Monocharacter growth form types as a tool in an analytic-synthetic study of growth forms in mediterranean type ecosystems — A proposal for an inter-regional program

1982 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guni Orshan
1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Dionne ◽  
Carol L. Folt

In this laboratory study we measured the independent effects of macrophyte growth form, plant density, and prey abundance on the foraging rate of the pumpkinseed sunfish (Lepomis gibbosus). We demonstrate that macrophyte growth forms are not all similar in their effects on fish foraging. Prey capture rates of pumpkinseeds foraging among Scirpus validus (cylindrical stems) were 53 and 365% times greater than for Potamogeton amplifolius (leafy stems) for cladoceran (Sida crystallina) and larval damselfly (Coenagrionidae) prey, respectively. Plant growth form influenced prey capture rates more than charges in natural plant density. Plant density effects ranged from none on damselfly capture rates to a 29% decline in cladoceran capture rate over a twofold increase in plant density. Our results indicate that in plant-structured habitats, variation in plant growth form can be an important determinant of fish foraging and habitat associations.


PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e1984 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Swierts ◽  
Mark JA Vermeij

Turf algae are becoming more abundant on coral reefs worldwide, but their effects on other benthic organisms remain poorly described. To describe the general characteristics of competitive interactions between corals and turf algae, we determined the occurrence and outcomes of coral–turf algal interactions among different coral growth forms (branching, upright, massive, encrusting, plating, and solitary) on a shallow reef in Vietnam. In total, the amount of turf algal interaction, i.e., the proportion of the coral boundary directly bordering turf algae, was quantified for 1,276 coral colonies belonging to 27 genera and the putative outcome of each interaction was noted. The amount of turf algal interaction and the outcome of these interactions differed predictably among the six growth forms. Encrusting corals interacted most often with turf algae, but also competed most successfully against turf algae. The opposite was observed for branching corals, which rarely interacted with turf algae and rarely won these competitive interactions. Including all other growth forms, a positive relationship was found between the amount of competitive interactions with neighboring turf algae and the percentage of such interaction won by the coral. This growth form dependent ability to outcompete turf algae was not only observed among coral species, but also among different growth forms in morphologically plastic coral genera (Acropora, Favia, Favites, Montastrea, Montipora, Porites) illustrating the general nature of this relationship.


1979 ◽  
Vol 57 (21) ◽  
pp. 2353-2373 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. M. Lieu

A comparative morphological study of Sagittaria lancifolia and Butomus umbellatus over their life cycles was undertaken. The two are very similar in adult form, characterized by apical bifurcation to form inflorescence and continuation growth as in other members of the Alismatidae.and also by rhizomatous growth with a subterminal apex. Embryo and seedling stages in S. lancifolia are comparable to other members of the Alismataceae previously studied. Rhizomatous form and bilateral symmetry are secondarily acquired during ontogeny. The inflorescence is leaf opposed and S. lancifolia is organizationally similar to other species of Alismataceae with upright vegetative axes. From this, a sympodial interpretation of the rhizome may be made. In contrast, the bilaterally symmetric growth form in Butomus is manifested from the start. The leaf-subtended inflorescence and other features of organization suggest that it cannot easily be compared with S. lancifolia or other members of Alismataceae. Here, a stronger case may be made for a monopodial construction. Axillary bud distributions support these conclusions. In addition, both species branch by a relatively precocious lateral bud associated topographically with the inflorescence.


