黄土高原不同植被带内草地植物叶片解剖性状的变异规律

叶片作为植物与外界进行物质交换的桥梁,其解剖性状能够相互协调以应对外界环境对植物生长造成的不利影响,从而反映出植物对环境变化所采取的适应策略。通过对黄土高原不同植被带(森林草原带、典型草原带、荒漠草原带)草地群落中常见115种植物(包括单子叶植物,双子叶植物,木本植物和草本植物四种功能型植物)叶片进行取样,并运用石蜡制片技术和光学显微技术获得叶片解剖性状(包括表皮厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、叶肉厚度和叶片厚度),旨在研究不同植被带内草地植物叶片解剖性状的变异规律及其与群落内物种相对优势度之间的关系,为黄土高原植被恢复和生态环境改善提供理论依据。结果表明：(1)沿着干旱梯度,从森林草原带、典型草原带到荒漠草原带,除叶肉厚度外,植物各叶片解剖性状值均呈现增大趋势,表明干旱地区叶片的旱生结构特征明显。(2)不同功能型植物叶片解剖性状与环境因子的关系各异。木本植物和草本植物的栅栏组织厚度和栅海比均与降水和土壤养分呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)。同时,木本植物的叶片厚度与水分呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05),而草本植物表皮厚度仅与土壤养分呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)...     

Plant functional diversity in tropical Andean páramos

ABSTRACT

Background: Tropical high mountains present extreme daily temperature variations, frequent high air evaporative demands and seasonal differences in soil water availability. Plants have adapted to these conditions through different avoidance-tolerance mechanisms. This review focuses on plant-growth forms and their adaptive strategies.

Aims: This integrated review of páramo plant traits aims at contributing to understanding the functioning of plant-growth forms and their significance on ecosystem properties under environmental climate and land-use changes.

Methods: Plant responses are presented along avoidance-tolerance gradients considering three main aspects: freezing resistance, water relations and gas exchange characteristics. Results from 45 herbaceous and 42 woody species along elevational gradients in the Venezuelan high Andes were analysed.

Results: Leaf supercooling is the common avoidance response of woody plants to night-time freezing temperatures, while herbaceous plants tolerate frost. Trees and caulescent rosettes maintain more positive leaf water potentials under water deficit conditions compared to more tolerant herbaceous species. All plant growth-forms showed strong stomatal control under dry-season conditions.

Conclusions: Páramo plant growth-forms may be separated according to an avoidance-tolerance gradient in response to water deficit and low temperature resistance. Woody growth-forms tend to avoid both freezing and water stress, while herbaceous forms tolerate frost and resist an unfavourable water status. Grasses and cushion plants are at the tolerant extreme of the gradient and coincide in that both reach the highest elevations in the páramo. Andean giant rosettes are freezing avoidant, particularly susceptible to water deficit and the most vulnerable, of all growth-forms, to changing environmental conditions.     

Temperature and water relation patterns in subalpine understory plants

Summary The daily temperature and water relations of 7 perennial subalpine, understory species (1 shrub, 1 subshrub, 5 herbs) were compared in the Rocky Mountains of southeastern Wyoming with an emphasis on the effects of natural sun and shade exposure. Field measurements of rainfall; leaf, air, and soil temperatures; stomatal conductance to water vapor diffusion; and plant and soil water potentials were supplemented with leaf and root morphological measurements to evaluate potential adaptive patterns in understory species.Morphologically, all 7 species had relatively broad leaves that were hypostomous and bicolored with the abaxial leaf surface lighter than the abaxial surface. Root systems tended to be shallow (<20 cm), especially for the herbaceous species. Although soil water potentials from 4 to 40 cm depths remained relatively high throughout the summer (>-1.0 MPa), plant xylem water potentials for sunlit plants decreased to below-2.0 MPa during midday. During these sunlit periods, leaf temperatures and conductances increased substantially, leading to severe wilting for 4 of the 5 herbaceous species. Stomatal conductance and density for 6 of the 7 species monitored were much greater on abaxial compared to adaxial leaf sides and substantial stomatal closure occurred when either leaf side was oriented to receive direct sunlight. Moreover, stomatal opening on abaxial leaf sides corresponded to the amount of sunlight incident upon the adaxial rather than abaxial leaf surfaces. The 2 shrubby species did not wilt during these periods and were characterized by the highest leaf temperatures (>30°C). These 2 species also had consistantly lower xylem water potentials throughout the summer growth period. These results are discussed in terms of the possible adaptive significance of midday wilting, leaf hypostomy and bicoloration and stomatal behavior to the water and photosynthetic relations of understory species.     

