Co-occurrences of tropical trees in eastern South America: disentangling abiotic and biotic forces

Plant Ecology - Species co-occurrences in local communities can arise independent or dependent on species’ niches. However, the role of niche-dependent processes has not been thoroughly...     

Chemotaxonomic characterization of some fast-growing rhizobia nodulating leguminous trees

A total of about 50 strains of rhizobia from two leguminous trees (Acacia andProsopis) were described and compared with 20 reference strains of rhizobia, from other tree and herb legumes on the basis of protein, fatty acid and plasmid profiles, and DNA-DNA hybridization. The rhizobia formed thirteen clusters based on protein profile analysis. These clusters were not in complete agreement with a previously published cluster analysis based on numerical taxonomy of phenotypic characteristics and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) profile analysis (Zhanget al., Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 41, 104, 1991; Lindström and Zahran,FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 107, 327, 1993). The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) of representative strains of rhizobia were analyzed. The rhizobia formed fourteen different clusters based on FAME analysis but the results also conflicted with the phenotypically based methods of analysis. Strains of rhizobia classified in one cluster by any of the above methods of analysis may have shown very different fatty acid profiles. The plasmid profile analysis of the tree rhizobia., on the other hand, was more consistent with the phenotype- and LPS-based numerical analysis. Some strains of the tree rhizobia showed medium or high levels of DNA homology withRhizobium meliloti. The DNA-DNA hybridization correlated well with protein and fatty acid profiles. The described methods provide a significant taxonomic tool for discrimination between rhizobia of leguminous trees. However, further DNA-DNA hybridization studies with other recognized species of rhizobia are needed for proper identification and classification of the diverse rhizobia from leguminous trees.     

Effects of chemical composition on nitrogen mineralization from green manures of seven tropical leguminous trees

Green manures from seven tropical leguminous trees were incubated with soil to determine the rates and controls of net nitrogen release. Fresh green manure (leaves and succulent twigs) was mixed with moist soil and incubated in polyethylene bags. Net N mineralization from green manures was estimated by the accumulation of extractable ammonium and nitrate minus the accumulation in soil alone. Patterns of N mineralization were complex, differed among species, and at 12 weeks ranged from 10 to 65 percent of original green-manure N. Cumulative net N mineralization was negatively correlated with initial soluble polyphenol content in the early phases of decomposition (1 through 8 weeks) and with initial lignin content in later phases (4 through 12 weeks). Neither initial percent N nor lignin: N ratio were strongly correlated with N mineralization. The best chemical index of N release was the initial polyphenol: N ratio. This study confirms previous findings that N mineralization from tropical legumes is controlled more by soluble polyphenols than by lignin or N content.     

Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the temporal dynamic of bat-fruit interactions

Mutualistic interactions between animals and plants vary over time and space based on the abundance of fruits or animals and seasonality. Little is known about this temporal dynamic and the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the structure of interaction networks. We evaluated changes in the structure of network interactions between bats and fruits in relation to variations in rainfall. Our results suggest that fruit abundance is the main variable responsible for temporal changes in network attributes, such as network size, connectance, and number of interactions. In the same way, temperature positively affected the abundance of fruits and bats. An increase in temperature and alterations in rainfall patterns, due to human induced climate change, can cause changes in phenological patterns and fruit production, with negative consequences to biodiversity maintenance, ecological interactions, and ecosystem functioning.     

Interactions of biotic and abiotic environmental factors in an ectomycorrhizal symbiosis,and the potential for selection mosaics

Background  

Geographic selection mosaics, in which species exert different evolutionary impacts on each other in different environments, may drive diversification in coevolving species. We studied the potential for geographic selection mosaics in plant-mycorrhizal interactions by testing whether the interaction between bishop pine (Pinus muricata D. Don) and one of its common ectomycorrhizal fungi (Rhizopogon occidentalis Zeller and Dodge) varies in outcome, when different combinations of plant and fungal genotypes are tested under a range of different abiotic and biotic conditions.     

