Tracing carbon and oxygen isotope signals from newly assimilated sugars in the leaves to the tree-ring archive

The analysis of δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁸O in tree-ring archives offers retrospective insights into environmental conditions and ecophysiological processes. While photosynthetic carbon isotope discrimination and evaporative oxygen isotope enrichment are well understood, we lack information on how the isotope signal is altered by downstream metabolic processes.
In Pinus sylvestris , we traced the isotopic signals from their origin in the leaf water ( δ ¹⁸O) or the newly assimilated carbon ( δ ¹³C), via phloem sugars to the tree-ring, over a time-scale that ranges from hours to a growing season.
Seasonally, variable ¹³C enrichment of sugars related to phloem loading and transport did lead to uncoupling between δ ¹³C in the tree-ring, and the c _i/ c _a ratio at the leaf level. In contrast, the oxygen isotope signal was transferred from the leaf water to the tree-ring with an expected enrichment of 27‰, with time-lags of approximately 2 weeks and with a 40% exchange between organic oxygen and xylem water oxygen during cellulose synthesis.
This integrated overview of the fate of carbon and oxygen isotope signals within the model tree species P. sylvestris provides a novel physiological basis for the interpretation of δ ¹³C and δ ¹⁸O in tree-ring ecology.     

Comparison of epilithic and epixylic biofilm development in a boreal river

SUMMARY. 1. We assessed substratum effects on lotic biofilm development by placing glass and white pine sampling units in a fourth-order boreal river, and analysing, at 6-week intervals, upper-surface biofilms for ATP, chlorophyll, ergosterol, and the activities of nine exoenzymes.
2. All parameters, except chlorophyll standing stock (range 80–320 μg dm⁻²) and β-xylosidase activity (range 0.4–4.8 μmol h⁻¹ dm⁻²), were significantly greater for epixylic biofilms than for epilithic ones, but the magnitude of the increases varied from 2 to 5 fold, showing that, even under similar hydrodynamic conditions, epilithic and epixylic biofilms are structurally and functionally distinct. For example, ergosterol concentrations ranged from undetectable to 0.93 μg dm⁻² for epilithon and from 11–49 μg dm⁻² for epixylon; corresponding ranges for ATP were 1.6–3.7 (epilithon) and 4.2–7.7 μg dm⁻² (epixylon), for acid phosphatase activity: 2.3–4.9 and 20–41 μmolh⁻¹dm⁻², and for alkaline phosphatase activity: 1.9–8.1 and 29–150 μmol h⁻¹dm⁻², respectively.
3. The more extensive epixylic development was attributed to utilization of the wood substratum as a supplemental carbon source and to a higher density of microbial attachment sites.     

Ambient ozone effects on forest trees of the eastern United States: a review

Tropospheric ozone can affect crop yield and has been reported to cause reductions in growth and biomass of forest tree species in laboratory and glasshouse studies. However, linkages between growth and ambient ozone concentrations in the field are not well established for forest trees. Ambient ozone concentrations have been shown to cause foliar injury on a number of tree species throughout much of the eastern USA. Symptom expression is influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors and, therefore, ozone-exposure/tree-response relationships have been difficult to confirm. Clearly defined, cause-effect relationships between visible injury and growth losses due to ozone have not been validated. Generalizations of sensitivity of forest trees to ozone are complicated by tree development stage, microclimate, leaf phenology, compensatory processes, within-species variation and other interacting stresses. In general, decreases in above-ground growth at ambient ozone levels in the eastern USA appear to be in the range of 0–10% per year. However, these conclusions are based on a small number of tree species, with the vast majority of studies involving individual tree seedlings in a non-competitive environment. Comparative studies of small and large trees indicate that seedlings are not suitable surrogates for predicting responses of mature trees to ozone. Process-level modelling is a promising methodology that has been recently utilized to assess ozone effects on a stand to regional scale, indicating that ozone is affecting forest growth in the eastern USA. The extent and magnitude of the response is variable and depends on many edaphic and climatic factors. It is imperative when conducting assessment exercises, however, that forest biologists constantly keep in mind the tremendous variability that exists within natural systems. Scaling of single site/physiological response phenomena from an individual tree to an ecosystem and/or region necessitates further research.     

Non-interactive fish communities in the coastal streams of North-western France

1. Spatial patterns of freshwater fish species at regional and local scales were investigated to explore the possible role of interspecific interactions in influencing distribution and abundance within communities occupying coastal streams of North-Western France.
2. Nine sites from nine streams situated in the same biogeographical region were sampled annually over the 6-year period from 1990 to 1995.
3. Similar habitats (sites) with richer regional colonization pools exhibited proportionally richer local communities in terms of number of species, total density and total biomass of individuals. Furthermore, no negative relationships were found between density and biomass of each of the most common species and local species richness.
4. Results of dynamic regression models (applied to the above-mentioned species) suggest an absence of strong competition between all pairs of species.
5. The evidence on lack of density compensation for species-poor communities and absence of perceptible interspecific competition between species suggest that the communities studied are non-interactive.
6. Two main explanations can be advanced. First, the local abundance of species in the communities studied could be determined through differential responses to unpredictable environmental changes, rather than through biological interactions. Second, as a result of historical events, the communities studied are reduced in congeneric species which can limit, in turn, the influence of interspecific competition in structuring these communities.
7. These results underline the strong influence of regional processes in shaping local riverine fish communities and minimize the possible influence of species interactions in governing these communities.     

