Fish communities in temporarily open/closed estuaries from the warm- and cool-temperate regions of South Africa: A review

The majority of estuaries along the coastline of southern Africa are termed temporarily open/closed estuaries (TOCEs) and are closed off from the sea for varying periods by a sandbar which forms at the mouth. It is therefore important to understand the processes occurring within TOCEs and their importance to fishes in order to make sound management recommendations. Estuaries along the coast of South Africa and their associated fish assemblages are biogeographically distinct and occur in either a subtropical, warm-temperate or cool-temperate zone. There are 125 TOCEs found within the cool-temperate and warm-temperate zones. Most fish species found in TOCEs are the juveniles of marine taxa that breed at sea. Permanently open estuaries generally have a higher diversity of species than TOCEs, but TOCEs still provide important nursery areas for many marine species and numerically often have a higher proportion of estuarine resident species. Important taxa in terms of abundance and biomass in warm-temperate TOCEs include the sparids Rhabdosargus holubi and Lithognathus lithognathus, several mugilid species, estuarine residents (particularly Gilchristella aestuaria and Atherina breviceps) and the freshwater cichlid Oreochromis mossambicus. The diversity of fishes in cool-temperate TOCEs is low when compared with warm-temperate systems and Liza richardsonii tends to dominate catches by number and mass in most systems. Several species recorded in TOCEs show clear longitudinal distribution trends. For example Atherina breviceps is generally more abundant in the lower reaches of estuaries. Mouth state, particularly the frequency, timing and duration of mouth opening plays a key role in determining species richness, composition, diversity and abundance in TOCEs. Mouth state is directly linked to freshwater input. Reduced river inflow leads to prolonged mouth closure and shorter open phases, which inhibits immigration and emigration of marine fish species between estuaries and the sea. Understanding of the effects of various processes occurring within these systems, particularly variation in freshwater input, on the biota of these important systems facilitates the development of informed management recommendations.     

Is the Wild Coast in eastern South Africa a distinct marine bioregion?

The South African coastline can be divided into at least four temperature-defined marine bioregions, including the tropical north-east coast, the subtropical east coast, the warm-temperate south coast, and the cool-temperate west coast. There are also two biogeographical transition zones, the south-west coast and the south-east coast (or Wild Coast). The former is sometimes considered a distinct marine bioregion, but no such status has yet been suggested for the Wild Coast. Previous data on the distribution of a recently described but very common coastal crab, Hymenosoma longicrure, indicated that this species could be a Wild Coast endemic. If confirmed, this would be a first indication that this region harbours unique fauna, and that additional research is required to determine whether the Wild Coast constitutes a distinct bioregion that needs to be managed separately from other coastal regions. In the present study, we generated novel genetic data for H. longicrure and compared the species’ range with that of its southern African congeners. We found that H. longicrure occurs north of the Wild Coast, where its range overlaps with that of H. projectum. This finding rejects the idea that the Wild Coast harbours endemic fauna and suggests that the ranges of the two species may be linked to the subtropical and tropical bioregions, respectively, with some southward dispersal facilitated by the southward-flowing Agulhas Current. We conclude that there is as yet no compelling evidence that the Wild Coast is a distinct marine bioregion, and concur with previous biogeographical studies which have suggested that the Wild Coast is an area in which species from the subtropical and warm-temperate bioregions have overlapping ranges. Nonetheless, that fact that no biological information is available for the majority of the region’s estuaries highlights the necessity of comprehensively documenting the biodiversity of this understudied region to fully resolve this issue.     

