Predicting adaptation of phenology in response to climate change, an insect herbivore example

Climate change has led to an advance in phenology in many species. Synchrony in phenology between different species within a food chain may be disrupted if an increase in temperature affects the phenology of the different species differently, as is the case in the winter moth egg hatch–oak bud burst system. Operophtera brumata (winter moth) egg hatch date has advanced more than Quercus robur (pedunculate oak) bud burst date over the past two decades. Disrupted synchrony will lead to selection, and a response in phenology to this selection may lead to species genetically adapting to their changing environment. However, a prerequisite for such genetic change is that there is sufficient genetic variation and severe enough fitness consequences. So far, examples of observed genetic change have been few. Using a half-sib design, we demonstrate here that O. brumata egg-hatching reaction norm is heritable, and that genetic variation exists. Fitness consequences of even a few days difference between egg hatch and tree bud opening are severe, as we experimentally determined. Estimates of genetic variation and of fitness were then combined with a climate scenario to predict the rate and the amount of change in the eggs' response to temperature. We predict a rapid response to selection, leading to a restoration of synchrony of egg hatch with Q. robur bud opening. This study shows that in this case there is a clear potential to adapt – rapidly – to environmental change. The current observed asynchrony is therefore not due to a lack of genetic variation and at present it is unclear what is constraining O. brumata to adapt. This kind of model may be particularly useful in gaining insight in the predicted amount and rate of change due to environmental changes, given a certain genetic variation and selection pressure.     

云居山栓皮栎群落特征及多样性研究

栓皮栎群落是我国暖温带和亚热带落叶阔叶林的重要森林群落类型之一,也是赣北珍稀森林群落之一,在森林演替和植物资源利用中占有重要的地位。通过对江西云居山栓皮栎(Quercus variabilis)群落进行实地调查,采用区系分析、生活型谱分析、物种多样性和双向聚类等方法对其群落特征进行了研究,发现云居山自然保护区栓皮栎群落结构简单,层次明显,多样性程度不高。物种调查及区系研究结果显示,云居山栓皮栎群落维管束植物共计43科56属70种,植物区系主要以泛热带、东亚及北美间断、北温带分布为主,表现出从温带区系向热带区系过渡的特征;生活型谱以高位芽植物为主(占70%),其他生活型相对较少,反映出中亚热带森林以高位芽植物为主的特点。群落物种丰富度、多样性指数均为乔木层小于灌木层和草本层,均匀度指数分析表明,乔木层为聚集分布、灌木层和草本层为均匀分布。双向聚类分析表明,调查的5个样地均为栓皮栎群落,以乔木层物种多度可将5个样地分为3类,组成群落的24个主要物种可分为10类。     

13种栎属植物叶片的气孔特征及其相关性分析和分类学意义

以13种栎属(Quercus Linn.)植物〔包括产自辽宁省的槲栎组(Sect. Quercus)8种和麻栎组(Sect. Aegilops)2种以及引自北美洲的沼生栎组(Sect. Erythobalanus)2种和引自波兰的白栎组(Sect. Lepidabalanus)1种〕为试材,观察了这些种类叶片的气孔形态,并分析了气孔器和气孔的形态参数,还对各形态参数间的相关性进行了分析;在此基础上,对13种栎属植物进行了聚类分析。结果表明：栎属植物叶片的气孔仅分布于下表皮;气孔器排列属无规则型;气孔保卫细胞呈肾形,内壁加厚;气孔下陷,呈椭圆形或狭长椭圆形。供试种类的气孔和气孔器的形态参数差异明显,变异系数差异较大;气孔器的长轴长度、短轴长度和面积分别为18.24~27.46μm、14.63~23.18μm和221.56~501.70μm2,变异系数分别为7.73%~15.90%、7.10%~17.44%和14.13%~32.73%,气孔器指数为0.73~0.85;气孔的长轴长度、短轴长度、面积和密度分别为8.69~15.41μm、1.94~8.49μm、15.15~104.93μm2和462.32~984.44 mm-2,变异系数分别为12.03%~22.17%、13.65%~34.10%、27.95%~54.13%和8.10%~16.99%,气孔指数为0.22~0.57;总体上,按照多数气孔器和气孔参数从大至小的变化趋势依次排序为沼生栎组、白栎组、麻栎组、槲栎组。相关性分析结果表明：供试种类的气孔密度与气孔器和气孔的长轴及短轴长度均呈极显著(P<0.01)负相关;气孔器面积与气孔器指数和气孔指数分别呈极显著和显著(P<0.05)正相关;气孔面积与气孔器和气孔的长轴和短轴长度、气孔器指数和气孔指数呈极显著正相关,但与气孔密度呈显著负相关。聚类分析结果表明：在欧氏距离10处可将13种栎属植物分为3类,第Ⅰ类包含槲栎组的8种,第Ⅱ类包含麻栎组和白栎组的3种,第Ⅲ类包含沼生栎组的2种。研究结果显示：栎属植物叶片的气孔特征具有一定的稳定性,可作为栎属植物组间分类及亲缘关系分析的依据之一。     

Seasonal ultrasonic acoustic emissions of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus ilex</Emphasis> L. trees in a Mediterranean forest

Ultrasonic acoustic emissions were measured in Quercus ilex trees of a Mediterranean forest in Catalonia (NE Spain) each season from summer of 2004 to autumn of 2005. Acoustic emissions were maximum during hot and dry summer periods. Acoustic emissions started below 17% soil moisture, 0.85 RWC, and 2.5 MPa leaf water potential. They were negatively correlated with soil moisture and leaf water potential. The relationship between acoustic emissions and leaf water potential was the strongest, indicating that xylem tension is the most important factor inducing both cavitation (acoustic emissions) and a decrease in leaf water potential. Future increase of xylem cavitation derived from climate change may result in growth and survival limitations for this species in the drier southern limits of its current distribution.     

