Plant Size Research Articles

Hydrogen production to combat power surpluses in hybrid hydro–wind–photovoltaic power systems

The complementary operation of hydropower, photovoltaic, and wind power can promote the integration of renewable energy resources into the grid. However, the competition of power transmission channels among multiple energy raises surpluses significantly. This study equips a hydrogen production plant for the hydro–wind–PV hybrid system to utilize the power surplus. First, a multi-scale nested joint operation model that considers both long-term and short-term operation strategies is proposed to simulate the operation process of the hybrid system. Then, the potential surplus of the system is evaluated and used as the power source of the hydrogen production plant. Lastly, the optimal hydrogen production plant size is determined based on economic and technical analysis. A case study is performed with the Yalong River basin of China. The results show that (McElroy and Chen, 2017 (1)) The deployment of a 260 MW hydrogen production system has the potential to boost the annual power generation benefit of the hybrid system by 610 million CNY； (2) The fluctuation of hydropower station output is effectively reduced, subsequently mitigating operational risks. Especially during flood season, the power variation coefficient experiences a notable decrease of approximately 75%； Liu and Xu (2022) (3) The deployment of hydrogen production plants is more economically feasible than expanding power transmission channels, particularly when considering long-distance power transmission. Furthermore, given that hydrogen production plants frequently operate under fluctuating power conditions, the electrolyzers and compressors must exhibit prompt responsiveness to these power variations.

Soil and weed management effects on floral hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) production and cannabinoid content

AbstractMany floral hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growers rely on tillage and black plastic mulch to prepare soil for transplants, warm the soil, and control weeds. However, plastic waste and its high cost to growers drive the need for research to assess alternative weed and soil management practices. Experiments were conducted at two Maine locations in 2021 and 2022 to compare cover crop soil and weed management systems on hemp production, cannabinoid concentrations, and yield. Experimental treatments included (1) tilled raised bed‐black plastic mulch, (2) biweekly cultivation, (3) no weed control, and (4) mowed no‐till mowed winter rye (Secale cereale L. Aroostook). Experimental sites received twice the 30‐year monthly average rainfall in July and September 2021 leading to poorer production versus typical 2022 long‐term average rainfall. Ice damage reduced winter rye biomass in 2022 at University of Maine Rogers Farm, leading to several significant year by location and year by weed management interactions. Hemp grown in the no‐till winter rye mulch developed more slowly, produced lower yields, and had higher weed densities than cultivated or black plastic mulch treatments. Plant size, yield, and cannabinoid content were generally equivalent where weeds were controlled. Raised bed‐black plastic soil and weed management were most effective under excessively wet conditions to reduce soil moisture and improve drainage. Cannabinoid concentrations did not increase under high weed pressure, but cannabinoid yield was influenced by flower production, which was significantly lower in the mowed rye mulch and control treatments. Blending raised bed production with efficient cultivation warrants research attention.

Effects of different sowing dates on biomass allocation of various organs and allometric growth of Fagopyrum esculentum.

The sowing date plays a crucial role in influencing the growth and reproduction of plants, with its specific impact on biomass allocation and allometric growth remaining unclear. Understanding these effects is essential for optimizing agricultural practices and enhancing crop productivity. To investigate the effects of sowing dates on biomass allocation and allometric growth, a field experiment was conducted with sequential sowings of Fagopyrum esculentum from April 12th to August 11th in 2018. Biomass measurements were taken across various plant organs, and corresponding allocation calculations were made. A detailed analysis of the allometric growth relationship involving organ biomass variations was performed. The study revealed that the accumulation and allocation of organ biomass in buckwheat were significantly impacted by the sowing dates. Delayed planting led to reduced vegetative growth and increased biomass allocation towards reproduction. Allometric parameters such as exponent, constant, and individual size of buckwheat were notably affected by delayed planting. Interestingly, the allometric exponents governing the relationships between reproductive vs. vegetative biomass and belowground vs. aboveground biomass exhibited varying trends across different sowing dates. Notably, late sowings resulted in significantly higher reproductive biomass compared to early and middle sowings. These findings highlight the nuanced relationship between plant size and reproductive biomass under different sowing dates, emphasizing the critical role of planting timing in shaping mature plant sizes and reproductive outcomes. The study underscores the importance of considering sowing dates in agricultural practices to optimize plant growth and productivity.

