Phenotypic plasticity of two invasive alien plant species inside a deciduous forest in a strict nature reserve in Italy

ABSTRACT

Invasive alien plant species (IAPs) represent one of the main biological threats to biodiversity worldwide. Information about their phenotypic plasticity are needed to increase awareness about their future invasive potential. A study about phenotypic plasticity in response to contrasting light regimes and its quantification by a plasticity index (PI) of two IAPs (Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia) inside a Strict Nature Reserve was conducted. R. pseudoacacia showed a 70% higher PI, with a strongly greater value at morphological leaf level, associated with a greater ability to survive and grow in forest understory, explaining its greater widespread. Otherwise, A. altissima showed its highest PI at physiological level, which was associated with the ability to colonize and grow in environments with high-light regimes. Based on these results, the conservative management has limited the presence of A. altissima by its lower ability to grow in forest understory. In fact, the small-scale gaps in the forest infrastructure, that could allow its recruitment, are originated only from the death of a single tree or small group of trees. Regarding R. pseudoacacia, it is critical to maintain this type of management because any disturbances resulting in large openings could further promote its presence inside the Reserve.     

Allochrony as a potential driver for reproductive isolation in adaptive radiations of European whitefish ecomorphs

In northern Fennoscandian lakes, monophylogenetic lineages of postglacial fishes are radiating into several adaptive forms, but the speciation process is still at an incipient stage. The speciation process has received increased attention over the years, but the underlying mechanisms and drivers are still debated and poorly understood. European whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus [L.]) is the most abundant fish species in these lakes and has evolved into several ecomorphs adapted to different trophic niches and habitats. Genetic divergence has been observed among these ecomorphs, but the mechanism(s) responsible for the ongoing build-up of reproductive isolation has still to be revealed. As these systems are young in evolutionary time (<10 kyr), prezygotic and postzygotic extrinsic isolation mechanisms are thought to be more likely to contribute to the reproductive isolation than intrinsic isolation mechanisms. We determined the gonadosomatic index (GSI) of three ecomorphs in two replicated lake systems and used GSI as a proxy to investigate the prezygotic isolation mechanism, allochrony, as a driving factor of divergence in this adaptive radiation of whitefish. We found that the three ecomorphs differed in GSI values within and between lakes, suggesting different spawning times of the ecomorphs. We also show that males of one ecomorph had equal onset of maturity as another ecomorph, giving novel insights into the ongoing gene flow observed between ecomorphs. The result supports allochrony as a driver for the divergence process of whitefish ecomorphs, but more evidence is still needed to rule out that the three ecomorphs make use of different spawning grounds.     

11个北高丛越橘品种对干旱胁迫的响应

【目的】揭示北高丛越橘对干旱胁迫的响应机制并筛选出耐旱性较强的越橘品种。【方法】以11个北高丛越橘品种1年生扦插苗为试材,分别为‘蓝丰’‘瑞卡’‘双迪’‘斯巴坦’‘卡拉’‘伊丽莎白’‘钱德勒’‘布里吉塔’‘公爵’‘甜心’‘埃利奥特’,研究干旱胁迫对光合生理特性的影响,并评价不同品种的抗旱性。【结果】干旱胁迫20 d后,北高丛越橘品种脯氨酸含量、丙二醛含量、过氧化氢酶活性、胞间CO_2浓度均显著升高,而净光合速率、蒸腾速率、气孔导度、光系统Ⅱ实际光量子产量和电子传递速率均显著降低。通过主成分分析,将16项生理生化指标转化为3个互相独立的综合指标,累计贡献率达85.74%。主成分1主要反映叶片生理特性、抗氧化酶活性及主要的叶片荧光参数等信息,主成分2主要反映叶片气孔功能信息,主成分3主要反映叶片光合作用相关信息。通过聚类分析,将11个北高丛越橘品种划分为3个类型:‘甜心’‘公爵’和‘蓝丰’为抗旱型,‘布里吉塔’‘伊丽莎白’‘瑞卡’和‘埃利奥特’为中间型,‘钱德勒’‘双迪’‘斯巴坦’和‘卡拉’为不抗旱型。根据抗旱性综合评价值,11个北高丛越橘品种按照抗旱性由高到低排序依次为‘甜心’‘公爵’‘蓝丰’‘布里吉塔’‘伊丽莎白’‘瑞卡’‘埃利奥特’‘卡拉’‘斯巴坦’‘双迪’‘钱德勒’。【结论】采用主成分分析、隶属函数法、聚类分析等相结合的方法对北高丛越橘苗期耐干旱胁迫能力进行评估,可以较好地揭示性状指标与耐干旱胁迫能力的关系。11个北高丛蓝莓品种中‘甜心’‘公爵’和‘蓝丰’耐干旱胁迫能力较强。     

Water availability affects nectar sugar production and insect visitation of the cup plant Silphium perfoliatum L. (Asteraceae)

The perennial cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is considered as an alternative feedstock to maize for biogas plants. Due to its ecological advantages of an extensive management and function as food resource for pollinators, it can be grown in Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs) since 2018. However, studies at the Julius Kühn-Institute in Braunschweig (Germany) showed that the assumed advantage of the cup plant of a high drought tolerance could not be confirmed regarding aspects of crop production and yield. We complemented this experiment by assessing how different soil moisture conditions affect the production of floral resources and insect visitation. In 2014, we sampled three irrigated and three rainfed plots of the cup plant. We quantified the nectar volume and sugar mass per inflorescence, the number of inflorescences per plant and calculated the total nectar sugar production. We further counted insect visitation on the inflorescences. Due to reduced numbers of inflorescences per plant and an earlier harvest, the estimated nectar sugar production was 58 kg/ha regarding irrigated and 20 kg/ha regarding rainfed plots. Honeybee visitation per inflorescence was about twice as high in the irrigated plots. Furthermore, the early harvest is a disadvantage for wild pollinators with a late activity period.     

