scholarly journals Interspecific and intraspecific variation in leaf toughness of Arctic plants in relation to habitat and nutrient supply

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ned Fetcher ◽  
Sofia Iglesia ◽  
Stephen J. Turner ◽  
Thomas C. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Leaf Toughness ◽  
Arctic Plants ◽  
Resistance To Herbivory ◽  
Rubus Chamaemorus ◽  
Tussock Tundra ◽  
P Fertilizer ◽  
Community Weighted Mean ◽  
Northern Alaska

Leaf toughness is an important functional trait that confers resistance to herbivory and mechanical damage. We sought to determine how species composition, climate, seasonality, and nutrient availability influence leaf toughness in two types of tundra in northern Alaska. We measured leaf toughness as force to punch for 11 species of Arctic plants in tussock tundra and dry heath tundra at 17 sites distributed along a latitudinal gradient. Rubus chamaemorus and the graminoids occupied opposite ends of the leaf toughness spectrum, with R. chamaemorus requiring the least force to punch, while one of the graminoids, Eriophorum vaginatum, required the most. Leaf toughness increased with mean summer temperature for E. vaginatum and Betula nana, while it declined with warmer temperatures for the other species. Toughness of mature leaves of E. vaginatum did not vary through the growing season but declined significantly after senescence. Application of N and P fertilizer in an experimental site decreased leaf toughness in three species but had no effect on four others. Leaf toughness of four out of five species in dry heath was greater than for the same species in tussock tundra, but there was no difference in community-weighted mean toughness between tussock tundra and dry heath.

Leaf mineral nutrition of Arctic plants in response to warming and deeper snow in northern Alaska

Oikos ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 109 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Welker ◽  
J. T. Fahnestock ◽  
P. F. Sullivan ◽  
R. A. Chimner
Keyword(s):  
Mineral Nutrition ◽  
Arctic Plants ◽  
Northern Alaska

NDVI, biomass, and landscape evolution of glaciated terrain in northern Alaska

Polar Record ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 31 (177) ◽  
pp. 169-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.A. Walker ◽  
N.A. Auerbach ◽  
M.M. Shippert
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Middle Pleistocene ◽  
Tussock Tundra ◽  
Vegetation Maps ◽  
Circumpolar Arctic ◽  
Northern Alaska

AbstractThe patterns of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) on three glacial surfaces of different ages in the vicinity of Toolik Lake, Alaska, were examined. NDVI was derived from SPOT multispectral digital data, and the images were stratified according to boundaries on glacial geology and vegetation maps. Ground-level measurements of NDVI from common vegetation types were also collected, using a portable spectrometer. Late Pleistocene glacial surfaces have lower image-NDVI than older Middle Pleistocene surfaces, and the mean NDVI is correlated with approximate time since deglaciation. The trends are related to differences in NDVI associated with vegetation growing on mineral vs peaty substrates. Nonacidic mineral substrates are more common on the younger landscapes, and acidic peaty soils are more common on the older surfaces. The field-NDVIs of acidic dry, moist, and wet tundra are consistently higher than those of corresponding nonacidic tundra types. These same trends are seen when the SPOT NDVI image is stratified according to vegetation boundaries appearing on two detailed vegetation maps in the region. Above-ground biomass of moist and wet acidic tundra is significantly greater than corresponding nonacidic types. Vegetation species composition was examined along two transects on the oldest and youngest glacial surfaces. Shrub cover is the most important factor affecting the spectral signatures and biomass. Older surfaces have greater cover of shrub-rich tussock tundra and shrub-filled water tracks, and the younger surfaces have more dry, well-drained sites with low biomass and relatively barren nonsorted circles and stripes. These trends are related to paludification and modification of the terrain by geomorphic and geochemical processes. Similar patterns of spectral reflectance have been noted in association with a variety of large-scale natural disturbances in northern Alaska. However, extrapolation of these results to much broader regions of the circumpolar Arctic will require the use of sensors covering larger areas, such as the AVHRR aboard the NOAA satellites.

