Fargesia Spathacea Research Articles

Phylogenetic relationships and migration patterns of the Fargesia spathacea complex inferred from genomic data

Phylogenetic relationships and migration patterns of the Fargesia spathacea complex inferred from genomic data

放猪干扰对四川夹金山植物群落特征和生物量的影响

选择四川省夹金山针阔混交林，采用典型样地法调查、RDA二维排序分析高山高地植物群落的物种多样性与地上地下生产力的关系及两者对不同等级放猪干扰的响应，结果显示：（1）夹金山针阔混交林群落共有植物55科117属172种，乔木层、灌木层在各程度干扰下优势种变动较小，川滇长尾槭（Acer caudatum var.prattii）、箭竹（Fargesia spathacea）等始终占据首要地位，草本层优势种变化较大；（2）随干扰程度增加，一年生草本重要值升高，多年生草本重要值降低，其中适口性较强的禾草类植物重要值降低，且草本层地下与地上生物量比值明显降低；（3）乔灌草三层物种多样性水平在轻度干扰下最高，重度干扰下最低；（4） RDA结果分析显示，灌、草本层各物种多样指数（除Pielou均匀度指数外）与各层次生物量呈正相关，乔木层各多样性指数与灌木层地上地下生物量、枯落物量均呈正相关；（5）轻度干扰梯度下幼苗占比显著高于其他干扰梯度，I级下林内几乎未发现成活的乔木优势种幼树，群落更新能力最差。综上，建议将重度、较重度（Ⅱ级）干扰样地（即距养猪场2000 m范围内）的管理措施设置为禁牧或轮牧，重点维护川滇长尾槭、糙皮桦（Betula utilis）的幼树生长以促进更新。;The coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jiajin Mountain, Sichuan Province was selected to analyze the relationship between the species diversity of the alpine vegetation community and the aboveground and underground productivity and the response of the two to different levels of grazing disturbance by using typical sampling method and DCA two-dimensional ordering. The results showed that:(1) there were 172 species of trees, shrubs and herbs belonging to 55 families and 117 genera in the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest communities of Jiajin Mountain. The dominant species in the tree layer and shrub layer changed little under various levels of disturbance, and Acer caudatum var. prattii and Fargesia spathacea always occupied the first place, while the dominant species in herbaceous layer changed greatly; (2) With the increase of the grazing disturbance (from Ⅳ to Ⅰ), the important value of annual herbs increased, while that of perennial herbs decreased, and that of gramineous grasses decreased. The ratio of underground to aboveground biomass in herbaceous layer decreased significantly; (3) The species diversity level of tree, shrub and herbs was the highest under the level IV and the lowest under the level I; (4) The results of redundancy analysis showed that the species diversity index of shrubs and herbs (except Pielou evenness index J_sw) was positively correlated with the biomass of each layer, and the diversity indexes of tree layer were positively correlated with the aboveground and underground biomass of shrub layer and litter fall; (5) The proportion of saplings under level IV was significantly higher than that under other levels. But there were almost no dominant saplings in the forest under severe disturbance (level I), so the regeneration ability of the community was the worst. It is recommended to set the management measures for Ⅰ and Ⅱ (that is, within 2000 m from the pig farm) to grazing prohibition or rotation grazing, and focus on maintaining the growth of saplings of Acer caudatum var. prattii and Betula utilis to promote the regeneration of vegetation communities.

Population genetic structure of the giant panda staple food bamboo (Fargesia spathacea complex) and its taxonomic implications

AbstractThe taxonomy of woody bamboo presents many difficulties due to its long blooming interval and complex morphological variation. Whether the current taxonomy reflects genuine species divergence within woody bamboo is an intriguing question. The Fargesia spathacea Franch. complex comprises 15 closely related species with a sympatric distribution in China. Their classification has long been controversial because only a handful of vegetative traits are available, providing a good opportunity to explore the evolutionary relationships and genetic differentiation in woody bamboo. Here, we present a study involving 750 individuals from 39 representative populations in the F. spathacea complex using 14 simple sequence repeat markers. We found varying degrees of genetic diversity across populations of the F. spathacea complex (He = 0.07–0.81) and largely negative F‐values at the population level, implying an excess of heterozygotes in the populations. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all populations were divided into two major groups (clusters A and B), with the majority of the 15 species representing distinct genetic lineages. Based on population genetic analysis along with morphological evidence, we confirmed the identity of three species (F. decurvata J. L. Lu, F. spathacea, and F. murielae Gamble) and suggested the invalidation of four other species (F. scabrida T. P. Yi, F. robusta T. P. Yi, F. denudata T. P. Yi F. murielae (Gamble) T. P. Yi, and F. nitida (Mitford) Keng f. ex T. P. Yi). The delimitation of the remaining eight species has yet to be explored. The analysis of ecological factors and spatial autocorrelation suggested that altitudinal differences might account for the distinct genetic divergence between the two major groups.

