Awn of darnel (Lolium temulentum L.) as an anthropogenic dispersal organ: A case study in Malo, south-western Ethiopia

Darnel ( Lolium temulentum ), a weed of wheat and barley, is either awned or awnless. The role of the darnel awn in dispersal was investigated in relation to human's agricultural practices in cereal cultivation in a Malo village, Gaytsa, south-western Ethiopia. In 24 free-threshing wheat fields and 11 emmer wheat fields, 129 and 88 spikes (one spike per plant), respectively, of darnel were randomly sampled. At the market in Gaytsa, 11 free-threshing wheat grain samples and eight emmer wheat grain samples of 150–200 g were collected. For each grain sample, the number of wheat grains and awned and awnless grains of darnel were recorded. The relative percentage of the awned form in free-threshing wheat fields was 8.53% and that in emmer wheat fields was 70.45%. The relative percentage of awned grains in free-threshing wheat grains from the market collection was 3.55% and that in emmer wheat grain lots was 75.20%. The morphology of awned darnel grains resembles emmer wheat grains and awnless darnel grains resemble free-threshing wheat grains. Thus, grain mimicry controls the close association of the two forms of darnel with the wheat species. The lack of an awn itself functions for darnel grain as a dispersal mechanism in free-threshing wheat cultivation systems compared with other wild grass species.     

Analysis of the seed dispersal patterns of wild soybean as a reference for vegetation management around genetically modified soybean fields

There are concerns that genetically modified soybean might threaten the genetic diversity of the wild soybean populations that are distributed in East Asia because genetically modified soybean has no crossing barrier with wild soybean. A simple and effective method to prevent hybridization via pollen flow is spatial separation between the two species because their hybridization occurs only when they grow in close proximity. Therefore, the invasiveness of wild soybean needs to be known in order to secure the appropriate distances. As wild soybean seeds are dispersed mechanically by pod dehiscence, an experiment was conducted in which white sheets were placed on the ground, concentric circles were drawn around the parent plants, and the number of dispersed seeds within each 0.5 m‐wide zone were counted. About 40% of the produced seeds were dispersed and the number of dispersed seeds gradually declined as the distance from the parent plants increased. The model that explained the relationship between the number and distance of the dispersed seeds was produced by using a generalized linear model procedure. More than 95, 99, and 99.9% of the produced seeds stayed within 3.5, 5.0, and 6.5 m after natural pod dehiscence. Knowing these values is useful for evaluating the level of invasive risk by mechanical seed dispersal. The goal of the work is to efficiently and deliberately prevent hybridization by isolating genetically modified soybean fields and wild soybean populations by vegetation management, including weeding and setting up specific‐width buffer zones.     

苹小吉丁林间扩散行为的初步研究

目的 掌握苹小吉丁成虫在林间的自然扩散行为规律,以制定合理的害虫监控策略。 方法 于伊犁巩留县五乡栽培苹果园内采用标记-重捕法监测苹小吉丁雌雄试虫在不同方向、不同距离的扩散数量及影响因子进行了研究,对扩散速度进行了分析,同时对林间种群数量进行了预估。 结果 结果表明：苹小吉丁在林间的扩散对方向具有一定的选择性,主要向北面、南面及东北面进行扩散,分别回捕到标记释放总虫数的3.2%、3.2%和2.7%;东南面和西南面均未回捕到标记试虫。随着回捕点距离的增加,标记试虫回捕数量逐渐降低,扩散至5 m处的数量最多,占标记释放总虫数的6.6%,最远扩散至北面35 m,说明标记试虫由果园北面迁出的潜在性较大,扩散距离整体呈指数分布趋势（R2 = 0.9262）。苹小吉丁雄虫扩散速度高峰出现在第3 d,为1.7 m·d−1;而雌虫扩散速度高峰出现在第12 d,达到2.5 m·d−1。随着释放时间的推移苹小吉丁雌雄虫的扩散率逐渐上升。由种群数量预估方程计算得知,试验田间苹小吉丁估计种群数量为2253头,雌成虫估计值为1262头,雄成虫估计值为989头。 结论 苹小吉丁在林间具有一定的自然扩散能力,最远可达35 m,且雌虫的扩散能力要强于雄虫。林间种群数量预估结果能为苹小吉丁发生动态预测和控制策略制定提供参考依据。     

Breaking the ice: the introduction of biofouling organisms to Antarctica on vessel hulls

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Ontogenetic movements of juvenile blacktip reef sharks: evidence of dispersal and connectivity between coastal habitats and coral reefs

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Do frugivorous birds assist rainforest succession in weed dominated oldfield regrowth of subtropical Australia?

