Leaf lifespan as a determinant of leaf structure and function among 23 amazonian tree species

Summary The relationships between resource availability, plant succession, and species' life history traits are often considered key to understanding variation among species and communities. Leaf lifespan is one trait important in this regard. We observed that leaf lifespan varies 30-fold among 23 species from natural and disturbed communities within a 1-km radius in the northern Amazon basin, near San Carlos de Rio Negro, Venezuela. Moreover, leaf lifespan was highly correlated with a number of important leaf structural and functional characterisues. Stomatal conductance to water vapor (g) and both mass and area-based net photosynthesis decreased with increasing leaf lifespan (r²=0.74, 0.91 and 0.75, respectively). Specific leaf area (SLA) also decreased with increasing leaf lifespan (r²=0.78), while leaf toughness increased (r²=0.62). Correlations between leaf lifespan and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were moderate on a weight basis and not significant on an area basis. On an absolute basis, changes in SLA, net photosynthesis and leaf chemistry were large as leaf lifespan varied from 1.5 to 12 months, but such changes were small as leaf lifespan increased from 1 to 5 years. Mass-based net photosynthesis (A/mass) was highly correlated with SLA (r²=0.90) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N/mass) (r²=0.85), but area-based net photosynthesis (A/area) was not well correlated with any index of leaf structure or chemistry including N/area. Overall, these results indicate that species allocate resources towards a high photosynthetic assimilation rate for a brief time, or provide resistant physical structure that results in a lower rate of carbon assimilation over a longer time, but not both.     

Focus: Zoonotic Disease: New Series of Imidazoles Showed Promising Growth Inhibitory and Curative Potential Against Trypanosoma Infection

The Trypanosoma spp. cause animal and human trypanosomiasis characterized with appreciable health and economic burden mostly in developing nations. There is currently no effective therapy for this parasitic disease, due to poor drug efficacy, drug resistance, and unwanted toxicity, etc. Therefore, new anti-Trypanosoma agents are urgently needed. This study explored new series of imidazoles for anti-Trypanosoma properties in vitro and in vivo. The imidazoles showed moderate to strong and specific action against growth of T. congolense. For example, the efficacy of the imidazole compounds to restrict Trypanosoma growth in vitro was ≥ 12-fold specific towards T. congolense relative to the mammalian cells. Additionally, the in vivo study revealed that the imidazoles exhibited promising anti-Trypanosoma efficacy corroborating the in vitro anti-parasite capacity. In particular, three imidazole compounds (C1, C6, and C8) not only cleared the systemic parasite burden but cured infected rats after no death was recorded. On the other hand, the remaining five imidazole compounds (C2, C3, C4, C5, and C7) drastically reduced the systemic parasite load while extending survival time of the infected rats by 14 days as compared with control. Untreated control died 3 days post-infection, while the rats treated with diminazene aceturate were cured comparable to the results obtained for C1, C6, and C8. In conclusion, this is the first study demonstrating the potential of these new series of imidazoles to clear the systemic parasite burden in infected rats. Furthermore, a high selectivity index of imidazoles towards T. congolense in vitro and the oral LD₅₀ in rats support anti-parasite specific action. Together, findings support the anti-parasitic prospects of the new series of imidazole derivatives.     

Differences in daily stem size variation and growth in two hybrid eucalypt clones

Understanding daily stem size variation is important as the net increment of a forest stand is ultimately determined by the accumulation of daily increment events. In this study, measurements of stem size at high spatial and temporal resolution were made using two commercial hybrid Eucalyptus clones [E. grandis × urophylla (GU) and E. grandis × camaldulensis (GC)] over a period of more than 3.5 years in order to better understand how daily stem growth is effected by variations in environmental conditions. It was evident that GU had fewer days on which net growth occurred than GC. However, when growth did occur, GU grew for longer each day and at a higher rate than GC. Thus, it still had an overall larger net stem increment during the study period. The GU clone had a markedly intermittent pattern of growth, such that growth essentially ceased under drought conditions, but responded rapidly when water became available. This confirms other findings that E. grandis × urophylla is more susceptible to drought stress than E. grandis × camaldulensis, but emphasizes that a strategy of “rapid response” when environmental conditions become temporarily non-limiting is a good one in terms of net increment at sites such as in this study.