Naturalization of Prunus laurocerasus in a forest in Germany

The cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is a very popular garden plant and has been widely reported as a garden escape in Central Europe. However, it is still considered an unestablished neophyte in Germany. Few critical data are available on local population sizes, life history or reproductive biology outside its natural range. We carried out a study with 24 transects of 500 m × 6 m in the Kottenforst near Bonn, western Germany to fill these knowledge gaps. Along these transects we recorded the plant number and plant sizes and analysed their age structure. We found Prunus laurocerasus along 19 of 24 transects with up to 63 individual per transect. The largest plants covered areas of up to 50 m2 and were up to 30 years old. However, most of the plants were less than 20 years old and established since 2000. Since we observed high fruit set and old plants surrounded by many seedlings we conclude that Prunus laurocerasus has to be considered as an established neophyte in our study area and has invasive potential.

Ecosystem engineers can regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plant species.

Balancing the biomass requirements of different functions for the purpose of population reproduction and persistence can be challenging for alpine plants due to extreme environmental stresses from both above- and below-ground sources. The presence of ecosystem engineers in alpine ecosystems effectively alleviates microenvironmental stresses, hence promoting the survival and growth of other less stress-tolerant species. However, the influence of ecosystem engineers on plant resource allocation strategies remains highly unexplored. In this study, we compared resource allocation strategies, including biomass accumulation, reproductive effort (RE), root fraction (RF), as well as relationships between different functions, among four alpine plant species belonging to Gentianaceae across bare ground, tussock grass-, cushion-, and shrub-engineered microhabitats. Shrub-engineered microhabitats exerted the strongest effects on regulating plant resource allocation patterns, followed by tussock grass- and cushion-engineered microhabitats. Additionally, apart from microhabitats, population background and plant life history also significantly influenced resource allocation strategies. Generally, plants established within engineered microhabitats exhibited higher biomass accumulation, as well as increased flower, leaf and stem production. Furthermore, individuals within engineered microhabitats commonly displayed lower RF, indicating a greater allocation of resources to above-ground functions while reducing allocation to root development. RE of annual plants was significantly higher than that of perennial plants. However, individuals of annual plants within engineered microhabitats showed lower RE compared to their counterparts in bare ground habitats; whereas perennial species demonstrated similar RE between microhabitat types. Moreover, RE was generally independent of plant size in bare-ground habitats but exhibited size-dependency in certain populations for some species within specific engineered microhabitat types. However, size-dependency did exist for absolute reproductive and root biomass allocation in most of the cases examined here. No trade-offs were observed between flower mass and flower number, nor between leaf mass and leaf number. The capacity of ecosystem engineers to regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plants was confirmed. However, the resource allocation patterns resulted synergistically from the ecosystem engineering effects, population environmental backgrounds, and plant life history strategies. In general, such regulations can improve individual survival and reproductive potential, potentially promoting population persistence in challenging alpine environments.

RING/U-box E3 protein BIR1 interacts with and ubiquitinates barley growth repressor BROAD LEAF1.

Establishment of final leaf size in plants relies on the precise regulation of 2 interconnected processes, cell division and cell expansion. The barley (Hordeum vulgare) protein BROAD LEAF1 (BLF1) limits cell proliferation and leaf growth in the width direction. However, how the levels of this potent repressor of leaf growth are controlled remains unclear. Here, we used a yeast 2-hybrid screen to identify the BLF1-INTERACTING RING/U-BOX 1 (BIR1) E3 ubiquitin ligase that interacts with BLF1 and confirmed the interaction of the 2 proteins in planta. Inhibiting the proteasome caused overaccumulation of a BLF1-eGFP fusion protein when co-expressed with BIR1, and an in vivo ubiquitination assay in bacteria confirmed that BIR1 can mediate ubiquitination of BLF1 protein. Consistent with regulation of endogenous BLF1 in barley by proteasomal degradation, inhibition of the proteasome in BLF1-vYFP-expressing barley plants caused an accumulation of the BLF1 protein. The BIR1 protein co-localized with BLF1 in nuclei and appeared to reduce BLF1 protein levels. Analysis of bir1-1 knockout mutants suggested the involvement of BIR1 in leaf growth control, although mainly on leaf length. Together, our results suggest that proteasomal degradation, in part mediated by BIR1, helps fine-tune BLF1 protein levels in barley.

