Responses Of Plant Species Research Articles

Investigation geographic origin of Laurus nobilis L. leaves using FTIR, SEM-EDX, and XRD analysis

Laurus nobilis L. is a polypragmatic plant with high added value. Leaves collected from different regions in the natural state without breeding have different economic values. In this study, the Geographic Origin and Altitude Effects of Laurus nobilis L. leave samples collected from provinces close to each other were investigated. For this purpose, SEM–EDS was used for morphological characterization of leaves, XRD was used for the characterization of inorganic components and FTIR-ATR was used for the identification of functional groups. By SEM analysis in the samples from Zonguldak region, significant differences were observed in the density of trichomes and glandular plumes more dense and also morphological cell sizes were found to be more large then Kastamonu region. In XRD plot, besides the amorphous state, it has seen that the crystal structure is also present in the structure. The effect of different altitudes on the FTIR spectra of the samples collected according to the provinces was also examined, and no significant difference was observed in the peak positions and intensities in the spectra according to the altitudes. Score plot on ranges of 2800–3000 cm-1 and 750–1800 cm−1 allowed origin of the Laurus nobilis L. discrimination. In order to analysis and classify them according to their geographical origin, FTIR data were combined with chemometric methods using PCA and discriminant analysis. PCA analysis explained 88.7% of the variance in the model. When the results of the discriminant analysis were evaluated, 56 of the 72 samples were classified correctly and 77.8% success was achieved. Both analysis showed that there are differences in the response of the same plant species to their presence in different origins. As a result, FTIR analysis allowed possibility the discrimination of Laurus nobilis L. leaves and in this way it is thought to discriminate of examples for other areas.

Response of Native and Non-Native Subarctic Plant Species to Continuous Illumination by Natural and Artificial Light.

This study addressed the following questions: How does continuous lighting (CL) impact plant physiology, and photosynthetic and stress responses? Does the impact of CL depend on the source of the light and other environmental factors (natural vs. artificial)? Do responses to CL differ for native and non-native plant species in the subarctic region and, if differences exist, what physiological reasons might they be associated with them? Experiments were conducted with three plants native to the subarctic region (Geranium sylvaticum L., Geum rivale L., Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch.) and three non-native plant species (Geranium himalayense Klotzsch, Geum coccineum Sibth. and Sm., Potentilla atrosanguinea Loddiges ex D. Don) introduced in the Polar-Alpine Botanic Garden (KPABG, 67°38' N). The experimental groups included three species pairs exposed to (1) a natural 16 h photoperiod, (2) natural CL, (3) an artificial 16 h photoperiod and (4) artificial CL. In the natural environment, measurements of physiological and biochemical parameters were carried out at the peak of the polar day (at the end of June), when the plants were illuminated continuously, and in the second week of August, when the day length was about 16 h. Th experiments with artificial lighting were conducted in climate chambers where plants were exposed to 16 h or 24 h photoperiods for two weeks. Other parameters (light intensity, spectrum composition, temperature and air humidity) were held constant. The obtained results have shown that plants lack specific mechanisms of tolerance to CL. The protective responses are non-specific and induced by developing photo-oxidative stress. In climate chambers, under constant environmental conditions artificial CL causes leaf injuries due to oxidative stress, the main cause of which is circadian asynchrony. In nature, plants are not photodamaged during the polar day, as endogenous rhythms are maintained due to daily fluctuations of several environmental factors (light intensity, spectral distribution, temperature and air humidity). The obtained data show that among possible non-specific protective mechanisms, plants use flavonoids to neutralize the excess ROS generated under CL. In local subarctic plants, their photoprotective role is significantly higher than in non-native introduced plant species.

