Journal articles on the topic 'Tress gradient hypothesis'
To see the other types of publications on this topic, follow the link: Tress gradient hypothesis.
Create a spot-on reference in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and other styles
Consult the top 50 journal articles for your research on the topic 'Tress gradient hypothesis.'
Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.
You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.
Browse journal articles on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.
1
Keith, Arthur R., Joseph K. Bailey, and Thomas G. Whitham. "Assisted migration experiments along a distance/elevation gradient show limits to supporting home site communities." PLOS Climate 2, no. 5 (May 8, 2023): e0000137. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000137.
Abstract:
We addressed the hypothesis that intraspecific genetic variation in plant traits from different sites along a distance/elevation gradient would influence the communities they support when grown at a new site. Answers to this hypothesis are important when considering the community consequences of assisted migration under climate change; i.e., if you build it will they come?. We surveyed arthropod communities occurring on the foundation riparian tree species Populus angustifolia along a distance/elevation gradient and in a common garden where trees from along the gradient were planted 20–22 years earlier. Three major patterns were found: 1) In the wild, arthropod community composition changed significantly. Trees at the lower elevation site supported up to 58% greater arthropod abundance and 26% greater species richness than more distant, high elevation trees. 2) Trees grown in a common garden sourced from the same locations along the gradient, supported arthropod communities more similar to their corresponding wild trees, but the similarity declined with transfer distance and elevation. 3) Of five functional traits examined, leaf area, a trait under genetic control that decreases at higher elevations, is correlated with differences in arthropod species richness and abundance. Our results suggest that genetic differences in functional traits are stronger drivers of arthropod community composition than phenotypic plasticity of plant traits due to environmental factors. We also show that variation in leaf area is maintained and has similar effects at the community level while controlling for environment. These results demonstrate how genetically based traits vary across natural gradients and have community-level effects that are maintained, in part, when they are used in assisted migration. Furthermore, optimal transfer distances for plants suffering from climate change may not be the same as optimal transfer distances for their dependent communities.
2
Paoli, Gary David. "Divergent leaf traits among congeneric tropical trees with contrasting habitat associations on Borneo." Journal of Tropical Ecology 22, no. 4 (July 2006): 397–408. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467406003208.
Abstract:
A prediction of the hypothesis that niche processes control plant species distributions across edaphic gradients is that pairwise comparisons of related species on contrasting soils should show consistent patterns of trait divergence. This hypothesis was tested in lowland Bornean rain forest by combining measurements of leaf traits, soil nutrients and the distribution of tree species in the Dipterocarpaceae across a nutrient gradient. Nine species were studied, comprising four related pairs in Shorea (phylogenetic independent contrasts; PICs) and one habitat generalist (Dipterocarpus sublamellatus). Lamina area, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) were measured for ∼10 saplings of each species; habitat associations were defined as a continuous function of soil nutrients and categorically in relation to substrate. Species distributions and traits varied significantly with soil nutrients. When all species were pooled, SLA and leaf P increased significantly with species' distribution across the nutrient gradient; leaf N showed the same trend. Trait shifts with habitat were stronger and more pervasive when habitat was defined categorically – in all four PICs, rich-soil specialists had larger leaves, higher SLA, leaf N and P, and lower N:P ratios. Trait shifts with habitat at least partly reflect intrinsic differences between species. Within Shorea, variation in lamina area and N:P ratio were more strongly related to phylogeny than habitat, whereas the reverse held for SLA and leaf P. Phylogeny also influenced the extent of trait divergence between related species on different soils, and patterns of trait correlation within lineages. Results support the hypothesis that niche processes influence the distribution of species and traits in lowland tropical tree communities, and highlight the value of phylogenetic information for increasing the power of comparative studies.
3
Lyu, Lixin, Susanne Suvanto, Pekka Nöjd, Helena M. Henttonen, Harri Mäkinen, and Qi-Bin Zhang. "Tree growth and its climate signal along latitudinal and altitudinal gradients: comparison of tree rings between Finland and the Tibetan Plateau." Biogeosciences 14, no. 12 (June 23, 2017): 3083–95. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3083-2017.
Abstract:
Abstract. Latitudinal and altitudinal gradients can be utilized to forecast the impact of climate change on forests. To improve the understanding of how these gradients impact forest dynamics, we tested two hypotheses: (1) the change of the tree growth–climate relationship is similar along both latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, and (2) the time periods during which climate affects growth the most occur later towards higher latitudes and altitudes. To address this, we utilized tree-ring data from a latitudinal gradient in Finland and from two altitudinal gradients on the Tibetan Plateau. We analysed the latitudinal and altitudinal growth patterns in tree rings and investigated the growth–climate relationship of trees by correlating ring-width index chronologies with climate variables, calculating with flexible time windows, and using daily-resolution climate data. High latitude and altitude plots showed higher correlations between tree-ring chronologies and growing season temperature. However, the effects of winter temperature showed contrasting patterns for the gradients. The timing of the highest correlation with temperatures during the growing season at southern sites was approximately 1 month ahead of that at northern sites in the latitudinal gradient. In one out of two altitudinal gradients, the timing for the strongest negative correlation with temperature at low-altitude sites was ahead of treeline sites during the growing season, possibly due to differences in moisture limitation. Mean values and the standard deviation of tree-ring width increased with increasing mean July temperatures on both types of gradients. Our results showed similarities of tree growth responses to increasing seasonal temperature between latitudinal and altitudinal gradients. However, differences in climate–growth relationships were also found between gradients due to differences in other factors such as moisture conditions. Changes in the timing of the most critical climate variables demonstrated the necessity for the use of daily-resolution climate data in environmental gradient studies.
4
He, Jianing, Caiwen Ning, Wentao Zhang, Ümüt Halik, and Zehao Shen. "The Effect of Elevation on the Population Structure, Spatial Patterning and Intraspecific Interactions of Picea schrenkiana in the Eastern Tianshan Mountains: A Test of the Stress Gradient Hypothesis." Forests 14, no. 10 (October 18, 2023): 2092. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f14102092.
Abstract:
Changes in age structure, spatial distribution and intraspecific interactions across environmental gradients often reflect adaptations of plant populations to their environment. Our study explored the growth status of the Picea schrenkiana population on the north slope of the eastern Tianshan Mountains and tested the stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) against changes in the age structure and spatial pattern of P. schrenkiana populations along the environmental gradient. We sampled the forests at eight elevational locations, comprising a total of 24 plots of 30 × 30 m area from 1800 to 2500 m a.s.l. in the Jiangbulake region. By scanning the 3D structure of the forests and sampling tree rings in each plot, we precisely determined the spatial location and diameter of the breast height (DBH) of each P. schrenkiana individual. By fitting the DBH-age power model and g(r) function of the point pattern, we examined the age structure, spatial patterning and intraspecific interactions of local P. schrenkiana populations within each plot and their correlation with habitat parameters. The results indicate that (1) juveniles dominate the overall population density, age structure and spatial patterning of the P. schrenkiana population. Trees of low–middle elevations represent younger forests with faster growth and better regeneration, while trees at high elevations form older forests with slower growth and poorer regeneration. (2) The aggregated population patterns and positive intraspecific interactions occur mostly at medium elevations (2000 and 2100 m a.s.l.). (3) Population density, aggregation intensity and intraspecific interaction strength are strongly and positively correlated (p < 0.01). Our results did not fit the SGH but support a hump-shaped hypothesis that proposes that facilitation is stronger under medium stress along the elevational gradient. This study validates the spatial point pattern testing of the SGH of different types. We recommend the implementation of more intensive forest closure measures, together with a reduction in the harvesting intensity of trees to ensure the sustainable regeneration of P. schrenkiana forests in the eastern Tianshan Mountains.
5
Jiang, Zihan, Qiuyu Liu, Wei Xu, and Changhui Peng. "The Importance of Energy Theory in Shaping Elevational Species Richness Patterns in Plants." Biology 11, no. 6 (May 26, 2022): 819. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology11060819.
Abstract:
Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain elevational species richness patterns; however, evaluating their importance remains a challenge, as mountains that are nested within different biogeographic regions have different environmental attributes. Here, we conducted a comparative study for trees, shrubs, herbs, and ferns along the same elevational gradient for 22 mountains worldwide, examining the performance of hypotheses of energy, tolerance, climatic variability, and spatial area to explain the elevational species richness patterns for each plant group. Results show that for trees and shrubs, energy-related factors exhibit greater explanatory power than other factors, whereas the factors that are associated with climatic variability performed better in explaining the elevational species richness patterns of herbs and ferns. For colder mountains, energy-related factors emerged as the main drivers of woody species diversity, whereas in hotter and wetter ecosystems, temperature and precipitation were the most important predictors of species richness along elevational gradients. For herbs and ferns, the variation in species richness was less than that of woody species. These findings provide important evidence concerning the generality of the energy theory for explaining the elevational species richness pattern of plants, highlighting that the underlying mechanisms may change among different growth form groups and regions within which mountains are nested.
6
Mitchell, Robert J., L. Katherine Kirkman, Stephen D. Pecot, Carlos A. Wilson, Brian J. Palik, and Lindsay R. Boring. "Patterns and controls of ecosystem function in longleaf pine - wiregrass savannas. I. Aboveground net primary productivity." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 29, no. 6 (June 1, 1999): 743–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x99-051.
Abstract:
Longleaf pine - wiregrass (Pinus palustris Mill. - Aristida stricta Michx.) woodlands occupy sites ranging from deep, xeric sandhills to the edge of wetlands in the southeastern United States. Aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of the overstory and understory were determined for three replicate sites of three site types (xeric, intermediate, and wet-mesic) that span a wide environmental gradient. In addition, soil moisture (at 30 and 90 cm) and N mineralization (in situ buried bag incubations) were measured through an annual cycle. Longleaf pine - wiregrass ecosystems varied by nearly twofold in ANPP across complex gradients. Overstory and understory and total (overstory and understory) ANPP were positively correlated to soil moisture at 30 and 90 cm. The proportion of understory ANPP relative to the total ANPP did not increase across the environmental gradient as predicted by hypotheses that invoke niche differentiation in rooting habits of grasses and trees. Contrary to expectations, cumulative net N mineralization was negatively related to soil moisture. All ANPP estimates were significantly and negatively related to cumulative N-mineralization. Further work is needed to explore the mechanisms by which soil moisture regulates productivity across space, time, and for individual species. Additional experimentation through resource addition would allow for investigations into multiple resource limitations and how resource limitations vary depending on gradient position.
