Higher Plants Research Articles

CARBON SEQUESTRATION IN A KARST MIRE OF THE MORDOVIAN RESERVE DURING THE LATE HOLOCENE

The article presents the results of the study of carbon accumulation over the past 3000 years in the Stol-bovoye karst mire located within the Smidovich Mordovian State Nature Reserve on the southern border of the coniferous-deciduous forests of the East European Plain. Minerothrophic (sedge, wood-sedge, grass) and mesotrophic (Sphagnum, grass-Sphagnum, sedge-Sphagnum, cotton grass) types of peat are present in the peat deposits of the Stolbovoye mire. The mire is at the mesotrophic stage of development. The content of organic carbon varies from 37,2 to 53,4% (49,7% on average). The nitrogen content in peat shows significantly higher variations along the core compared to organic carbon, i. e. from 1,1 to 2,6% (the average value is 1,9%). The total carbon pool in the Stolbovoye mire is about 6,7 kg/m2. The data obtained showed that a fast-growing peatland is capable to sequester large amounts of atmospheric carbon. The carbon accumulation rate in the studied peatland varies from 32,0 to 158,4 g C/m2/yr, with an average of 68,9 g C/m2/yr, which is significantly higher than the average carbon accumulation rates in different types of peatlands during the Holocene. A relationship between carbon accumulation rate and climatic changes over the past 3000 years was not revealed. A significant increase in the rate of carbon accumulation at a depth of 60 cm (480 cal. years BP) could be associated with the high productivity of vascular plants even at higher levels of mineralization/humification of their residues.

Harmonising Terminology and Records of Plant Invasion Status Across Federally Managed Countries

Plant invasions are a major threat worldwide, posing significant ecological and economic threats. In federally managed countries—where policy implementation is divided among various jurisdictions under a central federal government—alien plant species pose an even more difficult challenge for management at the national scale due to the fragmented nature of information provided by independent jurisdictions. This has led to inconsistencies in the terminology used to describe species status along the introduction-naturalisation-invasion continuum and disparities in the classification reported by each jurisdiction. Such contrasting information impedes data interoperability at the national level, hampering efficient management and biosecurity actions. This highlights the urgent need for a harmonised framework to ensure data interoperability on biological invasions. Australia, with its rich endemism and federal structure, provides a robust case to harmonise disparate data sources. We first reviewed the different terminology frameworks proposed for biological invasions (either ecologically- or policy-based, emphasising, respectively, species' ability to overcome ecological barriers, and impact). We then integrated such frameworks to develop a harmonised framework of invasion terminology for Australia, while also considering the language used by states' Australian herbaria (Martín-Forés et al. 2024). To do so, we developed an R script to compare existing Australian data sources for vascular plant taxa, including the Australian Plant Census (APC), state and territory censuses, and the Australian Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS). The script consists of a harmonised workflow that identifies mismatches in definitions and records among these sources, enabling us to propose prioritisation procedures to tackle these, and subsequently integrate information into a unified status for each species at the national scale (Martín-Forés et al. 2023b). The integration of these contrasting data culminated in the creation of a standardised dataset at the Australian national scale, the Alien Flora of Australia (AFA) (Martín-Forés et al. 2023a, Martín-Forés et al. 2023c). The AFA poses a significant advancement in the management of alien flora. The up-to-date information presented in the AFA can aid in early warning of species introduction, facilitate decision-making at various levels, and enhance national biosecurity. The associated script is ready to be implemented into new versions of the AFA with updated releases of any of the data sources, streamlining future efforts to track alien flora across Australia. The benefits of improving alien species data interoperability are numerous and far-reaching. Ensuring consistency in terminology and classification across jurisdictions is crucial for effective communication and collaboration among stakeholders and across different policy levels. Standardised data allow for more accurate monitoring and reporting of alien species, supporting the development of strategies at different jurisdictional levels for managing alien species, leading therefore to better-informed management decisions. Early detection and rapid response are critical components of effective biosecurity, and the AFA-harmonised dataset enables these actions by providing timely and accurate information at the Australian national scale. The implementation of the AFA and the associated R script represents a significant step forward in the harmonisation of data sources for detecting biological invasions in Australia. By ensuring consistency in terminology and classification, facilitating early detection and rapid response, and supporting collaborative efforts, harmonised data can enhance the effectiveness of management practices and facilitate conservation initiatives. However, this is just the beginning, as the workflows and script can be modified to suit any other federally managed country, alleviating the complex interplay of biosecurity regulations at different scales and among jurisdictions, enhancing the effectiveness of biosecurity measures. By adopting similar approaches, countries around the world can improve their capacity to manage alien species and protect their unique biodiversity. The model facilitates the sharing of information and best practices among jurisdictions within a given country, and among countries, thus fostering a collaborative approach to biosecurity both at national and international scales. Harmonising information on biological invasions also has important ecological implications, as alien species can disrupt ecosystems, outcompete native species, and alter habitat structure and function. By improving our ability to monitor and manage alien species, we can help protect biodiversity and maintain ecosystem services. Besides, the economic benefits are also significant, as alien species can cause substantial damage to agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and other sectors, leading to costly control measures and economic losses. By providing a robust framework for data interoperability on biological invasions, we can reduce the economic impact of alien species by enabling synergies among jurisdictions, and therefore more efficient and targeted management efforts. Thus, harmonisation on biological invasions is crucial for effective biosecurity at the national and international levels. The creation of the AFA demonstrates the benefits of data interoperability, providing a model that can be adapted and implemented in other contexts.

