Height growth, diameter-height relationships and branching architecture of Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata in early regeneration stages in Anhui Province, eastern China: effects of light intensity and regeneration mode

To determine the growth strategies during early regeneration stages of two major coniferous species （Pinus massoniana and Cunninghamia lanceolata） in a secondary mixed coniferous forest in the Huangshan region of Anhui Province, eastern China, we examined height growth, diameter-height relationship and the relationship between main stem and lateral branch elongation in saplings, with a particular focus on the effects of light intensity and regeneration mode （seedlings versus sprouts）. When light intensity was sufficiently high, the extension growth of main stems was greater and more positively related to initial size for P. massoniana than for C. lanceolata. The slenderness of the stem form increased in the following order： C. lanceolata seedlings 〈 P. massoniana seedlings 〈 C. lanceolata sprouts. P. massoniana became less slender with increasing light intensity. P. massoniana had shorter branches than C. lanceolata given the same main stem elongation. Growth allocation depended more strongly on light intensity for P. massoniana than for C. lanceolata, with more growth allocated to the main stem under dark conditions. These results suggest that P. massoniana is a typical shade avoider; this species gives priority to extension growth of the main stem, especially when it is shaded. In contrast, C. lanceolata is a shade tolerator; this species allocates more biomass to radial growth of its main stems and to extension growth of branches. Based on these results, the ecological characteristics of P. massoniana and C. lanceolata and the roles of seedlings and sprouts are discussed in relation to stand dynamics of the mixed forests of P. massoniana and C. lanceolata in eastern China.

Assessment of Photochemical Reflectance Index as a Tool for Evaluation of Chlorophyll Fluorescence Parameters in Cotton and Peanut Cultivars Under Water Stress Condition

The relationships between photochemical reflectance index （PRI） and the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were examined to assess suitability of PRI as a remote-sensing tool for the chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using cotton and peanut crops under water stress condition. Five cotton and six peanut cultivars were grown using Andosole soil in pots maintained at two water levels; the control and water stress treatment （WS） of 100 and 50% of the daily transpiration, respectively. Higher non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） was exhibited by peanut than that of cotton by the water stress. On the other hand, the decreases of the actual quantum yield of photosystem II （△F/F＇m） and PRI by the water stress in cotton were larger than those in peanut. There were positively significant correlation coefficients between PRI and △F/F＇m in cotton at noon and in the afternoon including the control and WS. The correlations of PRI with NPQ were negatively significant at noon and in the afternoon for cotton, and in the afternoon for peanut. No clear relationship was found among these parameters in the morning probably due to the diurnal increase in global solar radiation. It was concluded that there would be a possibility to detect the effects of water stress on △F/F＇m and NPQ by PRI with some exceptions, although PRI could not note varietals differences in △F/F＇m and NPQ for each treatment.

Effect of Biogas Digested Liquid on CH_4 and N_2O Flux in Paddy Ecosystem

Biogas production generates digested slurry as a byproduct. It can be used as a fertilizer especially after its conversion into digested liquid. A pot based study was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of the application of digested liquid on CH4 and N2O flux, and plant biomass in paddy. Analysis revealed that digested liquid treated soils released more CH4 compared to ammonium sulphate and the control. Ammonium sulphate treated soil emitted the highest N20 whereas digested liquid application decreased its emission significantly. Further, the cumulative emission over 101 d of the experiment was found to be higher for CHa （16.9 to 29.9 g m^-2） compared to N20 （-49.3 to 18.9 mg m^-2） for all treatments. Digested liquid application had positive impact on plant variables such as panicle number and weight of panicles. This study suggests that digested liquid application significantly decrease N20 emission and increase CH4 emission possibly due to affecting the availability of organic C in the soil to microbial activity for methanogenesis. Another possibility for enhancing CH4 emission by following biogas digested liquid could be attributed to the increase in plant biomass.

