Effects of management, environment and landscape conditions on establishment of hardwood seedlings and saplings in central Japanese coniferous plantations

There is an increasing need to restore natural hardwood forests in landscapes dominated by monocultural conifer plantations. A convenient restoration approach is to exploit natural regeneration processes. Natural regeneration, however, is affected by diverse interacting factors, for which better understanding is required, in order to optimize restoration programs. To identify optimal management practices for improving natural regeneration of hardwood trees in coniferous plantations, we examined the effects of multiple factors on the abundance of seedlings, small saplings and large saplings (height <0.3, 0.3-1.3 and ?1.3 m, respectively) of hardwood tree and shrub species in both line thinned (LT) and unthinned (UT) plantations of sugi (Cryptomeria japonica) and hardwood forests (HF) in central Japan. The effects of management practices (number of the times of weeding and cleaning, thinning method, years after thinning and forest age), environment (slope position, slope angle and canopy openness), and landscape conditions (distance from nearest hardwood forest, altitude and landuse before planting) on the number of hardwood individuals were examined by using the data obtained from the LT plantations. We also compared hardwood density between LT and UT plantations to examine the effect of line thinning. Finally, we examined species composition of LT plantations and HF to identify hardwood forest components in the thinned plantations. The effects on hardwood regeneration of environmental conditions, landscape factors and management practices applied in the plantations varied, depending on the size class and life form of the regenerating species. The abundance of large saplings of tall tree species was affected by several management factors, especially number of the times of weeding. Landscape conditions (distance from the nearest hardwood forest and altitude) affected the abundance of small saplings and seedlings of tall tree species, but not the other classes. Seedlings and small saplings of many tall tree species that contribute to hardwood forest canopies were less abundant in the LT plantations. The results show that numerous factors affect the establishment and abundance of naturally regenerating hardwood tree species, and suggest that successful establishment during early plantation stages can have long-lasting effects on natural regeneration of tall tree species.     

Comparison of depth- and mass-based approaches for estimating changes in forest soil carbon stocks: A case study in young plantations and secondary forests in West Java, Indonesia

Soil carbon (C) stocks in forest ecosystems have been widely estimated to a fixed soil depth (i.e., 0-30 cm) to clarify temporal changes in the C pool. However, surface elevations change as a result of compaction or expansion of the soil under forest management and land use. On the other hand, the calculation of soil C stocks based on “equivalent soil mass” is not affected by compaction or expansion of forest soil. To contribute to the development of a forest C accounting methodology, we compared changes in soil C stocks over 4 years between depth- and mass-based approaches using original soil data collected at 0-30 cm depths in young plantations and secondary forests in West Java, Indonesia. Our methodology expanded on the mass-based approach; rather than using one representative value for the mass-based calculation of soil C stocks, we adjusted individual values, maintaining the coefficient of variance in soil mass. We also considered the effect of an increase or decrease in soil organic matter on equivalent soil mass. Both increasing and decreasing trends in soil C stocks became clearer when the mass-based approach was used rather than the depth-based approach. The trends in soil C stocks based on equivalent soil mass were particularly evident in the surface soil layers (0-5 cm) and in plantation sites, compared with those for soil profiles including subsurface soil layers (0-30 cm) and in secondary forests. These trends in soil C stocks corresponded with temporal trends in litter stocks. We suggest that equivalent mass-basis soil C stock for the upper 30 cm of soil be calculated based on multiple soil layers to reduce estimation errors. Changes in soil organic matter mass had little effect on the estimation of soil C stock on an equivalent mass basis. For the development of a forest C accounting system, the mass-based approach should be used to characterize temporal trends in soil C stocks and to improve C cycle models, rather than simpler methods of calculating soil C stocks. These improvements will help to increase the tier level of country-specific forest C accounting systems.     

Infection and colonization of aseptically micropropagated sugarcane seedlings by nitrogen-fixing endophytic bacterium, Herbaspirillum sp. B501gfp1

In this study, we used Herbaspirillum sp. B501gfp1 (B501gfp1), an isolate from wild rice, to investigate the interaction between a non-host nitrogen-fixing endophytic bacterium and micropropagated sugarcane plants under aseptic condition. Two Japanese sugarcane plants (Saccharum sp.) cultivars (cvs) NiF8 and Ni15 were inoculated using B501gfp1 in two inoculum doses of 10⁸ and 10² bacterial-cells-per-milliliter suspension. The results showed that bacterial cells colonized both the root and stem tissues, and colonization was apparent in the intercellular spaces. Higher bacterial numbers were detected in plant tissues inoculated with the higher inoculum concentration treatment. Bacterial numbers also varied between the two cultivars, with the higher values determined in cv Ni15. This study provides evidence that Herbaspirillum sp. B501gfp1, a rice isolate, could colonize sugarcane tissues, suggesting non-specificity of host plant among endophytes.     

Microbial Immobilization and Plant Uptake of Different N Forms in Three Forest Types in Shikoku District, Southern Japan

Soil microbial immobilization and plant uptake of N were evaluated for three forest types in Kochi, Shikoku district. During 196-d laboratory incubation, soil NO₃-N production in the Hinoki cypress forest was negligible for the initial 40 d and then rapidly increased, whereas NO₃-N production was rapid from the beginning in Japanese cedar and deciduous hardwood forests. Microbial immobilization of the labeled ¹⁵N decreased in the order of NH₄-N>glycine-N>NO₃-N. The ¹⁵N immobilization was higher for soil in the Hinoki cypress forest than other two soils. The delayed NO₃-N production in the Hinoki cypress forest was likely related with low availability of NH₄-N due to NH₄-N immobilization and substantial NO₃-N immobilization. In the field experiment, ¹⁵N uptake by roots decreased in the order of NH₄-N>NO₃-N>glycine-N. The absorption of the labeled ¹³C suggested direct uptake of organic N. The preference of N forms by root uptake was not different among forest types. Trees in three forest types can absorb inorganic and organic forms of N, suggesting trees absorb the N form that is the most abundant in the soil.     