7
Araujo, Felipe de Carvalho, Carolina Njaime Mendes, Gabriela Gomes Pires, Gisele Cristina de Oliveira Menino, Marco Aurelio Leite Fontes, and Rubens Manoel Dos Santos. "Adaptive strategy of tree communities on an environmental harshness hinterland inselberg in Minas Gerais, Brazil." Australian Journal of Botany 65, no. 5 (2017): 463. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/bt16252.
Abstract:
Trees and other plants growing in stressful environments can display adaptive strategies such as sprouting, which is considered to be a functional trait for the persistence niche. For example, inselbergs are rocky outcrops that impose limitations on many plant forms through selective pressure to adapt to these environments. The present research tested the hypotheses that environmental harshness enhances sprouting, and that multi-stemmed trees have different persistence dynamics compared with single-stemmed trees. We sampled vegetation in 2006 and 2011 across a soil depth gradient in three areas: riparian forest, inselbergs and a corridor between the first two areas. Trees with a diameter at the breast height (dbh) ≥5 cm were sampled, and sprouts were counted. Results showed that the inselberg had more sprouted individuals and a larger amount of sprouts than the other areas. Thus, sprouting as a survival strategy was efficient in dealing with the environmental harshness and may be considered an adaptive strategy of trees to enable them to persist in such environments. The dynamic of multi-stemmed trees differed from single-stemmed ones, and the inselberg was distinct from the other areas. Over the 5 years of the present study, sprouting proved to be a strategy of persistence in this habitat, a finding that is in accordance with our hypothesis. Factors contributing to the environmental harshness, such as soil depth, may be the cause of sprouting in trees.
8
Lamit, L. J., T. Wojtowicz, Z. Kovacs, S. C. Wooley, M. Zinkgraf, T. G. Whitham, R. L. Lindroth, and C. A. Gehring. "Hybridization among foundation tree species influences the structure of associated understory plant communities." Botany 89, no. 3 (March 2011): 165–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b11-006.
Abstract:
Understanding how genetic identity influences community structure is a major focus in evolutionary ecology, yet few studies examine interactions among organisms in the same trophic level within this context. In a common garden containing trees from a hybrid system (Populus fremontii S. Wats. × Populus angustifolia James), we tested the hypothesis that the structure of establishing understory plant communities is influenced by genetic differences among trees and explored foliar condensed tannins (CTs) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) as mechanisms. Several findings support our hypothesis: (i) Understory biomass and cover increase along the genetic gradient from P. angustifolia to P. fremontii. (ii) Along the same hybridization gradient, species richness decreases and species composition shifts. (iii) Populus foliar CT concentrations and PAR decrease from P. angustifolia to P. fremontii. (iv) Understory species richness increases with foliar CTs; however, biomass, cover, and composition show no relationship with CTs, and no understory variables correlate with PAR. (v) Structural equation modeling suggests that foliar CTs are a primary mechanism linking overstory tree genetics with understory richness. Using an experimental system dominated by naturally colonizing exotic species, this study demonstrates that a genetic gradient created by tree hybridization can influence understory plants.
9
Khudadad. "A Middle Devonian vernal pool ecosystem provides a snapshot of the earliest forests." PLOS ONE 16, no. 9 (September 1, 2021): e0255565. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255565.
Abstract:
The dichotomy of the earliest ecosystems into deltaic and floodplain forests was a long-standing view in paleobotany. The morphological traits such as nonbranching rootlets, bifurcating rhizomes, and bulbous bases of the primitive trees such as Eospermatopteris and lycopsids were considered adaptations to the lowland deltaic environments. In contrast, the traits of Archaeopteris trees such as wood, hierarchical branching networks of roots, and true leaves are an adaptation to the upland floodplain environments. The discovery of the Town of Cairo Highway Department (TCHD) fossil site in Upstate New York, where all major clades occupied a floodplain environment casts doubt on the validity of the environmental partition by the earliest trees at the higher taxonomic levels. This study aims to test the hypothesis of the environmental partition at the local scale by reconstructing the fossilized forest-floor landscape, the changes in the landscape over time, and the distribution patterns of the trees along the local environmental gradient at the TCHD site. To reconstruct the fossilized forest floor and to determine the environmental variations at the local scale, seven parallel cross-sections were drawn from south to north at THCH. The outcrop at the quarry floor measured 300 m in the north-south, and varied around 100–150 m in east-west direction. Primary sedimentary structures, the thickness of the sedimentary deposits that formed the forest floor and the surrounding quarry walls, paleosol features, and mega-fossils were measured, recorded, described, and mapped. Up to 3 meters deep drill-cores were extracted from the forest floor. The data was used to correlate the sedimentary deposits, and reconstruct the preserved landscape. Three dominant landscape features including an abandoned channel, an old-grown forest, and a local depression were recognized. These landscape features influenced greatly the pattern of local drainage, slope-gradients, patterns and durations of seasonal water pooling, paleosol developments, fossil distribution, and depositional environments. There is no evidence of environmental partitioning by trees at higher taxonomic levels at the local scale. The size and morphology of the root systems didn’t determine the distribution of the trees along the local environmental gradient such as drainage patterns but played important roles in tree stabilization. Forests would go through self-thinning as they matured. Upon comparison, it was found that the forests in unstable environments showed greater resiliency compared to forests established in the stable environments.
10
Roncal, Julissa. "Habitat differentiation of sympatric Geonoma macrostachys (Arecaceae) varieties in Peruvian lowland forests." Journal of Tropical Ecology 22, no. 4 (July 2006): 483–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0266467406003270.
Abstract:
Among the hypotheses invoked to explain high species richness in tropical forests, the niche differentiation hypothesis has received observational and experimental support (Ashton 1969, Chesson 2000, Clark et al. 1999, Souza & Martins 2004, Svenning 2001, Terborgh & Mathews 1999). Habitat specialization with regard to edaphic factors and topography has been observed in several plant groups including trees, lianas, shrubs, ferns and palms (Clark et al. 1999, Ibarra-Manriquez & Martinez-Ramos 2002, Svenning 1999, Tuomisto & Ruokolainen 1993). Treefall gaps and light gradients have also been found to be important ecological factors affecting plant distribution and niche differentiation in the understory (Chazdon 1986, Poorter & Arets 2003, Terborgh & Mathews 1999). It is suggested that such habitat heterogeneity may not only maintain biodiversity but also may lead to the origin of new species through the process of parapatric speciation (Gentry 1989, Haffer 1997, Patton & Smith 1992).
11
Ntirugulirwa, Bonaventure, Etienne Zibera, Nkuba Epaphrodite, Aloysie Manishimwe, Donat Nsabimana, Johan Uddling, and Göran Wallin. "Thermophilisation of Afromontane forest stands demonstrated in an elevation gradient experiment." Biogeosciences 20, no. 24 (December 20, 2023): 5125–49. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5125-2023.
Abstract:
Abstract. The response of tropical trees and tree communities to climate change is crucial for the carbon storage and biodiversity of the terrestrial biosphere. Trees in tropical montane rain forests (TMFs) are considered particularly vulnerable to climate change, but this hypothesis remains poorly evaluated due to data scarcity. To reduce the knowledge gap in the response of TMF trees to warming, we established a field experiment along a 1300–2400 m elevation gradient as a proxy for warming in Rwanda. Seedling-size trees of 20 species native to montane forests in eastern and central Africa were planted in multi-species plots at three sites along the gradient. They have overlapping distributions but primarily occur in either transitional rain forests (∼ 1600–2000 ma.s.l.) or mid-elevation TMFs (∼ 2000–3000 ma.s.l.), with both early- (ES) and late-successional (LS) species represented in each elevation origin group. Tree growth (diameter and height) and survival were monitored regularly over 2 years. We found that ES species, especially from lower elevations, grew faster at warmer sites, while several of the LS species, especially from higher elevations, did not respond or grew slower. Moreover, a warmer climate increased tree mortality in LS species, but not much in ES species. ES species with transitional rain forest origin strongly increased proportional to stand basal area at warmer sites, while TMF species declined, suggesting that lower-elevation ES species will have an advantage over higher-elevation species in a warming climate. The risk of higher-elevation and LS species of becoming outcompeted by lower-elevation and ES species due to a thermophilisation response in a warmer climate has important implications for biodiversity and carbon storage of Afromontane forests.
12
Soria-Carrasco, Víctor, and Jose Castresana. "Diversification rates and the latitudinal gradient of diversity in mammals." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 279, no. 1745 (August 15, 2012): 4148–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.1393.
Abstract:
The latitudinal gradient of species richness has frequently been attributed to higher diversification rates of tropical groups. In order to test this hypothesis for mammals, we used a set of 232 genera taken from a mammalian supertree and, additionally, we reconstructed dated Bayesian phylogenetic trees of 100 genera. For each genus, diversification rate was estimated taking incomplete species sampling into account and latitude was assigned considering the heterogeneity in species distribution ranges. For both datasets, we found that the average diversification rate was similar among all latitudinal bands. Furthermore, when we used phylogenetically independent contrasts, we did not find any significant correlation between latitude and diversification parameters, including different estimates of speciation and extinction rates. Thus, other factors, such as the dynamics of dispersal through time, may be required to explain the latitudinal gradient of diversity in mammals.
13
Coleborn, Katie, Gabriel C. Rau, Mark O. Cuthbert, Andy Baker, and Owen Navarre. "Solar-forced diurnal regulation of cave drip rates via phreatophyte evapotranspiration." Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 20, no. 11 (November 3, 2016): 4439–55. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-4439-2016.
