Differential proteomics of dehydration and rehydration in bryophytes: evidence towards a common desiccation tolerance mechanism

All bryophytes evolved desiccation tolerance (DT) mechanisms during the invasion of terrestrial habitats by early land plants. Are these DT mechanisms still present in bryophytes that colonize aquatic habitats? The aquatic bryophyte Fontinalis antipyretica Hedw. was subjected to two drying regimes and alterations in protein profiles and sucrose accumulation during dehydration and rehydration were investigated. Results show that during fast dehydration, there is very little variation in protein profiles, and upon rehydration proteins are leaked. On the other hand, slow dehydration induces changes in both dehydration and rehydration protein profiles, being similar to the protein profiles displayed by the terrestrial bryophytes Physcomitrella patens (Hedw.) Bruch and Schimp. and, to what is comparable with Syntrichia ruralis (Hedw.) F. Weber and D. Mohr. During dehydration there was a reduction in proteins associated with photosynthesis and the cytoskeleton, and an associated accumulation of proteins involved in sugar metabolism and plant defence mechanisms. Upon rehydration, protein accumulation patterns return to control values for both photosynthesis and cytoskeleton whereas proteins associated with sugar metabolism and defence proteins remain high. The current results suggest that bryophytes from different ecological adaptations may share common DT mechanisms.     

Leaf Ecology of Pre-reproductive Ontogenetic Stages of the Palm TreeEuterpe edulisMart. (Arecaceae)

We studied leaves of 208 seedlings (S), infants (I) and juveniles(J) ofEuterpe edulis,randomly selected from plants in 1 ha ofswampy forest in SE Brazil. Each new leaf began extending afterthe complete development of the preceding leaf. The sequencesteps of leaf growth were emergence, linear growth while closed,opening of segments and logarithmic growth of the petiole. Averageleaf production rate (2.21 leaves per plant year^-1) did notvary among ontogenetic stages, conforming to a plastochronicrhythm. Average linear growth rate of the closed leaf was directlyrelated to average area of the open lamina. Herbivores attacked33.0% of all leaves giving rise to up to 10% loss of area andincluded damping-off-inducing suckers (7.1%), ordinary suckers(9.8%), chewers (5.4%), miners (2.7%) and multiple attacks (8.0%).These attacks varied among stages (S=22.4%, I=38.1%, J=33.3%),as did leaf mortality rates (S=26.5%, I=14.3% and J=0.0%). Unknownfactors were the main cause of leaf mortality (S=14.3%, I=7.1%).Not losing a leaf while a seedling and attaining a minimum leafarea in the infant stage were critical events for survival.Plants gained leaf area by not losing leaves while a seedling,by producing larger leaves with greater growth rates, and byaccumulating leaves with longer lifespans. The petiole can simulatean energetically cheaper branch, delimit a vital space aroundthe stem, favourably position the leaf lamina and substituteprovisionally for stem growth in height.Copyright 1999 Annalsof Botany Company Arecaceae,Euterpe edulis, herbivory, leaf ecology, leaf growth, leaf production, semideciduous forest, southeastern Brazil.     

Supercooling along an Altitudinal Gradient in Espeletia schultzii, a Caulescent Giant Rosette Species

Rada, F., Goldstein, G., Azocar, A. and Torres, F. 1987. Supercoolingalong an altitudinal gradient in Espeletia schultzii, a caulescentgiant rosette species.—J. exp. Bot. 38: 491–497. Tropical high Andes plants may be exposed to sub-zero temperaturesany night of the year. These plants have to rely on mechanismswhich protect them from these environmental conditions but atthe same time allow their growth and development. Supercoolinghas been found to be the principal avoidance mechanism in leavesof the caulescent giant rosette genus Espeletia in the Andes.We report here the differences in supercooling capacity andcold injury in several Espeletia schultzii populations growingalong an altitudinal gradient. The relationships between supercooling,water potential and leaf anatomy were also investigated. Thesupercooling capacity increased and injury temperature decreasedfrom lower to higher elevation populations. These changes maybe explained in terms of physiological, morphological and anatomicalcharacteristics of the leaves. Key words: Espeletia schultzii, supercooling, freezing avoidance mechanisms     

Morphological and molecular taxonomy of a new Daptonema (Nematoda,Xyalidae) with comments on the systematics of some related taxa

A new species of Daptonema is described based upon morphological characters and 18S rRNA sequence. Daptonema matrona sp. nov. was collected in Pina Basin (north‐eastern Brazil). It differs from all other species of the genus by the presence of reduced cephalic setae and straight spicules. These features require an adaptation of the generic diagnosis. Moreover, the females are characterized by intra‐uterine development of the offspring, considered herein as their major autapomorphic feature. Molecular systematic analyses supported Daptonema matrona sp. nov. as a distinct genetic and evolutionary lineage. The data also indicate hypotheses of taxonomic synonymies amongst some related taxa from Xyalidae as well as the paraphyly of Daptonema. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 158 , 1–15.     

