Canopy tree mortality depends on the proportion of crown exposed to sunlight,but this effect varies with species' wood density

Understanding what drives changes in tree mortality as well as the covariates influencing trees' response is a research priority to predict forest responses to global change. Here, we combined drone photogrammetry and ground-based data to assess the influence of crown exposure to light (relative to total crown area), growth deviations (relative to conspecifics), tree size, and species' wood density (as a surrogate for light-demanding and shade-tolerant life-history strategies) on the mortality of 984 canopy trees in an Amazon terra firme forest. Trees with lower wood density were less prone to die when their proportion of crown was more exposed to sunlight, but this relationship with relative crown exposure weakened and slightly reversed as wood density increased. Trees growing less than their species average had higher mortality, especially when the species' wood density decreased. The role of wood density in determining the survival of canopy trees under varying light conditions indicates differential responses of light-demanding versus shade-tolerant species. Our results highlight the importance of accounting for life-history strategies, via plant functional types, in vegetation dynamic models aiming to predict forest demography under a rapidly changing climate. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

热浪岛珊瑚礁泥砂真菌多样性及真菌Cladosporium sp. GXIMD02067天然产物分离与鉴定

【背景】海洋沉积物真菌富含生物活性天然产物,但珊瑚礁泥砂真菌及其天然产物的研究较少。【目的】分离珊瑚礁泥砂真菌及其天然产物,探究珊瑚礁泥砂来源真菌多样性,为海洋真菌天然产物开发奠定基础。【方法】采用稀释涂布平板法分离马来西亚热浪岛珊瑚礁泥砂真菌并基于ITSrDNA序列分析鉴定真菌;综合运用硅胶柱、反相柱和制备HPLC色谱技术分离枝孢属真菌(Cladosporium sp.) GXIMD02067的天然产物,通过核磁共振波谱技术和文献数据比对鉴定化合物结构。【结果】19株真菌被分离,隶属1纲4目4科6属,包括7株曲霉属(Aspergillus)、6株青霉属(Penicillium)、2株枝孢属(Cladosporium)、1株蜡蚧菌属(Lecanicillium)、2株路霉属(Lulworthia)和1株Parengyodontium。GXIMD02065和GXIMD02066 ITS rDNA序列的相似度小于87%,是潜在新菌种。7个化合物从Cladosporium sp. GXIMD02067中分离并鉴定为pyrenocine A (1)、pyrenocine B (2)、胸腺嘧啶脱...     

陕西省野生拟黑虫草的多基因分子生物学鉴定

虫草是中国重要的生物资源,为明确从陕西省旬邑县石门山林区采集到的1种野生虫草种类及其虫生真菌(虫草菌DY6F)的分类地位,研究在利用PCR技术对该虫草子实体的核糖体内转录间隔区(internal transcribed spacer, ITS)、延伸因子1α(elongation factor 1α,EF-1α)和RNA聚合酶Ⅱ大亚基(RNA polymeraseⅡlarge subunit, RPB1)的基因片段进行扩增与测序的基础上,分别基于这3个基因片段构建单基因系统进化树,并基于EF-1α和RPB1 2个基因联合序列构建多基因系统进化树。结果显示,该虫草子实体的这些基因序列与线虫草属拟黑虫草菌(Ophiocordyceps nigrella)的相应基因序列相似度为99%～100%,且在进化树上,二者聚于同一分支,支持率均为100%。因此,虫草菌DY6F被鉴定为拟黑虫草菌,该虫草为拟黑虫草。     