Effects of stand structure on understory biomass of the Quercus spp secondary forests in Hunan Province, China

We examined biomass characteristics and the potential driving factors of different forest types of Quercus spp. secondary forest in Hunan. A total of fifty plots were divided into five forest types: Castanopsis eyri - Rhododendron latoucheae mixed forest (CR), Fagus lucida - Fargesia spathacea mixed forest (FF), Lithocarpus glaber - Damnacanthus indicus + Camellia japonica mixed forest (LDC), C. eyri + Quercus serrata - R. latoucheae mixed forest (CQR), Cyclobalanopsis glauca - Camellia oleifera + R. latoucheae mixed forest (CCR). The biomass of understory vegetation was low in the five forest types, being smaller than 2.3 t·hm-2. There was no significant difference in the biomass of understory shrubs among the five forest types. The biomass of herbage layer in CR was significantly lower than that of the other four forest types. The factors affecting the biomass of understory vegetation varied in different forests types. In CR, biomass of herbaceous layer was negatively correlated with canopy and uniform angle index, whereas total understory biomass was positively correlated with opening degree index. In FF, biomass of shrub layer was negatively correlated with stand canopy density and uniform angle index, while herbaceous biomass and total understory biomass were positively correlated with stand closure. In LDC, herbaceous biomass was positively correlated with the stand aggregation index. In CQR, shrub biomass was negatively correlated with stand mingling index, while herbaceous biomass was positively related with stand density. In CCR, there was no significant correlation between stand structure and understory biomass. To adjust the understory biomass, we should first adjust the horizontal distribution pattern of stand and then adjust the degree of forest cover and tree species structure.

The Potential of Constructed Wetland Plants for Bioethanol Production

Five plant species from two Chinese constructed wetland (CW) environments were studied for the production of bioethanol using simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF). Fourteen CW plant species were found in the constructed wetlands and four species (Phragmites australis, Fargesia spathacea F., Thalia dealbata, and Juncus effusus L.) containing the highest contents of holocellulose (between 50 and 55% d.b.) as well as a highly abundant invasive species (Eupatorium adenophorum) were selected for further study of bioethanol production. Among the selected species, P. australis, T. dealbata, and J. effusus L. exhibited high glucose conversion efficiencies between 42 and 46% of the sample dry mass. These three species were then subjected to SSF at 38 °C with Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4742 and obtained ethanol titers between 30 and 35 g/L. These results indicate promise for the application of CW plants in second-generation biofuel production.

Effects of soil fauna on microbial community during litter decomposition of Populus simonii and Fargesia spathacea in the subalpine forest of western Sichuan, China.

To understand the relationship between soil fauna and microorganism in the detrital food chain during litter decomposition, leaf litters of poplar (Populus simonii) and fargesia (Fargesia spathacea) in a subalpine forest of western Sichuan were taken as study objects. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFAs) biomarker method was used to determine the effects of soil fauna on the abundance, structure and diversity of microbial community during the decomposition of leaf litter of two species from April 2016 to April 2018 with in situ control experiment. The results showed that the presence of soil fauna significantly affected the microbial PLFAs content during the decomposition of both species, reducing the PLFAs content in the first 240 days and increasing the PLFAs content in the 360 to 480 days. Soil fauna participation reduced the ratio of fungi to bacteria in the decomposition of poplar litter, and increased the ratio of gram-positive bacteria (G+) to gram-negative bacteria (G-), which had the opposite effect on the ratio of fungi/bacteria and G+/G- in the decomposition of fargesia litter. Microbial diversity and evenness maintained a high level in 120th and 480th days of the decomposition, and decreased sharply in 360th and 720th days of decomposition. Soil fauna participation significantly affected microbial diversity and evenness of poplar litter, but it had no signifi-cant effect on fargesia litter. The effects of soil fauna on the changes of litter PLFAs content were different with the decomposition days and tree species. The interaction between soil fauna and microbial community during litter decomposition in subalpine forest varied with seasons and tree species.

