DOCSLIB.ORG

Water Relationships of Honey Mesquite (Prosopis Glandulosa Torr

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Water Relationships of Honey Mesquite (Prosopis Glandulosa Torr WATER RELATIONSHIPS OF HONEY MESQUITE (PROSOPIS GLANDULOSA TORR. VAR. GLANDULOSA) SAMMY JOE EASTER, B.S. A THESIS IN RANGE SCIENCE Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE Approved Accepted Díealh of tl^ Gradukte School May. 1973 AC 80 S T3 1573 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My sincere appreciation is extended to Dr, Ronald E. Sosebee for his unselfish expenditure of time, dedicated guidance, and continuous support throughout the study. Also, I would like to thank Dr, Billie E« Dahl, Dr. Russell D. Pettit, and Dr. Joe R. Goodin for their helpful comments and timely suggestions. Special appreciation is extended to Dr. Ray Brovm for his help and suggestions on the calibration techniques of the thermocouple psychrometers and porometer and Elaine Holmes for her help on the illustrations. A very special thanks goes to my wife, Sara, and my family for their patience and support; without their help and encouragement this would not have been possible. 11 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ii LIST OF TABLES V LIST OP FIGURES vi I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW . 3 III. METHODS 11 IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 19 Soil Water Relationships. 19 Plant Water Relationships 22 Atmospheric Water Relations and Transpiration. • • . 29 V. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 35 LITERATURE CITED 38 APPENDIX 42 A. MODAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AMARILLO FINE SANDY LOAM SOIL SERIES 43 B. CALIBRATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR THERMOCOUPLE PSYCHROMETERS 44 C. CALIBRATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE LAMBDA POROMETER 4? D. RELATIONSHIP OF ATMOSPHERIC WATER POTENTIAL AND TRANSPIRATION RATES FROM HONEY MESQUITE TREES GROWING UNDER IRRIGATION 52 iii E. RELATIONSHIP OF ATMOSPHERIC WATER FCTENTIAL AND TRANSPIRATION RATES PRCN' HOiiEY KESQUIT" TREES GRÛWING UNDER NON-IRRIGATIO: 53 F. DAILY ENVIRÛNMÎNT. PLANT WATiR PÛTENTIALS. AND TRANSPIRATION THAT EXISTED CN THE IRRIGATED SITE Or ThE STUDY OP Y^SiUITE WATER RELATIONSHIPS 54 G. DAILY ENVIRONMENT. PLANT WATr^R POTENTIALS, AND TRANSPIRATION THAT EXISTED ÛN ThE NON- IRRIGATED SITE OF ThE STUDY ÛF MES^UIT-^ WATER RELATIÛNSHIPS 56 H. NAME OF EQUIPMENT USED AND ADDRESSES FROM WHICH THEY WERE OBTAINED 58 iv LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Average water potentials of the gradient from the soil through the plant into the atmosphere throughout the day on the irrigated site of the study of soil«plant water relationships of honey mesquite. •..«.•.....••• 24 2» Average water potentials of the gradient from the soil through the plant into the atmosphere throughout the day on the non-irrigated site of the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite^ . .••••••• 25 LIST OF FIGURES Figure !• Diagrara of a double-junction Spanner thermocouple psychrometer used in the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite •••••• 13 2^ Installations of thermocouple psychrometers at three different positions in each tree for plant water potential determinations on the irrigated and non-irrigated site of the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite. • • • • 14 3^ Measurement of soil water potential with the Spanner thermocouple psychrometers and the S-B Systems microvolt meter ........•••••• 16 4^ Measurement of plant water potential with the Spanner thermocouple psychrometers and the S-B Systems microvolt meter •••••••••••••• 1? 5» Diffusion porometer used to measure transpiration rates in honey mesquite • • • 18 6. Average soil water potential at various depths for the irrigated and non- irrigated site June 1 through August 28, 1972, in the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite^ ...••••••••••• 20 7, Average soil water content at various depths for the irrigated and non- irrigated site June 1 through August 28, 1972, in the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite^ ••...••••••••• 21 vi 8. The relationship of soil water potential (bars) to soil water content (^) at four depths on the non-irrigated site in the study of soil-plant water relationships of honey mesquite 23 9t Correlation of time of day and water potential at three positior.s in honey mesquite trees growing under irrigated conditions 27 10. Correlation of time of day and water potential at three positions in honey mesquite trees growing under non-irrigated conditions 28 11. Relationship of time of day and transpiration rates of trees growing on the irrigated and non-irrigated site in the study of soil-plant water relationships 32 12. Honey mesquite trees on the irrigated site showing a large number of leaves per tree 34 13. Honey raesquite trees on the non- irrigated site showing fewer leaves per tree 34 14. Thermocouple psychrometer calibration chamber ..... 