Cold acclimation induced accumulation of phenolic compounds and freezing tolerance in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus

Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, the only freezing tolerant evergreen broad-leaved shrub, local species of the Alashan desert, northwest sand area of China, can survive -30℃ or even lower temperature in winter. In the present study, the secondary products phenolics in A. mongolicus cotyledons were determined to study the effects of phenolics on cold tolerance. Cytochemical localization of phenolics in cotyledon cells was observed by electron microscopy and the content of phenolic compounds was assayed by spectrophotometric measurement. The results showed that the freezing tolerance ofA. mongolicus seedlings increased after acclimation at 2℃ for 14 days, which accompanied the increase of the content of phenolic compounds in cotyledons. Cytochemical observation showed that phenolic deposits were mainly localized in vacuoles and in close proximity to tonoplast, and also in the cytoplasm. The amount and the size of phenolics droplets increased obviously in cytoplasm and vacuoles after cold acclimation, predominantly aggregated along membranes of vacuoles and tonoplast. No phenolic deposits were found in cell walls. As hydrogen- or elec- tron-donating agents, phenolics may protect plant cells against reactive oxygen species formed during chilling or freezing stress and improve the freezing tolerance of cold-acclimated A. mongolicus seedlings.

Effects of climate change on potential habitats of the cold temperate coniferous forest in Yunnan province, southwestern China

We built a classification tree （CT） model to estimate climatic factors controlling the cold temperate coniferous forest （CTCF） distributions in Yunnan province and to predict its potential habitats under the current and future climates, using seven climate change scenarios, projected over the years of 2070-2099. The accurate CT model on CTCFs showed that minimum temperature of coldest month （TMW） was the overwhelmingly potent factor among the six climate variables. The areas of TMW〈-4.05 were suitable habitats of CTCF, and the areas of -1.35 〈 TMW were non-habitats, where temperate conifer and broad-leaved mixed forests （TCBLFs） were distribute in lower elevation, bordering on the CTCF. Dominant species of Abies, Picea, and Larix in the CTCFs, are more tolerant to winter coldness than Tsuga and broad-leaved trees including deciduous broad-leaved Acer and Betula, evergreen broad- leaved Cyclobalanopsis and Lithocarpus in TCBLFs. Winter coldness may actually limit the cool-side distributions of TCBLFs in the areas between -1.35℃ and -4.05℃, and the warm-side distributions of CTCFs may be controlled by competition to the species of TCBLFs. Under future climate scenarios, the vulnerable area, where current potential （suitable ＋ marginal） habitats （80,749 km^2） shift to non-habitats, was predicted to decrease to 55.91% （45,053 km^2） of the current area. Inferring from the current vegetation distribution pattern, TCBLFs will replace declining CTCFs. Vulnerable areas predicted by models are important in determining priority of ecosystem conservation.

Middle and Late Cambrian trilobite communities from Fenghuang (Dama) of western Hunan, China

Middle and Late Cambrian trilobite faunas from the Dama section in western Hunanare are composed of 63 genera and subgenera, 84 species, and two forms of gen. et sp. indetermined. Which include a mixture of cosmopolitan agnostoids and polymeroids. Three new species,Hardyoides damaensis,Meringaspis damaensis and Rhyssometopus (Rodtrifinis) nitidus, are described by present author in 2004. Besides, Erixanium is recognised for the first time in study area, which is significant for biostratigraphical correlation of the Late Cambrian in the Austalo-Asia region. According to distribution regularity vertical, the Middle and Late Cambrian trilobites can be divided into 9 trilobite communities for the Dama section. Based on the trilobite communities analysis, the author concludes that from the east Mt. Lailong to Dama through Fenghuang, further east, reach in Chenxi,the palaeoenvironments were changed from a shallow-water of oxygen-rich (platform margin slope ) into a deep-water of oxygen-poor setting (basin).

A Study on Cold Resistance of Osmanthus Fragrans Cultivars in Kaifeng, China

Low winter temperature is generally recognized as the chief factor limiting the northward distribution of Osmanthus fragrans. O. fragrans has been cultivated in Kaifeng for nearly two decades, yet little is known regarding how well this plant has adapted to the city＇s cold winter. In a city-wide survey, we periodically examined O. fragrans leaves for visible symptoms of freeze damage, then measured leaf soluble sugar content, leaf electric conductivity, palisade layer thickness/leaf thickness ratio, and spongy layer thickness/leaf thickness ratio of several cultivars. The data thus collected were assessed to determine the cultivars＇ cold resistance levels. Our results indicate that the northward distribution of O. fragrans may be limited primarily by low spring temperatures rather than low winter temperatures. O. fragrans Sijigui and Huangchuan Jingui are the most cold resistant O. fragrans cultivars in Kaifeng, China.