Past, present, and future potential distributions of the African multipurpose tree Detarium senegalense (Fabaceae)

Background and aims – Climate change induces increasing temperatures and drought, with possible profound shifts in species’ presence and distribution. Ecological niche models are widely used to assess plant species responses to climate change. However, such data are scarce for West Africa, particularly for vulnerable multipurpose species. This study focuses on modelling the ecological niche and the conservation status of the multipurpose tree Detarium senegalense to improve insights into its habitat suitability in West Africa under past, present, and future climatic conditions. This will provide an essential basis for setting up global management plans through efficient conservation and ecological restoration policies. Material and methods – The potential distribution of D. senegalense under past, current, and future climate scenarios were assessed using four algorithms including generalized additive models (GAM), generalized linear models (GLM), random forest (RF), and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt). We also assessed the shift direction of suitable habitats and the conservation status of the species based on IUCN criteria. Overall, 220 occurrences were combined with a set of five bioclimatic variables to run the models. Key results – Models performed well with good values of AUC (0.92) and TSS (0.73). Isothermality (41.10%) and Precipitation of Wettest Month (21.50%) contributed most to the distribution of the species. The distribution of D. senegalense was relatively constant from the past to the present but could decrease in the next decades. In the future, only 17.70% and 13.98% of the areas were predicted to be suitable under respectively ssp245 and ssp585. In protected areas, the suitable areas under ssp245 were estimated at 21.01% with a decrease of 2.50% and 14.60% with a decrease of 8.61% under ssp585 by 2050. The direction of the distribution shifted to the south-east under future climate scenarios. The conservation status assessment of the species is Least Concern (LC). Conclusion – This study improves our understanding of the past, present-day, and future distribution of the species and provides support to better manage the conservation of D. senegalense in West Africa.

Overexpressing a cotton terpene synthase for (E)-β-ocimene biosynthesis in Nicotiana tabacum to recruit the parasitoid wasps

(E)-β-ocimene is a predominant component of volatile terpenes emitted from many plant species in response to herbivore attack, which plays an impotant role in direct and indirect defense of plants. In the current study, (E)-β-ocimene was induced and released in upland cotton Gossypium hirsutum plants infested by chewing caterpillars or sucking bugs. Using genome data mining, a key terpene synthase for (E)-β-ocimene biosynthesis in cotton, GhTPS16, was initially identified. In vitro, recombinant GhTPS16 catalyzed the formation of (E)-β-ocimene using geranyl diphosphate as a substrate. Besides, the GhTPS16 was transferred into Nicotiana tabacum to generate (E)-β-ocimene synthase overexpression lines. Consequently, compared with wild type plants both GhTPS16 expression and (E)-β-ocimene emission of transgenic plants were up-regulated. In behavioral trials, two parasitoid wasps, Peristenus spretus parasitizing green bug Apolygus lucorum and Microplitis mediator parasitizing cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera, showed tendency preference for synthetic (E)-β-ocimene and transgenic tobacco plants, respectively. These findings provide new insights into understanding the roles of (E)-β-ocimene in plant-insect interaction. Oversynthesis of (E)-β-ocimene in plants could enhance indirect defense by recruiting parasitoids to facilitate control of the two target pests, green bug and cotton bollworm.

Response of Herbaceous and Woody Plant Species in Southern Portugal to Cope Oak Decline Associated to Phytophthora cinnamomi

The decline of oak canopies in Iberian woodlands is strongly influenced by abiotic and biotic stress factors, such as the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi which has the capacity to infect a wide range of plant species. Understory plant diversity plays an important role in the epidemiology of P. cinnamomi in these ecosystems. This study aimed to identify a set of woody and herbaceous plants that can impact oak decline. Twenty-two herbaceous plant species from three families, and nineteen woody plants (trees and shrubs) from seven families were assessed for their response to infection by P. cinnamomi. Most of the herbaceous species did not show evident susceptibility, only a few exhibited significant biomass root reduction and just seven were identified as hosts. Yellow lupin was the only herbaceous species showing high susceptibility. Among the woody plant species, only two shrub and two tree species exhibited disease symptoms. The other ones, mostly hosts, ranged between low susceptible and tolerant. These results highlight the possibility that many of these species can maintain the pathogen active in the soil or even increase its population. In this context, the findings of this study can contribute to effective management strategies to mitigate Phytophthora infection in woodland soils.

