Lower Chlorophyll Content Research Articles

The importance of being red when young: anthocyanins and the protection of young leaves of Quercus coccifera from insect herbivory and excess light

Young leaves of many plants are transiently red because of the accumulation of anthocyanins, with the redness disappearing as leaves mature. Among the many hypothetical functions of foliar anthocyanins, two are tested in this field study: the sunscreen photoprotective function against excess visible light and the handicap signal against herbivory. We took advantage of intraspecies variation in anthocyanin concentrations of young leaves of Quercus coccifera L. to compare in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, reflectance spectra, total phenolics and the extent of herbivory of leaves of red- and green-leaved phenotypes occupying the same habitat. Photosystem II (PSII) photochemical efficiencies obtained at various photon fluence rates of red light were similar in green and red leaves. In white light, PSII efficiencies were slightly higher in red leaves than in green leaves, indicating a slight photoprotective role of anthocyanins in the field. However, compared with red phenotypes, green phenotypes suffered greater herbivore damage, as judged by the number of leaves attacked and the area lost to herbivory. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the concentrations of anthocyanins and total phenolics. We suggest that the importance of a photoprotective anthocyanic screen is low in thin, young leaves with low chlorophyll concentrations because the green light attenuated by anthocyanins is less significant for chlorophyll excitation. However, the decreased reflectance in the green spectral band and the concomitant leveling of reflectance throughout the 400-570 nm spectral range may either make red leaves less discernible to some insect herbivores or make insect herbivores more discernible to predators, or both. Moreover, excessive herbivory may be additionally discouraged by the high phenolic concentrations in red leaves.

Canopy observations on the hyperspectral properties of a community of tropical dry forest lianas and their host trees

Lianas are non‐self‐supporting systems that dominate in tropical secondary forests and their abundance is increasing as a result of global environmental change. The impact of liana coverage on canopy spectral reflectance is unknown. This research letter documents observations associated with spectral measurements of tropical trees infested with lianas in a tropical dry forest of Panama. From a construction crane, hyperspectral reflectance of five Anacardium excelsum tree crowns with different levels of liana infestation and two additional tree crowns were measured and compared using spectral vegetation indices. Results suggest that some leaf level properties of lianas (e.g. lower chlorophyll concentration and higher spectral reflectance at 550 nm) are transfer to the canopy level; in addition our results suggest that indices such as mSR705, mND705 and SR680 could be used as potential tools to map the presence or absence of liana communities.

Range Expansion of Bythotrephes longimanus in North America: Evaluating Habitat Characteristics in the Spread of an Exotic Zooplankter

Sedimentary and water column evidence from 45 boat-accessible and eight backcountry lakes was used to investigate the distribution of Bythotrephes longimanus in northeast Minnesota, USA, and adjacent Ontario, Canada. The results expand the documented range of Bythotrephes in Minnesota from Lake Superior, Island Lake, and Saganaga Lake to Flour Lake, Greenwood Lake, McFarland Lake, Pine Lake, and Caribou Lake as well as to Saganagons Lake in Ontario. The latter three lakes are located in roadless landscapes without motorized boat access. Results confirm that Bythotrephes is no longer present in Boulder Lake or Fish Lake (St. Louis County, Minnesota), providing the first evidence of range compression (extinction following introduction) of this species in North America. Distributional expansion was confined to a corridor along the international border between northeast Minnesota and Ontario. Lakes along the invasion corridor were deeper, more transparent, and had lower chlorophyll concentration, on average, compared to other lakes studied. The pattern of range expansion provided an opportunity to test the predictions of a forecasting model for Bythotrephes occurrence (MacIsaac et al. 2000 Archiv fur Hydrobiologie 149: 1–21) based on habitat characteristics. The model predicted 51% of the surveyed inland lakes to be susceptible to invasion, however, only 13% were actually invaded, implying strong dispersal constraints. Application of the forecasting model to a broader set of 179 Minnesota lakes predicted that 41% may be vulnerable to establishment by Bythotrephes based on habitat characteristics, offering an estimate of the state’s overall lake susceptibility (i.e., fundamental niche) to invasion. The results of this study provide evidence for the importance of a low-light refuge where Bythotrephes can minimize vulnerability to fish predation as a key habitat feature not considered by the forecasting model.

