Can the meiotic sex ratio explain the sex ratio bias in adult populations in the dioicous moss Drepanocladus lycopodioides?

Sex ratio variation is commonly observed in natural populations of many organisms with separate sexes and genetic sex determination, including bryophytes. Most bryophyte populations exhibit female-skewed expressed adult sex ratios, generally inferred from counts of sexually mature plants. For the rarely sexually reproducing perennial dioicous moss Drepanocladus lycopodioides, we showed that a female bias also exists in the genetic adult sex ratio, using a specifically designed molecular sex-associated marker. Here, we investigated whether the meiotic spore sex ratio contributes to the observed bias in genetic adult sex ratio in natural populations. Earlier attempts to study meiotic sex ratios have involved commonly cultivated ruderals that rapidly express sex in the laboratory. We established single-spore cultures from field-collected sporophytes from these populations and used the marker to assess the sex of individual sporelings. Spore germinability was (near) complete, and mortality among sporelings was virtually absent. The true meiotic sex ratio did not differ from equality, but strongly differed both from the observed genetic sex ratios in the natural adult populations, and from the European scale genetic sex ratio. We conclude that the biased population sex ratios in this species arise at life cycle stages after spore germination. Sexual dimorphism may selectively favour female proliferation during some phase of gametophyte development. Based on methodological progress, we successfully used a perennial study species with rare sexual reproduction, which significantly broadens the life history spectrum investigated in bryophyte sex ratio studies.     

The effects of habitat edges and trampling on understorey vegetation in urban forests in Helsinki,Finland

Question: How do habitat edges and trampling affect mesic (Myrtillus type) understorey vegetation in fragmented urban forests, and what are the relative strengths and spatial extent of these effects? Location: The city of Helsinki, southern Finland. Methods: Vegetation sample plots were placed at different distances from the forest edge. At each distance we selected plots on, next to and away from paths of different levels of wear, and the covers and frequencies of plant species were sampled. We used generalized linear mixed models and ordination techniques to test our hypotheses. Results: The effect of the edge penetrated up to 50 m into the forest interior. Only light effects of trampling were found in seemingly untrampled areas, in addition to the direct effects of trampling on the paths. Both trampling and edge effects changed the forest understorey species composition. Trampling changed plant species composition locally on paths, and provided opportunities for new species to establish in previously unbroken forest vegetation. Urban forest edges were characterised by species better adapted to sunny, warm and dry conditions. These species, such as grasses, replaced more sensitive forest species, such as dwarf shrubs and mosses. We observed a large number of light demanding deciduous trees at the edges, which may be one of the factors increasing soil fertility and consequently promoting the high abundance of fast growing species, such as grasses and herbs related to more fertile site types. Conclusions: We recommend that urban forest fragments left within urban development should be at least 2–3 ha in size and that the shape of the patch and the number of potential recreational users should be taken into account when preserving true forest understorey vegetation from the effects of edges and trampling.     

湖北黄冈大崎山药用苔藓植物调查研究

对湖北黄冈大崎山药用苔藓植物资源进行了初步调查研究,结果表明:黄冈大崎山共有药用苔藓植物17种,隶属13科15属,约占全国药用苔藓植物总数的29.3%;本文还记述了黄冈大崎山药用苔藓植物的分布及药用功能,并提出了合理性开发利用的思路。     

粤东亚热带森林群落树种组成对苔藓植物分布的影响

为探究森林群落树种组成对苔藓植物分布的影响,利用多元统计方法研究粤东亚热带地区苔藓植物的组成和分布对林分类型的响应。根据森林乔木层的树种组成划分为翻白叶树(Pterospermum heterophyllum)、木荷(Schima superba)+米锥(Castanopsis carlesii)和米锥3种森林类型。结果表明,3种森林类型中苔类(liverworts)和藓类(mosses)植物群落组成特征总体上存在显著差异;双齿裂萼苔(Chiloscyphus latifolius)和细指苔(Kurzia gonyotricha)在3种类型林分中的重要值变化指示了苔类植物群落的差异。3种类型林分中,均以东亚拟鳞叶藓(Pseudotaxiphyllum pohliaecarpum)为优势种。不同林分中藓类植物种类组成主要表现为亚优种分布的不同。这表明森林群落树种组成作为重要的生物因子,对林内苔藓植物的分布和种类组成有重要影响。     

长白山暗针叶林苔藓植物生物量的研究

在长白山北坡暗针叶林对地面和树附生苔藓植物的生物量进行了测定．地面生苔藓采取样带调查取样法测定,树附生苔藓应用McCune方法对树干和树枝的附生苔藓生物量都做了细致的测定．结果表明,长白山暗针叶林中的苔藓植物分布很不均匀,随海拔变化差异很大,海拔1100m最低,仅为543kg·hm^-2;海拔1250m最高,达5097kg·hm^-2．苔藓植物生物量的变化对生境有很好的指示作用,特别是塔藓和拟垂枝藓的生物量随海拔的变化与森林系统的群落学特点有一定的相关性：在海拔1100～1700m,塔藓的生物量与臭冷杉的重要值变化趋势相近,随海拔升高而减少;拟垂枝藓的生物量与鱼鳞云杉重要值的变化趋势相似,随海拔升高而增加．此外,生物量随海拔的变化表明了不同苔藓植物对环境条件要求的差异,拟垂枝藓比塔藓水分条件要求更高．因此,生物量的研究在植物生理上也有一定的指示作用．     

