DOCSLIB.ORG

Foliar Carbon and Nitrogen Content and Stable Isotopic Composition of Selected Philippine Flora

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Foliar Carbon and Nitrogen Content and Stable Isotopic Composition of Selected Philippine Flora Philippine Journal of Science 150 (S1): 539-550, Special Issue on Biodiversity ISSN 0031 - 7683 Date Received: 04 Oct 2020 Foliar Carbon and Nitrogen Content and Stable Isotopic Composition of Selected Philippine Flora Roland V. Rallos*, Gerald P. Dicen, Andrea Luz G. Nery, and John Leonard R. Labides Agriculture Research Section Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PNRI) Commonwealth Ave., Diliman, Quezon City National Capital Region 1101 Philippines The elemental carbon and nitrogen content, as well as the stable isotopic composition of plants, can provide information on their nutrient dynamics and physiological characteristics. With applications ranging from paleoecology to ecological modeling, this information is critical in biodiversity conservation and management especially for highly dynamic ecosystems such as the Philippines’. Here, we determined the carbon and nitrogen content and their stable isotopic ratios in selected Philippine flora across different classifications and photosynthetic pathways. Fully developed leaves from different species of grasses, succulents, shrubs, and trees were collected and analyzed using isotope ratio mass spectrometry for carbon and nitrogen concentration and stable isotopic composition. Our results showed that trees had the highest carbon and nitrogen content, while grasses that utilized the C4 photosynthetic pathway were most efficient in terms of nutrient utilization as evidenced by their high C/N ratios. Foliar stable carbon isotopic composition of the surveyed Philippine flora was an excellent measure for distinguishing among photosynthetic pathways. The stable nitrogen isotopic composition was not distinct across plant classifications and showed indications of being sensitive to environmental factors, thus limiting its use for phylogenetic tracing. Our findings thus indicate that foliar carbon and nitrogen content and stable isotopic composition provide insights that cannot be easily achieved with other measurements. Keywords: carbon, isotope ratio mass spectrometry, nitrogen, photosynthesis, Philippine flora, stable isotopes INTRODUCTION development, and biochemical functioning. In addition, plant C and N are also critical for ecological processes Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) are essential elements in all such as energy flow and nutrient cycling, while the C/N living organisms, and their metabolism is closely linked ratio is an indicator of N use efficiency (NUE) and an (Raven et al. 2004). For plants, C and N are crucial for input variable for many ecological and ecosystem models fundamental cellular activities (Coruzi and Bush 2001; (Zhang et al. 2020). Zheng 2009), which make them essential for plant growth, Information on plant isotopic compositions is essential in *Corresponding Author: [email protected] predicting future patterns of many ecosystem processes 539 Philippine Journal of Science Rallos et al.: Stable Isotopic Composition Vol. 150 No. S1, Special Issue on Biodiversity of Philippine Flora and functions (e.g. primary productivity, C and N characterizing plant functional groups and photosynthetic sequestration, nutrient fluxes). Likewise, it is also used pathways (Descolas-Gros and Schölzel 2007; Cernusak to trace the plant's geographic origin and is an important et al. 2013), stable isotopes analysis can also be used to tool in forensic settings from an ecological perspective determine the diet of animals (Dalerum and Angerbjörn (Chesson et al. 2018). The stable isotopic composition 2005; Hopkins and Ferguson 2012) to make sense of their of plants depends on the source of their nutrition and movement and habitat (Hobson 1999, 2007; Bowen et al. the conditions involved in their uptake. To some extent, 2005) and is, therefore, useful in biodiversity conservation information on the processes involved in the transport and management (Walter et al. 2014). In the soil, being a and transformation of plant-derived materials is preserved huge repository of dead organic materials, stable isotopes in their stable isotope ratios (Marshall et al. 2007). For are a useful proxy for studying both long-term and short- this reason, the stable isotopes in organic materials term biogeochemical dynamics in the environment. For – in conjunction with