Shady Sites Research Articles

Modification of drug crimes in cyberspace as a threat to the nation’s spiritual health

The purpose of this study is to identify the main problems of drug cybercrime, as well as to justify the detrimental impact of the contactless distribution of narcotic drugs on the spiritual health of the nation. The illegal sale of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances is one of the topical issues of modern society. The methodological basis of this study was comparative legal, formal logical, and statistical methods, as well as methods of logical deduction and induction. Today, cyberspace is increasingly being used for the trafficking of synthetic drugs. The problem of drug cybercrime is one of the main components of the public and information security of the Russian Federation. The use of cyberspace and cryptocurrencies for illicit drug trafficking poses serious challenges for criminal justice professionals, especially for law enforcement agencies. The analysis indicates the objective need for further elaboration of proposals in the disclosure of crimes related to drug trafficking committed remotely. It is argued that it is the anonymity of users of shady sites of the Global Network that complicates the work of law enforcement agencies to counter the «virtual drug business». A comprehensive analysis of the identified trends in the modification of drug crime using information technologies of the Internet was carried out. Certain problems of an organizational and legal nature when investigating drug crimes in a virtual environment are highlighted, and possible options for their solution are presented.

Among the trees: shade promotes the growth and higher survival of juvenile toads

getation, including trees, significantly shapes microhabitats for amphibians due to the leaf litter input, providing stable shelter, creating a microclimate or indirectly through trophic interactions. It is known that some species can survive in a highly modified urban environment. Species associated with open space can find stable habitats in urban and human-transformed areas, but is the impact of shading (presence of canopy cover) significant in their case? We focus on the effect of solar exposure on the growth rate of juvenile green toads Bufotes viridis in fruit and canopy manipulation treatments. The main aim of the study was to examine the selected habitat traits promoting post-metamorphic growth of the green toad in semi-open enclosures. We investigated differences between exposure/land cover variants, i.e., sunny site (open area with direct solar exposure) and shadow site (shady site with a tree canopy cover). Using imitation fruits and real cherry plum Prunus cerasifera fruits (non-native tree species), we checked wheth­er amphibian growth is related to the additional structure that fruit lying on the ground created (a more heterogeneous surface structure) or to a trophic character (additional food source due to attracting inver­tebrates). We conducted a 40-day rearing experiment in three variants with two replications in semi-open enclosures with 20 juvenile toads each. We found differences in snout-vent length and body mass index in­vestigated due to site exposure during post-metamorphic growth. The survival rate of juvenile toads in the shaded site was higher than in sunny sites. We demonstrated a positive effect of the tree’s shade, regardless of the fleshy fruit’s presence on the ground. Toads benefit from developing at sites with reduced solar ex­posure (i.e., with a tree canopy), resulting in intensive growth and higher survival rate. Thus, there is an opportunity for planners and urban authorities to manage habitats for amphibian conservation purposes by creating a shaded zone, even for open habitat species, especially in transformed areas such as cities. Our results indicate that the beneficial effect of the lying fruit on the growth of juveniles is limited to specific conditions, and understanding this requires further research.

Tick Densities and Infection Prevalence on Coastal Islands in Massachusetts, USA: Establishing a Baseline.

Tick-borne diseases and a tick-induced red meat allergy have become increasingly common in the northeastern USA and elsewhere. At the scale of local communities, few studies have documented tick densities or infection levels to characterize current conditions and provide a baseline for further monitoring. Using the town of Nantucket, MA, as a case study, we recorded tick densities by drag sampling along hiking trails in nature preserves on two islands. Nymphal blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say) were most abundant at shadier sites and least common in grasslands and scrub oak thickets (Quercus ilicifolia). Lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) were common on Tuckernuck Island and rare on Nantucket Island, while both tick species were more numerous in 2021 compared to 2020 and 2022. We tested for pathogens in blacklegged nymphs at five sites over two years. In 2020 and 2021, infection levels among the four Nantucket Island sites averaged 10% vs. 19% for Borrelia burgdorferi, 11% vs. 15% for Babesia microti, and 17% (both years) for Anaplasma phagocytophilum, while corresponding levels were significantly greater on Tuckernuck in 2021. Our site-specific, quantitative approach represents a practical example of how potential exposure to tick-borne diseases can be monitored on a local scale.

