Outcome of interspecific interactions among brown-rot and white-rot wood decay fungi

Abstract Interspecific mycelial interactions among brown-rot fungi resulted in either deadlock or replacement of one fungus by the other. Similarly, most of the brown-rot fungi deadlocked with some or all of the whitre-rot fungi tested, while a few were able to replace some of the white-rot fungi. The results indicate similarities in interspecific mycelial interactions among brown-rot fungi and between brown-rot and white-rot fungi. The results further suggest that some brown-rot fungi are capable of invading and occupying domains within white-rot fungal communities in decaying wood.     

Triple hybridization with cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

Summary A crossing programme for trispecific hybridization including cultivated barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) as the third parent was carried out. The primary hybrids comprised 11 interspecific combinations, each of which had either H. jubatum or H. lechleri as one of the parents. The second parent represented species closely or distantly related to H. jubatum and H. lechleri. In trispecific crosses with diploid barley, the seed set was 5.7%. Crosses with tetraploid barley were highly unsuccessful (0.2% seed set). Three lines of diploid barley were used in the crosses, i.e. Gull, Golden Promise and Vada. Generally, cv Gull had high crossability in crosses with related species in the primary hybrid. It is suggested that Gull has a genetic factor for crossability not present in cv Vada and cv Golden Promise. One accession of H. brachyantherum used in the primary hybrid had a very high crossability (seed set 54.7%) in combination with cv Vada but no viable offspring was produced. In all, two trispecific hybrids were raised, viz. (H. lechleri x H. brevisubulatum) x Gull (2n=7–30) and (H. jubatum x H. lechleri) x Gull (2n=20–22). The first combination invariably had a full complement of seven barley chromosomes plus an additional chromosome no. 7, but a varying number of chromosomes (19–22) of the wild-species hybrid. The second combination had a full set of barley chromosomes. The meiotic pairing was low in both combinations.     

大山雀和褐头山雀种间关系研究

在地理分布重叠地区的大山雀Parus major和褐头山雀Parus montanus栖息地海拔高度不同。大山雀栖于海拔2,370米以下,集中于次生杨桦林和老年人工杨树林;褐头山雀栖于海拔2,300米以上,集中于混交林和山杨栎林。它们的栖息地有一定重叠,但重叠值较低。重叠地带觅食生态位的四维中,树种选择一维有所不同,其余三维生态位重叠值均较大。两个种营养生态位有一定重叠,食物大小的重叠值更大。在进化发展过程中,两种山雀间完全的生态分离没有发生。     

Patterns of habitat and food utilization in two coral-reef sandperches (Mugiloididae): competitive or noncompetitive coexistence?

Use of food and habitat of the two sympatric, territorial mugiloidid fishes Parapercis polyophthalma (Cuvier) and P. clathrata Ogilby, which have similar body size and morphology, were examined in the fringing coral reef area at Iriomote Island, one of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Both species preyed mainly on decapod crustaceans, and the dietary overlap value was intermediate (0.528). Differences in resource utilization between the two species were conspicuous in habitat rather than in food. ≈60% of the P. polyophthalma population was found on sandy flats of the reef flat zone, while > 90 % of the P. clathrata population occurred at channel areas. In addition to this macrohabitat segregation, both species showed a substantial microhabitat separation at channels where they coexisted with nearly the same densities: P. polyophthalma was numerically dominant on a sandy rubble substratum, whereas P. clathrata was abundant on a rubble substratum. A reciprocal removal experiment demonstrated that this microhabitat separation was an outcome of current competitive interactions between them. P. polyophthalma is an aggressively dominant species and so can predominantly occupy its optimal microhabitat i.e., sandy rubble substratum, at channels, while the subordinate P. clathrata is constrained to shift its microhabitat to a rubble substratum unsuitable for the dominant. Although a density-manipulation experiment for the macrohabitat segregation was not carried out in this study, circumstantial evidence suggested that the segregation is probably attributable to differences in habitat adaptation between the species which need not be the consequence of competition. These results indicate that the structure of the two-species guild may be determined by both competitive and noncompetitive mechanisms.     

Small-scale pattern: an evaluation of techniques with an application to salt marsh vegetation

This paper examines the outcome of four different procedures for quantifying small-scale association patterns in vegetation, with respect to data from Church Island salt marsh, Menai Bridge, N. Wales. A main aim is the evaluation of two plot-less techniques, proposed by Stowe & Wade (1979). The first examines frequencies of juxtaposition, the second the frequencies of target species in the regions of occurrence of other species. The results of these analyses are compared with those of two plot-based techniques. A Reciprocal averaging ordination is also employed to describe medium-scale distributional pattern within the data set.Of the two plot-less methods, the species-region method is found to be more useful, particularly because it is capable of detecting asymmetric relationships. When using the recommended collapsed data format the plot-less methods operate at an inconsistent spatial scale approximating to the mean run or clump size of species along the sampling transects. This allows detection of sociological patterns but may obscure environmental relationships. The small-scale relationships depicted by the plot-less methods are in cases in accord with the plot-based results at a range of scales, in other cases they differ: in each circumstance providing insights into the nature of interspecific relationships.Inter-specific pattern in salt marsh vegetation has rarely been studied. The methodology employed here shows that relationships do exist at the small scale, and may allow hypothesis generation with respect to their causality and their role in the dynamics of the marsh system.     

