Identification of an allelopathic compound from Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) and characterization of its herbicidal activity

Aqueous extracts of Ailanthus altissima bark and foliage were previously shown to be toxic to other plants. Using bioassay-directed fractionation, I isolated the phytotoxic compound from A. altissima root bark and identified it to be ailanthone, a quassinoid compound having molecular mass of 376. Ailanthone was highly phytotoxic, with concentrations of 0.7 ml/L causing 50% inhibition of radicle elongation in a standardized bioassay with garden cress (Lepidium sativum) seeds. Ailanthone exhibited potent pre- and postemergence herbicidal activity in greenhouse trials. Postcmergence activity was especially striking; even the lowest application rate (0.5 kg/ha) caused complete mortality of five of the seven plant species tested within 5 d of treatment. In contrast, the highest application rate (8 kg/ha) did not cause any detectable injury to A. altissima seedlings, indicating the presence of a protective mechanism in the producer species to prevent autotoxicity. Ailanthone was rapidly detoxified in field soil as a result of microbial activity. Applications of ailanthone equivalent to 0.5 and 4.0 kg/ha completely lost their phytotoxicity within ≤5 d when incubated in the presence of nonsterile soil. When incubated with sterile soil under identical conditions, however, ailanthone remained highly phytotoxic throughout the 21-d duration of the investigation. The high level of postemergence herbicidal activity in conjunction with its rapid biodegradation in soil suggest ailanthone may have potential for development as a natural-product herbicide.     

臭椿不同发育阶段叶片表面结构特征

利用光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜技术,对臭椿(Ailanthus altissima(Mill.)Swingle)叶片从叶芽到成熟叶4个发育阶段(叶芽、幼叶、近成熟叶和成熟叶)的4种叶表面结构(表皮毛、气孔器、角质层、腺体)进行了详细地观察和比较。结果显示:叶片上、下表面具单细胞非腺毛和头状腺毛两种表皮毛,其密度在叶芽阶段最大,之后随着叶片的生长和展开表皮毛密度逐渐降低;气孔器主要分布于下表面,叶片近成熟时气孔器密度最大;角质层具有条纹状结构,其隆起程度在近成熟叶阶段达到最大;叶片基部两侧具锯齿状突起,每个突起上有一个腺体,腺体发育成熟后可分泌透明黏液。说明叶片表面各结构特征是臭椿对环境长期适应的结果。     

Herbicidal effects under field conditions of Ailanthus altissima bark extract,which contains ailanthone

Extracts of Ailanthus altissima stem bark were evaluated for herbicidal effects under field conditions in two outdoor trials. Previous investigations had shown A. altissima bark, extracted with methanol, yielded a strongly phytotoxic extract that contained ailanthone as one of the major herbicidal compounds. The first field trial investigated the level of activity and selectivity of the extract. A. altissima bark extract was sprayed post-emergence onto 17 species of weeds and crops at rates of 366, 177, 93, 47, 23, and 0 kg ha^–1. These application rates provided herbicidal activity equivalent to 4.5, 2.2, 1.1, 0.6, 0.3, and 0.0 kg of pure ailanthone per hectare, based on the results of a laboratory bioassay of extract and pure ailanthone. Strong herbicidal effects were observed within several days. Even the lowest rate caused mortality and injury in excess of 50% for nine of the 17 species, and a significant reduction in shoot biomass for 13 species. The second field trial tested the ability of bark extract to control weeds under field conditions with horticultural crops (bush bean, cauliflower, sweet corn, tomato). A. altissima bark extract was sprayed post-emergence at rates of 99, 50, 26, 13, and 0 kg ha^–1, providing herbicidal activity equivalent to 1.1, 0.6, 0.3, 0.14, and 0.0 kg of pure ailanthone per hectare. Extract treatment provided partial weed control (greatest reduction in weed biomass was 40%), but also caused serious crop injury. Bush bean was the only crop that showed a significant increase in shoot biomass and fruit yield, compared to the non-weeded control. None of the crops, regardless of application rate, showed a level of shoot biomass or fruit yield comparable to the hand-weeded control. The herbicidal effects of A. altissima bark extract declined within the first few weeks after application, supporting previous evidence that ailanthone is rapidly degraded under field conditions.     

