Dormancy release of Norway spruce under climatic warming: testing ecophysiological models of bud burst with a whole-tree chamber experiment

Ecophysiological models predicting timing of bud burst were tested with data gathered from 40-year-old Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees growing in northern Sweden in whole-tree chambers under climatic conditions predicted to prevail in 2100. Norway spruce trees, with heights between 5 and 7 m, were enclosed in individual chambers that provided a factorial combination of ambient (365 micromol mol-1) or elevated (700 micromol mol-1) atmospheric CO2 concentration, [CO2], and ambient or elevated air temperature. Temperature elevation above ambient ranged from +2.8 degrees C in summer to +5.6 degrees C in winter. Compared with control trees, elevated air temperature hastened bud burst by 2 to 3 weeks, whereas elevated [CO2] had no effect on the timing of bud burst. A simple model based on the assumption that bud rest completion takes place on a fixed calendar day predicted timing of bud burst more accurately than two more complicated models in which bud rest completion is caused by accumulated chilling. Together with some recent studies, the results suggest that, in adult trees, some additional environmental cues besides chilling are required for bud rest completion. Although it appears that these additional factors will protect trees under predicted climatic warming conditions, increased risk of frost damage associated with earlier bud burst cannot be ruled out. Inconsistent and partially anomalous results obtained in the model fitting show that, in addition to phenological data gathered under field conditions, more specific data from growth chamber and greenhouse experiments are needed for further development and testing of the models.     

Functional implications of soil fauna diversity in boreal forests

This paper is a review of recent experiments dealing with the role of soil fauna in decomposition, mineralisation and primary production in coniferous forest soils. The experiments have been grouped according to the degree and nature of the ‘diversity gradient' between the ‘more diverse' community and its control: single animal species or an uncontrolled mixture of species versus microbiota only, several known animal species of the same trophic group versus one species only (species diversity), two or more functional groups versus one only, and food chains with predators versus microbes and microbivores only. The evidence available at present suggests that taxonomic diversity and predation have no consistent effects on the process rates in soil, while adding to the ‘functional' or ‘trophic group diversity' results in a more predictable enhancement in mineralisation. Especially the enchytraeid Cognettia sphagnetorum seems to be a keystone species in boreal forest soils. However, there are only few experiments in which species diversity per se has been taken as a separate factor, without a simultaneous change in the number of trophic groups or in total decomposer biomass.     

Size‐dependent stress response in juvenile Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) under prolonged predator conditioning

Predator conditioning can be used to improve post‐release antipredator recognition of hatchery‐reared salmonids. However, possible negative stress‐related effects of prolonged predator conditioning on juvenile fish physiology are poorly understood. We studied the effects of prolonged (91 days) predator odour exposure on whole‐body cortisol level and spleen size in six full‐sib families of juvenile hatchery‐bred Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus). Chemical cues from water containing charr‐fed pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) were used as the predator exposure stimuli and lakewater was used as a chemical control. Our study revealed that juvenile body cortisol levels post‐predator conditioning were affected by treatment, fish size and their interaction. Importantly, among the smaller (i.e. slowest growing) charr, the predator‐exposed fish had higher cortisol levels than control fish, while the opposite pattern was true for the larger fish. These results suggest that chemical cues from charr‐fed predators induce a prolonged stress response in juvenile charr. As prolonged predation exposure seems to elevate stress levels in a size‐dependent manner, the larger, faster growing fish could possibly have intrinsically lower stress responses to predation threats than smaller, slower growing fish. Possible coupling between stress sensitivity and growth requires further attention due to the likely implications for the management of unintended domestication among captive‐reared salmonids.     