Leaf size and leaf display of thirty-eight tropical tree species

Trees forage for light through optimal leaf display. Effective leaf display is determined by metamer traits (i.e., the internode, petiole, and corresponding leaf), and thus these traits strongly co-determine carbon gain and as a result competitive advantage in a light-limited environment. We examined 11 metamer traits of sun and shade trees of 38 coexisting moist forest tree species and determined the relative strengths of intra- and interspecific variation. Species-specific metamer traits were related to two variables that represent important life history variation; the regeneration light requirements and average leaf size of the species. Metamer traits varied strongly across species and, in contrast to our expectation, showed only modest changes in response to light. Intra- and interspecific responses to light were only congruent for a third of the traits evaluated. Four traits, amongst which leaf size, specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf area ratio at the metamer level (LAR) showed even opposite intra- and interspecific responses to light. Strikingly, these are classic traits that are thought to be of paramount importance for plant performance but that have completely different consequences within and across species. Sun trees of a given species had small leaves to reduce the heat load, but light-demanding species had large leaves compared to shade-tolerants, probably to outcompete their neighbors. Shade trees of a given species had a high SLA and LAR to capture more light in a light-limited environment, whereas shade-tolerant species have well-protected leaves with a low SLA compared to light-demanding species, probably to deter herbivores and enhance leaf lifespan. There was a leaf-size-mediated trade-off between biomechanical and hydraulic safety, and the efficiency with which species can space their leaves and forage for light. Unexpectedly, metamer traits were more closely linked to leaf size than to regeneration light requirements, probably because leaf-size-related biomechanical and vascular constraints limit the trait combinations that are physically possible. This suggests that the leaf size spectrum overrules more subtle variation caused by the leaf economics spectrum, and that leaf size represents a more important strategy axis than previously thought. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

External and internal flavonoids from Madagascarian Uncarina species (Pedaliaceae)

External and internal flavonoids were isolated from 12 Uncarina taxa (Pedaliaceae), endemic to Madagascar. Four flavone aglycones, tricetin 7,3′,5′-trimethyl ether, tricetin 7,4′,5′-trimethyl ether, 5,3′-dihydroxy-6,7,4′,5′-tetramethoxyflavone and eupatorin were isolated from leaf wax of seven Uncarina taxa, Uncarina grandidieri, Uncarina decaryi, Uncarina abbreviata, Uncarina turicana, Uncarina platycarpa, Uncarina leandrii var. leandrii and Uncarina peltata, but not Uncarina stellulifera, Uncarina perrieri, Uncarina sakalava, Uncarina leptocarpa and U. leandrii var. rechbergeri. Furthermore, eight flavonoid glycosides were isolated from the leaves. Major glycosides were apigenin and luteolin 7-O-glucuronides and occurred in all the Uncarina taxa examined, except the absence of the former compound in U. peltata. Other glycosides were identified as hispidulin, jaceosidin, chrysoeriol and tricin 7-O-glucuronides, and luteolin 7,4′-di-O-glucuronide and a flavonol, isorhamnetin 3-O-diglucoside. From the results described above, methylated flavone aglycones and glucuronides were chemical characters of the leaves of Uncarina species, and also may be those of the family Pedaliaceae. Besides, an anthocyanin, two flavonols and three flavones were isolated from the flowers of U. grandidieri, and identified as cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside (anthocyanin), quercetin and isorhamnetin 7-O-glucuronides (flavonols) and apigenin, luteolin and jaceosidin 7-O-glucuronides (flavones).     

The applicability of empirical vegetation indices for determining leaf chlorophyll content over different leaf and canopy structures

Retrieving leaf chlorophyll content at a range of spatio-temporal scales is central to monitoring vegetation productivity, identifying physiological stress and managing biological resources. However, estimating leaf chlorophyll over broad spatial extents using ground-based traditional methods is time and resource heavy. Satellite-derived spectral vegetation indices (VIs) are commonly used to estimate leaf chlorophyll content, however they are often developed and tested on broadleaf species. Relatively little research has assessed VIs for different leaf structures, particularly needle leaves which represent a large component of boreal forest and significant global ecosystems. This study tested the performance of 47 published VIs for estimating foliar chlorophyll content from different leaf and canopy structures (broadleaf and needle). Coniferous and deciduous sites were selected in Ontario, Canada, representing different dominant vegetation species (Picea mariana and Acer saccharum) and a variety of canopy structures. Leaf reflectance data was collected using an ASD Fieldspec Pro spectroradiometer (400–2500 nm) for over 300 leaf samples. Canopy reflectance data was acquired from the medium resolution imaging spectrometer (MERIS). At the canopy level, with both leaf types combined, the DD-index showed the strongest relationship with leaf chlorophyll (R² = 0.78; RMSE = 3.56 μg/cm²), despite differences in leaf structure. For needleleaf trees alone the relationship with the top VI was weaker (D_[red], R² = 0.71; RMSE = 2.32 μg/cm²). A sensitivity study using simulated VIs from physically-modelled leaf (PROSPECT) and canopy (4-Scale) reflectance was performed in order to further investigate these results and assess the impacts of different background types and leaf area index on the VIs’ performance. At the leaf level, the MNDVI8 index showed a strong linearity to changing chlorophyll and negligible difference to leaf structure/type. At canopy level, the best performing VIs were relatively consistent where LAI ≥ 4, but responded strongly to differences in background at low canopy coverage (LAI = 2). This research provides comprehensive assessments for the use of spectral indices in retrieval of spatially-continuous leaf chlorophyll content at the leaf (MTCI: R² = 0.72; p < 0.001) and canopy (DD: R² = 0.78; p < 0.001) level for resource management over different spatial and temporal scales.     

