Altered microbial community structure and organic matter composition under elevated CO2 and N fertilization in the duke forest

The dynamics and fate of terrestrial organic matter (OM) under elevated atmospheric CO₂ and nitrogen (N) fertilization are important aspects of long‐term carbon sequestration. Despite numerous studies, questions still remain as to whether the chemical composition of OM may alter with these environmental changes. In this study, we employed molecular‐level methods to investigate the composition and degradation of various OM components in the forest floor (O horizon) and mineral soil (0–15 cm) from the Duke forest free air CO₂ enrichment (FACE) experiment. We measured microbial responses to elevated CO₂ and N fertilization in the mineral soil using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles. Increased fresh carbon inputs into the forest floor under elevated CO₂ were observed at the molecular‐level by two degradation parameters of plant‐derived steroids and cutin‐derived compounds. The ratios of fungal to bacterial PLFAs and Gram‐negative to Gram‐positive bacterial PLFAs decreased in the mineral soil with N fertilization, indicating an altered soil microbial community composition. Moreover, the acid to aldehyde ratios of lignin‐derived phenols increased with N fertilization, suggesting enhanced lignin degradation in the mineral soil. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of soil humic substances revealed an enrichment of leaf‐derived alkyl structures with both elevated CO₂ and N fertilization. We suggest that microbial decomposition of SOM constituents such as lignin and hydrolysable lipids was promoted under both elevated CO₂ and N fertilization, which led to the enrichment of plant‐derived recalcitrant structures (such as alkyl carbon) in the soil.     

Comparative adaptations of Aphanizomenon and Anabaena for nitrogen fixation under weak irradiance

1. In situ measurements of nitrogen fixation rates for Aphanizomenon in fertile Colorado lakes with low inorganic nitrogen concentrations demonstrated high efficiency of nitrogen fixation at low irradiance. 2. For study populations, rates of N₂ fixation in darkness and with alternating exposure to light and darkness were a higher percentage of light‐saturated rates for Aphanizomenon than for Anabaena, suggesting storage of reduced metabolites at high irradiance that are used subsequently by Aphanizomenon when cells are forced by mixing into zones of low irradiance. Also, saturation of N₂ fixation occurred over a lower range of irradiance for Aphanizomenon than for Anabaena. 3. High efficiency of N₂ fixation in Aphanizomenon at low or fluctuating irradiance is complementary to its previously demonstrated high efficiency of photosynthesis at low irradiance. Nitrogen fixation rate was also strongly related to DIN concentration; fixation was highest at low DIN (maximum < 5 μg L^?1) but was also most vulnerable to photoinhibition under such conditions. 4. The fixation capabilities of Aphanizomenon under weak or varying irradiance could explain its commonly observed domination over Anabaena when transparency is low and available nitrogen is scarce.     

Use of Shields stress to reconstruct and forecast changes in river metabolism

1. Discharge patterns of streams and rivers may be substantially affected by changes in water management, land use, or climate. Such hydrological alterations are likely to influence biotic processes, including overall ecosystem metabolism (photosynthesis and respiration). One regulator of aquatic ecosystem metabolism directly tied to hydrology is movement of bed sediments. 2. We propose that ecosystem metabolism can be reconstructed or predicted for any suite of hydrological conditions through the use of quantitative relationships between discharge, bed movement and metabolism. We tested this concept on a plains reach of the South Platte River in Colorado. 3. Movement of bed sediments was predicted from river discharge and the Shields stress, a ratio of velocity‐induced stress to sediment grain size. Quantitative relationships were established empirically between metabolic response to bed movement and recovery from bed movement, thus linking metabolism to hydrology. 4. The linkage of metabolism to hydrology allowed us to reconstruct daily photosynthesis and respiration over the 70‐year period for which discharge is known at our study site on the South Platte River. The reconstruction shows major ecological change caused by hydrological manipulation: the river has lost two‐thirds of its photosynthetic potential, and the ratio of photosynthesis to respiration is now much lower than it was prior to 1960. 5. The same approach could be used to anticipate ecological responses to proposed hydrological manipulations, to quantify benefits of hydrological restoration, or to illustrate potential effects of change in climate or land use on flowing‐water ecosystems.     

Vegetative anatomy and systematics of subtribe Dendrobiinae (Orchidaceae)

Anatomy of leaf, stem, and root of more than 100 species in subtribe Dendrobiinae (Orchidaceae) was studied with the light microscope to provide a comparative anatomical treatment of these organs, to serve as an independent source of evidence that might be taxonomically important, and to recommend such reinterpretations of existing classifications as are suggested by a phylogenetic assessment of data. We based our classification on that of Rudolf Schlechter as the most complete and widely accepted today. We found that the anatomy of plants in subtribe Dendrobiinae reflects a high degree of morphological diversity, and many of the anatomical characters appear to be homoplasous. When these anatomical data are used to interpret the systematic relationships among the genera, they indicate that Dendrobium is not monophyletic and that Cadetia and Pseuderia are apparently nested within the structure of Dendrobium when section Grastidium is chosen as a functional outgroup. Lack of resolution in the strict consensus tree illustrates the difficulty of determining the phylogenetic relationships of many of Schlechter's sections using anatomical characters. Nevertheless, we recommend that his sectional classification, with appropriate modifications based on available data, be retained for the present, pending a more detailed understanding of the phylogeny of Dendrobiinae based on morphology, micromorphology, anatomy, and DNA studies.     