Incorporating biotic interactions to better model current and future vegetation of the maritime Antarctic.

Maritime Antarctica's harsh abiotic conditions forged simple terrestrial ecosystems, mostly constituted of bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants. Though biotic interactions are, together with abiotic factors, thought to help shape this ecosystem, influencing species' distribution and, indirectly, mediating their response to climate, the importance of these interactions is still fairly unknown. We modeled current and future abundance patterns of bryophytes, lichens, and vascular plants, accounting for biotic interactions and abiotic drivers, along a climatic gradient in maritime Antarctica. The influence of regional climate and other drivers was modeled using structural equation models, with and without biotic interactions. Models with biotic interactions performed better; the one offering higher ecological support was used to estimate current and future spatial distributions of vegetation. Results suggest that plants are confined to lower elevations, negatively impacting bryophytes and lichens, whereas at higher elevations both climate and other drivers influence bryophytes and lichens. Our findings strongly support the use of biotic interactions to predict the spatial distribution of Antarctic vegetation.

In vitro Antioxidant Activity of 5-caffeoylquinic Acid and Ester Analogues

Background: Chlorogenic acid, an ester of caffeic acid with quinic acid, also known as 5- O-caffeoylquinic acid (5-CQA), is a ubiquitous plant constituent that is an important intermediate in lignin biosynthesis. In some cases, it occurs at surprisingly high levels in the leaves and fruits of certain higher plants, such as coffee beans. Due to its catechol moiety and an extended side chain conjugation, it easily forms a resonance-stabilised phenoxy radical, accounting for its powerful antioxidant potential. Objective: The objective of this work was to determine if the esterification and methylation of 5- CQA would enhance its antioxidant activity. Methods: Two 5-CQA derivatives were prepared for this study. Chlorogenic acid was esterified with methanol over Amberlite IR120-H to obtain methyl chlorogenate, while methyl 3',4´-dimethyl chlorogenate was prepared from 5-CQA by treatment with diazomethane. Spectroscopic methods confirmed the structure of these derivatives. Their antioxidant properties were tested to establish a relationship between structure and antioxidant activity. Results: Antioxidant activity results were generated for 5-CQA and its ester analogues using eight different methods. Depending on the method applied, results were expressed as IC50/MCE50 values or as equivalents of the applied standard (ascorbic acid and Trolox). Conclusion: In most of these tests, 5-CQA showed the highest antioxidant activity compared to its derivatives. Nevertheless, due to their hydrophobic characteristics, their ester analogues remain promising antioxidant candidates in emulsifying systems.

