Arboreal Plants Research Articles

FORMING OF ROOTAGES OF PEDUNCULATE OAK PLANTS IN FOREST GULTURES USING VARIOUS METHODS OF FOREST RENEWAL IN STATE ENTERPRISE "SMILA FORESTRY"

Pedunculate Oak is the type of arboreal plants that in natural conditions have a long tap-root and widely ramified rootage. It allows it to grow both in dry and moist environments. A structure and development of arboreal plants have been investigated by the known scientists in forestry, in particular Soldatov A. G., Rahteenko I. N., Pogrebniak P. S., Pohiton P. P., Kalinin M. I., and Guz N. I. In order to research character and tendencies of height and development of rootages of Pedunculate Oak in the cultures of this arboreal type of plants using different methods of proceeding in the forest we conducted excavation of chums of this arboreal type in age from one to three years on a depth up to 1.5 m on the areas of forest cultures, that is created by sowing of acorns, landing of bare-rooted seedlings and container plants. For comparison of development of rootages of one-year Pedunculate Oak plants, that were grown according to traditional technology with root system in the nursery of Volodimirovka and one-year seedlings of Pedunculate Oak, that grew in forest cultures of the sown acorns, and also container seedlings, that were grown in the nursery of Bydianka of Smila forestry of the Tcherkasy regional department of forest and hanting we defined mass of rootages of arboreal plants in an air-dry state, that presented accordingly 2.7±0.3, 2.8±0.3 and 10.0±1.8 g. In such conditions the three-year plants of Pedunculate Oak had middle length of rootages – 124.2±12.9 cm. Rootages of three-years plants of Pedunculate Oak in forest cultures on the areas of forest renewal with the use of container planting stock comparatively with the rootages of the same age of Pedunculate Oak plants in the forest cultures that were created by bare-rooted seedlings is more fibrous and after the depth of their distribution on average presented a 126.3±21.8 cm against a 68.3±18.2 cm, at the same time, the amount of arboreal plants with the formed mainroot a container plants did not exceed their half. Digging at the root of two-year oak that grew from acorns, we found existing vertical root system with an average depth of penetration taproot 72.1± 9.2 cm, in which horizontal roots were mostly roots of the first order and second minor branching roots and third orders. In reforested areas created by planting seedlings with bare root system and grown in containers we observed well-developed fibrous root systems that were formed in the fertile layer of soil. At the same time, rootages of two-year arboreal plants of oak ordinary, that were grown in containers, comparatively with the rootages of two-year plants of this arboreal kind, planted with bare roots, were substantially more powerful. Middle length of rootages of Pedunculate Oak plants in two-year forest cultures created according to traditional technology, we fixed a 46.2±5.2 cm with indexes, and by a container planting stock are 76.2±7.8 cm. In the rootages of plants of oak ordinary on areas renewal of the forest by a planting-stock bare-rooted and grown in containers the roots of near to horizontal directions of the first, second and third orders and bulk of chums prevailed was in the epiphases of soil on half meter depth. Thus, the results of digging out of rootages of three-year plants of Pedunculate Oak in the forest cultures created by sowing of acorns showed the middle depth of rootages, and their medium-altitude above-ground part presented a 117.6±12.1 cm, that testifies to forming Pedunculate Oak of such cored rootage. Researches of three-year rootages of Pedunculate Oak in the forest cultures created according to traditional technology and with the use of container planting stock showed that part of their individuals with a dominant mainroot did not exceed halves of their amount, and the tendency of forming of rootages that was educed by the authors on second year of their life, continued to be kept.