Jatropha chazaroi (Euphorbiaceae), an endangered new species from Apazapan, Veracruz, Mexico

Jatropha chazaroi is described and illustrated as a new species from the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It is morphologically similar to J. podagrica but is distinguished by being a tree or shrub devoid of a caudex (vs. shrub with caudex) and lacking persistent and spinescent stipules (vs. having persistent and spinescent stipules). Its flowers possess connate staminate and pistillate calyces and corollas (vs. not connate). Jatropha chazaroi is only known from the municipality of Apazapan, Veracruz, and thrives in shady sites throughout intermittent waterways.

Screening Cold Tolerance in St. Augustinegrass (Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze) for USDA Hardiness Zone 7

Among warm-season turfgrasses, St. Augustinegrass [Stenotaphrum secundatum (Walt.) Kuntze] generally has poor cold tolerance yet excellent shade tolerance. As mostly hot summers follow cold winters in USDA Hardiness Zone 7, severely damaging tall fescue [Festuca arundineacea Schreb.] and centipedegrass [Eremochloa ophiuroides (Munro) Hack.], a St. Augustinegrass cultivar cold tolerant enough to be grown for shady lawns would greatly benefit both home owners and sod growers in this and potentially other regions. Eight St. Augustinegrass samples were selected from an initial collection of 30, including industry standards ‘Raleigh’ and ‘Palmetto’, for further testing from an established germplasm collection of material collected from lawns grown in USDA Hardiness Zone 7. Percent regrowth was calculated 4 weeks after samples underwent a 2 week cold acclimation process, followed by freezing at 0°C, -4°C, and -6°C separately for 3 h. The germplasm samples designated at ‘A’, ‘G’, and ‘H’ had greater clipping regrowth percentages compared to the industry cold tolerant standard, ‘Raleigh’ at either -4°C and -6°C indicating possible increased cold tolerance for several selections compared to ‘Raleigh’. An increased cold tolerant St. Augustinegrass would provide a wider selection of desirable turfgrasses in the transition zone growing region of the world, especially shady sites.

Herbivore damage and riparian shade constrain biomass distribution in American water willow (Justicia americana)

Emergent macrophytes can create important linkages between aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. American water willow (Justicia americana) is an ecological engineer that provides structure and takes up nutrients in aquatic habitats but is subject to herbivory by terrestrial animals. Here, potential constraints that terrestrial herbivory, riparian shading, porewater nutrient stoichiometry, and co-occurrence with freshwater mussels may have on standing crops of aboveground and belowground water willow biomass were investigated across nine study sites in the Kiamichi River catchment, Oklahoma, USA. Stem damage – used to indirectly assess herbivore effects – and riparian shading were both associated with significant reductions in aboveground biomass. However, these variables were also somewhat correlated with each other, suggesting a possible interaction between shade and herbivory. Belowground biomass was more variable between sites than aboveground biomass, but the environmental variables that were sampled failed to explain this variation consistently. Because shadier water willow patches tend to have nutrient-richer tissues, we suggest that the correlation between riparian shade and herbivore damage may result from selective feeding by terrestrial herbivores at shadier sites. However, further experimental work (e.g., using grazing exclosures) is needed to assess this possibility due to the limitations of using stem damage counts as an indirect representation of herbivory. Despite these limitations, the present study complements a growing body of evidence that shows emergent macrophytes are seemingly more important as a resource for herbivores than historically recognized. Emergent macrophytes may be especially important when consumed by terrestrial herbivores that then transfer aquatic-derived resources into the terrestrial habitat. Data availabilityThe data used to generate this manuscript are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Phytosociological analysis of the mesophilic forest of the San Pedro volcano (Guatemala).

