Individual tree traits shape insect and disease damage on oak in a climate‐matching tree diversity experiment

Diversifying planted forests by increasing genetic and species diversity is often promoted as a method to improve forest resilience to climate change and reduce pest and pathogen damage. In this study, we used a young tree diversity experiment replicated at two sites in the UK to study the impacts of tree diversity and tree provenance (geographic origin) on the oak (Quercus robur) insect herbivore community and a specialist biotrophic pathogen, oak powdery mildew. Local UK, French, and Italian provenances were planted in monocultures, provenance mixtures, and species mixes, allowing us to test whether: (a) local and nonlocal provenances differ in their insect herbivore and pathogen communities, and (b) admixing trees leads to associational effects on insect herbivore and pathogen damage. Tree diversity had variable impacts on foliar organisms across sites and years, suggesting that diversity effects can be highly dependent on environmental context. Provenance identity impacted upon both herbivores and powdery mildew, but we did not find consistent support for the local adaptation hypothesis for any group of organisms studied. Independent of provenance, we found tree vigor traits (shoot length, tree height) and tree apparency (the height of focal trees relative to their surroundings) were consistent positive predictors of powdery mildew and insect herbivory. Synthesis. Our results have implications for understanding the complex interplay between tree identity and diversity in determining pest damage, and show that tree traits, partially influenced by tree genotype, can be important drivers of tree pest and pathogen loads.     

链格孢属小孢子种的RAPD分析*

用筛选出的12个随机引物,对链格孢属Alternaria13个小孢子种和作为对照的3个大孢子种共55个分离系(isolates)进行RAPD分析。大孢子种Alternariasolani、A.porri和形态独特的A.leucanthemi在树状聚类图上遗传距离0.44处与所有供试小孢子种区分开,它们彼此之间在遗传距离0.25处相区分,表明所采用的RAPD分析方法适于链格孢种间亲缘关系的研究。所有供试的链格孢小孢子种在遗传距离0.31水平上被聚在一起,表明它们之间的亲缘关系较近。A.infectoria与其它链格孢小孢子种之间遗传距离较远;A.longipes的3个分离系和A.brassicicola的7个分离系在较低的遗传距离上被聚在一起,表明它们是独立的种。其它供试链格孢小孢子种的不同分离系在树状聚类图上未显示明确区分。     

广州大学城绿地应用树种结构分析

根据实地踏查和文献资料详细调查广州大学城城市绿地的总体布局, 各类绿地的树种结构和组成。调查发现,大学城道路绿化率高达90%,行道树应用树种有70种,隶属于29科;附属绿地树木有122种,包含42科106属。结合道路和各单位附属绿地的树木种类及其出现频率,进一步分析大学城城市森林的树木配置和美学价值,并针对绿化树种存在问题提出改善建议。     

分子进化研究中的今祖法,其理论基础、存在的问题和解释

在分子进化树的建立上,今祖法(Present-Day Ancestor Method)由于能够避免由于不同进化枝进化速率的不同所造成的错误,对于相距较远的各类群低等生物的进化关系的研究有着特别重要的意义。但是在应用此法于具体的研究时,也遇到了一些令人困惑的带根本性的问题。为此我们对它的理论基础、适用范围和所遇到的问题等等进行了一番认真的考察,并对存在的问题给予了合理的说明。     

黄土区4个树种水势特征的研究

采用压力室法对晋西北黄土区柠条(Caragana korshinskii)、河北杨(Populus hopeiensis)、北京杨(Populus beijingensis)和小叶杨(Populus simonii)4 个树种的小枝水势、叶含水率及其环境因子的日变化进行了定期测定。分析了4 个树种水势日变化与光照(L)、气温(T)、相对湿度(RH)日变化及叶含水率(LWC)日变化的关系以及其水势的季节变化与土壤水分季节变化的关系。主要结果如下:整个生长期所测4 个树种小枝水势的日变化为呈抛物线型。生长期小枝水势的平均值分别为柠条(-1.569 MPa)、河北杨(-1.030 MPa)、北京杨(-0.993 MPa)和小叶杨(-0.971MPa)。小枝水势与环境单因子的相关性大小依次为:光照、气温、相对湿度。水势与光温复合因子(L*T)、光湿复合因子(L/RH)的相关性大于它与单因子的相关性。小枝水势与叶含水率的相关性较差。生长期清晨水势(Wp)季变化与土壤水分(X)季节变化的最佳关系模型为Wp=Ae^-BX型。但生长期午间水势的季节变化与土壤水分季节变化的关系均不显著。土壤水分含量对水势有较大影响。     

