Isotopic evidence of partial mycoheterotrophy in Burmannia coelestis (Burmanniaceae)

The Burmanniaceae contain several lineages of achlorophyllous mycoheterotrophic plants that associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Here we investigate the isotopic profile of a green and potentially mycoheterotrophic plant in situ, Burmannia coelestis, and associated reference plants. We generated δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁵N stable isotope profiles for five populations of B. coelestis. Burmannia coelestis was significantly enriched in ¹³C relative to surrounding C₃ reference plants and significantly depleted in ¹³C relative to C₄ reference plants. No significant differences were detected in ¹⁵N enrichment between B. coelestis and reference plants. The isotopic profiles measured are suggestive of partial mycoheterotrophy in B. coelestis. Within the genus Burmannia transitions to full mycoheterotrophy have occurred numerous times, suggesting that some green Burmannia species are likely to be partially mycoheterotrophic but in many conditions this mode of nutrition may only be detectable using natural abundance stable isotopic methods, such as when associated with C₄ mycorrhizal plants.     

Carbon isotope discrimination and the ratio of carbon gained to water lost in barley cultivars

Abstract A negative correlation between water-use efficiency (W), defined as the ratio of moles of carbon in the plant to moles of water transpired, and carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) was established for barley in pot experiments using 12 cultivars. The correlation was strong in two independent experiments in four different controlled environment where ambient temperature and vapour pressure deficit were varied and plants were either well-watered or given limited amounts of water. Variation among cultivars was found in both Δ and W and rankings of both parameters, according to cultivar, were similar in different environments. Limiting water usually increased water-use efficiency of plants. Total dry matter can be substituted for moles of carbon when calculating water-use efficiency but the correlation between W and Δ were calculated using the carbon content of dry matter. There were differences varied significantly among cultivars. Despite these differences, correlations were also large between whole plant W and Δ of any of the plant parts. The amount of dry matter partitioned into reproductive growth varied genetically, as did the effect of stress on the partitioning. Growth, W and Δ of barley were compared with theory derived from gas exchange properties and with other literature. The effect on W of variation in vapour pressure deficit in these experiments was removed by multiplying W by vapour pressure deficit to derive the parameter, k(Pa mol C/mol H₂O). This allowed comparisons among experiments with different vapour pressure deficits. The mean k for these barley cultivars was similar to that calculated by others for grasses. However, variation was found, and, in contrast with previous work which treats k as a species constant, we conclude that there is promise in selecting for increased k.     

Carbon mineralization and microbial activity in agricultural topsoil and subsoil as regulated by root nitrogen and recalcitrant carbon concentrations

Background and aims

Biocrust morphology is often used to infer ecological function, but morphologies vary widely in pigmentation and thickness. Little is known about the links between biocrust morphology and the composition of constituent microbial community. This study aimed to examine these links using dryland crusts varying in stage and morphology.

Methods

We compared the microbial composition of three biocrust developmental stages (Early, Mid, Late) with bare soil (Bare) using high Miseq Illumina sequencing. We used standard diversity measures and network analysis to explore how microbe-microbe associations changed with biocrust stage.

Results

Biocrust richness and diversity increased with increasing stage, and there were marked differences in the microbial signatures among stages. Bare and Late stages were dominated by Alphaproteobacteria, but Cyanobacteria was the dominant phylum in Early and Mid stages. The greatest differences in microbial taxa were between Bare and Late stages. Network analysis indicated highly-connected hubs indicative of small networks.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that readily discernible biocrust features may be good indicators of microbial composition and structure. These findings are important for land managers seeking to use biocrusts as indicators of ecosystem health and function. Treating biocrusts as a single unit without considering crust stage is likely to provide misleading information on their functional roles.

     

Occurrence and Carbon Metabolism of Green Nonsulfur-like Bacteria in Californian and Nevada Hot Spring Microbial mats as Revealed by Wax Ester Lipid Analysis