their corresponding elemental example, the stable C and N isotope ratios can be used composition – can be considered as natural environmental to provide a mechanistic understanding of the long- tracers (Michener and Lajtha 2007). Thus, stable isotope term C storage in mangroves (Dicen et al. 2019) and in measurement has become one of the indispensable tools elucidating the effect of burning on soil organic matter used in ecological studies. biodegradability (Dicen et al. 2020). However, in all the applications, prior data on the isotopic composition of Leaf stable C isotope ratios vary based on how different relevant flora must be available as they are central to the photosynthetic pathways discriminate against heavier inter-trophic cycling of elements, especially C and N. C atoms (Farquhar et al. 1989; Cernusak et al. 2013). The C3 photosynthetic pathway tends to discriminate Studying tropical ecosystems, which are extremely diverse heavier CO2 molecules as compared with the C4 and dynamic, such as the Philippines’ can greatly benefit photosynthetic pathway – as a factor of the ratio of its from stable isotopes measurement. Consolidated stable intracellular and ambient CO2 concentration, water use isotope data from this study and other similar reports can efficiency, coordination between stomatal conductance then be used to generate isotope landscape, or isoscapes, and photosynthesis, and leaf area adjustment (Cernusak which is a very useful tool for data interpretation in et al. 2013). ecological and forensic studies. However, no study has been done on the stable isotope composition of diverse On the other hand, stable N isotope ratios in plants are Philippine flora to date. In this study, we determined reflective of the short-term dynamics in N cycling within the C and N content and their stable isotopic ratios in ecosystems (Ometto et al. 2006; Craine et al. 2015). For selected Philippine flora, across different classifications instance, microbial activities spell the difference in leaf and photosynthetic pathways. In addition, we explored stable isotope composition between temperate and tropical patterns that emerged from the relationships among plants (Martinelli et al. 1999), as well as the difference measured parameters. between leguminous and non-leguminous species (Boddey et al. 2000). Spatial, temporal, and climatic factors can also have subtle but otherwise significant effects on the stable C and N isotopic composition of plants (Liu et al. MATERIALS AND METHODS 2008; Ma et al. 2012; Xu et al. 2017). Earlier studies indicated that the measurement of C and N stable isotopic About 10–15 fully developed leaf samples of selected compositions in plants would provide an understanding Philippine flora – classified into grass (n = 17), shrub of the cycling of these nutrients. For example, Garten et (n = 22), succulent (n = 24), and tree (n = 25) species – al. (2008) and Craine et al. (2009) have shown that with were obtained around the Greater Manila Area (GMA), increasing N availability and potential N mineralization Philippines. GMA is the contiguous developed zones through natural N supply or N availability gradients, plant surrounding Metro Manila, including the adjacent stable N isotope ratios have increased. Moreover, stable C provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Bulacan, and N ratios have also been used to investigate the rate of and Pampanga (Figure 1). Grass species were further C sequestration and N cycling under different vegetations classified according to their photosynthetic pathways, and land use (Baldos and Rallos 2019). with n = 4 for C4 grasses and n = 13 for C3 grasses. Soils in the study area were classified under different series Variation in environmental conditions and other with varying fertility levels. The soil in Pampanga area biogeochemical processes can also have a strong influence is under Angeles series with low fertility level, Quingua over the natural abundances of stable C and N isotopes series in Bulacan area, Novaliches series and San Manuel in plants. Knowledge of the different factors that cause series in Metro Manila area, Tagaytay series in Cavite area, variations in stable isotope ratios can, thus, be explored and Calumpang series in Laguna area – which all have for several ecological research applications. Aside from 540 Philippine Journal of Science Rallos et al.: Stable Isotopic Composition Vol. 150 No. S1, Special Issue on Biodiversity of Philippine Flora Figure 1. Map of the sampled area. moderate fertility levels (PhilRice 2010, 2013; Carating by the presence of the catalyst Cr2O3, which was used as et al. 2014). The study area’s mean annual precipitation packing material in the combustion reactor. (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT) based on the WorldClim database (Fick and Hijmans 2017) were 2047 Following combustion, the resulting gaseous products mm and 27.3 ºC, respectively. Leaf samples were collected were allowed to pass through a reduction furnace from the middle part of tree and shrub canopies. Sampled maintained at 650 °C. The reduction column contains trees and shrubs have fully good vigor while sampled copper where the excess oxygen was scavenged by succulents and grasses were not foraged obviously by the reduced
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Flavonoids and Stilbenoids of the Genera Dracaena and Sansevieria: Structures and Bioactivities
    molecules Review Flavonoids and Stilbenoids of the Genera Dracaena and Sansevieria: Structures and Bioactivities Zaw Min Thu 1,* , Ko Ko Myo 1, Hnin Thanda Aung 2, Chabaco Armijos 3,* and Giovanni Vidari 4,* 1 Department of Chemistry, Kalay University, Kalay 03044, Sagaing Region, Myanmar; [email protected] 2 Department of Chemistry, University of Mandalay, Mandalay 100103, Myanmar; [email protected] 3 Departamento de Química y Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto s/n, Loja 1101608, Ecuador 4 Medical Analysis Department, Faculty of Science, Tishk International University, Erbil 44001, Iraq * Correspondence: [email protected] (Z.M.T.); [email protected] (C.A.); [email protected] (G.V.) Received: 18 May 2020; Accepted: 2 June 2020; Published: 3 June 2020 Abstract: The genera Dracaena and Sansevieria (Asparagaceae, Nolinoideae) are still poorly resolved phylogenetically. Plants of these genera are commonly distributed in Africa, China, Southeast Asia, and America. Most of them are cultivated for ornamental and medicinal purposes and are used in various traditional medicines due to the wide range of ethnopharmacological properties. Extensive in vivo and in vitro tests have been carried out to prove the ethnopharmacological claims and other bioactivities. These investigations have been accompanied by the isolation and identification of hundreds of phytochemical constituents. The most characteristic metabolites are steroids, flavonoids, stilbenes, and saponins; many of them exhibit potent analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiproliferative, and cytotoxic activities. This review highlights the structures and bioactivities of flavonoids and stilbenoids isolated from Dracaena and Sansevieria. Keywords: Dracaena; Sansevieria; biological/pharmacological activities; flavonoids; stilbenoids 1. Introduction The taxonomic boundaries of the dracaenoid genera Dracaena and Sansevieria have long been debated.
    [Show full text]
  • Assessment of Photosynthetic Potential of Indoor Plants Under Cold Stress
    DOI: 10.1007/s11099-015-0173-7 PHOTOSYNTHETICA 54 (1): 138-142, 2016 BRIEF COMMUNICATION Assessment of photosynthetic potential of indoor plants under cold stress S.M. GUPTA+, A. AGARWAL, B. DEV, K. KUMAR, O. PRAKASH, M.C. ARYA, and M. NASIM Molecular Biology and Genetic Engineering Laboratory, Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research, Goraparao, P.O.-Arjunpur, Haldwani, Dist.-Nainital (UK) – 263 139, India Abstract Photosynthetic parameters including net photosynthetic rate (PN), transpiration rate (E), water-use efficiency (WUE), and stomatal conductance (gs) were studied in indoor C3 plants Philodendron domesticum (Pd), Dracaena fragans (Df), Peperomia obtussifolia (Po), Chlorophytum comosum (Cc), and in a CAM plant, Sansevieria trifasciata (St), exposed to various low temperatures (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25C). All studied plants survived up to 0ºC, but only St and Cc endured, while other plants wilted, when the temperature increased back to room temperature (25C). The PN declined rapidly with –2 –1 the decrease of temperature in all studied plants. St showed the maximum PN of 11.9 mol m s at 25ºC followed by Cc, –2 –1 Po, Pd, and Df. E also followed a trend almost similar to that of PN. St showed minimum E (0.1 mmol m s ) as compared to other studied C3 plants at 25ºC. The E decreased up to ~4-fold at 5 and 0ºC. Furthermore, a considerable decline in WUE was observed under cold stress in all C3 plants, while St showed maximum WUE. Similarly, the gs also declined gradually with the decrease in the temperature in all plants.
