The impact of altered precipitation on spatial stratification and activity-densities of springtails (Collembola) and spiders (Araneae)

Abstract.  1. A field experiment was conducted to determine how short-term changes in moisture can alter activity-densities of spiders and springtails.
2. In a Kentucky forest 10 unfenced 4-m² plots were divided into two rainfall treatments. A clear roof over five plots excluded rainfall to simulate severe drought conditions ( drought treatment). Water was sprayed on the five uncovered plots at a rate equal to two times the long-term mean in order to establish the high-rainfall treatment. Activity-densities of Collembola and spiders were measured using pitfall traps designed to sample the top, middle, and bottom layers of leaf litter. The experiment ran from 20 July to 23 September 2001.
3. Overall (i.e. litter layers pooled) activity-density (mean number trapped each sampling date) of Collembola was ≈ 60% lower in drought plots than in plots receiving increased precipitation. Surprisingly, overall spider activity-density was ≈ 1.6 times greater in the drought plots.
4. Differences in rainfall affected the spatial stratification of Collembola and spiders in strikingly different ways. Activity-densities of neither group differed between drought and high-rainfall treatments in the bottom litter layer. Collembola activity-density was three times greater in the top and middle litter layers in high-rainfall plots than in drought plots. In contrast, spider activity-density did not differ between treatments in the top layer, but activity-density was decreased by 50% in the middle layer of high-rainfall plots compared with drought plots.
5. Three Collembola families (Sminthuridae, Tomoceridae, and Entomobryidae) accounted for most of the Collembola pattern. The spider response was due to altered activity-density of one family of wandering spider, the Gnaphosidae.     

3种卫矛属植物叶片秋冬季转色期生理生化特征研究

以疏花卫矛(Euonymus laxiflorus)、丝棉木(E.maackii)和卫矛(E.alatus)3种卫矛属植物为试验材料,测定叶片转色期叶色参数和相关生理生化指标,探讨各项指标的变化规律和内在联系,为优良色叶植物的筛选提供依据。结果表明:(1)转色期,疏花卫矛的明亮度参数L~*和色素参数b~*(黄/蓝)呈上升趋势,色素参数a~*(红/绿)变化不大;丝棉木的L~*和b~*呈先上升后下降的单峰曲线,a~*呈上升趋势;卫矛的L~*和b~*变化不大,a~*呈上升趋势。(2)3种植物的叶绿素含量在转色期呈明显下降趋势;疏花卫矛的花色素苷相对含量、花色素苷/叶绿素的值较为平稳,类胡萝卜素/叶绿素的值呈上升趋势;丝棉木和卫矛的花色素苷相对含量、花色素苷/叶绿素的值均呈上升趋势,类胡萝卜素/叶绿素的值保持平稳。(3)3种植物苯丙氨酸解氨酶(PAL)活性呈下降趋势,查尔酮异构酶(CHI)活性呈先上升后下降的单峰曲线;卫矛的过氧化物酶(POD)和多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性保持平稳,疏花卫矛和丝棉木的POD活性呈上升趋势,疏花卫矛的PPO活性保持平稳,丝棉木的PPO活性呈下降趋势。(4)疏花卫矛和卫矛的可溶性糖和淀粉的质量分数呈先上升后下降的单峰曲线,丝棉木的可溶性糖和淀粉的质量分数呈上升趋势。(5)相关性分析显示,疏花卫矛呈现黄色主要是因为叶绿素的分解,丝棉木和卫矛呈现红色是因为花色素苷的合成,可溶性糖、淀粉、CHI对花色素苷的合成有一定作用,POD对叶片呈现红色有促进作用,PAL和PPO活性对花色素苷的合成无显著影响。     

单芽狗脊营养器官的解剖学研究

采用离析法和石蜡切片法对单芽狗脊营养器官进行形态解剖研究。结果表明：单芽狗脊叶为异面叶,上、下表皮细胞均为不规则型,仅下表皮有气孔器分布;叶柄维管束有2~6个,自叶柄基部向上至叶轴仅有2个较大的维管束;根状茎薄壁细胞之间有多个维管束散生分布,且富含丰富的淀粉粒;皮层在根的横切结构中占比较大,木质部的发育方式为外始式;单芽狗脊珠芽的发育过程分为三个阶段,珠芽原基的形成期、珠芽原基的分化期、成熟期。     

