Host utilization of the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae) by sympatric wood-boring species of Palame (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Lamiinae, Acanthocinini)

Estimates of the total number of arthropod species in existence are based, in part, upon assumptions about both the host specificity of tropical insects and their restriction to the forest canopy. It has been difficult to evaluate these estimates because of the paucity of available data. A newly discovered association between wood-boring beetles (Cerambycidae) and their host plants in the Brazil nut family (Lecythidaceae) inspired a year-long rearing project in the Neotropical rain forest of French Guiana. Branches severed from five species of Lecythidaceae yielded 1813 cerambycids belonging to 37 species. Three cerambycid species– Palame anceps (Bates), P. crassimana Bates, and P. mimetica Monné–accounted for almost half of the individuals reared. Each demonstrated a different pattern of host fidelity. Palame crassimana emerged from four of the five potential hosts, P. anceps emerged exclusively from a single host, and P. mimetica made a seasonal change in host affiliation. Although Palame spp. emerged from both ground level and canopy branches, they made a seasonal shift in stratum: they reproduced at both levels during the dry season, but exclusively at canopy level during the rainy season. Even specialized tropical insects may show greater flexibility in host utilization than some current hypotheses suggest.     

Fire history of a prairie/forest boundary: more than 250 years of frequent fire in a North American tallgrass prairie

Questions: Most modern fire‐prone landscapes have experienced disruptions of their historic fire regimes. Are the primary tallgrass prairies of the Flint Hills reflective of a history of continuous fire occurrence? Did fire frequency, severity, size and seasonality change in connection with changes in land use? Has fire occurrence been related to drought conditions? Location: Edges of Cross Timbers forest stands at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (TGPP) in the Flint Hills of Osage County, Oklahoma, USA. Methods: Cross‐sections of 76 Quercus stellata were collected from Cross Timbers stands at or near the grassland edge in the TGPP. Dendrochronological methods were used to identify years of formation for tree rings and fire scars. Superposed epoch analysis was used to evaluate the effect of drought conditions on fire occurrence. Results: Fires were recorded in 46.6% of the years between 1729 and 2005. In 41 cross‐sections at one site, the mean fire interval between 1759 and 2003 was 2.59 years, with fire interval decreasing from a mean fire interval of 3.76 years in the early part of the record to 2.13 years in modern times. No extended periods without fire were recorded in the study area. Drought conditions had no significant effect on fire occurrence. Conclusions: In contrast with many fire‐prone landscapes worldwide, the prairies of the Flint Hills have experienced no recent fire suppression or exclusion. Changes in fire frequency mark transitions in land use, primarily from being traditionally used by Native Americans to being managed for cattle production.     

湖南参属的归并及亚洲楤木属(五加科)的一个新种和一些名称的变更

分子与形态证据表明湖南参 (HunaniopanaxhypoglaucusC .J.Qi&T .R .Cao)起源于木属 (AraliaL .) ,湖南参的近缘种为寄生五叶参 (Araliaparasitica)和轮伞五叶参 (Araliaverticillata) ,形态证据支持湖南参为轮伞五叶参的姐妹种 ,此 2种具轮伞花序这一共衍征。为了保证木属的单系性 ,现将湖南参并入木属 ,并作如下新组合 :Araliahypoglauca (C .J .Qi&T .R .Cao)J.Wen&Y .F .Deng .本文报道了湖南参在广西的新分布。目前的形态学和分子数据均不支持早先提出的湖南参与树参属 (Dendropanax)的近缘关系。本文亦报道了木属的 1新种、 2新种组合和 1个新名称 :AraliashangianaJ .Wen .sp .nov .(向氏五叶参 ,新种 ) ;Araliaglabrifoliolata (C .B .Shang)J .Wen .comb .nov . (光叶五叶参 ,新组合 ) ;Araliastellata (King)J.Wen ,comb .nov . (星毛羽叶参 ,新组合 )和AraliadelavayiJ .Wen .nom .nov .(云南五叶参 ,新名称 )。     

玉兰属的研究

介绍了玉兰属Yulania Spach分类简史,分析了玉兰属与木兰属Magnolia L.主要分类性状及其区别。阐述了药室纵裂方向、开化时期、花蕾顶生与腋生等性状的演化关系,提出玉兰属与木兰属是趋同演化的两个分类群,花先叶开放等性状是玉兰属的重要标志,中国暖温带是该属树种的起源中心、分布中心和多样性中心等新观点。确立玉兰属的系统位置,对解决现有木兰属乃至木兰科分类系统的争论具有重要的意义。     

Reproduction and baeocyte formation in two species of Dermocarpella (Cyanophyceae)

The reproductive stages of Dermocarpella gardneri and D. stellata, which have been reported only once, are described. Formation of baeocytes occurs by cellular divisions that are parallel to the substratum, followed by a series of anticlinal radial divisions. In some cases in D. gardneri, the superior cell, resulting from the first division parallel to the substratum, is liberated prior to radial divisions, and these probably represent the ‘macrogonidia’ originally described by Lemmermann for D. hemisphaerica. The baeocytes are released through a circular apical pore, which develops after the formation of a papilla that eventually dissolves to form a pore.     