Evaluating the feasibility of using plant‐specific metabarcoding to assess forest types from soil eDNA

AbstractQuestionsAn essential aspect of variation in natural systems is that species respond to complex environmental gradients. Recognizing plant composition gradients associated with abiotic factors (ecoclines) can be foundational for defining habitat types, which, in turn, helps map natural variation. Typically, ecoclinal structures are assessed through visual evaluation of above‐ground vegetation and analysis of covarying abiotic factors. However, the correlation between ecological structures detected by soil eDNA plant assessments and those identified by visual assessment remains largely unexplored.LocationHvaler archipelago, southern Norway.MethodsPlant diversity assessments were conducted using metabarcoding of the trnL (UUA) intron p6 loop and ITS2 from 31 soil samples collected across six forest types. These forest types span gradients related to drought risk and calcium richness.ResultsThe barcode amplicons identified 70 plant taxa, primarily vascular plants (67), with most assigned to the species level (59), representing common forest taxa across the sites. Comparisons between soil eDNA compositions and theoretical forest‐type compositions showed a low to medium correspondence (26% to 76%) between the two. Ordinations of soil eDNA compositions revealed two axes without clear ecological interpretation and correlated poorly with the calcium–richness gradient previously identified by visual assessments.ConclusionsOverall, our results emphasize the necessity for comprehensive sequence reference libraries to conduct thorough plant biodiversity assessments. They also highlight the potential of soil eDNA to assess plant composition, which can aid in ecosystem mapping.

Niche and interspecific relationship of alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) after a hundred years’ invasion in Central China

Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb.) is considered one of the worst invasive weeds in China. It was introduced to east China in the late 18th century and gradually spread to central China by the 1930s. Over the course of about a century, it occupied a quite lot of wetlands, agricultural ditches, fishery ponds, and croplands in Central China along the Yangtze River. To reveal the ecological characteristics of alligator weed in the agricultural zone, a field survey was contacted in the mid-Yangtze River region of Hubei Province. A total of 72 species of vascular plants were found in 50 alligator weed plots among 6 field sites. Niche overlap analysis was performed for the 25 main species (frequency>5%) within alligator weed plots. The analysis showed that only 1% of species pairs had niche overlap values exceeding 0.5, while 57% of pairs exhibited a value of 0. These findings suggest that, despite a century of presence, alligator weed has not yet fully naturalized in the region. Alligator weed exhibited the widest niche breadth in the field, with a Levins´ Index of 40.778 and a Shannon index of 3.796, indicating its strong resource utilization and invasive potential. The niche similarity among the 25 main species within alligator weed plots was notably low, as none of the specie pairs had a niche similarity value exceeding 0.5, with only 3% having a value above 0.3. These results suggest that there are no native species having the capability to compete in the ecological niche with alligator weed. Species association analysis revealed that all 24 pairs of species with negative correlation involved alligator weed and other species, indicating that the presence of alligator weed negatively affected other species in the communities. Consequently, continued vigilance is required to monitor and mitigate the further invasion of alligator weed and its impact on local vegetation.

Soil carbon and nitrogen cycling at the atmosphere-soil interface: Quantifying the responses of biocrust-soil interactions to global change.

In drylands, where water scarcity limits vascular plant growth, much of the primary production occurs at the soil surface. This is where complex macro- and microbial communities, in an intricate bond with soil particles, form biological soil crusts (biocrusts). Despite their critical role in regulating C and N cycling in dryland ecosystems, there is limited understanding of the fate of biologically fixed C and N from biocrusts into the mineral soil, or how climate change will affect C and N fluxes between the atmosphere, biocrusts, and subsurface soils. To address these gaps, we subjected biocrust-soil systems to experimental warming and drought under controlled laboratory conditions, monitored CO2 fluxes, and applied dual isotopic labeling pulses (13CO2 and 15N2). This allowed detailed quantification of elemental pathways into specific organic matter (OM) pools and microbial biomass via density fractionation and phospholipid fatty acid analyses. While biocrusts modulated CO2 fluxes regardless of the temperature regime, drought severely limited their photosynthetic C uptake to the extent that the systems no longer sustained net C uptake. Furthermore, the effect of biocrusts extended into the underlying 1 cm of mineral soil, where C and N accumulated as mineral-associated OM (MAOM<63μm). This was strongly associated with increased relative dominance of fungi, suggesting that fungal hyphae facilitate the downward C and N translocation and subsequent MAOM formation. Most strikingly, however, these pathways were disrupted in systems exposed to warming, where no effects of biocrusts on the elemental composition of the underlying soil nor on MAOM were determined. This was further associated with reduced net biological N fixation under combined warming and drought, highlighting how changing climatic conditions diminish some of the most fundamental ecosystem functions of biocrusts, with detrimental repercussions for C and N cycling and the persistence of soil organic matter pools in dryland ecosystems.

