Hyperhydricity in apple: ultrastructural and physiological aspects

We studied the effects of hyperhydricity on subcellular ultrastructure and physiology of leaves during in vitro regeneration of apple plants. Morphological, anatomical and ultrastructural differences between healthy leaf tissues obtained from greenhouse-grown plants and healthy and hyperhydric leaves obtained from shoots raised from nodal shoot explants in a bioreactor were investigated by electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Compared with healthy leaves, hyperhydric leaves showed abnormal, often discontinuous development of the epidermis and cuticle. Stomata were malformed. The leaf lamina appeared thickened and was characterized by poor differentiation between the palisade and spongy mesophyll tissue. Hyperhydric leaves had a significantly lower chloroplast number per cell and chloroplasts showed reduced thylakoid stacking compared with healthy leaves. Hyperhydricity resulted in a general decrease in concentrations of reduced and oxidized pyridine nucleotides, reflecting a reduction in metabolic activity. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase were higher in hyperhydric leaves than in healthy leaves, indicating that hyperhydricity was associated with oxidative stress. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements provided evidence of oxidative damage to the photosynthetic machinery in hyperhydric leaves: photochemical efficiency of photosystem II, effective quantum efficiency and photochemical quenching were all lower in hyperhydric leaves compared with healthy leaves.     

海涂农田林网防护效益研究

对上虞市海涂实验农场农田林网防护效益的测定,结果表明通风结构审林带防风效能达到３１．０％左右;在八九月份高温干旱季节,林网内增加相对湿度约１．８％。林带背风而树高２～３倍地区为林带增产作用的显著范围,棉花产量比对照区增产１３．０％～３８．１％,除林缘等胁地外,受林带有利影响测试区棉花产量平均增产８．４％。     

Aqueous extract of Anemarrhena rhizome increases cell proliferation and neuropeptide Y expression in the hippocampal dentate gyrus on streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

In this study, the effects of the aqueous extract of Anemarrhena rhizome on cell proliferation and neuropeptide Y expression in the dentate gyrus of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were investigated via immunohistochemistry for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and neuropeptide Y. The results showed that the treatment with 50 to 200 mug/kg/day for 7 days of the aqueous extract of Anemarrhena rhizome increased new cell formation and neuropeptide Y expression in the dentate gyrus of diabetic rats reduced by the treatment with streptozotocin in rat.     

Refugee impact on collective management of forest resources: a case study of Bhutanese refugees in Nepal's Eastern Terai region

This article analyzes the relationship between forest resources, refugees, and the host population. The findings of the research suggest that the host population are heavily dependent on the local forest for their daily needs such as fuelwood, timber, grazing area, fodder for domestic animals, foods, and medicine in addition to cultural and esthetic needs. The forest has also been relied upon for agricultural needs such as manufacture of agricultural tools, maintenance of irrigation water systems, erosion control, and fertilizer needs. The forest was under a sustained demand as any other Terai forest of Nepal. After the arrival of refugees in 1992, the demand for forest resources increased substantially. Initially, the construction of the refugee camps decreased the total forest area and also required some felling of trees. More significantly, the refugees themselves became active users of the forest resource, which generated extra pressure on the forest and created scarcity of forest resources. Before the arrival of the refugees, forest management and monitoring of illegal use of the forest resources were carried out by the government through its local forester office. The local residents were active users of the forest resources, but were passive in managing and maintaining the forest resource. However, competition from the refugees instilled a desire in the local population to safeguard and protect the dwindling resource against the external threat by creating the Humse Dumse Community Forest.     

Effect of improvement cutting on the community structure of aphyllophoraceous fungi on Okinawa Island

Improvement cutting, which decreases tree density by cutting and thinning while leaving logging residues, has been practiced on Okinawa Island since the 1970s and changes not only the vegetation composition but also the amount and composition of woody debris on the forest floor. To quantitatively compare the effect of improvement cutting with the effects of woody debris and vegetation on the community structure of aphyllophoraceous fungi, we conducted a field survey of vegetation composition, the amount and composition of woody debris, and the aphyllophoraceous fungi flora on Okinawa Island in December 2006. We established 3 plots in forest stands without logging and 13 plots in a forest that had undergone improvement cutting from 1 to 22 years before our field survey. The number and volume of woody debris tended to be highest soon after improvement cutting. We recorded 1,172 fungal samples belonging to 81 species in four orders. Fungal species richness was correlated with the composition of the woody debris. Fungal species composition in forest plots 1 year after improvement cutting differed from most of the other logged forests. Variation partitioning revealed that the effects of improvement cutting explained 14.1 % of the total variation in fungal species composition, and that differences in woody debris and vegetation not related to improvement cutting explained 40.4 %. Changes in the composition of woody debris caused by improvement cutting explained at most 2.7 % of the variation. This suggests that improvement cutting does not have a strong effect on fungal community structure, but woody debris does.     

First discovery of a cave-dwelling Tineid moth （Lepidoptera,Tineidae） from East Asia

In this study, we report Monopis crocicapitella （Clemens, 1859） （Tineidae）, which was collected from bat guano in a cave in the southern region of Korea, for the first time from East Asia. We briefly redescribe and illustrate the external morphology and genital structures of both sexes. Also, we discuss the local habitat characteristics and some of the ecological information that was observed during our field investi-gation.     

The response of ectomycorrhizal fungi on Pinus densiflora seedling roots to liquid culture

Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora) seedlings taken from a nursery were grown in liquid culture with all roots entirely submerged in water. The aims of the present study were to observe the reactions of preformed ectomycorrhizae to liquid culture and to examine new infections by ectomycorrhizal fungi on newly formed root tips in liquid culture. Inoculation levels were controlled by trimming the ectomycorrhizal roots to one of three selected root lengths. The results showed that the mantles of pre-formed ectomycorrhizae were lost during the 8 weeks of the liquid culture and that these preformed root tips became blackish and wrinkled, but Hartig nets remained in these blackish root tips. On the newly formed lateral root tips, no ectomycorrhizal mantles were formed, although Hartig nets were found. In addition, the level of inoculum did not affect the frequency of Hartig nets in newly formed root tips, suggesting that the density of inoculum was more important than the amount of inoculum for new infection. In conclusion, ectomycorrhizal fungi endured and infected new roots while submerged; however, only Hartig nets were formed and not mantles.     

辣椒倍半萜植保素代谢的分子生态学研究

为建立克隆辣椒倍半萜环化酶基因的cDNA文库,我们尝试了用紫外线（UV）处理离体辣椒叶片,考察UV对辣椒倍半萜环化酶活性的影响,结果表明UV能诱导辣椒叶片表达倍半萜环化酶活性;不同抗性水平的辣椒品种倍半萜环化酶活性对紫外线的反应有差异,紫外线处理后,抗病品种cm334在24 h 出现酶活性高峰,而感病品种subiche在36～42 h出现酶活性高峰; 在紫外线处理后0～24 h cm334的酶活性高于subiche。UV对辣椒倍半萜环化酶活性的诱导作用与UV的作用方式、剂量及辣椒植株的生育期有关, 紫外线交联处理45 s诱导10叶期的倍半萜环化酶活性最高;5支15 W紫外灯相距20 cm照射15 min低于1支相同的紫外灯处理;在相同的UV作用下,开花前辣椒叶片倍半萜环化酶活性显著高于开花以后的辣椒叶片。另一方面,紫外线处理是辣椒叶片中的鲨烯合成酶活性受到一定程度的拟制。