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Deciduous
Terms modified by Deciduous Selected AbstractsChemical composition and construction cost for roots of Mediterranean trees, shrub species and grassland communitiesPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2002F. Martínez Abstract The construction cost of fine roots was studied in 23 woody species and two grassland communities, growing under natural conditions in southern Spain. Calculation of the energy (glucose) required for their synthesis was based on the quantification of chemical components present in tissues. Despite considerable differences in the chemical composition of the three life forms studied (trees, shrubs and herbaceous), detected differences in construction cost were non-significant (mean value: 1·64 ± 0·13 g glucose g,1). However, shrubs and herbaceous plants growing in more fertile habitats expended significantly less energy on root synthesis (1·58 ± 0·06 and 1·41 ± 0·05 g glucose g,1, respectively) than those growing in less fertile areas (1·80 ± 0·06 and 1·57 ± 0·1 g glucose g,1, respectively), because they contained smaller amounts of either waxes (shrubs) or lignins (herbaceous), both expensive to synthesize, and, proportionately, more cellulose; which is inexpensive to synthesize. Deciduous and evergreen tree species also differed mainly with regard to wax and cellulose contents, giving rise to a significantly higher construction cost in evergreens (1·57 ± 0·07 g glucose g,1 versus 1·78 ± 0·02 g glucose g,1). The differences observed in construction cost appeared to be due more to habitat-induced differences in chemical composition than to any intrinsic difference between the species studied. [source] Reproductive Investment of a Lacertid Lizard in Fragmented HabitatCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2005JOSÉ A. DÍAZ calidad de hábitat; fragmentación de bosque; Psammodromus; tamaño de puesta; tamaño de huevo Abstract:,We studied the effect of habitat fragmentation on female reproductive investment in a widespread lacertid lizard ( Psammodromus algirus) in a mixed-forest archipelago of deciduous and evergreen oak woods in northern Spain. We captured gravid females in fragments (,10 ha) and forests (, 200 ha) and brought them to the laboratory, where they laid their eggs. We incubated the eggs and released the first cohort of juveniles into the wild to monitor their survival. Females from fragments produced a smaller clutch mass and laid fewer eggs (relative to mean egg mass) than females of similar body size from forests. Lizards did not trade larger clutches for larger offspring, however, because females from fragments did not lay larger eggs (relative to their number) than females from forests. Among the first cohort of juveniles, larger egg mass and body size increased the probability of recapture the next year. Thus, fragmentation decreased the relative fecundity of lizards without increasing the quality of their offspring. Reduced energy availability, increased predation risk, and demographic stochasticity could decrease the fitness of lizards in fragmented habitats, which could contribute to the regional scarcity of this species in agricultural areas sprinkled with small patches of otherwise suitable forest. Our results show that predictable reduction of reproductive output with decreasing size of habitat patches can be added to the already known processes that cause inverse density dependence at low population numbers. Resumen:,Estudiamos el efecto de la fragmentación sobre la inversión reproductiva de hembras en una lagartija lacértida ( Psammodromus algirus) ampliamente distribuida en un archipiélago mixto de bosques deciduos y siempre verdes de roble en el norte de España. Capturamos hembras grávidas en fragmentos (, 10 ha) y en bosques (, 200 ha) y las trasladamos al laboratorio, donde pusieron sus huevos. Incubamos los huevos y liberamos a la primera cohorte de juveniles para monitorear su supervivencia. Las hembras de fragmentos produjeron una puesta de menor masa y pusieron menos huevos (en relación con la masa promedio de los huevos) que hembras con talla corporal similar provenientes de bosques. Sin embargo, las lagartijas no cambiaron puestas mayores por crías más grandes porque las hembras de fragmentos no pusieron huevos más grandes (en relación con su número) que las hembras de bosques. Entre las primeras cohortes de juveniles, la mayor masa de los huevos incrementó la probabilidad de recaptura en el siguiente año. Por lo tanto, la fragmentación redujo la fecundidad relativa de las lagartijas sin aumentar la calidad de sus crías. La disponibilidad reducida de energía, el incremento en el riesgo de depredación y la estocasticidad demográfica podrían disminuir la adaptabilidad de lagartijas en hábitats fragmentados, lo que podría contribuir a la escasez regional de esta especie en áreas agrícolas salpicadas de pequeños parches de bosque por lo demás adecuado. Nuestros resultados muestran que la reducción predecible en la reproducción al disminuir el tamaño de los parches de hábitat se puede agregar a los procesos ya conocidos que causan la inversión de la denso dependencia en tamaños poblacionales pequeños. [source] Frequency of intrusive luxation in deciduous teeth and its effectsDENTAL TRAUMATOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Vivian Carvalho Second, to investigate the sequelae of total and partial intrusive luxation in the primary anterior teeth and in their successors and finally, to establish whether the sequelae on both deciduous and permanent teeth were related to the child's age at the time of the intrusion. Data collected from records of 169 boys and 138 girls, all between the ages of zero and 10 years, who were undergoing treatment during the period of March 1996 to December 2004. The sample was composed of 753 traumatized deciduous teeth, of which 221 presented intrusive luxation injury. Children with ages ranging from one to 4 years were the most affected with falls being the main cause of intrusion. Of all intruded teeth 128 (57.9%) were totally intruded and 93 (42.1%) partially. Pulp necrosis/premature loss and color change were the most frequent sequelae in both total and partial intrusions. Concerning permanent dentition, the most common disturbances were color change and/or enamel hypoplasia. Both types of intrusion caused eruption disturbance. Total intrusion was the most frequent type of intrusive luxation. There was no significant correlation between the child's age at the time of intrusion and the frequency of subsequent sequela on primary injured teeth (P = 0.035), between the age at the time of injury and the developmental disturbances on permanent teeth (P = 0.140). [source] Plant functional type classifications in tropical dry forests in Costa Rica: leaf habit versus taxonomic approachesFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Jennifer S. Powers Summary 1.,One way to simplify the high taxonomic diversity of plant species in vegetation models is to place species into groups based on shared, dominant traits. Many studies have suggested that morphological and physiological traits of tropical dry forest tree species vary with leaf habit (i.e. leaves from evergreen, deciduous or semi-deciduous species) and thus this characteristic may serve as a useful way to distinguish ecologically meaningful functional types. 2.,In this study we examine whether 10 plant traits vary with leaf habit in replicated leaves and individual trees of 87 species from a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica. We also looked for evidence of phylogenetic conservatism, i.e. closely related species sharing similar trait values compared to more distantly related taxa. 3.,While some of the traits varied within and among individual trees of the same species, interspecific variation accounted for 57,83% of the variance among samples. Four traits in addition to leaf habit showed evidence of phylogenetic conservatism, but these results were strongly dependent on the inclusion of the 18 species of legumes (Fabaceae) in our dataset. Contrary to our predictions, none of the traits we measured differed among leaf habits. However, five traits (wood density, leaf C, leaf N, N/P and C/N) varied significantly between legumes and other functional types. Furthermore, when all high-nitrogen non-legume taxa were compared to the high-nitrogen legumes, six traits excluding leaf N differed significantly, indicating that legumes are functionally different from other tree species beyond high N concentrations. Similarly, the 18 legume taxa (which all have compound leaves) also differed from other compound-leaved species for six traits, thus leaf type does not explain these patterns. 