Inferences for life history strategies of Artemisia tridentata subspecies

Communities dominated by Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata, A. tridentata ssp. wyomingensis, and A. tridentata ssp. vaseyana, found in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado, were evaluated for life history strategy. Species cover data were analyzed using Grime's (1984) triangular model. Then a canonical analysis was conducted to obtain an ordination of relative species cover. Results from these two analyses were then used to infer strategy differences among life histories of subspecies, based on the respective plant community associates. These differences were found to be consistent with the divergent evolution assumed to have occurred in this species. The primary ordination axis was interpreted as an elevation-moisture gradient. Further analysis of soil data by factor analysis also separated the three Artemisia subspecies along a soil texture gradient.     

Epoxidation and hydration of prenyl pyrophosphates by plant extracts

Cell-free extracts of Tanacetum vulgare, Artemisia annua, and Santolina chamaecyparissus contain seasonally-dependent enzyme systems that convert IPP4, DMAPP, GPP and NPP into water-soluble products in up to 96% yield. 3-Methyl-3,4-oxidobutan-1-ol; 3-methylbutan-1,3,4-triol; 3,7-dimethyl-6,7-oxido-octa-trans-2-en-1-ol; and 3,7-dimethylocta-trans,trans-2,5-dien-1,7-diol were major products when IPP and GPP respectively were substrates and several other terpene epoxides and their ring-opened products were tentatively identified. 2-CEPA blocked formation of diols from the epoxides. The occurrence of these enzymes accounts for some hitherto puzzling observations that have arisen in studies of monoterpene biosynthesis both in vivo and in vitro.     

Sagebrush and grasshopper responses to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration

Summary Seed- and clonally-propagated plants of Big Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata var.tridentata) were grown under atmospheric carbon dioxide regimes of 270, 350 and 650 μl l⁻¹ and fed toMelanoplus differentialis andM. sanguinipes grasshoppers. Total shrub biomass significantly increased as carbon dioxide levels increased, as did the weight and area of individual leaves. Plants grown from seed collected in a single population exhibited a 3–5 fold variation in the concentration of leaf volatile mono- and sesquiterpenes, guaianolide sesquiterpene lactones, coumarins and flavones within each CO₂ treatment. The concentration of leaf allelochemicals did not differ significantly among CO₂ treatments for these seed-propagated plants. Further, when genotypic variation was controlled by vegetative propagation, allelochemical concentrations also did not differ among carbon dioxide treatments. On the other hand, overall leaf nitrogen concentration declined significantly with elevated CO₂. Carbon accumulation was seen to dilute leaf nitrogen as the balance of leaf carbon versus nitrogen progressively increased as CO₂ growth concentration increased. Grasshopper feeding was highest on sagebrush leaves grown under 270 and 650 μl l⁻¹ CO₂, but varied widely within treatments. Leaf nitrogen concentration was an important positive factor in grasshopper relative growth but had no overall effect on consumption. Potential compensatory consumption by these generalist grasshoppers was apparently limited by the sagebrush allelochemicals. Insects with a greater ability to feed on chemically defended host plants under carbon dioxide enrichment may ultimately consume leaves with a lower nitrogen concentration but the same concentration of allelochemicals. Compensatory feeding may potentially increase the amount of dietary allelochemicals ingested for each unit of nitrogen consumed.     

Osmotic relations of the drought-tolerant shrub Artemisia tridentata in response to water stress

Turgor maintenance, solute content and recovery from water stress were examined in the drought-tolerant shrub Artemisia tridentata. Predawn water potentials of shrubs receiving supplemental water remained above ?2 MPa throughout summer, while predawn water potentials of untreated shrubs decreased to ?5 MPa. Osmotic potentials decreased in conjunction with water potentials maintaining turgor pressures above 0 MPa. The decreases in osmotic potentials were not the result of osmotic adjustment (i.e. solute accumulation). Leaf solute contents decreased during drought, but leaf water volumes decreased more than 75% from spring to summer, thereby passively concentrating solutes within the leaves. The maintenance of positive turgor pressures despite decreases in leaf water volumes is consistent with other studies of species with elastic cell walls. Inorganic ion, organic acid, and carbohydrate contents of leaves declined during drought. The only solutes accumulating in leaves of A. tridentata with water stress were proline and a cyclitol, both considered compatible solutes. Total and osmotic potentials recovered rapidly following rewatering of shrubs; solute contents did not change except for a decrease in proline. Maintaining turgor through the passive concentration of solutes may be advantageous compared to synthesis of new solutes for osmotic adjustment in arid environments.     