Edge Effects on Species Composition and Exotic Species Abundance in the North Carolina Piedmont

Edges between forest and non-forest habitats often have significant effects on forest microclimate and resource availability, with corresponding effects on species composition and abundance. Exotic species are often increased in abundance near forest edges. This increase in abundance could be either because of the increase in resource availability near edges, or because of increased dispersal into forest edges. We measured species composition and a set of geospatial variables on transects at 66 edges in the North Carolina Piedmont in an attempt to distinguish between these two factors. Mantel tests show that species composition is significantly different in forest edges than in the forest interior, but that this effect only penetrates about 5 m into the forest. Indicator species analysis finds several species that are indicative of edge communities, including trumpet vine (Campsis radicans), two drought-tolerant oak species (Quercus stellata and Q. falcata), a serviceberry (Amelanchier arboreum), and a common exotic species, tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima). Poisson regression techniques showed that in both the seedling and tree strata of the forest, exotic species increased in abundance on flat sites with a high potential seed source. Mapping predicted exotic species abundance onto the landscape. We find that large-scale variation in exotic species abundance is due mostly to variation in potential seed sources, while small-scale variation relates more to edaphic factors. Our results stress that both dispersal and environmental filters are important for determining exotic species abundance, but potentially the filters operate at different spatial scales.     

臭椿茎中分泌道的发育及其组织化学研究

利用植物解剖学方法研究臭椿茎和叶柄中分泌道的结构、分布和发育过程.结果表明:臭椿茎和叶柄中的分泌道分布于髓的周缘,次生木质部中无分泌道.分泌道是由一层分泌细胞围绕分泌腔而构成,分泌细胞外有1～2层鞘细胞.分泌道以裂生方式形成,其发育过程可分为3个阶段:原始细胞阶段、形成阶段和成熟阶段.在原始细胞阶段,一群原始细胞具浓厚细胞质,细胞核清晰可见;形成阶段,原始细胞的中央细胞间细胞壁中层降解,细胞壁分离,形成腔隙,随着分泌细胞数量的增加,分泌腔体积扩大;成熟阶段的分泌道具有12～16个分泌细胞,1～2层鞘细胞,分泌腔直径为30～50μm.组织化学研究表明,分泌细胞及分泌道内含物中含大量的萜类、多糖和脂类物质.机械创伤能够诱导次生木质部中产生创伤分泌道.臭椿茎中的分泌道和创伤性分泌道在抵御生物和非生物胁迫中起重要作用.     

Post-fire spread of alien plant species in a mixed broad-leaved forest of the Insubric region

How do tree species regenerate and which ecological conditions are required after forest fire in the Insubric region of the Alps? Are indigenous stand-forming tree species resistant over the invasion of alien plant species after such a disturbance? We addressed these questions in a case study in the Swiss canton of Ticino. In April 2006, a surface fire with severe intensity burnt a forest area of 55 ha on a south-facing slope (400-800 m.a.s.l.). The dominant trees in the investigated area were chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.), beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and deciduous oaks (Quercus spp.) mixed with tree species of intermediate height. Vegetation data were collected in May and August 2009 by systematic sampling. Resprouting of the survived trees and generative regeneration were analysed by counting vegetative shoots from sprouting stools, of seedling age, height and damage rate, respectively. Different vegetation structures related to low or high fire intensity were clearly visible three years after the forest fire, creating various habitats for both new invaders and seedlings of the stand-forming trees. The dominant chestnut was the only tree species that regenerated effectively by sprouting from stools. Seedlings of the stand-forming trees grew in high abundance under shadow conditions close to their mother trees which provided the seed source. In contrast, pioneer trees invaded patches where full light was available. Under such conditions the two main woody alien plant species, Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia, grew in high abundance. Due to the different ecological requirements of indigenous and alien tree seedlings, not any interaction between the two groups was detected.     