Abstract:
Abstract. We present results of a detailed study of drip rate variations at 12 drip discharge sites in Glory Hole Cave, New South Wales, Australia. Our novel time series analysis, using the wavelet synchrosqueezed transform, reveals pronounced oscillations at daily and sub-daily frequencies occurring in 8 out of the 12 monitored sites. These oscillations were not spatially or temporally homogenous, with different drip sites exhibiting such behaviour at different times of year in different parts of the cave. We test several hypotheses for the cause of the oscillations, including variations in pressure gradients between karst and cave due to cave breathing effects or atmospheric and earth tides, variations in hydraulic conductivity due to changes in viscosity of water with daily temperature oscillations, and solar-driven daily cycles of vegetative (phreatophytic) transpiration. We conclude that the only hypothesis consistent with the data and hydrologic theory is that daily oscillations are caused by solar-driven pumping by phreatophytic trees which are abundant at the site. The daily oscillations are not continuous and occur sporadically in short bursts (2–14 days) throughout the year due to non-linear modification of the solar signal via complex karst architecture. This is the first indirect observation leading to the hypothesis of tree water use in cave drip water. It has important implications for karst hydrology in regards to developing a new protocol to determine the relative importance of trends in drip rate, such as diurnal oscillations, and how these trends change over timescales of weeks to years. This information can also be used to infer karst architecture. This study demonstrates the importance of vegetation on recharge dynamics, information that will inform both process-based karst models and empirical estimation approaches. Our findings support a growing body of research exploring the impact of trees on speleothem paleoclimate proxies.
14
Almeida, Renan N. D., Michael Greenberg, Cedoljub Bundalovic-Torma, Alexandre Martel, Pauline W. Wang, Maggie A. Middleton, Syama Chatterton, Darrell Desveaux, and David S. Guttman. "Predictive modeling of Pseudomonas syringae virulence on bean using gradient boosted decision trees." PLOS Pathogens 18, no. 7 (July 25, 2022): e1010716. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010716.
Abstract:
Pseudomonas syringae is a genetically diverse bacterial species complex responsible for numerous agronomically important crop diseases. Individual P. syringae isolates are assigned pathovar designations based on their host of isolation and the associated disease symptoms, and these pathovar designations are often assumed to reflect host specificity although this assumption has rarely been rigorously tested. Here we developed a rapid seed infection assay to measure the virulence of 121 diverse P. syringae isolates on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). This collection includes P. syringae phylogroup 2 (PG2) bean isolates (pathovar syringae) that cause bacterial spot disease and P. syringae phylogroup 3 (PG3) bean isolates (pathovar phaseolicola) that cause the more serious halo blight disease. We found that bean isolates in general were significantly more virulent on bean than non-bean isolates and observed no significant virulence difference between the PG2 and PG3 bean isolates. However, when we compared virulence within PGs we found that PG3 bean isolates were significantly more virulent than PG3 non-bean isolates, while there was no significant difference in virulence between PG2 bean and non-bean isolates. These results indicate that PG3 strains have a higher level of host specificity than PG2 strains. We then used gradient boosting machine learning to predict each strain’s virulence on bean based whole genome k-mers, type III secreted effector k-mers, and the presence/absence of type III effectors and phytotoxins. Our model performed best using whole genome data and was able to predict virulence with high accuracy (mean absolute error = 0.05). Finally, we functionally validated the model by predicting virulence for 16 strains and found that 15 (94%) had virulence levels within the bounds of estimated predictions. This study strengthens the hypothesis that P. syringae PG2 strains have evolved a different lifestyle than other P. syringae strains as reflected in their lower level of host specificity. It also acts as a proof-of-principle to demonstrate the power of machine learning for predicting host specific adaptation.
15
Tejeda Landero, Victor Manuel, Lázaro Rafael Sánchez-Velásquez, Héctor Viveros-Viveros, Armando Aparicio-Rentería, and Rafael Flores-Peredo. "Seed bank formation and removal of Pinus hartwegii (Pinaceae) seeds along an altitudinal gradient in the Cofre de Perote National Park, Veracruz, Mexico." Botanical Sciences 97, no. 4 (December 19, 2019): 623–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.17129/botsci.2204.
Abstract:
Background: Seed banks, an important element in the natural regeneration of plant communities, are regulated mostly by granivores along an altitudinal gradient.
Question/Hypothesis: Pinus hartwegii forms transient and probably persistent seed banks along an altitudinal gradient. Seed removal will vary according to the removing agents, the altitude and the season.
Species under study/Data description/Mathematical model: The formation of seed banks and the removal of Pinus hartwegii (Pinaceae) seeds along an altitudinal gradient were evaluated in different seasons using a linear model with two factorial variance analyses.
Site and years of study: The study was conducted at the Cofre de Perote National Park, Veracruz, Mexico, over an altitudinal gradient (at 3,400, 3,600, 3,800 and 4,000 m a.s.l.) in July-September 2015 (rainy season), and January-March 2016 (dry season).
Methods: In order to understand seed bank formation and identify the removal agents along an altitudinal gradient, two experiments were conducted with seeds from 10 trees at each altitudinal tier.
Results: The results of the first experiment, after one year, demonstrated the formation of transient and probably persistent seed banks along an altitudinal gradient (P < 0.0001). The results of the second experiment showed significant variations in seed removal according to the removal agents and the seasons (P < 0.0001).
Conclusions: Pinus hartwegii forms transient and probably persistent seed banks along an altitudinal gradient. Seed removal varies according to altitude and season.
16
Farina, Vittorio, Riccardo Lo Bianco, and Paolo Inglese. "Vertical Distribution of Crop Load and Fruit Quality within Vase- and Y-shaped Canopies of `Elegant Lady' Peach." HortScience 40, no. 3 (June 2005): 587–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.40.3.587.
Abstract:
Canopy shape and depth may influence crop uniformity of peach trees at harvest. To test this hypothesis we examined yield distribution and fruit quality changes at different canopy levels of peach trees trained to delayed vase (DV) and perpendicular Y (Y). Trees of both training forms were divided vertically into six or seven 50-cm-deep layers and fruit was harvested at commercial ripening from each layer separately. Regardless of training form, number of fruit and yield per layer were highest in the central part of the canopy, but more evenly distributed among canopy layers in Y trees. In DV trees, fruit weight decreased linearly from top to bottom, whereas it remained constant along the top and middle portion of Y canopies to decrease rapidly at the bottom. In DV trees, 83% of the fruit fell into AAA, AA and A size categories, whereas fruit of Y trees was more evenly distributed among all size categories. Hue of fruit peel color increased linearly with distance from canopy top in both training forms, but more sharply in DV trees. Fruit soluble solid content decreased linearly from canopy top to bottom, regardless of training form. A more uniform crop load distribution within the canopy in combination with a light penetration gradient resulted in greater variability of quality parameters for Y than DV trees.
17
Seo, Sung Won. "Market Timing and Seasoned Equity Offering." Institute of Management and Economy Research 15, no. 1 (March 30, 2024): 145–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.32599/apjb.15.1.202403.145.
Abstract:
Purpose - In this study, we propose an empirical model for predicting seasoned equity offering (SEO here after) using machine learning methods. Design/methodology/approach - The models utilize the random forest method based on decision trees that considers non-linear relationships, as well as the gradient boosting tree model. SEOs incur significant direct and indirect costs. Therefore, CEOs’ decisions of seasoned equity issuances are made only when the benefits outweigh the costs, which leads to a non-linear relationship between SEOs and a determinant of them. Particularly, a variable related to market timing effectively exhibit such non-linear relations. Findings - To account for these non-linear relationships, we hypothesize that decision tree-based random forest and gradient boosting tree models are more suitable than the linear methodologies due to the non-linear relations. The results of this study support this hypothesis. Research implications or Originality - We expect that our findings can provide meaningful information to investors and policy makers by classifying companies to undergo SEOs.
18
Edenius, Lars, Kjell Danell, and Hans Nyquist. "Effects of simulated moose browsing on growth, mortality, and fecundity in Scots pine: relations to plant productivity." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 25, no. 4 (April 1, 1995): 529–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x95-060.
Abstract:
Current theory on plant–animal interactions predicts that the outcome of herbivory on plant performance will be dependent on plant productivity. Thus, slow-growing plants should be less able to compensate for biomass losses than fast-growing plants, and therefore be more susceptible to herbivory if attacked. We simulated winter browsing by moose (Alcesalces (L.)) on Scots pine (Pinussylvestris L.) along a gradient of plant productivity and addressed the following questions: (1) Does herbivory affect growth independently of plant productivity? (2) Is herbivory a more important mortality factor for slow-growing than for fast-growing plants? (3) Is there any effect of herbivory on fecundity, and is it related to plant productivity? Two clipping regimes simulated different intensities of moose winter browsing. Mortality was followed annually, and after 4 years we measured tree growth and fecundity on control as well as on treatment pines. The effect of clipping on growth was related with both clipping intensity and plant productivity. In the light-clipping treatment mortality was restricted to the slow-growing pines, in contrast with the severe treatment, where it occurred across the whole range of plant growth. Moreover, in the light-clipping treatment most mortality occurred within 1 year after treatment, whereas tree death occurred over 2 or more years in the severe treatment. We found no effect of age on mortality within growth-rate classes. The proportion of trees with cones increased with growth rate for control trees but not for treated trees, indicating that herbivory more strongly affects fecundity on fast-growing than on slow-growing trees. Our results confirm the hypothesis that herbivory affects plant performance differently across a gradient of plant productivity. We suggest that mammalian herbivores can increase mortality of plant genets after the seedling stage primarily in stands on low-productivity sites, especially in combination with a high density of the herbivore.
19
Haverd, V., B. Smith, M. Raupach, P. Briggs, L. Nieradzik, J. Beringer, L. Hutley, C. M. Trudinger, and J. Cleverly. "Coupling carbon allocation with leaf and root phenology predicts tree–grass partitioning along a savanna rainfall gradient." Biogeosciences 13, no. 3 (February 11, 2016): 761–79. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-761-2016.
