Climatic signals in growth and its relation to ENSO events of two Prosopis species following a latitudinal gradient in South America

Semiarid environments throughout the world have lost a major part of their woody vegetation and biodiversity due to the effects of wood cutting, cattle grazing and subsistence agriculture. The resulting state is typically used for cattle production, but the productivity of these systems is often very low, and erosion of the unprotected soil is a common problem. Such dry‐land degradation is of great international concern, not only because the resulting state is hardly productive but also because it paves the way to desertification. The natural distribution of the genus Prosopis includes arid and semiarid zones of the Americas, Africa and Asia, but the majority of the Prosopis species are, however, native to the Americas. In order to assess a likely gradient in the response of tree species to precipitation, temperature and their connection to El Niño southern oscillation (ENSO) events, two Prosopis species were chosen along a latitudinal gradient in Latin America, from northern Peru to central Chile: Prosopis pallida from a semi‐arid land in northern and southern Peru and P. chilensis from a semiarid land in central Chile. Growth rings of each species were crossdated at each sampling site using classical dendrochronological techniques. Chronologies were related with instrumental climatic records in each site, as well as with SOI and N34 series. Cross‐correlation, spectral and wavelet analysis techniques were used to assess the relation of growth with precipitation and temperature. Despite the long distance among sites, the two Prosopis species presented similar responses. Thus, the two species' growth is positively correlated to precipitation, while with temperature it is not. In northern Peru, precipitation and growth of P. pallida present a similar cyclic pattern, with a period of around 3 years. On the other hand, P. pallida in southern Peru, and P. chilensis also present this cyclic pattern, but also another one with lower frequency, coinciding with the pattern of precipitation. Both cycles are within the range of the ENSO band.     

Asymmetrical effects of mesophyll conductance on fundamental photosynthetic parameters and their relationships estimated from leaf gas exchange measurements

Worldwide measurements of nearly 130 C₃ species covering all major plant functional types are analysed in conjunction with model simulations to determine the effects of mesophyll conductance (g_m) on photosynthetic parameters and their relationships estimated from A/C_i curves. We find that an assumption of infinite g_m results in up to 75% underestimation for maximum carboxylation rate V_cmax, 60% for maximum electron transport rate J_max, and 40% for triose phosphate utilization rate T_u. V_cmax is most sensitive, J_max is less sensitive, and T_u has the least sensitivity to the variation of g_m. Because of this asymmetrical effect of g_m, the ratios of J_max to V_cmax, T_u to V_cmax and T_u to J_max are all overestimated. An infinite g_m assumption also limits the freedom of variation of estimated parameters and artificially constrains parameter relationships to stronger shapes. These findings suggest the importance of quantifying g_m for understanding in situ photosynthetic machinery functioning. We show that a nonzero resistance to CO₂ movement in chloroplasts has small effects on estimated parameters. A non‐linear function with g_m as input is developed to convert the parameters estimated under an assumption of infinite g_m to proper values. This function will facilitate g_m representation in global carbon cycle models.     

Plant stages with biotic,indirect defences are more palatable and suffer less herbivory than their undefended counterparts

Plants have evolved several anti‐herbivory strategies, including direct defences, such as mechanical and chemical defences, and indirect or biotic defences, such as the recruitment of defending animals. We examined whether the investment plants make in direct defences differs between those which do and do not invest in biotic defences, by comparing standing herbivory and palatability of congeneric species with and without indirect defences at two ontogenetic stages: before and after the onset of indirect defences. We used Cordia alliodora and Croton suberosus as the species with indirect defences and Cordia elaeagnoides and Croton pseudoniveus as the species without indirect defences. We predicted that herbivores would prefer to eat species and stages with indirect defences to those without them. As predicted, we found that herbivores preferred species and ontogenetic stages with indirect defences in all cases. Overall, however, natural levels of herbivory were lower in species with indirect defences. We conclude that indirect defences offer effective protection against herbivores and posit that their recruitment allows plants to reduce investment in other defence mechanisms. Our results support the notion that plants trade‐off between direct and indirect defensive strategies. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101 , 536–543.     

Dentition and histology in titanosaurian dinosaur embryos from Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia,Argentina

Abstract: Exceptionally preserved sauropod embryos from the Late Cretaceous Anacleto Formation in Auca Mahuevo (Neuquén Province, Argentina) have provided fundamental information on titanosaurian ontogeny. This paper describes the dental composition, disposition and microstructure of the specimens. Embryonic teeth show size disparity, with lengths that vary from 1 to 3 mm and diameters ranging from 0.15 to 0.26 mm, with the most frequent length values between 2.5 and 3 mm. Apparently, a typical ‘pencil‐like’ tooth morphology and a dental formula of Pm 4, M 7–8/D10? remained constant during titanosaurian ontogeny, whereas the arrangement of teeth in the skull shows notable ontogenetic changes. Absence of wear facets on teeth suggests a lack of prenatal chewing movements. The enamel proportion is significantly higher in embryos than in mature titanosaurs, which suggests that this relationship varies during ontogeny. Embryonic bony tissue is composed of highly vascularized, cellular woven bone. The absence of osteonal tissue, the high degree of vascularization, the presence of numerous osteocytes and poor development of periosteal bone reveals that the Auca Mahuevo titanosaurs would have had a high early growth rate and that they were buried at a relatively advanced embryonic stage.     