Praxelis cleggiae (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Praxeliinae), a new species from the granite inselbergs in the east of the Departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia

SummaryPraxelis cleggiae (Compositae: Eupatorieae: Praxeliinae) is described and illustrated from the granite inselbergs (upon which it is most common), and on road crown chippings on old roads, in the Departamento de Santa Cruz, Bolivia; it has a disjunct distribution and is also found on the Serranía San Simón, in the San Ignacio Schist belt, Departamento de Beni. Material of this species was mostly determined as P. insignis (Malme) R.M.King & H.Rob., a Brazilian species, described from the metamorphosed sandstone of what is now the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães in Mato Grosso State. The two species have some superficial resemblance, but differ significantly in plant size, internode length (relative to leaf length), branching, leaf shape and size, phyllaries, achenes and pappus. The total number of species of Praxelis recognised in Bolivia is now seven, and 20 species in the genus worldwide.

Wild Oat ( Avena fatua ): Crop Mimicry and Herbicide Resistance

Abstract Wild oat ( Avena fatua ) is a weed species that through crop mimicry survive in conventional managed farmlands, particularly in cereal crops such as wheat and barley. Adaptation of wild oat likely dates back around 9000 years when domestication of cereal species began in the Fertile Crescent and around the Mediterranean Sea. So far, wild oat has been described as a troublesome weed in 44 countries across temperate parts of the world. Wild oat reduces crop yields due to its competition for nutrients, water and light. Variable seed dormancy results in early maturing plants that add to the soil’s seed bank, and later maturing plants that contaminate the harvested grain. Since wild oat seeds resembles cereal grain, they are difficult to remove by mechanical seed cleaning. Seed lots contaminated with wild oat seeds are downgraded since it reduces the suitability as food and feed. Contaminated seedlots used for planting is a source of long distance spread of the weed. Herbicide application is an important part of wild oat control in areas with intensive wheat and barley production. Herbicide labels typically recommend the optimal size of wild oat seedlings and crop plants for best control. However, timing of an application can be difficult when wild oat plants are at different growth stages. The majority of herbicides are grouped according to the mode-of-action in cells of weed plants either inhibiting specific enzymes or entire metabolic pathways. Repeated use of herbicides with the same mode-of-action creates a selection pressure that can result in development of wild oat populations resistant to these herbicides. There is a direct relationship between the number of wild oat plants treated with herbicides and the risk of selecting for resistant plants. Thus, best management practices (BMP) aim to reduce the number of wild oat seed in the field, and include rotating between herbicides with different mode-of-action, and following recommendations on herbicide labels regarding plant growth stages and dosage. Cultural practices include rotating crop species and optimizing crop health, planting of weed-free seed, and cleaning of machinery between fields. Wild oat’s adaptations for crop mimicry and herbicide resistance make it problematic to manage but incorporating BMPs into an integrated approach can help. Information © His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

GNN-based surrogate modeling for collection systems costs

There are no known polynomial-time algorithms to perform the cable layout optimization (CLO) for the electrical network within a wind power plant (WPP). This means the computational cost for solving the CLO problem grows exponentially with plant size, which often postpones its solution to until after most design decisions are made, thus forgoing some trade-offs that would be beneficial to the plant’s goal. This work presents a method to obtain a fast estimate of the CLO that can be performed at each iteration of the broader optimization framework. The proposed surrogate model comprises of a graph neural network (GNN) regression model, as this architecture resembles the graph nature of the CLO problem. The GNN is trained with a dataset of procedurally generated site instances that are optimized by costly solving an integer linear programming model. While the inference time for GNNs is constant, the features calculation proposed has time complexity O(N log N) (where N is the number of wind turbines). This still means a major speed up for problems of non-trivial size when compared to exact CLO. A simpler feed-forward neural network (FNN) was trained on the same dataset and used as baseline. Both GNN and FNN achieved r 2 scores of 0.997 for the regression on unseen data of actual WPP, with standard deviations of the relative errors of 1.59% for the FNN and 1.66% for the GNN. Although the GNN did not improve on the performance of the FNN, the latter is an original contribution to the state of the art and an useful tool for the integrated optimization of WPP. This work looked only into a sliver of what is possible with GNNs, leaving ample space for improvements in applying that architecture to the CLO problem.

