Seed germination biology of Intermountain populations of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens: Chenopodiaceae)

Treesearch

Susan E. Meyer; Stephanie L. Carlson

2007-01-01

Fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) is a widely distributed shrub of semiarid western North America. We studied viability and germinability of fourwing saltbush seeds over 10 years for collections from 23 Intermountain populations. Fruit fill averaged 53 percent, and 96 percent of filled fruits contained viable seeds even after 6 years of...

Biological characterization and complete genomic sequence of Apium virus Y infecting celery

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Apium virus Y (ApVY) isolated from celery plants (Ce) with ring spot and line pattern symptoms from a commercial field in California was characterized in this study. The experimental host range of the virus included 13 plant species in the families Apiaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Solanaceae, and almost...

First report of stem canker of Salsola tragus caused by Diaporthe eres in Russia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Salsola tragus L. (Russian thistle, tumbleweed), family Chenopodiaceae, is a problematic invasive weed in the western United States and a target of biological control efforts. In September of 2007, dying Salsola tragus plants were found along the Azov Sea at Chushka, Russia. About 30 plants in the...

Chapter 23. Shrubs of other families

Treesearch

Stephen B. Monsen; Richard Stevens; Nancy L. Shaw

2004-01-01

Numerous genera and species of shrubs occur throughout the Intermountain region in addition to those included in the Asteraceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Rosaceae families. Although shrubs are widespread throughout this region and dominate many areas, species richness is low compared to the shrub flora of the Pacific United States, Chile, western Australia, and South Africa...

Chapter 20. Chenopod shrubs

Treesearch

E. Durant McArthur; Stephen B. Monsen

2004-01-01

Chenopod plants (Family Chenopodiaceae) are distributed worldwide but are especially prominent in some wet and dry saline or alkaline situations. Chenopods are both herbaceous and woody. The relative proportions of life-forms in the family is demonstrated by data from the important center of chenopod diversity in south-central Asia, where n = 341 species: 76 percent...

Tolerance of the eriophyid mite Aceria salsola to UV-A light and implications for biological control of Russian thistle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae) is being evaluated as a candidate biological control agent of Russian thistle (Salsola spp., Chenopodiaceae), a major invasive weed of rangelands and dryland crops in the western U.S. Prior laboratory host range testing under artificial lighting indicated reprodu...

The ploidy races of Atriplex confertifolia (chenopodiaceae)

Treesearch

Stewart C. Sanderson

2011-01-01

Previous accounts of polyploidy in the North American salt desert shrub Atriplex confertifolia (shadscale) have dealt with the distribution of polyploidy and the morphological and secondary chemical differences between races. The present study amplifies these studies and reveals additional ploidy-flavonoid races, with ploidy levels known to extend from 2x to 12x, and...

Chromosome races of fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens), Chenopodiaceae

Treesearch

Stewart C. Sanderson; Howard C. Stutz

2001-01-01

Atriplex canescens (Pursh.) Nutt. is the most widespread species of perennial Atriplex in North America, distributed from southern San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, and from the Pacific Coast of California and Baja California to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, and the Dakotas. Throughout its distributional range, A. canescens...

Geological Structure of the Semipalatinsk Region,

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-10

Rhynchonella subcarditormis S c h n u r., R. princeps B a r r., Spirifer ex gr. obosties B a r r. This fauna is gathered in 1932 by N. M. Padurov of the...Cupressaceae, Betulaceae-Juglandaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Leguminosae, Artemisia . Last/latter forms correspond to neogene, possibly, its upper part, but as a result

New North American records for the Old World psyllid Heterotrioza chenopodii (Reuter) with biological observations (Hemiptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Palearctic psyllid Heterotrioza chenopodii belongs to a complex of psyllids having plants in the Chenopodiaceae as hosts. Geographic records for this introduced species in North America date back to 1988, and include coastal regions in eastern Canada and the Northeastern U.S.; inland Virginia; ...

Allergenic pollen in the subdesert areas of the Iberian peninsula.

PubMed

Cariñanos, P; Galán, C; Alcázar, P; Domínguez, E

2000-01-01

The yearly distribution of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, two of the most common types of pollen in a rural area located in the southeastern part of the Iberian peninsula, was studied over a 3-year period (1995-1997). The particular bioclimatic conditions of the area, such as its subdesert climate, extreme dryness and high mountain location (1,000 m above sea level), have led to the adaptation and abundance of these species in this area. They usually flower in the second half of the year, and are the main pollen types collected in the samples in that time period. The Artemisia pollen levels recorded are the highest in Spain, since there are several species in the area which flower at different times. Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae pollen counts are also very high. The severity of both pollen types was also analyzed. The height of the sampler was taken into account because the quantities at human height can be considerably higher than those recorded at 20 m off the ground. It was concluded that both pollen types should be considered some of the main causes of allergy in this area.

Morphology, Anatomy and Histochemistry of Salicornioideae (Chenopodiaceae) Fruits and Seeds

PubMed Central

SHEPHERD, K. A.; MACFARLANE, T. D.; COLMER, T. D.

2005-01-01

• Background and Aims The subfamily Salicornioideae (Chenopodiaceae) are a taxonomically difficult group largely due to the lack of diagnostic characters available to delineate tribal- and generic-level boundaries; a consequence of their reduced floral and vegetative features. This study examined the variation in fruits and seeds across both tribes of the Salicornioideae to assess if characters support traditional taxonomic sections. • Methods Light microscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy and anatomical ultra-thin sectioning were employed to examine variation in fruits and seeds. Sixty-eight representatives across 14 of the 15 genera currently recognized within the tribes Halopeplideae and Salicornieae were examined to determine whether characters support current taxonomic groups. • Key Results Characters such as seed coat structure, embryo shape, seed orientation, the forms of seed storage proteins and carbohydrates show variation within the Salicornioideae and may be phylogenetically useful. The campylotropous ovule typical of the Chenopodiaceae generally results in a curved embryo; however, many Halosarcia and Sclerostegia species have straight embryos and in Salicornia and Sarcocornia the large peripheral embryo appears bent rather than curved. Seed coat ornamentation of Microcnemum and Arthrocnemum is distinct from other Salicornioideae as the elongated epidermal cells of the exotesta have convex walls. Histochemical stains of anatomical sections of cotyledon cells showed protein bodies were variable in shape, and starch grains were present in some species, namely Salicornia bigelovii, S. europaea and Allenrolfea occidentalis. • Conclusions While fruits and seeds were found to be variable within the subfamily, no synapomorphic characters support the tribe Halopeplideae as these genera have crustaceous seed coats, curved embryos and abundant perisperm; features characteristic of many of the tribe Salicornieae. The endemic Australian genera are closely related and few seed and fruit characters are diagnostic at the generic level. Nineteen characters identified as being potentially informative will be included in future phylogenetic analyses of the subfamily. PMID:15760916

Palaeoecological construction from the Oligo-Miocene coal deposits of Gelibolu Peninsula, NW Turkey.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demirtaş, Ferdi; Koşun, Erdal; Serkan Akkiraz, Mehmet; Bozcu, Mustafa; Koç, Koray

2015-04-01

The palynomorph composition of the Upper Oligocene and Miocene coal deposits from Gelibolu peninsula, NW Turkey, was analyzed to determine the palaeoclimate conditions. The samples were collected from two different abandoned coal mines. Also two different palynological assemblages were reported. The first one belongs to the Late Oligocene (Osmancik Formation). The other one is the Miocene (Gazhanedere Formation). The Late Oligocene palynological assemblage consist mainly of Alnus, Myricaceae, Cyrillaceae-Clethraceae, Calamus and Castanea. Riparian vegetation or wetland forest community incorporate high amounts of Alnus, and low percentages of deciduous Salix, Pterocarya and Carya. Calamus, which is a stratigraphical marker for the Late Oligocene of the Thrace Basin, was also recorded in high quantities. The content of the Miocene palynological assemblage is different from the Late Oligocene assemblage, and is mainly made up of Polypodiaceae, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Myricaceae, Oleaceae, Cyrillaceae-Clethraceae and Sapotaceae. Calamus and Alnus totally disappear here. In contrast, open vegetation elements such Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae occur frequently. The palaeoclimate calculations were made by the help of coexistence approach method. The late Oligocene association contains a total of 18 taxa, 11 of which were used for calculating the coexistence intervals. The values obtained 15.6 to 21.1 ° C for annual temperature, 5.0 to 13.3 ° C for winter temperature, 24.7 to 28.1 ° C for summer temperature and, 1096 to 1355 mm annual rainfall. In the Miocene palynological assemblage 23 taxa were identified. The palaeoclimate calculation is based on the 21 taxa. Quantitative data indicate the values for the mean annual temperature 15.6-21.3 ° C, for the winter temperature 5.0 to 13.3 ° C, 24.7- 27.9 ° C for summer temperature and 823-1520 mm for the annual rainfall. The palaeoclimate was warm and contained dry seasons due to lower boundary of annual precipitation lying at 823 mm during the Miocene. This may be linked ecological dominance of open-habitat grasses such as Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae.

Source areas and long-range transport of pollen from continental land to Tenerife (Canary Islands).

PubMed

Izquierdo, Rebeca; Belmonte, Jordina; Avila, Anna; Alarcón, Marta; Cuevas, Emilio; Alonso-Pérez, Silvia

2011-01-01

The Canary Islands, due to their geographical position, constitute an adequate site for the study of long-range pollen transport from the surrounding land masses. In this study, we analyzed airborne pollen counts at two sites: Santa Cruz de Tenerife (SCO), at sea level corresponding to the marine boundary layer (MBL), and Izaña at 2,367 m.a.s.l. corresponding to the free troposphere (FT), for the years 2006 and 2007. We used three approaches to describe pollen transport: (1) a classification of provenances with an ANOVA test to describe pollen count differences between sectors; (2) a study of special events of high pollen concentrations, taking into consideration the corresponding meteorological synoptic pattern responsible for transport and back trajectories; and (3) a source-receptor model applied to a selection of the pollen taxa to show pollen source areas. Our results indicate several extra-regional pollen transport episodes to Tenerife. The main provenances were: (1) the Mediterranean region, especially the southern Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, through the trade winds in the MBL. These episodes were characterized by the presence of pollen from trees (Casuarina, Olea, Quercus perennial and deciduous types) mixed with pollen from herbs (Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae and Poaceae wild type). (2) The Saharan sector, through transport at the MBL level carrying pollen principally from herbs (Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae wild type) and, in one case, Casuarina pollen, uplifted to the free troposphere. And (3) the Sahel, characterized by low pollen concentrations of Arecaceae, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae wild type in sporadic episodes. This research shows that sporadic events of long-range pollen transport need to be taken into consideration in Tenerife as possible responsible agents in respiratory allergy episodes. In particular, it is estimated that 89-97% of annual counts of the highly allergenous Olea originates from extra-regional sources in southern Iberia and northern Africa.

Source areas and long-range transport of pollen from continental land to Tenerife (Canary Islands)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, Rebeca; Belmonte, Jordina; Avila, Anna; Alarcón, Marta; Cuevas, Emilio; Alonso-Pérez, Silvia

2011-01-01

The Canary Islands, due to their geographical position, constitute an adequate site for the study of long-range pollen transport from the surrounding land masses. In this study, we analyzed airborne pollen counts at two sites: Santa Cruz de Tenerife (SCO), at sea level corresponding to the marine boundary layer (MBL), and Izaña at 2,367 m.a.s.l. corresponding to the free troposphere (FT), for the years 2006 and 2007. We used three approaches to describe pollen transport: (1) a classification of provenances with an ANOVA test to describe pollen count differences between sectors; (2) a study of special events of high pollen concentrations, taking into consideration the corresponding meteorological synoptic pattern responsible for transport and back trajectories; and (3) a source-receptor model applied to a selection of the pollen taxa to show pollen source areas. Our results indicate several extra-regional pollen transport episodes to Tenerife. The main provenances were: (1) the Mediterranean region, especially the southern Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, through the trade winds in the MBL. These episodes were characterized by the presence of pollen from trees ( Casuarina, Olea, Quercus perennial and deciduous types) mixed with pollen from herbs ( Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae and Poaceae wild type). (2) The Saharan sector, through transport at the MBL level carrying pollen principally from herbs (Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae wild type) and, in one case, Casuarina pollen, uplifted to the free troposphere. And (3) the Sahel, characterized by low pollen concentrations of Arecaceae, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae, Cyperaceae and Poaceae wild type in sporadic episodes. This research shows that sporadic events of long-range pollen transport need to be taken into consideration in Tenerife as possible responsible agents in respiratory allergy episodes. In particular, it is estimated that 89-97% of annual counts of the highly allergenous Olea originates from extra-regional sources in southern Iberia and northern Africa.

Host range determination of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f. sp. salsolae, a biological control agent of tumbleweed: from BLUPs to biomass loss

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Host range tests were conducted with Colletotrichum gloeosporioides f. sp. salsolae (CGS) in quarantine to determine whether the fungus is safe to release in N. America for biological control of tumbleweed (Salsola tragus L., Chenopodiaceae). Ninety-two accessions were analyzed from 19 families and...

Improving the evaluation process of Cosmobaris scolopacea (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a prospective biocontrol agent of Salsola tragus, using a molecular approach

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Russian thistle, Salsola tragus L. (sensu lato), (Chenopodiaceae) is a weed native to Central Asia that was accidentally introduced in the U.S. in the early 1870s with seeds imported from Russia. Due to the dramatic impacts of its invasiveness on ecology and human activities, the weed has been targe...

Tropical vegetation evidence for rapid sea level changes associated with Heinrich Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González, Catalina; Dupont, Lydie M.

2010-03-01

A Cariaco Basin pollen record shows the development of tropical salt marshes during marine isotope stage 3. Rapid and abrupt expansions of salt marsh vegetation in tropical South America are associated with north Atlantic Heinrich Events stadials (HE-stadials). Intervals of salt marsh expansion have an internal structure, which consists of a recurrent alternation of species that starts with pollen increments of Chenopodiaceae, that are followed by increments of grasses, and subsequently by increments of Cyperaceae. This pattern suggests a successional process that is determined by the close relationship between sea-level and plant community dynamics. The salt tolerant Chenopodiaceae, indicate hypersaline intertidal environments, which were most likely promoted by extremely dry atmospheric conditions. Rapid sea-level rise characterizes the onset of HE-stadials, causing the continued recruitment of pioneer species, which are the only ones tolerating rapid rates of disturbance. Once sea-level rise decelerates, marsh plants are able to trap and stabilize sediments, favouring the establishment of more competitive species. These results add to the scarce knowledge on the dynamics of tropical salt marsh ecosystems, and provide independent paleoclimatic evidence on sea-level changes following Antarctic climate variability.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Promote the Growth of Ceratocarpus arenarius (Chenopodiaceae) with No Enhancement of Phosphorus Nutrition

PubMed Central

Bai, Dengsha; Chen, Yinglong; Feng, Gu

2012-01-01

The mycorrhizal status of plants in the Chenopodiaceae is not well studied with a few controversial reports. This study examined arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization and growth response of Ceratocarpus arenarius in the field and a greenhouse inoculation trial. The colonization rate of AM fungi in C. arenarius in in-growth field cores was low (around 15%). Vesicles and intraradical hyphae were present during all growth stages, but no arbuscules were observed. Sequencing analysis of the large ribosomal rDNA subunit detected four culturable Glomus species, G. intraradices, G. mosseae, G. etunicatum and G. microaggregatum together with eight unculturable species belong to the Glomeromycota in the root system of C. arenarius collected from the field. These results establish the mycotrophic status of C. arenarius. Both in the field and in the greenhouse inoculation trial, the growth of C. arenarius was stimulated by the indigenous AM fungal community and the inoculated AM fungal isolates, respectively, but the P uptake and concentration of the mycorrhizal plants did not increase significantly over the controls in both experiments. Furthermore, the AM fungi significantly increased seed production. Our results suggest that an alternative reciprocal benefit to carbon-phosphorus trade-off between AM fungi and the chenopod plant might exist in the extremely arid environment. PMID:22957011

Comparative pharmacognostic evaluation of some species of the genera Suaeda and Salsola leaf (Chenopodiaceae).

PubMed

Munir, Uzma; Perveen, Anjum; Qamarunnisa, Syeda

2014-09-01

The genera Suaeda and Salsola are halophytic plants belong to the family Chenopodiaceae. Species of these genera have been extensively used in traditional medicines against many diseases due to their various bioactive compounds such as carotenoids, vitamins, sterol, phenolic compounds etc. The present research was carried out to establish detailed pharmacognosy of Suaeda fruticosa, Suaeda monoica, Salsola imbricata and Salsola tragus, which included macroscopy, microscopy, physico-chemical parameters and qualitative phytochemical screening of leaf samples extracted with methanol and chloroform. It was observed that macroscopic and microscopic characteristics were diagnostic features and can be used for distinction and identification of these closely related plant species. Phytochemically, these plant species are rich in constituents like anthraquinones, alkaloids, carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins, phenolic compounds and terpenoids. Physico-chemical parameters revealed that in all investigated plant species; methanol extractive values were higher than that of chloroform. Moreover, total ash values were found to be higher than other acid insoluble and water-soluble ash values, while a considerable amount of moisture was present in the species of both genera. On the basis of pharmacognosy, species of Suaeda were found to be more promising than Salsola. Present investigation will contribute towards establishment of pharmacognostic profile of these medicinally effective plants species.

Antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities of eleven edible plants.

PubMed

Boğa, Mehmet; Hacıbekiroğlu, Işıl; Kolak, Ufuk

2011-03-01

Consumers have become more interested in beneficial effects of vegetables, fruits, and tea to protect their health. The antioxidant potential and anticholinesterase activity of eleven edible plants were investigated. The dichloromethane, ethanol and water extracts prepared from celery [Apium graveolens L. (Umbelliferae)], Jerusalem artichoke [Helianthus tuberosus L. (Compositae)], spinach [Spinacia oleracea L. (Chenopodiaceae)], chard [Beta vulgaris L. var. cicla (Chenopodiaceae)], purslane [Portulaca oleracea L. (Portulacaceae)], ispit, or borage [Trachystemon orientale (L.) G. Don (Boraginaceae)], garden rocket [Eruca sativa Mill. (Brassicaceae)], red cabbage [Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata f. rubra DC. (Cruciferae)], lime flower [Tilia tomentosa Moench (Tiliaceae)], cinnamon [Cinnamomum cassia Presl. (Lauraceae)], and rosehip [Rosa canina L. (Rosaceae)], were tested to determine their antioxidant and anticholinesterase activities by using CUPRAC (cupric reducing antioxidant capacity) and Ellman methods, respectively, for the first time. As a result, the dichloromethane, ethanol and water extracts of cinnamon showed the best antioxidant effect among the extracts of the tested plants. The ethanol extract of cinnamon exhibited 63.02% inhibition against acetylcholinesterase and 85.11% inhibition against butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) at 200 µg/mL concentration while the dichloromethane extract of garden rocket possessed the highest inhibition (91.27%) against BChE among all the tested extracts. This study indicated that the ethanol extract of cinnamon may be a new potential resource of natural antioxidant and anticholinesterase compounds.

Phylogeny of Salsoleae s.l. (Chenopodiaceae) based on DNA sequence data from ITS, psbB-psbH, and rbcL, with emphasis on taxa of northwestern China

Treesearch

Zhi-Bin Wen; Ming-Li Zhang; Ge-Lin Zhu; Stewart C. Sanderson

2010-01-01

To reconstruct phylogeny and verify the monophyly of major subgroups, a total of 52 species representing almost all species of Salsoleae s.l. in China were sampled, with analysis based on three molecular markers (nrDNA ITS, cpDNA psbB-psbH and rbcL), using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods. Our molecular evidence provides strong...

Aerobiological study in east-central Iberian Peninsula: pollen diversity and dynamics for major taxa.

PubMed

Pérez-Badia, Rosa; Rapp, Ana; Vaquero, Consolación; Fernández-González, Federico

2011-01-01

A study was made of airborne pollen counts in Cuenca (east-central Iberian Peninsula, Spain), using data obtained over a 3-year period (2008-2010). This is the first such study carried out in the World Heritage city of Cuenca, situated in the large region of Castilla-La Mancha. Air monitoring was performed using the sampling and analysis procedures recommended by the Spanish Aerobiology Network. Sampling commenced in mid- 2007, and provided the first recorded pollen-spectrum for the area. The greatest pollen-type diversity was recorded in spring, whilst the highest pollen counts (over 80 percent of the annual total) were observed between February and June. The lowest counts were found in September, November and December. The 10 leading taxa, in order of abundance, were: Cupressaceae, Quercus, Urticaceae, Pinus, Olea, Poaceae, Populus, Platanus, Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae and Plantago. The pollen calendar was thus typically Mediterrean, and comprised the 27 pollen types reaching 10-day mean counts of over 1 grain/m(3) of air. Maximum concentration values during the day were recorded between 12:00-20:00, coinciding with the highest temperatures and lowest humidity levels. The pollen types responsible for most allergies in the city of Cuenca, ordered by the number of days on which risk levels were reached, were: Poaceae, Urticaceae, Cupressaceae, Olea, Platanus and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in saline soils: Vertical distribution at different soil depth

PubMed Central

Becerra, Alejandra; Bartoloni, Norberto; Cofré, Noelia; Soteras, Florencia; Cabello, Marta

2014-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonize land plants in every ecosystem, even extreme conditions such as saline soils. In the present work we report for the first time the mycorrhizal status and the vertical fungal distribution of AMF spores present in the rhizospheric soil samples of four species of Chenopodiaceae (Allenrolfea patagonica, Atriplex argentina, Heterostachys ritteriana and Suaeda divaricata) at five different depths in two saline of central Argentina. Roots showed medium, low or no colonization (0–50%). Nineteen morphologically distinctive AMF species were recovered. The number of AMF spores ranged between 3 and 1162 per 100 g dry soil, and AMF spore number decreased as depth increased at both sites. The highest spore number was recorded in the upper soil depth (0–10 cm) and in S. divaricata. Depending of the host plant, some AMF species sporulated mainly in the deep soil layers (Glomus magnicaule in Allenrolfea patagonica, Septoglomus aff. constrictum in Atriplex argentina), others mainly in the top layers (G. brohultti in Atriplex argentina and Septoglomus aff. constrictum in Allenrolfea patagonica). Although the low percentages of colonization or lack of it, our results show a moderate diversity of AMF associated to the species of Chenopodiaceae investigated in this study. The taxonomical diversity reveals that AMF are adapted to extreme environmental conditions from saline soils of central Argentina. PMID:25242945

One-Seeded Fruits in the Core Caryophyllales: Their Origin and Structural Diversity

PubMed Central

Sukhorukov, Alexander P.; Mavrodiev, Evgeny V.; Struwig, Madeleen; Nilova, Maya V.; Dzhalilova, Khalima Kh.; Balandin, Sergey A.; Erst, Andrey; Krinitsyna, Anastasiya A.

2015-01-01

The core Caryophyllales consist of approximately 30 families (12 000 species) distributed worldwide. Many members evolved one-seeded or conjoined fruits, but their origin and structural diversity have not been investigated. A comparative anatomical investigation of the one-seeded fruits within the core Caryophyllales was conducted. The origin of the one-seeded fruits and the evolutionary reconstructions of some carpological characters were traced using a tree based on rbcl and matK data in order to understand the ancestral characters and their changes. The one-seeded fruit type is inferred to be an ancestral character state in core Caryophyllales, with a subsequent increase in the seed number seen in all major clades. Most representatives of the ‘Earlier Diverging’ clade are distinguished in various carpological traits. The organization of the pericarp is diverse in many groups, although fruits with a dry, many-layered pericarp, consisting of sclerenchyma as outer layers and a thin-walled parenchyma below, with seeds occupying a vertical embryo position, are likely ancestral character states in the core Caryophyllales clade. Several carpological peculiarities in fruit and seed structure were discovered in obligate one-seeded Achatocarpaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Seguieriaceae and Sarcobataceae. The horizontal embryo evolved in only certain groups of Chenopodiaceae. The bar-thickening of endotegmen cells appears to be an additional character typical of core Caryophyllales. The syncarpy-to-lysicarpy paradigm in Caryophyllaceae needs to be reinterpreted. PMID:25710481

Long-chain (C19-C29) 1-chloro-n-alkanes in leaf waxes of halophytes of the Chenopodiaceae.

PubMed

Grossi, Vincent; Raphel, Danielle

2003-07-01

The hydrocarbon fraction of leaf waxes of three halophytes of the Chenopodiaceae common to Mediterranean salt marshes (Suaeda vera, Sarcocornia fruticosa and Halimione portulacoides) revealed the presence of a minor series of odd and even chains 1-chloro-n-alkanes ranging from C(19) to C(29). The identification of these new chlorinated plant constituents was based on a combination of mass spectrometry data with selective chlorine detection (CPG-AED) and was confirmed by comparison with authentic standards. The qualitative and quantitative distributions of these 1-chloro-n-alkanes varied inter-specifically. Homologues with an odd carbon-chain were predominant in all species but maximised at C(25) and C(27) in S. vera and S. fruticosa, and at C(27) and C(29) in H. portulacoides. Remarkably, 1-chloro-nonacosane was an abundant homologue only in this latter species. Leaves of S. vera contained 4 to 7 times more of total chloroalkanes than leaves of the other two species. These compounds accounted for 10, 4 and 1% of the hydrocarbon fraction of leaf waxes of S. vera, S. fruticosa and H. portulacoides, respectively. Attempts to link the occurrence of these chloroalkanes with other classes of leaf waxes (n-alkenes, n-aldehydes and n-alcohols) did not allowed a clear precursor-product relationship to be established. The biological functions as well as the mode of synthesis of alkylchlorides in (halophyte) plants remain unknown but undoubtedly deserve further attention.

