Ecological implications of climate change will include surprises

In addition to assessing the impacts of CO₂ doubling on environment and society, more consideration is needed to estimate extreme events or surprises. This is particularly important at the intersection of disciplines like climate and ecology because the potential for large discontinuities is high given all the possible climate/biota interactions. The vast disparities in scales encountered by those working in traditional ecology (typically 20 m) and climatology (typically 200 km) make diagnoses of such interactions difficult, but these can be addressed by an emerging research paradigm we call strategic cyclical scaling (SCS). The need to anticipate outlier events and assign them subjective probabilities suggests emphasis on interdisciplinary research associations. The desire to reduce societal vulnerability to such events suggests the need to build adaptive management and diverse economic activities into social organizations. The effectiveness of adaptation responses to anticipated climatic changes is complicated when consideration of transient changes, regional disturbances, large unforseeable natural fluctuations and surprises are considered. Slowing down the rate of disturbances and decreasing vulnerability are advocated as the most prudent responses to the prospect of human-induced climatic changes.     

Spider biodiversity potential of an ungrazed and a grazed inland salt meadow in the National Park 'Neusiedler See-Seewinkel' (Austria): implications for management (Arachnida: Araneae)

To assess the biodiversity potential of an ungrazed and a grazed inland salt meadow in the Seewinkel (Eastern Austria), spider assemblages were recorded by pitfall trapping for 1 year. Both species assemblages consisted, to a large extent, of rare species of conservation interest. The species assemblage of the grazed site was dominated by Pardosa agrestis, but highly specific halotopobiontic species also occurred in higher numbers. Halotolerant species were also present in the ungrazed meadow, but their individual number was much lower. The species composition of this site reflects the more balanced microclimatical situation of the high sward. Comparison of the two assemblages with 207 other meadow spider assemblages of Central Europe shows a separated position, especially of the grazed site assemblage. High similarities with assemblages of meadows with a similar vegetation structure indicate a high importance of management. Considering the high proportion of rare species on both sites, the best management of the salt meadow and pan shores of the Seewinkel should combine areas of light grazing with ungrazed areas. However, the proportion of these parts and the intensity of grazing still remains to be determined by quantitative experiments.     

Induction of chitinase and {beta}-1,3-glucanase activity in sunflower suspension cells in response to an elicitor from Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea (Pmg). Evidence for regulation by ethylene and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC)

In heterotrophic cell suspensions of sunflower (Helianthus annuusL. cv. Spanners Allzweck) the effect of Pmg elicitor, a fungalelicitor preparation from Phytophthora megasperma f. sp. glycinea,on the induction of chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanaseactivity was studied in relation to changes in ethylene biosynthesis.Dose-response experiments with Pmg elicitor showed that theonset of the induction of intracellular chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanaseactivity coincided or followed a transient rise in ethyleneand particularly endogenous 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylicacid (ACC) levels within 5 h of application. Treatment with5 µg ml^–1 elicitor stimulated ethylene and ACC levels1.6-fold and 4-fold, relative to control, respectively. Themolar ratio of ACC to ethylene changed from approximately 3:1in controls to 9:1 in treated cells. During further incubation,ethylene formation and, to a lesser degree, ACC levels declinedand the ACC/ethylene ratio increased to 56:1 in elicitor-treatedcells. On a protein basis, the activities of ß-1,3-glucanaseand chitinase increased approximately 5-fold and 8-fold, respectively,48 h after elicitor application. Additional treatment with theACC synthesis inhibitor aminoethoxyvinyiglycine (AVG) decreasedelicitor-induced enzyme activities and the levels of both ethyleneand ACC. Elicitor effects on chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanaseactivities could be fully restored when ACC was additionallyapplied. Concomitantly, the ACC/ ethylene ratio increased. Neithertreatments with ACC alone, which simultaneously increased internalACC and ethylene levels, nor treatments with AVG alone, whichsimultaneously reduced ACC and ethylene levels, could generallystimulate chitinase or ß-1,3-glucanase activitiesin the cells. It is suggested that ACC functions as a promotingfactor in the induction of chitinase and ß-1,3-glucanaseactivity triggered by Pmg elicitor and appears to reverse aninhibiting influence of ethylene. Key words: 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid, chitinase, ß-1,3-glucanase, ethylene, Helianthus cellsuspension cultures, Phytophthora megasperma-elicitor     

