Cherry leaf roll virus causing a disease of Betula spp. in the United Kingdom

A virus, serologically related to isolates of cherry leaf rollvirus (CLRV) from Prunus avium (L.) L. and Sambucus nigra L.was transmitted to a range of herbaceous plants from leavesor roots of thirty-one of forty-seven trees of Betula spp. growingat two heathland sites in Berkshire. Ageing leaves of virus-infectedindividuals which had mild chiorotic blotches or ring and linepatterns in July showed bright yellow ring and line patternsin October. In the season after B. verrucosa seedlings wereinoculated with CLRV isolates, leaves developed chlorotic ringand blotch patterns; the symptoms being similar whether theinocula were originally isolated from S. nigra, P. avium orB. verrucosa. Palisade and mesophyll cells of naturally infectedleaves of B. verrucosa contained chloroplasts in which granalorganization was appreciably less distinct than that of chloroplastsfrom virus-free leaves. In many instances, virus-infected leafcells had spherical virus-like particles about 30 mn in diametercontained within tubular structures in cell wall projections;these structures were not seen in virus-free material. An isolate of CLRV from B. verrucosa, purified from systemicallyinfected leaves of Nicotiana clevelandii Gray by ammonium sulphateprecipitation and differential centrifugation, contained twomajor components having sedimentation coefficients of 118s and130s. Each component was composed of spherical particles withdiameters in the range 26–30 nm and having buoyant densitiesin caesium chloride of 1·460 and 1·493 gm/cm³.Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of preparations from bothbuoyant components indicated that they each contained a singlespecies of protein whose molecular weight was in the range 53,000–54,000daltons.     

High genetic diversity at the inter-/intra-host level of Cherry leaf roll virus population associated with the birch leaf-roll disease in Fennoscandia

A viral epidemic associated with the Cherry leaf roll virus (CLRV) has emerged in Betula species in Fennoscandia, exhibiting quick and effective spread during the last 15 years. A population genetics approach is chosen in order to characterise the virus diversity and the sources of genetic variation aiming to investigate the epidemiology of the pathogen. In a CLRV population from Rovaniemi urban parks and a population that occurred after infecting young Betula seedlings with scions from the original Finnish trees, the genetic diversity is found to be remarkably high, mixed infections by CLRV variants from different phylogenetic groups are detected in single trees, while recombination is evidenced to occur. The estimated genetic variability is high and the CLRV haplotypes detected exhibit clear clustering and belong to different phylogenetic groups. The structure of the viral population reveals a pathogen with high evolutionary potential assumed to carry on its effective spread.     

Genotypic variation in drought response of silver birch (Betula pendula): leaf water status and carbon gain

To assess genotypic variation in drought response of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), we studied the plasticity of 16 physiological traits in response to a 12-14-week summer drought imposed on four clones in two consecutive years. In a common garden experiment, 1-year-old clonal trees from regions with low (550 mm year(-1)) to high rainfall (1270 mm year(-1)) were grown in 45-l pots, and leaf gas exchange parameters, leaf water potentials, leaf osmotic potentials and leaf carbon isotope signatures were repeatedly measured. There were no clonal differences in leaf water potential, but stomatal conductance (gs), net photosynthesis at ambient carbon dioxide concentration, photosynthetic water-use efficiency, leaf carbon isotope composition (delta13C) and leaf osmotic potentials at saturation (Pi0) and at incipient plasmolysis (Pip) were markedly influenced by genotype, especially gs and osmotic adjustment. Genotypes of low-rainfall origin displayed larger osmotic adjustment than genotypes of high-rainfall origin, although their Pi0 and Pip values were similar or higher with ample water supply. Genotypes of low-rainfall origin had higher gs than genotypes of high-rainfall origin under both ample and limited water supply, indicating a higher water consumption that might increase competitiveness in drought-prone habitats. Although most parameters tested were significantly influenced by genotype and treatment, the genotype x treatment interactions were not significant. The genotypes differed in plasticity of the tested parameters and in their apparent adaptation to drought; however, among genotypes, physiological plasticity and drought adaptation were not related to each other. Reduction of gs was the first and most plastic response to drought in all genotypes, and allowed the maintenance of high predawn leaf water potentials during the drought. None of the clones exhibited non-stomatal limitation of photosynthesis. Leaf gs, photosynthetic capacity, magnitude of osmotic adjustment and delta13C were all markedly lower in 2000 than in 1999, indicating root limitation in the containers in the second year.     

Pseudocercospora kaiseri sp. nov. causing a necrotic leaf spot of Erythrina

A new species, Pseudocercospora kaiseri, causing leaf spot of Erythrina stricta Roxb. from India is described and illustrated.     

