Temporal and spatial patterns of twining force and lignification in stems of Ipomoea purpurea

Using the TWIFOR, an electronic device for continuous, in vivo measurement of the forces exerted by twining vines, we examined the forces generated by vines growing on cylindrical poles of slender (6.35 mm) and thicker (19.05 mm) diameter. In stems of Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth. magnitudes of twining force (axial tensions) were, on average, less at a particular time and location on the more slender poles; while twining loads (normal force per unit length of vine) were much greater on the slender poles because of the greater curvature of the vines. Thus, the geometry of the helix formed by the vine on the pole affects the ability of the vine to maintain a frictional interaction with its support. In addition, the plant-to-plant variation in twining force was twice as great on the thicker support poles. Metaxylem and fibers developed closer to the plant apex in vines on the slender poles. On the thicker poles, a significant fraction of the maximum twining force developed during the establishment of the first gyre, before fibers were lignified, indicating that primary growth can be sufficient to establish high twining forces. On the slender poles, however, twining force increased with developmental stage until the gyre was at least 1.5 m from the apex. Thus, twining force can increase after cessation of primary growth. No simple relationship was found between the site of fiber differentiation and twining force.     

Gelatinous fibers are widespread in coiling tendrils and twining vines

Although the coiling of tendrils and the twining of vines has been investigated since Darwin's time, a full understanding of the mechanism(s) of this coiling and twining ability has not yet been obtained. In a previous study (Planta 225: 485-498), gelatinous (G) fibers in tendrils of redvine occurred concomitantly with the ability to coil, strongly indicating their role in the coiling process. In this study, tendrils and twining vines of a number of species were examined using microscopic and immunocytochemical techniques to determine if a similar presence and distribution of these fibers exists in other plant species. Tendrils that coiled in many different directions had a cylinder of cortical G fibers, similar to redvine. However, tendrils that coiled only in a single direction had gelatinous fibers only along the inner surface of the coil. In tendrils with adhesive tips, the gelatinous fibers occurred in the central/core region of the tendril. Coiling occurred later in development in these tendrils, after the adhesive pad had attached. In twining stems, G fibers were not observed during the rapid circumnutation stage, but were found at later stages when the vine's position was fixed, generally one or two nodes below the node still circumnutating. The number and extent of fiber development correlated roughly with the amount of torsion required for the vine to ascend a support. In contrast, species that use adventitious roots for climbing or were trailing/scrambling-type vines did not have G fibers. These data strongly support the concept that coiling and twining in vines is caused by the presence of G fibers.     

Leaf damage induces twining in a climbing plant

Successful climbing by vines not only prevents shading by neighbouring vegetation, but also may place the vines beyond ground herbivores. Here we tested the hypothesis that herbivory might enhance climbing in a vine species, and that such induced climbing should be greater in the shade. We assessed field herbivory in climbing and prostrate ramets of the twining vine Convolvulus arvensis. We evaluated plant climbing after mechanical damage in a glasshouse under both sun and shade conditions, and determined whether control and damaged plants differed in growth rate or photosynthetic capacity. Plants experienced greater herbivory when growing prostrate than when climbing onto companion plants, in both an open habitat and a shaded understorey. Experimental plants increased their twining rate on a stake after suffering leaf damage, in both high- and low-light conditions, and this induced climbing was not coupled to an increase in growth rate. Increased photosynthesis was associated with enhanced twining rate only in the shade. Herbivory may be an ecological factor promoting the evolution of a climbing habit in plants.     

Why vines have narrow stems: Histological trends in Bauhinia (Fabaceae)

Summary Xylem (wood) tissue in plants functions both for mechanical support and water transport. Since vines are mechanical parasites, they allocate less biomass for xylem tissue than do free-standing trees or shrubs. With-in the genus Bauhinia, stems of vine species were found to have not only less xylem per distal leaf area, but also less phloem and cortical tissue when compared to tree and shrub species. The phloem and cortical reductions are interpreted as an indirect effect of the developmental/geometric constraints imposed by the evolution of a reduced mechanical system. Apparently vines overcame these constraints with the evolution of wider vessels and wider sieve tubes and with many types of variant (anomalous) secondary growth. The long and wide vessels of vines, which compensate hydraulically for the reduced xylem areas, may help limit the distribution of vine species in nature.     