Effect of digestive enzymes and pH on variation of bioavailability of green tea during simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion

To exam ine the effect of digestive attributes such as digestive enzymes and pH on changes in phenolic compound content and antioxidant activity during digestion,the bioavailability of green tea infusion was investigated using a simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion model.The total polyphenol content(TPC)decreased to 65%–70%throughout the mimicked normal digestion(MD)compared to the initial value.The total flavonoid content(TFC)decreased to approximately 25%after starting the gastric stage(pH 1.2);however,it regained to approximately 60%in the intestinal stage(pH 6.8).The mimicked digestive condition without digestive enzymes(WOE),which followed only the pH conditions of MD,showed significantly lower TPC and TFC values than MD.The percentage of antioxidant activity based on the initial values indexed by DPPH,ABTS,and FRAP gradually declined from approximately 60%at the gastric stage to approximately 40%at the final digestion stage.Meanwhile,the percentage of residual MIC was around 50%at the gastric stage.However,it gradually increased at the intestinal stage.The significantly lower antioxidant activity showed for WOE than MD throughout the simulated digestion.This study demonstrated that digestive enzymes and pH play a crucial role in the bioavailability of green tea infusion.

Involucre fossils of Carpinus,a northern temperate element,from the Miocene of China and the evolution of its species diversity in East Asia

East Asia has long been recognized as a major center for temperate woody plants diversity.Although several theories have been proposed to explain how the diversity of these temperate elements accumulated in the region,the specific process remains unclear.Here we describe six species of Carpinus,a typical northern hemisphere temperate woody plant,from the early Miocene of the Maguan Basin,southwestern China,southern East Asia.This constitutes the southernmost,and the earliest occurrence that shows a high species diversity of the genus.Together with other Carpinus fossil records from East Asia,we show that the genus had achieved a high diversity in East Asia at least by the middle Miocene.Of the six species here described,three have become extinct,indicating that the genus has experienced apparent species loss during its evolutionary history in East Asia.In contrast,the remaining three species closely resemble extant species,raising the possibility that these species may have persisted in East Asia at least since the early Miocene.These findings indicate that the accumulation of species diversity of Carpinus in East Asia is a complex process involving extinction,persistence,and possible subsequent speciation.

Soil Acidification Stimulates the Emission of Ethylene from Temperate Forest Soils

Soil acidification via acid precipitation is recognized to have detrimental impacts on forest ecosystems, which is in part associated with the function of ethylene released from the soil. However, the impacts of acidification on the cycling of ethylene in forest soils have not been fully taken into consideration in global change studies. Forest topsoils （0-5 cm） under four temperate forest stands were sampled to study the effects of a pH change on the emissions of ethylene and carbon dioxide from the soils and concentrations of dissolved organic carbon （DOC） released into the soils. Increasing acidification or alkalinization of forest soils could increase concentrations of DOC released into the soils under anoxic and oxic conditions. The ethylene emission from these forest topsoils could significantly increase with a decreasing pH, when the soils were acidified experimentally to a pH〈4.0, and it increased with an increasing concentration of DOC released into the soils, which was different from the carbon dioxide emission from the soils. Hence, the short-term stimulating responses of ethylene emission to a decreasing pH in such forest soils resulted from the increase in the DOC concentration due to acidification rather than carbon mineralization. The results would promote one to study the effects of soil acidification on the cycling of ethylene under different forest stands, particularly under degraded forest stands with heavy acid depositions.

Molecular characteristics of S-RNase alleles as the determ inant of self-i ncompatibility in the style of Fragaria viridi

Strawberry(Fragaria spp.)is a member of the Rosoideae subfamily in the family Rosaceae.The self-incompatibility(SI)of some diploid species is a key agronomic trait that acts as a basic pollination barrier;however,the genetic mechanism underlying SI control in strawberry remains unclear.Two candidate S-RNases(S a-and S^-RNase)identi fi ed in the transcriptome of the styles of the self-incompatible Fragaria viridis 42 were con fi rmed to be SI determinants at the S locus following genotype identi fi cation and intraspeci fi c hybridization using sel fi ng progenies.Whole-genome collinearity and RNase T2 family analysis revealed that only an S locus exists in Fragaria;however,none of the compatible species contained S-RNase.Although the results of interspeci fi c hybridization experiments showed that F.viridis(SI)styles could accept pollen from F.mandshurica(self-compatible),the reciprocal cross was incompatible.S a and S b-RNase contain large introns,and their noncoding sequences(promotors and introns)can be transcribed into long noncoding RNAs(lncRNAs).Overall,the genus Fragaria exhibits S-RNase-based gametophytic SI,and S-RNase loss occurs at the S locus of compatible germplasms.In addition,a type of SI-independent unilateral incompatibility exists between compatible and incompatible Fragaria species.Furthermore,the large introns and neighboring lncRNAs in S-RNase in Fragaria could offer clues about S-RNase expression strategies.

