The phytoclimates of France: probabilistic classification of 1874 bio-indicators of the climate

This article presents a synthesis of the relationships between plants and climates at the scale of France, based on a probabilistic classification of 1874 bio-indicators. This classification defines plants groups that indicate the climate, named phytoclimates, expressing the climatic gradients in France. This classification shows 210 phytoclimatic groups distributed into ten cluster levels. The analysis of the various hierarchical levels shows two main phytoclimates testifying the importance of the marine masses and the altitude. The analysis of the third hierarchical level underlines particular phytoclimates which would not be easily recognizable by only analysing the overlapping of floristic and climatic territories. This classification allows one to select taxa that are indicators of the climate. The distribution monitoring or modeling of these taxa should show the effects of the global change on the ecosystems.     

Relationships between vegetation and climate on the Loess Plateau in China

The Loess Plateau is one of the most environmentally sensitive regions in China. This study addresses the relationships between vegetation and climate of this area quantitatively at a large-scale, in order to determine the factors that control vegetation distribution. The Loess Plateau, located at 101°01′–155°10′ E and 34°02′–40°40′ N, covers an area of 52 million hectares. Vegetation data were collected from the vegetation map (1:500,000) and the Landsat Thematic Mapper scenes of the Loess Plateau. The Loess Plateau was divided into small districts of 30′ latitude by 30′ longitude on the vegetation map. In each district, areas with different vegetation were measured and used as vegetation data. The climatic data were average values of county meteorological records in each district in the past 25 years. GIS, TWINSPAN and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were employed for analysis. 257 small districts were clustered into 7 groups using TWINSPAN, representing 7 vegetation regions or subregions. The first three CCA axes had significant correlations with climate. The first CCA axis represented the variation of vegetation and climate along the latitude gradient, while the second CCA axis the variation along the longitude gradient. The distribution pattern of 171 vegetation formations on the CCA plot is identical to that of vegetation regions (districts). The spatial distribution of vegetation is closely related to climate variables on the Loess Plateau. Water variables and temperature are important in both latitude and longitude gradients, while the sunshine hours, accumulated temperature and wind speed are more important than water variables and temperature in longitude gradients.     

Relationships between nitrogen uptake and carbon assimilation in whole plants of tall fescue

Abstract. The present study investigates the relationships between nitrogen uptake, transpiration, and carbon assimilation. Plants growing on nutrient solution were enclosed for 10–16 d in a growth chamber, where temperature, photon flux density, vapour saturation deficit and CO₂ concentration were controlled. One of these factors was modified every 4 to 5 d. Shoot photosynthesis and root and shoot respiration were recorded every half-hour. Nitrogen uptake from the root medium and plant transpiration were measured daily. In most cases, an increase in photon flux density led to increases in transpiration, net daily carbon assimilation, and nitrogen uptake. By modifying transpiration rate without changing photosynthesis (varying vapour saturation deficit), or by modifying transpiration and carbon assimilation in opposite ways (varying CO₂ air concentration), it was shown that nitrogen uptake does not follow transpiration, but is linked to the carbon uptake of the plant. When light was increased from low to intermediate levels, the N uptake/C assimilation ratio remained constant. At higher photon flux density, this ratio declined markedly. It is proposed that in the first case, growth is limited by carbohydrate availability, thus any increase in carbon assimilation leads to a proportional increase in nitrogen uptake, in contrast to the second situation where carbohydrates may accumulate in the plant without further nitrogen requirement.     

Relationships between jasmonates and auxin in regulation of some physiological processes in higher plants

Growth and development of plants are regulated by interactions among different plant growth substances. During stress conditions, both abiotic and biotic, interaction of the some hormones activates defense responses. The present review describes the interaction between jasmonates and auxin in regulation of some physiological processes in plant growth and development. Some jasmonate-induced processes reduced by auxins and some auxin stimulated physiological processes inhibited by jasmonates are the focus of this review. Therefore, the following physiological processes are described: stem cell growth, abscission, secondary abscission zone formation, tendril coiling, opening of the pulvinules in Mimosa pudica, wounding and induced gene expression, nicotine biosynthesis and auxin biosynthesis in Brassicaceae.     