Biogas upgrading to biomethane with zeolite membranes: Separation performance and economic analysis

Biogas represents an important renewable source alternative to fossil fuels, which can significantly contribute to the reduction of global warming and the gradual decarbonisation. In this work, the purification of CH4 and CO2 from a biogas mixture was investigated using DD3R zeolite membrane modules, as a possible solution to replace the traditional techniques at higher environmental impact (i.e., solvent absorption and cryogenic distillation). Multistage membrane configurations operating at 25°C and 30 bar were proposed and explored to get highly pure biomethane (concentration of 98 %) and carbon dioxide (concentration of 99.5 %), imposing a recovery of both the species higher than 90 %. Then, an economic analysis was carried out, evaluating the economic potential of each configuration as a function of several parameters, such as membrane module cost, biomethane selling price, CO2 permeance, CO2/CH4 selectivity, feed flow rate and pressure. The multistage schemes were found to be promising in a wide range of zeolite membrane module cost (i.e., up to 2000 $/m2), providing positive values of the economic potential, due to the good recovery of both the components, which produced high revenues. The increment of the CO2 permeance and, especially, of the feed flow rate (i.e., plant size) allowed for a more profitable process. In particular, if feed flow rate increased from 100 to 1000 Nm3/h, the economic potential would grow of about 12 times, from 113 to 1370 thousand dollars per year. Hence, this preliminary economic assessment showed that zeolite membranes can be successfully used in biogas treatment to get pure CH4 and CO2. Such an analysis can be applied to any membrane materials, once permeance and selectivity are fixed.

Elevational variation in morphology and biomass allocation in carpathian snowbell Soldanella carpatica (Primulaceae).

Plants growing along wide elevation gradients in mountains experience considerable variations in environmental factors that vary across elevations. The most pronounced elevational changes are in climate conditions with characteristic decrease in air temperature with an increase in elevation. Studying intraspecific elevational variations in plant morphological traits and biomass allocation gives opportunity to understand how plants adapted to steep environmental gradients that change with elevation and how they may respond to climate changes related to global warming. In this study, phenotypic variation of an alpine plant Soldanella carpatica Vierh. (Primulaceae) was investigated on 40 sites distributed continuously across a 1,480-m elevation gradient in the Tatra Mountains, Central Europe. Mixed-effects models, by which plant traits were fitted to elevation, revealed that on most part of the gradient total leaf mass, leaf size and scape height decreased gradually with an increase in elevation, whereas dry mass investment in roots and flowers as well as individual flower mass did not vary with elevation. Unexpectedly, in the uppermost part of the elevation gradient overall plant size, including both below-and aboveground plant parts, decreased rapidly causing abrupt plant miniaturization. Despite the plant miniaturization at the highest elevations, biomass partitioning traits changed gradually across the entire species elevation range, namely, the leaf mass fraction decreased continuously, whereas the flower mass fraction and the root:shoot ratio increased steadily from the lowest to the highest elevations. Observed variations in S. carpatica phenotypes are seen as structural adjustments to environmental changes across elevations that increase chances of plant survival and reproduction at different elevations. Moreover, results of the present study agreed with the observations that populations of species from the 'Soldanella' intrageneric group adapted to alpine and subnival zones still maintain typical 'Soldanella'-like appearance, despite considerable reduction in overall plant size.

Some Observations on the Induction of Colchiploidy in <i>Solanum Melongena</i> Linn. (Brinjal)

The present investigation deals with the morphological, cytological and cytohistological studies between the normal and colchicine induced polyploids of Solanum melongena Linn. (variety Long Green).Treatments given to the growing tips of the young seedlings having two cotyledonary leaves with 0.2 percent aqueous colchicine solution for 12 hours gave best results from the point of view of survival of seedlings and the induction of polyploidy.The induced polyploid plants show thick, deep green and broad leaves with larger stomata and epidermal cells. The polyploid was characterised by larger flowers, pollen grains and seeds. The pollen fertility, fruit size and fruit setting in the polyploid plants were less than those of the control.The chromosome numbers of Solanum melongena variety long green (diploid) and the induced polyploid were determined as n = 12 and n = 24, respectively. Most of the possible chromosomal associations ranging from 12 quadrivalents to 24 bivalents at diakinesis and metaphase I were recorded in the polyploid. Abnormalities such as unequal distribution of chromosomes at anaphase, presence of lagging chromosomes were also noted in the polyploid.

