Resource availability and disturbance shape maximum tree height across the Amazon

Tall trees are key drivers of ecosystem processes in tropical forest, but the controls on the distribution of the very tallest trees remain poorly understood. The recent discovery of grove of giant trees over 80 meters tall in the Amazon forest requires a reevaluation of current thinking. We used high‐resolution airborne laser surveys to measure canopy height across 282,750 ha of old‐growth and second‐growth forests randomly sampling the entire Brazilian Amazon. We investigated how resources and disturbances shape the maximum height distribution across the Brazilian Amazon through the relations between the occurrence of giant trees and environmental factors. Common drivers of height development are fundamentally different from those influencing the occurrence of giant trees. We found that changes in wind and light availability drive giant tree distribution as much as precipitation and temperature, together shaping the forest structure of the Brazilian Amazon. The location of giant trees should be carefully considered by policymakers when identifying important hot spots for the conservation of biodiversity in the Amazon.     

Fungal endophyte infection increases tall fescue's survival,growth, and flowering in a reconstructed prairie

Grasslands in North America are increasingly threatened by land conversion and ecological degradation, prompting restoration efforts to increase native plant species diversity and improve wildlife habitat. A major challenge is the removal and management of nonnative invasive species such as tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus), which has a symbiotic association with a fungal endophyte (Epichloë coenophiala) that modifies its ecological interactions. Using transplanted clumps of the cultivar Kentucky‐31, we tested the effects of endophyte infection on tall fescue's survival and performance (tiller production, flowering, and basal area) for 5 years in a central Kentucky reconstructed prairie. We predicted that endophyte infected (E+) clumps would have increased performance compared to endophyte‐free (E?) clumps. Overall, E+ clumps had greater survival, tiller production, flowering tiller production, and basal area, but not reproductive effort (proportion of tillers flowering) as compared to E? clumps. However, survival and trends in tiller number and basal area over the 5‐year period suggested experimental tall fescue populations were in decline in the reconstructed prairie, although the E? population declined more rapidly. Our study provides evidence that endophyte infection improved tall fescue's growth and survival in a postreconstruction plant community, at least in the early years following reconstruction, and may increase the invasive potential of this nonnative species in prairie restorations.     

Effects of the endophyte Epichloë coenophiala on the root microbial community and growth performance of tall fescue in different saline-alkali soils

Soil salinization is detrimental to plant growth and yield in agroecosystems worldwide. Epichloë endophytes, a class of clavicipitaceous fungi, enhance the resistance of host plants to saline-alkali stress. This study explored the effects of the systemic fungal endophyte Epichloë coenophiala on the root microbial community and growth performance of tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) growing under different saline-alkali stress conditions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to analyze the direct and indirect effects (mediated by root microbial community diversity and soil properties) of the endophyte on the growth of tall fescue under saline-alkali stress. The endophyte-infected plants produced higher shoot and root biomass compared to endophyte-free plants under saline-alkali stress (200 and 400 mM). Endophyte infection increased the fungal community diversity and altered its composition in the roots, decreasing the relative abundance of Ascomycota and increasing that of Glomeromycota. Furthermore, endophyte infection decreased the bacterial community diversity and the relative abundance of dominant Proteobacteria. SEM showed that endophyte infection increased the shoot and root biomass under saline-alkali stress (200 and 400 mM) by increasing the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in the roots, and soil total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Therefore, it is important to examine aboveground microbes as factors influencing plant growth in saline-alkali stress by affecting belowground microbes and soil chemical properties.     

Sink to source transition in developing leaf blades of tall fescue

This study aims to characterize the translocation of photosynthates within and from developing tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) leaves at the time of transition from sink to source. The developing leaf contains a source, the exposed tip, and a sink, the growing basal portion. When the exposed tip of the developing blade is labelled with ¹⁴CO₂, it exports photosynthates exclusively to sinks within the developing blade until the blade reaches 80% of its final length, when photosynthates begin to be exported from the blade and pass through the collar to reach the growing sheath and the next expanding leaf. Concurrently, the previous mature leaves reduce their level of photosynthate export to the developing blade; export stops as soon as the sheath of the developing leaf elongates beyond 10 mm. Export from the mature leaves to the growing sheath and to the next expanding leaf blade increases rapidly. Thus, in a developing tall fescue leaf blade photosynthate importation and exportation are exclusive events: the expanding blade imports photosynthate from mature leaves until it reaches 80% of its final length, then exportation begins and importation ceases.     

Differentiating manool and 13-epimanool with NMR chiral shift reagents

Use of NMR chiral shift reagents showed that a compound isolated from Pinus contorta bark and Tsuga heterophylla wood was 13-epimanool. Southern pine (Pinus spp.) tall oil contained a mixture of manool and 13-epimanool.     