Leaf functional traits of Neotropical savanna trees in relation to seasonal water deficit

The seasonal savannas (cerrados) of Central Brazil are characterized by a large diversity of evergreen and deciduous trees, which do not show a clear differentiation in terms of active rooting depth. Irrespective of the depth of the root system, expansion of new foliage in deciduous species occurs at the end of the dry season. In this study, we examined a suite of leaf traits related to C assimilation, water and nutrients (N, P) in five deciduous and six evergreen trees that were among the dominant families of cerrado vegetation. Maximum CO₂ assimilation on a mass basis (A_mass) was significantly correlated with leaf N and P, and specific leaf area (SLA; leaf area per unit of leaf mass). The highest leaf concentrations of both nutrients were measured in the newly mature leaves of deciduous species at the end of the dry period. The differences in terms of leaf N and P between evergreen and deciduous species decreased during the wet season. Deciduous species also invested less in the production of non-photosynthetic leaf tissues and produced leaves with higher SLA and maintained higher water use efficiency. Thus, deciduous species compensated for their shorter leaf payback period by maintaining higher potential payback capacity (higher values of A_mass) and lower leaf construction costs (higher SLA). Their short leafless period and the capacity to flush by the end of the dry season may also contribute to offset the longer payback period of evergreen species, although it may involve the higher cost of maintaining a deep-root system or a tight control of plant water balance in the shallow-rooted ones.     

Carbohydrate Depletion in Roots and Leaves of Salt-Stressed Potted <Emphasis Type="Italic">Citrus clementina</Emphasis> L.

In citrus, damage produced by salinity is mostly due to toxic ion accumulation, since this salt-sensitive crop adjusts osmotically with high efficiency. In spite of this observation, the putative role of sugars as osmolites under salinity remains unknown. In this work, we have studied carbohydrate contents (total hexoses, sucrose and starch) in leaves and roots of citrus grown under increasing salinity. The experimental system was characterized through the analyses of several parameters known to be strongly affected by salinity in citrus, such as chloride accumulation, photosynthetic rate, ethylene production and leaf abscission. Three-year-old plants of the Clementina de Nules cultivar grafted on Carrizo citrange rootstock were watered with three different levels of salinity (NaCl was added to the watering solutions to achieve final concentrations of 30, 60 and 90 mM). Data indicate that salt stress caused an accumulation of chloride ions in a way proportional to the external increase in NaCl. The adverse conditions reduced CO₂ assimilation, increased ethylene production and triggered abscission of the injured leaves. Data also show that salinity induced progressive depletions of carbohydrates in leaves and roots of citrus plants. This observation clearly indicates that sugar accumulation is not a main component of the osmotic adjustment machinery in citrus.     

Leaf anatomy and chloroplast ultrastructure of Mn-deficient orange plants

Leaf samples of Mn-deficient and Mn-sufficient (control) ‘Navelate’ orange plants grown in a greenhouse were taken to investigate the effects of Mn deficiency in leaf structure and chloroplast ultrastructure. Total leaf chlorophyll concentration was significantly lower in Mn-deficient plants than in control ones. Entire lamina thickness was not altered due to Mn deficiency. However, Mn deficiency resulted in disorganization of mesophyll cells, mainly of palisade parenchyma cells. The number of mesophyll chloroplasts per cellular area and their length were both affected negatively. The membranous system of chloroplasts was also disorganized. The percentages of starch grains and plastoglobuli per chloroplast of Mn-deficient leaves were significantly greater than those of control leaves.     

Micromorphological Study on Leaf Epidermis of Schizostachyum and Its Allies ( Poaceae: Bambusoideae)

Micromorphological characters of leaf epidermis of 16 published species from Schizostachy um Nees and its allies ( including Melocanna Trin. , Pseudostachyum Munro, Leptocanna Chia et H. L. Fung and Cephalostachyum Munro) were examined by both light and scanning electron microscopies. The results indicated that the papillae forms and distributional patterns on the abaxial surface were taxonomically informative at the generic level. The characters of papillae did not support Schiz ostachyum sensu lato; meanwhile, it was supported that Melocanna, Pseudostachyum and Cep halostachyum were better to be treated as separate genera respectively. Furthermore, it seemed to be more appropriate to place Leptocanna chinensis and Schizostachyum sanguineum in Cep halostachyum; and to place Cephalostachyum pergr acile and C1 virgatum in Schizostachy um .