Drivers of Collembola assemblages along an altitudinal gradient in northeast China

Altitudinal changes in the diversity of plants and animals have been well documented; however, soil animals received little attention in this context and it is unclear whether their diversity follows general altitudinal distribution patterns. Changbai Mountain is one of few well‐conserved mountain regions comprising natural ecosystems on the Eurasian continent. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the diversity and community composition of Collembola along ten altitudinal sites representing five vegetation types from forest to alpine tundra. Among 7834 Collembola individuals, 84 morphospecies were identified. Species richness varied marginally significant with altitude and generally followed a unimodal relationship with altitude. By contrast, the density of Collembola did not change in a consistent way with altitude. Collembola communities changed gradually with altitude, with local habitat‐related factors (soil and litter carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio, litter carbon content, and soil pH) and climatic variables (precipitation seasonality) identified as major drivers of changes in Collembola community composition. Notably, local habitat‐related factors explained more variation in Collembola assemblages than climatic variables. The results suggest that local habitat‐related factors including precipitation and temperature are the main drivers of changes in Collembola communities with altitude. Specifically, soil and litter carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio correlated positively with Collembola communities at high altitudes, whereas soil pH correlated positively at low altitudes. This documents that altitudinal gradients provide unique opportunities for identifying factors driving the community composition of not only above‐ but also belowground invertebrates.     

Nutritional requirements for conidial germination and hyphal growth of Beauveria bassiana

Nutritional requirements for germination and growth of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana are not complex. For germination to occur, a utilizable source of carbon must be present; however, a nitrogen source is needed for continued hyphal growth, otherwise lysis ensues. Compounds that can serve as utilizable carbon-energy sources for germination include glucose, N-acetylglucosamine, glucosamine, chitin, starch, lanolin, hydrocarbons in crude oil, and some longer-chain fatty acids. Both organic and inorganic sources of nitrogen are readily utilized for growth. Conidia undergo active metabolism soon after being placed in a suitable growth medium, indicating that conidia are released from their state of dormancy several hours before emergence of the germ tube can be observed. Because of the nutritional versatility of B. bassiana, this fungus should be able to survive and be infective in several types of natural environments.     

Nutrient requirements of exotic tree species in Zimbabwe

Pot and field experiments were conducted in the greenhouse and at three field sites (Marondera, Domboshawa and Makoholi) in Zimbabwe to examine the effects of soils and fertilizers on nutrient uptake and growth of 6 exotic tree species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, E. grandis, E. tereticornis, Leucaena leucocephala, Casuarina cunninghamiana, and Acacia holosericea). Plant growth, N and P contents of all species were increased by the application of N, P, K and micronutrient fertilizers. The effect of individual nutrients (N, P, K and micronutrients) and their combination on Eucalyptus species was further investigated in a pot experiment using soil from Domboshawa. Eucalyptus species responded only to N application and no significant interactions were found between N and the other elements. Nutrient uptake results showed that E. camaldulensis and E. tereticornis removed more cations than the N-fixing trees but only in the fertilized treatments. L. leucocephala and C. cunninghamiana were higher in P, but no clear trends were observed for N. Plant growth and nutrient uptake by E. camaldulensis. C. cunninghamiana and A. holosericea were assessed in the field at the three sites. Plant species grown in the Marondera site had greater height and diameter at breast height (DBH) than those in the two other sites. These results followed trends in soil nutrient contents. The analysis of foliage revealed differences in the nutrient concentration of leaves from different trees, but no effect of site was found. The interrelationships between plant characteristics, soil and foliage nutrients were examined. In a pot experiment, mineral N was the only variable correlated with growth response and nutrient uptake, while in the field the only significant correlation was obtained with soil pH.     

Relative addition rate and external concentration; Driving variables used in plant nutrition research

