Avian Seed Dispersal of an Invasive Shrub

The incorporation of an animal-dispersed exotic plant species into the diet of native frugivores can be an important step to that species becoming invasive. We investigated bird dispersal of Lonicera maackii, an Asian shrub invasive in eastern North America. We (i) determined which species of birds disperse viable L. maackii seeds, (ii) tested the effect of gut passage on L. maackii seeds, and (iii) projected the seed shadow based on habitat use by a major disperser. We found that four native and one exotic bird species dispersed viable L. maackii seeds. Gut passage through American robins did not inhibit germination, but gut passage through cedar waxwings did. American robins moved mostly along woodlot edges and fencerows, leading us to project that most viable seeds would be defecated in such habitats, which are very suitable for L. maackii. We conclude that L. maackii has been successfully incorporated into the diets of native and exotic birds and that American robins preferentially disperse seeds to suitable habitat.     

Feedbacks of Soil Inoculum of Mycorrhizal Fungi Altered by N Deposition on the Growth of a Native Shrub and an Invasive Annual Grass

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition causes shifts in vegetation types as well as species composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and other soil microorganisms. A greenhouse experiment was done to determine whether there are feedbacks between N-altered soil inoculum and growth of a dominant native shrub and an invasive grass species in southern California. The region is experiencing large-scale loss of Artemisia californica shrublands and replacement by invasive annual grasses under N deposition. Artemisia californica and Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens were grown with soil inoculum from experimental plots in a low N deposition site that had (1) N-fertilized and (2) unfertilized soil used for inoculum, as well as (3) high-N soil inoculum from a site exposed to atmospheric N deposition for four decades. All treatments plus a nonmycorrhizal control were given two levels of N fertilizer solution. A. californica biomass was reduced by each of the three inocula compared to uninoculated controls under at least one of the two N fertilizer solutions. The␣inoculum from the N-deposition site caused the greatest growth depressions. By contrast, B.␣madritensis biomass increased with each of the three inocula under at least one, or both, of the N solutions. The different growth responses of the two plant species may be related to the types of AM fungal colonization. B. madritensis was mainly colonized by a fine mycorrhizal endophyte, while A. californica had primarily coarse endophytes. Furthermore, A. californica had a high level of septate, nonmycorrhizal root endophytes, while B. madritensis overall had low levels of these endophytes. The negative biomass response of A. californica seedlings to high N-deposition inoculum may in part explain its decline; a microbially-mediated negative feedback may occur in this system that causes poor␣seedling growth and establishment of A.␣californica in sites subject to N deposition and B. madritensis invasion.     

Living with Aliens: Effects of Invasive Shrub Honeysuckles on Avian Nesting

Invasive species have come to the forefront of conservation biology as a major threat to native biodiversity. Habitats dominated by shrub honeysuckles (Lonicera spp.) in the United States have been characterized as “ecological traps” by ecologists. Here we tested this hypothesis by investigating the effects of shrub honeysuckles on the nesting ecology of native birds in seven study sites in central Pennsylvania, USA. We examined how the abundance of shrub honeysuckles influenced the selection of nesting substrates and habitat for a community of common songbirds, and the parental-care behavior and nestling development of gray catbirds (Dumetella carolinensis). We found that birds had a strong bias towards nesting in honeysuckle shrubs, but not necessarily for nesting in honeysuckle-dominated habitats. Nest predation rates were affected by the density of nests in a habitat, but not by the overall abundance of honeysuckles in such habitats. Honeysuckle abundance in the habitat did show significant effects on some parental-care behavioral parameters: catbirds had higher nest visitation rates and shorter visit lengths in areas of high honeysuckle density. On average, Gray catbirds fed fruit 12%±0.31 s.e. of their nestling-feeding bouts, mostly fruits of shrub honeysuckles. Nestlings in sites with high honeysuckle density also showed higher mass:tarsus ratios, suggesting a good (possibly better) physiological condition of catbird nestlings at the time of fledging. Our study shows that honeysuckle-dominated habitats could have equivocal effects on nesting parameters of common species of native birds. We advise more caution in the widespread denomination of novel plant communities with high densities of honeysuckle as “ecological traps” as effects can be null or positive on native birds in certain localities.     