4.,Our main conclusions are that (i) a plant functional type classification based on leaf habit alone has little utility in the tropical dry forest we studied, and (ii) legumes have a different suite of traits including high leaf carbon and wood density in addition to high leaf nitrogen. Whether this result generalizes to other tropical forests is unknown, but merits future research due to the consequences of these traits for carbon storage and ecosystem processes. [source] Allometric relationships between lamina area, lamina mass and petiole mass of 93 temperate woody species vary with leaf habit, leaf form and altitudeFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 4 2008Guoyong Li Summary 1The allometric scaling relationship between lamina and lamina support has rarely been examined, such that its significance to plant life-history strategies has not been fully explored and understood so far. We investigated the sizes of leaf lamina and petiole for 93 temperate broad-leaved woody species at two altitudes of a southwestern mountain, and analysed the scaling relationship in relation to leaf habit (evergreen vs. deciduous), leaf form (simple- vs. compound-leaved species), and habitat type (low vs. high altitude). 2Significant allometric scaling relationships were found between petiole mass and lamina mass, and between petiole mass and lamina area, with common slopes of 0·872 and 0·742, respectively, both significantly departed from the value of 1·0. The results of phylogenetic comparative analyses were in accordance with the observed positive scaling relationships. 3The evergreen species were found to have a greater petiole mass than the deciduous at a given lamina area; whilst a contrasting pattern was observed between lamina mass and petiole mass, in which the evergreens had a greater biomass allocation to lamina for the same petiole mass relative to the deciduous. 4The compound-leaved species were observed to be significantly greater in both lamina area and lamina support (including petioles, rachis and petiolules) than the simple-leaved species, whereas the former had a smaller lamina area or lamina mass at a given petiole mass than the latter. 5The plants from the high altitude had less lamina area at a given petiole investment compared to those from the lower altitude, likely due to the large mechanic and transporting requirements of petioles in the species at high altitude. 6Our results indicate that petioles serve as an adverse forcing on the maximization of lamina area and lamina biomass and that the allometric relationship between lamina and lamina support varies with leaf habit, leaf form and habitat. [source] Leaf-level resource use for evergreen and deciduous conifers along a resource availability gradientFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2000B. D. Kloeppel Abstract 1.,We compared leaf-level carbon, nitrogen and water use for a deciduous (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) and sympatric evergreen (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Beissn., Franco, or Pinus contorta Engelm.) conifer along a resource availability gradient spanning the natural range of L. occidentalis in western Montana, USA. 2.,We hypothesized that leaf photosynthesis (A), respiration (r), specific leaf area (SLA) and foliar nitrogen concentration (N) would be higher for deciduous than sympatric evergreen conifers in mixed stands, and that these interspecies differences would increase from high to low resource availability. We also hypothesized that leaf-level nitrogen and water-use efficiency would be higher for the co-occurring evergreen conifer than L. occidentalis. 3.,In general, mass-based photosynthesis (Am) was significantly higher for L. occidentalis than co-occurring evergreen conifers in the drier sites, but Am was similar for evergreen and deciduous conifers at the mesic site. 4.,Mass-based foliar nitrogen concentration (Nm) was positively correlated to SLA for all species combined across the gradient (R2 = 0·64), but the relationship was very weak (R2 = 0·08,0·34) for evergreen and deciduous species separately. Mass-based Am and rm were poorly correlated to Nm for all species combined across the gradient (R2 = 0·28 and 0·04, respectively). 5.,For each site-species combination, daily maximum Am was negatively correlated to vapour pressure deficit (VPD) (R2 = 0·36,0·59), but was poorly correlated to twig predawn water potential (R2 < 0·04). 6.,Instantaneous nitrogen-use efficiency (NUEi; Am divided by Nm) and water-use efficiency (,13C) increased significantly (P = 0·05) from high to low resource availability for both evergreen and deciduous conifers, except for NUEi in L. occidentalis. [source] Variable sensitivity of plant communities in Iceland to experimental warmingGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2005Ingibjörg S. Jónsdóttir Abstract Facing an increased threat of rapid climate change in cold-climate regions, it is important to understand the sensitivity of plant communities both in terms of degree and direction of community change. We studied responses to 3,5 years of moderate experimental warming by open-top chambers in two widespread but contrasting tundra communities in Iceland. In a species-poor and nutrient-deficient moss heath, dominated by Racomitrium lanuginosum, mean daily air temperatures at surface were 1,2°C higher in the warmed plots than the controls whereas soil temperatures tended to be lower in the warmed plots throughout the season. In a species-rich dwarf shrub heath on relatively rich soils at a cooler site, dominated by Betula nana and R. lanuginosum, temperature changes were in the same direction although more moderate. In the moss heath, there were no detectable community changes while significant changes were detected in the dwarf shrub heath: the abundance of deciduous and evergreen dwarf shrubs significantly increased (>50%), bryophytes decreased (18%) and canopy height increased (100%). Contrary to some other studies of tundra communities, we detected no changes in species richness or other diversity measures in either community and the abundance of lichens did not change. It is concluded that the sensitivity of Icelandic tundra communities to climate warming varies greatly depending on initial conditions in terms of species diversity, dominant species, soil and climatic conditions as well as land-use history. [source] Annual Q10 of soil respiration reflects plant phenological patterns as well as temperature sensitivityGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2004J. Curiel yuste Abstract The temperature sensitivity of soil respiration (SR) is often estimated from the seasonal changes in the flux relative to those in soil temperature, and subsequently used in models to interpolate or predict soil fluxes. However, temperature sensitivities derived from seasonal changes in SR (from here on denoted seasonal Q10) may not solely reflect the temperature sensitivity of SR, because seasonal changes in SR can also be affected by other seasonally fluctuating conditions and processes. In this manuscript, we present a case study of how the seasonal Q10 of SR can be decoupled from the temperature sensitivity of SR. In a mixed temperate forest, we measured SR under vegetations with different leaf strategies: pure evergreen, pure deciduous, and mixed. Seasonal Q10 was much higher under deciduous than under evergreen canopies. However, at a shorter time scale, both vegetation types exhibited very similar Q10 values, indicating that the large differences in seasonal Q10 do not represent differences in the temperature sensitivity of the soil metabolism. The seasonal Q10 depends strongly on the amplitude of the seasonal changes in SR (SRs), which, under the particular climatic and edaphic conditions of our forest study site, were significantly larger in deciduous forest. In turn, SRs was positively correlated with the seasonal changes in leaf area index (LAIs), a measure of the deciduousness of the vegetation. Thus, in this temperate maritime forest, seasonal Q10 of SR was strongly influenced by the deciduousness of the vegetation. We conclude that the large differences in seasonal Q10 were not entirely due to different temperature sensitivities, but also to different seasonal patterns of plant activity in the evergreen and deciduous plants of this site. Some coniferous forests may be more seasonal than the one we studied, and the deciduous,evergreen