The regional variation of aboveground live biomass in old-growth Amazonian forests

The biomass of tropical forests plays an important role in the global carbon cycle, both as a dynamic reservoir of carbon, and as a source of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in areas undergoing deforestation. However, the absolute magnitude and environmental determinants of tropical forest biomass are still poorly understood. Here, we present a new synthesis and interpolation of the basal area and aboveground live biomass of old‐growth lowland tropical forests across South America, based on data from 227 forest plots, many previously unpublished. Forest biomass was analyzed in terms of two uncorrelated factors: basal area and mean wood density. Basal area is strongly affected by local landscape factors, but is relatively invariant at regional scale in moist tropical forests, and declines significantly at the dry periphery of the forest zone. Mean wood density is inversely correlated with forest dynamics, being lower in the dynamic forests of western Amazonia and high in the slow‐growing forests of eastern Amazonia. The combination of these two factors results in biomass being highest in the moderately seasonal, slow growing forests of central Amazonia and the Guyanas (up to 350 Mg dry weight ha^?1) and declining to 200–250 Mg dry weight ha^?1 at the western, southern and eastern margins. Overall, we estimate the total aboveground live biomass of intact Amazonian rainforests (area 5.76 × 10⁶ km² in 2000) to be 93±23 Pg C, taking into account lianas and small trees. Including dead biomass and belowground biomass would increase this value by approximately 10% and 21%, respectively, but the spatial variation of these additional terms still needs to be quantified.     

Trypanosoma cruzi: Flow Cytometric Analysis. I. Analysis of Total DNA/Organism by Means of Mithramycin-Induced Fluorescence1,2

ABSTRACT. Total DNA/organism was determined by flow cytometry on stocks of 33 single-cell-isolate clones and one strain of mithramycin-stained Trypanosoma cruzi. Interstrain differences in mean total DNA/group of 34% and interclone differences in total DNA/organism of 41% were found. Microspectrofluorometric analyses of the trypomastigote stage of selected clones confirmed the flow cytometry data and indicated that the total DNA/organism differences were due to differences in DNA of both the nucleus and kinetoplast with the nucleus being the major contributing factor. These data imply that the potential for genetic diversity in T. cruzi may be very large.     

Phytochrome Control of Cellulase Activity in Datura ferox L. Seeds and its Relationship with Germination

The influence of phytochrome on endosperm softening and cellulaseactivity was studied on light-stimulated Datura ferox seeds.Endosperm softening preceded the earliest signs of radicle protrusion,and there was good correlation between the % of seeds with softendosperm at 48 h after R and germination at 96 h after R. Cellulaseactivity was stimulated by R and the increase in activity preceded,by more than 24h, radicle protrusion and endosperm softening.The effect of R was reversed by FR, but, by delaying the irradiationwith FR until cellulase activity had increased significantly,it was observed that removing Pfr did more than just stop anyfurther increase, the level of cellulase activity decreasedin about 24 h close to the dark controls. Cellulase activitywas decreased by a FR irradiation even when more than 60% germinationhad escaped from reversion. These results indicate that phytochromeinfluence on cellulase is not an indirect consequence of thestimulus of germination and that the continuous presence ofPfr is required for the cellulase activity to remain high. Thepossibility that cellulase and other degrading enzymes may bepart of the mechanism of light-induced germination is discussed. Key words: Phytochrome, germination, cellulase     

THE DEMOSPONGE GENUS LEPTOMITUS and A NEW SPECIES FROM THE MIDDLE CAMBRIAN OF SPAIN

Abstract:  Forty-five specimens of Leptomitus conicus sp. nov. have been collected from the base of the Murero Formation (Caesaraugustan, Middle Cambrian) in the Murero area of Zaragoza, north-east Spain. The new species is a small obconical sponge, which has coarse oxeas forming parallel rods that run the whole length of the specimens in the manner typical of the genus. The biostratigraphy and facies of the levels with Leptomitus conicus have been analysed. Palaeoecological information derived from associated trilobites, brachiopods and ichnofossils shows that L. conicus lived in a soft substrate of a sublittoral environment of low to low/moderate energy. According to established Cambrian palaeogeographical reconstructions, a tropical distribution is inferred for the genus Leptomitus . Based on body shape, wall structure and stratigraphical distribution, a phylogenetic tree of the various Leptomitus species is proposed, with a central stock of simple cylindrical sponges branching out to other morphs.     

Sphaeroidal enrolment in middle Cambrian solenopleuropsine trilobites

Esteve, J., Zamora, S., Gozalo, R. & Liñán, E. 2010: Sphaeroidal enrolment in middle Cambrian solenopleuropsine trilobites. Lethaia, 10.1111/j.1502‐3931.2009.00205.x Fifty specimens belonging to species of Solenopleuropsis and Pardailhania from Spain and France demonstrate sphaeroidal enrolment in Cambrian trilobites for the first time. These solenopleuropsines show novel coaptative structures in different regions of the exoskeleton: in the cephalon there are vincular furrows and notches; in the thorax an articulating facet is developed at the pleural margins, with a ball and socket connection on the adaxial most portion, and an articulating half‐ring axially; the pygidium possesses an articulating facet. The interaction of these coaptative structures resulted in a sphaeroidal enrolment that was a progressive act from the first articulation between the occipital ring and the first segment to the pygidial articulating facet. A similar type of sphaeroidal enrolment is observed in the Devonian trilobite Phacops. Both Cambrian and Devonian trilobites developed a vincular furrow in the ventral surface of the cephalon to close their bodies tightly. In both cases, this is probably a convergent adaptation to protect against predators and obrution. Indeed, the enrolled trilobites are very common in obrution deposits restricted to shallow and soft muddy substrates. □Coaptative structures, convergence, Murero Formation, Pardailhania, Solenopleuropsinae, Solenopleuropsis.