Hongos micorrícicos arbusculares y endófitos septados oscuros en raíces de helechos nativos de uso medicinal de las Sierras Centrales de San Luis, centro-oeste de Argentina

Background and aims: The plant´s roots and fungi establish symbiotic endophytic associations that can coexist: arbuscular mycorrhizae and “dark septate” endophytes. Ferns and lycophytes are vascular plants that can form both fungal symbioses. The objective of this work is to detect the presence of fungal root endosymbiosis, know the mycorrhizal status, and analyze the type of colonizationin in native and ornamental ferns from the “Sierras Centrales de San Luis”. M&amp;M: In three sites in the “Sierras Centrales de San Luis”, 9-10 individuals of each studied species were collected, their roots were processed to study these fungal. Characterization and quantification of their root colonization was evaluated. Results: In the three sites studied, Anemia tomentosa var. anthriscifolia formed mycorrhizal associations, the colonization presented abundant hyphal and arbusculated intracellular coils. In addition, glomoid spores of mycorrhizal fungi were found in their rhizospheres. Dark septate endophytes were absent in all species analyzed, none hyphae neither microsclerotia were recorded in roots of these native medicinal ferns. Conclusions: The mycorrhizal status of Anemia tomentosa var. anthriscifolia, one of the five medicinal fern species from the Sierras Centrales de San Luis studied, is presented. The arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization is described and quantified, and its type is determined as Paris. None of the fern species studied was associated with dark septate endophytes.

The evolution of plant responses underlying specialized metabolism in host-pathogen interactions.

In the course of plant evolution from aquatic to terrestrial environments, land plants (embryophytes) acquired a diverse array of specialized metabolites, including phenylpropanoids, flavonoids and cuticle components, enabling adaptation to various environmental stresses. While embryophytes and their closest algal relatives share candidate enzymes responsible for producing some of these compounds, the complete genetic network for their biosynthesis emerged in embryophytes. In this review, we analysed genomic data from chlorophytes, charophytes and embryophytes to identify genes related to phenylpropanoid, flavonoid and cuticle biosynthesis. By integrating published research, transcriptomic data and metabolite studies, we provide a comprehensive overview on how these specialized metabolic pathways have contributed to plant defence responses to pathogens in non-vascular bryophytes and vascular plants throughout evolution. The evidence suggests that these biosynthetic pathways have provided land plants with a repertoire of conserved and lineage-specific compounds, which have shaped immunity against invading pathogens. The discovery of additional enzymes and metabolites involved in bryophyte responses to pathogen infection will provide evolutionary insights into these versatile pathways and their impact on environmental terrestrial challenges.This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of plant metabolism'.

Genome-wide analysis and prediction of chloroplast and mitochondrial RNA editing sites of AGC gene family in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for abiotic stress tolerance

BackgroundCotton is one of the topmost fiber crops throughout the globe. During the last decade, abrupt changes in the climate resulted in drought, heat, and salinity. These stresses have seriously affected cotton production and significant losses all over the textile industry. The GhAGC kinase, a subfamily of AGC group and member of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases group and is highly conserved among eukaryotic organisms. The AGC kinases are compulsory elements of cell development, metabolic processes, and cell death in mammalian systems. The investigation of RNA editing sites within the organelle genomes of multicellular vascular plants, such as Gossypium hirsutum holds significant importance in understanding the regulation of gene expression at the post-transcriptional level.MethodsIn present work, we characterized twenty-eight GhAGC genes in cotton and constructed phylogenetic tree using nine different species from the most primitive to the most recent.ResultsIn sequence logos analyses, highly conserved amino acid residues were found in G. hirsutum, G. arboretum, G. raimondii and A. thaliana. The occurrence of cis-acting growth and stress-related elements in the promoter regions of GhAGCs highlight the significance of these factors in plant development and abiotic stress tolerance. Ka/Ks levels demonstrated that purifying selection pressure resulting from segmental events was applied to GhAGC with little functional divergence. We focused on identifying RNA editing sites in G. hirsutum organelles, specifically in the chloroplast and mitochondria, across all 28 AGC genes.ConclusionThe positive role of GhAGCs was explored by quantifying the expression in the plant tissues under abiotic stress. These findings help in understanding the role of GhAGC genes under abiotic stresses which may further be used in cotton breeding for the development of climate smart varieties in abruptly changing climate.