differences observed here may not be broadly applicable, but this case study demonstrates that variation of plant phenological process can significantly contribute to the seasonality of SR, and, hence, calculated Q10 values. Where this occurs, the seasonal Q10 value for SR does not accurately represent temperature sensitivity. Because the strong seasonal correlation between SR and temperature does not necessarily imply a causal relationship, Q10 values derived form annual patterns of SR should be used with caution when predicting future responses of SR to climatic change. [source] Conversion of hardwood forests to spruce and pine plantations strongly reduced soil methane sink in GermanyGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2003WERNER BORKEN Abstract Well-drained forest soils are thought to be a significant sink for atmospheric methane. Recent research suggests that land use change reduces the soil methane sink by diminishing populations of methane oxidizing bacteria. Here we report soil CH4 uptake from ,natural' mature beech forests and from mature pine and spruce plantations in two study areas of Germany with distinct climate and soils. The CH4 uptake rates of both beech forests at Solling and Unterlüß were about two,three times the CH4 uptake rates of the adjacent pine and spruce plantations, indicating a strong impact of forest type on the soil CH4 sink. The CH4 uptake rates of sieved mineral soils from our study sites confirmed the tree species effect and indicate that methanotrophs were mainly reduced in the 0,5 cm mineral soil depth. The reasons for the reduction are still unknown. We found no site effect between Solling and Unterlüß, however, CH4 uptake rates from Solling were significantly higher at the same effective CH4 diffusivity. This potential site effect was masked by higher soil water contents at Solling. Soil pH (H2O) explained 71% of the variation in CH4 uptake rates of sieved mineral soils from the 0,5 cm depth, while cation exchange capacity, soil organic carbon, soil nitrogen and total phosphorous content were not correlated with CH4 uptake rates. Comparing 1998,99, annual CH4 uptake rates increased by 69,111% in the beech and spruce stands and by 5,25% in the pine stands, due primarily to differences in growing season soil moisture. Cumulative CH4 uptake rates from November throughout April were rather constant in both years. The CH4 uptake rates of each stand were separately predicted using daily average soil matric potential and a previously developed empirical model. The model results revealed that soil matric potential explains 53,87% of the temporal variation in CH4 uptake. The differences between measured and predicted annual CH4 uptake rates were less than 10%, except for the spruce stand at Solling in 1998 (17%). Based on data from this study and from the literature, we calculated a total reduction in the soil CH4 sink of 31% for German forests due in part to conversion of deciduous to coniferous forests. [source] Evaluation of six process-based forest growth models using eddy-covariance measurements of CO2 and H2O fluxes at six forest sites in EuropeGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2002K. Kramer Abstract Reliable models are required to assess the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems. Precise and independent data are essential to assess this accuracy. The flux measurements collected by the EUROFLUX project over a wide range of forest types and climatic regions in Europe allow a critical testing of the process-based models which were developed in the LTEEF project. The ECOCRAFT project complements this with a wealth of independent plant physiological measurements. Thus, it was aimed in this study to test six process-based forest growth models against the flux measurements of six European forest types, taking advantage of a large database with plant physiological parameters. The reliability of both the flux data and parameter values itself was not under discussion in this study. The data provided by the researchers of the EUROFLUX sites, possibly with local corrections, were used with a minor gap-filling procedure to avoid the loss of many days with observations. The model performance is discussed based on their accuracy, generality and realism. Accuracy was evaluated based on the goodness-of-fit with observed values of daily net ecosystem exchange, gross primary production and ecosystem respiration (gC m,2 d,1), and transpiration (kg H2O m,2 d,1). Moreover, accuracy was also evaluated based on systematic and unsystematic errors. Generality was characterized by the applicability of the models to different European forest ecosystems. Reality was evaluated by comparing the modelled and observed responses of gross primary production, ecosystem respiration to radiation and temperature. The results indicated that: Accuracy. All models showed similar high correlation with the measured carbon flux data, and also low systematic and unsystematic prediction errors at one or more sites of flux measurements. The results were similar in the case of several models when the water fluxes were considered. Most models fulfilled the criteria of sufficient accuracy for the ability to predict the carbon and water exchange between forests and the atmosphere. Generality. Three models of six could be applied for both deciduous and coniferous forests. Furthermore, four models were applied both for boreal and temperate conditions. However, no severe water-limited conditions were encountered, and no year-to-year variability could be tested. Realism. Most models fulfil the criterion of realism that the relationships between the modelled phenomena (carbon and water exchange) and environment are described causally. Again several of the models were able to reproduce the responses of measurable variables such as gross primary production (GPP), ecosystem respiration and transpiration to environmental driving factors such as radiation and temperature. Stomatal conductance appears to be the most critical process causing differences in predicted fluxes of carbon and water between those models that accurately describe the annual totals of GPP, ecosystem respiration and transpiration. As a conclusion, several process-based models are available that produce accurate estimates of carbon and water fluxes at several forest sites of Europe. This considerable accuracy fulfils one requirement of models to be able to predict the impacts of climate change on the carbon balance of European forests. However, the generality of the models should be further evaluated by expanding the range of testing over both time and space. In addition, differences in behaviour between models at the process level indicate requirement of further model testing, with special emphasis on modelling stomatal conductance realistically. [source] Global trends in senesced-leaf nitrogen and phosphorusGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Zhiyou Yuan ABSTRACT Aim, Senesced-leaf litter plays an important role in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. While green-leaf nutrients have been reported to be affected by climatic factors at the global scale, the global patterns of senesced-leaf nutrients are not well understood. Location, Global. Methods, Here, bringing together a global dataset of senesced-leaf N and P spanning 1253 observations and 638 plant species at 365 sites and of associated mean climatic indices, we describe the world-wide trends in senesced-leaf N and P and their stoichiometric ratios. Results, Concentration of senesced-leaf N was highest in tropical forests, intermediate in boreal, temperate, and mediterranean forests and grasslands, and lowest in tundra, whereas P concentration was highest in grasslands, lowest in tropical forests and intermediate in other ecosystems. Tropical forests had the highest N : P and C : P ratios in senesced leaves. When all data were pooled, N concentration significantly increased, but senesced-leaf P concentration decreased with increasing mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The N : P and C : P ratios also increased with MAT and MAP, but C : N ratios decreased. Plant functional type (PFT), i.e. life-form (grass, herb, shrub or tree), phylogeny (angiosperm versus gymnosperm) and leaf habit (deciduous versus evergreen), affected senesced-leaf N, P, N : P, C : N and C : P with a ranking of senesced-leaf N from high to low: forbs , shrubs , trees > grasses, while the ranking of P was forbs , shrubs , trees < grasses. The climatic trends of senesced-leaf N and P and their stoichiometric ratios were similar between PFTs. Main conclusions, Globally, senesced-leaf N and P concentrations differed among ecosystem types, from tropical forest to tundra. Differences were significantly related to global climate variables such as MAT and MAP and also related to plant functional types. These results at the global scale suggest that nutrient feedback to soil through leaf senescence depends on both the climatic conditions and the plant composition of an ecosystem. [source] Global-scale patterns of nutrient resorption associated with latitude, temperature and precipitationGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Z. Y. Yuan ABSTRACT Aim Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves is an important mechanism of nutrient conservation in plants, but the patterns of nutrient resorption at the global scale are unknown. Because soil nutrients vary along climatic gradients, we hypothesize that nutrient resorption changes with latitude, temperature and precipitation. Location Global. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis on a global data set collected from published literature on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption of woody plants. Results For all data pooled, both N resorption efficiency (NRE) and P resorption efficiency (PRE) were significantly related to latitude, mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP): NRE increased with latitude but decreased with MAT and MAP. In contrast, PRE decreased with latitude but increased with MAT and MAP. When functional groups (shrub versus tree, coniferous versus broadleaf and evergreen versus deciduous) were examined individually, the patterns of NRE and PRE in relation to latitude, MAT and MAP were generally similar. Main conclusions The relationships between N and P resorption and latitude, MAT and MAP indicate the existence of geographical patterns of plant nutrient conservation strategies in relation to temperature and precipitation at the global scale, particularly for PRE, which can be an indicator for P limitation in the tropics and selective pressure shaping the evolution of plant traits. Our results suggest that, although the magnitude of plant nutrient resorption might be regulated by local factors such as substrate, spatial patterns are also controlled by temperature or precipitation. [source] Leaf litter nitrogen concentration as related to climatic factors in Eurasian forestsGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2006Chunjiang Liu ABSTRACT Aim, The aim of this study is to determine the patterns of nitrogen (N) concentrations in leaf litter of forest trees as functions of climatic factors, annual average temperature (Temp, °C) and annual precipitation (Precip, dm) and of forest type (coniferous vs. broadleaf, deciduous vs. evergreen, Pinus, etc.). Location, The review was conducted using data from studies across the Eurasian continent. Methods, Leaf litter N concentration was compiled from 204 sets of published data (81 sets from coniferous and 123 from broadleaf forests in Eurasia). We explored the relationships between leaf litter N concentration and Temp and Precip by means of regression analysis. Leaf litter data from N2 -fixing species were excluded from the analysis. Results, Over the Eurasian continent, leaf litter N concentration increased with increasing Temp and Precip within functional groups such as conifers, broadleaf, deciduous, evergreen and the genus Pinus. There were highly significant linear relationships between ln(N) and Temp and Precip (P < 0.001) for all available data combined, as well as for coniferous trees, broadleaf trees, deciduous trees, evergreen trees and Pinus separately. With both Temp and Precip as independent variables in multiple regression equations, the adjusted coefficient of determination () was evidently higher than in simple regressions with either Temp or Precip as independent variable. Standardized regression coefficients showed that Temp had a larger impact than Precip on litter N concentration for all groups except evergreens. The impact of temperature was particularly strong for Pinus. Conclusions, The relationship between leaf litter N concentration and temperature and precipitation can be well described with simple or multiple linear regression equations for forests over Eurasia. In the context of global warming, these regression equations are useful for a better understanding and modelling of the effects of geographical and climatic factors on leaf litter N at a regional and continental scale. [source] Estimating winter evaporation in boreal forests with operational snow course dataHYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 8 2003Angela Lundberg Abstract Snow course measurements from 11 sites located in eastern and northern Finland were used to estimate the total interception evaporation of a winter season for different forest categories. We categorized the sites based on forest density and tree species. Results showed that interception loss from gross precipitation increased with forest density and approached 30% for a forest with the highest density class. Interception loss for the most common forest density class was 11%. Interception losses were slightly larger in spruce forests than in pine, deciduous, or mixed forests. We provide suggestions as to how to design snow surveys to estimate wintertime interception evaporation better. Rough terrain and transition zones between forest and open areas should be avoided. Since evaporation fraction was strongly dependent on tree crown characteristics, snow course data should include direct estimates of canopy closure. Qualitative observations made by different observers should be given a reference frame to ensure comparability of records from different sites. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Availability and selection of arboreal termitaria as nest-sites by Orange-fronted Parakeets Aratinga canicularis in conserved and modified landscapes in MexicoIBIS, Issue 2 2009TANIA C. SANCHEZ-MARTINEZ Few studies have investigated the use of termitaria by nesting parrots, or how this may be affected by habitat transformation. We determined selection of termitaria by nesting Orange-fronted Parakeets Aratinga canicularis, and evaluated the effect of habitat transformation on the availability of termitaria nest-sites for Parakeets in the tropical dry forest of Western Mexico. Availability of termitaria was quantified in 24 survey plots in a factorial design of six 1-ha plots in each of conserved and modified, deciduous and semi-deciduous forest. Characteristics of termitaria were determined in survey plots, as well as 21 nest-termitaria used by Parakeets, and their nearest adjacent termitarium. There was an overall density of 1.6 termitaria/ha suitable for nesting by Parakeets, which did not differ between habitats, although only 8% of apparently suitable termitaria were occupied by nesting Parakeets. However, termitaria in conserved semi-deciduous forest were significantly higher above the ground, and termitaria in conserved deciduous forest were significantly smaller in volume. In the modified landscape, termitaria were significantly lower and their volume significantly larger than in conserved landscapes. Termitaria used by nesting parrots were at a significantly greater height above the ground than the nearest adjacent termitaria. Termitarium volume did not reliably predict the likelihood of nest-site selection, although Parakeets only used termitaria between 15 and 150 l. Parakeets nesting in modified habitats used termitaria at a significantly lower height than Parakeets nesting in conserved habitat. It is unclear whether this represents a decline in nest-site quality in modified habitats, which could affect reproductive success of Parakeet populations in fragmented landscapes. [source] Mixed-species bird flocks in dipterocarp forest of north-central Burma (Myanmar)IBIS, Issue 4 2001DAVID I. KING We studied the bird community in deciduous, dipterocarp forest of north-central Burma (Myanmar) during December 1994, March 1996, and January 1997 and 1999. Most members of this community participated in mixed-species flocks. Seventy-three flocks were encountered during our study, containing 52 species. Of these, 25 species occurred in more than 10% of flocks, and were included in our analyses. There were 26 significant correlations among species pairs, 25 of which were positive. Cluster analysis indicated that there were three principal types of flocks: one consisting mostly of small passerines and picids, commonly including Common Wood-Shrike, Small