Temporal variability in phytoplankton pigments, picoplankton and coccolithophores along a transect through the North Atlantic and tropical southwestern Pacific

Biogeochemical processes in the sea are triggered in various ways by chlorophyll-containing phytoplankton groups. While the variability of chlorophyll concentration at sea has been observed from satellites for several years, these groups are known only from cruises which are limited in space and time. The Geochemistry, Phytoplankton and Color of the Ocean programme (GeP&CO) was set up to describe and understand the variability of phytoplankton composition on large spatial scales under a multi-year sampling strategy. It was based on sea-surface sampling along the route of the merchant ship Contship London which travelled four times a year from Le Havre (France) to Nouméa (New Caledonia) via New York, Panama and Auckland. Observations included the measurement of photosynthetic pigments, counts of picoplanktonic cells by flow cytometry (Prochlorococcus, Synechococcus, and picoeucaryotes) and counting and identification of coccolithophores. The results confirmed that tropical areas have low seasonal variability and are characterized by relatively high divinyl-chlorophyll a and zeaxanthin concentration and that the variability is strongest at high latitudes where the phytoplankton biomass and population structure are found to have large seasonal cycles. Thus, the spring bloom in the North Atlantic and an austral winter bloom north of New Zealand are marked by chlorophyll concentrations which are often higher than 0.5 μg l −1 and by high concentration of fucoxanthin (a pigment used as an indicator for diatoms), while summer populations are dominated by Prochlorococcus sp. and have low chlorophyll concentrations. Apart from this yearly bloom at temperate latitudes, fucoxanthin is scarce, except in the equatorial upwelling zone in the eastern Pacific Ocean, where it is found in moderate amounts. In this region, relatively high chlorophyll concentrations extend generally as far as 14°S and do not respond to the seasonal strengthening of the equatorial upwelling during the austral winter. Prochlorococcus, which is known to dominate in oligotrophic tropical seas and to disappear in cold conditions, in fact has its minimum during the spring bloom in the North Atlantic, rather than during the winter. Coccolithophores are ubiquitous, showing a succession of species in response to oceanic conditions and provinces. 19′Hexanoyloxyfucoxanthin, the pigment generally considered as an indicator of coccolithophores, is relatively abundant at all times and in all regions, but its abundance is generally not tightly correlated with that of coccolithophores. The regional differences revealed by these results are in overall agreement with Longhurst's division of the ocean into ecological provinces.

Calcium Sulfate Improves Salinity Tolerance in Rootstocks of Plum

ABSTRACT Three vegetative rootstocks of plum (Prunus domestica), Marianna GF 8-1 (Prunus cerasifera × munsoniana), Myrobolan B (P. Cerasifera) and Pixy (P. Insititia) were grown in pots containing sand and irrigated with complete nutrient solution to investigate the effect of calcium sulfate supplied to the nutrient solution on plants grown under salt stress. Treatments were (1) control (C): nutrient solution alone; (2) S (salinity stress): 40 mM NaCl; (3) S+Ca1: 40 mM NaCl +2.5 mM calcium (Ca) and (4) S+Ca2: 40 mM NaCl + 5 mM Ca. Calcium was supplied as CaSO4. The plants grown under 40 mol L−1 NaCl produced less dry matter and had lower chlorophyll content than those without NaCl. Supplementary CaSO4 at both 2.5 and 5 mM concentrations ameliorated the negative effects of salinity on plant dry matter and chlorophyll content. Salt treatment impaired membrane permeability by increasing electrolyte leakage. The addition of calcium sulfate partially maintained membrane permeability. Sodium (Na) concentration in plant tissues increased in both leaves and roots of plants under the high NaCl treatment. Pixy had much lower Na. The CaSO4 treatments lowered significantly the concentrations of Na in both leaves and roots. Pixy was more tolerant to salinity than the other two rootstocks. The accumulation of Na in leaves and roots indicates a possible mechanism whereby Pixy copes with salinity in the rooting medium, and/or may indicate the existence of an inhibition mechanism of Na transport to leaves. Concentrations of Ca and K were lower in the plants grown at high NaCl than in those under the control treatment, and these two element concentrations were increased by calcium sulfate treatments in both leaves and roots, but remained lower than control values in most cases.