Nitrogen Limits an Invasive Perennial Shrub in Forest Understory

Plant invasions can harm communities by domination of one or more vegetation layers. We studied whether Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) is limited by soil acidity or nitrogen availability in its domination of relatively undisturbed forest understories. In two sites, one more acid than the other, we applied lime, urea, or a sawdust–sugar mix to replicate plots in established barberry populations. We predicted that the acid site would be pH or cation limited, while the less acid site was N limited, unless N availability was inherently higher before treatment. Barberry above-ground net primary production (NPP) was estimated by a combination of harvest and allometric analysis. Foliar N increased in the urea treatment and was proportional to incubation estimates of net N mineralization and nitrification. Foliar Ca and P were unaffected by the treatments. Foliar K was proportional to foliar N. The more acid site had higher foliar Mn, but otherwise the sites differed little. Barberry NPP was proportional to pre-treatment biomass. The ratio of net production to pre-treatment woody biomass (relative production rate) increased with foliar N and soil N availability and decreased when soil N was immobilized by sawdust and sugar. There was no effect of soil pH or cation status on barberry growth, although a correlation with foliar K was reflected by the maintenance of a constant K : N ratio. Although more severely acid sites may be less invasible than those studied here, N availability is the primary limitation to invasive dominance in this landscape. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Nitrogen and Salinity on Growth and Competition Between a Native Grass and an Invasive Congener

Numerous studies show that an increase in the availability of limiting resources can increase invasion by non-native plants into natural communities. One possible explanation is that the ability of natives to compete with non-natives tends to decrease when resource availability is increased. We tested this hypothesis in a competition experiment using two closely matched plant species and two environmental factors related to limiting resources in a coastal grassland system on Bodega Head in northern California. We grew the native grass Bromus carinatus and the non-native grass B. diandrus together and apart at different levels of soil nitrogen crossed with different levels of soil salinity. Both species are abundant in the grassland and previous work suggested that the abundance of B. carinatus is lower and the abundance of B. diandrus is higher on soil that has been enriched with nitrogen. Salinity has been shown to be negatively associated with invasion by B. diandrus into another California grassland, and to vary significantly over short distances in the grassland at Bodega Head, where it could affect water availability, which strongly limits plant growth during the dry season. Contrary to our prediction that low resource availabilities would increase the relative competitive ability of the native, the ability of B. carinatus to compete with B. diandrus was not greater when nitrogen availability was lower or when soil salinity was higher. Instead, high salinity increased the relative competitive ability of the non-native, and low nitrogen had little effect on competition. This suggests that preventing resource enrichment will not suffice to control invasion by non-native plant species in this grassland.     

Nectar Amount, Pollinator Visit Duration and Pollination Success in the Mediterranean Shrub Cistus creticus

We have re-examined the nectar status of Cistus creticus, aplant that was previously thought to be an almost exclusivepollen donor. Although attempts to extract nectar with the microcapillarymethod failed, rinsates of the flower interior yielded considerableamounts of sugar, yet with high interplant variation. Enzymaticmicroassays revealed that secreted sugar is adsorbed onto thesurfaces of the numerous filaments surrounding the nectary,on the dense pubescence of the ovary surrounded by the nectaryand on the yellow base of the purplish-pink, free, obovate petals.The conclusion that C. creticus is an efficient nectar donorwas further strengthened by video recording the behaviour ofbees and by the high frequency of nectar thieves. We proposethat the shallow flower shape and the overheating caused bysolar tracking facilitate evaporative concentration of nectar.Alternatively (or in addition), the morphological proximityof the nectary to the filaments and the ovary pubescence facilitatesadsorption and the capillary action of the cell walls worksantagonistically to glass microcapillaries precluding nectarcollection. Addition of artificial nectar in the field had noeffect on bee visit frequency but it increased visit durationsignificantly and decreased abortion rates. In addition, seedyield was increased, especially under insect-limited conditions.We conclude that C. creticus is a nectar donor, and that nectarvariation in the field may modify pollinator behaviour and affectpollination success and the fitness of the plant. Copyright2000 Annals of Botany Company Cistus creticus, insect behaviour, nectar manipulation, pollination success, visit duration     

Flowering Dynamics and Pollinator Visitation of Oilseed Echium (Echium plantagineum)