Twist-to-bend ratios of woody structures

Flexural rigidity (El), or resistance to bending loads, andtorsional rigidity (GJ), or resistance to twisting loads, weremeasured on a variety of woody structures-bamboo culms, threekinds of hardwood trunks, two softwood trunks, two vines, andpine roots. The ratios of these rigidities, EI/GJ, was highestand relatively constant for bamboo and hardwoods, slightly lowerfor softwoods, and lower still for vines and roots. All valueswere substantially above those for circular cylinders of ordinaryisotropic materials; since all specimens were nearly circularin cross-section, the high values reflect the elastic moduliof wood rather than geometric factors. While all material showedsubstantial creep under torsional loading, only the vine, Wisteria,crept appreciably under flexural loading as well. Key words: Wood, trees, flexural rigidity, torsional rigidity, biomechanics     

湖南德夯风景区藤本植物多样性研究

对德夯风景区藤本植物进行了调查,结果表明:本区有藤本植物249种(含变种),隶属于49科110属.科属的区系性质均以热带为主,分别占54.17%、60.91%.生活型以木质藤本为主,占68.67%.攀援类型分为4大类、9小类,其中缠绕类最多,占38.96%,卷曲类占27.31%,搭靠类占20.07%,吸固类最少,仅占13.66%.藤本植物按资源类型可分为药用植物、观赏植物、纤维植物、芳香植物、食用植物及其他,药用植物居多,而最具潜力的是观赏类植物.     

藤本植物生活型系统的修订及中国亚热带东部藤本植物的生活型分析

根据中国亚热带东部藤本植物的特征,修订并扩充了Ｍｕｅｌｌｅｒ－Ｄｏｍｂｏｉｓ和Ｅｌｌｅｎｂｅｒｇ生活型系统中藤本植物分类部分。对本区生活型分析的结果表明,中国亚热带东部藤本植物的生活型谱是以高位芽藤本占绝对优势（７２．７％）其次为地下芽藤本（１７．５％）、地面芽藤本（６．２％）、１年生藤本（２．７％）和地上芽藤本（１．５％）,除地下芽藤本比例略高外,与亚热带常绿阔叶林生活型谱十分接近,具有比较明确     

Foot displacement but not velocity predicts the outcome of a slip induced in young subjects while walking

The purpose of the present study was to induce slips in healthy subjects as a means to determine if recovery from an induced slip is possible under conditions in which the displacements and velocities of the slipping foot exceed the generally accepted limits of 10cm and 50cm/s, respectively, and to determine if there are gait-related variables that predispose an individual to falling after a slip. Thirty-three young and barefoot adults, protected by an instrumented safety harness, were subjected to a single slipping trial following a series of unperturbed walking trials. The slip was induced when the bare foot contacted a vinyl sheet coated with mineral oil. Lower extremity kinematics were acquired using a video-based motion capture system. Fourteen and 12 subjects could be unambiguously categorized as having fallen or recovered, respectively. Four variables demonstrated significant between-group differences and two were used to compute the probability of the slip outcome using logistic regression. The variables were the displacement of the foot during the slip and the angle of the shank relative to the ground at the instant of ground contact just prior to the slip. Separate univariate logistic regressions using each variable were significant and correctly classified about 70% of the slip outcomes. The results demonstrated that previously published values for the displacement and velocity of the slipping foot, 10cm and 50cm/s, respectively, may not accurately represent the upper limits beyond which recovery is not possible. The results also demonstrated that heel-strike angle, reflective of stride length, exerts a significant influence on the outcome of a slip.     

An electronic device for continuous, in vivo measurement of forces exerted by twining vines

Contact forces are important in maintaining the twining habit of viny stems. A stem twining around a supporting pole puts itself into tension and uses a helical geometry to generate normal loads that are large relative to stem mass per unit length (Silk and Hubbard, Journal of Biomechanics 24(7):599-606, 1991). An electronic pressure-sensing device has been constructed to provide continuous, in vivo measurements of the forces exerted by twining stems. The pressure-sensing element is based on a thin beam load cell that is sheared by a twining stem ascending a split pole. Preliminary results show that after morning glory stems begin to coil around a supporting pole, the twining force increases in an oscillatory fashion over 3 or 4 d, corresponding to positions at least 200 mm from the apex. The force-measuring device should reveal relationships between twining forces and developmental attributes or environmental factors.     