Reliability of abundance ratios between aeropalynological taxa as indicators of the climate in France

The abundance ratio between two aeropalynological taxa can sometimes give more reliable information about climate than a single taxon, especially in poorly standardized spectra of sediments, mosses or dusts. The reliabilities of 8385 ratios have been computed from 130 taxa observed in a net of 80 annual standardized aeropalynological spectra measured mostly in France. Ten average climatic factors express cold, heat and rain. The reliability of a pollen ratio is the relative frequency (between 0 and 100%) of the ranks, in the range of the climatic factor, where the ratio is more indicative than its two parent taxa. Only 169 out of the 8,385 ratios have a reliability of 80% or more, with one thousand ratios having a reliability of 50% or more. The most reliable ratios are from the less indicative taxa, whereas ubiquitous taxa give generally unreliable ratios. The accuracy and stability of estimates are approximately the same from the ratios as from the single taxa. The use of ratios foreshadows the use of sociological relations between taxa. Sociological processing will be used to transform the intermittent information about the environment given by the observed abundance of taxa into a gradual information given by their probable abundance.     

中国种子植物属的地理成分分布格局及其与气候和地理的关系

基于覆盖了全中国各地理区的204个地区植物区系研究资料和这些地区的841个气象站资料,我们对中国种子植物属的地理成分分布格局及其与气候、经纬度分布的关系进行了研究,并结合这些分布格局探讨了中国植被分带和植物区系分区。结果如下：（1）除世界分布、栽培和入侵成分外,大部分中国种子植物属的地理成分的分布与地理相关密切;（2）热带分布属（泛热带分布、热带亚洲至热带美洲间断分布、旧世界热带分布、热带亚洲至热带大洋洲分布、热带亚洲至热带非洲分布及热带亚洲分布合计）占各地方植物区系的0．84％到94．38％,其最低值出现在中国西北部的新疆和青海地区,最高值出现在中国云南南部和海南;（3）热带分布属在〈北纬30°的地区占优势,除热带亚洲至热带美洲间断分布外,其它热带成分随纬度增加迅速减少;（4）温带分布属（北温带分布、东亚和北美间断分布、旧世界温带分布、温带亚洲分布、地中海区、西亚到中亚分布、中亚分布和东亚分布合计）占各地方植物区系的5．1％至98．83％,其最高值出现在中国西北部的新疆地区,最低值出现在中国云南南部和海南;（5）除东亚和北美间断分布、东亚分布和中国特有分布外,其它温带成分随纬度增加迅速增加;（6）在温带成分中,东亚和北美间断分布及东亚分布属主要出现在中国亚热带到暖温带地区,北温带分布、旧世界温带分布和温带亚洲分布属在中国北部占优势,而地中海区、西亚到中亚分布和中亚分布属则在中国西北部占优势;（7）除世界分布、东亚和北美间断分布、东亚分布和中国特有分布外,所有其他成分都显示了与气候因素（主要是气温和降雨量）密切相关,其中,北温带分布属与年均温和年降雨量最为密切相关。中国种子植物属的地理成分的分布格局与现行的中国植被分带和植物区系分区密切匹配。支持现行的中国植被分带和植物区系分区方案。     

Relationships between bird-dispersed plants and avian fruit consumers with different feeding strategies in Japan

We examined the interactions between bird-dispersed plants and fruit-consuming birds with various feeding strategies, by reviewing the plant species consumed by 14 bird species in Japan with four feeding types: gulpers (five species), grinders (four species), crushers (four species), and peckers (one species). Our literature review provided information on the plant species consumed by the birds in Japan and the morphological traits of the fruits: fruit volume, seed mass and number, pulp type (fleshy, dry, or arillate), and plant height (tall, medium, or small). Using these data, we examined the diversity of plant species consumed by each bird and the fruit morphological traits that affected fruit selection. The five gulpers consumed fruits from the largest number of plants, followed by the four grinders, the four crushers, and the one pecker. The gulpers and grinders consumed a wider variety of fruits than were consumed by the crushers and the pecker. Logistic regression analysis revealed that some crushers and the pecker preferred plants with dry or arillate pulp around the seeds. Our results suggest that a frugivorous bird’s feeding strategies, and particularly its fruit-handling behaviors and the fruit parts it ingests, influence the diversity of plants it consumes. The crushers and the pecker, which feed exclusively on seeds, require more effort and time to consume this type of food, and this might cause a strong preference for specific fruit traits and thus, consumption of a lower diversity of plant species.     