Changes in soil and plant carbon pools after 9 years of experimental summer warming and increased snow depth

Climate change can have positive and negative effects on the carbon pools and budgets in soil and plant fractions, but net effects are unclear and expected to vary widely within the arctic. We report responses after nine years (2012−2021) of increased snow depth (snow fences) and summer warming (open top chambers) and the combination on soil and plant carbon pools within a tundra ecosystem in West Greenland. Data included characteristics of depth-specific soil samples, including the rhizosphere soil, as well as vegetation responses of NDVI-derived traits, plant species cover and aboveground biomass, litter and roots. Furthermore, natural vegetation growth through the study period was quantified based on time-integrated NDVI Landsat 8 satellite imagery.Our results showed that summer warming resulted in a significant and positive vegetation response driven by the deciduous low shrub Betula nana (no other vascular plant species), while snow addition alone resulted in a significant negative response for Betula. A significant positive effect of summer warming was also observed for moss biomass, possibly driven increasing shade by Betula. The aboveground effects cascaded to belowground traits. The rhizosphere soil characteristics differed from those of the bulk soil regardless of treatment. Only the rhizosphere fraction showed responses to treatment, as soil organic C stock increased in near-surface and top 20 cm with summer warming. We observed no belowground effects from snow addition. The study highlights the plant species response to treatment followed by impacts on belowground C pools, mainly driven by dead fine roots via Betula nana. We conclude that the summer warming treatment and snow addition treatment separately showed opposing effects on ecosystem C pools, with lack of interactive effects between main factors in the combination treatment. Furthermore, changes in soil C are more clearly observed in the rhizosphere soil fraction, which should receive more attention in the future.

Some like it hot: adaptation to the urban heat island in common dandelion

Abstract The Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE) is a globally consistent pressure on biological species living in cities. Adaptation to the UHIE may be necessary for urban wild flora to persist in cities, but experimental evidence is scarce. Here, we report evidence of adaptive evolution in a perennial plant species in response to the UHIE. We collected seeds from common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) individuals along an urban–rural gradient in the city of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). In common-environment greenhouse experiments, we assessed the effect of elevated temperatures on plant growth and the effect of vernalization treatments on flowering phenology. We found that urban plants accumulate more biomass at higher temperatures and require shorter vernalization periods, corresponding to milder winters, to induce flowering compared to rural plants. Differentiation was also observed between different intra-urban subhabitats, with park plants displaying a higher vernalization requirement than street plants. Our results show genetic differentiation between urban and rural dandelions in temperature-dependent growth and phenology, consistent with adaptive divergence in response to the UHIE. Adaptation to the UHIE may be a potential explanation for the persistence of dandelions in urban environments.

Predictor importance in habitat suitability models for invasive terrestrial plants

AbstractAimDue to the socioeconomic and environmental damages caused by invasive species, predicting the distribution of invasive plants is fundamental for effectively targeting management efforts. A habitat suitability model (HSM) is a powerful tool to predict potential habitat of invasive species to help guide the early detection of invasive plants. Despite numerous studies of the predictors used in HSMs, there is little consensus about the most appropriate predictors to use in creating ecologically realistic predictions from HSMs.LocationThe contiguous United States.MethodsWe explore 220 invasive terrestrial plant species' existing HSMs constructed with consistent modelling algorithms, background generation methods, predictor resolution, and geographic extent, and calculate the relative importance of predictors for each species. We sort predictors into eight groups (topography, temperature, disturbance, atmospheric water, landscape water, substrate, biotic interaction, and radiation) and compare the importance of predictor groups by plant lifeforms and phylogenetic relatedness.ResultsHuman modification and minimum winter temperature were generally the two highest performing individual predictors across the species studied. The highest‐performing predictor groups were disturbance, temperature, and atmospheric water. Across lifeforms, there were minimal differences in the influences of predictor groups, although woody plant models exhibited the largest differences in predictor importance when compared with non‐woody plant models. Additionally, we found no significant relationship between the importance of predictor groups and phylogenetic relatedness.Main ConclusionsThis study has implications for informing predictor selection in invasive plant HSMs, leading to more reliable and accurate models of invasive terrestrial plants. Our results emphasize the need to critically select predictors included in HSMs, with special consideration to temperature and disturbance predictors, to accurately predict habitat of invasive plant for detection and response of invasive plant species. With more accurate predictions, managers will be better prepared to address invasive species and reduce their threats to landscapes.

Responses of non-native and native plant species to fluctuations of water availability in a greenhouse experiment.

