Elevational turnover in the composition of leaf miners and their interactions with host plants in Australian subtropical rainforest

Leaf miners are specialist herbivorous insects that are potentially vulnerable to environmental change because of their dependency on particular host plants. Little, however, is known about how climate affects the distribution of leaf miner communities and their interactions with host plants. Elevational gradients are useful tools for understanding how ecological communities respond to local clines in climate. Given that plant communities are known to undergo elevational turnover in response to changes in climatic conditions, we expect that leaf miner species will also change with elevation. We repeatedly hand collected leaf miners along three elevational gradients in subtropical rainforest in eastern Australia. Individual leaf miners were counted and identified to species, and their host plants were recorded. We tested if leaf miner species richness and the number of unique interactions among leaf miner and host plant species were affected by elevation. We also tested if the composition of leaf miner species and the composition of interactions between leaf miners and host plants showed a relationship with elevation. The rarefied number of unique leaf miner–host plant interactions significantly decreased with elevation, with a slight peak at approx. 700 m a.s.l., while neither rarefied or observed species richness (species density) of leaf miners nor observed numbers of unique interactions (interaction density) were significantly affected by elevation. The composition of leaf miner species and the composition of leaf miner–host plant interactions (occurrence of pairwise interactions) were significantly related to elevation. Elevational turnover in leaf miner species composition indicated that different species varied in their response to changes in biotic and/or abiotic conditions imposed by increasing elevation. Through our analyses, we identified four leaf miner species that may be locally vulnerable to climate change, as a result of their restricted elevational distribution and level of host specificity.     

Late Albian dinoflagellate cyst paleobiogeography as indicator of asymmetric sea surface temperature gradient on both hemispheres with southern high latitudes warmer than northern ones

Late Albian temperature sensitive dinoflagellate cysts are characterized in order to better understand mid-Cretaceous sea surface temperature gradients. Distribution maps of thirty-seven species recovered from one hundred fifty outcrops and deep sea drilling holes (ODP, DSDP) Sites located from low and high paleolatitudes over the two hemispheres (75°N–70°S) are encountered. Fifty years of published data available in eighty-seven articles have been considered and synthesized using a database coupled with a Geographical Information System (GIS). The continuous and disjoint biogeographic patterns of dinocyst species along latitudes define seven climatic belts, four in the northern hemisphere (high, mid-high, mid-low, low latitude belts) and three in the southern hemisphere (low, mid-low, mid-high latitude belts). Dinocysts restricted along latitudes are temperature sensitive species. Limit ranges of temperature sensitive dinocysts of mid-low and mid-high latitude belts reveal mixing belts, located at 40–45°N and 50°–70°S. They represent major palaeofrontal systems as paleosubtropical fronts with strongly mixed water column. The northern frontal system (40–45°N) was located as in the modern ocean. The large southern frontal system (50°S–70°S) was 10°–20° poleward to Antarctica. Semi-quantitative temperature range limits for mid-Cretaceous dinoflagellates and SST gradients in the two hemispheres are suggested by setting dinocyst climatic belts against estimated δ¹⁸O temperature curve from fish teeth. A paleoecological classification is suggested. Latitudinal distribution of extant temperature sensitive dinoflagellate cysts follows the asymmetric modern temperature gradient. Asymmetric latitudinal ranges of Late Albian dinocyst species of mid-low latitude belts restricted between 45°N and 70°S demonstrate asymmetric temperature gradients with southern high latitudes being warmer than northern high latitudes.     

