Support for the microenvironment hypothesis for adaptive value of gall induction in the California gall wasp, Andricus quercuscalifornicus

Three major hypotheses have been advanced for the adaptive nature of plant galls: nutrition, enemy-avoidance, and microenvironment. Of these, the microenvironment hypothesis has been frequently invoked, but rarely tested directly. We tested this hypothesis in a population of Andricus quercuscalifornicus (Bassett) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) wasps inducing galls on Quercus lobata Née (Fagaceae) trees in Northern California, USA. Relative humidity and temperature data gathered from both immature and mature galls in the field indicated that A. quercuscalifornicus larvae modify their microenvironments significantly by raising and stabilizing relative humidity levels inside galls to near saturation. In addition, excised larvae maintained under experimental conditions survived significantly longer under levels of high relative humidity. These data support the hypothesis that through gall induction, A. quercuscalifornicus manipulates its environment adaptively.     

Forecasting the start of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Quercus</Emphasis> pollen season using several methods – the evaluation of their efficiency

Forecasting the time when the atmospheric pollen season of allergenic plants begins is particularly important for doctors and their patients. The aim of this paper is to determine whether it is possible to forecast the start of the oak (Quercus) pollen season in Rzeszów, Poland. In the elaboration of the most effective model, various forecasting techniques were tested: growth degree days (GDD°C); meteorological factors; bioclimatic factors; and indicator taxon. The aerobiological monitoring was carried out in 1997–2005 and 2007 in Rzeszów (SE Poland). In the presented investigation, three methods defining the start of the Quercus pollen season were selected on the basis of accumulated sums of pollen or the constant occurrence of pollen grains in air. Despite the application of different combinations of GDD°C methods and threshold temperatures, the correlation coefficients between the expected and obtained values were low. In some cases, however, they proved highly effective for the test years (2005, 2007) with the accuracy of a few days. For GDD°C methods, the best threshold temperatures range between 5 and 6°C. Models based on bioclimatic indices and meteorological variables were not satisfactory. On the basic of the 10 years of results, the method of indicator species were good for forecast the start of oak pollen season. Birch was the best indicator taxa.     

Patterns of seed dispersal and pollen flow in Quercus garryana (Fagaceae) following post-glacial climatic changes

Aim We examined the genetic structure of Quercus garryana to infer post‐glacial patterns of seed dispersal and pollen flow to test the hypotheses that (1) peripheral populations are genetically distinct from core populations and from one another; (2) genetic diversity declines towards the poleward edge of the species’ range; and (3) genetic diversity in the chloroplast genome, a direct measure of seed dispersal patterns, declines more sharply with increasing latitude than diversity in the nuclear genome. We address our findings in the context of known historical oak distribution from pollen core data derived from previously published research. Location Oak–savanna ecosystems from southern Oregon, USA (core populations/non‐glaciated range) northward to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada (peripheral populations/glaciated range). Methods We genotyped 378 trees from 22 sites with five chloroplast and seven nuclear microsatellite loci. For both sets of markers, we estimated genetic diversity and differentiation using an analysis of molecular variance and generated Mantel correlograms to detect genetic and geographical distance correlations. For the nuclear markers, we also used a Bayesian approach to infer population substructure. Results There was a large degree of population differentiation revealed by six chloroplast haplotypes, with little (≤ 3) or no haplotype diversity within sites. Peripheral island locations shared the same, maternally inherited chloroplast haplotype, whereas locations in mainland Washington had greater haplotype diversity. In contrast, genetic diversity of the nuclear markers was high at all locations sampled. Populations clustered into two groups and were significantly positively correlated over large spatial scales (≤ 200 km), although allele richness decreased significantly with latitude. Population substructure was observed between core and peripheral populations because rare alleles were absent in peripheral localities and common allele frequencies differed. Main conclusions The observed pattern of chloroplast haplotype loss at the northern periphery suggests restricted seed dispersal events from mainland sites to peripheral islands. This pattern was unexpected, however, as refugial oak populations remained near the current post‐glacial range even during the Last Glacial Maximum. Using nuclear markers, we found high within‐population diversity and population differentiation only over large spatial scales, suggesting that pollen flow is relatively high among populations.     

四川宜宾三种乔木内生真菌的多样性

对四川宜宾同一生境中的油樟 [Cinnamomum longepaniculatum (Gamble) N. Chao]、香樟 [C. camphora(Linn.) Presl]和白栎(Quercus fabri Hance)三种30棵乔木根、茎、叶中的内生真菌多样性进行了研究。结果显示：三种植物中的内生真菌在属一级分类单位上都存在一定程度的多样性和器官特异性, 组丝核菌属(Phacodium Pers.)为3种植物内生真菌共有的优势属; 同时, 通过对3种植物内生真菌的比较, 发现3种植物整体及对应部     

Assessing the effects of management on forest growth across France: insights from a new functional–structural model

Background and Aims

The structure of a forest stand, i.e. the distribution of tree size features, has strong effects on its functioning. The management of the structure is therefore an important tool in mitigating the impact of predicted changes in climate on forests, especially with respect to drought. Here, a new functional–structural model is presented and is used to assess the effects of management on forest functioning at a national scale.

Methods

The stand process-based model (PBM) Castanea was coupled to a stand structure module (SSM) based on empirical tree-to-tree competition rules. The calibration of the SSM was based on a thorough analysis of intersite and interannual variability of competition asymmetry. The coupled Castanea–SSM model was evaluated across France using forest inventory data, and used to compare the effect of contrasted silvicultural practices on simulated stand carbon fluxes and growth.

