Effects of nutrition and soil water availability on water use in a Norway spruce stand

We investigated effects of nutrition and soil water availability on sap flux density, transpiration per unit leaf area (EL), and canopy stomatal conductance (GS) of Norway spruce (Picea abies L. (Karst.)) in northern Sweden during the 1996 growing season. Our objectives were to determine (1) if artificially imposed drought (65% rain diversion) reduces soil water sufficiently to cause physiological limitations to whole-tree and plot-scale water transport, and (2) whether increased capacity for water transport resulting from fertilization-induced increases in leaf (> 3-fold) and sapwood areas (> 2.3-fold) deplete soil water sufficiently to cause a negative feedback on GS and EL. We monitored soil water content (theta) and soil water potential (PsiS) in control (C), drought (D), fertilized (F) and irrigated + fertilized (IL) treatment plots, along with site meteorological conditions. Ten trees per plot were monitored for sap flow. Although there were significant treatment differences in mean daily EL (C > D > F; P < 0.01) and GS (C > D > F; P < 0.05), variation in absolute magnitudes was small. Therefore, transpiration differences on a unit ground area basis (EC) were nearly proportional to leaf area differences. Precipitation was well distributed throughout the study period and so PsiS remained high, except during short dry periods in Plot F when it declined rapidly. Thus, although soil water was not limiting to GS, EL or EC when precipitation was uniformly distributed throughout the growing season, we cannot conclude that water availability would not limit GS in fertilized stands if the seasonal distribution of precipitation were altered.     

Stomatal sensitivity to vapor pressure deficit and its relationship to hydraulic conductance in Pinus palustris

We studied the response of stomatal conductance at leaf (gS) and canopy (GS) scales to increasing vapor pressure deficit (D) in mature Pinus palustris Mill. (longleaf pine) growing in a sandhill habitat in the coastal plain of the southeastern USA. Specifically, we determined if variation in the stomatal response to D was related to variation in hydraulic conductance along the soil-to-leaf pathway (KL) over the course of a growing season. Reductions in KL were associated with a severe growing season drought that significantly reduced soil water content (theta) in the upper 90-cm soil profile. Although KL recovered partially following the drought, it never reached pre-drought values. Stomatal sensitivity to D was well correlated with maximum gS at low D at both leaf and canopy scales, and KL appeared to influence this response by controlling maximum gS. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that stomatal response to D occurs to regulate minimum leaf water potential, and that the sensitivity of this response is related to changes in whole-plant hydraulics.     

Illuminating the circadian clock in monarch butterfly migration

Migratory monarch butterflies use a time-compensated Sun compass to navigate to their overwintering grounds in Mexico. Here, we report that constant light, which disrupts circadian clock function at both the behavioral and molecular levels in monarchs, also disrupts the time-compensated component of flight navigation. We further show that ultraviolet light is important for flight navigation but is not required for photic entrainment of circadian rhythms. Tracing these distinct light-input pathways into the brain should aid our understanding of the clock-compass mechanisms necessary for successful migration.     

Olevi Kull's lifetime contribution to ecology

In this article dedicated to Olevi Kull (June 22, 1955-January 31, 2007), we draw on his writings (in English and translated) to outline his thoughts on the relationship between scientists and science. We provide a brief synthesis of his most important work, give a short account of his career and, to bring the man into focus, share some personal stories of interactions with him. Kull considered that for a personal understanding to become scientific knowledge it must be explained convincingly based on theory and empirical support, and then taught to others in both spoken and written words. He saw the last step as the main distinction between learning and science. Olevi Kull's approach to science relied on two principles: first, linking theory and experiments in challenging settings, e.g., to test the generality of his ideas he often challenged them in multi-layered, mixed-species canopies. Second, he insisted on setting experiments to test assumptions used in quantitative analyses or in explaining an observed outcome; this, at times, led to falsification of commonly held ideas, thus enhancing ecophysiological understanding. After describing Kull's application of these principles, we give a brief synthesis of his most important work, in which he demonstrated through experimentation and modeling how the vertical distribution of leaves in canopies is consistent with the acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus. We also review some of his findings on the interactive effects of carbon dioxide and ozone on canopy photosynthesis.     