Influence of air pollution by compounds of fluorine, sulphur and nitrogen on changes of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in the leaves of trees and bushes

The productive activity of man results in contamination of the environment which causes substantial damage to ecosystems, upsetting their balance, species composition, etc. Within industrial areas, plants suffer significant harm. At the same time, plant organisms play an important role in optimization of the environment, performing sanitary-hygienic, landscaping and aesthetic functions. In this context, we investigated the influence of industrial contamination of air by fluorine, sulphur and nitrogen compounds on the activity of peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase in ten types of arboreal and shrub plants which differ in their resistance to air pollution. Our research was conducted on the basis of a full multivariate experiment with two levels of factors. Peroxidase activity was determined by a colorimetric method according to the duration of oxidization of benzidine. For determination of polyphenoloxidase activity we determined the duration of oxidization of p-phenilendiamin according to the change in optical density of the solution. Pollutants have a significant influence on activity of the investigated enzymes in the leaves of the plant species studied, which depends on the resistance of the plants to contamination, and also the composition and concentrations of pollutants. With resistant species (Ligustrum vulgare L., Quercus robur L., Lonicera tatarica L., Eleagnus angustifolia L., Philadelphus coronaria L.) peroxidase activity either did not change or rose by 11.2–64.1% compared to the control, depending on the composition of pollutants, their concentrations and the duration of their activity. Polyphenoloxidase activity in these plants did not significantly change in most variants of the experiment, although high concentrations of pollutants resulted in suppression of the activity of this enzyme by 26.1–37.6%. In species with variable tolerance which did not experience damage, peroxidase function did not change. Species sensitive to pollutants (Sorbus aucuparia L., Fraxinus lanceolata Borkh) were characterized by the significant decline in peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activity, by 18.7–79.1% and 20.5–71.2% respectively, depending on the duration of action of the gases in all variants of the experiment. In species with variable tolerance (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Acer negundo L., Populus simonii Carriere) the reaction to the pollutants was ambiguous in nature and depended on the presence of damage. If the leaves of these plants did not show visible damage (necrosis), then activity of the enzymes did not change. When there was damage to leaf laminae this index decreased in relation to control by 17.3–60.1% for peroxidase and 24.7–57.3% for polyphenoloxidase. Significant negative linear correlation was found between activity of antioxidant enzymes and damage to leaves of the investigated plants: the coefficients of correlation were –0.385 between peroxidase activity and damage and –0.130 between polyphenoloxidase activity and damage. The character of changes in peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase activity show that these enzymes play a considerable role in the detoxication of pollutants and that there is a reduction in their influence on metabolic processes of plant organisms.

FLORA VASCULAR DE UM REMANESCENTE DE FLORESTA ESTACIONAL SEMIDECIDUAL, NO MUNICÍPIO DE MARINGÁ, PARANÁ, BRASIL

Objetivou-se inventariar e caracterizar a composição florística de um remanescente florestal e contribuir com o conhecimento da flora do Estado do Paraná. As coletas de material botânico foram realizadas entre maio de 2009 e outubro de 2011, e em junho de 2014, por meio de caminhadas aleatórias. Foram coletadas amostras de indivíduos: arbóreos, arbustivos, herbáceos, lianas e epífitas. O material coletado foi herborizado de acordo com os métodos usuais e incorporado no acervo do HUEM. A identificação foi realizada com emprego de bibliografia específica e por comparação com o material do acervo do HUEM e HCF, seguindo-se o sistema APG III para famílias de angiospermas. Foram coletados e identificados 279 táxons, distribuídos em 66 famílias, 213 gêneros e 244 espécies. As famílias com maior número de espécies foram: Fabaceae (31), Asteraceae (24), Solanaceae (15), Sapindaceae (12), Euphorbiaceae e Malvaceae (11), Myrtaceae (10), Bignoniaceae (9), Rutaceae (8), Apocynaceae, Malpighiaceae, Meliaceae, Piperaceae e Rubiaceae (7). Nessas famílias estão contidas 59,5% das espécies. Quanto ao hábito, o arbóreo foi predominante, com 107 indivíduos (38,4%), 95,5% (236 spp.) das espécies são nativas e apenas 4,5% (11 spp.) são naturalizadas. Nove espécies encontram-se na lista da flora ameaçadas de extinção. Neste estudo foi apurada uma elevada diversidade florística, similar a resultados obtidos por outros autores em áreas de domínio da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual.

