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Fang, C. H., Clair, B., Gril, J., & Almeras, T. (2007). Transverse shrinkage in G-fibers as a function of cell wall layering and growth strain. Wood Sci. Technol., 41(8), 659–671.
Abstract: Transverse drying shrinkage was measured at microscopic and mesoscopic levels in poplar wood characterised by an increasing growth strain (GS), from normal to tension wood. Results show that: (a) the drying shrinkage, measured as a relative thickness decrease, was significantly higher for G-layer (GL) than for the other layers (OL), GL shrinkage was not significantly correlated with GS, and OL shrinkage was negatively correlated with GS. (b) In gelatinous fibre (G-fibre), lumen size increased during drying and this increase was positively related with GS, but in normal wood fibre, lumen size decreased during drying. These findings suggest that GL shrank outwards (i.e., its internal perimeter increases), so that its shrinkage weakly affected the total cell shrinkage and the mesoscopic shrinkage was controlled by the OL shrinkage which shrank inwards (i.e., its external perimeter decreases). (c) Measurements done on 7 x 7 mm(2) thin sections evidenced a negative correlation between transverse shrinkage and GS, significant in T direction but weak in R direction. These observations at both levels allow to discuss the contribution of GL to the mesoscopic shrinkage of tension wood.
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Ruelle, J., Yoshida, M., Clair, B., & Thibaut, B. (2007). Peculiar tension wood structure in Laetia procera (Poepp.) Eichl. (Flacourtiaceae). Trees-Struct. Funct., 21(3), 345–355.
Abstract: Tension wood of Laetia procera (Poepp.) Eichl. (Flacourtiaceae), a neo-tropical forest species, shows a peculiar secondary wall structure, with an alternance of thick and thin layers, while opposite wood of this species has a typical secondary wall structure (S1 + S2 + S3). Samples for the study of microstructural properties were collected upon the estimation of growth stresses in the living tree, in order to analyze the correlation of the former with the latter. Investigation using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and UV microspectrophotometry allowed the description of the anatomy, ultra-structure and chemistry of this peculiar polylaminate secondary wall. In the thick layers, cellulose microfibril angle is very low (i.e., microfibril orientation is close to fibre axis) and cellulose microfibrils are well organized and parallel to each other. In the thin layers, microfibrils (only observable in the inner layer) are less organized and are oriented with a large angle relative to the axis of the cell. Thick layers are lightly lignified although thin layers show a higher content of lignin, close to that of opposite wood secondary wall. The more the wood was under tensile stress, the less the secondary wall was lignified, and lower the syringyl on guaiacyl lignin units' ratio was. The innermost layer of the secondary wall looks like a typical S3 layer with large microfibril angle and lignin occurrence. The interest of this kind of structure for the understanding of stress generation is discussed.
Keywords: tension wood; tropical rainforest species; UV microspectrophotometry; scanning electron microscopy; cellulose microfibril angle
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Bandou, E., Lebailly, F., Muller, F., Dulormne, M., Toribio, A., Chabrol, J., et al. (2006). The ectomycorrhizal fungus Scleroderma bermudense alleviates salt stress in seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera L.) seedlings. Mycorrhiza, 16(8), 559–565.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test the capacity of the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungus, Scleroderma bermudense, to alleviate saline stress in seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera L.) seedlings. Plants were grown over a range (0, 200, 350 and 500 mM) of NaCl levels for 12 weeks, after 4 weeks of non-saline pre-treatment under greenhouse conditions. Growth and mineral nutrition of the seagrape seedlings were stimulated by S. bermudense regardless of salt stress. Although ECM colonization was reduced with increasing NaCl levels, ECM dependency of seagrape seedlings increased. Tissues of ECM plants had significantly increased concentrations of P and K but lower Na and Cl concentrations than those of non-ECM plants. Higher K concentrations in the leaves of ECM plants suggested a higher osmoregulating capacity of these plants. Moreover, the water status of ECM plants was improved despite their higher evaporative leaf surface. The results suggest that the reduction in Na and Cl uptake together with a concomitant increase in P and K absorption and a higher water status in ECM plants may be important salt-alleviating mechanisms for seagrape seedlings growing in saline soils.
Keywords: Coccoloba uvifera; ectomycorrhizal dependency; mineral uptake; salt stress; water status
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Cohen, M. C. L., Behling, H., Lara, R. J., Smith, C. B., Matos, H. R. S., & Vedel, V. (2009). Impact of sea-level and climatic changes on the Amazon coastal wetlands during the late Holocene. Veg. Hist. Archaeobot., 18(6), 425–439.
