Matteuccia Research Articles

ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ РІДКІСНИХ ЛІСОВИХ ВИДІВ СУДИННИХ РОСЛИН У СИСТЕМІ ПРИРОДООХОРОННИХ ЗАХОДІВ МЕЗИНСЬКОГО НАЦІОНАЛЬНОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ПАРКУ

The article characterizes the peculiarities of the formation of forest ecosystems as centers for the distribution of rare species within the territory of Mezyn National Nature Park. The research area is notable for its diverse ecotopic conditions, which support a wide variety of forest species of vascular plants and corresponding communities, including oak, linden-oak, maple-linden-oak, linden, and hornbeam-oak forests. The forest group of vascular plant flora in the territory of Mezynskyi NNP includes 18 species, with 10 species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and 8 species having regional protection status in Chernihiv Oblast. Among the forest species from the Red Data Book of Ukraine, the non-moral group predominates, including Neottia nidus-avis, Listera ovata, Epipactis atrorubens, Epipactis helleborine, Platanthera bifolia, Platanthera chlorantha, Lilium martagon, and Allium ursinum. Among the species of vascular plants in forest ecosystems that are protected at the regional level in Chernihiv region, within the study area, 7 species of the division Polypodiophyta are distinguished, specifically: Dryopteris cristata, Gymnocarpium dryopteris, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Polypodium vulgare, Polystichum aculeatum, P. brauni, and Phegopteris connectilis. Anthropogenic impacts on the forest areas of Mezyn NNP, including on rare species of vascular plants, can be classified into the following groups: production and traditional economy, recreational activities, forestry activities and control measures, and violation of the protected area. The greatest impact of the recreational factor is on recreational forest areas and areas around settlements. The development of measures and plans for the protection of rare species will ensure the principles of protecting forest ecosystems as a whole (general) and their individual components (special). The article presents a system of environmental measures for the protection and conservation of rare forest species of vascular plants, and suggests measures for further conservation and monitoring of these species. To address the issues of conserving rare species, the article recommends optimizing the zoning system of the park territory, expanding the protected area, and including existing protected areas and habitats of rare flora species within its composition.

Comparison of Flavonoid Content, Antioxidant Potential, Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity and Volatile Components Based on HS-SPME-GC-MS of Different Parts from Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro.

Matteuccia struthiopteris is one of the most globally consumed edible ferns and widely used in folk medicine. Reports mainly focus on young fronds and the rhizome which are common edible medicinal parts. However, there are few detailed reports on other parts. Therefore, the volatile components of different parts based on HS-SPME-GC-MS were identified, and total flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities were compared in order to reveal the difference of volatile components and potential medicinal value of different parts. The results showed that total flavonoid contents, antioxidant activities and volatile components of different parts were obviously different. The crozier exhibited the strongest antioxidant activities, but only underground parts exhibited a dose-dependent inhibition potential against AChE. Common volatile compounds were furfural and 2-furancarboxaldehyde, 5-methyl-. In addition, it was found that some volatile components from adventitious root, trophophyll, sporophyll and petiole were important ingredients in food, cosmetics, industrial manufacturing and pharmaceutical applications.

Biomimetic laser-induced graphene fern leaf and enzymatic biosensor for pesticide spray collection and monitoring.

Monitoring of pesticide concentration distribution across farm fields is crucial to ensure precise and efficient application while preventing overuse or untreated areas. Inspired by nature's wettability patterns, we developed a biomimetic fern leaf pesticide collection patch using laser-induced graphene (LIG) alongside an external electrochemical LIG biosensor. This "collect-and-sense" system allows for rapid pesticide spray monitoring in the farm field. The LIG is synthesized and patterned on polyimide through a high-throughput gantry-based CO2 laser process, making it amenable to scalable manufacturing. The resulting LIG-based leaf exhibits a remarkable water collection capacity, harvesting spray mist/fog at a rate approximately 11 times greater than a natural ostrich fern leaf when the collection is normalized to surface area. The developed three-electrode LIG pesticide biosensor, featuring a working electrode functionalized with electrodeposited platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and the enzyme glycine oxidase, displayed a linear range of 10-260 μM, a detection limit of 1.15 μM, and a sensitivity of 5.64 nA μM-1 for the widely used herbicide glyphosate. Also, a portable potentiostat with a user-friendly interface was developed for remote operation, achieving an accuracy of up to 97%, when compared to a standard commercial benchtop potentiostat. The LIG "collect-and-sense" system can consistently collect and monitor glyphosate spray after 24-48 hours of spraying, a time that corresponds to the restricted-entry interval required to enter most farm fields after pesticide spraying. Hence, this innovative "collect-and-sense" system not only advances precision agriculture by enabling monitoring and mapping of pesticide distribution but also holds the potential to significantly reduce environmental impact, enhance crop management practices, and contribute to the sustainable and efficient use of agrochemicals in modern agriculture.

