañana con tres kg de hojas deshidratadas de las cuatro especies mencionadas, de un año de establecidas y podadas cada 3 meses. En las pruebas in situ se utilizaron bolsas de nylon, adicionando 5 g de MS de cada arbórea/bolsa, incluyendo braquiaria, en diferentes horas (6, 12, 24, 48 y 72. Se evaluó la degradabilidad de la materia seca (DMS, fibra detergente neutro (DFDN fibra detergente ácido (DFDA, nitrógeno total (DNT y nitrógeno adherido a FDN (DNFDN. En el líquido ruminal se midió nitrógeno amoniacal a las 0, 4, 8 y 12 y pH a las 0, 3, 6, 9 y 12 horas. Resultados. La DMS fue mayor (p>0.05 para casco de vaca (53.3% y acacia roja (56.1% con relación a pízamo y cratilia. La DMS de braquiaria fue mayor (p>0.05 en 18.6% suplementando con casco de vaca con relación a las otras arbóreas. La DFDN potencial fue menor (p>0.05 para pízamo (7.6% en comparación con cratilia. La DFDN de braquiaria fue similar en todas las forrajeras. Conclusiones. Algunos componentes de las arbóreas tienen efecto asociativo en la cinética de la tasa de degradación de MS y FDA del pasto, siendo superiores (p>0.05 cuando se suplementó con casco de vaca.

Retranslocation of foliar nutrients in evergreen tree species planted in a Mediterranean environment.

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Fife, D N; Nambiar, E K S; Saur, E

2008-02-01

Internal nutrient recycling through retranslocation (resorption) is important for meeting the nutrient demands of new tissue production in trees. We conducted a comparative study of nutrient retranslocation from leaves of five tree species from three genera grown in plantation forests for commercial or environmental purposes in southern Australia--Acacia mearnsii De Wild., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., E. fraxinoides H. Deane & Maiden, E. grandis W. Hill ex Maiden and Pinus radiata D. Don. Significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were retranslocated during three phases of leaf life. In the first phase, retranslocation occurred from young leaves beginning 6 months after leaf initiation, even when leaves were physiologically most active. In the second phase, retranslocation occurred from mature green leaves during their second year, and in the third phase, retranslocation occurred during senescence before leaf fall. Nutrient retranslocation occurred mainly in response to new shoot production. The pattern of retranslocation was remarkably similar in the leaves of all study species (and in the phyllodes of Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng.), despite their diverse genetics, leaf forms and growth rates. There was no net retranslocation of calcium in any of the species. The amounts of nutrients at the start of each pre-retranslocation phase had a strong positive relationship with the amounts subsequently retranslocated, and all species fitted a common relationship. The percentage reduction in concentration or content (retranslocation efficiency) at a particular growth phase is subject to many variables, even within a species, and is therefore not a meaningful measure of interspecific variation. It is proposed that the pattern of retranslocation and its governing factors are similar among species in the absence of interspecies competition for growth and crown structure which occurs in mixed species stands.

Decision analysis of mitigation and remediation of sedimentation within large wetland systems: a case study using Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge

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Post van der Burg, Max; Jenni, Karen E.; Nieman, Timothy L.; Eash, Josh D.; Knutsen, Gregory A.

2014-01-01

Sedimentation has been identified as an important stressor across a range of wetland systems. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has the responsibility of maintaining wetlands within its National Wildlife Refuge System for use by migratory waterbirds and other wildlife. Many of these wetlands could be negatively affected by accelerated rates of sedimentation, especially those located in agricultural parts of the landscape. In this report we document the results of a decision analysis project designed to help U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff at the Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge (herein referred to as the Refuge) determine a strategy for managing and mitigating the negative effects of sediment loading within Refuge wetlands. The Refuge’s largest wetland, Agassiz Pool, has accumulated so much sediment that it has become dominated by hybrid cattail (Typha × glauca), and the ability of the staff to control water levels in the Agassiz Pool has been substantially reduced. This project consisted of a workshop with Refuge staff, local and regional stakeholders, and several technical and scientific experts. At the workshop we established Refuge management and stakeholder objectives, a range of possible management strategies, and assessed the consequences of those strategies. After deliberating a range of actions, the staff chose to consider the following three strategies: (1) an inexpensive strategy, which largely focused on using outreach to reduce external sediment inputs to the Refuge; (2) the most expensive option, which built on the first option and relied on additional infrastructure changes to the Refuge to increase management capacity; and (3) a strategy that was less expensive than strategy 2 and relied mostly on existing infrastructure to improve management capacity. Despite the fact that our assessments were qualitative, Refuge staff decided they had enough information to select the third strategy. Following our qualitative assessment, we discussed

First quantification of subtidal community structure at Tristan da Cunha Islands in the remote South Atlantic: from kelp forests to the deep sea

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Hamilton, Scott L.; Davis, Kathryn; Thompson, Christopher D. H.; Turchik, Alan; Jenkinson, Ryan; Simpson, Doug; Sala, Enric

2018-01-01

Tristan da Cunha Islands, an archipelago of four rocky volcanic islands situated in the South Atlantic Ocean and part of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories (UKOTs), present a rare example of a relatively unimpacted temperate marine ecosystem. We conducted the first quantitative surveys of nearshore kelp forests, offshore pelagic waters and deep sea habitats. Kelp forests had very low biodiversity and species richness, but high biomass and abundance of those species present. Spatial variation in assemblage structure for both nearshore fish and invertebrates/algae was greatest between the three northern islands and the southern island of Gough, where sea temperatures were on average 3-4o colder. Despite a lobster fishery that provides the bulk of the income to the Tristan islands, lobster abundance and biomass are comparable to or greater than many Marine Protected Areas in other parts of the world. Pelagic camera surveys documented a rich biodiversity offshore, including large numbers of juvenile blue sharks, Prionace glauca. Species richness and abundance in the deep sea is positively related to hard rocky substrate and biogenic habitats such as sea pens, crinoids, whip corals, and gorgonians were present at 40% of the deep camera deployments. We observed distinct differences in the deep fish community above and below ~750 m depth. Concurrent oceanographic sampling showed a discontinuity in temperature and salinity at this depth. While currently healthy, Tristan’s marine ecosystem is not without potential threats: shipping traffic leading to wrecks and species introductions, pressure to increase fishing effort beyond sustainable levels and the impacts of climate change all could potentially increase in the coming years. The United Kingdom has committed to protection of marine environments across the UKOTs, including Tristan da Cunha and these results can be used to inform future management decisions as well as provide a baseline against which future

Uniform versus asymmetric shading mediates crown recession in conifers.

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Amanda L Schoonmaker

Full Text Available In this study we explore the impact of asymmetrical vs. uniform crown shading on the mortality and growth of upper and lower branches within tree crowns, for two conifer species: shade intolerant lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta and shade tolerant white spruce (Picea glauca. We also explore xylem hydraulics, foliar nutrition, and carbohydrate status as drivers for growth and expansion of the lower and upper branches in various types of shading. This study was conducted over a two-year period across 10 regenerating forest sites dominated by lodgepole pine and white spruce, in the lower foothills of Alberta, Canada. Trees were assigned to one of four shading treatments: (1, complete uniform shading of the entire tree, (2 light asymmetric shading where the lower 1/4-1/3 of the tree crown was shaded, (3 heavy asymmetric shading as in (2 except with greater light reduction and (4 control in which no artificial shading occurred and most of the entire crown was exposed to full light. Asymmetrical shading of only the lower crown had a larger negative impact on the bud expansion and growth than did uniform shading, and the effect was stronger in pine relative to spruce. In addition, lower branches in pine also had lower carbon reserves, and reduced xylem-area specific conductivity compared to spruce. For both species, but particularly the pine, the needles of lower branches tended to store less C than upper branches in the asymmetric shade, which could suggest a movement of reserves away from the lower branches. The implications of these findings correspond with the inherent shade tolerance and self-pruning behavior of these conifers and supports a carbon based mechanism for branch mortality--mediated by an asymmetry in light exposure of the crown.

Insufficient Chilling Effects Vary among Boreal Tree Species and Chilling Duration

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Rongzhou Man

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Insufficient chilling resulting from rising winter temperatures associated with climate warming has been an area of particular interest in boreal and temperate regions where a period of cool temperatures in fall and winter is required to break plant dormancy. In this study, we examined the budburst and growth of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx., balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera L., white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh., black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. B.S.P., white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench Voss, jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb., and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud. seedlings subjected to typical northern Ontario, Canada, spring conditions in climate chambers after different exposures to natural chilling. Results indicate that chilling requirements (cumulative weighted chilling hours differed substantially among the seven species, ranging from 300 to 500 h for spruce seedlings to more than 1100 h for trembling aspen and lodgepole pine. Only spruce seedlings had fulfilled their chilling requirements before December 31, whereas the other species continued chilling well into March and April. Species with lower chilling requirements needed more heat accumulation for budburst and vice versa. Insufficient chilling delayed budburst but only extremely restricted chilling hours (<400 resulted in abnormal budburst and growth, including reduced needle and shoot expansion, early budburst in lower crowns, and erratic budburst on lower stems and roots. Effects, however, depended on both the species’ chilling requirements and the chilling–heat relationship. Among the seven tree species examined, trembling aspen is most likely to be affected by reduced chilling accumulation possible under future climate scenarios, followed by balsam poplar, white birch, lodgepole pine, and jack pine. Black and white spruce are least likely to be affected by changes in chilling hours.

Fine root dynamics in lodgepole pine and white spruce stands along productivity gradients in reclaimed oil sands sites.

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Jamro, Ghulam Murtaza; Chang, Scott X; Naeth, M Anne; Duan, Min; House, Jason

2015-10-01

Open-pit mining activities in the oil sands region of Alberta, Canada, create disturbed lands that, by law, must be reclaimed to a land capability equivalent to that existed before the disturbance. Re-establishment of forest cover will be affected by the production and turnover rate of fine roots. However, the relationship between fine root dynamics and tree growth has not been studied in reclaimed oil sands sites. Fine root properties (root length density, mean surface area, total root biomass, and rates of root production, turnover, and decomposition) were assessed from May to October 2011 and 2012 using sequential coring and ingrowth core methods in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss) stands. The pine and spruce stands were planted on peat mineral soil mix placed over tailings sand and overburden substrates, respectively, in reclaimed oil sands sites in Alberta. We selected stands that form a productivity gradient (low, medium, and high productivities) of each tree species based on differences in tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) increments. In lodgepole pine stands, fine root length density and fine root production, and turnover rates were in the order of high > medium > low productivity sites and were positively correlated with tree height and DBH and negatively correlated with soil salinity (P < 0.05). In white spruce stands, fine root surface area was the only parameter that increased along the productivity gradient and was negatively correlated with soil compaction. In conclusion, fine root dynamics along the stand productivity gradients were closely linked to stand productivity and were affected by limiting soil properties related to the specific substrate used for reconstructing the reclaimed soil. Understanding the impact of soil properties on fine root dynamics and overall stand productivity will help improve land reclamation outcomes.

Spatial segregation and aggregation of ectomycorrhizal and root-endophytic fungi in the seedlings of two Quercus species.

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Satoshi Yamamoto

Full Text Available Diverse clades of mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi are potentially involved in competitive or facilitative interactions within host-plant roots. We investigated the potential consequences of these ecological interactions on the assembly process of root-associated fungi by examining the co-occurrence of pairs of fungi in host-plant individuals. Based on massively-parallel pyrosequencing, we analyzed the root-associated fungal community composition for each of the 249 Quercus serrata and 188 Quercus glauca seedlings sampled in a warm-temperate secondary forest in Japan. Pairs of fungi that co-occurred more or less often than expected by chance were identified based on randomization tests. The pyrosequencing analysis revealed that not only ectomycorrhizal fungi but also endophytic fungi were common in the root-associated fungal community. Intriguingly, specific pairs of these ectomycorrhizal and endophytic fungi showed spatially aggregated patterns, suggesting the existence of facilitative interactions between fungi in different functional groups. Due to the large number of fungal pairs examined, many of the observed aggregated/segregated patterns with very low P values (e.g., < 0.005 turned non-significant after the application of a multiple comparison method. However, our overall results imply that the community structures of ectomycorrhizal and endophytic fungi could influence each other through interspecific competitive/facilitative interactions in root. To test the potential of host-plants' control of fungus-fungus ecological interactions in roots, we further examined whether the aggregated/segregated patterns could vary depending on the identity of host plant species. Potentially due to the physiological properties shared between the congeneric host plant species, the sign of hosts' control was not detected in the present study. The pyrosequencing-based randomization analyses shown in this study provide a platform of the high

LA ESTRUCTURA DEL RODAL Y LA FUNCIÓN ECOLÓGICA DEL ARBOLADO EN EL PARQUE CIRCUNDANTE DE HEFEI, PROVINCIA DE ANHUI, CHINA

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Wang Jianan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available El Parque Circundante de la ciudad de Hefei tiene características típicas de bosque urbano. En este investigación se utilizan métodos de ecología de la vegetación para analizar la estructura de la comunidad del parque. La composición de especies, la distribución de alturas de los árboles y el DAP (diámetro a la altura del pecho fueron descritos. Existen 27,662 árboles en el área de estudio, la cual tiene un área de bosque urbano de 42.5 hm2. El DAP promedio fue de 19.2 cm, la densidad en pie fue de 651 árboles·hm2 y el área basal promedio fue de 20.8 m2·hm-2. Con base en la evaluación, los árboles en el parque cuentan con buena salud, pues representaron 53.4 % del total del bosque urbano. Las estructuras de la comunidad fueron analizadas a través del cálculo del índice de crecimiento de los árboles y la correlación de asociación de las especies componentes en el parque. Los resultados muestran que las estructuras de la comunidad en el parque son complejas; existen 22 pares de especies con asociación positiva y, en las siguientes comunidades, los individuos tienen buen crecimiento y son más estables, incluyendo principalmente Platycladus orientalis-Prunus cerasifera f. atropurpurea-Osmanthus fragrans, Robinia pseudoacacia-Ligustrum lucidum, R. pseudoacacia Ginkgo biloba-Photinia serrulata, Populus canadensis-L. lucidum-O. fragrans, Sophora japonica-L. lucidum-Buxus sinica, Cyclobalanopsis glauca-Distylium racemosum.

Transcriptome profiling in conifers and the PiceaGenExpress database show patterns of diversification within gene families and interspecific conservation in vascular gene expression

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Raherison Elie

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Conifers have very large genomes (13 to 30 Gigabases that are mostly uncharacterized although extensive cDNA resources have recently become available. This report presents a global overview of transcriptome variation in a conifer tree and documents conservation and diversity of gene expression patterns among major vegetative tissues. Results An oligonucleotide microarray was developed from Picea glauca and P. sitchensis cDNA datasets. It represents 23,853 unique genes and was shown to be suitable for transcriptome profiling in several species. A comparison of secondary xylem and phelloderm tissues showed that preferential expression in these vascular tissues was highly conserved among Picea spp. RNA-Sequencing strongly confirmed tissue preferential expression and provided a robust validation of the microarray design. A small database of transcription profiles called PiceaGenExpress was developed from over 150 hybridizations spanning eight major tissue types. In total, transcripts were detected for 92% of the genes on the microarray, in at least one tissue. Non-annotated genes were predominantly expressed at low levels in fewer tissues than genes of known or predicted function. Diversity of expression within gene families may be rapidly assessed from PiceaGenExpress. In conifer trees, dehydrins and late embryogenesis abundant (LEA osmotic regulation proteins occur in large gene families compared to angiosperms. Strong contrasts and low diversity was observed in the dehydrin family, while diverse patterns suggested a greater degree of diversification among LEAs. Conclusion Together, the oligonucleotide microarray and the PiceaGenExpress database represent the first resource of this kind for gymnosperm plants. The spruce transcriptome analysis reported here is expected to accelerate genetic studies in the large and important group comprised of conifer trees.

