Resource availability at three presumed stages of a heathland succession on the Lüneburger Heide,Germany

Abstract. The availability of maj or plant resources was investigated in three vegetation types that were assumed to represent different stages of a secondary succession on heathland on the Lüneburger Heide, northwestern Germany. Canopy transmission and absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), soil-water availability, and nutrient (Ca, K, Mg, N, P) availability were monitored with high spatial and temporal resolution in (1) a Calluna vulgaris heathland, (2) a pioneer birch-pine forest and (3) a late-successional oak-beech forest, situated close to each other on comparable geological substrate (diluvial). Mean fractional transmission of PAR during summer decreased from 0.48 in the heathland to 0.04 in the oak-beech forest while the fractional canopy absorption increased from 0.49 to 0.92. Soil-water availability as indicated by the soil-water potential, was significantly influenced by differential canopy interception loss and characteristic rooting patterns in the three vegetation types. Annual mean nutrient concentrations in the equilibrium soil solution were similar or, for some elements, increased from the heathland to the birch-pine and the oak-beech forest despite a growing demand. A marked increase was found for the total nutrient pools in the soil-organic layer between early and late successional vegetation types. On the poor glacial parent material, nutrient pools seem to be strongly dependent on stand productivity and litter production which increased with succession. Thus, for nutrients, facilitation seems to be important in this type of succession.     

Germination and regeneration mechanisms in Mediterranean degenerate forests

Abstract. Germination and developmental behaviour during juvenile stages are of importance in relation to succession mechanisms acting on plant communities. This is particularly so in the Mediterranean region, where the climatic summer drought causes stress. We investigated and compared germination and development of four tree species in two parts of the French Mediterranean region where the original dominant tree species (Quercus pubescens) has been largely replaced by Quercus ilex in the southern part, and Castanea sativa in the northern part. Observed differences in germination rates and developmental behaviour, especially shootroot ratio and the role of water supply, suggest that other species may eventually replace the current dominant species.     

湿地松木质部和针叶松脂合成基因分析

为挖掘湿地松(Pinus elliottii)松脂合成相关的基因,对不同采脂期的木质部和针叶进行高通量转录组测序,与火炬松(Pinus taeda)参考基因组进行比对,共获得了68 211条unigenes,546 356 450条clean reads,平均比对率达90.21%。将不同时期木质部、木质部与针叶间进行两两对比,以P＜0.05,|log₂FoldChange|＞1.0为标准来筛选差异基因,并进行GO和KEGG富集分析。结果表明,参与萜类物质合成的差异基因有133个,其中大部分富集在MEP途径,从差异基因中挑选8个产脂相关的候选基因进行RT-qPCR验证,确定HMGR、DXS、TPS、ABC转运蛋白基因与产脂存在关联性。通过转录组测序与分析,挖掘出133个参与松脂萜类物质合成相关的差异基因,其中萜烯合酶基因(TPS)和ABC转运基因在正调控萜类物质合成中发挥关键作用。     

Development of DNA methylation-based epigenetic age predictors in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda)

Biological ageing is connected to life history variation across ecological scales and informs a basic understanding of age-related declines in organismal function. Altered DNA methylation dynamics are a conserved aspect of biological ageing and have recently been modelled to predict chronological age among vertebrate species. In addition to their utility in estimating individual age, differences between chronological and predicted ages arise due to acceleration or deceleration of epigenetic ageing, and these discrepancies are linked to disease risk and multiple life history traits. Although evidence suggests that patterns of DNA methylation can describe ageing in plants, predictions with epigenetic clocks have yet to be performed. Here, we resolve the DNA methylome across CpG, CHG, and CHH-methylation contexts in the loblolly pine tree (Pinus taeda) and construct epigenetic clocks capable of predicting ages in this species within 6% of its maximum lifespan. Although patterns of CHH-methylation showed little association with age, both CpG and CHG-methylation contexts were strongly associated with ageing, largely becoming hypomethylated with age. Among age-associated loci were those in close proximity to malate dehydrogenase, NADH dehydrogenase, and 18S and 26S ribosomal RNA genes. This study reports one of the first epigenetic clocks in plants and demonstrates the universality of age-associated DNA methylation dynamics which can inform conservation and management practices, as well as our ecological and evolutionary understanding of biological ageing in plants.     