茶树品种‘金牡丹’自然杂交后代遗传鉴定

为了对‘金牡丹’茶树自然杂交后代进行遗传鉴定,利用EST-SSR毛细管电泳荧光标记技术对65个金牡丹自然杂交后代进行研究。结果表明,28对SSR标记共扩增出192个等位片段,平均等位基因数(Na)、平均观测杂合度(Ho)及遗传多态信息量(PIC)分别为6.86、0.540、0.532。单亲基因型已知时的累积排除概率为0.999,说明选择的28对SSR标记位点具有高度的多态性和较高的排除概率,适用于遗传分析和个体的亲子鉴定。15个‘金牡丹’自然杂交后代的遗传鉴定结果表明,MD44、JMD45、JMD47、JMD32为早生绿茶类型;JMD51、JMD53为闽北肉桂乌龙茶类型;MD2、JMD56为闽南‘铁观音’乌龙茶类型;JMD24、JMD26、JMD29、JMD55、JMD59、JMD27、JMD61为‘黄棪’乌龙茶类型。     

外来入侵植物凤眼莲遥感监测方法研究

【目的】凤眼莲作为我国典型的外来入侵物种之一,其大规模入侵对水生生态系统破坏严重。目前在不同生境下开展的凤眼莲遥感监测方法研究精度有所不同。本研究对比了不同分类方法,拟筛选出适合我国南方地区凤眼莲的分类方法。【方法】基于Sentinel-2、Landsat8 OLI多光谱影像,选择最大似然和支持向量机监督分类、决策树分类以及植被指数阈值分类方法分别对海南省5个水库的凤眼莲遥感分类,依据无人机可见光影像目视结果对不同方法的分类精度进行评价。【结果】基于凤眼莲时相特征的决策树分类精度最高,总体精度达到90%以上;在基于光谱特征的分类方法中,最大似然监督分类的用户精度为77.88%、制图精度为72.44%,支持向量机分类的用户精度和制图精度分别达到87.00%和84.48%。【结论】基于时相特征与光谱特征的决策树分类方法精度高于仅基于光谱特征的监督分类方法,简单植被指数阈值方法难以区分不同生境内的凤眼莲,研究结果可为我国南方地区凤眼莲遥感监测与预警提供依据。     

Behavioural responses of the vine weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, to semiochemicals from conspecifics, Otiorhynchus salicicola, and host plants

The vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus is a parthenogenetic reproducing species which forages for suitable host plants at night, but is found congregated in dark places during the day. Frass of this weevil species is suspected to contain attractive compounds that are host‐plant related. Using a still‐air olfactometer, we tested adult vine weevils at night for their behavioural response to odours from conspecifics, feeding on a mixture of spindle tree (Euonymus fortunei) and yew (Taxus baccata), and to a sexually reproducing related species (Otiorhynchus salicicola), feeding on a mixture of ivy (Hedera helix) and cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus). Their attraction to conspecifics and O. salicicola appeared to be related to frass production. Freshly collected frass from O. sulcatus and from O. salicicola males and females was attractive. Prunus laurocerasus and H. helix have not been observed to be hosts of the vine weevil in the field. However, our tests showed that the vine weevil was attracted to mechanically damaged leaves of both plant species, whereas undamaged leaves were not attractive. Only undamaged young unfolding leaves of H. helix were also attractive. The attraction to odours from mechanically damaged host and non‐host plants suggested the involvement of compounds that are commonly found in many plant species. The involvement of plant compounds and/or aggregation pheromones in attraction to frass of the vine weevil and frass of the related weevil species O. salicicola is discussed.     

Impact and management of the eriophyoid mite Trisetacus juniperinus on the evergreen cypress Cupressus sempervirens

Abstract 1 In the Mediterranean region, the eriophyoid mite Trisetacus juniperinus causes considerable damage to the evergreen cypress, Cupressus sempervirens L., particularly in nurseries and young stands, disturbing the apical growth of the tree. 2 The impact of mites on survival and apical growth of two commercial clones of cypress (Agrimed and Bolgheri), as well as the results of differently timed pesticide applications to suppress mite population on newly grafted trees, were evaluated. 3 Mites easily infested clonal scions from rootstocks that were previously infested in the nursery, inducing tip deformation and disturbance of the growth. Apical growth was significantly lower in infested than in control trees 2 years following the graft. 4 Deformed apical buds were left early by mites, which dispersed in the crown and may have incurred high mortality. This is interpreted as a defensive reaction of the cypress to the mite attack, which involves costs resulting in reduced apical growth in both clones. However, mites partly overcame tree defences in the Bolgheri clone. 5 Healthy rootstock and graft material should be used to limit damage and maintain plant growth because natural infestations rarely occur. In case of attack, a pesticide should be applied as soon as possible because precocious mite infestation has a log‐lasting effect on tree growth, with considerable economic damage.     