Identifying restoration priorities for habitat defragmentation: a case study in Alberta’s oil sands

ContextAnthropogenic habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to ecosystems and a focus in conservation. However, conservation is often limited to considerations of site-level processes neglecting the effect of the surrounding landscape that might limit the effectiveness of restoration efforts.ObjectivesUsing seismic lines in Alberta’s oil sands as a case study, we demonstrate an approach that integrates spatial configuration of anthropogenic footprints to prioritize habitat defragmentation.MethodsWe quantified the effects of seismic line density and configuration on functional footprints for caribou, butterfly diversity, and vascular plant diversity, to predict whether edge effects are more pronounced under different line densities and configurations. We then estimated the portion of the original functional footprint that would persist in the landscape due to the co-occurrence with other anthropogenic activities.ResultsWe found that functional footprint for caribou grows rapidly as habitat loss increases. In contrast, butterflies and plants exhibited a more gradual and linear growth in functional footprints at more local scales. This effect varies based on configuration of lines, either suppressing or facilitating the effect of habitat loss on functional habitats. Finally, restoration of all seismic lines without considering other footprints would reduce the original functional footprint by only 57% for caribou.ConclusionsRestoration efforts for habitat defragmentation rarely consider the spatial configuration of linear features, particularly as it relates to the co-occurrence of other footprints that are not being restored. Our functional approach to defragmentation of habitat encompasses different spatial concepts related to anthropogenic forest fragmentation and allows up to a 25-fold gain in cost-effectiveness for seismic lines restoration.

The Reopening of the Hyogo Herbarium (HYO) and the Relocation of the Vascular Plant Specimens After Construction of the New Building