Photosynthesis in cold acclimated leaves of plants with various degrees of freezing tolerance

The objective of this study was to compare the photosynthetic changes during cold acclimation in various plant types able to acquire different degrees of freezing tolerance. Four herbaceous and six woody plants were hardened under natural or artificial conditions and – after determination of their frost resistance (LT₅₀) – the net photosynthetic rate at an ambient CO₂ of 33 Pa (P_n33), the dependencies of P_n to light and to CO₂ and the room temperature chlorophyll a fluorescence were recorded under optimal conditions. Herbaceous plants acquired freezing tolerances to temperatures between ?10 and ?15°C when hardened at temperatures around 0°C. Most leaves fully developed prior to frost hardening exhibited typical symptoms of senescence after frost hardening. In non-senescing leaves P_n33 was reduced by 15 to 50% mainly due to a reduced stomatal conductance. After hardening at temperatures around ?10°C Brassica survived down to ?24°C, but P_n33 was almost abolished as a result of disturbances in the chloroplasts. After transferring the plants to 20/15°C P_n33 recovered completely within a few days. Woody plants hardened at temperatures around 0°C tolerated – 15 to ?36°C: P_n33 was reduced by 25 to 60% and hardly recovered at 20/15°C. Hardening at ?10°C induced a tolerance of ?32 to n33 was almost totally blocked, but at 20/15°C it returned to the values of the plants hardened at 0°C within a few days. In woody plants disturbances were invariably localized in the chloroplasts. Thus, conifers, and especially Pinus cembra, can survive much lower temperatures than herbaceous plants and, at the same level of freezing tolerance, exhibit appreciably less restriction in relative P_n33.     

Plant distribution and the temperature coefficient of metabolism

The spatial distribution of a plant species is limited by the range of climatic conditions to which the species can adapt. Temperature is one of the most significant determinants of plant distribution, but except for the effects of lethal limits, little is known about physiological changes in responses to differences in environmental temperature. In this study, temperature coefficients of non-photosynthetic metabolism have been determined in the normal environmental temperature range for selected annual and perennial plants. Distinct differences were found in the temperature coefficient of metabolism of woody perennial plants from high latitudes and high elevations and closely related low-latitude and low-elevation plants. Low-latitude and low-elevation woody perennials have Arrhenius temperature coefficients for metabolism that are larger than those for congeneric high-latitude and high-elevation plants. The Arrhenius temperature coefficient is not rapidly adapted to new environments. A simple function was developed relating Arrhenius temperature coefficient to latitude and elevation for accessions of three, woody, perennial species complexes of plants collected from a wide geographic range but grown in common gardens. Within these taxa, plants that experience broader ranges of temperature during growth in their native habitat have smaller temperature coefficients. Temperature coefficients also varied with growth stage or season. No similar relationship was found for annuals and herbaceous perennials. For the plants tested, Arrhenius temperature coefficients are high during early spring growth, but shift to lower values later in the season. The shift in Arrhenius temperature coefficients occurs early in the season for southern and low-elevation plants and progressively later for plants from further north or higher elevation. The changes in Arrhenius temperature coefficients result largely from increases in plant metabolic rates at lower temperatures while little change occurs in the rates at higher temperatures. Altering the temperature dependence of the control of metabolic rate is apparently an important means of response to climate change.     

