斑块面积对干燥-复水条件下藓类植物生理活性的影响

干扰会导致生物结皮斑块破碎并退化。为明确生物结皮斑块破碎诱发生物结皮退化机理,以黄土丘陵区土生对齿藓(Didymodon vinealis)结皮为研究对象,研究了干燥-复水条件下,单株和直径1 cm、2 cm、3 cm、4 cm、5 cm的藓结皮斑块内土生对齿藓的干燥速率、渗透调节物质、丙二醛和光合色素含量等的变化,以期揭示干扰后生物结皮退化的生物学机理。结果表明(1)除单株外,干燥速率随斑块面积减小而增加,直径1 cm斑块内藓的干燥速率是直径5 cm的2倍。(2)反复干燥-复水25天后,直径小于5 cm的斑块内藓的可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白和叶绿素含量低于直径5 cm斑块内藓的含量,丙二醛含量随斑块面积变化无明显规律。(3)干燥速率与斑块面积、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白及叶绿素含量均呈极显著负相关。以上结果表明,藓结皮斑块面积通过影响斑块内藓类植物干燥速率进而影响其渗透调节和光合作用能力。藓结皮斑块面积减小,藓类植物干燥速率增大,生理活性降低,是藓结皮斑块破碎诱发其退化的原因。研究从藓类植物生理的角度,阐明了干扰后藓类植物衰亡的生理学原因,为生物结皮的保护和管理提供了科学依据。     

Image analysis supported moss cell disruption in photo-bioreactors

Diverse methods for the disruption of cell entanglements and pellets of the moss Physcomitrella patens were tested in order to improve the homogeneity of suspension cultures. The morphological characterization of the moss was carried out by means of image analysis. Selected morphological parameters were defined and compared to the reduction of the carbon dioxide fixation, and the released pigments after cell disruption. The size control of the moss entanglements based on the rotor stator principle allowed a focused shear stress, avoiding a severe reduction in the photosynthesis. Batch cultures of P. patens in a 30.0-l pilot tubular photo-bioreactor with cell disruption showed no significant variation in growth rate and a delayed cell differentiation, when compared to undisrupted cultures. A highly controlled photoautotrophic culture of P. patens in a scalable photo-bioreactor was established, contributing to the development required for the future use of mosses as producers of relevant heterologous proteins.     

藓类蒴齿的发育、结构与功能研究进展

藓类的蒴齿生于藓类植物孢蒴口部,由蒴周层3层细胞或细胞壁发育而成,结构较为复杂。其主要功能是主导和保护藓类孢子的散发,同时也是分类和判定藓类系统发育地位的一个重要依据。藓类蒴齿的结构多样性、功能多样性和分子生物学层面的研究目前在国内还较薄弱。该文对近年来国内外有关藓类蒴齿的发育、结构和功能的相关研究进展进行了综述。     

南极地区苔藓剖面中地球化学元素的营养运移特征

对采自南极的苔藓剖面上各层苔藓的地球化学元素含量进行分析,得到以下的初步结论：地球化学元素在苔藓剖面上的分布具有很强的继承性;不同地球化学元素在苔藓剖面上的分布特征不同,这与元素在苔藓中的营养特征有关,研究发现元素Ca在苔藓体内,异常活跃,它极易被累积在新鲜苔藓体内,Zn也是苔藓易吸收的元素;地球化学元素在老新苔藓中的转移能力不同;底层苔藓的元素转移能力很低,中层苔藓中元素维持在基本平衡的状态,上层苔藓中元素的转移系数较大。     

On the benefits of living in clumps: a case study on Polytrichastrum formosum

• The study concerns the mechanics and water relationships of clumps of a species of endohydric moss, Polytrichastrum formosum.
• Anatomical and morphological studies were done using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Experiments on waterdrop capture and their distribution to adjacent shoots within a moss clump were performed with the experimental set‐up for the droplet collision phenomena and ultra‐high speed camera. The mechanical strength of the moss clump was tested on an electromechanical testing machine.
• During the process of moss clump wetting, the falling water drops were captured by the apical stem part or leaves, then flowed down while adhering to the gametophore and never lost their surface continuity. In places of contact with another leaf, the water drop stops there and joins the leaves, enabling their hydration. Mathematical analysis of anatomical images showed that moss stems have different zones with varying cell lumen and cell wall/cell radius ratios, suggesting the occurrence of a periodic component structure. Our study provides evidence that the reaction of mosses to mechanical forces depends on the size of the clump, and that small groups are clearly stronger than larger groups.
• The clump structure of mosses acts as a net for falling rain droplets. Clumps of Polytrichastrum having overlapping leaves, at the time of loading formed a structure similar to a lattice. The observed reaction of mosses to mechanical forces indicates that this phenomenon appears to be analogous to the ‘size effect on structural strength’ that is of great importance for various fields of engineering.