Water availability strongly influences the survival, growth, and reproduction of most terrestrial plant species. Experimental evidence has well documented the effect of changes in total amount of water availability on non-native vs. native plants. However, little is known about how fluctuations in water availability affect these two groups, although more extreme fluctuations in water availability increasingly occur with prolonged drought and extreme precipitation events. Here, we grew seven non-native and seven native plant species individually in the greenhouse. Then, we exposed them to four watering treatments, each treatment with the same total amount of water, but with different divisions: W1 (added water 16 times with 125 mL per time), W2 (8 times, 250 mL per time), W3 (4 times, 500 mL per time), and W4 (2 times, 1000 mL per time). We found that both non-native and native plants produced the most biomass under medium frequency/magnitude watering treatments (W2 and W3). Interestingly, non-native plants produced 34% more biomass with the infrequent, substantial watering treatment (W4) than with frequent, minor watering treatment (W1), whereas native plants showed opposite patterns, producing 26% more biomass with W1 than with W4. Differences in the ratio of root to shoot under few/large and many/small watering treatments of non-native vs. native species probably contributed to their different responses in biomass production. Our results advance the current understanding of the effect of water availability on non-native plants, which are affected not only by changes in amount of water availability but also by fluctuations in water availability. Furthermore, our results indicate that an increased few/large precipitation pattern expected under climate change conditions might further promote non-native plant invasions. Future field experiments with multiple phylogenetically controlled pairs of non-native and native species will be required to enhance our understanding of how water availability fluctuations impact on non-native invasions.

Update of the Xylella spp. host plant database - Systematic literature search up to 31 December 2023.

This scientific report provides an update of the Xylella spp. host plant database, aiming to provide information and scientific support to risk assessors, risk managers and researchers dealing with Xylella spp. Upon a mandate of the European Commission, EFSA created and regularly updates a database of host plant species of Xylella spp. The current mandate covers the period 2021-2026. This report is related to the 10th version of the database published in Zenodo in the EFSA Knowledge Junction community, covering literature published from 1 July 2023 up to 31 December 2023, and recent Europhyt outbreak notifications. Informative data have been extracted from 39 selected publications. Sixteen new host plants, five genera and one family were identified and added to the database. They were naturally infected by X. fastidiosa subsp. fastidiosa or unknown either in Portugal or the United States. No additional data were retrieved for X. taiwanensis, and no additional multilocus sequence types (STs) were identified worldwide. New information on the tolerant/resistant response of plant species to X. fastidiosa infection were added to the database. The Xylella spp. host plant species were listed in different categories based on the number and type of detection methods applied for each finding. The overall number of Xylella spp. host plants determined with at least two different detection methods or positive with one method either by sequencing or pure culture isolation (category A), reaches now 451 plant species, 204 genera and 70 families. Such numbers rise to 712 plant species, 312 genera and 89 families if considered regardless of the detection methods applied (category E).

Biochar Application Improved Sludge-Amended Landscape Soil Fertility Index but with No Added Benefit in Plant Growth

Co-application of sewage sludge (SS) with biochar in landscape/forestry soil is a common strategy for enhancing soil fertility and reducing the bioavailability of potential toxic elements (PTEs) derived from SS, such as Cd, Pb, Cu, Zn, and Ni. However, due to variability of biochar quality and uncertainties in responses of different plant species, whether the co-application benefits the landscape/forestry plant system remains elusive. Here, we tested the effectiveness of three types of biochar (SS-derived biochar (SB), rice straw-derived biochar (RB), and litter-derived biochar (LB)), which were added to soil amended with SS at 50% (w/w) at rates of 1.5%, 3%, and 4.5% as growth media for the landscape plant Aglaonema modestum (A. modestum). We analyzed the substrate’s physicochemical properties and assessed the alleviation of phytotoxicity by biochar application. A significant increase in the fertility index of substrate was observed in all the treatments with biochar addition. The addition of biochar reduced the potential mobility of PTEs while increasing their residual fraction in media. Nonetheless, it has been found that the addition of biochar has ineffective or even negative effects on A. modestum growth (height, biomass, root length) and nutrient absorption. Importantly, the reduction in root biomass and the increased activity of root antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, CAT, and MDA) indicate contamination stress of biochar on the roots of A. modestum. Toxic elements of concern—namely Cu, Cd, and Pb—were not significantly higher in tissues of A. modestum saplings planted in biochar-SS-amended soil. However, elevated levels of other elements that may pose toxicity concerns, such as Ni and Zn, increased in tissues at high biochar dosages. Based on the Entropy–Weight TOPSIS method, it was further confirmed that compared to the treatment without biochar, all treatments except for 3.0% LB application resulted in poorer A. modestum comprehensive growth. Our results emphasize the need for detailed research on the response of specific plants to biochar in specific environments, including plant adaptability and the unexplored toxicity of biochar, to understand the large variations and mechanisms behind these ineffective or negative effects before the large-scale co-utilization of SS and biochar in landscape/forestry soils.