45 15. Thermocouple psychrometer calibration chamber illustrating position of the moistened filter paper 45 16. Transit time (A t) required per chane^e in microaonperes for various standard diffusion pathleneths (L) of resistance at different teraperatures. ... 48 17. Teraperature dependence of resistance meter sensitivity (S) and of the water vapor diffusivity (D) 50 18. Relationship of leaf resistance (R^) and transit tirae ( A t) 51 vii IE^M>««l CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa Torr. var. glandulosa) has infested about 22 million hectares of Texas rangeland to varying degrees. More than I3 million hec- tares of Texas rangeland are covered by moderate to heavy infestations^(Smith and Rechenthin, 1964). Mesquite varies in growth form from large single stem plants to small multiple stem shrubs. Mesquite generally has a well developed root system which may spread about 22 m laterally and extend to a depth of 53 ra (Phillips, 1963). >/parker and Martin (1952) reported that velvet mesquite (ProsoT)is velutina) can eliminate available soil moisture from an area with a radius of 15 m and 60 cm deep for as long as 73 days during the summer in Arizona and thus prevent development of desirable perennial grasses. Mesquite has been reported to use water inefficiently. McGinnies and Arnold (1930) reported that velvet mesquite required 1725 kg of water in the summer to produce a kg of dry matter, whereas perennial grasses such as blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis) and sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula) required only 387 and 550 kg respectively. When water is available. raesquite uses it extravagar.tly (Wendt, 1966). Yet it is able to survive during lor.g periods of drought and in areas characterized ty less than 15 cm annual rainfall. Thus mesquite must be adapted to a broad raxige of available soil water. A need exists for fundaraental knowledge of plant-soil water relationships in mesquite growing under field condi- tions. Most past work was with seedlings, while the water relationships of mature trees is yet to te establishei, The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the potential for use of psychrometry to study soil-plant water relationships in honey mesquite, (2) to compare soil water potentials with the soil water content of ain area. (3) to measure diurnal water potential gradients in mature mesquite trees, (4) to compare water relationships in mesquite grown under natural (non-irrigated) environmental conditions to mesquite grown on an area that was irrirated throughout the growing season, and (5) to compare differ- ences in transpiration rates of trees grown in both areas. "^^ftilSH.''-'. CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW Mesquite water stress is most often reported to be correlated with percent soil water (Wendt, Hass, and Runkles, I968; Degarmo, I9661 Shimshi, I963). However, an alternate method based on determinations of free energy of water offers many advantages. One advantage of the latter method is that of expressing soil water in terms of the energy required for removal of a unit of water from the soil by plants (Brown, 1970). This energy status has been termed water potential and may be used to describe the state of water in any part of a soil-plant-atmosphere system (Slatyer and Taylor, I960). Stanhill (1957) stated that since plants respond much more closely to the water potential than to the water content of a soil, it is more desirable to know the potential of water than the amount of water in the soil. Soil water characteristic curves for loam soils indi- cate that approximately 50% of total available water is held at approximately -2 bars, while in sandy soils 7Q% of the total available water is held at tensions less than -2 bars (Woodhams and Kozlowski, 195^)« Thus the available water in the sandy soil is extracted much more quickly through evapotranspiration during periods of high potential evapotranspiration. There has been some disagreement about the degree of availability of water to plants in drying soil over the range from field capacity to permanent wilting percentage. Some workers have reported that water is equally available to plants over the entire range (Magness, Degman, and Furr, 1935í Veihmeyer and Hendrickson, 1950). Others have reported water release curves which strongly suggest an exponential or curvilinear depletion of water as a result of increasing soil-water tension (Zahner and Stage, I966). According to Kramer (1949)» disagreement over the degree of availability of water in drying soil exists partially because of differences in water tension-water