     

Determination of Prenylquinones in Green Photosynthetically Active Moss and Liver Moss Tissues

The prenylquinone composition of two species of mosses (Polytrichum formosum Hedw., Sphagnum acutifolium Ehrh.) and two species of liver mosses (Lunularia cruciata (L.) Dum., Pellia epiphylla (L.) Cord.) was determined and compared with the chlorophyll content and the photosynthetic activity of the intact moss and liver moss tissues.

• 1 Green moss and liver moss tissues possess in principle the same prenylquinone composition as higher plants with plastoquinone-9, α-tocopherol, α-tocoquinone and the phylloquinone K₁ as main components. On a chlorophyll basis the lipoquinone levels are lower than in higher plants. Differences among the individual mosses as well as within one species only occur in the quantitative levels of the chloroplast prenylquinones, but there are no differences between musci and liver mosses.
• 2 There are differences in the maximal fluorescence of liver mosses and mosses. The variable fluorescence in turn, which is a measure of in vivo photosynthetic activity, is very similar for all examined species of mosses and liver mosses (values from 0.7 to 1.0) but somewhat lower than in leaf pieces of higher plants. DCMU blocks the variable fluorescence and the concomitant oxygen evolution in all mosses and liver mosses.
• 3 From the lower prenylquinone levels and the low values for the variable fluorescence it is concluded that mosses and liver mosses exhibit on a chlorophyll basis fewer reaction centres and electron transport chains than chloroplasts of higher plants.

     

北京小龙门自然保护区四种苔藓鸟巢的观察

2004年8月20～22日在北京小龙门自然保护区,分别对宝兴歌鸫（Turdus mupinensis）、黄眉姬鹪（Ficedula narcissina）、白腹蓝鸫（Cyanoptila cyanomelana）和北红尾鸲（Phoenicurusauroreus）4种鸟的鸟巢的结构和巢材进行了观察,发现他们均用藓类植物作为巢材。经过鉴定,这些藓类植物共7种,分属于4科,其中最多是小牛舌藓（Anomodon minor）。该文还对巢材中藓类植物的分布、生物学特性和鸟类取材的行为等进行了初步分析。     

Use of an inducible reporter gene system for the analysis of auxin distribution in the moss<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Physcomitrella patens</Emphasis>

The plant hormone auxin plays a major role in a variety of growth and developmental responses, even in the more ancient plants-for example, cell differentiation in mosses. Nevertheless, almost nothing is known about the distribution of auxin during moss development. To address this question, we characterised auxin distribution in the moss Physcomitrella patens using auxin-inducible reporter gene systems. Stable transgenic Physcomitrella plants were produced expressing the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene driven by the auxin-inducible promoters GH3 and DR5, respectively. Both fusions showed remarkable differences with respect to auxin-induced promoter strength and expression kinetics. A detailed characterisation of the GUS expression pattern in different developmental stages revealed that the highest auxin concentrations were in dividing and ontogenetic young cells.     

Contrasting Species—Environment Relationships in Communities of Testate Amoebae, Bryophytes and Vascular Plants Along the Fen–Bog Gradient

We studied the vegetation, testate amoebae and abiotic variables (depth of the water table, pH, electrical conductivity, Ca and Mg concentrations of water extracted from mosses) along the bog to extremely rich fen gradient in sub-alpine peatlands of the Upper Engadine (Swiss Alps). Testate amoeba diversity was correlated to that of mosses but not of vascular plants. Diversity peaked in rich fen for testate amoebae and in extremely rich fen for mosses, while for testate amoebae and mosses it was lowest in bog but for vascular plants in extremely rich fen. Multiple factor and redundancy analyses (RDA) revealed a stronger correlation of testate amoebae than of vegetation to water table and hydrochemical variables and relatively strong correlation between testate amoeba and moss community data. In RDA, hydrochemical variables explained a higher proportion of the testate amoeba and moss data than water table depth. Abiotic variables explained a higher percentage of the species data for testate amoebae (30.3% or 19.5% for binary data) than for mosses (13.4%) and vascular plants (10%). These results show that (1) vascular plant, moss and testate amoeba communities respond differently to ecological gradients in peatlands and (2) testate amoebae are more strongly related than vascular plants to the abiotic factors at the mire surface. These differences are related to vertical trophic gradients and associated niche differentiation.     