Cutin composition of five finnish berries

The raw cutin (i.e., extractive-free isolated cuticular membrane) fraction from Finnish berries, sea buckthorn (Hippopha? rhamnoides), black currant (Ribes nigrum), cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos), lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea), and bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), was depolymerized by NaOMe-catalyzed methanolysis. The composition of cutin monomers was determined by GC-(EI)MS analysis either as methyl esters or as TMSi esters, with OH groups derivatized to TMSi ethers. There was a notable difference in the degree of depolymerization, ranging from 6 to 47%. The extractive-free berry cuticle, that is, raw cutin, thus contains <50% polyester polymer cutin. The predominant cutin monomers were C(16) and C(18) omega-hydroxy acids with midchain functionalities, mainly epoxy and hydroxyl groups. Typically, the major compounds were 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 10,16-dihydroxyhexadecanoic acid, 9,10,18-trihydroxyoctadecanoic acid, 9,10-epoxy-18-hydroxyoctadec-12-enoic acid, and 18-hydroxyoctadec-9-enoic acid. The amount of epoxyacids was rather high in sea buckthorn ( approximately 70%) and cranberry ( approximately 60%), compared with the other berries. The black currant cutin differed from that of the other berries with a significant portion of hydroxyoxohexadecanoic acid ( approximately 12% of total monomers). This investigation of the cuticular hydroxy acids of five Finnish berries is part of the exploitation of the northern natural resources related to the chemical composition, nutritional value, and sensory properties.     

Accumulation of aluminum inHypogymnia physodes in the surroundings of a finnish sulphite-cellulose factory

Atomic absorption analyses were performed on an epiphytic lichenHypogymnia physodes growing at different distances from a sulphite-cellulose and paper plant in Mänttä, southern Finland. Lichen samples were taken from the bark of pine, birch and spruce. The mean Al-content of the lichen was 3-fold and 7.5-fold higher than those in other studies in southern and northern Finland. The accumulation of Al mainly orginated from the dust emission of the pulp and paper mill and its power plant which were the biggest single source of dust pollutants in Finland. Road dust and other local sources also increase Al-content of the lichens. Fe-concentrations ofHphysodes correlated with those of Al. Hg- and Cu-levels were also slightly elevated. Zn was at about the same and Cd at an even lower level than afore mentioned background values. With Zn, the contents were higher in lichens growing on birch than on coniferous trees.     

视频扫描测定油菜饼粕自由基清除活力方法的研究

用视频扫描平板色谱和稳定自由基1，1－二苯基－2－间三硝苯基偕腙肼（DPPH）检测油菜饼粕自由基清除活力的方法，研究抗坏血酸，维生素E，酚酸和类黄酮等17种常见酚类化合物对自由基的清除活力，发现自由基清除面积与样品量的相关系数为0．947－0．996，检测下限为40－690ng，以维生素E指数为清除活力指标，视频扫描法与常规标准比色法的测定结果具有良好的相关性，测定油菜饼粕提取液自由基清除活力发现，68－75％的化合物具有自由基清除能力，Rf值为0．41的化合物清除活力最高，占总活力的38％。     

Ecological linkages between aboveground and belowground biota

All terrestrial ecosystems consist of aboveground and belowground components that interact to influence community- and ecosystem-level processes and properties. Here we show how these components are closely interlinked at the community level, reinforced by a greater degree of specificity between plants and soil organisms than has been previously supposed. As such, aboveground and belowground communities can be powerful mutual drivers, with both positive and negative feedbacks. A combined aboveground-belowground approach to community and ecosystem ecology is enhancing our understanding of the regulation and functional significance of biodiversity and of the environmental impacts of human-induced global change phenomena.     