Studies on auxin protector substances, IAA-oxidase and peroxidase in cotyledons of Pharbitis nil

The nature of macromolecular "auxin protector substances" causinglag periods rather than inhibition in the rate of IAA oxidationwas reinvestigated. Three different peaks were separated bySephadex gel filtration; each was then examined by means ofenzymatic (IAA oxidase, peroxidase) and electrophoretic techniquesand correlated with the activities of both enzymes and withzymogram patters. The auxin protector activity of the high molecularweight fractions increased after high temperature treatment.On the basis of experiments involving dialysis and chromatographybefore and after heating, auxin protectors appear to be complexesof macromolecules with small molecules. (Received May 18, 1971; )     

Lithium-induced Hypersensitivity to Foot Shock in Rats and the Role of 5-Hydroxytryptophan

REPORTS of the behavioural effects of lithium salts on animals mainly seem to have dealt with depressant effects on spontaneous activities or with toxic symptoms (weight loss, polyuria, polydipsia, diarrhoea and so on). After prolonged lithium treatment, changes in brain 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) metabolism have been found to occur; 5HT turnover is decreased either in the whole brain¹ or in specific areas such as brainstem and hypothalamus^{1, 2}, where the levels are also decreased². When levels of 5HT are reduced in the whole brain of rats either by lesions³ or by parachlorophenylalanine (PCPA)⁴, an inhibitor of 5HT synthesis, motor responsiveness of rats to electrical stimulation of the feet has been found to increase. We have observed that rats treated with lithium for a few days struggle more than controls when the skin is punctured in the course of injections and after 2 weeks of treatment with lithium chloride (LiCl), foot shock “jump response” thresholds are reduced by about 10 and 25% with doses of 1 and 2 mequiv./kg respectively. With larger doses, sensitivity to foot shock is not increased further, but may even decline as toxic effects appear; after 2 weeks of administration of 3 mequiv/kg LiCl, toxic effects appeared in nearly all our rats and about 10% of animals died. Sheard⁵ has found that treatment for 5 days with a high dose of LiCl (5 mequiv/kg) had no effect on motor responsiveness to foot shock, although shock-induced aggressive behaviour decreased; no toxic effects were reported.     

Effect of waterlogging yam vines on vegetative growth and tuber yield

The effect of waterlogging the vines of two yam varieties for 24, 48 and 72 hours at two stages of growth, with or without fertiliser application, was studied in the field. Waterlogging caused a progressive degeneration of the leaf starting with the development of fresh lesions on the lower leaf surface, through necrotic spots or portions, to complete leaf necrosis. The degree of leaf damage was greater with Um 680 (Dioscorea alata) than with Obiaoturugo (D. rotundata). Waterlogging also caused the breakdown of the apical buds of the vines. The degree of damage increased with the duration of waterlogging. Younger plants suffered more damage than older plants, and plants treated with fertiliser suffered more than plants without fertiliser. Waterlogging ultimately hastened the final senescence of the yam vine. Waterlogging vines for 24 h had no effect on tuber yield, while waterlogging for 48 and 72 h reduced tuber yield by 32.4% and 43.2% respectively (P< 0.01). Waterlogging vines at the early growth stage produced 47.6% (P <0.01) less yield than waterlogging at a later stage. It is suggested that short-term or long-term waterlogging of the yam vine, or parts thereof, is the main cause of reduced leaf area and low yield in unstaked compared with staked yarn crops. Waterlogging may also be a predisposing factor to disease infection of yam vines by soil-borne micro-organisms.     

Limbs vs. Jaws: Can They Be Compared?

Current experimental research on mammalian limb muscle structureand function is compared to that on mammalian jaw muscles. Twomajor areas of comparison are stressed: structural and functional.Comparisons of limbs and jaws are made from the point of viewof the impact of recent studies on simple mechanical modelsof limb/jaw muscle function. Limb muscle structure is comparedto jaw muscles at the level of muscle architecture, muscle histochemicaland motor unit properties, and the organization of motor unitsinto neuromuscular compartments. Such comparisons reveal thatalthough limb muscles and jaw muscles might be organized insimilar ways, fundamental differences exist, both in terms ofmuscle structure and the functional conclusions which have beenbased on studies of muscle structure. The comparisons also demonstratethat much recent evidence from structural studies have had littledirect impact on simple models of muscle function but a muchlarger influence on the assumptions of the models. Comparisonsof limb/jaw muscle function from kinematic and EMG studies,indicate that many masticatory strategies are used by differentmammals but the basic problems of posture and locomotion havebeen met with essentially similar solutions, even among diversemammalian groups. The results of such comparisons demonstratethat both limb and jaw muscle function are sufficiently complexthat new or re-vitalized models are needed if the relationshipbetween structure and function are ever to be understood.