Seasonal carbon isotope discrimination in a grassland community

Summary Grassland communities of arid western North America are often characterized by a seasonal increase in ambient temperature and evaporative demand and a corresponding decline in soil moisture availability. As the environment changes, particular species could respond differently, which should be reflected in a number of physiological processes. Carbon isotope discrimination varies during photosynthetic activity as a function of both stomatal aperture and the biochemistry of the fixation process, and provides an integrated measure of plant response to seasonal changes in the environment. We measured the seasonal course of carbon isotope discrimination in 42 grassland species to evaluate changes in gas exchange processes in response to these varying environmental factors. The seasonal courses were then used to identify community-wide patterns associated with life form, with phenology and with differences between grasses and forbs. Significant differences were detected in the following comparisons: (1) Carbon isotope discrimination decreased throughout the growing season; (2) perennial species discriminated less than annual species; (3) grasses discriminated less than forbs; and (4) early flowering species discriminated more than the later flowering ones. These comparisons suggested that (1) species active only during the initial, less stressful months of the growing season used water less efficiently, and (2) that physiological responses increasing the ratio of carbon fixed to water lost were common in these grassland species, and were correlated with the increase in evaporative demand and the decrease in soil moisture.     

Mechanisms of iron acquisition from siderophores by microorganisms and plants

Most bacteria, fungi, and some plants respond to Fe stress by the induction of high-affinity Fe transport systems that utilize biosyrthetic chelates called siderophores. To competitively acquire Fe, some microbes have transport systems that enable them to use other siderophore types in addition to their own. Bacteria such as Escherichia coli achieve this ability by using a combination of separate siderophore receptors and transporters, whereas other microbial species, such as Streptomyces pilosus, use a low specificity, high-affinity transport system that recognizes more than one siderophore type. By either strategy, such versatility may provide an advantage under Fe-limiting conditions; allowing use of siderophores produced at another organism's expense, or Fe acquisition from siderophores that could otherwise sequester Fe in an unavailable form.Plants that use microbial siderophores may also be more Fe efficient by virtue of their ability to use a variety of Fe sources under different soil conditions. Results of our research examining Fe transport by oat indicate parity in plant and microbial requirements for Fe and suggest that siderophores produced by root-colonizing microbes may provide Fe to plants that can use the predominant siderophore types. In conjunction with transport mechanisms, ecological and soil chemical factors can influence the efficacy of siderophores and phytosiderophores. A model presented here attempts to incorporate these factors to predict conditions that may govern competition for Fe in the plant rhizosphere. Possibly such competition has been a factor in the evolution of broad transport capabilities for different siderophores by microorganisms and plants.     

Microbial growth on carbon monoxide

The utilization of carbon monoxide as energy and/or carbon source by different physiological groups of bacteria is described and compared. Utilitarian CO oxidation which is coupled to the generation of energy for growth is achieved by aerobic and anaerobic eu- and archaebacteria. They belong to the physiological groups of aerobic carboxidotrophic, facultatively anaerobic phototrophic, and anaerobic acetogenic, methanogenic or sulfate-reducing bacteria. The key enzyme in CO oxidation is CO dehydrogenase which is a molybdo iron-sulfur flavoprotein in aerobic CO-oxidizing bacteria and a nickel-containing iron-sulfur protein in anaerobic ones. In carboxidotrophic and phototrophic bacteria, the CO-born CO₂ is fixed by ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase in the reductive pentose phosphate cycle. In acetogenic, methanogenic, and probably in sulfate-reducing bacteria, CODH/acetyl-CoA synthase directly incorporates CO into acetyl-CoA.In plasmid-harbouring carboxidotrophic bacteria, CO dehydrogenase as well as enzymes involved in CO₂ fixation or hydrogen utilization are plasmid-encoded. Structural genes encoding CO dehydrogenase were cloned from carboxidotrophic, acetogenic and methanogenic bacteria. Although they are clustered in each case, they are genetically distinct.Soil is a most important biological sink for CO in nature. While the physiological microbial groups capable of CO oxidation are well known, the type and nature of the microorganisms actually representing this sink are still enigmatic. We also tried to summarize the little information available on the nutritional and physicochemical requirements determining the sink strength. Because CO is highly toxic to respiring organisms even in low concentrations, the function of microbial activities in the global CO cycle is critical.     

神农架金丝猴的生态学观察

金丝猴(Rhinopithecus roxellanae)仅产于我国,属国家Ⅰ级保护动物,自然分布于四川、陕西、甘肃的部分地区和湖北省神农架自然保护区。1983年以来,笔者对神农架金丝猴生存环境生态习性等作了长期观察研究,结果报道如下。     

我国植物种群生态研究的成就与展望

种群生态学以种群作为研究对象,无论在理论上还是在方法上都是生态学中发展最快,最为活跃的一个领域,也是生态学研究中的一个极其重要的层次,因为它是物种存在和进化的基本单位,是生物群落和生态系统的基本组成。一、植物种群生态学研究的历史Graunt于1662年进行了人类种群的生命     

Paleoecological reconstruction of changes in the productivity of a small,meromictic lake in Southern Ontario,Canada

Some aspects of the paleoproductivity of meromictic Crawford Lake, near Toronto, are inferred from a study of its sedimentary pigments, and diatoms. Several stages of lake development are observed over the 35 cm-deep sediment core removed from the center of Crawford Lake. Evidence of changes in lake productivity during the last 300 years was reflected by significant stratigraphic sediment pigment changes which were associated with European settlement in the Crawford Lake watershed and recent alterations associated with the area's operation by the Conservation Authority (1969 — present). One of the most important factors correlated with paleoproductivity was land clearance (mainly logging of white oak and pine). Deforestation during the last century is correlated with an increase in the amount of algal pigments deposited in the lake's sediments during the 1800's. During the last 10 years a striking increase in the accumulation of chlorophyll derivatives was observed. This is correlated with a dramatic increase in the number of visitors to the lake.Stratigraphic changes in the ratio of cyanobacterial to phototrophic bacterial pigment accumulation are used to infer changes which occurred during the shift from mesotrophy to eutrophy in Crawford Lake.     

Anti-predatory autecology in the geometrid larvae of Larentia clavaria pallidata

It was suggested by Heinrich that cryptic, palatable caterpillars would adopt foliar foraging techniques which would reduce the chance of their being detected. I wished to test this hypothesis further and to determine the post-discovery tactics. I found that caterpillars of Larentia clavaria pallidat, contrary to expectations, usually rested on upper surfaces of young Althaea setosa leaves but moved to the undersides when exposed to higher light intensities. This species may be effectively concealed by older canopy leaves. These larvae usually responded to predator-like stimuli by assuming a deimatic s form but rarely dropped. Dropping may be infrequent partly because younger caterpillars could not easily relocate the foot plant. I discuss, briefly the implications of host-plant selection.