INVESTIGATION OF A DIATOM POPULATION FROM MINE TAILINGS IN NYE COUNTY,NEVADA, U. S. A.1

A diatom population consisting of 31 taxonomic entries was found in tailings from an abandoned mine near Ichthyosaur Paleontologic State Monument, Nye County, Nevada, U.S.A. The diatom population of the mine tailings resembled those found in dry lakes of the vicinity which are similar to some soil diatom populations. The mine tailings population was very similar to some Quaternary diatom assemblages in the vicinity and in other parts of the conterminous United States. The diatom population indicated that alkaline and oligohalobous conditions were prevalent with associated “indifference” with respect to the current spectrum.     

SOME NEW AND INTERESTING SPECIES OF TREBOUXIA,A GENUS OF LICHENIZED ALGAE

Ahmadjian , Vernon . (Clark U., Worcester, Mass.) Some new and interesting species of Trebouxia, a genus of lichenized algae. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47 (8): 677–683. Illus. 1960.—Four species of the phycobiont Trebouxia, 3 of which are new, have been described in this paper. On the basis of this study, the algal genus has been divided into 2 main groups depending on the position that the chromatophore assumes during its bipartitions and on the shape of the cells. Growth rates have been calculated and growth curves drawn for the various species. In some cases, a physiological difference was shown between morphologically identical forms. In several instances, the same algal symbiont was isolated from widely separated lichen species, a fact which is contrary to earlier claims of the high specificity of the lichen fungus to its algal component.     

STUDIES IN SOME FOLIOSE RED ALGAE OF THE PACIFIC COAST. I. CRYPTONEMIACEXE1

Pacific coast species of the red algae Halymenia and Cryptonemia are described Of the 8 previously reported species of Halymenia 3 (H. abyssicola Dawson, H. megaspore Dawson, H refugiensis Dawson) hive been placed in synonymy with other species. Halymenia hollenbergii from southern California is described as new; H cocinea is transferred from Schizymenia (and includes Aeodes gardneri Kylin) and H. templetonii is a transfer from Weeksia. Five species of Cryptonemia are described; one of them, C. taylorii from the Revillagigedo Archipelago, as new. Wider distribution ranges are given for the remaining species, C. ovalifolia, C. obovata, C. bore alis and C. angustata. Keys to genera of the west coast Cryptonemiaceae and to the species of Halymenia and Crypronemia are provided.     

NORTH CAROLINA MARINE ALGAE. VI. SOME CERAMIALES (RHODOPHYTA), INCLUDING A NEW SPECIES OF DIPTEROSIPHONIA1

Six members of the Ceramiales are added to the flora of North Carolina. Two of these, Acrosorium uncinatum (Turner) Kylin and, Rhododictyon bermudensis Taylor, are also reported from South Carolina for the first time. One species, Mesothamnion boergeseni Joly, was previously known only from Brazil and another, Dipterosiphonia reversa sp. nov., is added to the algal literature for the first time. Evidence is presented for the reassignment of R. bermudensis from the Dasyaceae to the Ceramiaceae.     

ACUTE TOXICITY OF SOME BLUEGREEN ALGAE TO THE PROTOZOAN PARAMECIUM CAUDATUM1

Four species of bluegreen algae were tested for possible effect on the protozoan Paramecium caudatum Ehrenberg. Toxicity was demonstrated using lyophilized cells of Fischerella epiphytica Ghose and Gloeotrichia echinulata (Smith) Richter. Nostoc linckia (Roth) Bornet & Thuret failed to show any effects when lyophilized but became toxic when sonified. Anabaena flos-aquae (Lyngb.) Bréb. was nontoxic in all tests. G. echinulata was lethal at 0.1 mg·ml^?1 which is comparable to the toxic concentration of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs reported for microcrustaceans.     

