Root Secondary Metabolites in Populus tremuloides: Effects of Simulated Climate Warming, Defoliation, and Genotype

Forages in boreal ecosystems are often deficient in sodium for mammalian herbivores. Moreover, consumption of various plant secondary metabolites has been associated with negative sodium balance in mammals. Neither of these issues has been investigated in birds, which differ from mammals in their ion-exchange processes and postrenal absorption of urine. Our objectives were to determine if ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) can maintain sodium balance on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) flower buds, an important winter food, and to determine if the buds' primary plant secondary metabolite (coniferyl benzoate) further compromises a bird's sodium balance. Captive ruffed grouse were fed either aspen buds (0.063 mg∙g−1 sodium) or a formulated diet having different concentrations of coniferyl benzoate in no-choice feeding trials. Sodium excretion did not change in response to coniferyl benzoate intake or acid load from detoxication processes; however, birds were marginally in negative sodium balance (P = 0.035; −5.06 ± 2.05 mg∙kg−1∙d−1) when feeding on aspen buds. Sodium levels in the feces from free-ranging grouse (0.050 ± 0.0 mg∙g−1) and in their winter foods (0.065 mg∙g−1) indicated that these birds likely maintained sodium balance. We estimated that free-ranging ruffed grouse may need as little as 7 mg∙kg−1∙d−1 of sodium to maintain sodium balance, which is lower than the minimum sodium requirements for poultry and mammals.

Download Full-text

Macro-zooplankter responses to simulated climate warming in experimental freshwater microcosms

Freshwater Biology ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00878.x ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 47 (8) ◽

pp. 1557-1570 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

D. MCKEE ◽

D. ATKINSON ◽

S. COLLINGS ◽

J. EATON ◽

I. HARVEY ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Warming ◽

Simulated Climate

Download Full-text

RNA-Seq revealed the impairment of immune defence of tilapia against the infection of Streptococcus agalactiae with simulated climate warming

Fish & Shellfish Immunology ◽

10.1016/j.fsi.2016.06.058 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 55 ◽

pp. 679-689 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Le Wang ◽

Peng Liu ◽

Zi Yi Wan ◽

Shu Qing Huang ◽

Yan Fei Wen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Warming ◽

Streptococcus Agalactiae ◽

Immune Defence ◽

Rna Seq ◽

Simulated Climate

Download Full-text

High standing genetic variation in an invasive plant allows immediate evolutionary response to climate warming

10.1101/2020.02.20.957209 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yan Sun ◽

Oliver Bossdorf ◽

Ramon Diaz Grados ◽

ZhiYong Liao ◽

Heinz Müller-Schärer

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Climate Warming ◽

Experimental Evolution ◽

Invasive Plant ◽

Plant Traits ◽

Common Environment ◽

Pooled Dna ◽

Evolutionary Response ◽

Evolution Study ◽

Simulated Climate

AbstractPredicting plant distributions under climate change is constrained by our limited understanding of potential rapid adaptive evolution. In an experimental evolution study with the invasive common ragweed, we subjected replicated populations of the same initial genetic composition to simulated climate warming. Pooled DNA sequencing of parental and offspring populations showed that warming populations experienced a greater loss of genetic diversity, and greater genetic divergence from their parents, than control populations. In a common environment, offspring from warming populations showed more convergent phenotypes in seven out of nine plant traits, with later flowering and larger biomass, than plants from control populations. For both traits, we also found a significant higher ratio of phenotypic to genetic differentiation across generations for warming than for control populations, indicating stronger selection under warming conditions. Our findings demonstrate that ragweed populations can rapidly evolve in response to climate change within a single generation.

Download Full-text