Tree ring anatomy indices of Pinus tabuliformis revealed the shifted dominant climate factor influencing potential hydraulic function in western Qinling Mountains

Trees can adjust xylem anatomical structure related with potential hydraulic functions to cope with climate variability. We therefore need a better understanding of how climate variability constrains wood anatomy and tree radial growth. Pinus tabuliformis dominates natural forests and plantations over the western Qinling Mountains, which is one of the ecologically vulnerable areas in China. Here, we investigated the response of P. tabuliformis tree-ring anatomical structure to climate variability by applying wood anatomy analysis, and evaluated the influences of anatomical traits on potential hydraulic functions and the climate significance of intra-annual density fluctuations (IADFs). We found that with the increasing temperature from spring to summer, the negative effect of temperature on the formation and enlargement of earlywood and transition-wood tracheids was gradually enhanced. However, spring precipitation not only had a direct and positive influence on the formation of earlywood, but also had a delaying impact on the transition-wood cell enlargement. Besides, the smaller earlywood tracheid size of P. tabuliformis could be a substantially characteristic reflecting spring drought. The contribution of lumen diameter on conduit wall reinforcement was dominated in earlywood, while the contribution of cell wall thickness was greater than that of lumen diameter in latewood. The different contributions of anatomical traits on conduit wall reinforcement would further affect the response of potential hydraulic function to climate. IADFs of P. tabuliformis could be a potential indicator to reflect the abnormal summer precipitation events in the western Qinling Mountains. IADFs with strong and weak intensity indicated years with high and low rates of change in mid-summer precipitation, respectively. Future warmer and drier climate in the western Qinling Mountains will likely result in the production of smaller tracheids to ensure hydraulic safety, which means the stronger drought resistant of P. tabuliformis in the future. In this study, we linked the xylem anatomy and potential hydraulics functions with intra-seasonal climate variability in the context of climate warming and drying, and proposed some xylem anatomical indices reflecting potential drought events.     

PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY INDUCED IN TRANSPLANT EXPERIMENTS IN A MUTUALISTIC ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE RED ALGA JANIA ADHAERENS (RHODOPHYTA,CORALLINALES) AND THE SPONGE HALICLONA CAERULEA (PORIFERA: HAPLOSCLERIDA): MORPHOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF THE ALGA1

The association between the red macroalga Jania adhaerens J. V. Lamour. and the sponge Haliclona caerulea is the most successful life‐form between 2 and 4 m depth in Mazatlán Bay (Mexican Pacific). J. adhaerens colonizes the rocky intertidal area and penetrates into deeper areas only when it lives in association with H. caerulea. The aposymbiotic form of the sponge has not been reported in the bay. To understand the ecological success of this association, we examined the capacity of J. adhaerens to acclimate in Mazatlán Bay using transplant experiments. The transplanted aposymbiotic J. adhaerens did not survive the first 2 weeks; however, J. adhaerens when living in association with H. caerulea, acclimated easily to depth, showing no sign of mortality during the 103 d of the experiment. We conclude that the ability of J. adhaerens to colonize in deeper areas in this hydrodynamic environment may in part rely on the protection provided by the sponge to the algal canopy. Both species contribute to the shape of the associated form. Nevertheless, the morphological variation in the association appears to be dominated by the variation in J. adhaerens canopy to regulate pigment self‐shading under light‐limited conditions and/or tissue resistance under high hydrodynamics. Consequently, our results are consistent with light as the abiotic controlling factor, which regulates the lower depth distribution of the association in Mazatlán Bay, through limiting the growth rate of J. adhaerens. Hydrodynamics may determine the upper limit of the association by imposing high mass losses.     

De novo organogenesis and plant regeneration in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pongamia pinnata</Emphasis>, oil producing tree legume