Green nonsulfur-like bacteria (GNSLB) in Yellowstone hot spring microbial mats have been extensively studied and are thought to operate both as photoheterotrophs and photoautotrophs. Here we studied the occurrence and carbon metabolisms of GNSLB by analyzing the distribution and isotopic composition of their characteristic wax ester lipids in four Californian and Nevada hot spring microbial mats at a range of temperatures (37–96°C). The distribution of wax esters varied strongly with temperature. At temperatures between 50–60°C the wax ester composition in each of the four hot spring microbial mats was dominated by C₃₀ to C₃₆ wax esters, consisting of mixtures of C₁₅-C₁₈ n-alkyl and branched fatty acids and alcohols, typical for GNSLB. Stable carbon isotopic analysis showed that these wax esters were only depleted by 5 to 10‰ compared to dissolved inorganic carbon in the overlying water, suggesting that these GNSLB were mainly autotrophic. However, analysis of different depth layers of one microbial mat showed that these GNSLB wax esters were increasingly depleted in ¹³C with depth, suggesting that photoautotrophy mainly occurred in the top layer of the mat. ¹³C-depleted C₃₆-C₄₄ wax esters were found in one hot spring at high temperatures (77–96°C) and are likely derived from allochtonous plant waxes. At several lower temperature sites (35–40°C) the wax esters were predominantly composed of C₂₈, C₃₀ and C₃₂ wax esters consisting of mixtures of C₁₄-C₁₆ fatty acids and n-alkanols and were depleted in ¹³C by 15–20‰ relative to dissolved inorganic carbon, suggesting they may be derived from heterotrophic organisms. Our results indicate that autotrophic GNSLB occur widely in hot springs and that diverse groups of organisms contribute to the pool of wax ester lipids in hot spring environments.     

武汉地区水生蔬菜昆虫群落结构及动态分析

2008年5月至10月采用目测法与网捕法调查湖北省武汉市水生蔬菜地昆虫群落结构,共采集到11目、48科、104种,共计9169头昆虫,其中,莲缢管蚜Rhopalosiphum nymphacae(L.)、茭白长绿飞虱Prodenia litura(Fabricius)、斜纹夜蛾Saccharosyne procerus(Matsumura)、荸荠白禾螟Scirpophage praelata(Scopoli)以及菱角莹叶甲Galerucella birmanica是主要害虫,蜻蜓、瓢虫是主要天敌昆虫。通过群落结构分析表明:在不同植被类型的水生蔬菜地中,昆虫群落多样性差异较大,水芹的昆虫群落多样性最高,莲藕最低;水芹昆虫群落最稳定,荸荠次之,莲藕昆虫群落多样性前后期低,中期高,茭白前后期高,中期低。     

天台山七子花群落下土壤微生物生物量的季节动态

研究天台山七子花群落下土壤微生物生物量的季节变化规律及生态特性。根据实测数据分别对根际、根围微生物生物量碳、氮与土壤环境因子之间进行相关性分析,并建立了土壤微生物指标与环境因素之间的回归方程,以此为基础对天台山七子花群落下土壤微生物生物量的季节变化进行预测。回归分析表明：土壤温度、水分对微生物生物量的影响大于土壤pH值对微生物生物量的影响,而且土壤温度、水分对微生物生物量氮的影响大于对微生物生物量碳的影响。土壤温度对微生物生物量碳、氮的影响最大。     

Virus and microbial loop dynamics over an annual cycle in three contrasting Antarctic lakes

1. Viral and microbial loop dynamics were investigated over an annual cycle in three contrasting saline Antarctic lakes – Highway Lake (salinity 4‰), Pendant Lake (salinity 19‰) and Ace Lake, a meromictic system (with a mixolimnion salinity of 18‰) in order to assess the importance of viruses in extreme, microbially dominated systems. 2. Virus like particles (VLP) showed no clear seasonal pattern, with high concentrations occurring in both winter and summer (range 0.89 × 10⁷ ± 0.038 to 12.017 × 10⁷ ± 1.28 mL^?1). VLP abundances reflected lake productivity based on chlorophyll a concentrations. Bacterial abundances and biomass did not correlate with VLP numbers except in Pendant Lake, the most productive of the three lakes studied. 3. Pendant Lake supported the highest bacterial biomass (range Highway: 18.44 ± 1.35 to 59.43 ± 2.80 ng C mL^?1; Ace: 14.42 ± 2.69 to 68.39 ± 2.95 ng C mL^?1; Pendant: 31.36 ± 3.94 to 115.95 ± 4.49 ng C mL^?1) so that virus to bacteria ratios (VBR) (range 30.48 ± 7.96 to 96.67 ± 8.21) were higher in Ace Lake (range 30.58 ± 3.98 to 80.037 ± 1.60) and Highway Lake (range 18.63 ± 3.12 to 126.74 ± 6.50). 4. Negative correlations occurred between VLP and cryptophytes (dominant phototrophic nanoflagellates), suggesting that they were not hosts to lytic viruses. Among the other protists only the heterotrophic nanoflagellates of Highway Lake (dominated by the marine choanoflagellate Diaphanoeca grandis) showed a positive correlation with VLP. 5. The VLP was negatively correlated with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and temperature, both of which increased with ice thinning and breakout, increasing viral decay. In winter VLP probably persisted in cold, dark water. 6. High VLP concentrations and high VBR (values at the upper end of those reported for marine and lacustrine systems) indicated that viruses, most of which were probably bacteriophage, are a major element within the microbial communities in extreme, saline lakes.     

