濒危连香树种群性比和雌雄株功能性状的差异

雌雄异株植物种群性比偏倚和性别间功能性状的差异可能对种群维持产生不利影响,目前的研究很少关注雌雄异株濒危植物的性别差异.本文调查了四川小寨子沟国家级自然保护区内天然连香树种群性比并比较其雌雄株之间的形态、光合能力、水分和养分利用效率差异.结果发现,连香树种群性比显著偏雌(F/M=1.97;x^2 =4.46,P=0.035),雌株的胸径、冠幅、最大光合速率、表观量子效率、最大羧化效率、比叶面积、叶氮含量及水分、氮和磷利用效率分别比雄株高44.50%、27.94%、20.11%、50%、21.14%、14.32%、14.86%、158.7%、19.74%和28.03%,而其气孔导度、胞间CO2浓度、蒸腾速率和光补偿点分别低20.83%、24.61%、56.11%和44.44%,表明该地连香树种群存在性别偏倚且性别间已呈现出性别二态性,这可能是其濒危的重要原因,建议在探讨其濒危机制中应该考虑性别的因素.     

Water stress tolerance of shrubs in Mediterranean-type climate regions: Convergence of fynbos and succulent karoo communities with California shrub communities

Mediterranean-type climate regions are highly biodiverse and predicted to be particularly sensitive to climate change. Shrubs of the mediterranean-type climate region of South Africa are highly threatened, and their response to water stress has been comparatively little studied. Resistance to water stress induced xylem cavitation (P(50)) and xylem specific hydraulic conductivity (K(s)) were measured in 15 shrub species from fynbos and succulent karoo communities of South Africa. Species displayed a fivefold variation in cavitation resistance (P(50) of -1.9 to -10.3 MPa) with succulent karoo species displaying greater interspecific variability in P(50) than fynbos species. Principal components analysis (including P(50), minimum seasonal water potential, K(s), and xylem density) showed the response to water stress in fynbos species to be similar to chaparral species from the mediterranean-type climate region of California. The data suggest convergence of community and species-specific water stress "strategies" between these mediterranean-type climate regions with respect to their xylem traits. On the basis of the current study and reported plant death and dieback in these regions, woody species within the fynbos may be more susceptible to climate warming and drying than those within the succulent karoo that appear to be utilizing more diverse xylem strategies in response to water stress.     

Reproductive ecology and pollen representation among neotropical trees

Three years of pollen trapping data from Barro Colorado Island, Panama, are compared with local vegetation inventories. Two hypotheses relating pollen representation to ‘messy’ pollination and flower form are tested. Dioecious taxa were found to be over‐represented in pollen spectra compared with their occurrence in local forests. Similarly, anemophilous and ‘messy’ pollination types were found to be over‐represented. While anemophilous taxa were the best dispersed pollen types, zoophilous taxa were also well‐represented in dispersal classes of 20–40 m and > 40 m. Thus pollen arriving to lake sediments is most likely to be from anemophilous species or those zoophilous species exhibiting ‘messy’ pollination syndromes. Pollination mechanisms will predictably bias the fossil record against certain flower morphologies. These data are of significance to those using the fossil pollen record to reconstruct the timing and sequence of angiosperm evolution. These data help prioritize plants to be included in modern pollen reference collections and to focus the search for ‘unknown’ types on most‐likely candidate families.     

Intersex inflorescences of Rumex acetosa demonstrate that sex determination is unique to each flower

* A triploid intersex individual of the normally dioecious species Rumex acetosa showed extreme variability in gynoecium development. Analysis of the development and distribution of these flowers on inflorescences enabled insight to be gained into the mechanism of sex determination. * Floral phenotypes on intersex inflorescences were classified according to gynoecium development. Flower morphology was investigated by scanning electron and light microscopy. Organ identity gene expression in intersex floral primordia was assessed using in situ hybridization. * The distribution of the different floral phenotypes shows that each individual flower is determined separately, and that the phenotype of each flower is not influenced by its position on the inflorescence, or by the phenotype of neighbouring flowers. C-function gene expression persisted in gynoecia that had ceased development. * Gynoecium development in mutant flowers resembled the phenotype of the Arabidopsis mutant ettin and suggests that a hormone gradient may be involved. C-function expression does not appear to control the extent of female development, and indicates that genes which are downstream of the organ-identity genes must control organ suppression.     

Patterns of reproductive effort in male and female shrubs of Oemleria cerasiformis: a 6-year study

1 We monitored flowering and fruiting of individual male and female plants of Oemleria cerasiformis over a 6-year period in a population in western Canada, and calculated fruit set (percentage of pistils maturing) and reproductive effort (RE) (gram of reproductive tissue per gram of leaf).
2 Over 6 years, male O. cerasiformis had on average much lower total RE, but much higher RE at flowering, than females.
3 In males, strong correlations between RE and light suggested that investment in reproduction was largely determined by light levels. There were strong positive correlations of RE between years, with no evidence of periodic fluctuations.
4 In females, in contrast to males, RE at flowering was not related to light. However, fruit set was strongly correlated with light. Flowering RE and fruit set were uncorrelated in females, indicating that these are affected by different factors.
5 Correlations of RE between years in females, although often significant, were lower than in males, indicating that RE fluctuates more between years in females than in males and may respond to past levels of RE. Flowering may reflect adjustments in response to past reproduction, or may be controlled by resources other than light. Fruit set was not significantly related to previous RE.
6 The greater total RE of females and their limited ability to adjust fruit set are probably major factors contributing to the greater mortality rates of females and the male-biased sex ratios in O. cerasiformis .     