content relations for different textural grades of soils. In coarse textural soils water tension changes relatively little from field capacity almost to the wilting percent- age. At that point water tension changes sharply to permanent wilting percentage. The water release curves for fine textured soils do not exhibit this shgarp break, indicating that water is withheld from plants with appreciably greater energy. Taylor (I965) stated that the status of soil water potential nearly always differs among soils of different texture, Measurements of soil water energy have merit because they are more directly comparable among different textural classes (Brown, 1970). Beckett and Dunshee (1932) and Kozlowski (19^9) observed that plant processes are markedly influenced by decreasing soil water. Seasonal growth responses of forest trees and most other woody vegetation are more sensitive to fluctuations in soil water than to any other environmental factor (Kramer and Kozlowski, I960).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Global Journal of Science Frontier Research : N Iornment & Arth Science
    Online ISSN : 2249-4626 Print ISSN : 0975-5896 DOI : 10.17406/GJSFR ObtainingofNanoGold EffectsofClimateVariability SustainableWasteManagement BanniGrasslandSocio-Ecosystem VOLUME21ISSUE3VERSION1.0 Global Journal of Science Frontier Research : H E nv iornment & E arth Science Global Journal of Science Frontier Research : H E nv iornment & E arth Science Volume 21 Issue 3 (Ver. 1.0) Open Association of Research Society Global Journals Inc. © Global Journal of Science (A Delaware USA Incorporation with “Good Standing”; Reg. Number: 0423089) Frontier Research. 2021 . Sponsors:Open Association of Research Society Open Scientific Standards All rights reserved. This is a special issue published in version 1.0 Publisher’s Headquarters office of “Global Journal of Science Frontier Research.” By Global Journals Inc. Global Journals ® Headquarters All articles are open access articles distributed 945th Concord Streets, under “Global Journal of Science Frontier Research” Framingham Massachusetts Pin: 01701, Reading License, which permits restricted use. United States of America Entire contents are copyright by of “Global USA Toll Free: +001-888-839-7392 Journal of Science Frontier Research” unless USA Toll Free Fax: +001-888-839-7392 otherwise noted on specific articles. No part of this publication may be reproduced Offset Typesetting or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including Global Journals Incorporated photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without written 2nd, Lansdowne, Lansdowne Rd., Croydon-Surrey, permission. Pin: CR9 2ER, United Kingdom The opinions and statements made in this book are those of the authors concerned. Packaging & Continental Dispatching Ultraculture has not verified and neither confirms nor denies any of the foregoing and no warranty or fitness is implied.
    [Show full text]
  • Mapping Prosopis Glandulosa (Mesquite) Invasion in the Arid Environment of South Africa Using Remote Sensing Techniques
    Mapping Prosopis glandulosa (mesquite) invasion in the arid environment of South Africa using remote sensing techniques NYASHA FLORENCE MURERIWA 0604748V Supervisor: Dr Elhadi Adam A dissertation submitted to the School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the academic requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Sciences March 2016 Johannesburg South Africa Abstract Decades after the first introduction of the Prosopis spp. (mesquite) to South Africa in the late 1800s for its benefits, the invasive nature of the species became apparent as its spread in regions of South Africa resulting in devastating effects to biodiversity, ecosystems and the socio- economic wellbeing of affected regions. Various control and management practices that include biological, physical, chemical and integrated methods have been tested with minimal success as compared to the rapid spread of the species. From previous studies, it has been noted that one of the reasons for the low success rates in mesquite control and management is a lack of sufficient information on the species invasion dynamic in relation to its very similar co-existing species. In order to bridge this gap in knowledge, vegetation species mapping techniques that use remote sensing methods need to be tested for the monitoring, detection and mapping of the species spread. Unlike traditional field survey methods, remote sensing techniques are better at monitoring vegetation as they can cover very large areas and are time-effective and cost- effective. Thus, the aim of this research was to examine the possibility of mapping and spectrally discriminating Prosopis glandulosa from its native co-existing species in semi-arid parts of South Africa using remote sensing methods.