Simulation of moss and tree dynamics in the boreal forests of interior Alaska

We used a simulation model of forest dynamics to examine the ecological significance of the complex interactions among site conditions, tree growth, and the development of a thick forest floor moss layer found in many boreal forests. To examine the effect of site conditions on moss growth and forest dynamics, we simulated the dynamics of several different forest sites in the uplands of interior Alaska. Then we used a cold, wet permafrost site to examine the ecological consequences of direct moss and tree interactions. Our analyses revealed a tightly coupled system in which forest succession was highly sensitive to the interactions among site conditions, mosses, and trees. The effect of mosses on the soil thermal regime was a particularly important feedback. Direct interactions between mosses and trees that affected the development of a thick forest floor layer were also important. In particular, shading of moss by trees, reduced tree regeneration on moss-covered soils, and reduced moss growth with open forest canopies were also important determinants of forest succession. These complex feedbacks ensure that an ecosystem approach is needed to understand the ecology of boreal forests.     

Urban heat island effects on moss gardens in Kyoto,Japan

Urban heat islands (UHIs) represent a serious problem for urban biodiversity and landscapes. The impact of UHIs on Japanese gardens are of particular concern because these gardens use moss as a ground cover, and moss can be strongly affected by UHIs due to their sensitivity to drought stress. We studied 17 historical gardens in Kyoto, Japan, and propose an effective management strategy for moss gardens that takes into account the influence of UHIs on these gardens. The study sites included gardens covered by large patches of hygrophilous moss, gardens covered by mosses including small patches of hygrophilous moss, gardens covered by relatively drought-resistant moss, and gardens with small patches of mosses. We measured temperature and relative humidity within the gardens and determined the surrounding land-use types. A comparison of microclimates showed significant differences among garden types. Hygrophilous gardens had the lowest temperature and highest relative humidity, whereas gardens with small patches of moss had the highest temperature and lowest relative humidity. Using structural equation models, we determined that urbanization within 1000 m from the gardens increased temperature and decreased relative humidity, strongly affecting the type of garden. These effects could be attributed to the sensitivity of mosses to changes in microclimate caused by UHIs. Taken together, the results indicate that urban planning—e.g., increasing green space—within 1000 m of moss gardens can maintain those gardens by mitigating the influence of UHIs.

     

Response of feather moss associated N2 fixation and litter decomposition to variations in simulated rainfall intensity and frequency

Feather mosses in boreal forests form a dense ground‐cover that is an important driver of both nutrient and carbon cycling. While moss growth is highly sensitive to moisture availability, little is known about how moss effects on nutrient and carbon cycling are affected by the dynamics of moisture input to the ecosystem. We experimentally investigated how rainfall regimes affected ecosystem processes driven by the dominant boreal feather moss Pleurozium schreberi by manipulating total moisture amount, frequency of moisture addition and moss presence/absence. Moisture treatments represented the range of rainfall conditions that occur in Swedish boreal forests as well as shifts in rainfall expected through climate change. We found that nitrogen (N) fixation by cyanobacteria in feather mosses (the main biological N input to boreal forests) was strongly influenced by both moisture amount and frequency, and their interaction; increased frequency had greater effects when amounts were higher. Within a given moisture amount, N fixation varied up to seven‐fold depending on how that amount was distributed temporally. We also found that mosses promoted vascular litter decomposition rates, concentrations of litter nutrients, and active soil microbial biomass, and reduced N release into soil solution. These effects were usually strongest under low moisture amount and/or frequency, and revealed a buffering effect of mosses on the decomposer subsystem under moisture limitation. These results highlight that both the amount and temporal distribution of rainfall, determine the effect of feather mosses on ecosystem N input and the decomposer subsystem. They also emphasize the role of feather mosses in mediating moisture effects on decomposer processes. Finally, our results suggest that projected shifts in precipitation in the Swedish boreal forest through climate change will result in increased moss growth and N₂ fixation but a reduced dependency of the decomposer subsystem on feather moss cover for moisture retention.     