The susceptibility of rare and threatened NSW species to the root-rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: 2. The identification of species requiring protection or further research

Context The response of most native plant species in New South Wales (NSW) to infection by the oomycete pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands is unknown, which makes decisions about disease management difficult. Aims We aim to improve knowledge about the potential threat from P. cinnamomi by testing a further 32 threatened species for their response to the pathogen and developing a method for prioritising management and susceptibility testing. Methods Susceptibility to infection and host response were evaluated in glasshouse experiments where the pathogen was introduced to pots containing the threatened species, and the results were compared with control uninoculated pots. Our prioritisation used modelled habitat suitability for P. cinnamomi, proximity to known P. cinnamomi occurrences, and numbers of plant species populations at least 1 km apart to rank 928 rare and threatened plant species native to NSW for either management or susceptibility testing. Key results Phytophthora cinnamomi was re-isolated from the roots of 10 of the 32 species assessed, most of which also showed significant mortality or disease symptoms. Darwinia peduncularis B.G.Briggs, Hibbertia circinata K.L.McDougall & G.T.Wright, Isopogon fletcheri F.Muell., Phebalium speciosum I.Telford, Pultenaea baeuerlenii F.Muell. and Pultenaea parrisiae J.D.Briggs & Crisp were the most severely affected species. The effect of P. cinnamomi is known for only 63 rare and threatened species in NSW. The Greater Sydney region is a hotspot for rare and threatened plant species with a high priority for susceptibility testing. Conclusions The prognosis in the wild for rare and threatened plant species affected by P. cinnamomi depends on (1) habitat suitability for the pathogen, with subalpine and arid-zone species unlikely to be affected, (2) the number of unaffected populations, with two severely affected species that occur only on infested sites (Hibbertia circinata and Prostanthera marifolia R.Br.) facing extinction in the near future and (3) climate, with some species (e.g. Pomaderris delicata N.G.Walsh & Coates) apparently affected only in unusually wet years. Further susceptibility testing of rare and threatened species is required. This should be supported by taxonomic studies of genera (e.g. Hibbertia, Pultenaea) commonly affected by the pathogen. Implications Many more plant species in NSW are likely to be severely affected by P. cinnamomi than currently known, and may require active management of the disease for their long-term survival.

Evaluation of the effects of dust pollution on specific plant species near and around the marble mining site in Rajasthan, India.

Airborne particles (dust pollution) pose a significant threat to both human and plant populations. Plant leaves act as crucial biofilters, capturing significant amounts of air pollution; this characteristic offers a valuable tool to measure local pollution levels and assess individual plant species' ability to intercept and mitigate harmful dust particles. The present study was carried out to asses the effect of responses of various plant species to dust pollution near and around the marble mining site comprising residential site, highway area, and Central University of Rajasthan as control. The anticipated pollution index, air pollution tolerance index (APTI), dust absorption capacity, metal accumulation index (MAI), and biochemical factors were used to evaluate plant responses. Azadirachta indica A. Juss. demonstrated the highest (29.0) and Vachellia nilotica L. showed lowest (5.6) APTI, respectively. A. indica showed maximum MAI values in comparison to other plant species situated at residential site. Additionally, monitoring of particulate matter (PM10) observed to highest at highway, followed by mining, residential, and control sites. Overall A. indica representing highest APTI and effective dust capturing capacity at all sites could serve as potential pollution sinks. V. nilotica, with its very low APTI, can be marked as biomonitoring tool for detecting dust pollution.