Phylogeography of the widespread plant Ailanthus altissima (Simaroubaceae) in China indicated by three chloroplast DNA regions

Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, a temperate tree species, has a wide distribution in China. To infer its refugia and patterns of migration during past climatic changes in China, genetic variations among different populations were studied. Gene sequences of three chloroplast DNA spacer regions, psbA-trnH, trnL-trnF, andtrnD-trnT, were obtained from 440 individuals of 44 populations. The distribution of haplotype and the relationships among them were investigated by haplotype network. In addition, the genetic diversity of the sampled regions was inferred, and the biogeographic history was also reconstructed. Twelve haplotypes were identified, among which, five were unique. The phylogenetic analysis and geographical distribution of haplotypes indicate that multiple glacial refugia existed in mainland China during the Quaternary oscillations. Due to the combined effects of contiguous range expansion and allopatric fragmentation, significant genetic structure was not found in this study. Based on biogeographic and demographic analysis, three main dispersal routes were identified for the major haplotypes, whereas others were more likely localized demographic expansion.     

Microsatellites for tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)

Nine (CT)_n microsatellites were developed for tree of heaven, Ailanthus altissima, from invasive populations on the Mediterranean islands. These loci had seven to 12 alleles in 96 trees from five islands. Two loci had significant deficits of heterozygotes within islands while the other loci were in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, and four pairs of loci had significant linkage disequilibrium within a single island. These loci were also polymorphic in one to three individuals of the tree of heaven varieties, Ailanthus altissima erythrocarpa, Ailanthus altissima sutchuenensis and Ailanthus altissima tanakai, and the related species Ailanthus giraldii and Ailanthus vilmariniana.     

Widespread resistance of Mediterranean island ecosystems to the establishment of three alien species

Although some invasive plants are cosmopolitan, not all ecosystems are invaded to the same degree. Yet there is little experimental work on how ecosystem resistance to invasion at the establishment phase differs among ecosystems. We conducted two field sowing experiments in two consecutive years to examine establishment of the deciduous tree Ailanthus altissima, the succulent subshrub Carpobrotus spp. and the annual geophyte Oxalis pes‐caprae in coastal dunes, shrublands and oldfields in more than 200 sites across six Mediterranean Basin islands differing in climatic conditions and local species richness. Establishment success (i.e. percentage of plots with at least one seedling) and rates (i.e. seedling to sown seed ratio) were low, especially for Ailanthus even when accounting for differences in seed viability. Oxalis was capable of producing a new cohort of seedlings the year following planting. By contrast, all Ailanthus seedlings and half the Carpobrotus seedlings died following the first summer. Differences in establishment success and rates among ecosystems were species‐, island‐ and year‐dependent. Differences in precipitation and mean temperature were associated with differences in establishment rates across sites. Establishment rates tended to be positively correlated with cumulative precipitation and negatively with mean T^a. Unexpectedly, native species richness was not a good predictor of seedling establishment, except for higher Oxalis establishment success in species rich habitats. By conducting field sowing tests at multiple sites across a region we found that except for Oxalis, Mediterranean island ecosystems are quite resistant to invader establishment. These results suggest that differences in the degree of invasion between ecosystems and islands might be more dependent upon the influence of invasion event factors (e.g. propagule pressure) or factors acting at a later life‐history stages rather than differences in the resistance imposed by ecosystems to invader recruitment. Moreover, our results support the notion that in Mediterranean ecosystems invasions are highly idiosyncratic events and strongly dependent on water availability conditions.     

沟眶象的生物学特性及行为观察

沟眶象Eucryptorrhynchus chinensis(Olivier)是臭椿林木的主要害虫之一。在宁夏银川地区该虫1年发生1代,世代不整齐,以成、幼虫越冬。卵期7~10d,幼虫共有6龄,化蛹时间为4月下旬至5月和7月下旬至8月上旬,蛹经过10~14d羽化为成虫。成虫主要啃食椿树枝条幼芽和韧皮部,幼虫危害衰弱木,有时危害生长健旺的幼树韧皮部或木质部。成虫具有假死性,喜光,活动高峰在11~17时。雌、雄虫间的单次交配时间可持续10~20min;有重复交配现象,交配的时间间隔大约是20~40min;交配结束后,雄虫仍伏于雌虫背上达20~30min。雌虫蛀孔产卵,每产1粒卵约需15min左右,每雌平均产卵40粒左右。