Inclination of sun and shade leaves influences chloroplast light harvesting and utilization

Light harvesting and utilization by chloroplasts located near the adaxial vs the abaxial surface of sun and shade leaves were examined by fluorometry in two herbaceous perennials that differed in their anatomy and leaf inclination. Leaves of Thermopsis montana had well-developed palisade and spongy mesophyll whereas the photosynthetic tissue of Smilacina stellata consisted of spongy mesophyll only. Leaf orientation depended upon the irradiance during leaf development. When grown under low-light levels, leaves of S. stellata and T. montana were nearly horizontal, whereas under high-light levels, S. stellata leaves and T. montana leaves were inclined 60⁰ and 30⁰, respectively. Leaf inclination increased the amount of light that was intercepted by the lower leaf surfaces and affected the photosynthetic properties of the chloroplasts located near the abaxial leaf surface. The slowest rates of quinone pool reduction and reoxidation were found in chloroplasts located near the adaxial leaf surface of T. montana plants grown under high light, indicating large quinone pools in these chloroplasts. Chloroplasts near the abaxial surface of low-light leaves had lower light utilization capacities as shown by photochemical quenching measurements. The amount of photosystem II (PSII) down regulation, measured from each leaf surface, was also found to be influenced by irradiance and leaf inclination. The greatest difference between down regulation monitored from the adaxial vs abaxial surfaces was found in plants with horizontal leaves. Different energy dissipation mechanisms may be employed by the two species. Values for down regulation in S. stellata were 2–3 times higher than those in T. montana, while the portion of the PSII population which was found to be Q_B nonreducing was 4–6 times lower in high light S. stellata leaves than in T. montana. All values of Stern-Volmer type nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ) from S. stellata leaves were similar when quenching analysis was performed at actinic irradiances that were higher than the irradiance to which the leaf surface was exposed during growth. In contrast, with T. montana, NPQ values from the abaxial leaf surface were up to 45% higher than those from the adaxial leaf surface regardless of growth conditions. The observed differences in chloroplast properties between species and between the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces may depend upon a complex interaction among light, leaf anatomy and leaf inclination.     

二乔玉兰开花过程中花色变化的生理生化机制

以4年生二乔玉兰不同花期外层花瓣为试材,测定其在开花过程中花瓣色度值、花色苷、类黄酮、可溶性糖含量、细胞pH值以及相关酶活性的变化,以探讨二乔玉兰花色呈色机理。结果显示:(1)随着花期的推移,苯丙氨酸解胺酶(PAL)和查尔酮异构酶(CHI)活性逐渐减弱,细胞pH值逐渐变大,可溶性糖、花色苷、类黄酮含量不断降低,而花瓣明亮度增强,红色度以及彩色度减弱,且不同花期各参数值之间差异显著。(2)花瓣可溶性糖含量、PAL和CHI的活性与其花色素苷、类黄酮含量变化之间呈显著正相关关系,花瓣pH值的变化、明亮度L*值与花色素苷、类黄酮含量之间呈显著负相关,色相值a*与花色苷含量的变化呈显著正相关。研究表明,二乔玉兰花瓣花色苷和类黄酮含量的高低可以影响其花色的深浅,可溶性糖含量、PAL和CHI活性、细胞pH通过参与一定的生理代谢来调节花色素的形成,进而引起二乔玉兰花色色调的改变。     

玉兰新分类系统的研究

作者对多年来采集的玉兰植物标本进行了分类、整理和研究。结果表明,玉兰是个野生和栽培兼有、形态多样性的复合型种群,并首次提出玉兰种下新分类系统。该新系统是：种—亚种—变种,其中包括2亚种(1新组合亚种)、6变种(1新变种和3新改隶组合变种)。为进一步深入开展玉兰形变理论、新品种选育和开发利用等研究提供了科学依据。     

Electrochemical Identification of <i>Yulania</i> spp. by Fingerprinting of Leaves Using Glassy Carbon Electrode

In this communication, we used electrochemical sensor for recording the electrochemical profiles of eleven species of Yulania spp. from leaf extract. Two solvents and two buffer conditions were used for electrochemical fingerprints collection. Their electrochemical fingerprints can be converted to different patterns and consequently for species recognition. The results indicate the pattern recognition is much convenient than that of the recognition of species directly using voltammetric signal. The current information in electrochemical fingerprinting represents the type and amount of electrochemically active molecules, which linked to the genetic differences among the plants. Therefore, the electrochemical fingerprints were applied for further phylogenetic study. The phylogenetic tree deduced from voltametric curves is divided into three main groups. The first clade contains Y. denudate, Liriodendron chinense, Y. cylindrica, Y. biondii, Y. sprengeri. The second clade contains Y. zenii, Y. liliiflora, Y. kobus, and Y. amoena. The third clade contains Y. × soulangeana, Manglietia fordiana and Y. sinostellata. In addition, Y. salicifolia is not in these main clades. The results demonstrate that electrochemical fingerprinting can be used as a com-plementary tool in the study of phylogenetics.