Echium (Echium plantagineum L.) is an alternative oilseed crop in summer-wet temperate regions that provides floral resources to pollinators. Its seed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as stearidonic acid, which is desired highly by the cosmetic industry. Seeds were sown in field plots over three years in western Minnesota in spring (early-sown) or early summer (late-sown), and flower abundance, pollinator visitation, and seed yields were studied. Initial flowering commenced 41 to 55 d after sowing, and anthesis duration (first flowering to harvest) was 34 to 70 d. Late sowing dates delayed anthesis, but increased the intensity of visitation by pollinators. Cumulative flower densities ranged from 1 to 4.5 billion ha⁻¹. Flowers attracted numerous honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), as many as 35 per minute of observation, which represented about 50% of all insect visitors. Early-sown echium produced seed yields up to 750 kg ha⁻¹, which were 2–29 times higher than those of late-sown echium. Early sowing of echium in Minnesota provides abundant floral resources for pollinators for up to two months and simultaneously produces seed yields whose profits rival those of corn (Zea mays L.).     

Population Dynamics and Potential for Biological Control of an Exotic Invasive Shrub in Hawaiian Rainforests

Introduction of biological control agents to reduce the abundance of exotic invasive plant species is often considered necessary but risky. I used matrix projection models to investigate the current population dynamics of Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae), an invasive shrub, in two rainforest stands on the island of Hawaii and to predict the efficacy of hypothetical biological control agents in reducing population growth rates. Stage-structured matrix models were parameterized with field data collected over 3 years from 2906 C. hirta plants in a recently invaded forest with an open overstory (Laupahoehoe) and 600 plants in a less recently invaded forest with a closed canopy (Waiakea). Asymptotic population growth rates (λ) for both populations in all years were greater than one, demonstrating that both populations were growing. Composite elasticities were high for the seedling life-history stage and fecundity, and near-term demographic elasticities suggested that changes in seedling survival would have the largest effect on population size in the short term. However, simulations showed that almost 100% of seedlings or new recruits produced per reproductive adult would have to be destroyed to cause populations to go locally extinct under current environmental conditions. Herbivores or pathogens that decrease survival across all vegetative stages by 12% at Waiakea and 64% at Laupahoehoe were projected to cause the populations to decline. Thus, biocontrol agents that reduce survival of multiple life-history stages rather than seed production should be pursued to control C. hirta in Hawaiian rainforests.     

高寒山生柳灌丛的群落特征研究

山生柳（Salix oritrepha）是我国的特有种。通过对山生柳灌丛植物群落结构特征的定量分析结果表明：该类型由97种植物组成,隶属30科65属。其中有灌木10种,草本植物87种,山生柳为建群种;地理成分以北温带分布为主;生活型以地面芽植物为主（52.59%）,其次为地下芽植物（27.89%）和高位芽（10.31%）,地上芽和一年生植物仅占9.21%;群落结构比较简单,大体可以分为灌木层和草本层植物。灌木层物种多样性指数偏低,垂直结构各层次间物种多样性大小为草本层>灌木层。     

Potential of Sahelian Native Shrub Materials to Suppress the Spiral Nematode Helicotylenchus dihystera

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is a drought-tolerant cereal commonly grown for grain and fodder in arid areas throughout the world. Senegalese millet fields are infested with Helicotylenchus. The native evergreen woody shrub Piliostigma reticulatum is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Its coppiced residues are used by small farmers as mulch in crop fields. The shrub’s nematicidal effect on the spiral nematode Helicotylenchus dihystera was evaluated in a pearl millet pot experiment. The abundance of nematodes decreased by 64% after application of either leaf powder or a pulverized mixing of leaves and stems, suggesting the use of aboveground materials of P. reticulatum as a potential nematicide. The results show promise for use of a local resource by subsistence farmers in the Sahel. Further research is needed on application to fully develop this approach as a biopesticide.     

