Spatial relations and population structure of a dominant tree along a treeline ecotone in the Tropical Andes: interactions at gradient and plant-neighbourhood scales

Background: Studies in temperate mountains suggest that plant–plant interactions modulate tree establishment above the forest line. In tropical mountains worldwide this issue remains largely unexplored.

Aims: To analyse the population structure and local spatial relationships of a dominant tree at a species-rich tropical Andean forest line.

Methods: We determined changes in the population structure of Diplostephium venezuelense along an elevation gradient between continuous forest and open páramo and analysed plant community structure and superficial rock cover in the neighbourhood of saplings and adults at the upper forest line.

Results: Sapling and adult densities were highest in low-altitude páramos adjacent to the forest line and at the borders of small forest islands. Saplings showed local spatial aggregation, were positively associated with small boulders and low shrubs, and negatively associated with mosses and lichens. However, no spatial association was found between scattered adults in the páramo and saplings of other forest trees.

Conclusions: Complex species-specific local spatial interactions, suggesting both facilitative and antagonistic effects, seem to modulate the establishment of the dominant tree D. venezuelense at and above the upper forest line. Nevertheless, the establishment of other tree species above continuous forests does not appear to be facilitated by the canopy cover offered by the isolated D. venezuelense individuals established in open páramo environments.     

金线莲研究进展(综述)

本文对珍稀中草药金线莲的生物学特性、资源分布、药用价值、成分分析、生理活性、细胞学、分子生物学、组织培养及栽培技术等方面作了综述,为深入研究和合理开发利用金线莲提供参考。     

红砂灌丛对土壤和草本植物特征的影响

研究了黄土高原西部荒漠草原区天然红砂灌丛内外土壤水分、养分的差异及植物萌动期红砂灌丛对草本植物生长和植被组成的影响.结果表明:红砂灌丛下土壤水分状况明显好于灌丛外空地,尤其是在30～110 cm土层最为显著;灌丛内土壤粘粒和粉粒含量明显高于灌丛外,而沙粒含量低于灌丛外,尤其是0～10 cm土层;土壤有机质、全效氮、磷、钾及速效氮、磷、钾均在灌丛下富集,富集率分别达到1.40、1.25、1.04、1.05、1.37、1.77和1.49;从灌丛内到灌丛外草本植物的盖度和高度逐渐减小,而植物丰富度增大;红砂灌丛对草本植物密度、盖度和高度的相互作用强度均呈现正值,而植物丰富度的相互作用强度为负值.说明红砂灌丛具有明显的沃岛效应,并对草本植物的生长有促进作用.     

东北样带上的克隆植物及其重要性与环境的关系

1997年野外调查资料,对中国东北样带克隆植物沿样带的分布,克隆植物在群落中的重要性以及其与环境因子之间的关系进行了研究,结果表明;克隆植物相对种数（C/Pt)和克隆植物相对重要值（IV）随样带上环境梯度变化呈增加的趋势,群落中克隆植物相对种数与土壤全氮含量负相关,与海拔高度正相关,与年平均温度和年降水相关不显著;克隆植物相对重要值与土壤全氮含量负相关,与海拔高度正相关,与年平均温度和年降水相关不显著,研究还发现,群落中克隆植物种数与非克隆植物种数随样带上海拔高度、年平均温度、年降水梯度变化相关性较差,而克隆植物种数与土壤全氮含量负相关不显著,非克隆植物物种数与土壤全氮含量正相关不显著,根茎型、分蘖型及鳞茎球茎型克隆植物在土壤湿度较差的生境中出现频率较高,而匍匐茎型、根茎鳞茎及根茎球茎型克隆植物在土壤湿度较好的生境中出现频率较高。     

Autecology and conservation status of Magnolia sargentiana Rehder ＆ Wilson （Magnoliaceae） in the Dafengding region,southern Sichuan Province,China

This paper reports the first population ecology study of the endangered Magnolia sargentiana Rehder ＆ Wilson （Magnoliaceae）. Magnolia sargentiana is a protected species in China, but little is known about its present status in the field. In 2007 and 2008, we surveyed the population and conservation status ofM. sargentiana in the Provincial Mamize Nature Reserve and the National Meigu Dafengding Nature Reserve, Sichuan Province, southwestern China. Natural regeneration is poor because of unfavorable environmental conditions and anthropogenic disturbances. Flower buds and bark ofM. sargentiana are used in traditional Chinese medicine and their collection by local people over the period 1983-1994 has led to marked population declines. The collection of flower buds and bark is now banned, but hewing branches for firewood and grazing continues to have a negative impact on the recovery of M. sargentiana populations. To protect the species, we require a ban on hewing branches, closure of primary forests to reduce the impact of humans and ungulates, better education of local people, and increased awareness of wildlife conservation.     