Ecophysiological and seasonal variations in Cd, Pb, Zn, and Ni concentrations in the leaves of urban deciduous trees in Istanbul

The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Zn and Ni were measured in the leaves of 7 species of deciduous trees, from the urban sites of Istanbul, in both the Spring and Autumn seasons. We detected some differences in the heavy metal concentrations of the control and urban site samples of identical species. Highest concentrations of Cd were detected in Populus, Pb in Aesculus and Robinia, Zn in Populus, and Ni in Robinia and Fraxinus. Lowest chlorophyll content and highest peroxidase (POD) activity was found in the urban site samples of Acer. We have found a positive correlation between the increase in the POD activity and the Pb concentration in Populus. Generally, the tree species investigated in this study, are considered to have different tolerance levels to heavy metal pollution. The data obtained show that the chlorophyll content and the POD activity may be used as heavy metal stress biomarkers in the urban trees.

Carbon metabolism in transgenic rice plants that express phospho enolpyruvate carboxylase and/or phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase

Transgenic rice plants expressing phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase (PCK) in the chloroplasts showed C4-like carbon flow [S. Suzuki, N. Murai, J.N. Burnell, M. Arai, Changes in photosynthetic carbon flow in transgenic rice plants that express C4-type phospho enolpyruvate carboxykinase from Urochloa panicoides, Plant Physiol. 124 (2000) 163–172]. Here we report on the carbon metabolism of newly generated transgenic rice plants expressing either phospho enolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) or both PCK and PEPC. The incorporation of 14CO 2 into 4C compounds in PEPC transgenic rice was two- to three-fold that in control plants, and the incorporation in PEPC/PCK-transgenic rice was three-fold that in PEPC transgenic rice, but the enhanced level in PEPC/PCK-transgenic rice was almost the same as that in PCK-transgenic rice. Higher rates of incorporation of 14C into photoassimilates (sucrose and 3-PGA plus sugar phosphates) from l-[4- 14C]malate were observed in PEPC, PCK and PEPC/PCK-transgenic rice, but the incorporation rates in PEPC transgenic rice were reduced to those found in control plants by pretreatment with NaN 3. Levels of PEP, malate and aspartate in PEPC/PCK-transgenic rice were similar to those in PCK-transgenic rice but different in PEPC transgenic rice. PEPC/PCK-transgenic rice showed a low chlorophyll concentration and swollen thylakoid membranes although PCK and PEPC transgenic rice showed normal phenotypes. These results suggest that the overexpression of PEPC enhances the anaplerotic pathway rather than the initial carbon fixation of the C4-like photosynthetic pathway, and that elevated PEPC activity in combination with PCK activity contributes little to C4-like carbon flow.

Growth of etiolated barley plants in weak static and 50 Hz electromagnetic fields tuned to calcium ion cyclotron resonance.