Species interactions at the level of fine roots in the field: influence of soil nutrient heterogeneity and plant size

Interference at the level of fine roots in the field was studied by detailed examination of fine root distribution in small soil patches. To capture roots as they occur in natural three-dimensional soil space, we used a freezing and slicing technique for microscale root mapping. The location of individual roots intersecting a sliced soil core surface was digitized and the identity of shrub and grass roots was established by a chemical technique. Soil patches were created midway between the shrub, Artemisia tridentata, and one of two tussock grasses, Pseudoroegneria spicata or Agropyron desertorum. Some soil patches were enriched with nutrients and others given only deionized water (control); in addition, patches were located between plants of different size combination (large shrubs with small tussock grasses and small shrubs with large tussock grasses). The abundance of shrub and grass roots sharing soil patches and the inter-root distances of individual fine roots were measured. Total average rooting density in patches varied among these different treatment combinations by only a factor of 2, but the proportion of shrub and grass roots in the patches varied sixfold. For the shrub, the species of grass roots sharing the patches had a pronounced influence on shrub root density; shrub roots were more abundant if the patch was shared with Pseudoroegneria roots than if shared with Agropyron roots. The relative size of plants whose roots shared the soil patches also influenced the proportion of shrub and grass roots; larger plants were able to place more roots in the patches than were the smaller plants. In the nutrient-enriched patches, these influences of grass species and size combination were amplified. At the millimeter- to centimeter-scale within patches, shrub and grass roots tended to segregate, i.e., avoid each other, based on nearest-neighbor distances. At this scale, there was no indication that the species-specific interactions were the result of resource competition, since there were no obvious patterns between the proportion of shrub and grass roots of the two species combinations with microsite nutrient concentrations. Other potential mechanisms are discussed. Interference at the fine-root level, and its species-specific character, is likely an influential component of competitive success, but one that is not easily assessed.     

沙蒿组织培养植株再生

沙蒿种子灭菌后,接入ＭＳ无激素培养基得到无菌苗。取２０天无菌苗子叶切成小块,接入含２,４－Ｄ的ＭＳ培养基诱导愈伤组织,并在同样培养基上进行继代增殖。愈伤组织在含６－ＢＡ,ＮＡＡ的ＭＳ培养基上分化得到芽。将芽转至含ＩＡＡ的１／２ＭＳ培养基上形成根,从而得到完整植株。同时对影响沙蒿组织培养的一些因素进行了研究。结果表明培养基中２,４－Ｄ含量（０．５－２ｍｇ／Ｌ）越高,沙蒿愈伤组织生长越快,而褐化发生时     

Ecophysiological behavior ofArtemisia ordosica on the process of sand dune fixation

The population structure and water relations ofArtemisia ordosica were studied at different stages of the sand dune fixation process. Vegetation coverage and biomass increased as the sand dune fixation process progressed. In contrast, individual growth rate decreased in the late fixation stage. On fixed sand dunes the modal age ofA. ordosica plants was higher and seedlings or saplings were rearely observed. On active sand dunes, settlement of seedlings was regulated by sand mobility; that is, seedlings were observed only when sand mobility was below 10 cm per year. Leaf transpiration was highest in active sand dunes. Stand transpiration in fixed sand dunes was lower than in semi-fixed sand dunes. These differences in transpiration were related to a decrease in soil water availability, which was affected by the increase in the aeolian fine soil component during the course of sand dune fixation. The reduction in soil water status and the cessation of sand movement were considered to be important factors in the decline of theArtemisia ordosica community.     

中国蒿属植物比较形态和解剖学研究 Ⅱ花粉形态

本文通过光学显微镜和扫描电镜,观察国产菊科蒿属２亚属７组５８种代表物的花粉形态,结合有关资料以及菊科１２族,３０属代表植物花粉作比较,分析研究,取得以下结果：１．蒿属的花粉特征具有高度的一致性。主要体现在：花粉呈球形或近球形,极面观的三形圆形,赤道面观为圆形或椭圆形。     

Resource heterogeneity generated by shrubs and topography on coastal sand dunes

In early stages of primary succession, colonizing plants can create resource patches that influence the abundance and distribution of other species. To test whether different colonizing shrubs generate contrasting patches on coastal sand dunes, we compared soil characteristics and light availability under the nitrogen-fixing shrub Lupinus arboreus, under the non-nitrogen-fixing shrub Artemisia pycnocephala, and between shrubs on dunes at a site in northern California. Concentrations of inorganic nitrogen and net nitrogen mineralization rates were generally 1–10 times greater in soil under Lupinus than under Artemisia or between shrubs. Soil water content was mostly lower under shrubs. Mean photon flux density near ground level was reduced by at least 80% at 35 cm inside shrub canopies. Topography appeared to have more effect on soil moisture but less direct effect on nitrogen availability than did Lupinus. However, Lupinus probably increases nitrogen levels more on higher, drier dunes. Microhabitats under and between nitrogen-fixing shrubs constitute a mosaic of individually poor but complementary patches in which high levels of light and moderate levels of soil nitrogen are present but tend not to occur together.     

牛尾蒿两变种精油的化学成分

本文以气相色谱质谱计算机联用的方法分析了牛尾蒿原变种Artemisia dubia var. dubia及无毛变种B A. dubia var. subdigitata精油化学成分,共鉴定出82种化合物,其中萜类50种,芳香类12种,脂肪族类20种。经比较研究表明,这两变种的精油中有39种化合物(27 种萜类,5种芳香类和7种脂肪族类化合物)相同,而它们的差别在于牛尾蒿无毛变种中二环、三环倍半萜、芳香类及脂肪族类化合物的类型比原变种多。从精油的萜类化学组成特点来看,这两个变种的萜类化合物环化程度比蒿亚属植物高,而与龙蒿亚属植物相近。因此,这两个变种归属于龙蒿亚属较合适。