In vivo antioxidative activity of propolis evaluated by the interaction with vitamins C and E and the level of lipid hydroperoxides in rats

In vivo antioxidative activity of propolis was evaluated on the basis of ameliorative effects on the oxidative stress induced by vitamin E deficiency in rats. The control group was fed vitamin E-deficient diet, and the propolis group was fed vitamin E-deficient diet supplemented with 1% of propolis for 4 and 8 weeks. Comparisons were made in tissue concentrations of vitamin C, vitamin E, and lipid hydroperoxides between these groups. No significant difference was observed in tissue vitamin E concentration between these groups after both 4 and 8 weeks. After 4 weeks, the plasma vitamin C concentration of the propolis group was significantly higher than that of the control group. After 8 weeks, the tissue concentrations of vitamin C in the kidney, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine of the propolis group were significantly higher than those of the control group. These results suggest that some components of propolis are absorbed to circulate in the blood and behave as a hydrophilic antioxidant that saves vitamin C. The concentration of lipid hydroperoxides in the large intestine of the propolis group was significantly lower than that of the control group after 8 weeks. These results suggest that propolis exerts its antioxidative effect where it is assumed to accumulate, such as on the kidney, where it is excreted, and on the gastrointestinal tract, where propolis influences these tissues even from the outside of the cell.     

Applicability of Aegilops tauschii drought tolerance traits to breeding of hexaploid wheat

Few genes are available to develop drought-tolerant bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars. One way to enhance bread wheat’s genetic diversity would be to take advantage of the diversity of wild species by creating synthetic hexaploid wheat (SW) with the genomic constitution of bread wheat. In this study, we compared the expression of traits encoded at different ploidy levels and evaluated the applicability of Aegilops tauschii drought-related traits using 33 Ae. tauschii accessions along with their corresponding SW lines under well-watered and drought conditions. We found wide variation in Ae. tauschii, and even wider variation in the SW lines. Some SW lines were more drought-tolerant than the standard cultivar Cham 6. Aegilops tauschii from some regions gave better performing SW lines. The traits of Ae. tauschii were not significantly correlated with their corresponding SW lines, indicating that the traits expressed in wild diploid relatives of wheat may not predict the traits that will be expressed in SW lines derived from them. We suggest that, regardless of the adaptability and performance of the Ae. tauschii under drought, production of SW could probably result in genotypes with enhanced trait expression due to gene interactions, and that the traits of the synthetic should be evaluated in hexaploid level.     

Meropenem as an Alternative Antibiotic Agent for Suppression of Agrobacterium in Genetic Transformation of Orchid

A case of Meropenem as a novel antibacterial agent to suppress and eliminate Agrobacterium tumefaciens in the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of orchid protocorm-like bodies （PLBs） has been reported in this article. The in vitro activities of meropenem and four comparator antibacterial agents against three Agrobacterium tumefaciens strains, LBA4404, EHA101, and GV3101, were assessed. In addition, the effect of meropenem on the growth of Dendrobium phalaenopsis PLBs was determined. Compared with other commonly used antibiotics （including ampicillin, carbenicillin, cefotaxime, and cefoperazone）, meropenem showed the highest activity in suppressing all tested A. tumefaciens strains （minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] 〈 0.5 mg L^-1, which is equal to minimum bactericidal concentration [MBC]）. Meropenem, at all tested concentrations, except for 10 mg L^-1 concentration, had little negative effect on the growth of orchid tissues. The A. tumefaciens strain EHA101 in genetic transformation with vector plG121Hm in infected PLBs of the orchid was visually undetectable after a two-month subculture in 1/2 MS medium with 50 mg L^-1 meropenem and 25 mg L^-1 hygromacin. The expression and incorporation of the transgenes were confirmed by GUS histochemical assay and PCR analysis. Meropenem may be an alternative antibiotic for the effective suppression of A. tumefaciens in genetic transformation.     

Reversible molecular adsorption based on multiple-point interaction by shrinkable gels

A general approach is presented for creating polymer gels that can recognize and capture a target molecule by multiple-point interaction and that can reversibly change their affinity to the target by more than one order of magnitude. The polymers consist of majority monomers that make the gel reversibly swell and shrink and minority monomers that constitute multiple-point adsorption centers for the target molecule. Multiple-point interaction is experimentally proven by power laws found between the affinity and the concentration of the adsorbing monomers within the gels.     

Aureusidin synthase: a polyphenol oxidase homolog responsible for flower coloration

Aurones are plant flavonoids that provide yellow color to the flowers of some popular ornamental plants, such as snapdragon and cosmos. In this study, we have identified an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of aurone from chalcones in the yellow snapdragon flower. The enzyme (aureusidin synthase) is a 39-kilodalton, copper-containing glycoprotein catalyzing the hydroxylation and/or oxidative cyclization of the precursor chalcones, 2',4',6',4-tetrahydroxychalcone and 2',4',6',3,4-pentahydroxychalcone. The complementary DNA encoding aureusidin synthase is expressed in the petals of aurone-containing varieties. DNA sequence analysis revealed that aureusidin synthase belongs to the plant polyphenol oxidase family, providing an unequivocal example of the function of the polyphenol oxidase homolog in plants, i.e., flower coloration.