Effects of peanut rhizobia on the growth and symbiotic performance ofArachis hypogaea under abiotic stress

The effects of saline and osmotic stress on four peanut rhizobia, plant growth and symbiotic N₂-fixation inArachis hypogaea were studied. Abiotic stress was applied by adding either 100 mM NaCl or 20 mM PEG6000. At the rhizobial level,Bradyrhizobium ATCC10317 and TAL1000 showed stronger tolerance to stress than TAL1371 and SEMIA6144. The effect of salinity on the bacterium-plant association was studied by using the variety Blanco Manfredi M68. In the absence of stresses, all the strains induced a significantly higher number of nodules on the roots, although TAL1371 and SEMIA6144 were more effective. Both stresses affected the interaction process, while TALl371 was the best partner.     

Understanding context-dependency in plant-microbe symbiosis: The influence of abiotic and biotic contexts on host fitness and the rate of symbiont transmission

Understanding the dynamics of a hereditary symbiosis requires testing how ecological factors alter not only the fitness consequences of the symbiosis, but also the rate of symbiont transmission to the next generation. The relative importance of these two mechanisms remains unresolved because studies have not simultaneously examined how the ecological context of the symbiosis influences both costs/benefits and the rate of vertical transmission. Fungal endophytes in grasses have provided particularly tractable systems for investigating the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of hereditary symbiosis. Here we examine interactions between a fungal endophyte, Epichloë amarillans, and its grass host, Agrostis hyemalis, under altered abiotic and biotic contexts: a gradient of water availability and in the presence versus absence of soil microbes. We show that benefits of the symbiosis were strongest when water was limiting. Symbiotic plants at the lowest watering level produced ∼40% more inflorescences and greater seed mass than non-symbiotic plants, while at the highest watering level, symbiotic and non-symbiotic plants did not significantly differ in reproductive fitness. Benefits appear to accrue by allowing hosts to escape from drought, a response that has not been previously reported to be endophyte-mediated. Symbiotic plants at the lowest watering level flowered 9 days earlier than non-symbiotic plants. Interestingly, our results suggest the symbiosis may be costly in the presence of soil microbes, as on live soil, the biomass of symbiotic plants was lower than the biomass of symbiont-free plants. We detected no effect of either the biotic or abiotic context on the rate of symbiont vertical transmission, suggesting that the context-dependent benefits of the symbiosis are the more important driver of variation in symbiont frequency in this system.     

Fractal analysis to discriminate between biotic and abiotic attacks on chalcopyrite and pyrolusite.

In the present paper, a model describing release and mobility of copper and manganese in chalcopyrite and pyrolusite powders due to bacterial bioleaching, i.e. Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Arthrobacter sp., is proposed. Sites where copper and manganese were released were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The resulting micrographs were scanned and submitted to a point by point fractal analysis to verify if a discrimination between biological and chemical attack could be established on the basis of the distribution of the fractional part of the fractal dimension over the whole surface. We demonstrate that such a method is able to discriminate among the different attacks.     

Signaling systems of rhizobia (Rhizobiaceae) and leguminous plants (Fabaceae) upon the formation of a legume-rhizobium symbiosis (Review)

Applied Biochemistry and Microbiology - Data from the literature and our own data on the participation and interrelation of bacterial signaling Nod-factors and components of the calcium, NADPH...     

Asymmetric coexistence: bidirectional abiotic and biotic effects between goose barnacles and mussels