Comparison of Spinach Sex Chromosomes with Sugar Beet Autosomes Reveals Extensive Synteny and Low Recombination at the Male-Determining Locus.

PubMed

Takahata, Satoshi; Yago, Takumi; Iwabuchi, Keisuke; Hirakawa, Hideki; Suzuki, Yutaka; Onodera, Yasuyuki

2016-01-01

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea, 2n = 12) and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, 2n = 18) are important crop members of the family Chenopodiaceae ss Sugar beet has a basic chromosome number of 9 and a cosexual breeding system, as do most members of the Chenopodiaceae ss. family. By contrast, spinach has a basic chromosome number of 6 and, although certain cultivars and genotypes produce monoecious plants, is considered to be a dioecious species. The loci determining male and monoecious sexual expression were mapped to different loci on the spinach sex chromosomes. In this study, a linkage map with 46 mapped protein-coding sequences was constructed for the spinach sex chromosomes. Comparison of the linkage map with a reference genome sequence of sugar beet revealed that the spinach sex chromosomes exhibited extensive synteny with sugar beet chromosomes 4 and 9. Tightly linked protein-coding genes linked to the male-determining locus in spinach corresponded to genes located in or around the putative pericentromeric and centromeric regions of sugar beet chromosomes 4 and 9, supporting the observation that recombination rates were low in the vicinity of the male-determining locus. The locus for monoecism was confined to a chromosomal segment corresponding to a region of approximately 1.7Mb on sugar beet chromosome 9, which may facilitate future positional cloning of the locus. © The American Genetic Association 2016. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact and correlation of environmental conditions on pollen counts in Karachi, Pakistan.

PubMed

Perveen, Anjum; Khan, Muneeba; Zeb, Shaista; Imam, Asif Ali

2015-02-01

A quantitative and qualitative survey of airborne pollen was performed in the city of Karachi, and the pollen counts were correlated with different climatic conditions. The aim of the study was to determine the possible effect of meteorological factors on airborne pollen distribution in the atmosphere of Karachi city. Pollen sampling was carried out by using Burkard spore Trap for the period of August 2009 to July 2010, and a total of 2,922 pollen grains/m(3) were recorded. In this survey, 22 pollen types were recognized. The highest pollen count was contributed by Poaceae pollen type (1,242 pollen grains/m(3)) followed by Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae (948 pollen grains/m(3)), Cyperus rotundus (195 pollen grains/m(3)) and Prosopis juliflora (169 pollen grains/m(3)). Peak pollen season was in August showing a total of 709 pollen grains/m(3) and lowest pollen count was observed in January-2010. Pearson's chi-square test was performed for the possible correlation of pollen counts and climatic factors. The test revealed significant positive correlation of wind speed with pollen types of Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae; Brassica campestris; Asteraceae; and Thuja orientalis. While the correlation of "average temperature" showed significant positive value with Asteraceae and Tamarix indica pollen types. Negative correlation was observed between humidity/ precipitation and pollen types of Brassica campestris; Daucus carota; Ephedra sp.; and Tamarix indica. In the light of above updated data one could identify various aeroallergens present in the air of Karachi city.

Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of Holoparasite Cistanche deserticola (Orobanchaceae) Reveals Gene Loss and Horizontal Gene Transfer from Its Host Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae)

PubMed Central

Qiao, Qin; Ren, Zhumei; Zhao, Jiayuan; Yonezawa, Takahiro; Hasegawa, Masami; Crabbe, M. James C; Li, Jianqiang; Zhong, Yang

2013-01-01

Background The central function of chloroplasts is to carry out photosynthesis, and its gene content and structure are highly conserved across land plants. Parasitic plants, which have reduced photosynthetic ability, suffer gene losses from the chloroplast (cp) genome accompanied by the relaxation of selective constraints. Compared with the rapid rise in the number of cp genome sequences of photosynthetic organisms, there are limited data sets from parasitic plants. Principal Findings/Significance Here we report the complete sequence of the cp genome of Cistanche deserticola, a holoparasitic desert species belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. The cp genome of C. deserticola is greatly reduced both in size (102,657 bp) and in gene content, indicating that all genes required for photosynthesis suffer from gene loss and pseudogenization, except for psbM. The striking difference from other holoparasitic plants is that it retains almost a full set of tRNA genes, and it has lower dN/dS for most genes than another close holoparasitic plant, E. virginiana, suggesting that Cistanche deserticola has undergone fewer losses, either due to a reduced level of holoparasitism, or to a recent switch to this life history. We also found that the rpoC2 gene was present in two copies within C. deserticola. Its own copy has much shortened and turned out to be a pseudogene. Another copy, which was not located in its cp genome, was a homolog of the host plant, Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae), suggesting that it was acquired from its host via a horizontal gene transfer. PMID:23554920

Complete chloroplast genome sequence of holoparasite Cistanche deserticola (Orobanchaceae) reveals gene loss and horizontal gene transfer from its host Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae).

PubMed

Li, Xi; Zhang, Ti-Cao; Qiao, Qin; Ren, Zhumei; Zhao, Jiayuan; Yonezawa, Takahiro; Hasegawa, Masami; Crabbe, M James C; Li, Jianqiang; Zhong, Yang

2013-01-01

The central function of chloroplasts is to carry out photosynthesis, and its gene content and structure are highly conserved across land plants. Parasitic plants, which have reduced photosynthetic ability, suffer gene losses from the chloroplast (cp) genome accompanied by the relaxation of selective constraints. Compared with the rapid rise in the number of cp genome sequences of photosynthetic organisms, there are limited data sets from parasitic plants. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS/SIGNIFICANCE: Here we report the complete sequence of the cp genome of Cistanche deserticola, a holoparasitic desert species belonging to the family Orobanchaceae. The cp genome of C. deserticola is greatly reduced both in size (102,657 bp) and in gene content, indicating that all genes required for photosynthesis suffer from gene loss and pseudogenization, except for psbM. The striking difference from other holoparasitic plants is that it retains almost a full set of tRNA genes, and it has lower dN/dS for most genes than another close holoparasitic plant, E. virginiana, suggesting that Cistanche deserticola has undergone fewer losses, either due to a reduced level of holoparasitism, or to a recent switch to this life history. We also found that the rpoC2 gene was present in two copies within C. deserticola. Its own copy has much shortened and turned out to be a pseudogene. Another copy, which was not located in its cp genome, was a homolog of the host plant, Haloxylon ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae), suggesting that it was acquired from its host via a horizontal gene transfer.

An Early Pleistocene 190 kyr pollen record from the ODP Site 976, Western Mediterranean region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joannin, Sebastien; Combourieu Nebout, Nathalie

2010-05-01

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (1.200 to 0.500 Ma) corresponded to a period of increased cooling and the shift from "41 kyr world" to "100 kyr world". Climate cycles were 41 kyr long as a response of the climate system to the obliquity orbital parameter forcing, then the climate system responded to a combination of eccentricity and precession resulting in 100 kyr long cycles. The Mediterranean region offers the opportunity to study climate response to orbital forcing at this particular period. It is usually done on marine proxies that are preserved in continuous sediments with good age attributions but may be affected by calorific inertia of marine environments. We investigate continental palaeoenvironment changes inferred from pollen analyses through time on a short interval of the ODP Site 976 (259.50 to 230.42 mcd). In order to search for short climate oscillations, the chronology has been refined according to the comparison between the pollen ratio "mesothermic vs. Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae and steppe elements" curve and Mediterranean and LR04 oxygen isotope curves. The time slice runs from ~1.090 Ma (MIS 31) to ~0.900 Ma (MIS 23). Pollen analyses provide a new record of the south western Mediterranean vegetation and climate changes at the beginning of the Mid-Pleistocene Transition. Vegetation successions are evidenced in pollen diagram with replacement of mesothermic elements by mid- and high-altitude trees, ended by strengthening of Caryophyllaceae, Amaranthaceae-Chenopodiaceae, and steppe vegetation. These vegetation successions reveal two overlapping rhythms that may be related to climate responses to both obliquity and precession orbital parameters, while wavelet analyses on pollen ratio only indicate the shift from precession to obliquity dominance. The comparison of these two approaches raised the question of their own limit.

Microsatellite markers isolated from a polyploid saltbush, Atriplex nummularia Lindl. (Chenopodiaceae).

PubMed

Byrne, Margaret; Hankinson, Margaret; Sampson, Jane F; Stankowski, Sean

2008-11-01

Atriplex nummularia is a polyploid Australian saltbush which has been identified as a suitable species for use in the rehabilitation of agricultural land affected by salinity. We isolated 12 polymorphic loci for a preliminary assessment of genetic variability and structure within the species as a basis for a breeding programme. Preliminary screening of loci in 40 individuals from two populations revealed multibanded genotypes consisting of up to seven alleles in a single individual, with up to 29 alleles observed at a single locus. The multibanded patterns are consistent with the polyploid status of this species. © 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Field Surveys, IOC Valleys. Volumes II-I and II-II. Biological Resources Survey, Dry Lake Valley, Nevada and Pine and Wah Wah Valleys, Utah. Supplement. Spring Survey of the IOC Valleys.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-08-01

pinnata X K CACTACEAE Coryphantha vivipara x Opuntia echinocarpa K 0 x K K K 5putaerinacea K Op’untia sp. x X -12- TABLE 3-1 (Cont.) Shelter site...pilosus x Lepidium montanun X CACTACEAE Opuntia echinocarpa x x Opuntia erinacea X X X CHENOPODIACEAE Atriplex canescens X X X Ceratoides lanata X X X X...Stanleya pinnata X CACTACEAE Coryphantha vivipara var. rosea X Echinocereus engelmannii X opuntia echinocarpa X X X X X X X X Opuntia erinacea XX X X X X x

Evaluation of Wildlife Mitigation Sites at the Chief Joseph Dam Project (1993/1994 Season)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-07-22

vermiculatus black greasewood CHENOPODIACEAE R, BS. BB SHCA Shepherdia canadensis buffalo-berry ELAEAGNACEAE hrf. Sites SYAL Symphoricarpos albus...Occurances 26.0 Percent Coverage 41.50% Percent Coverage 46.80% - Sat End Total Species Start I End Total I rowo 98.0 72.8 25.2 1 syal 0.5 1.0 0.5 2 sya...96.1 91.9 4.2 2 shsp. 1.0 8.5 7.5 3 syal 72.8 72.2 0.6 3 syal 1.8 6.5 4.7 4 rowo 69.5 67.7 1.8 4 cost 7.5 10.1 2.6 5 syal 66.5 65.8 0.7 5 cost 13.4

Pollen counts and their relationship to meteorological factors in Ankara, Turkey during 2005-2008.

PubMed

Kizilpinar, Ilginc; Civelek, Ersoy; Tuncer, Ayfer; Dogan, Cahit; Karabulut, Erdem; Sahiner, Umit M; Yavuz, S Tolga; Sackesen, Cansin

2011-07-01

Pollen plays an important role in the development and exacerbation of allergic diseases. We aimed to investigate the days with highest counts of the most allergenic pollens and to identify the meteorological factors affecting pollen counts in the atmosphere of Ankara, Turkey. Airborne pollen measurements were carried out from 2005 to 2008 with a Burkard volumetric 7-day spore trap. Microscope counts were converted into atmospheric concentrations and expressed as pollen grains/m(3). Meteorological parameters were obtained from the State Meteorological Service. All statistical analyses were done with pollen counts obtained from March to October for each year. The percentages of tree, grass and weed pollens were 72.1% (n = 24,923), 12.8% (n = 4,433) and 15.1% (n = 5,219), respectively. The Pinaceae family from tree taxa (39% to 57%) and the Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae family from weed taxa, contributed the highest percentage of pollen (25% to 43%), while from the grass taxa, only the Poaceae family was detected from 2005 to 2008. Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae families, which are the most allergenic pollens, were found in high numbers from May to August in Ankara. In multiple logistic regression analysis, wind speed (OR = 1.18, CI95% = 1.02-1.36, P = 0.023) for tree pollen, daily mean temperature (OR = 1.10, CI95% = 1.04-1.17, P = 0.001) and sunshine hours (OR = 1.15, CI95% = 1.01-1.30, P = 0.033) for grass pollen, and sunshine hours (OR = 3.79, CI95% = 1.03-13.92, P = 0.044) for weed pollen were found as significant risk factors for high pollen count. The pollen calendar and its association with meteorological factors depend mainly on daily temperature, sunshine hours and wind speed, which may help draw the attention of physicians and allergic patients to days with high pollen counts.

Pollen counts and their relationship to meteorological factors in Ankara, Turkey during 2005-2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kizilpinar, Ilginc; Civelek, Ersoy; Tuncer, Ayfer; Dogan, Cahit; Karabulut, Erdem; Sahiner, Umit M.; Yavuz, S. Tolga; Sackesen, Cansin

2011-07-01

Pollen plays an important role in the development and exacerbation of allergic diseases. We aimed to investigate the days with highest counts of the most allergenic pollens and to identify the meteorological factors affecting pollen counts in the atmosphere of Ankara, Turkey. Airborne pollen measurements were carried out from 2005 to 2008 with a Burkard volumetric 7-day spore trap. Microscope counts were converted into atmospheric concentrations and expressed as pollen grains/m3. Meteorological parameters were obtained from the State Meteorological Service. All statistical analyses were done with pollen counts obtained from March to October for each year. The percentages of tree, grass and weed pollens were 72.1% ( n = 24,923), 12.8% ( n = 4,433) and 15.1% ( n = 5,219), respectively. The Pinaceae family from tree taxa (39% to 57%) and the Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae family from weed taxa, contributed the highest percentage of pollen (25% to 43%), while from the grass taxa, only the Poaceae family was detected from 2005 to 2008. Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae families, which are the most allergenic pollens, were found in high numbers from May to August in Ankara. In multiple logistic regression analysis, wind speed (OR = 1.18, CI95% = 1.02-1.36, P = 0.023) for tree pollen, daily mean temperature (OR = 1.10, CI95% = 1.04-1.17, P = 0.001) and sunshine hours (OR = 1.15, CI95% = 1.01-1.30, P = 0.033) for grass pollen, and sunshine hours (OR = 3.79, CI95% = 1.03-13.92, P = 0.044) for weed pollen were found as significant risk factors for high pollen count. The pollen calendar and its association with meteorological factors depend mainly on daily temperature, sunshine hours and wind speed, which may help draw the attention of physicians and allergic patients to days with high pollen counts.

Buried in Sands: Environmental Analysis at the Archaeological Site of Xiaohe Cemetery, Xinjiang, China

PubMed Central

Li, Jin-Feng; Abuduresule, Idelisi; Hueber, Francis M.; Li, Wen-Ying; Hu, Xin-Jun; Li, Yue-Zhuo; Li, Cheng-Sen

2013-01-01

Palynomorphs extracted from the mud coffins and plant remains preserved at the archaeological site of Xiaohe Cemetery (Cal. 3980 to 3540 years BP) in Lop Nur Desert of Xinjiang, China were investigated for the reconstruction of the ancient environments at the site. The results demonstrate that the Xiaohe People lived at a well-developed oasis, which was surrounded by extensive desert. The vegetation in the oasis consisted of Populus , Phragmites , Typha and probably of Gramineae, while the desert surrounding the oasis had some common drought-resistant plants dominated by Ephedra , Tamarix , Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae. This present work provides the first data of the environmental background at this site for further archaeological investigation. PMID:23894382

Comparative biochemistry of betaine biosynthesis and accumulation in diverse dicot families

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCue, K.F.; Weretilnyk, E.A.; Bednarek, S.Y.

1989-04-01

Salt stress elicits betaine accumulation to high levels in species from several diverse dicot families (Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Convolvulaceae, Solanaceae, and Asteraceae). FAM-MS studies with deuterated precursors showed that species from all these families synthesize betaine from choline. Enzyme assays and immunotitration data showed that all accumulating species contained betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH) enzyme activity recognized by antibodies raised against purified BADH isolated from Spinacia oleracea. Immunoblotting indicated that the BADH monomer was in all cases of Mr {approx} 63,000. The similarity of BADH in the different species is consistent with a single evolutionary origin for the betaine pathway. This wasmore » supported by the presence in immunoblots of a cross-reacting band at Mr {approx} 63,000 in Magnolia x Soulangiana, a primitive angiosperm.« less

The use of halophytic plants for salt phytoremediation in constructed wetlands.

PubMed

Farzi, Abolfazl; Borghei, Seyed Mehdi; Vossoughi, Manouchehr

2017-07-03

This research studied the use of constructed wetlands (CWs) to reduce water salinity. For this purpose, three halophytic species of the Chenopodiaceae family (Salicornia europaea, Salsola crassa, and Bienertia cycloptera) that are resistant to saline conditions were planted in the CWs, and experiments were conducted at three different salinity levels [electrical conductivity (EC)∼2, 6, 10 dS/m]. EC and concentrations of calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and chlorine (Cl) were measured before and after phytoremediation with a retention time of 1 week. The results suggested that these plants were able to grow well and complete their life cycles at all the salinity levels within this study. Moreover, these plants reduced the measured parameters to acceptable levels. Therefore, these plants can be considered good options for salt phytoremediation.

Deglacial climate variability in central Florida, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Willard, D.A.; Bernhardt, C.E.; Brooks, G.R.; Cronin, T. M.; Edgar, T.; Larson, R.

2007-01-01

Pollen and ostracode evidence from lacustrine sediments underlying modern Tampa Bay, Florida, document frequent and abrupt climatic and hydrological events superimposed on deglacial warming in the subtropics. Radiocarbon chronology on well-preserved mollusk shells and pollen residue from core MD02-2579 documents continuous sedimentation in a variety of non-marine habitats in a karst-controlled basin from 20 ka to 11.5 ka. During the last glacial maximum (LGM), much drier and cooler-than-modern conditions are indicated by pollen assemblages enriched in Chenopodiaceae and Carya, with rare Pinus (Pinus pollen increased to 20–40% during the warming of the initial deglaciation (∼ 17.2 ka), reaching near modern abundance (60–80%) during warmer, moister climates of the Bølling/Allerød interval (14.7–12.9 ka). Within the Bølling/Allerød, centennial-scale dry events corresponding to the Older Dryas and Intra-Allerød Cold Period indicate rapid vegetation response (

Quinoa: Nutritional, functional, and antinutritional aspects.

PubMed

Filho, Antonio Manoel Maradini; Pirozi, Mônica Ribeiro; Borges, João Tomaz Da Silva; Pinheiro Sant'Ana, Helena Maria; Chaves, José Benício Paes; Coimbra, Jane Sélia Dos Reis

2017-05-24

We have prepared a review of the physical-chemical composition and the functional and anti-nutritional properties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.). It is a plant of the Chenopodiaceae family, originally from the Andean regions, adaptable to different types of soils and climatic conditions. Its composition has attracted the attention of scientific community for its high nutritional value, being rich in proteins, lipids, fibers, vitamins, and minerals, with an extraordinary balance of essential amino acids. It is also gluten-free, a characteristic that enables its use by celiac patients. In spite of all these attributes, quinoa is not widely used by consumers due to the high cost of imported grain and little knowledge of its benefits. More studies are required to increase knowledge about this "pseudo-cereal" to demonstrate its functional and nutritional benefits and to study its anti-nutritional effects, since it presents high commercial value and excellent nutritional quality.

Betaine synthesis in chenopods: localization in chloroplasts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hanson, A.D.; May A.M.; Grumet, R.

1985-06-01

Plants from several families (Chenopodiaceae, Gramineae, Compositae) accumulate betaine (glycine betaine) in response to salt or water stress via the pathway: choline betainal (betaine aldehyde) betaine. Betaine accumulation is probably a metabolic adaptation to stress. Intact protoplasts from leaves of spinach (Spinacia oleracea) oxidized ( UC)choline to betainal and betaine, as did protoplast lysates. Upon differential centrifugation, the ( UC)choline-oxidizing activity of lysates sedimented with chloroplasts. Chloroplasts purified from protoplast lysates by a Percoll cushion procedure retained strong ( UC)choline-oxidizing activity, although the proportion of the intermediate, ( UC)betainal, in the reaction products was usually higher than for protoplasts. Isolatedmore » chloroplasts also readily oxidized ( UC)betainal to betaine. Light increased the oxidation of both ( UC)choline and ( UC)betainal by isolated chloroplasts. Similar results were obtained with another chenopod (Beta vulgaris) but not with pea (Pisum sativum), a species that accumulates no betaine. The chloroplast site for betaine synthesis in chenopods contrasts with the mitochondrial site in mammals.« less

Recycling of Na in advanced life support: strategies based on crop production systems.

PubMed

Guntur, S V; Mackowiak, C; Wheeler, R M

1999-01-01

Sodium is an essential dietary requirement in human nutrition, but seldom holds much importance as a nutritional element for crop plants. In Advanced Life Support (ALS) systems, recycling of gases, nutrients, and water loops is required to improve system closure. If plants are to play a significant role in recycling of human wastes, Na will need to accumulate in edible tissues for return to the crew diet. If crops fail to accumulate the incoming Na into edible tissues, Na could become a threat to the hydroponic food production system by increasing the nutrient solution salinity. Vegetable crops of Chenopodiaceae such as spinach, table beet, and chard may have a high potential to supply Na to the human diet, as Na can substitute for K to a large extent in metabolic processes of these crops. Various strategies are outlined that include both genetic and environmental management aspects to optimize the Na recovery from waste streams and their resupply through the human diet in ALS.

Holocene paleoecology of an estuary on Santa Rosa Island, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cole, K.L.; Liu, Gaisheng

1994-01-01

The middle to late Holocene history and early Anglo-European settlement impacts on Santa Rosa Island, California, were studied through the analysis of sediments in a small estuarine marsh. A 5.4-m-long sediment core produced a stratigraphic and pollen record spanning the last 5200 yr. Three major zones are distinguishable in the core. The lowermost zone (5200 to 3250 yr B.P.) represents a time of arid climate with predominantly marine sediment input and high Chenopodiaceae and Ambrosia pollen values. The intermediate zone (3250 yr B.P. to 1800 A.D.) is characterized by greater fresh water input and high values for Asteraceae and Cyperaceae pollen and charcoal particles. The uppermost zone (1800 A.D. to present) documents the unprecedented erosion, sedimentation, and vegetation change that resulted from the introduction of large exotic herbivores and exotic plants to the island during Anglo-European settlement. The identification of pollen grains of Torrey Pine (Pinus torreyana) documents the persistence of this endemic species on the island throughout the middle to late Holocene.

Nitrite Contents in Fresh Vegetables of Different Families and Genus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Yuqian; Li, Xiao; Xu, Lingyi; Pang, Meixia; Qi, Jinghua; Wang, Fang

2017-12-01

The aim of this study is firstly aimed at investigating the contents of nitrite in common consumed vegetables according to families and genus classification. The vegetables were randomly collected and analyzed in quartile sampling according to GB5009.30-2016. The vegetables were analyzed by the software of Spss20.0 and statistically significant Duncan multiple comparisons. The data indicates that the nitrite contents in different families and different genus vegetables in same family were significant (P<0.01). A relatively high nitrite concentration was observed in Chenopodiaceae which is 0.5920mg/kg dry weight. A relatively low nitrite concentration was observed in Dioscoreaceae that contentration is 0.0032mg/kg dry weight. The nitrite contents of different genus are large, in which the relatively high concentration samples were red beet root (0.886mg/kg dry weight), peanut (0.7485mg/kg dry weight), corn kernels (0.7119mg/kg dry weight), Lotus root (0.592mg/kg dry weight).

Chemical composition, antimicrobial and insecticidal activities of the essential oils of Conyza linifolia and Chenopodium ambrosioides.

PubMed

Harraz, Fathalla M; Hammoda, Hala M; El Ghazouly, Maged G; Farag, Mohamed A; El-Aswad, Ahmed F; Bassam, Samar M

2015-01-01

Two essential oil-containing plants growing wildly in Egypt: Conyza linifolia (Willd.) Täckh. (Asteraceae) and Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Chenopodiaceae) were subjected to essential oil analysis and biological investigation. The essential oils from both plants were prepared by hydrodistillation, and GC/MS was employed for volatiles profiling. This study is the first to perform GC/MS analysis of C. linifolia essential oil growing in Egypt. C. linifolia essential oil contained mainly sesquiterpenes, while that of C. ambrosioides was rich in monoterpenes. Ascaridole, previously identified as the major component of the latter, was found at much lower levels. In addition, the oils were investigated for their antimicrobial activity against two Gram positive and two Gram negative bacteria, and one fungus. The insecticidal activities of both oils, including mosquitocidal and pesticidal potentials, were also evaluated. The results of biological activities encourage further investigation of the two oils as antimicrobial and insecticidal agents of natural origin.

Responses of Atriplex spongiosa and Suaeda monoica to Salinity

PubMed Central

Storey, Richard; Jones, R. Gareth Wyn

1979-01-01

The growth and tissue water, K+, Na+, Cl−, proline and glycinebetaine contents of the shoots and roots of two Chenopodiaceae, Atriplex spongiosa and Suaeda monoica have been measured over a range of external NaCl salinities. Both species showed some fresh weight response to low salinity mainly due to increased succulence. S. monoica showed both a greater increase in succulence (at low salinities) and tolerance of high salinities than A. spongiosa. Both species had high affinities for Na+ and maintained constant but low shoot K+ contents with increasing salinity. These trends were more marked with S. monoica in which Na+ stimulated the accumulation of K+ in roots. An association between high leaf Na+ accumulation, high osmotic pressure, succulence, and a positive growth response at low salinities was noted. Proline accumulation was observed in shoot tissues with suboptimal water contents. High glycinebetaine contents were found in the shoots of both species. These correlated closely with the sap osmotic pressure and it is suggested that glycinebetaine is the major cytoplasmic osmoticum (with K+ salts) in these species at high salinities. Na+ salts may be preferentially utilized as vacuolar osmotica. PMID:16660671

Antiviral activity of some Tunisian medicinal plants against Herpes simplex virus type 1.