Effect of Betula pendula clone and leaf age on Melampsoridium betulinum rust infection in a field trial

Ten 5‐year‐old Betula pendula clones were studied for their rust resistance in the field. The trees were treated by inoculating 10 leaves on a shoot with Melampsoridium betulinum urediniospore suspension or spraying the control leaves with water. The birch clones differed significantly in their resistance to M. betulinum leaf rust fungus and the clones also varied in their responses to the local rust strain and the inoculated rust strains. However, natural rust infections and inoculation treatment were positively correlated. The older leaves had fewer infections than the younger ones on the tip of the shoot in the control trees, but in the inoculation treatment no significant correlation was found between the leaf ages and rust infection. The factors behind the different leaf susceptibilities are discussed.     

Effects of flooding on leaf dynamics and other seedling responses in flood-tolerant Alnus japonica and flood-intolerant Betula platyphylla var. japonica

Two-year-old seedlings of Alnus japonica Steud. and Betula platyphylla var. japonica Hara were flooded from mid-June to early November, to study the effects of flooding on seedling survival and growth, morphological changes in stems and roots, leaf emergence, leaf fall, and leaf longevity. In A. japonica, growth was not affected by flooding, except for a slight decrease in height growth, but some morphological changes of stems and roots were observed, i.e., stem base hypertrophy, hypertrophied lenticels, formation of adventitious roots and development of new roots. In B. platyphylla var. japonica, growth was severely reduced by flooding and all seedlings died by the 20th week of flooding, without showing any adaptive morphological changes in stems or roots. Flooding induced rapid depression of leaf emergence, promoted leaf abscission, and reduced leaf longevity in B. platyphylla var. japonica. In contrast, in A. japonica, basal leaf senescence was delayed in flooded seedlings, thereby extending leaf longevity compared with unflooded seedlings.     

青松岭地区松毛虫种群数量变动调查

建平县青松岭地区属松毛虫Denrolimussp.发生的常灾区,在无外界干扰的情况下,松毛虫越冬幼虫死亡率37.9%,越冬幼虫上树至化蛹前死亡率62.9%;蛹期死亡率12.7%;卵期死亡率10.3%;初孵幼虫死亡率65.9%,死亡原因除每年1月份的极限低温和3～5月气温突变影响外,天敌昆虫和食虫鸟类的取食也是个重要原因.     

Survival and germination of an experimental seed bank population of two species of Lauraceae in a tropical montane forest in Thailand

The survival and germination traits of two tropical species of Lauraceae, Lindera metcalfiana and Litsea cubeba, were investigated in a 2-year burial experiment and subsequent germination tests of sequentially excavated seeds. Fresh seeds extracted from fruit were packed in aluminum mesh bags and buried 5cm deep in a mature montane forest in northern Thailand (1700m altitude). No seed mortality was recorded for Litsea, but Lindera experienced 26%–48% mortality after being buried for 122 days. These seeds did not germinate in the forest soil during the 2-year experimental period. We found that fresh seeds of these two species did not germinate even under open conditions, suggesting that the seeds are initially deeply dormant after dispersal. In contrast, 29%–60% of excavated Lindera seeds germinated under open conditions after being buried for 30–753 days, and excavated Litsea seeds began to germinate after being buried for 408 days. These findings suggest that seeds enter a state of enforced dormancy. The ratio of germinable seeds peaked 184 days after burial in Lindera (33%) and 930 days after burial in Litsea (91%). The longer period of deep dormancy in Litsea prior to enforced dormancy is concordant with the fact that for regeneration Litsea requires larger-scale disturbance than Lindera.     

Somaclonal variation in growth, leaf phenotype and gas exchange characteristics of poplar: utilization of leaf morphotype analysis as a basis for selection

Populus hybrid TT32 lines produced from 15 treatment tissue culture regimes exhibited somaclonal variation in morphological and gas exchange parameters. Within four years of regeneration, discrete lines showing statistically validated superior, or inferior, growth performance relative to the parental reference clone were identified. Significant differences in the ratio of leaf length/width between treatment lines provided the earliest reliable indicator of the divergence in overall growth performance. Despite discernible variation in leaf phenotype among primary regenerants and secondary propagules within individual lines, the leaf length/width ratio was identified as a potential parameter for predicting growth performance. Its subsequent use led to the recognition of four distinct leaf morphotypes; cordate, ovate, reniform and oval. Two or more of these morphotypes were distributed within each of the original 15 treatment lines. Regrouping the data on the basis of leaf morphotype resulted in a clear segregation of the morphological traits, and revealed differences that were not readily apparent by statistical analysis based on treatment groups. The demonstration of similar relative performances by individual morphotypes with respect to a range of growth and gas exchange parameters confirmed that variation in leaf morphology was indicative of differential photosynthetic performance. Somaclonal variants with a leaf morphology was indicative of differential photosynthetic performance. Somaclonal variants with a leaf morphotype closest to that of the parental line showed the highest overall potential for selection, suggesting that the greatest benefits accrue from a minimal disturbance of the parental leaf phenotype.     

