A Method for Isolating and Preparing Silica Bodies in Grasses for Scanning Electron Microscopy

Silica bodies are discrete deposits of dehydrated silica within epidermal cells. To describe these bodies completely, surrounding organic and unsilicified material must be removed. Methods generally used for isolating and preparing silica bodies were unsuitable for most grass species. An effective method for studying grasses is described here. After ashing the plant tissue, the ash was repeatedly rinsed with HCl in a specialized multiple funnel manifold and collected on Nuclepore filters. In addition, the silica bodies were sonicated for a few minutes to remove any remaining mineral impurities. Compared to conventional procedures, this method has a number of advantages: unsilicified material and mineral impurities were removed effectively, smaller quantities of plant tissue could be used, and the loss of silica bodies was minimized.     

Morphological characteristics of phytoliths from representative conifers in China

Coniferous phytoliths in sediments are an effective tool for detecting the historical appearance of conifers. However, at the timberline in mountainous areas, such coniferous phytoliths are easily confused with grass phytoliths. This study analyses modern phytoliths from 17 conifer plants. Six common types and six rare types were identified. The conifers studied produce abundant blocky polyhedral and cubic (in the average 30–40 μm size range), blocky scrobiculate (average 30–40 μm), tabular elongate unsculpted (length 50–100 μm, width 10–20 μm), tabular elongate cavate (length 50–150 μm, width ∼10 μm), tabular elongate dendritic (50–100 μm × 10–20 μm), and irregular oblong (20–40 μm) phytoliths. This paper aims to show morphological characteristics of coniferous phytoliths in China, and to show how the common coniferous phytoliths differ from similar grass phytolith types, such as blocky polyhedral coniferous phytoliths from silicified parallelepipedal bulliform cells produced by grass. Blocky polyhedral and cubic phytoliths are the commonest coniferous phytoliths found in the sediments, but need to be carefully distinguished from grass parallelepipedal bulliform cells. This study indicates that clearly protruding ridges and irregular inward edges are essential features of cubic and polyhedral morphotypes produced by conifers. Results of this paper might provide important material for the study of paleovegetation and paleoecology of mountainous areas, especially at the timberline.     

Phytoliths of Indian grasses and their potential use in identification

Phytoliths are amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO₂.nH₂O) inclusions abundant in leaves, in-ternodes and glumes in members of Poaceae. They may occur as inclusions filling the entire lumen of the silica cells, bulliform cells and trichomes or may be part of the outer epidermal cell walls. Since phytoliths are resistant to fungal or animal digestive juices, a large quantity of phytoliths accumulate in the soil where grasses grow. Compared with the pollen grains of grasses which tend to be uniform, phytoliths vary in sue and morphology and can be of value in identification at different taxonomic levels and in the dating of past vegetation. The size and shape of phytoliths of about 100 species of grasses from Tamil Nadu, India, have been determined. Silica bodies were observed either after isolation or in cleared leaf blades. Size and shape of phytoliths were determined under a microscope or from micrographs of the specimens. Size and shape can be used to assign the phytoliths to their respective subfamilies and to distinguish some of the grasses at the generic level. Drawings of silica cells and an identification key are provided for 80 species.     

A comparison of heavy liquid floatation and microwave digestion techniques for the extraction of fossil phytoliths from sediments

This paper reports the results of a comparative analysis of two techniques used for the extraction of fossil phytoliths from sediments. The first is a standard heavy liquid floatation extraction technique that has been successfully used and proven to provide reliable phytolith assemblage data. A second technique using a Perkin-Elmer Multiwave Microwave Sample Preparation System is introduced, and the results are compared to those of the conventional technique. Results for both techniques, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of their use are discussed. This study provides an introduction to an alternative technique for the extraction of fossil phytoliths and possibly starch grains from sediments. The microwave technique is fast, inexpensive, omits the need for heavy liquid floatation and most importantly results in the appropriation of interpretable and replicable fossil phytolith assemblage data.     