Leaf size versus leaf numbertrade-offs in dioecious angiosperms

Aims We explore the possible role of leaf size/number trade-offs for the interpretation of leaf size dimorphism in dioecious plant species.Methods Total above-ground biomass (both male and female) for three herbaceous dioecious species and individual shoots (from both male and female plants) for three woody dioecious species were sampled to record individual leaf dry mass, number of leaves, dry mass of residual above-ground tissue (all remaining non-leaf biomass), number of flowers/inflorescences (for herbaceous species) and number of branches.Important findings For two out of three woody species and two out of three herbaceous species examined, male plants produced smaller leaves but with higher leafing intensity—i.e. more leaves per unit of supporting (residual) shoot tissue or plant body mass—compared with females. Male and female plants, however, did not differ in shoot or plant body mass or branching intensity. We interpret these results as possible evidence for a dimorphic leaf deployment strategy that promotes both male and female function, respectively. In male plants, capacity as a pollen donor may be favored by selection for a broadly spaced floral display, hence favoring relatively high leafing intensity because this provides more numerous axillary meristems that can be deployed for flowering, thus requiring a relatively small leaf as a trade-off. In one herbaceous species, higher leafing intensity in males was associated with greater flower production than in females. In contrast, in female plants, selection favors a relatively large leaf, we propose, because this promotes greater capacity for localized photosynthate production, thus supporting the locally high energetic cost of axillary fruit and seed development, which in turn requires a relatively low leafing intensity as a trade-off.     

The responses of stomata and leaf gas exchange to vapour pressure deficits and soil water content

Summary The responses of photosynthesis, transpiration and leaf conductance to changes in vapour pressure deficit were followed in well-watered plants of the herbaceous species, Helianthus annuus, Helianthus nuttallii, Pisum sativum and Vigna unguiculata, and in the woody species having either sclerophyllous leaves, Arbutus unedo, Nerium oleander and Pistacia vera, or mesomorphic leaves, Corylus avellana, Gossypium hirsutum and Prunus dulcis. When the vapour pressure deficit of the air around a single leaf in a cuvette was varied from 10 to 30 Pa kPa^-1 in 5 Pa kPa^-1 steps, while holding the remainder of the plant at a vapour presure deficit of 10 Pa kPa^-1, the leaf conductance and net photosynthetic rate of the leaf decreased in all species. The rate of transpiration increased initially with increase in vapour pressure deficit in all species, but in several species a maximum transpiration rate was observed at 20 to 25 Pa kPa^-1. Concurrent measurements of the leaf water potential by in situ psychrometry showed that an increase in the vapour pressure deficit decreased the leaf water potential in all species. The decrease was greatest in woody species, and least in herbaceous species. When the vapour pressure deficit around the remainder of the plant was increased while the leaf in the cuvette was exposed to a low and constant vapour pressure deficit, similar responses in both degree and magnitude in the rates of transpiration and leaf conductance were observed in the remainder of the plant as those occurring when the vapour pressure deficit around the single leaf was varied. Increasing the external vapour pressure deficit lowered the water potential of the leaf in the cuvette in the woody species and induced a decrease in leaf conductance in some, but not all, speies. The decrease in leaf conductance with decreasing water potential was greater in the woody species when the vapour pressure deficit was increased than when it remained low and constant, indicating that changing the leaf-to-air vapour pressure difference had a direct effect on the stomata in these species. The low hydraulic resistance and maintenance of a high leaf water potential precluded such an analysis in the herbaceous species. We conclude that at least in the woody species studied, an increase in the vapour pressure deficit around a leaf will decrease leaf gas exchange through a direct effect on the leaf epidermis and sometimes additionally through a lowering of the mesophyll water potential.     

Differential effects of goat browsing on herbaceous plant community in a two-phase mosaic

