Characterization of 'safe sites' for pioneers in primary succession on recently deglaciated terrain

1 We characterized safe sites for individuals of five early colonizers ( Abies lasiocarpa , Juncus drummondii , J. mertensianus , Saxifraga ferruginea , S. tolmiei ) that had survived at least one growing season on the recently deglaciated forefront of the Lyman Glacier in the North Cascade Mountains, Washington, USA.
2 Sites with concave surfaces, coarse surface substrate and in the vicinity of large rocks were more likely to be colonized by pioneering plant species.
3 We speculate that the distribution of plants is determined by the presence of sites that facilitate seed trapping and protect seeds and seedlings from desiccation.
4 The data identify the abiotic factors that determine initial recruitment and spatial distribution of plants. Such controls precede biotic interactions in this primary successional sere.     

白榆生活精细胞分离和保存的研究

研究了白榆（ＵｌｍｕｓｐｕｍｉｌａＬ．）精细胞分离和生活力保存的方法。将吸湿后的白榆花粉撒播于蔗糖琼脂培养基上萌发。采用低渗法从花粉管中分离出精细胞。通过蔗糖密度梯度离心纯化和收集精细胞。收集后的精细胞密度为２．０×１０６个／ｍＬ,比较了牛血清白蛋白（ＢＳＡ）和聚乙烯吡咯酮（ＰＶＰ）两种保护剂对生活精细胞分离和保存的影响。在加入ＢＳＡ的蔗糖溶液中,精细胞的生活力在室温条件下可保存５４ｈ以上,而在０～４℃条件下则可保存１２ｄ以上。ＰＶＰ不利于生活精细胞的分离和保存。     

Channel Specificity and Secondary Structure of the Glucose-Inducible Porins of Pseudomonas spp.

The OprB porin-mediated glucose transport system was investigated in Pseudomonas chlororaphis, Burkholderia cepacia, and Pseudomonas fluorescens. Kinetic studies of [U-¹⁴C]glucose uptake revealed an inducible system of low K _m values (0.3–5 M) and high specificity for glucose. OprB homologs were purified and reconstituted into proteoliposomes. The porin function and channel preference for glucose were demonstrated by liposome swelling assays. Examination of the periplasmic glucose-binding protein (GBP) components by Western immunoblotting using P. aeruginosa GBP-specific antiserum revealed some homology between P. aeruginosa GBP and periplasmic proteins from P. fluorescens and P. chlororaphis but not B. cepacia. Circular dichroism spectropolarimetry of purified OprB-like porins from the three species revealed sheet contents of 31–50% in agreement with 40% sheet content for the P. aeruginosa OprB porin. These findings suggest that the high-affinity glucose transport system is primarily specific for glucose and well conserved in the genus Pseudomonas although its outer membrane component may differ in channel architecture and specificity for other carbohydrates.     

Infection of cereals and grasses by isolates of Polymyxa graminis (Plasmodiophorales)

The host range of isolates of Polymyxa was tested in mono-fungal sand cultures. Fourteen isolates of P. graminis, obtained from barley, wheat, oats or Poa annua and from several different countries, all infected barley and all but one infected wheat. Rye was also a good host, whereas oats (nine cultivars), Lolium multiflorum and Poa pratensis became only slightly infected. Wheat cultivars differed in susceptibility, with Galahad much more resistant than Avalon. Several common weed and pasture grasses were not infected by the two isolates tested. A range of wild Hordeum spp. were mostly susceptible to P. graminis and/or barley mild mosaic virus, which it transmits. An isolate of P. betae, used for comparison, caused slight infection on oats but not on other cereals. The variation within and between species of Polymyxa needs more detailed investigation.     

湖北斧头湖浮叶水生植物群落学研究I．菱群落的结构

本文从三方面考察了斧头湖菱群落的结构,并对之进行了周年观察。菱群落内共有１５种植物）可归为５个生活型１３个生长型,组成种类较为丰富。利用生活型－生长型分析能较好揭示菱群落的结构。从大范围看,菱群落呈带状或斑块状分布;从小范围看,菱种群呈群聚分布,聚块大小从０．１６－８ｍ￣２不等。群落垂直结构分两层：浮叶植物层和沉水植物层,浮叶水生值被的光合作用系统和生物量多集中在水面层）无发达地下根茎系统。菱群落内菱种群的生物量６－７月达最大值,其空间生态位与荇菜和水鳖等部分重叠,但通过时间序列发生生态位分化,以缓和对空间生态位的竞争。     

Coexistence and weak amensalism of congeneric gall-forming aphids on the Japanese elm

Closely related species of gall-forming aphids are often associated with a single host species. SixTetraneura species coexist on the Japanese elm,Ulmus davidiana, in Sapporo, northern Japan. This paper describes the probabilities of coexistence on macro- and microgeographic scales (i.e., on host trees and host leaves) and examines whether coexistence with conspecific or heterospecific galls on leaves or shoots has any effect on the fecundity of each aphid species using multiple regression. A Monte Carlo simulation showed that the frequency distribution of the numbers of species on individual host trees differed significantly from that expected from the null model. There were significantly positive or negative associations between species.Tetraneura radicicola andsorini always coexisted with other species on trees they infested. Multiple regression revealed that the coexistence of conspecific or heterospecific galls on individual leaves had no influence on the fecundity ofradicicola andsorini, but had a negative influence on that of sp. O. On average,radicicola andsorini produced a smaller number of offspring in galls than sp. O, and obviously consumed only a small part of resources available on the galled leaves. Evidence available suggests that although amensalism does arise between sp. O and other species, its influence in not so strong as to exclude sp. O competitively from theTetraneura community.     

