Comparative analysis of leaf trichome structure and composition of epicuticular flavonoids in Finnish birch species

The morphology, ultrastructure, density and distribution of trichomes on leaves of Betula pendula, B. pubescens ssp. pubescens, B. pubescens ssp. czerepanovii and B. nana were examined by means of light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The composition of flavonoids in ethanolic leaf surface extracts was analysed by high pressure liquid chromatography. All taxa examined contained both glandular and non-glandular trichomes (short and/or long hairs) but differed from each other in trichome ultrastructure, density and location on the leaf. Leaves of B. pubescens were more hairy than those of B. pendula, but the latter species had a higher density of glandular trichomes. Of the two subspecies of B. pubescens, leaves of ssp. pubescens had more short hairs on the leaf surface and four times the density of glandular trichomes of leaves of ssp. czerepanovii, whereas, in the latter subspecies, short hairs occurred largely on leaf veins, as in B. nana. The glandular trichomes were peltate glands, consisting of medullar and cortical cells, which differed structurally. Cortical cells possessed numerous small, poorly developed plastids and small vacuoles, whereas medullar cells had several large plastids with well-developed thylakoid systems and fewer vacuoles. In B. pubescens subspecies, vacuoles of the glandular cells contained osmiophilic deposits, which were probably phenolic, whereas in B. pendula, vacuoles of glandular trichomes were characterized by the presence of numerous myelin-like membranes. The composition of epicuticular flavonoids also differed among species. The two subspecies of B. pubescens and B. nana shared the same 12 compounds, but five of these occurred only in trace amounts in B. nana. Leaf surface extracts of B. pendula contained just six flavonoids, three of which occurred only in this species. In summary, the structure, density and distribution of leaf trichomes and the composition of epicuticular flavonoids represent good taxonomic markers for Finnish birch species.     

Pacific Coral-reef Fishes: The Implications of Behaviour and Ecology of Larvae for Biodiversity and Conservation, and a Reassessment of the Open Population Paradigm

The two-phase life history of most marine fishes and invertebrates has enormous implications for dispersal, population connectivity, and resource management. Pelagic dispersal larvae of marine animals traditionally thought to ensure that populations are widespread, that chances of local extinction are low, and that marine protected areas (MPA) can easily function to replenish both their own populations and those of unprotected areas. Traditionally, dispersal is considered to depend primarily on two variables: pelagic larva duration and far-field currents. These conclusions arise from the open population paradigm and are usually accompanied by a simplifying assumption: larvae are distributed passively by far-field currents. Unfortunately, they ignore the complex reality of circulation and hydrological connectivity of reefs, and do not consider newly-demonstrated behavioural capabilities of coral-reef fish larvae. Far-field circulation varies with depth and often excludes water bodies where propagules are released, and this has important implications for predicting trajectories of even passive larvae. However, larvae are not passive: late-stage larvae of coral-reef fishes can swim faster than currents for long periods, can probably detect reefs at some distance, and can actively find them. This behaviour is flexible, which greatly complicates modelling of larval fish trajectories. Populations at ecological (as opposed to evolutionary) scales are probably less open and more subdivided than previously assumed. All this means that dispersal predictions based solely on far-field water circulation are probably wrong. An emerging view of larval-fish dispersal is articulated that takes these new data and perspectives into account. This emerging view shows that re-evaluation of traditional views in several areas is required, including the contribution of larval-fish biology and dispersal to biodiversity patterns, the way reef fishes are managed, and the way in which MPA are thought to operate. At evolutionary and zoogeographic scales, reef-fish populations are best considered to be open.     

The Cerebrocortical Areas in Normal Brain Aging and in Alzheimer's Disease: Noticeable Differences in the Lipid Peroxidation Level and in Antioxidant Defense

The markers of oxidative stress were measured in four cerebrocortical regions of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and age-matched control brains. In controls the levels of diene conjugates (DC) and lipid peroxides (LOOH) were significantly higher in the sensory postcentral and occipital primary cortex than in the temporal inferior or frontal inferior cortex. The antioxidant capacity (AOC) was highest in the temporal, and GSH in the frontal inferior cortex. The highest activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) was found in the occipital primary cortex. Compared with controls, significantly higher level of DC and LOOH and attenuated AOC were evident in AD temporal inferior cortex. In AD frontal inferior cortex moderate increase in LOOH was associated with positive correlation between SOD activity and counts of senile plaques. Our data suggest that in AD cerebral cortex, the oxidative stress is expressed in the reducing sequence: temporal inferior cortex > frontal inferior cortex > sensory postcentral cortex occipital primary cortex, corresponding to the histopathological spreading of AD from the associative to primary cortical areas.     