From a standpoint of phytosociological research, little is known about the phytocoenosis found on the volcanoes of Central America. This paper analyses the distribution of the vegetation on the volcano of San Pedro in terms of its species-richness, composition, structure and abundance, and the possible relationships between these components and the changes in elevation and orientation that occur there. We divided the study area into three altitudinal belts between 2,400 and 3,020 m a.s.l. where carried out 36 inventories, each one in an area of 0.1 ha. We then applied multivariate analysis to classify and order the data in the matrix obtained from the frequency of the sampled plants. Our results lead us to propose two mixed cloud-forest associations within the class Alnetea acuminatae. The first, Saurauio oreophilae-Alnetum acuminatae ass. nova, is found on the more humid western side, while the second, Adianto andicolae-Quercetum peduncularis ass. nova, appears in sunnier and less shady sites, mainly on the east face. As part of this latter association, we also identified the new subassociation festucetosum amplissimae subass. nova. These syntaxa are part of the alliance Oreopanacion xalapensis all. nova, which we have created to embrace the mesophytic montane forests dominated by broad-leaved species.

Relationship between body colour and microhabitat breadth in an orb-web spider

Abstract Habitat use often differs among intraspecific individuals, and the degree to which individual animals use specific habitats, i.e. microhabitat breadth, can also vary. Variation in body colour sometimes emerges as dark vs. bright coloration, which can be related to habitat selectivity. The aim of this study was to examine whether darker animals prefer shady sites to avoid overheating from direct sunlight exposure, whereas brighter animals would use both shady and open sites. Orb-web spiders, Cyclosa argenteoalba, have a silver dorsal abdomen with black markings; the proportion of these black markings varies between 20 and 100% among individuals. In summer, there was less variation in the duration of direct sunlight hitting the webs of darker spiders compared with that of brighter spiders. This indicated a narrower microhabitat range for darker spiders, which preferred shady sites. This pattern was not observed in spring and autumn, when thermal conditions were less severe. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that when the temperature is high, darker animals are microhabitat specialists, whereas brighter animals are generalists. A previous study found that darker spiders capture more prey than brighter spiders, and the amount of black markings is considered to be a trade-off between foraging success and microhabitat availability.

Field Evaluation of Selected Common Household Containers as Oviposition Attractants of <em>Aedes Albopictus</em> (Diptera: Culicidae

Dengue is a fatal arthropod-borne disease that affects humans worldwide. The mosquito Aedes albopictus (Skuse) is the secondary vector of dengue in Sri Lanka, however, studies on oviposition preferences of Ae. albopictus is scarce. The objective of the current study was to investigate the oviposition attraction of Aedes albopictus to selected household containers; black colour basins, metal cans, rain gutter parts, curd pots, coconut shells and yoghurt cups. For this, water containers for oviposition were placed in three outdoor shady sites and at three different heights. The mosquito larvae were collected after 5 days. The larvae were reared to adult stage and then they were identified and enumerated. Wing lengths of adult female mosquitoes that developed in different containers were measured. In the meantime, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were measured in each container. The Ae. albopictus larval density was higher in coconut shells. The maximum mean number of mosquito larvae was observed in the containers at ground level. The oviposition attraction of Ae. albopictus was increased with the aging of coconut shells and old coconut shells were preferred than new coconut shells. Highest TDS level and neutral pH were observed in coconut shells which support the mosquito oviposition. The highest wing lengths were observed in female Ae. albopictus that developed in curd pots, representing higher fecundity. In conclusion, discarded coconut shells and curd pots should be carefully managed as means of eliminating dengue vector mosquito breeding sites.