The impact of herbivores on herbaceous plant communities is usually attributed to direct consumption of plants. We hypothesized that goats affect herbaceous plants both directly (consumption by foraging) and indirectly, by changing environmental conditions through modification of woody plant structure. We assessed the effects of goats browsing on environmental conditions, landscape structure, and herbaceous plants to link the direct and indirect effects of goats on herbaceous communities. Our model system was the Mediterranean woodland in Mt. Carmel, Israel. This is a two-phase mosaic landscape, composed of herbaceous (open) and woody patches. We delineated 10 plots of 1000 m², goats were introduced to five plots and five plots remained without goats. We monitored plant species richness and composition in two adjacent patch types (woody and open) in each plot. For each patch type, in all plots, we collected data on environmental conditions. We analyzed landscape structure using landscape metrics derived from a high-resolution vegetation map. We found that goats modified the structure of woody plants and hence the landscape mosaic. This alteration was associated with changes in environmental conditions, with more light penetration and higher temperatures. The impact of goats on the herbaceous plant community depended on patch type. In open patches, goats affected the herbaceous community mostly by direct consumption, whereas in woody patches they affected the herbaceous community mainly by modification of abiotic conditions. Our results stress the importance of considering landscape and patch structure in analyzing the effect of herbivory on plant communities.     

Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentration and the empirical regulations in dominant woody plants of shrublands across southern China

Aims Understanding the changes in N and P concentration in plant organs along the environmental gradients can provide meaningful information to reveal the underline mechanisms for the geochemical cycles and adaptation strategies of plants to the changing environment. In this paper, we aimed to answer: (1) How did the N and P concentration in leaves of evergreen and deciduous woody plants change along the environmental gradients? (2) What were the main factors regulating the N and P concentration in leaves of woody plants in the shrublands across southern China?
Methods Using a stratified random sampling method, we sampled 193 dominant woody plants in 462 sites of 12 provinces in southern China. Leaf samples of dominant woody plants, including 91 evergreen and 102 deciduous shrubs, and soil samples at each site were collected. N and P concentration of the leaves and soils were measured after lapping and sieving. Kruskal-Wallis and Nemenyi tests were applied to quantify the difference among the organs and life-forms. For each life-form, the binary linear regression was used to estimate the relationships between leaf log [N] and log [P] concentration and mean annual air temperature (MAT), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and log soil total [N], [P]. The effects of climate, soil and plant life-form on leaf chemical traits were modeled through the general linear models (GLMs) and F-tests.
Important findings 1) The geometric means of leaf N and P concentrations of the dominant woody plants were 16.57 mg·g^-1 and 1.02 mg·g^-1, respectively. The N and P concentration in leaves (17.91 mg·g^-1, 1.14 mg·g^-1) of deciduous woody plants was higher than those of evergreen woody plants (15.19 mg·g^-1, 0.89 mg·g^-1). The dependent of leaf P concentration on environmental (climate and soil) appeared more variable than N concentration. 2) Leaf N and P in evergreen woody plants decreased with MAT and but increased with MAP, whereas those in deciduous woody plants showed opposite trends. With increase in MAP, leaf P concentration decreased for both evergreen and deciduous woody plants. 3) Soil N concentration had no significant effect on both evergreen and deciduous woody plants. However, leaf P concentration of the tow increased significantly with soil P concentration. (4) GLMs showed that plant growth form explained 7.6% and 14.4% of variation in leaf N and P, respectively. MAP and soil P concentration contributed 0.8% and 16.4% of the variation in leaf P, respectively. These results suggested that leaf N was mainly influenced by plant growth form, while leaf P concentration was driven by soil, plant life-form, and climate at our study sites.     

Leaf diffusion resistance pattern in an oak-hornbeam forest

Four tree, five shrub, and ten herbaceous species growing naturally in an oak-hornbeam forest were used for simultaneous study of the leaf diffusive resistances in the course of several summer days. Absolute minima of the stomatal resistance in the sun tree, the shrub, and the herbaceous species leaves were 1.7 to 6.2 s cm^-1, 6.1 to 10.8 s cm^-1, and 4.8 to 9.7 (17.3 inConvallaria majalis leaves) s cm^-1, respectively. Minimum daily leaf resistances in the course of a day were noted earlier in the morning in sun leaves of large trees than in shade leaves of other species. Stomata were fully opened later in the morning and they began to close sooner in the afternoon in usual shade leaves of the plants in the interior of the forest canopy than those in sun leaves in active surfaces of the canopy (tops of tree crowns). The relatively large differences in leaf resistances found among investigated species may be explained by differences in leaf anatomy (stomata frequency and size) and in ambient leaf or plant environment caused by leaf (plant) position in different vertical layers.     

