Flowering of Contrasting White Clover Varieties in Relation to Temperature in Controlled Environments

Effects of temperature on floral initiation of ten white clovervarieties growing in controlled environments are described.Plants grown under long days (16 h) were subjected to constanttemperatures of 26, 18 and 10 ^°C. Relationships betweenmorphological and physiological traits and flowering were examined. Most plants flowered at the two higher temperatures but only10 per cent of plants flowered at 10 ^°C. Larger leaved typestended to produce more reproductive buds per stolon at the highertemperatures than did smaller leaved varieties. Of the floral characters studied, floret number was least affectedby temperature. Ovule number and peduncle length were greatestat 18 ^°C. Variation in, and absolute level of nectar secretionwas greatest at the highest temperature. Trifolium repens, white clover, flowering, temperature     

Soil carbon stabilization in jack pine stands along the Boreal Forest Transect Case Study

Boreal forests, containing >20% of the total organic carbon (OC) present at the surface of the Earth, are expected to be highly vulnerable to global warming. The objective of this study was to compare soil OC stocks and chemistry in jack pine stands located along a latitudinal climatic transect in central Canada. Total OC stocks (0–1 m) increased with decreasing mean annual temperature (MAT). We used a combination of physical fractionation of soil OC pools, ¹³C isotopic determination and cross‐polarization, magic‐angle spinning ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to further characterize OC composition at all sites. Soil OC was dominated by labile pools. As illustrated by the C/N ratios, δ¹³C data and results from the ¹³C NMR analysis, the light fraction showed little alteration within the soil profiles. Instead, this fraction reflected the importance of fresh litter inputs and showed an increase in root contribution with depth. As opposed to the light fraction, the clay‐ and silt‐stabilized OC exhibited an increase in δ¹³C and a decrease in C/N with depth, indicating an increase in its degree of decomposition. These changes with depth were more marked at the southern than the northern sites. Results hence suggest that if the MAT were to increase in the northern boreal forest the overall jack pine soil OC stocks would decrease but the remaining OC would become more decomposed, and likely more stabilized than what is currently present within the soils.     

Cnidarian taphonomy and affinities of the Ediacara biota

Plaster impressions and sand casts of extant medusae, a chondrophoran, and a pennatulid share basic structural characteristics with fossils in the Upper Proterozoic Ediacara assemblage. Impressions of extant medusae and Proterozoic circular impressions show general similarities in arrangement and position of radial and concentric structures and a central raised boss. However, annular rings and radial grooves are more numerous in the Proterozoic fossils and strongly folded or deformed fossils are rare as compared with impressions of modem medusae. Recent pennatulids yield impressions that are more deformed and irregular than the Proterozoic genus Charniodiscus. The greater frequency of deformation of most simulated fossil medusoids relative to Precambrian circular impressions implies that Proterozoic medu-soids were substantially stiffer than many modern taxa of comparable sizes. Many fossils with abundant circular rings have no constructional counterparts among the extant forms studied here and their medusoid affinities should remain in doubt. The structural simplicity of impressions of Ediacara organisms and extant cnidarians suggests that their mutual similarities may be due to convergence. However, there is no compelling morphological reason to reject the claim that some Proterozoic fossils may share affinities with living cnidarians. □ Taphonomy. Ediacara biota, cnidarians, phylogenetic relationships.     

More for less: a study of environmental flows during drought in two Australian rivers

1. In rivers affected by drought, flow regulation can further reduce flow and intensify its effects. We measured ecological responses to environmental flows, during a prolonged drought in a regulated river (Cotter River), compared with a drought affected, unregulated river (Goodradigbee River) in south‐eastern Australia. 2. Environmental flows in the regulated Cotter River were reduced from a monthly average base flow of 15 MLd^?1 to only 5 MLd^?1, which was implemented as two test flow regimes. Initially, flows were delivered in cycles of 14 days at 3 MLd^?1 followed by 3 days at 14 MLd^?1 and then another 14 days at 3 MLd^?1 to make up the monthly average of 5 MLd^?1. This flow regime continued for 6 months, after which a preliminary ecological assessment indicated deterioration in river condition. Consequently, the flow regime was altered to a cycle of 2 MLd^?1 for 28 days followed by 20 MLd^?1 for either 3 or 4 days. This new flow regime continued for another 5 months. 3. The ecological outcomes of the test flow regimes were assessed in terms of (i) the provision of available habitat (wetted channel) for aquatic biota; (ii) the accumulation of periphyton; and (iii) the structure and richness of macroinvertebrate assemblages. 4. Flow of 20 MLd^?1 covered most of the streambed in the Cotter River, thus providing more wetted area and connectivity between habitats than flows of 2, 3 or 14 MLd^?1. Depth and velocity were always less in the Cotter River than in the unregulated Goodradigbee River. Periphyton decreased in the Cotter River during the 2/20 MLd^?1 flow regime, which combined the lowest and greatest test flow volumes, while periphyton did not change significantly in the unregulated river. 5. The reduced flow in the Cotter River resulted in fewer macroinvertebrates than expected (13) compared with unregulated Goodradigbee sites (19), although the magnitude of the differences did not depend on the test flow releases. Macroinvertebrates in the Cotter River became numerically dominated by Diptera and Oligochaeta, while Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera decreased in abundance. 6. In the Cotter River, the monthly average flow of 5 MLd^?1 (exceeded 97% of the time pre‐regulation) was insufficient to maintain the macroinvertebrate assemblages in reference condition, regardless of release patterns. However, short‐term ecological objectives were achieved, such as reduced periphyton accumulation and increased habitat availability, and the environmental flows maintained the river’s ability to recover (resilience) when higher flows returned.     

