A stochastic model of tree architecture and biomass partitioning: application to Mongolian Scots pines

Background and Aims

Mongolian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) is one of the principal species used for windbreak and sand stabilization in arid and semi-arid areas in northern China. A model-assisted analysis of its canopy architectural development and functions is valuable for better understanding its behaviour and roles in fragile ecosystems. However, due to the intrinsic complexity and variability of trees, the parametric identification of such models is currently a major obstacle to their evaluation and their validation with respect to real data. The aim of this paper was to present the mathematical framework of a stochastic functional–structural model (GL2) and its parameterization for Mongolian Scots pines, taking into account inter-plant variability in terms of topological development and biomass partitioning.

Methods

In GL2, plant organogenesis is determined by the realization of random variables representing the behaviour of axillary or apical buds. The associated probabilities are calibrated for Mongolian Scots pines using experimental data including means and variances of the numbers of organs per plant in each order-based class. The functional part of the model relies on the principles of source–sink regulation and is parameterized by direct observations of living trees and the inversion method using measured data for organ mass and dimensions.

Key Results

The final calibration accuracy satisfies both organogenetic and morphogenetic processes. Our hypothesis for the number of organs following a binomial distribution is found to be consistent with the real data. Based on the calibrated parameters, stochastic simulations of the growth of Mongolian Scots pines in plantations are generated by the Monte Carlo method, allowing analysis of the inter-individual variability of the number of organs and biomass partitioning. Three-dimensional (3D) architectures of young Mongolian Scots pines were simulated for 4-, 6- and 8-year-old trees.

Conclusions

This work provides a new method for characterizing tree structures and biomass allocation that can be used to build a 3D virtual Mongolian Scots pine forest. The work paves the way for bridging the gap between a single-plant model and a stand model.     

Epidemiology of Pseudomonas cichorii,the Cause of Lettuce Midrib Rot

Bacterial midrib rot, caused by Pseudomonas cichorii, has become a serious threat to the production of greenhouse butterhead lettuce (Lactuca sativa L. var. capitata) in Belgium. Currently, there are no strategies for controlling this pathogen. Therefore, greenhouse experiments were conducted to obtain more knowledge about the epidemiology of P. cichorii on butterhead lettuce. Greenhouse butterhead lettuce becomes susceptible to lettuce midrib rot infections at head formation, and a single overhead irrigation with water containing 10² CFU/ml P. cichorii was sufficient to cause disease. The use of surface drip irrigation instead of overhead sprinkler irrigation significantly reduced midrib rot incidence in the greenhouse. P. cichorii isolates can be divided into subgroups based on BOX‐PCR genomic fingerprinting, with isolates belonging to subgroup C1 and C2 being more virulent than those of (or related to) subgroup C3. P. cichorii infections with distinct symptoms comparable to midrib rot have also been observed on field‐grown crisphead lettuce in California and Japan which, respectively, are referred to as ‘varnish spot’ or ‘tar’. We showed that symptom expression is strongly influenced by the lettuce cultivar group, irrespective of the P. cichorii isolate, resulting in varnish spot/tar on crisphead lettuce and midrib rot on butterhead or cutting group lettuce.     

Biodiesel-derived crude glycerol bioconversion to animal feed: a sustainable option for a biodiesel refinery

This study examined the potential of producing an edible fungus, Rhizopus microsporus var. oligosporus, on biodiesel-derived crude glycerol. Prolific fungal growth was observed with a fungal biomass yield of 0.83 ± 0.02 (g biomass increase/g initial biomass) under optimal cultivation conditions (e.g. nonsterile crude glycerol at a concentration of 75% (w/v) with nutrient supplementation and without pH control). The potential of utilizing front-end processed banagrass (Pennisetum purpureum) juice as a source of nutrients for crude glycerol fermentation was evaluated with a 2.3-fold improvement in the fungal biomass yield. The glycerol-derived fungal biomass showed high amounts of threonine, one of the main limiting amino acids in non-ruminant feeds. An inexpensive fungal protein has the potential to reduce meat product prices by lowering the production costs of animal feeds. The application of fungal technology thus provides a unique sustainable option for biodiesel refineries by providing an additional source of revenue from fungal products.     

内蒙古白头翁属一新变种

描述了白头翁属(毛茛科)一新变种———呼伦白头翁,新变种与原变种的主要区别是:花萼多数,粉红色,矩圆状条形;花梗长5~7 cm。     

甘蓝型油菜(Eru CMS)与甘蓝种间杂种的同工酶和蛋白质分析

经胚抢救获得甘蓝型油菜（Brassica napus L.）（EruCMS）与甘蓝（Brassica oleracea L.var.capitata L.）种间杂种,前期经过流式细胞仪、柱头染色体数目、花粉活力等分析获得一些真杂种。利用电泳法,对真杂种植株的3种同工酶（SOD、EST、COD）和蛋白质进行详细分析,了解了杂种与亲本的同工酶和蛋白质的特性差异。结果表明,杂种与亲本之间的同工酶和蛋白质存在较明显的差异：杂种的SOD、COD的酶带表现为偏父本甘蓝型;杂种的EST的酶带表现为偏母本油菜型;杂种的蛋白质电泳表现为不仅具有双亲的特征蛋白带,也有其自身特征蛋白带。     

