Vertical stratification of feeding by Japanese beetles within linden tree canopies: selective foraging or height per se?

Adult Japanese beetles, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), tend to aggregate and feed most heavily in the upper canopy of host plants, defoliating them from the top down. We examined characteristics of linden (Tilia cordata L.) foliage from different canopy zones and tested two hypotheses that might account for vertical stratification of feeding by this vagile, polyphagous folivore. In the field, P. japonica caused 4–12 times more damage to upper canopy leaves in full sunlight than to lower canopy leaves in sun or shade. However, this within-tree pattern apparently cannot be explained by differences in nutritional parameters (protein, water, and sugar content) or defensive properties (toughness, tannins) of leaves. Furthermore, beetles did not discriminate between foliage from different canopy zones in laboratory choice tests, nor were fecundity or longevity higher for beetles fed upper canopy, sun-exposed leaves. Clonal grape plants suspended from vertical posts in the field at 3.65, 1.83 or 0 m above ground showed a top-down defoliation pattern identical to that seen in linden trees. This suggests that the height of foliage per se strongly affects initial orientation and attack by P. japonica. Recent related studies have shown that both sexes of P. japonica are strongly attracted to host volatiles induced by feeding of conspecific beetles. We suggest that Japanese beetles begin to feed in the upper canopy for reasons unrelated to host nutritional variation (e.g., behavioral thermoregulation, visual orientation to the host silhouette), and that top-down defoliation follows as additional beetles are attracted to feeding-induced volatiles acting as aggregation kairomones.     

长白山北坡椴树阔叶红松林群落主要树种分布格局的研究

应用方差 /均值比检验、波松分布的X2 检验及负二项分布的X2 检验 3种方法 ,对比不同的取样样方 ,研究了椴树阔叶红松林群落主要树种的分布格局 ,并根据 1hm2 样地的定位图进行检验 .研究结果表明 ,乔木树种的合适取样样方为 5m× 5m ,其中红松、椴树、水曲柳、山槐、白牛子属于聚集型分布 ,蒙古栎、春榆属于随机分布 .     

椴树属的地理分布

椴树属Tilia是椴树科一个形态特殊且唯一的北温带分布属,分布于亚洲、欧洲和北美,构成典型的北温带分布格局,三个分离的分布区之间缺乏共有种。本文对各分布区的种类进行重新评价,确认全属25种。其中东亚17种,占68％,包含了现存种类各个演化阶段的类群,是现代分布中心;欧洲-西西伯利亚6种,属于木果组及壳果组;北美2种,均为木果组成员。化石分布与现代地理分布格局基本相似,但分布纬度较现代分布偏北,达到北纬80°附近,且还出现于现今无椴树分布的亚洲大陆腹地,北美西部椴树至第三纪末完全绝迹,而东部到第四纪才有化石记录。根据现代地理分布,结合化石证据、地质历史、气候变迁及形态演化推测,椴树属可能在白垩纪晚期起源于中国东部亚热带山地,至少到始新世之前已散布至欧洲和北美西部。渐新世之后的全球降温和更新世大冰期对椴树属现代地理分布格局的形成起着至关重要的作用。     

紫椴根际土壤肥力与外生菌根侵染关系

调查帽儿山老山生态站紫椴(Tilia amurensis Rupr.)外生菌根的侵染情况与根际土壤肥力指标,结合Pearson相关性分析与逐步回归分析的统计方法,分析紫椴外生菌根侵染率与根际土壤肥力指标的相关性。结果表明:紫椴外生菌根侵染率与碱性磷酸酶、碱解氮、有效磷、土壤水分含量呈极显著负相关,与脲酶呈极显著正相关,与速效钾呈显著正相关。逐步回归分析发现,影响紫椴外生菌根侵染率的主要土壤肥力因子是碱性磷酸酶和土壤水分含量。     

不同光环境下紫椴幼树树冠结构的可塑性响应

从冠形、侧枝和叶片在树冠中的空间分布角度对天然更新紫椴幼树的树冠结构进行了论述,认为紫椴幼树树冠对光照条件的变化有显著的可塑性响应.强光通过抑制主干的生长促进了侧枝的分化,庇荫则通过抑制1级侧枝的生长促进了侧枝的再分枝.随着光照水平的降低,紫椴幼树的数量叶片密度显著降低,且叶片逐渐集中于冠上层.林冠下的紫椴幼树通过这种侧枝和叶片的分布格局,在形态上提高其对光的截获能力在适度庇荫环境中,紫椴幼树垂直生长采取演替先锋种的"避荫”对策,侧枝生长采取中等耐荫种的"掠光”对策;在弱光环境中,紫椴幼树则采取典型的忍耐适应行为.这种树冠结构的变化是提高紫椴幼树对光的截获能力的一种有益适应.     

