Studying global change through investigation of the plastic responses of xylem anatomy in tree rings

Variability in xylem anatomy is of interest to plant scientists because of the role water transport plays in plant performance and survival. Insights into plant adjustments to changing environmental conditions have mainly been obtained through structural and functional comparative studies between taxa or within taxa on contrasting sites or along environmental gradients. Yet, a gap exists regarding the study of hydraulic adjustments in response to environmental changes over the lifetimes of plants. In trees, dated tree-ring series are often exploited to reconstruct dynamics in ecological conditions, and recent work in which wood-anatomical variables have been used in dendrochronology has produced promising results. Environmental signals identified in water-conducting cells carry novel information reflecting changes in regional conditions and are mostly related to short, sub-annual intervals. Although the idea of investigating environmental signals through wood anatomical time series goes back to the 1960s, it is only recently that low-cost computerized image-analysis systems have enabled increased scientific output in this field. We believe that the study of tree-ring anatomy is emerging as a promising approach in tree biology and climate change research, particularly if complemented by physiological and ecological studies. This contribution presents the rationale, the potential, and the methodological challenges of this innovative approach.     

松柏类木化石生长轮的定量研究方法与应用

树木生长轮记录了植物生长期的气候环境信息及其生理响应过程,而这些信息可以通过定量分析生长轮的解剖学特征获得,因此生长轮的定量分析被广泛应用于林学、地理学、古气候学和古生物学等研究领域.我国虽然保存了丰富的木化石,但前人多从系统分类学角度研究木化石,而较少利用木化石生长轮定量分析方法开展古气候环境的研究.本文主要结合松柏...     

Silicified Kalotermitidae (Isoptera) frass in conifer wood from a mid-Tertiary rainforest in central Queensland, Australia

Silicified Kalotermitidae frass closely comparable to frass of the extant termite Neotermes has been found associated with a Tertiary rainforest flora in central Queensland. This is the first evidence of Kalotermitidae in the fossil record in Australia. The presence of the family in Australia by the mid-Tertiary indicates either a Gondwanic history and possible origin for some genera of the Kalotermitidae or alternatively the family was pantropical by this time. □ Kalotermitidae, Neotermes, termite, Isoptera, Tertiary.     

人工林刨花楠木材主要特性的径向变异及其对气象因子的响应

为了给刨花楠材质预测、轮伐期选择及木材合理高效利用提供理论基础,本研究以17年生刨花楠人工林为对象,采用木材性质快速测定仪(SilviScan-3^TM)获得木材性质参数,研究人工林刨花楠解剖特性、木材密度与弹性模量的径向变异规律及其对气象因子的响应,重点分析生长轮宽度、年龄与各材性性质参数之间的相关性.结果表明: 刨花楠不同材性性状的径向变异规律不同,7～11生长轮为其变异曲线的转折点;木材密度和纤维壁腔比与生长轮宽度的相关性不显著,生长速度和生长轮年龄对大部分材性性状具有重要影响;不同气象因子对不同材性性状影响程度不尽相同,相对湿度是影响刨花楠材性的主要生态因子;各材性性状中,微纤丝角和弹性模量对气象因子的响应更敏感.     

The first record of fossil Vitaceae wood from the Southern Hemisphere,a new combination for Vitaceoxylon ramunculiformis,and reappraisal of the fossil record of the grape family (Vitaceae) from the Cenozoic of Australia

Austrovideira dettmannaegen. & sp. nov. from the early Oligocene Capella Flora in central Queensland is the first fossil Vitaceae wood described from the Southern Hemisphere. A new combination, Stafylioxylon ramunculiformis (Poole & Wilkinson) Pace & Rozefelds for a Northern Hemisphere fossil wood is also proposed. Austrovideira and Stafylioxylon share with Vitaceoxylon secondary xylem with two diameter classes of vessels, wide vessels usually solitary, narrow vessels forming radial chains, very wide and tall rays, scanty paratracheal parenchyma and septate fibres. Austrovideira differs from Vitaceoxylon in having scalariform intervessel pits and homocellular rays composed exclusively of procumbent cells. This combination of features is seen in the Ampelocissus‐Vitis clade, and a clearly stratified phloem with fibre bands alternating with all other axial elements and phloem rays rapidly dilating towards the periderm is restricted to Parthenocissus and Vitis. Stafylioxylon shares with Austrovideira the presence of scalariform intervessel pits but it differs from that genus in both ray composition and bark anatomy, as it lacks a stratified phloem. These fossil wood genera demonstrate that the lianescent habit in the Vitaceae was established by the Eocene in the Northern Hemisphere and by the Oligocene in the Southern Hemisphere. The pollen and seed fossil record shows that the Vitaceae were in Australia by the Eocene and fossil seeds suggest that the family had radiated by this time. The Oligocene Capella flora with two seed taxa and fossil wood (Austrovideira) provides further evidence of an Australian radiation. The fossil evidence, suggests a significant Gondwanic history for the family.     