Exotic vine invasions following cyclone disturbance in Australian Wet Tropics rainforests: A review

The Australian Wet Tropics region extends for almost 900 000 ha along the coastline of north‐east Queensland. The rainforests in this region have a rich and unique biodiversity and are World Heritage listed by UNESCO. Disturbance from tropical cyclones is a significant driver of the rainforest dynamics in this area, and when frequent or intense can facilitate the recruitment and expansion of exotic invasive species. Exotic vines are of particular concern for forest conservation as they can be highly competitive with native vegetation and may prevent forest regeneration. This literature review found evidence that fragmented forests, which are very common in the Australian Wet Tropics, are vulnerable to post‐cyclone vine invasion. In particular, although the diversity and abundance of herbaceous vines tend to decline as the canopy closes 2 years post‐cyclone disturbance, woody exotic vines and scramblers may persist for much longer or even increase in numbers. Since forest recovery in these systems is influenced by the severity and recurrence of disturbance, an increase in cyclone intensity under climate change may cause rapid changes in rainforest structure, composition and diversity, and increase exotic vine invasion. Post‐cyclone management of vines appears to require direct intervention, with manual cutting being currently the most effective method. However, there are a number of difficulties to its wide implementation in Australia, and further study on options for control is needed. Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.     

藤本植物适应生态学研究进展及存在问题

1　藤本植物的重要性　　藤本植物又称攀缘植物 ,是一类不能自由直立、通过主茎缠绕或攀缘器官攀缘它物升高的植物的总称 ,包括木质藤本和草质藤本两类。藤本植物是热带、亚热带森林重要的外貌和结构特征 ,常把森林冠层打结在一起形成特殊的层片结构[1～4] 。在南美热带森林中 ,在胸径大于 1 5～2 0ｃｍ的树木中有近一半的树冠上攀有藤本[5～ 7] ,森林下层植物中有 1 8%～ 2 2 %是藤本植物的幼藤[6] 。泰国[8] 和Ｇａｂｏｎ[9] 的热带森林的凋落物中藤本植物的叶占 32 %～ 36%。藤本植物也是热带森林种类多样性的重要组成部分。Ｇｅｎｔｒｙ…     

Mating disruption method against the vine mealybug,Planococcus ficus: effect of sequential treatment on infested vines

The vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a major pest of vineyards. Here, we tested the efficacy of the mating disruption method against the pest when applied during one or two successive years in high and low infestation levels. Following 1 year of treatment, at low initial infestation levels a shutdown of pheromone traps was observed, along with a significant reduction in infested vines. With initially high infestation levels, a gradual reduction in infested vines was observed, with a trap shutdown seen only after the second year of pheromone application. We discuss the implications of the male mating disruption method for this pest in which the wingless females are aggregated with limited movement among vines, offering multiple mating opportunities for the flying male.     

Influences of herbaceous vines on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages

In the continental tropics, herbaceous vines and lianas are roughly equal in abundance, and the former are even more abundant in the temperate region. However, only little attention has been paid to the study of biological and ecological characteristics of herbaceous vines. In particular, research about effects of herbaceous vines acting as a biological control on plant communities has not been carried out in depth. Herbaceous vines are widely distributed and abundant also in humid subtropical areas, especially in the early stages of forest community succession, but their ecology is little known. The aim of our study is to understand the effect of local herbaceous vines on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages. The hypothesis was tested that herbaceous vines would have predominantly negative effects on co-occurring species, thereby reducing their diversity. Based on a quadrate method, a detailed survey of shrub and herb communities covered by herbaceous vines was conducted in the Jinyun Mountain Nature Reserve of Chongqing, SW China. The sample plots were selected based on the numbers and coverage of vines, distinguishing among high vine coverage plots, middle vine coverage plots and low vine coverage plots. All species in the plots with different herbaceous vine coverage were identified and measured. The measurements for each species included number, average height and coverage. Because of abundant tree seedlings in the habitat of forest edge plots, we only recorded the number of tree seedlings in those plots to evaluate the overall effects of vines on tree seedling regeneration. After the field investigation, herbaceous vines and other species in the plots were harvested respectively, then oven dried and weighed. The results showed that herbaceous vines had high productivity and produced a lot of branches, which caused above-ground competition and mechanical stress to other species. Herbaceous vines seriously affected species composition and species importance values of self-supporting species. In all three habitats, the number of species and families in low coverage samples was larger than that in high coverage samples, and furthermore the identities of species were different between them. Species richness significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, illustrating that some species disappeared. Herbaceous vines reduced species diversity of communities, and as a result, community complexity was decreased, which might also decrease community stability. Biomass of communities of self-supporting species significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, which suggested that herbaceous vines significantly decreased community productivity. The number of seedlings also significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, and seedlings were mainly distributed in lower coverage samples. Herbaceous vines reduced the light exposure in the understory, which may be the mechanistic explanation for the negative influence of vines on the performance of tree seedlings. It was concluded that herbaceous vines affected seedling quantitative dynamics and distribution, and inhibited the natural succession from shrub and herb communities to tree communities. Thus herbaceous vines not only had significant influences on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages, but also on subsequent succession stages.     