Pollination in Nicotiana alata stimulates synthesis and transfer to the stigmatic surface of NaStEP, a vacuolar Kunitz proteinase inhibitor homologue.

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Busot, Grethel Yanet; McClure, Bruce; Ibarra-Sánchez, Claudia Patricia; Jiménez-Durán, Karina; Vázquez-Santana, Sonia; Cruz-García, Felipe

2008-01-01

After landing on a wet stigma, pollen grains hydrate and germination generally occurs. However, there is no certainty of the pollen tube growth through the style to reach the ovary. The pistil is a gatekeeper that evolved in many species to recognize and reject the self-pollen, avoiding endogamy and encouraging cross-pollination. However, recognition is a complex process, and specific factors are needed. Here the isolation and characterization of a stigma-specific protein from N. alata, NaStEP (N. alata Stigma Expressed Protein), that is homologous to Kunitz-type proteinase inhibitors, are reported. Activity gel assays showed that NaStEP is not a functional serine proteinase inhibitor. Immunohistochemical and protein blot analyses revealed that NaStEP is detectable in stigmas of self-incompatible (SI) species N. alata, N. forgetiana, and N. bonariensis, but not in self-compatible (SC) species N. tabacum, N. plumbaginifolia, N. benthamiana, N. longiflora, and N. glauca. NaStEP contains the vacuolar targeting sequence NPIVL, and immunocytochemistry experiments showed vacuolar localization in unpollinated stigmas. After self-pollination or pollination with pollen from the SC species N. tabacum or N. plumbaginifolia, NaStEP was also found in the stigmatic exudate. The synthesis and presence in the stigmatic exudate of this protein was strongly induced in N. alata following incompatible pollination with N. tabacum pollen. The transfer of NaStEP to the stigmatic exudate was accompanied by perforation of the stigmatic cell wall, which appeared to release the vacuolar contents to the apoplastic space. The increase in NaStEP synthesis after pollination and its presence in the stigmatic exudates suggest that this protein may play a role in the early pollen-stigma interactions that regulate pollen tube growth in Nicotiana.

Nodulation of legumes, nitrogenase activity of roots and occurrence of nitrogen-fixing Azospirillum spp. In representative soils of central Amazonia

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Sylvester-Bradley, R; De Oliverira, L A; De Podesta Filho, J A; John, T V

1980-12-01

Leguminosae do not predominate in the Brazilian Amazon rain forest, although they are among the five best represented families. Plant roots from various soils were examined for the presence of nodules, acetylene-reducing activity and N/sub 2/-fixing Azospirillum spp. Abundant nodulation was found in black earth (''terra preta dos indios'') and in one case on sandy soil under campinarana vegetation along a tributary of the upper Rio Negro. In sandy latosol some nodules occurred in secondary forest and fewer in primary forest. Legumes in disturbed clayey or sandy latosol showed more frequent nodulation. Primary forest on alluvial (''varzea'') soil, and in Bahia coastal rain forest on sandy latosol and Erythrina glauca used for shading cacao plantations were abundantly nodulated. Acetylene reduction assays showed no, or very little, nitrogenase activity of roots from primary or secondary forest on clayey latosol near Manaus. Nodulated roots from secondary forest on sandy latosol showed acetylene-reducing activity. High rates of acetylene reduction were observed in nodulated roots of primary forest on alluvial ''varzea'' soil. Root samples showed ethylene absorption in controls without acetylene which might interfere with the results of acetylene reduction tests. The incidence of Azospirillum was also higher in black earth than the other soils examined, and in soils with higher pH. The hypothesis that Azospirillum is associated with Trema micantha roots was refuted. Roots and soils collected under cultivated grasses showed a higher incidence of Azospirillum when fertilized with phosphorus and lime. Results indicate that nitrogen fixation did occur in association with roots in some soils, but not with roots of primary or secondary forest on clayey latosol in the vicinity of Manaus, which is the most common soil in Central Amazonia. The possible reasons for this are discussed.

Phenological changes in bamboo carbohydrates explain the preference for culm over leaves by giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca during spring.

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Katrina K Knott

Full Text Available Seasonal changes in the foodscape force herbivores to select different plant species or plant parts to meet nutritional requirements. We examined whether the search for calorie-rich carbohydrates explained giant panda's selection for bamboo culm over leaves during spring. Leaves and culms were collected from four Phyllostachys bamboos (P. aurea, P. aureosulcata, P. glauca, and P. nuda once per month over 18-27 months. Monthly changes in annual plant part nutrients were examined, and compared to seasonal foraging behaviors of captive giant pandas. Although total fiber was greater (p<0.0001 in culm (85.6 ± 0.5% than leaves (55.3 ± 0.4% throughout the year, culm fiber was at its lowest in spring (79-85% when culm selection by giant pandas exceeded 70% of their overall diet. Culm starch also was greatest (p = 0.044 during spring (5.5 ± 1.1% and 2.5-fold the percentage of starch in leaves (2.2 ± 0.6%. The free sugars in spring culm consisted of a high proportion of glucose (35% and fructose (47%, whereas sucrose made up 42% of the total free sugar content of spring leaves. Bound sugars in culm consisted of 60% glucose and 38% xylose likely representative of hemicellulose. The concentrations of bound sugars (hemicelluloses in spring culms (543.7 ± 13.0 mg/g was greater (p<0.001 than in leaves (373.0 ± 14.8 mg/g. These data help explain a long-standing question in giant panda foraging ecology: why consume the plant part with the lowest protein and fat during the energetically intensive spring breeding season? Giant pandas likely prefer spring culm that contains abundant mono- and polysaccharides made more bioavailable as a result of reduced fiber content. These data suggest that phenological changes in bamboo plant part nutrition drive foraging decisions by giant pandas.

Solid-phase extraction of galloyl- and caffeoylquinic acids from natural sources (Galphimia glauca and Arnicae flos) using pure zirconium silicate and bismuth citrate powders as sorbents inside micro spin columns.

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Hussain, Shah; Schönbichler, Stefan A; Güzel, Yüksel; Sonderegger, Harald; Abel, Gudrun; Rainer, Matthias; Huck, Christian W; Bonn, Günther K

2013-10-01

Galloyl- and caffeoylquinic acids are among the most important pharmacological active groups of natural compounds. This study describes a pre-step in isolation of some selected representatives of these groups from biological samples. A selective solid-phase extraction (SPE) method for these compounds may help assign classes and isomer designations within complex mixtures. Pure zirconium silicate and bismuth citrate powders (325 mesh) were employed as two new sorbents for optimized SPE of phenolic acids. These sorbents possess electrostatic interaction sites which accounts for additional interactions for carbon acid moieties as compared to hydrophilic and hydrophobic sorbents alone. Based on this principle, a selective SPE method for 1,3,4,5-tetragalloylquinic acid (an anti-HIV and anti-asthamatic agent) as a starting compound was developed and then deployed upon other phenolic acids with success. The recoveries and selectivities of both sorbents were compared to most commonly applied and commercially available sorbents by using high performance liquid chromatography. The nature of interaction between the carrier sorbent and the acidic target molecules was investigated by studying hydrophilic (silica), hydrophobic (C18), mixed-mode (ionic and hydrophobic: Oasis(®) MAX) and predominantly electrostatic (zirconium silicate) materials. The newly developed zirconium silicate and bismuth citrate stationary phases revealed promising results for the selective extraction of galloyl- and caffeoylquinic acids from natural sources. It was observed that zirconium silicate exhibited maximum recovery and selectivity for tetragalloylquinic acid (84%), chlorogenic acid (82%) and dicaffeoylquinic acid (94%) among all the tested sorbents. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Efeito de diferentes tamanhos de clareiras, sobre o crescimento e a mortalidade de espécies arbóreas, em Moju-PA Effect of diferente gap sizes on the growth and mortality of arboreal species, in Moju-PA

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Fernando Cristóvam da Silva Jardim

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Crescimento e mortalidade de Sterculia pruriens, Vouacapoua americana, Jacaranda copaia, Protium paraensis, Newtonia suaveolens e Tabebuia serratifolia, considerando diferentes tamanhos de clareiras, foram avaliados em Moju PA(2º07'30" e 2º12'06" de latitude Sul e 48º46'57" e 48º48'30" de longitude a Oeste de Greenwitch. Selecionou-se nove clareiras da exploração florestal, que foram agrupadas em pequenas (200m²600m². Em seu torno instalou-se parcelas quadradas de cinco metros de lado, nas direções Norte, Sul, Leste e Oeste, onde foram plantados indivíduos da regeneração natural de espécies arbóreas. No centro de cada clareira foi instalada uma parcela de 5m X 5m como comparador. A média da mortalidade total foi de 46,9%, não havendo diferenças entre as clareiras pequenas(41,05% e médias(43,86%, mas estas diferiram das grandes(54,96%. As clareiras pequenas são mais propícias para a maioria das espécies, exceto para J. copaia e N. suaveolens, cujas mortalidades foram menores nas clareiras médias. A mortalidade variou de 14,5%(S. pruriens nas clareiras pequenas a 70,1%(V. americana em clareiras grandes, sendo que S. pruriens mostrou menor mortalidade em todos os tamanhos de clareiras. As espécies morreram mais em clareiras grandes. A mortalidade está entre os valores encontrados na literatura, permitindo concluir que não se pode classificar com precisão as espécies em grupos ecológicos somente com base na mortalidade ou sobrevivência. Em termos de crescimento, os resultados indicam que os melhores sítios para desenvolvimento das espécies são as clareiras médias, seguidos pelas clareiras grandes e pequenas. Em termos gerais, a média de crescimento em altura foi de 11,34cm e de 0,11cm em diâmetro de base, com valores maiores para J. copaia. Somente V. americana e P. paraenses não apresentaram diferenças significativas no crescimento em altura em relação aos diferentes tamanhos de clareiras. Os valores de

Vegetasi Habitat Komodo dalam Bentang Alam Riung dan Pulau Ontoloe di Nusa Tenggara Timur

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Willem Amu Blegur

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini mengkaji vegetasi habitat komodo dalam bentang alam Riung dan Ontoloe. Ekosistem karst mendominasi di Riung dan Ontoloe. Lokasi kajian merupakan taman nasional yaitu CA Wolo Tado, CA Riung dan TWAL 17 Pulau. Taman nasional ditetapkan pada tahun 1992 dan 1996. Pembakaran sabana di hutan sabana atau savanna woodland dengan skala kecil menjaga ketersediaan sabana di Pulau Besar, Flores. Sabana tersebut merupakan sumber makanan bagi pakan komodo yaitu rusa (Cervus timorensis. Sebaliknya, di Pulau Kecil atau Ontoloe tidak ada pembakaran sabana berskala kecil. Secara khusus, penelitian ini, mempelajari: a tipe ekosistem penyusun bentang alam Pulau Besar dan Pulau Kecil; b cacah jenis, densitas dan growth form vegetasi habitat; c kualitas ἀsiko kimia tanah yaitu temperatur, tekstur, pH, NO3, NH4,  PO4, K tersedia; udara yaitu temperatur dan salinitas air ekosistem hutan bakau. Data dikoleksi dengan  kuadrat plot dengan bantuan transek. Ukuran plot pada ekosistem hutan bakau, hutan ekoton dan hutan legong 20mx20m dengan ulangan 4x. Sedangkan  padang rumput yang jarang pohon, ukuran plot 100mx100m dengan ulangan 4x. Data dicuplik berupa: cacah jenis, densitas dan growth form penyusun vegetasi.  Data ἀsikokimia  tanah, udara dan air dicuplik di bawah kanopi dan gap kanopi. Hasil yang diperoleh tipe ekosistem habitat di Pulau Besar lebih banyak daripada di Pulau Kecil yaitu ekosistem hutan bakau, hutan ekoton, hutan sabana, dan hutan legong. Cacah jenis, densitas dan growth form di Pulau Besar juga lebih tinggi daripada di Pulau Kecil. Hal ini merespon tekstur tanah, kadar NO3, kadar NH4 dan temperatur. Pada Pulau Kecil, ditemukan ancaman dengan densitas yang cukup tinggi per 4 ha yaitu sapling L. glauca 179 individu, A. lebbeck 353 individu dan semak L. camara 169 individu. Hal ini membuktikan bahwa pembakaran hutan sabana dengan skala kecil menjaga ketersediaan sabana di Pulau Besar, sehingga komodo akan terlindungi.   This study

Heavy metals in reindeer and their forage plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. Eriksson

1990-09-01

Full Text Available An attempt was made to assess the level of heavy metal transfer from forage plants to reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L. in an area in northern Lapland affected from dust from an open pit copper mine. Botanical analyses of rumen contents from reindeer provided information about the main plant species in the diet. Representative plant material was collected from sample plots within an 8 km radius from the central part of the mine and from a reference area situated about 200 km upwind of the mining site. The following plant species were analysed: Bryoria jremontii, Br. juscescens, Cladina rangiferina, Equisetum fluviatile, Descbampsiaflexuosa, Eriopborum vaginatum, Salix glauca, Salix pbylicifolia, Betula nana, and Vaccini-um myrtillus. The greatest difference between metal concentrations in the plants collected from dust contaminated area and from the reference area was found in lichens. Copper is the main metallic component of the ore and was found in higher concentrations in lichens coming from the area around the mine than in lichens from the reference area. Smaller differences were found in vascular plants. Dust particles, remaining on outer surfaces after snow smelt contributed to a limited extent to the metal contents. Species—specific accumulation of metals was observed in some plants. The uptake of lead and cadmium in some vascular plants was somewhat higher in the reference area compared with plants growing in the perifery of the mining center, probably due to the metal concentrations in the bedrock. Organ material (liver and kidney was collected from reindeer in both areas. No noticable effect on metal concentrations in the liver of the reindeer were found. Although the lead, cadmium and copper concentrations were higher in the organs collected from animals in the reference area than in those from the mining area, the levels were still below the concentrations regarded as harmful for the animals from toxicological point of view. The

Oil sands terrestrial habitat and risk modeling for disturbance and reclamation - Phase I report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Welham, C. [FORRx Consulting Inc., Belcarra, BC (Canada)

2010-11-15

The main purpose of this study is to build a framework that includes risk management and strategic decision-making to assess the impact of natural and industrial disturbance on ecosystem products and services and on the existence of habitat for terrestrial species in Alberta's Lower Athabasca planning region. This will include an evaluation of the impact of disturbance, conservation and reclamation activities associated with oil sands development both at the lease and regional levels. The basecase scenario, established in Phase I, includes a dendrochronology study of the link between climate and tree growth in the sub boreal region that comprises oil sands mining, an analysis of habitat availability for 10 wildlife species compared with reclamation activities on the Kearl Lake mine, and an examination of the potential for development of high levels of water stress in recent reclamation plantations at the Kearl Lake mine. Four tree species of the subboreal forests of Alberta and Saskatchewan were considered for the dendrochronology study: the white spruce or Picea glauca, the black spruce or Picea mariana, the jack pine or Pinus banksiana, and the trembling aspen or Populus tremuloides. This study shows that the water stress observed during the year has restricted the radial growth of white spruce and a link has been established between radial growth and increasing season precipitation and summer temperatures. The purposes of the habitat suitability analysis were to list habitats suitability models that could be applied to Alberta boreal forests, distinguish the parameters used in those models that can be simulated with an ecosystem simulation model, simulate the reclamation prescriptions detailed in the Kearl Lake EIA documents with the ecosystem simulation model and generate output suitable for populating each habitat suitability model. The establishment of ecologically viable reclamation plans in the oil sands region can be hard to manage regarding the

Host Suitability of 32 Common Weeds to Meloidogyne hapla in Organic Soils of Southwestern Quebec

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Bélair, G.; Benoit, D. L.