Leaf mechanics and herbivory defence: How tough tissue along the leaf body deters growing insect herbivores

Research on herbivory defence often focuses on leaf chemistry but less on how plant mechanical properties like leaf veins deter herbivores. Herbivores often eat tough, complex plant tissue, yet how mechanical properties affect feeding performance as the consumer grows is unclear. We measured the toughness and strength of five types of leaf tissue – the midrib, the secondary and marginal veins and the lamina inside (inner) and outside (outer) the marginal vein – in mature Eucalyptus viminalis and Eucalyptus ovata leaves with punch tests. Leaf veins were, on average, 6.2 times tougher than lamina. Marginal veins were uniformly strong and tough along the leaf body, while midribs were less strong and secondary veins less tough toward leaf tips. We correlated the force required to puncture leaf tissue with the feeding performance of a chewing insect herbivore (the spiny leaf insect, Extatosoma tiaratum (Phasmida)) across four instar stages to explore the role of tough leaf veins as potential feeding barriers. Larvae more often ate less tough leaf tips and tougher tissue as they grew. However, younger larvae were capable of penetrating the tough marginal vein when starved. We suggest tough leaf veins and consumer position along the leaf body influence insect herbivore feeding performance over their lifetime.     

The morphology and taxonomy of the Antarctic species of Tritonia Cuvier, 1797 (Nudibranchia: Dendronotoidea)

The external morphology and anatomy of the Antarctic nudibranchs Tritonia vorax Odhner, 1926, and Tritonia antarctica Pfeffer in Martens & Pfeffer, 1886, is redescribed in detail and compared with other nominal tritoniids from the Antarctic and Subantarctic waters. Tritonia appendiculata Eliot, 1905, T. challengeriana Eliot, 1907a, non Bergh, 1884, T. chalkngeriana Odhner 1926, non Bergh, 1884, and Marionia cmullata Vicente & Arnaud 1974, non (Couthouy, in Gould 1852), are shown to be synonymous with T. antarctica. Only Tritonia antarctica is a true High Antarctic species, with a distribution around the continental shelf, Antarctic Peninsula and South Georgia. T. vorax is confined to South Georgia and Subantarctic waters.     

摩天岭北坡森林木本植物叶性状在物种和群落水平沿海拔梯度的变化

该研究采用样线和样地相结合的方法,对甘肃省白水江国家级自然保护区摩天岭北坡大垭子梁森林不同海拔(1 600~2 100m)的植物群落进行野外调查、采样分析,并运用线性回归分析、Pearson相关性分析及曲线拟合分析方法,研究木本植物的比叶面积(SLA)、叶干物质含量(LDMC)、叶碳氮磷含量(LCC、LNC、LPC)及其计量比(C/N、C/P、N/P)等叶性状变化特征,以及在物种和群落水平随海拔梯度的变化趋势和相关性。结果表明:(1)摩天岭北坡大垭子梁山地森林为落叶阔叶林带,共有木本植物13科23种,其中乔木6种,灌木17种,且整体上灌木种类较为丰富。此外,有些物种在不同海拔间都有分布,如华北落叶松(Larix principis-rupprechtii)、胡枝子(Lespedeza bicolor)等,反映出不同植物对于异质环境的适应。(2)8个叶功能性状中变异系数最小的是LCC(4.6%),属于弱变异,最大的是SLA(42.1%),其他叶性状都属于中等变异,表明在其他叶性状的协同作用下,使得木本植物的碳获取保持在一定的水平以确保群落的稳定性。(3)叶片功能性状间的关联性普遍存在,是植物适应环境的一种对策.该研究表明SLA-LNC以及LNC-LPC在物种和群落水平上的相关性及其相关程度均一致,而其他叶性状间相关关系则有所不同,这为以后进行大尺度研究时对叶性状的选择提供了一定的依据。(4)叶性状随海拔的变化趋势,除C/N和N/P在物种和群落水平上变化趋势不一致外,其他各个性状随海拔的总体变化趋势基本一致,但显著程度只有LNC一致外其他均不同,反映了木本植物的不同叶片功能性状对海拔造成的不同环境的适应。     