PubMed

Sassi, A Ben; Harzallah-Skhiri, F; Bourgougnon, N; Aouni, M

2008-01-10

Fifteen species of Tunisian traditional medicinal plants, belonging to 10 families, were selected for this study. They were Inula viscosa (L.) Ait and Reichardia tingitana (L.) Roth ssp. discolor (Pom.) Batt. (Asteraceae), Mesembryanthemum cristallinum L. and M. nodiflorum L. (Aizoaceae), Arthrocnemum indicum (Willd.) Moq., Atriplex inflata Muell., A. parvifolia Lowe var. ifiniensis (Caball) Maire, and Salicornia fruticosa L. (Chenopodiaceae), Cistus monspeliensis L. (Cistaceae), Juniperus phoenicea L. (Cupressaceae), Erica multiflora L. (Ericaceae), Frankenia pulverulenta L. (Frankeniaceae), Hypericum crispum L. (Hypericaceae), Plantago coronopus L. ssp. eu-coronopus Pilger var. vulgaris G.G. (Plantaginaceae) and Zygophyllum album L. (Zygophyllaceae). Fifty extracts prepared from those plants were screened in order to assay their antiviral activity against Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), using neutral red incorporation. Extracts from eight plants among these 15 showed some degree of antiviral activity, while the methanolic extract of E. multiflora was highly active with EC(50) of 132.6 microg mL(-1). These results corroborate that medicinal plants from Tunisia can be a rich source of potential antiviral compounds.

Mercury intracellular partitioning and chelation in a salt marsh plant, Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen: strategies underlying tolerance in environmental exposure.

PubMed

Válega, M; Lima, A I G; Figueira, E M A P; Pereira, E; Pardal, M A; Duarte, A C

2009-01-01

In the presence of metal stress, plants can resort to a series of tolerance mechanisms. Therefore field studies should be undertaken in order to evaluate the real role of these mechanisms in stress coping. The aim of this paper was to clarify the biochemical processes behind mercury tolerance in Halimione portulacoides (L.) Aellen (Caryophyllales: Chenopodiaceae) collected in a mercury contaminated salt marsh. Different fractions of mercury were separated: buffer-soluble (mainly cytosolic) and insoluble mercury (mainly associated with membranes and cell walls). The amounts in each fraction of metal were compared and related to metal distribution within plant organs. Protein-mercury complexes were isolated and analysed for their thiol content in order to assess wether the tolerance of this salt marsh plant was associated with the induction of metal chelation by phytochelatins. Overall, the mercury tolerance strategies of the plant are likely to involve root cell wall immobilization as a major mechanism of metal resistance, rather than metal chelation in the cytosolic fraction. Nevertheless, phytochelatins were demonstrated to chelate mercury under environmental exposure.

Humid to arid to subhumid vegetation shift on Pilliga Sandstone, Ulungra Springs, New South Wales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodson, J. R.; Wright, R. V. S.

1989-09-01

The Pilliga Sandstone region of the northwest slope of New South Wales has a natural vegetation cover of sclerophyllous relatively closed to open forests with a largely heathy understorey, and a warm, subhumid and continental climate. Pollen analysis of spring-fed deposits gives a vegetation history extending from at least 30,000 yr B.P. to the late Holocene. Tree pollen became scarce after about 25,000 yr B.P. and an assemblage dominated by Chenopodiaceae, Liguliflorae, Tubuliflorae, and probably Poaceae developed. No similar assemblage is known from present pollen rain studies carried out in Australia. However, it clearly represents a treeless open shrub-steppe formation and therefore an arid or semiarid environment. The site thus provides evidence of an eastward late Pleistocene extension of the arid zone in Australia, and is the first full-glacial vegetation record between 20° and 35° latitude in Australia. The present vegetation cover did not become reestablished until the beginning of the Holocene, which raises questions about the form in which Pilliga Sandstone vegetation survived full-glacial conditions.

Molecular aspects of cyst nematodes.

PubMed

Lilley, Catherine J; Atkinson, Howard J; Urwin, Peter E

2005-11-01

SUMMARY Taxonomy: Superkingdom Eukaryota; kingdom Metazoa; phylum Nematoda; class Chromadorea; order Tylenchida; suborder Tylenchina; superfamily Tylenchoidea; family Heteroderidae; subfamily Heteroderinae; main genera Heterodera and Globodera. Cyst nematodes comprise approximately 100 known species in six genera. They are pathogens of temperate, subtropical and tropical plant species and the host range of many species is narrow. The most economically important species are within the Globodera and Heterodera genera. Globodera pallida and G. rostochiensis are important pathogens of potato crops. There are many economic species in the Heterodera genus, including Heterodera glycines (soybean cyst nematode), H. avenae (cereal cyst nematode) and H. schachtii (sugar beet cyst nematode), the last of which attacks a range of Chenopodiaceae and Cruciferae, including Arabidopsis thaliana. Disease symptoms: Field symptoms of severe cyst nematode infection are often stunting, wilting and chlorosis, but considerable yield loss can occur without obvious symptoms. The only unique indicator of cyst nematode infection is the presence of adult female nematodes attached to host roots after several weeks of parasitism. Disease control: This is usually achieved by using integrated pest management involving cultural practices such as crop rotation, resistant cultivars if available and chemical control when economically justified.

Influence of wind on daily airborne pollen counts in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

tareq Majeed, Husam; Periago, Cristina; Alarcón, Marta; De Linares, Concepción; Belmonte, Jordina

2016-04-01

The aim of this study is to analize the influence of wind (speed and direction) on the daily airborne pollen counts recorded in Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula) of 21 pollen taxa recorded at 6 aerobiological stations: Barcelona, Bellaterra, Girona, Lleida Manresa, and Tarragona for the period 2004-2014. The taxa studied are Alnus, Betula, Castanea, Cupressaceae, Fagus, Fraxinus, Olea, Pinus, Platanus, total Quercus, Quercus deciduous type, Quercus evergreen type, Ulmus, Corylus, Pistacia, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Plantago, Poaceae, Polygonaceae, and Urticaceae. The mean daily wind direction was divided into 8 sectors: N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W and NW. For each sector, the correlation between the daily pollen concentrations and wind speed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was computed and compared with the wind rose charts. The results showed that Tarragona was the station with more significant correlations followed by Bellaterra, Lleida and Manresa. On the other hand, Artemisia was the most correlated taxon with mainly negative values, and Fagus was the least. The W wind direction showed the largest number of significant correlations, mostly positive, while the N direction was the least and negatively correlated.

Airborne pollen and spores of León (Spain)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fernández-González, Delia; Suarez-Cervera, María; Díaz-González, Tomás; Valencia-Barrera, Rosa María

1993-06-01

A qualitative and quantitative analysis of airborne pollen and spores was carried out over 2 years (from September 1987 to August 1989) in the city of León. Slides were prepared daily using a volumetric pollen trap, which was placed on the Faculty of Veterinary Science building (University of León) 12m above ground-level. Fifty-one pollen types were observed; the most important of these were: Cupressaceae during the winter, Pinus and Quercus in spring, and Poaceae, Leguminosae and Chenopodiaceae in the summer. The results also showed the existence of a rich mould spore assemblage in the atmosphere. The group of Amerospores ( Penicillium, Aspergillus and Cladosporium) as well as Dictyospores ( Alternaria) were the most abundant; Puccinia was common in the air in August. Fluctuations in the total pollen and spores m3 of air were compared with meteorological parameters (temperature, relative humidity and rainfall). From the daily sampling of the atmosphere of León, considering the maximum and minimum temperature and duration of rainfall, the start of the pollen grain season was observed generally to coincide with a rise in temperature in the absence of rain.

A late Pleistocene long pollen record from Lake Urmia, NW Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Djamali, Morteza; de Beaulieu, Jacques-Louis; Shah-hosseini, Madjid; Andrieu-Ponel, Valérie; Ponel, Philippe; Amini, Abdolhossein; Akhani, Hossein; Leroy, Suzanne A. G.; Stevens, Lora; Lahijani, Hamid; Brewer, Simon

2008-05-01

A palynological study based on two 100-m long cores from Lake Urmia in northwestern Iran provides a vegetation record spanning 200 ka, the longest pollen record for the continental interior of the Near East. During both penultimate and last glaciations, a steppe of Artemisia and Poaceae dominated the upland vegetation with a high proportion of Chenopodiaceae in both upland and lowland saline ecosystems. While Juniperus and deciduous Quercus trees were extremely rare and restricted to some refugia, Hippophaë rhamnoides constituted an important phanerophyte, particularly during the late last glacial period. A pronounced expansion in Ephedra shrub-steppe occurred at the end of the penultimate late-glacial period but was followed by extreme aridity that favoured an Artemisia steppe. Very high lake levels, registered by both pollen and sedimentary markers, occurred during the middle of the last glaciation and late part of the penultimate glaciation. The late-glacial to early Holocene transition is represented by a succession of Hippophaë, Ephedra, Betula, Pistacia and finally Juniperus and Quercus. The last interglacial period (Eemian), slightly warmer and moister than the Holocene, was followed by two interstadial phases similar in pattern to those recorded in the marine isotope record and southern European pollen sequences.

Rainfall in the Negev Desert during the middle Holocene, based on 13C of organic matter in land snail shells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodfriend, Glenn A.

1990-09-01

Analysis of stable carbon isotope ratios ( {13C}/{12C}) of organic matter in land snail shells is used to infer middle Holocene rainfall amounts in the Negev Desert by reconstructing the distribution of C 4 plants in the family Chenopodiaceae. The organics are derived from the diet of the snails, which consists of plant material, and are enriched in 13C where C 4 plants are present. A survey of modern plant communities indicates that in areas receiving ≥300 mm mean annual rainfall, nearly all plant communities consist of C 3 species only (no C 4 chenopodes), whereas in areas under ≤230 mm rainfall, most plant communities contain one or more C 4 chenopode species. In between is a transition zone consisting of a mosaic of both pure C 3 and mixed C 3 + C 4 plant communities. Isotopic results for fossil land snails indicate a consistent geographic pattern throughout the middle Holocene, from ca. 6500 to 3000 yr B.P., with the transition zone located ca. 20 km south of its present position. This implies a near doubling of rainfall within this region as compared to present.

Chemosensory perception and medicinal plants for digestive ailments in a Mapuche community in NW Patagonia, Argentina.

PubMed

Molares, Soledad; Ladio, Ana

2009-06-25

To document the richness of plant species used in gastrointestinal disorders and to investigate about the criteria of aroma and flavor associated with its recognition, classification, selection and use. Ethnobotanical fieldwork consisted of interviews to 30 inhabitants living in a Mapuche community of Northwestern Patagonia; data collected was analyzed by means of non-parametric statistics. This work records 75 ethnospecies, pertaining to 40 botanic families. Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Chenopodiaceae were the most frequently mentioned and described in terms of smell and taste. Most of species (69%) have notable aroma and/or flavor characteristics. The species presenting highest consensus in the population are positively associated with a higher frequency of organoleptic descriptions. In addition, local people consider these perceptions to be potentially useful in the search for substitutes when species are scarce or disappear from a locality. It is possible to establish a preliminary system of classification of medicinal plants based on their organoleptic characteristics and relate this to their effects on health. Moreover the cultural interpretation of smell and taste is of great heuristic importance to ethnopharmacology, in that it indicates which plants are most likely to contain the main active ingredients sought.

Airborne pollen assemblages and weather regime in the central-eastern Loess Plateau, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuecong; Ge, Yawen; Xu, Qinghai; Bunting, Jane M.; Lv, Suqing; Wang, Junting; Li, Zetao

2015-04-01

This paper presents the results of pollen trapping studies designed to quantify the pollen assemblages carried in the winds of the Loess Plateau in Luochuan and Hunyuan. The one-year-collection samples analysis results show that pollen assemblages can be more sensitive to the change of climate than the vegetation composition, because of the change of pollen production. The analysis results of pollen traps in different weather regimes indicate that the pollen influx coming from dust weather contribute more to the total pollen influx than that coming from non-dust weather. The wind speed is the most important influenced factor to pollen assemblages, then the mean temperature and the mean relative humidity, the wind direction also contributes some. Strong wind coming from dust direction can make the percent and influx of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae increase obviously with averagely higher than over 2.7 times in dust weather than in non-dust samples. The influences of wind speed and wind direction are not serious to some arboreal pollen such as Rosaceae, Quercus, Betula, Pinus and Ostryopsis, which are mainly influenced by temperature or the relative humidity such as Salix, Hippophae, Carpinus, Brassicaceae, Cupressaceae, Fabaceae.

Artificially accelerating the reversal of desertification: cyanobacterial inoculation facilitates the succession of vegetation communities.

PubMed

Lan, Shubin; Zhang, Qingyi; Wu, Li; Liu, Yongding; Zhang, Delu; Hu, Chunxiang

2014-01-01

Desertification has been recognized as a global environmental problem, and one region experiencing ongoing desertification is the eastern edge of Qubqi Desert (Inner Mongolia). To investigate the facilitating effects of cyanobacterial inoculation technology on the desertification control along this steppe-desert transition region, artificial cyanobacterial crusts were constructed with two filamentous cyanobacteria 3 and 8 years ago combined with Salix planting. The results showed that no crusts formed after 3 years of fixation only with Salix planting, whereas after cyanobacterial inoculation, the crusts formed quickly and gradually succeed to moss crusts. During that course, topsoil environments were gradually improved, providing the necessary material basis for the regeneration of vascular plants. In this investigation, total 27 species of vascular plants had regenerated in the experimental region, mainly belonging to Asteraceae, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Leguminosae. Using space time substitution, the dominant species along with the application of cyanobacterial inoculation technology succeeded from Agriophyllum squarrosum ultimately to Leymus chinensis. In addition, it was found that the shady side of the dunes is more conducive to crust development and succession of vegetation communities. Conclusively, our results indicate artificial cyanobacterial inoculation technology is an effective and desirable path for desertification control.

Ecosystem responses during Late Glacial period recorded in the sediments of Lake Łukie (East Poland)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zawiska, Izabela; Słowiński, Michał; Correa-Metrio, Alex; Obremska, Milena; Luoto, Tomi; Nevalainen, Liisa; Woszczyk, Michał; Milecka, Krystyna

2014-05-01

The main objectives of this study was to reconstruct climate impact on the functioning of Lake Łukie and its catchment (Łęczna Włodawa Lake District, East European Plain) during Late Glacial period. In order to reconstruct climatic fluctuations and corresponding ecosystem responses, we analysed lake sediments for pollen, subfossil Cladocera, plant macrofossils and chemical composition of the sediment. Of these, plant macrofossils and Cladocera were used to infer minimum and mean July temperatures and ordination analysis was used to examine biotic community shifts. Multiproxy analyses of late-glacial sediments of Lake Łukie clearly show that the main driver of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as well as geomorphological processes in the catchment was climate variation. The history of the lake initiated during the Older Dryas. In that period, Łęczna Włodawa Lake District was covered by open habitats dominated by grasses (Poaceae), humid sites were occupied by tundra plant communities with less clubmoss (Selaginella selaginoides), dry sites by dominated by steppe-like vegetation with light-demanding species such as Helianthemum, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, and juniper bushes (Juniperus). Cold climate limited the growth and development of organisms in the lake, Cladocera community species composition was poor, with only few species present there all the time. During this time period, permafrost was still present in the ground limiting infiltration of rainwater and causing high erosion in the catchment area. Surface runoff is confirmed by the presence of sclerotia of Cenococcum geophilum and high terrigenous silica content. The warming of the early Allerød caused a remarkable change in the natural environment of this area. This is in accordance with the temperature rise reconstructed with the use of plant macrofossils though the Cladocera reconstruction did not recorded the rise than. This temperature increase resulted in turnover of vegetation in the catchment of Lake Łukie, pioneer birch-pine forests dominated, later replaced by pine-birch forests. Consequently this limited the erosion. The results of all proxy suggest the water-lever rise in lake Łukie. The Younger Dryas cooling in the region began about 12 630 14C years BP and recorded in significant drop in temperature reconstructed with plant macrofossils and Cladocera. The cooling resulted in a decline of forest communities and development of open habitats with grasses (Poaceae), Artemisia, and Chenopodiaceae), as well as juniper thickets (Juniperus) At the end of the Younger Dryas, plant communities changed, the non-arborescent pollen declined, while pollen of trees (especially Pinus) became more abundant. This change was more abruptly reflected in Cladocera and aquatic pollen results and is probably related to gradual climate warming. This study is a contribution to the Virtual Institute ICLEA (Integrated Climate and Landscape Evolution Analysis) funded by the Helmholtz Association, projects UMO-2011/01/B/ST10/07367 and N N306 036436 founded by National Science Center, Poland.

Salt-induction of betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase mRNA, protein, and enzymatic activity in sugar beet. [Beta vulgaris L

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCue, K.F.; Hanson, A.D.

1991-05-01

In Chenopodiaceae such as sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.), glycine betaine (betaine) accumulates in response to drought or salinity stress and functions in the cytoplasm as a compatible osmolyte. The last enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway, betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase (BADH), increases as much as 4-fold in response to rising salinity in the external medium. This increase is accompanied by an increase in both protein and mRNA levels. The steady state increases in BADH were examined at a series of NaCl concentrations from 100 to 500 mM NaCl. BADH protein levels were examined by native PAGE, and by western blot analysismore » using antibodies raised against BADH purified from spinach. mRNA levels were examined by northern plot analysis of total RNA isolated from the leaves and hybridized with a sugar beet BADH cDNA clone. The time course for BADH mRNA induction was determined in a salt shock experiment utilizing 400 mM NaCl added to the external growth medium. Disappearance of BADH was examined in a salt relief experiment using plants step-wise salinized to 500 mM NaCl and then returned to 0 mM NaCl.« less

Salt-Responsive Transcriptome Profiling of Suaeda glauca via RNA Sequencing

PubMed Central

Jin, Hangxia; Dong, Dekun; Yang, Qinghua; Zhu, Danhua

2016-01-01

Background Suaeda glauca, a succulent halophyte of the Chenopodiaceae family, is widely distributed in coastal areas of China. Suaeda glauca is highly resistant to salt and alkali stresses. In the present study, the salt-responsive transcriptome of Suaeda glauca was analyzed to identify genes involved in salt tolerance and study halophilic mechanisms in this halophyte. Results Illumina HiSeq 2500 was used to sequence cDNA libraries from salt-treated and control samples with three replicates each treatment. De novo assembly of the six transcriptomes identified 75,445 unigenes. A total of 23,901 (31.68%) unigenes were annotated. Compared with transcriptomes from the three salt-treated and three salt-free samples, 231 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected (including 130 up-regulated genes and 101 down-regulated genes), and 195 unigenes were functionally annotated. Based on the Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) classifications of the DEGs, more attention should be paid to transcripts associated with signal transduction, transporters, the cell wall and growth, defense metabolism and transcription factors involved in salt tolerance. Conclusions This report provides a genome-wide transcriptional analysis of a halophyte, Suaeda glauca, under salt stress. Further studies of the genetic basis of salt tolerance in halophytes are warranted. PMID:26930632

Phytochemical and biological studies of Atriplex inflata f. Muell.: isolation of secondary bioactive metabolites.

PubMed

Ben Nejma, Aymen; Znati, Mansour; Nguir, Asma; Daich, Adam; Othman, Mohamed; Lawson, Ata Martin; Ben Jannet, Hichem

2017-08-01

This work describes the phytochemical and biological investigation of the Tunisian Atriplex inflata F. Muell (Chenopodiaceae). Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods, including 1D NMR and 2D NMR, ESI-HRMS and comparison with available literature data. The isolates were evaluated for their antioxidant activity by the DPPH • , ABTS +• , Fe 3+ and catalase assays and also for their antibacterial and anticholinesterase activity. The chemical study of Atriplex inflata F. Muell led to the isolation of two fatty acids (9E)-methyl-8,11,12-trihydroxyoctadec-9-enoate 1 and (9E)-8,11,12-trihydroxyoctadecenoic acid 2 together with (Z)-litchiol B 3 and 20-hydroxyecdysone 4. Three of which are reported here for the first time in Atriplex genus. Based on the biosynthesis of hydroxylated arachidonic acid and derivatives, a plausible biogenesis pathway of the two fatty acids (1 and 2) was proposed. (Z)-litchiol B (3) was found to be the most active against Staphylococcus aureus. According to the literature, this is the first time that compounds 1, 2 and 3 were tested for their eventual biological activity. In the results of the present work, we have proposed the biogenesis pathway of unsaturated fatty acid and described the structure-activity relationship. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Response of AM fungi spore population to elevated temperature and nitrogen addition and their influence on the plant community composition and productivity

PubMed Central

Zhang, Tao; Yang, Xue; Guo, Rui; Guo, Jixun

2016-01-01

To examine the influence of elevated temperature and nitrogen (N) addition on species composition and development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the effect of AMF on plant community structure and aboveground productivity, we conducted a 5-year field experiment in a temperate meadow in northeast China and a subsequent greenhouse experiment. In the field experiment, N addition reduced spore population diversity and richness of AMF and suppressed the spore density and the hyphal length density (HLD). Elevated temperature decreased spore density and diameter and increased the HLD, but did not affect AMF spore population composition. In the greenhouse experiment, AMF altered plant community composition and increased total aboveground biomass in both elevated temperature and N addition treatments; additionally, AMF also increased the relative abundance and aboveground biomass of the grasses Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) and Setaria viridis (Gramineae) and significantly reduced the relative abundance and aboveground biomass of the Suaeda corniculata (Chenopodiaceae). Although elevated temperature and N addition can affect species composition or suppress the development of AMF, AMF are likely to play a vital role in increasing plant diversity and productivity. Notably, AMF might reduce the threat of climate change induced degradation of temperate meadow ecosystems. PMID:27098761

Exploring the Role of Humans and Climate over the Balkan Landscape: 500 Years of Vegetational History of Serbia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Charuta; Peteet, Dorothy; Boger, Rebecca; Heusser, Linda

2016-01-01

We present the first, well-dated, high-resolution record of vegetation and landscape change from Serbia, which spans the past 500 years. Biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical analysis through X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and a detailed chronology based on AMS C-14 dating from a western Serbian sinkhole core suggest complex woodland-grassland dynamics and strong erosional signals throughout the Little Ice Age (LIA). An open landscape with prominent steppe vegetation (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae) and minor woodland exists during 1540-1720 CE (early LIA), while the late LIA (1720-1850 CE) in this record shows higher tree percentages possibly due to increased moisture availability. The post LIA Era (1850-2012 CE) brings a disturbed type of vegetation with the presence of weedy genera and an increase in regional woodland. Anthropogenic indicators for agricultural, pastoral and fire practices in the region together attest to the dominant role of humans in shaping this Balkan landscape throughout the interval. The changing nature of human interference, potentially as a response to underlying climatic transitions, is evident through large-scale soil depletion resulting from grazing and land clearance during the early LIA and stabilization of arable lands during the late and post-LIA eras.

Reconstruction of vegetation and lake level at Moon Lake, North Dakota, from high-resolution pollen and diatom data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grimm, E.C.; Laird, K.R.; Mueller, P.G.

High-resolution fossil-pollen and diatom data from Moon Lake, North Dakota, reveal major climate and vegetation changes near the western margin of the tall-grass prairie. Fourteen AMS radiocarbon dates provide excellent time control for the past {approximately}11,800 {sup 14}C years B.P. Picea dominated during the late-glacial until it abruptly declined {approximately}10,300 B.P. During the early Holocene ({approximately}10,300-8000 B.P.), deciduous trees and shrubs (Populus, Betula, Corylus, Quercus, and especially Ulmus) were common, but prairie taxa (Poaceae, Artemisia, and Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae) gradually increased. During this period the diatoms indicate the lake becoming gradually more saline as water-level fell. By {approximately}8000 B.P., salinity had increasedmore » to the point that the diatoms were no longer sensitive to further salinity increases. However, fluctuating pollen percentages of mud-flat weeds (Ambrosia and Iva) indicate frequently changing water levels during the mid-Holocene ({approximately}8000-5000 B.P.). The driest millennium was 7000-6000 B.P., when Iva annua was common. After {approximately}3000 B.P. the lake became less-saline, and the diatoms were again sensitive to changing salinity. The Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age are clearly evident in the diatom data.« less

Genetic diversity and environmental associations of sacsaoul ( Haloxylon ammodendron)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Linjing; Zhao, Guifang; Yue, Ming; Pan, Xiaoling

2003-07-01

Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers were used to assess levels and patterns of genetic diversity in H. ammodendron (Chenopodiaceae). A total of 117 plants from 6 subpopulations on oasis-desert ecotone was analyzed by 16 arbitrarily chosen primers resulting in highly reproducible RAPD bands. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) with distances among individuals showed that most of the variation (74%) occurred among individuals within subpopulations, which is expected for a crossing organism, and 26% of variation among subpopulations. Estimates of Shannon index and Nei"s index from allele frequencies corroborated AMOVA partitioning in H. ammodendron. UPGMA cluster analyses, based on genetic distance, do not revealed grouping of some geographically proximate populations. This is the first report of the partitioning of genetic variability within and between subpopulations of H. ammodendron and provides important baseline data for optimizing sampling strategies and for conserving the genetic resources of this species. The Percentage of polymorphic loci was as high as 96%, presumably being response to oasis-desert ecotone. There were gene flows (Nm=5.38 individuals/generation), based on gene differentiation coefficient (GST was 0.1567) between subpopulations, and strong habitat selection override the gene flow to maintain the subpopulation differentiation. Correlation analyses showed that there was significant relationship between genetic diversity and soil CL ion.