Responses of benthic community metabolism to abiotic factors in a mountain river in southern Poland

Seasonal and longitudinal metabolic trends in benthic communities were studied in the five orders of a natural mountain river (the Stradomka) in southern Poland. The method of oxygen change of rocky substrata in chambers was applied. Metabolic data were compared with abiotic (light regime, channel geomorphology and stream hydrology), and water chemical variables. A tendency of downstream increase in gross production and community respiration was observed between 1st and 4th stream orders. The highest values of GP (0.94 g C m^-2 24 h ^-1) and CR (1.12 g C m^-2 24 h ^-1) were observed in the middle Stradomka course (3–4 orders) in spring. A distinct negative NDM (heterotrophy) of the benthic community was measured in autumn and spring. During winter NDM was almost constant and oscillated around zero. The P/R ratio changed according to season and fluctuated between heterotrophy (P/R < 1) and autotrophy (P/R > 1). In general, heterotrophy prevailed in the study system (except 5th order). A marked shift in P/R between 4th and 5th stream orders confirms the prediction included in the RCC. Water temperature and PAR accounted for 56% in GP variability, whereas CR and NDM were not related to these variables. The combined variables (PAR and PO₄–P) attributed to 69% in GP variability. The set of chemical factors was less related to Stradomka metabolic data. These results suggest that metabolic processes in this mountain river remarkably depend on physical variables (solar radiation, altitude, water temperature and conductivity). Metabolic parameters were similar to other geographical mountain systems. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Visuomotor transformations: early cortical mechanisms of reaching

Recent studies of visually guided reaching in monkeys support the hypothesis that the visuomotor transformations underlying arm movements to spatial targets involve a parallel mechanism that simultaneously engages functionally related frontal and parietal areas linked by reciprocal cortico-cortical connections. The neurons in these areas possess similar combinations of response properties. The multimodal combinatorial properties of these neurons and the gradient architecture of the parieto-frontal network emerge as a potential substrate to link the different sensory and motor signals that arise during reaching behavior into common hybrid reference frames. This convergent combinatorial process is evident at early stages of visual information processing in the occipito-parietal cortex, suggesting the existence of re-entrant motor influences on cortical areas once believed to have only visual functions.     

The use of forest inventory data for a National Protected Area Strategy in Guyana

Forest inventories are largely neglected in the debate of national parks selection in Guyana (and probably elsewhere). Because taxonomic data are often scant and biased towards are as of high collecting effort, large scale forest inventory data can be a useful tool adding to a knowledge database for forests. In this paper the use of forest inventories to select national parks in Guyana is assessed. With the data of a large scale inventory five forest regions could be distinguished and two were added on the base of existing other information. Forest composition in Guyana is largely determined by geology at a national level and soil type at regional level. Species diversity is higher in the south of Guyana, possibly due to higher disturbance and is also higher on the better soils. It is concluded that a selection of national parks in Guyana should include a sample of all seven regions, including as much soil variation as possible. Because of land use conflicts in central Guyana, this area is in need of quick attention of Guyana's policy makers.     

Microbial Communities in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Their Function as Indicators of Water Quality

Abstract

The objective of this study was to establish meaningful relationships between prokaryotic community profiles and water quality parameters in different water bodies (spring, stream, cave, and mine) in the middle reach of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park (C&O), Maryland. The microbial profiles in the water samples were determined using metagenomic analysis. The relationships between microbial phylogenetic profiles and water quality parameters were investigated using principal component analysis (PCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA). The most abundant phyla identified in most samples were Proteobacteria (55.4%), Bacteroidetes (12.3%), Actinobacteria (10.6%), Firmicutes (2.4%), Planktomycetes (1.8%), Verrucomicrobia (1.5%), Chloroflexi (1.5%), and Acidobacteria (1.3%), which are major bacterial and archaeal groups typically observed in natural freshwater environments. PCA showed that water chemistry was determined primarily by the geology of the site and the type of water source (i.e., spring, stream, cave, or mine). Most samples located in carbonate formations correlated with high alkalinity, inorganic carbon, and calcium, representing the typical karstic geochemistry. RDA shows that pH, electrical conductivity, temperature and nutrients including nitrate, phosphate, and sulfate, were significant determinants of the microbial ecology.     