The Importance of the History of Science to the American Society of Zoologists

As the history of science has developed as a professional intellectualdiscipline, it has had and will continue to have an importantrole in defining science and its place in our culture. Suchdefinitions should be based on as much information as possible.Scientists can help supply some of this information throughparticipation in symposia on the history of science. In addition,scientists can learn much about the nature of their disciplineby becoming aware of the concepts of science which are derivedfrom the careful analysis of its history. Efforts should bemade to bring historians of science and scientists togetherfor their mutual benefit.     

Cold-Inhibited Phloem Translocation in Sugar Beet: II. CHARACTERIZATION AND LOCALIZATION OF THE SLOW-COOLING RESPONSE

Experiments were undertaken on a simplified sugar beet systemto characterize the phloem translocation response to slow coolingtreatments that were applied to the source leaf petiole. Inthese experiments the temperature was decreased by 4°C every16 min, such that the tissue temperature was lowered from 25°Cto 1°C over a period of 80 min. Our results indicated thatan initial slow cooling treatment, on a given test plant, causedno change in the rate of translocation. However, all subsequentslow cooling regimes that were applied to the same petiole positionelicited a characteristic step-type inhibition. This inhibitionaveraged about 10% of the original translocation rate in allcases with no recovery being observed. The data suggest thatthe initial cooling treatment induced an alteration in the petioletissue which facilitated the inhibition phenomenon during subsequentslow coolings. This alteration was shown to be localized withinthe upstream region of the chilled petiole segment, followingan initial slow cooling, or throughout the chilled petiole segmentafter an initial quick cooling from 25°C to 1°C. Resultsalso show that the alteration is a long-lived phenomenon thathas no detectable influence on the quick-cooling induced transientinhibition of translocation. Key words: Phloem, Translocation, Cooling response, Petiole     

Survival strategies in polar terrestrial arthropods

Three components of the survival strategy of a terrestrial Antarctic mite, Alaskozetes antarcticus (Acari: Cryptostigmata) are considered: overwintering survival, energetics and life history. Supercooling is an important feature of its cold tolerance, whilst elevation of standard metabolism allows activity at low temperatures, both of which contribute tcTa long development and maximum survival of individuals in the population. These are facets of the overall survival strategy evolved by such a species in response to the Antarctic terrestrial environment, but which may be widespread in polar invertebrates.     

Two New Subspecies of Herpetomonas muscarum (Leidy, 1856) Kent, 1880

SYNOPSIS. Herpetomonas muscarum muscarum n. subsp. was isolated from Musca domestica L. In culture at 20 C it assumed the opisthomastigote (up to 15%), double-flagellate and flagellate promastigote forms. At 30 C or with 4% urea added to cultures at 20 C, the proportion of opisthomastigotes was greater (up to 40%). In experimentally infected flies only transient infections, which included both opisthomastigotes and promastigotes, occurred. The promastigotes were 15–30 μ long and the kinetoplast was small and subspherical or transversely elongate. H. muscarum ingenoplastis n. subsp. was isolated from Phormia regina (Meigen). In culture at 20 C almost all individuals were double-flagellate promastigotes 20–40 μ long and less than 1% were opisthomastigotes. At 30 C or with added urea there was no increase in the proportion of opisthomastigotes and the cultures were not vigorous. In experimentally infected flies opisthomastigotes were 5–39% of the population depending on the part of the gut sampled. In all stages the kinetoplast was large (1.5–2.5 μ long) and tear-drop-shaped with the point directed posteriorly.
In artificially mixed cultures of H. m. muscarum and H. m. ingenoplastis the former predominated after a short time and eventually survived alone. A mixed culture that was about 98% H. m. muscarum was fed to Phormia regina and produced heavy pure infections of H. m. ingenoplastis , which lasted for 22 days with no indication of decline. No evidence of cyst formation was found in either subspecies.     

Stomatal Response to Humidity and Lanthanum

Lanthanum fed to the base of excised leaves of Sesamum indicum L. and Helianthus annuus L. was used as a tracer to investigate by electron microscopy the path of water in the apoplast of leaves. The generally random distribution of lanthanum in cell walls provided no support for the hypothesis that cuticular transpiration may be greater for guard cells than for adjacent epidermal cells. Occasionally, accumulations of lanthanum were observed in anticlinal walls of epidermal cells and at the outer surface of the plasma membrane but lanthanum was not observed in the symplast. The influx of ⁸⁶Rb to excised roots of sesame and sunflower was inhibited during incubation with 0.5 mM lanthanum or calcium for 15 or for 180 min. Stomata of sunflower partially closed when 2.5 mM lanthanum was supplied to the base of excised shoots in a potometer, whereas this treatment had little effect on stomatal conductance of sesame shoots maintained in a constant environment. Supplying 2.5 mM lanthanum to the base of sesame shoots strongly inhibited stomatal opening response to increase in ambient humidity but had little effect on stomatal opening response to light. It was concluded that stomatal opening response to increased humidity may be dependent upon some process, such as ion influx, that is inhibited by lanthanum, and that opening response to humidity may differ in mechanism from stomatal opening response to increased irradiance.