Role of Thidiazuron (TDZ) in inducing adventitious organogenesis in Pongamia was studied. TDZ at different concentrations (0, 0.45, 2.27, 4.54, 6.71, 9.08, 11.35, 13.12 and 22.71 μM) were used for induction of caulogenic bud formation in deembryonated cotyledon explants. Each cotyledon was cut into three segments and identified as proximal, middle and distal. Duration of TDZ exposure, influence of the segment and orientation of the explant were studied. TDZ at 11.35 μM concentration was optimum for the induction of shoots and rapid elongation. Shoots induced at higher concentration elongated after several passages in growth regulator free medium, thereby extending the period of differentiation. Exposure of the explant for 20 days yielded more number of buds than 10 days. Proximal segment of the cotyledon was more responsive. Contact of abaxial surface in the medium was more effective and generated more buds than the adaxial side. Buds differentiated and elongated on transfer to MS basal medium for 8–12 passages of 15 days each. Rooting and elongation of shoots was achieved in charcoal supplemented half-strength MS medium. Rooted plantlets survived on transfer to sand soil mixture. The plants were hardened and transferred to green house. This is the first report on in vitro regeneration of Pongamia pinnata via adventitious organogenesis using TDZ. This protocol may find application in studies in genetic transformation, isolation of somaclonal variants and in induction of mutants. It also provides a system to study the inhibitory role of TDZ on shoot differentiation.     

Spatial distribution and mortality process ofAnoplophora malasiaca (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) eggs in citrus groves

The study was carried out in two (A and B) citrus groves to clarify the spatial distribution patterns of eggs and larvae, and to analyse the mortality process of eggs. From the analysis by using the mean density and the mean crowding, it was clarified that the distributions of eggs were contagious and that larvae were more contagiously distributed than eggs. The τ and z indices showed that the operation of egg mortality was inversely density-dependent in both groves, and that the degree of inverse density-dependence was greater in A than in B grove. The spatial correlations between the emergence holes and the eggs or larvae in each tree, which were analysed by using ω index, showed that the distributions were more overlapping between the emergence holes and the larvae than the eggs. As the result of dividing trees into several groups according to the number of emergence holes, it was clarified that the survival rates of eggs were positively correlated with the number of emergence holes. In conclusion, inversely density-dependent mortality process was considered to be caused by lower mortality rates of eggs in the trees with more emergence holes. Especially in A grove, because the trees with more emergence holes were larger in diameter and more egg oviposition, the inversely density-dependent mortality process was considered to be detected more conspicuously than in B grove.     

Critical note on the application of the “two-third” spline

The “two-third spline” (2/3S) is a frequently applied method to detrend tree-ring series. It fits a spline with a 50% frequency cutoff at a frequency equal to two-thirds of each sample length in a dataset. It was introduced to ensure a minimum loss of low-frequency variance, which is resolvable during the detrending of ring-width series.In this paper I show potential problems that arise when rusing this method. The 2/3S runs counter the strengths of using a digital filter to detrend – i.e. one is giving up full control over the frequency-removing characteristics of the growth curve and each individual time series retains a different amount of low frequency. Thus, the 2/3S is less suitable for reconstructing climate or to compare environmental impacts on tree growth between groups – both of which comprise the majority of dendrochronological analyses – as it will likely introduce a temporal frequency bias. Within a long chronology it will result in decreasing power to resolve low frequencies towards present in a living-only trees setting, especially when the youngest segment lengths are 100 years and shorter, and more generally during the period where the chronology is constructed from samples with shorter segment lengths compared to the period with longer segment lengths. The frequency bias will also significantly impact regression slopes and correlation coefficients, possibly distorting analyses investigating multiple groups with different mean segment lengths. Highlighting these potential biases, I recommend the community to not use this method on an individual basis but rather to use a fixed spline stiffness for all samples based on the n% criterion (n = 67) of e.g. the mean segment length of the entire dataset.     

Ontogeny of head and caudal fin shape of an apex marine predator: The tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier)

How morphology changes with size can have profound effects on the life history and ecology of an animal. For apex predators that can impact higher level ecosystem processes, such changes may have consequences for other species. Tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) are an apex predator in tropical seas, and, as adults, are highly migratory. However, little is known about ontogenetic changes in their body form, especially in relation to two aspects of shape that influence locomotion (caudal fin) and feeding (head shape). We captured digital images of the heads and caudal fins of live tiger sharks from Southern Florida and the Bahamas ranging in body size (hence age), and quantified shape of each using elliptical Fourier analysis. This revealed changes in the shape of the head and caudal fin of tiger sharks across ontogeny. Smaller juvenile tiger sharks show an asymmetrical tail with the dorsal (upper) lobe being substantially larger than the ventral (lower) lobe, and transition to more symmetrical tail in larger adults, although the upper lobe remains relatively larger in adults. The heads of juvenile tiger sharks are more conical, which transition to relatively broader heads over ontogeny. We interpret these changes as a result of two ecological transitions. First, adult tiger sharks can undertake extensive migrations and a more symmetrical tail could be more efficient for swimming longer distances, although we did not test this possibility. Second, adult tiger sharks expand their diet to consume larger and more diverse prey with age (turtles, mammals, and elasmobranchs), which requires substantially greater bite area and force to process. In contrast, juvenile tiger sharks consume smaller prey, such as fishes, crustaceans, and invertebrates. Our data reveal significant morphological shifts in an apex predator, which could have effects for other species that tiger sharks consume and interact with. J. Morphol. 277:556–564, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Gas exchange and resource-use patterns along a Mediterranean successional gradient