杉木半同胞家系生长和材性遗传变异研究

对 1 0年生杉木半同胞家系的生长和木材品质性状的遗传变异的研究表明 ,树高、胸径和材积、管胞长度、管胞宽度在家系间存在显著差异 ,木材基本密度和管胞长宽比在家系间差异不显著。树高、胸径、材积、木材基本密度、管胞长度、管胞宽度和管胞长宽比的家系遗传力分别为 0 .697、0 .841、0 .836、0 .31 7、0 .462、0 471和 0 .2 49,单株遗传力分别为 0 .42 5、0 .671、0 .71 6、0 .2 49、0 .437、0 l45、0 .1 81。木材基本密度与树高、胸径、材积、管胞长度、管胞宽度和管胞长宽比都呈负相关 ,只有基本密度与管胞长度的负相关达到显著水平。选出的 4个优良家系 ,树高、胸径、材积、基本密度、管胞长度、管胞宽度和管胞长宽比的遗传增益分别为 3 96%、4.31 %、1 2 .69%、0 .1 2 %、 0 .65 %、 0 .69%和 0 0 3%。     

Growth-ring boundaries of tropical tree species: Aiding delimitation by long histological sections and wood density profiles

Recent methodological advances have opened new perspectives for tropical dendrochonological studies by facilitating the visualization, delimitation, and analyses of tree-rings. One of those improvements was brought by X-ray densitometry, which allows building radial wood density profiles at microscopic scale. Furthermore, recent methods allow for cutting long histological sections to study anatomical variations along the entire radius of trees. These techniques have mainly been applied to low wood-density species from temperate and Mediterranean regions, with only limited applications in the tropics. Here we provide an improved protocol that allows for obtaining long histological sections of tropical woods, apply it to six species with varying wood densities 0.45−0.85 g cm⁻³ (Eucalyptus grandis, Tectona grandis, Acacia mangium, Cedrela fissilis, Hymenaea courbaril, and Copaifera duckei), and explore potential applications for tree-ring analyses. We provide instructions on core-microtome knife adjustments, procedures for softening and sectioning long histological samples of high wood-density species. We also present a multi-proxy approach that combines X-ray density profiles with the histological sections that improve the characterization and distinction of the various and complex tropical growth rings anatomical markers (fibre zone, marginal parenchyma, and ring porosity). This multi-proxy approach also opens the door for obtaining quantitative anatomy and physical parameters of tropical species with (intra-annual resolution. Our proposed approach is thus not only an additional tool to improve ring-boundary delimitation of tropical species, but it also paves the way to more innovative, borderline approaches in tropical dendrochronology.     

Radiosensitivity of fungi isolated from waterlogged archaeological wood

Waterlogged archaeological timbers of theMary Rose were shown to support a range of fungi, including marine soft rot fungi. These isolates, and other wood degrading fungi, were inactivated by gamma irradiation at doses of 3.1–15.0 kGy. No clear pattern of variation in radioresistance appeared between the Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Deuteromycota. Terrestrial fungi were generally more resistant than marine fungi. Little variation in radioresistance was observed between vegetative hyphae and sporulating cultures/fruiting bodies. Sublethal doses resulted in reduced viability in some species. Gamma irradiation is suggested as a possible means of controlling fungal colonisation of waterlogged archaeological wood.     

Formation and properties of some wood extractives

Chemical and other data concerning the location and site of formation of heartwood extractives are discussed. The biological conditions in the transition zone adjacent to the heartwood boundary are briefly described and some properties of extractives are given. The classes of polyphenolic compounds found in the wood of Eucalyptus species are listed together with the details of ellagic acid derivatives which are the most common class in this genus.     

Fossil coniferous wood from the Middle Jurassic of Liaoning Province, China

Silicified coniferous wood was collected from the Lanqi Formation (late Middle Jurassic in age) at Shebudaigou Village, Liaoning Province, China. Three taxa are identified, namely Pinoxylon dacotense Knowlton, Xenoxylon phyllocladoides Gothan, and Araucariopitys sp. Based on these new data, and those of other fossil plants reported previously from the same formation, we consider the climate during the deposition of the Lanqi Formation was subtropical, humid and seasonal. In this respect the Lanqi flora differs from the coeval Shimengou and Longmen floras from North China. The Longmen flora was deposited during more humid, subtropical conditions, while the Shimengou Formation indicates that the climate was warm temperate and dry. Our data would suggest that the Late Jurassic climatic pattern was initiated as early as the late Middle Jurassic.     