秦岭林区锐齿栎次生林种群空间分布格局

以秦岭林区阳坡、阴坡2个典型地段上的锐齿栎次生林为研究对象,运用点格局分析方法 O-ring函数分析了不同坡向、不同发育阶段种群空间分布格局及不同坡向锐齿栎种群的种内与种间空间关联性,探讨锐齿栎空间格局形成和种群维持机制。结果表明:阴坡锐齿栎种群聚集程度高于阳坡;两种坡向种群各发育阶段空间分布格局相似,从幼树到大树均呈现出聚集到随机甚至均匀分布的规律;不同坡向种群各发育阶段间关联性不同,阳坡各发育阶段间呈一定的正相关,而阴坡呈一定的负相关;阳坡中,山杨与锐齿栎种群分布呈一定正相关,灯台树、鹅耳枥与其呈一定负相关,在阴坡,山杨、漆树与锐齿栎呈一定正相关,灯台树、青榨槭、鹅耳枥与其呈一定负相关。结果表明:目前,阳坡锐齿栎种群结构较好,种内、种间竞争不激烈,而阴坡种群不仅受种间竞争的影响,同样受到种内竞争的制约,最终导致其林分结构较差,更新不良,从长远上看,适当疏伐可以增加林内透光性,有益于促进种群的更新与稳定。     

辽宁省人工林樟子松径向生长对水热梯度变化的响应

基于树轮年代学的理论和方法,建立辽宁地区人工林樟子松年轮宽度年表网络,研究人工林樟子松树木年轮生长变化,探讨樟子松生长与气候变化的关系以及其对水热梯度变化的响应规律。结果表明,研究区各采样点人工林樟子松的径向生长变化呈现较为一致的显著下降趋势(P0.05),并且下降趋势由西北至东南降低。空间上水平上,研究区樟子松的径向生长与研究区降水和相对湿度的空间梯度变化吻合(P0.05),均呈西北至东南增加的特点;各采样点樟子松年轮宽度变化的平均敏感度与降水量、相对湿度显著负相关关系(P0.05),但与温度的正相关关系不显著。各样点樟子松径向生长与月降雨量和月平均相对湿度多呈正相关关系,与月平均温度多呈负相关关系,进一步表明区域水分因子对人工林樟子松生长的限制作用明显。     

Environmental correlates of phenotypic evolution in ecologically diverse Liolaemus lizards

Evolutionary correlations between phenotypic and environmental traits characterize adaptive radiations. However, the lizard genus Liolaemus, one of the most ecologically diverse terrestrial vertebrate radiations on earth, has so far shown limited or mixed evidence of adaptive diversification in phenotype. Restricted use of comprehensive environmental data, incomplete taxonomic representation and not considering phylogenetic uncertainty may have led to contradictory evidence. We compiled a 26‐taxon dataset for the Liolaemus gracilis species group, representing much of the ecological diversity represented within Liolaemus and used environmental data to characterize how environments occupied by species'' relate to phenotypic evolution. Our analyses, explicitly accounting for phylogenetic uncertainty, suggest diversification in phenotypic traits toward the present, with body shape evolution rapidly evolving in this group. Body shape evolution correlates with the occupation of different structural habitats indicated by vegetation axes suggesting species have adapted for maximal locomotory performance in these habitats. Our results also imply that the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and model misspecification may be more extensive on univariate, relative to multivariate analyses of evolutionary correlations, which is an important consideration in analyzing data from rapidly radiating adaptive radiations.     

长柔毛委陵菜两个种群对重金属富集和热值的影响

测定了生长在云南省金顶铅锌矿的北厂和跑马坪矿段的Zn超富集植物长柔毛委陵菜野外植株的Zn、Pb、Cd等重金属含量和热值特征,并分析了重金属和热值之间的相关性。结果表明,北厂种群的叶片、叶柄和根中Zn的含量分别达到6217.05、7679.86 mg.kg-1和4455.44 mg.kg-1,分别是跑马坪种群的3.2、2.4倍和2.2倍;北厂种群叶片、叶柄和根的Cd含量分别为170.17、242.51 mg.kg-1和244.45 mg.kg-1,分别是跑马坪种群的3.0、2.2倍和1.9倍;而跑马坪种群叶片、叶柄和根的Pb含量分别达到1042.49、829.27 mg.kg-1和2621.39 mg.kg-1,分别是北厂种群的1.2、1.0倍和1.2倍;土壤中重金属含量的不同是造成两个种群富集Zn、Pb和Cd差异的原因。长柔毛委陵菜两个种群对相同重金属的转运和生物富集能力无显著差异,其中对重金属的转运能力呈现ZnCdPb的关系。同时,两个种群的叶片、叶柄和根中的灰分含量和去灰分热值都没有显著差异,其中根部的灰分含量最低,都小于6%;北厂和跑马坪种群的所有部位的热值以叶片最高,其中去灰分热值分别达到19.03kJ.g-1和19.57kJ.g-1。Fe和Mn对长柔毛委陵菜的热值累积有促进作用。