Response of AM fungi spore population to elevated temperature and nitrogen addition and their influence on the plant community composition and productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Tao; Yang, Xue; Guo, Rui; Guo, Jixun

2016-04-01

To examine the influence of elevated temperature and nitrogen (N) addition on species composition and development of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the effect of AMF on plant community structure and aboveground productivity, we conducted a 5-year field experiment in a temperate meadow in northeast China and a subsequent greenhouse experiment. In the field experiment, N addition reduced spore population diversity and richness of AMF and suppressed the spore density and the hyphal length density (HLD). Elevated temperature decreased spore density and diameter and increased the HLD, but did not affect AMF spore population composition. In the greenhouse experiment, AMF altered plant community composition and increased total aboveground biomass in both elevated temperature and N addition treatments; additionally, AMF also increased the relative abundance and aboveground biomass of the grasses Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) and Setaria viridis (Gramineae) and significantly reduced the relative abundance and aboveground biomass of the Suaeda corniculata (Chenopodiaceae). Although elevated temperature and N addition can affect species composition or suppress the development of AMF, AMF are likely to play a vital role in increasing plant diversity and productivity. Notably, AMF might reduce the threat of climate change induced degradation of temperate meadow ecosystems.

Population dynamics of Agriophyllum squarrosum, a pioneer annual plant endemic to mobile sand dunes, in response to global climate change.

PubMed

Qian, Chaoju; Yin, Hengxia; Shi, Yong; Zhao, Jiecai; Yin, Chengliang; Luo, Wanyin; Dong, Zhibao; Chen, Guoxiong; Yan, Xia; Wang, Xiao-Ru; Ma, Xiao-Fei

2016-05-23

Climate change plays an important role in the transition of ecosystems. Stratigraphic investigations have suggested that the Asian interior experienced frequent transitions between grassland and desert ecosystems as a consequence of global climate change. Using maternally and bi-parentally inherited markers, we investigated the population dynamics of Agriophyllum squarrosum (Chenopodiaceae), an annual pioneer plant endemic to mobile sand dunes. Phylogeographic analysis revealed that A. squarrosum could originate from Gurbantunggut desert since ~1.6 Ma, and subsequently underwent three waves of colonisation into other deserts and sandy lands corresponding to several glaciations. The rapid population expansion and distribution range shifts of A. squarrosum from monsoonal climate zones suggested that the development of the monsoonal climate significantly enhanced the population growth and gene flow of A. squarrosum. These data also suggested that desertification of the fragile grassland ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was more ancient than previously suggested and will be aggravated under global warming in the future. This study provides new molecular phylogeographic insights into how pioneer annual plant species in desert ecosystems respond to global climate change, and facilitates evaluation of the ecological potential and genetic resources of future crops for non-arable dry lands to mitigate climate change.

Population dynamics of Agriophyllum squarrosum, a pioneer annual plant endemic to mobile sand dunes, in response to global climate change

PubMed Central

Qian, Chaoju; Yin, Hengxia; Shi, Yong; Zhao, Jiecai; Yin, Chengliang; Luo, Wanyin; Dong, Zhibao; Chen, Guoxiong; Yan, Xia; Wang, Xiao-Ru; Ma, Xiao-Fei

2016-01-01

Climate change plays an important role in the transition of ecosystems. Stratigraphic investigations have suggested that the Asian interior experienced frequent transitions between grassland and desert ecosystems as a consequence of global climate change. Using maternally and bi-parentally inherited markers, we investigated the population dynamics of Agriophyllum squarrosum (Chenopodiaceae), an annual pioneer plant endemic to mobile sand dunes. Phylogeographic analysis revealed that A. squarrosum could originate from Gurbantunggut desert since ~1.6 Ma, and subsequently underwent three waves of colonisation into other deserts and sandy lands corresponding to several glaciations. The rapid population expansion and distribution range shifts of A. squarrosum from monsoonal climate zones suggested that the development of the monsoonal climate significantly enhanced the population growth and gene flow of A. squarrosum. These data also suggested that desertification of the fragile grassland ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau was more ancient than previously suggested and will be aggravated under global warming in the future. This study provides new molecular phylogeographic insights into how pioneer annual plant species in desert ecosystems respond to global climate change, and facilitates evaluation of the ecological potential and genetic resources of future crops for non-arable dry lands to mitigate climate change. PMID:27210568

Contrasting pollen histories of MIS 5e and the Holocene from Lake Titicaca (Bolivia/Peru)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanselman, Jennifer A.; Gosling, William D.; Paduano, Gina M.; Bush, Mark B.

2005-10-01

Two long sediment records (cores LTO1-2B and LT01-3B) from Lake Titicaca, Bolivia/Peru, are compared with a previously analysed Holocene record from this lake (core NE98-1PC). The Holocene records of LT01-2B and NE98-1PC are similar. There are striking differences, however, between the MIS 5e sections of the long cores and the Holocene records. In these records, temperature is probably the dominant parameter that determines the total fossil pollen concentration and is used to time the onset and termination of deglaciation. In contrast, the relative and absolute abundance of specific taxa (e.g. Polylepis/Acaena, Chenopodiaceae) are indicators of relative moisture availability. Although the Holocene contains a period of aridity between ca. 8000 cal. yr BP and 4300 cal. yr BP, it is a minor event compared with the more extreme aridity of MIS 5e. Core LT01-3B showed similar trends during MIS 5e when compared to LT01-2B, as did NE98-1PC when comparing Holocene records. MIS 5e and the Holocene are markedly different interglacials, depicted by shifts in pollen concentration and taxa representation over time.

Spectroscopy investigation on chemo-catalytic, free radical scavenging and bactericidal properties of biogenic silver nanoparticles synthesized using Salicornia brachiata aqueous extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seralathan, Janani; Stevenson, Priscilla; Subramaniam, Shankar; Raghavan, Rachana; Pemaiah, Brindha; Sivasubramanian, Aravind; Veerappan, Anbazhagan

2014-01-01

Nanosized silver have been widely used in many applications, such as catalysis, photonics, sensors, medicine etc. Thus, there is an increasing need to develop high-yield, low cost, non-toxic and eco-friendly procedures for the synthesis of nanoparticles. Herein, we report an efficient, green synthesis of silver nanoparticles utilizing the aqueous extract of Salicornia brachiata, a tropical plant of the Chenopodiaceae family. Silver nanoparticles have been characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The morphology of the particles formed consists of highly diversified shapes like spherical, rod-like, prism, triangular, pentagonal and hexagonal pattern. However, addition of sodium hydroxide to the extract produces mostly spherical particles. The stable nanoparticles obtained using this green method show remarkable catalytic activity in the reduction of 4-nitro phenol to 4-amino phenol. The reduction catalyzed by silver nanoparticles followed the first-order kinetics, with a rate constant of, 0.6 × 10-2 s-1. The bactericidal activity of the synthesized silver nanoparticles against the pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus aureus E, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli, was also explored using REMA. The obtained results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentration required to induce bactericidal effect is lower than the control antibiotic, ciprofloxacin. In addition to these, the biogenic synthesized nanoparticles also exhibited excellent free radical scavenging activity.

Aggregation Behavior and a Putative Aggregation Pheromone in Sugar Beet Root Maggot Flies (Diptera: Ulidiidae)

PubMed Central

Emmert, Susan Y.; Tindall, Kelly; Ding, Hongjian; Boetel, Mark A.; Rajabaskar, D.; Eigenbrode, Sanford D.

2017-01-01

Male-biased aggregations of sugar beet root maggot, Tetanops myopaeformis (Röder) (Diptera: Ulidiidae), flies were observed on utility poles near sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. [Chenopodiaceae]) fields in southern Idaho; this contrasts with the approximately equal sex ratio typically observed within fields. Peak observation of mating pairs coincided with peak diurnal abundance of flies. Volatiles released by individual male and female flies were sampled from 08:00 to 24:00 hours in the laboratory using solid-phase microextraction and analyzed using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Eleven compounds were uniquely detected from males. Three of these compounds (2-undecanol, 2-decanol, and sec-nonyl acetate) were detected in greater quantities during 12:00–24:00 hours than during 08:00–12:00 hours. The remaining eight compounds uniquely detected from males did not exhibit temporal trends in release. Both sexes produced 2-nonanol, but males produced substantially higher (ca. 80-fold) concentrations of this compound than females, again peaking after 12:00 hours. The temporal synchrony among male aggregation behavior, peak mating rates, and release of certain volatile compounds by males suggest that T. myopaeformis flies exhibit lekking behavior and produce an associated pheromone. Field assays using synthetic blends of the putative aggregation pheromone showed evidence of attraction in both females and males. PMID:28423428

Estimation of Anticipated Performance Index and Air Pollution Tolerance Index and of vegetation around the marble industrial areas of Potwar region: bioindicators of plant pollution response.

PubMed

Noor, Mehwish Jamil; Sultana, Shazia; Fatima, Sonia; Ahmad, Mushtaq; Zafar, Muhammad; Sarfraz, Maliha; Balkhyour, Masour A; Safi, Sher Zaman; Ashraf, Muhammad Aqeel

2015-06-01

Mitigating industrial air pollution is a big challenge, in such scenario screening of plants as a bio monitor is extremely significant. It requires proper selection and screening of sensitive and tolerant plant species which are bio indicator and sink for air pollution. The present study was designed to evaluate the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) of the common flora. Fifteen common plant species from among trees, herb and shrubs i.e. Chenopodium album (Chenopodiaceae), Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae), Amaranthus viridis (Amaranthaceae), Lantana camara (Verbenaceaea), Ziziphus nummulari (Rhamnaceae), Silibum merianum (Asteraceae), Cannabis sativa (Cannabinaceae), Calatropis procera (Asclepediaceae), Ricinus communis (Euphorbiaceae), Melia azadirachta (Meliaceae), Psidium guajava (Myrtaceae), Eucalyptus globules (Myrtaceae), Broussonetia papyrifera (Moraceae), Withania somnifera (Solanaceae) and Sapium sabiferum (Euphorbiaceae) were selected growing frequently in vicinity of Marble industries in Potwar region. APTI and API of selected plant species were analyzed by determining important biochemical parameter i.e. total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, relative water content and pH etc. Furthermore the selected vegetation was studied for physiological, economic, morphological and biological characteristics. The soil of studied sites was analyzed. It was found that most the selected plant species are sensitive to air pollution. However B. papyrifera, E. globulus and R. communis shows the highest API and therefore recommended for plantation in marble dust pollution stress area.

Anthelmintic activity of Chenopodium album (L) and Caesalpinia crista (L) against trichostrongylid nematodes of sheep.

PubMed

Jabbar, Abdul; Zaman, Muhammad Arfan; Iqbal, Zafar; Yaseen, Muhammad; Shamim, Asim

2007-10-08

The present study was carried out to determine the anthelmintic activity of Caesalpinia crista (L.) (Fabaceae) seed kernel and Chenopodium album (L.) (Chenopodiaceae) whole plant in order to justify their traditional use in veterinary medicine. In vitro anthelmintic activity of crude aqueous methanolic extract (AME) of both the plants was determined using mature Haemonchus contortus and their eggs in adult motility assay and egg hatch test, respectively. In vivo anthelmintic activity was evaluated in sheep naturally infected with mixed species of gastrointestinal nematodes by administering crude powder (CP) and AME in increasing doses (1.0-3.0 g/kg). Both plants exhibited dose- and time-dependent anthelmintic effects by causing mortality of worms and inhibition of egg hatching. Caesalpinia crista (LC50=0.134 mg/mL) was found to be more potent than Chenopodium album (LC50=0.449 mg/mL) in egg hatch test. In vivo, maximum reduction in eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces was recorded as 93.9 and 82.2% with Caesalpinia crista and Chenopodium album AME at 3.0 g/kg on day 13 and 5 post-treatment, respectively. Levamisole (7.5 mg/kg), a standard anthelmintic agent, showed 95.1-95.6% reduction in EPG. These data show that both Caesalpinia crista and Chenopodium album possess anthelmintic activity in vitro and in vivo, thus, justifying their use in the traditional medicine system of Pakistan.

Occurrence of Cucumber mosaic virus on vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) in India.

PubMed

Madhubala, R; Bhadramurthy, V; Bhat, A I; Hareesh, P S; Retheesh, S T; Bhai, R S

2005-06-01

Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) causing mosaic, leaf distortion and stunting of vanilla (Vanilla planifolia Andrews) in India was characterized on the basis of biological and coat protein (CP) nucleotide sequence properties. In mechanical inoculation tests, the virus was found to infect members of Chenopodiaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae and Solanaceae. Nicotiana benthamiana was found to be a suitable host for the propagation of CMV. The virus was purified from inoculated N. benthamiana plants and negatively stained purified preparations contained isometric particles of about 28 nm in diameter. The molecular weight of the viral coat protein subunits was found to be 25.0 kDa. Polyclonal antiserum was produced in New Zealand white rabbit, immunoglobulin G (IgG) was purified and conjugated with alkaline phosphatase enzyme. Double antibody sandwich-enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (DAS-ELISA) method was standardized for the detection of CMV infection in vanilla plants. CP gene of the virus was amplified using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), cloned and sequenced. Sequenced region contained a single open reading frame of 657 nucleotides potentially coding for 218 amino acids. Sequence analyses with other CMV isolates revealed the greatest identity with black pepper isolate of CMV (99%) and the phylogram clearly showed that CMV infecting vanilla belongs to subgroup IB. This is the first report of occurrence of CMV on V. planifolia from India.

Beta vulgaris - A mini review of traditional uses in Iran, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

PubMed

Hamedi, Shokouhsadat; Honarvar, Masoud

2018-03-08

Beta vulgaris (family: Chenopodiacea) is now much used in the food industry as a rich source of sugar but it is much less considered in medicine. Beet has been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years to treat a variety of diseases such as constipation, decreased libido, gut and joint pain and dandruff. This study introduced the benefits of Beta vulgaris by reviewing of Iranian traditional documents from 10th century until now and also compared modern phytotherapy of plant beet from the electronic data banks such as ISI, Pub Med and Scopus with findings that extracted from traditional literature. This plant is known in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) as Selgh (Arabic) or Choghondar (Farsi) and its leaves are used to develop treatments. Results confirmed that the plant referred to as Selgh in traditional books is that the plant Beta vulgaris in contemporary studies. Treatments that have not been evaluated in modern phytotherapy but do appear in traditional treatments include fever, as well as psychological and psychiatric issues. This article tells the history of beet in ITM and can confirm use of plant Beta vulgaris in medicinal practice. The report can be applied for certification of plant Beta vulgaris for researchers and experts. The findings of this study can help the researchers in producing therapeutic products and new application. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

A clinical study of airborne allergens in the United Arab Emirates.

PubMed

Lestringant, G G; Bener, A; Frossard, P M; Abdulkhalik, S; Bouix, G

1999-10-01

In the past 25 years the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have experienced a socioeconomic boom. The once nomadic Bedouin population of Al Ain, in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, now lives in modern air-conditioned accommodation, and huge desalination plants have allowed afforestation and farming. To evidence responsible airborne allergens in an UAE population. 263 UAE Nationals who attended Tawam Hospital (Al Ain, UAE) with a respiratory disease suspected of being of allergic origin, were submitted to SPT and RAST. The choice of pollinic allergens was made in accordance with the local flora and market availability. All patients were SPTed with at least the same battery of 15 pollinic and indoor allergens. Most patients were submitted to at least 4 RAST, viz Cynodon dactylon, Salsola kali, Prosopis juliflora and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. 71.8% patients were positive for at least one allergen. Pollen accounted for 61.6% of positive patients, with 45.2% positive to chenopodiaceae, 33% to gramineae and 23.5% to P. juliflora. Indoor allergens were positive in 30.4% of patients with 17.9% positive to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, 11% to Blatella germanica, 8.3% to Cat fur, 4.9% to Goat hair, 0.7% to Rat hair and Mouse hair and 1.5% to Candida albicans. Pollen was the prominent allergen. There is room, however, for further epidemiological studies possibly with new extracts and RAST specifically designed after the species of the Gulf region.

Atmospheric pollen count in Monterrey, Mexico.

PubMed

González-Díaz, Sandra N; Rodríguez-Ortiz, Pablo G; Arias-Cruz, Alfredo; Macías-Weinmann, Alejandra; Cid-Guerrero, Dagoberto; Sedo-Mejia, Giovanni A

2010-01-01

There are few reports of pollen count and identification in Mexico; therefore, it is important to generate more information on the subject. This study was designed to describe the prevalence of pollen in the city of Monterrey, Mexico, during the year 2004. Atmospheric pollen was collected with a Hirst air sampler, with an airflow of 10 L/minute during 2004. Pollen was identified with light microscopy; the average monthly pollen count as well as total was calculated from January 2004 to January 2005. The months with the highest concentration of pollen were February and March (289 and 142 grains/m(3) per day, respectively), and July and November had the lowest concentration (20 and 11 grains/m(3) per day, respectively). Most of the pollen recollected corresponded to tree pollen (72%). Fraxinus spp had the highest concentration during the year (19 grains/m(3) per day; 27.5% of the total concentration of pollen). Tree pollen predominated from January through March; with Fraxinus spp, Morus spp, Celtis spp, Cupressus spp, and Pinus spp as the most important. Weed pollen predominated in May, June, and December and the most frequently identified, were Amaranthaceae/Chenopodiaceae, Ambrosia spp, and Parietaria spp. The highest concentration of grass pollen was reported during the months of May, June, September, October, and December with Gramineae/Poaceae predominating. Tree pollen was the most abundant during the year, with the ash tree having the highest concentration. Weed and grass pollen were perennial with peaks during the year.

Seed Heteromorphism and Effects of Light and Abiotic Stress on Germination of a Typical Annual Halophyte Salsola ferganica in Cold Desert

PubMed Central

Ma, Yali; Wang, Juan; Zhang, Jinghua; Zhang, Shiyue; Liu, Yanxia; Lan, Haiyan

2018-01-01

Seed heteromorphism is a common characteristic of halophyte and an adaptation to the spatial and temporal variations of natural habitats. Differences in dormancy and germination requirements have been documented in heteromorphic seeds of many species, but the mechanisms for maintenance between different status in various populations have not been well-understood. Salsola ferganica is a typical annual halophyte in Chenopodiaceae distributed in cold desert, in the present study, we found that it could produce three distinct types of seed according to the shape and size of winged perianth (WP), which differed in dispersal ability, dormancy and germination behaviors. Our further investigation revealed that light could significantly promote germination of heteromorphic seeds of S. ferganica, and WP inhibited while GA3 enhanced germination, which suggests that S. ferganica seeds possessed a photo-sensitive combined with morphological and non-deep physiological dormancy type, in which light was the dominant factor. Not like other desert plant species, the germinability of heteromorphic seeds of S. ferganica could not sustain for long (only 1–2 years), especially the small seeds, and was affected by storage time, temperature, salinity, even the environmental conditions of the maternal plant. Thus, the differences of characteristics existed among heteromorphic seeds and variations of heteromorphic ratio among different calendar years were presumed as diverse adaptation strategies integrated in the individual mother plant, and might apply important ecological significance for successful reproduction of the species in the unpredictable cold desert. PMID:29387073

Physiological and proteomic analyses of salt stress response in the halophyte Halogeton glomeratus

PubMed Central

Wang, Juncheng; Meng, Yaxiong; Li, Baochun; Ma, Xiaole; Lai, Yong; Si, Erjing; Yang, Ke; Xu, Xianliang; Shang, Xunwu; Wang, Huajun; Wang, Di

2015-01-01

Very little is known about the adaptation mechanism of Chenopodiaceae Halogeton glomeratus, a succulent annual halophyte, under saline conditions. In this study, we investigated the morphological and physiological adaptation mechanisms of seedlings exposed to different concentrations of NaCl treatment for 21 d. Our results revealed that H. glomeratus has a robust ability to tolerate salt; its optimal growth occurs under approximately 100 mm NaCl conditions. Salt crystals were deposited in water-storage tissue under saline conditions. We speculate that osmotic adjustment may be the primary mechanism of salt tolerance in H. glomeratus, which transports toxic ions such as sodium into specific salt-storage cells and compartmentalizes them in large vacuoles to maintain the water content of tissues and the succulence of the leaves. To investigate the molecular response mechanisms to salt stress in H. glomeratus, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis of seedling leaves that had been exposed to 200 mm NaCl for 24 h, 72 h and 7 d. Forty-nine protein spots, exhibiting significant changes in abundance after stress, were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS) and similarity searches across EST database of H. glomeratus. These stress-responsive proteins were categorized into nine functional groups, such as photosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and stress and defence response. PMID:25124288

Aerial and soil seed banks enable populations of an annual species to cope with an unpredictable dune ecosystem

PubMed Central

Gao, Ruiru; Yang, Xuejun; Yang, Fan; Wei, Lingling; Huang, Zhenying; Walck, Jeffrey L.

2014-01-01

Background and Aims Simultaneous formation of aerial and soil seed banks by a species provides a mechanism for population maintenance in unpredictable environments. Eolian activity greatly affects growth and regeneration of plants in a sand dune system, but we know little about the difference in the contributions of these two seed banks to population dynamics in sand dunes. Methods Seed release, germination, seedling emergence and survival of a desert annual, Agriophyllum squarrosum (Chenopodiaceae), inhabiting the Ordos Sandland in China, were determined in order to explore the different functions of the aerial and soil seed banks. Key Results The size of the aerial seed bank was higher than that of the soil seed bank throughout the growing season. Seed release was positively related to wind velocity. Compared with the soil seed bank, seed germination from the aerial seed bank was lower at low temperature (5/15 °C night/day) but higher in the light. Seedling emergence from the soil seed bank was earlier than that from the aerial seed bank. Early-emerged (15 April–15 May) seedlings died due to frost, but seedlings that emerged during the following months survived to reproduce successfully. Conclusions The timing of seed release and different germination behaviour resulted in a temporal heterogeneity of seedling emergence and establishment between the two seed banks. The study suggests that a bet-hedging strategy for the two seed banks enables A. squarrosum populations to cope successfully with the unpredictable desert environment. PMID:24918206

Characteristics of modern pollen rain and the relationship to vegetation in sagebrush-steppe environments of Montana, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briles, C.; Bryant, V.

2010-12-01

Variations in pollen production and dispersal characteristics among plant species complicate our ability to determine direct relationships between deposited pollen and actual vegetation. In order to better understand modern pollen-vegetation relationships, we analyzed pollen from 61 samples taken from sagebrush-steppe environments across Montana and compared them with the actual vegetation composition at each site. We also determined to what degree sagebrush-steppe communities can be geographically distinguished from one another based on their pollen signature. Pollen preservation was good, especially in wetter environments, with pollen degradataion ranging from 4-15%. Diploxylon Pinus was the primary contributor to the pollen rain, even in plots where pine trees did not occur or were several kilometers from the plot. Artemisia and grass pollen are underrepresented in the soils samples, while Chenopodiaceae and Juniperus pollen are overrepresented when compared to actual vegetation composition. Insect-pollinated species are present only in very minor amounts in the soil samples, even though some (e.g., Brassica) are abundant in the plots. In general, pollen spectra show significant differences between regions, however, within each region the individual spectra are not statistically significant from one another. An understanding of modern pollen-vegetation relationships and the palynological “fingerprint” of sagebrush-steppe communities aid in climatic and ecological interpretations of fossil pollen assemblages. The data also provide important control samples for forensics studies that use pollen to geolocate an object or person to a crime scene.

Physiological and proteomic analyses of salt stress response in the halophyte Halogeton glomeratus.

PubMed

Wang, Juncheng; Meng, Yaxiong; Li, Baochun; Ma, Xiaole; Lai, Yong; Si, Erjing; Yang, Ke; Xu, Xianliang; Shang, Xunwu; Wang, Huajun; Wang, Di

2015-04-01

Very little is known about the adaptation mechanism of Chenopodiaceae Halogeton glomeratus, a succulent annual halophyte, under saline conditions. In this study, we investigated the morphological and physiological adaptation mechanisms of seedlings exposed to different concentrations of NaCl treatment for 21 d. Our results revealed that H. glomeratus has a robust ability to tolerate salt; its optimal growth occurs under approximately 100 mm NaCl conditions. Salt crystals were deposited in water-storage tissue under saline conditions. We speculate that osmotic adjustment may be the primary mechanism of salt tolerance in H. glomeratus, which transports toxic ions such as sodium into specific salt-storage cells and compartmentalizes them in large vacuoles to maintain the water content of tissues and the succulence of the leaves. To investigate the molecular response mechanisms to salt stress in H. glomeratus, we conducted a comparative proteomic analysis of seedling leaves that had been exposed to 200 mm NaCl for 24 h, 72 h and 7 d. Forty-nine protein spots, exhibiting significant changes in abundance after stress, were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization tandem time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS) and similarity searches across EST database of H. glomeratus. These stress-responsive proteins were categorized into nine functional groups, such as photosynthesis, carbohydrate and energy metabolism, and stress and defence response. © 2014 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reproductive phenology and pre-dispersal fruit predation in Atriplex halimus L. (Chenopodiaceae).