Investigating the effects of predator removal and habitat management on nest success and breeding population size of a farmland passerine: a case study

Passerines are especially vulnerable to predation at the pre-independence stage. Although the role of nest success in British farmland passerine declines is contentious, improvement in nest success through sympathetic management could play a role in their reversal. Because habitat is known to interact with predation, management options for mitigation will need to consider effects of nest predation. We present results from an observational study of a population of Common Blackbird Turdus merula on a farm which has experienced a range of agri-environment and game-management options, including a period with nest predator control, as a case study to address some of these issues. We used an information theoretic model comparison procedure to look for evidence of interactions between habitat and nest predation, and then asked whether habitat management and nest predator abundances could explain population trends at the site through their effects on nest success. Interactions were detected between measures of predator abundance and habitat variables, and these varied with nest stage – habitat within the vicinity of the nest appeared to be important at the egg stage, and nest-placement characteristics were important at the nestling stage. Although predator control appeared to have a positive influence on Blackbird breeding population size, the non-experimental set-up meant we could not eliminate other potential explanations. Variation in breeding population size did not appear to be influenced by variation in nest success alone. Our study demonstrates that observational data can only go so far in detection of such effects, and we discuss how it might be taken further. Agri-environment and game-management techniques are likely to influence nest predation pressure on farmland passerines, but the patterns, mechanisms and importance to population processes remain not wholly understood.     

Simulation of stent deployment in a realistic human coronary artery

Background  

The process of restenosis after a stenting procedure is related to local biomechanical environment. Arterial wall stresses caused by the interaction of the stent with the vascular wall and possibly stress induced stent strut fracture are two important parameters. The knowledge of these parameters after stent deployment in a patient derived 3D reconstruction of a diseased coronary artery might give insights in the understanding of the process of restenosis.     

Magnetic Resonance of Isotope Hybrid Flavoprotein <Superscript>2</Superscript>H-Flavoprotein (<Superscript>1</Superscript>-Flavin Mononucleotide)

FLAVOPROTEINS lend themselves particularly well to study by the combined techniques of magnetic resonance and isotope substitution^1–3. Recent electron spin resonance (ESR) and electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) investigations have already indicated the utility of this approach to the study of the structure and function of flavin and flavoproteins^4–8. We have now prepared an unusual isotope hybrid flavoprotein that gives promise of great value for magnetic resonance studies. This substance is obtained by the introduction (by exchange) of an ¹H-flavin mononucleotide (¹H-FMN) prosthetic group into (fully deuterated) ²H-flavoprotein that can be isolated from the blue-green thermophilic alga Synechococcus lividus. This isotope hybrid protein makes it possible to apply in a unique way proton magnetic resonance (PMR) and ESR to the chemistry of protein-bound FMN.     

The effects of gibberellin A3 on white clover during floral development

Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984) proposed a novel approach for the selection of biocontrol agents. They advocated the selection of agents from a relative of the weed plant rather than from the target weed species itself. The new relationship that such agents would have with the weed would be characterised by a relative lack of homeostasis compared with the old herbivore-plant associations traditionally used in weed biocontrol, and would consequently be more effective. There are few examples to support these contentions because of the traditional use of old herbivore-plant associations in weed biocontrol. In the present study, herbivore-plant associations in agricultural situations, which are analogous to agent-weed associations, are examined to assess the potential of new associations for weed biocontrol. The herbivores on 14 introduced crop plants which have salient similarities to the major weeds in the south-western Cape were surveyed: (a) 68% of the 188 insect and mite herbivores are indigenous species in new associations with these host plants, and (b) of the five most damaging pests on each of 13 of the crop plants, 53% are in new associations with the plants. Of the 40 most important agricultural pests in South Africa, 58% are in new associations, confirming these results. About 50% of the insect and mite herbivores in new associations with their host plants are oligophagous, indicating that new associations are not necessarily characterised by polyphagy and hence unsafe for use in weed biocontrol. We conclude that new associations between herbivore species and host plants have strong potential in weed biocontrol because (a) their frequency in agriculture indicates that they can easily be established in weed biocontrol situations, (b) they are as damaging as old associations and (c) they are not necessarily unsafe as regards host specificity. We therefore advocate the use of both the classical approach and that of Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984). Our support for Hokkanen & Pimentel (1984) is, however, based on evidence and rationale clearly different to theirs, and we provide novel guidelines, which can be routinely and practically applied in the selection of agents for weed biocontrol.