Abstract:
Abstract. The relative complexity of the mechanisms underlying savanna ecosystem dynamics, in comparison to other biomes such as temperate and tropical forests, challenges the representation of such dynamics in ecosystem and Earth system models. A realistic representation of processes governing carbon allocation and phenology for the two defining elements of savanna vegetation (namely trees and grasses) may be a key to understanding variations in tree–grass partitioning in time and space across the savanna biome worldwide. Here we present a new approach for modelling coupled phenology and carbon allocation, applied to competing tree and grass plant functional types. The approach accounts for a temporal shift between assimilation and growth, mediated by a labile carbohydrate store. This is combined with a method to maximize long-term net primary production (NPP) by optimally partitioning plant growth between fine roots and (leaves + stem). The computational efficiency of the analytic method used here allows it to be uniquely and readily applied at regional scale, as required, for example, within the framework of a global biogeochemical model.We demonstrate the approach by encoding it in a new simple carbon–water cycle model that we call HAVANA (Hydrology and Vegetation-dynamics Algorithm for Northern Australia), coupled to the existing POP (Population Orders Physiology) model for tree demography and disturbance-mediated heterogeneity. HAVANA-POP is calibrated using monthly remotely sensed fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) and eddy-covariance-based estimates of carbon and water fluxes at five tower sites along the North Australian Tropical Transect (NATT), which is characterized by large gradients in rainfall and wildfire disturbance. The calibrated model replicates observed gradients of fPAR, tree leaf area index, basal area, and foliage projective cover along the NATT. The model behaviour emerges from complex feedbacks between the plant physiology and vegetation dynamics, mediated by shifting above- versus below-ground resources, and not from imposed hypotheses about the controls on tree–grass co-existence. Results support the hypothesis that resource limitation is a stronger determinant of tree cover than disturbance in Australian savannas.
20
Haverd, V., B. Smith, M. Raupach, P. Briggs, L. Nieradzik, J. Beringer, L. Hutley, C. M. Trudinger, and J. Cleverly. "Coupling carbon allocation with leaf and root phenology predicts tree-grass partitioning along a savanna rainfall gradient." Biogeosciences Discussions 12, no. 19 (October 5, 2015): 16313–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-12-16313-2015.
Abstract:
Abstract. The relative complexity of the mechanisms underlying savanna ecosystem dynamics, in comparison to other biomes such as temperate and tropical forests, challenges the representation of such dynamics in ecosystem and Earth system models. A realistic representation of processes governing carbon allocation and phenology for the two defining elements of savanna vegetation (namely trees and grasses) may be a key to understanding variations in tree/grass partitioning in time and space across the savanna biome worldwide. Here we present a new approach for modelling coupled phenology and carbon allocation, applied to competing tree and grass plant functional types. The approach accounts for a temporal shift between assimilation and growth, mediated by a labile carbohydrate store. This is combined with a method to maximise long-term net primary production (NPP) by optimally partitioning plant growth between fine roots and (leaves + stem). The computational efficiency of the analytic method used here allows it to be uniquely and readily applied at regional scale, as required, for example, within the framework of a global biogeochemical model. We demonstrate the approach by encoding it in a new simple carbon/water cycle model that we call HAVANA (Hydrology and Vegetation-dynamics Algorithm for Northern Australia), coupled to the existing POP (Population Orders Physiology) model for tree demography and disturbance-mediated heterogeneity. HAVANA-POP is calibrated using monthly remotely-sensed fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fPAR) and eddy-covariance-based estimates of carbon and water fluxes at 5 tower sites along the Northern Australian Tropical Transect (NATT), which is characterized by large gradients in rainfall and wildfire disturbance. The calibrated model replicates observed gradients of fPAR, tree leaf area index, basal area and foliage projective cover along the NATT. The model behaviour emerges from complex feed-backs between the plant physiology and vegetation dynamics, mediated by shifting above- vs. below-ground resources, and not from imposed hypotheses about the controls on tree/grass co-existence. Results support the hypothesis that resource limitation is a stronger determinant of tree cover than disturbance in Australian savannas.
21
Loppi, Stefano, Stergios Arg Pirintsos, and Vincenzo De Dominicis. "ANALYSIS OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF EPIPHYTIC LICHENS ON QUERCUS PUBESCENS ALONG AN ALTITUDINAL GRADIENT IN A MEDITERRANEAN AREA (TUSCANY, CENTRAL ITALY)." Israel Journal of Plant Sciences 45, no. 1 (May 13, 1997): 53–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07929978.1997.10676670.
Abstract:
The distribution of epiphytic lichens on Quercus pubescens in Tuscany, central Italy, was studied by means of multivariate techniques along an altitudinal gradient from 0 to 900 m. Great differences in community structure were found and the altitude of 500 m was identified as an ecotone. Epiphytic lichen vegetation on trees below the ecotone varied significantly in relation to bark pH. Climatic parameters (temperature and rainfall) were probably related to altitude. Dust was probably responsible for the rise in bark pH. The distribution of lichen species in the sampling belts fitted the core-satellite hypothesis. The use of core and satellite species as biomonitors of air pollution and bioindicators of environmental conditions is discussed.
22
Nakanyala, Jesaya, and Martin Hipondoka. "Root structure of shrub encroaching plants in the African savannas: insights from Terminalia sericea (Burch. ex DC) across a climate gradient in the Kalahari Basin." European Journal of Ecology 6, no. 1 (June 18, 2020): 17–26. http://dx.doi.org/10.17161/eurojecol.v6i1.13779.
Abstract:
The mechanisms under which shrubs outcompete grasses to cause shrub encroachment in the African savannas a contentious issue. The popular model, Walter’s two-layer hypothesis is still inconclusive. It suggests that trees and shrubs in the savannas develop deeper roots to avoid competition with grasses. This study was designed to test this hypothesis by investigating the root system of T. sericea, one of the common encroaching species in the Kalahari Basin. Using direct excavation methods, 39 shrubs were randomly excavated across the Kalahari Basin. Results revealed contrasting rooting strategies by T. sericea under varying climatic conditions, with drier areas exhibiting largely lateral roots, whereas moist sites were dominated by dual root systems. These findings are not consistent with the existing framework which argues that savanna shrubs are essentially deeper rooted. Instead, results support an emerging hypothesis that certain savanna shrubs opportunistically adapt their root systems in response to the prevailing environmental stimuli such as moisture. A shrub such as T. sericea with lateral roots abundantly deployed in shallow soil depth points to a direct niche competition with grasses in the Kalahari Basin. It is probable that the occurrence of shrub encroachment by T. sericea is a manifestation of this competitive interaction.
23
Liu, Juan, Xiangwei He, Jingya Sun, and Yuchao Ma. "A Degeneration Gradient of Poplar Trees Contributes to the Taxonomic, Functional, and Resistome Diversity of Bacterial Communities in Rhizosphere Soils." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 22, no. 7 (March 26, 2021): 3438. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms22073438.
Abstract:
Bacterial communities associated with roots influence the health and nutrition of the host plant. However, the microbiome discrepancy are not well understood under different healthy conditions. Here, we tested the hypothesis that rhizosphere soil microbial diversity and function varies along a degeneration gradient of poplar, with a focus on plant growth promoting bacteria (PGPB) and antibiotic resistance genes. Comprehensive metagenomic analysis including taxonomic investigation, functional detection, and ARG (antibiotics resistance genes) annotation revealed that available potassium (AK) was correlated with microbial diversity and function. We proposed several microbes, Bradyrhizobium, Sphingomonas, Mesorhizobium, Nocardioides, Variovorax, Gemmatimonadetes, Rhizobacter, Pedosphaera, Candidatus Solibacter, Acidobacterium, and Phenylobacterium, as candidates to reflect the soil fertility and the plant health. The highest abundance of multidrug resistance genes and the four mainly microbial resistance mechanisms (antibiotic efflux, antibiotic target protection, antibiotic target alteration, and antibiotic target replacement) in healthy poplar rhizosphere, corroborated the relationship between soil fertility and microbial activity. This result suggested that healthy rhizosphere soil harbored microbes with a higher capacity and had more complex microbial interaction network to promote plant growing and reduce intracellular levels of antibiotics. Our findings suggested a correlation between the plant degeneration gradient and bacterial communities, and provided insight into the role of high-turnover microbial communities as well as potential PGPB as real-time indicators of forestry soil quality, and demonstrated the inner interaction contributed by the bacterial communities.
24
Angelou, Nikolas, Jakob Mann, and Ebba Dellwik. "Wind lidars reveal turbulence transport mechanism in the wake of a tree." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 22, no. 4 (February 18, 2022): 2255–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-2255-2022.
Abstract:
Abstract. Solitary trees are natural land surface elements found in almost all climates, yet their influence on the surrounding airflow is poorly known. Here we use state-of-the-art, laser-based, remote sensing instruments to study the turbulent wind field in the near-wake region of a mature, open-grown oak tree. Our measurements provide for the first time a full picture of the mixing layer of high turbulence that surrounds the mean wind speed deficit. In this layer, we investigate the validity of a two-dimensional vectorial relation derived from the eddy-viscosity hypothesis, a hypothesis commonly used in modelling the turbulence transport of momentum and scalars in the atmosphere. We find that the momentum fluxes of the streamwise wind component can be adequately predicted by the transverse gradient of the mean flow. Using the mixing-length hypothesis we find that for this tree the corresponding turbulence length scale in the mixing layer can be approximated by one height-independent value. Further, the laser-based scanning technology used here was able to accurately reveal three-dimensional turbulent and spatially varying atmospheric flows over a large plane without seeding or intruding the atmospheric flow. This capability points to a new and more exact way of exploring the complex earth–atmosphere interactions.
25
Du, W. G., L. Shou, and J. Y. Shen. "Habitat selection in two sympatric Chinese skinks, Eumeces elegans and Sphenomorphus indicus: do thermal preferences matter?" Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 9 (September 2006): 1300–1306. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-116.
Abstract:
We studied the habitat selection and thermal biology of two sympatric Chinese skinks ( Eumeces elegans Boulenger, 1887 and Sphenomorphus indicus (Schmidt, 1928)) to test the effect of thermal preference on habitat partitioning. We measured thermal and structural attributes of the microhabitats occupied by these two skink species, as well as their field body temperatures and activity patterns. We then quantified the preferred body temperatures of these species in a thermal gradient. Compared with S. indicus, E. elegans occupied microhabitats with fewer trees, more rocks, and higher ambient temperatures. Active S. indicus were mainly found in the morning, whereas active E. elegans were found at noon. The thermal environment of the microhabitats at these two periods correlated with the skinks’ thermal preferences. Preferred temperatures of E. elegans were significantly higher than those of S. indicus. These results support (i) the hypothesis that habitat partitioning between ectotherms is related to interspecific differences in thermal requirements; (ii) the labile hypothesis that describes the adaptability of thermal physiology, because the two sympatric skinks, which select different thermal environments, differed in thermal physiology; and (iii) the cold-climate hypothesis that explains the evolution of viviparity, because viviparous S. indicus occupy colder habitats than do oviparous E. elegans.