Effect of nest microclimate temperatures on metabolic rates of small carpenter bees, Ceratina calcarata (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

AbstractSmall carpenter bees (Ceratina calcarata Robertson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) build their nests in both sunny and shady sites, so maternal decisions about nest sites influence the thermal environment experienced by juveniles throughout development. A previous study demonstrated that when larvae and pupae were raised in the laboratory at room temperature, those from sunny nests developed more slowly than those from shady nests. This suggested that bees developing in sunny nests slowed their metabolism or that bees developing in shady nests increased their metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we performed a field experiment in which bees nested in full sun, full shade, or semi-shade. We brought larvae and pupae into the laboratory to be raised to adulthood at room temperature and measured their metabolic rates (VCO2) at 10 °C, 25 °C, and 40 °C. As expected, bees had higher VCO2 at higher test temperatures, but significant interaction also occurred between test temperature and field treatment, such that bees from sunny nests exhibited higher metabolic rates at 40 °C. Because small carpenter bees frequently nest in full sun, adaptation to high nest temperatures may involve activation of thermal protection mechanisms at the cost of slower development.

Negative correlation between dispersal investment and canopy openness among populations of the ant-dispersed sedge, Carex lanceolata

Flowering plants exhibit a wide variation in the resources they invest in dispersal structures (dispersal investment), but the environmental correlates still remain unclear in many cases. Canopy openness is predicted to be negatively correlated with dispersal investment, because selective pressures on increased dispersal investment, including host-specific natural enemies and the paucity and/or ephemerality of safe sites, will be more prevalent in shady sites. Here, we tested this prediction by firstly examining the correlation between dispersal investment and canopy openness as well as abundance of the representative natural enemy (rusts, Puccinia spp.) through seven populations of an ant-dispersed sedge, Carex lanceolata (Cyperaceae). Secondly we conducted a cafeteria experiment to verify the effect of intraspecific variation in dispersal investment on diaspore preferences of seed dispersing ants. Lastly, a seedling transplant experiment was performed to clarify whether seed dispersal distances by ants are sufficient to reduce infection by the rusts. We found a negative correlation between dispersal investment and canopy openness, thus supporting the prediction. Moreover, there were more signs of rust infection caused by Puccinia spp. on adult plant leaves in more shady sites. The cafeteria experiment showed that a large ant species (Formica japonica) with relatively long seed dispersal distances tended to prefer diaspores with greater dispersal investments, while smaller ant species with shorter dispersal distances preferred diaspores with lower dispersal investments. The seedling transplant experiment revealed that rust severity in sedge offspring was considerably reduced by the typical seed dispersal distance (ca. 4 m) afforded by the large ant species, F. japonica. The increased rust severity at shady sites, combined with the narrow dispersal ranges of rusts, can partially explain the negative correlation of dispersal investment with canopy openness. These results support the importance of canopy openness as a factor underlying the variations in dispersal investment seen among flowering plants.

Factors controlling near surface ground-ice characteristics in a region of warm permafrost, Beiluhe Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Ground ice is a key component of permafrost, and its melt induced by climate change and anthropogenic disturbance has been causing increased ground surface subsidence, thermal erosion, and engineering problems. However, the distribution and quantity of ground ice in permafrost have yet to be investigated in detail on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), and consequently, an assessment of the nature of impacts associated with permafrost degradation is challenging. In this study, variation in near-surface ground ice content of the upper 2–3 m of the permafrost layer was examined by drilling 72 boreholes at eight sites in Beiluhe Basin, QTP, an area with relatively warm (near 0 °C) permafrost. High ground ice contents occur at most sites, but visible ice was absent at one site, where the vegetation cover has transitioned from a meadow to a sparsely-covered grassland. The moisture content within the active layer (surface to 2 m depth) increases with depth at most sites, and the higher moisture contents were associated with greater near-surface ground ice contents. The gravimetric moisture content (Mg) in permafrost typically ranged from 8% to 500%, and ~76% of samples were classified as ice rich (Mg ≥ 20%). The mean excess-ice content in near-surface permafrost was ~19% for all boreholes. At six flat sites, the minimum mean excess-ice content was about zero, and the mean maximum was ~22% at an alpine grassland site. The mean excess-ice content at a sunny sloping site was much higher (~27%) than at a north-facing shady site (10%) and the ice was distributed differently with depth. The mean subsidence ratio at the eight sites was from 0.05 to 0.44. The volumetric ice content varied from 1% to 70% in samples from the different sites, with an average value of ~16%. Topographically controlled moisture availability, slope direction, and fine-particle content are important controls on ground ice content in Beiluhe Basin. This study provides fundamental information about the spatial distribution of ground ice on QTP, which is important for future assessments of thermal erosion potential and infrastructure instability in the region.