8种绿化树种光合特性及叶片解剖结构比较

城市绿化不仅包含了园林绿化的美化作用,还具有重要的生态功能,其生态功能是通过植物的生理活动实现的。光合能力在种间和基因型间的变化很大,这些差异通常与代谢和(或)叶片的解剖结构的性质有关。本研究选择8种哈尔滨常见树种,采用Li-6400便携式光合测定系统对叶净光合速率(P_n)、呼吸速率(R_d)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、气孔导度(G_s)、胞间CO_2浓度(C_i)等进行测定,并利用显微镜观察测定叶片厚度、表皮厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度,从而探讨叶片结构对光合生理的影响。结果表明:8个树种间叶片最大光合速率、气孔导度、胞间CO_2浓度、蒸腾速率、光饱和点差异显著(P <0.05);表皮厚度、栅栏组织厚度、上表皮气孔密度和下表皮气孔密度差异显著(P <0.05)。虽然8个树种间光合能力和叶片解剖结构的差异较大,但分析发现其间也存在一定的相关性。其中,光饱和点与叶表皮厚度显著正相关(P <0.01),相关系数为0.78。胞间CO_2浓度与上表皮气孔密度显著负相关(P <0.05),相关系数为-0.65。而最大光合速率、呼吸速率、蒸腾速率和光补偿点与表皮厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、上表皮气孔密度和下表皮气孔密度相关均不显著(P> 0.05)。胞间CO_2浓度与表皮厚度、栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度和下表皮气孔密度相关均不显著(P> 0.05)。光饱和点与栅栏组织厚度、海绵组织厚度、上表皮气孔密度和下表皮气孔密度相关均不显著(P> 0.05)。虽然对叶片结构对生理过程的影响的机理还需要进一步研究,但是我们认为叶片解剖结构的研究可以更好地理解生理指标的变化。     

Inter‐specific Variation in Foliar Nutrients and Resorption of Nine Canopy‐tree Species in a Secondary Neotropical Rain Forest

The influence of environmental gradients on the foliar nutrient economy of forests has been well documented; however, we have little understanding of what drives variability among individuals within a single forest stand, especially tropical forests. We evaluated inter‐ and intra‐specific variation in nutrient resorption, foliar nutrient concentrations and physical leaf traits of nine canopy tree species within a 1‐ha secondary tropical rain forest in northeastern Costa Rica. Both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency (RE) and proficiency of the nine tree species varied significantly among species, but not within. Both N and P RE were significantly negatively related to leaf specific strength. Green leaf N and P concentrations were strongly negatively related to leaf mass per area, and senesced leaf nutrient concentrations were significantly positively related to green leaf nutrient concentrations. This study reveals a strong influence of physical leaf traits on foliar nutrient and resorption traits of co‐occurring species in a secondary wet tropical forest stand.     

Combined use of leaf size and economics traits allows direct comparison of hydrophyte and terrestrial herbaceous adaptive strategies

Background and Aims

Hydrophytes generally exhibit highly acquisitive leaf economics. However, a range of growth forms is evident, from small, free-floating and rapidly growing Lemniden to large, broad-leaved Nymphaeiden, denoting variability in adaptive strategies. Traits used to classify adaptive strategies in terrestrial species, such as canopy height, are not applicable to hydrophytes. We hypothesize that hydrophyte leaf size traits and economics exhibit sufficient overlap with terrestrial species to allow a common classification of plant functional types, sensu Grime''s CSR theory.

Methods

Leaf morpho-functional traits were measured for 61 species from 47 water bodies in lowland continental, sub-alpine and alpine bioclimatic zones in southern Europe and compared against the full leaf economics spectrum and leaf size range of terrestrial herbs, and between hydrophyte growth forms.

Key Results

Hydrophytes differed in the ranges and mean values of traits compared with herbs, but principal components analysis (PCA) demonstrated that both groups shared axes of trait variability: PCA1 encompassed size variation (area and mass), and PCA2 ranged from relatively dense, carbon-rich leaves to nitrogen-rich leaves of high specific leaf area (SLA). Most growth forms exhibited trait syndromes directly equivalent to herbs classified as R adapted, although Nymphaeiden ranged between C and SR adaptation.

Conclusions

Our findings support the hypothesis that hydrophyte adaptive strategy variation reflects fundamental trade-offs in economics and size that govern all plants, and that hydrophyte adaptive strategies can be directly compared with terrestrial species by combining leaf economics and size traits.     