Botanical and geographical origin of honey from the dry and humid Chaco ecoregions (Argentina)

To characterise the botanical and geographical origin of honey from the Chaco region (Argentina), 189 samples of honey were examined for pollen content using standard methodology. A general feature was the high representation of pollen from native arboreal plants, mainly of Fabaceae and the scarcity of pollen from herbaceous plants. One hundred and twenty-three samples proved to be unifloral. The most common were from: Prosopis alba, Helianthus annuus, Sarcomphalus mistol, Eugenia uniflora and Schinopsis balansae followed by those of Copernicia alba, Trithrinax schizophylla, Tessaria integrifolia, Baccharis-Eupatorium, Cynophalla retusa, Schinopsis lorentzii, Gleditsia amorphoides, Heimia salicifolia, Pisonia zapallo, Sagittaria montevidensis and Bulnesia sarmientoi. The pollen spectrum allowed the Dry and Humid Chaco ecoregions to be distinguished. The presence of pollen from cultivated crops and naturalised plants reflects a transitional complex between both ecoregions.

On the Trail of Date-Plum (Diospyros lotus L.) in Italy and Its First Archaeobotanical Evidence

Diospyros lotus L. is an arboreal species native to the Balkans and Caucasus and ranging to the Far East. In Italy, it has been cultivated for centuries and has reverted to the wild state in some regions. During archaeological excavations carried out in the historical center of Modena (northern Italy), two floral calyxes of D. lotus were discovered in a layer dating from the first century ce. These are the first and only remains of D. lotus found in an archaeological context in Italy thus far. The first historical mention of this species as an arboreal plant in Italy occurs in the 1565 edition of Dioscorides’ Commentarii de Medica materia by Pietro Andrea Mattioli. Our research allowed us to establish that the first three Italian herbaria containing samples of D. lotus, dating to the 1551–1570 period, are the Erbario B of the Biblioteca Angelica of Rome, the Erbario Aldrovandi (Bologna) and the Erbario Cesalpino (Florence). However, archaeobotanical remains reveal that the fruits of this species were known during the Roman period, probably arriving in northern Italy as a luxury food owing to their exceptional flavor.

Pollen Season Trends (1973-2013) in Stockholm Area, Sweden.

In the present study, the phenological and quantitative changes in the pollen seasons between 1973 and 2013 in the Stockholm region of Sweden were studied for nine types of pollen (hazel, alder, elm, birch, oak, grass, mugwort, willow and pine). Linear regression models were used to estimate the long term trends in duration, start- and end-dates, peak-values and the yearly accumulated pollen sums of the pollen seasons. The pollen seasons of several arboreal plant species (e.g. birch, oak and pine) were found to start significantly earlier today compared to 41 years earlier, and have an earlier peak-date, while the season of other species seemed largely unaffected. However, the long term trends in the end-dates of pollen seasons differed between arboreal and herbaceous species. For herbaceous species (grass and mugwort), a significant change towards later end-dates was observed and the duration of season was found to have increased. A significant trend towards an earlier end-date was found in the majority of the arboreal plant species (i.e. elm, oak, pine and birch), but the length of the season seemed unaffected. A trend towards an increase in yearly concentrations of pollen was observed for several species; however the reasons for this phenomenon cannot be explained unambiguously by the present study design. The trend of increasing yearly mean air temperatures in the Stockholm area may be the reason to changed phenological patterns of pollen seasons.

DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF MITES IN A MANDARIN CITRUS ORCHARD IN WEST SUMATRA

Some of the most destructive pests in citrus orchards are spider mites. Monitoring prior applied pest control is a standard procedure for integrated pest management (IPM). The study aimed to survey and determine the distribution, abundance, and diversity of phytophagous, predatory, and detritivorous mites at different stages of development of arboreal plant parts, weeds and litter in the citrus orchard. A periodical sampling survey method was conducted on six growth stages of mandarin citrus, weeds and litter of the Indonesian Fruits Research Institute experimental field in Solok, West Sumatra in December 2003 to June 2004. All mites attached on each growth stage of citrus, weeds and litter were trapped and mounted on slide for identification purposes. Identification of the mites was conducted in the Acarology Laboratory, Department of Entomology, University of the Philippines at Los Banos in July-October 2004. The results showed that a very rich mite fauna of 130 species was found in the arboreal parts of citrus crops, weeds and litter below the canopy of the citrus orchard. Among the trophic groups, detritivorous mites were the most abundant, followed by the predators, phytophages, and those unknown feeding habit. Among the habitats, weeds harbored the most mite species followed by litter and arboreal parts of the citrus trees. The flush growth stage had the least diverse mite fauna with index diversity (H’) of 1.27, while the most diverse (H’ = 2.01) was found at fruit development phase II. Result of this research was useful in determining proper time for controlling phytophagous mites. Besides, the result also provides important information on potential predatory mites that can be used as biological control agents. Furthermore, the study implies the importance of maintaining cover crops of weeds and litter beneath the citrus trees as refuge and source of alternate prey for predators which suppressed populations of phytophagous mites.

DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF MITES IN A MANDARIN CITRUS ORCHARD IN WEST SUMATRA

Some of the most destructive pests in citrus orchards are spider mites. Monitoring prior applied pest control is a standard procedure for integrated pest management (IPM). The study aimed to survey and determine the distribution, abundance, and diversity of phytophagous, predatory, and detritivorous mites at different stages of development of arboreal plant parts, weeds and litter in the citrus orchard. A periodical sampling survey method was conducted on six growth stages of mandarin citrus, weeds and litter of the Indonesian Fruits Research Institute experimental field in Solok, West Sumatra in December 2003 to June 2004. All mites attached on each growth stage of citrus, weeds and litter were trapped and mounted on slide for identification purposes. Identification of the mites was conducted in the Acarology Laboratory, Department of Entomology, University of the Philippines at Los Banos in July-October 2004. The results showed that a very rich mite fauna of 130 species was found in the arboreal parts of citrus crops, weeds and litter below the canopy of the citrus orchard. Among the trophic groups, detritivorous mites were the most abundant, followed by the predators, phytophages, and those unknown feeding habit. Among the habitats, weeds harbored the most mite species followed by litter and arboreal parts of the citrus trees. The flush growth stage had the least diverse mite fauna with index diversity (H’) of 1.27, while the most diverse (H’ = 2.01) was found at fruit development phase II. Result of this research was useful in determining proper time for controlling phytophagous mites. Besides, the result also provides important information on potential predatory mites that can be used as biological control agents. Furthermore, the study implies the importance of maintaining cover crops of weeds and litter beneath the citrus trees as refuge and source of alternate prey for predators which suppressed populations of phytophagous mites.

Consortial associations of phytophagous beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomeloidea, Curculionoidea) with plants in the east of the Russian Plain

Complexes of phytophagous beetles of the superfamilies Chrysomeloidea and Curculionoidea associated with a number of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants in the east of the Russian Plain are described, and their characteristic features and origin are discussed. The consortia of most trees (comprising up to 70 species of phytophagous beetles) are dominated by polyphagous forms, while trophically specialized forms usually prevail in those of herbaceous plants (comprising up to 30 beetle species). The consortia of particular species (or groups of morphologically close species) of plants from large and ecologically diverse genera (Salix, Artemisia, Centaurea, Astragalus, Rorippa, Sisymbrium, Alyssum) exhibit considerable specificity which is manifested not only in the presence of regional monophages but also in specific composition of the oligophages and, occasionally, of the stenotopic polyphagous species. It is shown by a number of examples that the composition of the consortia of particular plant species is not uniform within the region, being the most diverse under the zonal and landscape-biotopic conditions that are optimal for the plants. Complexes of phytophagous beetles are usually considerably impoverished at the range boundaries of both arboreal and herbaceous plants, and also in the habitats not typical of these plants. The diversity of the beetle consortia associated with oak, elm, wormwoods, and astragals is sharply reduced from the forest-steppe to the southern taiga; by contrast, the diversity of beetles associated with willows somewhat decreases from the subboreal forest to the southern forest-steppe.