    [Show full text]
  • The Prosopis Juliflora - Prosopis Pallida Complex: a Monograph
    DFID DFID Natural Resources Systems Programme The Prosopis juliflora - Prosopis pallida Complex: A Monograph NM Pasiecznik With contributions from P Felker, PJC Harris, LN Harsh, G Cruz JC Tewari, K Cadoret and LJ Maldonado HDRA - the organic organisation The Prosopis juliflora - Prosopis pallida Complex: A Monograph NM Pasiecznik With contributions from P Felker, PJC Harris, LN Harsh, G Cruz JC Tewari, K Cadoret and LJ Maldonado HDRA Coventry UK 2001 organic organisation i The Prosopis juliflora - Prosopis pallida Complex: A Monograph Correct citation Pasiecznik, N.M., Felker, P., Harris, P.J.C., Harsh, L.N., Cruz, G., Tewari, J.C., Cadoret, K. and Maldonado, L.J. (2001) The Prosopis juliflora - Prosopis pallida Complex: A Monograph. HDRA, Coventry, UK. pp.172. ISBN: 0 905343 30 1 Associated publications Cadoret, K., Pasiecznik, N.M. and Harris, P.J.C. (2000) The Genus Prosopis: A Reference Database (Version 1.0): CD ROM. HDRA, Coventry, UK. ISBN 0 905343 28 X. Tewari, J.C., Harris, P.J.C, Harsh, L.N., Cadoret, K. and Pasiecznik, N.M. (2000) Managing Prosopis juliflora (Vilayati babul): A Technical Manual. CAZRI, Jodhpur, India and HDRA, Coventry, UK. 96p. ISBN 0 905343 27 1. This publication is an output from a research project funded by the United Kingdom Department for International Development (DFID) for the benefit of developing countries. The views expressed are not necessarily those of DFID. (R7295) Forestry Research Programme. Copies of this, and associated publications are available free to people and organisations in countries eligible for UK aid, and at cost price to others. Copyright restrictions exist on the reproduction of all or part of the monograph.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study on the Potential of the Multipurpose Prosopis Tree
    23 Underutilised crops for famine and poverty alleviation: a case study on the potential of the multipurpose Prosopis tree N.M. Pasiecznik, S.K. Choge, A.B. Rosenfeld and P.J.C. Harris In its native Latin America, the Prosopis tree (also known as Mesquite) has multiple uses as a fuel wood, timber, charcoal, animal fodder and human food. It is also highly drought-resistant, growing under conditions where little else will survive. For this reason, it has been introduced as a pioneer species into the drylands of Africa and Asia over the last two centuries as a means of reclaiming desert lands. However, the knowledge of its uses was not transferred with it, and left in an unmanaged state it has developed into a highly invasive species, where it encroaches on farm land as an impenetrable, thorny thicket. Attempts to eradicate it are proving costly and largely unsuccessful. In 2006, the problem of Prosopis was hitting the headlines on an almost weekly basis in Kenya. Yet amidst calls for its eradication, a pioneering team from the Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI) and HDRA’s International Programme set out to demonstrate its positive uses. Through a pilot training and capacity building programme in two villages in Baringo District, people living with this tree learned for the first time how to manage and use it to their benefit, both for food security and income generation. Results showed that the pods, milled to flour, would provide a crucial, nutritious food supplement in these famine-prone desert margins. The pods were also used or sold as animal fodder, with the first international order coming from South Africa by the end of the year.