C4 photosynthetic modifications in the evolutionary transition from land to water in aquatic grasses

Cladistic analysis supports the conclusion that the Orcuttieae tribe of C₄ grasses reflect evolution from a terrestrial ancestry into seasonal pools. All nine species in the tribe exhibit adaptations to the aquatic environment, evident in the structural characteristics of the juvenile foliage, which persist submerged for 1–3 months prior to metamorphosis to the terrestrial foliage. Aquatic leaves of the least derived or basal genus Neostapfia have few morphological and anatomical characteristics specialized to the aquatic environment and have retained full expression of the C₄ pathway, including Kranz anatomy. Orcuttia species have many derived characteristics and are more specialized to the aquatic environment. These latter species germinate earlier in the season and persist in the submerged stage longer than Neostapfia and evidence from the literature indicates length of submergence is positively correlated with fitness components. Aquatic leaves of Orcuttia species lack Kranz or PCR bundle sheath anatomy, yet ¹⁴C-pulse chase studies indicate >95% malate + aspartate as the initial products of photosynthesis and these products turn over rapidly to phosphorylated sugars, indicating a tight coupling of the C₄ and C₃ cycles. Presence of the C₄ pathway is further supported by enzymological data. Contemporary dogma that Kranz anatomy is a sine qua non for operation of the C₄ pathway is contradicted by the patterns in Orcuttia; however, it is unknown whether the pathway acts as a CO₂ concentrating mechanism in these aquatic plants. Received: 12 June 1997 / Accepted: 10 February 1997     

Definition of grassland biomes from phytoliths in West Africa

Aim In order to enhance the effectiveness of comparisons between modelled and empirical data for present and past vegetation, it is important to improve the characterization of tropical grass‐dominated biomes reconstructed from fossil tracers. This study presents a method for assigning phytolith assemblages to tropical grass‐dominated biomes, with the objective of offering a new tool for combining pollen and phytolith data in the reconstruction of tropical biomes. Location The West African latitudinal transect studied here extends from 12° N (southern Senegal) to 23° N (southern Mauritania), passing through the Guinean, Sudanian, Sahelian and Saharan bioclimatic zones. Methods Modern phytolith assemblages were extracted from 59 soil surface samples taken throughout the study area and allocated, a priori, to three current biomes: (1) desert C₄ grassland, (2) short grass savanna, and (3) tall grass savanna. Five out of nine phytolith types identified were used as predictors in a discriminant analysis (with calibration and validation steps) for assigning phytolith assemblages to biomes. In addition, 74 modern pollen spectra from the West African transect, acquired from the African Pollen Database ( http://medias.obs‐mip.fr/apd ), were processed by the biomization method. This mathematical procedure involves assigning palynological taxa to one or more plant functional types, which represent broad classes of plants. The plant functional types, in turn, are combined to define biomes following a specific set of algorithms and rules. The resulting maps of the phytolith biomes thus derived were compared with maps of pollen biomes and of contemporary ecosystem classes. Results In the calibration and validation steps, 91.5% and up to 83%, respectively, of the phytolith samples were assigned to the correct biome. The short grass savanna and tall grass savanna biomes were assigned with similar accuracy by both the phytolith and pollen biomization methods, but the phytolith method gave substantially superior results for the desert C₄ grassland biome, providing seven out of seven correct assignments, compared with just one out of four by pollen biomization. Comparisons between an existing ecosystem map and the maps created from phytolith estimation showed close correspondence for desert C₄ grassland, short grass savanna and tall grass savanna, the latter providing correct assignments in 88, 62 and 91% of cases, respectively. Main conclusions The phytolith discriminant analysis method presented here accurately estimates three C₄ grass‐dominated biomes that are widespread in West Africa. Complementarities between the phytolith method and pollen biomization are highlighted. Combining complementary phytolith and pollen data would provide more accurate assignments of C₄ grass‐dominated biomes than pollen biomization alone.     