1. Species coexistence depends on the net effect of interacting species, representing the sum of multiple interaction components that may act simultaneously and vary independently depending on ambient environmental conditions. Consequently, for a comprehensive understanding of the compound nature of species interactions and coexistence, a mechanistic approach that allows a separate evaluation of each interaction component is required. 2. Two sessile filter-feeders, the goose barnacle Capitulum mitella and the mussel Septifer virgatus, coexist on moderately wave-exposed rocky shores in south-western Japan. In the upper intertidal, Capitulum positively influenced Septifer survivorship and growth through amelioration of thermal stress and of physical disturbance. On the other hand, these species are potential competitors as they have similar body sizes and modes of resource utilization. These opposite processes, facilitation and competition, are based on abiotic characteristics and biotic functions of the two species, respectively. 3. In order to quantify the bidirectional abiotic, biotic and net effects, a series of experimental manipulations was conducted involving the use of living neighbours with both abiotic and biotic effects, and artificial mimics to simulate abiotic effects without biotic effects. 4. Capitulum had strong positive abiotic effects on the mussel survivorship in most experimental periods, while the biotic effect was negligible or weakly negative, suggesting that the net effect of Capitulum on mussel survival was largely attributable to the abiotic effect. In contrast, a significantly negative biotic effect on the mussel growth rate was always present, though this was cancelled out by the larger, positive abiotic effect. In the case of Septifer, its abiotic and biotic effects on the survivorship of goose barnacles were negligible, while those on the growth rate showed temporal variation. 5. With respect to the relationship between species interaction and environmental conditions, the strength of abiotic facilitative effect of Capitulum on mussel survival increased with increasing abiotic stress, while the strength of biotic effect was negligible or weakly negative. As regards the effects of mussels on goose barnacles, our study indicated no obvious relationship. These results point to the importance of decomposing interaction for an accurate, mechanistic understanding of species relations and coexistence.     

Resistance to biotic and abiotic stress in the Triticeae

Poverty, hunger and malnutrition occur in many parts of the world despite the enormous progress that has taken place in agriculture and food production in the last century. It is estimated for wheat, that by 2020 the world will require a 60% increase in production to meet the projected requirement. Resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses will be critical in reaching this goal. Distinct advantages accompany the use of genetic resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. The most important advantage is the fact that response to the stress situation occurs independently of the managerial ability, skill and resource level of the producer. Anyone can use a stress resistant crop. Immense progress has been made in the field of functional genomics and molecular manipulation. It is clear that the restraining factor in future will not be the availability of scientific techniques and tools, or for that matter, genetic resources; but the human and financial capacity to achieve the goals on a world-wide scale so that they really do make a difference to the livelihood of the poor. Triticeae form a meaningful proportion of staple and non-staple food crops around the world. To achieve world-wide food security in the future, Triticeae with resistance to stresses will have to play a major role. The future demands crops with stable yield irrespective of environmental constraints, good quality and a high nutritional value; crops that are free of pesticide residues and other harmful substances.     

Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the oxygen content of green sea turtle nests during embryogenesis

Several biotic and abiotic factors can influence nest oxygen content during embryogenesis. Several of these factors were determined during each developmental stage of green sea turtle embryos on Wan-an Island, Penghu Archipelago, Taiwan. We examined oxygen content in 7 nests in 2007 and 11 in 2008. Oxygen in the adjacent sand, total and viable clutch sizes, air, sand and nest temperatures, and sand characters of each nest were also determined. Oxygen content was lower in late stages than in the early and middle stages. It was also lower in the middle layer than in the upper and bottom layers. Nest temperature showed opposite trends, reaching its maximum value in late stages of development. Nest oxygen content was influenced by fraction of viable eggs, total clutch sizes, sand temperatures, maximum nest temperature and maximum change in the nest temperature during incubation. Clutch size during embryogenesis was the most influential factor overall. However, the major influential factors were different for different developmental stages. In the first half of the incubation, the development rate was low, and the change in the nest oxygen content was influenced mainly by the clutch size. During the second half, the rapid embryonic development rate became the dominant factor, and hatchling activities caused even greater oxygen consumption during the last stage of development.     