安徽大别山野生藤本植物区系与生活型分析

大别山野生藤本植物共175种,隶属30科67属,其基本特点是:双子叶植物科属种最多,其中又以小型科属和单种科属较多,大科属较少。区系成分分析表明,热带成分居首位(22.4%),其次是东亚成分(19.4%)、东亚北美洲成分(13.4%);生活型以高芽位藤本106种(60.6%)占优,其后依次为地下芽藤本44种(25.1%)、地面芽藤本13种(7.4%)、一年生藤本8种(4.6%)和地上芽藤本4种(2.3%)。     

Influences of herbaceous vines on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages

In the continental tropics, herbaceous vines and lianas are roughly equal in abundance, and the former are even more abundant in the temperate region. However, only little attention has been paid to the study of biological and ecological characteristics of herbaceous vines. In particular, research about effects of herbaceous vines acting as a biological control on plant communities has not been carried out in depth. Herbaceous vines are widely distributed and abundant also in humid subtropical areas, especially in the early stages of forest community succession, but their ecology is little known. The aim of our study is to understand the effect of local herbaceous vines on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages. The hypothesis was tested that herbaceous vines would have predominantly negative effects on co-occurring species, thereby reducing their diversity. Based on a quadrate method, a detailed survey of shrub and herb communities covered by herbaceous vines was conducted in the Jinyun Mountain Nature Reserve of Chongqing, SW China. The sample plots were selected based on the numbers and coverage of vines, distinguishing among high vine coverage plots, middle vine coverage plots and low vine coverage plots. All species in the plots with different herbaceous vine coverage were identified and measured. The measurements for each species included number, average height and coverage. Because of abundant tree seedlings in the habitat of forest edge plots, we only recorded the number of tree seedlings in those plots to evaluate the overall effects of vines on tree seedling regeneration. After the field investigation, herbaceous vines and other species in the plots were harvested respectively, then oven dried and weighed. The results showed that herbaceous vines had high productivity and produced a lot of branches, which caused above-ground competition and mechanical stress to other species. Herbaceous vines seriously affected species composition and species importance values of self-supporting species. In all three habitats, the number of species and families in low coverage samples was larger than that in high coverage samples, and furthermore the identities of species were different between them. Species richness significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, illustrating that some species disappeared. Herbaceous vines reduced species diversity of communities, and as a result, community complexity was decreased, which might also decrease community stability. Biomass of communities of self-supporting species significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, which suggested that herbaceous vines significantly decreased community productivity. The number of seedlings also significantly decreased with increasing herbaceous vine coverage, and seedlings were mainly distributed in lower coverage samples. Herbaceous vines reduced the light exposure in the understory, which may be the mechanistic explanation for the negative influence of vines on the performance of tree seedlings. It was concluded that herbaceous vines affected seedling quantitative dynamics and distribution, and inhibited the natural succession from shrub and herb communities to tree communities. Thus herbaceous vines not only had significant influences on community characteristics in pioneer succession stages, but also on subsequent succession stages.     