The Potential Impact of An Introduced Shrub on Native Plant Diversity and Forest Regeneration

Over a period of 20 years, Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense, invaded a mixed hardwood forest in western North Carolina, USA. The invasion penetrated about 30m under the canopy trees, providing 100% cover of the forest floor. Under the privets and in a nearby privet-poor reference area we marked off twenty, one square meter plots with string. All plants in each square meter of both areas were tallied in the spring of 1999 and young trees less than 1m high were again counted in September. We removed privets of the invaded area in November and again tallied all plants in both areas the following spring of 2000. In the spring of 1999, the mean number of herb species per square meter under the privet was 41%, and stem counts 75% less than in the reference area. 42% of herb species found in the reference area were missing under the privet. After removing the privets in the fall of 1999, the number of both native species and stems increased in the privet area the following spring. Plots of density of two native plants against privet density showed both native plants decreasing under increasing privet cover. In the spring of 1999, there were 4 species and 274 stems of tree seedlings in the privet area. In September of that year, we found only one small American holly tree, a highly shade-tolerant species, remaining under the privet. Our data support the thesis that Chinese privet can severely reduce herbaceous species and almost completely suppress tree regeneration in a mixed hardwood forest.     

Worldwide Alien Invasion: A Methodological Approach to Forecast the Potential Spread of a Highly Invasive Pollinator

The ecological impacts of alien species invasion are a major threat to global biodiversity. The increasing number of invasion events by alien species and the high cost and difficulty of eradicating invasive species once established require the development of new methods and tools for predicting the most susceptible areas to invasion. Invasive pollinators pose serious threats to biodiversity and human activity due to their close relationship with many plants (including crop species) and high potential competitiveness for resources with native pollinators. Although at an early stage of expansion, the bumblebee species Bombus terrestris is becoming a representative case of pollinator invasion at a global scale, particularly given its high velocity of invasive spread and the increasing number of reports of its impacts on native bees and crops in many countries. We present here a methodological framework of habitat suitability modeling that integrates new approaches for detecting habitats that are susceptible to Bombus terrestris invasion at a global scale. Our approach did not include reported invaded locations in the modeling procedure; instead, those locations were used exclusively to evaluate the accuracy of the models in predicting suitability over regions already invaded. Moreover, a new and more intuitive approach was developed to select the models and evaluate different algorithms based on their performance and predictive convergence. Finally, we present a comprehensive global map of susceptibility to Bombus terrestris invasion that highlights priority areas for monitoring.     

Influence of Shrub Encroachment on the Soil Microbial Community Composition of Remnant Hill Prairies

Hill prairies are remnant grasslands perched on the bluffs of major river valleys, and because their steep slopes make them unsuitable for traditional row crop agriculture, they have some of the lowest levels of anthropogenic disturbance of any prairie ecosystems in the Midwestern USA. However, many decades of fire suppression have allowed for shrub encroachment from the surrounding forests. While shrub encroachment of grasslands can modify soil respiration rates and nutrient storage, it is not known whether shrubs also alter the community composition of soil microorganisms. We conducted transect sampling of nine different hill prairie remnants showing varying degrees of shrub encroachment, and we used DNA-based community profiling (automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis) to characterize the composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the open prairie habitat, the shrub-encroached border, and the surrounding forest. While both bacterial and fungal communities showed statistically significant variation across these habitats, their predominant patterns were different. Bacterial communities of forest soils were distinct from those of the open prairie and the shrub-encroached areas, while fungal communities of the open prairie were distinct from those of the forest and the shrub-encroached border. Shrub encroachment significantly altered the community composition of soil fungal communities. Furthermore, fungal communities of heavily encroached prairie remnants more closely resembled those of the surrounding forest than those of lightly encroached prairies. Thus, shrub encroachment can cause soil fungi to shift from a “grassland” community to a “woody” community, with potential consequences for soil processes and plant-microbe interactions.     

Models of Experimentally Derived Competitive Effects Predict Biogeographical Differences in the Abundance of Invasive and Native Plant Species

Mono-dominance by invasive species provides opportunities to explore determinants of plant distributions and abundance; however, linking mechanistic results from small scale experiments to patterns in nature is difficult. We used experimentally derived competitive effects of an invader in North America, Acroptilon repens, on species with which it co-occurs in its native range of Uzbekistan and on species with which it occurs in its non-native ranges in North America, in individual-based models. We found that competitive effects yielded relative abundances of Acroptilon and other species in models that were qualitatively similar to those observed in the field in the two ranges. In its non-native range, Acroptilon can occur in nearly pure monocultures at local scales, whereas such nearly pure stands of Acroptilon appear to be much less common in its native range. Experimentally derived competitive effects of Acroptilon on other species predicted Acroptilon to be 4–9 times more proportionally abundant than natives in the North American models, but proportionally equal to or less than the abundance of natives in the Eurasian models. Our results suggest a novel way to integrate complex combinations of interactions simultaneously, and that biogeographical differences in the competitive effects of an invader correspond well with biogeographical differences in abundance and impact.     