叶脉结构与功能及其对叶片经济谱的影响

叶脉由贯穿于叶肉内部的维管组织及其外围机械组织构成,多样化的脉序及网络结构使叶脉系统发生变异和功能分化。该文综述了叶脉系统结构与功能的最新研究进展。通过聚焦叶脉分级系统的结构与功能及其在叶片经济谱(LES)中的重要性,解释叶脉性状与其它叶片功能性状之间的关系及机制。不同等级叶脉在机械支撑与水分运输方面存在功能分化,其中1–3级粗脉在维持叶片形状和叶表面积以及物理支撑方面发挥重要作用,有利于维持叶片最大受光面积;4级及以上细脉具有水分调节功能,它们与气孔相互协调,影响叶片水分运输、蒸腾散热和光合作用速率。叶片生长过程与叶脉发育的动态变化模式决定叶脉密度,并影响叶脉密度与叶片大小之间的关系:叶面积与粗脉密度呈显著负相关,与粗脉直径呈显著正相关,而与细脉密度无关。与叶脉性状相关的叶片经济谱框架模型预测,叶脉密度较高的叶片寿命短、比叶重较小,叶片最大碳同化速率、代谢速率以及资源获取策略潜力较高。     

Recombination Among Begomoviruses on Malvaceous Plants Leads to the Evolution of Okra Enation Leaf Curl Virus in Pakistan

Whitefly transmitted begomoviruses (family Geminiviridae) are the major reason for significant yield losses of dicotyledonous crops in tropics and subtropics. Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is one of the important vegetable crops, and leaf curl disease caused by geminiviruses is the most important limiting factor for its production in Pakistan. Here, we report a new species of okra‐infecting begomovirus in south‐eastern region of Pakistan and the name Okra enation leaf curl virus (OELCuV) complex is proposed. This okra enation leaf curl disease complex (OELCuD) in Pakistan is found to be associated with Ageratum conyzoides symptomless alphasatellite (AConSLA). All efforts to clone the betasatellite were unsuccessful. Comprehensive sequence analyses suggest that intermalvaceous recombination between okra and cotton‐infecting begomoviruses resulted in the evolution of the new species. Surprisingly, Bhendi yellow vein mosaic virus (BYVMV) which has not been reported previously from Pakistan is the major parent while Cotton leaf curl Multan virus (CLCuMV) acts as a distant parent of the virus. Comparative recombination analysis also reveals that okra‐infecting begomoviruses from south and north‐western India is causing OELCuD in the Pakistan by recombining with CLCuMV at the Rep (1964–1513 nts). Recombination is common among geminiviruses and recombining of BYVMV and CLCuMV resulted in a new species: OELCuV. To the best of our knowledge, this evolution of a new species of okra‐infecting begomovirus is the first report of intermalvaceous recombination where Rep acts as the target region.     

A historical perspective of the genus Mytilus (Bivalvia: Mollusca) in New Zealand: multivariate morphometric analyses of fossil, midden and contemporary blue mussels

The taxonomic status of smooth shelled blue mussels of the genus Mytilus has received considerable attention in the last 25 years. Despite this, the situation in the southern hemisphere remains uncertain and is in need of clarification. Recent work suggests that contemporary New Zealand mussels from two cool/cold temperate locations are M. galloprovincialis. However, the distribution of Mytilus in New Zealand ranges from 35 ° to 52 ° south (～ 1800 km), meaning that large areas of the subtropical/warm temperate north and the subantarctic south remain unsampled, an important consideration when species of this genus exhibit pronounced macrogeographical differences in their distributions which are associated with environmental variables such as water temperature, salinity, wave action and ice cover. This study employed multivariate morphometric analyses of one fossil, 83 valves from middens, and 92 contemporary valves from sites spanning the distributional range of blue mussels to determine a historical and contemporary perspective of the taxonomic status of Mytilus in New Zealand. The findings indicated that all fossil and midden mussels are best regarded as M. galloprovincialis and confirmed that contemporary mussels, with one possible regional exception, are also best regarded as M. galloprovincialis. Contemporary mussels from the Bay of Islands (warm temperate/subtropical) exhibited much greater affinity to M. edulis than they did to M. galloprovincialis, indicating that mussels from this area require detailed genetic examination to determine their taxonomic status. The analyses revealed a significant difference between the fossil/midden mussels and the contemporary mussels, consistent with levels of present day differentiation among intraspecific populations and not thought to reflect any substantive temporal change between mussels of the two groups. The continuous distribution of M. galloprovincialis in New Zealand from the warm north to the subantarctic south indicates that the physiology of this species is adapted to a wide range of water temperature conditions. Therefore, the distribution of this species on a worldwide scale is unlikely to be restricted by its adaptation to warm water alone, as has previously been widely assumed. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 82 , 329–344.     