Author(s):  
Maya A. Zomer ◽  
Paul M. Ramsay

AbstractQuestionsFire suppression policies have been widely adopted in the páramo grasslands of the northern Andes to protect their biodiversity and ecosystem services. Páramos have been regularly burned for many years, and it is not clear how páramo vegetation will respond to significant changes in their fire regimes. This study investigates differences in plant growth form composition, light levels and soil temperatures in páramo plots representing a range of recovery times since the last fire.LocationReserva Ecológica El Ángel and La Bretaña Nature Reserve, Carchi, Northern Ecuador.MethodsWe assessed the frequency of ten páramo growth forms, vegetation height, soil temperature, and light intensity in fifteen fire sites with historical records of fire (<1 – 15 years since fire), and one recently unburned site (at least 40 years since fire). A chronosquence of sites was used to assess potential changes in plant community composition in post-fire succession of páramo.ResultsThe recovery of páramo vegetation after fire comprised three phases: initial recruitment with high growth form diversity, followed by reduced diversity, light and soil temperatures in dense tussock vegetation, and ultimately canopy height stratification with a return of diversity. All but one plant growth forms were represented in each of the three phases, and the changes reflected differences in relative abundance.ConclusionsPost-fire páramo succession is characterized by clear shifts in the relative abundance of plant growth forms, ending with (co-)dominance of upright shrubs. The long-term consequences of such shifts for biodiversity and ecosystem function, given the widespread adoption of fire suppression policies in the páramo need careful, evidence-based consideration.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abebe Ayele Haile

Many studies on medicinal plants have been taking place in different parts of Ethiopia and the people use them for the preparation of traditional herbal medicine. The purpose of the current study is to review the assessment of the medicinal plants used in Ethiopia, to compile the components used, the method of preparation, the medical uses, and the compilation of the number of medicinal plants in 2015–2020. This review paper took place in the years 2015 to 2020 from the published papers. Various databases, such as Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar, have been searched. The data were analyzed using frequency, percentages, charts, and numbers using the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet 2010. In Ethiopia, a total of 4,007 medicinal plants were identified from different areas by different authors in the years 2015–2020. But, from this total number of identified medicinal plants, there was a similarity between types of plant species. Therefore, this total result has present similarities in plant species and types found in different areas. In 2015, a total of 1,062 medicinal plants were identified from different areas by different authors. Similarly, 315, 613, 944, 341, 732 medicinal plants were identified by different authors in different study areas in the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. The years 2015 and 2018 were the years many plants of medicinal value were documented. The growth forms of medicinal plants were analyzed from 2015 to 2020 in the different study areas with different authors but with the same year and valued for each year and put the average one. To calculate the 2015 growth form of medicinal plants for example to calculate herbs, add all herbs identified by different authors in the same year, and take the average one. This method applied to all growth forms of medicinal plants each year. In all years (2015–2020) the dominant growth forms were herbs. The highest average of growth form was herb in the year 2020 which is 44.2%. In all years the least growth form was a climber. In all growth forms, the parts used for medicine were identified. Add each medicinal plant’s parts in the same year and then take the average for all years. In 2020 year, the traditional healers mostly used leaves (56.3%) for the preparation of remedy. In general, in all year leaves was dominant for the preparation of remedy. Oral and dermal ways of the route of administration were the most important in medicinal plants to treat directly different ailments. The route of administration was varying in percentage from year to year and also, a place to place according to the potential of traditional healers and type of diseases. But, different study areas and years showed that oral administration was the dominant one. In 2019, most of the prepared remedy was taken orally. Crushing was the most important and more cited in the preparation of remedy in the year 2015–2020. Also, powdering, boiling, chewing, concoction, grinding, direct and immediate, chopping, squeezing, decoction, boiling/unprocessed use, liquid form, Homogenizing in water, heating, cooking, smoking, and fumigation are common methods of preparation of remedy. In general, this review highlights the situation of Ethiopian traditional medicinal plants associated with their knowledge from years to years. In addition, this review paper plays an important role in the extraction of potential medicinal plants to discover new drugs through detailed researches in the future.


1981 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wallie H. de Weerdt

The historical background of the taxonomic problems in the fire-coral, Millepora, is reviewed. The growth forms of the Caribbean species: Millepora alcicornis Linnaeus, M. complanata Lamarck and M. squarrosa Lamarck are investigated in relation with environmental factors: water movement, current, light and turbidity. Several sites on Curaçao and Bonaire were visited and all forms of Millepora collected. The localities have been divided in biotopes and the relative frequencies of the growth forms in these biotopes were studied. Some relations between growth forms and environment were found: delicately branched forms appear in deeper, quieter waters, sturdy forms in sites with strong water movement, incrusting forms in turbid and also in turbulent sites. At sites with strong current Millepora corals are most abundant. The effect of transplantations on the growth forms of the three species has been studied. The transplantations caused changes in the growth form, which was most conspicuous in M. complanata.