Morphometric analysis of the annual shoot of the <i>Acer negundo</i> L. plants, growing in conditions of exposure to technogenic pollution of Donbass

For estimation of quality of the environment in industrial regions, along with the methods of instrumental analysis, the methods of bioindication are rather relevant, foremost phytoindication. The influence of air pollutants during ontogenesis results in violation of normal vital functions of arboreal plants, the integral index of the vital state of which is the intensity of vegetative growth. Parameters, characterizing the plant growth, can be quite informative for the bioindication of level of the technogenic contamination of environment. This article presents the results of analysis of coke production emissions influence and transport on the morphometric indexes of annual vegetative shoots ofAcer negundoL. It is shown that the influence of airpollutants leads to inhibition of the development of annual shoot. The reduction in the length of annual shoot (2226%) and the number of its structural elements is accompanied by a decrease in mass (3349%) and area (2745%) of leaves, indicating xerophytization of shoots under the influence of emissions. The greatest changes are revealed inA. negundotrunk from plantations, experiencing, along with the influence of exhaust gas, the extremely adverse conditions of root nutrition. High sensitivity to technogenic emissions of such morphometric parameters ofA. negundoas the length of annual shoots, the total weight and area of shoot leaves allows to use them in monitoring researches of vegetation condition and environmental pollution in the industrial regions.

Climate signatures through Marine Isotope Stage 19 in the Montalbano Jonico section (Southern Italy): A land–sea perspective

A multi-proxy record based on calcareous plankton, dinocysts, pollen, mineralogy and grain size has been acquired from the “Ideale” section, the portion of Montalbano Jonico succession (Southern Italy) that could host the GSSP for the Middle Pleistocene. The direct correlation between marine and terrestrial proxies provides a valuable indication of atmospheric and oceanic connections. The record shows a distinct climate variability well expressed by the vegetational changes, sediment input into the basin and sea surface–water modifications. Biotic proxies indicate that, during the study interval, periods of prevailing subpolar/transitional surface–water conditions were concurrent with steppe and halophytic vegetation. Erosional processes on the hillslopes and terrigenous supply, during these periods, were likely favored due to reduced arboreal vegetation, as attested to by sediment composition and pollen assemblages. Temperate/subtropical surface water conditions were concomitant with prevalent expansions of thermophilous arboreal plants and moister conditions on land, which likely promoted chemical weathering leading to an enhanced supply of kaolinite and smectite in the basin. A relationship between mineral content and the nature of the outcropping units in the source area, as well as sea-level fluctuations, has also been considered. A well-defined period of polar–subpolar water incursion, ranging from 793.2ka to 788.1ka, matches the major expansion of steppic vegetation on land and the increase of terrigenous supply into the basin. It likely represents the local response to North Atlantic ice-rafted debris deposition. Short-lived warming/cooling episodes punctuate the latest part of MIS 20 and are tentatively correlated with analogue climate phases predating MIS 1 inception. Full interglacial conditions of MIS 19c, lasting 10.6kyr, started at 784.3ka and were characterized by warm, oligotrophic and stratified surface–waters coupled with forest expansion, suggesting prevalent warm and humid conditions on land. A potential sapropel-like interval is identified within MIS 19c and correlated to i-cycle 74. The MIS 19c/19b transition is marked, at 773.2ka, by the reestablishment of millennial-scale variability, similarly to North Atlantic marine and ice-core records. The results improve the paleoclimate framework of a Middle Pleistocene reference section and add further insight regarding climate development across MIS 19 and on potential similarities with its closest Holocene analogue.

