Heterotrophic respiration causes seasonal hysteresis in soil respiration in a warm-temperate forest

To assess the effect of changes in organic litter stock on seasonal changes in heterotrophic respiration (R _H), soil respiration (R _S), and total ecosystem respiration (R _E), we measured seasonal changes in leaf litter respiration (R _LL) by the chamber method and estimated the seasonal change in total R _H using the RothC model in a warm-temperate mixed deciduous?Cevergreen forest in Japan. Both R _E and R _S had seasonal hysteresis and were higher in spring than at the same temperature during autumn. Under warm and humid conditions, the rate of decomposition of newly supplied leaf litter in one?year was high (60% loss). Consequently, R _LL and R _H were higher in spring after leaf drop, when more fresh material was available, than in autumn. In this study, 42 and 88% of the difference in R _E and R _S between spring and autumn (soil temperature 16?C18°C) could be accounted for by the difference in R _H, respectively, and 71% of the difference in R _H could be accounted for by the difference in R _LL. This study showed that seasonal changes in heterotrophic respiration (R _LL and R _H) could be a major factor in the seasonal hysteresis of R _E and R _S.     

Blackening of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) heartwood in relation to metal content and moisture content

Blackening in heartwood was investigated in relation to the metal contents and the moisture content in xylem of about 50-year-old seedling sugi (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) planted in a steeply sloped stand in Okutama district (Itsukaichi Tokyo), where blackened heartwood is frequently found. The potassium, calcium, iron, and manganese contents were examined in the variously blackened heartwood and normal heartwood by an atomic absorption method. It was recognized that potassium increased relative to the degree of the blackening of heartwood, resulting in a significant correlation between them. This finding implies that an increase in potassium has an important role in the blackening of heartwood. Moisture content has a tendency to increase in the blackened heartwood, so it seems that the large accumulation of potassium is associated with the high moisture content in heartwood.This work was presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Japan Wood Research Society at Morioka, August 1993     

CO2 efflux from leaf litter focused on spatial and temporal heterogeneity of moisture

Leaf litter respiration (R _LL) was directly measured in situ to evaluate relationships with the water content in leaf litter (WC), which is distributed heterogeneously under natural conditions. To do so, we developed a small, closed static chamber system using an infrared gas analyzer, which can measure instantaneous R _LL. This study focuses on the measurement of CO₂ effluxes from leaf litter using the chamber system in the field and examines the relationship between R _LL and WC among seven broadleaf species in a temperate forest. The measurements focused on the position of leaves within the litter layer, finding that both R _LL and WC were significantly higher in the lower layer. The value of R _LL increased with increasing WC, and the response of R _LL to WC was similar among all seven species. Moreover, the temporal variation in WC differed among three species and was associated with leaf litter thickness. The observed heterogeneity in WC induced by the physical environment (e.g., position and thickness of leaf litter) affects the variation in WC and, therefore, both R _LL and the decomposition rates of organic matter in the litter layer.     

Mutations in the melanocortin 1 receptor, β-defensin103 and agouti signaling protein genes, and their association with coat color phenotypes in Akita-inu dogs

To identify factors that control coat color in Akita-inu dogs, we sequenced all the exons of the melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R), β-defensin103 (CBD103) and agouti signaling protein (ASIP) genes of dogs with four distinct coat colors, namely, brindle, sesame, red and white. Then we examined correlations among specific alleles and coat color. In the case of the MC1R gene, all white dogs were homozygous for a nonsense mutation, R306ter, while brindle, sesame, and red dogs had at least one R306 allele. In the case of the CBD103 gene, all brindle dogs were heterozygous for the G23del mutation (deletion of codon 23, encoding glycine), while all sesame and red dogs were homozygous for G23. In the case of the ASIP gene, all dogs, regardless of coat color, had at least one S82 H83 allele. A missense mutation in the ASIP gene, P87L, was identified for the first time in some Akita-inu dogs but was not associated with any specific coloration. Our results indicate that the 2 key mutations, R306ter in the MC1R gene and G23del in the CBD103 gene, are associated with the phenotypic discriminations among brindle, red/sesame, and white coats, while no mutation that might potentially be associated with the discrimination of a sesame coat from a red coat is present in the coding sequences of these three genes.     