Ginkgo biloba: The Ovuliferous Leaf and Its Phylogenetic Implication

This paper reports the occurrence of the ovuliferous leaves on a Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba)growing in Longdong, Yiyuan County, Shandong Province. This phenomenon is discussed in connection with the history of Ginkgoales. It is believed that this discovery serves as an illustration of the hypothesis that the secondary apical position of ovules (Ginkgoales) is a modification of the marginal position (Pteridospermidae). Again, it probably leads to the assumption that, in Ginkgo, “the foliage leaves” bear some features of “thesporophylls” and they are derived from telomes.     

玉米萜类植保素代谢关键基因对小斑病侵染的防御响应分析

该研究选用小斑病差异抗性的玉米自交系Mo17（较抗）、‘郑58’（中抗）和‘吉419’（感）,分别于接种小斑病病原菌玉蜀黍平脐孺胞（Cochliobolus heterostrophus）0、6、12、24、36和48 h时采集接种叶片为材料,采用半定量和实时荧光定量PCR技术,检测倍半萜植保素Zealexin生物合成关键基因（TPS6、TPS11）、二萜植保素Kauralexin代谢关键基因An2以及茉莉酸合成关键基因AOC的表达模式,为阐明不同抗性品种对玉米小斑病的差异防御机制提供理论依据。结果显示：接种小斑病病原菌后,抗病自交系Mo17中TPS6、TPS11基因表达诱导不显著,An2基因表达迅速增加,AOC基因于接种12 h后表达明显上调。‘郑58’中TPS6、TPS11基因被快速诱导,在接种24 h时表达量达到最大,An2基因表达逐渐增加但差异不显著,AOC基因表达量于接种6 h后显著增加;感病自交系‘吉419’中TPS6、TPS11、An2基因在接种24 h后才显著上调,明显比抗性自交系缓慢,AOC基因表达先呈现递减的趋势然后上升,在24 h表达量最高并持续到48 h。研究表明,两类植保素代谢在玉米小斑病防御中具有不同的时间应答模式,但都受到茉莉酸介导。感病自交系中植保素代谢防御响应较慢,而抗病自交系中响应较快,符合其抗性差异。     

散孔材和环孔材树种叶水分传输能力及其与抗旱性的关系

选取树龄相同的3种散孔材(杨树、梧桐和樱花)和3种环孔材(刺槐、合欢和白蜡)树种,用3种不同方法(解剖法、加压法和水容法)研究了其叶水力导度的差异及与抗旱性(PV曲线参数)的关系.结果显示:解剖法估算的最大叶水力导度高于加压法和水容法,加压法和水容法在6个树种中的5个上测定值完全一致,3种散孔材与环孔材树种的叶最大水力导度无显著差异.3种散孔材树种的饱和渗透势和膨压损失点渗透势与3种环孔材相比差异不大,但膨压损失点的相对含水量则低于环孔材树种,质外体含水量高于环孔材树种,导致其综合抗旱性指数也高于3种环孔材树种.研究表明,散孔材和环孔材树种的叶最大水力导度与其抗旱性之间并无显著相关关系.     