Minivet and White-browed Fantail, among others; a second type consisting mainly of sylviids, e.g. Arctic, Dusky and Radde's Warblers; and a third type which generally centred around Greater and Lesser Necklaced Laughingthrushes. Bird-eating hawks were numerous at these sites, and we witnessed several attacks on flocks during the study. Thus we infer that enhanced protection from predation is an important benefit conferred by flock membership. In contrast, there was little overlap in foraging behaviour among species, suggesting that foraging facilitation is a relatively minor benefit enjoyed by flock members, although we did observe White-browed Fantails and Greater Racket-tailed Drongos kleptoparasitizing other species on occasion. [source] Age profiles of rhino fauna from the Middle Pleistocene Nanjing man site, south China,explained by the rhino specimens of living speciesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY, Issue 3 2001Haowen Tong Abstract A total of 60 pieces of rhino materials have been identified from the Nanjing Man site. Morphologically, they belong to the species Dicerorhinus mercki. Among the materials, 40 pieces are broken bones, and 20 are isolated teeth or jaw bones (totally comprising 41 tooth units). Among the teeth, 74% are deciduous, most of them attached to jaws. Other isolated teeth are not greatly worn, meaning they were not naturally replaced, so they represent juvenile animals. Because the skeletons are completely isolated and most of them are broken, their death can not be attributed to a natural trap. Therefore, it is very probable that hominid activities were associated with rhinos at this site. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Compomers in restorative therapy of children: a literature reviewINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRIC DENTISTRY, Issue 1 2007NORBERT KRÄMER Objective., The restoration of carious primary teeth plays an underestimated role in paediatric dentistry. This is astonishing for many reasons, not least because many new materials have been introduced in recent years. New or modified techniques and materials, with better aesthetics and flexural properties, allow minimally invasive treatment. A transfer of techniques between different dentitions, however, may be problematic because of both micromorphological differences and compliance. Therefore, this paper deals with options for restoring primary teeth and the early stages of the mixed dentition using polyacid-modified composites, the so-called compomers. Methods., Medline and Embase were scanned from 1990 through 2006. Furthermore, a hand-search of nonlisted but peer-reviewed papers was performed. The search items were compomer*, dent*, primary* and deciduous*, which identified 109 relevant publications. Conclusions., Based on high clinical success rates, compomers are now an effective alternative to other materials for restorative therapy in the anterior and posterior primary teeth. A minimum amount of compliance is still mandatory in order to allow for a few minutes of adhesive pretreatment and layering without contamination. If this is not the case, compomers make no sense. Stainless steel crowns are still the most effective from of restoration for severely decayed primary molars. [source] Using GIS to relate small mammal abundance and landscape structure at multiple spatial extents: the northern flying squirrel in Alberta, CanadaJOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, Issue 3 2005MATTHEW WHEATLEY Summary 1It is common practice to evaluate the potential effects of management scenarios on animal populations using geographical information systems (GIS) that relate proximate landscape structure or general habitat types to indices of animal abundance. Implicit in this approach is that the animal population responds to landscape features at the spatial grain and extent represented in available digital map inventories. 2The northern flying squirrel Glaucomys sabrinus is of particular interest in North American forest management because it is known from the Pacific North-West as a habitat specialist, a keystone species of old-growth coniferous forest and an important disperser of hypogeous, mycorrhizal fungal spores. Using a GIS approach we tested whether the relative abundance of flying squirrel in northern Alberta, Canada, is related to old forest, conifer forest and relevant landscape features as quantified from management-based digital forest inventories. 3We related squirrel abundance, estimated through live trapping, to habitat type (forest composition: conifer, mixed-wood and deciduous) and landscape structure (stand height, stand age, stand heterogeneity and anthropogenic disturbance) at three spatial extents (50 m, 150 m and 300 m) around each site. 4Relative abundances of northern flying squirrel populations in northern and western Alberta were similar to those previously reported from other regions of North America. Capture rates were variable among sites, but showed no trends with respect to year or provincial natural region (foothills vs. boreal). 5Average flying squirrel abundance was similar in all habitats, with increased values within mixed-wood stands at large spatial extents (300 m) and within deciduous-dominated stands at smaller spatial extents (50 m). No relationship was found between squirrel abundance and conifer composition or stand age at any spatial extent. 6None of the landscape variables calculated from GIS forest inventories predicted squirrel abundance at the 50-m or 150-m spatial extents. However, at the 300-m spatial extent we found a negative, significant relationship between average stand height and squirrel abundance. 7Synthesis and applications. Boreal and foothill populations of northern flying squirrel in Canada appear unrelated to landscape composition at the relatively large spatial resolutions characteristic of resource inventory data commonly used for management and planning in these regions. Flying squirrel populations do not appear clearly associated with old-aged or conifer forests; rather, they appear as habitat generalists. This study suggests that northern, interior populations of northern flying squirrel are probably more related to stand-level components of forest structure, such as food, microclimate (e.g. moisture) and understorey complexity, variables not commonly available in large-scale digital map inventories. We conclude that the available digital habitat data potentially exclude relevant, spatially dependent information and could be used inappropriately for predicting the abundance of some species in management decision making. [source] Short-term development of ambrosia and bark beetle assemblages following a windstorm in French broadleaved temperate forestsJOURNAL OF APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 6 2005C. Bouget Abstract:, In most temperate deciduous forests, windstorm is the main source of dead wood. However, the effects of this natural disturbance on ambrosia and bark beetle communities are poorly known. In managed oak-hornbeam forests storm-damaged in France in 1999, we sampled ambrosia (and second bark beetles) by ethanol-baited window-flight traps in 2001. By comparing uncleared gaps, undisturbed closed-canopy controls and seedling-sapling stands, we investigated the short-term effects of gap formation, gap size and surrounding landscape to provide a snapshot of scolytid response. Contrary to expectations, neither the abundance nor the richness of ambrosia beetle species was significantly higher in gaps than in undisturbed stands. Few responses in abundance at the species level and only a slight difference in assemblage composition were detected between gaps and closed-canopy controls. Gaps were more dissimilar from seedling-sapling stands, than from closed-canopy controls. More scolytid individuals and species were caught in gaps than in seedling-sapling stands. Mean local and cumulative richness peaked in mid-size gaps. Only mid-size gaps differed from closed-canopy controls in terms of species composition. We identified generalist gap species (Xyleborus saxesenii, X. cryptographus), but also species significantly more abundant in mid-size gaps (Platypus cylindrus, Xyloterus signatus). The faunistic peculiarity of mid-size gaps seemed to be partly related to a bias in oak density among gap size classes. Few landscape effects were observed. Only the scolytids on the whole and X. dispar were slightly favoured by an increasing density in fellings at the 78 ha scale. We did not find any correlation between scolytid abundance and the