Long-term functional plasticity in plant hydraulic architecture in response to supplemental moisture

Background and Aims

Plasticity in structural and functional traits related to water balance may determine plant performance and survival in ecosystems characterized by water limitation or high levels of rainfall variability, particularly in perennial herbaceous species with long generation cycles. This paper addresses whether and the extent to which several such seasonal to long-term traits respond to changes in moisture availability.

Methods

Using a novel approach that integrates ecology, physiology and anatomy, a comparison was made of lifetime functional traits in the root xylem of a long-lived perennial herb (Potentilla diversifolia, Rosaceae) growing in dry habitats with those of nearby individuals growing where soil moisture had been supplemented for 14 years. Traditional parameters such as specific leaf area (SLA) and above-ground growth were also assessed.

Key Results

Individuals from the site receiving supplemental moisture consistently showed significant responses in all considered traits related to water balance: SLA was greater by 24 %; roots developed 19 % less starch storing tissue, an indicator for drought-stress tolerance; and vessel size distributions shifted towards wider elements that collectively conducted water 54 % more efficiently – but only during the years for which moisture was supplemented. In contrast, above-ground growth parameters showed insignificant or inconsistent responses.

Conclusions

The phenotypic changes documented represent consistent, dynamic responses to increased moisture availability that should increase plant competitive ability. The functional plasticity of xylem anatomy quantified in this study constitutes a mechanistic basis for anticipating the differential success of plant species in response to climate variability and change, particularly where water limitation occurs.     

Distinct modes of adventitious rooting in Arabidopsis thaliana

The literature describes different rooting protocols for Arabidopsis thaliana as models to study adventitious rooting, and results are generally perceived as comparable. However, there is a lack of investigations focusing on the distinct features, advantages and limitations of each method in the study of adventitious rooting with both wild-type (WT) ecotypes and their respective mutants. This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the adventitious rooting process in three different experimental systems, all using A. thaliana, analysing the same rooting parameters after transient exposure to auxin (indole-3-acetic acid) and control conditions: excised leaves, de-rooted plants and etiolated seedlings. The founding tissues and sites of origin of roots differed depending on the system used, whereas all rooting patterns were of the direct type (i.e., without callus formation). None of the systems had an absolute requirement for exogenous auxin, although rooting was enhanced by this phytohormone, with the exception of de-rooted plants, which had adventitious rooting strongly inhibited by exogenous auxin. Root elongation was much favoured in isolated leaves. Auxin-overproducing mutants could not be used in the detached leaf system due to precocious senescence; in the de-rooted plant system, these mutants had a WT-like rooting response, whereas the expression of the 'rooty' phenotype was only evident in the etiolated seedling system. Adventitious rooting of etiolated WT seedlings in the presence of exogenous auxin was inhibited by exogenous flavonoids, which act as auxin transport inhibitors; surprisingly, the flavonoid-deficient mutant chs had a lower rooting response compared to WT. Although Arabidopsis is an excellent model system to study adventitious rooting, physiological and developmental responses differed significantly, underlining the importance of avoiding data generalisation on rooting responses derived from different experimental systems with this species.     

Leaf traits of two Mediterranean perennial tussock grass species in relation to soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability

Studying relationships of plant traits to ecosystem properties is an emerging approach aiming to understand plant's potential effect on ecosystem functioning. In the current study, we explored links between morphological and nutritional leaf traits of two Mediterranean perennial grass species Stipa tenacissima and Lygeum spartum, widely used to prevent desertification process by stabilizing sand dunes. We evaluated also relationships in terms of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability between leaves of the investigated species and the corresponding soil. Our results showed that leaf P was very low in comparison with leaf N for the two investigated species. In fact, chlorophyll content, photosynthesis capacity and water conservation during photosynthesis are mainly linked to leaf nitrogen content. Our findings support previous studies showing that at the species levels, morphological and nutritional leaf traits were not related. On the other hand, significant relationships were obtained between soil N and leaf N for S. tenacissima (P = 0.011) and L. spartum (P = 0.033). However, leaf P was not significantly related to soil P availability for both species. We suggest that any decrease in soil N with the predicted increasing aridity may result in reduction in leaf N and thus in worst dysfunction of some biological processes levels.