Clonal integration supports the expansion from terrestrial to aquatic environments of the amphibious stoloniferous herb Alternanthera philoxeroides

Effects of clonal integration on land plants have been extensively studied, but little is known about the role in amphibious plants that expand from terrestrial to aquatic conditions. We simulated expansion from terrestrial to aquatic habitats in the amphibious stoloniferous alien invasive alligator weed ( Alternanthera philoxeroides ) by growing basal ramets of clonal fragments in soils connected (allowing integration) or disconnected (preventing integration) to the apical ramets of the same fragments submerged in water to a depth of 0, 5, 10 or 15 cm. Clonal integration significantly increased growth and clonal reproduction of the apical ramets, but decreased both of these characteristics in basal ramets. Consequently, integration did not affect the performance of whole clonal fragments. We propose that alligator weed possesses a double-edged mechanism during population expansion: apical ramets in aquatic habitats can increase growth through connected basal parts in terrestrial habitats; however, once stolon connections with apical ramets are lost by external disturbance, the basal ramets in terrestrial habitats increase stolon and ramet production for rapid spreading. This may contribute greatly to the invasiveness of alligator weed and also make it very adaptable to habitats with heavy disturbance and/or highly heterogeneous resource supply.     

HisE11 and HisF8 Provide Bis-histidyl Heme Hexa-coordination in the Globin Domain of Geobacter sulfurreducens Globin-coupled Sensor

Among heme-based sensors, recent phylogenomic and sequence analyses have identified 34 globin coupled sensors (GCS), to which an aerotactic or gene-regulating function has been tentatively ascribed. Here, the structural and biochemical characterization of the globin domain of the GCS from Geobacter sulfurreducens (GsGCS¹⁶²) is reported. A combination of X-ray crystallography (crystal structure at 1.5 Å resolution), UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy reveals the ferric GsGCS¹⁶² as an example of bis-histidyl hexa-coordinated GCS. In contrast to the known hexa-coordinated globins, the distal heme-coordination in ferric GsGCS¹⁶² is provided by a His residue unexpectedly located at the E11 topological site. Furthermore, UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy indicated that ferrous deoxygenated GsGCS¹⁶² is a penta-/hexa-coordinated mixture, and the heme hexa-to-penta-coordination transition does not represent a rate-limiting step for carbonylation kinetics. Lastly, electron paramagnetic resonance indicates that ferrous nitrosylated GsGCS¹⁶² is a penta-coordinated species, where the proximal HisF8-Fe bond is severed.     

N and P resorption as functions of the needle age class in two conifer trees

Aims Given the importance of resorption in nutrient conservations, nutrient resorption should change with leaf age if resorption depends on nutrient content, and if nutrient content changes with leaf age. However, no study has addressed this issue.     

Legal developments in the protection of plant-related traditional knowledge: An intellectual property lawyer's perspective of the international and South African legal framework

The South African legal framework regulating the research and commercialisation of plant material, or bioprospecting, consists of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, 2004, and the Bioprospecting, Access and Benefit Sharing Regulations issued under that Act in 2008, and Section 30 of the Patents Act, 1978, as amended by the Patents Amendment Act, 2005. The international backdrop to this legislation is the Convention on Biological Diversity, which came into force in 1993.In October 2010, the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted the Nagoya Protocol, which is intended to be a binding legal instrument on the subject of access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilisation. The underlying principles are that the prior informed consent of communities holding the traditional knowledge must be obtained and that benefits arising from utilisation of that knowledge must be shared, the arrangements being managed by the State.This article is a broad discourse on the relevant legislation as seen from the perspective of an intellectual property lawyer, focusing on the most recent developments, and illustrating its application in cases which have been reported in the press.     

Mosaic variation in allozyme and plastid DNA markers in the European ranges of Silene vulgaris and its partially sympatric relative S. uniflora (Caryophyllaceae)

The perennial herbs Silene vulgaris and S. uniflora are closely related, partially sympatric and interfertile, yet morphologically distinct. We used nuclear (allozyme) and plastid (polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism) DNA markers to investigate whether these species have a shared history of postglacial colonization and hybridization in Europe, as inferred from large‐scale patterns of geographic variation. The majority of plastid haplotypes and allozyme alleles were widespread and patchily distributed within both species and there was no geographic structure in the distributions of shared allozymes or haplotypes. The mosaic variation is consistent with a scenario in which repeated episodes of interspecific hybridization pre‐dated the largely allopatric range expansion of the two species during the postglacial period. Our overall results are not consistent with a scenario of extensive hybridization and introgression during the postglacial range expansion of the species or within their current areas of sympatry, but we found some evidence for local, postglacial evolution and hybridization in the Baltic region. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 166 , 127–148.     

Satellite remote sensing,biodiversity research and conservation of the future

Assessing and predicting ecosystem responses to global environmental change and its impacts on human well-being are high priority targets for the scientific community. The potential for synergies between remote sensing science and ecology, especially satellite remote sensing and conservation biology, has been highlighted by many in the past. Yet, the two research communities have only recently begun to coordinate their agendas. Such synchronization is the key to improving the potential for satellite data effectively to support future environmental management decision-making processes. With this themed issue, we aim to illustrate how integrating remote sensing into ecological research promotes a better understanding of the mechanisms shaping current changes in biodiversity patterns and improves conservation efforts. Added benefits include fostering innovation, generating new research directions in both disciplines and the development of new satellite remote sensing products.