Relationships between plant colonization and soil characteristics in the natural recovery of an earthquake-triggered debris flow gully in the Wanglang National Nature Reserve, China

Fragmentation and loss of habitats due to natural disasters, like earthquakes and earthquake- triggered debris flows are existing threats to the long-term survival of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). To better understand natural recovery processes of the damaged habitat, field investigation and laboratory analysis were used to analyze relationships between plant colonization and soil characteristics in an over 30-year natural recovery of a damaged giant panda habitat in a debris flow gully after the 1976 Songpan-Pingwu earthquake in Sichuan Province, China. Four different damaged sites were selected that located at the center of the gully (center), on a flat alluvial fan (fan), in a side slope of the gully (slope), and at the ecotone between the gully and native forest (ecotone). Vegetation characteristics, soil physicochemical properties, and microbial biomass in the different sites and soil depths were measured. After the natural recovery, the soil fertility, water retention, and microbial biomass were highest at ecotone, followed by fan, slope, and center. Only a few perennial herbs colonized at center; shrubs started to invade at fan and slope, and the native trees dominated the community of ecotone. Furthermore, Fargesia spathacea(food for the giant panda)started to be re-established at ecotone, and the community characteristic of ecotone recovered similarly to the native habitat. These results suggested that improving the soil fertility, water retaining capacity and microbial biomass is fundamental to the plant colonization, particular for F. spathacea’s re-establishment in a damaged giant panda habitat.

Breeding biology of the golden parrotbill (Paradoxornis verreauxi) (Aves: Timaliidae) in southwestern China

We report for the first time on aspects of the breeding biology of the golden parrotbill (Paradoxornis verreauxi), including descriptions of nests, eggs, nestlings and breeding behaviour. The nests were specialized, pensile, semi-domed, attached to bamboo (Fargesia spathacea) branches and constructed from leaves, fibrous roots and moss by both male and female birds. Nests were positioned on average 1.81 ± 0.29 m (n = 14) above the ground. Clutch size was 3.50 ± 0.67 (n = 12) and eggs were oval, pale blue in colour with a mean mass of 1.06 ± 0.07 g (n = 4). Incubation and provisioning of nestlings were carried out by both parents. The nesting success and fledging success were 38.89% (n = 18) and 2.83 ± 0.75 (n = 6), respectively. We discuss the differences in breeding parameters such as nest characteristics and egg colour compared with other parrotbill species.

Dendroecological study of a subalpine fir (Abies fargesii) forest in the Qinling Mountains, China

Dendroecological techniques were used to investigate the stand dynamics and the disturbance history of the subalpine fir forest in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi Province, China. The results indicated that 68% of the fir trees experienced 1–2 release events for a total of 10–29 (an average of 15.8) years, and 1–2 suppression events for a total of 10–27 (an average of 13.4) years before they reached canopy. Large number of Abies fargesii and Betula albo-sinensis recruitment coincided temporally with larger increases in the ring-width index from the 1830s to 1880s, suggesting occurrence of a major stand-wide disturbance during this time period. Few seedlings and saplings were found in the forest, and there was a dramatic decline in recruitment after 1890, probably because of the intensive cover of understory umbrella bamboo (Fargesia spathacea). Radial growth analyses indicated frequent canopy opening resulting from small-scale disturbances in the forest. Thus, the subalpine fir forest experienced frequent small-scale disturbances and infrequent large-scale disturbances in its developmental history, and these disturbances coupled with the understory umbrella bamboo might have influenced tree growth and species recruitment.

Is Shennongjia a Suitable Site for Reintroducing Giant Panda: An Appraisal on Food Supply

The giant panda was found on Mount Shennongjia in Central China for thousands of years but vanished in the late 19th century. The possibility for reintroducing the giant panda in Shennongjia is discussed in terms of food availability, carrying capacity, and predicted bamboo flowering. Three species (Fargesia spathacea, F. murielae, and Yushania confusa) are considered the preferred forage bamboos, which could feed 193–223 giant pandas. However, in 1879–1888 these three species synchronously flowered and died back. In the past, such bamboo flowering usually forced the panda to migrate to a new habitat where forage bamboos were available. But since the 19th century, Shennongjia has become separated from other panda habitats by densely populated agricultural zones. Multi-species flowering of the forage bamboo and isolating of the habitat might caused the extinct of the giant panda in Shennongjia. If the flowering cycle of the bamboo is genetically fixed, the next synchronous flowering of two staple food species (F. spathacea and F. murielae) may occur in 2436–2439. It means that the food supply is dependable in Shennongjia for reintroducing the giant panda before 2436.

Species and distribution of mountain bamboos in Shennongjia, Central China

Inventory recorded 4 genera and 11 species of mountain bamboos in Shennongjia, Central China. Of these, 4 species (Phyllostachys nigra var.henonis, Ph. heteroclada, Ph. nidularia andPh. bambusoides) belong to the monopodial bamboo, 4 species (Indocalamus latifolius, I. longiauritus, I. wilsoni andI. tessellatus) to the amphipodial bamboo, and 3 species (Fargesia spathacea, F. murielae andYushania confusa) to the sympodial bamboo. Monopodial bamboos grow on the gentle slopes below 1800 m asl, occurring from the subtropical belt to the temperate belt in the vertical climatic spectrum of the mountain; Sympodial bamboos occur in higher elevations, ranging from the warm temperate (1200 m), across the mediate temperate and cold temperate, to the mountaintops of the frigid temperate belt (3100 m). Amphipodial bamboos occur in all climate types except the frigid temperate belt. Three dominant species,F. spathacea, F. murielae andY. confusa, currently cover 12%, 9% and 3% of the mountain ranges in Shennongjia, respectively.

