三种草坪草的茎、叶解剖结构及其坪用性状

利用石蜡片法,对台湾草（Zoysia tenuifoia Willd.ex Trin.)、海雀稗（Paspalum vaginatum Sw.）、狗牙根[Cnodon dactylon(L.)Pers．]三种细叶暖季型草坪草的叶片有茎的解剖结构进行了研究。结果表明：叶片及茎的解剖结构与植物的耐旱性、耐践踏性和弹性等坪用特性有着密切联系。三种植物中,台湾草因叶片表皮细胞、泡状细胞、维管束鞘、机械组织有茎中纤维带的特征,而在耐旱性、耐踏踏性和弹性等坪用特性上表现出优于其他二种草坪草;狗牙根的耐旱性较强,耐踏踏性和弹性一般,海雀稗则在这几项坪用特征上均较弱。     

Physiological and growth responses of two African species, Acacia karroo and Themeda triandra, to combined increases in CO2 and UV-B radiation

The interactive effects of increased carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration and ultraviolet-B (UV-B, 280–320 nm) radiation on Acacia karroo Hayne, a C₃ tree, and Themeda triandra Forsk., a C₄ grass, were investigated. We tested the hypothesis that A. karroo would show greater CO₂-induced growth stimulation than T. triandra, which would partially explain current encroachment of A. karroo into C₄ grasslands, but that increased UV-B could mitigate this advantage. Seedlings were grown in open-top chambers in a greenhouse in ambient (360 μmol mol^-1) and elevated (650 μmol mol^-1) CO₂, combined with ambient (1.56 to 8.66 kJ m^-2 day^-1) or increased (2.22 to 11.93 kJ m^-2 day^-1) biologically effective (weighted) UV-B irradiances. After 30 weeks, elevated CO₂ had no effect on biomass of A. karroo, despite increased net CO₂ assimilation rates. Interaction between UV-B and CO₂ on stomatal conductance was found, with conductances decreasing only where elevated CO₂ and UV-B were supplied separately. Increases in water use efficiencies, foliar starch concentrations, root nodule numbers and total nodule mass were measured in elevated CO₂. Elevated UV-B caused only an increase in foliar carbon concentrations. In T. triandra, net CO₂ assimilation rates were unaffected in elevated CO₂, but stomatal conductances and foliar nitrogen concentrations decreased, and water use efficiencies increased. Biomass of all vegetative fractions, particularly leaf sheaths, was increased in elevated CO₂. and was accompanied by increased leaf blade lengths and individual leaf and leaf sheath masses. However, tiller numbers were reduced in elevated CO₂. Significantly moderating effects of elevated UV-B were apparent only in individual masses of leaf blades and sheaths, and in total sheath and shoot biomass. The direct CO₂-induced growth responses of the species therefore do not support the hypothesis of CO₂-driven woody encroachment of C₄ grasslands. Rather, differential changes in resource use efficiency between grass and woody species, or morphological responses of grass species, could alter the competitive balance. Increased UV-B radiation is unlikely to substantially alter the CO₂ response of these species.     

三叶草体内磷通过菌丝桥向黑麦草的传递研究

应用5室分隔法研究了供体三叶草体内的³²P通过菌丝桥向受体黑麦草的传递作用。结果表明,菌根侵染供体三叶草根系之后,根外菌丝可穿过中室到达受体植株根室而再度侵染受体黑麦草的根系,从而形成三叶草-黑麦草根系之间的菌丝桥;供体三叶草体内的³²P可通过根间菌丝桥传递给受体黑麦草,³²P的传递量随受体植株施磷水平的提高而降低.     

Maternal and sibling factors induce dormancy in dimorphic seed pairs of Aegilops triuncialis

Germination and emergence are stimulated by environmental cues, but strongly influenced by maternal controls. However, traits related to seed dispersal may have important influences on germination as well. For example, the sibling rivalry hypothesis suggests that germination may be inhibited when sibling seeds remain within a single dispersal unit. These two influences on germination suggest different, and possibly conflicting, evolutionary strategies for optimizing individual fitness. Using an invasive annual grass that produces dispersal units with dimorphic seeds, I found significant reductions in seedling emergence that suggested the presence of both strong maternal and sibling influences on the germination of the smaller seed of dimorphic pairs. Both influences were capable of nearly complete germination suppression of the small seed, but there was no strong evidence for a hierarchy among the two factors. The maternal effect is consistent with a bet-hedging strategy for survival in variable environments where resource availability can be unpredictable, but the sibling effect likely represents a mechanism for reducing competition between closely related individuals, particularly under conditions of resource limitation.     