Diversity of lobate phytoliths in grass leaves from the Sahel region, West Tropical Africa: Tribe Paniceae

Phytoliths are microscopic amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2.H2O) particles occurring in leaves, internodes, glumes and inflorescence within all members of the grass family Poaceae. Phytoliths of grasses are of particular interest, as they possess morphological features which have encouraged many investigators to identify these plants from which fossil phytoliths might have originated. The present study is a step towards preparing a systematic inventory of grass phytoliths in western tropical Africa. Morphology and dimensions of phytoliths from 66 species belonging to the tribe Paniceae have been studied. Four shape categories of lobate phytoliths have been determined in leaf blade spodograms: bilobate, nodular bilobate, polylobate, quadra-lobate. Bilobate shaped phytoliths are frequently represented in all genera of Paniceae. 13 groups of lobate phytoliths have been distinguished based on significant morphological criteria like shape of outer margins, shape of the shank and number of lobes. A size category system of lobate phytolith dimensions (length, width; length and width of shanks) has been developed by the analysis of average, minimum and maximum values of these dimensions. Application of the size category system results on classifying the major groups into 25 subgroups. The study proves that size and shape can be used to assign some of the lobate phytoliths to their respective genera. Some rarely produced lobate shapes like nodular bilobate and polylobate types could be used together on assemblage basis as markers for definite genera in the tribe Paniceae, e.g. Brachiaria, Panicum, Pennisetum and Setaria. Also, bilobate phytoliths with concave margins have been recorded in five species. Bilobate phytoliths with flattened and convex margins and quadra-lobate shapes are produced by almost all species which therefore resulted in an inconsistent and indefinite relationship with the taxa that produce them. The study shows a correlation between width dimensions of bilobate shapes and their shanks. Greater width dimensions usually connected to thick shanks while short ones are attached to thin shanks. A spectrum on percentages of species producing each type of lobate phytolith has been designed. It is recommended that such spectrum should be carried out for all tribes of Poaceae on phyto-geographical basis which might eliminate the effect of redundancy and multiplicity on the classification of grass phytoliths.     

Morphological and physiological traits for higher biomass production in perennial rhizomatous grasses grown on marginal land

A widespread criticism of growing energy crops is that they displace much needed food crops and cause upward pressure on food prices. One solution is the use of marginal land that is unfavourable for food production and is currently underutilized. However, the yield of crops growing on marginal land is reduced because they are subjected to a range of abiotic stresses such as extremes of temperature and rainfall and edaphic factors such as increased soil salinity. Therefore, to achieve acceptable economic returns on the use of this land it will be necessary to, on the one hand improve management practices and on the other to select for plant genotypes which are able to tolerate and potentially overcome the stressful conditions they are exposed to. Here, we review the morphological and physiological traits of perennial rhizomatous grasses that could be modified to overcome these stresses and to maximize biomass production on marginal land. The traits include aspects of crop phenology, canopy and leaf photosynthesis, biomass partitioning, nutrient and water use efficiency and heat, cold and salt tolerance. It is proposed that newly developed biotechnological methods combined with high‐throughput plant phenotyping offer opportunities to rapidly select new genotypes that could achieve economic yields on large areas of marginal land.     

Root and stem anatomy and histochemistry of four grasses from the Jianghan Floodplain along the Yangtze River, China

The present study examined anatomical and histochemical features of belowground axes of four grass species (Cynodon dactylon, Eremochloa ophiuroides, Hemerthria altissima, and Paspalum distichum) which occur in wetlands and can survive flooding. They may help to restore the degraded ecological environment of the floodplain in the Jianghan Plain and the Three Gorges Dam riparian zone of the Yangtze River, China. Brightfield and epifluorescence microscopy gave evidence that the roots of the four species share similar structures with each having endodermis and exodermis, with mostly Y-shaped Casparian walls, suberin lamellae, and lignified secondary cell walls. But the timing of wall deposit apposition and the degree of secondary thickening vary among the species. The root cortical aerenchyma is basically lysigenous. Rhizomes and stolons have an epidermis with thick cuticle, a peripheral, mechanically stiff ring with or without small embedded vascular bundles and a chlorenchyma. The cortex is of varying thickness, with or without collenchymas. A central core of vascular bundles is usually surrounded by a sclerenchyma ring of varying thickness, depending upon the species. Pith cavities and small cortical cavities are normal except for unusual honeycomb or expansigenous aerenchyma in one species. The peripheral mechanical ring and the sclerenchyma ring contain suberin and lignin, but no detectable Casparian bands. Even in non-flooded conditions, anatomical traits of these species provide adaptive features allowing them to occupy riparian zones as they occur at the Yangtze River.     

