Effects of litter accumulation on riparian vegetation: Importance of particle size

Abstract. The floristic effects of river‐borne litter that accumulates in riparian zones may vary in space and time depending on variations in mass and particle size of the deposited litter. To analyse the effects of litter mass and size we applied differentsized litter (natural uncut pieces and powder) to riparian vegetation at different quantities. Vegetation responses were analysed after one season at the community level (total biomass or richness for all species) and species traits (biomass or richness for groups of species). At the community level uncut litter, but not powder, reduced species richness and both uncut and ground litter reduced above‐ground biomass. At the species trait level uncut litter had a stronger effect than powder on species richness and biomass. The only positive effect of litter addition was that powder increased graminoid species richness. The topsoil conditions indicated that the major impact of deposited, river‐borne litter was that it acted as a physical barrier directly preventing established plants from penetrating the litter layer and reducing light and soil temperature.     

Effects of age and distance on the composition of mixed deciduous forest fragments in an agricultural landscape

Abstract. Forest patches in central Belgium were inventoried twice for the presence or absence of forest plant species to study the effects of age and distance on species composition. All forests in the study area were subdivided based on their land use history. To avoid effects of autocorrelated environmental characteristics on species composition, habitat homogeneity was indirectly investigated using a TWINSPAN classification of the vegetation data. Two major habitats (alluvial and non‐alluvial forests) were distinguished and analysed separately. Patterns of species composition were investigated at the landscape level using Mantel tests. Species composition similarity measures were calculated between all pairs of fragments based on the floristic data. A highly significant correlation was found between species composition similarity and inter‐patch distance. Difference in age, which we used as a measure for habitat quality, was less important in explaining species composition patterns. The effects of spatial configuration became significant when difference in age was accounted for, and a partial correlation was calculated between inter‐patch distance and species composition similarity. Different results were found for alluvial and non‐alluvial forest types. Alluvial forests were more influenced by the spatial configuration than the non‐alluvial. For the non‐alluvial forest type effects measured with the difference in age between forest fragments obscured the effects of inter‐patch distance. Based on our findings we suggest that species composition is not only internally generated, but external processes such as differential colonization caused by varying degrees of isolation may be of overriding importance.     

Nucleation and facilitation in salt pans in Mediterranean salt marshes

Abstract. Arthrocnemum macrostachyum is a perennial species acting as a primary colonizer of salt pans in Mediterranean high salt marshes. Salicornia ramosissima, an annual, occurs in salt pans under Arthrocnemum canopies and in open areas. The aim of this study was to analyse, in wild populations and a transplant experiment, how S. ramosissima population dynamics and growth are affected by A. macrostachyum. The environmental conditions within the patches of Arthrocnemum were less stressful than in the open areas, with lower radiation levels and salinity concentrations. In the inner areas of A. macrostachyum patches, density‐dependent mortality processes of S. ramosissima seedlings led to low densities of adult individuals with greater morphological development and reproductive success than in open areas. However, at the edges of Arthrocnemum patches facilitation of seedling survival favoured high densities. Environmental stress hindered development, decreased reproduction and premature death. These results are in agreement with the general theory of factors controlling vegetation distribution that biotic interactions dominate in low stress environments, while abiotic interactions dominate under harsher environmental conditions. A. macrostachyum plays an essential role in the succession in these salt pans, facilitating seed production and stimulating nucleation processes in S. ramosissima.     

Kulikovskiyia gen. nov. (Bacillariophyceae) from the lateritic rock pools of the Western Ghats,India and from Hainan Province,China

A new triundulate naviculoid diatom genus is described from the Western Ghats of Peninsular India and Hainan Province, China. The new taxon, Kulikovskiyia gen. nov. has robust conical spines along its margin and at the apices and the external valve face has longitudinally‐oriented siliceous slat system extending the length of the valve. The external distal raphe ends bifurcate and terminates on the valve face. There appear to be superficial similarities between this Asian genus and species and Playaensis, a genus comprised of two species found only in the western USA. The systematic position of Kulikovskiyia is discussed, and other than noting its similarities to other biraphid naviculoid diatoms due to symmetry features and the position of the raphe, we are uncertain about its systematic placement at finer levels of classification.     