PubMed

Romera, Prado; Fernández-Illescas, Francisca; Nieva, F Javier J; Rodríguez-Rubio, Pilar; Sánchez-Gullón, Enrique; Muñoz-Rodríguez, Adolfo F

2013-12-01

The flowering phenology pattern of Atriplex halimus was studied in a Mediterranean habitat in order to analyze protandry effectiveness. Fruit set evolution was recorded over two years and the impact of pre-dispersal predation by insects was also evaluated. The flowering phenology coincided in 2006 and 2007, starting in mid-July and reaching full flowering at the end of August in both years. Inflorescences are composed of glomerules with 8.78 ± 2.79 male flowers and 4.57 ± 2.58 female flowers, with no significant differences in position on the inflorescence. The peaks of male and female flower anthesis were reached in mid-August, but the male maximum occurred one week before the female. Plants at the start of flowering only bear male flowers, but female flowers soon appear. Fruit set starts at the end of August; all the flowers were transformed into fruit by mid-September and their development continued to the beginning of October, when fruit structures had matured and began to drop. Fruit predation started at the end of September and reached maximum intensity in mid-October. At population level, male and female flowers seemed to open in the same weeks, but at plant and glomerule level male flowers opened one week before the females. Fruit predation levels were 62.42 and 43.14% in 2006 and 2007 respectively, with no significant differences between different parts of the inflorescence. And larvae of Coleophoridae were the most abundant predators.

In Vitro Screening for the Tumoricidal Properties of International Medicinal Herbs

PubMed Central

Mazzio, Elizabeth A.; Soliman, Karam F. A.

2009-01-01

There is growing use of anticancer complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) worldwide. The purpose of the current study is to assess a sizeable variety of natural and plant sources of diverse origin, to ascertain prospective research directives for cancer treatment and potential new chemotherapy drug sources. In this study, 374 natural extracts (10 μg/mL-5 mg/mL) were evaluated for dose-dependent tumoricidal effects using immortal neuroblastoma of spontaneous malignant origin. The findings indicate no pattern of tumoricidal effects by diverse plants with similar families/genus under the classes Pinopsida, Equisetopsida, Lycopodiosida, Filicosida, Liliopsida Monocotyledons or Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons. The results indicate that many of the most commonly used CAMs exhibited relatively weak tumoricidal effects including cats claw, astragalus, ginseng, echinacea, mistletoe, milk thistle, slippery elm, cayenne, chamomile, don quai, meadowsweet, motherwort and shepherd's purse. The data demonstrate that the most potent plant extracts were randomly dispersed within the plantae kingdom (LC50 = 31-490 μg/mL) in order of the lowest LC50 Dioscorea villosa (Dioscoreaceae) > Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) > Dipsacus asper (Dipsacaceae) > Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) > Boswellia carteri (Burseraceae) > Cyamopsis psoralioides (Fabaceae) > Rhamnus cathartica (Rhamnaceae) > Larrea tridentate (Zygophyllaceae) > Dichroa febrifuga (Hydrangeaceae) > Batschia canescens (Boraginaceae) > Kochia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) > Solanum xanthocarpum (Solanaceae) > Opoponax chironium (Umbelliferae) > Caulophyllum thalictroides (Berberidaceae) > Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Dryopteridaceae) > Garcinia cambogia (Clusiaceae) > Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae) > Calamus draco (Arecaceae). These findings show tumoricidal effect by extracts of wild yam root, bloodroot, teasel root, bakuchi seed, dichroa root, kanta kari, garcinia fruit, mace, dragons blood and the biblically referenced herbs: balm of gilead bud, frankincense and myrrh gum. PMID:18844256

Results on the survival of cryptobiotic cyanobacteria samples after exposure to Mars-like environmental conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vera, J.-P.; Dulai, S.; Kereszturi, A.; Koncz, L.; Lorek, A.; Mohlmann, D.; Marschall, M.; Pocs, T.

2014-01-01

Tests on cyanobacteria communities embedded in cryptobiotic crusts collected in hot and cold deserts on Earth were performed under Mars-like conditions. The simulations were realized as a survey, to find the best samples for future research. During the tests organisms have to resist Mars-like conditions such as atmospheric composition, pressure, variable humidity (saturated and dry conditions) and partly strong UV irradiation. Organisms were tested within their original habitat inside the crust. Nearly half of the cryptobiotic samples from various sites showed survival of a substantial part of their coexisting organisms. The survival in general depended more on the nature of the original habitat and type of the sample than on the different conditions they were exposed to. The best survival was observed in samples from United Arab Emirates (Jebel Ali, 25 km SW of Dubai town) and from Western Australia (near the South edge of Lake Barley), by taxa: Tolypothrix byssoidea, Gloeocapsopsis pleurocapsoides, Nostoc microscopicum, Leptolyngbya or Symploca sp. At both places in salty desert areas members of the Chenopodiaceae family dominated among the higher plants and in the cryptobiotic crust cyanobacterial taxa Tolypothrix was dominant. These organisms were all living in salty locations with dry conditions most of the year. Among them Tolypothrix, Gloeocapsopsis and Symploca sp. were tested in Mars simulation chambers for the first time. The results suggest that extremophiles should be tested with taken into account the context of their original microenvironment, and also the importance to analyse communities of microbes beside single organisms.

Alternative food sources and overwintering feeding behavior of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) under the tropical conditions of Central Brazil.

PubMed

Ribeiro, Paulina de A; Sujii, Edison R; Diniz, Ivone R; Medeiros, Maria A de; Salgado-Labouriau, Maria L; Branco, Marina C; Pires, Carmen S S; Fontes, Eliana M G

2010-01-01

The boll weevil causes serious damage to the cotton crop in South America. Several studies have been published on this pest, but its phenology and behavior under the tropical conditions prevailing in Brazil are not well-known. In this study the feeding behavior and main food sources of adult boll weevils throughout the year in Central Brazil was investigated. The digestive tract contents of insects captured in pheromone traps in two cotton fields and two areas of native vegetation (gallery forest and cerrado sensu stricto) were analyzed. The insect was captured all through the year only in the cerrado. It fed on pollen of 19 different plant families, on Pteridophyta and fungi spores and algae cysts. Simpson Index test showed that the cerrado provided greater diversity of pollen sources. In the beginning of the cotton cycle, the plant families used for pollen feeding were varied: in cotton area 1, the weevil fed on Poaceae(50%), Malvaceae and Smilacaceae (25% each); in cotton area 2 the pollen sources were Malvaceae (50%), Asteraceae (25%) and Fabaceae and Clusiaceae (25% each); in the cerrado they were Chenopodiaceae (67%) and Scheuchzeriaceae (33%). No weevils were collected in the gallery forest in this period. After cotton was harvested, the family Smilacaceae was predominant among the food plants exploited in all the study areas. These results help to explain the survivorship of adult boll weevil during cotton fallow season in Central Brazil and they are discussed in the context of behavioral adaptations to the prevailing tropical environmental conditions.

The efficiency of the CO2-concentrating mechanism during single-cell C4 photosynthesis.

PubMed

King, Jenny L; Edwards, Gerald E; Cousins, Asaph B

2012-03-01

The photosynthetic efficiency of the CO(2)-concentrating mechanism in two forms of single-cell C(4) photosynthesis in the family Chenopodiaceae was characterized. The Bienertioid-type single-cell C(4) uses peripheral and central cytoplasmic compartments (Bienertia sinuspersici), while the Borszczowioid single-cell C(4) uses distal and proximal compartments of the cell (Suaeda aralocaspica). C(4) photosynthesis within a single-cell raises questions about the efficiency of this type of CO(2) -concentrating mechanism compared with the Kranz-type. We used measurements of leaf CO(2) isotope exchange (Δ(13) C) to compare the efficiency of the single-cell and Kranz-type forms of C(4) photosynthesis under various temperature and light conditions. Comparisons were made between the single-cell C(4) and a sister Kranz form, S. eltonica[NAD malic enzyme (NAD ME) type], and with Flaveria bidentis[NADP malic enzyme (NADP-ME) type with Kranz Atriplicoid anatomy]. There were similar levels of Δ(13) C discrimination and CO(2) leakiness (Φ) in the single-cell species compared with the Kranz-type. Increasing leaf temperature (25 to 30 °C) and light intensity caused a decrease in Δ(13) C and Φ across all C(4) types. Notably, B. sinuspersici had higher Δ(13) C and Φ than S. aralocaspica under lower light. These results demonstrate that rates of photosynthesis and efficiency of the CO(2) -concentrating mechanisms in single-cell C(4) plants are similar to those in Kranz-type. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Germination of dimorphic seeds of the desert annual halophyte Suaeda aralocaspica (Chenopodiaceae), a C4 plant without Kranz anatomy.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Huang, Zhenying; Baskin, Carol C; Baskin, Jerry M; Dong, Ming

2008-11-01

Suaeda aralocaspica is a C4 summer annual halophyte without Kranz anatomy that is restricted to the deserts of central Asia. It produces two distinct types of seeds that differ in colour, shape and size. The primary aims of the present study were to compare the dormancy and germination characteristics of dimorphic seeds of S. aralocaspica and to develop a conceptual model of their dynamics. Temperatures simulating those in the natural habitat of S. aralocaspica were used to test for primary dormancy and germination behaviour of fresh brown and black seeds. The effects of cold stratification, gibberellic acid, seed coat scarification, seed coat removal and dry storage on dormancy breaking were tested in black seeds. Germination percentage and recovery responses of brown seeds, non-treated black seeds and 8-week cold-stratified black seeds to salt stress were tested. Brown seeds were non-dormant, whereas black seeds had non-deep Type 2 physiological dormancy (PD). Germination percentage and rate of germination of brown seeds and of variously pretreated black seeds were significantly higher than those of non-pretreated black seeds. Exposure of seeds to various salinities had significant effects on germination, germination recovery and induction into secondary dormancy. A conceptual model is presented that ties these results together and puts them into an ecological context. The two seed morphs of S. aralocaspica exhibit distinct differences in dormancy and germination characteristics. Suaeda aralocaspica is the first cold desert halophyte for which non-deep Type 2 PD has been documented.

Flora characteristics of Chenier Wetland in Bohai Bay and biogeographic relations with adjacent wetlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yanyun; Lu, Zhaohua; Liu, Jingtao; Hu, Shugang

2017-12-01

A key step towards the restoration of heavily disturbed fragile coastal wetland ecosystems is determining the composition and characteristics of the plant communities involved. This study determined and characterized the community of higher plants in the Chenier wetland of Bohai Bay using a combination of field surveys, quadrat approaches, and multivariate statistical analyses. This community was then compared to other adjacent wetlands (Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Laizhouwan, Jiaozhouwan, and Yellow River Delta wetland) located near the Huanghai and Bohai Seas using principal coordinate analysis (PCoA). Results showed a total of 56 higher plant species belonging to 52 genera from 20 families in Chenier wetland, the majority of which were dicotyledons. Single-species families were predominant, while larger families, including Gramineae, Compositae, Leguminosae, and Chenopodiaceae contained a higher number of species (each⩾6 species). Cosmopolitan species were also dominant with apparent intrazonality. Abundance (number of species) of temperate species was twice that of tropical taxa. Species number of perennial herbs, such as Gramineae and Compositae, was generally higher. Plant diversity in the Chenier wetland, based on the Shannon-Wiener index, was observed to be between the Qinhuangdao and Laizhouwan indices, while no significant difference was found in other wetlands using the Simpson index. Despite these slight differences in diversity, PCoA based on species abundance and composition of the wetland flora suggest that the Bohai Chenier community was highly similar to the coastal wetlands in Tianjin and Laizhouwan, further suggesting that these two wetlands could be important breeding grounds and resources for the restoration of the plant ecosystem in the Chenier wetland.

In vitro screening for the tumoricidal properties of international medicinal herbs.

PubMed

Mazzio, Elizabeth A; Soliman, Karam F A

2009-03-01

There is growing use of anticancer complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) worldwide. The purpose of the current study is to assess a sizeable variety of natural and plant sources of diverse origin, to ascertain prospective research directives for cancer treatment and potential new chemotherapy drug sources. In this study, 374 natural extracts (10 microg/mL-5 mg/mL) were evaluated for dose-dependent tumoricidal effects using immortal neuroblastoma of spontaneous malignant origin. The findings indicate no pattern of tumoricidal effects by diverse plants with similar families/genus under the classes Pinopsida, Equisetopsida, Lycopodiosida, Filicosida, Liliopsida Monocotyledons or Magnoliopsida Dicotyledons. The results indicate that many of the most commonly used CAMs exhibited relatively weak tumoricidal effects including cats claw, astragalus, ginseng, echinacea, mistletoe, milk thistle, slippery elm, cayenne, chamomile, don quai, meadowsweet, motherwort and shepherd's purse. The data demonstrate that the most potent plant extracts were randomly dispersed within the plantae kingdom (LC(50) = 31-490 microg/mL) in order of the lowest LC(50) Dioscorea villosa (Dioscoreaceae) > Sanguinaria canadensis (Papaveraceae) > Dipsacus asper (Dipsacaceae) > Populus balsamifera (Salicaceae) > Boswellia carteri (Burseraceae) > Cyamopsis psoralioides (Fabaceae) > Rhamnus cathartica (Rhamnaceae) > Larrea tridentate (Zygophyllaceae) > Dichroa febrifuga (Hydrangeaceae) > Batschia canescens (Boraginaceae) > Kochia scoparia (Chenopodiaceae) > Solanum xanthocarpum (Solanaceae) > Opoponax chironium (Umbelliferae) > Caulophyllum thalictroides (Berberidaceae) > Dryopteris crassirhizoma (Dryopteridaceae) > Garcinia cambogia (Clusiaceae) > Vitex agnus-castus (Verbenaceae) > Calamus draco (Arecaceae). These findings show tumoricidal effect by extracts of wild yam root, bloodroot, teasel root, bakuchi seed, dichroa root, kanta kari, garcinia fruit, mace, dragons blood and the biblically referenced herbs: balm of gilead bud, frankincense and myrrh gum. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Beetroot (Beta vulgaris) rescues mice from γ-ray irradiation by accelerating hematopoiesis and curtailing immunosuppression.

PubMed

Cho, Jinhee; Bing, So Jin; Kim, Areum; Lee, Nam Ho; Byeon, Sang-Hee; Kim, Gi-Ok; Jee, Youngheun

2017-12-01

Beetroot [Beta vulgaris Linné (Chenopodiaceae)], a vegetable usually consumed as a food or a medicinal plant in Europe, has been reported to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Since the lymphohematopoietic system is the most sensitive tissue to ionizing radiation, protecting it from radiation damage is one of the best ways to decrease detrimental effects from radiation exposure. In this study, we evaluated the radio-protective effects of beetroot in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells. Beetroot extract was administered at a dose of 400 mg/mouse per os (p.o.) three times into C57BL/6 mice and, at day 10 after γ-ray irradiation, diverse molecular presentations were measured and compared against non-irradiated and irradiated mice with PBS treatments. Survival of beetroot-fed and unfed irradiated animal was also compared. Beetroot not only stimulated cell proliferation, but also minimized DNA damage of splenocytes. Beetroot also repopulated S-phase cells and increased Ki-67 or c-Kit positive cells in bone marrow. Moreover, beetroot-treated mice showed notable boosting of differentiation of HSCs into burst-forming units-erythroid along with increased production of IL-3. Also, beetroot-treated mice displayed enhancement in the level of hematocrit and hemoglobin as well as the number of red blood cell in peripheral blood. Beetroot diet improved survival rate of lethally exposed mice with a dose reduction factor (DRF) of 1.1. These results suggest that beetroot has the potency to preserve bone marrow integrity and stimulate the differentiation of HSCs against ionizing radiation.

Are tyrosine residues involved in the photoconversion of the water-soluble chlorophyll-binding protein of Chenopodium album?

PubMed

Takahashi, S; Seki, Y; Uchida, A; Nakayama, K; Satoh, H

2015-05-01

Non-photosynthetic and hydrophilic chlorophyll (Chl) proteins, called water-soluble Chl-binding proteins (WSCPs), are distributed in various species of Chenopodiaceae, Amaranthaceae, Polygonaceae and Brassicaceae. Based on their photoconvertibility, WSCPs are categorised into two classes: Class I (photoconvertible) and Class II (non-photoconvertible). Chenopodium album WSCP (CaWSCP; Class I) is able to convert the chlorin skeleton of Chl a into a bacteriochlorin-like skeleton under light in the presence of molecular oxygen. Potassium iodide (KI) is a strong inhibitor of the photoconversion. Because KI attacks tyrosine residues in proteins, tyrosine residues in CaWSCP are considered to be important amino acid residues for the photoconversion. Recently, we identified the gene encoding CaWSCP and found that the mature region of CaWSCP contained four tyrosine residues: Tyr13, Tyr14, Tyr87 and Tyr134. To gain insight into the effect of the tyrosine residues on the photoconversion, we constructed 15 mutant proteins (Y13A, Y14A, Y87A, Y134A, Y13-14A, Y13-87A, Y13-134A, Y14-87A, Y14-134A, Y87-134A, Y13-14-87A, Y13-14-134A, Y13-87-134A, Y14-87-134A and Y13-14-87-134A) using site-directed mutagenesis. Amazingly, all the mutant proteins retained not only chlorophyll-binding activity, but also photoconvertibility. Furthermore, we found that KI strongly inhibited the photoconversion of Y13-14-87-134A. These findings indicated that the four tyrosine residues are not essential for the photoconversion. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Tolerance of the eriophyid mite Aceria salsolae to UV-A light and implications for biological control of Russian thistle.

PubMed

Moran, Patrick J; Wibawa, M Irene; Smith, Lincoln

2017-12-01

Aceria salsolae (Acari: Eriophyidae) is being evaluated as a candidate biological control agent of Russian thistle (Salsola tragus, Chenopodiaceae), a major invasive weed of rangelands and dryland crops in the western USA. Prior laboratory host range testing under artificial lighting indicated reproduction on non-native Bassia hyssopifolia and on a native plant, Suaeda calceoliformis. However, in field tests in the native range, mite populations released on these 'nontarget' plants remained low. We hypothesized that UV-A light, which can affect behavior of tetranychid mites, would affect populations of the eriophyid A. salsolae differently on the target and nontarget plant species, decreasing the mite's realized host range. Plants were infested with A. salsolae under lamps that emitted UV-A, along with broad-spectrum lighting, and the size of mite populations and plant growth was compared to infested plants exposed only to broad-spectrum light. Russian thistle supported 3- to 55-fold larger mite populations than nontarget plants regardless of UV-A treatment. UV-A exposure did not affect mite populations on Russian thistle or S. calceoliformis, whereas it increased populations 7-fold on B. hyssopifolia. Main stems on nontarget plants grew 2- to 6-fold faster than did Russian thistle under either light treatment. The two nontarget plants attained greater volume under the control light regime than UV-A, but Russian thistle was unaffected. Although Russian thistle was always the superior host, addition of UV-A light to the artificial lighting regime did not reduce the ability of A. salsolae to reproduce on the two nontarget species, suggesting that UV-B or other environmental factors may be more important in limiting mite populations in the field.

The role of Spartina maritima and Sarcocornia fruticosa on trace metals retention in Ria Formosa, Portugal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moreira da Silva, Manuela; Duarte, Duarte; Isidoro, Jorge; Chícharo, Luís

2013-04-01

Over the last years, phytoremediation has become an increasingly recognized pathway for contaminant removal from water and shallow soils. Assessing the phytoremediation potential of wetlands is complex due to variable conditions of hydrology, soil/sediment types, plant species diversity, growing season and water chemistry. Physico-chemical properties of wetlands provide many positive attributes for remediating contaminants. Saltmarsh plants can sequestrate and inherently tolerate high metal concentrations found in saltmarsh sediments. An increasing number of studies have been carried out to understand the role of halophyte vegetation on retention, biovailability and remediation of the pollutants in coastal areas (estuaries and lagoons). It is already known that the accumulation capacity and the pattern of metal distribution in the plant tissues vary among plant species, namely monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous, and with sediment characteristics. During the last decades, there has been a large increase in urbanization and industrialization of the area surrounding Ria Formosa. Due to this reality, anthropogenic contaminants, including trace metals, are transported via untreated sewage and agricultural effluents to several parts of the lagoon. The dominant producers are Spartina maritima (Poales: Poaceae) and Sarcocornia fruticosa (Caryophyllales: Chenopodiaceae), appearing in pure stands respectively in the lower and in the upper saltmarshes. The aim of this work was to survey, comparatively, the role of S. maritima and S. fruticosa on minor and trace element (Ag, Cd, Cu, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb and Zn), contents and distribution amongst sediment and plant tissues. Both S. maritima and S. fruticosa could fix metals from the surrounding belowground environment and accumulate metals, mainly in roots (also in rhizomes in the case of the former). Metal translocation to aerial parts of the plants was, in general, residual.

Kranz and single-cell forms of C4 plants in the subfamily Suaedoideae show kinetic C4 convergence for PEPC and Rubisco with divergent amino acid substitutions

PubMed Central

Rosnow, Josh J.; Evans, Marc A.; Kapralov, Maxim V.; Cousins, Asaph B.; Edwards, Gerald E.; Roalson, Eric H.

2015-01-01

The two carboxylation reactions performed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) are vital in the fixation of inorganic carbon for C4 plants. The abundance of PEPC is substantially elevated in C4 leaves, while the location of Rubisco is restricted to one of two chloroplast types. These differences compared with C3 leaves have been shown to result in convergent enzyme optimization in some C4 species. Investigation into the kinetic properties of PEPC and Rubisco from Kranz C4, single cell C4, and C3 species in Chenopodiaceae s. s. subfamily Suaedoideae showed that these major carboxylases in C4 Suaedoideae species lack the same mutations found in other C4 systems which have been examined; but still have similar convergent kinetic properties. Positive selection analysis on the N-terminus of PEPC identified residues 364 and 368 to be under positive selection with a posterior probability >0.99 using Bayes empirical Bayes. Compared with previous analyses on other C4 species, PEPC from C4 Suaedoideae species have different convergent amino acids that result in a higher K m for PEP and malate tolerance compared with C3 species. Kinetic analysis of Rubisco showed that C4 species have a higher catalytic efficiency of Rubisco (k catc in mol CO2 mol–1 Rubisco active sites s–1), despite lacking convergent substitutions in the rbcL gene. The importance of kinetic changes to the two-carboxylation reactions in C4 leaves related to amino acid selection is discussed. PMID:26417023

Kranz and single-cell forms of C4 plants in the subfamily Suaedoideae show kinetic C4 convergence for PEPC and Rubisco with divergent amino acid substitutions.

PubMed

Rosnow, Josh J; Evans, Marc A; Kapralov, Maxim V; Cousins, Asaph B; Edwards, Gerald E; Roalson, Eric H

2015-12-01

The two carboxylation reactions performed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) are vital in the fixation of inorganic carbon for C4 plants. The abundance of PEPC is substantially elevated in C4 leaves, while the location of Rubisco is restricted to one of two chloroplast types. These differences compared with C3 leaves have been shown to result in convergent enzyme optimization in some C4 species. Investigation into the kinetic properties of PEPC and Rubisco from Kranz C4, single cell C4, and C3 species in Chenopodiaceae s. s. subfamily Suaedoideae showed that these major carboxylases in C4 Suaedoideae species lack the same mutations found in other C4 systems which have been examined; but still have similar convergent kinetic properties. Positive selection analysis on the N-terminus of PEPC identified residues 364 and 368 to be under positive selection with a posterior probability >0.99 using Bayes empirical Bayes. Compared with previous analyses on other C4 species, PEPC from C4 Suaedoideae species have different convergent amino acids that result in a higher K m for PEP and malate tolerance compared with C3 species. Kinetic analysis of Rubisco showed that C4 species have a higher catalytic efficiency of Rubisco (k catc in mol CO2 mol(-1) Rubisco active sites s(-1)), despite lacking convergent substitutions in the rbcL gene. The importance of kinetic changes to the two-carboxylation reactions in C4 leaves related to amino acid selection is discussed. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Pollen-climate relationships in time (9 ka, 6 ka, 0 ka) and space (upland vs. lowland) in eastern continental Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Fang; Cao, Xianyong; Dallmeyer, Anne; Zhao, Yan; Ni, Jian; Herzschuh, Ulrike

2017-01-01

Temporal and spatial stability of the vegetation-climate relationship is a basic ecological assumption for pollen-based quantitative inferences of past climate change and for predicting future vegetation. We explore this assumption for the Holocene in eastern continental Asia (China, Mongolia). Boosted regression trees (BRT) between fossil pollen taxa percentages (Abies, Artemisia, Betula, Chenopodiaceae, Cyperaceae, Ephedra, Picea, Pinus, Poaceae and Quercus) and climate model outputs of mean annual precipitation (Pann) and mean temperature of the warmest month (Mtwa) for 9 and 6 ka (ka = thousand years before present) were set up and results compared to those obtained from relating modern pollen to modern climate. Overall, our results reveal only slight temporal differences in the pollen-climate relationships. Our analyses suggest that the importance of Pann compared with Mtwa for taxa distribution is higher today than it was at 6 ka and 9 ka. In particular, the relevance of Pann for Picea and Pinus increases and has become the main determinant. This change in the climate-tree pollen relationship parallels a widespread tree pollen decrease in north-central China and the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We assume that this is at least partly related to vegetation-climate disequilibrium originating from human impact. Increased atmospheric CO2 concentration may have permitted the expansion of moisture-loving herb taxa (Cyperaceae and Poaceae) during the late Holocene into arid/semi-arid areas. We furthermore find that the pollen-climate relationship between north-central China and the eastern Tibetan Plateau is generally similar, but that regional differences are larger than temporal differences. In summary, vegetation-climate relationships in China are generally stable in space and time, and pollen-based climate reconstructions can be applied to the Holocene. Regional differences imply the calibration-set should be restricted spatially.

The unique structural and biochemical development of single cell C4 photosynthesis along longitudinal leaf gradients in Bienertia sinuspersici and Suaeda aralocaspica (Chenopodiaceae)

PubMed Central

Koteyeva, Nuria K.; Voznesenskaya, Elena V.; Berry, James O.; Cousins, Asaph B.; Edwards, Gerald E.