26
Kitamura, Keiko, Kentaro Uchiyama, Saneyoshi Ueno, Wataru Ishizuka, Ikutaro Tsuyama, and Susumu Goto. "Geographical Gradients of Genetic Diversity and Differentiation among the Southernmost Marginal Populations of Abies sachalinensis Revealed by EST-SSR Polymorphism." Forests 11, no. 2 (February 20, 2020): 233. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f11020233.
Abstract:
Research Highlights: We detected the longitudinal gradients of genetic diversity parameters, such as the number of alleles, effective number of alleles, heterozygosity, and inbreeding coefficient, and found that these might be attributable to climatic conditions, such as temperature and snow depth. Background and Objectives: Genetic diversity among local populations of a plant species at its distributional margin has long been of interest in ecological genetics. Populations at the distribution center grow well in favorable conditions, but those at the range margins are exposed to unfavorable environments, and the environmental conditions at establishment sites might reflect the genetic diversity of local populations. This is known as the central-marginal hypothesis in which marginal populations show lower genetic variation and higher differentiation than in central populations. In addition, genetic variation in a local population is influenced by phylogenetic constraints and the population history of selection under environmental constraints. In this study, we investigated this hypothesis in relation to Abies sachalinensis, a major conifer species in Hokkaido. Materials and Methods: A total of 1189 trees from 25 natural populations were analyzed using 19 EST-SSR loci. Results: The eastern populations, namely, those in the species distribution center, showed greater genetic diversity than did the western peripheral populations. Another important finding is that the southwestern marginal populations were genetically differentiated from the other populations. Conclusions: These differences might be due to genetic drift in the small and isolated populations at the range margin. Therefore, our results indicated that the central-marginal hypothesis held true for the southernmost A. sachalinensis populations in Hokkaido.
27
Heymans, Lyse, Jean-Yves Meyer, Claudine Ah-Peng, Quentin Ethève, Olivier Flores, Christophe Lavergne, Bertrand Mallet, Hilde Parlevliet, Dominique Strasberg, and Robin Pouteau. "Do Native and Alien Species Differ in Their Ecological Strategies? A Test with Woody Plants in Tropical Rainforests on Réunion Island (Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean)." Plants 12, no. 23 (November 27, 2023): 3990. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants12233990.
Abstract:
Understanding the mechanisms of biological invasions (e.g., competitive exclusion) is a key conservation challenge, especially on islands. Many mechanisms have been tested by comparing the characteristics of native and alien species, but few studies have considered ecological strategies. Here we aim at comparing the competitive ability, stress tolerance, and ruderalism (CSR) of native and alien trees in the tropical rainforests of Réunion Island. A total of sixteen 100 m2 plots (eight ‘near-trail’ and eight ‘off-trail’, at less disturbed sites) were established over a 2100 m elevational gradient. Three traits were measured in 1093 leaves from 237 trees: leaf area, leaf dry matter content and specific leaf area. They were converted into a CSR score assigned to each of the 80 surveyed tree species (70 native and 10 alien) using the ‘Stratefy’ ordination approach. C scores increased with basal area and S scores with elevation, but R scores were not higher along the trail, thus only partially validating Stratefy. Native and alien trees had similar CS strategies, thus challenging invasion hypotheses predicting a difference in ecological strategies and rather demonstrating the importance of environmental filtering. However, other differences falling outside the CSR theory may also explain the success of alien species on Réunion.
28
Walter, Christopher A., Mark B. Burnham, Mary Beth Adams, Brenden E. McNeil, Lindsay N. Deel, and William T. Peterjohn. "Nitrogen Availability Decreases the Severity of Snow Storm Damage in a Temperate Forest." Forest Science 66, no. 1 (November 7, 2019): 58–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxz064.
Abstract:
Abstract Storms are among the greatest natural disturbances in temperate forests, and increased nitrogen (N) availability is thought to increase storm damage. However, the extent to which N availability increases damage from snowfall is less clear. To test how N availability might affect the susceptibility of trees to snow damage in a temperate forest, we took advantage of an opportunistic storm and surveyed damage in fertilized and unfertilized stands, and across a native N availability gradient. In response to a severe, early season snow storm—a consequence of Superstorm Sandy—the percentages of both basal area and stems damaged were lower in a fertilized watershed than in an unfertilized watershed. Across the native N availability gradient, the percentage of basal area damaged by snow decreased with higher soil N. The effects of N availability on damage were also affected by tree species. Our results suggest that N availability decreases damage from snow storms, contrary to our hypotheses drawn from broader studies. Understanding the relation between storm damage and N availability is important, considering the global increase in N deposition, and since severe storms are likely to become more prevalent with climate change.
29
Fernandez, R. Thomas, and James A. Flore. "Intermittent CaCl2 Sprays during Rain to Prevent Sweet Cherry Cracking." HortScience 30, no. 4 (July 1995): 793F—793. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.30.4.793f.
Abstract:
Fruit of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) crack during or after rain due, in part, to absorption of water through the fruit surface driven by the water potential gradient. In 1972, J. Vittrup-Christensen suggested that overhead misting of calcium salts during precipitation may be an effective way to prevent cherry cracking by reducing the water potential gradient. We tested this hypothesis by designing a computer-controlled irrigation system to intermittently spray a 10% CaCl2 solution on trees during rain events. Spray emitters were placed in the middle and at the top of the canopy. The program turned the system on for 90 s at each 0.3 mm of rain and monitored daily rainfall and accumulated mist times. Two `Emperor Francis' and two `Ulster' were treated with equal number of controls. Intact and cracked cherries were counted on four branches per tree at three times when cherries were susceptible to cracking. Overall, cracking was reduced from 33% to 11% by the CaCl2 spray at the end of the experiment. Treated `Ulster' had 9% cracked fruit, while control had 43% cracked fruit. Differences for `Emperor Francis' were not significant. Phytotoxicity was estimated at about 15 % of leaf area. This system will be reevaluated in 1995 with the added objective of quantifying and reducing phytotoxicity.
30
Fernandez, R. Thomas, and James A. Flore. "Intermittent CaCl2 Sprays during Rain to Prevent Sweet Cherry Cracking." HortScience 30, no. 4 (July 1995): 793F—793. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.30.4.793.
Abstract:
Fruit of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) crack during or after rain due, in part, to absorption of water through the fruit surface driven by the water potential gradient. In 1972, J. Vittrup-Christensen suggested that overhead misting of calcium salts during precipitation may be an effective way to prevent cherry cracking by reducing the water potential gradient. We tested this hypothesis by designing a computer-controlled irrigation system to intermittently spray a 10% CaCl2 solution on trees during rain events. Spray emitters were placed in the middle and at the top of the canopy. The program turned the system on for 90 s at each 0.3 mm of rain and monitored daily rainfall and accumulated mist times. Two `Emperor Francis' and two `Ulster' were treated with equal number of controls. Intact and cracked cherries were counted on four branches per tree at three times when cherries were susceptible to cracking. Overall, cracking was reduced from 33% to 11% by the CaCl2 spray at the end of the experiment. Treated `Ulster' had 9% cracked fruit, while control had 43% cracked fruit. Differences for `Emperor Francis' were not significant. Phytotoxicity was estimated at about 15 % of leaf area. This system will be reevaluated in 1995 with the added objective of quantifying and reducing phytotoxicity.
31
Rodionov, Andrei, Sara L. Bauke, Christian von Sperber, Carmen Hoeschen, Ellen Kandeler, Jens Kruse, Hans Lewandowski, et al. "Biogeochemical cycling of phosphorus in subsoils of temperate forest ecosystems." Biogeochemistry 150, no. 3 (October 2020): 313–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10533-020-00700-8.
Abstract:
Abstract Tree roots penetrate the soil to several meters depth, but the role of subsoils for the supply of nutrient elements such as phosphorus (P) to the trees is poorly understood. Here, we tested the hypothesis that increased P deficiency in the topsoil results in an increased microbial recycling of P from the forest subsoil. We sampled soils from four German temperate forest sites representing a gradient in total P stocks. We analyzed the oxygen isotopic composition of HCl-extractable phosphate (δ18OP) and identified differences in P speciation with increasing soil depth using X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy. We further determined microbial oxygen demand with and without nutrient supply at different soil depths to analyse nutrient limitation of microbial growth and used nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) to visualize spatial P gradients in the rhizosphere. We found that δ18OP values in the topsoil of all sites were close to the isotopic signal imparted by biological cycling when oxygen isotopes in phosphate are exchanged by enzymatic activity. However, with increasing soil depth and increasing HCl-P concentrations, δ18Ο values continuously decreased towards values expected for primary minerals in parent material at depths below 60 cm at sites with high subsoil P stocks and below more than 2 m at sites with low subsoil P stocks, respectively. For these depths, XANES spectra also indicated the presence of apatite. NanoSIMS images showed an enrichment of P in the rhizosphere in the topsoil of a site with high P stocks, while this P enrichment was absent at a site with low P stocks and in both subsoils. Addition of C, N and P alone or in combination revealed that microbial activity in subsoils of sites with low P stocks was mostly P limited, whereas sites with high P stocks indicated N limitation or N and P co-limitation. We conclude that subsoil P resources are recycled by trees and soil microorganisms. With continued weathering of the bedrock and mobilisation of P from the weathered rocks, P cycling will proceed to greater depths, especially at sites characterised by P limitation.
32
Skelton, Robert P., Leander D. L. Anderegg, Jessica Diaz, Matthew M. Kling, Prahlad Papper, Laurent J. Lamarque, Sylvain Delzon, Todd E. Dawson, and David D. Ackerly. "Evolutionary relationships between drought-related traits and climate shape large hydraulic safety margins in western North American oaks." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118, no. 10 (March 1, 2021): e2008987118. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2008987118.