Regeneration niche of Cortaderia selloana in an invaded region: Flower predation, environmental stress, and transgenerational effects

Background and aimsBiological invasions are causing massive environmental, social, and economic impacts worldwide. Understanding the ecological factors that affect the regeneration of invasive plants is critical to develop action plans based on empirical biological evidence. In this study, we investigate ecological limits in the regeneration of Cortaderia selloana, an invasive species with a strong impact in temperate regions. MethodsWe sampled 22 sites invaded by C. selloana along an environmental gradient in northern Spain to evaluate the influence of flower predation, environmental stress, and transgenerational effects on the performance of C. selloana offspring. Key resultsWe found that over half of the sampled flowers per individual contained larvae of Spanolepis selloanae, a recently discovered predator of C. selloana. This finding suggests that the presence of this natural enemy extends over a larger area than previously thought, which might drastically reduce seed production. A common-garden experiment conducted with over 5,200 seeds revealed that seed germination is significantly enhanced with increasing temperatures (with an optimum temperature of 22/12 °C day/night temperatures), and that seedling survival and growth are highest under waterlogged soil conditions. Our experiments also suggest that the minimum temperature for germination of C. selloana is 10 °C, and that seedlings can survive up to one month without water. These findings can improve management programs by delineating which areas are at high risk of invasion and which ones are unsuitable for the regeneration of C. selloana. We also found that seed mass and maternal plant size are positively correlated with seed germination and early seedling growth. Progeny from dry maternal environments performed better under continuous drought conditions and the opposite was found under wet conditions. ConclusionsOverall, our results suggest that flower predators, environmental stress, and transgenerational effects have complex and profound effects on early demographic stages of C. selloana, influencing seed production, seed germination, seedling growth, and seedling survival.

Indirect effects of plasma-activated water irrigation on Tetranychus urticae populations

AbstractPlasma-activated water (PAW) is receiving increased attention as a booster of seed germination and seedling vigor, and some studies have described use of PAW to manage crop pathogens. Here, we examined physicochemical properties of two PAWs (referred to as PAW 6.0 and 9.4 min with atmospheric plasma jet) and assessed “their indirect effects” (applied as supplementary irrigation) on host suitability of tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L.) to two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae Koch). Exposure of water to cold plasma significantly lowered pH and increased concentrations of H2O2, NO2−, and NO3−. Supplementary PAW irrigations elicited significant increases in leaf composition of several elements (N, P, K S, Ca, and Mg), leaf reflectance, plant size, and trichome densities (except non-glandular trichomes on the adaxial surface). Preference bioassays revealed significant avoidance of settling and reduced oviposition by two-spotted spider mites on leaf discs from PAW-irrigated plants compared to those from untreated control plants. Performance bioassays showed a significant decrease in two-spotted spider mite populations on PAW-irrigated plants. Results presented in this study provide comprehensive support to the hypothesis that indirect effects of supplementary PAW irrigation significantly reduce host plant suitability to two-spotted spider mites. PAW 6.0 may be slightly better than PAW 9.4, and this difference in performance is discussed in this study. Applications of PAW as supplementary irrigation are likely highly compatible with other IPM tactics and should be considered an innovative and sustainable component in twenty-first-century pest management.

Deer grazing drove an assemblage‐level evolution of plant dwarfism in an insular system

Abstract Plant dwarfism, a syndrome characterised by a significant reduction in plant height and organ size, is a widely observed pattern of stress‐tolerant life‐form evolution that results from local adaptation to harsh environmental conditions. The drivers of assemblage‐level dwarfism have primarily been attributed to abiotic factors, such as low temperature, aridity, poor soil fertility or frequent fires. While biotic factors such as grazing pressure from herbivores can contribute to the establishment of plant dwarfism, these factors have rarely been tested at assemblage levels. Focusing on a dwarf plant assemblage comprising over 80 taxa on a small continental island in Japan with a high deer density, we hypothesised that historical deer grazing could also be a factor contributing to the large‐scale convergent evolution of dwarfism. To test this hypothesis, we measured the size of 1908 individual plants of 40 taxa pairs, comprising both palatable and unpalatable pairs from the island and their counterpart taxa from neighbouring regions, and sought to assess which factors (i.e. low solar radiation, estimated divergence time, low nutrient conditions and grazing pressure from deer) may have contributed to the formation of the dwarf plant assemblage on the island. We also performed genetic analysis to infer the time frames for the establishment of dwarf taxa. Statistical analyses revealed that plant size was significantly reduced mainly among the palatable taxa growing on the island, with preferential grazing by deer being identified as the most significant factor influencing plant size. Furthermore, genetic analyses revealed that dwarf ecotypes may have evolved over tens of thousands of years. Synthesis: To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that interactions with herbivores can shape the assemblage‐level convergence of plant dwarfism. These findings enhance our current understanding of the formation of plant functional diversity.