2016-01-01

Temporal and spatial patterns of photosynthetic enzyme expression and structural maturation of chlorenchyma cells along longitudinal developmental gradients were characterized in young leaves of two single cell C4 species, Bienertia sinuspersici and Suaeda aralocaspica. Both species partition photosynthetic functions between distinct intracellular domains. In the C4-C domain, C4 acids are formed in the C4 cycle during capture of atmospheric CO2 by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase. In the C4-D domain, CO2 released in the C4 cycle via mitochondrial NAD-malic enzyme is refixed by Rubisco. Despite striking differences in origin and intracellular positioning of domains, these species show strong convergence in C4 developmental patterns. Both progress through a gradual developmental transition towards full C4 photosynthesis, with an associated increase in levels of photosynthetic enzymes. Analysis of longitudinal sections showed undeveloped domains at the leaf base, with Rubisco rbcL mRNA and protein contained within all chloroplasts. The two domains were first distinguishable in chlorenchyma cells at the leaf mid-regions, but still contained structurally similar chloroplasts with equivalent amounts of rbcL mRNA and protein; while mitochondria had become confined to just one domain (proto-C4-D). The C4 state was fully formed towards the leaf tips, Rubisco transcripts and protein were compartmentalized specifically to structurally distinct chloroplasts in the C4-D domains indicating selective regulation of Rubisco expression may occur by control of transcription or stability of rbcL mRNA. Determination of CO2 compensation points showed young leaves were not functionally C4, consistent with cytological observations of the developmental progression from C3 default to intermediate to C4 photosynthesis. PMID:26957565

Radiation of the Australian flora: what can comparisons of molecular phylogenies across multiple taxa tell us about the evolution of diversity in present-day communities?

PubMed Central

Crisp, Mike; Cook, Lyn; Steane, Dorothy

2004-01-01

The Australian fossil record shows that from ca. 25 Myr ago, the aseasonal-wet biome (rainforest and wet heath) gave way to the unique Australian sclerophyll biomes dominated by eucalypts, acacias and casuarinas. This transition coincided with tectonic isolation of Australia, leading to cooler, drier, more seasonal climates. From 3 Myr ago, aridification caused rapid opening of the central Australian arid zone. Molecular phylogenies with dated nodes have provided new perspectives on how these events could have affected the evolution of the Australian flora. During the Mid-Cenozoic (25-10 Myr ago) period of climatic change, there were rapid radiations in sclerophyll taxa, such as Banksia, eucalypts, pea-flowered legumes and Allocasuarina. At the same time, taxa restricted to the aseasonal-wet biome (Nothofagus, Podocarpaceae and Araucariaceae) did not radiate or were depleted by extinction. During the Pliocene aridification, two Eremean biome taxa (Lepidium and Chenopodiaceae) radiated rapidly after dispersing into Australia from overseas. It is clear that the biomes have different histories. Lineages in the aseasonal-wet biome are species poor, with sister taxa that are species rich, either outside Australia or in the sclerophyll biomes. In conjunction with the fossil record, this indicates depletion of the Australian aseasonal-wet biome from the Mid-Cenozoic. In the sclerophyll biomes, there have been multiple exchanges between the southwest and southeast, rather than single large endemic radiations after a vicariance event. There is need for rigorous molecular phylogenetic studies so that additional questions can be addressed, such as how interactions between biomes may have driven the speciation process during radiations. New studies should include the hitherto neglected monsoonal tropics. PMID:15519972

[Association between airborne pollen distribution and allergic diseases in Beijing urban area].

PubMed

Wang, X Y; Tian, Z M; Ning, H Y; Wang, X Y

2017-05-20

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of airborne pollen in urban Beijing area on the consultation rate of allergic diseases. Method: A modified pollen sampler was used to monitor the distribution of main airborne pollen during Jan 1st 2015 to Dec 31 2015.The consultation rate of allergic rhinitis and asthma was obtained meanwhile among allergy, ENT and pneumology department. Relationship between pollen and consultation rate was analyzed by Pearson index. Result: ①Through the whole year of 2015 the total quantity of pollens amounted to 76164 grains. Two pollen peaks were observed which happened in spring (March 29.7%, April 34.8%) and autumn (August 9.9%, September 10.5%). The main airborne pollens in spring were cypress, sycamore, and poplar, while in autumn were artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, and Humulus. ②The peak consultation season of allergic rhinitis was presented in March to April and August to September with a positive correlation between allergy and ENT department ( r =0.625, P <0.05). Consultation peak of asthma was observed in allergy department but not pneumology department. ③Allergic rhinitis and asthma consultation rate was higher in autumn than spring while the pollen distribution was the opposite. No correlation was found between consultation rate and pollen distribution P >0.05. Conclusion: The airborne pollen distribution was in accordance with consultation rate in allergy department. The pollen count in spring was higher than autumn in Beijing urban area with a consultation peak in autumn inversely. This indicates a higher sensitization ability of autumn pollen compared with spring pollen. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.

Late Mesolithic and early Neolithic forest disturbance: a high resolution palaeoecological test of human impact hypotheses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Innes, James B.; Blackford, Jeffrey J.; Rowley-Conwy, Peter A.

2013-10-01

The transition in north-west Europe from the hunter-gatherer societies of the Late Mesolithic to the pioneer farming societies of the early Neolithic is not well understood, either culturally or palaeoecologically. In Britain the final transition was rapid but it is unclear whether novel Neolithic attributes were introduced by immigrants who supplanted the native hunter-gatherers, or whether the latest Mesolithic foragers gradually adopted elements of the Neolithic economic package. In this study, relatively coarse- (10 mm interval) and fine-resolution (2 mm), multi-proxy palaeoecological data including pollen, charcoal and NPPs including fungi, have been used to investigate two phases of vegetation disturbance of (a) distinctly Late Mesolithic and (b) early Neolithic age, at an upland site in northern England in a region with both a Neolithic and a Late Mesolithic archaeological presence. We identify and define the palaeoecological characteristics of these two disturbance phases, about a millennium apart, in order to investigate whether differing land-use techniques can be identified and categorised as of either foraging or early farming cultures. The Late Mesolithic phase is defined by the repetitive application of fire to the woodland to encourage a mosaic of productive vegetation regeneration patches, consistent with the promotion of Corylus and to aid hunting. In this phase, weed species including Plantago lanceolata, Rumex and Chenopodiaceae are frequent, taxa which are normally associated with the first farmers. The early Neolithic phase, including an Ulmus decline, has characteristics consistent with 'forest farming', possibly mainly for domestic livestock, with an inferred succession of tree girdling, fire-prepared cultivation, and coppice-woodland management. Such fine-resolution, potentially diagnostic land-use signatures may in future be used to recognise the cultural complexion of otherwise enigmatic woodland disturbance phases during the centuries of the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition.

Characterisation of bio-aerosols during dust storm period in N-NW India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yadav, Sudesh; Chauhan, M. S.; Sharma, Anupam

Bio-investigations for pollen and spores were performed on dry free-fall dust and PM 10 aerosol samples, collected from three different locations separated by a distance of 600 km, situated in dust storm hit region of N-NW India. Presence of pollen of trees namely Prosopis ( Prosopis juliflora and Prosopis cinearia), Acacia, Syzygium, Pinus, Cedrus, Holoptelea and shrubs namely Ziziphus, Ricinus, Ephedra and members of Fabaceae, Oleaceae families was recorded but with varying proportions in the samples of different locations. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Brassicaceae and Cyperaceae (sedges) were some of the herb pollen identified in the samples. Among the fungal spores Nigrospora was seen in almost all samples. Nigrospora is a well known allergen and causes health problems. The concentration of trees and shrubs increases in the windward direction just as the climate changes from hot arid to semiarid. The higher frequency of grasses (Poaceae) or herbs could either be a result of the presence of these herbs in the sampling area and hence the higher production of pollen/spores or due to the resuspension from the exposed surface by the high-intensity winds. But we cannot ascertain the exact process at this stage. The overall similarity in the pollen and spore assemblage in our dust samples indicates a common connection or source(s) to the dust in this region. Presence of the pollen of the species of Himalayan origin in our entire samples strongly point towards a Himalayan connection, could be direct or indirect, to the bioaerosols and hence dust in N-NW India. In order to understand the transport path and processes involved therein, present study needs further extension with more number of samples and with reference to meteorological parameters.

Transport of airborne pollen into the city of Thessaloniki: the effects of wind direction, speed and persistence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damialis, Athanasios; Gioulekas, Dimitrios; Lazopoulou, Chariklia; Balafoutis, Christos; Vokou, Despina

2005-01-01

We examined the effect of the wind vector analyzed into its three components (direction, speed and persistence), on the circulation of pollen from differe nt plant taxa prominent in the Thessaloniki area for a 4-year period (1996- 1999). These plant taxa were Ambrosia spp., Artemisia spp., Chenopodiaceae, spp., Cupressaceae, Olea europaea, Pinaceae, Platanus spp., Poaceae, Populus spp., Quercus spp., and Urticaceae. Airborne pollen of Cupressaceae, Urticaceae, Quercus spp. and O. europaea make up approximately 70% of the total average annual pollen counts. The set of data that we worked with represented days without precipitation and time intervals during which winds blew from the same direction for at least 4 consecutive hours. We did this in order to study the effect of the different wind components independently of precipitation, and to avoid secondary effects produced by pollen resuspension phenomena. Factorial regression analysis among the summed bi-hourly pollen counts for each taxon and the values of wind speed and persistence per wind direction gave significant results in 22 cases (combinations of plant taxa and wind directions). The pollen concentrations of all taxa correlated significantly with at least one of the three wind components. In seven out of the 22 taxon-wind direction combinations, the pollen counts correlated positively with wind persistence, whereas this was the case for only two of the taxon-wind speed combinations. In seven cases, pollen counts correlated with the interaction effect of wind speed and persistence. This shows the importance of wind persistence in pollen transport, particularly when weak winds prevail for a considerable part of the year, as is the case for Thessaloniki. Medium/long-distance pollen transport was evidenced for Olea (NW, SW directions), Corylus (NW, SW), Poaceae (SW) and Populus (NW).

Mid-late Holocene climatic changes in the Southwestern Iberian shelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes, S.; Naughton, F.; Rodrigues, T.; Drago, T.; Sanchez-Goñi, M.; Freitas, C.

2012-04-01

Vegetation (pollen analysis) and alkenone-derived Sea Surface Temperature (SST) reconstructions from a south western Iberian shelf core (POPEI VC2B) (36°53'12,99'' N, 8°03'57,98'' W) show orbital and suborbital climate variability at extremely high resolution for the last 6000 years in this region. In particular, the mid-late Holocene is marked by a long-term cooling revealed by the gradual decrease of arboreal pollen (AP) percentages and SST which parallels the general decreasing trend of the δ18-O isotope composition recorded in Greenland ice records and the decrease of the mid-latitudes summer insolation. The short-term vegetation changes, reflecting millennial scale climatic variability, are clearly identified in the POPEI VC2B over the last 6000 years. In particular, the basement of this record is marked by the presence of semi-desert plants (Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia and Ephedra) reflecting dry conditions. These particular dry conditions have been detected elsewhere in the southern Iberian Peninsula and in North African records. Following the particularly dry period, there is a decline of semi-desert plants and an increase of Ericaceae and Pinus associated with establishment of an incipient forest of Quercus deciduous type reflecting temperate and humid conditions. This period was followed by a decrease of arboreal pollen percentages, suggesting a relative climate cooling. Finally, the last 2500/2000 years, are marked by the presence of anthropogenic associations (including Cerealia-type, Plantago lanceolata-coronopus type, and Olea) and are characterized by several vegetation and climate oscillations associated with the Roman Period (RP), the Dark Ages (DA), the Medieval Climatic Anomaly (MCA), and the Little Ice Age (LIA).

Allopolyploid Origin of Chenopodium album s. str. (Chenopodiaceae): A Molecular and Cytogenetic Insight

PubMed Central

Krak, Karol; Vít, Petr; Belyayev, Alexander; Douda, Jan; Hreusová, Lucia; Mandák, Bohumil

2016-01-01

Reticulate evolution is characterized by occasional hybridization between two species, creating a network of closely related taxa below and at the species level. In the present research, we aimed to verify the hypothesis of the allopolyploid origin of hexaploid C. album s. str., identify its putative parents and estimate the frequency of allopolyploidization events. We sampled 122 individuals of the C. album aggregate, covering most of its distribution range in Eurasia. Our samples included putative progenitors of C. album s. str. of both ploidy levels, i.e. diploids (C. ficifolium, C. suecicum) and tetraploids (C. striatiforme, C. strictum). To fulfil these objectives, we analysed sequence variation in the nrDNA ITS region and the rpl32-trnL intergenic spacer of cpDNA and performed genomic in-situ hybridization (GISH). Our study confirms the allohexaploid origin of C. album s. str. Analysis of cpDNA revealed tetraploids as the maternal species. In most accessions of hexaploid C. album s. str., ITS sequences were completely or nearly completely homogenized towards the tetraploid maternal ribotype; a tetraploid species therefore served as one genome donor. GISH revealed a strong hybridization signal on the same eighteen chromosomes of C. album s. str. with both diploid species C. ficifolium and C. suecicum. The second genome donor was therefore a diploid species. Moreover, some individuals with completely unhomogenized ITS sequences were found. Thus, hexaploid individuals of C. album s. str. with ITS sequences homogenized to different degrees may represent hybrids of different ages. This proves the existence of at least two different allopolyploid lineages, indicating a polyphyletic origin of C. album s. str. PMID:27513342

Monitoring the Photosynthetic Apparatus During Space Flight: Interspecific Variation in Chlorophyll Fluorescence Signatures Induced by Different Root Zone Stresses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bubenheim, David L.; Patterson, Mark T.; Kliss, Mark H. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

Chlorophyll fluorescence has been used extensively as a tool to indicate stress to the photosynthetic apparatus in green plants. A rise in fluorescence has been attributed to the blockage of photosystem II photochemistry, and patterns of fluorescence decay (quenching) from dark adapted leaves can be related to specific photochemical and non-photochemical deexcitation pathways of light trapped by the photosynthetic apparatus and thus result in characteristically different fluorescence signatures. Four distantly related plant species, Hypocharis radicata (Asteraceae), Brassica rapa (Brassicaceae), Spinacea oleracea (Chenopodiaceae) and Triticum aestivum (Poaceae), were grown hydroponically for three weeks before the initiation of three different root zone stresses (10 mM Cu, 100 mM NaCl and nitrogen deficient nutrition). After 10 days, characteristic fluorescence signatures for each stress could be noted although the degree varied between species. Fast kinetics analysis showed a reduction in plastoquinone pool size for copper and nitrogen stress for all species but a more species specific result with NaCl stress. Photochemical quenching kinetics varied between species and stress treatments from no quenching in S. oleracea in copper treatments to increased photochemical quenching in NaCl treatments. Non-photochemical quenching kinetics demonstrated a distinct pattern between stresses for all species. Copper treatments characteristically exhibited a shallow, flat non-photochemical quenching profile suggesting a general blockage of electron transport whereas NaCl treatments exhibited a slow rising profile that suggested damage to thylakoid acidification kinetics and nitrogen deficiency exhibited a fast rising and declining profile that suggested an altered state 1-state 2 transition regulated by the phosphorylation of LHCII. These results demonstrate characteristic fluorescence signatures for specific plant stresses that may be applied to different, unrelated plant species. In addition, the potential use of chlorophyll fluorescence for both basic research and diagnostic physiology in space biology is presented.

The need to re-investigate the nature of homoplastic characters: an ontogenetic case study of the ‘bracteoles’ in Atripliceae (Chenopodiaceae)

PubMed Central

Flores-Olvera, Hilda; Vrijdaghs, Alexander; Ochoterena, Helga; Smets, Erik

2011-01-01

Background and Aims Within Chenopodioideae, Atripliceae have been distinguished by two bracteoles enveloping the female flowers/fruits, whereas in other tribes flowers are described as ebracteolate with persistent perianth. Molecular phylogenetic hypotheses suggest ‘bracteoles’ to be homoplastic. The origin of the bracteoles was explained by successive inflorescence reductions. Flower reduction was used to explain sex determination. Therefore, floral ontogeny was studied to evaluate the nature of the bracteoles and sex determination in Atripliceae. Methods Inflorescences of species of Atriplex, Chenopodium, Dysphania and Spinacia oleracea were investigated using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Key Results The main axis of the inflorescence is indeterminate with elementary dichasia as lateral units. Flowers develop centripetally, with first the formation of a perianth primordium either from a ring primordium or from five individual tepal primordia fusing post-genitally. Subsequently, five stamen primordia originate, followed by the formation of an annular ovary primordium surrounding a central single ovule. Flowers are either initially hermaphroditic remaining bisexual and/or becoming functionally unisexual at later stages, or initially unisexual. In the studied species of Atriplex, female flowers are strictly female, except in A. hortensis. In Spinacia, female and male flowers are unisexual at all developmental stages. Female flowers of Atriplex and Spinacia are protected by two accrescent fused tepal lobes, whereas the other perianth members are absent. Conclusions In Atriplex and Spinacia modified structures around female flowers are not bracteoles, but two opposite accrescent tepal lobes, parts of a perianth persistent on the fruit. Flowers can achieve sexuality through many different combinations; they are initially hermaphroditic, subsequently developing into bisexual or functionally unisexual flowers, with the exception of Spinacia and strictly female flowers in Atriplex, which are unisexual from the earliest developmental stages. There may be a relationship between the formation of an annular perianth primordium and flexibility in floral sex determination. PMID:21852278

Effect of land uses and wind direction on the contribution of local sources to airborne pollen.

PubMed

Rojo, Jesús; Rapp, Ana; Lara, Beatriz; Fernández-González, Federico; Pérez-Badia, Rosa

2015-12-15

The interpretation of airborne pollen levels in cities based on the contribution of the surrounding flora and vegetation is a useful tool to estimate airborne allergen concentrations and, consequently, to determine the allergy risk for local residents. This study examined the pollen spectrum in a city in central Spain (Guadalajara) and analysed the vegetation landscape and land uses within a radius of 20km in an attempt to identify and locate the origin of airborne pollen and to determine the effect of meteorological variables on pollen emission and dispersal. The results showed that local wind direction was largely responsible for changes in the concentrations of different airborne pollen types. The land uses contributing most to airborne pollen counts were urban green spaces, though only 0.1% of the total surface area studied, and broadleaved forest which covered 5% of the study area. These two types of land use together accounted for 70% of the airborne pollen. Crops, scrubland and pastureland, though covering 80% of the total surface area, contributed only 18.6% to the total pollen count, and this contribution mainly consisted of pollen from Olea and herbaceous plants, including Poaceae, Urticaceae and Chenopodiaceae-Amaranthaceae. Pollen from ornamental species were mainly associated with easterly (Platanus), southerly (Cupressaceae) and westerly (Cupressaceae and Platanus) winds from the areas where the city's largest parks and gardens are located. Quercus pollen was mostly transported by winds blowing in from holm-oak stands on the eastern edge of the city. The highest Populus pollen counts were associated with easterly and westerly winds blowing in from areas containing rivers and streams. The airborne pollen counts generally rose with increasing temperature, solar radiation and hours of sunlight, all of which favour pollen release. In contrast, pollen counts declined with increased relative humidity and rainfall, which hinder airborne pollen transport. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Land use changes and its climatic implications in Northern Italy during the Dark Ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oeggl, Klaus; Oeggl-Wahlmüller, Notburga; Festi, Daniela; Zagermann, Marcus

2016-04-01

Here we present an interdisciplinary study on land use changes in Northern Italy at the transition from the Roman Empire to the Early Middle Ages. The combination of archaeological data and high-resolution pollen analyses carried out in the Fiavè basin (Trentino) provide a detailed insight in socio-economic changes and its implications with climate in the Dark Ages. The vegetation in this area is dominated up to 1000 m by submediterranian trees like Fraxinus ornus and Ostrya carpinifolia, superseded by a mixed Fagus and Abies forest with variable amounts of Picea abies. Since 2008 archaeological surveys in the Fiavè basin as well as excavations conducted on a fortified hill-top settlement (castrum) in 985m register the settlement development of this settlement cluster and reveal an almost continuous occupation from Roman to Early Medieval Times. In addition a high-resolution pollen record from a 1.30 m thick peat sequence of the bog "Palude di Fiave" discloses four main phases: (1) in the Late Iron Age high amounts of arboreal pollen and the spread of Abies demonstrate a decrease in settlement activity suggested by wetter climate conditions. (2) During the Roman Empire a phase with arable farming in the basin starts. Olea, Juglans and Castanea sativa are introduced and document the onset of horticulture in this region. (3) After 300 AD - during the Migration Period - the wet and cool conditions have had poor impact on settlement activity. Agricultural (Cerealia) and nitrophilous indicators (Plantago, Chenopodiaceae, Urticaceae) are continuously proved. However a change within the cultivated crops in relation to the climate conditions is observed. Subsequently a progressive recovery of Pinus followed by Abies and Fagus marks the climatic improvement at the beginning of the Early Medieval Times. (4) The time from 600 to 800 AD is characterized by increasing frequency and diversity of anthropogenic-related indicators. The implications of these land use changes with climate conditions are discussed.

Implications of Late Pliocene-Pleistocene Humidity Fluctuations in the Qaidam Paleolake (NE Tibetan Plateau) Deduced from Magnetic Susceptibility Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herb, C.; Appel, E.; Koutsodendris, A.; Zhang, W.; Pross, J.; Fang, X.

2014-12-01

The Qaidam Basin (NE Tibetan Plateau) contains a near-continuous, up to 12 km thick sequence of Cenozoic strata that offers a unique opportunity for studying long-term climate change. We investigate the 940-m-long drill core SG-1 from the western Qaidam Basin, which is characterized by a long-term transition from a semi-deep freshwater lake to nearly complete exsiccation of the water body, detected by several studies including geochemical and lithological observations. Based on magnetostratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescence dating, and refined by orbital tuning, the SG-1 core spans the interval from 2.69 to 0.1 Ma. Moisture availability in the western Qaidam Basin deduced from the pollen ratio Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C), suggests desert to steppe vegetation along core SG-1 as a long-term feature. Magnetic susceptibility (χ) is well suited for the high-resolution investigation of paleohumidity. The meaning of χ as a paleohydrology proxy is shown by comparing χ to other magnetic proxies for checking its relation to magnetic grain sizes and magnetic mineralogy as well as to pollen results. χ variations are analyzed to obtain regional information on the factors leading to the drying process of the Qaidam paleolake as well as potential driving factors for humidity fluctuations (e.g., insolation). An important topic that needs further investigation is the influence of monsoon in the Qaidam Basin. While the southern part of the Tibetan Plateau is directly affected by monsoon precipitation through the topographic barrier, its influence in the past is questionable in the hyper-arid Qaidam Basin. We check a potential coupling to the monsoon system in the western Qaidam Basin by comparing our χ record to reconstructions of the Asian monsoon system from other archives as well as searching evidence from orbital cyclicities found in the χ time series.

The Little Ice Age and its Spatial Variability across the Balkans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, C.; Peteet, D. M.; Boger, R. A.

2015-12-01

Using biological proxies (pollen, spores, and charcoal), geochemical signals through X-ray fluorescence, and AMS 14C based chronology, we present a correlation between two new high resolution Little Ice Age (LIA) records from the Central Balkans that are part of one of the least studied regions of Europe. The sediments extracted from a western sinkhole and central Serbian oxbow lake are analyzed at 8-10-cm intervals to capture the nature and magnitude of the LIA at a resolution of 20 years. During the 15th-19th CE, indigenous tree (e.g. Quercus, Acer, Pinus) and herbaceous (e.g. Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Artemisia) pollen from these records demonstrate fluctuations in woodland-grassland dynamics. While tree populations from Central Serbia remain comparatively stable (40-60%), the trees of western Serbia vacillate drastically between 15% and 50%. Similarly, central Serbian grasses show variations of ~18-36% whereas the western Serbian grass populations exhibit abrupt oscillations between high (55%) and low (19%) percentages. As a proxy for surface erosion and clastic input into the lakes, the 1-cm resolution potassium and titanium counts are in strong agreement with varying herbaceous taxa. These variations in ecological signals across the cores can account for local factors including altitude, terrain exposure, soils etc., however, the dynamic human component of the landscape is evident through crop pollen (e.g. Cerealia, Juglans) and microscopic charcoal highlighting the dominant role of people in ecological changes. Although the two sites show certain differences in charcoal concentration, extremely high charcoal indicates accelerated land clearance between the 15th and 17th CE. Until the beginning of 18th CE, the cultivars (e.g. Secale, Triticum) occur with very low percentages and then peak to suggest improved agriculture in the region. In the post-LIA era, the 20th CE exhibits increased arboreal percentages and declining grasslands in both the two Central Balkan records.