Abstract:
Quantitative knowledge of xylem physical tolerance limits to dehydration is essential to understanding plant drought tolerance but is lacking in many long-vessel angiosperms. We examine the hypothesis that a fundamental association between sustained xylem water transport and downstream tissue function should select for xylem that avoids embolism in long-vessel trees by quantifying xylem capacity to withstand air entry of western North American oaks (Quercus spp.). Optical visualization showed that 50% of embolism occurs at water potentials below −2.7 MPa in all 19 species, and −6.6 MPa in the most resistant species. By mapping the evolution of xylem vulnerability to embolism onto a fossil-dated phylogeny of the western North American oaks, we found large differences between clades (sections) while closely related species within each clade vary little in their capacity to withstand air entry. Phylogenetic conservatism in xylem physical tolerance, together with a significant correlation between species distributions along rainfall gradients and their dehydration tolerance, suggests that closely related species occupy similar climatic niches and that species' geographic ranges may have shifted along aridity gradients in accordance with their physical tolerance. Such trends, coupled with evolutionary associations between capacity to withstand xylem embolism and other hydraulic-related traits, yield wide margins of safety against embolism in oaks from diverse habitats. Evolved responses of the vascular system to aridity support the embolism avoidance hypothesis and reveal the importance of quantifying plant capacity to withstand xylem embolism for understanding function and biogeography of some of the Northern Hemisphere’s most ecologically and economically important plants.
33
Escoto-Rodríguez, Martín, José M. Facelli, and Jennifer R. Watling. "Do wide crowns in arid woodland trees reflect hydraulic limitation and reduction of self-shading?" Functional Plant Biology 41, no. 12 (2014): 1221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/fp14022.
Abstract:
In arid regions many tree species develop broad crowns. A number of hypotheses involve trade-offs between growth in height and horizontal spreading, but there is no explanation for the switch from vertical to horizontal growth during development. Using Acacia papyrocarpa Benth as a model, we measured tree height and crown shape across different sites and topographic positions. We also measured δ13C of phyllodes from crown tops and lateral spreading branches. Trees were significantly taller at the base of a hill, where water availability is typically greater, than on the adjacent steep hillslope. In contrast, δ13C from the treetops was not significantly different across this topographic gradient, despite variation in tree height. In addition, δ13C was higher at treetops than in lower, lateral branches. These observations are consistent with hydraulic limitation to tree height. The shape of mature and young crowns in open environments was not symmetrical. At all sites, branches were shortest, but tree crowns tallest, on south-facing (i.e. shadiest) aspect of crowns. This suggests that light limitation may also affect crown development. If upper branches become water-limited and lower branches light-limited, then middle lateral branches become the less-stressed part of the crown and may grow more, producing a broad crown.
34
Hunter, John T. "Changes in Allometric Attributes and Biomass of Forests and Woodlands across an Altitudinal and Rainfall Gradient: What Are the Implications of Increasing Seasonality due to Anthropogenic Climate Change?" International Journal of Ecology 2015 (2015): 1–10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/208975.
Abstract:
Canonical correspondence analysis and linear regressions were used to relate height, diameter, and dispersion measurements of 36,380 stems from 197 species recorded in 2,341 plots against both climatic and landscape variables. Above ground biomass increased in wetter and cooler locations that ameliorate the seasonal rainfall deficits. Taller and greater diameter trees with lower wood densities occur at higher altitudes. Differences between locations are based on a change in the composition of species rather than a change in the allometric properties within a species. The results support the hydraulic limitation and species packing hypotheses. These interrelationships may be affected by the interactions of fire frequency and drought which are a common feature of much of the study area. Under current climate change scenarios it is likely that there will be a reduction in above ground biomass, the number of stems per hectare, average height, average diameter, and basal area due to increasing seasonality of rainfall, temperatures, and the intensity and frequency of fires. The largest of trees are likely to be removed early due to their inability to cope with increased drought stress. The results suggest a marked reduction in carbon storage will occur across the study region in eastern Australia.
35
Payette, Serge, Ann Delwalde, Claude Morneau, and Claude Lavole. "Patterns of tree stem decline along a snow-drift gradient at treeline: a case study using stem analysis." Canadian Journal of Botany 74, no. 11 (November 1, 1996): 1671–83. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b96-203.
Abstract:
Current hypotheses on conifer tree stem degradation at treeline indicate the influence of frost desiccation caused by dehydration of wind-exposed needles above the snowpack because of frozen soil or wind abrasion. Here, we examine, in an exploratory study, the potential of detailed stem analysis to identify other causal factors at a subarctic treeline site using black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP.) trees distributed along a wind-exposure gradient and showing various degrees of stem damage, from the normal, conical growth form to the mat growth form. Temporal patterns of stem development revealed a relatively integrated growth system within the tree as long as the normal arborescent form was maintained. With the gradual loss of the normal form owing to defoliation, the growth system of the damaged trees became fragmented into a wind-exposed (west–ast), horizontal component and a vertical (below–bove snowpack) component outlined by the asymmetric development of stem and foliage. Although cool growing seasons reduce tree-ring growth, frost events in July appear also influential, possibly when killing frosts occur during bud break. The impact of such abrupt events may have a long-enduring influence on radial growth, a factor much neglected in dendroclimatological studies of boreal and subarctic environments. Stem degradation may be initiated by the changing position of the snowpack line associated with variable snow precipitation during several consecutive years, thus inducing a shifting erosional zone along the stem most effective when temperatures are below average, i.e., likely the result of mechanical defoliation caused by the synergistic influence of snow and ice abrasion during blizzards and severe windchill conditions on the brittle, cold-exposed needles. Our results suggest that sustained winter defoliation at treeline has an overwhelming influence on subsequent radial growth. More dendroecological studies and experimental field work are needed to test our conclusions. Keywords: stem analysis, treeline, black spruce, winter defoliation, tree rings, subarctic.
36
Briggs, Emma, Marc de Kamps, Willie Hamilton, Owen Johnson, Ciarán D. McInerney, and Richard D. Neal. "Machine Learning for Risk Prediction of Oesophago-Gastric Cancer in Primary Care: Comparison with Existing Risk-Assessment Tools." Cancers 14, no. 20 (October 14, 2022): 5023. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cancers14205023.
Abstract:
Oesophago-gastric cancer is difficult to diagnose in the early stages given its typical non-specific initial manifestation. We hypothesise that machine learning can improve upon the diagnostic performance of current primary care risk-assessment tools by using advanced analytical techniques to exploit the wealth of evidence available in the electronic health record. We used a primary care electronic health record dataset derived from the UK General Practice Research Database (7471 cases; 32,877 controls) and developed five probabilistic machine learning classifiers: Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, and Extreme Gradient Boosted Decision Trees. Features included basic demographics, symptoms, and lab test results. The Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, and Extreme Gradient Boosted Decision Tree models achieved the highest performance in terms of accuracy and AUROC (0.89 accuracy, 0.87 AUROC), outperforming a current UK oesophago-gastric cancer risk-assessment tool (ogRAT). Machine learning also identified more cancer patients than the ogRAT: 11.0% more with little to no effect on false positives, or up to 25.0% more with a slight increase in false positives (for Logistic Regression, results threshold-dependent). Feature contribution estimates and individual prediction explanations indicated clinical relevance. We conclude that machine learning could improve primary care cancer risk-assessment tools, potentially helping clinicians to identify additional cancer cases earlier. This could, in turn, improve survival outcomes.
37
De Troyer, André. "Impact of diaphragmatic contraction on the stiffness of the canine mediastinum." Journal of Applied Physiology 105, no. 3 (September 2008): 887–93. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00198.2008.
Abstract:
To assess the coupling between a particular hemidiaphragm and the individual lungs, the left and right phrenic nerves were separately stimulated in anesthetized dogs, and the mean changes in pleural pressure over the two lungs were evaluated by measuring the changes in airway opening pressure (ΔPao) in the two bronchial trees. Stimulation induced a fall in Pao in both lungs. However, ΔPao in the contralateral lung was only 65% of that in the ipsilateral lung. Thus, although the canine ventral mediastinum is a delicate structure, it sustained a significant pressure gradient. The hypothesis was then considered that this gradient was allowed to develop through the stretching and stiffening of the mediastinum caused by the descent of the diaphragm, and it was tested by measuring ΔPao in the two lungs during isolated, unilateral contraction of the inspiratory intercostal muscles. In this condition, ΔPao in the contralateral lung was 92% of that in the ipsilateral lung. A model analysis of the respiratory system led to the estimate that mediastinal elastance was ∼25 times greater during hemidiaphragmatic contraction than during unilateral intercostal contraction. These observations indicate that 1) a particular hemidiaphragm has an expanding action on both lungs and 2) during contraction, however, it makes the mediastinum stiffer so that the pressure transmission from the ipsilateral to the contralateral pleural cavity is reduced. These observations imply that the mediastinum may play a significant role in determining the pressure-generating ability of the diaphragm.
38
Beier, Colin M., Scott E. Sink, Paul E. Hennon, David V. D’Amore, and Glenn P. Juday. "Twentieth-century warming and the dendroclimatology of declining yellow-cedar forests in southeastern Alaska." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38, no. 6 (June 2008): 1319–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x07-240.
Abstract:
Decline of yellow-cedar ( Chamaecyparis nootkatensis ((D. Don) Spach) has occurred on 200 000 ha of temperate rainforests across southeastern Alaska. Because declining forests appeared soon after the Little Ice Age and are limited mostly to low elevations (whereas higher elevation forests remain healthy), recent studies have hypothesized a climatic mechanism involving early dehardening, reduced snowpack, and freezing injury. This hypothesis assumes that a specific suite of microclimatic conditions occurs during late winter and declining cedar populations across the region have responded similarly to these conditions. Based on the first geographically extensive tree ring chronologies constructed for southeastern Alaska, we tested these assumptions by investigating regional climatic trends and the growth responses of declining cedar populations to this climatic variation. Warming winter trends were observed for southeastern Alaska, resulting in potentially injurious conditions for yellow-cedar due to reduced snowfall and frequent occurrence of severe thaw–freeze events. Declining cedar forests shared a common regional chronology for which late-winter weather was the best predictor of annual growth of surviving trees. Overall, our findings verify the influence of elevational gradients of temperature and snow cover on exposure to climatic stressors, support the climatic hypothesis across large spatial and temporal scales, and suggest cedar decline may expand with continued warming.