High spatial density ground thermal measurements in a warming permafrost region, Beiluhe Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Air, ground surface, and permafrost surface temperatures are important components of the permafrost thermal regime. However, ground temperatures from one or two boreholes are commonly considered representative of site conditions in permafrost studies despite significant variations in local surface conditions. This makes the evaluation of site-scale temperature variations important for improving the accuracy of permafrost modelling efforts. In this study we analyzed the variability in near-surface ground temperatures in a warming permafrost region using high spatial density borehole measurements to capture variations in surface conditions. Ground temperatures were collected from 72 boreholes drilled to 5 m depth at 8 sites in Beiluhe Basin, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Six sites straddled an alpine meadow ecotone between well- and sparsely-vegetated ground, and two sites were located on slopes with opposing aspects. Air temperatures at the 8 sites were similar with annual mean values ranging from −2.6 to −3.0 °C in 2016–18. In contrast, annual mean surface temperatures exhibited greater variation between sites, so that surface offsets were also variable. Ground surface temperatures were highest at a sloping sunny site, and lowest at a north-facing shady site. The results indicated that surface temperatures were strongly controlled by slope aspect. In contrast, the expected effect of vegetation cover shading was not distinguishable because of variations in soil moisture content between sites. Deeper temperatures at the permafrost surface and at 5 m depth exhibited a similar trend among sites except in an unusual warm transitional area where eolian erosion disturbed the surface vegetation cover. The detailed ground temperature records characterizing within- and between-site variations could be used in future to support the calibration and validation of numerical models of permafrost distribution.

Long-term experimental management in Swedish mixed oak-rich forests has a positive effect on saproxylic beetles after 10\xa0years

Secondary succession in protected oak-rich temperate forests reduces variation in habitats and leads to denser, shadier sites. Long-term experimental studies of the effects of conservation management alternatives are needed for such forests. Here we present a rare follow-up study of the response of beetles (a highly diverse taxon with many red listed species) to conservation thinning, an action that could favour biodiversity. We previously harvested about 25% of the tree and shrub basal area in a treatment plot, and no trees and shrubs in a nearby matched minimal intervention plot, in each of eight oak-rich (Quercus robur and/or petrea) forest reserves. After two seasons, thinning had led to an increased number of species of both herbivorous and saproxylic beetles. In the present study, we examined the 10-year response of the beetle groups at the same sites. For herbivorous beetles, the initial positive effect of thinning on the number of species had disappeared after 10 years, presumably because of regrowth. In contrast, saproxylic beetles showed a further positive response after 10 years, increasing in the number of species by a third compared to before thinning. We found no change in species composition of either group due to the thinning, but many saproxylics were unique to thinning plots. Overall, our results suggest that in mixed oak-rich forests, saproxylic beetles seem to benefit from conservation-oriented thinning for at least 10 years.

Landscape-mediated edge effect in temperate deciduous forest: implications for oak regeneration