SOME THOUGHTS ON NUTRIENT LIMITATION IN ALGAE1

An empirical relation relating specific growth, rate in steady state systems to nutrient status with respect to more than one nutrient simultaneously is proposed, based on 3 experimentally verifiable postulates: (1) that uptake depends on the external substrate concentration; (2) that growth depends on the interval substrate concentration; and (3) in a steady state system specific rate of uptake (in the absence of significant, excretion) is necessarily the product of the specific growth rate and internal substrate concentration. The implications of this model are discussed in particular in respect to the concept of luxury consumption and Liebig's law of minimum. Some aspects of uptake in transient situations are also discussed.     

DISTRIBUTION OF QUINONES IN SOME PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA AND ALGAE

The distribution and the concentration of quinones in 5 speciesof photosynthetic bacteria and 4 species of algae were investigated.The Athiorhodaceae, except for Rhodospirillum rubrum, containedubiquinone as the major quinone component. Rhodospirillum rubrumcontained two kinds of quinones, i.e. ubiquinone and rhodoquinone.Chromatium, strain D contained two kinds of quinones, i. e.ubiquinone and vitamin K₂. The green sulfur bacterium, Chloropseudomonasethylicum, contained vitamin K₂ and a Chlorobium quinone-likesubstance. The marine algae tested, Porphyra yezoensis, Porphyra sp. andHizikia fusiforme, contained vitamin K₁, plastoquinone A, -tocopherylquinoneand ubiquinone. In Chondrus ocellatus, the presence of a ubichromenol-likesubstance was detected instead of ubiquinone. Other types ofplastoquinone and tocopherylquinone were not found in thesealgae. In the thalli of Porphyra sp., vitamin K₁, plastoquinoneA and -tocopherylquinone were found to be localized in chloroplasts. ¹Present address: Department of Biophysics and Physical Biochemistry,Johnson Research Foundation, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S.A.     

SOME EFFECTS OF DERIVATIVES OF VITAMIN K ON THE METABOLISM OF UNICELLULAR ALGAE

Vitamin K₁, 2-methyl-3-phytyl-1,4-naphthoquinone, is a substance found in all plant chloroplasts. It is, therefore, interesting to know whether it has any influence upon the metabolism of plants. Experiments made with the phytol-free derivatives like 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone or the corresponding 3-oxy compound, phthiocol, gave the following results. These substances accelerate the respiration of Chlorella or Scenedesmus in a way similar to the action of the dinitrophenols. They inhibit photosynthesis and the compensation of respiration in the light strongly like hydroxylamine. In Scenedesmus they hinder the adaptation to the anaerobic utilization of hydrogen. If given after adaptation in amounts sufficient to stop photosynthesis they do not prevent photoreduction but rather stabilize this reaction against reversion. Their presence destroys the coupling between the reduction of carbon dioxide in the dark and the oxyhydrogen reaction in adapted algae. One can expect, therefore, that the natural vitamin K present in plants in concentrations of about 10^–3 M takes part in some metabolic reaction as a catalyst or regulator.     

甘肃高台早白垩世下沟组轮藻化石

本文报道了甘肃省高台县马营河剖面下沟组上部轮藻化石5属6种、1相似种和1未定种：Clypeator jiuquanensis (S. Wang) L. Grambast, Aclistochara huihuibaoensis S. Wang, A. cf. huihuibaoensis S. Wang,Mesochara stipitata (S. Wang) Z. Wang, Mesochara crassistipitata Zhang et Meng, Peckisphaera paragranulifera(S. Wang) Fu et Lu, Sphaerochara valida (Z. W. Li) comb. nov. , Sphaerochara sp.。讨论相关种的国内外地层分布,将下沟组上部地质时代归为早白垩世巴雷姆期。     

SEASONAL,SUCCESSION OF ALGAE IN RIVERS. I. EXAMPLES FROM THE AVON,A LARGE SLOW-FLOWING RIVER1

The epipelic, epilithic and epiphytic algae in a large slow-flowing river (the Avon) situated in southern England usually exhibited a pronounced bloom during early spring probably in response, to increasing daylength. Although floods caused a reduction in the standing crop of most communities both through scouring action and possibly long-term alteration of microhabitat, they also seemed essential for the renovation of sediment and, rock substrates after periods of rapid algal growth. Because of the attachment characteristics of the predominant epiphytic species, the community attached to Cladophora remained relatively unaffected by flooding. Water velocity may have been important in determining the species composition of some communities, particularly the epiphytic associations. Nutrients probably seldom limited development, but during part of the summer competition with planktonic diatoms for silicon appeared to limit attached algae. During the summer, large scale detachment (which greatly reduced algal density) apparently correlates with a high photosynthetic rate. Algal, numbers in the plankton occasionally decreased in response to a loss of buoyancy of the predominant species.     