羽枝青藓和瘤柄匐灯藓对入侵植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响

入侵植物会通过化感作用等手段抑制本地种的生存繁衍,但本土植物尤其是地被层的藓类植物对入侵植物有何影响尚不清楚。本文以本土羽枝青藓和瘤柄匐灯藓为供体材料,以恶性入侵杂草稗草和野胡萝卜为受试材料,从藓丛结构特征和化感作用角度探究藓类植物对入侵植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响。结果表明: 2种入侵植物种子落入藓丛后其发芽率、发芽势和发芽指数均受到显著抑制,抑制效果为藓丛上部>藓丛下部>无藓丛。稗草种子落入藓丛下部会显著影响其根长和根芽比。施加藓类浸提液均显著降低2种入侵植物的发芽率、发芽势及发芽指数,但呈现不同的浓度效应。施加浸提液在一定程度上增加了稗草幼苗芽长、根长和根芽比,但对野胡萝卜无明显的规律性影响。藓类植物对2种入侵植物种子萌发和幼苗生长的化感综合效应均表现为抑制作用,其中,野胡萝卜的敏感性大于稗草,且高浓度下更加明显。可见,藓类植物对入侵植物种子萌发和幼苗生长具有一定抑制作用。     

黄土高原三种耐干藓营养繁殖的季节差异及机理

苔藓植物在园林绿化、水土保持等方面的应用日益增加,目前藓类植物营养繁殖的影响因素鲜见报道,限制了其应用研究。本研究以黄土高原常见的耐干藓(扭口藓、土生对齿藓、短叶对齿藓)为对象,研究了3种藓春、夏、秋、冬季营养繁殖能力(以活力指数表征)差异及其叶绿素、可溶性糖、可溶性蛋白质、丙二醛(MDA)含量等生理指标变化,探索了耐干藓营养繁殖的季节差异与其生理特征之间的关系。结果表明: 1)藓类繁殖具有明显的季节差异,3种藓夏季活力指数均低于其他3个季节,平均较秋、冬、春季分别下降56.1%、48.4%、10.1%;相同季节的活力指数具有明显的年际变化。2)3种藓繁殖能力具有明显的种间差异,以短叶对齿藓最高,扭口藓最低,且后者的繁殖能力季节和年际变化最大。3)3种藓不同季节生理特征差异显著,其中夏季MDA含量高于其他季节,可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白质含量低于其他季节。4)耐干藓的营养繁殖季节变化主要与可溶性糖含量有关。本研究明确了藓类营养繁殖能力随季节变化的规律,指出可溶性糖含量是影响藓类营养繁殖的关键因素,可为藓类植物保护和人工培养提供科学依据。     

Introducing Intron Locus cox1i624 for Phylogenetic Analyses in Bryophytes: On the Issue of Takakia as Sister Genus to All Other Extant Mosses

Liverworts are well supported as the sister group to all other land plants (embryophytes) by molecular data. Observations strongly supporting this earliest dichotomy in embryophyte evolution are the strikingly different introns occurring in the mitochondrial DNAs of liverworts versus non-liverwort embryophytes (NLE), including the mosses. A final conclusion on the most basal lineages of mosses, for which genera such as Sphagnum and Takakia are the most likely candidates, is lacking. We have now investigated cox1i624, a mitochondrial group I intron conserved between the moss Physcomitrella patens and the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha. Focusing on a sampling of liverwort and moss genera, which had previously been identified as early branching taxa in their respective clades, we find that group I intron cox1i624 is universally conserved in all 33 mosses and 11 liverworts investigated. The group I intron core secondary structure is well conserved between the two ancient land plant clades. However, whereas dramatic size reductions are seen in the moss phylogeny, exactly the opposite is observed for liverworts. The cox1i624g1 locus was used for phylogenetic tree reconstruction also in combination with data sets of nad5i753g1 as well as chloroplast loci rbcL and rps4. The phylogenetic analyses revealed (i) very good support for the Treubiopsida as sister clade to all other liverworts, (ii) a sister group relationship of the nematodontous Tetraphidopsida and Polytrichopsida and (iii) two rivalling hypotheses about the basal-most moss genus with mitochondrial loci suggesting an isolated Takakia as sister to all other mosses and chloroplast loci indicating a Takakia–Sphagnum clade.     

Mosses modify effects of warmer and wetter conditions on tree seedlings at the alpine treeline

Climate warming enables tree seedling establishment beyond the current alpine treeline, but to achieve this, seedlings have to establish within existing tundra vegetation. In tundra, mosses are a prominent feature, known to regulate soil temperature and moisture through their physical structure and associated water retention capacity. Moss presence and species identity might therefore modify the impact of increases in temperature and precipitation on tree seedling establishment at the arctic‐alpine treeline. We followed Betula pubescens and Pinus sylvestris seedling survival and growth during three growing seasons in the field. Tree seedlings were transplanted along a natural precipitation gradient at the subarctic‐alpine treeline in northern Sweden, into plots dominated by each of three common moss species and exposed to combinations of moss removal and experimental warming by open‐top chambers (OTCs). Independent of climate, the presence of feather moss, but not Sphagnum, strongly supressed survival of both tree species. Positive effects of warming and precipitation on survival and growth of B. pubescens seedlings occurred in the absence of mosses and as expected, this was partly dependent on moss species. P. sylvestris survival was greatest at high precipitation, and this effect was more pronounced in Sphagnum than in feather moss plots irrespective of whether the mosses had been removed or not. Moss presence did not reduce the effects of OTCs on soil temperature. Mosses therefore modified seedling response to climate through other mechanisms, such as altered competition or nutrient availability. We conclude that both moss presence and species identity pose a strong control on seedling establishment at the alpine treeline, and that in some cases mosses weaken climate‐change effects on seedling establishment. Changes in moss abundance and species composition therefore have the potential to hamper treeline expansion induced by climate warming.     