Non-Additive Effects on Decomposition from Mixing Litter of the Invasive Mikania micrantha H.B.K. with Native Plants

A common hypothesis to explain the effect of litter mixing is based on the difference in litter N content between mixed species. Although many studies have shown that litter of invasive non-native plants typically has higher N content than that of native plants in the communities they invade, there has been surprisingly little study of mixing effects during plant invasions. We address this question in south China where Mikania micrantha H.B.K., a non-native vine, with high litter N content, has invaded many forested ecosystems. We were specifically interested in whether this invader accelerated decomposition and how the strength of the litter mixing effect changes with the degree of invasion and over time during litter decomposition. Using litterbags, we evaluated the effect of mixing litter of M. micrantha with the litter of 7 native resident plants, at 3 ratios: M₁ (1∶4, = exotic:native litter), M₂ (1∶1) and M₃ (4∶1, = exotic:native litter) over three incubation periods. We compared mixed litter with unmixed litter of the native species to identify if a non-additive effect of mixing litter existed. We found that there were positive significant non-additive effects of litter mixing on both mass loss and nutrient release. These effects changed with native species identity, mixture ratio and decay times. Overall the greatest accelerations of mixture decay and N release tended to be in the highest degree of invasion (mix ratio M₃) and during the middle and final measured stages of decomposition. Contrary to expectations, the initial difference in litter N did not explain species differences in the effect of mixing but overall it appears that invasion by M. micrantha is accelerating the decomposition of native species litter. This effect on a fundamental ecosystem process could contribute to higher rates of nutrient turnover in invaded ecosystems.     

Finite Element Analysis of Minimal Invasive Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion

The purpose of our study is to develop and validate three-dimensional finite element models of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, and explore the most appropriate method of fixation and fusion by comparing biomechanical characteristics of different fixation method. We developed four fusion models: bilateral pedicle screws fixation with a single cage insertion model (A), bilateral pedicle screws fixation with two cages insertion model (B), unilateral pedicle screws fixation with a single cage insertion model (C), and unilateral pedicle screws fixation with two cages insertion model (D); the models were subjected to different forces including anterior bending, posterior extension, left bending, right bending, rotation, and axial compressive. The von Mises stress of the fusion segments on the pedicle screw and cages was recorded. Angular variation and stress of pedicle screw and cage were compared. There were differences of Von Mises peak stress among four models, but were within the range of maximum force. The angular variation in A, B, C, and D decreased significantly compared with normal. There was no significant difference of angular variation between A and B, and C and D. Bilateral pedicle screws fixation had more superior biomechanics than unilateral pedicle screws fixation. In conclusion, the lumbar interbody fusion models were established using varying fixation methods, and the results verified that unilateral pedicle screws fixation with a single cage could meet the stability demand in minimal invasive transforaminal interbody fusion.     

Minimal Invasive Surgical Procedure of Inducing Myocardial Infarction in Mice

Myocardial infarction still remains the main cause of death in western countries, despite considerable progress in the stent development area in the last decades. For clarification of the underlying mechanisms and the development of new therapeutic strategies, the availability of valid animal models are mandatory. Since we need new insights into pathomechanisms of cardiovascular diseases under in vivo conditions to combat myocardial infarction, the validity of the animal model is a crucial aspect. However, protection of animals are highly relevant in this context. Therefore, we establish a minimally invasive and simple model of myocardial infarction in mice, which assures a high reproducibility and survival rate of animals. Thus, this models fulfils the requirements of the 3R principle (Replacement, Refinement and Reduction) for animal experiments and assure the scientific information needed for further developing of therapeutical strategies for cardiovascular diseases.     

赤霉素（GA3）对杨树开花结实的效应（简报）

花芽分化前期,向树干注射赤霉素（GA3）,可有效地抑制翌年杨树的开花结实。这一效应与药剂量和树木个体大小有关。开花前地杨树开花结实效应较差。