A hierarchical perspective in allocation to reproduction from whole plant to fruit and seed level

Allocation to reproduction is often examined at the whole plant level from an allometric perspective; however, investment in reproduction is a hierarchical process which represents the integration of adjustments at different hierarchical levels. This essay review presents some key issues in reproductive allocation by examining problems of allocation at different hierarchical levels within plant. At the whole plant level, the application of ‘Rensch's rule’ to plants is discussed as a mechanism that might explain size differences in relation to gender in dioecious species. At branch level, the existence of vegetative branches may be explained by hypotheses on branch specialization and costs of reproduction. However, vegetative branches might also constitute an ‘assurance’ for reproduction in variable environments. At a lower hierarchical level, fruit abortion is a process widely observed in plants that impose limits to our capacity to estimate and develop general laws about reproductive allocation in plants. The question of whether fruit abortion can be used by the parent to produce a more homogeneous progeny that limits asymmetric competition among sibs is discussed. Finally, it seems that in some cases the allocation within seeds is in accordance with some predictions of kin selection theory. Most of these topics contain open questions that deserve further research.     

Population Dynamics of the Dioecious Amazonian Palm Mauritia flexuosa: Simulation Analysis of Sustainable Harvesting

The dioecious, tropical palm Mauritia flexuosa has high ecological and economic value, but currently some wild populations are harvested excessively, which is likely to increase. In this study, we investigated the population dynamics of this important palm, the effects of harvesting, and suggested sustainable harvesting regimes. Data were collected from populations in the Ecuadorian Amazon that were assumed to be stable. We used a matrix population model to calculate the density-independent asymptotic population growth rate (λ= 1.046) and to evaluate harvesting scenarios. Elasticity analysis showed that survival (particularly in the second and fifth size class) contributes more to the population growth rate, than growth and fecundity. To simulate a stable population at carrying capacity, density dependence was incorporated and applied to the seedling survival and growth parameters in the transition matrix. Harvesting scenarios were simulated with the density-dependent population models to predict sustainable harvesting regimes for the dioecious palm. We simulated the removal of only female palms and showed how both sexes are affected with harvest intensities between 15 and 75 percent and harvest intervals of 1–15 yr. By assuming a minimum female threshold, we demonstrated a continuum of sustainable harvesting schedules for various intensities and frequencies for 100 yr of harvest. Furthermore, by setting the population model's λ= 1.00, we found that a harvest of 22.5 percent on a 20 yr frequency for the M. flexuosa population in Ecuador is consistent with a sustainable, viable population over time.     

Fig Wasps: A Staple Food for Ants on Ficus

Mutualisms involve the exchange of resources and these resources attract exploiters and predators. Because predators may have a stronger effect either on mutualists or on exploiters, their net effect on the mutualism may be positive or negative. Ants and Ficus -associated wasps are a potential example. These wasps could represent sufficient food to ensure a permanent presence of predators. If this is the case then we may expect divergent selection (dependent on fig species) on traits facilitating or impeding ant predatory activity. Dioecious Ficus species in Brunei present the opportunity to determine whether presence of fig wasps on a tree ensures increased presence of ants because: (1) wasps are mainly present on male trees, thus allowing study of the effect of wasp abundance on ant presence; and (2) preliminary observations showed that ants present on trees were mainly predatory species that do not tend hemipterans. We show here, for several dioecious Ficus species, that many more ants were present on male trees than on female trees. Furthermore, these ants were mainly dominant predatory taxa that often nested in the male trees. Hence, wasps on male trees provide a sufficient resource in terms of quantity and reliability to ensure the continuous presence of dominant ants on the trees.     

不同林龄阔叶红松林林下簇毛槭的性比格局及雌雄个体的空间分布

为探讨不同发育阶段林分下的雌雄异株植物与性别相关的性比格局和空间分布, 以5.2 ha的中龄林和1.0 ha的老龄林固定监测样地内簇毛槭(Acer barbinerve)雌、雄植株的定位观测数据为基础, 对比分析了长白山不同林龄的阔叶红松林中的已花簇毛槭的性比格局、空间分布及其与环境因子间的关系。研究结果表明: 中龄林和老龄林中雌树的胸径均显著大于雄树, 总体上性比极显著偏离1:1。随着树木的生长, 性比由偏雄性转变为不再偏离1:1, 这可能是因为雄树始花胸径较小所致。O-ring单变量点格局分析显示中龄林样地中的雌树和雄树符合异质性泊松分布, 老龄林样地中的雌树和雄树均完全随机分布。O-ring双变量点格局分析显示, 在随机标签假设下, 中龄林中的雌树和雄树在1-4 m尺度上空间负相关, 在4-100 m尺度上空间独立, 老龄林中的雌树和雄树在所有尺度上空间独立。簇毛槭在中龄林和老龄林中不同的空间分布格局说明中龄林中簇毛槭分布的斑块性相对明显, 随着林分的发育, 郁闭度较高的老龄林样地中环境异质性降低, 环境因子对簇毛槭分布的影响减弱。典范冗余分析(redundancy analysis, RDA)表明在中龄林中, 林分密度只能解释3.73%的雌树分布的变异, 与雄树分布的相关性不显著, 叶面积指数和非生物因子对雌树和雄树的影响均较弱; 老龄林中簇毛槭的分布与生物因子和非生物因子的相关性均不显著。