Forest characteristics and population structure of Glyptostrobus pensilis, a globally endangered relict species of southeastern China

The Chinese water pine Glyptostrobus pensilis is the sole surviving species of the genus Glyptostrobus. It is endemic to southern China, central Vietnam, and eastern Laos, and today it is nearly extinct in the wild. Forest community characteristics and population structure of G. pensilis in China have remained un-known up to now. We investigated six swamp forest stands and analyzed their forest community characteristics (i.e. vertical stratification, species composition, and diversity) and population structure, including the frequency distribution of DBH (diameter at breast height) and age-classes as found in Fujian Province, southeastern China. The vertical stratifications of all the forest stands were rather simple. The remaining wild specimens ranged from roughly 15 to some 357 years for an average of ca. 85 years, with only a few individuals less than 20 years old. Compared with the stands and populations of G. pensilis in Vietnam, the taxonomic compositions of the stands in the two regions were different, except for the dominant species-G. pensilis. The Shannon-Wiener index showed the overstory of each stand had much lower diversity (0.26 on average) in Fujian Province than that (1.97 on average) in Vietnam, whereas the diversity indices were about the same (around 2.41) for the understories in the two regions. Furthermore, we discovered 18 G. pensilis seedlings at the study sites in Fujian Province. This discovery demonstrates that G. pensilis regeneration is extremely poor and its populations are declining, although these populations are rela-tively healthier than those in Vietnam.

Impact of particle size of pulverized citrus peel tissue on changes in antioxidant properties of digested fluids during simulated in vitro digestion

To examine the effect of mechanical processing for plant-based materials on antioxidant properties during digestion,relationships between the size of pulverized plant tissue and changes in antioxidant activities during simulated in vitro digestion were investigated.The citrus peel tissue was pulverized and classified into four powder fractions followed their particle size distributions as 125−180m,180−355m,355−500m and 500−710m.These fractions were regarded as a plant tissue model with various degrees of cell damages.Powder samples were collected during the digestion and measured their particle sizes and colors.Besides,total phenolic content and antioxidant activities of digested fluid were also evaluated.The results showed that the powder color of smaller particles were significantly changed than the bigger ones.The bio-properties of digested fluid for the bigger particle sizes comparatively retained more than smaller ones at the simulated gastric stage.It also showed mostly stable during simulated gastric or small intestinal digestion stage.This suggested that the release of bioactive compounds from plant tissues during digestion could be related to their structural attributes such as degrees of cell damages which could be affected by processing methods and conditions.

Relevance of Carbon Sequestration to the Physiological and Morphological Traits of Several Green Roof Plants during the First Year after Construction

Different vegetation types used for the extensive green roofs have characteristic physiological and morphological traits (e.g., C3, C4, or CAM photosynthesis, deciduous or evergreen). Several Sedum species are recognized as “inducible CAM” type plants. These differences in the physiological and morphological traits have a considerable effect on the carbon sequestration in the green roofs. The objective of the present study was to quantify the carbon sequestration in several green roof plants during the first year after the construction of the green roofs and to clarify the relevance of the physiological and morphological traits to each plant’s ability to sequester carbon in its body using the growth analysis method. We used Zoysia matrella , Ophiopogon japonicus , and Sedum mexicanum species for the study wherein, S. mexicanum was assigned to the wet, dry, and non-irrigation treatments, and Z. matrella and O. japonicus only received the wet treatment. During the first year after the construction, carbon sequestration in the plants and the substrate of S. mexicanum was in the range of 276 to 364 g-C/m2/year, which was similar to that of O. japonicus and the finding of a previous study. In contrast, Z. matrella exhibited the highest carbon sequestration (670 g-C/m2/year), which is also expressed as the relative plant C-sequestration rate per whole-plant C-content (RGRc), because Z. matrella is a C4 plant and exhibits the highest net assimilation rate (NARc) of all species. Significant differences were not observed in RGRc , NARc , and RMF (root mass fraction) in S. mexicanum between the wet and dry treatments. These results suggest that in countries with high rainfall, a high frequency of irrigation has an insignificant effect on the physiological and morphological characteristics, and carbon sequestration in the Sedum green roofs.