BackgroundThe effects of weak magnetic and electromagnetic fields in biology have been intensively studied on animals, microorganisms and humans, but comparably less on plants. Perception mechanisms were attributed originally to ferrimagnetism, but later discoveries required additional explanations like the "radical pair mechanism" and the "Ion cyclotron resonance" (ICR), primarily considered by Liboff. The latter predicts effects by small ions involved in biological processes, that occur in definite frequency- and intensity ranges ("windows") of simultaneously impacting magnetic and electromagnetic fields related by a linear equation, which meanwhile is proven by a number of in vivo and in vitro experiments.MethodsBarley seedlings (Hordeum vulgare, L. var. Steffi) were grown in the dark for 5 and 6 days under static magnetic and 50 Hz electromagnetic fields matching the ICR conditions of Ca2+. Control cultures were grown under normal geomagnetic conditions, not matching this ICR. Morphology, pigmentation and long-term development of the adult plants were subsequently investigated.ResultsThe shoots of plants exposed to Ca2+-ICR exposed grew 15–20% shorter compared to the controls, the plant weight was 10–12% lower, and they had longer coleoptiles that were adhering stronger to the primary leaf tissue. The total pigment contents of protochlorophyllide (PChlide) and carotenoids were significantly decreased. The rate of PChlide regeneration after light irradiation was reduced for the Ca2+-ICR exposed plants, also the Shibata shift was slightly delayed. Even a longer subsequent natural growing phase without any additional fields could only partially eliminate these effects: the plants initially exposed to Ca2+-ICR were still significantly shorter and had a lower chlorophyll (a+b) content compared to the controls. A continued cultivation and observation of the adult plants under natural conditions without any artificial electromagnetic fields showed a retardation of the originally Ca2+-ICR exposed plants compared to control cultures lasting several weeks, with an increased tendency for dehydration.ConclusionA direct influence of the applied MF and EMF is discussed affecting Ca2+ levels via the ICR mechanism. It influences the available Ca2+ and thereby regulatory processes. Theoretical considerations on molecular level focus on ionic interactions with water related to models using quantum electrodynamics.

Three hundred years of human-induced change in an urban lake: paleolimnological analysis of Lac Saint-Augustin, Québec City, Canada

Lac Saint-Augustin provides a unique record of anthropogenic change during the settlement and evolution of Québec City, one of North America’s oldest cities. Lac Saint-Augustin is an urban lake that has been subject to three centuries of direct human impacts, with the most pronounced changes in trophic status and chemistry occurring within the last few decades. This accelerated eutrophication has greatly limited the present recreational opportunities for lake visitors and residents. A paleolimnological study of Lac Saint-Augustin was undertaken to identify the causes of this degradation and to place these changes within the context of historical development in the lake’s catchment. Biological and chemical indicators identified three major periods in the recent history of Lac Saint-Augustin. The first period (1670–1750) corresponds to the arrival of the first settlers at the lake and the construction of a diversion canal; at that time, the lake was characterized by oligo- to meso-trophic conditions (as indicated by diatom species of the genus Aulacoseira ) and low concentrations of chlorophyll a, total carotenoids, total phosphorus, and metals. The second period (1750–1904) corresponds to increased human colonization and was marked by slight increases in sedimentary metal and total phosphorus concentrations. The third period (1904–2002) coincides with an intensification of agriculture, the expansion of Québec City, and the urbanization of the catchment. At this time, there was a complete change in the diatom flora (predominance of Stephanodiscus hantzschii ) as well as major increases in fossil pigment concentrations, nutrients, and sedimentary chemical levels. Diatom species typical of saline waters also appeared coincident with the use of road salts on a highway that passes through the lake’s catchment. With the increasing demands for greater use of inland waters, multiproxy, long-term data of the kind provided here are essential to make informed management decisions.

Biochemical Responses to True and Bicarbonate-Induced Iron Deficiency in Grapevine Genotypes