    [Show full text]
  • In Western Australia
    Department of Agriculture and Food Situation statement: the ‘Prickle Bush’ Weeds (Mesquite, Parkinsonia and Prickly acacia) in Western Australia Jon Dodd, Andrew Reeves and Richard Watkins (Invasive Species Program, DAFWA) and Linda Anderson (Pilbara Mesquite Management Committee Inc.) November 2012 Prickle bush weeds situation statement Cover: Prickly acacia west of Wyndham. Photo by Tracey Vinnicombe, DAFWA IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER The Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Food and the State of Western Australia accept no liability whatsoever by reason of negligence or otherwise arising from the use or release of this information or any part of it. Copyright © Western Australian Agriculture Authority, 2012 For copyright enquiries please contact the Department of Agriculture and Food, Western Australia. Page 2 of 47 Prickle bush weeds situation statement Situation Statement on the Prickle bush weeds (Mesquite, Parkinsonia and Prickly acacia) in Western Australia TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Purpose and scope ............................................................................................................................. 9 1.2 Links to DAFWA’s Invasive Species Strategy .......................................................................... 9 1.3 Ecological information .....................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • The Case of Exploding Lantana and the Lessons It Can Teach Us
    GENERAL ARTICLE The Case of Exploding Lantana and the Lessons it Can Teach Us Ankila J Hiremath Invasive alien species are a growing conservation problem, worldwide. There are over 200 invasive plants in India, of which Lantana camara is one of the best known. This article looks at a brief history of Lantana’s arrival and spread across the Indian subcontinent and the lessons that conservation bi- ologists can learn from it. Living in an Age of Ecological Explosions Ankila Hiremath is an ecologist at the Ashoka Trust In 1958, the British zoologist, Charles Elton, published a book for Research in Ecology and based on a series of radio broadcasts [1]. In the book, he talked the Environment. She is interested in invasive species, about what he called ‘ecological explosions,’ referring to the fire, and ecological tremendous increase in the numbers of some organisms. Un- restoration. She works in the like the more commonly understood meaning of the term ‘explo- Banni grasslands of Kutch in sion,’ Elton qualified that ecological explosions happened gradu- Gujarat, and in the forests of Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple ally (and were not accompanied by a loud noise). Yet, they could Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. be equally devastating in their impacts, whether by affecting hu- man health, or bringing about ecological transformations, or even causing species extinctions. What Elton was worried about while talking about ecological ex- plosions was the mixing of species from different biogeographical realms – whether accidentally, or purposefully. Biogeographical realms are large regions of the Earth that roughly correspond to the continents. These realms are separated from each other by ge- ographical barriers, e.g., oceans or high mountains.
    [Show full text]
  • Defoliation and Woody Plant (Shape Prosopis Glandulosa) Seedling
    Plant Ecology 138: 127–135, 1998. 127 © 1998 Kluwer Academic Publishers. Printed in the Netherlands. Defoliation and woody plant (Prosopis glandulosa) seedling regeneration: potential vs realized herbivory tolerance Jake F. Weltzin1, Steven R. Archer & Rodney K. Heitschmidt2 Department of Rangeland Ecology and Management, Texas A & M University, College Station, TX 77843–2126, USA; 1Corresponding author: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA; 2USDA/ARS Ft. Keogh, Rt. 1, Box 2021, Miles City, MT 59301, USA Received 27 March 1997; accepted in revised form 27 April 1998 Key words: Browsing, Clipping, Competition, Honey mesquite, Survival, Texas, Top removal Abstract Herbivory by rodents, lagomorphs and insects may locally constrain woody plant seedling establishment and stand development. Recruitment may therefore depend either upon plant tolerance of herbivory, or low herbivore abundance, during seedling establishment. We tested potential herbivory tolerance by quantifying growth, biomass allocation, and survival of defoliated Prosopis glandulosa seedlings under optimal abiotic conditions in the absence of competition. Realized tolerance was assessed by clipping seedlings of known age grown in the field with and without herbaceous competition. At 18-d (D ‘young’) or 33-d (D ‘old’) of age, seedlings in the growth chamber were clipped just above the first (cotyledonary) node, above the fourth node, or were retained as non-clipped controls. Potential tolerance to defoliation was high and neither cohort showed evidence of meristematic limitations to regeneration. Clipping markedly reduced biomass production relative to controls, especially belowground, but survival of seedlings de- foliated 5 times was still ≥75%. Contrary to expectations, survival of seedlings defoliated above the cotyledonary node 10 times was greater (P<0:10) for ‘young’ (75%) than ‘old’ (38%) seedlings.