Elevated carbon dioxide and warming impact silicon and phenolic‐based defences differently in native and exotic grasses

Global climate change may increase invasions of exotic plant species by directly promoting the success of invasive/exotic species or by reducing the competitive abilities of native species. Changes in plant chemistry, leading to altered susceptibility to stress, could mediate these effects. Grasses are hyper‐accumulators of silicon, which play a crucial function in the alleviation of diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. It is unknown how predicted increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) and air temperature affect silicon accumulation in grasses, especially in relation to primary and secondary metabolites. We tested how elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) (+240 ppm) and temperature (eT) (+4°C) affected chemical composition (silicon, phenolics, carbon and nitrogen) and plant growth in eight grass species, either native or exotic to Australia. eCO₂ increased phenolic concentrations by 11%, but caused silicon accumulation to decline by 12%. Moreover, declines in silicon occurred mainly in native species (?19%), but remained largely unchanged in exotic species. Conversely, eT increased silicon accumulation in native species (+19%) but decreased silicon accumulation in exotic species (?10%). Silicon and phenolic concentrations were negatively correlated with each other, potentially reflecting a defensive trade‐off. Moreover, both defences were negatively correlated with plant mass, compatible with a growth‐defence trade‐off. Grasses responded in a species‐specific manner, suggesting that the relative susceptibility of different species may differ under future climates compared to current species rankings of resource quality. For example, the native Microlaena stipoides was less well defended under eCO₂ in terms of both phenolics and silicon, and thus could suffer greater vulnerability to herbivores. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the impacts of eCO₂ and eT on silicon accumulation in grasses. We speculate that the greater plasticity in silicon uptake shown by Australian native grasses may be partly a consequence of evolving in a low nutrient and seasonally arid environment.     

中美《农业生态学》教材的比较分析

为了了解《农业生态学》教学的发展趋势,对近30年美国和中国多个作者多个版本的《农业生态学》教材进行了分析。教材的共同特点是:都针对工业化农业存在不可持续的问题提出了农业发展的新构想;都把农业生态学的理论框架定位在农业生态系统层面;提倡农业的新发展方向时都注重能够协调农业社会效益、经济效益和生态效益的工业化农业替代方法。教材的不同特点表现在:在教材引用的典型和例证方面,美国教材除了本国的例子外,比较经常运用多国获得的一手素材,也比较多运用自身研究的结果,个性表现强,中国的教材比较多局限在本国的典型实践经验方面,自身研究成果不够丰富;中国的教材有更加严密和稳定的理论框架和逻辑体系,美国教材的体系变化还比较多。教材的发展方向都表现在:注意平衡生态学基础与农业实践两个部分的教学内容;引入更多的实践方法与丰富的研究成果;教材内容注重了农业可持续发展的社会组织层面;注意通过实验与实习强化学生的动手能力;开始重视视听和网络资源的利用。文章还分析了形成这些特点的原因。     

Morphological variations,biomass and ion accumulation of the aboveground shoots of Desmostachya bipinnata (L.) Stapf

The present study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics and biomass of Desmostachya bipinnata and their relation to the environmental variables in three main habitats (canal banks, railway and roadside shoulders) where it is found in Egypt. In addition, the ability of this plant is evaluated to accumulate nutrients and heavy metals in its aboveground shoots. Twenty five quadrats (1 m × 1 m per quadrat) were selected along five sites representing the different habitats of D. bipinnata for this study. The aboveground shoots displayed considerable morphological variations, differing in the different habitats. The above ground biomass, number of spikes and leaves, rachis length and diameter, leaf length, width and area, leaf sheath length, and spike length and diameter were in the order: road sides > canal banks > railway shoulders. A regression equation: biomass = (67.37 × density) + 108.2, was used to estimate the shoot biomass from the plant growth density. Metal uptake capability from soil to grass is in the order Fe > Zn > Cu > Mn, and all of them are in safe concentration ranges. These heavy metals had a transfer factor more than unity, which indicates that D. bipinnata is a powerful accumulator for heavy metals. In addition, the plant shoots exhibit high accumulation of inorganic and organic nutrients.     