不同产地沙棘果的成分分析

通过沙棘甘油三酯和甘油磷脂中的糖、果酸(气相色谱-质谱法,TMS衍生物)、矿物质(FAAS,ETAAS)、挥发性物质(顶部空间气相色谱-质谱法)、Vc(高压液相色谱)和脂肪酸(气相色谱-质谱法,甲基酯)的分析方法,优化不同产地的沙棘果。对1997年10-11月采集的中国沙棘果(CH)和8月底采集的芬兰沙棘果(FI)和俄罗斯沙棘果(RU)的成分进行比较,得到了为今后开展更广泛的沙棘项目所需要的足够的资料。中国沙棘果汁中的Vc含量极高,平均8g/l(4.2-13.2g/l),是芬兰沙棘果汁中含量的5倍。主要矿物元素的含量比其它可食用的浆果中丰富得多,钾是沙棘果(6-14g/kg,干重)和沙棘籽(5-9g/kg,干重)中的主要矿物质之一,在一些样品中铅和镉含量的增加表明存在轻微的污染。压榨的沙棘果汁中糖的含量从1-20g/100ml有很大的变化,含量最高的是晚秋收获的中国沙棘果,最低的是8月收获的芬兰沙棘果。糖主要是葡萄糖(占总糖分的50％以上)、果糖及葡萄糖衍生物。苹果酸和奎宁酸是主要的果酸(77％-97％),含量为每100ml果汁中4.2-9.1g。果汁上部油脂的特点是形成了C2-C5n-、iso-、和ante-iso乙醇,C4-C5n-,iso,及ante-ISO酸,也呈现出挥发性油脂的籽油乙醇前体。不同的产地和采收时间对挥发物有着明显的影响,整个果中的含油量为2％-11％(鲜重),籽中的含     

Corn mint (Mentha arvensis) extract diminishes acute Chlamydia pneumoniae infection in vitro and in vivo

Corn mint ( Mentha arvensis ) provides a good source of natural phenols such as flavone glycosides and caffeic acid derivatives, which may have prophylactic properties against inflammations. This study investigated whether corn mint extract would be beneficial against a universal respiratory tract pathogen, Chlamydia pneumoniae , infection. The extract inhibited the growth of C. pneumoniae CWL-029 in vitro in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibition was confirmed against a clinical isolate K7. The phenolic composition of the extract was analyzed by UPLC-ESI/Q-TOF/MS, the main components being linarin and rosmarinic acid. These compounds were active in vitro against C. pneumoniae. Linarin completely inhibited the growth at 100 μM. Inbred C57BL/6J mice were inoculated with C. pneumoniae K7. M. arvensis extract was given intraperitoneally once daily for 3 days prior to inoculation and continued for 10 days postinfection. The extract was able to diminish the inflammatory parameters related to C. pneumoniae infection and significantly (p = 0.019) lowered the number of C. pneumoniae genome equivalents detected by PCR at biologically relevant amounts.     

Effects of antioxidants on rapeseed oil oxidation in an artificial digestion model analyzed by UHPLC-ESI-MS

A normal diet contains large quantities of oxidized fatty acids, glycerolipids, cholesterol, and their cytotoxic degradation products because many foods in the diet are fried, heated, or otherwise processed and consumed often after long periods of storage. There is also evidence that the acid medium of the stomach promotes lipid peroxidation and that the gastrointestinal tract is a major site of antioxidant action, as demonstrated by various colorimetric methods. The identity and yields of specific products of lipid transformation have seldom been determined. The present study describes the molecular species profiles of all major gastrointestinal lipids formed during digestion of autoxidized rapeseed oil in an artificial digestion model in the presence of L-ascorbic acid, 6-palmitoyl-O-L-ascorbic acid, 3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxytoluene (BHT), DL-α-tocopherol, and DL-α-tocopheryl acetate. Differences in oxidized lipid profiles were detected in the samples digested in the presence of different antioxidants, but none of them could prevent the formation of oxidized lipids or promote their degradation in a gastric digestion model. The lack of effect is attributed to the inappropriate nature of the gastrointestinal medium for the antioxidant activity of these vitamins and BHT. A fast ultrahigh performance liquid chromatographic-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric method was developed for the analysis of lipolysis products, including epoxy, hydroperoxy, and hydroxy fatty acids, and acylglycerols, utilizing lithium as ionization enhancer.