Neuromodulatory changes in short-term synaptic dynamics may be mediated by two distinct mechanisms of presynaptic calcium entry

Although synaptic output is known to be modulated by changes in presynaptic calcium channels, additional pathways for calcium entry into the presynaptic terminal, such as non-selective channels, could contribute to modulation of short term synaptic dynamics. We address this issue using computational modeling. The neuropeptide proctolin modulates the inhibitory synapse from the lateral pyloric (LP) to the pyloric dilator (PD) neuron, two slow-wave bursting neurons in the pyloric network of the crab Cancer borealis. Proctolin enhances the strength of this synapse and also changes its dynamics. Whereas in control saline the synapse shows depression independent of the amplitude of the presynaptic LP signal, in proctolin, with high-amplitude presynaptic LP stimulation the synapse remains depressing while low-amplitude stimulation causes facilitation. We use simple calcium-dependent release models to explore two alternative mechanisms underlying these modulatory effects. In the first model, proctolin directly targets calcium channels by changing their activation kinetics which results in gradual accumulation of calcium with low-amplitude presynaptic stimulation, leading to facilitation. The second model uses the fact that proctolin is known to activate a non-specific cation current I _MI . In this model, we assume that the MI channels have some permeability to calcium, modeled to be a result of slow conformation change after binding calcium. This generates a gradual increase in calcium influx into the presynaptic terminals through the modulatory channel similar to that described in the first model. Each of these models can explain the modulation of the synapse by proctolin but with different consequences for network activity.     

Effects of the early stage of decomposition on change in carbon and nitrogen isotopes in Sphagnum litter

Abstract

Isotope and elemental composition of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) as well as its mass loss were measured for Sphagnum fuscum litter after one and two years of incubation in three different soil zones defined by the position of water table in a pristine Sphagnum-dominated peatland on the coast of western Canada. Mass losses were greater for the first year than for the second year, and the greatest loss was found in the oxic zone closest to the peatland surface. Early stage of decomposition clearly affected isotope signatures in Sphagnum litter. Litter δ¹³C values significantly decreased after the first year of incubation. The depletion of ¹³C content during the first year might be related to the loss of more isotopically enriched soluble constituents coupled with the large mass loss. Litter δ¹⁵N values significantly increased after the first year of incubation in spite of the large mass loss. Litters incubated in the oxic zone had the greatest mass loss and ¹⁵N enrichment, suggesting that the enrichment was the result of interactions with soil microbes and preferential loss of lighter N. Conversely, litters incubated in the anoxic zone had smaller mass loss and the amount of N significantly increased, suggesting that the incorporation of bacterial biomass might also contribute to the ¹⁵N enrichment. The ¹⁵N enrichment trend continued in the second year, but the change was not significant as the first year. Increases in the δ¹⁵N values with depth in the near surface Sphagnum peat core suggests that the enrichment trend of litter ¹⁵N abundance with age is likely to continue for much longer periods than observed over the two-year period of this study.     

Trophic structure of macro- and meso-invertebrates in Japanese coniferous forest: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes analyses

Few studies have been published on the feeding ecology of Japanese soil fauna based on stable isotope analysis. Therefore, the present work aims to use this technique for studying the trophic structure of Japanese soil fauna at two coniferous forests. Significant differences were observed between investigated sites (Arahama and Gamo) in genus richness and abundance, while for Shannon diversity indexes the difference was non-significant. The isotopic signatures (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) of the invertebrates collected at Arahama ranged from 0.3 to 6.3‰ for δ¹⁵N and from −27.3 to −23.3‰ for δ¹³C. At Gamo, invertebrates δ¹³C values ranged from −26.1 to −23.5‰ and δ¹⁵N values ranged from 1.6 to 6.8‰. At both sites, invertebrates formed two distinct groups on the basis of combined C and N stable isotope ratios. The locations of these groups related to δ¹³C values. The less enriched group (δ¹³C < −25‰) and the more enriched one (δ¹³C > −25‰). The range of δ¹⁵N for the present animals exceeded two trophic levels. While, the gradual ¹⁵N enrichment within the invertebrates species may indicate the dominance of omnivory in soil food webs. The differences between sites in δ¹⁵N confirm the importance of studying the trophic structure of soil fauna locally.     