Abstract An increasing literature accounting for various types of experiments indicates that far lower external nutrient concentrations are required by plants than is usually thought to be the case. It is concluded that the ion uptake capacity of the roots, as described by the carrier concept, is high compared to that required for maintenance of the internal concentration. Serious errors in experimental conclusions are associated with insufficient and constant nutrient addition rates. The main errors are caused by non-steady states of the plants both with regard to the internal nutrient concentrations and the relative growth rate. A dynamic concept has been proposed for direct use as the treatment variable within the range of sub-optimum nutrition. The nutritional factor is expressed as a flow, the relative nutrient addition rate in laboratory studies and the nutrient flux density in the field. The experimental use of the relative addition rate has led to steady-state nutrient status and relative growth rate and the interpretation of plant responses which differ fundamentally from accepted views. Thus, for instance, deficiency symptoms disappear, as in natural conditions, when the internal nitrogen concentration is stable, independent of level. The nutrition/growth relationships are very different from those observed when external concentration is varied. The regression line of relative growth rate on relative addition rate passes near to the origin at an angle close to 45 to the axes, which implies that the obtained relative growth rate approximates closely the treatment variable. A striking example of observed differences is the positive effect on nitrogen fixation exerted by high relative nitrogen addition rates compared to the well-known negative effect of increasing external nitrogen concentration. The application of fertilizer on the basis of the nutrient flux density concept provides the possibility of supplying fertilizers corresponding to the consumption potential of the vegetation and to the natural flux density resulting from mineralization in the soil. Nitrogen utilization is high under such conditions and the resulting feedback of nutrition on the mineralization rate suggests that there will be a long-term increase in fertility.     

酿酒葡萄品质评价及其对气象条件的响应

根据2004～2005年我国北方6省酿酒葡萄主要产区葡萄取样和宁夏芦花台园艺场田间试验葡萄化验结果,运用层次分析方法（AHP）对酿酒葡萄主要品质因子总糖、糖酸比pH、单宁进行综合评价,运用主成分分析方法和因子分析法研究影响每个地区酿酒葡萄综合品质的主要气象因子和影响时段。结果表明：2004～2005年贺兰山东麓的御马、玉泉营、广夏三基地、贺东在庄园;河西走廊的高台、武威;新疆石河子酿酒葡萄品质优良,渤海湾的烟台、蓬莱、昌藜等地酿酒葡萄品质表现一般。酿酒葡萄综合品质主要受果实着色期、全生育期和7～8月的降水量和水热系数的影响,其中降水量起主导作用。果实着色期气温日较差和全生育期平均相对湿度对酿酒葡萄综合品质的形成也有重要影响,影响相对较小的是果实着色期的最低气温。采样地区的光照、温度等气象条件基本适宜酿酒葡萄品质形成,对优质酿酒葡萄形成没有大的限制作用。     

River islands,refugia and genetic structuring in the endemic brown frog Rana kukunoris (Anura,Ranidae) of the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau

Frequently, Pleistocene climatic cycling has been found to be the diver of genetic structuring in populations, even in areas that did not have continental ice sheets, such as on the Qinghai‐Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Typically, species distributed on the plateau have been hypothesized to re‐treat to south‐eastern refugia, especially during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We evaluated sequence variation in the mitochondrial DNA gene Cytb and the nuclear DNA gene RAG‐1 in Rana kukunoris, a species endemic to the QTP. Two major lineages, N and S, were identified, and lineage N was further subdivided into N1 and N2. The geographical distribution and genealogical divergences supported the hypothesis of multiple refugia. However, major lineages and sublineages diverged prior to the LGM. Demographical expansion was detected only in lineage S and sublineage N2. Sublineage N1 might have survived several glacial cycles in situ and did not expand after the LGM because of the absence of suitable habitat; it survived in river islands. Genetic analysis and environment modelling suggested that the north‐eastern edge of QTP contained a major refugium for R. kukunoris. From here, lineage S dispersed southwards after the LGM. Two microrefugia in northern Qilian Mountains greatly contributed to current level of intraspecific genetic diversity. These results were found to have important implications for the habitat conservation in Northwest China.     

Population dynamics of Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae) and analysis of the factors influencing the population in Ruili, Yunnan Province, China

Annual monitoring of the population dynamics of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) using methyl eugenol-baited traps was conducted throughout the year during 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2004 in Ruili, Yunnan Province, China. Temperature, rainfall and host-plant species were analyzed with respect to population fluctuation of the fly. During the study periods the fruit fly occurred throughout the year. Its population remained low from November to January and increased steadily from February until it reached a peak in June. Afterwards, the population declined until October. The results of stepwise regression analysis indicated that monthly mean temperature, monthly mean maximum temperature, monthly mean minimum temperature, monthly extreme maximum temperature, monthly extreme minimum temperature, and monthly raining days were the major climatic factors influencing populations. Path and decision coefficient analyses indicated that the monthly mean temperature was the crucial factor influencing population fluctuation, the monthly mean minimum temperature was the crucial limiting factor indirectly influencing increase in population, and the comprehensive factors influencing fly population dynamics, namely, the monthly raining days were the strongest of all the other factors. Generally, the monthly mean temperatures fell within the ranges of temperatures suitable for development and reproduction of the fly. But the monthly mean minimum temperatures from November to January seemed to be lower and were suggested to be responsible for the low populations in this period. Monthly rainfall and rainy days steadily increased from February through June, and this explained the increase in population observed during this period. During periods of continuous heavy rain from July through August, the fruit fly population showed a remarkable decrease. Host plant species was another essential factor influencing the population fluctuations. Abundant fruit and melon species formed the food and breeding materials for the fly during the study periods.     