海南岛热带山地雨林演替后期幼树的叶片特征

植物的生理生态特征决定了植物在生态系统中的分布模式和物种的丰度。本文在开展样地调查的基础上,应用Li-6400光合测定系统研究了海南岛热带山地雨林原始林3个层次的6个优势种与9个伴生种幼树的光合作用参数,并测定了相应叶片的比叶面积（SLA）和氮、磷含量。15个种的SLA为38.2~143.7 cm²·g^-1、单位面积最大光合速率（A_-area）为2.77~7.61 μmol·m^-2·s^-1、单位干重最大光合速率（A_-mass）为21.2~83.4 μmol·kg^-1·s^-1,单位面积暗呼吸速率（R_d-area）为0.02~1.15 μmol·m^-2·s^-1、单位干重暗呼吸速率（R_d-mass）为0.19~12.61 μmol·kg^-1·s^-1,光补偿点（LCP）为2.5~32.2 μmol·m^-2·s^-1,表观量子效率（Ф）为0.006 6~0.042 8 μmol·μmol^-1 photon,叶片氮（LN）含量为7.98~23.63 mg·g^-1,叶片磷（LP）含量为3.98~13.40 mg·g^-1。中上层种的幼树具有较高的比叶面积、单位干重最大光合速率和表观量子效率;上层种的暗呼吸速率最低;幼树叶片的氮、磷含量随物种成树所在层次升高而减少,次序为下层种>中层种>上层种,但差异均不显著（P>0.05）。优势种和伴生种的光响应参数与SLA存在相关关系。伴生种的LN与SLA正相关（P<0.01）,LP与SLA负相关（P<0.05）;优势种的LN、LP与SLA不相关（P>0.05）。     

Leaf shape and the host-finding behaviour of two ovipositing monophagous butterfly species

Abstract. 1. Ovipositing Eurema brigitta (Wallace) and Eurema herla (W. S. Macleay) butterflies were followed in the field to determine the nature and extent of the pre-alighting discrimination shown by these insects towards their only host plant, Cassia mimosoides (L).
2. Both species tended to search in areas where plants with long, thin leaves (primarily grasses) were less common, on average, than in randomly placed quadrats. Both species were also more likely to alight on non-host plants with leaves of a similar size and shape to those of the host plant than on non-hosts with leaf shapes dissimilar to that of the host.
3. The search behaviour of these monophagous insects was not so specialized that the butterflies never alighted on non-hosts; in fact the majority of alightings were on non-host plants and the pre-alighting discrimination shown by these insects is clearly not the prime behavioural determinant of their monophagy.     

内蒙古地区锦鸡儿属3种植物叶脉序比较研究

以内蒙古地区锦鸡儿属3种植物小叶锦鸡儿、中间锦鸡儿、柠条锦鸡儿为对象,利用光学显微镜观察了它们的叶脉序特征,并测定相应的数量指标.结果表明,3种锦鸡儿植物叶片在脉序类型、三级脉类型、高级脉类型、盲脉类型及分枝、网眼形态上没有明显的差别;在各级脉粗细、二级脉夹角、三级脉疏密度以及网眼发育等特征上均表现出随地理分布自东向西逐步递增、递减、密集和趋于完善的变化特点,且有交叉重叠现象;在一级脉的粗细、二级脉的分枝、二级间脉的类型、三级脉疏密等特征上,中间锦鸡儿和柠条锦鸡儿差异较小.研究发现,内蒙古地区锦鸡儿属3种植物在多数叶脉序形态特征和一些数量化指标上没有明显的差异,其亲缘关系较为紧密,但中间锦鸡儿和柠条锦鸡儿在种间关系上可能更为接近;3个种自东向西呈现很强的相似性和渐变性分布,表现出地理渐变的趋势.     

Leaf miners on Ochna ciliata (Ochnaceae) growing on Aldabra Atoll: patterns of herbivory in relation to goat browsing and exposure to the sun

Abstract.