    [Show full text]
  • No. 34 March 2016
    No. 34 March 2016 Sansevieria 34/2016 pages 14 - 26 The Genus Sansevieria: An Introduction to Molecular (DNA) Analysis and Preliminary Insights to Intrageneric Relationships Andrew S. Baldwin*, Robert H. Webb** *Department of Life Science, Mesa Community College, Mesa, Arizona **School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona Contact: [email protected] All photos by the Author Summary species? So, in this article, pretend that the genus San- Molecular biology, particularly as it involves the analysis sevieria, and the use of molecular biology, is on trial and of DNA, is growing in importance within plant taxon- you are the jury: will you vote for conviction or acquittal? omy to resolve how families and genera are related and to even resolve plant species from one another. Here, we Biogeography review some of the concepts of molecular biology with As the readers of this journal are well aware, Sansevieria an emphasis on how it may help to unravel certain long- is a cosmopolitan genus that occurs in Africa, the Middle debated issues within the genus Sansevieria as well as the East, and the Asian subcontinent. The diversity in form placement of this genus among other related genera. We is rather astonishing, ranging from tiny little plants, provide some preliminary data and offer a few insights some with stout, spiky leaves and others with thin, flat but caution against jumping to any conclusions about ones, to formidable shrubs 2-4 m in height. What holds Sansevierias without considerable additional data. this group of plants together within the genus Sansevier- ia are the similar flowers and seeds, but some believe that Introduction the flowers and seeds aren’t so unique to exclude larger, A well-respected succulent plant and cactus collector related plants currently within the genus Dracaena (Bos, and researcher from England reportedly refers to DNA 1984), and some molecular data bear this out (Lu and as “Damned Nasty Answers” because he doesn’t particu- Morden, 2014).
    [Show full text]
  • Florida Foliage House Plant Care: Adenium Swazicum1 R
    ENH1238 Florida Foliage House Plant Care: Adenium swazicum1 R. J. Henny and J. Chen2 Introduction Adenium swazicum is a species of desert rose whose gray- green leaves appear folded and are velvety to touch (Figure 1). It is sought after by collectors for its graceful, weeping branches and delicate flowers that occur in various shades of pink (Figure 1 and 2). Adenium swazicum is a smaller plant with weaker branches and stems compared to other Adenium species such as Adenium obesum or Adenium arabicum. Figure 2. A light pink flowering form of Adenium swazicum in a 10-inch pot. Credits: R. J. Henny, UF/IFAS Common Name Desert rose Scientific Name Adenium swazicum Plant Family Apocynaceae (the dogbane family) Figure 1. A dark pink flowering form of Adenium swazicum in a 10-inch pot. Credits: R. J. Henny, UF/IFAS 1. This document is ENH1238, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date April 2014. Reviewed April 2020. Visit the EDIS website at https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. R.J. Henny, professor; and J. Chen, professor; Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Apopka, FL 32703. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other UF/IFAS Extension publications, contact your county’s UF/IFAS Extension office.
    [Show full text]
  • Pachypodium Namaquanum (Wyley Ex Harv.) Family: Apocynaceae Welw
    TAXON: Pachypodium SCORE: -4.0 RATING: Low Risk namaquanum (Wyley ex Harv.) Wel Taxon: Pachypodium namaquanum (Wyley ex Harv.) Family: Apocynaceae Welw. Common Name(s): elephant's trunk Synonym(s): Adenium namaquanum Wyley ex Harv. Assessor: Chuck Chimera Status: Assessor Approved End Date: 24 Jan 2017 WRA Score: -4.0 Designation: L Rating: Low Risk Keywords: Succulent, Cactus-Like, Spiny, Slow-Growing, Wind-Dispersed Qsn # Question Answer Option Answer 101 Is the species highly domesticated? y=-3, n=0 n 102 Has the species become naturalized where grown? 103 Does the species have weedy races? Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) - If 201 island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute "wet (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) (See Appendix 2) High tropical" for "tropical or subtropical" 202 Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) (See Appendix 2) High 203 Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility) y=1, n=0 n Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or 204 y=1, n=0 y subtropical climates Does the species have a history of repeated introductions 205 y=-2, ?=-1, n=0 ? outside its natural range? 301 Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Appendix 2), n= question 205 n 302 Garden/amenity/disturbance weed n=0, y = 1*multiplier (see Appendix 2) n 303 Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed n=0, y = 2*multiplier (see Appendix 2) n 304 Environmental weed n=0, y = 2*multiplier (see Appendix 2) n 305 Congeneric weed n=0, y = 1*multiplier (see Appendix 2) n 401 Produces spines, thorns
    [Show full text]
  • Complete Plastome Sequence of Dracaena Cambodiana (Asparagaceae): a Species Considered “Vulnerable” in Southeast Asia
    MITOCHONDRIAL DNA PART B: RESOURCES 2018, VOL. 3, NO. 2, 620–621 https://doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2018.1473740 MITOGENOME ANNOUNCEMENT Complete plastome sequence of Dracaena cambodiana (Asparagaceae): a species considered “Vulnerable” in Southeast Asia Zhi-Xin Zhua, Wei-Xue Mub, Jian-Hua Wanga, Jin-Ran Zhanga, Kun-Kun Zhaoa, Cynthia Ross Friedmanc and Hua-Feng Wanga aHainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresources, Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou, China; bBGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China; cDepartment of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY Dracaena cambodiana (Asparagaceae) is a treelike plant ranging from 3 to 10 m tall. It grows in low-ele- Received 1 May 2018 vation forests (0–300 m) having dry and sandy soils. It is distributed in Southern Hainan Island in China Accepted 2 May 2018 and other Southeast Asian countries (e.g. Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam). The dried resin can KEYWORDS be used medicinally as a substitute for that of Dracaena cochinchinensis. It has been ranked as a Vulnerable (VU) species in China. Here we report and characterize the complete plastid genome Dracaena cambodiana; illumina sequencing; sequence of D. cambodiana. The complete plastome is 156,697 bp in length. It contains the typical plastome; Asparagaceae; structure and gene content of angiosperm plastomes, including two Inverted Repeat (IR) regions of phylogenetic analysis; 26,526 bp, a Large Single-Copy (LSC) region of 84,988 bp and a Small Single-Copy (SSC) region of Asparagales 18,657 bp. The plastome contains 113 genes, consisting of 76 unique protein-coding genes, 30 unique tRNA genes, four unique rRNA genes and three pseudogenes (i.e.
    [Show full text]
  • Cordyline Australis Cordyline Australis, Commonly Known As the Cabbage Tree, Cabbage-Palm Or Tī Kōuka Is a Widely Branched Monocot Tree Endemic to New Zealand
    Cordyline australis Cordyline australis, commonly known as the cabbage tree, cabbage-palm or tī kōuka is a widely branched monocot tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 20 metres (66 feet) tall with a stout trunk and sword-like leaves, which are clustered at the tips of the branches and can be up to 1 metre (3.3 feet) long. With its tall, straight trunk and dense, rounded heads, C. australis is a characteristic feature of the New Zealand landscape. Its fruit is a favourite food source for the New Zealand pigeonand other native birds. It is common over a wide latitudinal range from the far north of the North Island at 34° 25'S to the south of the South Island at 46° 30'S. Absent from much of Fiordland, it was probably introduced by Māori to the Chatham Islands at 44° 00'S and to Stewart Island at 46° 50'S. It grows in a broad range of habitats, including forest margins, river banks and open places, and is abundant near swamps. The largest known tree with a single trunk is growing at Pakawau, Golden Bay. It is estimated to be 400 or 500 years old, and stands 17 metres (56 feet) tall with a circumference of 9 metres (30 feet) at the base. Known to Māori as tī kōuka, the tree was used as a source of food, particularly in the South Island, where it was cultivated in areas where other crops would not grow. It provided durable fibre for textiles, anchor ropes, fishing lines, baskets, waterproof rain capes and cloaks, and sandals.