Rotated Lorenz Curves of Biological Size Distributions Follow Two Performance Equations

The Lorenz curve is used to describe the relationship between the cumulative proportion of household income and the number of households of an economy. The extent to which the Lorenz curve deviates from the line of equality (i.e., y = x) is quantified by the Gini coefficient. Prior models are based on the simulated and empirical data of income distributions. In biology, the Lorenz curves of cell or organ size distributions tend to have similar shapes. When the Lorenz curve is rotated by 135 degrees counterclockwise and shifted to the right by a distance of 2, a three-parameter performance equation (PE), and its generalized version with five parameters (GPE), accurately describe this rotated and right-shifted curve. However, in prior studies, PE and GPE were not compared with the other Lorenz equations, and little is known about whether the skewness of the distribution could influence the validity of these equations. To address these two issues, simulation data from the beta distributions with different skewness values and six empirical datasets of plant (organ) size distributions were used to compare PE and GPE with three other Lorenz equations in describing the rotated and right-shifted plant (organ) size distributions. The root-mean-square error and Akaike information criterion were used to assess the validity of the two performance equations and the three other Lorenz equations. PE and GPE were both validated in describing the rotated and right-shifted simulation and empirical data of plant (organ) distributions. Nevertheless, GPE worked better than PE and the three other Lorenz equations from the perspectives of the goodness of fit, and the trade-off between the goodness of fit and the model structural complexity. Analyses indicate that GPE provides a powerful tool for quantifying size distributions across a broad spectrum of organic entities and can be used in a variety of ecological and evolutionary applications. Even for the simulation data from hypothetical extreme skewed distribution curves, GPE still worked well.

Analysis of Deep Peak Shaving Methods for Thermal Power Generation Units Based on the Improved Energy Consumption Framework

Because thermal power producing units account for a large portion of the world's energy consumption, their energy consumption is a major concern. Reducing energy consumption and raising the overall efficiency of thermal power production units has become more and more important in recent years. Reducing energy consumption during peak hours is known as bottomless peak shaving, and it is one way to accomplish this. An enhanced framework for energy consumption is presented in this study to assess and examine deep peak shaving techniques for thermal power plants. The framework takes into consideration the various factors that affect energy consumption, such as fuel type, plant size, and external conditions. It also considers the different aspects of peak shaving, such as intensity and duration. Through the use of this framework, various deep peak shaving methods, such as thermal storage systems, load shifting, and demand response, are evaluated. The effectiveness of these methods is assessed based on their impact on energy consumption, cost, and environmental considerations. The framework also takes into account how feasible and useful it would be to apply these techniques in various kinds of thermal power generating units. The analysis's findings demonstrate that deep peak shaving techniques can dramatically lower energy use during peak hours, which can save money and possibly have positive effects on the environment. The best approach would rely on the unique qualities of every thermal power generating unit.

Electrified Solar Zero Liquid Discharge: Exploring the Potential of PV-ZLD in the US.

Current brine management strategies are based on the disposal of brine in nearby aquifers, representing a loss in potential water and mineral resources. Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a possible strategy to reduce brine rejection while increasing the resource recovery from desalination plants. However, ZLD substantially increases the energy consumption and carbon footprint of a desalination plant. The predominant strategy to reduce the energy consumption and carbon footprint of ZLD is through the use of a hybrid desalination technology that integrates renewable energy. Here, we built a computational thermodynamic model of the most mature electrified hybrid technology for ZLD powered by photovoltaic (PV). We examine the potential size and cost of ZLD plants in the US. This work explores the variables (geospatial and design) that most influence the levelized cost of water and the second law efficiency. There is a negative correlation between minimizing the LCOW and maximizing the second-law. And maximizing the second-law, the states that more brine produces, Texas is the location where the studied system achieves the lowest LCOW and high second-law efficiency, while California is the state where the studied system is less favorable. A multiobjective optimization study assesses the impact of considering a carbon tax in the cost of produced water and determines the best potential size for the studied plant.

The functional diversity-productivity relationship of woody plants is climatically sensitive.