Influence of root temperature on growth of Pinus sylvestris,Fagus sylvatica,Tilia cordata and Quercus robur

One-year-old tree seedlings were incubated in a greenhouse from April to July, under natural daylight conditions, with their root systems at constant temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 °C and with the above ground parts kept at a constant air temperature of 18–20 °C. The course of height growth, total mass increment, root, shoot and leaf weight as well as leaf areas were measured. The results indicate that clear differences exist in the optimal root zone temperatures for various growth parameters in different tree species. Pinus sylvestris had a maximal height increment at about 5–10 °C and maximal total mass increment at 15 °C root temperature. In contrast, the optimum for Quercus robur was at 25 °C. Tilia cordata and Fagus sylvatica had their optima for most growth parameters at 20 °C. The root temperature apparently indirectly influenced photosynthesis (dry weight accumulation) and respiration loss. From the observed symptoms and indications in the literature it seems probable that a change in hormone levels is involved as the main factor in the described effects. Variation of root temperature had only an insignificant effect on bud burst and the time at which the shoots sprouted. Apparently species of northern origin seem to have lower root temperature optima than those of more southern origin. This is to be verified by investigation of other tree species.     

Comparative immunomodulatory effect of scopoletin on tumoral and normal lymphocytes

Some coumarins possess enhancing effects on lymphocyte mitogen responsiveness. In this investigation, the activity of scopoletin, a coumarin that has been isolated from different plants and in this case specifically from T. cordata Mill., was evaluated. For this purpose, normal T lymphocytes and a hyperproliferative T lymphoma cell line were used. Scopoletin was found to exert a dual action on tumoral lymphocytes exhibiting both a cytostatic and a cytotoxic effect. These effects varied with the concentrations analysed and the time of cell incubation (EC(50): 251+/-15 microg/ml) and were associated to the induction of apoptosis. Scopoletin induced cell proliferation on normal T lymphocytes (Proliferation stimulation index: 1 microg/ml scopoletin: 1.26+/-0.1; 10 microg/ml scopoletin: 3+/-0.25; 100 microg/ml scopoletin: 1.86+/-0.08); this stimulatory action was found to be due to the interaction with kinase C (PKC) protein. These results indicate that scopoletin could be a potential antitumoral compound to be used for cancer treatment.     

蒙椴树叶挥发油成分的气相色谱-质谱分析

采用水蒸气蒸馏法对蒙椴树叶挥发油进行提取,挥发油回收率约为0.6%(w);用气相色谱—质谱联用技术对挥发性成分进行分析,鉴定了45个化合物,占挥发油成分的80.35%以上。其中主要有己醇,己烯醇,贝壳杉烯和苯甲酸等     

Complementarity in the use of nitrogen forms in a temperate broad-leaved mixed forest

Background: The complementary use of different forms of soil nitrogen (N) might lead to a higher productivity of mixed forests than monocultures, but convincing evidence for temperate mixed forests is scarce.

Aims: We searched for species differences in N uptake rates and the preference for NH₄⁺, NO₃^? or glycine among five temperate broad?leaved tree species (Acer pseudoplatanus, Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata) in a mature mixed stand.

Methods: ¹⁵N tracer was added to the soil and its accumulation in fine root biomass was analysed after 10 min, 1 h and 1 d.

Results: The estimated root uptake rates of the species were in the range of 5–46 µg N g^?1 root h^?1 for NH₄⁺, 6–86 µg N g^?1 h^?1 for NO₃^? and 4–29 µg N g^?1 h^?1 for glycine during the first hour after tracer application. Carpinus, Tilia and Acer tended to prefer NH₄⁺ over NO₃^?, while Fraxinus showed equal preference for both N forms and Fagus seemed to prefer NO₃^?.

Conclusions: The five co-existing tree species differed in uptake rates and partly in their N form preference, but complementarity in the use of different N forms seems to be of minor importance in this forest because tree species appear to be rather flexible in their N form use.