    [Show full text]
  • BIOEDUSCIENCE Phenetic Kinship Relationship of Apocynaceae
    BIOEDUSCIENCE, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 113-119, 2020 BIOEDUSCIENCE http://journal.uhamka.ac.id/index.php/bioeduscience Phenetic Kinship Relationship of Apocynaceae Family Based on Morphological and Anatomical Characters Ahsanul Buduri Agustiar1*, Dewi Masyitoh1, Irda Dwi Fibriana1, Adesilvi Saisatul Khumairoh1, Kurnia Alfi Rianti1, Norma Fitriani1, Muhammad Harissuddin1, Hafidha Asni Akmalia1 1 Pendidikan Biologi, Universitas Islam Negeri Walisongo, Jl. Walisongo No.3-5, Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia 50185 *Corespondent Email: [email protected] ARTICLE INFO A B S T R A C T Article history Background: Biodiversity in Indonesia is so diverse, including in Apocynaceae plants, that is why Received: 20 Apr 2020 it is essential to study the kinship relationship to find out the kinship of Apocynaceae. The purpose Accepted: 01 Des 2020 of this study was to determine phenetic kinship through morphological and anatomical evidence Published: 31 Des 2020 from four members of the Apocynaceae family. Methods: The method used in this research is a descriptive qualitative and quantitative method. The indicators used are morphological features of Keywords: the stems, leaves, and flowers and the stomata's anatomical features. The samples in this study were four Apocynaceae family members species, including Adenium obesum, Plumeria rubra, Adenium obesum Catharanthus roseus, and Allamanda cathartica. Results: The result showed that the phenetic Allamanda cathartica kinship Alamanda cathartica had the most distant kinship relationship with a similarity value of Catharanthus roseus 31% compared to the other three species in the family Apocynaceae. Phenetic; morphology; Phenetic anatomy; Adenium obesum; Catharanthus roseus; Allamanda cathartica; Plumeria rubra. Plumeria rubra Conclusions: Thus, the familial relationship between species in the Apocynaceae family in terms of morphological and anatomical characters, the closest kinship is Plumeria rubra, and Adenium obesum with a similarity value of 44% and the most distant Alamanda cathartica with a similarity value of 31%.
    [Show full text]
  • Secrets of Succulence Jamie Males* Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
    1 Secrets of succulence 1 Secrets of succulence 2 Jamie Males* 3 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge 4 Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK 5 *Correspondence: 6 [email protected] 7 +44(0)7792992635 8 Date of submission: 22/11/2016 9 Number of tables/figures: 10 Word count: 11 12 Abstract 13 Succulent plants are iconic components of the florae of many terrestrial ecosystems, but 14 despite having prompted fascination and investigation for centuries, they still harbour many 15 secrets in terms of physiological function and evolution. Tackling these mysteries is 16 important, as this will not only provide insights into the dynamics and details of the 17 convergent evolution of a major adaptive syndrome, but also inform efforts to conserve 18 endangered biodiversity and utilise the unique physiological characteristics of succulents for 19 biofuel and biomass production. Here I review advances in the phylogeny and organismal 20 biology of succulent plants, and discuss how insights from recent work in the wider fields of 21 plant hydraulics and photosynthetic physiology may relate to succulents. The potential for 22 the exploration of mechanistic relationships between anatomical structure and physiological 23 function to improve our understanding of the constraints that have shaped the evolution of 24 succulence is highlighted. Finally, attention is drawn to how new methodologies and 25 technologies provide exciting opportunities to address the wide range of outstanding 26 questions in succulent plant biology. 27 2 Secrets of succulence 28 Introduction 29 Succulent plants have been the subject of fascination for centuries, but their relevance as 30 masters of water management has perhaps never been greater than now, as with 31 accelerating global change and pressure on natural and agricultural systems urgently 32 demandings urgent insights into the mechanisms of drought-resistance.
    [Show full text]
  • Evolution Along the Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Continuum
    Review CSIRO PUBLISHING www.publish.csiro.au/journals/fpb Functional Plant Biology, 2010, 37, 995–1010 Evolution along the crassulacean acid metabolism continuum Katia SilveraA, Kurt M. Neubig B, W. Mark Whitten B, Norris H. Williams B, Klaus Winter C and John C. Cushman A,D ADepartment of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MS200, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0200, USA. BFlorida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7800, USA. CSmithsonian Tropical Research Institute, PO Box 0843-03092, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panama. DCorresponding author. Email: [email protected] This paper is part of an ongoing series: ‘The Evolution of Plant Functions’. Abstract. Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a specialised mode of photosynthesis that improves atmospheric CO2 assimilation in water-limited terrestrial and epiphytic habitats and in CO2-limited aquatic environments. In contrast with C3 and C4 plants, CAM plants take up CO2 from the atmosphere partially or predominantly at night. CAM is taxonomically widespread among vascular plants andis present inmanysucculent species that occupy semiarid regions, as well as intropical epiphytes and in some aquatic macrophytes. This water-conserving photosynthetic pathway has evolved multiple times and is found in close to 6% of vascular plant species from at least 35 families. Although many aspects of CAM molecular biology, biochemistry and ecophysiology are well understood, relatively little is known about the evolutionary origins of CAM. This review focuses on five main topics: (1) the permutations and plasticity of CAM, (2) the requirements for CAM evolution, (3) the drivers of CAM evolution, (4) the prevalence and taxonomic distribution of CAM among vascular plants with emphasis on the Orchidaceae and (5) the molecular underpinnings of CAM evolution including circadian clock regulation of gene expression.
