Fine-grain pattern in Southern Cape plateau forests

Abstract. Regeneration levels, size class distributions and a nearest neighbour technique were used to describe apreliminary dynamics frameworkfortheplateauforests. Taken over a large area, most of the canopy dominants have a negative exponential distribution of stems > 10 cm dbh per size class. In small (0.04 ha) plots, if present as more than one stem, most species are present as both canopy (> 25 cm dbh) and understorey (10–15 cm dbh) individuals. The canopy dominants maintain their rank in the bank of advance regeneration (> 5 cm height < 10 cm dbh). However, relative numbers of all regeneration of most canopy individuals are not strongly correlated with canopy closure or local abundance of conspecific adults. The mean area of nearest neighbour polygons of canopy individuals around saplings of the more common species are small. In conclusion, most species appearto be shade tolerant and locally persistent conferring a fine grain on this forest. We support recent questioning of universality of the gaps/non gaps paradigm.     

CAM variations in the leaf-succulent Delosperma tradescantioides (Mesembryanthemaceae), native to southern Africa

Drought responses of diurnal gas exchange, malic acid accumulation and water status were examined in Delosperma tradescantioides , a succulent that grows in drought-prone microenvironments in summer rainfall and all-year rainfall regions of southern Africa. When well-watered, this species exhibited Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-cycling, but its carbon fixation pattern changed during the development of drought, shifting to either low-level CAM or to CAM-idling. The rate and pattern of this change depended on environmental conditions, duration of water stress and leaf age. At the onset of drought, diurnal malate fluctuation increased, but was strongly depressed (by ca 70%) as drought continued, and when leaf water content and water potential were low (ca 35 and 50% of the initial levels, respectively). When rewatered, rates of growth and photosynthesis, gas exchange and water status recovered fully to pre-stressed values within two days. Whole-shoot carbon uptake rates suggested that leaf growth had continued unabated during a short-term (∼ one week) drought. This emphasises that CAM-idling allows the maintenance of active metabolism with negligible gas exchange when soil water is limiting. It is possible that old or senescent leaves may provide water for the expansion of developing leaves during initial periods of drought. Regardless of the water regime and environmental conditions, leaf nocturnal malate accumulation and water content were positively correlated and increased with leaf age. Thus the gradual loss of water from older mature leaves may induce CAM-idling, which reduces water loss. An important ecological consequence of this combination of CAM modes is the potential to switch rapidly between fast growth via C₃ gas exchanges when well-watered to water-conserving CAM-idling during drought.     

Anemophilous plants select pollen from their own species from the air

In wind-tunnel experiments, Niklas (1985) has demonstrated the ability of anemophilous plants to select pollen from their own species from the airstream. However, there have been no field experiments to establish whether this operates in nature. We surveyed the pollents on the stigmas of four different, coextensive, dioecious anemophilous species surrounded by a Pinus radiata plantation. The alien pine pollen was overrepresented relative to background levels on only one of the four species. For all three indigenous species with both male and female plants in the area, the highest proportion — in all cases more than 40% — of the pollen found on their stigmas came from their own species. One indigenous species lacked male plants in the area; consequently, the results from this species are difficult to interpret. However, for all four species, there was at least 15% pine pollen, and some pollen of other indigenous species. These results suggest that there is some pollen selection, but that the mechanisms are may be not as effective as Niklas has suggested.     

Physiological and growth responses of two African species, Acacia karroo and Themeda triandra, to combined increases in CO2 and UV-B radiation