青藏高原药用植物资源及其保护与利用

本文从青藏高原药用植物资源的分布情况,资源特点以及相应的保护利用等方面简要的概括了近来的研究新进展,旨在理清相关研究情况,为相应的研究工作提供参考。     

Micropropagation of safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum), a rare Indian medicinal herb

In vitro clonal multiplication of safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum Sant. et. Fernand.), a rare Indian medicinal herb, has been achieved on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium supplemented with 22.2 M benzyladenine using young shoot bases as explants. Shoots multiplied at a rate of four-fold every 3 weeks. All shoots rooted when transferred to MS medium with 3/4-strength inorganic and organic constituents and 9.8 M indolebutyric acid and 67% of the micropropagated plants were successfully established in pots. Such plants produced normal fasciculated storage roots as in wild plants.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - IAA indoleacetic acid - IBA indolebutyric acid - MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - NAA -naphthaleneacetic acid     

辽宁老秃顶子北坡植物群落物种多样性及其与土壤特性的相关性分析

通过沿海拔梯度的系统样方调查,利用物种丰富度、α多样性和β多样性等指标,对辽宁老秃顶子北坡植物群落木本层和草本层物种多样性随海拔梯度的变化趋势进行了研究,并对植物群落物种多样性与土壤特性之间的相关关系进行了初步探索。结果表明:木本植物物种多样性随海拔梯度的升高呈波动式降低的趋势;草本植物物种多样性随海拔梯度的变化趋势为先降低后升高;群落类型间的过渡带是植物物种替换速率较高的地区;老秃顶子北坡土壤类型以棕色森林土和暗棕色森林土为主,土壤有机质含量较高;群落物种多样性与土壤特性之间存在着一定的负相关性。     

In vitro propagation of endangered Lippia filifolia mart. and schauer ex schauer

Summary This work describes an efficient micropropagation protocol of Lippia filifolia. Nodal segments cultivation in MS medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine (4.5 μM)/α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA; 54nM) induced multiple shoots (in average 27 shoots per explant). Elongated shoots were rooted with NAA (0.11 μM) and they maintained ploidy level of the in vitro produced explants. The basic chromosome number were 2n=2x=24. Regenerated rooted shoots were successfully acclimatized under shading house conditions. This is the first report involving the establishment of a protocol for shoot multiplication and rooting for endangered L. filifolia, contributing for germplasm preservation of this species.     

Similar tree seedling responses to shrubs and to simulated environmental changes at Pyrenean and subarctic treelines

Background: Climate, land-use and disturbance regimes are key drivers of treeline dynamics worldwide, but local and regional spatio-temporal patterns indicate that additional factors play an important role. Some studies suggest that shrub-tree interactions control tree seedling recruitment patterns across the treeline ecotone, but little is known about the generality of this interaction.

Aims: We established an experiment in a treeline ecotone in the central Pyrenees to investigate the role of such interactions and other environmental factors on tree seedling growth and survival. It was based on a similar experiment we completed recently in the subarctic Scandes. By comparing local phenomena between both experiments we assessed the generality of the findings across regions with different biogeographic histories and species characteristics.

Methods: We followed the survival and growth of transplanted Pinus uncinata seedlings during three growing seasons in a multi-factorial design (forest vs. treeline, +/– shrub removal, +/– temperature increase and +/– nutrient addition).

Results: There was better seedling growth at the treeline compared to the forest, and the presence of shrubs prevented seedling winter damage and herbivory. Both temperature and nutrient increase enhanced seedling performance.

Conclusions: Although some particular details were exclusive to the Pyrenees or to the Scandes, the similarities indicated general patterns and help to interpret the underlying mechanisms of treeline dynamics in both regions. This convergence of responses points to the potential of the development of a robust mechanistically founded predictive framework for scaling up shrub impacts on treeline dynamics to other regions.     