The effects of stream acidity on benthic invertebrate communities in the south-eastern United States

1. Patterns in invertebrate community structure were determined from analysis of benthic samples taken quarterly for 1 year from four sites in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Sites ranged in baseflow pH from 4.5 to 6.8, with a corresponding range in inorganic monomeric aluminium concentrations from 3 to 197 μgl^?1. 2. Total invertebrate density (excluding Chironomidae) was correlated with pH (R²= 0.90, P<0.05). Density of Ephemeroptera was more highly correlated with pH than density of invertebrates in other taxonomic orders. Invertebrate density (total and density of different orders) was generally more strongly correlated with pH than to inorganic monomeric aluminium concentrations. 3. Species richness declined from sixty-nine species at the highest pH site to thirty-three species at the lowest pH site. Richness of Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera was positively correlated with pH (R²= 0.96 in both cases). Trichopteran richness was also negatively correlated with inorganic monomeric Al concentrations (R²= 0.96, P< 0.05). Plecopteran richness was not related to stream acidity. 4. Not all species of Ephemeroptera were negatively affected by low stream water pH. At low pH sites, Ameletus lineatus Traver (Family: Siphonoluridae) was relatively more abundant compared to other species of Ephemeroptera, and had greater biomass and greater weight per individual length than at higher pH sites. 5. Differences in invertebrate community parameters among sites were not based on changes in food abundance. Although grazer densities were positively correlated with pH (R²= 0.93, P < 0.05), differences in density were not related to differences in food. To the contrary, lower grazer densities occurred at the lowest pH site where measured food abundance (algae) was highest. Likewise, shredder density increased with increasing pH but was correlated with standing stocks of benthic organic matter (BOM), which had generally higher standing stocks at lower pH sites. 6. Transplants of two species of Ephemeroptera between sites differing in pH (6.4 v 5.0) resulted in increased mortality of organisms placed at lower pH sites. In another transplant experiment, differences in mortality were not observed, although surviving invertebrates at low pH sites had ×10 higher body burdens of aluminium following the transplant than invertebrates from the reference site. 7. These results indicate that direct effects of pH and Al (affecting survival) were more important than indirect effects of food availability in determining changes in invertebrate community structure between the study sites.     

近20年青藏高原东北部禾本科牧草生育期变化特征

利用1988—2010年青藏高原东北部地区5个站点牧草生育期地面观测数据,分析了近20年代表性牧草返青、开花、黄枯期及生长季的变化趋势,并通过偏相关分析探讨了气温和降水对牧草生育期的关系。结果表明,近20年青藏高原东北部牧草生育期北部推迟南部提前的特征明显。南部的三江源区域返青、开花与黄枯期总体呈显著提前趋势,其中曲麻莱羊茅返青期提前的倾向率达到-4 d/10 a,开花期为-13 d/10 a,黄枯期达到-9 d/10 a,且均通过0.01的显著性检验水平。北部环青海湖区域的海北西北针茅生育期则表现出一定的推迟趋势。生长季长度北部地区延长,而南部除甘德(垂穗披碱草)外均呈明显缩短趋势。近20 a黄枯期的变化幅度明显大于返青期,使得生长季长度的变化更多地受黄枯期变化的影响。1月和3月气温是影响研究区牧草返青最主要的气候因子,气温增高返青提前。开花期南北差异明显,北部与同期气温呈明显负相关关系,南部则主要与开花前2—3个月的降水量密切相关,降水增多大部地区开花期提前。此外,降水也是各地牧草黄枯的主要影响因子。     

Taxonomic variation in the subunit amino acid compositions of RuBP carboxylases from grasses

Subunits of purified RuBP carboxylase extracted from 44 grass species (39 genera) have been analysed and compared in terms of MWs, amino acid compositi     

Root traits of perennial C4 grasses contribute to cultivar variations in soil chemistry and species patterns in particulate and mineral-associated carbon pool formation