Distribution and Conservation Status of Plants’ species in the Botanical Garden and Arboretum domiciled in University of Uyo, Nigeria

This research assessed the plant species composition, distribution and International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conservation status of plants in University of Uyo botanical garden and arboretum using systematic sampling technique. The species were sampled in 10 x 10 m quadrats spaced at least regular intervals of 20 m from each quadrat. Thirty-one and thirty-eight species were encountered in the arboretum and botanic garden respectively. In terms of the frequency, Chromolaena odorata and Nauclea diderichii had the highest values (75%), while Acanthus montanus, Anthocleista djalonensis, Anthonotha macrophylla, Baphia nitida, Barteria nigritiana, Carpolobia lutea, Ceiba pentandra, Cnestis ferruginea, Entandrophragma utile, Hura crepitans, Lonchocarpus griffoneonus, Rauvolfia vomitoria, Senna siamea, Tamarindus indica, Tectona grandis and Treculia africana had the least frequency (25% each). For the density, Nauclea diderichii had the value of 250±15.30 st/ha. In the botanic garden, Ageratum houstonianum, Alchornea cordifolia, Chromolaena ordorata and Croton hirtus had the highest frequency (100%) while Allamanda cathartica, Asystasia gangetica, Bambusa vulgaris, Caladium bicolor, Centrosema virginianum, Cnestis ferruginea, Culcasia scandens, Cyathula prostrata, Desmodium scorpiurus, Emilia sonchifolia, Heliconia psittacorum, Ipomea involucrata, Lagenaria sphaerica, Mimosa pudica, Nephrolepis bisserata, Panicum sp., Pentaclethra macrophylla, Plumeria rubra, Polyalthia longifolia, Pteridium aquilinum, Scoparia dulcis, Senna siamea, Sesamum radiatum and Sida acuta had the least frequency (33.33%). The vegetation of both sites indicated variation in composition of trees, shrubs, herbs, climbers and ferns. These heterogeneities may be a pointer to their varying adaptation levels and differential responses of plant species to pedological and anthropogenic influences.

Drought response and urban-pollinator attractiveness of ornamental plant species

Faced with pollinator declines, cities could serve as refuges for biodiversity conservation by managing floral resources in public green spaces. Ornamental plants could play an important role in attracting pollinators because they form part of urban floral management. However, knowledge of how their floral traits respond to drought is lacking, and it is unknown whether they will be suitable for pollinators under future climates. The main objective of this study was to determine the covariation of floral traits of ornamental plant species and effects of drought on them. To this end, in a city greenhouse we measured floral traits of eight ornamental species commonly used in urban green spaces in France. We subjected the plants to a control treatment or a drought treatment, reducing the volume and frequency of watering. We observed interspecific variability in floral traits among these species and a change in covariation between the traits pollen quantity and nectar quantity in the drought treatment. Drought influenced morphological traits related to floral display more than other floral traits, with mean decreases of 28 % in floral height, 35 % in floral area and 58 % in the number of floral units. Ornamental plants seemed attractive to different morphotypes of pollinators depending on their floral unit number, nectar sugar concentration or nectar tube depth, with most visits made by Hymenoptera. These results are expected to encourage green-space managers to select urban plants according to their functional characteristics and adapt their choice of plants to climate change.

Interactions between seed functional traits and environmental factors and their influence on germination performance of Australian native species

Abstract Climate variability is expected to increase due to climate change, with projected increases in temperature and erratic rainfall patterns. These changes will alter the environmental cues sensed by seeds, and therefore will impact plant recruitment. This study investigated the effects of seed functional traits (germinability, germination time, synchrony and seed mass) on germination responses of several sub-tropical native Australian plant species under different environmental factors (water stress, salinity and pH). The effect of a hot water pre-treatment was also tested on Fabaceae seeds with known physical dormancy. Seed traits, environmental factors and seed pre-treatments had significant effects on final germination percentage and germination time. Seed mass and time to 50% germination (t50) were also positively correlated. In contrast, pH did not affect germination and there was no interaction between pH and any of the measured seed functional traits. Some species showed a high thermal tolerance to germination and germination was indifferent to light conditions for all species. Results showed that certain seed functional traits interact with environmental factors to influence germination percentage and time. These findings highlight the importance of considering seed functional traits when determining a species germination response under a changing climate. In addition, the findings provide important knowledge to better guide seed-based land restoration programmes.