Vertically constructed wetlands for greywater reuse: Performance analysis of plants

Vertical Flow constructed wetlands (VFCWs) are environmentally feasible engineered systems that mimic the functions of natural wetlands. They are alternative engineering systems that are economical, and simple in structure with reduced land area compared to Horizontal Flow Constructed Wetlands (HFCW). Thus provides a sustainable solution for greywater treatment to a considerable extent. However, VFCWs feasibility and plant performance were not tested in the context of Sri Lanka for the greywater treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the potential of household greywater treatment using apilot-scale VFCW and examine the performance characteristics of different types of plants. Three types of plants, the Canna plant (Canna indica), Ferns plant (Matteuccia struthiopteris), and Cattail plant (Typha latifolia) were used as emergent plants and a retention tank was constructed to retain solid particles in the greywater as primary treatment. The experiments were carried out for two months using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) for three replicates. The quality of the influent and effluentwas testedfortnight for a number of water quality parameters. Results revealed that the removal efficiency of contaminants was increased. Cattail plants showed higher removal efficiency for dissolved oxygen (DO), chemical oxygen demand (COD), nitrates (NO31-), turbidity, and electrical conductivity. In addition, Canna plants had higher efficiencies for the removal of total dissolved solids (TDS) and phosphates (PO43-). Furthermore, Ferns plants presented higher efficiency only for removing sulphate (SO43-). Conclusively, Cattail plants presented the overall best performance in treating greywater. This can be attributed to the ability of the Cattail's dense fibrous root system to absorb more contaminants from greywater. This research also discussed the importance of microplastic analysis in greywater treatment which is a vital part of the current day research. The results of this study will be helpful to the further advanced research. Furthermore, this methodology can be implemented to other similar plants across the globe irrespective of geographical area.

Traditionally used Botanicals: The Potential Source of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) Management

Wheat is widely used as a staple food in the world including India. But storage conditions of wheat grains are infected by several coleopteran pests. Tribolium castaneum Herbst is a ubiquitous and pestiferous pest among all. Adult and larvae both are harmful to wheat storage which often demolishes stored grains. The present study attempted at Entomology laboratory, Assam Agricultural University-Jorhat, to manage Dry powders of A. indica, C. roseus, C. heptaphylla, D. stramonium, E. tereticornis, M. struthiopteris, and V. negundo were used against T. castaneum to get rid of problematic local medicinal plants. During probit analysis the highest LD50 value was found in A. indica (1.49%) followed by D. stramonium (1.52%) and E. tereticornis (2.02%) and the lowest LD50 in Matteuccia struthiopteris (11.72%). In the repellency test, the highest rate of repellency was observed in A. indica (82.21%) followed by D. stramonium (72.59%), E. tereticornis (70.36%), and the lowest in Matteuccia struthiopteris (32.58%). Based on LD50 and mean repellency, the three botanicals (A. indica, D. stramonium, E. tereticornis) were selected for further work e.g., mortality and weight loss. A mortality study recorded 100% mortality after 35 days of treatment in the case of A. indica, D. stramonium, E. tereticornis. During the trial in 2018, A. indica (5.76%) had the lowest grain weight loss, followed by D. stramonium (12.05%) and E. tereticornis (12.05). The highest grain weight loss was observed in control with 62.33 per cent. Give your one line conclusion on these research.