Late Quaternary vegetational history of the Howard Pass Area, northwestern Alaska

1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-581 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Wyatt Oswald ◽  
Linda B Brubaker ◽  
Patricia M Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Late Quaternary ◽  
Local Variation ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
Early Holocene ◽  
Pollen Accumulation Rates ◽  
Rubus Chamaemorus ◽  
History Of Vegetation ◽  
History Of ◽  
Western Arctic ◽  
Northern Alaska

Palynological records from Tukuto and Etivlik Lakes contribute to an improved understanding of the late Quaternary history of vegetation in the Howard Pass area of northern Alaska. During the Itkillik II glaciation (24-14 ka BP), the vegetation of the western Arctic Foothills was sparse, xeric tundra, as evidenced by taxa indicative of dry, rocky substrates (e.g., Selaginella rupestris (L.) Spring, Chenopodiaceae, and Encalypta cf. rhaptocarpa) and very low pollen accumulation rates in this interval of the 30-ka-old Tukuto Lake record. Mesic tundra dominated by non-Sphagnum (Bryidae) mosses, Cyperaceae, and Salix species expanded near Tukuto Lake during the late-glacial period, followed by the establishment of Sphagnum moss and increased shrub cover at ca. 10 ka BP. Landscapes around both lakes supported stands of Populus cf. balsamifera during the early Holocene, and Alnus crispa expanded in the Howard Pass area during the middle Holocene. Local variation in plant communities is illustrated by the comparison of the Tukuto and Etivlik pollen records. During the early Holocene, Populus cf. balsamifera was more common near Etivlik Lake than Tukuto Lake, and Juniperus cf. communis was present only in the vicinity of Etivlik Lake. Throughout the middle to late Holocene, Sphagnum, mesic tundra shrubs (Betula nana L., Salix, and Ericaceae species), and minor herbaceous taxa (e.g., Rubus chamaemorus L., Thalictrum, and Caryophyllaceae) were more prevalent at Tukuto Lake than at Etivlik Lake. These differences are likely related to the influence of local landform and soil characteristics near the two sites.Key words: Alaska, Arctic Foothills, Brooks Range, pollen analysis, Quaternary.

Ultrastructural Changes in the Root Meristem Cells of Rubus Chamaemorus L. (Cloudberry)

1975 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 562-563
Author(s):  
Arya K. Bal
Keyword(s):  
Root Meristem ◽  
Uranyl Acetate ◽  
Particulate Material ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Cell Organelles ◽  
Cytoplasmic Matrix ◽  
Golgi Membranes ◽  
Rubus Chamaemorus ◽  
Dense Substance ◽  
Ultrathin Sections

In the course of studies in the root meristem tissue of Rubus chamaemorus L. some important changes in the ultrastructural morphology were observed during the initiation of senescence at the end of the growing season.Root meristems were collected from naturally growing healthy populations of Cloudberry plants, and fixed in Karnovsky's mixture or in 2.5% glutaraldehyde in phosphate buffer. The samples were osmicated, dehydrated following usual methods and embedded in Epon. Ultrathin sections were stained in uranyl acetate and lead citrate.Figure 1 shows part of a dense cell in the meristem. The electron density of these cells is due to large amounts of a particulate material in the cytoplasmic matrix. The smallest particle seen in electron micrographs is about 40 A, although larger aggregates are also found, which remain randomly distributed in association with various cell organelles. Dense substance has been found associated with golgi membranes, proplastids, vacuoles and microtubules (Fig. 2).