ADAPTATIONS TO TEMPERATE CLIMATES AND EVOLUTION OF OVERWINTERING STRATEGIES IN THE DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER SPECIES GROUP

The Drosophila melanogaster species group is considered to have originated in the tropics and only recently invaded temperate habitats. The temperate species of this group that were studied here may be subdivided into the warm-temperate species (D. lutescens and D. rufa) and the cool-temperate species (species of the auraria complex). The warm-temperate species were more cold-hardy than were their tropical relatives (D. takahashii or D. melanogaster) at the larval and imaginal stages, and the cool-temperate species were more cold-hardy than the warm-temperate species, although only at the imaginal stage. However, these species showed little or no intraspecific variation in cold-hardiness, in spite of great variation in winter temperature within the species' ranges. It is assumed that cold-hardiness is one of the main factors restricting their distributions at high latitudes and that it is the key for evolution of the warm- and cool-temperate species from their subtropical or warm-temperate ancestors. Both warm- and cool-temperate species had photoperiodically controlled reproductive diapause. In the cool-temperate species, the development of cold-hardiness was affected by diapause, but diapause had little or no effect on cold-hardiness in the warm-temperate species. Critical daylengths and the diapause rates varied from species to species according to variation in their overwintering plans and also varied geographically in consequence of their adaptation to local climates. Species showed different responses to temperature in preimaginal and ovarian development. These differences are considered to reflect adaptation to different environmental temperatures.     

Studies of the genus Pityrosporum in submerged culture

Differentiation betweenPityrosporum ovale andPityrosporum orbiculare is mainly based upon the morphological features of cells and on physiological characters such as the ability ofP. ovale of utilizing oleic acid (Marples, 1965). Our studies in submerged culture, however, have not shown remarkable differences between the two species: growth curves, nutritional requirements, lipid utilization and optimal temperature are practically the same. In some strains of both species (1 : 4) we did observe a limited growth capacity, associated with a lower utilization rate of lipids. But for the notably different morphological features of cells,P. ovale andP. orbiculare could be ascribed, as regards their cultural characteristics, to the same species. The search forP. orbiculare was successful in all the cases of Pityriasis versicolor, while all our attempts to isolateP. ovale from its usual areas (scalp, upper back and chest) from both healty and seborrhoic subjets, gave no results.P. orbiculare was found in the same areas in the greatest part (85 %) of these subjects. In order to explain these results, one could assume thatP. orbiculare is the only species ofPityrosporum widespread in our region.These studies were supported by grant of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche of Italy under contract n. 70.01023/115.2798.     

Changes of China agricultural climate resources under the background of climate change. IV. Spatiotemporal change characteristics of agricultural climate resources in sub-humid warm-temperate irrigated wheat-maize agricultural area of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain

Based on the 1961-2007 observation data from 66 meteorological stations in the sub-humid and warm-temperate irrigated wheat-maize agricultural area of Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, this paper analyzed the spatiotemporal change characteristics of agro-climate resources for chimonophilous and thermophilic crops in the area in 1961-1980 and 1981-2007. The analyzed items included the length of temperature-defined growth season and the active accumulative temperature, sunshine hours, precipitation, reference evapotranspiration, and aridity index during the temperature-defined growth season. With climate warming, the length of temperature-defined growth season of chimonophilous and thermophilic crops in the area in 1981-2007 extended by 7. 4 d and 6. 9 d, and the > or = 0 degrees C and > or = 10 degrees C accumulative temperature increased at a rate of 4.0-137.0 and 1.0-142.0 degrees C d (10 a)(-1), respectively, compared with those in 1961-1980. The sunshine hours during the temperature-defined growth season of the crops decreased markedly; and the precipitation during the temperature-defined growing season decreased in most parts of the area, being obvious in Hebei and north Shandong Province, but increased in north Anhui and southeast Henan Province. In most parts of the area, the reference evapotranspiration of chimonophilous and thermophilic crops during their temperature-defined growth season decreased, and the aridity index increased.     