Low genetic diversity and population connectivity fuel vulnerability to climate change for the Tertiary relict pine Pinus bungeana

Endemic species are important components of regional biodiversity and hold the key to understanding local adaptation and evolutionary processes that shape species distributions. This study investigated the biogeographic history of a relict conifer Pinus bungeana Zucc. ex Endl. confined to central China. We examined genetic diversity in P. bungeana using genotyping-by-sequencing and chloroplast and mitochondrial DNA markers. We performed spatial and temporal inference of recent genetic and demographic changes, and dissected the impacts of geography and environmental gradients on population differentiation. We then projected P. bungeana's risk of decline under future climates. We found extremely low nucleotide diversity (average π 0.0014), and strong population structure (global F_ST 0.234) even at regional scales, reflecting long-term isolation in small populations. The species experienced severe bottlenecks in the early Pliocene and continued to decline in the Pleistocene in the western distribution, whereas the east expanded recently. Local adaptation played a small (8%) but significant role in population diversity. Low genetic diversity in fragmented populations makes the species highly vulnerable to climate change, particularly in marginal and relict populations. We suggest that conservation efforts should focus on enhancing gene pool and population growth through assisted migration within each genetic cluster to reduce the risk of further genetic drift and extinction.     

Soil-surface carbon dioxide efflux and microbial biomass in relation to tree density 13 years after a stand replacing fire in a lodgepole pine ecosystem

The effects of fire on soil‐surface carbon dioxide (CO₂) efflux, F_S, and microbial biomass carbon, C_mic, were studied in a wildland setting by examining 13‐year‐old postfire stands of lodgepole pine differing in tree density (< 500 to > 500 000 trees ha^?1) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). In addition, young stands were compared to mature lodgepole pine stands (～110‐year‐old) in order to estimate ecosystem recovery 13 years after a stand replacing fire. Growing season F_S increased with tree density in young stands (1.0 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in low‐density stands, 1.8 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in moderate‐density stands and 2.1 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in high‐density stands) and with stand age (2.7 µmol CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in mature stands). Microbial biomass carbon in young stands did not differ with tree density and ranged from 0.2 to 0.5 mg C g^?1 dry soil over the growing season; C_mic was significantly greater in mature stands (0.5–0.8 mg C g^?1 dry soil). Soil‐surface CO₂ efflux in young stands was correlated with biotic variables (above‐ground, below‐ground and microbial biomass), but not with abiotic variables (litter and mineral soil C and N content, bulk density and soil texture). Microbial biomass carbon was correlated with below‐ground plant biomass and not with soil carbon and nitrogen, indicating that plant activity controls not only root respiration, but C_mic pools and overall F_S rates as well. These findings support recent studies that have demonstrated the prevailing importance of plants in controlling rates of F_S and suggest that decomposition of older, recalcitrant soil C pools in this ecosystem is relatively unimportant 13 years after a stand replacing fire. Our results also indicate that realistic predictions and modeling of terrestrial C cycling must account for the variability in tree density and stand age that exists across the landscape as a result of natural disturbances.     

湖南省冷水江市大嵊山大气污染与马尾松衰亡

 作者对湖南省冷水江市大嵊山大气污染与马尾松衰亡进行了研究,研究结果表明大气综合污染指数在3个研究点上分别为1.00(对照)、1.76和2.23。而以林分密度、林分非衰亡率、针叶长度、针叶干重、马尾松平均高、平均胸径等因子计算出的林分外貌综合得分从173.9下降到143.5和132.5。在一年四季,马尾松针叶中叶绿素含量也是清洁区显著高于污染区,而叶绿素a／b值则是污染区的高,峰值较正常的提前。马尾松在受到大气污染作用后,针叶中营养元素含量呈下降趋势,尤其是氮。根据树干解析发现大气污染对马尾松高生长和胸径生长都具有抑制作用,但并不表现出同步效应,对高生长的抑制有一个滞后现象,时间在2～3年。另外,大气污染对马尾松的结果影响很大,污染区的马尾松单株拥有球果数仅为清洁的25％,用灰色系统理论对马尾松材积与相关影响因子进行关联度分析发现,材积与综合污染指数的倒数有很好的关联性,关联度达到了0.773。     