Soil-surface carbon dioxide efflux and microbial biomass in relation to tree density 13 years after a stand replacing fire in a lodgepole pine ecosystem

The effects of fire on soil‐surface carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux, F_S, and microbial biomass carbon, C_mic, were studied in a wildland setting by examining 13‐year‐old postfire stands of lodgepole pine differing in tree density (< 500 to > 500 000 trees ha^?1) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). In addition, young stands were compared to mature lodgepole pine stands (～110‐year‐old) in order to estimate ecosystem recovery 13 years after a stand replacing fire. Growing season F_S increased with tree density in young stands (1.0 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in low‐density stands, 1.8 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in moderate‐density stands and 2.1 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in high‐density stands) and with stand age (2.7 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in mature stands). Microbial biomass carbon in young stands did not differ with tree density and ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 mg C g^?1 dry soil over the growing season; C_mic was significantly greater in mature stands (0.5–0.8 mg C g^?1 dry soil). Soil‐surface CO₂ efflux in young stands was correlated with biotic variables (above‐ground, below‐ground and microbial biomass), but not with abiotic variables (litter and mineral soil C and N content, bulk density and soil texture). Microbial biomass carbon was correlated with below‐ground plant biomass and not with soil carbon and nitrogen, indicating that plant activity controls not only root respiration, but C_mic pools and overall F_S rates as well. These findings support recent studies that have demonstrated the prevailing importance of plants in controlling rates of F_S and suggest that decomposition of older, recalcitrant soil C pools in this ecosystem is relatively unimportant 13 years after a stand replacing fire. Our results also indicate that realistic predictions and modeling of terrestrial C cycling must account for the variability in tree density and stand age that exists across the landscape as a result of natural disturbances.     

Roosting Requirements of Two Frugivorous Bats (Sturnira lilium and Arbiteus intermedius) in Fragmented Neotropical Forest1

As tropical forest fragmentation accelerates, scientists are concerned with the loss of species, particularly those that play important ecological roles. Because bats play a vital role as the primary seed dispersers in cleared areas, maintaining healthy bat populations is critical to natural forest regeneration. Observations of foraging bats suggest that many Neotropical fruit‐eating species have fairly general habitat requirements and can forage in many different kinds of disturbed vegetation; however, their roosting requirements may be quite different. To test whether or not general foraging requirements are matched by equally broad roosting requirements, we used radiotelemetry to locate roost sites of two common frugivorous bat species (Sturnira lilium and Artibeus intermedius) in a fragmented forest in southeastern Mexico. Sturnira lilium roosted inside tree cavities and selected large‐diameter roost trees in remnant patches of mature forest. Fewer than 2 percent of trees surveyed had a mean diameter equal to or greater than roost trees used by . S. lilium, Artibeus intermedius roosted externally on branches and vines and under palm leaves and selected roost trees of much smaller diameter. Compared to random trees, roost trees chosen by A. intermedius were closer to neighboring taller trees and also closer in height to these trees. Such trees likely provide cryptic roosts beneath multiple overlapping crowns, with sufficient shelter from predators and the elements. While males of A. intermedius generally roosted alone in small trees within secondary forest, females roosted in small groups in larger trees within mature forest and commuted more than three times farther than males to reach their roost sites. Loss of mature forest could impair the ability of frugivorous bats to locate suitable roost sites. This could have a negative impact on bat populations, which in turn could decrease forest regeneration in impacted areas.