Holocene vegetation and climatic variations in Central India: A study based on multiproxy evidences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chauhan, M. S.; Sharma, Anupam; Phartiyal, Binita; Kumar, Kamlesh

2013-11-01

Palynology, texture, mineralogy, geochemistry, and magnetic susceptibility analysis of a 2 m deep sediment core from Padauna Swamp, southeastern Madhya Pradesh infers that between 8600 and 7500 cal yr BP a warm and relatively less-humid climate prevailed with open tree-savannahs dominated by grasses followed by sedges, Artemisia and members of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae with scanty trees viz., Schrebera, Aegle marmelos and Sterculia urens. This is well supported by lower organic to carbonate carbon ratio, coarser texture having relatively low CIA and magnetic susceptibility values and presence of some primary minerals. Between 7500 and 6250 cal yr BP the tree-savannahs were succeeded by open mixed deciduous forests with the invasion of a few more trees viz., Madhuca indica, Holoptelea, Emblica officinalis, Mitragyna parvifolia and members of Anacardiaceae in response to onset of a warm and humid climate. A considerable rise in organic carbon generated from the degradation of plentiful biomass along with increase in clay content with signs of kaolinite and increase in immobile over mobile elements with slightly higher CIA and magnetic susceptibility values also suggest climatic amelioration. The presence of ruderal plants such as Artemisia, Cannabis sativa and Cheno/Am further infers initiation of human activities in the region. Between 6250 and 2800 cal yr BP, the mixed deciduous forests became more diverse and dense, subduing grasses and other herbaceous elements. Sporadic incursion of Shorea robusta (Sal) in forest floristic was recorded around 5000 cal yr BP. The overall change in the vegetation mosaic reflects that a warm and more-humid climate prevailed in the region, probably on account of invigoration of southwest monsoon. This observation is further corroborated by other proxy data showing a spurt in organic/inorganic carbon ratio, increase in clay content with matured mineralogy, significantly higher CIA and magnetic susceptibility values. Since 2800 cal yr BP onwards, the modern Sal dominated deciduous forests were established indicating continuation of warm and more-humid climate including timely arrival of SW monsoon coinciding with the shedding of Sal seeds as they are viable for a very short period.

Insights into Penultimate Interglacial-Glacial Climate Change on Vegetation History at Lake Van, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickarski, N.; Litt, T.

2017-12-01

A new detailed pollen and oxygen isotope record of the penultimate interglacial-glacial cycle (ca. 250-129 ka; MIS 7-6), has been generated from the sediment core at Lake Van, Turkey. The integration of all available proxies (pollen, microscopic charcoal, δ18Obulk, and XRF) shows three temperate intervals of high effective soil moisture availability. This is evidenced by the predominance of oak steppe-forested landscapes similar to the present interglacial vegetation in this sensitive semiarid region. The wettest/warmest stage, as indicated by highest temperate tree percentages, can be broadly correlated with MIS 7c, while the amplitude of the tree population maximum during the oldest penultimate interglacial (MIS 7e) appears to be reduced due to warm but drier climatic conditions. A detailed comparison of the penultimate interglacial complex (MIS 7) to the last interglacial (MIS 5e) and the current interglacial (MIS 1) provides a vivid illustration of possible differences in the successive climatic cycles. Intervening periods of treeless vegetation (MIS 7d, 7a) were predominated by steppe elements. The occurrence of Artemisia and Chenopodiaceae during MIS 7d indicates very dry and cold climatic conditions, while higher temperate tree percentages (mainly deciduous Quercus) points to relatively humid and mild conditions throughout MIS 7b. Despite the general dominance of dry and cold desert-steppe vegetation during the penultimate glacial (MIS 6), this period can be divided into two parts: an early stage (ca. 193-157 ka) with higher oscillations in tree percentages and a later stage (ca. 157-131 ka) with lower tree percentages and subdued oscillations. Furthermore, we are able to identify the MIS 6e event (ca. 179-159 ka), which reveals clear climate variability due to rapid alternation in the vegetation cover. In comparison with long European pollen archives, speleothem isotope records from the Near East, and global climate parameters, the new high-resolution record presents an improved insight into regional vegetation dynamics and climate variability in the eastern Mediterranean region.

Tales from Two Cores: Bayesian Re-Analyses of the Summit Lake and Blue Lakes Pollen Cores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, M.

2016-12-01

Pollen cores from Summit Lake and Blue Lakes in Humboldt Co., Nevada provide palaeoclimatic information for the last 2000 yearsin the NW Great Basin. Summit Lake is in the northern Black Rock Range (41.5 N -119.1 W) and is at an elevation of 1780 m. The Blue Lakes sit at an elevation of 2434 m in the southern Pine Forest Range (41.6 N -118.6 W). The distance between the two lakes is 33.5 km. The cores were originally taken to reconstruct the fire history in the NW Great Basin. In this study, stochastic climate histories are created using a Bayesian methodology as implemented in the Bclim program. This Bayesian approach takes: 1) a multivariate approach based on modern pollen analogs, 2) accounts for the non-linear and non-Gaussian relationship between the climate and the pollen proxy, and 3) accounts for the uncertainties in the radiocarbon record and climate histories. For both cores, the following climatic variables are reported for the last 2 kya: Mean Temperature of the Coldest month (MTCO), Growing Degree Days above 5 Centigrade (GDD5), the ratio of Actual to Potential Evapotranspiration (AET/PET). Because it was sequentially sampled,the Artemesia/Chenopodiaceae ratio (A/C), an indicator of wetness, and the Grasses/Shrubs (G/S) ratio, an indicator of thevegetation communities, is calculated for each section of the Summit Lake core. Bayesian changepoint analyses of the Summit Lake core indicates that there is no significant difference in the mean or variance of the A/C ratio for the last 2 kya cal BP, but there is a significant decrease in G/S ratio dating to circa 700 ya cal BP. At Summit Lake, a statistically significant decrease in the GDD5 occurs at 1.4-1.5 kya cal BP, and a significant increase in the GDD5 occurs for the last 200 ya cal BP. The GDD5 and MTCO for Blue Lakes has a significant increase at 600 ya cal BP, and afterwards decreases in the next century. The regional archaeological record will be discussed in light of these changes.

[Correlation between the visiting rate of patients with allergic rhinitis and airborne pollen concentrations in Beijing in recent 3 years].

PubMed

Hu, W N; Zhu, L; Xie, L F; Zhang, F Z; Bai, M Y; Wang, N; Sun, Z W

2017-01-07

Objective: To evaluate the daily airborne pollen concentrations and visiting rate of patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) and their correlation during 2012-2014 in Beijing. Methods: Daily airborne pollen concentrations (55 998 numbers in total and 549 numbers in average) and its constitution from April to September each year (2012 to 2014) were compared. The number of patients with AR (44 203 in total) who visited the outpatient department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital between January 2012 and December 2014 was analyzed by month. Using SPSS 22.0 software, Kruskal - Wallis test was done for the comparison of visiting rate of patients with AR and airborne pollen concentrations. Correlation analysis between them was made as well. Results: χ(2) value of airborne pollen concentrations between different months in 2012 to 2014 was 110.7, 108.4 and 121.4, respectively; all P <0.01. The airborne pollen concentrations had two peaks per year, respectively: April to May, August to September. χ(2) value of visiting rate of patients with AR between different months in 2012 to 2014 was 175.0, 185.1 and 134.5, respectively; all P <0.01. Visiting rate of patients with AR showed two scattering peaks each year, respectively: April to May, August to September. The highest pollen concentration of spring (April to May) was in early and middle April. Tree pollen was the major portion in spring, which were poplar pollen, pine tree pollen, ash tree pollen, cypress tree pollen and birch trees pollen. The highest pollen concentration of autumn (August to September) was in late August and early September. Weed pollen was the major portion in summer and autumn, which were artemisia pollen, chenopodiaceae pollen and humulus japonicas pollen. The visiting rate of patients with AR showed significant correlation with airborne pollen concentrations ( r value was 0.537, 0.484 and 0.566, respectively; all P <0.01). Conclusion: The visiting rate of patients with AR showed positive correlation with airborne pollen concentrations in recent three years.

Late Miocene (Pannonian) Vegetation from the Northern Part of Central Paratethys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kováčová, M.; Doláková, N.

2009-04-01

During Late Miocene, the Western Carpathian paleogeography started to change. The Lake Pannon retreated southwards, and the northern coast of the back arc basin was slightly elevated due to progradation of deltaic and alluvial facies, especially in the lowlands. The studied „Pannonian lake" sediments come from the Czech and Slovak parts of Central Paratethys. Changes of the sedimentary environment from deep to shallow lake and deltaic environment, followed by development of alluvial plains were noticed. Salinity crisis due to Paratethys isolation led to development of total freshwater environment to the end of this period. Samples from 3 surficial localities and 15 boreholes were palynologically studied. Occasional occurences of Dinoflagellates indicate a slightly higher salinity, whereas green algae Pediastrum, aquatic ferns Azolla, and aquatic and coastal plants (Nelumbo, Nymphaea, Myriophyllum, Sparganium, Potamogeton, Cyperaceae etc.) represent a freshwater environment. Due to paleogeographic changes and climatic oscillations the number of thermophilous taxa decreased and some of them disappeared completely from this area (f. e. Sapotaceae, Palmae). Mostly broad-leaved deciduous elements of mixed mesophytic forests (Quercus, Celtis, Carya, Tilia, Carpinus, Betula, Juglans) with some thermophilous elements admixture of Engelhardia, Castanea, Trigonobalanopsis, Symplocos, Cornaceaepollis satzveyensis generally dominate. Variously high relief of the uplifted mountainy chains created ideal conditions for higher presence of extrazonal vegetation (Cedrus, Tsuga, Picea, Cathaya) in the investigated area. Zonal type of vegetation including marshes, riparian forests with Alnus, Salix, Pterocarya, Liquidambar, Betula, Fraxinus, shrubs and lianas on dryer substrates associated riparian forest (Buxus, Ericaceae, Vitaceae, Lonicera, Rosaceae type Rubus), and coastal swamps with Taxodiaceae, Nyssa, Myrica, Sciadopitys were growing in the floodplain lowlands of Vienna Basin. Accumulations of the Chenopodiaceae in the interfluve areas probably indicate local saline swampy environments during sea level fall. The increasing amounts of herbs indicate the existence of wet prairie areas (Thalictrum, Rumex, Valeriana, Dipsacaceae, Lamiaceae, Galium) or steppes (Artemisia - up to 17%, Asteraceae, Campanula, Fabaceae, Daucaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Plantago). This is the contribution to the projects ESF -EC-009-07, APVT 51-011305, APVV-0280-07 (Slovakia) and MSM0021622427 (Czech republic).

Involvement of NFκB in the antirheumatic potential of Chenopodium album L., aerial parts extracts.

PubMed

Arora, Sumit K; Itankar, Prakash R; Verma, Prashant R; Bharne, Ashish P; Kokare, Dadasaheb M

2014-08-08

Chenopodium album L. (C. album) is commonly known as Bathua in Hindi (Family: Chenopodiaceae). Traditionally, the plant is used as a laxative, diuretic, sedative and the infusion of the plant is used for the treatment of rheumatism. However, no scientific validation is available on the antirheumatic potential of the plant. In the present investigation, role of NF kappa B (NFκB) in the antiarthritic potential of extracts of aerial parts of Chenopodium album was explored and evaluated. The defatted aerial parts of Chenopodium album were successively extracted with ethylacetate, acetone, methanol and 50% methanol to study their antioxidant capacity followed by antiarthritic potential using Complete Freund׳s adjuvant (CFA) induced arthritis model in rats. The polyphenol, flavonoid and flavanone contents of different extracts were quantified and correlated with their antioxidant capacity, antiarthritic activity and NFκB inhibition potential. The experimental data indicated that the acetone extract of Chenopodium album (ACCA) has shown significant reduction in rat paw edema (80.13%) at dose level of 200 mg/kg per oral in 21 days of this study. On 22nd day, hematological and biochemical parameters were estimated and it was observed that the altered hematological parameters (Hb, RBC, WBC and ESR), biochemical parameters (Serum creatinine, total proteins and acute phase proteins) and loss in body weight in the arthritic rats were significantly brought back to near normal level by the ACCA extract. ACCA extract significantly decreased the NFκB expression in paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus and this effect is comparable with standard indomethacine in CFA treated rats. The polyphenolic and flavonoid content of different extracts were in the range of 14.56±0.21-42.00±0.2 mg (gallic acid equivalent/g extract) and 2.20±0.003-7.33±0.5 mg (rutin equivalent/g extract) respectively. The antiarthritic activity possessed by ACCA extract can be correlated directly to its antioxidant potential, high flavonoidal content achieved by successive extraction and its capacity to inhibit the NFκB protein, as proven by immunohistochemistry study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome assembly, profiling and differential gene expression analysis of the halophyte Suaeda fruticosa provides insights into salt tolerance.

PubMed

Diray-Arce, Joann; Clement, Mark; Gul, Bilquees; Khan, M Ajmal; Nielsen, Brent L

2015-05-06

Improvement of crop production is needed to feed the growing world population as the amount and quality of agricultural land decreases and soil salinity increases. This has stimulated research on salt tolerance in plants. Most crops tolerate a limited amount of salt to survive and produce biomass, while halophytes (salt-tolerant plants) have the ability to grow with saline water utilizing specific biochemical mechanisms. However, little is known about the genes involved in salt tolerance. We have characterized the transcriptome of Suaeda fruticosa, a halophyte that has the ability to sequester salts in its leaves. Suaeda fruticosa is an annual shrub in the family Chenopodiaceae found in coastal and inland regions of Pakistan and Mediterranean shores. This plant is an obligate halophyte that grows optimally from 200-400 mM NaCl and can grow at up to 1000 mM NaCl. High throughput sequencing technology was performed to provide understanding of genes involved in the salt tolerance mechanism. De novo assembly of the transcriptome and analysis has allowed identification of differentially expressed and unique genes present in this non-conventional crop. Twelve sequencing libraries prepared from control (0 mM NaCl treated) and optimum (300 mM NaCl treated) plants were sequenced using Illumina Hiseq 2000 to investigate differential gene expression between shoots and roots of Suaeda fruticosa. The transcriptome was assembled de novo using Velvet and Oases k-45 and clustered using CDHIT-EST. There are 54,526 unigenes; among these 475 genes are downregulated and 44 are upregulated when samples from plants grown under optimal salt are compared with those grown without salt. BLAST analysis identified the differentially expressed genes, which were categorized in gene ontology terms and their pathways. This work has identified potential genes involved in salt tolerance in Suaeda fruticosa, and has provided an outline of tools to use for de novo transcriptome analysis. The assemblies that were used provide coverage of a considerable proportion of the transcriptome, which allows analysis of differential gene expression and identification of genes that may be involved in salt tolerance. The transcriptome may serve as a reference sequence for study of other succulent halophytes.

The Neogene Environment of the Beardmore Glacier, Transantarctic Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, A. C.; Cantrill, D. J.; Francis, J. E.; Roof, S. R.

2004-12-01

Discontinuous sequences of Neogene marine and non-marine glacigenic sequences, including the Meyer Desert Formation (MDF), occur throughout the Transantarctic Mountains. The upper 85m of the MDF, consisting of interbedded diamictites, conglomerates, sandstones and siltstones, outcrops in the Oliver Bluffs on the Beardmore Glacier at 85° 07'S, 166° 35'E. The location is about 170 km south of the confluence of the Beardmore Glacier with the Ross Ice Shelf and about 500 km north of the South Pole The glacial, fluvioglacial and glaciolacustrine facies of the MDF represent a dynamic glacial margin which advanced and retreated on at least four occasions. On at least one occasion, the retreat was sufficiently long for plants and animals to colonize the head of a major fjord which existed in the place of the existing Beardmore Glacier. From the fossils we have identified at least 18 species of plants, 3 species of insects, 2 species of freshwater mollusks, and a species of fish. The plant fossils consist of pollen, seeds, fruits, flowers, leaves, wood, and in situ plants. The plants include a cryptogamic flora of mosses and liverworts, conifers, and angiosperms in the families Gramineae, Cyperaceae, Nothofagaceae, Ranunculaceae, Hippuridaceae, ?Caryophyllaceae, and ?Chenopodiaceae or ?Myrtaceae. The plants grew in a weakly developed soil developed on a complex periglacial environment that included moraines, glacial outwash streams, well-drained gravel ridges, and poorly drained depressions in which peat and marl were being deposited. The fossil assemblage represents a mosaic tundra environment of well- and poorly-drained micro-sites, in which nutrient availability would have been patchily distributed. Antarctica has been essentially in a polar position since the Early Cretaceous and at 85° S receives no sunlight from the middle of March until the end of September. Today, the annual radiation received is about 42% that of Tierra del Fuego at 55° S. During the Neogene, the absence of solar heating for about 5.5 months, even though there would have been additional heat from open water in the fjord, would have resulted in a low mean annual temperature. Mean summer temperatures, based on the minimal thermal requirements for Nothofagus, listroderine weevils, and freshwater molluscs, are estimated to have been between 4 and 5°C for at least two summer months. The research is supported by NSF grant OPP-0230696

Using packrat middens to assess how grazing influences vegetation change in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Jessica F.; Cole, Kenneth L.; Anderson, R. Scott

2006-01-01

The fossil and sub-fossil plant macrofossils and pollen grains found in packrat middens can serve as important proxies for climate and vegetation change in the arid Southwestern United States. A new application for packrat midden research is in understanding post-settlement vegetation changes caused by the grazing of domesticated animals. This work examines a series of 27 middens from Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (GLCA), spanning from 995 yr BP to the present, which detail vegetation during the periods just prior to, and following, the introduction of domesticated grazers. By comparing middens deposited before and after the start of grazing by domesticated sheep and cattle, the effect on the native plant communities through time can be determined. This analysis of change through time is augmented by measurements of change through space by contrasting contemporaneous middens from nearby similar grazed and ungrazed sites. These comparisons are only made possible by the presence of inaccessible ungrazed areas surrounded by steep cliffs. Multivariate ordinations of the plant assemblages from packrat middens demonstrated that even though all middens were selected from similar geologic substrates, soils, and vegetation type, their primary variability was site-to-site. This suggests that selecting comparable grazed versus ungrazed study treatments would be difficult, and that two similar sites several kilometers apart should not be assumed to have been the same prior to grazing without pre-grazing data. But, the changes through time on grazed areas, as well as the differences between grazed and ungrazed areas in the diversity of certain taxonomic groups, both suggest that grazing by domesticated ungulates has had a noticeable effect on the vegetation. The changes seen through time suggested that grazing lowered the number of taxa recorded and lessened the pre-existing differences within sites, homogenizing the resultant plant associations. Late Holocene pre-settlement middens, and modern middens from ungrazed areas, contained more native grasses, skunkbush sumac (Rhus trilobata), blackbrush (Coleogyne ramosissima), winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata), Utah serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), and roundleaf buffaloberry (Shepherdia rotundifolia) than modern middens from grazed areas. Pollen data supported the macrofossil data, recording decreases in pollen of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), grass family (Poaceae), and globemallow (Sphaeralcea spp.) from pre- to post-settlement.

Circum-Mediterranean cultural heritage and medicinal plant uses in traditional animal healthcare: a field survey in eight selected areas within the RUBIA project

PubMed Central

Pieroni, Andrea; Giusti, Maria Elena; de Pasquale, Caterina; Lenzarini, Cinzia; Censorii, Eleonora; Gonzáles-Tejero, María Reyes; Sánchez-Rojas, Cristina Patricia; Ramiro-Gutiérrez, Jose M; Skoula, Melpomeni; Johnson, Chris; Sarpaki, Anaya; Della, Athena; Paraskeva-Hadijchambi, Demetra; Hadjichambis, Andreas; Hmamouchi, Mohammed; El-Jorhi, Said; El-Demerdash, Mohamed; El-Zayat, Mustafa; Al-Shahaby, Omar; Houmani, Zahia; Scherazed, Mekious

2006-01-01

During the years 2003–2005, a comparative ethnobotanical field survey was conducted on remedies used in traditional animal healthcare in eight Mediterranean areas. The study sites were selected within the EU-funded RUBIA project, and were as follows: the upper Kelmend Province of Albania; the Capannori area in Eastern Tuscany and the Bagnocavallo area of Romagna, Italy; Cercle de Ouezanne, Morocco; Sierra de Aracena y Picos de Aroche Natural Park in the province of Huelva, Spain; the St. Catherine area of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt; Eastern and Western Crete, Greece; the Paphos and Larnaca areas of Cyprus; and the Mitidja area of Algeria. One hundred and thirty-six veterinary preparations and 110 plant taxa were recorded in the survey, with Asteraceae and Lamiaceae being the most quoted botanical families. For certain plant species the survey uncovered veterinary phytotherapeutical indications that were very uncommon, and to our knowledge never recorded before. These include Anabasis articulata (Chenopodiaceae), Cardopatium corymbosum (Asteraceae), Lilium martagon (Liliaceae), Dorycnium rectum (Fabaceae), Oenanthe pimpinelloides (Apiaceae), Origanum floribundum (Lamiaceae), Tuberaria lignosa (Cistaceae), and Dittrichia graveolens (Asteraceae). These phytotherapeutical indications are briefly discussed in this report, taking into account modern phytopharmacology and phytochemistry. The percentage of overall botanical veterinary taxa recorded in all the study areas was extremely low (8%), however when all taxa belonging to the same botanical genus are considered, this portion increases to 17%. Nevertheless, very few plant uses were found to be part of a presumed "Mediterranean" cultural heritage in veterinary practices, which raises critical questions about the concept of Mediterraneanism in ethnobotany and suggests that further discussion is required. Nearly the half of the recorded veterinary plant uses for mammals uncovered in this survey have also been recorded in the same areas in human folk medicine, suggesting a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices, and perhaps also suggesting the adaptive origins of a few medical practices. Since most of the recorded data concern remedies for treating cattle, sheep, goats, and camels, it would be interesting to test a few of the recorded phytotherapeuticals in the future, to see if they are indeed able to improve animal healthcare in breeding environments, or to raise the quality of dairy and meat products in the absence of classical, industrial, veterinary pharmaceuticals. PMID:16563158

Autochthonous microbe-assisted phytoremediation of brown coal mine overburden soil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidović, Saud; Teodorović, Smilja; Lalević, Blažo; Karličić, Vera; Jovanović, Ljubinko; Kiković, Dragan; Raičević, Vera

2015-04-01

One of the largest brown coal mines in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Kakanj, has been exploited for over a hundred years. As a consequence of decades of exploitation, severe biocenosis disturbance and degradation of the entire ecosystem have occurred, resulting in overburden soil formation. A significant challenge in remediation of degraded mining areas is difficulty in creating conditions favorable for vegetation growth. Thus, numerous remediation technologies have focused on increasing soil nutrient composition, as well as the number and activity of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB), given that they stimulate host plant growth by increasing the availability of essential nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen, manganese, iron), producing phytohormones, and providing protection from pathogens. The main objective of this research was to characterize autochthonous plant and microbial overburden communities and access their ability to restore these contaminated soils. Phytocenological analysis of vegetation and plant species was performed according to Flora Europaea (2001), from 2011 - 2013. Our results show that plant species were not detected at mine overburden soil in 2011. However, we detected presence of a single plant species, Amaranthus albus L., in 2012. Further, we recorded the presence of five families (Amaranthaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae, Poaceae and Polygonaceae) in 2013. Microbial abundance and enzymatic activity were also examined during the same period. The diversity of microbial populations in the first year was rather small. Two Bacillus spp., B. simplex and a B. cereus group member, indigenous to mine overburden were isolated and identified using standard macroscopic and microscopic, as well as molecular techniques (Hamidovic et al., submitted). Phosphate solubilizing activity of bacteria was tested on National Botanical Research Institute's phosphate growth medium (1999). Production of ammonia was determined in peptone water with Nessler's reagent. Siderophore production was detected by the method of Schwyn and Neilands, 1987 and quantitative analysis of IAA was performed using the method of Patten and Glick, 2002. Tested PGP activity of the two native Bacillus isolates, under laboratory conditions, indicated that they have the potential to stimulate plant growth. Further, their role in the production of ammonia, phosphate dissolving, and IAA production indicates that they may contribute to the restoration of vegetation cover and habitat stability. These complex interactions between indigenous microbial populations and plant roots can serve as a basis for effective ecoremediation strategies to repairing mine overburden soil.

Diet and habitat of the saiga antelope during the late Quaternary using stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jürgensen, Jonathan; Drucker, Dorothée G.; Stuart, Anthony J.; Schneider, Matthias; Buuveibaatar, Bayarbaatar; Bocherens, Hervé

2017-03-01

Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is one of the typical late Pleistocene species of the cold and arid mammoth steppe that covered a large area of northern hemisphere. The species is currently endangered and persists only in small areas of Central Asian steppe and desert ecosystems. The investigation of the ecology of the Pleistocene saiga using stable isotope ratios (δ13C, δ15N) aimed to decipher how different their diet and habitat were from those observed nowadays in relict populations. Up to 76 samples of bone collagen of ancient saiga from Western Europe, Siberia and Eastern Beringia were analysed and compared with 52 samples of hair and bone collagen of modern specimens from Kazahkstan, Russia and Mongolia. The δ13C values of the ancient saiga do not exhibit a clear trend over time. They cover the same range of values as the modern ones, from a C3-dominated to a C3-C4-dominated mixed diet (including probably Chenopodiaceae). In contrast, the δ15N values of fossil saigas are more variable and lower on average than the extant ones. The lowest δ15N values of ancient saiga are found around the Last Glacial Maximum, reflecting the influence of the cold conditions at that time. On the other hand, fossil saiga occupying the same regions as the historical and modern populations exhibit high δ15N values similar to the modern ones, confirming ecological continuity over time. Modern saiga is thus occupying just one of its potential diverse habitats they used in the past. Therefore, the extant saiga is not a refugee species confined to a suboptimal habitat. During the late Pleistocene, the saiga occupied a separate niche compared with the other ungulates of the mammoth steppe. However, this species could also adapt to a lichen-dominated diet normally seen in reindeer, leading to an isotopic overlap between the two species in south-western France and Alaska around the Last Glacial Maximum. This adaptation allowed a geographical expansion that does not correspond to a habitat-tracking episode. Hence, the realized niche currently observed for the saiga is reduced compared with their potential capacity for adaptation, a crucially important factor for the conservation of this endangered species.

USE OF GREEN MANURE CROPS AND SUGAR BEET VARIETIES TO CONTROL HETERODERA BETAE.