霜冻对昆明植物园维管植物危害的调查分析

2013年12月中旬昆明出现严重的霜冻天气,导致植物大面积受害,造成了巨大的损失。若了解各类植物对极端低温危害的抵抗力,可为科学合理地预防和降低霜冻等冻害天气对园林植物的危害提供一定参考。作者抽样调查了昆明植物园90科225种植物的受害情况．并对受害程度与植物系统分类、形态特征和产地分布等方面的关系进行统计分析。结果表明蕨类植物抗冻性较差,裸子植物抗冻性较强,不同科的被子植物抗冻性差异较大：多年生草本比一年生草本抗冻性差,常绿木本植物比落叶木本植物抗冻性更强;本地物种比引进物种抗冻性较强。根据调查结果,对已有园林植物的保护和新的园林绿化建设提出了一定的建议。即根据不同植物的抗冻性强弱,一方面要对园林植物给予积极有效的保护和采取预防霜冻危害的措施,另一方面要结合环境条件和植物特征选择适宜种植的物种。     

Leaf temperature of desert sand dune plants: perspectives on the adaptability of leaf morphology

The leaf temperature of six annual and six perennial plant species was monitored during spring and summer on a sand dune ecosystem in the delta Mediterranean coast of Egypt. During winter, leaves of all tested perennial species attained temperatures higher than the air temperature at night and shortly after sunrise, with maximum leaf–air temperature differences reaching up to 8°C. The lowest differences were less than 1°C. Around noon, the leaves of several species attained temperatures lower than that of the air whereas others showed higher temperatures. The opposite was true during summer, when leaf temperatures were lower than air temperature. The maximum leaf–air temperature differences occurred after midnight towards sunrise and reached up to 10°C. The lowest differences were found around noon and were of less than 5°C. The annual plant species have more pronounced variations than perennials in their leaf temperatures during the night and for most of the day. The leaves were heated or cooled a few degrees above or below the air temperature. The results are discussed in relation to the morphological characters of the leaves. The variation in leaf temperature at different times of the day was significantly related to leaf morphology, specific leaf area, thickness, volume, leaf area index and the surrounding environment.     

Leaf rosette closure in the alpine rock species Saxifraga paniculata Mill.: significance for survival of drought and heat under high irradiation

The significance of leaf rosette closure for survival of drought and heat under high irradiation on alpine rock sites was investigated in the cushion forming rosette plant, Saxifraga paniculata Mill. With decreasing water content the leaves fold over the rosette centre reducing reversibly the evaporative leaf surface area by 80%. Internal water redistribution driven by an osmotic gradient from older to younger leaves occurs. The oldest leaves dry out to promote the survival of the individual. Leaf temperatures above 45 °C (which match heat tolerance limits 45–57 °C; LT₅₀) co-occurred with low substrate water potentials (less than – 0·5 MPa) on 11·3% of summer days. Shading by leaves can be crucial to surviving high temperatures as it keeps the rosette centre up to 10 °C colder. Mutual shading prevented sustained drought-induced photoinhibition in upper leaf surfaces at relative water contents below 60%. In exposed lower leaf surfaces restoration of photosystem II took several days. Leaf temperatures above 40 °C (21·3% of summer days) induced photoinhibition in situ. Periods with sufficient water supply can be fully utilized as rehydration is fast ( < 12 h) and exposes the upper leaf surfaces that showed only minor photoinhibition. By reversible leaf rosette closure environmental extremes that otherwise could exceed tolerance are efficiently avoided.     