Although the edge effect is known to be an important factor influencing the recruitment of trees in temperate forests, little is known of its synergistic relationships with landscape and fragment attributes. We investigated how the edge effect on regeneration of oaks (Quercus spp.) varies with respect to fragment geometry, connectivity and landscape composition. We recorded oak sapling density along edge-interior gradients in 29 forest fragments at the periphery of Mexico City and examined the data with Generalized Additive Models. A nonlinear and landscape-mediated edge effect was supported by data, including the interactions of the edge distance with patch connectivity, shape and size. Saplings were more abundant at a distance of ca. 50 m from the edge of small, large and connected patches, but large patches also exhibited reduced recruitment towards the interior of the patch. Conversely, sapling density in simple-shaped or connected patches was lower at the edge, exhibiting linear and concave-down increase trends towards the interior of patches, respectively. Boundary conditions could be interacting with interior forest conditions, making regeneration more frequent at 50 m from the edge. Shady and cooler sites in large patches may be inhibiting oak regeneration. The activity of acorn-dispersing animals and oak predators may increase in unconnected patches, thus increasing the likelihood of edge effects. These results provide insights into the restoration of temperate forest patches in heterogeneous fragmented landscapes.

Volatiles from <i>Prunus persica</i> Flowers and Their Correlation with Flower-Visiting Insect Community in Wanbailin Ecological Garden, China

Object: To investigate the VOCs from living Prunus persica flowers of different branches and their correlation with floral insects. Special, dominant and 20 VOCs were analysed from living Prunus persica flowers captured by closely and circularly headspace way in adsorbent tubes and ATD-GC/MS on 29 April in Wanbailin Ecological Garden, China. VOCs from high altitude tree are more than low altitude in sunny site, and floral volatile constituents from upslope branches are less than downslope of the same tree on high altitude. Special floral VOCs were alpha-dimethyl-benzenemethanol, isopropyl palmitate, ethylbenzene, p-xylene, acetophenone, 3-ethyl-2-methyl-Heptane on sunny slope, and propylene glycol, decanal, hexadecane on shady slope. Dominant VOCs founded during 8 temporal quanta were toluene, hexane, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol, dodecane, pentadecane. Floral VOCs’ number from sunny slope was significantly negative correlated with flower-visiting insect community richness, abundance, diversity on sunny or shady slope, which from shady slope was significantly positive correlated with flower-visiting insect community parameters on both slopes tried dividing insects visiting floral branches from Prunus persica in sunny site with n/2 + 1 or n/2 - 1, and shady site with n/2 before sampled volatiles day. On sampled volatiles day, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol from sunny slope was significantly positive correlated with flower-visiting insect community parameters on shady slope (P < 0.001). After sampled day, hexanal, toluene, dodecane were significantly negative correlated with SUSR, SUSA, SUSD, and positive with SHSR, SHSD, while tetradecane, pentadecane were positive related to SUSR, SUSA, SUSD with n/2 - 1 dividing insects visiting floral branches, but reversely with n/2 + 1 dividing insects visiting floral branches. We concluded that special and dominant volatiles applied to lure flower-visiting insects to promote pollination, and odd floral branches should be kept for every tree when pruning the Prunus persica on sunny slope, and even floral branches kept on shady slope.

Slope aspect influences plant biomass, soil properties and microbial composition in alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

Difference in soil moisture, temperature and microclimate on sunny and shady slope aspect can lead to various plant community, sequentially modify soil microbial community. In this study, we measured soil properties including soil temperature, soil moisture, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN); plant properties including aboveground and underground biomass, and microbial properties including microbial carbon (C), nitrogen (N) content and phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) to evaluate the effects of slope aspect on plant biomass, soil properties and microbial community in the alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that sunny sites had higher soil temperature, organic C and underground biomass (UB), while shady sites had higher soil moisture, TN and aboveground biomass (AB). Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated that bacteria were the dominant soil microbes at sunny sites, while the fungi was more abundant at sites with a shady aspect. Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that temperature was the major factor affecting the composition of the microbial community. It can be concluded, that slope aspect can significantly alter microbial composition due to the differences in plant community, soil properties and especially environmental factors.