39
Yurko, Ronald, Max G’Sell, Kathryn Roeder, and Bernie Devlin. "A selective inference approach for false discovery rate control using multiomics covariates yields insights into disease risk." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 117, no. 26 (June 10, 2020): 15028–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1918862117.
Abstract:
To correct for a large number of hypothesis tests, most researchers rely on simple multiple testing corrections. Yet, new methodologies of selective inference could potentially improve power while retaining statistical guarantees, especially those that enable exploration of test statistics using auxiliary information (covariates) to weight hypothesis tests for association. We explore one such method, adaptiveP-value thresholding (AdaPT), in the framework of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and gene expression/coexpression studies, with particular emphasis on schizophrenia (SCZ). Selected SCZ GWAS associationPvalues play the role of the primary data for AdaPT; single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are selected because they are gene expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs). This natural pairing of SNPs and genes allow us to map the following covariate values to these pairs: GWAS statistics from genetically correlated bipolar disorder, the effect size of SNP genotypes on gene expression, and gene–gene coexpression, captured by subnetwork (module) membership. In all, 24 covariates per SNP/gene pair were included in the AdaPT analysis using flexible gradient boosted trees. We demonstrate a substantial increase in power to detect SCZ associations using gene expression information from the developing human prefrontal cortex. We interpret these results in light of recent theories about the polygenic nature of SCZ. Importantly, our entire process for identifying enrichment and creating features with independent complementary data sources can be implemented in many different high-throughput settings to ultimately improve power.
40
Baker, T. R., O. L. Phillips, W. F. Laurance, N. C. A. Pitman, S. Almeida, L. Arroyo, A. DiFiore, et al. "Do species traits determine patterns of wood production in Amazonian forests?" Biogeosciences 6, no. 2 (February 25, 2009): 297–307. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-6-297-2009.
Abstract:
Abstract. Understanding the relationships between plant traits and ecosystem properties at large spatial scales is important for predicting how compositional change will affect carbon cycling in tropical forests. In this study, we examine the relationships between species wood density, maximum height and above-ground, coarse wood production of trees ≥10 cm diameter (CWP) for 60 Amazonian forest plots. Average species maximum height and wood density are lower in Western than Eastern Amazonia and are negatively correlated with CWP. To test the hypothesis that variation in these traits causes the variation in CWP, we generate plot-level estimates of CWP by resampling the full distribution of tree biomass growth rates whilst maintaining the appropriate tree-diameter and functional-trait distributions for each plot. These estimates are then compared with the observed values. Overall, the estimates do not predict the observed, regional-scale pattern of CWP, suggesting that the variation in community-level trait values does not determine variation in coarse wood productivity in Amazonian forests. Instead, the regional gradient in CWP is caused by higher biomass growth rates across all tree types in Western Amazonia. Therefore, the regional gradient in CWP is driven primarily by environmental factors, rather than the particular functional composition of each stand. These results contrast with previous findings for forest biomass, where variation in wood density, associated with variation in species composition, is an important driver of regional-scale patterns in above-ground biomass. Therefore, in tropical forests, above-ground wood productivity may be less sensitive than biomass to compositional change that alters community-level averages of these plant traits.
41
Sitienei, Miriam, Ayubu Anapapa, and Argwings Otieno. "Application of XGBoost Regression in Maize Yield Prediction." Asian Journal of Probability and Statistics 24, no. 1 (August 11, 2023): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.9734/ajpas/2023/v24i1513.
Abstract:
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the human-like intelligence imbued in machines so that they can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence. Machine learning is an AI technique which carries on the concepts of predictive analytics with one important distinction: the AI system can make assumptions, test hypotheses, and learn independently. XGBoost, Extreme gradient boosting, is a popular machine-learning library for regression tasks. It implements the gradient-boosting decision tree algorithm, which combines several feeble decision trees to produce a robust predictive model. In Boosted Trees, boosting is the process of transforming poor learners into strong learners. It is an ensemble method; a weak learner is a classifier with a low correlation with classification, whereas a strong learner has a high correlation. Maize is a staple food in Kenya and having it in sufficient amounts in the country assures the farmers' food security and economic stability. Crop yield measures the seeds or grains produced by a particular plot of land. Typically, it is expressed in kilograms per hectare, bushels per acre, or sacks per acre. This study predicted maize yield in Uasin Gishu, a county in Kenya, using XGBOOST regression algorithm of machine learning. The regression model used the mixed-methods research design, the survey employed well-structured questionnaires comprising of quantitative and qualitative variables, directly administered to selected representative farmers from 30 clustered wards. The questionnaire comprised 30 variables related to maize production from 900 randomly selected maize farmers distributed across 30 wards. XGBOOST machine learning regression model was fitted, and it could predict maize yield and identify the top features or variables that affect maize yield. The model was evaluated using regression metrics Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE), which values were 0.4563, 0.2082, 25.2700 and 0.3532, respectively. This algorithm was recommended for maize yield prediction.
42
Cong, Yu, Mai-He Li, Kai Liu, Yong-Cai Dang, Hu-Dong Han, and Hong S. He. "Decreased Temperature with Increasing Elevation Decreases the End-Season Leaf-to-Wood Reallocation of Resources in Deciduous Betula ermanii Cham. Trees." Forests 10, no. 2 (February 15, 2019): 166. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/f10020166.
Abstract:
Global air temperature has increased and continues to increase, especially in high latitude and high altitude areas, which may affect plant resource physiology and thus plant growth and productivity. The resource remobilization efficiency of plants in response to global warming is, however, still poorly understood. We thus assessed end-season resource remobilization from leaves to woody tissues in deciduous Betula ermanii Cham. trees grown along an elevational gradient ranging from 1700 m to 2187 m a.s.l. on Changbai Mountain, northeastern China. We hypothesized that end-season resource remobilization efficiency from leaves to storage tissues increases with increasing elevation or decreasing temperature. To test this hypothesis, concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) during peak shoot growth (July) were compared with those at the end of growing season (September on Changbai Mt.) for each tissue type. To avoid leaf phenological effects on parameters, fallen leaves were collected at the end-season. Except for July-shoot NSC and July-leaf K, tissue concentrations of NSC, N, P, and K did not decrease with increasing elevation for both July and September. We found that the end-season leaf-to-wood reallocation efficiency decreased with increasing elevation. This lower reallocation efficiency may result in resource limitation in high-elevation trees. Future warming may promote leaf-to-wood resource reallocation, leading to upward shift of forests to higher elevations. The NSC, N, P, and K accumulated in stems and roots but not in shoots, especially in trees grown close to or at their upper limit, indicating that stems and roots of deciduous trees are the most important storage tissues over winter. Our results contribute to better understand the resource-related ecophysiological mechanisms for treeline formation, and vice versa, to better predict forest dynamics at high elevations in response to global warming. Our study provides resource-related ecophysiological knowledge for developing management strategies for high elevation forests in a rapidly warming world.
43
Cysneiros, Vinicius Costa, Allan Libanio Pelissari, Tatiana Dias Gaui, Luan Demarco Fiorentin, Daniel Costa de Carvalho, Telmo Borges Silveira Filho, and Sebastião do Amaral Machado. "Modeling of tree height–diameter relationships in the Atlantic Forest: effect of forest type on tree allometry." Canadian Journal of Forest Research 50, no. 12 (December 2020): 1289–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2020-0060.
Abstract:
Tree height is one of the most important variables for quantitative assessment of forest stocks, but it is difficult to directly measure. Such allometric relationships of trees can vary between geographical regions, however, mainly due to climatic, edaphic, and floristic gradients. Based on the hypothesis that different forest types influence the generic modeling of tree height–diameter relationships on geographical scales, this study aimed to (i) fit equations to estimate tree height in Atlantic Forest types in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; (ii) compare efficiency and precision between generic and specific equations for forest types; and (iii) test the effect of different forest types and species on the height–diameter relationship. Four allometric models were tested for all forests (generic) and three main forest types (specific). Effects of tree size, forest types, and species on tree height estimation were analyzed using multiple linear models and mixed-effect linear models. A significant effect of forest type and species on tree height was seen, showing the need to apply local specific equations to minimize the effects that are not captured by generic equations. Differences in tree allometry between forest types were associated with temperature, rainfall, soil, and forest structure. These results confirm the effect of the local environment on the height–diameter relationship of trees as found over large scales in tropical forests.
44
Giroux, Jean-François, Yves Bergeron, and Jean J. Veillette. "Dynamics and morphology of giant circular patterns of low tree density in black spruce stands in northern Quebec." Canadian Journal of Botany 79, no. 4 (April 1, 2001): 420–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b01-022.
Abstract:
Giant circular patterns of low tree density in black spruce (Picea mariana) stands were investigated in the Abitibi region of Quebec. We used dendrochronological techniques to test the hypotheses that ring patterns of low tree density are caused either by radial changes in spruce mortality or productivity. Seven circles were sampled. We found no gradient in the age of spruce along circle radii suggesting that rings of low tree density do not expand radially, that is, they are not spatially dynamic entities. The results indicate, however, that spruce trees were less dense and productive within the rings due to excessive moisture in the soil. Measurements of surface elevation, thickness of the organic layer and elevation of the mineral substrate across the circles revealed that a depression in the mineral soil beneath the rings traps the surface water and this area of poor drainage seems to prevent the establishment of black spruce within the rings. The origin of the ring-shaped depressions was attributed to geological or geomorphological causes.Key words: black spruce, Picea mariana, mortality, productivity, rings, geomorphology.
45
Plesovskikh, Alexander E. "Special Economic Zones of Russia: Forecasting Decisions of Potential Residents and Resident Generation Process Modeling." Journal of Applied Economic Research 22, no. 2 (2023): 323–54. http://dx.doi.org/10.15826/vestnik.2023.22.2.014.