Interspecific crosses between Tulipa gesneriana cultivars and wild Tulipa species: a survey

Summary Interspecific crosses were made between 76 Tulipa gesneriana cultivars and 28 botanical Tulipa species. Tulipa gesneriana proved fully congruent (all cross-combinations giving hybrid progeny) with members of the subsection Gesnerianae, was moderately affiliated (50% of all cross-combinations giving hybrid progeny) with representatives of the subsection Eichleres, and was found to be incongruent with most other Tulipa species (except T. stapfii of the subsection Oculussolis).Relationships between T. gesneriana and some representatives of the subsection Eichleres were addressed in more detail. Seeds were harvested in all cross-combinations, but the number of seeds depended on the T. gesneriana cultivar used as the female partner. Apparently, the maternal genotype did affect pre- or post-fertilization processes. T. gesneriana was not crossable with T. kaufmanniana of the subsection Spiranthera. In this specific case, however, a bridge cross was used to overcome incongruity. For this, T. kaufmanniana was first combined with T. greigii, and the hybrid was subsequently crossed with T. gesneriana.These results demonstrate possibilities for interspecific cross-combinations in tulips and have offered opportunities for the introduction of desired new traits in the cultivated tulip.     

甜瓜属植物种间杂交研究进展

在甜瓜属野生种Cucumis hystrix Chakr.和栽培黄瓜之间的种间杂交取得成功的基础上,简要回顾了甜瓜属植物种质资源和系统学的研究情况,然后从甜瓜属植物种间杂交的概况、种间杂交的障碍及其解决途径等三个方面,回顾和讨论了甜瓜属植物的种间杂交的研究进展,并对进一步通过种间杂交研究利用甜瓜属野生植物资源的前景进行了展望.     

Diversity and Community Quantitative Characteristics ofFloor Lichen in Yaoluoping National NatureReserve of Anhui,China

Twenty nine quadrats belonging to various habitats were sampled in Yaoluoping National Nature Reserve, lichen species in each quadrat were identified and the lichen coverage of each quadrat was measured, combined with several environmental indices, with the purpose of understanding the lichen distributing pattern and community quantitative characteristics. Factor analysis was used to appraise relationships among ecological factors, cluster analysis and Spearman rank correlation coefficient test were employed for ordination and Fisher’s exact test was applied to evaluate interspecific correlation. Factor analysis showed that the number of species decreased as the altitude increased, and there was significant positive correlation between dominant species quantity and coverage (P=0.034), very significant positive correlation between humidity and habitat type (P=0.001). Based on cluster analysis data, twenty nine quadrats were divided into 5 types of association. Fisher’s exact test indicates 10 species pairs were very significant positive association and four species pairs significant positive, but no species pair was negative significant association. Fisher’s exact test demonstrated that the competition between the species was low.     

七种鼠科啮齿动物消化道长度和重量的比较

测定浙江省金华地区7种鼠科啮齿动物的总消化道及各消化器官的长度和重量,与其食性和生境作比较,旨在检测近缘种之间消化道长度和重量的差异,家栖种类与野栖种类消化道形态的差异,野外捕获动物带回实验室处死,解剖分离消化道为胃,小肠,盲肠和大肠,精密直尺测定各器官的平展长度,纵剖肠道,生理盐水冲净内容物,65℃恒温干燥后称得干重,研究结果表明,消化道长度的种间差异明显大于消化道重量的种间差异;盲肠和大肠长度的种间差异明显大于小肠长度的种间差异,植食性野栖种类的胃,盲肠和大肠大于杂食性家栖种类,而两类动物小肠长度的差异不明显。     

Sexual reproduction in the cork oak (Quercus suber L). II. Crossing intra- and interspecific barriers

Intraspecific barriers promote outcrossing while interspecific mechanisms may contribute to the isolation of species; both control the exchange of genes between plants. In this paper we establish that post-pollination mechanisms promote outcross and act at different temporal and spatial levels to control seed set and quality in Quercus species. Controlled pollinations were performed to investigate intraspecific crossing barriers in Q. suber and pollen-pistil interactions following interspecific pollinations with some simpatric Quercus species. Cytological data of intraspecific crosses in Q. suber and Q. ilex have shown different kinetics on pollen tube growth after self and outcross pollination, but pollen tubes were able to reach the base of the styles in both species and seed set was successful. Although some pre-zygotic interaction is occurring at the style, the most important interaction takes place at ovary. The cross between Q. ilex and Q. suber is possible only in one direction, revealing a case of unilateral incongruity. We show that the lack of seed set observed in the cross Q. suber×Q. ilex is due to the inability of pollen tubes to penetrate the transmitting tissue after germination. With Q. suber mainly as female parent, pollinations with other simpatric Quercus species have shown different levels of constraint on pollen tube progression at stigma and style levels. Eventual hybridisation between Quercus species will depend on the compatibility of pollen-pistil interactions, on the competitive ability of pollen genotypes, and, most important, on the overlapping of geographical, phenological and ecological factors. Differences in seed set and seed allocation was evident in all crosses, and was particularly outstanding in interspecific and in self intraspecific crosses, determining the ultimate level of seed production and quality in Quercus species. Received: 4 April 2001 / Accepted: 8 May 2001