Effect of glycerolipid preparations from fern and horsetail on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells under ex vivo conditions

Introduction. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) are a pool of immune cells and they are also a convenient model system for studying immune pathologies.Aim. Testing for bioactivity of glycerolipid prepa­rations from fern and horsetail species containing long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) towards PBMCs without exogenous stimulation and after phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) plus ionomycin stimulation.Materials and methods. Glycerolipid preparations were produced by fractionation of total lipids, isolated from young fronds of the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris and shoots of the horsetail Equisetum arvense, on silica. Egg phosphatidylcholine was used for comparison. Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography. Mononuclear cells were isolated from blood of patients with asthma. Parameters of cell viability and activation were estimated by flow cytometry.Results. The glycerolipid prep­arations from the fern and horsetail were found to have a cytotoxic effect while egg phosphatidylcholine was not. The most active was the fraction of fern lipids eluted with methanol which reduced cell viability by 64.6 (51.1-79.0)% in the concentration 2 pg/ml and caused complete cell death in 20 pg/ml. After cell stimulation with PMA/ionomycin, the cyto­toxic effect of the preparation increased although the level of PBMCs expressing the marker CD69 did not change. The cytotoxic effect of other glycerolipid preparations was observed in the higher concentrations (20 and/or 80 pg/ml) and it was less pronounced: the cell viability reduced by 7.1 (6.7-9.4)% for the fraction of fern lipids eluted by the mixture chlo­roform - methanol - water (3:5:2), by 39.8 (26.4-41.6)% and 12.0 (10.0-15.5)% for the fractions of the horsetail lipids eluted with methanol and the chloroform-methanol-water mixture, respectively, in the concentration 80 pg/ml.Conclu­sion. Comparison of fatty acid composition of the glycerolipid preparations did not confirm a contribution of LCPUFAs to the observed effects. Identification of an active component may allow development of a drug for the local application in a hyperimmune response or for model experiments.

Contribution of marginal land and indigenous crops on food security: A case of eastern Chitwan, Nepal

People have utilized indigenous and underutilized crops available in the marginal land for their food. However, little is known about the contribution of these crops to food security. To assess the contribution of these crops to food security of local people, a survey was done with 107 respondents selected from community forest users of the eastern Chitwan of Nepal in 2020. The findings revealed that fiddle head fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris L.), air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera L.), stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.), and white yam (Dioscorea alata L.) were consumed mostly compared to other indigenous and underutilized crops. Community forest was a major source of underutilized crops followed by marginal land. Though air potato was available only for four months, its contribution to food security was higher than the other crops. Indigenous crops were found gradually disappearing due to producers' poor access to land to cultivate, misuse of land, and ineffective implementation of the Land Use Act. Further, local people’s engagement on off-farm employment had increased marginal land fallow. The study found that the prices of indigenous and underutilized crops offer income-generating opportunities. Thus, a marginal land use plan considering indigenous and underutilized crops is needed for both food security and income of local people.

Production of synthetic seeds by encapsulating gametophytes in Matteuccia struthiopteris, edible ferns

Production of synthetic seeds by encapsulating gametophytes in Matteuccia struthiopteris, edible ferns

Edible Far Eastern Ferns as a Dietary Source of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids.

Young fronds of ferns are consumed as a vegetable in many countries. The aim of this study was to analyze three fern species that are available for sale in the Russian Far East as dietary sources in terms of fatty acids that are important for human physiology: arachidonic acid (20:4n-6, ARA), eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3, EPA) and other valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The content of ARA and EPA was 5.5 and 0.5 mg/g dry weight, respectively, in Pteridium aquilinum, 4.1 and 1.1 in Matteuccia struthiopteris, and 2.2 and 0.8 in Osmundastrum asiaticum. Salted fronds of P. aquilinum contained less these fatty acids than the raw fronds, with a decrease of up to 49% for ARA and 65% for EPA. These losses were less pronounced or even insignificant in dried fronds. Cooked ferns preserved significant portions of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: cooked P. aquilinum contained 4.4 mg/g dry weight ARA and 0.3 mg/g dry weight EPA. The ferns may provide a supplemental dietary source of these valuable long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially for vegetarian diets.