Pyramidodinium atrofuscum gen. et sp. nov. (Dinophyceae), a new marine sand-dwelling coccoid dinoflagellate from tropical waters

A new marine sand‐dwelling coccoid dinoflagellate Pyramidodinium atrofuscum Horiguchi et Sukigara gen. et sp. nov. is described from Jellyfish Lake, Republic of Palau. The dinoflagellate alternates a non‐motile vegetative stage with a motile gymnodinioid stage within its life cycle. The non‐motile stage is dominant in the life cycle and the dinoflagellate reproduces itself by means of the production of two motile cells. The released motile cell swims only for a short period and is directly transformed into the non‐motile cell. The non‐motile cell is sessile, pyramidal in shape, with a single longitudinal ridge and a double transverse ridge. The surface of the cell wall is covered with many processes. The motile cell has a Gymnodinium‐like morphology, but no apical groove is present. An ultrastructural study revealed that the dinoflagellate possesses typical dinoflagellate organelles. Based on the unique morphology of the vegetative non‐motile stage, we propose a new genus Pyramidodinium for this dinoflagellate, with the type species Pyramidodinium atrofuscum Horiguchi et Sukigara, gen. et sp. nov.     

水稻品种和稻虱缨小蜂对褐飞虱协同作用的模拟分析

利用我们先前的试验结果和文献资料,组建了水稻品种－褐飞虱－稻虱缨小蜂３者相互关系的模拟模型．模拟分析表明水稻品种能直接和间接地通过物理或化学特性影响稻虱缨小蜂的寄生作用,其中以影响褐飞虱卵垂直分布型、稻虱缨小蜂的迁入时间、未成熟期历期和怀印量等的水稻品种特性起主要作用．同时,模拟分析还表明中等抗性的水稻品种,配以增强稻虱缨小蜂寄生作用的品种特性,就能有效地控制褐飞虱的危害．文中还就协调水稻品种抗性与天敌协同控制褐飞虱的途径进行了讨论．     

γ—射线对滇紫草细胞产生色素的影响

应用５００～２５００伦琴（Ｒ）的６０钴γ射线照射滇紫草（ＯｎｏｓｍａｐａｎｉｃｕｌａｔｕｍＢｕｒ．ｅｔＦｒａｎｃｈ．）细胞系,确定了应用γ射线处理促进紫草素合成的最适辐照剂量为１５００Ｒ,处理后的细胞系在生产培养基上培养２１ｄ后紫草素含量（以干重计）达到９４．７９ｍｇ／ｇ,较对照提高了１４４６％,通过小团块选种法从中筛选到了色素含量（以干重计）高达１０３．４２ｍｇ／ｇ的高产细胞系Ｍｕｔ１,其营养生长与对照相比没有差别。     

平头反颚茧蜂属一新种(膜翅目:茧蜂科)(英文)

本文记述了采自湖北省神农架的平头反颚虽蜂属EudinostigmaTobias一新种：长角反颚茧蜂E．longusWuetChen。该新种触角甚长,24节;盾纵沟前瑞明显,具1深的椭园形中陷,腹板侧沟具刻痕,并胸腹节具中纵肯和叉脊,无小室;后足腿节粗状,长为宽的3．6倍;腹柄节长为端宽的1．7倍。新种模式标本保存于福建农业大学益虫室。     

Seedling establishment in relation to microhabitat variation in a windthrow gap in a boreal Pinus sylvestris forest

Abstract. The characteristics of microhabitats of established Pinus sylvestris and Betula seedlings were studied in a small windthrow gap in a mature P. sylvestris-dominated forest in the Petkeljärvi National Park in eastern Finland. Seedlings were strongly clustered in disturbed microhabitats, particularly uprooting pits and mounds, formed by tree falls. They covered 3% of the 0.3.ha study area consisting of the gap and some of the forest edge. Although Betula occurred only as scattered individuals in the dominant canopy layer of the forest, it accounted for 30% of the seedlings found in the study area. Betula regeneration was almost completely restricted to pits and mounds, where 91% of the seedlings were found. Uprooting spots were also the most important regeneration microhabitats for Pinus, where 60% of the seedlings grew, even though the seedlings were found in other substrates as well, particularly on sufficiently decomposed coarse wood. Undisturbed field- and bottom-layer vegetation had effectively hindered tree seedling establishment, which emphasises the role of soil disturbance for regeneration. While the establishment of seedlings was found to be clearly determined by the availability of favourable regeneration microhabitats, the early growth of seedlings was affected by a complex interaction of environmental variables, including the type of microhabitat, radiation environment and interferences caused by competing seedlings and adjacent trees. In the most important regeneration microhabitats, i.e. in uprooting pits and on mounds, the distributions of the local elevations of Pinus and Betula seedlings were different. Pinus seedlings occurred closer to ground level, i.e. on the fringes of pits and lower on mounds, while Betula seedlings grew deeper in pits and higher on mounds. The position of the Betula seedlings indicate that they may have a competitive advantage over Pinus seedlings in the dense seedling groups occurring in uprooting spots. We suggest that this initial difference in Pinus and Betula establishment may affect the subsequent within-gap tree species succession and can, in part, explain the general occurrence of Betula in conifer-dominated boreal forests.