增温对窄叶鲜卑花高寒灌丛生物量碳和氮分配的影响

文章以青藏高原东部窄叶鲜卑花灌丛为研究对象,采用开顶式生长室(OTCs)模拟增温实验(+1.2℃),分析增温对灌木层和草本层各器官碳、氮分配的影响及其影响因素,以揭示青藏高原东部高寒灌丛灌木层和草本层碳、氮分配对增温的响应策略。结果显示:(1)增温使窄叶鲜卑花灌木层叶、粗根、细根碳库显著增加18.8%、7.7%和139.4%,使灌木层细根氮库显著增加153.9%;增温使草本层地上和地下部分碳库显著增加60.4%和130.5%,使草本层地上和地下部分氮库显著增加46.1%和124.0%。(2)增温使灌木层茎和粗根碳分配比例显著降低18.9%和16.2%,使灌木层叶、茎和粗根氮分配比例显著降低25.2%、23.3%和14.4%,使灌木层细根碳、氮分配比例显著增加86.5%和96.2%;增温使草本层地上部分碳、氮分配比例显著降低19.5%和18.9%,使草本层地下部分碳、氮分配比例显著增加15.6%和24.8%。(3)Pearson相关分析和多元线性回归分析结果表明,空气温度和土壤微生物生物量是影响灌木层地上碳、氮分配的主要因子,能解释其变异的72.0%以上;土壤温度、土壤有机碳含量和土壤脲酶活性是影响灌木层地下碳、氮分配的主要因子,能解释其变异的92.0%以上;土壤有机碳含量、土壤转化酶和脲酶活性是影响草本层地上和地下碳、氮分配的主要因子,能解释其变异的92.8%以上。(4)土壤氮素有效性对灌木层和草本层生物量碳、氮分配的影响不显著。研究表明,气候变暖情景下,青藏高原东部窄叶鲜卑花高寒灌丛的灌木层和草本层植物通过提高地下部分碳、氮分配,进而更好地适应外界环境温度的提高。     

拉丁美洲药用植物

本文简介了拉丁美洲药用植物的总体情况,30多种重要种类的产地、药用部位、活性成分、功效,以及常用种类的简要情况。     

北美洲药用植物

简介北美洲药用植物的总体情况,30种重要种类的产地、药用部位、活性成分、功效,以及常用种类的简要情况。     

Thoughts on clonal integration: Facing the evolutionary context

Summary In this essay, I have pointed out that the appropriate evolutionary context for plant clonality dictates a focus on the impact of the derived trait of potential independence of subunits on the evolutionarily primitive trait of obligate interdependence of plant subunits, i.e. the advantages of independence. This fact prescribes a major shift in approach from previous lines of investigation which have assumed that clonal plants should fall apart and sought to determine the advantages of interdependence. The delineated reorientation calls for a significant change in the investigation of the ecology of clonality in higher plants, emphasizing factors that select for physical and physiological disintegration of the genet and de-emphasizing the need to derive ecological explanations for properties a plant will possess entirely by reason of its phylogenetic and developmental heritage. I suggest that (1) patterns of ramet independence may result from selective pressures on the cost of interconnections (2) programmed ramet independendence may be a response to the selective pressure of a high possibility of traumatic breakage and (3) programmed ramet independence may allow escape of the genet from mortality due to pathogen infestation.     

克隆植物芦苇叶片功能性状对异质环境的响应

芦苇叶片功能性状的空间变化反映克隆植物的资源分配格局,而其与土壤环境因子的耦合关系体现了克隆植物对异质环境的生态适应策略。本研究以中国西北内陆湿地克隆植物芦苇为对象,分析了湿生生境、盐沼生境、荒漠生境条件下芦苇叶片功能性状及其对土壤环境因子的响应。结果表明: 从湿生生境到荒漠生境,芦苇叶片C、N、P含量分别下降7.2%、40.0%、64.1%,N、P利用效率增加,芦苇叶长、叶宽、叶面积、叶干重、比叶面积和叶厚度均表现出减小趋势。芦苇叶片功能性状间存在协同变化的特征,比叶面积与叶片营养元素表现出显著相关关系。土壤容重、盐分和水分分别是驱动湿生生境、盐沼生境和荒漠生境芦苇叶片功能性状变异的最重要的环境因子。     

Micropropagation of ‘Holy Basil’ (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) from young inflorescences of mature plants

In vitro micropropagation of holy basil (Ocimum sanctum L.), an Indian medicinal herb, has been accomplished on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium utilizing young inflorescence explants. MS supplemented with 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) or thidiazuron (TDZ) produced only non-morphogenetic callus. Direct multiple shoots differentiated within 2--3 weeks when explants were cultured on MS containing 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP). Of the various levels of BAP tested, MS + BAP (1.0 mgl^–1) produced the maximum number of shoots. Incorporation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) (0.05 mgl^–1) along with BAP (1.0 mgl^–1) in the culture medium showed a marked increase in the number of shoots. About 92% of the in vitro regenerated shoots rooted on MS hormone-free medium within 2--3 weeks of culture and 85% of the micropropagated plantlets could be successfully established in soil, where they grew normally.