Basal internode elongation of rice as affected by light intensity and leaf area

Short basal internodes are important for lodging resistance of rice(Oryza sativa L.).Several canopy indices affect the elongation of basal internodes,but uncertainty as to the key factors determining elongation of basal internodes persists.The objectives of this study were(1)to identify key factors affecting the elongation of basal internodes and(2)to establish a quantitative relationship between basal internode length and canopy indices.An inbred rice cultivar,Yinjingruanzhan,was grown in two split-plot field experiments with three N rates(0,75,and 150 kg N ha−1 in early season and 0,90,and 180 kg N ha−1 in late season)as main plots,three seedling densities(16.7,75.0,and 187.5 seedlings m−2)as subplots,and three replications in the 2015 early and late seasons in Guangzhou,China.Light intensity at base of canopy(Lb),light quality as determined from red/far-red light ratio(R/FR),light transmission ratio(LTR),leaf area index(LAI),leaf N concentration(NLV)and final length of second internode(counted from soil surface upward)(FIL)were recorded.Higher N rate and seedling density resulted in significantly longer FIL.FIL was negatively correlated with Lb,LTR,and R/FR(P<0.01)and positively correlated with LAI(P<0.01),but not correlated with NLV(P>0.05).Stepwise linear regression analysis showed that FIL was strongly associated with Lb and LAI(R2=0.82).Heavy N application to pot-grown rice at the beginning of first internode elongation did not change FIL.We conclude that FIL is determined mainly by Lb and LAI at jointing stage.NLV has no direct effect on the elongation of basal internodes.N application indirectly affects FIL by changing LAI and light conditions in the rice canopy.Reducing LAI and improving canopy light transmission at jointing stage can shorten the basal internodes and increase the lodging resistance of rice.     

通过GbF3’H基因单独沉默及其与GbCHI和GbDFR基因共沉默研究其在海岛棉中抗枯萎病功能

【目的】通过沉默海岛棉GbF3’H基因及共沉默GbF3’H、GbCHI和Gb DFR基因,研究其在海岛棉抗枯萎病中的作用。【方法】以海岛棉抗病材料06-146为研究对象,GhCLA1基因为阳性对照,空载体为阴性对照,构建海岛棉TRV2-Gb F3’H沉默载体,协同课题组前期构建的TRV2-CHI和TRV2-DFR载体,利用病毒诱导的基因沉默技术(Virus-induced gene silencing,VIGS)分别进行Gb F3’H基因单独沉默以及GbF3’H、GbCHI和Gb DFR这3种基因共沉默试验。通过实时荧光定量聚合酶链式反应(Quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction,q RT-PCR)分析各处理样品中基因沉默情况;设置室内接种枯萎病菌试验测定病情指数,分析各沉默材料对枯萎病的抗性差异。【结果】q RT-PCR结果显示,海岛棉GbF3’H基因沉默后其在海岛棉根、茎和叶中的表达量比空载体对照低,Gb F3’H、GbCHI和GbDFR这3种基因共沉默后其在海岛棉根、茎和叶中的表达量均比空载体对照低。病情指数调查结果显示,野生型<空载体对照相似文献   

331份四川小麦品种(系)在甘肃陇南抗条锈性表现及利用价值

2014年-2017年度先后对331份四川省小麦生产品种(系)在温室进行苗期人工接种条锈菌混合菌鉴定和甘谷试验站大田成株期分别接种CYR32、CYR33、CYR34、G22-14、中4-1和混合菌鉴定,同时在甘谷试验站和汪川良种场两地进行自然诱发鉴定。结果发现:在人工接种条件下,苗期、成株期表现抗病的分别有‘XK201465’等36份和‘XK20132’等72份材料,分别占10.88%和21.75%;有‘XK62483’等11份材料全生育期表现抗病,占3.32%;两地三年自然诱发鉴定发现,仅有‘XK20132’等5份材料在两地均表现抗病,有‘川农17’等30份材料具有慢条锈性。对供鉴材料在甘肃陇南的利用前景进行了分析。     

Analysis and Assessment on Heavy Metal Contamination in Cotton Seeds of Hunan Province

[Objective] In order to guarantee the quality and safety of cotton products and to explore the feasibility of alternative planting, the contamination condition of the heavy metals in cotton seeds in Hunan province was investigated and evaluated. [Method] Fifty-six cotton seed samples, collected in 6 counties of Hunan province, were collected to determine 6 indicators including cadmium, lead, copper, chromium, mercury and inorganic arsenic contents. This was followed by pollution index calculation, correlation analysis, and cluster analysis. [Results] The range of comprehensive pollution indexes of Junshan district, Anxiang county, Nanxian county, Wangcheng and Dingcheng districts varied between 0.366 5–0.577 0, which belonged to a secure level. However, the single pollution indexes of Hengyang county are relatively high. The comprehensive pollution index of Hengyang county was 0.801 6, meaning a mild pollution level. [Conclusion] The pollution status of cadmium, lead, copper, chromium, mercury and arsenic in Hunan cottonseed samples are generally acceptable. Cotton could be a substitute for rice on contaminated soil.