Infection of valuable broadleaf hardwood trees by Glomus mosseae: growth and mineral nutrition

In the past century, the excessive exploitation of the environment by human beings has resulted in the depletion of valuable broadleaf hardwood trees in Italian forests, creating a need for re-forestation. The aim of this research was to verify whether a vescicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus is able to colonise the root of valuable hardwood trees and to evaluate the impact of the VAM fungus on growth and macroelement nutrition of its plant hosts.Four species of valuable broadleaf hardwood trees, Prunus avium L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., and Juglans nigra L., were inoculated with Glomus mosseae, a VAM fungus, and cultivated in a greenhouse. Infection after inoculation and root colonization by the fungus, tree growth, and macro-element nutrition were evaluated two-years after inoculation. G. mosseae formed mycorrhizae on all plants. However, different morphological aspects - predominantly the formation of Arum type arbuscles in P. avium and F. excelsior - were observed. A general improvement of macro-element nutrition from species to species characterised an enhanced growth of mycorrhizal plants. Therefore, it is plausible that the association of VAMs with these broadleaf trees, could overcome the difficulties encountered in the transplanting and the slow growth typical of these tree species.Although numerous articles have reported the beneficial effects of ectomycorrhizal fungi on trees, there is a sparse literature on the association of VAM with tree species. Therefore, this study contributes to the understanding of the role of the symbiosis between valuable broadleaf trees and VAM fungi in macroelement nutrition.     

Mechanisms of stabilization of earthworm casts and artificial casts

Summary Fresh casts were collected from the earthworm species Aporrectodea caliginosa, and artificial casts were also made. The casts were subjected to ageing, drying-rewetting, and sterilization by hexanol vapour. Clay dispersion was determined, as a measure of the lack of stability of the casts. Two soils were used, the topsoil of a recently reclaimed polder soil in the Netherlands and the topsoil from a South Australian duplex soil. For both soils the fresh worm casts had higher dispersible clay than the artificial casts. During ageing, both types of casts became more stable. There are strong indications that this was mainly due to changes on the surface of the casts. Fungi developed on the surface of 6-day-old worm casts made of Australian soil. This gave a higher stability to the casts compared to artificial casts of the same age without fungal growth. With both types of casts, hexanol inhibited fungal growth on the surface of the casts, reducing the stabilizing effect of ageing. The fungus did not develop on Dutch soil casts until after 42 days, and the development of a higher stability with age was also less marked than in the Australian soil. When the casts were subjected to a drying and rewetting cycle before analysis, they became much more stable than the casts that were analyzed wet. The drying-rewetting cycle removed most of the differences between the worm casts and the artificial casts, and also removed any effects of ageing.Dedicated to the late Prof. Dr. W. Kühnelt     

Geomorphological significance of lichen colonization in a present snow hollow: Hoya del Cuchillar de las Navajas, Sierra de Gredos (Spain)

This paper discusses the results of a lichenometrical and geomorphological study of one of the few remaining active snow hollows in the central region of the Iberian Peninsula. The study area, located on a glacial shoulder, is called Hoya del Cuchillar de las Navajas. A protalus rampart occurs at the base of the hollow. Our studies, conducted between 1992 and 1998, were designed to determine the geomorphological characteristics of Hoya, the mobility of the deposits, and the characteristics of the snow cover. These data formed the basis for a study of the lichen colonization on the blocks and on the wall surrounding the snow hollow. All of the lichen species found were analyzed according to their abundance, distribution and the extent of their surface cover. Measurements of the diameter of the thalli of the species Rhizocarpon geographicum were also obtained. Thalli of this species were found to require a mean snow-free growing season of at least 95 days (13.5 weeks) per year. Maximum mean thallus diameters indicate that the protalus rampart was formed during the Little Ice Age and became inactive 130 years ago.     

拮抗细菌B9对灰霉病菌的影响及在番茄叶表的定殖

 采用生长速率法、抑菌圈法及分生孢子萌发法测定了拮抗细菌B9菌株对番茄灰霉病菌的影响,研究结果表明,番茄灰霉病菌的菌丝生长和分生孢子萌发均受到其明显抑制,发酵原液的抑制率均达80%以上。B9菌株在番茄叶表的定殖试验表明,拮抗细菌喷施于番茄叶表3d内,拮抗细菌的定殖数量较高且数量基本稳定,然后定殖数量逐渐下降,可维持20d左右。温度及接种灰霉病菌对定殖都有影响,在温度28℃左右先接种拮抗细菌1d后再接种灰霉病菌的情况下,拮抗细菌在番茄叶表的定殖数量最多,定殖能力最强。     

Assisted colonization: Integrating conservation strategies in the face of climate change

