Abscission

L'étude fait partie d'un effort de caractérisation de l'autoécologie du wengé, Millettia laurentii De Wild., une essence majeure de la filière bois en République démocratique du Congo (Rdc). Dans cet article sont présentés les éléments relatifs à la phénologie foliaire et reproductrice de l'espèce et les implications de ces résultats pour la gestion. La phénologie de 774 arbres, répartis dans trois concessions d'exploitation forestière de la Société de développement forestier (SODEFOR) dans la région de Mai- Ndombe (258 arbres par site) a été suivie mensuellement pendant 15 mois. Millettia laurentii présente une phénologie foliaire et reproductrice fortement saisonnière. La chute des feuilles et l'apparition des nouvelles feuilles se produisent deux fois par an, respectivement pendant les saisons sèches et au début des saisons pluvieuses. La phénologie reproductrice (floraison et fructification) présente également une forte saisonnalité, avec cependant des di...

L'étude fait partie d'un effort de caractérisation de l'autoécologie du wengé, Millettia laurentii De Wild., une essence majeure de la filière bois en République démocratique du Congo (Rdc). Dans cet article sont présentés les éléments relatifs à la phénologie foliaire et reproductrice de l'espèce et les implications de ces résultats pour la gestion. La phénologie de 774 arbres, répartis dans trois concessions d'exploitation forestière de la Société de développement forestier (SODEFOR) dans la région de Mai- Ndombe (258 arbres par site) a été suivie mensuellement pendant 15 mois. Millettia laurentii présente une phénologie foliaire et reproductrice fortement saisonnière. La chute des feuilles et l'apparition des nouvelles feuilles se produisent deux fois par an, respectivement pendant les saisons sèches et au début des saisons pluvieuses. La phénologie reproductrice (floraison et fructification) présente également une forte saisonnalité, avec cependant des di...

The potential contribution of polyamines (PAs) in the regulation of physiologically induced fruitlet abscission was investigated in cuttings from two cultivars of Vitis vinifera L., Pinot noir (PN) and Merlot (MRT). Abscission was higher in MRT than in PN and was preceded by a decrease in free PA levels. This decline was more pronounced in inflorescences than in leaves of the sensitive cultivar. Soluble conjugated PA showed an opposite trend in both cultivars. This suggests a cause-effect relationship between free and/or conjugated PA levels in floral organs and susceptibility to abscission. Spermidine (Spd), but not putrescine (Put) or diaminopropane, supplied at 0.5–1 mM to the nutritive medium prior to the anthesis, increased free and conjugated PA levels in the inflorescences and markedly inhibited abscission. α-Difluoromethylarginine, an inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase, but not α-difluoromethylornithine, an inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, lowered PA levels and increas...

O uso de água salina na irrigação torna-se importante alternativa diante daescassez de água de boa qualidade em todo o mundo. O pinhão-manso (Jatropha curcas L.) possui baixa exigência hídrica, sobrevive e apresenta produção satisfatória em solos de baixa fertilidade. No entanto, a sua produção é maior em cultivos irrigados, o que reforça a necessidade de desenvolvimento de pesquisas para uso de água salina. Este trabalho objetivou avaliar o efeito de diferentes níveis de salinidade da água de irrigação nas características morfofisiológicas de mudas de pinhão-manso. Para isso, foi conduzido experimento em casa de vegetação com interceptação de 50 % da radiação solar, localizada na Universidade Estadual de Goiás, Ipameri, Goiás. O experimento foi conduzido em vasos com capacidade de 4 L de solo, utilizando-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com quatro tratamentos e cinco repetições. As plantas foram irrigadas diariamente com 150 mL de água não salina, durante os 30 primeiros...

