The Pitcairn Islands, South Pacific Ocean: plate tectonic and climatic contexts

The remote Pitcairn Group in the South Pacific Ocean comprises a volcanic island (Pitcairn Island), two low coral atolls (Oeno, Ducie) and a raised coralline island (Henderson Island). The geological history of these islands, on anomalously thin oceanic lithosphere, is related to the development of two subparallel island chains (Oeno-Henderson-Ducie; Pitcairn) associated with intra-Pacific plate 'hotspot' activity; the surface manifestation of this activity has been partly determined by structural lineations in the plate inherited from past plate history. The climate of the Pitcairn Islands is determined by the position of the subtropical high pressure system and the South Pacific Convergence Zone. Variations in the strength of this atmospheric circulation system, measured by changes in the Southern Oscillation index of pressure difference, provide a partial explanation of the long-term variability of mean annual rainfall at Pitcairn Island. Knowledge of past climates in the Pitcairn Group remains speculative. Maps of the Pitcairn Islands and a report of climate at Henderson Island (2/91-1/92) are included in the paper.     

The Biology of the Tospoviruses

The tospoviruses are a diverse, cosmopolitan and economically important genus of plant viruses. In the recent past, interest in the tospoviruses has been rekindled with the resurgence and expansion of tomato spotted wilt virus and the appearance of new tospoviruses, including impatiens necrotic spot. This renewed interest in the tospoviruses, accompanied with the many recent advances in plant virology techniques, particularly those utilising molecular biology, have resulted in a rapid growth of our understanding of these viruses. This paper provides a review of the tospoviruses, encompassing all the major aspects of their biology, including the recent changes in the classification of the genus and current knowledge on molecular biology, vector relations, control and diagnosis.     

Rubus host range of rubus yellow net virus and its involvement with other aphid-borne latent viruses in inducing raspberry veinbanding mosaic disease

After graft inoculation with rubus yellow net virus (RYNV), 12 of 34 Rubus species and cultivars developed noticeable symptoms. R. macraei developed the most conspicuous symptoms and is recommended as an improved indicator plant. In attempts to determine the cause of raspberry veinbanding mosaic, a disease in which RYNV is involved, several European and North American red raspberry cvs were graft-inoculated with RYNV and three other aphid-borne viruses, black raspberry necrosis (BRNV), raspberry leaf mottle (RLMV) and raspberry leaf spot, singly and in all combinations. In periods of up to 4 yr, classical veinbanding mosaic symptoms developed in sensitive cvs only when they contained both RYNV and RLMV. These symptoms were intensified in plants co-infected with additional viruses. Veinbanding mosaic disease did not develop in any of 11 cvs infected with RYNV + BRNV, the combination of viruses previously assumed to be responsible for this disease in Britain and North America.     

Distribution and content of calcium and potassium in eucalyptus leaves infected with Calonectria pteridis

Calonectria leaf spot, caused by Calonectria pteridis, is a serious problem in Eucalyptus crops in both nursery and the field. Under ideal conditions, the disease can cause severe defoliation. It is known that calcium and potassium are directly related to the plant's resistance to pathogens. Thus, the knowledge of how a balanced fertilization of Ca and K interferes in the distribution of these nutrients at the infection site would contribute to elucidate the resistance of the plant related to its nutrition. This study investigated the effect of calcium and potassium fertilizer application on the content and distribution of these nutrients in the symptomatic leaf area, transition zone and asymptomatic leaf area over time. Eucalyptus seedlings were grown in nutrient solution under different Ca and K treatments (6 mmol/L K + 4 mmol/L Ca, 6 mmol/L K + 8 mmol/L Ca and 9 mmol/L K + 12 mmol/L Ca) and inoculated with C. pteridis. Leaves were removed at 24, 48 and 72 hr after inoculation (hai) and evaluated by X-ray microanalysis. The highest calcium content among the different leaf areas was observed in the symptomatic area, and the levels in this area increased over time, with the highest mean value observed at 72 hai in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. In the other treatments, the mean calcium content peaked at 48 hai and then decreased. A similar pattern in asymptomatic tissue was observed for potassium in the 6K + 8Ca treatment. Fertilization with calcium and potassium directly affected the demand and availability of nutrients at different times during infection. These results demonstrate that plant defence responses and their continuity over time during infection rely on balanced calcium and potassium fertilization because these nutrients are directly involved in plant resistance to the pathogen.     