Global climate change poses an immense challenge for conservation biologists seeking to mitigate impacts to species and ecosystems. Species persistence will depend on geographic range shifts or adaptation in response to warming patterns as novel climates and community assemblages arise. Assisted colonization has been proposed as a method for addressing these challenges. This technique, which consists of transporting species to a new range that is predicted to be favorable for persistence under future climate scenarios, has become the subject of controversy and discussion in the conservation community due to its highly manipulative nature, questions about widespread feasibility, and uncertainty associated with the likelihood of translocated species becoming invasive. We reviewed the discussion and criticism associated with assisted colonization and sought to identify other conservation techniques that also display potential to promote the colonization and adaptation of species in response to climate change. We propose an integrated conservation strategy that includes management for habitat connectivity, conservation genetics, and when necessary, assisted colonization of species that are still unable to shift their ranges even given implementation of the above standard conservation approaches. We argue that this integrated approach will facilitate persistence for a larger proportion of species than is possible by solely using assisted colonization. Furthermore, a multi-faceted approach will likely reduce the uncertainty of conservation outcomes and will become increasingly necessary for conservation of biodiversity in a changing climate.     

生防菌哈茨木霉FJAT-9040的GFP标记及土壤定殖示踪

哈茨木霉Trichoderma harzianum FJAT-9040对茄科尖孢镰刀菌具有较强拮抗作用。为跟踪分析该菌株在土壤中的存活与定殖特性,利用PEG-CaCl2介导的原生质体转化体系,筛选获得1株荧光性状稳定的菌株FJAT-9295,该菌株在生长速率、产孢量、对酸碱度和温度的适应性及对尖孢镰刀菌的抑菌活性等方面与野生型菌株FJAT-9040无显著差异（P〉0.05）。同时,研究了菌株FJAT-9295在4种类型土壤中的定殖能力以及作物生长对该菌株在土壤中定殖的影响。结果表明：菌株在育苗土中定殖最好,其次为沙土及菜园土,黄泥土中定殖最差;种植茄子比未种植作物的土壤更有利于菌株的存活;菌株FJAT-9295在不同类型土壤中的菌落数随时间的延长均略有下降,16天后趋于稳定,维持在105 CFU/g,较初始接菌量下降了约1个数量级。     

RNA- and DNA-based profiling of soil fungal communities in a native Australian eucalypt forest and adjacent Pinus elliotti plantation

Total and active soil fungal communities in a native eucalypt forest and first rotation Pinus elliotti plantation were investigated by direct extraction of DNA and RNA from soil. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 18S rRNA profiles indicated that total and active fungal communities differed significantly in both forest types. This was supported by DGGE profile analysis on an individual plot basis for both forest types and when groups in the canonical analysis were redefined to allow comparison between forest types. Analyses of both ITS and 18S T-RFLP profiles indicated that conversion from native eucalypt forest to P. elliottii plantation may significantly alter total and active soil fungal communities. ITS DGGE (DNA) and 18S (RNA) profiles also suggested differences in fungal communities in the two forest types. No significant separation of the fungal communities in the two forest types was observed, however, when ITS DGGE (RNA) profiles were compared. Overall, the data suggest that conversion from native eucalypt forest to P. elliottii plantation at the Beerburrum State Forest in subtropical Australia has significantly altered soil fungal communities.     

Fungal abundance and distribution as influenced by clearing and land use in a vertic soil of Argentina

The influence of native vegetation clearing and different further soil managements on fungal propagule population diversity was studied in the present work. In each of the 3 years (1998, 1999, and 2000), soil samples were collected at the depth of 0–7.5 cm from sites under native vegetation (V0); naturalized prairie, cleared in 1982 (P16); conventional tillage, cleared in 1972 (T26); and direct drilling, cleared in 1958 (D40). Fungal population size and relative abundance of fungal genera were studied by plate counts and further identification of isolates on potato dextrose agar. The undisturbed site and the other sites with increasing time elapsed since native vegetation clearing and different management history showed a distinctive distribution of fungal genera. There were significant differences (p<0.05) among the sites in the abundance of fungal genera analyzed in all the 3 years. Principal component analysis based on relative fungal genus abundance differentiated the sites with 75% variance explained by the first and second components. Diversity and abundance of isolated fungal genera were increased as density of Penicillium spp. decreased, suggesting a competitive effect of this fungal genus. The largest diversity was found in the site under no-till management. The different distribution and relative abundance of the fungal genera studied seemed to be influenced strongly by the management and the presence of surface residue in the no-tilled site.     

Identification of ergosterol in vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae

Summary Ergosta-5,7,22-tri-3-enol (ergosterol) was identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in roots of berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum L., cv. Landsorte) and sweet corn (Zea mays L., cv. Honeycomb-F1) infected with the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus Glomus intraradices. The fungal-derived compound ergosterol was determined quantitatively in root extracts using reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. The concentrations of ergosterol in VAM-infected roots reached 72 g^-1 dry material in berseem and 52 g^-1 in sweet corn after 80 days of growth, whereas concentrations in non-infected roots remained below 8 g^-1 dry weight. Additionally, phytosterols such as -sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol were detected in both infected and non-infected roots. Ergosterol, as a characteristic fungal substance, is proposed as an indicator of fungal biomass in the early stages of VAM infection.