The new collection building named Collectionarium*1 (CN) of the Museum of Nature and Human Activities, Hyogo, (HYO), Hitohaku*2 Japan, which opened in October 2022, contains ca. 600,000 vascular plant specimens, including 10% that were not mounted. Here, we describe the process of specimen moving to the CN, including integration with ca. 250,000 herbarium specimens of Shoei Junior College (known as SHO). At the same time, the collection sequence has been updated from the new Engler system (Melchior 1964) to the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG) III system. The storage rooms of natural history museums are full everywhere across the world, and extensions are necessary. When collections spaces are enlarged, it creates opportunities to relocate specimens. We hope that our experiences will be useful to other institutions. The Status of the HYO Collection in 2020 When the construction of the CN started in early 2020, we had 600,000 plant specimens: ca. 350,000 on 220 shelves and the other 250,000 in ca. 1,500 cardboard boxes. The 250,000 specimens, donated by the SHO in 2012, were kept in boxes as existing shelves were too short to house them. Based on an estimated capacity of 1,000–2,000 specimens per shelf, the new storage consisting of 525 shelves would not have the capacity to store all the specimens. Therefore, it was necessary to estimate the total volume of specimens more accurately. The classification system also needed updating. Change From Engler to APG At the time of its opening in 1992, HYO specimens were arranged according to the new Engler system. However, the APG system began to be adopted more recently. The new Engler and APG systems are quite distinct, treating dicots in a different way, and some families have disappeared and new ones arisen. The plant picture books published recently in Japan all adopt the APG system. The younger generation studying plants never learned the new Engler system, making it impossible for them to find specimens arranged in this way. Therefore, we decided to change the arrangement of the specimens to the APG III system whilst relocating the herbarium. For pteridophytes, we decided to adopt the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG) I system (PPG I 2016). In order to plan the placement of specimens, it was necessary to know the number of specimens at the genus level and to investigate how much space each family would need. We measured the thickness of all genus covers containing specimens, regardless of whether they were in shelves or boxes. Based on these results, we planned the layout. Next we packed the specimens into cardboard boxes following the APG system, and two surfaces of each box was labeled with the room number (=1 or 2) in the CN with locations in the room. All the boxes were moved to the Holonpia Hall (the Hall) from December 2021 to January 2022. Then, 220 empty specimen shelves were transported to the CN in February 2022. After the shelves were moved, ca. 4,000 boxes stored in the Hall were carried back into old repository in March 2022 to wait for moving. Moving to the new storage Gases, e.g., ammonia, are released from concrete buildings for a while after construction. Since these gases are harmful to specimens, it is necessary to wait until the gas concentration decreases to a safe level, before storing the specimens there. Beginning in April 2022, the ammonia concentration was measured once a month in the two new storage rooms at the CN. Rooms were ventilated nearly every day. In November 2022, the concentration of ammonia in both rooms fell to 30 ppb or less and it was finally safe to move the specimens in. Moving was carried out during the regular maintenance closure in January 2023. First, we carried the boxes to the exhibition area on the first floor of the CN because we needed enough space for unpacking and sorting. We opened boxes one by one for each family to combine the HYO and SHO specimens, sorted them in alphabetical order, re-packed them into boxes, brought the boxes up to the storage rooms on the second floor, and placed them onto the shelves. Two teams of people, three or four for each storage room, worked with this system for six days until all the specimens were placed, properly arranged, and on the shelves by late January. Specimens are now arranged according to the APG system, and ready to be examined. Please contact the authors for herbarium study requests.

The Multifaceted Botanical Impact of the Invasive Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.) in a Protected Sandy Grassland in Central Europe

Asclepias syriaca L.is a perennial broad-leaved species native to North America. It has become established in many regions of Europe, and has spread with increasing rapidity in recent decades. Its reproductive behaviour allows this species to proliferate rapidly. The selected grasslands are located in the Carpathian Basin in Hungary, in the area of Kiskunság National Park, near Lake Kolon. In the framework of the research, in two consecutive years (2021 and 2022), and in two different seasons (spring and autumn), we examined the percentage cover of vascular plant species in the stands degraded by A. syriaca and the natural control (without A. syriaca), and their seasonal and interannual dynamics. Between the A. syriaca-degraded and natural control stands, there was no significant difference in the number of species in the spring and autumn of any of the examined years. Surprisingly, in the spring, the degraded stands were somewhat richer in vascular plant species. In autumn, the control stands had more vascular plant species, but to a lesser extent. The Shannon diversity was higher in the A. syriaca-dominated stands than in the control in all recording periods. Simpson diversity showed a similar pattern to Shannon diversity, with one exception in spring 2022. In the case of the social behaviour type, it can be clearly seen that the alien competitor (AC) species dominated in spring and autumn in both years in the stand dominated by A. syriaca. In the natural control stand, specialists (S) and competitors (C) dominated in both years and in both seasons. The negative effect of the invasive species on the number and diversity of species was presumably significantly reduced by the significant drying of the study area experienced in recent years.

Salix humboldtiana as an Indicator of Air Pollution by Trace Metals in the Urban Areas of the City of Loja, Southern Ecuador

Air pollution is the most important environmental problem in urban areas related to vehicular traffic and industrial activities. The widespread presence of common urban trees, such as Salix humboldtiana, and their ability to tolerate diverse environmental conditions make this species an especially promising candidate for assessing environmental metal contamination. Therefore, biomonitoring with vascular plants has been widely used to assess air pollution, especially the accumulation of trace metal concentrations. Therefore, for the first time, we analyzed the concentration of trace metals using Salix humboldtiana in twelve areas with different levels of pollution in a city in Southern Ecuador. For this purpose, samples were taken from each site to assess the accumulation of trace metals such as Zn, Mn, Fe, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu, Al, and Ni. The results obtained showed significant differences in the concentrations of Zn, Mn, Fe, and Cd between the urban areas and the control area, indicating that the central areas were the most polluted by vehicular traffic. However, these findings suggest that Salix humboldtiana may not be a particularly effective tool for quantifying levels of environmental metal contamination such as Cu and Ni, at least in urban areas in the city of Loja. This study has demonstrated that Salix humboldtiana leaves can effectively monitor trace metals associated with road traffic emissions in areas with varying levels of vehicular activity, indicating that vascular plants can be utilized for this purpose in tropical cities.

