Foliar Extrafloral Nectar of Humboldtia brunonis (Fabaceae), a Paleotropic Ant‐plant,is Richer than Phloem Sap and More Attractive than Honeydew

The ant‐plant Humboldtia brunonis secretes extrafloral nectar (EFN) despite the lack of antiherbivore protection from most ants. EFN was richer in composition than phloem sap and honeydew from untended Hemiptera on the plant, suggesting that EFN could potentially distract ants from honeydew, since ants rarely tended Hemiptera on this plant.     

基于树干液流及涡动相关技术的葡萄冠层蒸腾及蒸散发特征研究

针对西北干旱区绿洲经济作物葡萄树冠层蒸腾及蒸散发特征的相关问题,在甘肃省敦煌市南湖绿洲开展无核白葡萄树液流速率及蒸散发观测试验,采用基于热平衡原理的包裹式茎流计,详细分析了典型生长季7—9月份葡萄树蒸腾耗水规律,使用"单位叶面积上的平均液流速率SF×叶面积指数LAI"的方法,实现了从单株到林分冠层蒸腾的尺度扩展,并通过与涡动相关技术所测蒸散发数据对比,详细研究了葡萄地冠层蒸腾及蒸散发规律。结果表明:典型生长季中葡萄树液流速率日变化为单峰型曲线,日均耗水量从2.76 kg到10 kg不等,胸径越大的葡萄树日均耗水量越大;冠层蒸腾及蒸散发日变化曲线亦为单峰型,白天8:00—12:00与17:00—20:00期间,葡萄冠层蒸腾与蒸散发曲线均比较吻合,该时间段葡萄地蒸散发绝大部分来源于葡萄冠层蒸腾,而12:00—17:00之间由于午后太阳辐射强烈土壤蒸发量增加,葡萄蒸散发大于冠层蒸腾;典型生长季3个月中,葡萄冠层蒸腾量的变化范围在1.88—8.12 mm/d之间,日均冠层蒸腾量为6.12 mm/d,蒸散发在1.74 mm/d至10.78 mm/d之间,日均蒸散发量为7.13 mm/d;日均土壤蒸发量约为1.01 mm/d,只占总蒸散发量的14.2%,日均冠层蒸腾占日均蒸散发的比重达到85.8%,说明该生长阶段冠层蒸散发以作物蒸腾为主。     

Combined effects of girdling and leaf removal on fluorescence characteristic of Alhagi sparsifolia leaf senescence

Plant senescence is largely influenced by carbohydrate content. In order to investigate the impact of carbohydrate content on leaf senescence and photosystem II (PSII) during the senescence process, phloem girdling (PG), leaf removal (LR) and a combination of phloem girdling and leaf removal (GR) were performed on Alhagi sparsifolia (Fabaceae) at the end of the growing season. The results showed that during senescence, leaf soluble sugar content, starch content, the energy absorbed by the unit reaction centre (ABS/RC) increased; whereas, leaf photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic pigment content, maximum photochemical efficiency (φ_Po) and energy used by the acceptor site in electron transfer (ET_o/RC) decreased. The degree of change was PG> GR> CK (control)> LR. The results of the present work implied that phloem girdling (PG) significantly accelerated leaf senescence, and that single leaf removal (LR) slightly delayed leaf senescence; although leaf removal significantly delayed the senescence process on the girdled leaf (GR). Natural or delayed senescence only slightly inhibited the acceptor site of PSII and did not damage the donor site of PSII. On the other hand, induced senescence not only damaged the donor site of PSII (e.g. oxygen‐evolving complex), but also significantly inhibited the acceptor site of PSII. In addition, leaf senescence led to an increase in the energy absorbed by the unit reaction centre (ABS/RC), which subsequently resulted in increasing excitation pressure in the reaction centre (DI_o/RC), as well as additional saved Car for absorbing residual light energy and quenching reactive oxygen species during senescence.     