DISTINCTION OF SOUTH AMERICAN HAPLOGLOIA ANDERSONII AND CHORDARIA LINEARIS (PHAEOPHYCEAE) BASED ON DIFFERENCES IN SEXUAL REPRODUCTION,MORPHOLOGY, ECOPHYSIOLOGY,AND DISTRIBUTION1

Haplogloia andersonii (Farlow) Levring is an anti-tropical species that occurs on cold and warm-temperate Pacific coasts of both Americas. In its habit it resembles the subantarctic species Chordaria linearis (Hooker et Harvey) Cotton. Culture studies show that the species differ in morphology and ecophysiology of their microscopic gametophytes and in gamete behavior. Details of sporophyte anatomy are presented that also allow the distinction of field plants. In South America, H. andersonii occurs only on the Pacific coast, from central Perú (14°S) to southern Chile (50°S). Chordaria linearis occurs on the Pacific coast from Chiloé Island (43°S) to Cape Horn (56°S). In the shared area the species may co-occur. On the Atlantic coast, C. linearis was newly collected at a locality in northern Patagonia (41°S). In addition, C. linearis occurs in Antarctica. Haplogloia moniliformis Richer, recently described from Macquarie Island, is probably synonymous with Chordaria linearis.     

Temperature,light, and photoperiod responses of some Northeast American and West European endemic rhodophytes in relation to their geographic distribution

The relationship between distributional boundaries and temperature responses of some Northeast American and West European endemic and amphiatlantic rhodophytes was experimentally determined under varying regimes of temperature, light, and daylength. Potentially critical temperatures, derived from open ocean surface summer and winter isotherms, were inferred from distributional data for each of these algae. On the basis of the distributional data the algae fall within the limits of three phytogeographic groups: (1) the Northeast American tropical-to-temperate group; (2) the warm-temperate Mediterranean Atlantic group; and (3) the amphiatlantic tropical-to-warm temperate group. Experimental evidence suggests that the species belonging to the northeast American tropical-to-temperate group(Grinnellia americana, Lomentaria baileyana, andAgardhiella subulata) have their northern boundaries determined by a minimum summer temperature high enough for sufficient growth and/or reproduction. The possible restriction of 2 species (G. americana andL. baileyana) to the tropical margins may be caused by summer lethal temperatures (between 30 and 35 °C) or because the gradual disintegration of the upright thalli at high temperatures (>30 °C) promotes an ephemeral existence of these algae towards their southern boundaries. Each of the species have a rapid growth and reproductive potential between 15–30 °C with a broad optimum between 20–30 °C. The lower limit of survival of each species was at least 0 °C (tested in short days only). Growth and reproduction data imply that the restrictive distribution of these algae to the Americas may be due to the fact that for adequate growth and/or reproduction water temperatures must exceed 20 °C. At temperatures 15 °C reproduction and growth are limited, and the amphiatlantic distribution through Iceland would not be permitted. On the basis of experimental evidence, the species belonging to the warm-temperate Mediterranean Atlantic group(Halurus equisetifolius), Callophyllis laciniata, andHypoglossum woodwardii), have their northern boundaries determined by winter lethal temperatures. Growth ofH. equisetifolius proceeded from 10–25 °C, that ofC. laciniata andH. woodwardii from 5–25 °C, in each case with a narrow range for optimal growth at ca. 15 °C. Tetrasporelings ofH. woodwardii showed limited survival at 0 °C for up to 4 d. For all members of the group tetrasporangia occurred from 10–20 °C. The southern boundary ofH. equisetifolius andC. laciniata is a summer lethal temperature whereas that ofH. woodwardii possibly is a winter growth and reproduction limit. Since each member of this group has a rather narrow growth and survival potential at temperatures <5 °C and >20 °C, their occurrence in northeast America is unlikely. The (irregular) distribution ofSolieria tenera (amphiatlantic tropical-to-warm temperate) cannot be entirely explained by the experimental data (possibly as a result of taxonomic uncertainties).Paper presented at the Seaweed Biogeography Workshop of the International Working Group on Seaweed Biogeography, held from 3–7 April, 1984 at the Department of Marine Biology, University of Groningen (The Netherlands). Convenor: C. van den Hoek.     