Exotic plants often form the first woody vegetation that grows on abandoned farmland. If this vegetation attracts vertebrate frugivores which disperse the seeds of native plants, then native plants may recruit to such oldfield sites. However, there is debate about the extent to which exotic vegetation assists or suppresses the regeneration of native plants, and about its effects on faunal biodiversity. These issues were investigated in subtropical eastern Australia, where rainforests were cleared for agriculture in the 19th century, and where regrowth dominated by camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora, an exotic, fleshy-fruited tree) has become common on former agricultural land. The study assessed the assemblages of frugivorous birds, and the recruitment of rainforest plants, at 24 patches of camphor laurel regrowth. The patches were used by nearly all frugivorous birds associated with subtropical rainforest. Many of these birds (16 of 34 species) are considered to have a medium to high potential to disperse the seeds of rainforest plants, and eight of these were abundant and widespread in regrowth patches. Of 208 recorded plant species, 181 were native to local rainforest. The ratio of native to exotic species was higher amongst tree recruits than adult trees, both for numbers of species and individuals. Among native tree recruits, 79% of 75 species, and 93% of 1928 individuals, were potentially dispersed by birds. These recruits included many late-successional species, and there were relatively more individuals of late-successional, bird-dispersed native species amongst recruits than adult trees. The species richness, but not the abundance, of both frugivorous birds and of bird-dispersed rainforest trees decreased with distance from major rainforest remnants. Camphor laurel regrowth provides habitat for rainforest birds and creates conditions suitable for the regeneration of native rainforest plants on abandoned farmland. Careful management of regrowth dominated by fleshy-fruited exotic invasive trees can provide an opportunity for broadscale reforestation in extensively-cleared landscapes.     

辽东栎的繁殖体及其与种群更新的关系

就辽东栎的种子雨及其传播动力、种子传播后的命运、种子萌发、幼苗建立、实生更新对动物捕食的适应和萌生特性等方面进行了简要综述,并对未来研究的发展方向进行了展望。辽东栎种子是多种脊椎动物和鸟类的食物资源,种子萌发和幼苗形成期间的捕食压力导致其实生更新困难,但捕食动物对种子的搬运和埋藏对辽东栎种群更新和扩散具有重要意义;光照和水分对辽东栎的种子萌发和幼苗建立都具有重要影响,在森林管理工作中,适当干扰 (例如择伐) 对辽东栎的种子萌发、幼苗生长与存活以及种群更新都是有利的。较强的萌生能力对维持辽东栎的遗传多样性和种群活力具有重要的生态学意义;在强干扰条件下,萌生作为辽东栎通过从种子、幼苗、幼树到成年植株过程中的更新瓶颈的途径,是辽东栎实现种群更新的主要对策。     

Dispersal of invasive Phytolacca americana seeds by birds in an urban garden in China

Although seed dispersal is a key process determining the regeneration and spread of invasive plant populations, few studies have explicitly addressed the link between dispersal vector behavior and seedling recruitment to gain insight into the invasion process within an urban garden context. We evaluated the role of bird vectors in the dispersal of pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), a North American herb that is invasive in urban gardens in China. Fruiting P. americana attracted both generalist and specialist bird species that fed on and dispersed its seeds. The generalist species Pycnonotus sinensis and Urocissa erythrorhyncha were the most frequent dispersers. Seedling numbers of P. americana were strongly associated with the perching behavior of frugivorous birds. If newly recruited bird species use seedling‐safe perching sites, the P. americana will regenerate faster, which would enhance its invasive potential. Based on our observations, we conclude that the 2 main bird vectors, P. sinensis and U. erythrorhyncha, provide potential effective dispersal agents for P. americana. Our results highlight the role of native birds in seed dispersal of invasive plants in urban gardens.     

Periodicity and gradients in dispersal ofAlternaria linicola in linseed crops

Conidia ofAlternaria linicola produced on infected linseed crops were mainly dispersed by wind. The numbers of conidia in the air above linseed crops collected by a Burkard spore sampler were greatest between 1200 h and 1300 h, when the relative humidity was lowest. Although numbers of conidia collected decreased with increasing height within and above the crop canopy, air-borneA. linicola conidia were present up to 80 cm above the crop canopy. Conidia ofA. linicola were transported by wind up to at least 40 m downwind from an artificial line inoculum source, but their numbers decreased with increasing distance from the source. In 1991, 1992, and 1993, the dispersal ofA. linicola conidia above linseed crops followed a seasonal periodicity which was influenced by weather conditions and cultural practices. The greatest numbers of conidia were collected during July, August and early September and coincided with periods favourable for sporulation and with an increase in the incidence of the disease in the senescent crop. Air-borneA. linicola conidia produced on point or line inoculum sources (naturally infected linseed stem debris) were responsible for the spread of the disease in linseed crops. In 1992 and 1993, the disease was first detected downwind from the sources, but by the end of the growing seasons, it had spread in all directions and up to 20 m and 60 m from the sources, respectively. Disease gradients were initially steep near the inoculum sources but they became flatter with time due to the secondary spread of the disease.     

A reconsideration of natural dispersal distances of the pine pathogen Dothistroma septosporum

The natural spread of Dothistroma septosporum, the causal agent of a foliar disease of pines, was investigated at three sites in the south of England using trap plants. The pathogen is considered to be primarily rain‐splash dispersed, but this study shows that it can be spread many hundreds of metres from an inoculum source, demonstrating that dispersal is not solely via rain splash. The maximum distance the pathogen was recorded from any infection source was in excess of 1400 m, over five times the distance defined in the only previous work of this kind. Consequently, a reassessment of forest and production nursery management practices is called for, as these assume that the pathogen only spreads naturally over limited distances. Detection of the pathogen on trap plants over 100 m from the inoculum source was, in most cases, only possible using quantitative real‐time PCR diagnosis. The entire diagnostic procedure, from DNA extraction to amplification, was able to detect a minimum of approximately 17 D. septosporum cells in a pine needle sample, assuming only a moderate DNA extraction efficiency of 30%.