Key Results

The asymmetry of competition varied consistently with stand productivity at both spatial and temporal scales. The modelling of the competition rules enabled efficient prediction of changes in stand structure within the Castanea PBM. The coupled model predicted an increase in net primary productivity (NPP) with management intensity, resulting in higher growth. This positive effect of management was found to vary at a national scale across France: the highest increases in NPP were attained in forests facing moderate to high water stress; however, the absolute effect of management on simulated stand growth remained moderate to low because stand thinning involved changes in carbon allocation at the tree scale.

Conclusions

This modelling approach helps to identify the areas where management efforts should be concentrated in order to mitigate near-future drought impact on national forest productivity. Around a quarter of the French temperate oak and beech forests are currently in zones of high vulnerability, where management could thus mitigate the influence of climate change on forest yield     

The effect of drought stress on heterozygosity–fitness correlations in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)

Background and Aims

The interaction between forest fragmentation and predicted climate change may pose a serious threat to tree populations. In small and spatially isolated forest fragments, increased homozygosity may directly affect individual tree fitness through the expression of deleterious alleles. Climate change-induced drought stress may exacerbate these detrimental genetic consequences of forest fragmentation, as the fitness response to low levels of individual heterozygosity is generally thought to be stronger under environmental stress than under optimal conditions.

Methods

To test this hypothesis, a greenhouse experiment was performed in which various transpiration and growth traits of 6-month-old seedlings of Quercus robur differing in multilocus heterozygosity (MLH) were recorded for 3 months under a well-watered and a drought stress treatment. Heterozygosity–fitness correlations (HFC) were examined by correlating the recorded traits of individual seedlings to their MLH and by studying their response to drought stress.

Key Results

Weak, but significant, effects of MLH on several fitness traits were obtained, which were stronger for transpiration variables than for the recorded growth traits. High atmospheric stress (measured as vapour pressure deficit) influenced the strength of the HFCs of the transpiration variables, whereas only a limited effect of the irrigation treatment on the HFCs was observed.

Conclusions

Under ongoing climate change, increased atmospheric stress in the future may strengthen the negative fitness responses of trees to low MLH. This indicates the necessity to maximize individual multilocus heterozygosity in forest tree breeding programmes.     

Factors affecting stress tolerance in recalcitrant embryonic axes from seeds of four Quercus (Fagaceae) species native to the USA or China

MethodsWater relations and survival of excised axes in response to water loss and cryo-exposure were compared for four Quercus species from subtropical China (Q. franchetii, Q. schottkyana) and temperate USA (Q. gambelii, Q. rubra).ConclusionsQuercus species adapted to arid and semi-humid climates still produce recalcitrant seeds. The ability to avoid freezing rather than drought may be a more important selection factor to increase desiccation tolerance. Cryopreservation of recalcitrant germplasm from temperate species is currently feasible, whilst additional protective treatments are needed for ex situ conservation of Quercus from tropical and subtropical areas.     

Distinct male reproductive strategies in two closely related oak species

Reproductive strategies of closely related species distributed along successional gradients should differ as a consequence of the trade‐off between competition and colonization abilities. We compared male reproductive strategies of Quercus robur and Q. petraea, two partly interfertile European oak species with different successional status. In the studied even‐aged stand, trees of the late‐successional species (Q. petraea) grew faster and suffered less from intertree competition than trees of the early‐successional species (Q. robur). A large‐scale paternity study and a spatially explicit individual‐based mating model were used to estimate parameters of pollen production and dispersal as well as sexual barriers between species. Male fecundity was found to be dependent both on a tree's circumference and on its environment, particularly so for Q. petraea. Pollen dispersal was greater and more isotropic in Q. robur than in Q. petraea. Premating barriers to hybridization were strong in both species, but more so in Q. petraea than in Q. robur. Hence, predictions based on the competition–colonization trade‐off are well supported, whereas the sexual barriers themselves seem to be shaped by colonization dynamics.     

啮齿动物捕食和搬运蒙古栎种子对种群更新的影响

2010-2011年,在东北林业大学城市林业示范基地研究了啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子的捕食和搬运。结果表明,蒙古栎种子捕食率在年际间无显著差异,但2010年的蒙古栎种子搬运率显著高于2011年,存留率显著低于2011年。啮齿动物在胡桃楸林、樟子松林、水曲柳林和白桦林内对蒙古栎种子的总捕食率和总搬运率分别达到(5.7±13.5)%和(27.1±37.1)%。蒙古栎种子在樟子松林内的捕食率和搬运率均最高,胡桃楸林内蒙古栎种子存留率最高;2010年蒙古栎种子在与蒙古栎林边缘距离0,10,20,30,40,50m组间的捕食率无显著差异,搬运率和存留率有显著差异,但2011年蒙古栎种子在不同距离组间的捕食率呈显著差异,搬运率和存留率无显著差异。与蒙古栎林边缘距离20m处蒙古栎种子的捕食率最高。2010年和2011年,分别有(37.8±49.7)%和(27.7±49.8)%的蒙古栎种子被啮齿动物利用,这表明啮齿动物是林业示范基地内蒙古栎地表种子的主要捕食者。冬季食物匮乏秋季贮藏种子是造成啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子有较大捕食、扩散压力的主要原因。因此,啮齿动物对蒙古栎种子的捕食和搬运影响了蒙古栎林的种群更新。