The distribution of Stigeoclonium tenue Kütz. in South Wales in relation to its use as an indicator of organic pollution

The distribution and frequency of Stigeoclonium tenue Kütz. in some South Wales rivers were studied for 12 months to assess the value of the alga as an indicator of organic pollution. It colonised organically polluted areas at most times of the year, and generally in greater abundance as compared with cleaner stations. Tolerance was observed over a wide range of a number of environmental factors: pH, water temperature, suspended solids content, flow, nitrate, nitrite and ammonia nitrogen, phosphate phosphorus, dissolved oxygen, B.O.D., electrical conductivity, chloride, total hardness, magnesium hardness and calcium hardness. Greatest tolerance was expressed mainly in the spring months when the organism became widely distributed in diverse habitats ranging from organically polluted to fairly clean conditions. Some precautions in the use of S. tenue as an indicator of organic pollution are therefore suggested. In particular, the frequency of the organism should be noted especially in spring, since organic conditions are suspect only when the alga is highly abundant.     

双褶贝母兰的重新发现及其植物地理学意义

自从1903年Rolfe报道双褶贝母兰产中国云南后,在中国一直未再采到标本,直到最近在云南省麻栗坡县发现了它的野外居群。作为中国国内首次采到的活体标本,对其进行野外生境、开花生物学调查和形态补充描述、绘图以及植物地理学意义讨论。     

Control of Molinia caerulea by cutting management on sub-alpine grassland

There has been a considerable expansion of Moliniacaerulea after the cessation of cutting management of Nardus stricta sub-alpine grasslands in the Giant Mts. (Krkonoše/Karkonosze/Riesengebirge, the Czech Republic) in the last 50 years. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the reestablishment of traditional management (one cut per year in late July) could reverse Molinia encroachment and help to restore the original Nardus grassland.     

Winter Burning and the Reduction of Cornus sericea in Sedge Meadows in Southern Wisconsin

To control shrubs, which are increasing in dominance in wetlands worldwide, winter burning may be an important tool, especially from the perspective of minimizing urban hazards. The goal of this project was to determine if winter burning was successful in reducing the dominance (mean percentage cover and maximum height) of Cornus sericea in sedge meadows in southern Wisconsin, where shrubs proliferated after cattle were excluded. Experimental burn and control plots were set up within sedge meadows, including an ungrazed “reference” site that had been little, if ever, grazed and a “historically grazed” site, a recovery site that had not been grazed by cattle since 1973. None of the dominant species including C. sericea was significantly affected by burning for either mean percentage cover or maximum height (analysis of variance: no burning × species interaction). Both mean percentage cover and maximum height were only weakly related to burning (28.1 and 14.3% of the variability contributed to the cumulative percentage of the coefficient of determination, respectively) at both sites based on non‐metric multidimensional scaling analysis. Although species richness increased in burned plots in 1999 and 2000, no differences were apparent between pre‐burned and unburned plots in 1997 and unburned plots in 1999 and 2000 (analysis of variance: year × burning interaction). After burning in the ungrazed site, herbaceous species appeared that had not been detected for decades, including Chelone glabra and Lathyrus palustris. Exotic species were present in both the ungrazed reference and recovery site. Although winter burning treatments did not reduce the dominance of woody shrub species in the site recovering from cattle grazing, burning was useful in stimulating the maintenance of species richness in the ungrazed sedge meadow.     

Effects of nutrient supply,light availability and herbivory on the growth of heather and three competing grass species

Grasses are becoming more abundant in areas in NE Scotland which until recently were dominated by heather (Calluna vulgaris). However, it is not clear if grasses are aggressive competitors which are now able to outcompete the dwarf shrub due to changes in environmental factors (such as grazing pressure and increasing nutrient inputs), or just opportunistic invaders, occupying gaps in the canopy which occur when heather reaches the degenerate stage. Experiments in turves and in field plots were carried out in order to investigate the performance of three grass species, Nardus stricta, Deschampsia cespitosa and Deschampsia flexuosa growing in competition with heather. These three species were selected because they differ in their nutrient requirements, palatability to herbivores and tolerance of shading. The grasses were planted in heather canopies of different structure, either turves of heather of different height and age, or moorland plots with or without heavy grazing by sheep and deer. Fertiliser (NPK) was applied to half the experimental plants. The growth of the grass species and the heather in response to the fertiliser and grazing treatments was measured, together with the light levels penetrating the canopy and received by the grass plants.Results indicated that heather was likely to be outcompeted by grasses only when there are gaps in the canopy, resulting either from heavy grazing or from the heather being in the mature or degenerate phase. Fertiliser enhanced plant growth whereas fencing out herbivores led to strong competition for light as the heather canopy closed. It is concluded that grasses require gaps in the canopy to successfully invade heather moorland, or they tend to be shaded out. Thus better management of heather moorlands to maintain a dense canopy structure may help to preserve heather cover even under increasing nutrient inputs.     