Plant transpiration at high elevations: Theory,field measurements,and comparisons with desert plants

Summary The influence of elevational changes on plant transpiration was evaluated using leaf energy balance equations and well-known elevational changes in the physical parameters that influence water vapor diffusion. Simulated transpirational fluxes for large leaves with low and high stomatal resistances to water vapor diffusion were compared to small leaves with identical stomatal resistances at elevations ranging from sea level to 4 km. The specific influence of various air temperature lapse rates was also tested. Validation of the simulated results was accomplished by comparing actual field measurements taken at a low elevation (300 m) desert site with similar measurements for a high elevation (2,560 m) mountain research site. Close agreement was observed between predicted and measured values of transpiration for the environmental and leaf parameters tested.Substantial increases in solar irradiation and the diffusion coefficient for water vapor in air (D _wv) occurred with increasing elevation, while air and leaf temperatures, the water vapor concentration difference between the leaf and air, longwave irradiation, and the thermal conductivity coefficient for heat in air decreased with increasing elevation. These changes resulted in temperatures for sunlit leaves that were further above air temperature at higher elevations, especially for large leaves. For large leaves with low stomatal resistances, transpirational fluxes for low-elevation desert plants were close to those predicted for high-elevation plants even though the sunlit leaf temperatures of these mountain plants were over 10°C cooler. Simulating conditions with a low air temperature lapse rate (0.003° C m^-1 and 0.004° C m^-1) resulted in predicted transpirational fluxes that were greater than those calculated for the desert site. Transpiration for smaller leaves decreased with elevation for all lapse rates tested (0.003° C m^-1 to 0.010° C m^-1). However, transpirational fluxes at higher elevations were considerably greater than expected for all leaves, especially larger leaves, due to the strong influence of increased solar heating and a greater D _wv. These results are discussed in terms of similarities in leaf structure and plant habit observed among low-elevation desert plants and high-elevation alpine and subalpine plants.     

Diurnal and Seasonal Changes in Photosynthesis and Photosystem 2 Photochemical Efficiency in Prosopis juliflora Leaves Subjected to Natural Environmental Stress

The plants of Prosopis juliflora growing in northern India are exposed to large variations of temperature, vapour pressure deficits (VPD), and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) throughout the year. Under these conditions P. juliflora had two short periods of leaf production, one after the winter season and second after summer, which resulted in two distinct even aged cohorts of leaves. In winter with cold nights (2–8 °C) and moderate temperatures during the day, the plants showed high rates of photosynthesis. In summer the midday temperatures often reached <45 °C and plants showed severe inhibition of photosynthesis. The leaves of second cohort appeared in July and showed typical midday depression of photosynthesis. An analysis of diurnal partitioning of the absorbed excitation energy into photochemistry showed that a smaller fraction of the energy was utilised for photochemistry and a greater fraction was dissipated thermally, further the photon utilisation for photochemistry and thermal dissipation is largely affected by the interaction of irradiance and temperature. The plants showed high photochemical efficiency of photosystem 2 (PS2) at predawn and very little photoinhibition in all seasons except in summer. The photoinhibition in summer was pronounced with very poor recovery during night. Since P. juliflora exhibited distinct pattern of senescence and production of new leaves after winter and summer stress period, it appeared that the ontogenic characteristic together with its ability for safe dissipation of excess radiant energy in P. juliflora contributes to its growth and survival.     

祁连山北坡主要木本植物功能性状及其海拔分异

植物功能性状是植物对生境长期适应所形成的可测量特征,受植物遗传特性和环境因子的共同影响。祁连山是我国干旱区的一条重要山脉,北坡海拔介于2000-5000 m,分布着青海云杉、祁连圆柏等10余种木本植物。深入了解祁连山区木本植物功能性状随海拔梯度分异特征对认识山地植物的适应性和植被垂直地带分布具有重要意义。选取祁连山北坡天然分布的11种木本植物,其中灌木9种,分别是金露梅（Potentilla fruticosa）、银露梅（Potentilla glabra）、水栒子（Cotoneaster multiflorus）、猫儿刺（Ilex pernyi）、吉拉柳（Salix gilashanica）、鬼箭锦鸡儿（Caragana jubata）、刚毛忍冬（Lonicera hispida）、高山绣线菊（Spiraea alpina）和鲜黄小檗（Berberis diaphana）,乔木2种,分别是青海云杉（Picea crassifolia）和祁连圆柏（Juniperus przewalskii）,调查了木质密度、胡伯尔值、叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶含水率和比叶面积6个枝、叶功能性状。结果表明：（1）灌木的木质密度、胡伯尔值、叶含水率和比叶面积显著高于乔木,但叶面积和叶干物质含量显著低于乔木;（2）木质密度和叶干物质含量随海拔升高显著下降,其他功能性状沿海拔分异不显著;（3）生长季气温与叶干物质含量正相关,与胡伯尔值和叶含水率负相关,生长季降水与各功能性状相关关系不显著。说明乔木和灌木植物采取不同的枝、叶资源利用策略来适应高山生境;随海拔升高,降低结构性碳投资可能限制了高山植被的分布上限;生长季气温是引起性状沿海拔分异的重要环境因子,但不能完全解释性状沿海拔分异规律。     