The interactive effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration and ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280–320 nm) radiation on Acacia karroo Hayne, a C₃ tree, and Themeda triandra Forsk., a C₄ grass, were investigated. We tested the hypothesis that A. karroo would show greater CO₂-induced growth stimulation than T. triandra, which would partially explain current encroachment of A. karroo into C₄ grasslands, but that increased UV-B could mitigate this advantage. Seedlings were grown in open-top chambers in a greenhouse in ambient (360 μmol mol^-1) and elevated (650 μmol mol^-1) CO₂, combined with ambient (1.56 to 8.66 kJ m^-2 day^-1) or increased (2.22 to 11.93 kJ m^-2 day^-1) biologically effective (weighted) UV-B irradiances. After 30 weeks, elevated CO₂ had no effect on biomass of A. karroo, despite increased net CO₂ assimilation rates. Interaction between UV-B and CO₂ on stomatal conductance was found, with conductances decreasing only where elevated CO₂ and UV-B were supplied separately. Increases in water use efficiencies, foliar starch concentrations, root nodule numbers and total nodule mass were measured in elevated CO₂. Elevated UV-B caused only an increase in foliar carbon concentrations. In T. triandra, net CO₂ assimilation rates were unaffected in elevated CO₂, but stomatal conductances and foliar nitrogen concentrations decreased, and water use efficiencies increased. Biomass of all vegetative fractions, particularly leaf sheaths, was increased in elevated CO₂. and was accompanied by increased leaf blade lengths and individual leaf and leaf sheath masses. However, tiller numbers were reduced in elevated CO₂. Significantly moderating effects of elevated UV-B were apparent only in individual masses of leaf blades and sheaths, and in total sheath and shoot biomass. The direct CO₂-induced growth responses of the species therefore do not support the hypothesis of CO₂-driven woody encroachment of C₄ grasslands. Rather, differential changes in resource use efficiency between grass and woody species, or morphological responses of grass species, could alter the competitive balance. Increased UV-B radiation is unlikely to substantially alter the CO₂ response of these species.     

Hormonal regulation of ovarian cellular proliferation

The steroid hormone estradiol, and the glycoprotein hormones follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), are known to be essential for the growth and differentiation of follicles in the ovary. The present study was conducted to determine quantitatively the effects of estradiol, FSH and LH on proliferation of different ovarian cell types (granulosa and theca cells). The immature female hypophysectomized rate sequentially primed with estradiol, FSH and LH was used as the experimental model. Proliferation was assessed by examining changes in total DNA, incorporation of 3H-thymidine into DNA and labeling index in specific cell types. Estradiol and FSH each acted on follicles at different stages of development to stimulate proliferative activity of both granulosa and theca cells. Continued administration of either hormone caused a decrease in the proliferative activity of both cell types. These observations have been interpreted to indicate that estradiol and FSH can each alter the length of the specific phases of the cell cycle. A luteinizing dose of LH caused a cessation of proliferation in luteinizing granulosa cells while stimulating a limited proliferation of theca cells. Absence of the appropriate hormonal stimulus caused both granulosa and theca cells to stop proliferating and the follicles to undergo atresia. These results indicate that, depending upon the state of differentiation of granulosa and theca cells, estradiol, FSH and LH can stimulate or inhibit the ability of these cells to proliferate.     

Bleb formation in granulosa cells of rat pre-ovulatory follicles in vivo and in vitro

To determine if hormone-induced events leading to ovulation an granulosa cell luteinization might be associated with changes in the surface configuration of granulosa cells we have studied the morphology of granulosa cells from the preovulatory follicles both in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, granulosa cells in follicles from rats primed with estradiol and FSH developed bulbous protrusions termed blebs in response to injected hCG. The blebs were restricted to the adluminal granulosa cells which possess the least number of receptors for hCG. When granulosa cells from follicles of rats primed with estradiol and FSH were cultured in vitro, in the absence of serum, approximately 10% of the cells formed blebs. In the presence of 10% rat or fetal calf serum, nearly 90% of the cells formed blebs by 18 hr. Serum-induced bleb formation was prevented by 1 mM dibutyryl cycle-AMP plus 0.5 mM methyl isobutyl xanthine and by cytochalasin B (25 mug/ml), while 0.1 muM colchicine had no effect. Fibronectin at 25 mug/ml increased bleb formation three-fold over control values in serum-free medium. When hCG was included in serum containing medium, the majority of the cells remained smooth without any blebs. Thus, in contrast to its action in vivo, hCG inhibited the formation of blebs in vitro. When the cells incubated in the presence of dbcAMP plus methyl isobutyl xanthine in serum-containing medium, none of the cells formed blebs. One explanation for the seemingly opposite actions of hCG in vivo and in vitro is that hCG might act to alter the permeability of the pre-ovulatory follicles, and thereby allow the admission of serum. The admitted serum component(s) could then induce the formation of blebs on receptor-deficient adluminal cells that did not have elevated cAMP concentrations. The results suggest that fibronectin and/or other serum components, act to induce microfilament-dependent, cAMP-inhibited bleb formation on granulosa cells in vivo and in vitro.     