Relationships between aquatic plants and environmental factors along a steep Himalayan altitudinal gradient

We examined the relationships of aquatic plants with physical–chemical characteristics among 28 lakes within a steep altitudinal gradient ranging from tropical (77 m) to high alpine (4750 m) in the Himalayas of Nepal. Species richness and diversity showed an approximately linear decrease with increasing altitude. The study region exhibits a relatively high proportion of monocotyledonous helophytes, as is typical of aquatic plants on the Indian subcontinent. A canonical correspondence analysis of the entire altitudinal gradient (CCA-1) suggested that the strongest abiotic influences on the distribution of aquatic plants are associated with water temperature, substrate quality, altitude, pH, transparency and conductivity. Two more-restricted CCA analyses examined a shorter altitudinal gradient of 70–1500 m. The CCA-2 analysis (all aquatic plants) and CCA-3 (only euhydrophytes) found that the most important abiotic influences were associated with temperature, lake surface area, suspended solids, bicarbonate and dissolved phosphorus. These results suggest that relatively local influences are different from those that have a regional basis, but that climate-related influences are key along altitudinal gradients. The temperature gradient in the CCA distinguished montane and alpine Arcto-tertiary floristic elements of the highest altitudinal regions from the more widely distributed temperate and tropical species of the lower regions.     

气象因子与毛竹林节肢动物群落的关系

利用2001年9月到2002年8月的气象资料和对毛竹林节肢动物群落的定位系统调查数据,分析了月平均气温、月极端高温、月极端低温、月降水量、每月日降水量大于0.1 mm的天数、月日照总时数和月平均相对湿度等7个气象要素与节肢动物群落及毛竹叶部主要害虫种群的关系。结果表明:气象因子与节肢动物群落的关系集中表现为月平均气温与林下层类群丰富度、竹冠层类群物种多样性的负相关;与毛竹叶部主要害虫种群的关系主要表现为月平均相对湿度与毛竹害螨混合种群的负相关,以及每月日降水量大于0.1 mm的天数与蠕须盾蚧、刚竹毒蛾种群的正相关。     

Relationships between vegetation and climate in the Upper Catchment area of the Narmada river,Central India

Summary The paper reports on the relationships between vegetation and climate in the Upper Catchment area of Narmada river in Central India. The study site was divided into four ecoclimatic zones based on the classification of Thornthwaite & Mather (1955). While no clear-cut relationships could be established for the subordinate species and climate, the leading dominant species showed interesting relationships. Zones A, B and C show a humid type and support forest dominated byTectona grandis, Dendrocalamus strictus andTerminalia alata. In contrast,Tectona grandis is totally absent in Zone D which falls in a dry sub-humid type.Dendrocalamus strictus forms a second storey species at all places whereTectona grandis is the leading dominant, because the former is not a shade tolerant plant. Growth of the dominant species vary from zone to zone with changes in precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, soil moisture surplus and altitude. With topographical changes the growth of the dominant species changes.Tectona grandis shows maximum growth values on tops of hills only because of their inaccessibility to man so that no disturbances due to illicit felling, shifting cultivation and a host of other disturbances occur. The exiting forest crop is the remnant natural wealth which is the net result of interactions between climate, soil conditions and anthropogenic pressure.Nomenclature follows Raizada (1958).The author gratefully acknowledges the painstaking training in the computation of water balances given to him by Professor V. P. Subrahmanyam and Dr. B. Subba Rao of the Department of Climatology, Andhra University, Waltair (India). Most of the work presented here is the result of prolonged and consistent discussions with my teacher, Professor S. C. Pandeya, Head of the Department of BioSciences, Saurashtra University, Rajkot, India, for which I am indebted. Financial assistance was provided by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India, in the form of a Senior Fellowship.     