DISTRIBUTION,SEASONALITY AND REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY OF BANGIA ATROPURPUREA (RHODOPHYTA) IN RHODE ISLAND,U.S.A.1

Forty-seven sites along the Rhode Island coastline were sampled on a seasonal basis for the presence of the red alga Bangia atropurpurea (Roth) C. Ag. This species was found to be widely distributed, occurring at 94% of the hard, stable substrates sampled. Bangia populations were most, widespread in the winter (71% of sites) and least frequent in the summer (29% of sites). At one location, three high intertidal populations (average height 101 cm) and three low intertidal populations (average height 14 cm) were sampled monthly for two years. The upper intertidal populations appeared in September and persisted until at least May, whereas the lower populations were ephemeral, appearing for only a few months in late winter. The high intertidal populations were present on 85% of the sampling dates white the lower ones were observed on 25% of the sampling dates. Upper intertidal filaments reproduced exclusively by asexual monospores unlike those of the lower populations which were largely sexual. The maximum diameter of asexual and carpogonial filaments was 120 and 250 nm, respectively. Monosporagenesis was strongly correlated to temperature whereas gametogenesis was strongly correlated to photopriod.     

Savanna in central Wisconsin,U.S.A.

Summary A black oak savanna in central Wisconsin was analyzed in detail, including canopy trees, understory and tree seedlings. Although many authors have held that savanna in this region is a subclimax maintained by fire, this stand, unburned for many years, shows a high degree of stability and very little trend toward the postulated increase in trees. Of the 25 most frequent understory species, 80% have higher affinity for prairie or other very open habitats than for forest. Although oak seedlings had 72% frequency in 1 m² quadrats, their growth is exceedingly slow, while dieback and mortality are very high; few survive to 1 m in height and saplings are nearly absent. The tree canopy at 40% is low in relation to B. A., probably due to frequent wind and lightning damage. The inhibition of oak seedlings which prevents succession toward forest appears to be caused by a combination of frost, drouth, sandy soil of low water retaining capacity, interspecific competition and allelopathy; seedlings in an adjacent old field grow approximately 3 times faster, with little injury or mortality. Light grazing in early years of settlement may have allowed a temporary increase in tree establishment, since over 2/3 of the present canopy trees appear to be in one age group of 105–110 years. On the basis of this evidence we propose that at least some savanna sites in this region are naturally stable communities maintained by a complex interaction of the local climate, edaphic factors, and the existing community; fire is not an essential factor.

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Résumé La Savane à Chêne noir du Wisconsin central est analysée en détail, comprenant arbres, arbustes et semis d'arbres. Beaucoup d'auteurs considèrent cette Savane d?e à l'incendie. Notre groupement pas soumis à l'incendie depuis beaucoup d'années montre un haut degré de stabilité. Des 25 espèces les plus fréquentes du sous-bois 80% montrent davantage d'affinité avec la prairie où d'autres stations ouvertes qu'avec la forêt. Sur une surface de 1 m² les semis deQuercus ont une fréquence de 72%. Ils poussent très lentement et la mortalité est très grande, la hauteur de la strate arbustive, influencée par les vents fréquents est faible. L'évolution très lente des semis de Chêne semble causée par une combinaison de froid, sêcheresse, sol sablonneux, d'une faible capacité de retenu d'eau, concurrence interspécifique. Dans un vieux champ, les semis poussent à peu près 3 fois plus vite et montrent une plus faible mortalité. Plus de 2/3 des individus de la strate arborescente ont 105–110 ans. Tenant compte de ces faits, nous pouvons admettre qu'au moins certaines Savanes de cette région sont des unités naturelles, stables, maintenues dans cet état par une interaction du climat local, des facteurs édaphiques et de la végétation existante. Le feu n'est pas un facteur essentiel.