Size-structure-based models of forest dynamics to interpret population- and community-level mechanisms

Functional size-structure-based models of forest tree population dynamics present a unifying explanation for population-level patterns and tree community organization. Density-dependent regulation can be explicitly replaced by the effect of size-structure-dependent suppression on demographic processes in functional size-structure models. This suppression effect sufficiently explains various patterns reported for crowded evenaged populations. Further, it stabilizes natural forest populations of overlapping generations at a stationary state with balanced recruitment and mortality. The spatial heterogeneity of light resources created by tree size structure offers an opportunity for multiple species to coexist by means of trade-offs between demographic parameters. The energy correlation of tree species diversity at a geographic scale is also attributable to the architectural feature of forests. Recipient of the Botanical Society Award of Young Scientists, 1992.     

Climate change manipulations show Antarctic flora is more strongly affected by elevated nutrients than water

Climate change is expected to affect the high latitudes first and most severely, rendering Antarctica one of the most significant baseline environments for the study of global climate change. The indirect effects of climate warming, including changes to the availability of key environmental resources, such as water and nutrients, are likely to have a greater impact upon continental Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems than the effects of fluctuations in temperature alone. To investigate the likely impacts of a wetter climate on Antarctic terrestrial communities a multiseason, manipulative field experiment was conducted in the floristically important Windmill Islands region of East Antarctica. Four cryptogamic communities (pure bryophyte, moribund bryophyte, crustose and fructicose lichen‐dominated) received increased water and/or nutrient additions over two consecutive summer seasons. The increased water approximated an 18% increase in snow melt days (0.2°C increase in temperature), while the nutrient addition of 3.5 g N m^?2 yr^?1 was within the range of soil N in the vicinity. A range of physiological and biochemical measurements were conducted in order to quantify the community response. While an overall increase in productivity in response to water and nutrient additions was observed, productivity appeared to respond more strongly to nutrient additions than to water additions. Pure bryophyte communities, and lichen communities dominated by the genus Usnea, showed stronger positive responses to nutrient additions, identifying some communities that may be better able to adapt and prosper under the ameliorating conditions associated with a warmer, wetter future climate. Under such a climate, productivity is overall likely to increase but some cryptogamic communities are likely to thrive more than others. Regeneration of moribund bryophytes appears likely only if a future moisture regime creates consistently moist conditions.     

亚热带地区马尾松树干呼吸碳同位素组成的时间变化特征及其控制因子

作为森林生态系统碳循环的重要组成部分,树干呼吸的时空变异性直接决定着全球碳库对气候变化的响应和反馈。然而,目前关于树干呼吸的时间变化特征,尤其是树干呼吸碳同位素组成(δ¹³C)变化的控制机理还存在很大的不确定性。为探明树干呼吸及其碳同位素的时间变化特征,采用气室法并利用基于光腔衰荡光谱(CRDS)技术组装的Picarro观测系统,于2018年8月—2019年10月对6棵马尾松进行树干呼吸及其同位素的监测,同时测定树干液流速率和树干温度。结果表明:(1)树干呼吸速率及其δ¹³C值均不存在明显的日变化模式,且与树干液流、树干温度相关性不显著;(2)树干呼吸速率季节变化趋势明显,变化范围为0.08～1.61μmol·m^-2·s^-1,且树干温度解释了树干呼吸速率季节变化的82%;(3)树干呼吸δ¹³C呈现先升高后下降的季节变化模式,非生长季的平均δ¹³C为-23.25‰±0.91‰,显著高于生长季的-27.93‰±0.25‰。研究表明,树干呼吸及其碳同位素组成在不...     

NMR solution structure and dynamics of motilin in isotropic phospholipid bicellar solution

The structure and dynamics of the gastrointestinal peptide hormone motilin, consisting of 22 amino acid residues, have been studied in the presence of isotropic q=0.5 phospholipid bicelles. The NMR solution structure of the peptide in acidic bicelle solution was determined from 203 NOE-derived distance constraints and six backbone torsion angle constraints. Dynamic properties for the ¹³C-¹H vector in Leu10 were determined for motilin specifically labeled with ¹³C at this position by analysis of multiple-field relaxation data. The structure reveals an ordered -helical conformation between Glu9 and Lys20. The N-terminus is also well structured with a turn resembling that of a classical -turn. The ¹³C dynamics clearly show that motilin tumbles slowly in solution, with a correlation time characteristic of a large object. It was also found that motilin has a large degree of local flexibility as compared with what has previously been reported in SDS micelles. The results show that motilin interacts with the bicelle, displaying motional properties of a peptide bound to a membrane. In comparison, motilin in neutral bicelles seems less structured and more flexible. This study shows that the small isotropic bicelles are well suited for use as membrane-mimetic for structural as well as dynamical investigations of membrane-bound peptides by high-resolution NMR.     

