Cryptic species and population genetic structure of Plasmopara viticola in São Paulo State,Brazil

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is one of the most important diseases in grape-growing areas worldwide, including Brazil. To examine pathogen population biology and structure, P. viticola was sampled during the 2015/16 growing season from 516 lesions on nine grape cultivars in 11 locations in subtropical areas of São Paulo State, Brazil. For identification of cryptic species, a subsample of 130 isolates was subjected to cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) analysis, and for 91 of these isolates the ITS1 region was sequenced. These analyses suggest that the population of P. viticola in São Paulo State consists of a single cryptic species, P. viticola clade aestivalis. Seven microsatellite markers were used to determine the genetic structure of all 516 P. viticola isolates, identifying 23 alleles and 55 multilocus genotypes (MLGs). Among these MLGs, 34.5% were clonal and represented 93% of the isolates sampled. Four dominant genotypes were present in at least five different locations, corresponding to 65.7% of the isolates sampled. Genotypic diversity (Ĝ = 0.21–0.89) and clonal fraction (0.58–0.96) varied among locations (populations). Most populations showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg expectations; in addition, excess of heterozygosity was verified for many loci. However, principal coordinate analysis revealed no clusters among locations and no significant isolation by distance was found, suggesting high levels of migration. The results indicate that downy mildew epidemics result from multiple clonal infections caused by a few genotypes of P. viticola, and reproduction of P. viticola in São Paulo State is predominantly asexual.     

Phytophagous insect fauna of Onopordum spp. thistles in the south of Syria

Thistles from the genus Onopordum (Asteraceae) are of Mediterranean and Eurasian origin. They are very common in the south of Syria, in particular in Damascus and Al Suwayda, and are found in fallow fields, pastures, roadsides and neglected areas. In 2015–2017, several sites with large populations of Onopordum spp. were identified. Weekly surveys of some of the sites, mainly in the regions of Damascus and Al Suwayda, revealed a significant diversity of phytophagous insect species, some of which had a very high population density. A total of 29 insect species were detected, belonging to four orders and 21 families. The most abundant species were from the order Coleoptera. These were observed to be feeding on different plant parts of Onopordum spp. Purely endophagous species comprised 38% of the species observed on Onopordum spp., ectophagous species comprised 45% with 17% of species mixed ectophagous and endophagous. Species that only fed on Onopordum spp. represented 34% of all the species observed.     

Genetic diversity of the pine pathogen Lecanosticta acicola in Slovenia and Croatia

Brown spot needle blight (BSNB), a disease of pine trees caused by the fungus Lecanosticta acicola, has been known in Slovenia since 2008 and in Croatia since 1975. Recent outbreaks in Slovenia prompted this study to compare L. acicola populations in these two neighbouring European countries. Sixty-nine isolates collected from three pine species (Pinus mugo, P. halepensis and P. nigra) were used to determine the phylogenetic relationships, genetic structure, and reproductive strategy of the pathogen. EF1-α sequences showed that Slovenian and Croatian isolates share a common ancestry with individuals from central and northern Europe. Population structure analysis revealed four distinct population clusters of L. acicola in these two countries, generally corresponding to their respective geographic location and host. An unequal ratio of mating types and a low overall genetic diversity in the population indicated a strong influence of asexual reproduction. Although some of the oldest recorded European occurrences of BSNB are from Croatia, this study provided no evidence that the population studied in Croatia was the source of the sampled outbreaks in Slovenia. Recent outbreaks of L. acicola in Slovenia are most likely due to introductions from other, yet to be identified, sources.     

The value of linking paleoecological and neoecological perspectives to understand spatially-explicit ecosystem resilience

Context

Predicting ecosystem resilience is a challenge, especially as climate change alters disturbance regimes and conditions for recovery. Recent research has highlighted the importance of spatially-explicit disturbance and resilience processes to long-term ecosystem dynamics. “Neoecological” approaches characterize resilience mechanisms at relatively fine spatio-temporal resolutions, but results are difficult to extrapolate across broad temporal scales or climatic ranges. Paleoecological methodologies can consider the effects of climates that differ from today. However, they are often limited to coarse-grained spatio-temporal resolutions.

Methods

In this synthesis, we describe implicit and explicit examples of studies that incorporate both neo- and paleoecological approaches. We propose ways to build on the strengths of both approaches in an explicit and proactive fashion.

Results

Linking the two approaches is a powerful way to surpass their respective limitations. Aligning spatial scales is critical: Paleoecological sampling design should incorporate knowledge of the spatial characteristics of the disturbance process, and neoecological studies benefit from a longer-term context to their conclusions. In some cases, modeling can incorporate non-spatial data from paleoecological records or emerging spatial paleo-data networks with mechanistic disturbance/recovery processes that operate at fine spatiotemporal scales.