1996-01-01

Thirty-two weeds commonly found in the organic soils of southwestern Quebec were evaluated for host suitability to a local isolate of the northern root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla under greenhouse conditions. Galls were observed on the roots of 21 species. Sixteen of the 21 had a reproduction factor (Pf/Pi = final number of M. hapla eggs and juveniles per initial number of M. hapla juveniles per pot) higher than carrot (Pf/Pi = 0.37), the major host crop in this agricultural area. Tomato cv. Rutgers was also included as a susceptible host and had the highest Pf/Pi value of 13.7. Bidens cernua, B. frondosa, B. vulgata, Erysimum cheiranthoides, Eupatorium maculatum, Matricaria matricarioides, Polygonum scabrum, Thalictrum pubescens, Veronica agrestis, and Sium suave are new host records for M. hapla. Bidens cernua, B. frondosa, B. wulgata, D. carota, M. matricarioides, Pasticana sativa, P. scabrum, S. suave, and Thlaspi arvense sustained moderate to high galling by M. hapla and supported high M. hapla production (12.4 ≤ Pf/Pi ≥ 2.9). Capsella bursa-pastoris, Chrysanthemum leucanthemum, Gnaphalium uliginosum, Stellaria media, and Veronica agrestis sustained moderate galling and supported moderate M. hapla reproduction (2.8 ≤ Pf/Pi ≥ 0.5). Chenopodium album, C. glaucum, E. cheiranthoides, P. convolvulus, Portulaca oleracea, and Rorippa islandica supported low reproduction (0.25 ≤ Pf/Pi ≥ 0.02) and sustained low galling. Galling was observed on Senecio vulgaris but no eggs or juveniles; thus, S. vulgaris may be useful as a trap plant. Eupatorium maculatum, and T. pubescens harbored no distinct galling but supported low to moderate M. hapla reproduction, respectively. Amaranthus retroflexus, Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Echinochloa crusgalli, Erigeron canadensis, Oenothera parviflora, Panicum capillare, Setaria glauca, S. viridis, and Solidago canadensis were nonhosts. Our results demonstrate the importance of adequate weed control in an integrated program

DNA Barcoding the Canadian Arctic Flora: Core Plastid Barcodes (rbcL + matK) for 490 Vascular Plant Species

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Saarela, Jeffery M.; Sokoloff, Paul C.; Gillespie, Lynn J.; Consaul, Laurie L.; Bull, Roger D.

2013-01-01

Accurate identification of Arctic plant species is critical for understanding potential climate-induced changes in their diversity and distributions. To facilitate rapid identification we generated DNA barcodes for the core plastid barcode loci (rbcL and matK) for 490 vascular plant species, representing nearly half of the Canadian Arctic flora and 93% of the flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Sequence recovery was higher for rbcL than matK (93% and 81%), and rbcL was easier to recover than matK from herbarium specimens (92% and 77%). Distance-based and sequence-similarity analyses of combined rbcL + matK data discriminate 97% of genera, 56% of species, and 7% of infraspecific taxa. There is a significant negative correlation between the number of species sampled per genus and the percent species resolution per genus. We characterize barcode variation in detail in the ten largest genera sampled (Carex, Draba, Festuca, Pedicularis, Poa, Potentilla, Puccinellia, Ranunculus, Salix, and Saxifraga) in the context of their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy. Discrimination with the core barcode loci in these genera ranges from 0% in Salix to 85% in Carex. Haplotype variation in multiple genera does not correspond to species boundaries, including Taraxacum, in which the distribution of plastid haplotypes among Arctic species is consistent with plastid variation documented in non-Arctic species. Introgression of Poa glauca plastid DNA into multiple individuals of P. hartzii is problematic for identification of these species with DNA barcodes. Of three supplementary barcode loci (psbA–trnH, psbK–psbI, atpF–atpH) collected for a subset of Poa and Puccinellia species, only atpF–atpH improved discrimination in Puccinellia, compared with rbcL and matK. Variation in matK in Vaccinium uliginosum and rbcL in Saxifraga oppositifolia corresponds to variation in other loci used to characterize the phylogeographic histories of these Arctic-alpine species. PMID

A SNP resource for Douglas-fir: de novo transcriptome assembly and SNP detection and validation.

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Howe, Glenn T; Yu, Jianbin; Knaus, Brian; Cronn, Richard; Kolpak, Scott; Dolan, Peter; Lorenz, W Walter; Dean, Jeffrey F D

2013-02-28

Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), one of the most economically and ecologically important tree species in the world, also has one of the largest tree breeding programs. Although the coastal and interior varieties of Douglas-fir (vars. menziesii and glauca) are native to North America, the coastal variety is also widely planted for timber production in Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and Chile. Our main goal was to develop a SNP resource large enough to facilitate genomic selection in Douglas-fir breeding programs. To accomplish this, we developed a 454-based reference transcriptome for coastal Douglas-fir, annotated and evaluated the quality of the reference, identified putative SNPs, and then validated a sample of those SNPs using the Illumina Infinium genotyping platform. We assembled a reference transcriptome consisting of 25,002 isogroups (unique gene models) and 102,623 singletons from 2.76 million 454 and Sanger cDNA sequences from coastal Douglas-fir. We identified 278,979 unique SNPs by mapping the 454 and Sanger sequences to the reference, and by mapping four datasets of Illumina cDNA sequences from multiple seed sources, genotypes, and tissues. The Illumina datasets represented coastal Douglas-fir (64.00 and 13.41 million reads), interior Douglas-fir (80.45 million reads), and a Yakima population similar to interior Douglas-fir (8.99 million reads). We assayed 8067 SNPs on 260 trees using an Illumina Infinium SNP genotyping array. Of these SNPs, 5847 (72.5%) were called successfully and were polymorphic. Based on our validation efficiency, our SNP database may contain as many as ~200,000 true SNPs, and as many as ~69,000 SNPs that could be genotyped at ~20,000 gene loci using an Infinium II array-more SNPs than are needed to use genomic selection in tree breeding programs. Ultimately, these genomic resources will enhance Douglas-fir breeding and allow us to better understand landscape-scale patterns of genetic variation and potential responses to

Highly effective, regiospecific reduction of chalcone by cyanobacteria leads to the formation of dihydrochalcone: two steps towards natural sweetness.

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Żyszka, Beata; Anioł, Mirosław; Lipok, Jacek

2017-08-04

Chalcones are the biogenetic precursors of all known flavonoids, which play an essential role in various metabolic processes in photosynthesizing organisms. The use of whole cyanobacteria cells in a two-step, light-catalysed regioselective bio-reduction of chalcone, leading to the formation of the corresponding dihydrochalcone, is reported. The prokaryotic microalgae cyanobacteria are known to produce phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, as natural components of cells. It seems logical that organisms producing such compounds possess a suitable "enzymatic apparatus" to carry out their biotransformation. Therefore, determination of the ability of whole cells of selected cyanobacteria to carry out biocatalytic transformations of chalcone, the biogenetic precursor of all known flavonoids, was the aim of our study. Chalcone was found to be converted to dihydrochalcone by all examined cyanobacterial strains; however, the effectiveness of this process depends on the strain with biotransformation yields ranging from 3% to >99%. The most effective biocatalysts are Anabaena laxa, Aphanizomenon klebahnii, Nodularia moravica, Synechocystis aquatilis (>99% yield) and Merismopedia glauca (92% yield). The strains Anabaena sp. and Chroococcus minutus transformed chalcone in more than one way, forming a few products; however, dihydrochalcone was the dominant product. The course of biotransformation shed light on the pathway of chalcone conversion, indicating that the process proceeds through the intermediate cis-chalcone. The scaled-up process, conducted on a preparative scale and by using a mini-pilot photobioreactor, fully confirmed the high effectiveness of this bioconversion. Moreover, in the case of the mini-pilot photobioreactor batch cultures, the optimization of culturing conditions allowed the shortening of the process conducted by A. klebahnii by 50% (from 8 to 4 days), maintaining its >99% yield. This is the first report related to the use of whole cells of

Recent climatic drying leads to age-independent growth reductions of white spruce stands in western Canada.

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Hogg, Edward H; Michaelian, Michael; Hook, Trisha I; Undershultz, Michael E

2017-12-01

Since 2001, climatic conditions have been notably drier than normal across large areas of the western Canadian interior, leading to widespread impacts on the forests of this region. This poses a major concern for the future, given climate change projections for continued warming and drying. We conducted tree-ring analysis in 75 pure stands of white spruce (Picea glauca) across Alberta and west-central Saskatchewan to examine the effects of recent climatic drying on the growth of this important boreal tree species. Allometric equations were used to calculate annual growth in aboveground tree biomass (G BM ) from ring width measurements. Results showed an increasing trend in G BM from the 1960s to the 1990s, followed by a sharp decline during the severe drought of 2001-2002. Of the 75 stands, only 18 recovered sufficiently to cause an increase in mean G BM from the predrought decade of 1991-2000 to the subsequent decade of 2001-2010. The remaining 57 stands exhibited a decline in mean G BM between these decades. Climatic drying was a major cause of the growth decline, as shown by the significant stand-level relationship between percentage change in decadal mean G BM and the change in decadal mean values of a climate moisture index from 1991-2000 to 2001-2010. Subsequent analyses of boreal stands sampled across Alberta during 2015 revealed that white spruce growth had declined even further as drought conditions intensified during 2014-2015. Overall, there was a 38% decrease in mean G BM between 1997 and 2015, but surprisingly, the percentage decrease was not significantly different for young, productive stands compared with older, less productive stands. Thus, stand ageing cannot explain the observed decline in white spruce growth during the past quarter century, suggesting that these forests are at risk if the trend towards more frequent, severe drought continues in the region. © 2017 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Global Change Biology ©2017 John Wiley

Predicting tree biomass growth in the temperate-boreal ecotone: is tree size, age, competition or climate response most important?

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Foster, Jane R.; Finley, Andrew O.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Bradford, John B.; Banerjee, Sudipto

2016-01-01

As global temperatures rise, variation in annual climate is also changing, with unknown consequences for forest biomes. Growing forests have the ability to capture atmospheric CO2and thereby slow rising CO2 concentrations. Forests’ ongoing ability to sequester C depends on how tree communities respond to changes in climate variation. Much of what we know about tree and forest response to climate variation comes from tree-ring records. Yet typical tree-ring datasets and models do not capture the diversity of climate responses that exist within and among trees and species. We address this issue using a model that estimates individual tree response to climate variables while accounting for variation in individuals’ size, age, competitive status, and spatially structured latent covariates. Our model allows for inference about variance within and among species. We quantify how variables influence aboveground biomass growth of individual trees from a representative sample of 15 northern or southern tree species growing in a transition zone between boreal and temperate biomes. Individual trees varied in their growth response to fluctuating mean annual temperature and summer moisture stress. The variation among individuals within a species was wider than mean differences among species. The effects of mean temperature and summer moisture stress interacted, such that warm years produced positive responses to summer moisture availability and cool years produced negative responses. As climate models project significant increases in annual temperatures, growth of species likeAcer saccharum, Quercus rubra, and Picea glauca will vary more in response to summer moisture stress than in the past. The magnitude of biomass growth variation in response to annual climate was 92–95% smaller than responses to tree size and age. This means that measuring or predicting the physical structure of current and future forests could tell us more about future C dynamics than growth

Species composition of the international shark fin trade assessed through a retail-market survey in Hong Kong.

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Fields, Andrew T; Fischer, Gunter A; Shea, Stanley K H; Zhang, Huarong; Abercrombie, Debra L; Feldheim, Kevin A; Babcock, Elizabeth A; Chapman, Demian D

2018-04-01

The shark fin trade is a major driver of shark exploitation in fisheries all over the world, most of which are not managed on a species-specific basis. Species-specific trade information highlights taxa of particular concern and can be used to assess the efficacy of management measures and anticipate emerging threats. The species composition of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China, one of the world's largest fin trading hubs, was partially assessed in 1999-2001. We randomly selected and genetically identified fin trimmings (n = 4800), produced during fin processing, from the retail market of Hong Kong in 2014-2015 to assess contemporary species composition of the fin trade. We used nonparametric species estimators to determine that at least 76 species of sharks, batoids, and chimaeras supplied the fin trade and a Bayesian model to determine their relative proportion in the market. The diversity of traded species suggests species substitution could mask depletion of vulnerable species; one-third of identified species are threatened with extinction. The Bayesian model suggested that 8 species each comprised >1% of the fin trimmings (34.1-64.2% for blue [Prionace glauca], 0.2-1.2% for bull [Carcharhinus leucas] and shortfin mako [Isurus oxyrinchus]); thus, trade was skewed to a few globally distributed species. Several other coastal sharks, batoids, and chimaeras are in the trade but poorly managed. Fewer than 10 of the species we modeled have sustainably managed fisheries anywhere in their range, and the most common species in trade, the blue shark, was not among them. Our study and approach serve as a baseline to track changes in composition of species in the fin trade over time to better understand patterns of exploitation and assess the effects of emerging management actions for these animals. © 2017 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

Ecology of megabenthic bivalve communities from sandy beaches on the south coast of Portugal

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Marta M. Rufino

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Ecological aspects of 75 megabenthic bivalve species found on the south coast of Portugal (from Vila Real to Sagres were studied based on the information provided by seasonal bivalve surveys from 2000 to 2007 (8600 hauls, simultaneously using a razor shell dredge and a clam dredge. Of the 75 species identified, 36 occurred less than 30 times, and thus were considered rare in the area. The remaining 39 bivalves were analysed according to their occurrence, bathymetric distribution, geographic preferences, seasonal preferences, burying-depth, beach exposure and river mouth proximity. All species belonging to the Pharidae and Solenidae families (razor shells and most Tellinidae were significantly more frequent in the razor shell dredge (indicating deeper burying in the sediment, whilst the families Cardiidae and Donacidae were significantly more frequent in the clam dredge (indicating that these species are probably closer to the sediment surface. As for the season, most bivalve species occurred similarly in both seasons (19 sp; 49%, but a large proportion were more abundant during the autumn surveys (17 sp., 44%, whereas only three species were commoner during the spring surveys. Most species belonging to the families Cardiidae and Mactridae were commoner in the autumn surveys. The spatial distribution differed between species and cluster analysis identified four communities with greater geographic affinity. Species belonging to the family Cardiidae were preferably found in the western part (WB and the eastern part (S of the study area, whereas the families Donacidae, Mactridae and Tellinidae occurred mainly in the central area (EB and the eastern (S coastal sectors. Overall, shallower species (modal depth at 3-6 m showed greater occurrences and abundances than the deeper ones, and the depth pattern observed did not change between seasons. Donacidae and Mactridae (except Mactra glauca were represented essentially by shallow species, whereas

A comparison of pine and spruce in recovery from winter stress; changes in recovery kinetics, and the abundance and phosphorylation status of photosynthetic proteins during winter.

