Advances in the systematics and evolution of western Mediterranean representative species of the Pentanema conyzae clade through genetic fingerprinting

Forty-five populations of Pentanema corresponding to seven species included in the Pentanema conyzae clade have been studied using AFLP fingerprinting. The results show that allopolyploidization could have been involved in the diversification of this group, specifically in species P. langeanum and P. maletii. Molecular data confirm the presence of P. britannicum in the Iberian Peninsula and key steps are provided to identify the species that are morphologically the most challenging.     

Pollination Ecology of Pedicularis punctata Decne. (Scrophulariaceae) in the Kashmir Himalaya

Abstract The pollination ecology of Pedicularis punctata was studied in the Pir Panjal Range of the Kashmir Himalaya in the summer of 1989. Its nectarless, rostrate, long-tubed flower was found to be pollinated exclusively by Bombus foragers vibrating pollen while the stigma contacted pollen in the pollinator's cervical crevice. Workers of Bombus tunicatus and B. flavothoracicus comprised 95% of its pollinators. Pollen-foraging fidelity of its pollinators was greatest where diversity of Bombus -pollinated plant species in three plant communities was least. Foragers on other plants carried virtually no Pedicularis pollen. P. punctata is a mid-season blooming species similar in its pollination syndrome to comparable species in other geographic regions. The enigmatic function of its long, nectarless corolla tube, even more exaggerated in other Asiatic species, requires further investigation.     

Vegetation patterns on Mount Everest as influenced by monsoon and föhn

The vegetation of Mt Everest is described by means of the dominant plant formations and characteristic features of biotopes. Climatic data givenin connection with weather observations show evidence that the extreme asymmetry of the altitudinal vegetation belt on the south and north slope is induced by heavy rainfall on the south slope and the desiccating effect of the Himalaya föhn in the valleys of the north slope. Biotope shift from hypsozonal distribution on the south slope to extrazonal distribution on the north slope is described, the patterns of the actual timber line are discussed in order to reconstruct the natural upper forest limit, and regressive plant successions during the last 400 years of man's impact are summarized. The dominant vegetation pattern of the alpine belt is compared with that in the European Alps. On the arid north slope alpine steppe communities occur up to 5 500 m. The highest altitudinal vegetation belt and the highest plant communities at 5 960 m are dominated by periglacial processes. The highest records of flowering plants (6 100/6 200 m) and lichens (7 400 m) are discussed in light of the present knowledge on high-altitude vegetation ecology.     

Influence of aerial dispersal on persistence and spread of pesticide-resistant Metaseiulus occidentalis in California almond orchards

Aerial dispersal of the phytoseiid Metaseiulus occidentalis (Nesbitt) was evaluated as a component in managing pesticide-resistant populations established in California almond orchards. Peak dispersal occurred in late July and early August during 1982 and 1983. Most predators (and spider mites) left the orchards on the prevailing winds from the northwest. Within the orchard, the prevailing winds had less influence, and dispersal was usually random. Both spider mites and predators dispersed randomly with regard to height from the almond trees, but data obtained during one 24-h interval suggest they do not disperse randomly throughout the day. Most aerial movements occurred between 16–22 h when relative humidity and wind speeds increased and temperatures decreased. Spider mites and predators were trapped on panels located 200 m from the orchard. A survey of carbaryl resistance levels in M. occidentalis collected from almond orchards surrounding the release sites indicates that carbaryl-resistant M. occidentalis dispersed at least 800 m between 1981–83. However, growers wishing to use the resistant strains should release them in their orchards as natural dispersal appears to be too slow. Migration of native M. occidentalis into the release sites appeared to be sufficiently rare that dilution of carbaryl-resistant populations was minimal during a 2–4 year period.

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Résumé La dispersion aérienne du phytoseïdae, M. occidentalis (Nesbitt), a été estimée comme élément de la lutte contre les populations résistantes aux insecticides établies dans les vergers de Californie. La dispersion maximale s'est produite fin juillet et début a oût en 1982 et 1983. La plupart des prédateurs (et des acariens) quittent les vergers avec les vents dominants du nordouest. Dans le verger, les vents dominants sont moins importants et la dispersion est généralement au hasard. Tant les acariens que les prédateurs se dispersaient au hasard par rapport à la taille des amandiers, mais les relevés sur 24 heures laissent supposer qu'il n'y a pas une distribution aléatoire pendant la journée. La plupart des mouvements aériens se produisirent entre 16 et 22 heures quand HR et vitesse du vent augmentaient et température diminuait. Les acariens et prédateurs ont été piégés sur des panneaux à 200 m du verger.

     

A ferredoxin-type iron-sulfur protein gene,frx B,is expressed in the chloroplasts of tobacco and spinach

Previously, a ferredoxin-type iron-sulfur protein, frx B protein, was identified in a high-salt extract of the purified thylakoid membrane of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, a unicellular green alga. Polyclonal antibody was raised against a synthetic pentadecameric peptide with an amino acid sequence corresponding to the highly conserved region of the putative frx B proteins of 3 land plants [21]. In this report, protein(s) reacting strongly and specifically with this antibody was detected in the equivalent high-salt extract prepared from purified chloroplast of spinach and tobacco. One strong reaction polypeptide band from tobacco chloroplast was purified from SDS-polyacrylamide gel and subjected to endoproteinase lys C digestion. The resulting polypeptides were separated by reversed-phase chromatography. N-terminal sequencing of 3 purified polypeptides revealed that the protein is encoded by the frxB gene identified from DNA sequence analysis.     

DEVELOPMENT, SEXUAL DIMORPHISM, and INDIVIDUAL VARIATION IN THE SKELETON OF THE FINLESS PORPOISE, NEOPHOCAENA PHOCAENOIDES, IN THE COASTAL WATERS OF WESTERN KYUSHU, JAPAN

Development, sexual dimorphism, and individual variation were examined in the skeleton of the finless porpoise in the coastal waters of western Kyushu, Japan. Skulls ceased growing by 4 yr. Postcranial skeletons ceased increasing in size at an age older than 11 yr. The finless porpoise was estimated to attain cranial maturity by 4 yr and physical maturity at 14–23 yr. Sexual dimorphism was not detectable in most of the cranial characters but was detected in more than half of the postcranial characters. Females tended to show larger values of postcranial characters. The shape of the pelvic bone was obviously different between males and females. Thus, a discriminant function was proposed to determine sex using measurements of this bone. Individual variation was greatest in the feeding apparatus such as length of the rostrum, and least in the braincase.     

南丹相泥盆系中的翼口蛤类

滇西晚石炭世 Triticites 带的苔藓虫,产于施甸的10种,内含1新种,群体形状单一,生活于温暖、清洁、高能、面向外海的硬基底浅海区;产于腾冲的只有1种,是低能深水特提斯区分子.早二叠世苔藓虫12种,内含1新种,产耿马永德组 Polydiexodina 带之下,系特提斯区分子,据对其中的3层苔藓虫的硬体类型及标本数量分析,耿马含苔藓虫地层代表一个海侵过程.