Sensitivity of volatile monoterpene emission to changes in canopy structure: a model-based exercise with a process-based emission model

This paper investigates the dependence of monoterpene emissions at the canopy scale on total leaf area and leaf distribution. Simulations were carried out for a range of hypothetical but realistic forest canopies of the evergreen Quercus ilex (holm oak). Two emission models were applied that either did (SIM-BIM2) or did not (G93) account for cumulative responses to temperature and light. Both were embedded into a canopy model that considered spatial and temporal variations of foliage properties. This canopy model was coupled to a canopy climate model (CANOAK) to determine the micrometeorological conditions at the leaf scale. Structural properties considerably impacted monoterpene emission. The sensitivities to changes in total leaf area and to leaf area distribution were found to be of similar magnitude. The two different models performed similarly on a whole-year basis but showed clear differences during certain episodes. The analysis showed that structural indices have to be carefully evaluated for proper scaling of emission from leaves to canopy. Further research is encouraged on seasonal dynamics of emission potentials.     

Seasonal, daily and diurnal variations in the stable carbon isotope composition of carbon dioxide respired by tree trunks in a deciduous oak forest

The stable C isotope composition (δ¹³C) of CO₂ respired by trunks was examined in a mature temperate deciduous oak forest (Quercus petraea). Month-to-month, day-to-day and diurnal, measurements were made to determine the range of variations at different temporal scales. Trunk growth and respiration rates were assessed. Phloem tissue was sampled and was analysed for total organic matter and soluble sugar ¹³C composition. The CO₂ respired by trunk was always enriched in ¹³C relative to the total organic matter, sometimes by as much as 5‰. The δ¹³C of respired CO₂ exhibited a large seasonal variation (3.3‰), with a relative maximum at the beginning of the growth period. The lowest values occurred in summer when the respiration rates were maximal. After the cessation of radial trunk growth, the respired CO₂ δ¹³C values showed a progressive increase, which was linked to a parallel increase in soluble sugar content in the phloem tissue (R = 0.95; P < 0.01). At the same time, the respiration rates declined. This limited use of the substrate pool might allow the discrimination during respiration to be more strongly expressed. The late-season increase in CO₂ δ¹³C might also be linked to a shift from recently assimilated C to reserves. At the seasonal scale, CO₂ δ¹³C was negatively correlated with air temperature (R = −0.80; P < 0.01). The diurnal variation sometimes reached 3‰, but the range and the pattern depended on the period within the growing season. Contrary to expectations, diurnal variations were maximal in winter and spring when the leaves were missing or not totally functional. By contrast to the seasonal scale, these diurnal variations were not related to air temperature or sugar content. Our study shows that seasonal and diurnal variations of respired ¹³C exhibited a similar large range but were probably explained by different mechanisms.     

Acorn dispersal estimated by radio-tracking

Bird-dispersed seeds are difficult to track, especially in the case of long-distance dispersal events. To estimate the oak dispersal distance and the seed shadow generated by the European jay (Garrulus glandarius), we inserted radio-transmitters in 239 acorns, placed them in bird-feeders and then located them by radio-tracking. Using this methodology we located the exact caching site of 94 Quercus ilex and 54 Q. suber acorns and determined the caching habitat characteristics (vegetation type, distance, spatial distribution). The results show that: (1) there is no differences in the dispersal distance distribution between the different acorn species or sizes, (2) dispersal distances range from approximately 3 m up to approximately 550 m (mean = 68.6 m; median = 49.2 m), (3) recently abandoned fields and forest tracks were the sites preferred by jays to cache acorns, whereas fields and shrublands were avoided and (4) seed shadows showed acorn aggregation zones (i.e. clusters of caches) close to the feeder as well as isolated caches at longer distances. The results also suggest that radio-transmitters are a cheap and reliable way to determine seed shadows and quantify both seed dispersal and post-dispersal seed predation for medium to large seeds.     

黄土高原马栏林区辽东栎更新特性研究

研究了黄土高原马栏林区主要植被类型中的辽东栎幼苗的数量特征,更新层幼苗、幼树的实生和萌生特性及其辽东栎在垂直结构上的数量分布。结果表明:(1)辽东栎幼苗在黄土高原马栏林区分布广泛且数量充足。不同的植被类型中辽东栎种群表现出不同的大小级结构,在油松—辽东栎混交林、油松林和辽东栎林中辽东栎种群的幼苗、幼树和成树均占一定的比例,而在油松—白桦混交林、白桦林、山杨林和山杨—白桦混交林中辽东栎种群则以幼苗和幼树为主。表明辽东栎种群在该地区植被的发展过程中将产生重要的作用。(2)辽东栎在这一地区是由实生和萌生的个体混合组成的。在各种植被类型中实生植株的密度都高于萌生植株,辽东栎种群的更新在该地区可能主要是通过实生植株来完成的,即辽东栎实生植株在更新过程中起重要的作用。但萌生植株作为辽东栎顺利通过瓶颈的一种手段,作为辽东栎种群繁衍和稳定的一种途径,在辽东栎种群的更新中也起着一定的作用。