Interactive effects of seed availability,water depth,and phosphorus enrichment on cattail colonization in an Everglades wetland

The relative importance of seed availability, waterdepth, and soil phosphorus (P) concentrations oncattail (Typha domingensis pers.) earlyestablishment in an Everglades wetland area wasexamined using seed bank analysis and controlledexperiments. The experiments measured seed germinationand seedling growth in tanks with cattail seedaddition subjected to two P concentrations(un-enriched vs. enriched) and water depth (saturatedvs. flooded soils). A limited seed bank (223 ± 69m²) of cattail was found in the surface soil ofthe area studied. The germination of added seeds wasinhibited under flooded conditions, and only 0.6% ofthe germination was found. In contrast,under-saturated soil conditions, a maximum of 6% and15% germination was observed in P-un-enriched andP-enriched treatments, respectively. High mortality ofseedlings occurred regardless of P treatments followinga cold spell. However, P enrichment resulted inincreased seedling growth and asexual propagation.These results suggested the importance of theconcurrence of appropriate hydrologic regimes, Penrichment, and air temperature on the recruitment ofplant species.     

Post‐fire recovery occurs overwhelmingly by resprouting in the Chaco Serrano forest of Central Argentina

In fire‐prone landscapes, differences in post‐fire regeneration by resprouting between species or sites could be far more important in explaining vegetation physiognomy and composition than seed regeneration. This is the first study exploring the relative contribution of tree resprouts and seeds to post‐fire crown volume in the Chaco Serrano forest of South America. Additionally, we compare the resprouting response among species and quantify post‐fire changes in tree composition among sites. We established 290 permanent plots distributed in three sites affected by wildfires in 2005. For all tree species in all plots we recorded survival of every individual 1 year after the fire; at the plot level, we recorded the above‐ground tree volume before and 3 years after the fire. Resprouting from the base was the main resprouting type. Survival varied between species from 73% to 100% for native species and from 7% to 100% for non‐natives. Before the fire, crown volume was similar in the three sites, and was completely lost after the fire in 92% of the plots. Three years after the fire, between 8% and 58% of crown volume was recovered. The ratio of crown recovery because of resprouts and seedlings was 1562:1. Tree composition exhibited few changes because of the high post‐fire survival of most native species. We conclude that in the semiarid Chaco Serrano ecosystem tree species regenerate mainly by resprouting. This regeneration mode should be taken into account to better understand post‐fire successional pathways of these forests, their management and the restoration of burnt forest areas.     

外源H2O2对小麦幼苗耐盐性的调节作用

以高原448小麦品种为材料,分别测定了4个处理(Hoagland营养液、Hoagland营养液 150 mmol/LNaCl、Hoagland营养液 150 mmol/L NaCl 10μmol/L H2O2和Hoagland营养液 10μmol/L H2O2)的小麦幼苗在第2、4、6、8天叶片叶绿素、丙二醛、可溶性糖和还原性谷胱甘肽含量.结果显示:外源H2O2提高了NaCl胁迫下4个时段小麦幼苗的叶绿素含量(8.27%、32.57%、10.19%、4.86%)及还原性谷胱甘肽含量(3.09%、23.97%、5.85%、2.11%),显著提高了可溶性糖含量(14.58%、8.43%、16.68%、5.8%,P<0.05),而显著降低了其丙二醛含量(17.53%、14.04%、4.75%、8.47%,P<0.05).外源H2O2(10μmol/L)使NaCl胁迫下叶绿素含量和还原性谷胱甘肽含量峰值提前,同时推迟了丙二醛峰值出现的时间.研究表明,外源H2O2通过提高叶片叶绿素、可溶性糖和还原性谷胱甘肽含量以有效地增强小麦幼苗的耐盐性.     

水分胁迫下不同基因型小麦苗期的形态生理差异

以36个不同育成年代和生态区域的小麦品种为材料,研究了水分胁迫对小麦苗期生长的影响,并基于灰色关联分析评价了小麦品种苗期抗旱性的基因型差异.结果表明:小麦品种抗旱性差异显著,加权抗旱指数在0.2434～0.6580之间;17个形态生理性状中与抗旱性关联程度最大的是地上部干物质量(0.9473),最小的是叶绿素含量(0.5356).采用聚类分析将36个小麦品种分为3类,其中抗旱型8个、中间型23个、敏感型5个.3类基因型的地上部干物质量、根干物质量、植株干物质量、株高、根系氮积累量、叶面积和单株分蘖数差异显著,可作为小麦品种苗期抗旱性鉴定的直接指标.     

