Response of plant species richness and primary productivity in shrublands along a north–south gradient in Europe to seven years of experimental warming and drought: reductions in primary productivity in the heat and drought year of 2003

We used a nonintrusive field experiment carried out at six sites – Wales (UK), Denmark (DK), the Netherlands (NL), Hungary (HU), Sardinia (Italy – IT), and Catalonia (Spain – SP) – along a climatic and latitudinal gradient to examine the response of plant species richness and primary productivity to warming and drought in shrubland ecosystems. The warming treatment raised the plot daily temperature by ca. 1 °C, while the drought treatment led to a reduction in soil moisture at the peak of the growing season that ranged from 26% at the SP site to 82% in the NL site. During the 7 years the experiment lasted (1999–2005), we used the pin‐point method to measure the species composition of plant communities and plant biomass, litterfall, and shoot growth of the dominant plant species at each site. A significantly lower increase in the number of species pin‐pointed per transect was found in the drought plots at the SP site, where the plant community was still in a process of recovering from a forest fire in 1994. No changes in species richness were found at the other sites, which were at a more mature and stable state of succession and, thus less liable to recruitment of new species. The relationship between annual biomass accumulation and temperature of the growing season was positive at the coldest site and negative at the warmest site. The warming treatment tended to increase the aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) at the northern sites. The relationship between annual biomass accumulation and soil moisture during the growing season was not significant at the wettest sites, but was positive at the driest sites. The drought treatment tended to reduce the ANPP in the NL, HU, IT, and SP sites. The responses to warming were very strongly related to the Gaussen aridity index (stronger responses the lower the aridity), whereas the responses to drought were not. Changes in the annual aboveground biomass accumulation, litterfall, and, thus, the ANPP, mirrored the interannual variation in climate conditions: the most outstanding change was a decrease in biomass accumulation and an increase in litterfall at most sites during the abnormally hot year of 2003. Species richness also tended to decrease in 2003 at all sites except the cold and wet UK site. Species‐specific responses to warming were found in shoot growth: at the SP site, Globularia alypum was not affected, while the other dominant species, Erica multiflora, grew 30% more; at the UK site, Calluna vulgaris tended to grow more in the warming plots, while Empetrum nigrum tended to grow less. Drought treatment decreased plant growth in several studied species, although there were some species such as Pinus halepensis at the SP site or C. vulgaris at the UK site that were not affected. The magnitude of responses to warming and drought thus depended greatly on the differences between sites, years, and species and these multiple plant responses may be expected to have consequences at ecosystem and community level. Decreases in biodiversity and the increase in E. multiflora growth at the SP site as a response to warming challenge the assumption that sensitivity to warming may be less well developed at more southerly latitudes; likewise, the fact that one of the studied shrublands presented negative ANPP as a response to the 2003 heat wave also challenges the hypothesis that future climate warming will lead to an enhancement of plant growth and carbon sequestration in temperate ecosystems. Extreme events may thus change the general trend of increased productivity in response to warming in the colder sites.     

The Relationship between Sugar and Amino Acid Export to the Phloem in Young Wheat Plants

The relationship between amino acid and sugar export to thephloem was studied in young wheat plants (Triticum aestivumL. ‘Pro-INTA, Isla Verde’) using the EDTA-phloemcollection technique. Plants grown with a 16 h photoperiod showeda rapid decrease in the concentration of sugars and amino acidsin the phloem exudate from the beginning of the dark period.When plants grown with a 16 h photoperiod were kept in the darkfor longer than 8 h the free amino acid content in leaves andexudate (on a dry weight basis) increased continually throughoutthe 72 h of darkness. During the first 24 h of darkness thesugars in the phloem exudate decreased to 30% of the initialvalue, and returned to the control level when plants were returnedto light. When plants grown under low light intensity for 10d were transferred to high light intensity, they showed an increasein leaf sugar content (dry weight basis) after 3 d but therewere no differences in leaf free amino acid content (dry weightbasis) compared to low-light plants. The sugar concentrationin the phloem exudate was increased by higher light intensities,but there was no difference in the amino acid concentrationof the phloem exudate, and thus the amino acid:sugar ratio inthe phloem decreased in the high-light plants. The present resultssuggest that amino acids can be exported to the phloem independentlyof the export of sugars. Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Sugar exudation, amino acid transport, nitrogen, phloem, transport, wheat, Triticum aestivum L.     