Light limitation creates patchy distribution of an invasive grass in eastern deciduous forests

Species interactions and their indirect effects on the availability and distribution of resources have been considered strong determinants of community structure in many different ecological systems. In deciduous forests, the presence of overstory trees and shrubs creates a shifting mosaic of resources for understory plants, with implications for their distribution and abundance. Determination of the ultimate resource constraints on understory vegetation may aid management of these systems that have become increasingly susceptible to invasions by non-native plants. Microstegium vimineum (Japanese grass) is an invasive annual grass that has spread rapidly throughout the understory of forests across the eastern United States since it was first observed in Tennessee in 1919. M. vimineum occurs as extensive, dense patches in the understory of eastern deciduous forests, yet these patches often exhibit sharp boundaries and distinct gaps in cover. One example of this distributional pattern was observed relative to the native midstory tree Asimina triloba (pawpaw), whereby dense M. vimineum cover stopped abruptly at the drip line of the A. triloba patch and was absent beneath the A. triloba canopy. We conducted field and greenhouse experiments to test several hypotheses regarding the causes of this observed pattern of M. vimineum distribution, including allelopathy, seed dispersal, light limitations, and soil moisture, texture, and nutrient content. We concluded that light reduction by the A. triloba canopy was the environmental constraint that prevented establishment of M. vimineum beneath this tree. Whereas overstory tree canopy apparently facilitates the establishment of this shade-tolerant grass, the interaction of overstory canopy with midstory canopy interferes with M. vimineum by reducing the availability of sunflecks at the ground layer. It is likely that other midstory species influence the distribution and abundance of other herb-layer species, with implications for management of understory invasive plant species.     

Effect of temperature on seed production in the invasive grass Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. (Poaceae) in South Africa

Temperature is one of the main factors that determine sexual reproduction in terrestrial and emergent aquatic plant species. The effect of temperature on sexual reproduction and seed production of Glyceria maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. in the southern hemisphere is unknown. Glyceria maxima collections in February 2010 at three isolated infestations in KwaZulu-Natal failed to yield a single seed, only empty panicles. Laboratory experiments showed that vernalisation had no consistent effect on seed production. Field- and laboratory-grown plants produced seeds in the 2010/2011 season, because of having sufficient time at optimum temperatures required for seed production (1 491 and 1 585 hours, respectively), compared to a shorter period (1 352 hours) of suitable temperatures during the 2009/2010 growing season. An inadequate period of optimum temperatures (15–25°C) during seed production resulted in the lack of seeds in the field in the 2009/2010 growing season. This study showed that temperature and duration of exposure thereto during the seed-production period play vital roles in G. maxima sexual reproduction.     

Mapping ecosystem functions to the valuation of ecosystem services: implications of species–habitat associations for coastal land-use decisions

Habitats and the ecosystem services they provide are part of the world’s portfolio of natural capital assets. Like many components of this portfolio, it is difficult to assess the full economic value of these services, which tends to over-emphasize the value of extractive activities such as coastal development. Building on recent ecological studies of species–habitat linkages, we use a bioeconomic model to value multiple types of habitats as natural capital, using mangroves, sea grass, and coral reefs as our model system. We show how key ecological variables and processes, including obligate and facultative behaviors map into habitat values and how the valuation of these ecological processes can inform decisions regarding coastal development (habitat clearing). Our stylized modeling framework also provides a clear and concise road map for researchers interested in understanding how to make the link between ecosystem function, ecosystem service, and conservation policy decisions. Our findings also highlight the importance of additional ecological research into how species utilize habitats and that this research is not just important for ecological science, but it can and will influence ecosystem service values that, in turn, will impact coastal land-use decisions. While refining valuation methods is not necessarily going to lead to more rational coastal land-use decisions, it will improve our understanding on the ecological–economic mechanisms that contribute to the value of our natural capital assets. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Organic acids from the anaerobic decomposition of Agropyron repens rhizomes

Phytotoxicity originating from the anaerobic decomposition of couch grass rhizomes has been studied. Short chain aliphatic (acetic, propionic and butyric) acids appear to be mainly responsible but hexanoic, succinic, phenylacetic, cinnamic, p-coumaric, 4-hydroxyphenylpropionic and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylpropionic acids are also present in the phytotoxic solutions formed during the decomposition.     

水热环境对白条草蜥孵化卵和孵出幼体表型特征的影响

用4×2(温度×湿度)八种水热环境孵化安徽滁州琅琊山白条草蜥(Takydromus wolteri)卵,观测孵化卵重量变化、胚胎利用卵内物质和能量以及孵出幼体的特征。卵从孵化环境中吸水导致重量增加,卵重量的增加与入孵卵重量、孵化温度和基质湿度有关。两种孵化基质湿度对孵化期、孵化成功率、孵出幼体性比和大小都无显著影响。孵化期随恒定孵化温度的升高而缩短,27℃、30℃和33℃孵化期分别为32.5、24.9和23.0d,波动温度孵化期为31.1d。33℃孵化成功率最低(42.8%)。温度对孵化成功率和孵出幼体的性别无显著影响,但显著影响胚胎对卵内物质的动用、幼体的大小和重量。33℃不适宜孵化白条草蜥卵,该温度下孵出的幼体躯干小,剩余卵黄多,运动能力差。27℃和波动温度中孵出幼体躯干发育良好,各项被测定的特征指标极其相似。