Conclusions

Linking these two complementary approaches is a powerful way to build a complete understanding of ecosystem disturbance and resilience.

     

Landscape-level naturalness of conservation easements in a mixed-use matrix

Context

With underrepresentation of habitats in publicly protected areas, attention has focused on the function of alternative land conservation mechanisms. Private conservation easements (CEs) have proliferated in the United States, yet assessing landscape-level function is confounded by varying extent, resolution, and temporal scale.

Objectives

We developed and tested an assessment tool to evaluate interacting spatial, social, and environmental attributes of easements relative to the degree of human modification (HM). We hypothesized that on both private and public conservation properties HM would be lower than on non-conserved parcels, and that for fine-scale features (most CEs), the level of HM would be driven by the variables used to create the coarser scale HM measure.

Methods

Variation in HM between private, public, and non-conserved was tested via pairwise parcel sampling. Composition was evaluated using multiple geographic bounds and edge characteristics. We assessed both environmental and social predictors using multinomial logistic regression.

Results

Privately conserved lands did not differ significantly from non-conserved lands. Publicly conserved lands had lower HM than both privately conserved and non-conserved lands. Edge contrast was similar between private and matched non-conserved patches. The level of HM was not driven by distance to roads, or by elevation in this mixed-use setting.

Conclusions

Variation in tests for differences, land characteristics, and HM variables confirmed the significantly lower HM of publicly protected lands, and opens the question as to naturalness of easements in some contexts. CEs in this location may be representative of the mixed rural-forested landscape instead of more natural land cover.

     

六堡茶茶褐素体外降脂功效研究

考察六堡茶茶褐素体外结合胆酸盐能力、抑制胰脂肪酶活性及胆固醇酯酶活性能力、吸附胆固醇及油脂能力,从而评价其体外降脂活性。研究结果显示,六堡茶茶褐素对花生油的吸附量为0.73 g·g^-1,对胆固醇的吸附量在酸性条件下为122.42 mg·g^-1、中性条件下为13.68 mg·g^-1;在茶褐素结合胆酸盐的试验中,随着茶褐素浓度的增加,与胆酸盐结合能力也呈上升趋势;茶褐素对胰脂肪酶起激活作用,且随着浓度的增加呈持续上升趋势;对胆固醇酯酶活性抑制IC₅₀值为57.2 mg·mL^-1。六堡茶茶褐素降脂机制可能主要通过与胆酸盐结合、吸附胆固醇和脂肪来实现。     

烘烤凋萎期失水速度对烟叶质量的影响

凋萎期失水速度在烟叶质量的形成过程中具有重要作用,是影响烟叶质量的关键指标。为了优化烘烤工艺,寻找最佳的凋萎期失水速度,以秦烟96为试验材料,2014~2015年在甘肃陇南地区应用变频技术通过风量调节研究了烘烤凋萎期7组失水速度对烟叶质量的影响。试验结果表明,凋萎期失水速度控制在5~7 g∕(kg·h)之间,不但可以让未变黄的烟叶继续变黄,消除青烟,让已变黄的烟叶适度失水,同时降低了变黄后烟叶的水分含量,为烟叶定色创造了条件,有利于防止棕色化反应的发生。     

播期对三江平原主栽水稻品种品质的影响

通过播期试验,对三江平原5个主栽水稻品种的品质性状进行分析。结果表明,播期对整精米率、垩白米率、垩白度、直链淀粉含量、蛋白质含量、食味值均有影响,对糙米率、精米率影响较小。随着播期的推迟,整精米率明显降低,外观品质变劣,且二者呈极显著负相关;直链淀粉含量呈升高趋势,蛋白质含量则呈降低趋势;食味值变化因品种而异。对品质各性状的变异系数进行聚类分析,结果表明,垩白粒率、垩白度受播期影响最大,属于敏感性状;糙米率、精米率、食味值、直链淀粉含量和蛋白质含量受播期影响较小,属于迟钝性状;整精米率受播期影响变异幅度在二者之间。综合而言,早播对5个水稻品种整体品质提升具有正向作用;但从食味值角度出发,早熟品种龙粳31和龙粳46适当晚播可能更有利于口感的改善。     

Soil-Sedimentary Record of the Holocene Environment. Tell Yunacite,Bulgaria

Eurasian Soil Science - A method of the Holocene paleoenvironment reconstruction based on the analysis of pedobiomarkers in tell deposits is suggested. On the Yunacite tell, such a reconstruction...     

Evaluation of Assouline–Or Adjusted Model to Express Soil Drainage Curve

Eurasian Soil Science - The objectives of this research are prediction of soil drainage curve using Assouline and Or (2014) adjusted soil drainage model and comparison of the predicted results with...