Sex distinction of asparagus by loop-mediated isothermal amplification and observation of seedling phenotypes

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is a dioecious plant. In general, male and female plants are used for open-field culture and intensive cultivation, respectively. Farmers distinguish between the sexes by observing the form of the flower organs. However, because flowering begins 2?C3 years after planting, the sexes cannot be differentiated at transplantation by using this method, and planting of an all-male population is not possible. In this study, the usefulness of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), a simple method of gene amplification, for sex distinction at the DNA level was determined. In addition, the phenotypic differences in seeds and seedlings of male and female plants were investigated for application as a method of early sex distinction. By using the LAMP method, the sex could be correctly identified in 100% of the seedlings, suggesting that this method is effective for sex distinction at the gene level. Principal component analysis was conducted with 11 selected parameters after investigating the seeds and seedlings of both male and female plants. The results revealed that male plants tend to have many stalks or cladophylls and female plants tend to have large plant forms, suggesting that the sexes can be distinguished by the external appearance of the seedlings before planting. LAMP and observation of the seedling phenotypes could be useful methods of sex distinction for increasing the efficiency of asparagus breeding.     

The ion uptake mechanism of allophane

Rather greater variations in the cation exchange capacity (CEC) value of Allophane, say, 20 to 100 me per 100 g of clay (1), have been reported by a number of investigators. BIRRELL and his collaborators (5, 6) revealed that the CEC of allophane depends on concentration and pH of a leaching solution, kinds of cation and anion, volume of washing alcohol, and its water content. The results suggest the peculiarity of allophane in ion-exchange phenomena.     

Nocturnal isoprene emission from mature trees and diurnal acceleration of isoprene oxidation rates near Quercus serrata Thunb. leaves

Quercus serrata Thunb. ex Murray is a widespread deciduous oak in China, the Korean Peninsula, and Japan, and a strong isoprene emitter. Establishing accurate inventories of this species and estimating net carbon budgets, including biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC), necessitates detailed evaluation of BVOC emission and oxidation characteristics. Emissions of isoprene, the most abundant BVOC, presumably contribute to atmospheric chemistry through the formation of photochemical oxidants and secondary organic aerosols. We built an isoprene flux monitoring system to simultaneously reveal characteristics of the flux and fate of isoprene at multiple locations in Q. serrata forests. We used proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) and an automated closed chamber to measure isoprene emissions from soil and leaves in a warm-temperate Q. serrata forest. We used a relaxed eddy accumulation system with PTR-MS to simultaneously measure the canopy flux. In continuous foliage chamber measurements, we observed daily variations of isoprene emissions and continuous nocturnal emissions from leaves. Nocturnal emissions exceeded 25 % of total daily leaf emissions and were relatively high at sunset and low at sunrise. These results suggest that nocturnal emissions from mature trees may not be negligible. When leaf emissions were high in the daytime, the canopy isoprene flux tended to plateau at an upper limit. Observations of isoprene concentrations and gradients suggest that the plateau was caused by acceleration of isoprene oxidation, and sequential formation of secondary organic aerosols may occur near the leaf just after emission. Elucidation of these linkages may require continuous field measurements with a simultaneous multi-flux monitoring system.     

Differences between coarse woody debris and leaf litter in the response of heterotrophic respiration to rainfall events

Heterotrophic respiration strongly influences carbon cycles at the ecosystem and global scales. We used an automated chamber system to measure the heterotrophic respiration of coarse woody debris (CWD) and leaf litter in a secondary broadleaved forest in southern Kyoto Prefecture. This system, which targeted only organic matter, could detect heterotrophic respiration responses to changes in environmental factors, especially rainfall events. The temporal trends and responses of respiration to environmental factors differed dramatically between CWD and leaf litter. CWD respiration showed a clear diurnal change corresponding to changes in CWD temperature and a clear decrease during rainfall events. Leaf litter respiration did not change clearly but increased at the beginning of rain events and returned to pre-rain rates when soil water content declined. The temporal patterns of the residuals between the observed respiration and baseline respiration, developed from the temperature?Cresponse curves under pre-rain conditions, differed between CWD and leaf litter respiration. The typical trend in CWD respiration response to rainfall events was a clear decrease and then gradual increase in the residuals after the event. The response of leaf litter respiration to wetting was an increase in the residuals during rainfall events and then a gradual decrease during drying. The difference in the responses of these respirations to wetting and drying processes are likely caused by differences in the physical characteristics of the CWD and the leaf litter layer. Measurements targeting only organic matter using an automated chamber system could detect the responses of heterotrophic respiration to environmental factors.