Conservation of molecular responses upon viral infection in the non-vascular plant Marchantia polymorpha

After plants transitioned from water to land around 450 million years ago, they faced novel pathogenic microbes. Their colonization of diverse habitats was driven by anatomical innovations like roots, stomata, and vascular tissue, which became central to plant-microbe interactions. However, the impact of these innovations on plant immunity and pathogen infection strategies remains poorly understood. Here, we explore plant-virus interactions in the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha to gain insights into the evolution of these relationships. Virome analysis reveals that Marchantia is predominantly associated with RNA viruses. Comparative studies with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) show that Marchantia shares core defense responses with vascular plants but also exhibits unique features, such as a sustained wound response preventing viral spread. Additionally, general defense responses in Marchantia are equivalent to those restricted to vascular tissues in Nicotiana, suggesting that evolutionary acquisition of developmental innovations results in re-routing of defense responses in vascular plants.

OsHRZ1 negatively regulates rice resistant to Magnaporthe oryzae infection by targeting OsVOZ2.

Rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae significantly reduces yield production. Blast resistance is closely associated with iron (Fe) status, but the mechanistic basis linking iron status to immune function in rice remains largely unknown. Here, iron-binding haemerythrin RING ubiquitin ligases OsHRZ1 was confirmed to play key roles in iron-mediated rice blast resistance. The expression of OsHRZ1 was suppressed by M. oryzae inoculation and high iron treatment. Both mutants of OsHRZ1 enhanced rice resistance to M. oryzae. OsPR1a was up-regulated in OsHRZ1 mutants. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation, and Co-IP assay results indicated that OsHRZ1 interacts with Vascular Plant One Zinc Finger 2 (OsVOZ2) in the nucleus. Additionally, the vitro ubiquitination assay indicated that OsHRZ1 can ubiquitinate OsVOZ2 and mediate the degradation of OsVOZ2. The mutants of OsVOZ2 showed reduced resistance to M. oryzae and down-regulated the expression of OsPR1a. Yeast one-hybrid, EMSA, and dual-luciferase reporter assay results indicated that OsVOZ2 directly binds to the promoter of OsPR1a, activating its expression. In summary, OsHRZ1 plays an important role in rice disease resistance by mediated degradation of OsVOZ2 thus shaping PR gene expression dynamics in rice cells. This highlights an important link between iron signaling and rice pathogen defenses.

The southwesternmost record of late Silurian (Pridolian) early land plants of Gondwana.

The Silurian-Devonian transition played a crucial role in the development of early terrestrial ecosystems due to the rapid diversification of early vascular plants. However, records of Pridolian plants in western Gondwana are scarce, limited to outcrops located in southern Bolivia. In this contribution, an association of fossil plants housed in the Rinconada Formation is presented. This association corresponds to primitive fossil flora with reproductive structures and sterile axes linked to basal tracheophytes. The fossil assemblage is composed of Aberlemnia caledonica, Caia langii Cooksonia cf. cambrensis, C. paranensis, C. cf. pertoni, Hostinella sp, Cf. Isidrophyton sp, Salopella marcensis, Steganoteca striata, two morphotypes of doubtful taxonomy, and graptolites colonies. The association between flora remains and graptolites, represents a parautochthonous assemblage in an inner marine platform, dominated by gravity flows. This record has paleophytogeographic importance indicating the extension of the northwest Gondwana-southern Laurusia unit to more southern areas of Gondwana. This expansion would have been favored by the post-glacial climatic improvement of the Late Silurian, together with a great radiation capacity and environmental flexibility of the flora. Furthermore, the biochron is extended of three taxa (A. caledonica, C. paranensis and Cf. Isidrophyton sp) first known from the Lochkovian, to the Pridoli.