PubMed

Raaijmakers, E

2014-01-01

Although it is less studied than the white beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii), the yellow beet cyst nematode (H. betae) has been found in many countries in Europe. For example in The Netherlands, France and Spain. H. betae causes yield losses on sandy soils. A high infestation can result in loss of complete plants. In The Netherlands, this nematode is especially found in the south eastern and north eastern part, where it occurs on 18% and 5% of the fields, respectively. From a project of the Dutch Sugar beet Research Institute IRS (SUSY) on factors explaining differences in sugar yield, this nematode was one of the most important factors reducing sugar yields on sandy soils. Until 2008, the only way to control H. betae was by reducing the number of host crops in the crop rotation. Host crops are crops belonging to the families of Cruciferae, Chenopodiaceae, Polygonaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Leguminosea. In order to find more control measures, research was done to investigate the host status of different green manure crops and the resistance and tolerance of different sugar beet varieties to H. betae. White mustard (Sinapis alba) and oil seed radish (Raphanus sativus spp. oleiferus) varieties resistant to H. schachtii were investigated for their resistance against H. betae. A climate room trial and a field trial with white mustard and oil seed radish were conducted in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Results show that H. betae could multiply on susceptible white mustard and susceptible oil seed radish, but not on the H. schachtii resistant varieties. In climate room trials in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and field trials in 2010, 2011 and 2012, the effect of different sugar beet varieties on the multiplication of H. betae and the effect of H. betae on yield at different infestation levels was investigated. Sugar beet varieties with resistance genes to H. schachtii (from Beta procumbens or B. maritima) were selected. Varieties with resistance genes from these sources were not totally resistant to H. betae, but limited the multiplication of this nematode in comparison with susceptible varieties considerably. Only the varieties with resistance genes from B. maritima gave higher yields in comparison with susceptible varieties. Growing these varieties was already profitable from very light infestation levels (75 eggs and larvae/100 ml soil) of H. betae. Therefore, resistant cruciferous green manure crops and resistant and tolerant sugar beet varieties are good tools for growers to control H. betae.

The origin of shallow lakes in the Khorezm Province, Uzbekistan, and the history of pesticide use around these lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rosen, Michael R.; Crootof, Arica; Reidy, Liam; Saito, Laurel; Nishonov, Bakhriddin; Scott, Julian A.

2018-01-01

The economy of the Khorezm Province in Uzbekistan relies on the large-scale agricultural production of cotton. To sustain their staple crop, water from the Amu Darya is diverted for irrigation through canal systems constructed during the early to mid-twentieth century when this region was part of the Soviet Union. These diversions severely reduce river flow to the Aral Sea. The Province has >400 small shallow (<3 m deep) lakes that may have originated because of this intensive irrigation. Sediment cores were collected from 12 lakes to elucidate their origin because this knowledge is critical to understanding water use in Khorezm. Core chronological data indicate that the majority of the lakes investigated are less than 150 years old, which supports a recent origin of the lakes. The thickness of lacustrine sediments in the cores analyzed ranged from 20 to 60 cm in all but two of the lakes, indicating a relatively slow sedimentation rate and a relatively short-term history for the lakes. Hydrologic changes in the lakes are evident from loss on ignition and pollen analyses of a subset of the lake cores. The data indicate that the lakes have transitioned from a dry, saline, arid landscape during pre-lake conditions (low organic carbon content) and low pollen concentrations (in the basal sediments) to the current freshwater lakes (high organic content), with abundant freshwater pollen taxa over the last 50–70 years. Sediments at the base of the cores contain pollen taxa dominated by Chenopodiaceae and Tamarix, indicating that the vegetation growing nearby was tolerant to arid saline conditions. The near surface sediments of the cores are dominated by Typha/Sparganium, which indicate freshwater conditions. Increases in pollen of weeds and crop plants indicate an intensification of agricultural activities since the 1950s in the watersheds of the lakes analyzed. Pesticide profiles of DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) and its degradates and γ-HCH (gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane), which were used during the Soviet era, show peak concentrations in the top 10 cm of some of the cores, where estimated ages of the sediments (1950–1990) are associated with peak pesticide use during the Soviet era. These data indicate that the lakes are relatively young (mostly <150 years old) and that without irrigation and canal inputs from the Amu Darya, the lakes would not exist as freshwater lakes.

Palaeohydrology, vegetation, and climate since the late Illinois Episode (~130 ka) in south-central Illinois

USGS Publications Warehouse

Curry, B. Brandon; Baker, R.G.

2000-01-01

Our interpretation of pollen and ostracode successions from four basins in south-central Illinois provides a new synthesis of palaeovegetation, palaeohydrology, and palaeoclimate for the period from the late Illinois Episode (about 130,000 years ago) to near the end of the Wisconsin Episode (about 25,000 years ago). Correlations of pollen biozones between Raymond, Pittsburg, and Bald Knob basins are the basis for identifying the late Illinois glacial, Sangamon interglacial, Wisconsin glacial, and Hudson interglacial episodes. Glacial episodes were identified primarily by the presence of Picea pollen and the ostracode Limnocythere friabilis, whereas interglacial episodes were identified by Quercus pollen and by the ostracodes Candona caudata and Heterocypris punctata. Within interglacial and glacial episodes, pollen and ostracode assemblages varied with changes in moisture balance. Local palaeohydrology was assessed primarily on the basis of environmental tolerance indices of ostracodes and the stable isotope (C,O) stratigraphy of ostracodal calcite. Regional moisture balance was assessed from multivariate analyses of the pollen successions. Three climatic regimes occurred during the Sangamon Episode. (1) One regime was characterised by precipitation exceeding evaporation that promoted basin overflow. This climate was inferred from the high percentages (generally >80%) of deciduous-forest pollen. Peaks in the abundance of Liquidambar and Fagus pollen indicate that winters may have been slightly warmer, and effective moisture slightly greater, than at present. (2) The second climatic regime was continental, similar to the present climate of Illinois in which precipitation is equal to or just less than evaporation. This climate is inferred from abundant Ambrosia pollen (40 to 60%) and abundant nektic (swimming) ostracode valves which suggest a shallow lake. These conditions probably developed in association with a 'heat-low' over the interior of North America during marine oxygen isotope stages 5e and 5c. Associated with the transition between the first two climates are fossils of the subtropical ostracode Heterocypris punctata and the giant tortoise Geochelone crassiscutata that suggest short periods in winter when polar low-pressure systems did not extend into Illinois as they do today. (3) The third climatic regime occurred during the transition from the Sangamon interglacial episode to the Wisconsin glacial episode. A severely continental climate is indicated by the heat-tolerant ostracode Pelocypris tuberculatum, variable ??18O values of ostracode valves, and high environmental tolerance index values for the ostracode assemblages. The weedy Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae families grew on exposed mudflats. The tree pollen associated with this type of climate included low percentages of Picea and Liquidambar, an assemblage that has no modem analogue. We suggest that this transitional climatic regime was associated with the large-scale changes in the climate system during marine oxygen isotope stage 4.

Vegetation and climate of the southern Levant during the last Interglacial

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chunzhu; Litt, Thomas

2015-04-01

Sediments in the Dead Sea basin are outstanding archives for understanding the paleoenvironment of the southern Levant because of their locations at the boundary between the Mediterranean and Arabian-Sahara climate zones. During the past decades, extensive investigations have demonstrated high lake levels during the last Glacial but low lake levels during the present and last Interglacial. However, palynological results from Lake Kinneret and Birkat Ram suggested a dry last Glacial and wet Holocene (Schiebel, 2013; Chen and Miebach, unpublished). Studies on Lake Samra (last interglacial precursor of the modern Dead Sea) became a focus after deep drilling cores were retrieved in 2011. Core 5017-1A encompasses the most complete Samra profile in the region, which exhibits thick halite layers indicating extremely low lake levels (Neugebauer et al., 2014). As interpreted based on lithological and hydrological results, the marine isotope stage (MIS) 5e was the most arid period (work in progress). In this case, pollen analysis would provide independent evidence of the regional climate changes. Our preliminary result shows that late MIS 6 was characterized by an expansion of goosefoot (Chenopodiaceae)-dominated desert/semi-desert. During the MIS 6/5 transition, an abrupt increase of grasses and a corresponding decline of goosefoot suggest the occurrence of a more humid grass steppe, whereas the woodlands were still open. The MIS 5e has witnessed higher woodland density and moisture availability provided high values of Mediterranean woodland components (mainly olives and deciduous oaks). From MIS 5d to 5a, a drying trend was recorded from the contraction of the Mediterranean biome and the expansion of steppe/semi-steppe. As a key time interval of our study, MIS 5e comprised a typical vegetation succession process that is also prevalent in other Mediterranean pollen records. Therefore, in biostratigraphical terms, high abundances of woody taxa marks the MIS 5e, although the timing and moisture pattern contradict those implied by non-pollen proxies. This study presents the first consecutive last Interglacial pollen record in the southern Levant and will contribute to researches of modern human dispersal. Further quantitative reconstructions will be carried out on the basis of the Holocene counterpart (Litt et al., 2012). Reference: Litt, T., et al., 2012. Holocene climate variability in the Levant from the Dead Sea pollen record. Quaternary Science Reviews 49, 95-105. Neugebauer, I., et al., 2014. Lithology of the long sediment record recovered by the ICDP Dead Sea Deep Drilling Project (DSDDP). Quaternary Science Reviews 102, 149-165. Schiebel, V., 2013. Vegetation and climate history of the southern levant during the last 30,000 years based on palynological investigation. Bonn, University of Bonn, Dissertation, 2013.

Neogene vegetation and past climate change in the Thakkhola-Mustang Graben (central Nepal).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikari, Basanta Raj; Wagreich, Michael; Draxler, Ilse; Paudayal, Khum N.

2010-05-01

The Thakkhola-Mustang Graben, which reflects Neogene extensional tectonics in the Tibetan Plateau and Himalaya, lies north of the Dhaulagiri-Annapurna ranges and south of the Yarlung-Tsangpo Suture Zone. The basement of Thakkhola-Mustang Graben is made up of Tibetan-Tethyan sedimentary rocks of Paleozoic and Mesozoic ages, which are unconformably overlain by continental debris (more than 850 m) of Neogene to Quaternary age. Stratigraphically, the Thakkhola-Mustang Graben sediments have been divided into five formations namely the Tetang Formation, the Thakkhola Formation, the Sammargaon Formation, the Marpha Formation and the Kaligandaki Formation. Different approaches have been made to study the Neogene sediments in this graben. In this study, we mainly focused on sedimentological and palynological studies of the Thakkhola-Mustang Graben, which provides a basis for discussing the paleo-environmental evolution of the southern continental margin of the Tibetan Plateau towards the end of the Miocene. Field mapping, profile logging, stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis, and palynological studies were carried out to understand the depositional environment and the paleoclimate. The methodology developed by Zetter (1989) was followed for the pollen extraction. Pollen samples were processed in the laboratory and were studied under the light microscope (LM), which were later transferred to the scanning electron microscope (SEM). A variety of sedimentary environments are recognized including alluvial fan, lacustrine, braided river and glacio-fluvial. Neogene sediments are composed of braided fluvial deposits with lacustrine deposits in different level of the succession. Most of the pollens were found in the lacustrine layers of the Tetang and Thakkhola formations. Pollen analysis shows that the sediments contain dominant alpine trees like Abies, Pinus, Keteleeria, Picea Tsuga and Quercus with some steppe elements like Artemisia, Compositae, Chenopodiaceae, Plantago and Poaceae. The results show that during this period, the southern part of Tibet was covered mainly by steppe vegetation, indicating dry climate. Organic plant material from the Thakkhola and Tetang formations yielded stable carbon isotope (d13C) values between -21.87 to -26.64 permil, indicating the presence of C3 vegetation. However, the d13C values from the carbonates range between -0.62 to 11.08 permil, which shows the mix vegetation of C3 and C4 plants. It is presumed that the paleoclimate during the sediment deposition time of the Thakkhola-Mustang Graben was significantly warmer than the present-day climate. Further study of pollen with LM and SEM is necessary. Reference: Zetter, R., 1989, Methodik und Bedeutung einer routinemäßig kombinierten lichtmikroskopischen und rasterelektronenmikroskopischen Untersuchung fossiler Mikrofloren. Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg, Frankfurt am Main, 109, 41-50.

The Holocene environmental history of the Verkhoyansk Mountains region (northeastern Siberia, Russia) reconstructed from high-resolution pollen data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, S.; Tarasov, P. E.; Andreev, A. A.; Diekmann, B.

2009-04-01

The study presented here is part of the IPY project 106 "Lake Records of late Quaternary Climate Variability in northeastern Siberia" and the German Research Foundation project RI 809/17-1,2 "Late Quaternary environmental history of interstadial and interglacial periods in the Arctic reconstructed from bioindicators in permafrost sequences in NE Siberia". Both projects focus on generating high-resolution vegetation and climate proxy records mainly from lacustrine sediments along a north-south transect from Yakutia, Republic of Russia. This region is known for its climate extremes, with the Verkhoyansk Mountain Range being the coldest area in the Northern Hemisphere - "Pole of Cold". Radiocarbon-dated pollen records from Lake Billyakh (65°17'N, 126°47'E; 340 m a.s.l.) located in the central part of the Verkhoyansk Mountains were used to reconstruct vegetation and climate changes. The longest and oldest sediment core from the lake reaches back to >30 kyr BP, thus covering the last two Late Pleistocene Interstadials in Siberia. The pollen record and pollen-based biome reconstruction of the core PG 1756, which covers the last 15 kyr BP, suggest that open cool steppe and grass and sedge tundra communities with Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae, Caryophyllaceae and Selaginella rupestris dominated the area from 15 to 13.5 kyr BP. On the other hand, the constant presence of Larix pollen in quantities comparable to today's values points to the constant presence of boreal deciduous conifer trees in the regional vegetation during the last glaciation. A major spread of shrub tundra communities, including birch (Betula sect. Nanae), alder (Duschekia fruticosa) and willow (Salix) species, is dated to 13.5-12.7 kyr BP, indicating a noticeable increase in precipitation toward the end of the last glaciation, particularly during the Allerød Interstadial. Between 12.7 and 11.4 kyr BP pollen percentages of herbaceous taxa rapidly increased, whereas shrub taxa percentages decreased, suggesting strengthening of the steppe communities associated with the cold and dry Younger Dryas Stadial. However, the pollen data in hand indicate that Younger Dryas climate was less severe than the climate during the earlier interval from 15 to 13.5 kyr BP. The onset of the Holocene is marked in the pollen record by the highest values of shrub and lowest values of herbaceous taxa, suggesting a return of warmer and wetter conditions after 11.4 kyr BP. Percentages of tree taxa increase gradually and reach maximum values after 7 kyr BP, reflecting the spread of boreal cold deciduous and taiga forests in the region. An interval between 7 and 2 kyr BP is noticeable for the highest percentages of Scots pine (Pinus subgen. Diploxylon), spruce (Picea) and fir (Abies) pollen, indicating mid-Holocene spread of boreal forest communities in response to climate amelioration and degradation of the permafrost layer.

Lake sediments documented late Quaternary humid pulses in the Gobi Desert of southern Mongolia: Vegetation, hydrologic and paleoglaciation inferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Kaifeng; Lehmkuhl, Frank; Schlütz, Frank; Diekmann, Bernhard; Mischke, Steffen; Grunert, Jörg; Murad, Waheed; Nottebaum, Veit; Stauch, Georg

2016-04-01

Considerable efforts have been devoted to decipher the late Quaternary moisture and thermal history of the arid central Asia. However, an array of paramount aspects has inhibited our complete understanding of the broad pattern and underlying mechanisms: (i) Biased or even contradictory conclusions may be achieved due to the interpretations of different proxies. (ii) Most of the works poured attention into Holocene period, only few records can extend back to earlier marine isotope stages. (iii) Substantial spatial heterogeneity is noteworthy in the area. Exceeding amounts of studies were carried out in Lake Baikal catchments, northern and western Mongolia, while only two works were hitherto conducted in southern Mongolia. (iv) It remains elusive with respect to how and to what extent have East Asian Summer Monsoon and Westerlies affected the thermal and moisture signals in this spectacular arid region. To address this set of issues, two parallel cores (ONW I, 6.00 m; ONW II, 13.36 m) were retrieved from Orog Nuur, Gobi Desert of southern Mongolia. An array of multidisciplinary investigations involving geomorphologic mapping, radiocarbon dating, geochemical and biotic studies (i.e., palynological and ostracod valve analyses) provide a comprehensive data set for inferences of hydrological perturbations, vegetation development and phases of glacier expansions over the last ~50 ka. Orog Nuur catchment depicted a broadly vulnerable ecosystem that was dominated by Artemisia steppe community in the late Pleistocene, and Chenopodiaceae desert steppe in the Holocene. In addition, the Termination I is ideally documented in a complete suite of geochemical, palynological, and ostracod signatures. In general, the thermal and moisture history in the Gobi Desert were as follows: (i) MIS3 had a relatively warm temperature and sufficient moisture supply in particular between ~40 ka and ~26 ka; (ii) The MIS2 was subject to cold temperature and moisture deficit, which was interrupted by two exceedingly cold and dry playa phases related to the LGM and YD; (iii) The Holocene exhibited a cool to milder temperature and considerable sufficient moisture supply in particular the early Holocene. In the eastern Khangai, the glacial expansion during MIS3 was slightly more notable than that during the LGM. The considerable humid pulse in the mid-to late-MIS3 may be the main driving mechanism for the MIS3 glacial advance. In central to southern Mongolia, rather than solely by the westerlies, the late Quaternary moisture and thermal history may be modulated, if not controlled, by coupled atmospheric components including both the westerlies and the penetration of the East Asian Summer Monsoon into the Asian interior. In addition, the two sand laminations (correspond to the LGM and YD event, respectively) recorded in the Orog Nuur may provide a potential opportunity to be regarded as chronological benchmarks for the lacustrine sequence in the Gobi Desert, albeit more investigations still need to be carried out to test its reliability in a larger spatial scale.

Late Pleistocene Climate Events and The Origin of Agriculture In SW Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossignol-Strick, M.

In the Eastern Mediterranean sea, the climate succession of the last deglaciation is documented and dated in marine cores by the d18-O variation of foraminiferal cal- cite and pollen records. The Last Glacial Maximum is identified by a large abundance of grass pollen from a prairie-type vegetal cover with low annual precipitation in the mountainous north and east borderlands of the sea, where the pollen mainly origi- nates. During the first phase of the last deglaciation, the Bolling/Allerod chronozone, the moisture availability increases and makes possible the spread of a deciduous for- est, as shown by the increasing pollen abundance of the deciduous oak. The cold and arid Younger Dryas is identified by a reversal to semi-desert conditions, with the in- crease of sage-brush (Artemisia) and the saline-tolerant Chenopodiaceae. The climate of the earliest Holocene is Optimum for at least 3000 years (9000-6000yr BP), with the largest spread of the deciduous forest at low-middle elevations signalling wet sum- mers and of the Pistacia woodland at low elevations signalling mild, no-frost winters. This is the time when the most recent sapropel deposited in the eastern Mediterranean under anoxic bottom conditions generated by a surface lid of lower salinity due to the concomitant largest floods of the Nile River fed by the strongest African monsoon rains in the Ethiopian Highlands. In SW Asia, the pollen records of lakes and marshes have been correlated with those of the marine cores, thereby obtaining a robust time-frame. In that area, the archaeo- logical data of human settlements are independently dated by 14C. Thus the archaeo- logical succession can be securely set against the well-dated climatic succession. The Late Palaeolithic populations of SW Asia were wandering hunter-gatherers in the prairies of the Last Glacial Maximum, where they already collected wild wheat, barley and fruit. With the Bolling/Allerod wetter and warmer climate, they began to settle in favourable locations, on a year-long or semi-permanent basis. They exploited, proba- bly more widely, the vegetal food resources of wild cereals and pulses. In Palestine, this culture is called Natufian. In Syria on the Middle Euphrates, the settlement at Tel Abu Hureira displays a first phase of occupation that yielded wild emmer wheat and two-row barley. These wild varieties of cereals are characterized by a brittle rachis of the ear that insures the wide dispersion of the spikelets at maturity. This Phase I came to an end with the abandonment of the site for several hundred years. The following occupation Phase II immediately yields the domesticated form of cereals, which are 1 mainly identified by the non-brittle, solid rachis at maturity. This mutant form makes possible for man to more efficiently collect the seeds with a sickle or a stick. Based on the local 14C dates, the settlement interruption is coeval with the cold, arid Younger Dryas, and the incipience of Phase II is coeval with the Climate Optimum of the early Holocene. It is striking that the domestication of emmer wheat appears to have taken place during the Younger Dryas. This strong climatic shift must somehow have constrained this most fundamental step in the globally earliest emergence of agriculture, that of SW Asia. The accumulation of grain surplus supported the human population increase that eventually led to the earliest emergence of urban civilization in SW Asia. 2

Mid-late Holocene climate and vegetation in northeastern part of the Altai Mountains recorded in Lake Teletskoye

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudaya, Natalia; Nazarova, Larisa; Novenko, Elena; Babich, Valery; Kalugin, Ivan; Daryin, Andrei

2015-04-01

We report the first high-resolution (with intervals ca. 20-50 years) late-Holocene (4200 yr BP) pollen record from Lake Teletskoye, Altai Mountains, obtained from the underwater Ridge of Sofia Lepneva in 2006 (core Tel 2006). The study presents (i) the results of palynological analysis of Tel 2006; (ii) the results of spectral analysis of natural cycles based on the periodical fluctuation of taiga-biome curve; and (iii) quantitative reconstructions of the late-Holocene regional vegetation, woody coverage and climate in northern part of the Altai Mountains in order to define place of Northeast Altai on the map of the late-Holocene Central Asian environmental history. Late Holocene vegetation of the northeastern part of Altai recorded in Tel 2006 core is characterized by spread of dark-coniferous forest with structure similar to modern. Dominant trees, Siberian pine (Pinus sibirica) and Siberian fir (Abies sibirica), are the most ecological sensitive taxa between Siberian conifers (Shumilova, 1962), that as a whole suggests mild and humid climatic conditions during last 4200 years. However, changes of pollen taxa percentages and results of numerical analysis reveal pronounced fluctuation of climate and vegetation. Relatively cool and dry stage occurred prior to ca. 3500 cal yr BP. Open vegetation was widespread in the region with maximum deforestation and minimal July temperatures between 3800-3500 cal yr BP. Steppe-like communities with Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Cyperaceae could grow on the open sites around Lake Teletskoye. Reconstructed woody coverage is very low and varies between 29-35%. After ca. 3500 cal yr BP the area of dark-coniferous mountain taiga has significantly enlarged with maximums of woody coverages and taiga biome scores between ca. 2470-1040 cal yr BP. In the period of ~3500-2500 cal yr BP the averages July temperatures increased more than 1 0C. Climate became warmer and wetter. During last millennium (after 1040 cal yr BP) average July temperatures fell to 17.04 0C. Minimums of July temperatures related to AD1560-1650 and may reflect Little Ice Age in the northeastern Altai. This assumption is in an agreement with previous data from Lake Teletskoye (core Tel 2001-02 covered last 1000 years) where the period with relatively cold and dry climate was revealed between AD1560 and 1820 (Andreev et al., 2007). The coldest period in Tuva according to dendrochronological data (Myglan, Oidupaa, Vaganov, 2012) was in 17-19 centuries with minimum of June-July temperatures at AD1778-1819. Pollen records from the Chuya basin (southeastern part of Russian Altai) revealed the onset of LIA around AD1600 (Schluetz&Lehmkuhl, 2007). Open steppe-like vegetation slightly enlarged after ~AD1700 with increasing of continentality. Modern Index of Continentality mapping for the Altai Mountains is in range of 50-59 (Grieser et al., 2006). The average Index of Continentality calculated for last 30 years using data from Barnaul meteostation, located 300 km northwest of the lake in forest-steppe zone, is 40.6; the average Index of Continentality for Yailu meteostation (north shore of Lake Teletskoye) is 20. Index of Continentality reconstructed from Tel 2006 varies in limits of 48-58 and obviously shows regional but not local situation. Throughout the Tel 2006 record woody coverages vary between 29.0% at the 3890 cal yr BP and 50.3% at the AD1830. Woody coverage greater than 65% is associated with the Siberian mid-latitudinal zonal taiga. Areas north and south of the taiga zone have moderate forest coverage (25-45%), suggesting greater landscape openness (Tarasov et al., 2007). Regarding to VCF data, modern woody cover in 20 km around the lake is ca. 55% (http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu/data/vcf). Reconstructed woody coverage is lower than observed and reflect probably forest development in the whole lake catchment basin. Spectral analysis of Tel 2006 data demonstrates periodic changes of taiga-biome curve of ~1050, ~470 and ~210 years intervals during the Late Holocene. Kravchinsky et al. (2013) presume that the 1000- and 500-year periodicities recorded in magnetic properties of soil layers correspond to solar activity induced climate changes in Southern Siberia; however, Stuiver&Braziunas (1993) relate the ~500-yr cycle to flux oscillations in the Atlantic Ocean thermohaline circulation. The ˜210-year periodicities may reflect the ~200-year solar de Vries cycle that is commonly believed to be one of the most intense solar cycles (e.g. Wagner G. et al., 2001; Damon&Peristykh, 2000; Stuiver&Braziunas, 1993). Dendrochronlogical data obtained from the Tien Shan and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau confirm the existence of 200-year climatic cycles associated with solar activity in Central Asia (Raspopov et al., 2008). Absence of 1500-year climatic cycles (Bond events) in Tel 2006 record may be explained by deep intercontinental location of the Lake Teletskoye whereas 1500-year cycles are linked with the North Atlantic oceanic circulation (Bond et al., 2001; Debret et al., 2007).