Search results for "PINUS"
showing 10 items of 159 documents
New Approaches to Optimize Somatic Embryogenesis in Maritime Pine
2019
Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) is a coniferous native of the Mediterranean basin. Because of its adaptability to a wide range of environmental conditions, the species have become a model for studies in coniferous forest management and functional genomics. Somatic embryogenesis (SE) has been so far, the preferred biotechnological strategy for maritime pine breeding programs initiated at the middle-end of the 20th century. To overcome the limitations of the induction and maturation phases in maritime pine SE, we analyzed the possible maternal influence on the embryogenic capability of megagametophytes from controlled crosses, as well as the effect of the temperature and water availabili…
Responses of a native plant species from invaded and uninvaded areas to allelopathic effects of an invader
2019
Invaders exert new selection pressures on the resident species, for example, through competition for resources or by using novel weapons. It has been shown that novel weapons aid invasion but it is unclear whether native species co‐occurring with in‐ vaders have adapted to tolerate these novel weapons. Those resident species which are able to adapt to new selective agents can co‐occur with an invader while others face a risk of local extinction. We ran a factorial common garden experiment to study whether a native plant species, Anthriscus sylvestris, has been able to evolve a greater tolerance to the allelochemicals exerted by the invader, Lupinus polyphyllus. Lupinus polyphyllus produces …
Climate signal age effects in boreal tree-rings: Lessons to be learned for paleoclimatic reconstructions
2016
Abstract Age-related alternation in the sensitivity of tree-ring width (TRW) to climate variability has been reported for different forest species and environments. The resulting growth-climate response patterns are, however, often inconsistent and similar assessments using maximum latewood density (MXD) are still missing. Here, we analyze climate signal age effects (CSAE, age-related changes in the climate sensitivity of tree growth) in a newly aggregated network of 692 Pinus sylvestris L. TRW and MXD series from northern Fennoscandia. Although summer temperature sensitivity of TRW ( r All = 0.48) ranges below that of MXD ( r All = 0.76), it declines for both parameters as cambial age in…
Canopy status modulates formation of wood rays in scots pine under hemiboreal conditions
2021
Abstract Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) reserves are crucial for trees to cope with weather extremes, thus to ensure their survival and ecological plasticity. The NSC reserves can depend on social status, suggesting uneven plasticity of trees at the stand level. In stemwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which is a widespread and important species, NSC reserves are stored in parenchyma in wood rays (WR). The quantity of WRs is adjusted intra-annually, allowing retrospective analysis of factors affecting their formation. Accordingly, the differences in WR quantity in stemwood of dominant and intermediate (canopy trees with reduced and narrow crowns) maturing Scots pine were assesse…
Nest sites of a strong excavator, the Great Spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major, in a primeval forest
2017
In managed forests, birds that create their own breeding holes in trees have limited access to substrates in which they can excavate. Therefore, nest site use in these forests possibly reflects availability of substrates more than species preferences. We analysed data on nest sites of Great Spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major collected during 1987–2013 in the strictly protected part of Białowieża National Park in East Poland. The woodpeckers excavated breeding holes in 11 tree species, but species used in individual habitats varied greatly: Alder Alnus glutinosa was almost the only species used in the riverine forest; Common Aspen Populus tremula, Common Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Pedu…
Nest sites of Middle Spotted Woodpeckers Leiopicus medius in a primeval forest
2016
Forest management usually reduces the diversity and amount of substrates in which woodpeckers can excavate holes. In such conditions the recorded patterns of nest site selection could reflect a more reduced array of substrates than the species' nest site preferences. We analysed new data on nest sites of Middle Spotted Woodpeckers Leiopicus medius collected during 27 breeding seasons (1987–2013) in the strictly protected fragments of the Białowieża National Park in Poland. The birds could use diverse excavation substrates, of various statures, that varied in condition from living and healthy to dead and completely rotten. Middle Spotted Woodpeckers used a wide array of tree species, with li…
Nutrient Assimilation by First-Feeding African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus , Assessed Using Stable Isotope Analysis
2013
Knowledge of ingredients assimilation and biomass contribution to recipient fish is important in feed formulation. The stable isotopes of 13C and 15N were used to investigate the assimilation and biomass contribution of bambaranut, Voandzeia subterranea, meal (BNM), corn, Zea mays, meal (CM) and fish meal (FM), in FM substituted diets of first feeding African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, during a 30-d experiment. The catfish larvae were stocked at 40 fish/15 L three replicate glass aquaria. Larvae were fed with experimental diets varying FM, BNM, and CM. Proportions of FM : BNM : CM in the experimental diets were: feed 1 (F1) 60:20:20; feed 2 (F2) 40:40:20; feed 3 (F3) 20:60:20; and feed 4 …
Emigration speed and the production of sexuals in colonies of the ant Temnothorax crassispinus under high and low levels of disturbance
2015
A nest relocation is costly for social insects, and involves hazards. Emigrations were studied in Temnothorax crassispinus ant colonies, which inhabit ephemeral nest sites, and which frequently change their nests. In a laboratory experiment, ant colonies from one group were forced to change their nest sites 10 times over a ca. 3-month period, whilst colonies from the second group were forced to adopt this practice twice (on the beginning of May, and in the second half of July). Colonies of the ant from both the groups reduced their total emigration duration. However, the duration of the transport phase remained unchanged. In the case of colonies with higher level of disturbance, there was n…
Spatio‐temporal patterns of tree growth as related to carbon isotope fractionation in European forests under changing climate
2019
Aim The aim was to decipher Europe‐wide spatio‐temporal patterns of forest growth dynamics and their associations with carbon isotope fractionation processes inferred from tree rings as modulated by climate warming. Location Europe and North Africa (30‒70° N, 10° W‒35° E). Time period 1901‒2003. Major taxa studied Temperate and Euro‐Siberian trees. Methods We characterize changes in the relationship between tree growth and carbon isotope fractionation over the 20th century using a European network consisting of 20 site chronologies. Using indexed tree‐ring widths (TRWi), we assess shifts in the temporal coherence of radial growth across sites (synchrony) for five forest ecosystems (Atlantic…
Phytotoxic Effects of Commercial Eucalyptus citriodora, Lavandula angustifolia, and Pinus sylvestris Essential Oils on Weeds, Crops, and Invasive Spe…
2019
Background: essential oils are well known for their pharmacological effectiveness as well as their repellent, insecticide, and herbicide activities. The emergence of resistant weeds, due to the overuse of synthetic herbicides, makes it necessary to find natural alternatives for weed control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytotoxic effects of Eucalyptus citriodora, Lavandula angustifolia, and Pinus sylvestris, three common commercial essential oils, on weeds (Portulaca oleracea, Lolium multiflorum, and Echinochloa crus-galli), food crops (tomato and cucumber), and the invasive species Nicotiana glauca. Methods: to determine herbicidal effects, essential oils were tested at diffe…