1999 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229
Author(s):  
Teresa Valverde ◽  
Irene Pisanty

The architecture resulting from the iteration of modules during plant growth affects resource capture. Phalanx and guerrilla growth forms have been described as ends of a continuum regarding the spacing of modules in plants. In this study we investigated the growth form of the perennial, tussock-forming grass Schizachyrium scoparium Michx. var. littoralis (Nash) Hitchc. in three dune microhabitats at El Morro de la Mancha, southeastern Mexico: a mobile, a semi-mobile, and a stabilized site. We followed the growth of 15 genets at each site for two consecutive years and found that daughter-tussock formation was more frequent in the stabilized than in the semi-mobile or the mobile sites. Individual tussocks had a higher number of tillers in the mobile site than in the other two. Tiller production occurred within parental tussocks in the mobile site and in the form of daughter tussocks in the stabilized site. Reciprocal transplants suggested that phenotypic plasticity was responsible for the differences observed. Fertilization enhanced tiller production within parental tussocks but did not affect daughter tussock formation. Clearing experiments resulted in enhanced tiller production within tussocks. In these experiments, daughter-tussock production did not occur directionally towards nutrient-rich microsites. It appears that S. scoparium tillers are spaced at longer distances when resources are scarce and intraclonal competition is severe.Key words: clonal growth, growth form, nutrient availability, phalanx-guerrilla continuum.


2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 437 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Harvey ◽  
F. L. Bird

Rhodolith beds are aggregations of free-living non-geniculate coralline red algae (Corallinales, Rhodophyta), with a high biodiversity of associated organisms. This is the first detailed study of a rhodolith-bed community from the cold-temperate waters of southern Australia. This bed, located at 1–4-m depth in Western Port, Victoria, is composed of four rhodolith-forming species (Hydrolithon rupestre (Foslie) Penrose, Lithothamnion superpositum Foslie, Mesophyllum engelhartii (Foslie) Adey and Neogoniolithon brassica-florida (Harvey) Setchell & Mason). M. engelhartii has a foliose growth form and the other three species have fruticose growth forms. Detailed descriptions are provided for all species, allowing reliable identification. Comparisons with other rhodolith beds and reported rhodolith-forming species, both in Australia and worldwide, are also provided. The invertebrate cryptofaunal community was quantified for two rhodolith-forming species. The density of cryptofauna inhabiting foliose and fruticose rhodolith growth forms did not differ significantly and neither did abundance of individual phyla. Mean density of fauna was 0.4 invertebrates cm–3, the majority of which were polychaete worms. Comparisons of fauna associated with other rhodolith beds are also provided. A study of the vitality of the rhodolith bed showed dead rhodoliths are more abundant than live rhodoliths. Possible reasons for reduced bed vitality are explored.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masashi Ohara ◽  
Yoshiya Shimamoto

Ecological and demographic characteristics of two morphologically distinct forms of Glycine soja, namely, the twining and branching forms, were investigated in a riverbank habitat. Besides the morphological difference, the ecological distribution and reproductive characteristics for the two forms were also distinctive. The branching form occurred on the open riverside, while the twining form was found in shady, moist inland areas. The branching form had a much larger individual plant biomass and produced more pods and seeds than the twining form. However, the branching form occurred less frequently because of the high mortality it suffered after flooding and the high percent dormancy of seed in the unpredictably disturbed riverside conditions. Despite its lower seed productivity, the twining form was dominant in stable and predictable inland habitats because of its high percent germination and its subsequent high percent survival. The two growth forms of G. soja clearly represent reproductive and ecological differentiation in relation to environmental stability. Key words: disturbance, Glycine, growth form, hard-coatedness, mortality.


1990 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Rogers

AbstractSurvival strategies of 34 species of lichens from a range of substrata, climates and growth forms were examined using the triangular ordination procedure of Grime. Triangular ordination is apparently an appropriate technique to apply to lichens, all available data falling within a triangle except for two foliicolous species which are probably partial leaf parasites. Statistically significant relationships between survival strategy and growth form, mode of asexual reproduction, substratum preference, family affiliation, and diversity of secondary chemical biosynthetic pathways have been demonstrated.


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