Scorpion neurotoxins: structure/function relationships and application in agriculture

Continued use of non‐specific chemical insecticides poses potential risks to the environment and to human health resulting from non‐target toxicity and increased insect resistance to these agents. Scorpions produce anti‐insect selective polypeptide toxins that bind to and modulate voltage‐sensitive ion channels in excitable tissues, thus offering alternative, environmentally safer means for insect pest control. Despite this potential, little is known about their structural elements dictating anti‐insect preference, which may be useful for the design of selective insecticides. We used a bacterial system for expression and genetic dissection of two pharmacologically distinct scorpion toxins: alpha and excitatory. By exploiting a multi‐disciplinary approach consisting of mutagenesis, protein chemistry, electrophysiology, binding and toxicity assays, and structural studies, we elucidated the bioactive surface of two anti‐insect toxins, LqhαIT and Bj‐xtrIT. In both polypeptides the bioactive surface is composed of residues surrounding the C‐terminal region. In addition, a direct, immediate approach in using the toxin genes was demonstrated by engineering baculoviruses with cDNAs encoding LqhIT2 (depressant toxin), and LqhIT1 (excitatory toxin) resulting in viral vectors with significantly improved insecticidal efficacy. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry     

Biochemical analysis and in vivo hypoglycemic activity of a grape polyphenol-soybean flour complex

Defatted soybean flour (DSF) can efficiently sorb, concentrate, and stabilize polyphenols, but not sugars, from Concord grape juice, to yield grape polyphenol-enriched DSF. Sorption of grape polyphenols to DSF particles was dependent on the ratio of DSF and grape juice concentrate used, but not time of mixing or pH. Depending on ratios of starting materials, 1 g of grape polyphenol-enriched DSF contained 1.6-10.4 mg of anthocyanins, 7.5-93.1 mg of proanthocyanidins, and 20.5-144.5 mg of total polyphenols. LC-MS analysis of grape juice samples before and after addition and removal of DSF and eluate from grape polyphenol-enriched DSF confirmed that a broad range of grape compounds were sorbed to the DSF matrix. Finally, grape polyphenol-enriched DSF was able to significantly lower blood glucose levels in hyperglycemic C57BL/6J mice. The data indicate that grape polyphenol-enriched DSF can provide a high-protein, low-sugar ingredient for delivery of concentrated grape polyphenolics.     

Cataract development in sand and galactosemic rats fed a natural tomato extract

This study investigated the effect of a natural tomato extract (TE) on cataract formation in two animal models. A TE containing 5% lycopene was included in the diet of diabetic sand rats at 0.2%, and Sprague Dawley rats were fed a high-galactose diet (30 g/100 g of diet), supplemented with either the lycopene-rich extract at concentrations of 0.2, 0.4, and 0.8% or BHT (0.2%). TE had no significant effect on plasma glucose levels or cataract development in sand rats; however, in rats maintained on a diet rich in galactose, both BHT and TE decreased cataract incidence, and grades were lower than in control animals. In addition, lens protein and reduced glutathione levels were higher and aldose reductase activity was lower than in the control group. The results suggest that antioxidants act as protective agents when oxidative stress is a primary cause of cataract formation but may be less effective in preventing cataracts in hyperglycemic animals.     

Analysis of the sensitivity of absorbed light and incident light profile to various canopy architecture and stand conditions

We analyzed the effect of simplifying assumptions in canopy representation of radiation transfer models, comparing modeled diffuse non-interceptance and photosynthetic photon flux density with measurements at different layers of complex pine-broadleaved canopy with large seasonal variation of leaf area index. The most detailed model included clumping of trees (i.e.,?stand density) and a vertical specification of leaf angle distribution and shoot clumping. A less detailed model replaced the vertically specified variables with their means. The most parsimonious model accounted for neither shoot clumping nor stand density. The vertical specification of shoot clumping and leaf angle distribution only slightly improved vertical and seasonal openness and light estimates over using mean values. Further simplification had little effect on total absorbed light but was more risky for estimates of the vertical distributions of openness and light absorbed by the canopy, which will affect photosynthesis estimates due to the non-linearity of photosynthetic light response. Including woody surfaces in winter, when leaf area was low, was essential for reproducing the measurements correctly. A sensitivity analysis showed that ignoring (i)?shoot clumping could result in a substantial overestimation of total absorbed light with errors increasing with decreasing leaf area and (ii) stand density in sparse stands could lead to substantial overestimation of total absorbed light, and the effect is largely independent of leaf area. Also, (iii) the effect of changing leaf angle distribution increased with decreasing leaf area, and was larger and more persistent along the leaf area range with increasing shoot clumping. Overall, accounting for the effect of tree clumping on absorbed light is most important in stands composed of species where leaves are not very clumped (e.g., broadleaved). However, even in forests with highly clumped shoots (i.e., coniferous), an accurate estimation of absorbed light distribution in stands requires incorporation of stand density in the model.