The role of glucose limitation in the regulation of the transport of glucose, gluconate and 2-oxogluconate, and of glucose metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The pathway of glucose metabolism in Pseudomonas aeruginosa was regulated by the availability of glucose and related compounds. On changing from an ammonium limitation to a glucose limitation, the organism responded by adjusting its metabolism substantially from the extracellular direct oxidative pathway to the intracellular phosphorylative route. This change was achieved by repression of the transport systems for gluconate and 2-oxogluconate and of the associated enzymes for 2-oxogluconate metabolism and gluconate kinase, while increasing the levels of glucose transport, hexokinase and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. The role of gluconate, produced by the action of glucose dehydrogenase, as a major inhibitory factor for glucose transport, and the possible significance of these regulatory mechanisms to the organism in its natural environment, are discussed.     

A specific, non-chromatographic radioimmunoassay for human plasma cortisol.

A radioimmunoassay technique has been developed for the measurement of cortisol in a single methylene chloride extract of human plasma without chromatography. The antiserum, obtained by immunizing rabbits with cortisol-3-carboxymethyl-oxime conjugated to bovine serum albumin, had a high affinity (KA = 1.8 X 10(9) 1/mole) and capacity (2.3 X 10(-6) moles/L undiluted serum) for cortisol. The minimum detectable amount determined at the lower 95% confidence limit of the buffer control tubes was 8.3 +/- 4.7 pg/tube and a log dose - logit response standard curve was linear between 20 pg and 20 ng/tube. The antiserum was highly specific for cortisol with only corticosterone, cortisone, 11-deoxycortisol and 21-deoxycortisol showing significant cross-reaction (12.4, 6.6, 3.8 and 3.7%, respectively). The cross-reaction for the other tested naturally occurring and synthetic steroids did not exceed 1%. Regression analysis of cortisol concentration estimates obtained on 20 samples before and after Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography gave a coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.995 and a regression coefficient (b) of 1.04. Recovery of cortisol added to plasma samples was quantitative. The intra-assay error was 8.5% and the inter-assay error averaged 5.7%. The method is simple requiring a single solvent extraction of plasma, therefore permitting large numbers of samples to be handled efficiently by a single technician.     

Intraspecific trait variation influences physiological performance and fitness in the South Africa shrub genus Protea (Proteaceae)

Background and AimsGlobal plant trait datasets commonly identify trait relationships that are interpreted to reflect fundamental trade-offs associated with plant strategies, but often these trait relationships are not identified when evaluating them at smaller taxonomic and spatial scales. In this study we evaluate trait relationships measured on individual plants for five widespread Protea species in South Africa to determine whether broad-scale patterns of structural trait (e.g. leaf area) and physiological trait (e.g. photosynthetic rates) relationships can be detected within natural populations, and if these traits are themselves related to plant fitness.MethodsWe evaluated the variance structure (i.e. the proportional intraspecific trait variation relative to among-species variation) for nine structural traits and six physiological traits measured in wild populations. We used a multivariate path model to evaluate the relationships between structural traits and physiological traits, and the relationship between these traits and plant size and reproductive effort.Key ResultsWhile intraspecific trait variation is relatively low for structural traits, it accounts for between 50 and 100 % of the variation in physiological traits. Furthermore, we identified few trait associations between any one structural trait and physiological trait, but multivariate regressions revealed clear associations between combinations of structural traits and physiological performance (R² = 0.37–0.64), and almost all traits had detectable associations with plant fitness.ConclusionsIntraspecific variation in structural traits leads to predictable differences in individual-level physiological performance in a multivariate framework, even though the relationship of any particular structural trait to physiological performance may be weak or undetectable. Furthermore, intraspecific variation in both structural and physiological traits leads to differences in plant size and fitness. These results demonstrate the importance of considering measurements of multivariate phenotypes on individual plants when evaluating trait relationships and how trait variation influences predictions of ecological and evolutionary outcomes.