Differences in physiological integration between invasive and noninvasive introduced clonal species of Carpobrotus

Aims Clonal growth is associated with invasiveness in introduced plant species,but few studies have compared invasive and noninvasive introduced clonal species to investigate which clonal traits may underlie invasiveness.To test the hypothesis that greater capacity to increase clonal growth via physiological integration of connected ramets increases invasiveness in clonal plants,we compared the effects of severing connections on accumulation of mass in the two species of the creeping,succulent,perennial,herbaceous genus Carpobrotus that have been introduced on sand dunes along the Pacific Coast of northern California,the highly invasive species Carpobrotus edulis and the co-occurring,noninvasive species Carpobrotus chilensis.Methods Pairs of ramets from four mixed populations of the species from California were grown in a common garden for 3 months with and without severing the stem connecting the ramets.To simulate the effect of clones on soils in natural populations,the older ramet was grown in sand amended with potting compost and the younger in sand alone.Important Findings Severance decreased net growth in mass by~60%in C.edulis and~100%in C.chilensis,due mainly to the negative effect of severance on the shoot mass of the younger ramet within a pair.Contrary to the hypothesis,this suggests that physiological integration increases growth more in the less invasive species.However,severance also decreased allocation of mass to roots in the older ramet and increased it in the younger ramet in a pair,and the effect on the younger ramet was about twice as great in C.edulis as in C.chilensis.This indicates that the more invasive species shows greater phenotypic plasticity in response to physiological integration,in particular greater capacity for division of labor.This could contribute to greater long-term growth and suggests that the division of labor may be a trait that underlies the association between clonal growth and invasiveness in plants.

Boxing Practitioners Physiology Review: 2. Systemic Responses and Adaptations

The present journal paper is the second of the three parts of a whole boxing practitioners physiology review. It is related to the boxing practice-derived systemic responses and adaptations. The first part of the review has dealt with kinanthropometric parameters, skeletal muscle recruitment and ergometry. The following and third part of the review is going to deal with dietary supplementation, weight control, recovery, altitude, faith, life expectancy, gender and childhood. Search engines and printed documents have helped gather the information that have been commented in the present and second part: responses and/or adaptations relating to 1) metabolism, 2) skeleton, 3) nervous system, 4) endocrine system, 5) cardiovascular system, 6) urinary tract and 7) pulmonary system. Detailed titles and subtitles of this part of the review are found at the end of the journal paper introduction. The main teachings from the present journal paper may be acquired through the consultation of the tables and figures that are positioned in the text, not forgetting the reminders and advice(s) that appear at the end of each of the seven parts of the journal paper (2.1.6., 2.2.2., 2.3.2., 2.4.2., 2.5.4, 2.6.4. and 2.7.3.).

Differential Effects of Ammonium and Nitrate on Growth Performance of Glechoma longituba under Heterogeneous Cd Stress

Water,minerals,nutrients,etc.,can be shared by physiological integration among inter-connected ramets of clonal plants.Nitrogen plays an important role in alleviating cadmium(Cd)stress for clonal plants.But how different forms of nitrogen affect growth performance of clonal plants subjected to heterogeneous Cd stress still remains poorly understood.A pot experiment was conducted to investigate the differential effects of ammonium and nitrate on growth performance of Glechoma longituba under heterogeneous Cd stress.In the experiment,parent ramets of Glechoma longituba clonal fragments were respectively supplied with modified Hoagland solution containing 7.5 mM ammonium,7.5 mM nitrate or the same volume of nutrient solution without nitrogen.Cd solution with different concentrations(0,0.1 or 2.0 mM)was applied to offspring ramets of the clonal fragments.Compared with control(N-free),nitrogen addition to parent ramets,especially ammonium,significantly improved antioxidant capacity[glutathione(GSH),proline(Pro),peroxidase(POD,)superoxide dismutase(SOD)and catalase(CAT)],PSII activity[maximum quantum yield of PSII(F_(v)/F_(m))and effective quantum yield of PSII(ΦPSII)],chlorophyll content and biomass accumulation of the offspring ramets suffering from Cd stress.In addition,negative effects of nitrate on growth performance of whole clonal fragments were observed under Cd stress with high concentration(2.0 mM).Transportation or sharing of nitrogen,especially ammonium,can improve growth performance of clonal plants under heterogeneous Cd stress.The experiment provides insight into transmission mechanism of nitrogen among ramets of clonal plants suffering from heterogeneous nutrient supply.Physiological integration might be an important ecological strategy for clonal plants adapting to heterogeneous environment stress conditions.