The reproductive ecology and abundance of Symptevygia bonapavtii endemic to the south-west Atlantic

Logistical ogives gave an estimated L _T50 value (i.e. the total length at which 50% individuals are sexually mature) of 635 mm for female and 650 mm for male Sympterygia bonapartii . Mature individuals of both sexes had significantly larger livers than immature ones and females had a significantly heavier liver than males. Clasper elongation was the first step in male maturation, followed by clasper calcification and the development of alar thorns. In mature females, the right ovary was larger than the left, which was apparently due to differences in stroma tissue. Gonadosomatic index and diameter of ovarian follicles of mature females peaked in late spring and was at a minimum from late summer and through the winter. Juvenile S. bonapartii were more abundant near estuarine areas during winter, and adults appeared in estuaries by late spring and summer. Females carrying egg-cases were found near the shore in late spring and egg-cases were found in benthic samples only in shallow waters suggesting that S. bonapartii deposits egg-cases in shallow waters during late spring-summer and that nursery areas are in outer estuarine zones. In the southern part (38°–42° S) of the study area S. bonapartii showed a strong movement to shallow waters in late spring and summer, spreading over the entire coastal area in winter. These movements are discussed in relation to water temperature and trophic interactions.     

Unravelling genetics at the top: mountain islands or isolated belts?

Background and Aims

In mountain plant populations, local adaptation has been described as one of the main responses to climate warming, allowing plants to persist under stressful conditions. This is especially the case for marginal populations at their lowest elevation, as they are highly vulnerable. Adequate levels of genetic diversity are required for selection to take place, while high levels of altitudinal gene flow are seen as a major limiting factor potentially precluding local adaptation processes. Thus, a compromise between genetic diversity and gene flow seems necessary to guarantee persistence under oncoming conditions. It is therefore critical to determine if gene flow occurs preferentially between mountains at similar altitudinal belts, promoting local adaptation at the lowest populations, or conversely along altitude within each mountain.

Methods

Microsatellite markers were used to unravel genetic diversity and population structure, inbreeding and gene flow of populations at two nearby altitudinal gradients of Silene ciliata, a Mediterranean high-mountain cushion plant.

Key Results

Genetic diversity and inbreeding coefficients were similar in all populations. Substantial gene flow was found both along altitudinal gradients and horizontally within each elevation belt, although greater values were obtained along altitudinal gradients. Gene flow may be responsible for the homogeneous levels of genetic diversity found among populations. Bayesian cluster analyses also suggested that shifts along altitudinal gradients are the most plausible scenario.

Conclusions

Past population shifts associated with glaciations and interglacial periods in temperate mountains may partially explain current distributions of genetic diversity and population structure. In spite of the predominance of gene flow along the altitudinal gradients, local genetic differentiation of one of the lower populations together with the detection of one outlier locus might support the existence of different selection forces at low altitudes.     

Legacy effects of top–down disturbances on woody plant species composition in semi‐arid systems

Savanna vegetation is controlled by bottom‐up (e.g. soil and rainfall) and top–down (e.g. fire and herbivory) factors, all of which have an effect on biodiversity. Little is known about the relative contribution of these factors to biodiversity, particularly the long‐term effects of top–down disturbance on patterns of woody plant composition. The aim of this study was to identify if various degrees of disturbance regimes create distinct woody species community assemblages. Data were collected over 1820 plots across Kruger National Park, South Africa. Woody species were identified and categorized into one of three height classes: shrub (0.75–2.5 m), brush (2.5–5.5 m), and tree (>5.5 m). Species richness and composition were calculated for each site and height class. A combination of long‐term fire and elephant density data were used to delineate areas with varying degrees of top–down disturbance (i.e. low, medium and high). Using these degrees of disturbance, species composition was identified and community assemblages constructed according to each disturbance regime. Our results suggest that areas with similar disturbance regimes have similar species composition. Shrub composition was mainly responsive to the number of fires between the years 1941–1990, while tree composition was more responsive to elephant disturbance. A few dominant species were found equally under all degrees of disturbance at all height classes, while others were more regularly found under specific disturbance regimes at particular height classes. This study highlights that while species richness does not appear to be influenced by long‐term, top–down disturbance regimes, species community composition may be responsive to these disturbances. Most species and structural classes persisted across all disturbance regimes, but the long‐term effects of top–down disturbances can influence compositional and structural biodiversity. This information provides context for management policies related to artificial water provision, elephants and fire.