Abstract: Wetland dynamics in northern Brazil during the Holocene were studied by pollen analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating of three cores. Near the Amazon mouth region, covered mainly by primary Amazon coastal forest and herbaceous vegetation, the pollen record indicates the dominance of mangroves between 4800 and 1100 cal yr B.P. A contraction of the mangrove area and an expansion of herbaceous and fern vegetation occurred between 1100 and 750 cal yr B.P. The period between 750 and 200 cal yr B.P. is characterized by an expansion of mangrove and a decrease in herbaceous and fern vegetation. This trend continued until the present. On Atalaia Island, the sediment core indicates a period with poor pollen preservation between 830 and 630 cal yr B.P. Between 630 and 330 cal yr B.P., mangroves expanded. Later, up to 45 cal yr B.P., the mangrove area decreased and the herbaceous vegetation expanded. During the last hundred years, the relative sea-level rise most probably favored the mangrove expansion as far as the topographically highest sector on this island, while the herbaceous vegetation decreased. The pollen data from Agua Preta Lake indicate dry conditions, as reflected by the poor pollen preservation between 390 and 240 cal yr B.P. Between 240 and 60 cal yr B.P., restinga and Amazon coastal forest with palms dominated this region. For the last 120 years, the record indicates an expansion of the mangrove area. However, recent confinement of mangrove development to the topographically highest area, and the loss of mangrove areas on the lowest surfaces have led to a net loss of mangrove coverage during the last decades.
Keywords: Mangrove; Marajo Island; Pollen analysis; Sea-level
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Leroy, C., Sabatier, S., Wahyuni, N. S., Barczi, J. F., Dauzat, J., Laurans, M., et al. (2009). Virtual trees and light capture: a method for optimizing agroforestry stand design. Agrofor. Syst., 77(1), 37–47.
Abstract: In agroforestry systems, the distribution of light transmitted under tree canopies can be a limiting factor for the development of intercrops. The light available for intercrops depends on the quantity of light intercepted by tree canopies and, consequently, on the architecture of the tree species present. The influence of tree architecture on light transmission was analysed using dynamic 3D architectural models. The architectural analysis of Acacia mangium and Tectona grandis was performed in Indonesian agroforestry systems with trees aged from 1 to 3 years. 3D virtual trees were then generated with the AmapSim simulation software and 3D virtual experiments in which tree age, planting density, planting pattern and pruning intensity varied were reconstructed in order to simulate light available for the crop. Canopy closure of trees was more rapid in A. mangium than in T. grandis agroforestry systems; after 3 years the quantity of light available for A. mangium intercrops was three times lower than under T. grandis. Simulations with A. mangium showed that practices such as pruning and widening tree spacing enable to increase the total transmitted light within the stand. On T. grandis, modification of the tree row azimuth resulted in changes in the spatial and seasonal distribution of light available for the intercrops. These results are discussed in terms of agroforestry system management.
Keywords: Acacia mangium; Tectona grandis; Agroforestry; Light interception; Plant architecture; Simulation; 3D virtual plant
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Prevost-Boure, N. C., Ngao, J., Berveiller, D., Bonal, D., Damesin, C., Dufrene, E., et al. (2009). Root exclusion through trenching does not affect the isotopic composition of soil CO2 efflux. Plant Soil, 319(1-2), 1–13.
Abstract: Disentangling the autotrophic and heterotrophic components of soil CO2 efflux is critical to understanding the role of soil system in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling. In this study, we combined a stable C-isotope natural abundance approach with the trenched plot method to determine if root exclusion significantly affected the isotopic composition (delta C-13) of soil CO2 efflux (R-S). This study was performed in different forest ecosystems: a tropical rainforest and two temperate broadleaved forests, where trenched plots had previously been installed. At each site, R-S and its delta C-13 (delta C-13(Rs)) tended to be lower in trenched plots than in control plots. Contrary to R-S, delta C-13(Rs) differences were not significant. This observation is consistent with the small differences in delta C-13 measured on organic matter from root, litter and soil. The lack of an effect on delta C-13(Rs) by root exclusion could be from the small difference in delta C-13 between autotrophic and heterotrophic soil respirations, but further investigations are needed because of potential artefacts associated with the root exclusion technique.
Keywords: Stable carbon isotopes; Natural abundance; Soil respiration; Trenched plot; Rainforest; Temperate forest
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Kiaer, L. P., Felber, F., Flavell, A., Guadagnuolo, R., Guiatti, D., Hauser, T. P., et al. (2009). Spontaneous gene flow and population structure in wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L. Genet. Resour. Crop Evol., 56(3), 405–419.