Abstract:
Modern studies widely discuss the role of special economic zones in stimulating the economic growth and development of Russia, generating the necessary investment flows and increasing the country's innovative potential by expanding production in high-tech sectors of the economy with high added value. The purpose of the study is to model the process of generating residents and to determine quantitative factors that have a statistically significant effect on the average annual growth rate of companies participating in special economic zones in the Russian Federation. The paper describes modern approaches to predicting the choice of potential residents to start doing business in the territory of the SEZ using classification approaches (Support Vector Machines, Decision Trees, Random Forest, Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor, Gradient Boosting) and regression approaches (logistic regression). A modern classification algorithm was applied in practice - Histogram-based Gradient Boosting Classification Tree, which is stable for analyzing large data with missing variable values and does not require preliminary sample transformation. The paper confirms the hypothesis that there is a positive relationship between the location of the organization and its financial result forming by the end of the year. On average, in the sample, resident companies located near the centers of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are more successful in terms of generated revenue. The hypothesis that there is a strong relationship between indicators of spatial differentiation of the regions of the Russian Federation and indicators characterizing the process of generating residents and private investment has not been fully confirmed. From a practical point of view, the results of the study could be applied by both resident organizations, potential residents, and SEZ management companies. The theoretical significance of the study lies in the specification of the proposed binary choice model for potential residents, which can be expanded and generalized in future works. At present, there are all the necessary prerequisites for creating conditions for the development of industry, high-tech sectors of the economy and the production of high value-added products in order to increase the stability of the Russian economy.
46
Škrk, Nina, Roberto Serrano-Notivoli, Martín de Luis, and Katarina Čufar. "Dominance of Fagus sylvatica in the Growing Stock and Its Relationship to Climate—An Analysis Using Modeled Stand-Level Climate Data." Plants 11, no. 19 (September 28, 2022): 2541. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/plants11192541.
Abstract:
In the future, climate change is expected to affect the spatial distribution of most tree species in Europe. The European beech (Fagus sylvatica), a drought-sensitive tree species, is currently distributed throughout Europe, where it is an ecologically and economically important species. In Slovenia, the European beech represents 33% of the growing stock, but such a proportion greatly varies across Europe. Whether such a variation is related to the climate environmental gradients or because of historical or management decisions is an as-yet unexplored question. For this study, we employed the Slovenian Forests Service inventory, where the proportion of beech in the forest stock has been monitored in 341,341 forest stands across the country. Modeled climate data from the SLOCLIM database, calculated for each of the stands, was also used to test the hypothesis that although beech forests have always been influenced by human activity, the dominance of beech trees in forest stands is at least partially dictated by the climate. The results showed the distribution of the main climate variables (annual precipitation, the share of summer and spring precipitation, and annual maximum and minimum temperatures) and how they affect the current dominance of beech trees at the stand level. Due to the large number and variability of forest stands studied, the results should be transferable to better understand and manage the climatic suitability and risks of Fagus sylvatica. The modeled data is publicly available in the web repository Zenodo.
47
Munsey, Anna, Frank Norbert Mwiine, Sylvester Ochwo, Lauro Velazquez-Salinas, Zaheer Ahmed, Luis L. Rodriguez, Elizabeth Rieder, Andres Perez, and Kimberly VanderWaal. "Ecological and Anthropogenic Spatial Gradients Shape Patterns of Dispersal of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus in Uganda." Pathogens 11, no. 5 (April 29, 2022): 524. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11050524.
Abstract:
Using georeferenced phylogenetic trees, phylogeography allows researchers to elucidate interactions between environmental heterogeneities and patterns of infectious disease spread. Concordant with the increasing availability of pathogen genetic sequence data, there is a growing need for tools to test epidemiological hypotheses in this field. In this study, we apply tools traditionally used in ecology to elucidate the epidemiology of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) in Uganda. We analyze FMDV serotype O genetic sequences and their corresponding spatiotemporal metadata from a cross-sectional study of cattle. We apply step selection function (SSF) models, typically used to study wildlife habitat selection, to viral phylogenies to show that FMDV is more likely to be found in areas of low rainfall. Next, we use a novel approach, a resource gradient function (RGF) model, to elucidate characteristics of viral source and sink areas. An RGF model applied to our data reveals that areas of high cattle density and areas near livestock markets may serve as sources of FMDV dissemination in Uganda, and areas of low rainfall serve as viral sinks that experience frequent reintroductions. Our results may help to inform risk-based FMDV control strategies in Uganda. More broadly, these tools advance the phylogenetic toolkit, as they may help to uncover patterns of spread of other organisms for which genetic sequences and corresponding spatiotemporal metadata exist.
48
Ammann, B., U. Eicher, J. Schwander, U. von Grafenstein, K. Nováková, S. Brooks, J. van Leeuwen, L. Wick, and P. van der Knaap. "Biotic response to rapid climatic changes during the Late Glacial : high resolution biostratigraphies and biological processes." Geographica Helvetica 63, no. 3 (September 30, 2008): 160–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/gh-63-160-2008.
Abstract:
Abstract. Organisms can respond to rapid climatic changes in three ways: 1) adaptation by evolution, affecting physiology and morphology), 2) migration and population dynamics including biogeographical changes) and 3) extinction local or global). Here, the focus is on examples of the second type. Organisms, whether algae, trees, or animals, find their ecological niches in a multi- dimensional space of gradients such as temperature winter, summer, means or extremes), humidity soil or air), pH, various nutrients, light. Presence or absence of taxa species, genera, families) can be related to such gradients. With training sets based on current gradients, they can also be related to environmental changes of the past e. g. summer mean temperatures or pH). The relationships between the occurrence of taxa and environmental variables can also be used to examine the biotic response to changes based on other proxies, for example, changes in temperature inferred from oxygen- isotope ratios in carbonates or from the content in organic matter of lake sediments. The groups of organisms referred to here are plants pollen), insects chironomids) and other aquatic invertebrates. The three Late Glacial periods with very high rates of change in temperature estimates are the transition from the Oldest Dryas to the Bölling from GS- 2 to GI- 1 in the Late Glacial, ca. 14 670 cal yr BP), and the beginning and the end of the Younger Dryas ca. 12 600 cal yr BP, 11 500 cal yr BP respectively). The « classical » hypothesis was that trees represented in pollen diagrams) respond more slowly to climatic change than invertebrates aquatic or terrestrial) because of differences in life cycles. But it is shown here that terrestrial vegetation) and aquatic invertebrate) ecosystems may respond synchronously. Three major biological processes are involved in the responses to climatic change: 1) Migration – can be slow if, for example, a longliving tree migrated back from a southern refugium. 2) Build- up of populations – intermediate velocity, for the process needs time depending on the life cycles of the organisms. 3) Productivity – can change rapidly, within a year or a few years e. g. pollen productivity, tree rings). The first two of these processes occur on the organisational level of populations, the last one on the level of the individual. These processes develop also in various combinations.
49
Bauerle, William L., Joseph D. Bowden, and Geoff G. Wang. "Within-crown Variation in the Development of Photosynthetic Capacity Is Proportional to Growth Temperature in Temperate Deciduous Trees." HortScience 41, no. 4 (July 2006): 999A—999. http://dx.doi.org/10.21273/hortsci.41.4.999a.
Abstract:
This study set out to test the hypothesis that the development in the capacity for the maximal rate of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (VCmax) and the maximum regeneration rate of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (Jmax) per unit mass is proportional to the growth temperature under which the leaf develops and to investigate whether the capacity for photosynthetic acclimation to temperature varies genetically within a species by testing genotypes that originated from diverse thermal environments. Acer rubrum L. (red maple) genotypes were subjected to short-term and long-term temperature alteration to investigate the photosynthetic response. We minimized the variation of within-crown light gradients by growing trees in open grown field conditions and controlled temperature on a crown section basis. Thus, we singled out the temperature acclimation affects on the photosynthetic temperature optimum. In response to temperature acclimation, the genotype from the northern United States downregulated both VCmax and Jmax and had a 5 and 3 °C lower temperature optimum than the genotype native to the southern United States. The activation energy increased and was higher for Jmax than for VCmax in both genotypes. With respect to respiration, both genotypes downregulated about 0.5 μmol·m-2·s-1. Although respiration was lower, the increased energy of activation in response to growth temperature resulted in a decrease in maximum net photosynthetic rate (Amax) under saturating light and CO2. The results illustrate that the photosynthetic capacity adjusted in response to growth temperature but the temperature optimum was different among genotypes.
50
Šamonil, P., I. Vašíčková, P. Daněk, D. Janík, and D. Adam. "Disturbances can control fine-scale pedodiversity in old-growth forest: is the soil evolution theory disturbed as well?" Biogeosciences Discussions 11, no. 4 (April 7, 2014): 5471–509. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bgd-11-5471-2014.
Abstract:
Abstract. Biota–soil interaction in natural ecosystems is an area of considerable research. Our hypothesis is that individual trees play a significant role through biomechanical and biochemical disturbances in soil formation in temperate forest resulting in complex spatial pattern of disturbance regimes and a close relationship between disturbance histories and soil units. In Žofínský Prales (Czech Republic) – the fourth oldest, continuously protected reserve in Europe and the only SIGEO site in continental Europe – in time and space we compared extensive dendrochronological, soil and pit-mound microtopography data on an area of 42.01 ha collected in 2008–2012. The datasets differ in terms of information complexity and length of memory. Tree cores contain complex information about disturbance history of the past 350 years, footprints of the specific tree uprooting disturbance can persist 1700 years, and soils representing extensive composite phenotype have been developing for at least the entire postglacial period (10 500 years). On average, 6.18–13.41% of the canopy was disturbed on individual soil units per decade. Even though the "backbone" of key events in the development of the forest ecosystem remained the same (e.g. the 1870s, 1880s and 1980s), the internal structure of disturbance history often differed among soil units; the most exceptional were Gleysols and Histosols, where important feedback from soil to trees was expected. However characteristics of treethrow dynamics as well as frequencies of stronger releases in core series significantly differed also along a gradient of terrestrial soil weathering and leaching (Haplic Cambisols – Dystric Cambisols – Entic Podzols – Albic Podzols). Results suggest the existence of several disturbance regimes within the forest controlling fine-scale pedodiversity.