surrounding closed-forest percentage area. We confirmed that temperate, deciduous, managed stands did not come under threat by ambrosia and bark beetle pests after the 1999 windstorm. Nonetheless, our data stressed the current expansion in Western Europe of two invasive species, X. peregrinus and especially X. germanus, now the predominant scolytid in the three oak forests studied. [source] Prediction of butterfly diversity hotspots in Belgium: a comparison of statistically focused and land use-focused modelsJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 12 2003Dirk Maes Abstract Aim, We evaluate differences between and the applicability of three linear predictive models to determine butterfly hotspots in Belgium for nature conservation purposes. Location, The study is carried out in Belgium for records located to Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) grid cells of 5 × 5 km. Methods, We first determine the relationship between factors correlated to butterfly diversity by means of modified t -tests and principal components analysis; subsequently, we predict hotspots using linear models based on land use, climate and topographical variables of well-surveyed UTM grid cells (n = 197). The well-surveyed squares are divided into a training set and an evaluation set to test the model predictions. We apply three different models: (1) a ,statistically focused' model where variables are entered in descending order of statistical significance, (2) a ,land use-focused' model where land use variables known to be related to butterfly diversity are forced into the model and (3) a ,hybrid' model where the variables of the ,land use-focused model' are entered first and subsequently complemented by the remaining variables entered in descending order of statistical significance. Results, A principal components analyses reveals that climate, and to a large extent, land use are locked into topography, and that topography and climate are the variables most strongly correlated with butterfly diversity in Belgium. In the statistically focused model, biogeographical region alone explains 65% of the variability; other variables entering the statistically focused model are the area of coniferous and deciduous woodland, elevation and the number of frost days; the statistically focused model explains 77% of the variability in the training set and 66% in the evaluation set. In the land use-focused model, biogeographical region, deciduous and mixed woodland, natural grassland, heathland and bog, woodland edge, urban and agricultural area and biotope diversity are forced into the model; the land use-focused model explains 68% of the variability in the training set and 57% in the evaluation set. In the hybrid model, all variables from the land use-focused model are entered first and the covariates elevation, number of frost days and natural grassland area are added on statistical grounds; the hybrid model explains 78% of the variability in the training set and 67% in the evaluation set. Applying the different models to determine butterfly diversity hotspots resulted in the delimitation of spatially different areas. Main conclusions, The best predictions of butterfly diversity in Belgium are obtained by the hybrid model in which land use variables relevant to butterfly richness are entered first after which climatic and topographic variables were added on strictly statistical grounds. The land use-focused model does not predict butterfly diversity in a satisfactory manner. When using predictive models to determine butterfly diversity, conservation biologists need to be aware of the consequences of applying such models. Although, in conservation biology, land use-focused models are preferable to statistically focused models, one should always check whether the applied model makes sense on the ground. Predictive models can target mapping efforts towards potentially species-rich sites and permits the incorporation of un-surveyed sites into nature conservancy policies. Species richness distribution maps produced by predictive modelling should therefore be used as pro-active conservation tools. [source] Effects of natural disturbance and selective logging on Nothofagus forests in south-central ChileJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 7 2002William Pollmann Aim Changes in stand structure, floristic composition and tree population dynamics during the last four centuries were described in southern temperate rain forests. The impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbance since the late 1560s were examined for old-growth and logged forests. Location The study was conducted in montane Nothofagus alpina forests in the Andean Range of south-central Chile. Study sites were located at a range of altitudes between 1000 and 1250 m a.s.l. Methods Temporal variation in species recruitment and annual dendroecological data were used to determine the historical development and disturbance history of three old-growth forests, and three stands after selective logging in the late 1880s to early 1900s. Considering the spatial structure of evergreen vs. deciduous elements, the forests are a mixture of deciduous and evergreen tree species. Results Stem density, maximum stem diameter and basal area differed between the old-growth and logged stands, but species composition did not. At lower altitudes, N. alpina was the dominant canopy species in both old-growth and logged stands, but regeneration of N. alpina was significantly different in these stands. At higher altitudes, N. alpina and N. dombeyi were the dominant canopy species in both old-growth and logged stands, and here regeneration patterns of these Nothofagus species were similar. After selective logging, in mixed forests of shade-intolerant Nothofagus and more shade-tolerant trees (such as Laurelia philippiana) there has been a shift in regeneration from more shade-tolerant resprouting species towards Nothofagus. Major and moderate releases in radial growth, indicative of disturbance, occurred in most of the older trees during the last four centuries, and especially during the last 100 years. Growth rates of N. alpina are higher than those of associated shade-tolerant trees, and apparently increase after disturbances. Main conclusions Results suggest that under disturbance regimes dominated by treefall gaps, and additionally canopy openings by selective logging, maintenance of Nothofagus species appears to be associated with complementary differences in growth rate, sprouting capacity, canopy residence time, and longevity. Such small-scale canopy openings may help explain the relative abundance of N. alpina in montane mixed rain forests in the Andean Range, where the maintenance of Nothofagus species in many stands has been attributed to a high frequency of coarse-scale disturbance. My results serve to emphasize that understanding the species coexistence and forest dynamics in Nothofagus forests may require attention to interspecific differences in life-history characteristics. [source] Mid-Holocene and glacial-maximum vegetation geography of the northern continents and AfricaJOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, Issue 3 2000I. Colin Prentice Abstract BIOME 6000 is an international project to map vegetation globally at mid-Holocene (6000 14C yr bp) and last glacial maximum (LGM, 18,000 14C yr bp), with a view to evaluating coupled climate-biosphere model results. Primary palaeoecological data are assigned to biomes using an explicit algorithm based on plant functional types. This paper introduces the second Special Feature on BIOME 6000. Site-based global biome maps are shown with data from North America, Eurasia (except South and Southeast Asia) and Africa at both time periods. A map based on surface samples shows the method's skill in reconstructing present-day biomes. Cold and dry conditions at LGM favoured extensive tundra and steppe. These biomes intergraded in northern Eurasia. Northern hemisphere forest biomes were displaced southward. Boreal evergreen forests (taiga) and temperate deciduous forests were fragmented, while European and East Asian steppes were greatly extended. Tropical moist forests (i.e. tropical rain forest and tropical seasonal forest) in Africa were reduced. In south-western North America, desert and steppe were replaced by open conifer woodland, opposite to the general arid trend but consistent with modelled southward displacement of the jet stream. The Arctic forest limit was shifted slighly north at 6000 14C yr bp in some sectors, but not in all. Northern temperate forest zones were generally