Elevational diversity of arrow bamboo (Fargesia spathacea) communities on Mount Shennongjia in Central China

Altitudinal changes in species richness, species diversity, species evenness, life-form spectrum, and community structure of arrow bamboo (Fargesia spathacea) were studied within 11 plots from 1 500 m to 2 600 m asl on Mount Shennongjia in Central China. From the lowest plot (1 680 m) to the highest one (2 570 m), vascular plants declined from 30 to 7 species, following a linear model ofY=55.99-1.83X (d.f.=9,F-value=48.64,r 2=0.84,P<0.001); species diversity, reduced from 3.13 to 1.78, following a linear model ofY=4.67–0.10X (d.f.=9,F-value=22.82,r 2=0.72,P=0.001); species evenness varied from 0.83 to 0.99, but presented little relationship to the altitude (r=0.112,P=0.742). In the life-form spectra, with the increase of altitude, the percentage of annual plants (r=0.60), underground bulb perennials (r=0.40), and big trees (r=0.35) tended to increase; shrubs (r=−0.52) and middle-sized trees (r=−0.45) tended to decline; perennial grasses (r=0.04) and semi-shrubs (r=0.03) were not strongly related to the altitudinal gradient. Arrow bamboo communities could be classified into five groups: bamboo under evergreen broad-leaved forest, under deciduous broad-leaved forest, under temperate coniferous forest, under cold-temperate coniferous and mixed forest, and pure bamboo community.

Genetic Variation and Evolution of the Alpine Bamboos (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) using DNA Sequence Data

Difficulties in phylogenetic reconstruction are common within the woody bamboos due to their unique life cycles, a lack of morphological characters and even an absence of molecular evidence. The genetic variability and population structure of the bamboos are also poorly understood which impedes their exploitation via breeding. In this paper, ITS sequence data were used to examine the degree of genetic variation within the alpine bamboos and to explore their phylogeny. Twenty-three species representing three genera, Thamnocalamus, Fargesia and Yushania, of the alpine bamboos and one species of Ampelocalamus as an outgroup were studied. The results indicated that Thamnocalamus spathiflorus var. crassinodus and the Fargesia spathacea clade form the basal groups but bootstrap support was weak. Among the rest of the species, including species previously placed in Fargesia (plus Borinda) and Yushania, the F. yunnanensis subclade and the F. communis subclade were recognized but internal support for such groups was again low. The result indicated that, Fargesia and Yushania as delimited by morphological characters, are not monophyletic in the ITS phylogeny and require further resolution. We revealed relatively high levels of genetic variability in the alpine bamboos and showed that the ITS region could be used to improve generic delimitation of the woody bamboos in general.

Primer Premier 5

Primer Premier 5

Culm Dynamics and Dry Matter Production of Bamboos in the Wolong and Tangjiahe Giant Panda Reserves, Sichuan, China

(1) Bamboos dominate the understorey of montane and subalpine forests in central Sichuan, China where they are the sole food source for giant pandas. (2) Standing crop biomass and net production were estimated for three species Fargesia spathacea Franchet., Sinarundinariafangiana (A. Camus) Keng ex Keng f. and Fargesia scabrida Yi. (3) Above-ground biomass averaged 23 7 t ha-' for F. spathacea, 9 3 t ha-' for F. scabrida and 7 4 t ha-' for S. fangiana. (4) Average annual net production of F. spathacea and S. fangiana was 3 6 t haand 1 5 t ha-', respectively. (5) Insects, giant pandas, rodents and other predators killed 46%, of all F. spathacea shoots and 45%, of all F. scabrida shoots. (6) Giant pandas selected large shoots and insects small ones of both F. spathacea and F. scabrida favouring development of stands composed of intermediate sized culms. (7) Average annual culm recruitment for F. scabrida, S. fingiana and F. spatIhacea were 13 7%,, 10 0%,, and 8 2%Y,, respectively. (8) Average annual mortality rates for F. scabrida, S. fiangiana and F. spathacea were 8 5%,, 9 1%,, and 10 6%,, respectively. (9) Sinarundinaria fangiana flowered and died in 1983. Culm selection by pandas in remaining live patches is expected to change to use in proportion to availability. Pandas will shift their diet to F. spathacea if remaining patches of S. facngiana flower and die. (10) The most effective means of preventing food shortages for pandas during periods of bamboo flowering is by preserving the existing mosaic of bamboo species.

Another Name for the Umbrella Bamboo

The new combinationThamnocalamus spathaceus is made.