Dinosaur Dynamics in an Integrative Model for Rotating Rocks and Deformable Bodies

Present long range interactions for signals, as well as large scale rare phenomena at Earthquakes are subjects of wave dynamics with large impact. Here, that will be addressed in a general (science fiction) format. The method used is based on energy balance for a continuum and kinematics of noncircular orbits, nco. Released vortex formation in a process invoking escape velocity for beamed up Dinosaurs, is modeled with fluid dynamics of a Helix. It is found that elasticity in terms of volumetric changes and vorticities interact giving large velocities and interchange of potential and kinetic energies. The model is an example of atmosphere integrative physiology.

Effects of clonal integration and nitrogen supply on responses of a clonal plant to short-term herbivory

Aims Clonal integration,i.e.resource sharing between interconnected ramets,can help clonal plants tolerate abiotic stress.However,few studies have directly examined the ecological significance of clonal integration in the ability of clonal plants to tolerate biotic stress such as herbivory.Methods We grew clonal fragments of an invasive clonal plant Alternanthera philoxeroides,each consisting of an apical part(relatively young)and a basal part(relatively old),at two levels(low and high)of soil nitrogen(N).For each fragment,the apical part was subjected to either no herbivory or herbivory for 2 weeks by a specialist insect,Agasicles hygrophila,and was either connected with or discon-nected from the basal part not subjected to herbivory.Important Findings Herbivory in the apical part severely reduced leaf growth(leaf mass,leaf number or leaf area)and ramet production of both apical and basal parts,and increased root to shoot ratio of the apical part.Irrespective of herbivory and soil N,stem connection between the apical and the basal part decreased root to shoot ratio of the ap-ical part,but did not change its growth measures.Meanwhile,con-nection increased stem N concentration of the apical part growing under high-N supply and decreased stem carbon(C)concentration of the apical part under low-N supply.By contrast,connection in-creased root to shoot ratio of the basal part,but reduced its leaf and ramet production.Connection also increased leaf and stem C concentrations of the basal part under low-N supply.Thus,clonal integration can be beneficial for the early development of young A.philoxeroides ramets,but not for their local adaptation to herbivory damage by A.hygrophila.

Clonal integration benefits invasive alien plants under water variability in a native community

Aims Many invasive alien plant species are clonal and can greatly propa-gate and spread through clonal integration(sharing resources between connected ramets)in heterogeneous and variable environ-ments.Here,we tested whether water variability influences clonal integration of invasive alien plant species and consequently facili-tates their growth and dominance in a native community.Methods We selected four typical invasive clonal plant species in China.Connected(with clonal integration)and disconnected(without clonal integration)clonal fragments were established either under constant watering or variable watering condition in an experimental native plant community consisting of three naturally co-occurring grassland species.Proximal part of the container received high nu-trient and distal part received low nutrient.Important Findings Clonal integration significantly increased biomass,aboveground mass and belowground mass of invasive alien plants in the proximal ramets,the distal ramets and the whole clone and de-creased the growth of native community.Interestingly,clonal in-tegration significantly increased the growth of invasive plants in variable watering.The positive effect of clonal integration was stronger in variable watering than in constant watering.Invasive plants with clonal integration had high biomass proportion(>0.6)in the whole community.Our results suggest that invasive clonal plants benefit more from clonal integration in variable water en-vironments when established in a native community,and to some extent,clonal integration potentially contribute greatly to the inva-siveness of alien clonal plants when they enter a new community with resource variability.

Soil heterogeneity affects ramet placement of Hydrocotyle vulgaris

Aims Soil heterogeneity is common in natural habitats.It may trigger for-aging responses(placing more ramets and/or roots in nutrient-rich patches than in nutrient-poor patches)and further affect the growth of plants.However,the impact of soil heterogeneity on competitive interactions has been little tested.Methods We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of soil heterogeneity on intraspecific competition with a stolonif-erous herb Hydrocotyle vulgaris.We grew one(without com-petition)or nine ramets(with competition)of H.vulgaris under a homogeneous environment and two heterogeneous environ-ments differing in patch size(large or small patches).In the het-erogeneous treatment,the soil consisted of the same number of nutrient-rich and nutrient-poor patches arranged in a chessboard manner,and in the homogeneous treatment,the soil was an even mixture of the same amount of the nutrient-rich and the nutrient-poor soil.Important Findings Irrespective of intraspecific competition,H.vulgaris showed for-aging responses to soil heterogeneity in the large patch treatment,e.g.it produced significantly more biomass,ramets,aboveground mass and root mass in the nutrient-rich patches than in the nutrient-poor patches.In the small patch treatment,foraging responses were observed when intraspecific competition was present,but responses were not observed when there was no competition.However,we find a significant effect of soil heterogeneity on neither overall growth nor competitive intensity of H.vulgaris.Our results suggest that foraging responses to soil heterogeneity may not necessarily be adaptive and intraspecific competition may not be influenced by soil heterogeneity.