shifted greater distances north. Warmer winters as well as summers in several regions are required to explain these shifts. Temperate deciduous forests in Europe were greatly extended, into the Mediterranean region as well as to the north. Steppe encroached on forest biomes in interior North America, but not in central Asia. Enhanced monsoons extended forest biomes in China inland and Sahelian vegetation into the Sahara while the African tropical rain forest was also reduced, consistent with a modelled northward shift of the ITCZ and a more seasonal climate in the equatorial zone. Palaeobiome maps show the outcome of separate, independent migrations of plant taxa in response to climate change. The average composition of biomes at LGM was often markedly different from today. Refugia for the temperate deciduous and tropical rain forest biomes may have existed offshore at LGM, but their characteristic taxa also persisted as components of other biomes. Examples include temperate deciduous trees that survived in cool mixed forest in eastern Europe, and tropical evergreen trees that survived in tropical seasonal forest in Africa. The sequence of biome shifts during a glacial-interglacial cycle may help account for some disjunct distributions of plant taxa. For example, the now-arid Saharan mountains may have linked Mediterranean and African tropical montane floras during enhanced monsoon regimes. Major changes in physical land-surface conditions, shown by the palaeobiome data, have implications for the global climate. The data can be used directly to evaluate the output of coupled atmosphere-biosphere models. The data could also be objectively generalized to yield realistic gridded land-surface maps, for use in sensitivity experiments with atmospheric models. Recent analyses of vegetation-climate feedbacks have focused on the hypothesized positive feedback effects of climate-induced vegetation changes in the Sahara/Sahel region and the Arctic during the mid-Holocene. However, a far wider spectrum of interactions potentially exists and could be investigated, using these data, both for 6000 14C yr bp and for the LGM. [source] Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and placental plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI-2) in gingival crevicular fluid from patients with Papillon,Lefèvre syndromeJOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2004Christer Ullbro Abstract Objectives: Numerous patients with Papillon,Lefèvre syndrome (PLS) express a severe periodontal inflammation that results in premature loss of deciduous and permanent teeth. The plasminogen activating (PA) system is involved in physiological and pathological processes including epithelial healing, extracellular proteolysis and local inflammatory reactions. The aim of the study was to explore a possible role of the PA system in patients with PLS. Material and Methods: Samples of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were collected from areas with gingival infection in 20 patients with PLS and in 20 healthy controls. The concentration of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and inhibitor (PAI-2) was measured with ELISA. Results: The median level of PAI-2 was significantly higher (p<0.01) in PLS patients than in the controls, while the median value of t-PA did not differ between the groups. No difference in t-PA or PAI-2 levels was found regarding age, gender or presence of active periodontal disease. Conclusion: The findings indicate an atypical activity of the PA system with a disturbed epithelial function in PLS patients, suggesting that the periodontal destruction seen in patients with PLS is secondary to a hereditary defect in the defense system. [source] Influence of boreal forest succession and dead wood qualities on saproxylic beetlesAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2007Joshua M. Jacobs Abstract 1,Saproxylic insects, a functional group dominated by beetles, are dependent on dead or moribund trees as habitat elements. 2,Although there are few studies of saproxylic insects from the North American boreal zone, European studies demonstrate that forest harvest can lead to a biologically significant decrease in saproxylic beetle diversity. 3,We studied saproxylic beetles in the North American boreal mixedwood forest using flight intercept traps established on naturally dead and girdled trembling aspen and spruce trees along a successional gradient of undisturbed stands from deciduous to coniferous overstory trees. 4,Composition and diversity of beetle assemblages differed among forest successional types. 5,Snag age class was an important determinant of composition for saproxylic beetle assemblages. 6,Multivariate regression analysis of these data indicated that saproxylic beetles are responding to changes in coarse woody debris, and not to the relative densities of canopy tree species, although these variables are strongly correlated. 7,Coarse woody debris management should be a primary concern in forest management plans seeking to conserve saproxylic organisms and the critical ecosystem functions (i.e. nutrient cycling) in which they participate. [source] Canopy leaching of cations in Central European forest ecosystems , a regional assessmentJOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE, Issue 2 2003Jens-Johann Langusch Abstract The leaching of Ca, Mg, and K from canopies is a major pathway of these cations into forest soils. Our aim was to quantify rates of canopy leaching and to identify driving factors at the regional scale using annual fluxes of bulk precipitation and throughfall from 37 coniferous and deciduous forests of North and Central Europe. Total deposition of Ca, Mg, K, and H+ was estimated with Na as an index cation. The median canopy leaching increased in the order: Mg (0.11 kmolc ha,1 a,1) < Ca (0.31 kmolc ha,1 a,1) < K (0.39 kmolc ha,1 a,1). Canopy leaching of Ca and K was positively correlated with the calculated total H+ deposition and H+ buffered in the canopy, whereas canopy leaching of Mg was not. With contrasting effects, fluxes of SO4 -S and NH4 -N in throughfall explained to 64,% (P<0.001) of the Ca canopy leaching. Fluxes of NH4 -N and Ca were negatively correlated, suggesting that buffering of H+ by NH3 deposition reduced canopy leaching of Ca. Amount of bulk precipitation and SO4 -S in throughfall were identified as much weaker driving factors for canopy leaching of K (r2=0.28, P<0.01). Our results show that Ca is the dominant cation in buffering the H+ input in the canopy. At the regional and annual scale, canopy leaching of Mg appears to be unaffected by H+ deposition and H+ buffering in the canopy. Kronenauswaschung von Ca, Mg und K in mitteleuropäischen Waldökosystemen Die Kronenauswaschung von Ca, Mg und K mit dem Bestandesniederschlag stellt einen wichtigen Eintrag für die Waldböden dar. Ziel dieser Arbeit war es, die Kronenauswaschung dieser Kationen auf der regionalen Skala zu quantifizieren und Faktoren zu identifizieren, welche die Kronenauswaschung beeinflussen. Hierzu wurden annuelle Flüsse aus Freiland- und Bestandesniederschlägen von 37 nord- und mitteleuropäischen Laub- und Nadelwäldern ausgewertet. Zur Bestimmung der Gesamtdeposition wurde Na als Leitelement benutzt. Der Median der Kronenauswaschung stieg in der Reihenfolge Mg (0,11 kmolc ha,1 a,1) < Ca (0,31 kmolc ha,1 a,1) < K (0,39 kmolc ha,1 a,1) an. Die Kronenauswaschung von Ca und K war positiv mit der berechneten H+ -Deposition und der gepufferten H+ -Menge im Kronenraum korreliert, während Mg keinen Zusammenhang zeigte. Die Kronenauswaschung von Ca ließ sich zu 64,% (P<0.001) mit den Flüssen von SO4 -S und NH4 -N im Bestandesniederschlag erklären, wobei die negative Korrelation zwischen NH4 -N und Ca auf eine Reduzierung der Ca-Kronenauswaschung mit steigender NH3 -Deposition hindeutet. Dagegen konnten nur 28,% der K-Auswaschung (P<0.01) mit dem Freilandniederschlag und dem SO4 -S-Fluss im Bestandesniederschlag als Indikatorvariablen erklärt werden. Unsere Studie zeigt, dass Calcium das dominante Kation bei der Kronenraumpufferung von H+ ist. Auf der regionalen und annuellen Skala scheint die Kronenauswaschung von Mg weder von der H+ -Deposition noch von der Menge im Kronenraum gepufferter H+ -Ionen abzuhängen. [source] Seedling growth and morphology of three oak species along field resource gradients and seed mass variation: a seedling age-dependent responseJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 3 2010Ignacio M. Pérez-Ramos Abstract Question: What is the relative importance of seed mass and abiotic factors in