Особенности онтогенеза гаметофитов страусника обыкновенного (Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Tod.) в условиях разной густоты посева спор

The article deals with the effect of sowing density of spores on ontogenesis of gametophytes Matteuccia struthi-opteris (L.) Tod. This species is included in the Red Data Book of the Kursk Region (Krasnaia…, 2017). The ability to form viable gametophytes from spores in Matteuccia struthiopteris is often reduced and depends on many factors, including the population density of the seedlings themselves. Among the numerous forms of thalli of gametophytes in M. struthiopteris (filamentous, spatulate, asymmetric, cordate, wide-heart), only wide-heart thalli form an archegonial cushion capable of fertilization and formation of a zygote with further development of sporophyte. Under natural conditions, the presence of young sporophytes is an important factor contributing to the rejuvenation of populations of M. struthiopteris and an increase in their vitality. In the course of the study, it was established how significant the mutual influence of gametophytes is for their development.

Stomatal morphology and physiology explain varied sensitivity to abscisic acid across vascular plant lineages.

Abscisic acid (ABA) can induce rapid stomatal closure in seed plants, but the action of this hormone on the stomata of fern and lycophyte species remains equivocal. Here, ABA-induced stomatal closure, signaling components, guard cell K+ and Ca2+ fluxes, vacuolar and actin cytoskeleton dynamics, and the permeability coefficient of guard cell protoplasts (Pf) were analyzed in species spanning the diversity of vascular land plants including 11 seed plants, 6 ferns, and 1 lycophyte. We found that all 11 seed plants exhibited ABA-induced stomatal closure, but the fern and lycophyte species did not. ABA-induced hydrogen peroxide elevation was observed in all species, but the signaling pathway downstream of nitric oxide production, including ion channel activation, was only observed in seed plants. In the angiosperm faba bean (Vicia faba), ABA application caused large vacuolar compartments to disaggregate, actin filaments to disintegrate into short fragments and Pf to increase. None of these changes was observed in the guard cells of the fern Matteuccia struthiopteris and lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii treated with ABA, but a hypertonic osmotic solution did induce stomatal closure in fern and the lycophyte. Our results suggest that there is a major difference in the regulation of stomata between the fern and lycophyte plants and the seed plants. Importantly, these findings have uncovered the physiological and biophysical mechanisms that may have been responsible for the evolution of a stomatal response to ABA in the earliest seed plants.

Динамика некоторых редких видов растений на избыточно увлажненных почвах Московского региона

В Москве иПодмосковье ряд растений, произрастающих на избыточно увлажненных участках леса, сырых полянах ив болотах, относится кохраняемым видам. Выявлены местообитания таких растений. Врезультате многолетних наблюдений установлена связь динамики численности некоторых растений спогодными условиями, впервую очередь сколичеством осадков за предыдущий летний период. The article provides materials on anumber of protected plant species in Moscow and the Moscow region, growing in over-wetted areas of forest, damp glades and in swamps. For anumber of plants, long-term observations of the dynamics of their numbers are carried out. The connection of fluctuations in the abundance of anumber of plants with weather conditions, primarily the amount of precipitation during the summer period, has been established. Moneses uniflora was found in excessively moist areas of middle-aged pine and birch forests with an admixture of alder gummy. The main satellites of the same flower are Ramischia secunda, Carex caespitosa. In 2007, Moneses met in numerous groups. After dry 2010, asharp decline in its numbers began, in 2018only afew specimens were found. On the territory of Moscow, Equisetum variegatum is marked on the Shchukinsky peninsula in awet middle-aged birch forest with an admixture of pine. Its main satellites are Lycopus europaeus, Phragmites australis, Pyrola minor, Carex hirta. Polemonium coeruleum is found on forest glades, gap, or forest edges, most of which are with excessive moisture. Its usual companion is Filipendula ulmaria. In the Moscow region, Trollius europaeus is abundant in glades and along forest edges, where its main companions are meadow-forest and meadow species, usually dominated by Chaerophyllum aromaticum, Urtica dioica. Over 10years of observation, the number of generative individuals Trollius gradually decreased, reaching aminimum in 2017. The main satellites of Hierochloe odorata are meadow-forest and meadow species, significantly fewer alder and grass-marsh species. The main satellite of Hierochloe is Angelica sylvestris. In the Moscow region, Matteuccia struthiopteris populations have been found by us both in the floodplains of rivers and streams, and on dry lands. Matteuccia is most abundant in depressions in relief, where there is usually constant excessive moisture. Matteuccia satellites are most often Aegopodium podagraria, Galeobdolon luteum and places of Ficaria verna. The usual companion of Ranunculus lingua is Equisetum fluviatile. After adry year, the number of buttercup decreases sharply, and recovery is slow. Polygonum bistorta in the Moscow region reaches its greatest abundance in areas where meadow-forest and meadow species prevail in the grass cover. Common satellites of the Polygonum are Alchemilla vulgaris, Alopecurus pratensis, Urtica dioica, Filipendula ulmaria. The greatest abundance of Thelypteris palustris reaches in areas where alder and marsh species dominate in the grass cover. The main companion of Thelypteris is Phragmites australis. The number per unit area of plant species studied by us is largely dependent on weather conditions, primarily on the amount of precipitation of the previous year, as well as on the dynamics of grass cover associated with the cessation of cattle grazing and haymaking in these.