Relationships of climate,residence time,and biogeographical origin with the range sizes and species richness patterns of exotic plants in Great Britain

Based on atlas data with a 10-km cell resolution for 1,406 exotic plant species inhabiting Great Britain, we investigate the extent to which arrival time (residence time) and biogeographical origin (climate suitability) are associated with range sizes of exotic plants and how exotic plant richness is related to current climate and the human footprint. We grouped species according to four arrival periods (archaeophytes and three classes of neophytes), and three broad biogeographical origins, each reflecting a different macroclimate similarity with the study region (northern Holarctic > Mediterranean > and tropical–subtropical). While we found that mean range sizes increased with residence time, no strong effect of the region of origin on range size was detected. Also, across all groups, species richness was primarily and positively associated with temperature, whereas relationships with human footprint were much weaker, albeit also positive in all cases. The proportion of variance explained by environmental models of richness increased from groups comprising recently arrived species to those that arrived earlier, and from tropical–subtropical species to exotics coming from the Holarctic. Our data also illustrate how these trends translate into richness patterns and their association with climate, which become more similar to native richness patterns as residence time and macroclimatic matching increase. In contrast, broad-scale human alteration of ecosystems appeared to be less important for variation in exotic richness than climate, although we did not evaluate anthropogenic effects at finer scales.     

不同寄主植物上烟粉虱次生共生菌感染与性比相关性

【目的】烟粉虱Bemisia tabaci(Gennadius)体内次生共生菌感染受寄主植物的影响,一些共生菌会引起害虫的雌性化,明确田间不同寄主植物上害虫种群中共生菌与性比的相关性,可有利于进一步了解烟粉虱田间种群暴发机制。【方法】采集田间不同寄主植物上烟粉虱成虫,观察其性比,并对其中次生共生菌进行分子检测,分析共生菌携带率与性比相关性。【结果】江苏南京地区棉花、番茄、黄瓜和红薯4种寄主植物上烟粉虱次生共生菌Hamiltonella和Rickettsia感染均存在显著差异,其中Hamiltonella为优势共生菌,感染率依次为:棉花>黄瓜>番茄>红薯。寄主植物间Wolbachia和Cardinium的感染率均无显著差异。各寄主植物上烟粉虱雌性比均高于60%,其中黄瓜上高达75.6%,但不同寄主植物间无显著差异。进一步分析表明,Hamiltonella和Rickettsia感染率均与烟粉虱雌性比呈显著的二次多项式相关性。当Hamiltonella和Rickettsia感染率分别低于69%和5%时,随着感染率提高,烟粉虱雌性比上升,当感染率高于上述值时,则随着感染率增加,雌性比下降。【结论】棉花、番茄、黄瓜和红薯4种寄主植物上烟粉虱均表现出雌性化,但不同寄主植物间性比无差异,烟粉虱体内次生共生菌与性比存在相关性。     

Relationships between the diversity patterns of vascular plants,lichens and invertebrates in the Central Asian forest-steppe ecotone

The Central Asian forest-steppe ecotone has been exposed to large alterations in grazing pressure in the last two decades, but the consequences for biodiversity have not been studied so far. We analyzed the biodiversity of the edges and the interior of Siberian larch forests in the forest-steppes of eastern Kazakhstan (Saur, Kazakh Altai) and western Mongolia (Mongolian Altai, Khangai) across different groups of organisms (vascular plants, epiphytic lichens, soil macroarthropods, oribatid mites, moths). The species richness of these groups was related to each other only at the forest edge, but not in the interior. Species richness of vascular plants, soil macroarthropods and oribatid mites at the forest edges was positively correlated. This indicates that these ground-inhabiting groups of organisms responded similarly to the variation in the grazing pressure of livestock, which is kept at spatially varying densities by mostly nomadic or transhumant herders. The species richness of epiphytic lichens was only positively correlated with that of vascular plants, and the richness of the (volant) moths was not correlated with that of any other group. The complete lack of correlation between the diversity of groups of organisms in the forest interior suggests that the diversity of the five studied groups is controlled by specific environmental factors, including light and moisture. Except for the Mongolian Altai, which was subjected to the highest grazing pressure, vascular plants, lichens, soil macroarthropods, and moths had a higher diversity at the edges than in the interior; the opposite was true for the oribatid mites. The latter probably benefit from the higher soil moisture inside the forest, whereas the other four groups are favored by increased availability of light, the proximity to the steppe with a partial mixing of species pools, and the soil macroarthropods also by increased dung abundance.     