Effects of biotic and abiotic factors on the distribution of trout and salmon along a longitudinal stream gradient

Synopsis We examined the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the distribution, abundance, and condition of salmonid fishes along a stream gradient. We observed a longitudinal change in fish distribution with native cutthroat trout, Oncorhynchus clarki utah, and introduced brown trout, Salmo trutta, demonstrating a distinct pattern of allopatry. Cutthroat trout dominated high elevation reaches, while reaches at lower elevations were dominated by brown trout. A transition zone between these populations was associated with lower total trout abundance, consistent changes in temperature and discharge, and differences in dietary preference. Variation in cutthroat trout abundance was best explained by a model including the abundance of brown trout and diel temperature, whereas variation in brown trout abundance was best explained by a model including the abundance of cutthroat trout and discharge. These results suggest the potential for condition-mediated competition between the two species. The results from our study can aid biologists in prioritizing conservation activities and in developing robust management strategies for cutthroat trout.     

Ecology and genetics of tropical rhizobia species

Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) technology with special reference to Rhizobium-legume symbiosis is growing very rapidly with the hope of combatting world hunger by producing cheaper protein for animal and human consumption in the Third World. One can see rapid progress made in the biochemistry and molecular biology of symbiotic nitrogen fixation in general; however, less progress has been made on the ecological aspects despite the fact that an enormous amount of literature is available on inoculation problems and on agronomic aspects of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. So far most information on Rhizobium concerns fast-growing rhizobia and their host legume. Although it is essential that food production using BNF technology should be maximized in the Third World, the least work has been done on slow-growing rhizobia, which are generally found in tropical and sub-tropical soils. The majority of the developing countries are in tropical and sub-tropical regions. Except for R. japonicum, a microsymbiont partner of soybean (Glycine max), the majority of the slow-growing rhizobia belong to the cowpea group, and we refer to cowpea rhizobia as tropical rhizobia species. In this review we have tried to consolidate the recent progress made on ecology and genetics of tropical rhizobia. By using recombinant DNA technology techniques it is expected that super strains of rhizobia with desirable characteristics can be produced. One must evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of these genetically manipulated laboratory strains under field conditions. In conclusion, if one aims at combatting hunger in the Third World using BNF technology, an intensive research programme on fundamental and applied aspects of tropical rhizobia species is suggested. This involves close cooperation between molecular biologists and microbial ecologists.     

Effects of biotic and abiotic elicitors on cell growth and tanshinone accumulation in Salvia miltiorrhiza cell cultures

This study examined the effects of biotic and abiotic elicitors on the production of diterpenoid tanshinones in Salvia miltiorrhiza cell culture. Four classes of elicitors were tested, heavy metal ions (Co²⁺, Ag⁺, Cd²⁺), polysaccharides (yeast extract and chitosan), plant response-signaling compounds (salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate), and hyperosmotic stress (with sorbitol). Of these, Ag (silver nitrate), Cd (cadmium chloride), and polysaccharide from yeast extract (YE) were most effective to stimulate the tanshinone production, increasing the total tanshinone content of cell by more than ten-fold (2.3 mg g^-1 versus 0.2 mg g^-1 in control). The stimulating effect was concentration-dependent, most significant at 25 μM of Ag and Cd and 100 mg l^-1 (carbohydrate content) of YE. Of the three tanshinones detected, cryptotanshinone was stimulated most dramatically by about 30-fold and tanshinones I and IIA by no more than 5-fold. Meanwhile, most of the elicitors suppressed cell growth, decreasing the biomass yield by about 50% (5.1–5.5 g l^-1 versus 8.9 g l^-1 in control). The elicitors also stimulated the phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity of cells and transient increases in the medium pH and conductivity. The results suggest that the elicitor-stimulated tanshinone accumulation was a stress response of the cells.     

N(2) fixation and h(2) evolution by six species of tropical leguminous trees

The C₂H₄/¹⁵N₂ and H₂/¹⁵N₂ ratios for six species of tropical leguminous trees are reported. C₂H₄/¹⁵N₂ ratios ranged from 2.4 to 4.7; values for the H₂/¹⁵N₂ ratios were between 0.6 and 1.4. Relative efficiency values, based on C₂H₂ reduction, ¹⁵N incorporation, and H₂ evolution during ¹⁵N incorporation varied between 0.68 and 0.84 for the six species. Overall, approximately 30% of the electron flow through nitrogenase was used for H₂ evolution.