ABSTRACT Biochemical responses to direct or bicarbonate-induced iron (Fe) deficiency were compared in two Tunisian native grapevine varieties, Khamri (tolerant) and Balta4 (sensitive), and a tolerant rootstock, 140Ru. Woody cuttings of each genotype were irrigated with a nutrient solution containing one of the following: 20 μM Fe (control), 1 μM Fe (direct Fe-deficiency), or 20 μM Fe + 10 mM HCO3 − (indirect bicarbonate-induced Fe-deficiency). Under direct Fe-deficient conditions, lower leaf chlorosis score and higher chlorophyll and leaf Fe contents were found in Khamri and 140Ru compared with Balta4. Moreover, indirect Fe deficiency caused similar effects on these parameters, which were more pronounced in Balta4. Both tolerant genotypes, Khamri and 140Ru, showed higher roots-acidification capacity and phenol release under the direct Fe deficiency compared with the bicarbonate-induced condition. In the sensitive variety, Balta4, no significant changes were found between the control and Fe-deficient plants. Root Fe(III)-reductase activity was strongly stimulated by both types of Fe deficiency in Khamri and 140Ru, and displayed no significant changes in Balta4. In the three genotypes, root and leaf activities of two Fe-containing enzymes, catalase and guaiacol peroxidase, were significantly affected under Fe deficiency (either direct or induced), though to a greater extent in the sensitive variety, Balta4. The latter also displayed higher leaf malonyldialdehyde (MDA) content, traducing an important membrane lipid peroxidation.

Impact of Water Stress on the Sapwood Anatomy And Functional Morphology of Calligonum Comosum

This investigation reports the impact of water stress on some anatomical traits of sapwood and other functional morphological features of green assimilatory shoots of Calligonum comosum L'Hér. (Erta), a good source of fuel wood. The major findings of the study are that in this species drought makes for: a) narrower vessels both in earlywood and latewood, b) thicker vessel walls, c) longer vessel elements and fibers, d) a higher frequency of small latewood vessels and a lower frequency of large earlywood vessels, e) narrower growth rings, f) a lower total fraction of vessels per xylem area, g) higher wood density, h) narrower depth of conducting phloem, i) higher specific mass of green photosynthetic shoots, and j) a lower chlorophyll content. Extremely narrow vessels arranged in radial files in latewood were recognized having 40% increased volume fraction in nonirrigated plants. This adaptation is believed to play an important role in the species survival during hot summer months.

Temporal coupling between surface and deep ocean biogeochemical processes in contrasting subtropical and subantarctic water masses, southwest Pacific Ocean

Surface to deep‐ocean coupling was investigated in subtropical (STW) and subantarctic (SAW) waters off eastern New Zealand. Moorings, comprising a near‐surface fluorometer, temperature loggers, current meters, and sediment trap at 1500 m depth, were deployed at 41° and 46°40′S along 178°30′E between October 2000 and October 2001. Locally validated, remotely sensed data provided areal estimates of surface chlorophyll that were representative of 1997–2004 annual cycles. In STW, early spring chlorophyll peaks were coupled with deposition of labile (molar C:N∼7–8), bio‐siliceous organic matter. Low winter chlorophyll concentrations were associated with high particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes of moderately refractory material (C:N∼9–10). This indicates that winter flux was affected by heterotrophic recycling processes (zooplankton exuviae, fecal pellets) and/or slowly sinking particles from the preceding autumn. Deep‐ocean POC fluxes off New Zealand were similar to global estimates and Tasman Sea (0.8 cf. 1.0 g C m−2 yr−1). Elevated biogenic silica and lithogenic fluxes probably reflect processes within a warm‐core eddy near an eroding landmass, rather than STW in general. In SAW, POC and biogenic silica flux peaks occurred in spring with moderate surface chlorophyll concentrations. Decoupling between high chlorophyll and low flux in summer may reflect near‐surface organic matter recycling by the microbial‐dominated ecosystem. In spring, moderate chlorophyll levels in SAW, high POC and silica flux, and high C:N ratios (9–13) indicate some coupling with upper water column processes. SAW, east of New Zealand, was characterized by low POC (0.2 g C m−2 yr−1), high biogenic silica, and low carbonate fluxes, unlike other subantarctic sites, which are dominated by carbonate deposition with fivefold higher POC flux.