Do cyclones and forest fragmentation have synergistic effects? A before–after study of rainforest vegetation structure at multiple sites

Abstract Ecological degradation within areas of remnant forest may be amplified if the effects of fragmentation interact with the effects of other environmental disturbances such as wind storms. We used before–after comparisons to assess the effects of Tropical Cyclone Larry on remnant and continuous rainforest in the Wet Tropics uplands of north‐eastern Australia. Vegetation structure was measured 3 years before the cyclone and 6 months afterwards, at eight continuous forest sites and eight remnants (6–37 ha), within 20 km of the cyclone's track. The cyclone caused extensive defoliation, felling and breakage of stems and branches (greatest among the trees >100 cm diameter which had around 50% stem loss), and increased litter and woody debris. Cyclone effects were strongly influenced by a site's spatial position (P = 0.005, 0.001 in multivariate analyses of overall damage). Maximum damage occurred 10–15 km south of the cyclone track, perhaps because of the additive effects of the west‐moving air at the southern eyewall combined with the cyclone's own rapid westward movement. Most fragments were south of the cyclone track, as a consequence of spatially selective deforestation practices, and therefore, showed greatest damage. However, once the effects of spatial position were considered, the independent differences in cyclone effects between fragments and continuous forest were lost (P = 0.23, 0.41 when north‐south distance was included as a covariate in analyses). The expected protection afforded by a continuous forest canopy seems to have disappeared in the face of extremely strong cyclonic winds and down‐draughts. Nevertheless, an interaction between fragmentation and disturbance may yet occur, during the period of post‐cyclone recovery, owing to the effects of landscape context on plant recruitment. For example, there was a higher diversity of exotic seedling germination in fragments, independent of the extent of cyclone damage.     

Tree heterogeneity,resource availability,and larger scale processes regulating arboreal ant species richness

Abstract Processes acting on different spatial and temporal scales may influence local species richness. Ant communities are usually described as interactive and therefore determined by local processes. In this paper we tested two hypotheses linked to the question of why there is local variation in arboreal ant species richness in the Brazilian savanna (‘cerrado’). The hypotheses are: (i) there is a positive relationship between ant species richness and tree species richness, used as a surrogate of heterogeneity; and (ii) there is a positive relationship between ant species richness and tree density, used as a surrogate of resource availability. Arboreal ants were sampled in two cerrado sites in Brazil using baited pitfall traps and manual sampling, in quadrats of 20 m × 50 m. Ant species richness in each quadrat was used as the response variable in regression tests, using tree species richness and tree density as explanatory variables. Ant species richness responded positively to tree species richness and density. Sampling site also influenced ant species richness, and the relationship between tree density and tree species richness was also positive and significant. Tree species richness may have influenced ant species richness through three processes: (i) increasing the variety of resources and allowing the existence of a higher number of specialist species; (ii) increasing the amount of resources to generalist species; and (iii) some other unmeasured factor may have influenced both ant and tree species richness. Tree density may also have influenced ant species richness through three processes: (i) increasing the amount of resources and allowing a higher ant species richness; (ii) changing habitat conditions and dominance hierarchies in ant communities; and (iii) increasing the area and causing a species–area pattern. Processes acting on larger scales, such as disturbance, altitude and evolutionary histories, as well as sampling effect may have caused the difference between sites.     

Chromosome analysis of five Brazilian species of poison frogs (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Dendrobatid frogs have undergone an extensive systematic reorganization based on recent molecular findings. The present work describes karyotypes of the Brazilian species Adelphobates castaneoticus, A. quinquevittatus, Ameerega picta, A. galactonotus and Dendrobates tinctorius which were compared to each other and with previously described related species. All karyotypes consisted of 2n = 18 chromosomes, except for A. picta which had 2n = 24. The karyotypes of the Adelphobates and D. tinctorius species were highly similar to each other and to the other 2n = 18 previously studied species, revealing conserved karyotypic characteristics in both genera. In recent phylogenetic studies, all Adelphobates species were grouped in a clade separated from the Dendrobates species. Thus, we hypothesized that their common karyotypic traits may have a distinct origin by chromosome rearrangements and mutations. In A. picta, with 2n = 24, chromosome features of pairs from 1 to 8 are shared with other previously karyotyped species within this genus. Hence, the A. picta data reinforced that the C-banding pattern and the NOR location are species-specific traits in the genus Ameerega. Moreover, the Ameerega monophyletism proposed by previous phylogenetic studies indicates that the karyotypic differences among species in this genus result from a long divergence time.     