Effects of tree species diversity on a community of weaver spiders in a tropical forest plantation

AbstractThe effects of producer diversity on predators have received little attention in arboreal plant communities, particularly in the tropics. This is particularly true in the case of tree diversity effects on web‐building spiders, one of the most important groups of invertebrate predators in terrestrial plant communities. We evaluated the effects of tree species diversity on the community of weaver spiders associated with big‐leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) in 19, 21 × 21‐m plots (64 plants/plot) of a tropical forest plantation which were either mahogany monocultures (12 plots) or polycultures (seven plots) that included mahogany and three other tree species. We conducted two surveys of weaver spiders on mahogany trees to evaluate the effects of tree diversity on spider abundance, species richness, diversity, and species composition associated with mahogany. Our results indicated that tree species mixtures exhibited significantly greater spider abundance, species richness, and diversity, as well as differences in spider species composition relative to monocultures. These results could be due to species polycultures providing a broader range of microhabitat conditions favoring spider species with different habitat requirements, a greater availability of web‐building sites, or due to increased diversity or abundance of prey. Accordingly, these results emphasize the importance of mixed forest plantations for boosting predator abundance and diversity and potentially enhancing herbivore pest suppression. Future work is necessary to determine the specific mechanisms underlying these patterns as well as the top‐down effects of increased spider abundance and species richness on herbivore abundance and damage.

Island-Biogeographical Characteristics of Insular Flora in Southern Sea of Jeollanamdo, Korea

Present work aims to establish the countermeasure for the better maintenance and preservation of insular floristic diversity at the South Sea of Jeollanamdo Province, ROK, where unique ecosystems are under threat due to climate change, anthropogenic disturbance and habitat destruction. Numerous flora reports from 15 inhabited islands and 60 uninhabited islands as well as field survey data are collated for the compilation of floristic data base and island biogeographical analysis. Out of the 1,940 vascular plant species from 180 families occurring in studies areas, 30.1 percentage or 584 plant species are physiognomically belonging to arboreal plants. Average number of species at individual island is numbered about 222 species, but it varies from about 591 species at the inhabited islands to 129 species at the uninhabited islands. Only 0.15 percentage of species with high proportion above 0.9 in its relative occurrence rate occurs at 68 islands and it includes three species, such as Pinus thunbergii, Eurya japonica and Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum. However, about 68 percentage of plant species occurring in study area is confined their distribution to less than seven islands. Presence of high proportion of notable plants in small islands, i.e., 10 critically endangered species compared with 5.5 species in average, 9 endangered species (average 4.2 spp.) at Sonjookdo, and 7 critically endangered species, 8 endangered species at Sokomundo may due to existence of diverse geological and topographical environmental diversity as well as lower human population density and remoteness from the mainland. Since island is small in size and geographically isolated, minor environmental and ecological burdens can cause the critical damages to the diversity of flora and vegetation, urgent island biogeographical research is needed for the scientific conservation and management of island biodiversity.

The impact of Holocene climate changes on Honghe wetland in NE China

Understanding the response of wetlands to climate changes could provide useful insights toward predicting the wetlands future in a warmer world. Here, we present a well-dated peat/mud profile with multiple proxies to reconstruct the historic development of Honghe wetland and discuss its response to the East Asian monsoon variations during the Holocene. The results show that the Honghe wetland developed as a shallow-water lake in the mid-early Holocene during a time of high precipitation from the East Asian monsoon. At 4600 years BP, peat layers appeared with sharp increases in the accumulation rate, grain-size Md and arboreal plants, marking a decline in water levels with the relative dry climate. Moreover, the transition corresponds well to the mid-Holocne monsoon weakening event and we suggest the decrease of the monsoon associated precipitation plays a critical role in driving the lake-peatland transition in Honghe. Facing the intensified summer monsoon in future, we suggest some practical measures should be taken to protect the present wetlands from changing back to lakes.