Winter phytoplankton blooms in the shallow mixed layer of the South China Sea enhanced by upwelling

The South China Sea (SCS) is the largest marginal sea in the world. Previous studies, including recent intensive paleo-oceanographic studies, suggest that the SCS is sensitive to many types of physical forcing on the short-term (e.g., internal waves and tides, mesoscale eddies, typhoons, etc.), annual (e.g., monsoon), inter-annual (e.g., El Niño), and very long-term (e.g., climate change) time scales. To better understand how various types of physical forcing influence biogeochemical cycles in the water column, a time-series study was initiated. Bimonthly hydrographic surveys occupied stations in the subtropical–tropic SCS at 19°N, 118.5°E. Results suggest that the Southeast Asian monsoons, northeasterly from October to April and southwesterly from May to September, have important effects on biogeochemical cycles in the upper water column. Hydrographic data showed that the mixed layer depth was much shallower in winter than in other seasons. During the winter monsoon period, the nitricline became shallower and upwelling sustained an elevated phytoplankton standing stock. Mean chlorophyll concentrations (0.65 mg Chl m − 3) in winter were 8 times higher than in summer, and the integrated primary productivity over the euphotic zone reached as high as ca. 684 mg C m − 2 day − 1 in winter. The upwelling is produced by convergence of currents in the cyclonic gyre near the Luzon Strait, where the Kuroshio intrudes. In summer the current reverses following the wind change. The nitricline is depressed as downwelling occurs off northwest Luzon, resulting in strong nutrient limitation and very low chlorophyll concentrations.

Controle de plantas daninhas na cultura do milho-pipoca com herbicidas aplicados em pós-emergência

Objetivou-se avaliar a eficiência de controle de plantas daninhas, a tolerância e a produção de milho-pipoca UFVM2 aos herbicidas atrazine (1.500 g ha-1), foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron methyl sodium + atrazine (15+1+1.500 e 30+2+1.500 g ha-1), foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron methyl sodium (15+1, 30+2, 45+3 e 60+4 g ha-1), nicosulfuron + atrazine (8+1.500 e 16+1.500 g ha-1) e nicosulfuron (16 g ha-1). A aplicação dos herbicidas foi realizada aos 25 dias após a emergência da cultura. As plantas daninhas predominantes na área foram Brachiaria plantaginea, Brachiaria decumbens e Ipomoea spp. Os herbicidas foramsulfuron + iodosulfuron methyl sodium, em todas as doses testadas, proporcionaram maiores índices de toxidez à cultura, aos 7, 14 e 28 dias após a aplicação dos tratamentos (DAA). Todas as combinações de herbicidas proporcionaram controle acima de 90% para B. plantaginea e B. decumbens, aos 28 DAA. O nicosulfuron aplicado isoladamente proporcionou controle de apenas 80% e o atrazine não controlou essas espécies daninhas. Para Ipomoea spp., nenhum tratamento herbicida proporcionou controle equivalente ao da testemunha capinada. A competição das plantas daninhas resultou em menores teores de clorofila total, N, P e K no tecido foliar das plantas de milho-pipoca e menor rendimento de grãos. Para o cultivar UFVM2, as sulfoniluréias isoladas ou associadas ao atrazine não afetaram o estado nutricional da cultura, o rendimento e a capacidade de expansão dos grãos de milho-pipoca.

Dependence of stomatal conductance on leaf chlorophyll concentration and meteorological variables

We examined the dependence of stomatal conductance on physiological properties and meteorological variables using a Jarvis-type stomatal conductance model that included a function representing leaf chlorophyll concentration as a physiological property. We sampled the leaves of 5- and 10-year-old Quercus serrata trees. A low leaf chlorophyll concentration imposed a restriction on the opening capacity of the stomata. The stomatal conductance variability depended markedly on chlorophyll function; the degree of dependence was almost equal to that on solar radiation or vapour pressure deficit. The characteristics of stomatal conductance response to meteorological or physiological changes exhibited little seasonal variation (except relative to temperature). Stomatal conductance variability depended on the following meteorological parameters in decreasing order: radiation, vapour pressure deficit, leaf temperature, and soil moisture; this order did not vary seasonally. The dependence of stomatal conductance variability on the seasonal change in chlorophyll concentration was larger in spring and autumn than in summer. These results indicate that the consideration of seasonal changes in plant physiological properties is important in evaluating the water, energy, and CO 2 cycles between plants and the atmosphere.