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Merry, Ryan; Jerrard, Jacob; Frebault, Julia; Verhoeven, Amy

2017-09-01

During winter evergreens maintain a sustained form of thermal energy dissipation that results in reduced photochemical efficiency measured using the chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm. Eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] have been shown to differ in their rate of recovery of Fv/Fm from winter stress. The goal of this study was to monitor changes in photosynthetic protein abundance and phosphorylation status during winter recovery that accompany these functional changes. An additional goal was to determine whether light-dependent changes in light harvesting complex II (LHCII) phosphorylation occur during winter conditions. We used a combination of field measurements and recovery experiments to monitor chlorophyll fluorescence and photosynthetic protein content and phosphorylation status. We found that pine recovered three times more slowly than spruce, and that the kinetics of recovery in spruce included a rapid and slow component, while in pine there was only a rapid component to recovery. Both species retained relatively high amounts of the light harvesting protein Lhcb5 (CP26) and the PsbS protein during winter, suggesting a role for these proteins in sustained thermal dissipation. Both species maintained high phosphorylation of LHCII and the D1 protein in darkness during winter. Pine and spruce differed in the kinetics of the dephosphorylation of LHCII and D1 upon warming, suggesting the rate of dephosphorylation of LHCII and D1 may be important in the rapid component of recovery from winter stress. Finally, we demonstrated that light-dependent changes in LHII phosphorylation do not continue to occur on subzero winter days and that needles are maintained in a phosphorylation pattern consistent with the high light conditions to which those needles are exposed. Our results suggest a role for retained phosphorylation of both LHCII and D1 in maintenance of the photosynthetic machinery in a winter conformation

Predicting tree biomass growth in the temperate-boreal ecotone: Is tree size, age, competition, or climate response most important?

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Foster, Jane R; Finley, Andrew O; D'Amato, Anthony W; Bradford, John B; Banerjee, Sudipto

2016-06-01

As global temperatures rise, variation in annual climate is also changing, with unknown consequences for forest biomes. Growing forests have the ability to capture atmospheric CO2 and thereby slow rising CO2 concentrations. Forests' ongoing ability to sequester C depends on how tree communities respond to changes in climate variation. Much of what we know about tree and forest response to climate variation comes from tree-ring records. Yet typical tree-ring datasets and models do not capture the diversity of climate responses that exist within and among trees and species. We address this issue using a model that estimates individual tree response to climate variables while accounting for variation in individuals' size, age, competitive status, and spatially structured latent covariates. Our model allows for inference about variance within and among species. We quantify how variables influence aboveground biomass growth of individual trees from a representative sample of 15 northern or southern tree species growing in a transition zone between boreal and temperate biomes. Individual trees varied in their growth response to fluctuating mean annual temperature and summer moisture stress. The variation among individuals within a species was wider than mean differences among species. The effects of mean temperature and summer moisture stress interacted, such that warm years produced positive responses to summer moisture availability and cool years produced negative responses. As climate models project significant increases in annual temperatures, growth of species like Acer saccharum, Quercus rubra, and Picea glauca will vary more in response to summer moisture stress than in the past. The magnitude of biomass growth variation in response to annual climate was 92-95% smaller than responses to tree size and age. This means that measuring or predicting the physical structure of current and future forests could tell us more about future C dynamics than growth responses

Relating structural growth environment to white spruce sapling establishment at the Forest-Tundra Ecotone

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Maguire, A.; Boelman, N.; Griffin, K. L.; Jensen, J.; Hiers, E.; Johnson, D. M.; Vierling, L. A.; Eitel, J.

2017-12-01

The effect of climate change on treeline position at the latitudinal Forest-Tundra ecotone (FTE) is poorly understood. While the FTE is expansive (stretching 13,000 km acros the panarctic), understanding relationships between climate and tree function may depend on very fine scale processes. High resolution tools are therefore needed to appropriately characterize the leading (northernmost) edge of the FTE. We hypothesized that microstructural metrics obtainable from lidar remote sensing may explain variation in the physical growth environment that governs sapling establishment. To test our hypothesis, we used terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to collect highly spatially resolved 3-D structural information of white spruce (Picea glauca) saplings and their aboveground growth environment at the leading edge of a FTE in northern Alaska and Northwest Territories, Canada. Coordinates of sapling locations were extracted from the 3-D TLS data. Within each sampling plot, 20 sets of coordinates were randomly selected from regions where no saplings were present. Ground roughness, canopy roughness, average aspect, average slope, average curvature, wind shelter index, and wetness indexwere extracted from point clouds within a variable radius from all coordinates. Generalized linear models (GLM) were fit to determine which microstructural metrics were most strongly associated with sapling establishment. Preliminary analyses of three plots suggest that vegetation roughness, wetness index, ground roughness, and slope were the most important terrain metrics governing sapling presence (Figure 1). Comprehensive analyses will include eight plots and GLMs optimized for scale at which structural parameters affect sapling establishment. Spatial autocorrelation of sample locations will be accounted for in models. Because these analyses address how the physical growth environment affects sapling establishment, model outputs will provide information for improving understanding of the

Warming drives a front of white spruce establishment near western treeline, Alaska.

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Miller, Amy E; Wilson, Tammy L; Sherriff, Rosemary L; Walton, James

2017-12-01

Regional warming has led to increased productivity near the boreal forest margin in Alaska. To date, the effects of warming on seedling recruitment have received little attention, in spite of forecasted forest expansion. Here, we used stand structure and environmental data from 95 white spruce (Picea glauca) plots sampled across a longitudinal gradient in southwest Alaska to explore factors influencing spruce establishment and recruitment near western treeline. We used total counts of live seedlings, saplings, and trees, representing five life stages, to evaluate whether geospatial, climate, and measured plot covariates predicted abundance, using current abundance distributions as a surrogate for climate conditions in the past. We used generalized linear models to test the null hypothesis that conditions favorable for recruitment were similar along the environmental gradient represented by longitude, by exploring relationships between per-plot counts of each life stage and the covariates hypothesized to affect abundance. We also examined the relationship between growing degree days (GDD) and seedling establishment over a period of three decades using tree-ring chronologies obtained from cores taken at a subset of our sites (n = 30). Our results indicated that seedling, sapling, and tree abundance were positively correlated with temperature across the study area. The response to longitude was mixed, with earlier life stages (seedlings, saplings) most abundant at the western end of the gradient, and later life stages (trees) most abundant to the east. The differential relationship between longitude and life-stage abundance suggests a moving front of white spruce establishment through time, driven by changes in environmental conditions near the species' western range limit. Likewise, we found a positive relationship between periods of seedling establishment and GDD, suggesting that longer summers and/or greater heat accumulation might enhance establishment

Molecular Identification of Shark Meat From Local Markets in Southern Brazil Based on DNA Barcoding: Evidence for Mislabeling and Trade of Endangered Species.

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Almerón-Souza, Fernanda; Sperb, Christian; Castilho, Carolina L; Figueiredo, Pedro I C C; Gonçalves, Leonardo T; Machado, Rodrigo; Oliveira, Larissa R; Valiati, Victor H; Fagundes, Nelson J R

2018-01-01

Elasmobranchs, the group of cartilaginous fishes that include sharks and rays, are especially vulnerable to overfishing due to low fecundity and late sexual maturation. A significant number of elasmobranch species are currently overexploited or threatened by fisheries activities. Additionally, several recent reports have indicated that there has been a reduction in regional elasmobranch population sizes. Brazil is an important player in elasmobranch fisheries and one of the largest importers of shark meat. However, carcasses entering the shark meat market have usually had their fins and head removed, which poses a challenge to reliable species identification based on the morphology of captured individuals. This is further complicated by the fact that the internal Brazilian market trades several different elasmobranch species under a common popular name: "cação." The use of such imprecise nomenclature, even among governmental agencies, is problematic for both controlling the negative effects of shark consumption and informing the consumer about the origins of the product. In this study, we used DNA barcoding (mtDNA, COI gene) to identify, at the species level, "cação" samples available in local markets from Southern Brazil. We collected 63 samples traded as "cação," which we found to correspond to 20 different species. These included two teleost species: Xiphias gladius ( n = 1) and Genidens barbus ( n = 6), and 18 species from seven elasmobranch orders (Carcharhiniformes, n = 42; Squaliformes, n = 3; Squatiniformes, n = 2; Rhinopristiformes, n = 4; Myliobatiformes, n = 3; Rajiformes, n = 1; and Torpediniformes, n = 1). The most common species in our sample were Prionace glauca ( n = 15) and Sphyrna lewini ( n = 14), while all other species were represented by four samples or less. Considering IUCN criteria, 47% of the elasmobranch species found are threatened at the global level, while 53% are threatened and 47% are critically endangered in Brazil. These

Morpho-physiological variation of white spruce seedlings from various seed sources and implications for deployment under climate change

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Isabelle Villeneuve

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Because of changes in climatic conditions, tree seeds originating from breeding programs may no longer be suited to sites where they are currently sent. As a consequence, new seed zones may have to be delineated. Assisted migration consists of transferring seed sources that match the future climatic conditions to which they are currently adapted. It represents a strategy that could be used to mitigate the potential negative consequences of climate change on forest productivity. Decisions with regard to the choice of the most appropriate seed sources have to rely on appropriate knowledge of morpho-physiological responses of trees. To meet this goal, white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss seedlings from eight seed orchards were evaluated during two years in a forest nursery, and at the end of the first growing season on three plantation sites located in different bioclimatic domains in Quebec.The morpho-physiological responses obtained at the end of the second growing season (2+0 in the nursery made it possible to cluster the orchards into three distinct groups. Modelling growth curves of these different groups showed that the height growth of seedlings from the second-generation and southern first-generation seed orchards was significantly higher than that of those from other orchards, by at least 6%. A multiple regression model with three climatic variables (average growing season temperature, average July temperature, length of the growing season showed that the final height of seedlings (2+0 from the first-generation seed orchards was significantly related to the local climatic conditions at the orchard sites of origin where parental trees from surrounding natural populations were sampled to provide grafts for orchard establishment. Seedling height growth was significantly affected by both seed source origins and planting sites, but the relative ranking of the different seed sources was maintained regardless of reforestation site. This

Factors affecting spruce establishment and recruitment near western treeline, Alaska

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Miller, A. E.; Sherriff, R.; Wilson, T. L.

2015-12-01

Regional warming and increases in tree growth are contributing to increased productivity near the western forest margin in Alaska. The effects of warming on seedling recruitment has received little attention, in spite of forecasted forest expansion near western treeline. Here, we used stand structure and environmental data from white spruce (Picea glauca) stands (n = 95) sampled across a longitudinal gradient to explore factors influencing white spruce growth, establishment and recruitment in southwest Alaska. Using tree-ring chronologies developed from a subset of the plots (n = 30), we estimated establishment dates and basal area increment (BAI) for trees of all age classes across a range of site conditions. We used GLMs (generalized linear models) to explore the relationship between tree growth and temperature in undisturbed, low elevation sites along the gradient, using BAI averaged over the years 1975-2000. In addition, we examined the relationship between growing degree days (GDD) and seedling establishment over the previous three decades. We used total counts of live seedlings, saplings and live and dead trees, representing four cohorts, to evaluate whether geospatial, climate, and measured plot covariates predicted abundance of the different size classes. We hypothesized that the relationship between abundance and longitude would vary by size class, and that this relationship would be mediated by growing season temperature. We found that mean BAI for trees in undisturbed, low elevation sites increased with July maximum temperature, and that the slope of the relationship with temperature changed with longitude (interaction significant with 90% confidence). White spruce establishment was positively associated with longer summers and/or greater heat accumulation, as inferred from GDD. Seedling, sapling and tree abundance were also positively correlated with temperature across the study area. The response to longitude was mixed, with smaller size classes

Glaucarubinone sensitizes KB cells to paclitaxel by inhibiting ABC transporters via ROS-dependent and p53-mediated activation of apoptotic signaling pathways.

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Karthikeyan, Subburayan; Hoti, Sugeerappa Laxmanappa; Nazeer, Yasin; Hegde, Harsha Vasudev

2016-07-05

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is considered to be the major contributor to failure of chemotherapy in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). This study was aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of glaucarubinone (GLU), one of the major quassinoids from Simarouba glauca DC, in potentiating cytotoxicity of paclitaxel (PTX), an anticancer drug in KB cells. Our data showed that the administration of GLU pre-treatment significantly enhanced PTX anti-proliferative effect in ABCB1 over-expressing KB cells. The Rh 123 drug efflux studies revealed that there was a significant transport function inhibition by GLU-PTX treatment. Interestingly, it was also found that this enhanced anticancer efficacy of GLU was associated with PTX-induced cell arrest in the G2/M phase of cell cycle. Further, the combined treatment of GLU-PTX had significant decrease in the expression levels of P-gp, MRPs, and BCRP in resistant KB cells at both mRNA and protein levels. Furthermore, the combination treatments showed significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, chromatin condensation and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential in resistant KB cells. The results from DNA fragmentation analysis also demonstrated the GLU induced apoptosis in KB cells and its synergy with PTX. Importantly, GLU and/or PTX triggered apoptosis through the activation of pro-apoptotic proteins such as p53, Bax, and caspase-9. Our findings demonstrated for the first time that GLU causes cell death in human oral cancer cells via the ROS-dependent suppression of MDR transporters and p53-mediated activation of the intrinsic mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis. Additionally, the present study also focussed on investigation of the protective effect of GLU and combination drugs in human normal blood lymphocytes. Normal blood lymphocytes assay indicated that GLU is able to induce selective toxicity in cancer cells and in silico molecular docking studies support the choice of GLU as ABC inhibitor to enhance PTX efficacy

C and N content in density fractions of whole soil and soil size fraction under cacao agroforestry systems and natural forest in Bahia, Brazil.