species-specific seedling growth and morphology during the first and the second growing season? How do oak species respond along gradients of these factors? Location: Mediterranean oak forest in southern Spain. Methods: We analysed seedling growth components and morphology of three co-occurring Quercus species (two deciduous and one evergreen). Oak seeds with a wide variety of sizes were sown along broad gradients of abiotic conditions. Intra- and inter-specific differences were evaluated by calibrating maximum likelihood estimators of seedling growth during the first two years of life. Results: We found multiple resources and conditions affecting seedling morphology and biomass allocation. However, the integrative variables of seedling growth , total aboveground biomass and relative growth rate (RGR) , were affected by two main factors: seed mass and light conditions. The relative contribution of these two factors depended strongly on seedling age. Seed mass explained most of the growth and morphological variables during the first year, while light conditions were the best predictor in the second growing season. In contrast, soil factors did not play an important role in seedling growth. We found some evidence of regeneration niche partitioning between oak species along the light gradient, a reflection of their distribution patterns as adults at the study site. Conclusions: We conclude that inter-specific differences in seedling growth, arising from seed size variability and microsite heterogeneity, could be of paramount importance in oak species niche segregation, driving stand dynamics and composition along environmental gradients. [source] Trends in savanna structure and composition along an aridity gradient in the KalahariJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 3 2002R.J. Scholes Abstract. The Kalahari sand sheet occupies 2.5 million ha in southern Africa. It is an area with relatively similar deep aeolian soils, and a strong south to north gradient in rainfall, from 200 to 1000 mm mean annual precipitation (MAP) in the region studied. This provides an excellent basis for gradient studies at the subcontinental scale. This paper briefly reviews the literature on the vegetation of the Kalahari and describes the vegetation structure and composition at 11 new sites. There is a clear gradient in woody plant biomass (as indexed by basal area) from south to north. Above the minimum level of 200 mm MAP, the woody basal area increases at a rate of ca. 2.5 m2.ha -1 per 100 mm MAP. Mean maximum tree height also increases along the gradient, reaching 20 m at ca. 800 mm MAP. The number of species to contribute > 95% of the woody basal area increases from one at 200 mm to 16 at 1000 mm MAP. Members of the Mimosaceae (mainly Acacia) dominate the tree layer up to 400 mm MAP. They are replaced by either the Combretaceae (Combretum or Terminalia) or Colophospermum mopane of the Caesalpinaceae between 400 and 600 mm MAP, and by other representatives of the Caesalpinaceae above 600 mm MAP. The vegetation is largely deciduous up to 1000 mm MAP, except for species that apparently have access to groundwater, which may be locally dominant above about 600 mm MAP. [source] Biochemical, immunological and clinical characterization of a cross-reactive nonspecific lipid transfer protein 1 from mulberryALLERGY, Issue 5 2010M. A. Ciardiello To cite this article: Ciardiello MA, Palazzo P, Bernardi ML, Carratore V, Giangrieco I, Longo V, Melis M, Tamburrini M, Zennaro D, Mari A, Colombo P. Biochemical, immunological and clinical characterization of a cross-reactive nonspecific lipid transfer protein 1 from mulberry. Allergy 2010; 65: 597,605. Abstract Background:, Mulberry (Morus spp.) is a genus comprising several species of deciduous trees whose fruits are commonly eaten in southern Europe. Subjects with severe systemic reaction have been described. The aim of this study was to isolate the allergens of this species. Methods:, A nonspecific lipid transfer protein 1 (ns-LTP1) was purified from black mulberry by ion exchange and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography, and the primary structure was elucidated by direct protein sequencing. Its allergenic activity was evaluated in vivo by skin prick test and in vitro by Western Blot, CD203c basophil activation assay and high throughput multiplex inhibition method on immunosolid-phase allergen chip (ISAC). Results:, Mulberry ns-LTP (Mor n 3) comprises 91 amino acids producing a molecular mass of 9246 Da. This protein shows high sequence identity with several allergenic ns-LTP1. Immunoblot analysis and CD203c activation assay demonstrated its allergenic activity in symptomatic subjects and in ns-LTP allergic patients who are not mulberry consumers. Immunological co-recognition was studied in vivo on a selected group of well-characterized ns-LTP allergic patients showing a high percentage of nMor n 3+ subjects (88.46%) even in patients who have never eaten mulberry before. IgE inhibition on ISAC micro-array demonstrated an almost complete cross-reactivity to nArt v 3, rCor a 8 and a very high percentage of inhibition to nPru p 3. Conclusions:, Mor n 3 is the first allergen isolated in black mulberry and immunologically characterized. It displayed allergenic activity among symptomatic and nonconsumer patients and a pattern of cross-reactivity to other plant-derived LTPs. [source] Climate and Growth Form: The Consequences for Genome Size in PlantsPLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 5 2005D. Ohri Abstract: The adaptive significance of nuclear DNA variation in angiosperms is still widely debated. The discussion mainly revolves round the causative factors influencing genome size and the adaptive consequences to an organism according to its growth form and environmental conditions. Nuclear DNA values are now known for 3874 angiosperm species (including 773 woody species) from over 219 families (out of a total of 500) and 181 species of woody gymnosperms, representing all the families. Therefore, comparisons have been made on not only angiosperms, taken as a whole, but also on the subsets of data based on taxonomic groups, growth forms, and environment. Nuclear DNA amounts in woody angiosperms are restricted to less than 23.54 % of the total range of herbaceous angiosperms; this range is further reduced to 6.8 % when woody and herbaceous species of temperate angiosperms are compared. Similarly, the tropical woody dicots are restricted to less than 50.5 % of the total range of tropical herbaceous dicots, while temperate woody dicots are restricted to less than 10.96 % of the total range of temperate herbaceous dicots. In the family Fabaceae woody species account for less than 14.1 % of herbaceous species. Therefore, in the total angiosperm sample and in subsets of data, woody growth form is characterized by a smaller genome size compared with the herbaceous growth form. Comparisons between angiosperm species growing in tropical and temperate regions show highly significant differences in DNA amount and genome size in the total angiosperm sample. However, when only herbaceous angiosperms were considered, significant differences were obtained in DNA amount, while genome size showed a non-significant difference. An atypical result was obtained in the case of woody angiosperms where mean DNA amount of tropical species was almost 25.04 % higher than that of temperate species, which is because of the inclusion of 85 species of woody monocots in the tropical sample. The difference becomes insignificant when genome size is compared. Comparison of tropical and temperate species among dicots and monocots and herbaceous monocots taken separately showed significant differences both in DNA amount and genome size. In herbaceous dicots, while DNA amount showed significant differences the genome size varies insignificantly. There was a non-significant difference among tropical and temperate woody dicots. In three families, i.e., Poaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae the temperate species have significantly higher DNA amount and genome size than the tropical ones. Woody gymnosperms had significantly more DNA amount and genome size than woody angiosperms, woody eudicots, and woody monocots. Woody monocots also had significantly more DNA amount and genome size than woody eudicots. Lastly, there was no significant difference between deciduous and evergreen hardwoods. The significance of these results in relation to present knowledge on the evolution of genome size is discussed. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||