Plant responses to climatic extremes: within‐species variation equals among‐species variation

Within‐species and among‐species differences in growth responses to a changing climate have been well documented, yet the relative magnitude of within‐species vs. among‐species variation has remained largely unexplored. This missing comparison impedes our ability to make general predictions of biodiversity change and to project future species distributions using models. We present a direct comparison of among‐ versus within‐species variation in response to three of the main stresses anticipated with climate change: drought, warming, and frost. Two earlier experiments had experimentally induced (i) summer drought and (ii) spring frost for four common European grass species and their ecotypes from across Europe. To supplement existing data, a third experiment was carried out, to compare variation among species from different functional groups to within‐species variation. Here, we simulated (iii) winter warming plus frost for four grasses, two nonleguminous, and two leguminous forbs, in addition to eleven European ecotypes of the widespread grass Arrhenatherum elatius. For each experiment, we measured: (i) C/N ratio and biomass, (ii) chlorophyll content and biomass, and (iii) plant greenness, root ¹⁵N uptake, and live and dead tissue mass. Using coefficients of variation (CVs) for each experiment and response parameter, a total of 156 within‐ vs. among‐species comparisons were conducted, comparing within‐species variation in each of four species with among‐species variation for each seed origin (five countries). Of the six significant differences, within‐species CVs were higher than among‐species CVs in four cases. Partitioning of variance within each treatment in two of the three experiments showed that within‐species variability (ecotypes) could explain an additional 9% of response variation after accounting for the among‐species variation. Our observation that within‐species variation was generally as high as among‐species variation emphasizes the importance of including both within‐ and among‐species variability in ecological theory (e.g., the insurance hypothesis) and for practical applications (e.g., biodiversity conservation).     

Phylogeography of Arabis serrata (Brassicaceae) in the Japanese Archipelago based on chloroplast DNA variations

Arabis serrata (Brassicaceae), a perennial plant widely distributed along the Japanese Archipelago, occurs in various habitats: for example, limestone zones, serpentine barrens, volcanic soils, and roadsides. It likely survived by adapting to its surrounding environment, resulting in great morphological and ecological variation. In this study, we performed a phylogeographic analysis to examine past changes in the distribution of A. serrata following climate oscillations during the Pleistocene. To cover most of A. serrata's range, leaves were collected from eight to ten individuals randomly selected from each of 37 populations in the Japanese Archipelago. Two chloroplast noncoding regions of the samples were amplified and sequenced: trnT(GGU)‐psbD and trnH(GUG)‐psbA spacers. Twenty‐five haplotypes were detected and distinguished by 31 substitutions. Four main haplotypes were observed in many populations distributed throughout the Japanese Archipelago. According to the genetic boundaries detected using the Monmonier algorithm, A. serrata is clustered into four groups, each including several populations: Hokkaido Island, northern mainland Honshu, central Japan, and western Japan. The boundaries, however, were not robust because all genetic parameters did not support the differentiation among groups. These results indicate the absence of an obvious geographic structure in the distribution of A. serrata, suggesting that this species has experienced a rapid range expansion in postglacial times.     

Molecular phylogeography of four endemic Sagittaria species (Alismataceae) in the Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region of East Asia

To reveal the role of climate oscillations of the Quaternary in forming the contemporary plant diversity in the temperate Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region of mainland China, we assess the phylogeographical patterns of four Sagittaria species in the region using sequence data from plastid DNA non‐coding regions (psbA‐trnH, the rpl16 intron and trnC‐ycf6) and the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrITS). Based on both datasets, the divergence time among the four studied species was estimated to fall in the Late Tertiary (plastid DNA: 7.1–13.7 Mya; ITS: 11.1–16.1 Mya). The ancestral distribution analyses revealed that regions with a great diversity in topography, climate and ecological conditions, e.g. the Hengduan Mountains, Central China and East China, were the areas where the endemics originated. Mismatch distribution analyses revealed that each species had experienced a range expansion in response to Quaternary climatic oscillations. Our findings contradict the hypothesis of Quaternary origins of the endemic Sagittaria spp.; we support the view that modern species in the Northern Hemisphere originated mostly during the Tertiary. Range expansion may have profoundly modified the current distribution ranges of Sagittaria species in the Sino‐Japanese Floristic Region. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2016, 180 , 6–20.