Increased resistance to antifungal antibiotics ofCandida spp. adhered to silicone

Summary The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFCs) of amphotericin B, miconazole, ketoconazole, fluconazole, and itraconazole were determined for non-adhered cells and cells adhered to sections of a silicone urinary catheter. The densities of adhered cells were established with cells radiolabeled with tritiated leucine. Well defined MICs and MFCs were established for amphotericin B for representative adhered strains. In contrast, the azoles, especially fluconazole, did not give clear end points and the MICs and MFCs were arbitrarily determined. MFCs for the adhered cells generally were 2- to 5-fold higher than those of non-adhered cells. Techniques that include adhered-cell susceptibilities may be necessary before antifungal regimens for prosthetic device-associated yeast infections are appropriately defined.This paper is dedicated to Professor Herman Jan Phaff in honor of his 50 years of active research which still continues.     

Investigations of the host feeding preferences ofSitona weevils found commonly on white clover (Trifolium repens) in the UK

A series of laboratory and field studies were done to evaluate a range of leguminous plant species for their feeding potential by adult weevils of the genusSitona Germar. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Three species ofSitona, S. lineatus L.,S. flavescens Marsh. andS. hispidulus F. all of which are found commonly on white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in the UK were offered a range of 11 legume species,T. repens (white clover, cv. Olwen),T. pratense L. (red clover, cv. Marcom),T. fragiferum L. (strawberry clover, cv. Palestine),T. hybridum L. (hybrid clover, cv. Tetra),T. incarnatum L (crimson clover),T. dubium Sibth. (lesser yellow trefoil),Lotus corniculatus L. (birdsfoot-trefoil, cv. Leo),L. uliginosus Schkuhr. (large birdsfoot-trefoil),Melilotus alba Desr. (white melilot),Medicago sativa L. (lucerne, cv. Europe) andM. lupulina L. (black medick) in two laboratory experiments. The weevils were offered a choice of these legumes in one experiment whilst in the other they did not have a choice of food material. These legumes were also sown in the field and a number of measurements of damage, together with counts ofSitona spp., were made. In the laboratoryS. lineatus andS. hispidulus favoured some of the legumes to a greater or lesser extent than white clover.S. flavescens was more restricted in its feeding than the other two weevil species. In the field studyS. lineatus invaded the experimental area quickly and tended to favourMedicago spp. andMelilotus spp. Later in the yearS. flavescens dominated the sitona fauna on the experiment, with the exception of aggregations ofS. lineatus onM. sativa andM. alba. In a separate screen of 5 varieties of white clover (cvs Donna, Menna, Kersey, Olwen and Grasslands Huia), cv. Olwen appeared to be the most susceptible to sitona attack.     

Effect of temperature,hydrogen ion concentration and osmotic potential on oospore germination of fivePythium spp. isolated from pond water

Oospore germination occurred over a temperature ranging of 15–35°C forPythium coloratum, 10–35°C forP. diclinum, 15–30°C forP. dissotocum, 7–30°C forP. monospermum, and 10–30°C forP. pleroticum. Optimum temperature was 25°C for all species tested. In case of pH, oospore germination occurred over a range of 4.76–8.55 with an optimum of 6.40–7.40. The least germination occurred at pH 4.76 forP. coloratum, P. diclinum, P. monospermum andP. pleroticum, whileP. dissotocum germinated from pH 5.02. Oospores of the all tested pythia were able to germinate at –0.13 to –1.65 MPa and could not germinate at –3.40 MPa, with the highest germination rate at –0.27 to –0.47 MPa. The effect of temperature, pH and osmotic potential on oospore germination was discussed in relation to pollution of pond water.     

Species of Bursaphelenchus Fuchs, 1937 (Nematoda: Parasitaphelenchidae) and other nematode genera associated with insects from Pinus pinaster in Portugal

Insects associated with maritime pine, Pinus pinaster, in Portugal were collected and screened for the presence of Bursaphelenchus species. Nematodes were identified using Internal Transcribed Spacers‐Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (ITS‐RFLP) analysis of dauer juveniles and morphological identification of adults that developed from dauer juveniles on fungal cultures or on cultures in pine wood segments at 26°C. Several associations are described: Bursaphelenchus teratospicularis and Bursaphelenchus sexdentati are associated with Orthotomicus erosus; Bursaphelenchus tusciae, B. sexdentati and/or Bursaphelenchus pinophilus with Hylurgus ligniperda and Bursaphelenchus hellenicus with Tomicus piniperda, Ips sexdentatus and H. ligniperda. An unidentified Bursaphelenchus species is vectored by Hylobius sp. The previously reported association of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus with Monochamus galloprovincialis was confirmed. The association of Bursaphelenchus leoni with Pityogenes sp. is not definitively established and needs further studies for clarification. Other nematode genera besides Bursaphelenchus were found to be associated with the insects sampled, including two different species of Ektaphelenchus, Parasitorhabditis sp., Parasitaphelenchus sp., Contortylenchus sp. and other unidentified nematodes. The Ektaphelenchus species found in O. erosus is morphologically similar to B. teratospicularis found in the same insect; adults of both the species are found in cocoon‐like structures under the elytra of the insects.