Satellite-based Estimates of Canopy Photosynthetic Parameters for an Alpine Meadow in Northern Tibet

Plant photosynthesis is the fundamental driver of all the biospheric functions. Alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau is sensitive to rapid climate change, and thus can be considered an indicator for the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change. However, seasonal variations in photosynthetic parameters, including the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation by canopy(FPAR), the light extinction coefficient(k) through canopy, and the leaf area index(LAI) of plant communities, are not known for alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. In this study, we used field measurements of radiation components and canopy structure from 2009 to 2011 at a typical alpine meadow on the northern Tibetan Plateau to calculate these three photosynthetic parameters. We developed a satellite-based(NDVI and EVI) method derived from the Beer-Lambert law to estimate the seasonal dynamics of FPAR, k,and LAI, and we compared these estimates with the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer(MODIS) FPAR(FPAR_MOD) and LAI product(LAI_MOD). The results showed that the average daily FPAR was 0.33, 0.37 and 0.35, respectively, from 2009 to 2011, and that the temporal variations could be explained by all four satellite-based FPAR estimations, including FPAR_MOD, an FPAR estimation derived from the Beer-Lambert law with a constant k(FPAR_LAI), and two FPAR estimations from the nonlinear functions between the ground measurements of FPAR(FAPRg) and NDVI/EVI(FPAR_NDVI and FPAR_EVI). We found that FPAR_MOD seriously undervalued FPARg by over 40%. Tower-based FPAR_LAI also significantly underestimated FPARg by approximately 20% due to the constant k(0.5) throughout the whole growing seasons. This indicated that using FPAR_LAI to validate the FPAR_MOD was not an appropriate method in this alpine meadow because the seasonal variation of k ranged from 0.19 to 2.95 in this alpine meadow. Thus, if the seasonal variation of k was taken into consideration, both FPAR_NDVI and FPAR_EVI provided better descriptions, with negligible overestimates of less than 5% of FAPRg(RMSE=0.05), in FPARg estimations than FPAR_MOD and FPAR_LAI. Combining the satellite-based(NDVI and EVI) estimations of seasonal FPAR and k, LAI_NDVI and LAI_EVI derived from the Beer-Lambert law also provided better LAIg estimations than LAI_MOD(less than 30% of LAIg). Therefore, this study concluded that satellite-based models derived from the Beer-Lambert law were a simple and efficient method for estimating the seasonal dynamics of FPAR, k and LAI in this alpine meadow.

Origin area and migration route: Chloroplast DNA diversity in the arctic-alpine plant Koenigia islandica

The Hengduan Mountains(henceforth H-D Mountains) on the Tibet Plateau are a distribution and diversity center for many alpine genera. We examine patterns of genetic variation in an arctic-alpine plant to evaluate the possibility that the H-D Mountains constitute the area of origin of the species as well as to uncover postglacial migration routes. 220 individuals of the arctic-alpine plant Koenigia islandica were sampled from 26 populations distributed in western China and northern Finland. DNA haplotypes were identified using restriction site analysis of two chloroplast DNA intergene spacer regions, atpB-rbcL and trnL-trnF. We examined the geographical distribution of haplotype diversity in relation to latitude, and also compared various indices of diversity in putatively glaciated and unglaciated regions. Patterns of migration were inferred using nested clade analysis. A total of 25 haplotypes were detected. High haplotype diversity was found in the H-D Mountains. H3 and its radiated haplotypes were distributed in the Himalayas. Two haplotypes were fixed concurrently in the H-D Mountains and northern Finland. High genetic diversity of K. islandica and high species diversity of K. islandica are expected in the origin area. Our observations suggest that the H-D Mountains are not only the place of origin of K. islandica, but also the refugia for K. islandica on the Tibet Plateau. What is more, the migration route for the arctic-alpine plant K. islandica must have originated in the region defined by the H-D Mountains in western China extending northward to the Arctic circumpolar, and moved westward along the Himalayas, then northward across the Altay Mountains and the Central Siberian Plateau at different time periods.