Mimosa caesalpiniifolia intercropping, weeds removal and nitrogen fertilization on maize

ABSTRACT: Weeding is expensive and laborious, and some weeds may re-establish themselves afterwards. Arboreal leguminous plants can control weeds, and fertilization with nitrogen can increases the competitive ability of the maize. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of weed-removal and intercropping with sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniifolia) on control of weed plants and maize productivity. A randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement was used with five replications. Cultivar AG 105, fertilized with nitrogen (30 and 120 kg/ha of N applied to the plots) was subjected to the following treatments (subplots): A) no weeding; B) intercropping with sabiá (30 viable seeds/m2, broadcast between the rows of maize); C) hoeing {20 and 40 days after sowing (DAS)} with no removal of weeds (nROW); D) two hoeings at 20 and 40 DAS with ROW at 20 DAS; E) two hoeings at 20 and 40 DAS with ROW at 40 DAS; F) and two hoeings at 20 and 40 DAS with ROW after each hoeing. Increasing the dose of nitrogen reduced the growth of the sabiá (30%) and weeds (32%) and increased the corn green ear yield (115%) and grain yield (40%) of maize. Sabiá did not reduce the growth of weeds, but it was beneficial to corn because increased the number of green ears. Carrying out two hoeings, with or without the removal of weeds, reduced weed growth (92%) and provided the highest yields of green ears (5.6 t/ha) and grains (6.0 t/ha).

Калькуляція собівартості вирощування декоративних форм Morus alba L.

Калькуляція собівартості вирощування декоративних форм Morus alba L.

Flora of the settlement Lukh of Ivanovo Region

In the article the floristic data of Lukh, one of the ancient Ivanovo region settlements, are given. The present Lukh settlement flora consists of 402 vascular plant species from 4 classes, 76 families and 255 genera. Compositae 53 species (13,2%), Rosaceae 39 species (9,7%), Poaceae 27 species (6,9%), Fabaceae 23 species (5,7%), Cruciferae 18 species (4,2%) are leading families of the flora. The basis of biomorphological structure of the Luch flora is made up by the perennial grass plants (233 species; 57,9%), arboreous plants include 60 species (14,9%), among which 23 species are trees, 33 species are shrubs. Geographical analysis ascertained prevalence of native species. The native component of Lukh flora comprises 247 species (61,6%), the аlien component 153 species (38,4%). The adventivity index is 0,38 which is typical for the small towns and large settlements of the Upper Volga region. 2 rare species (Gerntiana pneumonanthe, Populus nigra) included in the regional red data book, some native (Thelypteris palustris, Juniperus communis, Dactulorhiza fuchii, Platanthera bifolia, Convallaria majalis, Carex pilosa, Trollius earopaeus, Daphne mezerum) and alien (Atriрlex patens, Symphytum x uplandicum, Hesperis matronalis, Veronica persica, Zizania latifolia) rare plant species are briefly characterized.

A regional-scale survey to define the known and potential vectors of grapevine yellow phytoplasmas in vineyards South of Swiss Alps

The most important Grapevine Yellows (GY) phytoplasma diseases in Europe are Flavescence doree (FD) and Bois noir (BN); they are spread in vineyard by two proven vectors, Scaphoideus titanus Ball and Hyalesthes obsoletus Signoret, respectively. Other potential vectors of GY have been identified, which are thought to play a secondary role. The GY control strategies are not always effective and an in-depth study on the ecological cycle of the pathogens at regional scale would be of paramount importance. This study was carried out in 48 representative sites of wine-growing area South of Swiss Alps, with the aim to identify known and potential vectors and to characterize the FD and BN phytoplasmas isolates. Out of 167 Auchenorrhyncha species recorded, 27 were known or potential vectors of phytoplasmas and five of those tested positive for phytoplasmas. S. titanus was infected by 16SrV-D subgroup phytoplasma and no clear relationship between its population density and disease outbreaks was observed. Orientus ishidae harboured 16SrV-C and 16SrV-D subgroups suggesting its potential role in spreading 16SrV-C phytoplasma isolates from arboreal plants to grapevine and FD-D from grapevine to grapevine. H. obsoletus was infected by BN phytoplasmas, tuf-types a and b, however it was collected with relatively low abundance. Reptalus panzeri and R. cuspidatus tested positive to tuf-type b, but only R. cuspidatus was common and abundant in the investigated vineyards. To define the range of alternative vectors using a detailed approach on regional scale provides background information to get a more clear vision on the spreading of phytoplasmas in the vineyards.