Temporal and spatial dynamics of grapevine anthracnose and its relationship to pathogen survival

Anthracnose, caused by Elsinoë ampelina, is an economically important grapevine disease in south and southeast Brazil. Control is achieved by lime sulphur application during grapevine dormancy and foliar fungicide sprays until the berries are half-grown. This study assessed the temporal and spatial progress of grapevine anthracnose under field conditions in order to describe the disease dynamics and its relationship to pathogen survival. The experiment was carried out in a vineyard of table grape Vitis labrusca in Brazil, during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons. The incidence of vines with diseased leaves, stems and berries and the disease severity on leaves were recorded from bud break to veraison. Monomolecular, logistic and Gompertz models were fitted by non-linear regression to the incidence and severity data over time to characterize the temporal progress. Ordinary runs, dispersion index, modified Taylor's power law and spatial hierarchy analyses were used to characterize the spatial pattern of diseased plants. The monomolecular model showed the best fit for the incidence progress, with disease progress rates ranging from 0.051 to 0.136 per day. In both seasons, the incidence of diseased plants reached 100% 1 month after bud break. However, the incidence of diseased leaves per plant was around 60% and leaf disease severity was lower than 5% for both years. Ordinary runs and dispersion index analyses revealed that diseased grapevines were distributed randomly on the majority of the assessment dates. Meanwhile, a slight aggregation of diseased vines was observed in the modified Taylor's power law analysis. Our results suggested that the progress of anthracnose incidence and severity over time was governed mainly by the income of the primary inoculum, which survived in the vineyard. Therefore, anthracnose control measures in Brazilian vineyards should be focused on the reduction in inoculum within the vineyard.     

珊瑚礁生态系统模型研究现状及热点分析

以Web of Science数据库中的Web of Science ~(TM)核心合集和中国期刊全文数据库为数据源,对2018年10月前国内外发表的珊瑚礁生态系统模型研究相关文献进行计量分析,评估该领域的研究现状及热点。研究表明:国外珊瑚礁生态系统模型研究起始于1974年,相关文献的发文量整体呈大幅度增长趋势;国内研究于1997年起步,发文量增长较缓慢,近三年显著增加。高频关键词统计分析可以看出,国外对于珊瑚礁中生活的各种生物及其生态分布研究较为广泛,生态系统的生物群落多样性是该领域的研究热点,关于珊瑚礁生态系统风险、威胁、胁迫和修复的模型研究近几年有所起色,在今后一段时间内将是该领域的主要研究趋势。国内相关研究局限于珊瑚礁地质环境与波浪传播等方面,应在扩大研究范围的同时,将重点放在珊瑚礁生态系统退化诊断与修复的探究上。     

CCR-NB-LRR proteins MdRNL2 and MdRNL6 interact physically to confer broad-spectrum fungal resistance in apple (Malus × domestica)

Apple leaf spot, a disease caused by Alternaria alternata f. sp. mali and other fungal species, leads to severe defoliation and results in tremendous losses to the apple (Malus × domestica) industry in China. We previously identified three RPW8, nucleotide-binding, and leucine-rich repeat domain CC_R-NB-LRR proteins (RNLs), named MdRNL1, MdRNL2, and MdRNL3, that contribute to Alternaria leaf spot (ALT1) resistance in apple. However, the role of NB-LRR proteins in resistance to fungal diseases in apple remains poorly understood. We therefore used MdRNL1/2/3 as baits to screen ALT1-inoculated leaves for interacting proteins and identified only MdRNL6 (another RNL) as an interactor of MdRNL2. Protein interaction assays demonstrated that MdRNL2 and MdRNL6 interact through their NB-ARC domains. Transient expression assays in apple indicated that complexes containing both MdRNL2 and MdRNL6 are necessary for resistance to Alternaria leaf spot. Intriguingly, the same complexes were also required to confer resistance to Glomerella leaf spot and Marssonina leaf spot in transient expression assays. Furthermore, stable transgenic apple plants with suppressed expression of MdRNL6 showed hypersensitivity to Alternaria leaf spot, Glomerella leaf spot, and Marssonina leaf spot; these effects were similar to the effects of suppressing MdRNL2 expression in transgenic apple plantlets. The identification of these novel broad-spectrum fungal resistance genes will facilitate breeding for fungal disease resistance in apple.     

喀斯特山地城市内山体绿地对城市热岛的减温效应——以安顺市西秀区为例

山体绿地是喀斯特山地城市内典型的城市绿地景观类型,其对于改善城市生态环境、提升喀斯特山地城市生态服务功能具有重要作用。以黔中典型喀斯特山地城市安顺市为研究对象,运用2011年和2016年两期热红外遥感影像和城市景观结构空间数据,在反演分析城市热岛效应及其强度时空分布特征的基础上,运用冷热点分析剖析了山体绿地与城市热岛效应冷点分布区的关系,揭示山体绿地对城市热岛的减温效应。结果表明:基于Landsat热红外遥感数据反演地表温度结果显示,2011—2016年,安顺市西秀区平均反演地表温度升高约4℃;主城区一带热岛效应呈现加剧趋势,但总体热岛面积呈下降趋势,绿岛区多分布于水体和山体绿地中,且山体绿地对热岛效应减缓作用逐年增大;热/冷聚集面积呈现上升趋势,约40%~50%的冷聚集区由山体绿地贡献,热聚集区主要由建筑用地和其他用地构成;500 m格网尺度下,山体绿地面积与地表温度呈显著负相关,表现为山体绿地面积占格网比例每增加10%,地表温度将降低0.17~0.27℃。研究结果可为喀斯特山地城市山体绿地管理、城市绿地空间规划和城市热环境缓解提供科学依据。