Morphological and Physiological Responses of Morning Glory (Ipomoea lacunosa L.) Grown in a Lead- and Chelate-Amended Soil

Lead (Pb) is one of the most toxic metals in the environment and may cause drastic morphological and physiological deformities in Ipomoea lacunosa. The goal of this research was to evaluate some morphological and physiological responses of morning glory grown on a Pb- and chelate-amended soil. Soil samples were analyzed, at Mississippi State University Soil Laboratory, for physico-chemical parameters, such as soil texture (73% sand, 23% silt, 4.4% clay), organic matter (6.24 +/- 0.60%), and pH (7.95 +/- 0.03), to establish soil conditions at the beginning of the experiments. Five EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid) concentrations (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 5mM) and four lead (0, 500, 1000, 2000mg/L) treatments were arranged in factorial in a Randomized Complete Block (RCB) design with five replications. Duncan's multiple comparison range test showed that the mean difference values of stomatal density were significant between 500 and 1000mg/L Pb and between 1000 and 2000mg/L Pb. Two way ANOVA (at 1% level) indicated that interaction between Pb and EDTA had a significant effect on the stomatal density and photosynthetic rates, and at 5% level Pb had a significant effect on chlorophyll concentrations. Lowest concentrations of chlorophyll were recorded at 2000mg/L Pb and 5mM EDTA and exhibited a decreasing trend specifically in the ranges of 1000 and 2000mg/L Pb and 1.0 and 5.0mM EDTA. Duncan's multiple comparison range test confirmed that mean differences between the control treatment vs. 2000mg/L Pb, and 500mg/L vs. 2000mg/L Pb were significantly different atp>0.05. There was a decrease in leaf net photosynthetic rate with increasing concentrations of Pb from 0 to 2000mg/L. In conclusion, I. lacunosa L. plants were grown to maturity in all treatments with no significant and/or apparent morphological disorders, which indicated that this species might be highly tolerant even at 2000mg/L Pb concentrations in the soil.

Chronic food limitation of egg production in populations of copepods of the genusAcartia in the San Francisco estuary

Egg production of planktonic copepods, is commonly measured as a proxy for secondary production in population dynamics studies and for quantifying food limitation. Although limitation of copepod egg production by food quantity or quality is common in natural waters, it appears less common or severe in estuaries where food concentrations are often high. San Francisco Estuary, California, has unusually low concentrations of chlorophyll compared to other estuaries. We measured egg production rates of three species ofAcartia, with dominate the zooplankton biomass at salinity above 15 psu, on 36 occasions during 1999–2002. Egg production was determined by incubating up to 40 freshly collected individual copepods for 24 h in 140 ml of ambient water. Egg production was less than 10 eggs female−1 d−1 most of the year, but as high as 52 eggs female−1 d−1 during month-long spring phytoplankton blooms. Egg production was a saturating function of total chlorophyll concentration with a mean of 30 eggs female−1 d−1 above a chlorophyll concentration of 12±6 mg chl m−3. We take chlorophyll to be a proxy for total food ofAcartia, known to feed on microzooplankton as well as phytoplankton. These findings, together with long-term records of chlorophyll, concentration and earlier studies of abundance of nauplius larvae in the estuary, imply chronic food limitation ofAcartia species, with sufficient food for maximum egg production <10% of the time over the last 25 yr. These results may show the most extreme example of food limitation of copepod reproduction in any temperate estuary. They further support the idea that estuaries may provide suitable habitat forAcartia species by virtue of other factors than high food concentration.