Impact of specific environmental characteristics of the site of origin (shady,sunny) on anthocyanin and flavonol contents of replanted plants at common cyclamen (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyclamen purpurascens</Emphasis> Mill.)

The value of plant provenance (plant origin) is well-known phenomena in woody plants, but less is known in herbaceous plants (perennials). This study with common cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens Mill.) was conducted to reveal the importance of specific environmental site properties of plant origin for plant growth and plant quality in the next years. The plants were observed in years 2013 and 2014, more than 10 years after removing and replanting them from the original sites. Morphological characteristics of plants were evaluated by measuring the length and the width of plant rosettes, whereby plants originated from different sites did not show any significant differences. Additionally, the pigment composition, flavonol and anthocyanin content of plant leaves were evaluated. Plants removed from sunny sites showed significantly lower chlorophyll values (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a) in the both observed years; lower carotenoid and total pigment values were measured only in year 2013. The prevailing anthocyanin in cyclamen leaves was malvidin-3,5-diglucoside with 57.28 µg l^?1 FW in the year 2013 and with 103.68 µg l^?1 FW in the year 2014. Plants originated from the sunny sites accumulated in 2013 significantly more malvidin-3,5-diglucoside in comparison with plants from shady sites of origin. The major substances from the flavonol group were quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and quercetin-dirhamnosyl-glucoside in both analysed years. The cyclamen leaves originated from sunny sites contained in 2013 significant more quercetin-dirhamnosyl-glucoside than cyclamen leaves from shady sites. The results of the study show that different stress parameters (irradiation and water supply in specific year) have a significant impact on the morphological and also internal parameters of cyclamen leaves.     

Consequences of the Elimination of Old Leaves upon Spring Phenological Events and the New Leaves Nutrient Concentration in a Wintergreen Woody Species in the Southern Hemisphere

Previous studies analyzed the importance of old leaves conservancy for wintergreen species plant growth only after early spring old leaves elimination. However, carbon and nutrient resources for growth could have already been translocated from old leaves to shoots during autumn. In this work, the effect of old leaves absence on the leaf mass per area (LMA, g m⁻²) and nutrient concentration of new spring leaves, shoot growth, and flowering was studied in Aristotelia chilensis, an Andean Patagonic woody wintergreen species of Argentina. Plants were studied after autumn defoliation (AD) or late winter defoliation (WD) and results were compared to those of undamaged control plants (CO). The new leaves LMA and mineral nutrient (N, P, K, and Mg) concentration values did not decrease in AD or WD compared to CO plants. Conversely, CO plants showed higher flowering intensity and shoot lengthening compared to AD or WD plants. There were not remarkable differences regarding the defoliation time, though non-flowering shoots grew in a lesser degree than the flowering shoots in WD plants. It was concluded that A. chilensis old leaves cohort is an important source to shoot growth and flowering but their absence does not affect the new leaves structure or nutritional status from early spring in either AD or in WD plants. New leaves formation probably is guaranteed by resources (carbon and nutrients) previously stored in stems or even in the buds containing the preformed leaves since March, by the end of summer. Provided the availability of complete resources for the new leaf flush independently of the old leaves A. chilensis would restore the carbon balance as soon as possible to resume the growth of heterotrophic tissues at normal rates. Endogenous response to counterbalance the old leaves absence on non-flowering shoots was more effective when there was greater lag time between defoliation and shoot growth resume. Flowering and non-flowering shoots compete for the available resources when A. chilensis have not yet expanded leaves and shoots supporting reproductive structures were stronger sinks compared to non-flowering shoots in WD plants.     