Patterns in the diversity and distribution of epiphytes and vines in a New Zealand forest

Abstract Plants that rely on other plants for support (i.e. epiphytes and vines) are common in many forest ecosystems. However, they are poorly understood relative to terrestrial plants, especially in the Southern Hemisphere. To help bridge this gap, we evaluated the diversity and distribution of vascular epiphytes and vines on seven common tree species in a conifer‐broadleaf forest on New Zealand's North Island. Ground‐based surveys of 274 host trees were used to test whether epiphyte and vine diversity increased with tree diameter, and whether diversity‐diameter relationships differed among host tree species. Occurrence patterns of individual epiphyte and vine species were also assessed. We first evaluated the accuracy of ground‐based inventories by comparing surveys of trees made from the ground to those made from a canopy walkway. On average, 1 in 10 species of epiphytes and vines were unseen from the ground. However, sampling accuracy did not differ among the three host tree species growing along the walkway, suggesting unbiased comparisons could be made between hosts. Results from ground‐based surveys showed that species diversity of epiphytes and vines increased with host tree diameter. However, epiphytes showed stronger diversity‐diameter relationships than vines. Epiphyte diversity increased markedly in four host species and less strongly in the remaining three host species. Conversely, vines showed weak diversity‐diameter relationships in all host species. Occurrence patterns of individual species helped to explain diversity‐diameter relationships. All common epiphyte species occurred more frequently on large trees, regardless of host species, but occurrence patterns in most vine species were unrelated to tree size. Rather, the vines often showed strong host ‘preferences’. Overall results illustrate a rich diversity of distributional patterns in New Zealand's epiphytes and vines, and suggest that a similarly diverse set of ecological and evolutionary processes are responsible for them.     

Symptoms, Wood Lesions and Fungi Associated with Esca in Organic Vineyards in Languedoc-Roussillon (France)

We analysed symptoms, wood lesions and fungi associated with esca in mature organic vineyards in the Languedoc‐Roussillon region. Most previous surveys concerning esca syndrome were conducted in conventionally managed vineyards in other regions. We first found that esca may be present at a very low level in vineyards that were not treated with sodium arsenite. Affected vines displayed three types of symptoms: leaves with interveinal necrosis, wilt of entire branches and these two symptoms in combination. During the 3‐year survey, not all affected vines displayed symptoms every year and the same vine rarely displayed the same symptom or combination of symptoms in successive years. The incidence of esca appeared to be correlated with the percentage of vines that died during the survey but no correlation was found with either mortality before the survey or with the age of the vineyard. Observation of cross‐sections of a total of 210 vines with esca symptoms and isolation of fungi from the wood lesions led to similar results to those obtained in conventionally managed vineyards. Four different lesions were identified: a white rot lesion, a brown lesion in a central position, a brown lesion in a sectorial position and a scattered black spotting in healthy wood. The most frequently observed fungal species were Fomitiporia mediterranea (Fom), Phaeomoniella chlamydospora, Phaeoacremonium aleophilum and Eutypa lata. The white rot lesion caused by Fom was generally accompanied by one or more other lesions in the same vine. Similarly, Fom was generally isolated with one or several other fungi. No relationship was detected between the expression of external symptoms and any specific lesion or fungus. Our study also showed that esca and Eutypa dieback are often superimposed in our region of sampling.     

Ecology and economic impact of two plant bugs (Hemiptera: Miridae) in commercial vineyards

The current study investigated the seasonal phenology, spatial distribution, feeding damage and economic impact of two plant bugs, Lygocoris inconspicuous Knight and Taedia scrupeus Say, in commercial vineyards. For both plant bugs, densities of nymphs were higher on vines located near the edge of woodlots rather than in the interior of vineyards, which may be attributed to the presence of wild vines and other alternate host-plants in wooded areas. Nymphs of both species fed on apical leaves and developing fruit clusters of vine shoots, initiating development after swelling of buds in the spring and reaching the adult stage when vines were in bloom. Confining high densities of L. inconspicuous (10 nymphs) on individual shoots early in the season resulted in significant reduction of the number of fruit clusters per shoot, even when feeding was restricted to short (7 d) duration; the average weight of fruit clusters, in contrast, was not affected to a large extent by feeding activity of nymphs. An experiment evaluating the impact of low density of L. inconspicuous (0-0.3 nymphs per shoot) indicated a marginally significant negative relationship between density of nymphs and average weight of fruit clusters. Control measures may be economically justified when population density exceeds a combined threshold of one nymph of either L. inconspicuous or T. scrupeus per 10 shoots of vines.