Dominance determines fish community biomass in a temperate seagrass ecosystem

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Matthius Eger ◽  
Rebecca J. Best ◽  
Julia Kathleen Baum
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Ecosystem Function ◽  
Fish Community ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Fish Communities ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Ecosystem Functions ◽  
Community Biomass ◽  
Ecosystem Valuation ◽  
Species Abundances

Biodiversity and ecosystem function are often correlated, but there are multiple hypotheses about the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Ecosystem functions such as primary or secondary production may be maximized by species richness, evenness in species abundances, or the presence or dominance of species with certain traits. Here, we combined surveys of natural fish communities (conducted in July and August, 2016) with morphological trait data to examine relationships between diversity and ecosystem function (quantified as fish community biomass) across 14 subtidal eelgrass meadows in the Northeast Pacific (54° N 130° W). We employed both taxonomic and functional trait measures of diversity to investigate if ecosystem function is driven by species diversity (complementarity hypothesis) or by the presence or dominance of species with particular trait values (selection or dominance hypotheses). After controlling for environmental variation, we found that fish community biomass is maximized when taxonomic richness and functional evenness is low, and in communities dominated by species with particular trait values – those associated with benthic habitats and prey capture. While previous work on fish communities has found that species richness is positively correlated with ecosystem function, our results instead highlight the capacity for regionally prevalent and locally dominant species to drive ecosystem function in moderately diverse communities. We discuss these alternate links between community composition and ecosystem function and consider their divergent implications for ecosystem valuation and conservation prioritization.

Use of the electro-separation method for improvement of the utility value of winter rapeseeds

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.J. Kovalyshyn ◽  
O.P. Shvets ◽  
S. Grundas ◽  
J. Tys
Keyword(s):  
Corona Discharge ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Edible Oil ◽  
Separation Method ◽  
Utility Value ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Winter Rapeseed ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Discharge Field ◽  
Prototype Apparatus

Abstract The paper presents the results of a study of the use of electro-separation methods for improvement of the utility value of 5 winter rapeseed cultivars. The process of electro-separation of rapeseed was conducted on a prototype apparatus built at the Laboratory of Application of Electro-technologies in Agriculture, Lviv National Agriculture University. The process facilitated separation of damaged, low quality seeds from the sowing material. The initial mean level of mechanically damaged seeds in the winter rapeseed cultivars studied varied within the range of 15.8-20.1%. Verification of the amount of seeds with mechanical damage was performed on X-ray images of seeds acquired by means of a digital X-ray apparatus. In the course of analysis of the X-ray images, it was noted that the mean level of mechanical damage to the seeds after the electro-separation was in the range of 2.1-3.8%. The application of the method of separation of rapeseeds in the corona discharge field yielded a significant reduction of the level of seeds with mechanical damage. The application of the method in practice may effectively contribute to improvement of the utility value of sowing material or seed material for production of edible oil.

Diseases of the kumara crop

2009 ◽  
Vol 62 ◽  
pp. 402-402
Author(s):  
S.L. Lewthwaite ◽  
P.J. Wright
Keyword(s):  
Fungal Pathogens ◽  
Ipomoea Batatas ◽  
Mechanical Damage ◽  
Soft Rot ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Root Surface ◽  
Black Rot ◽  
Rhizopus Stolonifer ◽  
Ceratocystis Fimbriata ◽  
Pink Rot

The predominant diseases of the commercial kumara (Ipomoea batatas) or sweetpotato crop are caused by fungal pathogens The field disease pink rot results from infection by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Lesions form on vines but may spread down stems to the roots The widespread nature of this disease in sweetpotato appears peculiar to New Zealand Scurf is a disease caused by Monilochaetes infuscans which occurs in the field but may proliferate amongst stored roots The disease causes a superficial discolouration of the root surface which is mainly cosmetic but can also increase root water loss in storage Infection by Ceratocystis fimbriata produces a disease known as black rot The disease can be transmitted amongst plants at propagation but is particularly rampant amongst roots in storage This disease is readily transmitted and can cause severe economic loss Fusarium oxysporum causes surface rots in stored roots characterised by light to dark brown lesions that tend to be firm dry and superficial The lesions may be circular and centred on wounds caused by insects or mechanical damage at harvest Soft rot caused by Rhizopus stolonifer generally occurs in roots after they are washed and prepared for the market Fungal infection occurs through wounds or bruised tissue producing distinctive tufts of white fungal strands and black spores

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