Productivity of the Bakchar bog plant communities in the initial stages of pyrogenic succession (southern taiga of Western Siberia)

The results of a study on the productivity of plant communities after a crown fire in a drained oligotrophic bog in the southern taiga of Western Siberia are presented. A quantitative assessment of biological productivity in areas with varying degrees of pyrogenic disturbance is given. The reserves of the grass-shrub and moss layers in the most disturbed area in the second year of restoration amounted to 1220 g/m2, production was 324 g/m2 per year; in the third year, reserves increased to 1635 g/m2 and production increased to 1038 g/m2 per year due to the growth of blueberries, while the production in the control site with high reserves of living phytomass (2200 g/m2) amounted to 745 g/m2 per year. There was a change in the structure of the phytomass, compaction of the deposit by 34%, and an increase in the mortmass of vascular plants by three times. The living mass of roots in the disturbed area concentrated in the upper layer of 0–10 cm, while it was distributed in the control area in the layer of 10–30 cm. It was found that the roots of dead pines retain the morphological characteristics of living ones during the first two years and pass into the fraction of dead roots on the third year of pyrogenic succession. Carbon losses during burning of the top layer of tow up to 20 cm amounted to 3016 g C/m2, 500 g/m2 of which can be buried as a layer of coal in peat.

Endophytic Bacterial Biofilm-Formers Associated with Antarctic Vascular Plants.

Deschampsia antarctica and Colobantus quitensis are the only two vascular plants colonized on the Antarctic continent, which is usually exposed to extreme environments. Endophytic bacteria residing within plant tissues can exhibit diverse adaptations that contribute to their ecological success and potential benefits for their plant hosts. This study aimed to characterize 12 endophytic bacterial strains isolated from these plants, focusing on their ecological adaptations and functional roles like plant growth promotion, antifungal activities, tolerance to salt and low-carbon environments, wide temperature range, and biofilm formation. Using 16S rRNA sequencing, we identified several strains, including novel species like Hafnia and Agreia. Many strains exhibited nitrogen-fixing ability, phosphate solubilization, ammonia, and IAA production, potentially benefiting their hosts. Additionally, halotolerance and carbon oligotrophy were also shown by studied bacteria. While some Antarctic bacteria remain strictly psychrophilic, others demonstrate a remarkable ability to tolerate a wider range of temperatures, suggesting that they have acquired mechanisms to cope with fluctuations in environmental temperature and developed adaptations to survive in intermediate hosts like mammals and/or birds. Such adaptations and high plasticity of metabolism of Antarctic endophytic bacteria provide a foundation for research and development of new promising products or mechanisms for use in agriculture and technology.

PyDwCA: A Tool for Integrating Biodiversity Data

The Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) format, based on the Darwin Core standard (Wieczorek et al. 2012), facilitates the exchange, management, and integration of biodiversity data from multiple sources. This ability to collate biodiversity data allows datasets to be aggregated at community-supported infrastructures, merged in different combinations, meta-analyzed and submitted to public repositories (Baker et al. 2014). Thus, the DwC-As serve as unifying archives in concatenated collective efforts, such as biodiversity inventories at different spatial and taxonomic scales. Here we describe PyDwCA*1, 2, a Python library implemented to handle the "star scheme" of DwC-A. This new library reads compressed zip files containing the expected meta.xml and uses it to assign the core component and its extensions. It also provides Python classes to define the core, the extensions, and the metadata file for creating an archive and writing it into a compressed zip file. PyDwCA also implements functionality to select, filter and merge DwC-A files. We present this new tool in the context of the construction of the Chilean National Biodiversity Inventory (Fig. 1), but PyDwCA serves as a versatile technical solution applicable to different contexts in the field of biodiversity informatics (e.g., integration of datasets from biological collection and sampling events). To exemplify how PyDwCA works, we present the step-by-step integration of the Chilean Catalogue of Vascular Plants (Rodriguez et al. 2018) on a matrix provided by the Catalogue of Life (Banki 2024), filtered with the species with occurrences recorded for Chile in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) (GBIF.Org 2023).