New species of Asphalidesmus Silvestri, 1910 from Australia (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Dalodesmidea)

Asphalidesmus allynensissp. n. and Asphalidesmus dorrigensissp. n. are described from New South Wales, Asphalidesmus otwayensissp. n. from Victoria, and Asphalidesmus bellendenkerensissp. n., Asphalidesmus carbinensissp. n., Asphalidesmus magnus sp. n. and Asphalidesmus minorsp. n. from Queensland. The previously endemic Tasmanian genus Asphalidesmus Silvestri, 1910 is now known from 16°S to 43°S in eastern Australia, a north-south range of ca 3000 km. Asphalidesmus spp. throughout this range are very similar in overall appearance. Three of the new species are able to coil in a tight spiral.     

纯林和混交林中拟赤杨材性的比较分析

对拟赤杨（Alniphyllum fortunei Makino）纯林、拟赤杨-马尾松（Pinus massoniana Lamb．）混交林和拟赤杨-杉木[Cunninghamia lanceolata（Lamb．）Hook．]混交林中拟赤杨木材的物理力学性质和化学组分进行了测定和比较分析。结果表明,混交林中拟赤杨的木材密度、干缩系数和力学强度均大于纯林,且拟赤杨-马尾松混交林中拟赤杨木材的各指标值均最高。拟赤杨-杉木混交林中拟赤杨木材的热水抽出物、1％NaOH抽出物、苯醇抽出物、硝酸-乙醇纤维素和Klason木素含量分别为2．31％、18．63％、2．52％、45．74％和21．59％,均高于纯林;拟赤杨-马尾松混交林中拟赤杨木材的戊聚糖含量（22．98％）高于纯林。说明拟赤杨-马尾松混交林中拟赤杨木材的材性总体上最优,在拟赤杨木材品质培育过程中宜选择马尾松作为伴生树种。     

An investigation of the snowpack signal in moisture-sensitive trees from the Southern Canadian Cordillera

Variations in mountain snowpack in the western Canadian Cordillera have widespread and important impacts on ecosystems, environmental processes and socio-economic activities (e.g. water availability downstream). Historical records of snowpack generally span only the latter half of the 20th century offering a limited perspective on the causes and uniqueness of recently observed changes across the region. This paper explores the potential utility of a network of low elevation Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) tree ring-width chronologies to reconstruct past snowpack variations. Correlation coefficients between the tree-ring chronologies and a set of snow water equivalent (SWE) records are calculated and mapped. Separate analyses were carried out for total ring- width (TRW) and partial-ring measurements (earlywood and latewood; EW and LW). A set of Adjusted LW chronologies was also developed; in these, the relationship between LW and the preceding EW width has been removed. The ring-width chronologies exhibit moderately strong relationships with SWE records from the western Canadian Cordillera and these relationships vary in sign across the region. Distinctive regional groups are identified where chronologies exhibit same-sign correlations with SWE, in possible accordance with the elevation and characteristics of the tree-ring chronology sample sites. The EW chronologies correlate more strongly and consistently with SWE records in regions where the growth relationship with SWE is negative. The LW chronologies, and particularly the Adjusted LW chronologies, exhibit a greater number of positive correlations with the set of SWE records. Collectively these results offer valuable insights for developing a targeted sampling and/or reconstruction strategy that can exploit these different relationships with SWE to generate more robust estimates of pre-instrumental snowpack for the region.     

Colonisation of experimentally immersed wood in south eastern Australia: responses of feeding groups to changes in riparian vegetation

We investigated macroinvertebrate abundance and functional feeding groups colonising experimentally-positioned woody substrates of different species in streams with three different riparian vegetation types. Native Eucalyptus forest formed a dense closed canopy over our streams; introduced (exotic, alien) pine plantation forest did not fully shade the streams, and grassland streams were completely open, although with woody riparian vegetation well upstream of our sites. Macroinvertebrate assemblages varied taxonomically and functionally with both wood species and riparian vegetation composition. Two specialist feeding groups responded clearly to riparian vegetation: wood gougers were most common in forested streams, and algal grazers in more open streams. Gougers colonised native Eucalyptus wood in preference to alien species. Other feeding groups responses showed complex interactions between vegetation and wood type. Our results indicate the importance of sampling appropriate substrates when assessing questions of this type – if seeking shifts in functional organisation, the substrates on which the feeding groups of interest occur must be sampled. The composition of the riparian strip may influence xylophilous communities as much as the structure (i.e. whether closed or open).