Plot-scale experiments indicate that functional diversity (FD) plays a pivotal role in sustaining ecosystem functions such as net primary productivity (NPP). However, the relationships between functional diversity and NPP across larger scale under varying climatic conditions are sparsely studied, despite its significance for understanding forest-atmosphere interactions and informing policy development. Hence, we examine the relationships of community-weighted mean (CWM) and functional dispersion (FDis) of woody plant traits on NPP across China and if such relationships are modulated by climatic conditions at the national scale. Using comprehensive datasets of distribution, functional traits, and productivity for 9120 Chinese woody plant species, we evaluated the distribution pattern of community-weighted mean and functional dispersion (including three orthogonal trait indicators: plant size, leaf morphology, and flower duration) and its relationships with NPP. Finally, we tested the effects of climatic conditions on community-weighted mean/functional dispersion-NPP relationships. We first found overall functional diversity-NPP relationships, but also that the magnitude of these relationships was sensitive to climate, with plant size community-weighted mean promoting NPP in warm regions and plant size functional dispersion promoting NPP in wet regions. Second, warm and wet conditions indirectly increased NPP by its positive effects on community-weighted mean or functional dispersion, particularly through mean plant size and leaf morphology. Our study provides comprehensive evidence for the relationships between functional diversity and NPP under varying climates at a large scale. Importantly, our results indicate a broadening significance of multidimensional plant functional traits for woody vegetation NPP in response to rising temperatures and wetter climates. Restoration, reforestation actions and natural capital accounting need to carefully consider not only community-weighted mean and functional dispersion but also their interactions with climate, to predict how functional diversity may promote ecosystem functioning under future climatic conditions.

Flow Cytometry for Estimating Plant Genome Size: Revisiting Assumptions, Sources of Variation, Reference Standards, and Best Practices

Flow cytometry has been widely used to estimate relative and absolute genome sizes (DNA contents) of plants for more than 50 years. However, the accuracy of these estimates can vary widely because of many factors, including errors in the genome size estimates of reference standards and various experimental methods. The objectives of this study were to reassess genome sizes of commonly used reference standards and quantify sources of variation and error in estimating plant genome sizes that arise from buffers, confounding plant tissues, tissue types, and plant reference standards using both 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) and propidium iodide (PI) fluorochromes. Five separate studies were performed to elucidate these objectives. Revised estimates of genome sizes of commonly used plant reference standards were determined using human male leukocytes as a primary standard with an updated genome size (6.15 pg; 12.14% lower than that of earlier studies) using both DAPI and PI fluorochromes. Comparison of six different buffers (Galbraith’s, LB01, MB01, MgSO4, Otto’s, and Sysmex) resulted in variations in genome size estimates by as much as 18.1% for a given taxon, depending on the buffer–fluorochrome combination. The addition of different confounding plant tissues (representing 10 diverse taxa and associated secondary metabolites) resulted in variations in genome size estimates by as much as 10.3%, depending on the tissue–fluorochrome combination. Different plant tissue types (leaf color/exposure and roots) resulted in a variation in genome size estimates of 10.7%, independent of the fluorochrome. The selection of different internal reference standards introduced an additional variation in genome size estimates of 5.9%, depending on the standard–fluorochrome combination. The choice of fluorochrome (DAPI vs. PI) had one of the largest impacts on genome size estimates and differed by as much as 32.9% for Glycine max ‘Polanka’ when using human male leukocytes as an internal standard. A portion of this variation (∼10.0%) can be attributed to the base pair (bp) bias of DAPI and variations in Guanine-Cytosine (GC):Adenine-Thymine (AT) ratios between the sample and standard. However, as much as 22.9% of the variation in genome size estimates may result from how effectively these fluorochromes stain and report the genome. The combined variation/error from all these factors (excluding variation from bp bias for different fluorochromes, and assuming variations from confounding tissues and tissue types to both result from secondary metabolites) totaled 57.6%. Additional details of how selected factors impact accuracy, precision, and the interaction of these factors are presented. Overall, flow cytometry can be precise, repeatable, and extremely valuable for determining the relative genome size and ploidy of closely related plants when using consistent methods, regardless of fluorochrome. However, accurate determination of the absolute genome size by flow cytometry remains elusive, and estimates of genome size using flow cytometry should be considered gross approximations that may vary by ±29% or more as a function of experimental methods and plant environments. Additional recommendations of best practices are provided.