Texas Latino College Student Attitudes Toward Natural Resources and the Environment

Abstract: Latinos in the United States are an increasing segment of the population and are becoming important stakeholders in the management of natural resources. Although Latinos have been included in attitudinal research on environmental concerns, few studies have focused exclusively on Latino attitudes toward natural resources and the environment. We surveyed Texas college and university students of Mexican descent (n = 635) to determine their environmental concerns. Using the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP), we determined an environmental concern score for each respondent and compared this index to several demographic variables. We found that gender, a political candidate's environmental position, mother's education, combined parental income, and, to a lesser degree, the number of grandparents born in the United States and religiosity (church attendance), were important model variables. We hypothesized that acculturation would be an important factor in predicting NEP scores; however, acculturation level was not an important predictor in our study, which we attribute to both the nature of our sample (i.e., highly acculturated college students) and small sample sizes of less-acculturated college students. We recommend that future research consider determining the importance of acculturation in Latino attitudes toward natural resources and the environment.     

Role of chemical cues and natal rearing effect on host recognition by the parasitic wasp Melittobia digitata

Parasitoids are expected to have the ability to find, recognize, and perhaps to discern potential hosts that can best support the development of their progeny. Melittobia Westwood (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) are gregarious ectoparasitoids, which primarily attack mud daubers (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae). How Melittobia females locate their host is not well known, but the process may involve host‐related chemical signals. In this study, we investigated the roles of host chemical cues and natal rearing effect in host recognition by Mel. digitata Dahms. In an olfactometer that contained prepupae of Trypoxylon politum Say (Hymenoptera: Sphecidae), Megachile rotundata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), puparia of Neobellieria bullata (Parker) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae), empty or intact host cocoons, or nest mud, Mel. digitata females spent significantly more time in air fields that contained T. politum (prepupae + cocoon) and Meg. rotundata (prepupae + cocoon) than in N. bullata and control fields. Nest mud and natal host had no attraction for parasitoid host choice. Most first and last choices of Mel. digitata females in the olfactometer were not consistent, suggesting an initial random dispersion, although they responded positively towards hosts in cocoons.     

Genetic homogeneity among breeding grounds and nursery areas of an exploited Lake Malawi cichlid fish

1. Nursery areas are commonly recognized as important habitats for the management and conservation of fish stocks. Here we report the use of nursery areas by an exploited offshore cichlid in Lake Malawi, Rhamphochromis longiceps .
2. Like all haplochromine cichlids that have been studied, the species is a maternal mouthbrooder that broods eggs for several weeks following spawning. We found evidence that during this brooding period females migrate from open water to release juveniles in three shallow peripheral waterbodies (Chia Lagoon, Unaka Lagoon, Lake Malombe). However, it was unclear whether there is geographical population structuring within the species, which could indicate stock differences in their use of these nursery habitats, or if the lake contains a genetically panmictic population that employs nursery habitats opportunistically.
3. To investigate spatial and temporal population structuring within the lake we genotyped populations at seven microsatellite DNA loci. Overall, we found no significant spatial structuring among juveniles from the peripheral lagoons or among breeding males within the main lake body. Moreover, we found no evidence of temporal structuring among males on the breeding grounds within Lake Malawi or females entering Chia lagoon. Together, these results suggest that Lake Malawi contains a genetically homogeneous population of R. longiceps .
4. At present we know little of the distribution of juvenile R. longiceps elsewhere in the Lake Malawi basin, but their absence from surveyed rocky and sandy littoral habitats makes it possible that the species is dependent upon a small number of nearshore nursery areas, including these lagoons. As such, conservation of lagoon habitats and monitoring of exploited fish stocks within them may be important for effective preservation of biodiversity within the catchment.     

Isolation of seven polymorphic microsatellite loci,using an enrichment protocol,in the high Andean Asteraceous Chaetanthera pusilla

We report the development of seven microsatellite markers in the high Andean Asteraceae Chaetanthera pusilla. An enrichment protocol was used to isolate microsatellite loci, and polymorphism was explored with samples from two natural populations collected in the high Andes at La Parva and Valle Nevado (Chile). We found a high level of polymorphism, heterozygote deficiency and strong differentiation among populations. Four of the seven loci successfully cross‐amplified in other Chaetanthera species.     

Effect of thermal acclimation on preferred temperatures in two mygalomorph spiders inhabiting contrasting habitats

Variations in the preferred temperatures during the rest periods of Grammostola rosea Walckenaer and Paraphysa parvula Pocock, two mygalomorph spiders occupying different habitats in central Chile, are analyzed. The former inhabits arid and semi‐arid lowland near plant communities, composed of shrubs (evergreens with small leathery leaves) and small trees; the latter is found in the central mountains of the Chilean Andes, above 2000 m.a.s.l. The preferred temperatures of these spiders at different times of day and exposure to cold (15 °C) and warm (25 °C) acclimation temperatures are compared. Body mass does not affect the preferred temperature of the larger spider G. rosea, although P. parvula, a spider with half of the body mass of G. rosea, shows a decrease in preferred temperature with body mass. This can be explained by a higher plasticity and thermal sensitivity of the smaller species as result of increased surface : volume ratio. The preferred temperature increases with the hour of the day under both acclimation conditions in P. parvula and in cold‐acclimated G. rosea, which is likely associated with crepuscular and nocturnal behaviour in both species. Grammostola rosea shows temperature preferences lower than those of P. parvula under both acclimation conditions. The increase of the acclimation temperature from 15 to 25 °C results in an increment of 2–3 °C in the preferred temperature of P. parvula but only 0.2 °C in that of G. rosea. Two contrasting lifestyle strategies are found: a small mygalomorph spider with phenotypic plasticity and adaptation to the fluctuating environment of high altitude, and a large mygalomorph spider with higher thermal inertia adapted to the more stable environment of lowlands.