Deep-water macroalgae from the Canary Islands: new records and biogeographical relationships

Due to the geographical location and paleobiogeography of the Canary Islands, the seaweed flora contains macroalgae with different distributional patterns. In this contribution, the biogeographical relations of several new records of deep-water macroalgae recently collected around the Canarian archipelago are discussed. These areBryopsidella neglecta (Berthold) Rietema,Discosporangium mesarthrocarpum (Meneghini) Hauck,Hincksia onslowensis (Amsler et Kapraun) P. C. Silva,Syringoderma floridana Henry,Peyssonnelia harveyana J. Agardh,Cryptonemia seminervis (C. Agardh) J. Agardh,Botryocladia wynnei Ballantine,Gloiocladia blomquistii (Searles) R. E. Norris,Halichrysis peltata (W. R. Taylor) P. Huvé et H. Huvé,Leptofauchea brasiliensis Joly, andSarcodiotheca divaricata W. R. Taylor. These new records, especially those in the Florideophyceae, support the strong affinity of the Canary Islands seaweed flora with the warm-temperate Mediterranean-Atlantic region. Some species are recorded for the first time from the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean, enhancing the biogeographic relations of the Canarian marine flora with that of the western Atlantic regions.     

Diversity,Ecology, Biogeography,and Evolution of the Prevalent Brown Algal Genus Lobophora in the Greater Caribbean Sea,Including the Description of Five New Species1

Distributed in tropical and warm-temperate waters worldwide, Lobophora species are found across the Greater Caribbean (i.e., Caribbean sensu stricto, Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda). We presently discuss the diversity, ecology, biogeography, and evolution of the Greater Caribbean Lobophora species based on previous studies and an extensive number of samples collected across the eastern, southern, and to a lesser extent western Caribbean. A total of 18 Lobophora species are now documented from the Greater Caribbean, of which five are newly described (L. agardhii sp. nov., L. dickiei sp. nov., L. lamourouxii sp. nov., L. richardii sp. nov., and L. setchellii sp. nov.). Within the Greater Caribbean, the eastern Caribbean and the Central Province are the most diverse ecoregion and province (16 spp.), respectively. Observed distribution patterns indicate that Lobophora species from the Greater Caribbean have climate affinities (i.e., warm-temperate vs. tropical affinities). In total, 11 Lobophora species exclusively occur in the Greater Caribbean; six are present in the western Atlantic; two in the Indo-Pacific; and one in the eastern Pacific. Biogeographic analyses support that no speciation occurred across the Isthmus of Panama, and that the Greater Caribbean acted as a recipient region for species from the Indo-Pacific and as a region of diversification as well as a donor region to the North-eastern Atlantic. The Greater Caribbean is not an evolutionary dead end for Lobophora, but instead generates and exports diversity. Present results illustrate how sampling based on DNA identification is reshaping biogeographic patterns, as we know them.     

Histochemical Studies of the Non‐Host Resistance and the Role of Actin Cytoskeleton in Pepper Against Colletotrichum orbiculare

The penetration process and defence reactions (hypersensitive response, oxidative burst and cell wall fortification) of Colletotrichum orbiculare were studied histochemically on pepper cultivar ‘A11’ (non‐host) and susceptible cucumber cultivar ‘Changchun Thorn’ (host). The results indicate that C. orbiculare could hardly penetrate the non‐host pepper leaves. It was papillae rather than hypersensitive response and H₂O₂ that played an important role in resisting the colonization and development of C. orbiculare on the non‐host pepper. The depolymerization of the actin microfilament weakened the papilla deposition of pepper and allowed successful penetration of the non‐adapted C. orbiculare, suggesting that the actin cytoskeleton of pepper is significant in preventing the invasion of the non‐host pathogen C. orbiculare.     

Cold and heat tolerance of drosophilid flies with reference to their latitudinal distributions