Molecular approach to determine taxonomic status of Septoria sp.causing leaf blotch of Castanea sativa in Hyrcanian forests

Castanea sativa is a valuable tree species in Hyrcanian forests, an evolutionary relict ecosystem whose communities suffer from overexploitation and fungal diseases. In the current study, three species delimitation methods were utilized with ITS regions sequencing to determine the taxonomic status of Septoria causing leaf blotch of C. sativa in Hyrcanian forests. The results indicated that the length of ITS region in the genus Septoria(extracted from Gen Bank) varied from 650 to 680 bp.There were almost three times more variable sites in ITS1 than in ITS2. The ITS2 secondary structure of Hyrcanian Septoria community had the highest similarity with Septoria castaneicola, except for some differences in helix II and III. Also, Hyrcanian samples had minimum genetic distances with S. castaneicola and maximum with Septoria quercicola. The maximum parsimony method divided the studied Septoria genus into three distinct clades, mostly located in clade I. Clade II consisted entirely of Septoria aciculosa, while clade III contained S. castaneicola as well as Hyrcanian samples.     

Fall frost resistance in willows used for biomass production. I. Characterization of seasonal and genetic variation

Fast-growing willow clones (six clones of Salix viminalis L. and one clone each of S. viminalis x S. schwerenii E. Wolf and S. dasyclados Wimm.) were compared with respect to growth rhythm and frost hardening in the fall. Frost resistance of stem tissues was assessed by controlled freezing followed by analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence and scoring of visible cambial discoloration. The fluorescence method proved superior to scoring based on visible cambial discoloration because it was more rapid and less subjective, but needed calibration against cambial damage. Frost hardening in mature parts of stems did not start until growth cessation was initiated in the shoot apices, irrespective of whether growth cessation occurred early or late in the fall. Frost resistance varied because of clonal variations in: (1) pre-hardening frost resistance; (2) timing of growth cessation and hence start of frost hardening; and (3) rate of frost hardening. Compared with coastal and southern clones, continental and northern clones started hardening earlier, and a continental clone proceeded through hardening more rapidly at a given temperature. A cross between a continental and coastal clone was intermediate in timing. The pre-hardening frost resistance, however, was unrelated to both growth and frost hardening characteristics.     

Importance of woody materials for seasonal variation in leaf area index from optical methods in a deciduous needleleaf forest

Woody materials (woody area index, WAI) is a key error source in estimating leaf area index (LAI) by optical methods, but how to correct the error caused by WAI during different seasons has not reached consensus. In this study, effective plant area index (PAI_e) was first estimated using two indirect optical methods (digital hemispherical photography, DHP, and LAI-2000) in a deciduous needleleaf forest, and then four different schemes for correcting the contribution of WAI to PAI_e were tested here. We also directly estimated the seasonality of LAI by a litter collection method and an allometric method. Directly subtracting WAI from PAI resulted in a greater degree of uncertainty in correcting seasonal changes of PAI_e from both DHP and LAI-2000. Therefore, we introduced a new correction factor, the stem-to-total area ratio, which was reasonable and useful for quantifying seasonal changes in the contribution of WAI to PAI_e. We finally recommend a practical scheme for correcting PAI_e from both DHP and LAI-2000, with accuracies as high as 88% and 87% during most growing seasons, respectively. Additionally, LAI values estimated from allometry were concordant with those estimated from litter collection, indicating that the allometry method is useful for tracking seasonal changes in LAI.     

Interspecific variation of photosynthesis and leaf characteristics in canopy trees of five species of Dipterocarpaceae in a tropical rain forest

Photosynthetic rate, nitrogen concentration and morphological properties of canopy leaves were studied in 18 trees, comprising five dipterocarp species, in a tropical rain forest in Sarawak, Malaysia. Photosynthetic rate at light saturation (Pmax) differed significantly across species, varying from 7 to 18 micro mol m(-2) s(-1). Leaf nitrogen concentration and morphological properties, such as leaf blade and palisade layer thickness, leaf mass per area (LMA) and surface area of mesophyll cells per unit leaf area (Ames/A), also varied significantly across species. Among the relationships with leaf characteristics, Pmax had the strongest correlation with leaf mesophyll parameters, such as palisade cell layer thickness (r2 = 0.76, P < 0.001) and Ames/A (r2 = 0.73, P < 0.001). Leaf nitrogen concentration and Pmax per unit area also had a significant but weaker correlation (r2 = 0.46, P < 0.01), whereas Pmax had no correlation, or only weakly significant correlations, with leaf blade thickness and LMA. Shorea beccariana Burck, which had the highest P(max) of the species studied, also had the thickest palisade layer, with up to five or more layers. We conclude that interspecific variation in photosynthetic capacity in tropical rain forest canopies is influenced more by leaf mesophyll structure than by leaf thickness, LMA or leaf nitrogen concentration.     