Identification of an AP2 gene related to open flowering in diploid wheat(Triticum monococcum)

Cleistogamy involves the shedding of pollen within an enclosed flower. In barley, this trait is determined by the presence of a recessive allele at the gene Clyl, a member of the AP2 gene family. Here we show that the Clyl ortholog in einkorn （diploid） wheat （Triticum monococcum） TmAP2 shares a similar structure and identical pattern of transcription as Clyl. The transcript abundance of TmAP2 was high in the spike around the time of anthesis, but low in the leaf, plumule and radicle. The TmAP2 transcript was cleaved at its miR172 target site. Flower gaping at anthesis in einkorn wheat is induced by the expansion of the lodicules.

Intraspecific Phylogenetic Relationships of Caryopteris incana in the Tsushima Islands, Japan, Using DNA Sequence Analysis

Caryopteris incana is a perennial shrub distributed in the temperate zone of the East Asia. It is found in West Kyushu in Japan, where it is designated as an endangered species. Tsushima, Nagasaki, which experienced repeated connection and fragmentation between the Korean Peninsula and Japan, is an island on the route along which C. incana moved to Japan from continental Asia. We conducted field work and confirmed the genetic structure of populations using DNA sequence analysis to construct a detailed distribution map and clarify the intraspecific phylogenetic relationships of C. incana in Tsushima Island. We confirmed 72 populations in Tsushima. Using the leaves of individuals cultivated from seeds collected from each natural population, we analyzed the chloroplast and nuclear DNA sequence variations. Among the populations, sequence variations were confirmed in six regions of chloroplast DNA, and six haplotypes, including base substitutions, were distinguished. Two haplotypes were mainly divided at the border of the northern part of the southern island in Tsushima. One population in the northwestern part of the north island showed a haplotype derived from the southern part. This finding revealed that the distribution of C. incana had been artificially influenced. Several haplotypes were confirmed by sequence variations in the northern populations, but only one haplotype in the southern populations, suggesting that C. incana on the north island had separated early from the south island in Tsushima.

Rice Green Revolution and Climatic Change in East Africa: An Approach from the Technical Efficiency of Rainfed Rice Farmers in Uganda

In East Africa where a drastic improvement in food security is an urgent need, rice, a non-traditional crop in most of countries in the region, has emerged as an important food crop that could extend the Green Revolution to the region following the introduction of New Rice for Africa (NERICA) in the early 2000s. Using data collected through a nationwide survey, this paper examines the possibility of rice green revolution by estimating the technical efficiency (TE) of rainfed rice farmers in Uganda and simulates how unfavorable climate changes affect it. The estimated stochastic frontier yield function showed that the mean TE was 65% for lowland and 60% for upland, and that the potential yield of rainfed rice cultivation was as high as 3 t·ha-1. However, the stochastic simulation of rainfall and rice yield revealed that unfavorable climate changes could erase the high potential in crop yield. Rainfed rice cultivation could be a leading sector for realizing Green Revolution in East Africa. It plays a critical role in this process to improve rice farmers’ TE, which is lower in the region than in Asia. Worsening climatic conditions, if occur, make this need even more imperative.

How Do White LEDs’ Spectra Affect the Fresh Weight of Lettuce Grown under Artificial Lighting in a Plant Factory?—A Statistical Approach