The relation between thermal tolerance and latitudinal distribution was studied with 30 drosophilid species collected from the cool-temperate region (Sapporo), the warm-temperate region (Tokyo and Kyoto) and the subtropical region (Iriomote island) in Japan. In addition, intraspecific variation was examined for five species collected from two localities. The subtropical strains of Scaptodrosophila coracina, Drosophila bizonata and D. daruma were less tolerant to cold than their temperate strains. However, the difference of cold tolerance between these two geographic strains was much smaller than the difference between the species restricted to the subtropical region and those occurring in the temperate region. In D. auraria and D. suzukii, no difference was observed in thermal tolerance between their cool- and warm-temperate strains. Thus, geographic variation in thermal tolerance within species was low or negligible. Interspecific comparisons by phylogenetic independent contrasts revealed that species which had the northern boundaries of their distributions at higher latitudes were generally more tolerant to cold than those which had their boundaries at lower latitudes. However, the data for some species did not agree with this trend. The use of man-protected warm places for overwintering, competition or predation would also affect their distributions. It also appeared that species which had their southern boundaries at higher latitudes were generally more cold-tolerant. The acquisition of cold tolerance may lower a flys capacity to compete, survive or reproduce in warmer climates. On the other hand, no relation was observed between heat tolerance and latitudinal distribution. Heat tolerance was higher in species inhabiting openlands or the forest canopy than in those inhabiting the forest understorey.     

Impacts of land-use history on the diversity of a riparian forest landscape in warm-temperate Kyushu,southern Japan

We examined the impacts of land-use history on the species composition and diversity of a warm-temperate riparian forest landscape in Kyushu, southern Japan, focusing on the relationship between evergreen oaks and deciduous trees in natural and seminatural forests. The species composition of 59 plots was classified into four types (A to D). Type A, which showed a significant bias towards sites not subject to nonforest land use since 1947, had high species diversity consisting of (1) many lucidophyllous components of the region, including the rare indigenous oak Quercus hondae, and (2) summergreen tree species of varying dominance and number representing unique or locally rare elements of the riparian landscape in this warm-temperate region. Type B was dominated by a common species of oak, Q. glauca, and displayed less clear distribution bias with land-use history. In contrast to types A and B, types C and D, which were characterized by high dominance of deciduous trees, had negative bias away from sites that had been under forest land use in 1947. Presumably, intensive anthropogenic disturbances associated with nonforest land uses had expanded the habitats for deciduous trees. This phenomenon was represented by the establishment of forests (type D) dominated by Ulmus davidiana var. japonica (UDJ) after it had been released from the suppression of evergreen forest trees during a period of nonforest land use that prevents the successful recovery of evergreen trees. From these results we conclude that the impacts of land-use history on the diversity of warm-temperate riparian forest landscape are multiphased: a period of nonforest land use has a strong negative impact on lucidophyllous forest trees represented by the rare indigenous oak Q. hondae; release from the suppressive effects of the lucidophyllous species then encourages establishment of locally rare deciduous tree flora represented by UDJ, which continue to persist for decades after abandonment of nonforest land use.     

Redescription of Antetintinnidium mucicola (Claparède and Lachmann, 1858) nov. gen., nov. comb. (Alveolata,Ciliophora, Tintinnina)

Tintinnid ciliates have traditionally been described and classified exclusively based on their lorica features. Although information on the cell characters is urgently needed for a natural classification, more molecular than cytological data has been accumulated over recent years. Apparently, the tintinnids developed in the marine environment and entered freshwater several times independently. Typical freshwater tintinnids belong to the genera Tintinnidium and Membranicola. The species are comparatively well‐known regarding their morphology and characterised by two unusual de novo originating ciliary rows, the ventral organelles. In contrast, the cell features in the marine/brackish Tintinnidium species, specifically their somatic ciliary patterns, are insufficiently known or not known at all. Therefore, the morphology of a common marine/brackish representative, Tintinnidium mucicola, is redescribed based on live observation and protargol‐stained material. Furthermore, biogeographical and autecological data of the species are compiled from literature and own records. The phylogenetic relationships of T. mucicola are inferred and the diversity of the family Tintinnidiidae is assessed from 18S rDNA sequences. The study shows that T. mucicola is not only molecularly distinct, but also characterised by many plesiomorphic features, for instance, it does not possess a verifiable homologue to the ventral organelles. Hence, a new genus, Antetintinnidium nov. gen., is established for T. mucicola. The new insights into the diversity of Tintinnidiidae shed light on the early evolution of tintinnids and might provide clues on their adaptions to freshwater.     