Shade, reproductive effort and growth of the endangered native cactus, Opuntia humifusa Raf. in Point Pelee National Park, Canada

Opuntia humifusa (eastern prickly pear cactus) is an endangered species in Canada, found principally in only one remaining location nationally, at Point Pelee National Park (PPNP). This study quantifies fruit and flower production in the population, the pad yellowing phenomenon that has been observed, overlying coverage and shade, and a variety of plant size metrics in order to assess the relationships between these factors. A variety of parametric (ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation, t tests) and nonparametric (Spearman's rank correlation, Kruskal-Wallis test) statistical analyses were conducted. Pad yellowing, a presumed sign of ill health, was not significantly related to any aspect of plant size or reproduction, and was statistically related only to shade (less yellowing with greater shade). Shade also affects plant height, with taller plants associated with greater shade. Reproductive effort is lower in shadier sites, and shade also appears to delay reproduction to later in the season. Published research generally suggests that increases in sexual reproduction are a sign of stress, suggesting an overall decrease in stress in the cactus population in the Park. However, I observed that reproduction decreased with shade, and increasing shade is known to cause population decline, making the effects of light stress at PPNP difficult to determine.

Effects of light deficiency on the accumulation of saikosaponins and the ecophysiological characteristics of wild Bupleurum chinense DC. in China

Bupleurum chinense DC. is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicines. Among its primary pharmacologically active components, saikosaponins play a vital role. We investigated the ecophysiological characteristics, accumulation of secondary metabolites, and antioxidant system of wild plants at low light intensity in the forest understory at shady and sunny sites. Compared with plants at sunny sites, plants at the shady site were more abundant, had higher specific leaf area (SLA), a lower maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), higher triose phosphate utilization (TPU), and higher chlorophyll b content (Chlb), but lower net photosynthesis (Pn), root and aboveground biomass, dark respiration rate (Rd), light compensation point (LCP), chlorophyll a to b ratio, carotenoid content, and nonphotochemical quenching (NPQ). These features suggest that under low light conditions, the species developed larger leaves to catch more light energy through light-harvesting complex II to increase its photosynthetic efficiency (its ability to use weak light) and photosynthetic electron transport, thereby improving carbon metabolism and survival. The maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II was about 0.8 at both sites; thus, photoinhibition was not a major problem. Contents of saikosaponins a and d and the total saikosaponin content (SSa, SSd, and SStotal) were much higher at the shady site, accompanied by increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase(CAT), and peroxidases (POD) activity and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA). This suggested that low light activates antioxidant stress-response pathways, leading to increased SSa, SSd, and SStotal. Our results suggest that B. chinense has strong shade tolerance and would be suitable for cultivation in an agroforestry system.

Impact of specific environmental characteristics of the site of origin (shady, sunny) on anthocyanin and flavonol contents of replanted plants at common cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens Mill.)

The value of plant provenance (plant origin) is well-known phenomena in woody plants, but less is known in herbaceous plants (perennials). This study with common cyclamen (Cyclamen purpurascens Mill.) was conducted to reveal the importance of specific environmental site properties of plant origin for plant growth and plant quality in the next years. The plants were observed in years 2013 and 2014, more than 10 years after removing and replanting them from the original sites. Morphological characteristics of plants were evaluated by measuring the length and the width of plant rosettes, whereby plants originated from different sites did not show any significant differences. Additionally, the pigment composition, flavonol and anthocyanin content of plant leaves were evaluated. Plants removed from sunny sites showed significantly lower chlorophyll values (total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a) in the both observed years; lower carotenoid and total pigment values were measured only in year 2013. The prevailing anthocyanin in cyclamen leaves was malvidin-3,5-diglucoside with 57.28 µg l−1 FW in the year 2013 and with 103.68 µg l−1 FW in the year 2014. Plants originated from the sunny sites accumulated in 2013 significantly more malvidin-3,5-diglucoside in comparison with plants from shady sites of origin. The major substances from the flavonol group were quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and quercetin-dirhamnosyl-glucoside in both analysed years. The cyclamen leaves originated from sunny sites contained in 2013 significant more quercetin-dirhamnosyl-glucoside than cyclamen leaves from shady sites. The results of the study show that different stress parameters (irradiation and water supply in specific year) have a significant impact on the morphological and also internal parameters of cyclamen leaves.