• 1 The patterns of herbivory by leaf miners on the shrub Ochna ciliata growing on Aldabra Atoll were studied in relation to browsing by feral goats and exposure to the tropical sun versus shading.
• 2 Damage due to both tunnelling (Diptera) and ‘blotch-making’ (Lepidoptera) leaf miners was statistically greater on trees that had been browsed and on those that received more extensive exposure to the sun.
• 3 Effects of exposure and browsing were additive, as evidenced by the lack of statistical interaction between these factors.
• 4 There was a significant negative correlation between the numbers of tunnelling and blotch-making miners in trees that had been browsed, but not in unbrowsed trees.
• 5 Three geographical areas were sampled to test whether the effects of browsing on leaf mining were invariant or influenced by as yet unknown environmental factors. A statistically significant interaction between browsing and geographical region indicated that, while browsed trees had significantly more mines whatever the habitat, the extent of this effect differed across the habitats.

     

Diversity and abundance of insect herbivores foraging on seedlings in a rainforest in Guyana

1. Free-living insect herbivores foraging on 10 000 tagged seedlings representing five species of common rainforest trees were surveyed monthly for more than 1 year in an unlogged forest plot of 1 km² in Guyana. 2. Overall, 9056 insect specimens were collected. Most were sap-sucking insects, which represented at least 244 species belonging to 25 families. Leaf-chewing insects included at least 101 species belonging to 16 families. Herbivore densities were among the lowest densities reported in tropical rainforests to date: 2.4 individuals per square metre of foliage. 3. Insect host specificity was assessed by calculating Lloyd’s index of patchiness from distributional records and considering feeding records in captivity and in situ. Generalists represented 84 and 78% of sap-sucking species and individuals, and 75 and 42% of leaf-chewing species and individuals. In particular, several species of polyphagous xylem-feeding Cicadellinae were strikingly abundant on all hosts. 4. The high incidence of generalist insects suggests that the Janzen–Connell model, explaining rates of attack on seedlings as a density-dependent process resulting from contagion of specialist insects from parent trees, is unlikely to be valid in this study system. 5. Given the rarity of flushing events for the seedlings during the study period, the low insect densities, and the high proportion of generalists, the data also suggest that seedlings may represent a poor resource for free-living insect herbivores in rainforests.     

Foliar damage, parasitoids and indirect competition: a test using herbivores of birch

ABSTRACT.

• 1 The hypothesis that leaf-chewing caterpillars and leaf miners indirectly compete via the influence of foliar damage on parasitoids was experimentally tested using the leaf miner Coleophora serratella (L.) and a complex of folivorous caterpillars on birch.
• 2 Separate experiments tested the effects of manipulating artificial or caterpillar-induced leaf damage on parasitism of leaf miners at several spatial scales.
• 3 Parasitism of C. serratella by specialist and generalist parasitoids was independent of the extent of either collateral or leaf-miner damage, whether experimentally or naturally induced.
• 4 Support in the literature for the hypothesis is restricted to a single case, and only on a limited spatial scale; thus, the idea that collateral damage directs parasitoid-mediated competition among herbivores remains highly speculative.

     

Quantifying shifts in topic popularity over 44 years of Austral Ecology

The Ecological Society of Australia was founded in 1959, and the society’s journal was first published in 1976. To examine how research published in the society’s journal has changed over this time, we used text mining to quantify themes and trends in the body of work published by the Australian Journal of Ecology and Austral Ecology from 1976 to 2019. We used topic models to identify 30 ‘topics’ within 2778 full‐text articles in 246 issues of the journal, followed by mixed modelling to identify topics with above‐average or below‐average popularity in terms of the number of publications or citations that they contain. We found high inter‐decadal turnover in research topics, with an early emphasis on highly specific ecosystems or processes giving way to a modern emphasis on community, spatial and fire ecology, invasive species and statistical modelling. Despite an early focus on Australian research, papers discussing South American ecosystems are now among the fastest‐growing and most frequently cited topics in the journal. Topics that were growing fastest in publication rates were not always the same as those with high citation rates. Our results provide a systematic breakdown of the topics that Austral Ecology authors and editors have chosen to research, publish and cite through time, providing a valuable window into the historical and emerging foci of the journal.