Symptoms induced by transgenic expression of p23 from Citrus tristeza virus in phloem‐associated cells of Mexican lime mimic virus infection without the aberrations accompanying constitutive expression

Citrus tristeza virus (CTV) is phloem restricted in natural citrus hosts. The 23‐kDa protein (p23) encoded by the virus is an RNA silencing suppressor and a pathogenicity determinant. The expression of p23, or its N‐terminal 157‐amino‐acid fragment comprising the zinc finger and flanking basic motifs, driven by the constitutive 35S promoter of cauliflower mosaic virus, induces CTV‐like symptoms and other aberrations in transgenic citrus. To better define the role of p23 in CTV pathogenesis, we compared the phenotypes of Mexican lime transformed with p23‐derived transgenes from the severe T36 and mild T317 CTV isolates under the control of the phloem‐specific promoter from Commelina yellow mottle virus (CoYMV) or the 35S promoter. Expression of the constructs restricted to the phloem induced a phenotype resembling CTV‐specific symptoms (vein clearing and necrosis, and stem pitting), but not the non‐specific aberrations (such as mature leaf epinasty and yellow pinpoints, growth cessation and apical necrosis) observed when p23 was ectopically expressed. Furthermore, vein necrosis and stem pitting in Mexican lime appeared to be specifically associated with p23 from T36. Phloem‐specific accumulation of the p23Δ158–209(T36) fragment was sufficient to induce the same anomalies, indicating that the region comprising the N‐terminal 157 amino acids of p23 is responsible (at least in part) for the vein clearing, stem pitting and, possibly, vein corking in this host.     

晋西黄土区辽东栎、山杨树干液流比较研究

于2009年生长季(4—10月),应用TDP (Thermal Dissipation Probe) 热扩散探针技术,并结合同步测定的太阳辐射、大气温度、空气饱和水汽压差及大气相对湿度等气象因子,分析了晋西黄土区15年生辽东栎、山杨树干液流的昼夜变化及季节变化规律,建立了液流速率与气象因子的关系模型。结果表明：辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率昼夜变化显著,4月份和7月份峰值出现的时间不一致。4月份两个树种的峰值出现在清晨或夜间,而7月份树种树干液流速率于中午前后达到高峰。4月份两个树种夜间的树干液流速率明显大于白天,山杨的树干液流于中午前后接近于零。4月份,辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率的峰值分别为2.808 cm/h和1.188 cm/h,最小值为0.218 cm/h和0 cm/h,日平均液流速率为1.440 cm/h 和0.516 cm/h; 7月份,辽东栎和山杨树干液流速率的峰值分别为12.276 cm/h和 20.448 cm/h,最小值为0.144 cm/h和0.288 cm/h,日平均液流速率为3.656 cm/h 和6.328 cm/h。7月份阴雨天时,辽东栎的液流速率峰值较晴天小,日平均液流速率是晴天的0.95倍,对山杨是0.75倍。4月份两树种树干液流速率的月平均值最低,只有1.106 cm/h和0.626 cm/h;6月份达最高值5.112 cm/h和8.214 cm/h,分别是4月份的4.62倍和13.12倍。生长季(4—10月)的林分林木总蒸腾耗水量对于辽东栎林为201.14 mm,山杨林为56.43 mm,辽东栎林为山杨林的3.56倍。统计分析表明,影响树干液流速率的主要因子对辽东栎是大气温度和太阳辐射,对山杨是太阳辐射和空气饱和水汽压差。     

华北落叶松树体储水利用及其对土壤水分和潜在蒸散的响应: 基于模型模拟的分析

 树体储水在树木水分传输中具有重要的作用, 不仅为蒸腾提供水分来源, 还具有缓冲作用, 可防止木质部导管水势过低以至于水分传输的失败。树体储水动态及其利用的研究对于认识树木对水分胁迫的响应机制具有重要意义。该研究构建了包含树体储水释放-补充作用的树干水分传输模型, 可模拟计算林分小时尺度的冠层蒸腾、边材液流、树体储水与木质部导管水流交换过程, 并以六盘山北侧的华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)人工林为例, 在林分水平分析树体储水利用及其 与土壤水分和潜在蒸散之间的关系。检验结果表明, 该模型能够精确地模拟出林分边材液流的日变化特征, 模拟与观测的小时液流速率决定系数R²为0.91 (n = 2 352)。模拟结果表明, 在典型晴朗天气下, 在日出时树体储水利用启动, 至9:00左右达到峰值(0.14 mm?h^–1), 午间降至0, 下午降为负值直至午夜, 即进入树体补水阶段; 树体储水日使用量(DJ_z)为0.04–0.58 mm?d^–1, 与日蒸腾量(DT_r)成正相关(R² = 0.91), 对蒸腾的贡献为25.6%。分析结果表明, 当潜在蒸散(ET_p)低于4.9 mm?d^–1时, ET_p是华北落叶松树体储水利用的主要驱动因子, DJ_z与ETp成正相关(R² = 0.68); 当ET_p高于4.9 mm?d^–1时, DJ_z随着ET_p的增加呈现降低趋势; DJ_z与土壤水势没有显著相关关系(p > 0.05), 但最大树体储水日使用量(DJ_zmax)与土壤水分含量成正相关(R² = 0.79), 说明土壤水分是树体储水利用的限制因子。     