Fostering biodiversity research in post-fire biology

The impacts of wildfire on vegetation and soil erosion have been studied for decades aiming to bring back ecosystems after fire perturbance. However, the influence of fires on above and belowground biodiversity remains far less understood. Biodiversity is critical for supporting ecosystem function, and this data scarcity is hampering managers in adopting effective practices for a proper restoration of burned ecosystems. This limitation could be overcome by future research that should focus post-fire diversity of plants and soil biota, by (i) analysing the environmental factors driving post-fire evolutionary trends; (ii) exploring their interrelations across different spatial and temporal scales; (iii) identifying the variability across fires of different severities and frequency; (iv) ascertaining the post-fire response of individual plant species and soil taxa to fire with or without application of post-fire restoration actions.

A library of electrophysiological responses in plants - a model of transversal education and open science

ABSTRACT Electrophysiology in plants is understudied, and, moreover, an ideal model for student inclusion at all levels of education. Here, we report on an investigation in open science, whereby scientists worked with high school students, faculty, and undergraduates from Chile, Germany, Serbia, South Korea, and the USA. The students recorded the electrophysiological signals of >15 plant species in response to a flame or tactile stimulus applied to the leaves. We observed that approximately 60% of the plants studied showed an electrophysiological response, with a delay of ~ 3-6 s after stimulus presentation. In preliminary conduction velocity experiments, we verified that observed signals are indeed biological in origin, with information transmission speeds of ~ 2–9 mm/s. Such easily replicable experiments can serve to include more investigators and students in contributing to our understanding of plant electrophysiology.

Leaf trait variation in grassland plant species in response to soil phosphorus

AbstractQuestionsIncreased soil phosphorus (P) availability in fertilized grasslands can drive both community degradation and delayed community recovery upon agricultural abandonment. Beyond describing grassland community patterns along gradients in P availability, it remains unclear how individual species with different strategies respond to increasing phosphorus. Here we studied intraspecific variability of leaf functional traits in response to soil phosphorus, for species with contrasting resource‐use strategies.MethodsWe set up a pot experiment with communities containing four species, assembled from a pool of 20 mesotrophic grassland species growing along a soil P gradient. Species selection included various growth forms (grasses vs forbs) and resource‐use strategies (acquisitive vs conservative resource use). We measured three variables characterizing the (a)biotic environmental context: bioavailable soil P concentration, total community biomass as a proxy for the intensity of competition, and the proportional biomass of a species in the community as a proxy for its competitive dominance. We investigated the effect of this environmental context on the expression of two leaf traits, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC).ResultsWe found an acquisitive trait expression within species (increase in SLA and decrease in LDMC) in response to increased soil P supply and a conservative trait expression (decrease in SLA and increase in LDMC) in response to an increase in total community biomass. Importantly, the trait responses to the environmental context were generally consistent for species representing very different resource‐use strategies and growth forms.ConclusionsSpecies responded with a shift from an acquisitive to a conservative trait expression in response to limited resources; i.e., driven by a decrease in soil phosphorus concentration or an increase in total community biomass. Unexpectedly, the intraspecific variability in response to the changing environmental conditions was not clearly mediated by the species’ strategy. These findings show that plant ecological strategies are probably not the main driver for intraspecific trait variability in an experimental grassland community.

Omics approaches to understand the MADS-box gene family in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) against drought stress.

MADS-box genes are known to play important roles in diverse aspects of growth/devolopment and stress response in several plant species. However, no study has yet examined about MADS-box genes in P. vulgaris. In this study, a total of 79 PvMADS genes were identified and classified as type I and type II according to the phylogenetic analysis. While both type I and type II PvMADS classes were found to contain the MADS domain, the K domain was found to be present only in type II PvMADS proteins, in agreement with the literature. All chromosomes of the common bean were discovered to contain PvMADS genes and 17 paralogous gene pairs were identified. Only two of them were tandemly duplicated gene pairs (PvMADS-19/PvMADS-23 and PvMADS-20/PvMADS-24), and the remaining 15 paralogous gene pairs were segmentally duplicated genes. These duplications were found to play an important role in the expansion of type II PvMADS genes. Moreover, the RNAseq and RT-qPCR analyses showed the importance of PvMADS genes in response to drought stress in P. vulgaris.