    [Show full text]
  • Mechanisms of Range Expansion and Removal of Mesquite in Desert Grasslands of the Southwestern United States
    United States Department Mechanisms of Range Expansion of Agriculture Forest Service and Removal of Mesquite in Desert Rocky Mountain Grasslands of the Southwestern Research Station General Technical United States Report RMRS-GTR-81 October 2001 Thomas B. Wilson Robert H. Webb Thomas L. Thompson Abstract ___________________________________________ Wilson, Thomas B.; Webb, Robert H.; Thompson, Thomas L. 2001. Mechanisms of range expansion and removal of mesquite in desert grasslands of the Southwestern United States. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-81. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 23 p. During the last 150 years, two species of mesquite trees in the Southwestern United States have become increasingly common in what formerly was desert grassland. These trees have spread from nearby watercourses onto relatively xeric upland areas, decreasing rangeland grass production. Management attempts to limit or reverse this spread have been largely unsuccessful. This paper reviews studies regarding mesquite natural history and management strategies, emphasizing studies published during the past decade. Mesquite possess a deep root system and are capable of fixing atmospheric N, rendering them capable of accessing resources unavailable to other plants in open rangeland. Their seeds, which remain viable for decades, have a hard exocarp and require scarification before germination. Consumption by cattle provides a means of scarification and seed dispersal, and is a major factor contributing to the spread of mesquite in open rangelands. Increases in atmospheric CO2 and winter precipitation during the past century also contribute to enhanced seed germination. Removal techniques have included herbicides, prescribed burning, grazing reduction, and mechanical removal.
    [Show full text]
  • Climate-Ready Tree List
    Location Type 1 - Small Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Features Location Characteristics Follows “Right Tree in the Right Place” Low Points Collect Stormwater Runoff Soil Decompacted to a Depth ≥ 18” May Have Tree Trenches, Curb Cuts, or Scuppers Similar Restrictions to Location Type 5 Examples:Anthea Building, SSCAFCA, and South 2nd St. Tree Characteristics Recommended Trees Mature Tree Height: Site Specific Celtis reticulata Netleaf Hackberry Inundation Compatible up to 96 Hours. Cercis canadensis var. mexicana* Mexican Redbud* Cercis occidentalis* Western Redbud* Pollution Tolerant Cercis reniformis* Oklahoma Redbud* Cercis canadensis var. texensis* Texas Redbud* Crataegus ambigua* Russian Hawthorne* Forestiera neomexicana New Mexico Privet Fraxinus cuspidata* Fragrant Ash* Lagerstroemia indica* Crape Myrtle* Pistacia chinensis Chines Pistache Prosopis glandulosa* Honey Mesquite* Prosopis pubescens* Screwbean Mesquite* Salix gooddingii Gooding’s Willow Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii* Western Soapberry* * These species have further site specific needs found in Master List Photo Credit: Land andWater Summit ClimateReady Trees - Guidelines for Tree Species Selection in Albuquerque’s Metro Area 26 Location Type 2 - Large Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Features Location Characteristics Follows “Right Tree in the Right Place” Low Points Collect Stormwater Runoff Soil Decompacted to a Depth ≥ 18” May Have Basins, Swales, or Infiltration Trenches Examples: SSCAFCA landscaping, Pete Domenici Courthouse, and Smith Brasher Hall
    [Show full text]
  • The American Halophyte Prosopis Strombulifera, a New Potential
    Chapter 5 The American Halophyte Prosopis strombulifera , a New Potential Source to Confer Salt Tolerance to Crops Mariana Reginato , Verónica Sgroy , Analía Llanes , Fabricio Cassán , and Virginia Luna Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 116 2 Prosopis strombulifera , a Halophytic Legume .................................................................. 117 3 Mechanisms of Salt Tolerance in Prosopis strombulifera ................................................. 119 3.1 Ion Exclusion, Accumulation and Compartmentation .............................................. 119 3.2 Water Relations and Water Use Ef fi ciency ............................................................... 122 3.3 Metabolism of Protection-Compatible Solutes Production ...................................... 