A PERIODIC ACID-SCHIFF'S SUBSTANCE RELATED TO THE DIRECTIONAL GROWTH OF POLLEN TUBE INTO EMBRYO SAC IN PASPALUM OVULES

The presence of a periodic acid-Schiff's (PAS) substance at the micropylar portion of the ovules of Paspalum orbiculare and three other species of Paspalum has been revealed by improved cytological techniques. The substance is located in the distal portion of the outer integument, especially at its edges, and in the micropyle, which is formed by the inner integument. A study of the origin of this substance in P. orbiculare indicates that it is produced from the cellular material of the dissolved cells in situ. The PAS substance is highly water soluble and may contain some protein. The final directional growth of the pollen tube into the filiform apparatus of the degenerated synergid is related to this substance. The role of the synergids in its formation is discussed.     

The diversity of Pityrosporum (Malassezia) yeasts in vivo and in vitro

Conclusions In considering the diversity of the lipophilic yeasts it has been shown that in vivo both spherical and oval yeasts may be found in normal conditions on the skin and also associated with hyphae in scales from pityriasis versicolor. There is however generally a different distribution pattern on the body for two forms. This may indicate a different ecology for two distinct varieties or the varying conditions at each site may influence changes in the cell shape of a single species. It is striking that the spherical yeasts (P. orbiculare) have not been found in animals. In vitro, several morphological variants can be maintained, but the change from one form to another which is the subject of a number of reports will be one deciding factor leading to the opinion that P. orbiculare and P. ovale are synonymous. However, physiological differences such as growth rate, their viability in subculture and the analysis of proteins, are all characteristics which alone would be insufficient to support a taxonomic division but when added together confirm the morphological separation of isolates. It remains to be seen if DNA studies, which have so far unified the anthropophilic, lipid dependant Pityrosporum yeasts, will in fact continue to show that they should be confined to a single species.This paper was presented at the X^th congress of the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology at Barcelona, Spain from June 27 to July 1, 1988.     

Integrative taxonomy identifies a new stingray species of the genus Hypanus Rafinesque, 1818 (Dasyatidae,Myliobatiformes), from the Tropical Southwestern Atlantic

An integrative approach by the congruence of genetics, morphology and ecological niche modelling (ENM) was used to delimit a new species of Hypanus (Rafinesque, 1818), a recently resurrected genus of marine stingrays comprising eight species, five of which occur in the western Atlantic. The species with the widest distribution, Hypanus americanus (Hildebrand and Schroeder, 1928), from the northeastern coast of the United States to southeastern Brazil, was demonstrated to be paraphyletic based on protein-coding mitochondrial genome analyses. This data set also indicates that the genetic distance between the new species Hypanus berthalutzae sp. nov. and its three closely related species (H. americanus, H. longus and H. rudis) varies from 0.82% to 3.14%. In addition, Bayesian Analysis of Population Similarity using the mitochondrial gene mt-nd2 supports the separation of H. berthalutzae sp. nov. (southwestern Atlantic) from its sister species H. rudis (eastern Atlantic). Similarly, morphological and morphometric analyses corroborated four morphotypes within the H. americanus species group and indicated the ventral caudal fold height and length and interspiracular and interorbital lengths as useful measurements to distinguish among them. Claspers of adult males also exhibit morphological differences among species. The ENM agreed with molecular and morphological analyses and delimits the distribution of H. berthalutzae sp. nov. to shallow areas close to shore along the Brazilian coast, from the mouth of the Amazon River to São Paulo State, including the northeastern oceanic islands, suggesting that the great outflow of fresh water and sediments and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge might act as barriers. The integration of these data to describe a new species provides information relevant to their conservation status, because all species of the H. americanus species group are under the “data-deficient” status.     

