Annual survival probabilities of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles indicate high anthropogenic impact on Mediterranean populations

相似文献   

Nutritional and pathogenic fungi associated with the pine engraver beetle trigger comparable defenses in Scots pine

Conifer bark beetles are often associated with fungal complexes whose components have different ecological roles. Some associated species are nutritionally obligate fungi, serving as nourishment to the larvae, whereas others are pathogenic blue-stain fungi known to be involved in the interaction with host defenses. In this study we characterized the local and systemic defense responses of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) against Ophiostoma brunneo-ciliatum Math. (a blue-stain pathogen) and Hyalorhinocladiella macrospora (Franke-Grosm.) Harr. (a nutritional fungus). These fungi are the principal associates of the pine engraver beetle, Ips acuminatus (Gyll.). Host responses were studied following inoculation with the fungi, singly and as a fungal complex, and by identifying and quantifying terpenoids, phenolic compounds and lignin. Although the length of the necrotic lesions differed between control (wound) and fungal treatments, only two compounds (pinosylvin monomethyl ether and (+)-α-pinene) were significantly affected by the presence of the fungi, indicating that Scots pine has a generic, rather than specific, induced response. The fact that both nutritional and blue-stain fungi triggered comparable induced defense responses suggests that even a non-pathogenic fungus may participate in exhausting host plant defenses, indirectly assisting in the beetle establishment process. Our findings contribute to the further development of current theory on the role of associated fungal complexes in bark beetle ecology.     

Xylogenesis of compression and opposite wood in mountain pine at a Mediterranean treeline

Key message

Comparisons between compression and opposite wood formation in prostrating Pinus mugo indicate that the secondary meristem can produce more tracheids with thicker walls by also increasing the number of contemporaneously differentiating cells, rather than only increasing the duration or the rate of cell formation.

Context

Although cambium tissues within a stem experience the same climatic conditions, the resulting wood structure and properties can strongly differ. Assessing how meristem differently regulates wood formation to achieve different anatomical properties can help understanding the mechanisms of response and their plasticity.

Aims

We monitored the formation of compression (CW) and opposite (OW) wood within the same stems to understand whether achieved differences in wood structure are caused by modifications in the process of cell formation.

Methods

We collected weekly microcores of compression and opposite wood from the curved stem of ten treeline prostrating mountain pines (Pinus mugo Turra ssp. mugo) at the Majella massif in Central Italy.

Results

Results indicate that cambium formed approximately 1.5 times more cells in CW than OW, despite that CW cell differentiation only extended 2 weeks longer and the residence time of CW cells in the wall-thickening phase was only 20% longer. Differences in their formation were thus mainly related to both the rates and the width of the enlarging and wall-thickening zones (i.e., the number of cells simultaneously under differentiation) and less to duration of cell formation.

Conclusion

We conclude that to achieve such a different wood structures, the efficiency of the secondary meristem, in addition of altered rate of cell division and differentiation, can also modify the width of the developing zones. Thus, deciphering what rules this width is important to link environmental conditions with productivity.

     

Do railway edges provide functional connectivity for plant communities in an urban context?

Functional connectivity is essential to maintaining biodiversity in fragmented landscapes but little attention has been given to structures that can provide it in an urban context. Using both the taxonomic and functional diversity of semi-natural grassland plant communities, we assessed the functional connectivity of linear transportation infrastructures in urban landscape. We sampled the vegetation at 71 study sites located along the edges of two railway lines. We hypothesised that if railways favour functional connectivity, then spatially connected communities should be more similar than disconnected communities. Therefore, we compared floristic dissimilarities between site pairs that were either connected or separated by a railway spatial break (overpass or station). As a further approach, we supposed that functional connectivity may attenuate the effect of urbanisation filters on plant communities. Thus we examined whether and how edges’ plant communities were influenced by urbanisation and compared our results to the patterns described in the literature. Functional connectivity was mainly maintained at railway stations, contrary to overpasses, which seemed to interrupt dispersal, demonstrating that railway edges provide connectivity for some but not all functional groups: this was only true for moderately mobile species. Surprisingly, railway edges did not seem to play an additional connective function for invasive species, the presence of which being strongly related to the urbanisation intensity and not influenced by spatial breaks along railways. Our study thus highlights the potential function of railway edges as corridors for common grassland plants. Landscape managers should include railways in green networks to improve connectivity in urban landscapes.     