Gene flow pattern and mating system in a small population of Quercus semiserrata Roxb. (Fagaceae)

Pollen flow from external sources is important for the conservation of tree species in fragmented forests or small populations, because it can be sufficient to prevent differentiation among them, and appears to be able to prevent the loss of their genetic diversity through genetic drift. In this study, we examined the genetic heterogeneity of pollen pools accepted by each Quercus semiserrata seed parent at the Khun Wang Royal Agriculture Research Center, Thailand, both within and among two mast fruiting years (2005 and 2007), using paternity analysis and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). The mating systems of the trees were also examined using the multilocus mating system model (MLTR), after determining the genotypes at eight microsatellite loci of 26 seed-trees and 435 seeds from 8 seed-trees in the 2 mast fruiting years. The average distance of effective pollen flow within the plot was estimated to be 52.4 m, and 95% of effective pollen was dispersed within 200 m, indicating that effective pollen flow is highly localized and that most effective pollen is contributed by near-neighbor trees. The proportion of effective pollen that immigrated from external sources was estimated to be 26.2%. The AMOVA analysis based on the pollen haplotypes showed that the pollen pools, both total and for each reproductive year, significantly genetically differed among the seed parents. Using a mixed mating model, the estimate of biparental inbreeding for the total population (t_m − t_s) was 0.013, indicating that a low proportion of mating occurred among close relatives. The effective number of pollen donors (N_ep) was estimated to be 9.987 using the TwoGener model, or 10.989 using the mixed mating model. The effective number of pollen donors of seeds was higher in the mast fruiting year 2005 than in the other examined year, 2007. Consequently the allelic richness and genetic diversity of seeds produced in 2005 were higher than those produced in 2007. Overall, the results show that high outcrossing rates, high levels of gene flow from other populations and heterogeneity in the pollen received by an individual may enhance the ability of populations to maintain effective population sizes. Therefore, these processes may be sufficient to prevent loss of genetic diversity through genetic drift of Q. semiserrata at this study site.     

Structure of genetic variation in vegetative phenology of Cedrela odorata L.: implications for tree breeding

New Forests - The study of vegetative phenology is important to understand adaptation to different environments and potential trade-offs with growth traits. Crown leaf-out and leaf-fall phenology...     

AFLP analysis of genetic variation of Hyphantria cunea （Drury） populations in Beijing and a nearby site

Hyphantria cunea(Drury) is a severe invasive pest in Beijing.It is important to understand the reason for its successful invasion and outbreak.Accordingly,this study was tailored to assess molecular variation and genetic relationships among three H.cunea populations in Beijing and one population from Sanhe in Hebei Province as control(totally 100 individuals).A silver-labeled amplified fragment length polymorphisms(AFLP) DNA profiling method was used to detect the genetic diversity and relationship among th...     

Factors controlling plasticity of leaf morphology in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Robinia pseudoacacia L.</Emphasis> I: height-associated variation in leaf structure

? Context

Physiological ecologists have been fascinated by height- or position-linked differences of leaf morphology within tall trees >25 m, but the exact cause is still debated, i.e., is it due to light or height-induced water stress?

? Aims

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that relatively small trees (<15 m) have leaf morphologies that vary with height and that such variation depends on site-moisture variability.

? Methods

Leaves were collected from Robinia pseudoacacia trees at two sites in China with contrasting moisture variability to gather baseline data on leaf morphology parameters.

? Results

Most measured parameters changed regularly with height. Water potential linearly decreased with height. Leaf area and stomata area decreased with height, while leaf mass per area, carbon isotope composition (δ ¹³C), and stomata density increased with height. Mesophyll and epidermal cell width decreased with height, while leaf thickness and palisade cell length increased with height. All the morphology parameters between two sites were also significantly different.

? Conclusions

Based on the field results, it is concluded that minor variations in water potential at the time of leaf growth influence leaf morphology at both site-level and height-level. Controlled environment experiments will be conducted to confirm this conclusion.