Data on the family Pandalidae around the Canary Islands, with first record of Plesionika antigai (Caridea)

Of the 20 pandalid shrimps species and subspecies reported for the Eastern Central Atlantic (26–36° N), 16 were found in one or more Macaronesian archipelagos (Azores, Madeira, Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands) (14–40° N), and 11 of them were recorded to date in the Canary Island waters (27° 30–29° 30 N): Bitias stocki Fransen, 1990; Heterocarpus ensifer ensifer A. Milne-Edwards, 1881; Heterocarpus grimaldii A. Milne-Edwards & Bouvier, 1900; Heterocarpus laevigatus Bate, 1888; Plesionika edwardsii (Brandt, 1851); Plesionika ensis (A. Milne-Edwards, 1881); Plesionika holthuisi Crosnier & Forest, 1968; Plesionika martia martia (A. Milne-Edwards, 1883); Plesionika narval (J.C. Fabricius, 1787); Plesionika williamsi Forest, 1964; and Stylopandalus richardi Coutière, 1905. In the present work, Plesionika antigai Zariquiey Álvarez, 1955 is recorded for the first time from the Canary Islands. As a result of many fishing surveys around the Canary Islands at 27–1550 m depth between 1985 and 1998, information on bathymetric distribution, habitat, size and biology of the 12 Canarian pandalid species is given. The geomorphologic, geographic and oceanographic characteristics of the Canary Islands marine ecosystems could explain the great diversity in the biogeographic patterns of the pandalid species inhabiting this area. The distribution patterns found were: Macaronesian (1 spec.), Atlanto-Mediterranean (1 spec.), Eastern Atlantic warm-temperate (1 spec.), amphi-Atlantic warm (2 spec.), amphi-Atlantic warm-temperate (1 spec.), pantropical (5 spec.), and cosmopolitan (1 spec.).     

Comparative transient expression analyses on two conserved effectors of Colletotrichum orbiculare reveal their distinct cell death-inducing activities between Nicotiana benthamiana and melon

Colletotrichum orbiculare infects cucurbits, such as cucumber and melon (Cucumis melo), as well as the model Solanaceae plant Nicotiana benthamiana, by secreting an arsenal of effectors that suppress the immunity of these distinct plants. Two conserved effectors of C. orbiculare, called NLP1 and NIS1, induce cell death responses in N. benthamiana, but it is unclear whether they exhibit the same activity in Cucurbitaceae plants. In this study, we established a new Agrobacterium-mediated transient expression system to investigate the cell death-inducing activity of NLP1 and NIS1 in melon. NLP1 strongly induced cell death in melon but, in contrast to the effects seen in N. benthamiana, mutations either in the heptapeptide motif or in the putative glycosylinositol phosphorylceramide-binding site did not cancel its cell death-inducing activity in melon. Furthermore, NLP1 lacking the signal peptide caused cell death in melon but not in N. benthamiana. Study of the transient expression of NIS1 also revealed that, unlike in N. benthamiana, NIS1 did not induce cell death in melon. In contrast, NIS1 suppressed flg22-induced reactive oxygen species generation in melon, as seen in N. benthamiana. These findings indicate distinct cell death-inducing activities of NLP1 and NIS1 in these two plant species that C. orbiculare infects.     

Ecology of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests of Yunnan,southwestern China as compared to those of southwestern Japan

Subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests of Yunnan, China, including mid-montane moist, monsoon, and semi-humid categories, were studied in terms of ecological attributes of pertinent species, diversity, structure, dynamics and succession, as compared with the subtropical/warm-temperate evergreen broad-leaved rain forest of southwestern (SW) Japan. The genera and species of the forests of Yunnan and SW Japan are East Asian elements and indicate a very close relationship between the respective floras, though different assemblages of species occur in the two regions. Diversity indices and numerical data on taxon richness at family, genus and species level were similar in both regions. Four types of gap-regeneration behaviors among the major tree species were recognized in the two areas. In both, as a result of long-term human activity, the plant communities ranged from pioneer deciduous broad-leaved and/or pioneer coniferous stands to late-successional evergreen broad-leaved stands. Succession in the two regions followed parallel paths, beginning with pioneer Alnus in Yunnan and Alnus, Mallotus and Styrax in Japan, accompanied by coniferous Pinus in the two areas, and with late-successional evergreen broad-leaved Cyclobalanopsis and Castanopsis as their final stage. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.