Effects of climate change on parasitic plants: the root hemiparasiticOrobanchaceae

Climate change may affect hemisparasiticOrobanchaceae (ex-Scrophulariaceae) both directly through impacts on hemiparasite physiology and indirectly through impacts on host plants. This dual action suggests particular sensitivity of the parasite to climate change and any associated impacts on hosts and other members of the community. While little research has addressed the responses of parasitic plants to climate change in natural environments, impacts are predicted from controlled environment studies together with a knowledge of the key ecophysiological traits of hemiparasiticOrobanchaceae, in particular ofStriga species, which are important weeds in semi-arid tropical agro-ecosystems, andRhinanthus species, which can be important components of (principally) grassland communities in the northern temperate zone. The main mode of important components of (principally) grassland communities in the northern temperate zone. The main mode of action of both elevated CO₂ and warming will be through changes in photosynthesis and stomatal functioning. Enhanced photosynthesis of the hemiparasite and host will increase parasite carbon gains but may also increase the demand for host mineral nutrients. Mineral nutrition may, therefore, mediate the impacts of climate change on host-parasite associations. The relative insensitivity of hemiparasite stomata to elevated CO₂ suggests that high stomatal conductances may be maintained and thus solute uptake may become limited by soil drying driven by higher rates of evapotranspiration and reduced precipitation. Climate change impacts on host-parasite interactions at the individual level will ultimately affect hemiparasite impacts at the community level. Community impacts will be greatest where climate change considerably favours hemiparasite populations or, conversely, causes them to disappear from communities where they were formerly abundant. Impacts will further be mediated by climate impacts on hosts, and the natural enemies of hosts and parasites alike. Further, the wide host range of many root hemiparasitic plants may facilitate migration of their populations through new communities under a changing climate.     

Homeostatic responses of plants to modern climate change: Spatial and phenological aspects

A series of dates of unfolding of the first leaves and duration of the season of vegetation in the silver birch (Betula pendula Roth. (B. verrucosa Ehrh.)), as well as the duration of flowering of the bird cherry (Padus avium), mountain ash (Sórbus aucupária), and small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata Mill.) for the period 1970–2010 in the central part of European Russia were studied in order to assess the trends. Differences in phenological responses to homogeneous climate changes in the trees of the same species from the northern and southern parts of the range were revealed. If spring events occur 3–7 days earlier in the northern part, no such effect is observed in the south. This fact can be interpreted as a manifestation of the different mechanisms of homeostasis in different populations determined by their biological characteristics (in particular, by the need to pass successfully the periods of organic rest and vegetation).     

Extinction of water plants in the Hula Valley: Evidence for climate change

We describe two events of water plant extinction in the Hula Valley, northern Israel: the ancient, natural extinction of 3 out of 14 extinct species at Gesher Benot Ya‘aqov, which occurred some 800-700 k.yr., and an anthropogenic, near contemporary extinction of seven species in the artificial drainage of the Hula Lake in the 1950s. We conclude that the considerable fraction of water plants that disappeared from the Hula Valley in the Early-Middle Pleistocene was the result of habitat desiccation and not global warming. Thus, there is evidence that the hominins who lived in the Hula Valley inhabited a comparatively dry place. The disappearance of water plant species was partially the result of reduced seed dispersal by birds (ornitochory) as a result of the shrinkage of water bodies and their number along the Rift Valley. We suggest that the disappearance of a group of rare, local water plants can be used as an indicator of climate drying and impacts on the local vegetation.