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Rita, Joice Cleide O; Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela Forestieri; Gama-Rodrigues, Antonio Carlos; Polidoro, Jose Carlos; Machado, Regina Cele R; Baligar, Virupax C

2011-07-01

Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have an important role in capturing above and below ground soil carbon and play a dominant role in mitigation of atmospheric CO(2). Attempts has been made here to identify soil organic matter fractions in the cacao-AFSs that have different susceptibility to microbial decomposition and further represent the basis of understanding soil C dynamics. The objective of this study was to characterize the organic matter density fractions and soil size fractions in soils of two types of cacao agroforestry systems and to compare with an adjacent natural forest in Bahia, Brazil. The land-use systems studied were: (1) a 30-year-old stand of natural forest with cacao (cacao cabruca), (2) a 30-year-old stand of cacao with Erythrina glauca as shade trees (cacao + erythrina), and (3) an adjacent natural forest without cacao. Soil samples were collected from 0-10 cm depth layer in reddish-yellow Oxisols. Soil samples was separated by wet sieving into five fraction-size classes (>2000 μm, 1000-2000 μm, 250-1000 μm, 53-250 μm, and 2000 μm) mixed with macroaggregates (32-34%), and microaggregates (1-1.3%). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N content increased with increasing soil size fraction in all land-use systems. Organic C-to-total N ratio was higher in the macroaggregate than in the microaggregate. In general, in natural forest and cacao cabruca the contribution of C and N in the light and heavy fractions was similar. However, in cacao + erythrina the heavy fraction was the most common and contributed 67% of C and 63% of N. Finding of this study shows that the majority of C and N in all three systems studied are found in macroaggregates, particularly in the 250-1000 μm size aggregate class. The heavy fraction was the most common organic matter fraction in these soils. Thus, in mature cacao AFS on highly weathered soils the main mechanisms of C stabilization could be the physical protection within macroaggregate structures thereby

C and N Content in Density Fractions of Whole Soil and Soil Size Fraction Under Cacao Agroforestry Systems and Natural Forest in Bahia, Brazil

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Rita, Joice Cleide O.; Gama-Rodrigues, Emanuela Forestieri; Gama-Rodrigues, Antonio Carlos; Polidoro, Jose Carlos; Machado, Regina Cele R.; Baligar, Virupax C.

2011-07-01

Agroforestry systems (AFSs) have an important role in capturing above and below ground soil carbon and play a dominant role in mitigation of atmospheric CO2. Attempts has been made here to identify soil organic matter fractions in the cacao-AFSs that have different susceptibility to microbial decomposition and further represent the basis of understanding soil C dynamics. The objective of this study was to characterize the organic matter density fractions and soil size fractions in soils of two types of cacao agroforestry systems and to compare with an adjacent natural forest in Bahia, Brazil. The land-use systems studied were: (1) a 30-year-old stand of natural forest with cacao (cacao cabruca), (2) a 30-year-old stand of cacao with Erythrina glauca as shade trees (cacao + erythrina), and (3) an adjacent natural forest without cacao. Soil samples were collected from 0-10 cm depth layer in reddish-yellow Oxisols. Soil samples was separated by wet sieving into five fraction-size classes (>2000 μm, 1000-2000 μm, 250-1000 μm, 53-250 μm, and cacao AFS soils consisted mainly (65 %) of mega-aggregates (>2000 μm) mixed with macroaggregates (32-34%), and microaggregates (1-1.3%). Soil organic carbon (SOC) and total N content increased with increasing soil size fraction in all land-use systems. Organic C-to-total N ratio was higher in the macroaggregate than in the microaggregate. In general, in natural forest and cacao cabruca the contribution of C and N in the light and heavy fractions was similar. However, in cacao + erythrina the heavy fraction was the most common and contributed 67% of C and 63% of N. Finding of this study shows that the majority of C and N in all three systems studied are found in macroaggregates, particularly in the 250-1000 μm size aggregate class. The heavy fraction was the most common organic matter fraction in these soils. Thus, in mature cacao AFS on highly weathered soils the main mechanisms of C stabilization could be the physical

Molecular Identification of Shark Meat From Local Markets in Southern Brazil Based on DNA Barcoding: Evidence for Mislabeling and Trade of Endangered Species

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Fernanda Almerón-Souza

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Elasmobranchs, the group of cartilaginous fishes that include sharks and rays, are especially vulnerable to overfishing due to low fecundity and late sexual maturation. A significant number of elasmobranch species are currently overexploited or threatened by fisheries activities. Additionally, several recent reports have indicated that there has been a reduction in regional elasmobranch population sizes. Brazil is an important player in elasmobranch fisheries and one of the largest importers of shark meat. However, carcasses entering the shark meat market have usually had their fins and head removed, which poses a challenge to reliable species identification based on the morphology of captured individuals. This is further complicated by the fact that the internal Brazilian market trades several different elasmobranch species under a common popular name: “cação.” The use of such imprecise nomenclature, even among governmental agencies, is problematic for both controlling the negative effects of shark consumption and informing the consumer about the origins of the product. In this study, we used DNA barcoding (mtDNA, COI gene to identify, at the species level, “cação” samples available in local markets from Southern Brazil. We collected 63 samples traded as “cação,” which we found to correspond to 20 different species. These included two teleost species: Xiphias gladius (n = 1 and Genidens barbus (n = 6, and 18 species from seven elasmobranch orders (Carcharhiniformes, n = 42; Squaliformes, n = 3; Squatiniformes, n = 2; Rhinopristiformes, n = 4; Myliobatiformes, n = 3; Rajiformes, n = 1; and Torpediniformes, n = 1. The most common species in our sample were Prionace glauca (n = 15 and Sphyrna lewini (n = 14, while all other species were represented by four samples or less. Considering IUCN criteria, 47% of the elasmobranch species found are threatened at the global level, while 53% are threatened and 47% are critically endangered

Tundra Rehabilitation in Alaska's Arctic

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Lynn, L. A.

2012-12-01

Oil exploration in Alaska's Arctic has been conducted for more than 40 years, resulting in over 3,640 ha of gravel fill placed for roads, pads, and airstrips to support the industry. Likewise, tundra disturbance from burying power lines and by tundra vehicle travel are also common. Rehabilitation of disturbed sites began around 2002, with well over 150 ha that has been previously treated or is currently being rehabilitated. Two primary goals of rehabilitation efforts have been 1) revegetation by indigenous species, and 2) limiting thermokarst. Early efforts were concerned that removing gravel and having exposed bare ground would lead to extensive subsidence and eolian erosion. Native grass cultivars (e.g. Poa glauca, Arctagrostis latifolia, and Festuca rubra) were seeded to create vegetation cover quickly with the expectation that these grasses would survive only temporarily. The root masses and leaf litter were also expected to trap indigenous seed to enhance natural recolonization by indigenous plants. Due to the remote location of these sites, many of which are only accessible by helicopter, most are visited only two to three times following cultivation treatments, providing a limited data pool. At many sites, the total live seeded grass cover declined about 15% over the first 5¬-6 years (from around 30% to 15% cover), while total live indigenous vascular cover increased from no or trace cover to an average of 10% cover in that time. Cover of indigenous vascular plants at sites that were not seeded with native grass cultivars averaged just less than 10% after 10 years, showing no appreciable difference between the two approaches. Final surface elevations at the sites affect local hydrology and soil moisture. Other factors that influence the success of vegetation cover are proximity to the Arctic coast (salt effects), depth of remaining gravel, and changes in characteristics of the near-surface soil. Further development of rehabilitation techniques and the

Nicotinic plant poisoning.

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Schep, Leo J; Slaughter, Robin J; Beasley, D Michael G

2009-09-01

A wide range of plants contain nicotinic and nicotinic-like alkaloids. Of this diverse group, those that have been reported to cause human poisoning appear to have similar mechanisms of toxicity and presenting patients therefore have comparable toxidromes. This review describes the taxonomy and principal alkaloids of plants that contain nicotinic and nicotinic-like alkaloids, with particular focus on those that are toxic to humans. The toxicokinetics and mechanisms of toxicity of these alkaloids are reviewed and the clinical features and management of poisoning due to these plants are described. This review was compiled by systematically searching OVID MEDLINE and ISI Web of Science. This identified 9,456 papers, excluding duplicates, all of which were screened. Reviewed plants and their principal alkaloids. Plants containing nicotine and nicotine-like alkaloids that have been reported to be poisonous to humans include Conium maculatum, Nicotiana glauca and Nicotiana tabacum, Laburnum anagyroides, and Caulophyllum thalictroides. They contain the toxic alkaloids nicotine, anabasine, cytisine, n-methylcytisine, coniine, n-methylconiine, and gamma-coniceine. These alkaloids act agonistically at nicotinic-type acetylcholine (cholinergic) receptors (nAChRs). The nicotinic-type acetylcholine receptor can vary both in its subunit composition and in its distribution within the body (the central and autonomic nervous systems, the neuromuscular junctions, and the adrenal medulla). Agonistic interaction at these variable sites may explain why the alkaloids have diverse effects depending on the administered dose and duration of exposure. Nicotine and nicotine-like alkaloids are absorbed readily across all routes of exposure and are rapidly and widely distributed, readily traversing the blood-brain barrier and the placenta, and are freely distributed in breast milk. Metabolism occurs predominantly in the liver followed by rapid renal elimination. Following acute exposure

Population trends in Pacific Oceanic sharks and the utility of regulations on shark finning.

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Clarke, Shelley C; Harley, Shelton J; Hoyle, Simon D; Rice, Joel S

2013-02-01

Accurate assessment of shark population status is essential for conservation but is often constrained by limited and unreliable data. To provide a basis for improved management of shark resources, we analyzed a long-term record of species-specific catches, sizes, and sexes of sharks collected by onboard observers in the western and central Pacific Ocean from 1995 to 2010. Using generalized linear models, we estimated population-status indicators on the basis of catch rate and biological indicators of fishing pressure on the basis of median size to identify trends for blue (Prionace glauca), mako (Isurus spp.), oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus), and silky (Carcharhinus falciformis) sharks. Standardized catch rates of longline fleets declined significantly for blue sharks in the North Pacific (by 5% per year [CI 2% to 8%]), for mako sharks in the North Pacific (by 7% per year [CI 3% to 11%]), and for oceanic whitetip sharks in tropical waters (by 17% per year [CI 14% to 20%]). Median lengths of silky and oceanic whitetip sharks decreased significantly in their core habitat, and almost all sampled silky sharks were immature. Our results are consistent with results of analyses of similar data sets. Combined, these results and evidence of targeted fishing for sharks in some regional fisheries heighten concerns for sustainable utilization, particularly for oceanic whitetip and North Pacific blue sharks. Regional regulations that prohibit shark finning (removal of fins and discarding of the carcass) were enacted in 2007 and are in many cases the only form of control on shark catches. However, there is little evidence of a reduction of finning in longline fisheries. In addition, silky and oceanic whitetip sharks are more frequently retained than finned, which suggests that even full implementation of and adherence to a finning prohibition may not substantially reduce mortality rates for these species. We argue that finning prohibitions divert attention from

Nesting ecology of boreal forest birds following a massive outbreak of spruce beetles

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Matsuoka, S.M.; Handel, C.M.

2007-01-01

We studied breeding dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), yellow-rumped warblers (Dendroica coronata), and spruce-nesting birds from 1997 to 1998 among forests with different levels of spruce (Picea spp.) mortality following an outbreak of spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis) in Alaska, USA. We identified species using live and beetle-killed spruce for nest sites and monitored nests to determine how the outbreak influenced avian habitat selection and reproduction. We tested predictions that 1) nesting success of ground-nesting juncos would increase with spruce mortality due to proliferation of understory vegetation available to conceal nests from predators, 2) nesting success of canopy-nesting warblers would decrease with spruce mortality due to fewer live spruce in which to conceal nests, and 3) both species would alter nest-site selection in response to disturbance. Juncos did not benefit from changes in understory vegetation; nesting success in highly disturbed stands (46%) was comparable to that in undisturbed habitats throughout their range. In stands with low spruce mortality, nesting success of juncos was low (5%) and corresponded with high densities of red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). Yellow-rumped warblers nested exclusively in spruce, but success did not vary with spruce mortality. As disturbance increased, nesting warblers switched from selecting forest patches with high densities of live white spruce (Picea glauca) to patches with beetle-killed spruce. Warblers also placed nests in large-diameter live or beetle-killed spruce, depending on which was more abundant in the stand, with no differences in nesting success. Five of the 12 other species of spruce-nesting birds also used beetle-killed spruce as nest sites. Because beetle-killed spruce can remain standing for >50 years, even highly disturbed stands provide an important breeding resource for boreal forest birds. We recommend that boreal forest managers preserve uncut blocks of infested

Tree phyllosphere bacterial communities: exploring the magnitude of intra- and inter-individual variation among host species

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Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Background The diversity and composition of the microbial community of tree leaves (the phyllosphere varies among trees and host species and along spatial, temporal, and environmental gradients. Phyllosphere community variation within the canopy of an individual tree exists but the importance of this variation relative to among-tree and among-species variation is poorly understood. Sampling techniques employed for phyllosphere studies include picking leaves from one canopy location to mixing randomly selected leaves from throughout the canopy. In this context, our goal was to characterize the relative importance of intra-individual variation in phyllosphere communities across multiple species, and compare this variation to inter-individual and interspecific variation of phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial communities in a natural temperate forest in Quebec, Canada. Methods We targeted five dominant temperate forest tree species including angiosperms and gymnosperms: Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Abies balsamea and Picea glauca. For one randomly selected tree of each species, we sampled microbial communities at six distinct canopy locations: bottom-canopy (1–2 m height, the four cardinal points of mid-canopy (2–4 m height, and the top-canopy (4–6 m height. We also collected bottom-canopy leaves from five additional trees from each species. Results Based on an analysis of bacterial community structure measured via Illumina sequencing of the bacterial 16S gene, we demonstrate that 65% of the intra-individual variation in leaf bacterial community structure could be attributed to the effect of inter-individual and inter-specific differences while the effect of canopy location was not significant. In comparison, host species identity explains 47% of inter-individual and inter-specific variation in leaf bacterial community structure followed by individual identity (32% and canopy location (6%. Discussion Our results suggest that

Ecophysiology and Growth of White Spruce Seedlings from Various Seed Sources along a Climatic Gradient Support the Need for Assisted Migration.