Adaptive dynamics of cooperation may prevent the coexistence of defectors and cooperators and even cause extinction

It has recently been demonstrated that ecological feedback mechanisms can facilitate the emergence and maintenance of cooperation in public goods interactions: the replicator dynamics of defectors and cooperators can result, for example, in the ecological coexistence of cooperators and defectors. Here we show that these results change dramatically if cooperation strategy is not fixed but instead is a continuously varying trait under natural selection. For low values of the factor with which the value of resources is multiplied before they are shared among all participants, evolution will always favour lower cooperation strategies until the population falls below an Allee threshold and goes extinct, thus evolutionary suicide occurs. For higher values of the factor, there exists a unique evolutionarily singular strategy, which is convergence stable. Because the fitness function is linear with respect to the strategy of the mutant, this singular strategy is neutral against mutant invasions. This neutrality disappears if a nonlinear functional response in receiving benefits is assumed. For strictly concave functional responses, singular strategies become uninvadable. Evolutionary branching, which could result in the evolutionary emergence of cooperators and defectors, can occur only with locally convex functional responses, but we illustrate that it can also result in coevolutionary extinction.     

Population dynamics of insects associated with Rumex obtusifolius in different habitats

The effect of different habitats on insect communities associated with Rumex obtusifolius was studied in detail. Study sites were selected for their variety of environmental characteristics (vegetation and habitat): shaded woodland, disturbed wasteland and pasture. The results of this study were that insect populations associated with R. obtusifolius responded differently to the different habitats. The observed differences in population dynamics among the insects showed quite clearly their responses to different habitats. There was also a pattern of time partitioning in the exploitation of the host‐plant among the insect species observed. Philaenus spumarius at nymphal stage had a peak density on approximately 20 June, Apion frumentarium and Apion spp. (Apion species other than A. frumentarium) had a peak density on approximately 30 June and Aphis rumicis had a peak density on approximately 28 July. This pattern of shift in time for peak population density (time‐shift) among the insects sharing a common host‐plant may guarantee each insect the opportunity to exploit the plant to a maximum.     

桃园捕食性节肢动物群落结构及动态研究

【目的】探讨桃园捕食性节肢动物群落特征、结构组成及动态规律,为桃园害虫防治提供依据。【方法】在西北农林科技大学实验站选择树龄5~6年的桃园为调查对象,系统调查园内节肢动物群落的种类和数量,测定群落的相对丰富度、多样性指数(H')、均匀度指数(E)及优势集中性指数(C)等指标,研究园内捕食性节肢动物群落的变化规律。【结果】桃园捕食性节肢动物群落的多样性指数和均匀度指数表现为高-低-高-低的趋势;群落优势度(B)与优势集中性指数呈现低-高-低趋势。食蚜蝇、蜘蛛、瓢虫、步甲和草蛉是桃园主要捕食性节肢动物亚群落。大灰食蚜蝇Metasyrphus corollae和黑带食蚜蝇Episyrphus balteata是食蚜蝇亚群落的优势种群,5月中旬至6月下旬是其发生高峰期;龟纹瓢虫Propylaea japonica是瓢虫亚群落的优势种群,5月中旬至7月下旬是其发生高峰期,随后数量维持在较低水平;龟纹瓢虫鼎斑变型和锚斑变型是桃园最常见的色斑变型,分别占49.6%和29%;蜘蛛亚群落主要包括皿蛛、蟹蛛和球蛛类群,5月上中旬、8月中下旬和10月中旬是其发生高峰期;步甲亚群落的发生高峰期为5月上旬至6月下旬,随后维持在较低的水平;中华草蛉Chrysoperla sinica为草蛉亚群落的优势种群,6月上旬至8月上旬是其发生高峰期。【结论】桃园捕食性节肢动物主要包括捕食性蜘蛛、食蚜蝇、捕食性瓢虫、步甲和草蛉5个亚群落,不同天敌亚群落的结构特征随着季节和气温的变化而相互演替,共同发挥控制害虫的作用。