Parapatric hybridization in the chromosomal speciation of the house mouse

Chromosomal races of the house mouse ( Mus domesticus ) occur extensively in Italy. The present paper reports results of studies on a hybrid zone in Central Italy on a chromosomal race with a 2 n = 22 karyotype and surrounding populations with a standard 2 n = 40 karyotype. Karyotypic and morphometric patterns of variation in this area are discussed in an attempt to contribute to an understanding of the chromosomal speciation in this species. Data are compared, where possible, with other findings on the same hybrid zone. Finally, it is suggested that changes in behavioural traits (inter-male aggression and female socio-sexual preferences) may help in promoting complete genetic isolation.     

Temperature-controlled open-top chambers for global change research

To enable experiments on the interactive effects of elevated atmospheric CO₂ and increased air temperature on physiological processes in trees to be carried out, we altered the standard design of open-top chambers by replacing blowers with evaporative coolers and in-line heaters, with a feedback control system to maintain ambient or elevated air temperatures within the chambers. Ambient and elevated (+ 4 °C) temperature regimes were attained consistently and reliably throughout the growing season, with high reproducibility between chambers. From May through December the average of nearly 300,000 temperature measurements was 18.5 °C in ambient air, 18.9 ± 0.6 °C in six ambient chambers, and 22.4 ± 0.9 °C in six elevated temperature chambers. The difference in soil temperature between ambient and elevated chambers was 1.2 °C. Absolute humidity (vapour pressure) in the chambers was higher than that of ambient air, but it was generally similar between temperature treatments. Vapour pressure deficit therefore was higher in elevated temperature chambers than in ambient chambers, and this difference is considered an inseparable part of the temperature treatment. The addition of a temperature control system to open-top chambers removes what has been an important flaw in this important tool for global change research.     

Induction of Antibody Synthesis by Purified Immunogenic RNA <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>

WE have described an RNA fraction derived from phenol-extracted livers of immunized rabbits, which induced specific antibody production when mixed with normal rabbit spleen cells in vitro^1,2. Similar fractions have been described by others using spleen, lymph node or peritoneal exudate cells of mice, rats or rabbits^3–12 as sources of the RNA fraction. In all cases it has been assumed that the RNA-donor cell type was a macrophage. Considerable controversy has been generated by these experiments and data have been published to show that (a) the RNA is neither specific¹³ nor newly synthesized¹⁴ and (b) the RNA fraction contains antigen or fragments thereof^15–18. Here we show that the data obtained with the rabbit-DNP system² extend to another laboratory model, the mouse-sheep red blood cell (RBC) system. Our earlier work^1,2 suggested that the immunogenic RNA is produced in the macrophage cell, that it is specific and that it is confined to a discrete fraction of the extractable RNA. For these reasons we thought it desirable (a) to compare directly the capacities of both liver and spleen tissue RNA extracts to induce antibody-plaque-forming cells in vitro, (b) to compare the effects of RNAase and pronase on the immunogenic capacity of the RNA fraction and (c) to investigate the distribution of the immunogenic RNA fraction relative to the total RNA fractions.     

Evaluating the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of Brassolini genera (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)

Abstract.  This study uses 80 morphological characters and cladistic analysis to evaluate the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of 18 genera that constitute the butterfly tribe Brassolini. Most characters derive from genitalia, confirming previous generic definitions based mainly on wing characters, and showing that 16 of 18 genera are monophyletic. Mimoblepia Casagrande, syn.n. was subsumed within Opoptera Aurivillius to address the paraphyly of the latter, but resolution of the status of Aponarope Casagrande requires further study. The results suggest that the Brassolini includes six suprageneric groups/clades. Although this study verifies some genus-level relationships put forward over 100 years ago, some new hypotheses of relationships are proposed. Tracing larval host plant use onto the Brassolini phylogeny indicates that species in this tribe retain the use of Arecaceae and Poaceae from their 'satyroid' ancestors.     

Characterization of SSRs from the American lobster,Homarus americanus

The American lobster (Homarus americanus), a commercially important benthic marine crustacean, is widely distributed along the continental shelf of the western North Atlantic. The population substructure of this species remains poorly understood despite its economic value. Informative markers are required to clarify relationships between local populations. To this end, we developed eight polymorphic short sequence repeats (SSR) for the American lobster, which were derived from expressed sequence tags. Additionally, we tested four SSRs previously identified for the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus L.) for cross‐species utility; only one of these showed polymorphism.