Abstract: Spontaneous gene flow between wild and cultivated chicory, Cichorium intybus L., may have implications for the genetic structure and evolution of populations and varieties. One aspect of this crop-wild gene flow is the dispersal of transgenes from genetically modified varieties, e.g. gene flow from GM chicory to natural chicory could have unwanted consequences. With the purpose to identify and quantify crop-wild gene flow in chicory, we analysed introgression in 19 wild chicory populations and 16 accessions of chicory varieties and landraces distributed across Northern, Central and Mediterranean Europe. The analysis used 281 AFLP markers and 75 SSAP markers giving a total of 356 polymorphic markers. Results from model based assignments with the program STRUCTURE indicated many incidents of recent gene flow. Gene flow was observed both between cultivars and wild populations, between landraces and wild populations, between different wild populations as well as between cultivars. Population structure visualized by distance-based clustering showed a North-South geographical structuring of the wild populations, and a general grouping of the cultivars corresponding to known origin. The results indicated, however, that the structuring between the two groups of wild and cultivated types was weak. As crop and wild recipients are genetically close and genes are transferred between the two types rather frequently, focus on mitigating crop-wild gene flow should be increased, before transgenic varieties are cultivated openly.
Keywords: AFLP; GM co-existence; Gene dispersal; Introgression; Risk assessment; SSAP
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Leroy, C., Gueroult, M., Wahyuni, N. S., Escoute, J., Cereghino, R., Sabatier, S., et al. (2009). Morphogenetic trends in the morphological, optical and biochemical features of phyllodes in Acacia mangium Willd (Mimosaceae). Trees-Struct. Funct., 23(1), 37–49.
Abstract: Endogenous variations in the annual growth of trees suggest that similar trends would occur in phyllodes. In comparison to leaves, the characteristics of phyllodes are less well known, hence this study examines the effects of architectural position and age of tree on the phyllodes of Acacia mangium. Phyllodes were investigated on 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old trees from three axis positions within the crown. We focused on the morphological, optical and biochemical traits of the phyllodes. The increase in phyllode area and lamina thickness is more pronounced in the older trees. Leaf mass area (LMA), stomatal density, nitrogen and chlorophyll content increase with tree age. The values of these characteristics decrease from the main stem to the lower branches for the older trees. Phyllode light absorptance increased with tree age whereas reflectance was higher for the upper position compared to the lower position within the crown. Carotenoid content and chlorophyll a/b ratio were higher for the younger phyllodes of younger trees. Increasing tree size induced modifications in the phyllode characteristics which are influenced by both morphogenetic and light gradients within the crown. This study demonstrated pronounced changes in terms of morphological and functional indicators of photosynthetic capacity in relation to phyllode position within the crown and to tree age. These morphogenetic effects on the phyllode characteristics should be taken into account in studies on phenotypic plasticity.
Keywords: Chlorophyll; Phyllode morphology; Phyllode anatomy; Nitrogen; Optical properties; Plant architecture
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Dejean, A., Grangier, J., Leroy, C., Orivel, J., & Gilbernau, M. (2008). Nest site selection and induced response in a dominant arboreal ant species. Naturwissenschaften, 95(9), 885–889.
Abstract: It is well known that arboreal ants, both territorially dominant species and plant ants (e.g., species associated with myrmecophytes or plants housing them in hollow structures), protect their host trees from defoliators. Nevertheless, the presence of an induced defense, suggested by the fact that the workers discovering a leaf wound recruit nestmates, is only known for plant ants. Based on the results from a field study, we show here (1) that colonies of Azteca chartifex, a territorially dominant, neotropical arboreal ant species, mostly selected Goupia glabra (Goupiaceae) trees in which to build their principal carton nests and (2) that plant signals induced workers to recruit nestmates, which patrol the leaves, likely providing the plant with a biotic defense. Furthermore, the number of recruited workers was clearly higher on G. glabra, their most frequently selected host tree species, than on other tree species. These results show that contrary to what was previously believed, induced responses are also found in territorially dominant arboreal ants and so are not limited to the specific associations between myrmecophytes and plant ants.
Keywords: ant-plant relationships; biotic defense; induced responses; predation
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Almeras, T., Yoshida, M., & Okuyama, T. (2006). Strains inside xylem and inner bark of a stem submitted to a change in hydrostatic pressure. Trees-Struct. Funct., 20(4), 460–467.
Abstract: Tangential strains were measured with strain gauges at the surface of xylem and inner bark of saplings of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don. and Fagus silvatica L. during a pressurization test. The test consists in submitting the whole sapling to an artificially imposed hydrostatic pressure of increasing magnitude. The elastic response of the stems was found linear both at the surface of xylem and inner bark. A simple geometric model allows to compute radial strains in each tissue from tangential strain data. Inside inner bark, radial strains are much larger than tangential strains, because tangential strains are restrained by the core of wood. The material compliance of each tissue was computed as the ratio between the radial strain and the pressure that caused it. The material compliance of xylem is much lower than that of inner bark, but, as its thickness is much larger, its contribution to the apparent behavior of the stem is not negligible. Computation of material compliances by this pressurization test provides information about the specific behavior of each tissue in response to hydrostatic pressure. This can be used to estimate and interpret the calibration factor linking the water status of the plant to the apparent strain measured at its surface.
Keywords: diurnal strains; hydrostatic pressure; xylem; inner bark; mechanical properties
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