Potential Antidiabetic and Anti-Genotoxic Activities of Silver Nanoparticles of Alkaloid Extract of <i>Rhazya stricta</i> in Rat Animal Model

In most of Arabian courtiers Rhazya stricta is extensively utilized in public medicine for several diseases treatment. In this study, crude alkaloid extract of R. stricta (CAERS) coated with silver nanoparticles (CAERS-AgNPs) as potential treatment against diabetes in DM animal model was evaluated. Swiss albino male rats (n = 80) were injected with STZ to induce Diabetes Mellitus type-2 (DM). DM-rats were injected different doses of CAERS or CAERS-nanoparticles (CAERS-NPs) for 2 months. The results exhibited that mRNA expression of insulin and insulin receptor was down-regulated, activity levels of antioxidant enzymes were decreased, generation of ROS mediated DNA adducts and apoptosis in DM-rats was increased significantly than those in negative control rats. In contrast, the expression of insulin and insulin receptor genes was up-regulated, activity levels of antioxidant enzymes, ROS generation, DNA adducts and apoptosis incidence in DM-rats supplemented with high dose of CAERS and all doses of CAERS-NPs were improved. In conclusion: R. stricta nanoparticles improved the anti-diabetic effect of the plant much more than the powder form of the extract. This action could be attributed to modification of the chemical and physical properties of the plant materials. The properties modification might be improved the ability of plant compounds to penetrate the cell membrane which facilitating release of plant materials into the target cells.     

Detecting the footprint of changing atmospheric nitrogen deposition loads on acid grasslands in the context of climate change

Although atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and climate changes are both recognized as major components of global change, their interaction at ecosystem level is less well understood. A stratified resampling approach was used to investigate the potential impact of changing levels of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate change on species composition of nutrient‐poor acid grasslands within the French Atlantic Domain (FAD). The study was based on a comparison, over a period of 25 years, of 162 past and present vegetation records assigned to the species‐rich Nardus grasslands and distributed in regional community types (CTs). Similarly, the characterization of N deposition and climate was stratified according to (i) past (1980–1990) and present (1995–2005) periods, and (ii) FAD and CT scales. Despite the relatively short time span between sampling periods, significant N deposition and climate changes were detected as well as vegetation changes. Correspondence analysis showed that the relative importance of N deposition and climate in explaining vegetation changes depended on the spatial scale of investigation (FAD vs. local CTs) and the CT. At the FAD scale, the increase of annual mean temperature and decrease of water availability were clearly related to the changes in floristic composition. At the local scale, the most stable CT experienced no significant climate change and a stable load of N deposition, whereas the CTs characterized by the largest floristic changes were associated with dramatic climate changes and moderate loads in both oxidized and reduced N deposition. Despite the narrow gradient of deposition investigated, N deposition was related to significant grassland community changes, depending on the region, i.e. climate context, and on whether N deposition was in the oxidized or reduced form. Our results suggest that N deposition drives grassland composition at the local scale, in interaction with climate, whereas climate changes remain the predominant driver at the FAD scale.     

密枝瑚菌多糖提取工艺参数优化

本文对密枝瑚菌多糖的测定方法和提取工艺参数进行了研究。结果表明,采用硫酸苯酚法测定密枝瑚菌多糖方法简便、准确、灵敏度高、重现性好。在此基础上采取单因素实验和正交分析,得到密枝瑚菌多糖最佳提取工艺参数为料液比1∶20,提取时间3 h,提取温度90℃。在此条件下,多糖提取率为2.23%。     

Conservation and restoration of Nardus grasslands in the Swiss northern Alps

Aim: Species‐rich Nardus grasslands are high nature‐value habitats. In Switzerland, many of these grasslands are degraded even though they have been under protection since the 1980s. Degradation shows two divergent trends: Nardus grasslands are either dominated by Nardus stricta or by eutrophic plants, both trends leading to the disappearance of typical Nardus grassland species. With this study, we aim to identify the factors that could be adjusted to conserve the integrity of this habitat. Location: Bernese Alps, Switzerland. Methods: In 2016, we investigated the underlying causes of this degradation process by assessing vegetation composition in 48 Nardus grasslands located in the Swiss northern Alps of canton Bern and linking it to soil, management and environmental variables. To explore the effect of the degradation on higher trophic levels, orthopteran species richness and densities were assessed. Results: Results show that Nardus meadows (mown) are rarely degraded compared to Nardus pastures (grazed). Within pastures, eutrophic plants are most abundant on small pastures with low soil carbon/nitrogen ratio, indicating high nutrient availability. Nardus stricta dominance is most problematic on north‐exposed slopes and in summer pastures. A plausible driver of both degradation trends is the grazing management regime: within small pastures at low elevation where the grazing periods are short but intense, soil carbon/nitrogen ratio is low because of high dung deposition, thus the eutrophic species become dominant. Contrastingly, on large summer pastures with low‐intensity and long‐term grazing, N. stricta becomes dominant due to selective grazing. Both degradation trends show a negative impact on the orthopteran density. Conclusion: Species‐rich Nardus grasslands are a precious alpine habitat for specialised plant species and orthopterans. With an extensive mowing regime or a more controlled grazing regime that homogenises intensity in time and space, species‐rich Nardus grasslands can be conserved in Switzerland.