Monochromatic light-emitting diode lamps (LEDs), emitting red and blue lights, revolutionized crop production in closed-system plant factories with artificial lighting in the early 1990s. The LED industry developed broad-spectrum white-LEDs by 2010, and many types of white-LEDs for home and office uses are now available for plant factory entrepreneurs. This paper tries to clarify whether these white-LEDs can be used as effective light sources in plant factories by examining what types of spectrum distribution are better suited for plant production. An experiment was conducted using seven LEDs, of which six were white-LEDs, to compare the performance in producing lettuce, and the results were compared with recent studies that used white-LEDs for growing lettuce under closed-system production conditions. Results showed that broad-spectrum white-LEDs performed significantly better than narrow-spectrum LEDs. Among lights in conventional color bands, red and blue lights give critical effects on plant growth, not in isolation but in combination;not too “cool” white LEDs perform better. Green and far-red lights also have some positive effects. Altogether, for a given light intensity, broad-spectrum white LEDs outperform narrow-spectrum LEDs. It is found that the spectrum distribution for white-LEDs to attain high productivity in lettuce production is such that the percentage share of photon flux density by conventional color band falls in the following ranges: 0% < blue < 30%, 0% < green < 50%, 30% < red < 70%, and 0% < far-red < 20%.

Distribution and Phylogeography of Caryopteris incana (Lamiaceae) Based on Chloroplast DNA Sequences in West Kyushu, Japan

Caryopteris incana is a continental plant, transferred to Japan from continental Asia via a land bridge between the Korean Peninsula and Tsushima Islands during a glacial period. It currently grows wild in West Kyushu, Japan. In a previous study, we investigated the distribution of C. incana in the Tsushima Islands and confirmed the genetic structure of populations by using chloroplast DNA sequence analysis, suggesting that different haplotypes were distributed in the same area. Thus, it seemed that populations of C. incana throughout the Tsushima Islands colonized at different times;each haplotype had remained within its population without mixing. In this study, we conducted fieldwork to construct a detailed distribution map in West Kyushu excluding the Tsushima Islands. Additionally, we confirmed genetic structure of the C. incana population in these areas by using chloroplast DNA sequence analysis to study the intraspecific phylogenetic relationship of C. incana in Japan. We confirmed 37 natural populations in 257 locations throughout West Kyushu excluding the 72 natural populations in the Tsushima Islands. We also confirmed a recent decreasing trend in the number of natural populations in the Nagasaki Mainland. Using the leaves of individuals cultivated from seeds collected from each natural population, we analyzed the chloroplast DNA sequence variations. Among the investigated populations, sequence variations were confirmed in six regions of chloroplast DNA, and those haplotypes were mainly classified into two groups distributed in different areas on the phylogenetic tree. This finding revealed that the common ancestor of C. incana in Japan diverged early into two groups, followed by a fragmentation in population distribution for each area. The haplotype network almost reflected the geographical distribution on haplotypes. However, several haplotypes that were distributed in other areas were confirmed in the Nagasaki Mainland, suggesting a complicated distribution formation in the past.

RNAi-Mediated Resistance to Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) in Genetically Engineered Tomato

Cucumber mosaic virus is one of the most constraints to the production of tomato and other vegetable crops worldwide. Here, we generated an RNAi construct containing inverted repeat of 1138 bp fragment of a partial replicase gene of CMV-O and used it to produce transgenic tomato plants expressing CMV-specific dsRNA of the replicase gene. Inoculation of transgenic plants with CMV strain O discriminated three categories of plants: plants that showed complete resistance, which were free of symptoms;highly resistant plants, which had mild symptoms, but later recovered because new leaves that emerged were free of symptoms;and susceptible plants, which showed severe symptoms similar to wild-type plants. The completely resistant lines were selected and challenged with a closely related strain, CMV-Y. Interestingly, the transgenic plant lines either remained immune or showed high levels of resistance to the strain. No virus could be detected in uninoculated new leaves of the resistant lines after RT-PCR and Dot immunobinding assay (DIBA) analyses. We could show that the resistance is correlated with post-transcriptional gene silencing because of the production of transgenic specific siRNA.

Transgenic Tobacco Lines Expressing Yam Mosaic Virus Coat Protein-Derived dsRNA Are Resistant to Yam Mosaic Virus

Yam mosaic virus (YMV), a Potyvirus, is a highly destructive pathogen of yam accounting for yield losses up to 40%. Apart from causing significant reduction in tuber size and quality, it restricts international exchange of germplasms. It thus becomes crucial to get resistant or at least virus-free planting materials for farmers. This study was aimed at inducing resistance to YMV in tobacco by RNA silencing. An RNAi construct containing 161 bp fragment of YMV-coat protein (CP) gene was developed and used to produce transgenic tobacco lines expressing YMV-coat protein (CP) derived double stranded RNA (dsRNA) via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Of the eight T1 transgenic lines inoculated with YMV, six (L1, L2, L3, L5, L7 and L8) showed immunity to YMV as no symptoms were detected, whereas two (L4 and L10) exhibited high resistance with mild symptoms limited to inoculation portions. No virus could be detected in uninoculated new leaves of the transgenic lines after RT-PCR and qPCR analyses of YMV-coat protein (CP). The presence of small interfering RNAs in transgenic lines after virus challenge indicates that the resistance was acquired through RNA silencing.