Influence of Cadmium Toxicity on Growth and Antioxidant Enzyme Activity in Rice Cultivars with Different Grain Cadmium Accumulation

The effect of cadmium (Cd) toxicity on growth, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzymes was studied using two rice cultivars, Bing 97252 with low and Xiushui 63 with high grain Cd accumulation. Plants were exposed to 0–5 μ M Cd in hydroponic culture. Cadmium stress inhibited plant height and chlorophyll content and altered melondialdehyde (MDA) content and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD). Roots and shoots responded differently to Cd in terms of antioxidant enzyme activity. Generally, the activities of SOD, POD, and CAT decreased with increase in Cd level, while the activity of MDA increased with increase in Cd level. With the increase in Cd concentration in nutrient solution, MDA content in shoots and roots of Xiushui 63 increased at a much higher rate than did that of Bing 97252 at both growth stages. At booting stage, a decrease of 46%–52% in SOD activity was noted in plant roots grown under 5 μ M Cd, while at tillering stage the decrease was 13%–19% compared with the control. A significant decrease in chlorophyll content and plant height was noted under higher Cd treatment (1.0 and 5.0 μ mol) at two stages. The higher MDA and lower chlorophyll content in the cultivar Xiushui 63 showed that it is more sensitive to Cd than the cultivar Bing 97252.

Etiology of UV-C-Induced Browning in Var. Superior White Table Grapes

White table grapes, var. Superior, were treated with UV-C light after harvest to increase stilbenes concentration, especially trans-resveratrol (RES), because this may be of relevance to the health-promoting properties assigned to these compounds. However, irradiated grapes also developed some browning on the surface on the third day of storage at 22 degrees C, with the subsequent detriment in the sensorial quality of the fruit. Possible causes for browning development during storage were investigated. The phenolic-related oxidative enzymes, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and peroxidase (POD), were not specifically activated, and no new isoforms appeared upon UV-C treatment. UV-treated grapes had lower content of chlorophyll b than control grapes on the fourth day of storage, concomitant with the increase of pheophytins (chlorophyll degradation derived compounds). Microscopy data showed lower fluorescence emission in chloroplasts from the UV-treated samples, which may explain the decrease of chlorophylls content in the corresponding grape berries extracts. In addition, microscopy images showed cell wall thickening in the skin tissue of UV-treated grapes which could be considered as a general wound response in plant tissues. These results suggest that the development of browning in Superior white grapes after UV-C treatment is not closely related with the evolution of oxidative enzymes during storage and may be mainly due to the decrease of chlorophylls content.

Acclimation of a dominant mangrove plant (Kandelia candel) to soil texture and its response to canopy shade

Kandelia candel, a dominant plant species in Hong Kong mangroves, had different growth strategies during its seedling stage for acclimation to various soil types. Leaves of the seedlings grown in sandy soils (coarse texture) were significantly thicker than those in loamy–sandy and silty soils (fine texture). However, leaf weight per unit leaf area of seedlings grown in sandy soils was similar to that in loamy-sandy soils and was 1.60 times that in silty soils. These indicate that K. candel in sandy soils had developed a more loose leaf structure and a xerophilous characteristic during its seedling stage for acclimation to the features of coarse textured soils, which were low water holding capacity and low mineral content. In addition, for young seedlings grown in sandy and loamy–sandy soils, more biomass was allocated to roots than in silty soils, indicating that K. candel seedlings in sandy soils developed stronger roots for anchorage and water absorption; another xerophilous characteristic to acclimate to loose and coarse textured soils. As the plants became more mature, no significant difference in leaf thickness of the saplings was found between loamy-sandy and sandy soils. In order to acclimate to the low water holding capacity in sandy soils, K. candel seedlings had lower physiological activities including lower chlorophyll content; lower activities of root oxidase, nitrate reductase, peroxidase and superoxide dismutase but higher malonaldehyde contents than those in silty soils. Canopy shade is an important factor affecting the growth and physiology of K. candel. The seedling grew worse under the mangrove canopy than that in the open gap, with smaller leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf number and biomass. The seedlings under the canopy eventually died and no saplings were found under canopy shade, implying K. candel is a shade intolerant species and canopy shade might “force” its newly recruited individuals to expand out of the forest.