Development of secondary pine forests after pine wilt disease in western Japan

Abstract. The development of secondary Pinus densiflora (Japanese red pine) forests after pine wilt disease was studied through phytosociological analysis, estimation of forest structure before disease and size-structure, tree ring and stem analyses. Following the end of the disease, the growth of previously suppressed small oak trees was accelerated. This is quite different from the development of forests following fire, which starts with the establishment of pine seedlings. Pine wilt disease shifted the dominance of secondary forests from Pinus densiflora to Quercus serrata oak forest. In pine forests, disturbance by fire is important for forest maintenance. In contrast, disturbance by pine wilt disease leads to an acceleration of succession from pine forest to oak forest.     

The Liphook Forest Fumigation Project: an overview

The aim of the Liphook Project was to assess the effects of SO₂ and O₃, singly and in combination, on coniferous forest ecosystems. More than 4000 trees of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Sitka spruce (P. sitchensis) were fumigated for nearly 4 years using an open-air fumigation technique especially developed for the purpose. The technique eliminated artifacts due to chambers and enabled a variety of effects of the pollutant gases on forest ecosystems to be studied. Most symptoms of forest decline did not occur, but each species reacted in a different way to SO₂ stress, providing no evidence for universal forest decline symptoms. However, some of the mechanisms hypothesized to underlie forest declines were observed as an effect of SO₂ treatment, though others were not, notably any major effect of O₃. The results are assessed against proposed regulatory standards (critical loads and levels) for the protection of forest ecosystems against pollution.     

Effect of open-air fumigation with sulphur dioxide and ozone on phyllosphere and endophytic fungi of conifer needles

The phyllosphere microbial populations inhabiting the needles of three conifer species, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), exposed to SO₂ and O₃, in an open-air fumigation experiment were analysed over a 3 year period using serial dilution after washing, direct plating and a fluorescein diacetate (FDA) enzyme assay. Total fungal populations ranged from 10² to 10⁵ colonyforming units (CPU) g^?1 fresh weight of needles. The dominant fungi isolated from needles varied with tree species and isolation technique; Aureobasidium pullulans (de Bary) Arnaud was most common on Scots pine and Norway spruce and white yeasts on Sitka spruce using the dilution plating method. However, direct plating of needle segments onto culture media indicated that Sclerophoma pythiophila (Corda) Hohnel was dominant on Scots pine and A. pullulans on Sitka and Norway spruce. Green needles of Sitka spruce were found to be endophytically colonized by Rhizosphaera kalkhoffii Bubak, but seldom by Lophodermium piceae (Fuckel) Hohn during extensive sampling in 1990. Statistical analyses revealed significant differences (P<0.05) between plots in the 3 year mean of the total fungal populations or the fungal biomass (FDA assay) on all three tree species. Differences between plots were also observed for a number of dominant component species. Data were also analysed for treatment effects. A significant effect of SO₂ treatment was observed on the total fungal populations on Sitka spruce (P<0.05) which were reduced markedly by the low-SO₂ treatment, while the O₃ treatment caused a significant increase in total fungal numbers on Scots pine (P<0.05). The FDA activity on needles of both Scots pine and Sitka spruce was noticeably higher in the 0₃-only treatment plot, but the overall O₃ effect was not significant. Treatment effects were also detected on the occurrence of component species. The serial dilution method revealed an SO₂ effect (P<0.05) of a reduction in the occurrence of pink yeasts on Sitka spruce and an O₃ effect (P<0.05) of an increase in the occurrence of S. pythiophila on Sitka spruce (P<0.01) but a decrease of Epicoccum nigrum Link and Cladosporium spp. on Scots pine. The direct-plating method revealed an SO₂ effect of an increase in S. pythiophila on Norway spruce (P<0.05). Ozone treatment caused a significant increase in the isolation of a black strain of A. pullulans on Norway spruce (P<0.05). Endophytic colonization of Sitka spruce needles by R. kalkhoffii was found to be increased on two occasions by O₃ exposure.