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Otis Prud'homme, Guillaume; Lamhamedi, Mohammed S; Benomar, Lahcen; Rainville, André; DeBlois, Josianne; Bousquet, Jean; Beaulieu, Jean

2017-01-01

With climate change, favorable growing conditions for tree species are shifting northwards and to higher altitudes. Therefore, local populations are becoming less adapted to their environment. Assisted migration is one of the proposed adaptive measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural populations and maintain forest productivity. It consists of moving genetic material to a territory where future climate conditions correspond to those of its current location. Eight white spruce ( Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) seed sources representing as many seed orchards were planted in 2013 at three forest sites simulating a south-north climatic gradient of 1.7°C in Québec, Canada. The objectives were to (1) evaluate the morpho-physiological responses of the different seed sources and (2) determine the role of genetic adaptation and physiological plasticity on the observed variation in morpho-physiological traits. Various seedling characteristics were measured, notably height growth from nursery to the fourth year on plantation. Other traits such as biomass and carbon allocation, nutritional status, and various photosynthetic traits before bud break, were evaluated during the fourth growing season. No interaction between sites and seed sources was observed for any traits, suggesting similar plasticity between seed sources. There was no change in the rank of seed sources and sites between years for height growth. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between the height from the nursery and that after 4 years in the plantation. Southern seed sources showed the best height growth, while optimum growth was observed at the central site. Juvenile height growth seems to be a good indicator of the juvenile carbon sequestration and could serve as a selection criterion for the best genetics sources for carbon sequestration. Vector analysis showed no nitrogen deficiency 4 years after planting. Neither seed sources nor planting sites had a significant effect on

Ecophysiology and Growth of White Spruce Seedlings from Various Seed Sources along a Climatic Gradient Support the Need for Assisted Migration

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Guillaume Otis Prud'homme

2018-01-01

Full Text Available With climate change, favorable growing conditions for tree species are shifting northwards and to higher altitudes. Therefore, local populations are becoming less adapted to their environment. Assisted migration is one of the proposed adaptive measures to reduce the vulnerability of natural populations and maintain forest productivity. It consists of moving genetic material to a territory where future climate conditions correspond to those of its current location. Eight white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss seed sources representing as many seed orchards were planted in 2013 at three forest sites simulating a south-north climatic gradient of 1.7°C in Québec, Canada. The objectives were to (1 evaluate the morpho-physiological responses of the different seed sources and (2 determine the role of genetic adaptation and physiological plasticity on the observed variation in morpho-physiological traits. Various seedling characteristics were measured, notably height growth from nursery to the fourth year on plantation. Other traits such as biomass and carbon allocation, nutritional status, and various photosynthetic traits before bud break, were evaluated during the fourth growing season. No interaction between sites and seed sources was observed for any traits, suggesting similar plasticity between seed sources. There was no change in the rank of seed sources and sites between years for height growth. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between the height from the nursery and that after 4 years in the plantation. Southern seed sources showed the best height growth, while optimum growth was observed at the central site. Juvenile height growth seems to be a good indicator of the juvenile carbon sequestration and could serve as a selection criterion for the best genetics sources for carbon sequestration. Vector analysis showed no nitrogen deficiency 4 years after planting. Neither seed sources nor planting sites had a

Soil fauna and leaf species, but not species diversity, affect initial soil erosion in a subtropical forest plantation

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Seitz, Steffen; Goebes, Philipp; Assmann, Thorsten; Schuldt, Andreas; Scholten, Thomas

2017-04-01

In subtropical parts of China, high rainfall intensities cause continuous soil losses and thereby provoke severe harms to ecosystems. In woodlands, it is not the tree canopy, but mostly an intact forest floor that provides protection from soil erosion. Although the protective role of leaf litter covers against soil losses is known for a long time, little research has been conducted on the processes involved. For instance, the role of different leaf species and leaf species diversity has been widely disregarded. Furthermore, the impact of soil meso- and macrofauna within the litter layer on soil losses remains unclear. To investigate how leaf litter species and diversity as well as soil meso- and macrofauna affect sediment discharge in a subtropical forest ecosystem, a field experiment was carried out in Xingangshan, Jiangxi Province, PR China (BEF China). A full-factorial random design with 96 micro-scale runoff plots and seven domestic leaf species in three diversity levels and a bare ground feature were established. Erosion was initiated with a rainfall simulator. This study confirms that leaf litter cover generally protects forest soils from water erosion (-82 % sediment discharge on leaf covered plots compared to bare plots) and this protection is gradually removed as the litter layer decomposes. Different leaf species showed variable impacts on sediment discharge and thus erosion control. This effect can be related to different leaf habitus, leaf decomposition rates and food preferences of litter decomposing meso- and macrofauna. In our experiment, runoff plots with leaf litter from Machilus thunbergii in monoculture showed the highest sediment discharge (68.0 g m-2), whereas plots with Cyclobalanopsis glauca in monoculture showed the smallest rates (7.9 g m-2). At the same time, neither leaf species diversity, nor functional diversity showed any significant influence, only a negative trend could be observed. Nevertheless, the protective effect of the leaf

Oral Administration of Shark Type II Collagen Suppresses Complete Freund’s Adjuvant-Induced Rheumatoid Arthritis in Rats

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Wenhui Wu

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: Shark type II collagen (SCII is extracted as a glycoprotein from the cartilage of blue shark (Prionace glauca. We aim to confirm the effects of oral tolerance of SCII on inflammatory and immune responses to the ankle joint of rheumatoid-arthritis rats induced by Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA. Materials and Methods: The onset of rheumatoid arthritis (RA was observed 14 ± x days after injection of CFA. Rats in the control group were treated with acetic acid by oral administration (0.05 mmol kg−1d−1, days 14–28, while rats in experimental groups were treated by oral administration with SCII (1 or 3 mg kg−1d−1, days 14–28, Tripterygium wilfordii polyglycosidium (TWP (10 mg kg−1d−1, days 14–28, and bovine type II collagen from US (US-CII (1 mg kg−1d−1, days 14–28, respectively. The severity of arthritis was evaluated by the articular swelling. The immunological indexes observed included delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH reaction, the level of interleukins 10 (IL-10 in rat blood serum and morphological characterization. Mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC was performed to investigate the relationship between T cell apoptosis and specific immune tolerance induced by SCII. Results: Treatment with SCII for 2 weeks significantly attenuated the acute inflammation. The rats orally administrated with SCII at the level of 3 mg kg−1d−1 (SCII 3 and US-CII had decreased DTH reaction compared with rats in control group. Rats treated with SCII 3 had the highest level of IL-10 with 102 pg/mL. SCII with concentration of 10 μg/L could help to significantly enhance level of Fas/Apo-1 in T cell in vitro. The result of histological staining indicated that the recovery of the articular membranes of ankle joint in SCII 3 group was greatly enhanced. Conclusions: Our results suggest that appropriate dose of SCII can not only ameliorate symptoms but also modify the disease process of Complete-Freunds-Adjuvant-induced arthritis. Oral

Analysis of vegetation in an Imperata grassland of Barak valley, Assam.

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Astapati, Ashim Das; Das, Ashesh Kumar

2012-09-01

Imperata grassland at Dorgakona, Barak valley, North Eastern India was analyzed for species composition and diversity pattern in relation to traditional management practices. 19 families were in the burnt and unburnt plots of the study site with Poaceae as the most dominant one. 29 species occurred in the burnt plot and 28 in the unburnt plot. Most of the species were common in both the plots. The pattern of frequency diagrams indicated that the vegetation was homogeneous. Imperata cylindrica, a rhizomatous grass was the dominant species based on density (318.75 and 304.18 nos. m(-2)), basal cover (158.22 and 148.34 cm2 m(-2)) and Importance value index (IVI) (132.64 and 138.74) for the burnt and unburnt plots respectively. Borreria pusilla was the co-dominant species constituting Imperata-Borreria assemblage of the studied grassland. It was observed that B. pusilla (162.25 nos. m(-2) and 50.37 nos. m(-2), I. cylindrica (318.75 nos. m(-2) and 304.18 nos. m(-2)) and Setaria glauca (24.70 nos. m(-2) and 16.46 nos. m(-2) were benefited from burning as shown by the values sequentially placed for burnt and unburnt plots. Certain grasses like Chrysopogon aciculatus and Sacciolepis indica were restricted to burnt plot while Oxalis corniculata showed its presence to unburnt plot. Grasses dominated the grassland as revealed by their contribution to the mean percentage cover of 72% in burnt plot and 76% in umburnt plot. The dominance-diversity curves in the study site approaches a log normal series distribution suggesting that the resources are shared by the constituent species. Seasonal pattern in diversity index suggested definite influence of climatic seasonality on species diversity; rainy season was conducive for maximum diversity (1.40 and 1.38 in the burnt and unburnt plots, respectively). Dominance increased with concentration of fewer species (0.0021 in burnt plot and 0.0055 in unbumt plot) in summer and behaves inversely to index of diversity. This study showed

Fibre cables in the lacunae of Typha leaves contribute to a tensegrity structure.

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Witztum, Allan; Wayne, Randy

2014-04-01

Cables composed of long, non-lignified fibre cells enclosed in a cover of much shorter thin-walled, crystal-containing cells traverse the air chambers (lacunae) in leaves of the taller species of Typha. The non-lignified fibre cables are anchored in diaphragms composed of stellate cells of aerenchyma tissue that segment the long air chambers into smaller compartments. Although the fibre cables are easily observed and can be pulled free from the porous-to-air diaphragms, their structure and function have been ignored or misinterpreted. Leaves of various species of Typha were dissected and fibre cables were pulled free and observed with a microscope using bright-field and polarizing optics. Maximal tensile strength of freshly removed cables was measured by hanging weights from fibre cables, and Instron analysis was used to produce curves of load versus extension until cables broke. Polarized light microscopy revealed that the cellulose microfibrils that make up the walls of the cable fibres are oriented parallel to the long axis of the fibres. This orientation ensures that the fibre cables are mechanically stiff and strong under tension. Accordingly, the measured stiffness and tensile strength of the fibre cables were in the gigapascal range. In combination with the dorsal and ventral leaf surfaces and partitions that contain lignified fibre bundles and vascular strands that are strong in compression, the very fine fibre cables that are strong under tension form a tensegrity structure. The tensegrity structure creates multiple load paths through which stresses are redistributed throughout the 1-3 m tall upright leaves of Typha angustifolia, T. latifolia, T. × glauca, T. domingensis and T. shuttleworthii. The length of the fibre cables relative to the length of the leaf blades is reduced in the last-formed leaves of flowering individuals. Fibre cables are absent in the shorter leaves of Typha minima and, if present, only extend for a few centimetres from the sheath

A comparative study of solvent and supercritical Co2 extraction of Simarouba gluaca seed oil; Estudio comparativo de la extracción con solvente y CO2 supercrítico de aceites de semillas de Simarouba glauca.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Anjaneyulu, B.; Satyannarayana, S.; Kanjilal, S.; Siddaiah, V.; Prasanna Rani, K.N.

2017-07-01

In the present study, the supercritical carbon dioxide (Co2) extraction of oil from Simarouba gluaca seeds was carried out at varying conditions of pressure (300–500 bar), temperature (50–70 °C) and CO2 flow rate (10–30 g·min-1). The extraction condition for maximum oil yield was obtained at 500 bar pressure, 70 °C and at 30 g·min-1 flow rate of CO2. The extracted oil was analyzed thoroughly for physico-chemical properties and compared with those of conventional solvent extracted oil. An interesting observation is a significant reduction in the phosphorus content of the oil (8.4 mg·kg-1) extracted using supercritical CO2 compared to the phosphorous content of the solvent extracted oil (97 mg·kg-1). Moreover, the content of total tocopherols in supercritically extracted oil (135.6 mg·kg-1) was found to be higher than the solvent extracted oil (111 mg·kg-1). The rest of the physico-chemical properties of the two differently extracted oils matched well with each other. The results indicated the possible benefits of supercritical CO2 extraction over solvent extraction of Simarouba gluaca seed oil. [Spanish] En el presente estudio se llevó a cabo la extracción con dióxido de carbono supercrítico (CO2) de aceites de semillas de Simarouba gluaca en diversas condiciones de presión (300–500 bar), temperatura (50–70 °C) y el caudal de CO2 (10–30 g·min-1). La condición de extracción para obtener el máximo rendimiento de aceite se obtuvo a una presión de 500 bares, una temperatura de 70 °C y un caudal de CO2 de 30 g·min-1. Al aceite extraido se determinó sus propiedades fisicoquímicas y se comparó con las del aceite extraído con disolvente convencional. Una observación interesante es la reducción significativa del contenido de fósforo (8,4 mg·kg-1) del aceite extraído utilizando CO2 supercrítico en comparación con el del aceite extraído con disolvente (97 mg·kg-1). Además, el contenido de tocoferol total en el aceite extraído supercríticamente (135,6 mg·kg-1) fué más elevado que el extracto con disolvente (111 mg·kg-1). El resto de las propiedades físico-químicas de dos aceites extraídos de forma diferente se equipararon entre sí. Los resultados indicaron los posibles beneficios de la extracción con CO2 supercrítico sobre la extracción con disolvente del aceite de semilla Simarouba gluaca.

Freezing tolerance of conifer seeds and germinants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, B J; Guest, H J; Kolotelo, D

2003-12-01

Survival after freezing was measured for seeds and germinants of four seedlots each of interior spruce (Picea glauca x engelmannii complex), lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.), Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Donn). Effects of eight seed treatments on post-freezing survival of seeds and germinants were tested: dry, imbibed and stratified seed, and seed placed in a growth chamber for 2, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 days in a 16-h photoperiod and a 22/17 degrees C thermoperiod. Survival was related to the water content of seeds and germinants, germination rate and seedlot origin. After freezing for 3 h at -196 degrees C, dry seed of most seedlots of interior spruce, Douglas-fir and western red cedar had 84-96% germination, whereas lodgepole pine seedlots had 53-82% germination. Freezing tolerance declined significantly after imbibition in lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir and interior spruce seed (western red cedar was not tested), and mean LT50 of imbibed seed of these species was -30, -24.5 and -20 degrees C, respectively. Freezing tolerance continued to decline to a minimum LT50 of -4 to -7 degrees C after 10 days in a growth chamber for interior spruce, Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine, or after 15 days for western red cedar. Minimum freezing tolerance was reached at the stage of rapid hypocotyl elongation. In all species, a slight increase in freezing tolerance of germinants was observed once cotyledons emerged from the seed coat. The decrease in freezing tolerance during the transition from dry to germinating seed correlated with increases in seed water content. Changes in freezing tolerance between 10 and 30 days in the growth chamber were not correlated with seedling water content. Within a species, seedlots differed significantly in freezing tolerance after 2 or 5 days in the growth chamber. Because all seedlots of interior spruce and lodgepole pine germinated quickly, there was no correlation

Structure and development of old-growth, unmanaged second-growth, and extended rotation Pinus resinosa forests in Minnesota, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Silver, Emily J.; D'Amato, Anthony W.; Fraver, Shawn; Palik, Brian J.; Bradford, John B.