Improved,scalable techniques to cultivate fire mosses for rehabilitation

As wildfires increase in extent and severity in the western United States, land managers need new tools to stabilize and rehabilitate impacted hillslopes. One potential tool is the use of three disturbance‐adapted mosses Ceratodon purpureus (Redshank), Funaria hygrometrica (Cord moss), and Bryum argenteum (Silvergreen moss), collectively known as fire mosses. By growing and adding vegetative propagules in the form of gametophyte fragments to burned hillslopes, land managers could potentially increase the rate of moss colonization and stabilize soils. A first step in developing a native plant materials rehabilitation technique is overcoming propagule limitations using ex situ cultivation. We focused on greenhouse cultivation of moss gametophyte fragments allowing us to grow vegetative propagules with control over atmospheric, edaphic, and hydrologic conditions. In this experiment, we grew fire mosses using an easily scalable technique and commercially available materials. We demonstrated repeated success growing these species in the greenhouse and fine‐tuned harvesting techniques to increase productivity. We found that fire moss achieved high cover in 2 months when grown on organic substrate with constant wicking hydration and a protective shade covering, but growth was not favored by addition of burned materials. We successfully upscaled our growing technique, and developed efficient harvest methods. This success overcomes an initial barrier to testing and developing fire mosses as a novel rehabilitation technique.     

Fungi infecting cultivated moss can also cause diseases in crop plants

Bryophytes (mosses) are non‐vascular plants inhabited by a large number of fungal species, but whether mosses can act as reservoirs of fungal pathogens of crop plants has gained little attention. A few moss species including the Sunagoke moss (Racomitrium japonicum; family Grimmiaceae) are found to have modern economical applications in uses such as greening of urban environments. In a previous study, we identified fungi causing symptoms of varying severity in the commercially grown Sunagoke moss. The aim of this study was to test whether the same fungal isolates are pathogenic to vascular plants. An isolate of Fusarium avenaceum lethal to the Sunagoke moss caused root and crown rot in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and reduced germination of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and carrot (Daucus carota) grown in the infested soil. An isolate of Cladosporium oxysporum causing mild symptoms in moss reduced growth and caused reddening and premature death of carrot seedlings. On the other hand, isolates of Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum lethal to the Sunagoke moss caused no detectable symptoms in any tested vascular plant, suggesting specialisation of these isolates to moss. Chloroplast repositioning was observed in the neighbouring cells towards the initially infected cell following infection with F. avenaceum and A. alternata in Physcomitrella patens (family Funariaceae), a model moss used to study microscopic symptoms. Infection of P. patens with a non‐virulent Apiospora montagnei isolate induced formation of papillae in the moss cells, indicating activation of host defence as described in vascular plants. Results suggest that mosses and vascular plants may be linked by a common microbial interface constituted by pathogenic fungi. The findings have epidemiological implications that have gained little previous attention.     

Morphology versus molecules in moss phylogeny: new insights (or controversies) from placental and vascular anatomy in Oedipodium griffithianum

New data on the placenta and water-conducting cells of Oedipodium griffithianum challenge current ideas on moss phylogeny. The placental region in O.?griffithianum consists of cells with highly convolute wall labyrinths on both the sporophytic and gametophytic side. This type of placenta distinguishes an assemblage of mosses including Tetraphis, Buxbaumia and all arthrodontous mosses but is not found in basal lineages including polytrichopsid mosses. Other features that distinguish Oedipodium from polytrichopsid mosses are the foot entirely ensheathed by the parenchymatous tissue of the gametophyte vaginula, the lack of a necrotic foot tip, the lack of intercellular spaces in the foot parenchyma and the presence of typical bryopsid hydroids with uniformly thin cell walls in the leafy shoot. These results do not support molecular phylogenies resolving Oedipodium as the sister group to polytrichopsid mosses or to all peristomate mosses, but are compatible with a sister relationship to a clade encompassing Tetraphis, Buxbaumia and arthrodontous mosses.