Interactions between water stress, sun-shade acclimation, heat tolerance and photoinhibition in the sclerophyll Heteromeles arbutifolia

Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence techniques were used to evaluate the acclimation capacity of the schlerophyll shrub Heteromeles arbutifolia M. Roem. to the multiple co-occurring summer stresses of the California chaparral. We examined the influence of water, heat and high light stresses on the carbon gain and survival of sun and shade seedlings via a factorial experiment involving a slow drying cycle applied to plants grown outdoors during the summer. The photochemical efficiency of PSII exhibited a diurnal, transient decrease (δF/F_m′) and a chronic decrease or photoinhibition (F_v/F_m) in plants exposed to full sunlight. Water stress enhanced both transient decreases of δF/F_m’and photoinhibition. Effects of decreased δF/F_m’and F_v/F_m on carbon gain were observed only in well-watered plants since in water-stressed plants they were overidden by stomatal closure. Reductions in photochemical efficiency and stomatal conductance were observed in all plants exposed to full sunlight, even in those that were well-watered. This suggested that H. arbutifolia sacrificed carbon gain for water conservation and photoprotection (both structurally via shoot architecture and physiologically via down-regulation) and that this response was triggered by a hot and dry atmosphere together with high PFD, before severe water, heat or high PFD stresses occur. We found fast adaptive adjustments of the thermal stability of PSII (diurnal changes) and a superimposed long-term acclimation (days to weeks) to high leaf temperatures. Water stress enhanced resistance of PSII to high temperatures both in the dark and over a wide range of PFD. Low PFD protected photochemical activity against inactivation by heat while high PFD exacerbated damage of PSII by heat. The greater interception of radiation by horizontally restrained leaves relative to the steep leaves of sun-acclimated plants caused photoinhibition and increased leaf temperature. When transpirational cooling was decreased by water stress, leaf temperature surpassed the limits of chloroplast thermostability. The remarkable acclimation of water-stressed plants to high leaf temperatures proved insufficient for the semi-natural environmental conditions of the experiment. Summer stresses characteristic of Mediterranean-type climates (high leaf temperatures in particular) are a potential limiting factor for seedling survival in H. arbutifolia, especially for shade seedlings lacking the crucial structural photoprotection provided by steep leaf angles.     

宁夏燃煤电厂周边土壤、植物和微生物生态化学计量特征及其影响因素

大气酸沉降增加对陆地生态系统的影响已得到了广泛证实,但有关酸沉降累积下工业排放源周边植被-土壤系统元素平衡特征及其影响机制的研究较少。燃煤电厂是主要的工业酸排放源之一。因此,以宁东能源化工基地3个燃煤电厂为观测点,研究了电厂周边土壤-植物叶片-微生物生态化学计量特征,分析了叶片和微生物生物量生态化学计量特征与降水降尘S、N沉降量及土壤性质的关系。结果表明：土壤和微生物生物量C ： N ： P生态化学计量特征变异系数较大,叶片各指标的变异系数较小。与受人类活动影响较少的其他同类型区相比,研究区具有较高的土壤有机C水平和N、P供给,且P相对于N丰富。植物可能主要受N限制,而微生物主要受P限制;土壤及微生物元素间均存在极显著的线性关系（P<0.001）。叶片全C与全N、全P均无显著的关系（P>0.05）。叶片全N、全P和N ： P具有高的内稳性。微生物生物量N ： P内稳性较强,但生物量N和P内稳性较弱,对土壤环境的变化反应敏感;SO₄^2-沉降有助于促进叶片对P的摄取和微生物对C、N、P的固持。少量NO₃^-沉降有利于叶片N摄取,但持续增加的NO₃^-沉降可能会使土壤P受限性增强,进而抑制叶片P摄取和微生物生物量积累。土壤酶活性、Ca²⁺和含水量亦显著影响着植物和微生物元素生态化学计量关系（P<0.05）。因此,今后还需结合多个电厂的土壤性质和植被状况,从较长时间尺度上深入揭示酸沉降增加对工业排放源周边植被-土壤系统元素平衡特征的影响机制。