2013-01-01

The structure and developmental dynamics of old-growth forests often serve as important baselines for restoration prescriptions aimed at promoting more complex structural conditions in managed forest landscapes. Nonetheless, long-term information on natural patterns of development is rare for many commercially important and ecologically widespread forest types. Moreover, the effectiveness of approaches recommended for restoring old-growth structural conditions to managed forests, such as the application of extended rotation forestry, has been little studied. This study uses several long-term datasets from old growth, extended rotation, and unmanaged second growth Pinus resinosa (red pine) forests in northern Minnesota, USA, to quantify the range of variation in structural conditions for this forest type and to evaluate the effectiveness of extended rotation forestry at promoting the development of late-successional structural conditions. Long-term tree population data from permanent plots for one of the old-growth stands and the extended rotation stands (87 and 61 years, respectively) also allowed for an examination of the long-term structural dynamics of these systems. Old-growth forests were more structurally complex than unmanaged second-growth and extended rotation red pine stands, due in large part to the significantly higher volumes of coarse woody debris (70.7 vs. 11.5 and 4.7 m3/ha, respectively) and higher snag basal area (6.9 vs. 2.9 and 0.5 m2/ha, respectively). In addition, old-growth forests, although red pine-dominated, contained a greater abundance of other species, including Pinus strobus, Abies balsamea, and Picea glauca relative to the other stand types examined. These differences between stand types largely reflect historic gap-scale disturbances within the old-growth systems and their corresponding structural and compositional legacies. Nonetheless, extended rotation thinning treatments, by accelerating advancement to larger tree diameter

Sequencing of the needle transcriptome from Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst L. reveals lower substitution rates, but similar selective constraints in gymnosperms and angiosperms

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Chen Jun

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A detailed knowledge about spatial and temporal gene expression is important for understanding both the function of genes and their evolution. For the vast majority of species, transcriptomes are still largely uncharacterized and even in those where substantial information is available it is often in the form of partially sequenced transcriptomes. With the development of next generation sequencing, a single experiment can now simultaneously identify the transcribed part of a species genome and estimate levels of gene expression. Results mRNA from actively growing needles of Norway spruce (Picea abies was sequenced using next generation sequencing technology. In total, close to 70 million fragments with a length of 76 bp were sequenced resulting in 5 Gbp of raw data. A de novo assembly of these reads, together with publicly available expressed sequence tag (EST data from Norway spruce, was used to create a reference transcriptome. Of the 38,419 PUTs (putative unique transcripts longer than 150 bp in this reference assembly, 83.5% show similarity to ESTs from other spruce species and of the remaining PUTs, 3,704 show similarity to protein sequences from other plant species, leaving 4,167 PUTs with limited similarity to currently available plant proteins. By predicting coding frames and comparing not only the Norway spruce PUTs, but also PUTs from the close relatives Picea glauca and Picea sitchensis to both Pinus taeda and Taxus mairei, we obtained estimates of synonymous and non-synonymous divergence among conifer species. In addition, we detected close to 15,000 SNPs of high quality and estimated gene expression differences between samples collected under dark and light conditions. Conclusions Our study yielded a large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms as well as estimates of gene expression on transcriptome scale. In agreement with a recent study we find that the synonymous substitution rate per year (0.6 × 10�

MADS goes genomic in conifers: towards determining the ancestral set of MADS-box genes in seed plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Gramzow, Lydia; Weilandt, Lisa; Theißen, Günter

2014-11-01

MADS-box genes comprise a gene family coding for transcription factors. This gene family expanded greatly during land plant evolution such that the number of MADS-box genes ranges from one or two in green algae to around 100 in angiosperms. Given the crucial functions of MADS-box genes for nearly all aspects of plant development, the expansion of this gene family probably contributed to the increasing complexity of plants. However, the expansion of MADS-box genes during one important step of land plant evolution, namely the origin of seed plants, remains poorly understood due to the previous lack of whole-genome data for gymnosperms. The newly available genome sequences of Picea abies, Picea glauca and Pinus taeda were used to identify the complete set of MADS-box genes in these conifers. In addition, MADS-box genes were identified in the growing number of transcriptomes available for gymnosperms. With these datasets, phylogenies were constructed to determine the ancestral set of MADS-box genes of seed plants and to infer the ancestral functions of these genes. Type I MADS-box genes are under-represented in gymnosperms and only a minimum of two Type I MADS-box genes have been present in the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of seed plants. In contrast, a large number of Type II MADS-box genes were found in gymnosperms. The MRCA of extant seed plants probably possessed at least 11-14 Type II MADS-box genes. In gymnosperms two duplications of Type II MADS-box genes were found, such that the MRCA of extant gymnosperms had at least 14-16 Type II MADS-box genes. The implied ancestral set of MADS-box genes for seed plants shows simplicity for Type I MADS-box genes and remarkable complexity for Type II MADS-box genes in terms of phylogeny and putative functions. The analysis of transcriptome data reveals that gymnosperm MADS-box genes are expressed in a great variety of tissues, indicating diverse roles of MADS-box genes for the development of gymnosperms. This study is

Genome Enabled Discovery of Carbon Sequestration Genes in Poplar

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Filichkin, Sergei; Etherington, Elizabeth; Ma, Caiping; Strauss, Steve

2007-02-22

The goals of the S.H. Strauss laboratory portion of 'Genome-enabled discovery of carbon sequestration genes in poplar' are (1) to explore the functions of candidate genes using Populus transformation by inserting genes provided by Oakridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Florida (UF) into poplar; (2) to expand the poplar transformation toolkit by developing transformation methods for important genotypes; and (3) to allow induced expression, and efficient gene suppression, in roots and other tissues. As part of the transformation improvement effort, OSU developed transformation protocols for Populus trichocarpa 'Nisqually-1' clone and an early flowering P. alba clone, 6K10. Complete descriptions of the transformation systems were published (Ma et. al. 2004, Meilan et. al 2004). Twenty-one 'Nisqually-1' and 622 6K10 transgenic plants were generated. To identify root predominant promoters, a set of three promoters were tested for their tissue-specific expression patterns in poplar and in Arabidopsis as a model system. A novel gene, ET304, was identified by analyzing a collection of poplar enhancer trap lines generated at OSU (Filichkin et. al 2006a, 2006b). Other promoters include the pGgMT1 root-predominant promoter from Casuarina glauca and the pAtPIN2 promoter from Arabidopsis root specific PIN2 gene. OSU tested two induction systems, alcohol- and estrogen-inducible, in multiple poplar transgenics. Ethanol proved to be the more efficient when tested in tissue culture and greenhouse conditions. Two estrogen-inducible systems were evaluated in transgenic Populus, neither of which functioned reliably in tissue culture conditions. GATEWAY-compatible plant binary vectors were designed to compare the silencing efficiency of homologous (direct) RNAi vs. heterologous (transitive) RNAi inverted repeats. A set of genes was targeted for post transcriptional silencing in the model Arabidopsis system; these include the floral

Plant Communities Suitable for Green Roofs in Arid Regions

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Rachel Gioannini

2018-05-01

Full Text Available In extensive green roof settings, plant communities can be more robust than monocultures. In addition, native plants might be hardier and more ecologically sound choices than non-native plants in green roof systems. The objectives of this research were to (1 compare the performance of plant communities with that of monocultures and (2 compare the growth of natives to non-natives in a simulated green roof setting. We conducted a two-year experiment at an outdoor site in a desert environment using four plant morphological types (groundcover, forb, succulent and grass. Native plants selected were Chrysactinia mexicana, Melampodium leucanthum, Euphorbia antisyphilitica, and Nassella tenuissima, and non-natives were Delosperma nubigenum, Stachys byzantina, Sedum kamtschiaticum and Festuca glauca. Plants were assigned randomly to either monoculture or community and grown in 1 m × 1 m custom-built trays filled with 15 cm of a proprietary blend of 50/20/30 lightweight aggregate/sand/compost (by volume. Native forb, Melampodium, in community had greater coverage for four of the five measurements in the first year over native forb in monoculture and non-native forb regardless of setting. Native forb coverage was also greater than non-native forb for three of the four measurements in year 2, regardless of setting. Coverage of native grass was significantly greater than non-native grasses throughout the experiment. Coverage was also greater for eight of nine measurements for native succulent over non-natives succulent. However, non-native groundcover coverage was significantly greater than native groundcover for seven of nine measurements. On 1 November 2016, relative water content (RWC for succulents (p = 0.0424 was greatest for native Euphorbia in monoculture at 88%. Native Euphorbia also had greater RWC than non-native Sedum on 4 April 2017 (78% and 4 July 2017 (80%. However, non-native Sedum had greater root length (6548 cm, root dry weight (12.1 g

Low Tree-Growth Elasticity of Forest Biomass Indicated by an Individual-Based Model

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Robbie A. Hember

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental conditions and silviculture fundamentally alter the metabolism of individual trees and, therefore, need to be studied at that scale. However, changes in forest biomass density (Mg C ha−1 may be decoupled from changes in growth (kg C year−1 when the latter also accelerates the life cycle of trees and strains access to light, nutrients, and water. In this study, we refer to an individual-based model of forest biomass dynamics to constrain the magnitude of system feedbacks associated with ontogeny and competition and estimate the scaling relationship between changes in tree growth and forest biomass density. The model was driven by fitted equations of annual aboveground biomass growth (Gag, probability of recruitment (Pr, and probability of mortality (Pm parameterized against field observations of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill. BSP, interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn. Franco, and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf. Sarg.. A hypothetical positive step-change in mean tree growth was imposed half way through the simulations and landscape-scale responses were then evaluated by comparing pre- and post-stimulus periods. Imposing a 100% increase in tree growth above calibrated predictions (i.e., contemporary rates only translated into 36% to 41% increases in forest biomass density. This corresponded with a tree-growth elasticity of forest biomass (εG,SB ranging from 0.33 to 0.55. The inelastic nature of stand biomass density was attributed to the dependence of mortality on intensity of competition and tree size, which decreased stand density by 353 to 495 trees ha−1, and decreased biomass residence time by 10 to 23 years. Values of εG,SB depended on the magnitude of the stimulus. For example, a retrospective scenario in which tree growth increased from 50% below contemporary rates up to contemporary rates indicated values of εG,SB ranging from 0.66 to 0.75. We conclude that: (1 effects of

Saline agriculture: A technology for economic utilization and improvement of saline environments (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aslam, Z.; Malik, K.A.; Khurshid, S.J.; Awan, A.R.; Akram, M.; Hashmi, Z.; Ali, Y.; Gulnaz, A.; Hussain, M.; Hussain, F.

2005-01-01

The salinity problem is one of the severe constraints for agriculture in Pakistan. In a socio-economic and salinity and drainage survey over an area of about 25000 acres of salt-affected land recently, crop production is found to be very low. Livestock is underfed and malnourished. Pakistan has spent and allocated over one billion US dollars on Salinity Control and Reclamation Projects (SCARP), of course, with dubious results. Over the years, a Saline Agriculture Technology has been developed as a cheap alternative at NIAB for comfortably living with salinity and to profitably utilize saline land rather than its reclamation. The soil improvement is a fringe benefit in this approach. The Saline Agriculture Technology has been tested at laboratory level, at field stations and at farms of some progressive farmers. Now we are sharing this technology with farming communities through a 'Saline Agriculture Farmer Participatory Development Project in Pakistan', with assistance from the National Rural Support Programme. The new project has been launched simultaneously in all four provinces of Pakistan on 25000 acres of salt-affected land. Under this project seeds of salt tolerant crop varieties wheat, cotton, rice, castor, brassica and barley and saplings of trees/shrubs, e.g. Acacia ampliceps, A. nilotica, Casuarina glauca, ber, jaman, etc selected for development work in various institutions of Pakistan are being provided to farmers. Know-how on new irrigation techniques like bed-and-corrugation and bed-and-furrow, agronomic practices like laser land leveling, planting on beds and in auger holes and soil/water amendment practices (use of gypsum and mineral acids) are being shared with farmers. These interventions are quite efficient, save water up to 40% and enable farmers to utilize bad quality water. In general, farmers are being familiarized with prevalent animal diseases, nutritional problems and prophylactic techniques. They are being helped in developing Saline

Habitat selection of a declining white-tailed deer herd in the central Black Hills, South Dakota and Wyoming

Science.gov (United States)

Deperno, Christopher Shannon

males selected areas that were characterized by greater levels of horizontal cover than females. During summer, white-tailed deer selected pine-deciduous, aspen (Populus tremuloides), aspen-coniferous, spruce (Picea glauca), and spruce-deciduous cover types. Overstory-understory habitats selected included pine/juniper (Juniperus communis), aspen/shrubs, spruce/juniper, and spruce/shrub habitats. Structural stages selected included pine, aspen, and spruce sapling pole stands with all levels (0--40%, 41--70%, 71--100%) of canopy cover. All habitat types (i.e., pine, aspen, and spruce) were used as bedding locations with pine sapling-pole structural stages with >70% canopy cover used most, whereas pine saw-timber structural stage with less than 40% canopy cover was primarily used for feeding. Females bedded in areas that were characterized by greater horizontal cover than feeding and random sites, whereas male feeding sites had greater horizontal cover characteristics than bedding or random locations.

Natural and anthropogenic variations in the N cycle - A perspective provided by nitrogen isotopes in trees near oil-sand developments

Science.gov (United States)

Savard, M. M.; Bégin, C.; Marion, J.; Smirnoff, A.

2011-12-01

Nitrogen stable isotopes of tree-ring series have been recently used to detect past air pollution effects on forests in the contexts of point sources, highways or peri-urban regions. Here, we want to assess their potential to understand changes in soil processes and reveal perturbations of the N cycle. Our approach involves combining tree-ring N, C and O stable isotope series with statistical modelling to distinguish the responses of trees due to natural (climatic) conditions from the ones potentially caused by emissions from the Athabasca oil-sand developments where truck fleets, oil upgraders, desulphurization and hydrogen plants, boilers, heaters and turbines have been active since 1967. Three white spruce trees [Picea glauca (Moench)] 165 years or older, were selected in a well drained brunisolic site, at 55 km from the heart of the development operations (white and black spruce trees from other sites are currently being investigated). Their growth rings were dated and separated at a time resolution of 1 or 2 years for the 1880-2009 period. The average oxygen isotope ratios of cellulose do not show long-term anomalies and reflect climatic conditions. The average C isotope ratios of cellulose covering the 1880-1965 period show short-term variations mostly explained by local climatic conditions, whereas the 1966-1995 series presents similar short-term variations superimposed on a long-term isotopic increase significantly departing from the oxygen isotope curve. Most importantly, the nitrogen isotope series of treated wood shows an average decrease of 1.0% during the 1970-2009 period. The statistical links between the variations of the regional drought index and the isotopic C and N responses during the pre-operation period allows to develop predictive climatic models. When we apply these models to predict the natural isotopic behaviour of the recent period, the measured isotopic trends of the operation period depart from the modelled curves. In contrast, using

Age, Growth and Spatial Distribution of the Life Stages of the Shortfin Mako, Isurus oxyrinchus (Rafinesque, 1810) Caught in the Western and Central Atlantic.

Science.gov (United States)

Barreto, Rodrigo R; de Farias, Wialla K T; Andrade, Humber; Santana, Francisco M; Lessa, Rosangela

2016-01-01

The shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus) is a highly migratory pelagic shark that preferentially inhabits oceanic regions in practically all oceans. The wide distribution range of this species renders it susceptible to coastal and oceanic fishing operations. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) consider this species to be highly vulnerable, especially due to its biological parameters, which are different from those of other sharks that occupy the same niche (e.g., Prionace glauca). Consequently, considerable declines in abundance have been detected over various parts of its range, most of which are linked to oceanic longline fishing. The species has conflicting life history parameters in studies conducted in the last 30 years, especially with regard to age and growth. The main discrepancies regard the interpretation of the periodicity of the deposition of band pairs (BPs) on vertebrae and the possibility of ontogenetic variations in growth. Shortfin mako sharks (n = 1325) were sampled by onboard observers of the Brazilian chartered pelagic longline fleet based in northeast Brazil from 2005 to 2011. Lengths were 79 to 250 and 73 to 296 cm (fork length, FL) for males and females, respectively, with a statistically significant difference in size between sexes and differences in the proportion of individuals in each size class. The onboard observers collected a subsample of vertebrae (n = 467), only 234 of which were suitable for analyses. Reliability between readings was satisfactory. However, it was not possible to validate periodicity in the formation of age bands in the sample. Thus, the von Bertalanffy growth function was used to calculate growth rates for the species through the interpretation of BPs in different scenarios: one BP per year (s1), two BPs per year (s2) and two BPs per year until five years of life (s3). Growth parameters varied for both females (Linf

Effect of sunlight radiation, rainfall and droplet spectra of sprays on persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis deposits after application of DiPel 76AF formulation onto conifers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sundaram, A.; Sundaram, K.M.S.