Notes on the colour of pollen

The spectral reflection of pollen in 67 plant species out of 28 families was measured by means of mass recording of pollen grains. Various types of spectral reflection curves were found, but 75% belonged to two categories: 1. Human-yellow pollen with strong reflection in the green and red, and low reflection in the ultraviolet and blue range of wavelengths. 2. Human-whitish pollen with strong reflection in the green and red and additional reflection of shorter wavelengths. It is shown that it is important to have information about the mode of the visual pollen display — crypsis or colour contrast against the corolla, pollen advertisement, or concealment — and the visual capabilities of the presumed pollinators in order to be able to discuss the signalling function of pollen colours.     

The use of luciferase as a reporter for response of plant cells to the fireblight pathogen Erwinia amylovora

Summary We have introduced the gene encoding luciferase from Photinus pyralis into pear and tobacco cells in order to judge the reaction of plant tissue to damaging conditions such as incubation at high temperature or inoculation with a pathogen. The constitutive expression of the luciferase gene via a strong promoter slowly decreased during propagation of the transformed pear cell line. After various stress treatments the resulting luciferase activity and the ATP content of the plant cells were determined by bioluminescence and found to correspond to each other. Inoculation of transformed pear cells with Erwinia amylovora resulted in a continuous decrease of luciferase activity in contrast to tobacco cells, where the enzyme activity was significantly higher in the first period after inoculation with bacteria compared to the untreated control cells. The pattern of the luciferase activity reflected the slow damage of the host-plant cells by E. amylovora and the elevated metabolism of the non-host cells after inoculation with the pathogen.Abbreviations 2,4-D 2,4-dichloro-phenoxyacetic acid - CaMV Cauliflower mosaic virus - DTT dithiothreitol - EDTA ethylenediaminetetraacetate - FDA fluorescein diacetate - HEPES (hydroxyethyl)piperazine(ethanesulfonic acid) - HR hypersensitive reaction - Tris tris (hydroxymethyl)amino-methane     

Chilling-sensitive mutants of arabidopsis

Twenty-one mutants ofArabidopsis thaliana were isolated that developed chlorosis or necrosis upon incubation at low temperature (10°C to 15°C). Crosses among mutants in different phenotypic classes showed that mutants in three of four classes were found in a small number of loci. This article is reproduced fromWeeds World, vol. 1. For electronic access toWeeds World, see PMBR 12(4):302–303.     

Deletion mutagenesis of Tn10 Tet repressor — localization of regions important for dimerization and inducibility in vivo

The gene for the Tn 10 Tet repressor (TetR) was subjected to deletion mutagenesis. Screening for a transdominant operator-binding negative phenotype yielded 10 mutants with internal deletions. Three deletions extend from residue D5 to residues L41, W75, or Q76, respectively, and two contain deletions of the α-helix-turn-α-helix DNA-binding motif. Five deletions range from residue K84 to residues between R87 and K98. Since residues from the N-terminus up to position 98 are not necessary for dimerization, this must take place in the C-terminal half of the protein. Ability to dimerize was probed by introducing ochre non-sense codons (oc) at residues G138, H151, E159, l174, or K202. Koc202 shows wild-type in vivo operator-binding and inducibility by tetracycline indicating that the six C-terminal residues of TetR are not important for activity. Mutants with longer C-terminal truncations are inactive and not transdominant. They show reduced steady-state protein levels and are probably impaired in folding and degraded in vivo . Two mutants (Δ151–166, Δ164–166) with deletions in a region variable in primary structure and length among Tet repressers from different resistance determinants bind tet operator efficiently, but are not inducibie by tetracycline. This result indicates that these residues are not important for dimer formation in the operator-binding form.