Recent studies have indicated that the C₄ perennial bioenergy crops switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii) accumulate significant amounts of soil carbon (C) owing to their extensive root systems. Soil C accumulation is likely driven by inter- and intraspecific variability in plant traits, but the mechanisms that underpin this variability remain unresolved. In this study we evaluated how inter- and intraspecific variation in root traits of cultivars from switchgrass (Cave-in-Rock, Kanlow, Southlow) and big bluestem (Bonanza, Southlow, Suther) affected the associations of soil C accumulation across soil fractions using stable isotope techniques. Our experimental field site was established in June 2008 at Fermilab in Batavia, IL. In 2018, soil cores were collected (30 cm depth) from all cultivars. We measured root biomass, root diameter, specific root length, bulk soil C, C associated with coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) and fine particulate organic matter plus silt- and clay-sized fractions, and characterized organic matter chemical class composition in soil using high-resolution Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry. C₄ species were established on soils that supported C₃ grassland for 36 years before planting, which allowed us to use differences in the natural abundance of stable C isotopes to quantify C₄ plant-derived C. We found that big bluestem had 36.9% higher C₄ plant-derived C compared to switchgrass in the CPOM fraction in the 0–10 cm depth, while switchgrass had 60.7% higher C₄ plant-derived C compared to big bluestem in the clay fraction in the 10–20 cm depth. Our findings suggest that the large root system in big bluestem helps increase POM-C formation quickly, while switchgrass root structure and chemistry build a mineral-bound clay C pool through time. Thus, both species and cultivar selection can help improve bioenergy management to maximize soil carbon gains and lower CO₂ emissions.     

中国新记录种细刺束梗孢形态特征与DELTA专家系统的组合鉴定

通过形态特征和DELTA专家系统的组合分析,鉴定了GZUIFR121001标本为细刺束梗孢（Akanthomyces gracilis）中国新记录种。此种能以其柱状至棒状的产孢细胞,较细小的分生孢子和长的孢子链与其近似种一嗜蛛刺束梗孢[A．arachnophilus（Petch）Samson＆H．C．Evans]、杵形刺束梗孢[A．pistillariiformis（Pat．）Samson＆H．C．Evans]和琼斯刺束梗孢[A．johnsonii（Massee）Vincent,Seifert＆Samson]相区别。     

Estimates of the number of mounted pteridophyte specimens in six major herbaria in the United States

A stratified-random sampling method was used to estimate the number of pteridophyte specimens in six of the largest herbaria in the United states (F, GH/A/NEBC, MO, NY, UC, US). The point estimate of the collection size and the 95% confidence intervals for each herbarium were found to be as follows: US 251,000 (±20,000); NY 201,000 (±20,000); MO 160,000 (±15,000); GH/A/NEBC 124,000 (±12,000); UC 119,000 (±9,000); F 97,000 (±10,000). It is hoped that these numbers will help assess the growth of these collections in the future.     

Dynamic evolution of bz orthologous regions in the Andropogoneae and other grasses

Genome structure exhibits remarkable plasticity within Zea mays. To examine how haplotype structure has evolved within the Andropogoneae tribe, we have analyzed the bz gene‐rich region of maize (Zea mays), the Zea teosintes mays ssp. mexicana, luxurians and diploperennis, Tripsacum dactyloides, Coix lacryma‐jobi and Sorghum propinquum. We sequenced and annotated BAC clones from these species and re‐annotated the orthologous Sorghum bicolor region. Gene colinearity in the region is well conserved within the genus Zea. However, the orthologous regions of Coix and Sorghum exhibited several micro‐rearrangements relative to Zea, including addition, truncation and deletion of genes. The stc1 gene, involved in the production of a terpenoid insect defense signal, is evolving particularly fast, and its progressive disappearance from some species is occurring by microhomology‐mediated recombination. LTR retrotransposons are the main contributors to the dynamic evolution of the bz region. Common transposon insertion sites occur among haplotypes from different Zea mays sub‐species, but not outside the species. As in Zea, different patterns of interspersion between genes and retrotransposons are observed in Sorghum. We estimate that the mean divergence times between maize and Tripsacum, Coix and Sorghum are 8.5, 12.1 and 12.4 million years ago, respectively, and that between Coix and Sorghum is 9.3 million years ago. A comparison of the bz orthologous regions of Zea, Sorghum and Coix with those of Brachypodium, Setaria and Oryza allows us to infer how the region has evolved by addition and deletion of genes in the approximately 50 million years since these genera diverged from a common progenitor.