Response of total phenols, flavonoids, minerals, and amino acids of four edible fern species to four shading treatments.

Total phenols, flavonoids, minerals and amino acids content were investigated in leaves of four fern species grown under four shading treatments with different sunlight transmittance in 35% full sunlight (FS), 13% FS, 8% FS and 4% FS. The leaves of four fern species contain high levels of total phenols and flavonoids, abundant minerals and amino acids, and these all were strongly affected by transmittance. Total phenols and flavonoids content were significantly positively correlated with transmittance, while minerals and total amino acids content were significantly negatively correlated with transmittance, a finding that supports research into how higher light intensity can stimulate the synthesis of phenols and flavonoids, and proper shading can stimulate the accumulation of minerals and amino acids. Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro (MS) had the highest total phenols content, Athyrium multidentatum (Doll.) Ching (AM) showed the highest total amino acids, total essential amino acids content, Osmunda cinnamomea (L) var. asiatica Fernald (OCA) exhibited the highest total non-essential amino acids and flavonoids content. Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kuhn var. latiusculum (Desy.) Underw. ex Heller (PAL) exhibited the highest minerals content. This research can provide a scientific basis for the cultivation and management of those four fern species.

Desiccation Tolerance in Chlorophyllous Fern Spores: Are Ecophysiological Features Related to Environmental Conditions?

Fern spores of most species are desiccation tolerant (DT) and, in some cases, are photosynthetic at maturation, the so-called chlorophyllous spores (CS). The lifespan of CS in the dry state is very variable among species. The physiological, biochemical, and biophysical mechanisms underpinning this variability remain understudied and their interpretation from an ecophysiological approach virtually unexplored. In this study, we aimed at fulfilling this gap by assessing photochemical, hydric, and biophysical properties of CS from three temperate species with contrasting biological strategies and longevity in the dry state: Equisetum telmateia (spore maturation and release in spring, ultrashort lifespan), Osmunda regalis (spore maturation and release in summer, medium lifespan), Matteuccia struthiopteris (spore maturation and release in winter, medium-long lifespan). After subjection of CS to controlled drying treatments, results showed that the three species displayed different extents of DT. CS of E. telmateia rapidly lost viability after desiccation, while the other two withstood several dehydration–rehydration cycles without compromising viability. The extent of DT was in concordance with water availability in the sporulation season of each species. CS of O. regalis and M. struthiopteris carried out the characteristic quenching of chlorophyll fluorescence, widely displayed by other DT cryptogams during drying, and had higher tocopherol and proline contents. The turgor loss point of CS is also related to the extent of DT and to the sporulation season: lowest values were found in CS of M. struthiopteris and O. regalis. The hydrophobicity of spores in these two species was higher and probably related to the prevention of water absorption under unfavorable conditions. Molecular mobility, estimated by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, confirmed an unstable glassy state in the spores of E. telmateia, directly related to the low DT, while the DT species entered in a stable glassy state when dried. Overall, our data revealed a DT syndrome related to the season of sporulation that was characterized by higher photoprotective potential, specific hydric properties, and lower molecular mobility in the dry state. Being unicellular haploid structures, CS represent not only a challenge for germplasm preservation (e.g., as these spores are prone to photooxidation) but also an excellent opportunity for studying mechanisms of DT in photosynthetic cells.

Пойменные крупнотравные леса острова Сахалин (класс Salicetea sachalinensis Ohba 1973)

Пойменные крупнотравные леса острова Сахалин (класс Salicetea sachalinensis Ohba 1973)

Exploring the Impact of Food on the Gut Ecosystem Based on the Combination of Machine Learning and Network Visualization.