1996-01-01

The Effect of sunlight radiation, rainfall and droplet spectra of sprays on per ‐sistence of a Bacillus thuringiensis subspp. kurstaki (Btk) formulation, DiPel? 76AF, was examined after application onto spruce [Picea glauca (Moench) Voss] foliage. The investigation consisted of three studies: (i) Study I: a laboratory microcosm study to examine the photostability of DiPel 76AF deposits on foliage after different periods of exposure to two radiation intensities, (ii) Study II: a laboratory microcosm study to examine the rainfastness of foliar deposits after exposure to different amounts of rainfall consisting of two separate droplet spectra, and (iii) Study III: a field microcosm study to investigate the influence of two different droplet spectra of DiPel 76AF sprays on foliar persistence of Btk under natural weathering conditions. In all studies, persistence of Btk was investigated both by bioassay [using spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens)] and total protein assay.The findings of Study I indicated that bioactivity of foliar deposits decreased with increasing duration of exposure to radiation, and with increasing radiation intensity. The half‐life (DT 50 , the exposure period required for 50% of the initial bioactivity to disappear) was 5.1 d for the low intensity, and 3.9 d for the higher intensity. In contrast with the bioassay results, the total protein levels [determined by the bicinchoninic acid (BCA) method] showed no decrease with increasing duration of exposure, or with increasing radiation intensity.The findings of Study II indicated that bioactivity of foliar deposits decreased with increasing cumulative rainfall. A new term, RF 50 [the amount of rain (in mm) required to washoff 50% of the initial deposit], was introduced to understand the relationship between rainfall intensity and reduction in bioactivity. When the same amount of rain was applied in different droplet sizes, the RF 50 value was high (5.2 mm) for the small rain droplets

Stable carbon isotopes and drought signal in the tree-rings of northern white-cedar trees from boreal central Canada. (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Tardif, J. C.; Au, R.

2010-12-01

Despite the demonstrated value of tree-ring δ13C analysis, there have been a limited number of dendroisotopic δ13C studies conducted throughout the North American boreal forest. Dendroisotopic series are generally short and few tree species/habitats have been investigated. We present recent work conducted in the boreal forest of Manitoba, central Canada. Old northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) trees were sampled at their northwestern limit of distribution. The objectives of the study were 1) to determine the major climatic factors associated with each of the ring-width and δ13C chronology and 2) to provide a multi-century inference of drought events based on tree-ring δ13C and ring width analyses. We also compared the δ13C chronology developed from Thuja occidentalis trees to that of white spruce (Picea glauca Moench) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees developed in northern Manitoba. Fifteen T. occidentalis trees were selected for δ13C analysis and holocellulose was isolated from each tree-ring through standard chemical extraction techniques. The annually resolved δ13C chronology spanned from 1650 to 2006 A.D. and incorporated dead and living T. occidentalis trees selected from two sites. Hydric organic conditions on horizontal topography punctuated by scattered wet depressions prevailed at both sites. A ring-width chronology was also developed from both dead and living T. occidentalis trees from the region. All chronology development followed standardization of each of the δ13C series using a 60-year cubic spline function with a 50% frequency response. Results indicated that ring width was more often associated with climate conditions prevailing in the year prior to ring formation compared to the δ13C values. During the year of ring-formation, ring width was associated with spring and early summer conditions whereas, δ13C was more indicative of overall summer conditions. Conditions conducive to moisture stress were however important for

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated sites in the Venice lagoon and conterminous areas (Northern Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Bini, Claudio; Wahsha, Mohammad; Fontana, Silvia; Maleci, Laura

2013-04-01

IPA was recorded, while groundwater proved to be contaminated by As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Pb, Cu, Se, Ni, Mn, Sb, Fe. Restoration of the studied sites has been carried out by phytoremediation with native or exotic vegetation (Fragmites australis, Juncus lacustris,Puccinellia palustris, Limonium serotinum, Salicornia glauca, Spartina maritima, Pteris vittata) or cultivated plants (Heliantus annuus, Zea mais, Brassica napus, Brassica juncea). Results are somewhat contradictory. At S. Giuliano, the exotic fern (Pteris vittata), consistently with data from current literature, showed high ability to accumulate As, particularly in aerial parts. At Campalto, native vegetation proved ineffective for phytoextraction, but suitable for phytostabilization, owing to a root barrier effect. In the lagoon sediments from Marghera, Spartina proved more effective than Fragmites to uptake metals, while cultivated plants could not survive to high heavy metal concentrations. At Murano, Pteris vittata proved highly effective to accumulate As, but also resistant to elevated concentrations of co-existing metals (Cd, Pb, Se, Zn), with clear signals of growth sufference and a drastic reduction of sorption capacity only in the presence of very high Cd concentration. At Molo Serbatoi, phytoremediation could not be applied in absence of a chelating agent (e.g. EDTA), which could enhance metal mobilization: therefore, soil has been stored, selected and finally (the most contaminated part) delivered to a landfill, while groundwater will be remediated by bioremediation techniques.

Effect of Soybean and Wheat as Cover Crops on Corn Yield and Weed Control using Different Fertilizer Sources

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F. Dadashi

2016-02-01

. The dominant weed species were velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic., johnson grass (Sorghum halepense (L. Pers., wild melon (Cucumis melo var. agrestis and giant foxtail (Setaria glauca L. in the field. In order to determine the dry weight and density of weeds, three-stage sampling was performed from the middle rows of corn. Corn yield was also measured by mechanical harvesting in middle rows and adjusting to 14% moisture. A week before the final harvest, ten plants of corn were selected randomly from the three middle rows of each plot and yield components including the number of rows in corn, number of kernels per row, weight of 1000 grains was measured. Results and Discussion: The results showed that soybean cover crop reduced weed density compared to control in weed infestated plots, but wheat was not successful in suppressing weeds and reducing their density due to poor biomass and dying at the end of growing season . So, the lowest dry matter of velvetleaf, wild melon and other weeds were related to planted corn with soybean and compost and the maximum was related to monoculture of corn with weed infestation. Results of analysis of variance indicated treatments had significant effect on grain yield. The lowest yield of corn (2733.3 Kg ha-1 was in weed-infestation control while the highest one (12124.0 and 8351.3 Kg ha-1 respectively was in weed-free control and soybean’ cover crop plus compost. For both cover crops between fertilizer treatments, compost and chemical fertilizer had more corn biological yield than no fertilizer and differences between this two fertilizer treatments wasn’t significant. Reduction of yield under no fertilizer treatments was due to competition for nutrients, light between weed and corn. The maximum and minimum number of rows in corn and number of kernels per row respectively was obtained with monoculture of corn in weed free and weed infestation, while the maximum weight of 1000 grains was observed in soybean with applying

A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini

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Michael Caterino

2013-10-01

. angusta Schmidt, 1893a, B. incognita sp. n., B. guartela sp. n., B. bullifrons sp. n., B. cavei sp. n., B. subtilis sp. n., B. dentipes sp. n., B. rubripennis sp. n., B. lunatifrons sp. n.], B. aeneomicans group [B. aeneomicans (Horn, 1873, B. pulchella sp. n., B. quercea sp. n., B. stephani sp. n., B. irinae sp. n., B. fornix sp. n., B. slipinskii Mazur, 1981, B. submetallica sp. n., B. diminua sp. n., B. rufescens sp. n., B. punctiventer sp. n., B. aulaea sp. n., B. mustax sp. n., B. plebeia sp. n., B. castanea sp. n., B. lescheni sp. n., B. oblonga sp. n., B. animata sp. n., B. teredina sp. n., B. chujoi (Cooman, 1941, B. barbarus (Cooman, 1934, B. reposita sp. n., B. kubani sp. n., B. wallacea sp. n., B. bigemina sp. n., B. adebratti sp. n., B. silvestris sp. n.], B. cylindrica group [B. cylindrica sp. n., B. chatzimanolisi sp. n.], B. gibbifer group [B. gibbifer sp. n., B. piluliformis sp. n., B. maquipucunae sp. n., B. tenuipes sp. n., B. tuberculifer sp. n., B. globosa sp. n.], B. insolita group [B. insolita (Schmidt, 1893a, comb. n., B. burmeisteri (Marseul, 1870, B. tricolor sp. n., B. pilicauda sp. n.], B. riouka group [B. riouka (Marseul, 1861, B. azuripennis sp. n.], B. famelica group [B. famelica sp. n., B. grossii sp. n., B. redemptor sp. n., B. fortis sp. n., B. longipes sp. n., B. katieae sp. n., B. cavifrons (Lewis, 1893, comb. n., B. haeterioides sp. n.], B. micans group [B. micans (Schmidt, 1889a, B. carinifrons sp. n., B. fulgida (Schmidt, 1889c], Baconia incertae sedis [B. chilense (Redtenbacher, 1867, B. glauca (Marseul, 1884, B. coerulea (Bickhardt, 1917, B. angulifrons sp. n., B. sanguinea sp. n., B. viridimicans (Schmidt, 1893b, B. nayarita sp. n., B. viridis sp. n., B. purpurata sp. n., B. aenea sp. n., B. clemens sp. n., B. leivasi sp. n., B. atricolor sp. n.]. We designate lectotypes for the following species: Baconia loricata Lewis, 1885, Phelister gounellei Marseul, 1887, Baconia jubaris Lewis, 1901, Baconia festiva Lewis, 1891, Platysoma

A systematic revision of Baconia Lewis (Coleoptera, Histeridae, Exosternini).

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Caterino, Michael S; Tishechkin, Alexey K

2013-01-01

carinifrons sp. n., Baconia fulgida (Schmidt, 1889c)], Baconia incertae sedis [Baconia chilense (Redtenbacher, 1867), Baconia glauca (Marseul, 1884), Baconia coerulea (Bickhardt, 1917), Baconia angulifrons sp. n., Baconia sanguinea sp. n., Baconia viridimicans (Schmidt, 1893b), Baconia nayarita sp. n., Baconia viridis sp. n., Baconia purpurata sp. n., Baconia aenea sp. n., Baconia clemens sp. n., Baconia leivasi sp. n., Baconia atricolor sp. n.]. We designate lectotypes for the following species: Baconia loricata Lewis, 1885,Phelister gounellei Marseul, 1887, Baconia jubaris Lewis, 1901, Baconia festiva Lewis, 1891, Platysoma venustum J.E. LeConte, 1845, Phelister riehli Marseul, 1862, Phelister violaceus Marseul, 1853, Phelister varicolor Marseul, 1887b, Phelister illustris Lewis, 1900, Baconia choaspites Lewis, 1901, Epierus festivus Lewis, 1898, Phelister salobrus Marseul, 1887, Baconia angusta Schmidt, 1893a, Phelister insolitus Schmidt, 1893a, Pachycraerus burmeisteri Marseul, 1870, Phelister riouka Marseul, 1861, Homalopygus cavifrons Lewis, 1893, Phelister micans Schmidt, 1889a, Phelister coeruleus Bickhardt, 1917, and Phelister viridimicans Schmidt, 1893b. We designate neotypes for Baconia patula Lewis, 1885 and Hister aeneomicans Horn, 1873, whose type specimens are lost.

Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae with description of three new aviculariine genera01

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Caroline Sayuri Fukushima

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The genus Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 is revised and all species are rediagnosed. The type species, described as Aranea avicularia Linnaeus, 1758, is the oldest mygalomorph species described and its taxonomic history is extensive and confusing. Cladistic analyses using both equal and implied weights were carried out with a matrix of 46 taxa from seven theraphosid subfamilies, and 71 morphological and ecological characters. The optimal cladogram found with Piwe and concavity = 6 suggests Avicularia and Aviculariinae are monophyletic. Subfamily Aviculariinae includes Avicularia Lamarck, 1818, Typhochlaena C. L. Koch, 1850, Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Stromatopelma Karsch, 1881, Ephebopus Simon, 1892, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895, Heteroscodra Pocock, 1899, Iridopelma Pocock, 1901, Pachistopelma Pocock, 1901, Ybyrapora gen. n., Caribena gen. n., and Antillena gen. n. The clade is supported by well-developed scopulae on tarsi and metatarsi, greatly extended laterally. Avicularia synapomorphies are juveniles bearing black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles; spermathecae with an accentuated outwards curvature medially, and male palpal bulb with embolus medial portion and tegulum’s margin form an acute angle in retrolateral view. Avicularia is composed of twelve species, including three new species: Avicularia avicularia (Linnaeus, 1818, Avicularia glauca Simon, 1891, Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896 stat. n., A. minatrix Pocock, 1903, Avicularia taunayi (Mello-Leitão, 1920, Avicularia juruensis Mello-Leitão, 1923, Avicularia rufa Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945, Avicularia purpurea Kirk, 1990, A. hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006, Avicularia merianae sp. n., A. lynnae sp. n., and A. caei sp. n.. Avicularia species are distributed throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Three new genera are erected to accommodate former

Taxonomic revision and cladistic analysis of Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 (Araneae, Theraphosidae, Aviculariinae) with description of three new aviculariine genera.

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Fukushima, Caroline Sayuri; Bertani, Rogério

2017-01-01

The genus Avicularia Lamarck, 1818 is revised and all species are rediagnosed. The type species, described as Aranea avicularia Linnaeus, 1758, is the oldest mygalomorph species described and its taxonomic history is extensive and confusing. Cladistic analyses using both equal and implied weights were carried out with a matrix of 46 taxa from seven theraphosid subfamilies, and 71 morphological and ecological characters. The optimal cladogram found with Piwe and concavity = 6 suggests Avicularia and Aviculariinae are monophyletic. Subfamily Aviculariinae includes Avicularia Lamarck, 1818, Typhochlaena C. L. Koch, 1850, Tapinauchenius Ausserer, 1871, Stromatopelma Karsch, 1881, Ephebopus Simon, 1892, Psalmopoeus Pocock, 1895, Heteroscodra Pocock, 1899, Iridopelma Pocock, 1901, Pachistopelma Pocock, 1901, Ybyrapora gen. n. , Caribena gen. n. , and Antillena gen. n. The clade is supported by well-developed scopulae on tarsi and metatarsi, greatly extended laterally. Avicularia synapomorphies are juveniles bearing black tarsi contrasting with other lighter articles; spermathecae with an accentuated outwards curvature medially, and male palpal bulb with embolus medial portion and tegulum's margin form an acute angle in retrolateral view. Avicularia is composed of twelve species, including three new species: Avicularia avicularia (Linnaeus, 1818), Avicularia glauca Simon, 1891, Avicularia variegata (F. O. Pickard-Cambridge, 1896) stat. n., Avicularia minatrix Pocock, 1903, Avicularia taunayi (Mello-Leitão, 1920), Avicularia juruensis Mello-Leitão, 1923, Avicularia rufa Schiapelli & Gerschman, 1945, Avicularia purpurea Kirk, 1990, Avicularia hirschii Bullmer et al. 2006, Avicularia merianae sp. n. , Avicularia lynnae sp. n. , and Avicularia caei sp. n. . Avicularia species are distributed throughout Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil. Three new genera are erected to