Growth and Wood/Bark Properties of Abies faxoniana Seedlings as Affected by Elevated CO2

Growth and wood and bark properties of Abies faxoniana seedlings after one year's exposure to elevated CO2 concentration (ambient 350 (=1= 25) μmol/mol) under two planting densities (28 or 84 plants/mz) were investigated in closed-top chambers. Tree height, stem diameter and cross-sectional area, and total biomass were enhanced under elevated CO2 concentration, and reduced under high planting density. Most traits of stem bark were improved under elevated CO2 concentration and reduced under high planting density. Stem wood production was significantly increased in volume under elevated CO2 concentration under both densities, and the stem wood density decreased under elevated CO2 concentration and increased under high planting density. These results suggest that the response of stem wood and bark to elevated CO2 concentration is density dependent. This may be of great importance in a future CO2 enriched world in natural forests where plant density varies considerably. The results also show that the bark/wood ratio in diameter, stem cross-sectional area and dry weight are not proportionally affected by elevated CO2 concentration under the two contrasting planting densities. This indicates that the response magnitude of stem bark and stem wood to elevated CO2 concentration are different but their response directions are the same.     

Restoration of Dry Afromontane Forest Using Pioneer Shrubs as Nurse-Plants for Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata

Shrubs are often considered competitive barriers for seedlings planted in reforestation programs, although they can facilitate tree recruitment, especially in ecosystems under high abiotic stress. An alternative reforestation technique using pioneer shrubs as nurse‐plants for Olea europaea ssp. cuspidata was tested in exclosures in northern Ethiopia. Seedlings were planted in three different microhabitats, and their survival was monitored. The microhabitats were bare soil patches between shrubs, patches under the dominant shrub Acacia etbaica, and patches under Euclea racemosa, an evergreen shrub, which supports the majority of naturally established Olea recruits. The ability of shrubs to offer protection against browsing goats was tested experimentally. Controlled shading was used to determine whether solar irradiation causes seedling mortality in environments without water stress. Data were analyzed using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, Kruskal–Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA), and one‐way ANOVA. Olea survival was significantly higher and shoot damage by goats was lower when planted under shrub cover compared to bare soil patches, particularly under Euclea canopies, although high shade levels reduced seedling performance. Reduction of solar radiation by shrub canopies and thus control of soil–water evaporation and seedling transpiration most likely controlled the observed facilitation. Planting under shrubs may increase seedling survival and assist regeneration of dry Afromontane vegetation. Preserving pioneers also reduces soil erosion and conserves biodiversity. Excluding livestock is essential for Olea woodland restoration and allows persistent but morphologically modified Olea shrubs to develop vigorous regrowth. Facilitative processes are guiding principles for assisted forest restoration, but above‐average rains may be critical to restore higher biomass levels in semiarid areas.     

Genome-wide CRISPR Screens in T Helper Cells Reveal Pervasive Crosstalk between Activation and Differentiation

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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.     

Legacy microsite effect on the survival of bitterbrush outplantings after prescribed fire: capitalizing on spatial variability to improve restoration

Restoration of shrubs in arid and semi‐arid rangelands is hampered by low success rates. Planting shrub seedlings is a method used to improve success in these rangelands; however, it is expensive and labor intensive. The efficiency of shrub restoration could be improved by identifying microsites where shrub survival is greater. Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata Pursh DC) is an important shrub to wildlife that has declined because of conifer encroachment, excessive defoliation, wildfires, and low recruitment. We investigated planting bitterbrush seedlings in western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis Hook) encroached shrublands after prescribed fire was used to control trees. Bitterbrush seedlings were planted in under (canopy) and between (interspace) former juniper canopies at five blocks and evaluated for three growing seasons. Bitterbrush survival was greater than 50% in the former canopy, but only 5% in the interspace microsite by the third growing season. Growth of bitterbrush was also greater in the former canopy compared with the interspace, potentially due to markedly less perennial vegetation in this microsite. Exotic annual grasses and annual forbs became prevalent in the former canopy in the second and third growing season, suggesting that soil resource availability was greater in this microsite. These results suggest that restoration success will vary by specific locations within a burned landscape and that this variability can be used to improve restoration efficiency. In this situation, bitterbrush restoration can be improved by planting seedlings in former canopy compared with interspace microsites.     

辣椒花药培养的胚状体分化及其与成苗率的关系

12个辣椒品种的花药培养的结果表明,所有品种均可诱导出胚状体,其中9个品种可获得健壮的再生植株。每一辣椒品种的适宜植物生长调节利配比不同。不同品种的胚状体诱导率和成苗率有差异。成熟的胚状体均能分化成苗,根先分化或停止发育的胚状体很少成苗。