     

Savanna in central Wisconsin,U.S.A.

Summary A black oak savanna in central Wisconsin was analyzed in detail, including canopy trees, understory and tree seedlings. Although many authors have held that savanna in this region is a subclimax maintained by fire, this stand, unburned for many years, shows a high degree of stability and very little trend toward the postulated increase in trees. Of the 25 most frequent understory species, 80 % have higher affinity for prairie or other very open habitats than for forest. Although oak seedlings had 72 % frequency in 1 m² quadrats, their growth is exceedingly slow, while dieback and mortality are very high; few survive to 1 m in height and saplings are nearly absent. The tree canopy at 40 % is low in relation to B. A., probably due to frequent wind and lightning damage. The inhibition of oak seedlings which prevents succession toward forest appears to be caused by a combination of frost, drouth, sandy soil of low water retaining capacity, interspecific competition and allelopathy; seedlings in an adjacent old field grow approximately 3 times faster, with little injury or mortality. Light grazing in early years of settlement may have allowed a temporary increase in tree establishment, since over 2/3 of the present canopy trees appear to be in one age group of 105–110 years. On the basis of this evidence we propose that at least some savanna sites in this region are naturally stable communities maintained by a complex interaction of the local climate, edaphic factors, and the existing community; fire is not an essential factor.

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Résumé La Savane à Chêne noir du Wisconsin central est analysée en détail, comprenant arbres, arbustes et semis d'arbres. Beaucoup d'auteurs considèrent cette Savane d?e à l'incendie. Notre groupement pas soumis à l'incendie depuis beaucoup d'années montre un haut degré de stabilité. Des 25 espèces les plus fréquentes du sous-bois 80 % montrent davantage d'affinité avec la prairie où d'autres stations ouvertes qu'avec la forêt. Sur une surface de 1 m² les semis deQuercus ont une fréquence de 72 %. Ils poussent très lentement et la mortalité est très grande, la hauteur de la strate arbustive, influencée par les vents fréquents est faible. L'évolution très lente des semis de Chêne semble causée par une combinaison de froid, sêcheresse, sol sablonneux, d'une faible capacité de retenu d'eau, concurrence interspécifique. Dans un vieux champ, les semis poussent à peu près 3 fois plus vite et montrent une plus faible mortalité. Plus de 2/3 des individus de la strate arborescente ont 105–110 ans. Tenant compte de ces faits, nous pouvons admettre qu'au moins certaines Savanes de cette région sont des unités naturelles, stables, maintenues dans cet état par une interaction du climat local, des facteurs édaphiques et de la végétation existante. Le feu n'est pas un facteur essentiel.

     

CHEMOTAXONOMY IN MARINE ALGAE: CHEMICAL SEPARATION OF SOME LAURENCIA SPECIES (RHODOPHYTA) FROM THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA1

Species separation in the genus Laurencia (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) is complicated by the high degree of morphological variation within the species. Chemical investigations on a worldwide basis of over 15 species indicate that 1 or more of the halogenated natural products synthesized by Laurencia are unique to each species. Our chemical investigations of Laurencia pacifica, as presently understood from the Gulf of California, indicate that more than 1 species had been included under this name. Thin layer chromatographic (TLC) comparisons of the halogenated components of 3 recognizable forms of “L. pacifica” were completed. The results revealed 3 distinct forms, with halogenated products unique to each form. In each form the observed chemical characters had been previously isolated and identified and could now be positively assigned to their algal source. Comparisons were also conducted with L. pacifica Kylin (1941) from the type locality of the species, La Jolla, California, and revealed that it contained another halogenated product different from those isolated from the Gulf species. We conclude that 3 species of Laurencia have been elucidated in the Gulf of California and these are separate from L. pacifica Kylin. Each species can be distinguished by its characteristic array of halogenated compounds. Comparative thin layer chromatography of the lipid components of morphologically similar Laurencia species should prove to be a useful new taxonomic aid.