Prebiotics and probiotics strongly impact the gut ecosystem by changing the composition and/or metabolism of the microbiota to improve the health of the host. However, the composition of the microbiota constantly changes due to the intake of daily diet. This shift in the microbiota composition has a considerable impact; however, non-pre/probiotic foods that have a low impact are ignored because of the lack of a highly sensitive evaluation method. We performed comprehensive acquisition of data using existing measurements (nuclear magnetic resonance, next-generation DNA sequencing, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy) and analyses based on a combination of machine learning and network visualization, which extracted important factors by the Random Forest approach, and applied these factors to a network module. We used two pteridophytes, Pteridium aquilinum and Matteuccia struthiopteris, for the representative daily diet. This novel analytical method could detect the impact of a small but significant shift associated with Matteuccia struthiopteris but not Pteridium aquilinum intake, using the functional network module. In this study, we proposed a novel method that is useful to explore a new valuable food to improve the health of the host as pre/probiotics.

Large-scale phylogenomic analysis resolves a backbone phylogeny in ferns.

BackgroundFerns, originated about 360 million years ago, are the sister group of seed plants. Despite the remarkable progress in our understanding of fern phylogeny, with conflicting molecular evidence and different morphological interpretations, relationships among major fern lineages remain controversial.ResultsWith the aim to obtain a robust fern phylogeny, we carried out a large-scale phylogenomic analysis using high-quality transcriptome sequencing data, which covered 69 fern species from 38 families and 11 orders. Both coalescent-based and concatenation-based methods were applied to both nucleotide and amino acid sequences in species tree estimation. The resulting topologies are largely congruent with each other, except for the placement of Angiopteris fokiensis, Cheiropleuria bicuspis, Diplaziopsis brunoniana, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Elaphoglossum mcclurei, and Tectaria subpedata.ConclusionsOur result confirmed that Equisetales is sister to the rest of ferns, and Dennstaedtiaceae is sister to eupolypods. Moreover, our result strongly supported some relationships different from the current view of fern phylogeny, including that Marattiaceae may be sister to the monophyletic clade of Psilotaceae and Ophioglossaceae; that Gleicheniaceae and Hymenophyllaceae form a monophyletic clade sister to Dipteridaceae; and that Aspleniaceae is sister to the rest of the groups in eupolypods II. These results were interpreted with morphological traits, especially sporangia characters, and a new evolutionary route of sporangial annulus in ferns was suggested. This backbone phylogeny in ferns sets a foundation for further studies in biology and evolution in ferns, and therefore in plants.

Changes of effective half-lives of 137Cs in three herbaceous plants and bioavailable 137Cs fraction in soil after the Fukushima nuclear accident

We measured cesium-137 concentrations from June 2011 to May 2016 in three wild edible herbaceous species, i.e. giant butterbur (Petasites japonicus), knotweed (Trifolium pratense), and mugwort (Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii), that were grown on the same sampling field in Chiba Prefecture, Japan. The pattern of plant 137Cs concentrations versus time could be described well with the two-component exponential decline (short-term and long-term components), and the half-lives of these three plant species were between 103 and 230 d for the short component and 970–3830 d for the long component. During April 2014 to May 2016, due to the slow decline in the 137Cs concentrations in these three plant species, we assumed that the bioavailable 137Cs fraction in the observation ground soil was almost the same in this period. Then, values of the aggregated transfer factor from soil to plant (Tag) were calculated for these plant species, and the values ranged from 5.3 × 10−5 to 1.6 × 10−4 m2 kg−1-fresh. We also calculated Tag values for wild edible herbaceous plants in Fukushima Prefecture using open data sources that were reported from January 2014 to June 2016. The five plant species included were giant butterbur (P. japonicus), western bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum), Japanese royal fern (Osmunda japonica), ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) and momijigasa (Parasenecio delphiniifolius). The Tag values ranged from 1.4 × 10−4 to 7.0 × 10−4 m2 kg−1-fresh and were similar to those measured in our Chiba field study.

Fern rhizomes as fodder in Norway.