ABSTRACT The dynamics of leaf breakdown in a headwater Colombian stream were evaluated for the native tree species Myrsine guianensis, Cupania latifolia and Nectandra lineatifolia using coarse and fine mesh litter bags. Ten bags of each species (five of each mesh size) were retrieved from the stream at 1, 8, 15, 30, 60 and 120 days. k values ranged from 0.0008 to 0.0058 day–1 and density of macroinvertebrates from 35 to 55 individuals per leaf bag, peaking at day 8. Myrsine guianensis degraded more rapidly than the other species for both coarse and fine mesh bags. This species and Nectandra lineatifolia presented differences in k values between coarse and fine mesh bags, suggesting that macroinvertebrates influenced the decay rate. Despite the low densities of macroinvertebrates found, shredders represented 12.7% of individuals and 50 to 68% of the invertebrate biomass in bags, indicating that this functional feeding group was an important component of fauna associated with litter breakdown in this first order tropical stream.

This study assessed the effect of nutrient enrichment on rates of decomposition, ergosterol concentrations (as a measure of fungal biomass), and rates of fungal sporulation of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativaMiller) leaves in a 3rd order stream (Central Portugal), with medium to high background values of nutrients. Coarse and fine mesh leaf bags were attached to nutrient diffusing substrata containing NaNO3, KH2PO4, both nutrients, or no additions. Leaf breakdown rates were similar in the four treatments and in the two mesh sizes (k=)0.0155 to)0.0219 day)1). Phosphorus content of P or N+P enriched leaves was higher than in the other treatments after 28 days, but there were no differences in N concentrations. Ergosterol concentrations associated with decomposing leaves were similar among treatments. The peak sporulation rates of aquatic hyphomycetes were stimulated by the addition of N+P and N but not by P alone. Results from the experiment provide evidence that leaf breakdown in the ...

Fungal cytokinesis requires the assembly of a dividing septum wall. In yeast, the septum has to be selectively digested during the critical cell separation process. Fission yeast cell wall α(1-3)glucan is essential, but nothing is known about its localization and function in the cell wall or about cooperation between the α- and β(1-3)glucan synthases Ags1 and Bgs for cell wall and septum assembly. Here, we generate a physiological Ags1-GFP variant and demonstrate a tight colocalization with Bgs1, suggesting a cooperation in the important early steps of septum construction. Moreover, we define the essential functions of α(1-3)glucan in septation and cell separation. We show that α(1-3)glucan is essential for both secondary septum formation and the primary septum structural strength needed to support the physical forces of the cell turgor pressure during cell separation. Consequently, the absence of Ags1 and therefore α(1-3)glucan generates a special and unique side-explosive cell separation due to an instantaneous primary septum tearing caused by the turgor pressure.

An abscission agent (5-chloro-3-methyl-4-nitro-1H-pyrazole [CMNP]) at 300 mg· L–1 in a volume of 2810 L· ha–1 was applied to Valencia orange trees [Citrus sinensis (L.) Osb.] on 22 May 2004. At this time, immature and mature fruit were present on the tree ...

In citrus, the relative contributions of chloride and cations to growth disturbances induced by salinity are a matter of controversy. Chloride salts (15 mol m–3 CaCl2, 30 mol m–3 CaCl and 30 mol m–3 KCl) reduced growth and gas exchange parameters, increased leaf damage and abscission and produced anatomical disarrangements and mineral imbalances in seedlings of sensitive Carrizo citrange (Citrus sinensis x Poncirus trifoliata) and tolerant Cleopatra mandarin (Citrus reshni). In both cultivars, Ca2+ was more beneficial, and K+ more detrimental, for growth than sodium. Photosynthesis and growth disturbances were highly correlated (P≤ 0·001) with leaf Cl– build-up. In the sensitive genotype, Cl– was also significantly correlated with several leaf anatomical disarrangements, such as increase in succulence. In comparison with sodium, both calcium and potassium increased leaf Cl– content (up to 25 and 69%, respectively). Protective calcium effects were not linked to improvement of photosynthesis, reduction of leaf anatomical disarrangements, or prevention of Cl– and Na+ increases. It is proposed that the ameliorative effects of calcium on citrus grown under salinity are mostly related to reduction of leaf abscission. Collectively, the data suggest a cause–effect relationship between Cl– build-up and reduced growth, whereas chloride correlations with declines in photosynthesis or increases in succulence appear to be indirect.