Abstract. Gas exchange, leaf-nitrogen concentration and water potential were measured in early and late spring in early successional herbaceous plants occurring after cutting and after fire, and in mature woody species from the Mediterranean climax community Quercetum ilicis in central Italy. Net photosynthesis peaked in early spring in all species studied when values for temperature and light were lower but leaf-nitrogen content was higher as compared to late spring, suggesting that nitrogen more than energy input controlled photosynt-hetic rates. Herbaceous pioneer species occurring after cutting showed higher field photo synthetic capacity than evergreen climax trees and shrubs. By contrast, net photosynthesis of herbaceous species occurring in a persistent stage after fire, was in the same range as that of climax trees. This evidence suggests that carbon-gaining appears to be partly related to the dynamic stage of succession and not solely to the growth form.     

云南山楂茎尖的离体培养及其无性系快速繁殖

用云南山楂(Crataegus scabrifolia(Franch.)Rehd.)成年树茎尖和实生芽两种不同发育阶段的材料为外殖体,诱导它们休眠芽萌动,丛生芽条并诱导芽条生根。实验结果如下:1.以成年态的云南山楂侧芽为外植体,培养在附加IAA 0.1—0.5mg/l+6-BA 1-2mg/l的MS培养基上可诱导芽的萌发;将芽继代培养在附加0.5—1mg/l 6-BA的SH或MS培养基上,40天后芽数增殖4—6倍;将芽条截下置于1/2MS培养基上,附加不同浓度的IAA或IBA,可得到50—80％的生根率。2.以实生芽为外殖体,在相同条件下,则20天后芽数增殖便可获4—6倍;98％以上生根。结果表明:云南山楂的幼年态要比成年态易脱分化和再分化。     

On subspecific taxa ofHypericum empetrifolium (Hypericaceae) from Crete

The morphology, altitudinal distribution and phytocoenology ofHypericum empetrifolium Willd., var.oliganthum Rech. fil. and var.tortuosum Rech. fil. are reassessed and as a result, the taxa are treated at subspecific rank. Essential characters proved to be growth form, number of flowers, foliage and epidermal surface characters, shape of seeds and testa sculpturing.The different growth forms can be interpreted as adaptations to the local habitats.Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.empetrifolium is a low subshrub of various vegetation types known as phrygana whereasHypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.oliganthum (Rech. f.)Hagemann grows as a cushion-like dwarf shrub in chasmophyte associations rich in relic species.Hypericum empetrifolium Willd. subsp.tortuosum (Rech. f.)Hagemann is confined in the high mountain regions and grows as a true dwarf espalier shrub with low spreading shoots.Dedicated to Hofrat Univ.-Prof. DrK. H. Rechinger on the occasion of his 80th birthday.     

Tree form in a mixed dipterocarp forest in Indonesian Borneo

The form of tropical trees was studied with reference to the production structure of the component individuals of a tropical rain forest stand in Sebulu, East Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, since the production structure as a physical or bio-economical basis of tree form still remains obscure in tropical rain forests. The pipe model theory successfully explained the crown shapes of different trees, and its parameter, designated as specific pipe length, suggested an increase in the cost of leaf mass growth with an increase in crown size. A mathematical model consisting of exponential functions of aboveground height was applied for describing stem form, and its properties were examined through changes in its coefficients and by adopting an assumption of the geometrical similarity of individual stem form as a criterion for comparing differences in stem form among individual trees. Furthermore, the cost of buttersses was discussed using the relation between bole- and buttress weight calculated from the mathematical model.