122 3.4 Anatomical Modi fi cations......................................................................................... 125 3.5 Antioxidant Defense ................................................................................................. 126 3.6 Changes in Photosynthetic Pigments ........................................................................ 126 3.7 Polyamine Accumulation and Metabolism ............................................................... 128 3.8 Hormonal Changes ................................................................................................... 130 4 Biotechnological Approach ..............................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Chaetophractus Vellerosus (Cingulata: Dasypodidae)
    MAMMALIAN SPECIES 48(937):73–82 Chaetophractus vellerosus (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) ALFREDO A. CARLINI, ESTEBAN SOIBELZON, AND DAMIÁN GLAZ www.mammalogy.org División Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, CONICET, Paseo del Bosque s/n, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; [email protected] (AAC); [email protected]. ar (ES) Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article-abstract/48/937/73/2613754 by guest on 04 September 2019 Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 122 y 60, 1900 La Plata, Argentina; dglaz@ciudad. com.ar (DG) Abstract: Chaetophractus vellerosus (Gray, 1865) is commonly called Piche llorón or screaming hairy armadillo. Chaetophractus has 3 living species: C. nationi, C. vellerosus, and C. villosus of Neotropical distribution in the Bolivian, Paraguayan, and Argentinean Chaco and the southeastern portion of Buenos Aires Province. C. vellerosus prefers xeric areas, in high and low latitudes, with sandy soils, but is able to exist in areas that receive more than twice the annual rainfall found in the main part of its distribution. It is com- mon in rangeland pasture and agricultural areas. C. vellerosus is currently listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources and is hunted for its meat and persecuted as an agricultural pest; however, the supposed damage to agricultural-farming lands could be less than the beneficial effects of its predation on certain species of damaging insects. Key words: Argentina, armadillo, Bolivia, dasypodid, Paraguay, South America, Xenarthra Synonymy completed 1 January 2014 DOI: 10.1093/mspecies/sew008 Version of Record, first published online September 19, 2016, with fixed content and layout in compliance with Art.
    [Show full text]
  • Mesquite (Prosopis Species) the Problem
    weeds of national significance Mesquite – Prosopis species G Current G Potential Mesquite (Prosopis species) The problem Mesquite is a Weed of National Significance. It is regarded as one of the worst weeds in Australia because of its invasiveness, potential for spread, and economic and environmental impacts. There are four species and several hybrids Mesquite of Prosopis, which are all collectively known as mesquite. Mesquite’s economic impacts stem from its habit of forming dense, impenetrable – Prosopis thickets which, combined with its large thorns, prevent stock accessing watering holes and make mustering difficult. Mesquite also reduces the productivity of species pastoral country by taking over grasslands Mesquite can form impenetrable thickets, preventing access and reducing productivity of land. and using valuable water resources. Photo: CSIRO Other nuisances from mesquite include damage to animal hooves and vehicle branches extending outside the main tyres from thorns, and the poisoning canopy. Key points of livestock which consume excessive Mesquite leaves are fern-like. They occur • Mesquite, which includes four species and amounts of seed pods. at each point where the branch changes several hybrids, is one of four prickle bushes direction (the zig-zag) in groups of one Environmental impacts include land that have infestations scattered throughout to three pairs, often with one or two erosion resulting from the loss of semi-arid Australia. (See the back page for thorns. The greenish cream–yellow flowers grassland habitat that supports native more information.) are arranged on a cylindrical-shaped spike plants and animals; and the provision • It is a nuisance in rangelands where it forms which resembles a ‘lambs tail’, 50–80 mm dense impenetrable stands, particularly of safe refuges for feral animals such in length.
    [Show full text]