Stream shredders play an important role in the breakdown of allochthonous leaf litter—a well-known, key process in temperate headwater streams. In contrast, it has been suggested that litter breakdown in tropical streams is driven by microorganisms, shredders being scarce or absent. We propose that shredders have been overlooked in some tropical streams for two reasons: (1) assuming that tropical shredders belong to the same taxa as temperate ones, without determining the diet of tropical litter fauna; and (2) the small spatial scale of most tropical stream studies, which do not account for intra- and inter-site comparisons. We explored shredder abundance and species richness in six streams in each of two tropical regions, the Australian wet tropics (AWT) and Panama (PAN), finding 734 individuals of 12 shredder species in AWT and 391 individuals of 16 species in PAN. Shredder species richness was positively related to altitude in AWT, but not in PAN. Shredder contribution to total leaf breakdown in the field was 24±3 SE percent in AWT and negligible in PAN, but this was probably due to the unsuccessful colonization of experimental cages by PAN shredders. In the laboratory, shredder contribution to total leaf breakdown was higher than in the field (35%±2 SE in AWT and 64%±3 SE in PAN) and varied with leaf decomposability. Our results support earlier indications that shredders are not scarce or functionally unimportant in the tropics, and suggest that their contribution to litter processing should be determined along altitudinal gradients.En los ríos, los fragmentadores (macroinvertebrados que se alimentan de hojas) cumplen un importante papel en la descomposición de la hojarasca, proceso bien conocido en las zonas templadas. Sin embargo, se ha sugerido que en los ríos tropicales, este proceso es llevado a cabo principalmente por microorganismos, siendo los fragmentadores escasos o incluso inexistentes. No obstante, existe poca evidencia que apoye este patrón latitudinal. Proponemos que los fragmentadores han sido obviados en algunos ríos tropicales por dos razones, relacionadas con la metodología: (1) asumir que los fragmentadores tropicales pertenecen a los mismos grupos taxonómicos que los de zonas templadas, sin determinar la dieta de la fauna que habita la hojarasca apropiadamente, a través de análisis de contenidos estomacales; y (2) la pequeña escala espacial de la mayoría de los estudios tropicales, que a menudo no tienen en cuenta la variabilidad existente entre y dentro de los sitios de estudio. En este estudio exploramos la abundancia y riqueza de especies de fragmentadores en dos regiones tropicales, el trópico húmedo australiano (Australian wet tropics, AWT) y Panamá (PAN), encontrando 734 individuos de 12 especies en AWT y 391 individuos d 16 especies en PAN. La riqueza de especies de fragmentadores varió con la altitud en AWT, aunque no en PAN. La contribución de los fragmentadores a la descomposición de la hojarasca fue, en promedio, de un 24%± 3 SE en AWT e insignificante en PAN, debido probablemente a que la colonización de las cajas experimentales por los fragmentadores fue muy baja en PAN. En el laboratorio, la contribución de los fragmentadores a la descomposición de la hojarasca fue mayor que en el campo (35%± 2 SE en AWT y 64%± 3 SE en PAN) y varió con la capacidad de descomposición de las distintas especies de hojas. Nuestros resultados confirman previas indicaciones de que los fragmentadores no son escasos, y son funcionalmente importantes, en los trópicos, y que es necesario determinar cuál es su contribución al procesamiento de la hojarasca a través de gradientes altitudinales.

Abstract:[fr] L'étude fait partie d'un effort de caractérisation de l'autoécologie du wengé, Millettia laurentii De Wild., une essence majeure de la filière bois en République démocratique du Congo (Rdc). Dans cet article sont présentés les éléments relatifs à la phénologie foliaire et reproductrice de l'espèce et les implications de ces résultats pour la gestion.