Random distribution pattern and non-adaptivity of genome size in a highly variable population of Festuca pallens

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The spatial and statistical distribution of genome sizes and the adaptivity of genome size to some types of habitat, vegetation or microclimatic conditions were investigated in a tetraploid population of Festuca pallens. The population was previously documented to vary highly in genome size and is assumed as a model for the study of the initial stages of genome size differentiation. METHODS: Using DAPI flow cytometry, samples were measured repeatedly with diploid Festuca pallens as the internal standard. Altogether 172 plants from 57 plots (2.25 m(2)), distributed in contrasting habitats over the whole locality in South Moravia, Czech Republic, were sampled. The differences in DNA content were confirmed by the double peaks of simultaneously measured samples. KEY RESULTS: At maximum, a 1.115-fold difference in genome size was observed. The statistical distribution of genome sizes was found to be continuous and best fits the extreme (Gumbel) distribution with rare occurrences of extremely large genomes (positive-skewed), as it is similar for the log-normal distribution of the whole Angiosperms. Even plants from the same plot frequently varied considerably in genome size and the spatial distribution of genome sizes was generally random and unautocorrelated (P > 0.05). The observed spatial pattern and the overall lack of correlations of genome size with recognized vegetation types or microclimatic conditions indicate the absence of ecological adaptivity of genome size in the studied population. CONCLUSIONS: These experimental data on intraspecific genome size variability in Festuca pallens argue for the absence of natural selection and the selective non-significance of genome size in the initial stages of genome size differentiation, and corroborate the current hypothetical model of genome size evolution in Angiosperms (Bennetzen et al., 2005, Annals of Botany 95: 127-132).     

Ergovaline movement across caco-2 cells

Summary Ergovaline's role in the direct causation of fescue toxicosis first requires establishment of its dietary absorption. Therefore, ergovaline movement across human intestinal cells was assessed using Caco-2 cells derived from human colon carcinoma. A pre-equilibrated mixture of ergovaline/ergovalinine (60∶40 ratio of isomers) was added to the apical compartment, and isomer movements were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of extracted media (initial pre-isomerized ergovaline concentrations of 6 and 22 μM, two doses). Mathematical models for ergot alkaloid movement were developed. Rates of movement were not different for the isomers. In the absence of cells, basal accumulation of isomers was essentially linear for 3 h regardless of loading concentration, after which basal accumulation of ergovaline/ergovalinine plateaued. Rates of ergovaline/ergovalinine movement in the presence of cells slowed to about 25% the rate of movement in the absence of cells (22 μM, kt=0.0133 no cells, 0.0036 with cells, P<0.05). Mass transfer rate was 7.5 ng·cm⁻²·min⁻¹ and was similar to that reported for ergovaline using a parabiotic chamber with sheep omasum. After 6 h in the presence of cells, ∼25 and 40% of the total ergovaline/ergovalinine administered had accumulated in the basal compartment for 6.6 and 22 μM treatments, respectively. Ergovaline and its naturally occurring isomer, ergovalinine, readily crossed intestinal cells intact and at similar rates. Either isomer, or a combination of both, could be involved in the pathogenesis of fescue toxicosis at sites distal to the intestine.     

Pollen-mediated transgene flow in the wind-pollinated grass species tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.)

Information regarding gene flow in wind-pollinated, outcrossing forage grasses is essential for any future releases of value-added transgenic cultivars. Experiments on pollen dispersal was carried out by growing transgenic tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) in a central plot, surrounded by exclosures containing recipient plants up to a distance of 200 m from the central source plants in eight directions. The central transgenic tall fescue plants carried a chimeric hygromycin phosphotransferase gene (hph) and a chimeric -glucuronidase gene (gusA). Seeds were collected from the recipient plants and germinated seedlings were used for high throughput DNA isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. More than 21,000 seedlings were PCR analyzed for the experiments conducted in three years. Transgenes were detected in recipient plants at up to 150 m from the central transgenic plot. The highest transgene frequencies, 5% at 50 m, 4.12% at 100 m and 0.96% at 150 m, were observed north of the central plot, the prevailing wind direction. Lower transgene frequencies were detected in other directions, particularly at 100 m and 150 m distances. No transgene was detected at 200 m distance in any direction. Transgene flow was less effective or ineffective when recipient plants were further away from the central donor plants. Southern blot hybridization analysis confirmed the transgenic nature of the PCR positive plants. A supplementary experiment demonstrated that transgene flow can be controlled by placing transgenic plantings downwind and long distances from non-transgenic seed increases, thus allowing tall fescue breeding and transgene development programs to be conducted concurrently at the same research station.     

高秆突变体Mh—1的株高遗传研究

Ｍｈ－１是从矮秆品种桂朝２号辐射诱变后代中产生的高秆突变体。用Ｍｈ－１与ｓｄ－１矮秆、非ｓｄ－１矮秆和普通高秆材料杂交,通过对Ｆ１、Ｆ２、Ｆ３等世代以及测交后代的株高进行遗传分析,结果表明,Ｍｈ－１的高秆特性是由１对隐性抑制基因控制的,该抑制基因能调节ｓｄ－１基因的表达,而对由非ｓｄ－１基因控制的矮秆没有抑制作用,这一隐性抑制基因暂时被定名为ｉ－ｓｄ－１（ｔ）。还讨论了该基因的遗传学意义和可能的育