    [Show full text]
  • Plant Care Guide Intro
    PLANT CARE GUIDE INTRO Darryl Chang wants to change the way we care for plants. His Instagram handle @houseplantjournal was born of a desire to offer more thoughtful instructions on how to live with and care for plants. To Darryl, plants aren’t simply decoration: they are a biological curiosity that you live with. Rather than depend on generic instructions from a mass-produced care-label, Darryl aims to educate his readers on how to establish an intuitive relationship with their plants. PLANT CARE GUIDE GLOSSARY In his quest to offer more intuitive instructions for plant care, Darryl relies on the following phrases to better communicate his plant care philosophies. WIDEST POSSIBLE VIEW OF THE SKY (WPVS) Ever read the phrase “bright indirect light” and wondered “what does that MEAN”? Darryl too. Darryl came up with “WPVS” to explain that plants need to be right near a window to flourish. The bigger your window, the better. TOLERABLE As much as we try to be super specific about light, a plant will do well in a huge range of light levels. Darryl uses the word “tolerable” to communicate a condition that will require a bit of monitoring, but that your plant is likely getting what it needs. PLANT CARE GUIDE GLOSSARY SOIL DAMPNESS LEVELS Over and under watering can mean death for a plant. Rather than rely on a weekly watering schedule, Darryl advises to assess the soil dampness before adding more water to one of your plants. Plants don’t adhere to a schedule. WET SOIL PARTIALLY DRY COMPLETELY DRY Brown, dry to touch.
    [Show full text]
  • 413 Genus Gamia Holland
    14th edition (2015). Genus Gamia Holland, 1896 Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1896: 84 (2-107). Type-species: Proteides galua Holland, by original designation. An Afrotropical genus of three large species. Van Someren (1974) recorded the larvae on Arecaceae but, subsequently, this was found to be erroneous, the larvae instead utilize Dracaena (Dracaenaceae) (Congdon & Collins, 1998). Generic review by Miller & Collins, 1997 (Metamorphosis 8 (4): 147). *Gamia abri Miller & Collins, 1997 Gamia abri Miller & Collins, 1997. Metamorphosis 8 (4): 154 (147-159). Gamia abri. Male (Holotype). Left – upperside; right – underside. Mambe, Central African Republic. 16 June 1996. S.C. Collins. Images courtesy T.B. Larsen. Type locality: Central African Republic: “Mambe/RCA/16.6.96/S C Collins.” Described from four males and a single female, from the Central African Republic. Holotype in the African Butterfly Research Institute, Nairobi. Distribution: Central African Republic. Specific localities: Central African Republic – Mambe (TL). Known only from the type locality. Flight period: Recorded in June, July, August and September (Miller & Collins, 1997). Early stages: Nothing published. Larval food: Nothing published. *Gamia buchholzi (Plötz, 1879) Grand Skipper Hesperia buchholzi Plötz, 1879. Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 40: 354 (353-364). 1 Gamia buchholzi. Female (wingspan 33 mm). Left – upperside; right – underside. Bitje, Cameroon. 16 June 1996. NHM Collection, London. Images courtesy T.B. Larsen. Type locality: Ghana: “Aburi”. Diagnosis: Differs from Gamia shelleyi in that the hindwing upperside discal band is narrower and does not invade space 1b (Congdon & Collins, 1998). Distribution: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic (Miller & Collins, 1997), Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya (west), Tanzania (north-west).
    [Show full text]