Relations between uptake and utilization of NO−3 in Pisum growing exponentially under nitrogen limitation

The utilization and translocation of nitrogen was investigated in exponentially growing, nitrogen-limited Pisum sativum L. cv. Marma. The plants were given N daily at exponentially increasing, although suboptimal, relative nitrogen addition rates (R_N) calculated to yield a relative increment in N of 0.06 day^?1 and 0.12 day^?1. After 10 days of NO^?₃ additions (26 days after sowing), the relative growth rate more or less equaled R_N. Uptake of NO^?₃ was several-fold higher than the N requirement for the growth rate set by R_N. The daily addition of NO^?₃ was taken up after 7 to 8 h, resulting in a cyclic behaviour in the NO^?₃ utilization. During the phase of net NO^?₃ influx, the filling phase (0 to 8 h), in vitro nitrate reductase activity (NR activity) and intracellular levels of soluble N in the root increased. In the phase of no net influx of NO^?₃ the depletion phase (8 to 24 h), the plants were entirely dependent on stored N. During this phase both in vitro NR activity and intracellular levels of soluble N decreased. Also the calculated actual rate of NO^?₃ reduction was high in the filling phase, while it was close to zero in the depletion phase. The pattern of these fluctuations indicates that the regulation of NO^?₃ utilization involves an interplay between transmembrane fluxes of NO^?₃, the cytosolic NO^?₃ concentration and NR activity. Cyclic fluctuations in N-containing compounds were also found in the xylem. Nitrogen was mainly transported as amino acids. The pattern of NO^?₃ transport in the xylem and the fluctuations in the shoot of in vitro NR activity indicate that a reasoning similar to that for the regulation of NO^?₃ assimilation in the root also applies for the shoot. The results also indicate a substantial supply of amino acids to the xylem through recirculation from the shoot.     

Components of ecosystem evaporation in a temperate coniferous rainforest, with canopy transpiration scaled using sapwood density

Here we develop and test a method to scale sap velocity measurements from individual trees to canopy transpiration (E(c)) in a low-productivity, old-growth rainforest dominated by the conifer Dacrydium cupressinum. Further, E(c) as a component of the ecosystem water balance is quantified in relation to forest floor evaporation rates and measurements of ecosystem evaporation using eddy covariance (E(eco)) in conditions when the canopy was dry and partly wet. Thermal dissipation probes were used to measure sap velocity of individual trees, and scaled to transpiration at the canopy level by dividing trees into classes based on sapwood density and canopy position (sheltered or exposed). When compared with ecosystem eddy covariance measurements, E(c) accounted for 51% of E(eco) on dry days, and 22% of E(eco) on wet days. Low transpiration rates, and significant contributions to E(eco) from wet canopy evaporation and understorey transpiration (35%) and forest floor evaporation (25%), were attributable to the unique characteristics of the forest: in particular, high rainfall, low leaf area index, low stomatal conductance and low productivity associated with severe nutrient limitation.     

Anatomical and chemical defenses of conifer bark against bark beetles and other pests

Conifers are long-lived organisms, and part of their success is due to their potent defense mechanisms. This review focuses on bark defenses, a front line against organisms trying to reach the nutrient-rich phloem. A major breach of the bark can lead to tree death, as evidenced by the millions of trees killed every year by specialized bark-invading insects. Different defense strategies have arisen in conifer lineages, but the general strategy is one of overlapping constitutive mechanical and chemical defenses overlaid with the capacity to up-regulate additional defenses. The defense strategy incorporates a graded response from 'repel', through 'defend' and 'kill', to 'compartmentalize', depending upon the advance of the invading organism. Using a combination of toxic and polymer chemistry, anatomical structures and their placement, and inducible defenses, conifers have evolved bark defense mechanisms that work against a variety of pests. However, these can be overcome by strategies including aggregation pheromones of bark beetles and introduction of virulent phytopathogens. The defense structures and chemicals in conifer bark are reviewed and questions about their coevolution with bark beetles are discussed.