Biological legacies soften pine plantation effects for bryophytes

Biological legacies are organic structures and patterns remaining after a disturbance that may contribute to the complexity of the recovering vegetation. Legacies may, in turn, reduce the impacts of human disturbances such as logging and habitat transformation on elements of biodiversity. To examine the effects of biological legacies on biotic responses after disturbance, we surveyed 32 sites for bryophytes in an area subject to large-scale conversion of native eucalypt forest to exotic Pinus radiata D. Don plantations in eastern Australia. We sampled bryophyte and substrate diversity (log, bare ground, upturned tree/log, and trees) in eight sites in each of four landscape context classes: pine plantation stands, elliptical-shaped remnants, strip-shaped remnants, and controls in a large area of contiguous, unmanaged eucalypt forest. We found a muted response by individual species of bryophyte to landscape context. We attribute this, in part, to the presence of logs in the intensively managed pine plantation sites. The boost in bryophyte diversity from species on logs meant that some pine sites supported similar species composition to the continuous eucalypt forest controls. Our findings also underline the importance of local controls and structural variation, including leaving logs and native trees in plantations, for enhancing bryophyte species richness in managed landscapes.     

Mapping nutrient resorption efficiencies of subarctic cryptogams and seed plants onto the Tree of Life

Nutrient resorption from senescing photosynthetic organs is a powerful mechanism for conserving nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in infertile environments. Evolution has resulted in enhanced differentiation of conducting tissues to facilitate transport of photosynthate to other plant parts, ultimately leading to phloem. Such tissues may also serve to translocate N and P to other plant parts upon their senescence. Therefore, we hypothesize that nutrient resorption efficiency (RE, % of nutrient pool exported) should correspond with the degree of specialization of these conducting tissues across the autotrophic branches of the Tree of Life. To test this hypothesis, we had to compare members of different plant clades and lichens within a climatic region, to minimize confounding effects of climatic drivers on nutrient resorption. Thus, we compared RE among wide‐ranging basal clades from the principally N‐limited subarctic region, employing a novel method to correct for mass loss during senescence. Even with the limited numbers of species available for certain clades in this region, we found some consistent patterns. Mosses, lichens, and lycophytes generally showed low RE_N (<20%), liverworts and conifers intermediate (40%) and monilophytes, eudicots, and monocots high (>70%). RE_P appeared higher in eudicots and liverworts than in mosses. Within mosses, taxa with more efficient conductance also showed higher RE_N. The differences in RE_N among clades broadly matched the degree of specialization of conducting tissues. This novel mapping of a physiological process onto the Tree of Life broadly supports the idea that the evolution of conducting tissues toward specialized phloem has aided land plants to optimize their internal nitrogen recycling. The generality of evolutionary lines in conducting tissues and nutrient resorption efficiency needs to be tested across different floras in different climatic regions with different levels of N versus P availability.     

哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林不同生长基质苔藓植物的组成与分布特征

苔藓植物是构成山地原生常绿阔叶林结构及景观的重要组分之一,在生态系统生物多样性的维系等方面发挥重要的生态功能。本研究以云南哀牢山中山湿性常绿阔叶林为对象,对林冠树干和林下木质残体、林地及岩石表面四类不同生长基质上苔藓植物的物种分布特征进行了调查研究,并运用Kendall一致性指数计算了各生长基质上苔藓植物物种之间的相关联程度,用聚类的方法对不同生长基质上苔藓植物物种进行了分类。研究结果表明：本区山地森林具有丰富的苔藓植物,共记录141种,分属38科69属,其中林冠树干上分布的苔藓植物的物种数量最多,为94种,林地上最少,仅29种;有27种苔藓植物同时分布在这3种以上的生长基质上。通过对不同类型生长基质之间苔藓植物种间关联程度的分析,发现在微生境的尺度上,随着优势苔藓植物种类间的关联程度的增加,苔藓植物多样性呈现出逐渐减少的趋势。     

新疆博格达山地面生苔藓植被的数量分类与排序研究

 应用数量分类(TWINSPAN)和排序(DCA)方法,对新疆博格达山苔藓植被进行了多元分析。TWINSPAN结果表明,该地区苔藓植被可分为6个主要群落类型,即牛角藓-真藓(Cratoneuron-Bryum)群落、扭口藓-墙藓(Barbula-Tortula)群落、提灯藓-细罗藓(Mnium-Leskeella)群落、对叶藓-提灯藓(Distichium_Mnium)群落、墙藓-连轴藓(Tortula_Schistidium)群落、扭口藓-紫萼藓(Barbula_Grimmia)群落,它们分别分布于山地荒