Effects of Dracontomelon duperreanum defoliation extract on Microcystis aeruginosa: physiological and morphological aspects.

Harmful cyanobacteria bloom contributes to economic loss as well as the threat to human health. Agricultural waste products, particularly straw, have been used to control bloom while arbor plant is the potential candidate for limiting antialgal activity. This study investigated the use of Dracontomelon duperreanum defoliation extract (DDDE) to inhibit the activity of Microcystis aeruginosa. The primary goal of the research was to explore the solution to control cyanobacterial bloom. The photosynthetic activity, cell morphology, membrane integrity, and esterase activity of M. aeruginosa were determined using phytoplankton analyzer pulse amplitude modulation (Phyto-PAM) and flow cytometry before and after exposure to DDDE. The inhibitory rate of M. aeruginosa was about 99.6% on day 15 when exposed to 2.0gL(-1). A reduction of chlorophyll a (Chl-a) activity and changes in cell membrane suggested the algistatic property of DDDE. Inhibition of photosynthetic activity was reflected by changing mean Chl-a fluorescence intensity (MFI) which was about 52.5% on day 15 when exposed to 2.0gL(-1) DDDE as well as relative electron transport rates (rETRs) of algal cell. These changes might contribute to the suppression of M. aeruginosa. Algal cell exposed to DDDE may lead to cell volume reduction or slow growth. This resulted in a decreased proportion of normal or swollen granular cells after DDDE treatment.

Effects of Aqueous Extracts of Caryocar brasiliense in Mice

Background: Caryocar brasiliense Cambess (Caryocaraceae) is an arboreal plant native of Brasilian Cerrado and its fruit is an important source of food and income for the human population of this region. In addition to using as food, different parts of this tree have great medicinal potential as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antihelmintic. However, the active metabolites those are likely to confer these pharmacological properties healing may also be toxic dependent upon the dose and route of administration. In this quest, the aim of this study was to assess the acute toxicity of aqueous extracts of fruit peels and leaves of C. brasiliense in mice of both genders.Materials, Methods & Results: The aqueous extracts were obtained by decoction, diluted in water and filtered through membrane. The toxicity of extract of fruit peels (62.5 at 500 mg/kg of body weight (BW) and leaf extract (18.75 mg/kg bw) were evaluated in males and females mice (Mus musculus) Swiss by intraperitoneal route. For 2 control groups were administered injection water. The clinical signs and deaths were recorded up to 14 days after administration. The lethal doses for 10 (LD10) or 50 (LD50) % of population were estimated with Probit regression analysis. The Chi-square test was used to analyze differences of mortality frequencies between males and females. The groups treated with the two lower doses of both extracts completely abolished the clinical alteration between two and four hours after inoculation. The comportment of control group’s animals was normalized immediately after administration of injection water. The higher dose administered in both experiments were lethal for all animals, but the doses 250 mg/kg BW of fruit peels extract and 150 mg/kg of BW of leaves extract caused mortality of 100% just in males. However, in both experiments there were no significant differences between the mortality frequency for groups of male and female, as well the comportment of these animals when these doses were administered. Dose-dependent response was observed to mortality. The LD10 corresponded to 89.6 mg/kg BW and LD50 was 149.8 mg/kg BW for fruit peel extract. For the leaf extract , LD10 and LD50 were 33.35 and 67.01 mg/kg BW, respectively.Discussion: Aqueous extracts of the fruit peels and leaves of C. brasiliense were classified as very toxic since the LD50 ranged from 50 to 500 mg / kg BW. For both extracts, similar behavioral changes were observed. Among the secondary metabolites present in fruit peel and leaves, saponins and tannins can promote nervous symptoms. Although there are no records in the literature about animals and human orally intoxicated with any part of C. brasiliense, the development of specific studies to determine its toxicity is relevant, considering the social and ecological importance of this plant.