Impacts of a native parasitic plant on an introduced and a native host species: implications for the control of an invasive weed

Background and Aims: While invasive species may escape from natural enemies in thenew range, the establishment of novel biotic interactions withspecies native to the invaded range can determine their success.Biological control of plant populations can be achieved by manipulationof a species' enemies in the invaded range. Interactions weretherefore investigated between a native parasitic plant andan invasive legume in Mediterranean-type woodlands of SouthAustralia. Methods: The effects of the native stem parasite, Cassytha pubescens,on the introduced host, Cytisus scoparius, and a co-occurringnative host, Leptospermum myrsinoides, were compared. The hypothesisthat the parasitic plant would have a greater impact on theintroduced host than the native host was tested. In a fieldstudy, photosynthesis, growth and survival of hosts and parasitewere examined. Key Results: As predicted, Cassytha had greater impacts on the introducedhost than the native host. Dead Cytisus were associated withdense Cassytha infections but mortality of Leptospermum wasnot correlated with parasite infection. Cassytha infection reducedthe photosynthetic rates of both hosts. Infected Cytisus showedslower recovery of photosystem II efficiency, lower transpirationrates and reduced photosynthetic biomass in comparison withuninfected plants. Parasite photosynthetic rates and growthrates were higher when growing on the introduced host Cytisus,than on Leptospermum. Conclusions: Infection by a native parasitic plant had strong negative effectson the physiology and above-ground biomass allocation of anintroduced species and was correlated with increased plant mortality.The greater impact of the parasite on the introduced host maybe due to either the greater resources that this host providesor increased resistance to infection by the native host. Thisdisparity of effects between introduced host and native hostindicates the potential for Cassytha to be exploited as a controltool.     

云贵鹅耳枥群落乔木种群生态位初探

木文应用Ｌｅｖｉｎ公式和王刚改进公式分别计测了贵阳喀斯特山地云贵鹅耳枥群落中乔木种群的生态位宽度和生态位重叠,并对这些种群的生态位关系及其对群落结构和动态的影响进行了分析。     

Germination and regeneration mechanisms in Mediterranean degenerate forests

Abstract. Germination and developmental behaviour during juvenile stages are of importance in relation to succession mechanisms acting on plant communities. This is particularly so in the Mediterranean region, where the climatic summer drought causes stress. We investigated and compared germination and development of four tree species in two parts of the French Mediterranean region where the original dominant tree species (Quercus pubescens) has been largely replaced by Quercus ilex in the southern part, and Castanea sativa in the northern part. Observed differences in germination rates and developmental behaviour, especially shootroot ratio and the role of water supply, suggest that other species may eventually replace the current dominant species.     

ent-Pimarane Diterpenes from the Aerial Parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens

Five new ent-pimarane diterpenes ( 1 – 5 ) and five known analogs ( 6 – 10 ) were isolated from the aerial parts of Siegesbeckia pubescens. Their structures, including absolute configurations, were determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods especially 1D and 2D NMR and quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism calculations. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human BT549, A549 and H157 cancer cell lines. Among them, compounds 1 and 2 showed mild cytotoxicity against lung cancer cell lines H157 with IC₅₀ values of 16.35±2.59 and 18.86±4.83 μM, respectively.     

Poleward increase in feeding efficiency of leafminer Stigmella lapponica (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae) in a latitudinal gradient crossing a boreal forest zone

Damage to plant communities imposed by insect herbivores generally decreases from low to high latitudes. This decrease is routinely attributed to declines in herbivore abundance and/or diversity, whereas latitudinal changes in per capita food consumption remain virtually unknown. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the lifetime food consumption by a herbivore individual decreases from low to high latitudes due to a temperature-driven decrease in metabolic expenses. From 2016 to 2019, we explored latitudinal changes in multiple characteristics of linear (gallery) mines made by larvae of the pygmy moth, Stigmella lapponica, in leaves of downy birch, Betula pubescens. The mined leaves were larger than intact leaves at the southern end of our latitudinal gradient (at 60°N) but smaller than intact leaves at its northern end (at 69°N), suggesting that female oviposition preference changes with latitude. No latitudinal changes were observed in larval size, mine length or area, and in per capita food consumption, but the larval feeding efficiency (quantified as the ratio between larval size and mine size) increased with latitude. Consequently, S. lapponica larvae consumed less foliar biomass at higher latitudes than at lower latitudes to reach the same size. Based on space-for-time substitution, we suggest that climate warming will increase metabolic expenses of insect herbivores with uncertain consequences for plant–herbivore interactions.     

Stamens are not essential as an attractant for pollinators in females of cryptically dioecious Thalictrum pubescens Pursch. (Ranunculaceae)

 It has been hypothesized that females of some dioecious species maintain stamens that produce sterile pollen as a means of attracting pollinators to promote greater seed set. However, this hypothesis has rarely been tested. This paper examines the role of pollinators in the maintenance of sterile stamens in the cryptically dioecious species, Thalictrum pubescens. Wind was found to contribute to pollination; branches of female T. pubescens enclosed in cheesecloth to exclude insects but not wind were still able to set seed. Therefore, females may not need the stamens for pollination. In 1994, insects were found to discriminate against emasculated female flowers, but this discrimination did not lead to a significant difference in either the amount of pollen received or seed set. In 1995, emasculation was combined with the addition of pollen to determine if emasculated females were pollen limited. No significant effect of pollen addition or emasculation was found. Emasculated branches in the pollen-addition treatment appeared to have slightly lower seed set than non-emasculated branches that received pollen, indicating that the slight reduction in seed set was caused by emasculation rather than pollen limitation. Since stamens do not appear to be maintained as pollinator attractants, other explanations, such as genetic constraints, must be investigated. Received: 4 February 1997 / Revision accepted: 20 May 1997     

Two new species of Viola (Violaceae) from the Intermountain West,U.S.A.

Viola lithion andV. franksmithii are rock-dwelling endemics that belong to the North American perennial, caulescent, simple-leaved, blue-, purple-, or white-flowered group of species.Viola lithion, from the White Pine and Pilot mountain ranges of eastern Nevada and adjacent Utah, belongs to sectionChamaemelanium subsectionCanadenses. It most closely resembles the reniform-leaved, Olympic MountainV. flettii, together with which it possibly shares an ancestry with the widespread and allopatricV. canadensis. Viola franksmithii, restricted to the Logan Canyon drainage of the Bear River Range in northern Utah, belongs to sectionRostellatae subsectionRosulantes. It comes closest morphologically toV. howellii of the Coast Range, but likely evolved from the widespreadV. adunca or a common ancestor.