Consumer Reaction to the Great East Japan Earthquake

Following the Great East Japan Earthquake in March 2011, the demand for bottled water increased sharply. In this paper, the authors analyze who purchased more bottled water after the earthquake using Quick Purchase Report data. The results are as follows： first, consumers who before the earthquake tended to purchase less bottled water tended to increase the volume purchased after the earthquake; second, the motives for purchasing bottled water after the earthquake differed between consumers in the Tokyo and Osaka metropolitan districts.

Triploid Wild Rice (BKK) Strain Found in Bangkok Originated from Hybridizations among Three Parental <i>Oryza</i>Species

A wild rice (BKK) strain showing sterile spikelet and big leaves inhabited at the basin of the Chao Phraya river of Bangkok city, Thailand. The BKK strain was found as a natural triploid and thus its origin has been interested long time. Three different-sized fragments were amplified in RNA polymerase I largest subunit (PolA1) gene, which is a single-copy nuclear gene per haploid genome. Short type (0.14 kb) intron 20 sequence of BKK strain was identical to that of O. rufipogon and O. sativa. Phylogenetic analysis showed that long type (1.5 kb and 1.8 kb) intron 20 sequences of BKK strain were closely related to that of O. longistaminata and O. officinalis, respectively. We analyzed protein tag (Ptag) sequence encoded by exons 19 to 21 of PolA1 gene. Determined three Ptag sequences of BKK strain were identical to that of O. rufipogon, O. longistaminata, and O. officinalis, respectively. Relative DNA content of nuclei in O. officinalis and BKK strain was 1.5 and 1.75 times than that in O. sativa, respectively. And BKK strain contained CentO-C1 repeats, which were unique to O. officinalis. These results indicated that BKK strain comprised three genomes of O. rufipogon, O. longistaminata, and O. officinalis.

Higher palaeoelevation in the Baoshan Basin:Implications for landscape evolution at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau

Surface uplift at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has been widely studied,but more palaeoaltimetry data are required to better understand the elevation history of this geologically complex region.In this study,fossil leaves of Abies(Pinaceae),a cool-temperate element,recovered from the latest Miocene-Pliocene Yangyi Formation of the southern Baoshan Basin,were used as a proxy to estimate the local palaeoelevation.Based on the regional modern altitude range(2100-4280 m)of the genus as well as regional temperature discrepancy(1.5℃)between the past and present,the palaeoelevation of the study area was calculated to be>2360 m above sea level as compared to 1670 m at present.Our result suggests that the southern Baoshan Basin experienced pronounced uplift prior to the time of fossil deposition,probably as a result of crustal shortening and thickening of the northern Baoshan Terrane during the Eocene-Oligocene.We infer that surface growth in areas south of the Dali Basin may have been greater than previously interpreted,and that a widespread plateau or plateau patches higher than 2000 m probably extended southwards into at least the Baoshan Basin by the latest Miocene-Pliocene.We also infer that the elevation of the southern Baoshan Basin has decreased by at least 690 m since then,in contrast to most other scenarios in which the elevation of the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau has increased or remained close to modern levels since the late Miocene.The major cause of the inferred altitude decline is likely tectonic deformation.As a transtensional graben basin,the Baoshan Basin has experienced pull-apart and base-fall movement since the late Miocene,which would reduce the altitude of its southern part located on the hanging wall.Surface erosion associated with the increased summer rainfall might also have played a role especially in reducing the local relief,although its contribution can be limited.Our study provides one of the few palaeoelevation estimates from areas south of the Dali Basin and an example of past elevation loss at the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,thus shedding important light on the landscape evolution of this region.