Genetic analysis and molecular characterisation of laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (Botrytis cinerea) resistant to QoI fungicides

BACKGROUND: QoI fungicides, inhibitors of mitochondrial respiration, are considered to be at high risk of resistance development. In several phytopathogenic fungi, resistance is caused by mutations (most frequently G143A) in the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene. The genetic and molecular basis of QoI resistance were investigated in laboratory and field mutants of Botryotinia fuckeliana (de Bary) Whetz. exhibiting in vitro reduced sensitivity to trifloxystrobin. RESULTS: B. fuckeliana mutants highly resistant to trifloxystrobin were obtained in the laboratory by spontaneous mutations in wild‐type strains, or from naturally infected plants on a medium amended with 1–3 mg L^?1 trifloxystrobin and 2 mM salicylhydroxamic acid, an inhibitor of alternative oxidase. No point mutations were detected, either in the complete nucleotide sequences of the cytb gene or in those of the aox and Rieske protein genes of laboratory mutants, whereas all field mutants carried the G143A mutation in the mitochondrial cytb gene. QoI resistance was always maternally inherited in ascospore progeny of sexual crosses of field mutants with sensitive reference strains. CONCLUSIONS: The G143A mutation in cytb gene is confirmed to be responsible for field resistance to QoIs in B. fuckeliana. Maternal inheritance of resistance to QoIs in progeny of sexual crosses confirmed that it is caused by extranuclear genetic determinants. In laboratory mutants the heteroplasmic state of mutated mitochondria could likely hamper the G143A detection, otherwise other gene(s) underlying different mechanisms of resistance could be involved. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Changes in the chemical composition of reduced cooked musts during the heating process

Cooked must is the starting raw material in Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena (ABTM) production, and the cooking process is a crucial step to ensure quality and safety standards. In particular, the furfural content has to be strictly monitored. In this study, we followed, directly at the production plant, nine cooking processes, differing for grape type and process conditions in order to monitor the actual variability in cooked must reduction. 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) and furfural contents were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) technique and glucose, fructose, and tartaric and malic acids by gas chromatography (GC) technique. Furthermore, some bulk properties, such as the water content, refractive index, density, and total acidity, were also measured. The obtained results show that the product undergoes, in the worse operating conditions, remarkable degradation, leading to extremely high levels of furfurals (5-HMF and furfural), corresponding to a water content lower than 40%. On the basis of these results, a first draft of an optimal heating protocol may be suggested in order to guarantee the safety and quality of the final product.     

Bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity stability of phenolic compounds from extra-virgin olive oils during in vitro digestion

The impact of an in vitro procedure that mimics the physiochemical changes occurring in gastric and small intestinal digestion on the bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of phenols from 10 extra-virgin olive oil samples was assessed. Extra-virgin olive oil phenols were totally extracted in the aqueous phase, which reproduces gastric fluids during the digestion procedure. A linear bioaccessibility model, based on tyrosol behavior in model oil samples, was used to estimate the bioaccessibility index (BI%) of extra-virgin olive oil phenols. The BI% varied amongst samples from a maximum of 90% to a minimum of 37%, thus indicating that only a fraction of phenols can be considered bioaccessible. The specific antioxidant activity of olive oil phenols proved to be negatively affected by the digestion procedure. By computing a principal component analysis, it was possible to show that differences in the potential bioactive effect of extra-virgin olive oil samples were related to different phenolic profiles.     

BTV infection in wild ruminants, with emphasis on red deer: a review

The distribution of bluetongue virus has changed, possibly related to climate change. Vaccination of domestic ruminants is taking place throughout Europe to control BT expansion. The high density of wild red deer (Cervus elaphus) in some European regions has raised concerns about the potential role that unvaccinated European wild ungulates might play in maintaining or spreading the virus. Most species of wild ruminants are susceptible to BTV infection, although frequently asymptomatically. The red deer population density in Europe is similar to that of domestic livestock in some areas, and red deer could account for a significant percentage of the BTV-infection susceptible ruminant population in certain regions. High serum antibody prevalence has been found in red deer, and BTV RNA (BTV-1, BTV-4 and BTV-8) has been repeatedly detected in naturally infected European red deer by means of RT-PCR. Moreover, red deer may carry the virus asymptomatically for long periods. Epidemiological studies suggest that there are more BT cases in domestic ungulates in those areas where red deer are present. Vector and host density and environmental factors are implicated in the spatial distribution of BT. As in domestic ruminants, BTV transmission among wild ruminants depends almost exclusively on Culicoides vectors, mainly C. imicola but also members of the C. obsoletus and C. pulicaris complex. However, BTV transmission from red deer to the vector remains to be demonstrated. Transplacental, oral, and mechanical transmissions are also suspected. Thus, wild red deer contribute to the still unclear epidemiology of BTV in Europe, and could complicate BTV control in domestic ruminants. However, further research at the wildlife host-vector-pathogen interface and regarding the epidemiology of BT and BT vectors in wildlife habitats is needed to confirm this hypothesis. Moreover, red deer could be used as BT sentinels. Serum and spleen tissue of calves sampled from late autumn onwards should be the target samples when establishing a BTV surveillance program.