Molecular characterisation and origin of the Coffea arabica L. genome

Restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers were used in combination with genomic in situ hybridisation (GISH) to investigate the origin of the allotetraploid species Coffea arabica (2n = 44). By comparing the RFLP patterns of potential diploid progenitor species with those of C. arabica, the sources of the two sets of chromosomes, or genomes, combined in C. arabica were identified. The genome organisation of C. arabica was confirmed by GISH using simultaneously labelled total genomic DNA from the two putative genome donor species as probes. These results clearly suggest that C. arabica is an amphidiploid formed by hybridisation between C. eugenioides and C. canephora, or ecotypes related to these diploid species. Our results also indicate low divergence between the two constituent genomes of C. arabica and those of its progenitor species, suggesting that the speciation of C. arabica took place relatively recently. Precise localisation in Central Africa of the site of the speciation of C. arabica, based on the present distribution of the coffee species, appears difficult, since the constitution and extent of tropical forest has varied considerably during the late Quaternary period. Received: 6 June 1998 / Accepted: 10 November 1998     

Population genetic structure of the endangered tropical tree species Caryocar brasiliense, based on variability at microsatellite loci

We report the population genetic structure of the endangered tropical tree species Caryocar brasiliense, based on variability at 10 microsatellite loci. Additionally, we compare heterozygosity and inbreeding estimates for continuous and fragmented populations and discuss the consequences for conservation. For a total of 314 individuals over 10 populations, the number of alleles per locus ranged from 20 to 27 and expected and observed heterozygosity varied from 0.129 to 0.924 and 0.067 to 1.000, respectively. Significant values of theta and R(ST) showed important genetic differentiation among populations. theta was much lower than R(ST), suggesting that identity by state and identity by descent have diverged in these populations. Although a significant amount of inbreeding was found under the identity by descent model (f = 0.11), an estimate of inbreeding for microsatellite markers based on a more adequate stepwise mutation model showed no evidence of nonrandom mating (R(IS) = 0.04). Differentiation (pairwise F(ST)) was positively correlated with geographical distance, as expected under the isolation by distance model. No effect of fragmentation on heterozygosity or inbreeding could be detected. This is most likely due to the fact that Cerrado fragmentation is a relatively recent event (approximately 60 years) compared to the species life cycle. Also, the populations surveyed from both fragmented and disturbed areas were composed mainly of adult individuals, already present prior to ecosystem fragmentation. Adequate hypothesis testing of the effect of habitat fragmentation will require the recurrent analysis of juveniles across generations in both fragmented and nonfragmented areas.     

Impacts of Cyclone Larry on arboreal folivorous marsupials endemic to upland rainforests of the Atherton Tableland,Australia

Abstract Intense cyclones might be expected to adversely affect populations of arboreal mammals, either directly or as a consequence of the destruction of food resources and other key habitat elements. However, such impacts have rarely been quantified. The present study examined the response of five species of arboreal folivorous marsupials to Severe Cyclone Larry at nine sites in upland rainforests of the Atherton Tableland, north‐east Australia. Sites were originally surveyed for folivores in 1995–1997, and then resurveyed in 2006, 6–8 months after Cyclone Larry had traversed the region. All sites showed evidence of structural damage to vegetation, but overall damage levels (assessed in terms of canopy cover, damage to trees, basal area of dead trees and volume of woody debris) decreased from east to west across the study region. The detectability of rainforest possums increased after the cyclone. For the most commonly observed species, the proportion of individuals observed >5 m from survey transects was correlated with the amount of structural damage to vegetation. To avoid confounding changes in detectability with changes in abundance, only observations close (<5 m) to transects were used to estimate folivore abundance before and after the cyclone. On this basis, there were no significant differences between pre‐ and post‐cyclone abundance estimates for any folivore species. Further, changes in folivore abundance after the cyclone were not correlated with damage to vegetation across sites. Cyclone Larry does not appear to have caused a catastrophic loss of key habitat resources for marsupial folivores at the sites surveyed. The high degree of folivory practiced by marsupial folivores may help make them resilient to cyclone impacts. These conclusions are more robust for three commonly observed folivore species (Hemibelideus lemuroides, Pseudochirulus herbertensis and Trichosurus vulpecula johnstonii) than for two less frequently encountered species (Pseudochirops archeri and Dendrolagus lumholtzi).