BackgroundAlthough ferns are often known under collective names in Norway, e.g. blom, a substantial number of vernacular names for individual fern species are known, in particular for useful or poisonous taxa. In the past, the rhizomes (Norwegian: moldfôr) of selected species were collected for fodder. Only scattered records of such use are available from southern Norway, and the tradition’s core area is found in the two North Norwegian counties of Nordland and Troms, in accordance with the longer winters encountered in the north, frequently leading to fodder shortage in early spring. The tradition extends northeastwards into Finnmark, but is less well documented there. Although numerous sources mention the use of fern rhizomes for fodder, the fern species hiding behind the tradition are incompletely known. This paper aims at reviewing available data in terms of identifyng the species used for fodder, the history and geographical distribution of such use, and other relevant traditions, e.g. the timing and mode of collection, and the way the rhizomes were used.MethodsThe study is based on data extracted from a variety of archival and literature sources; the latter retrived from my database of more than 7500 publications providing information on plant names and plant uses in Norway.ResultsMore than 200 individual records mention the use of fern rhizomes for fodder in Norway. Only a fraction of these, typically made by botanist recording data on plant uses, provides information on the identity of the species used. Based on these, Dryopteris filix-mas and Matteuccia struthiopteris stand out as the most important species serving as sources of fern rhizomes for fodder. Locally, Dryopteris expansa was the preferred species, and this taxon may to some extent be overlooked in the records so far available. With a few exceptions, Norwegian folk tradition singles out Athyrium filix-femina as a harmful and poisonous species, causing livestock to go blind and lame, but whether this is true or not, remains unknown; the symptoms are in fact documented elsewhere as a consequence of poisoning due to Dryopteris filix-mas. In coastal north Norway, fern rhizomes were regularly collected for fodder, both in late autumn and early spring, and used to remedy a recurrent shortage of fodder in late winter and spring. Locally, the tradition of collecting fern rhizomes lived on until the 1940’s or 1950’s. Although mainly a tradition of the ethnic Norwegians, it had also been adopted by the farmers belonging to the Finnish and Sámi ethnic minorities.ConclusionFern rhizomes have a long tradition as an additional fodder for livestock in Norway. Preferred species were Matteuccia struthiopteris and Dryopteris filix-mas, locally also Dryopteris expansa. Athyrium filix-femina was considered to be poisonous, and usually avoided.

Effects of competition, shade and soil conditions on the recolonization of three forest herbs in tree‐planted riparian zones

AbstractQuestionsIn mesic forests, ecological filters due to past agricultural land use reduce forest herb recolonization. Is the recruitment of such species also limited in tree‐planted riparian zones by local filters such as competition, shade level and soil conditions?LocationTwo agricultural watersheds, southeastern Québec, Canada.MethodsThree herbs characteristic of natural riparian forests were selected for this study: one graminoid, Glyceria striata, and two ferns, Matteuccia struthiopteris and Onoclea sensibilis. Effects of shade level (75% vs 50%) and soil type (forest vs agricultural soil) on seedling emergence were evaluated in a seed‐sowing greenhouse experiment. In a 2‐yr transplant field experiment, seedling and sporophyte establishment was monitored in five natural riparian forests and five tree‐planted post‐agricultural riparian zones on microsites with understorey vegetation kept intact or cleared and on forest or agricultural soils. Using a priori contrasts, we assessed the influence of habitat type (natural riparian forests or tree‐planted riparian zones), competition and post‐agricultural soil type on transplant survival and growth.ResultsSeedling emergence tended to be higher on forest soils for G. striata while sporophyte emergence increased under 75% shade for M. struthiopteris. Transplanted seedlings and sporophytes of the three species survived and grew as well in tree‐planted riparian zones as in natural riparian forests. In tree‐planted riparian zones however, competing understorey vegetation reduced the survival and growth of G. striata and agricultural soil reduced the growth of M. struthiopteris. For O. sensibilis, only sporophyte survival was reduced by competition in tree‐planted riparian zones.ConclusionsPlanting trees in post‐agricultural riparian zones fosters establishment of forest herbs similar than those observed in natural riparian forests. Additional environmental filters specific to tree‐planted riparian zones, however, offset the positive influence of trees and limit recolonization of the three studied species. Considering the partial restoration success of establishment niches by tree planting, controlling spontaneous vegetation after tree planting is advised when conceivable and cost‐effective to promote the recolonization of environmentally‐limited forest herbs. Long‐term transplant experiments should be more often conducted to identify the ecological filters that reduce plant recolonization, and thereby design the most effective restoration strategies.