Nitrogen fertilization enhances water‐use efficiency in a saline environment

Effects of salinity and nutrients on carbon gain in relation to water use were studied in the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina, growing along a natural salinity gradient in south‐eastern Australia. Tall trees characterized areas of seawater salinities (fringe zone) and stunted trees dominated landward hypersaline areas (scrub zone). Trees were fertilized with nitrogen (+N) or phosphorus (+P) or unfertilized. There was no significant effect of +P on shoot growth, whereas +N enhanced canopy development, particularly in scrub trees. Scrub trees maintained greater CO₂ assimilation per unit water transpired (water‐use efficiency, WUE) and had lower nitrogen‐use efficiency (NUE; CO₂ assimilation rate per unit leaf nitrogen) than fringe trees. The CO₂ assimilation rates of +N trees were similar to those in other treatments, but were achieved at lower transpiration rates, stomatal conductance and intercellular CO₂ concentrations. Maintaining comparable assimilation rates at lower stomatal conductance requires greater ribulose 1·5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase activity, consistent with greater N content per unit leaf area in +N trees. Hence, +N enhanced WUE at the expense of NUE. Instantaneous WUE estimates were supported by less negative foliar δ¹³C values for +N trees and scrub control trees. Thus, nutrient enrichment may alter the structure and function of mangrove forests along salinity gradients.     

The role of freezing in setting the latitudinal limits of mangrove forests

Mangrove trees dominate coastal vegetation in tropical regions, but are completely replaced by herbaceous salt marshes at latitudes above 32 degrees N and 40 degrees S. Because water deficit can increase damage caused by freezing, we hypothesized that mangroves, which experience large deficits as a result of saline substrates, would suffer freeze-induced xylem failure. Vulnerability to freeze-induced xylem embolism was examined in the most poleward mangrove species in North America, in an area where freezing is rare but severe, and in Australia, in an area where freezing is frequent but mild. Percentage loss in hydraulic conductivity was measured following manipulations of xylem tension; xylem sap ion concentration was determined using X-ray microanalysis. Species with wider vessels suffered 60-100% loss of hydraulic conductivity after freezing and thawing under tension, while species with narrower vessels lost as little as 13-40% of conductivity. These results indicate that freeze-induced embolism may play a role in setting the latitudinal limits of distribution in mangroves, either through massive embolism following freezing, or through constraints on water transport as a result of vessel size.     

Comparative anatomy of intervessel pits in two mangrove species growing along a natural salinity gradient in Gazi bay, Kenya

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: According to the air-seeding hypothesis, embolism vulnerability in xylem elements is linked directly to bordered pit structure and functioning. To elucidate the adaptive potential of intervessel pits towards fluctuating environmental conditions, two mangrove species with a distinct ecological distribution growing along a natural salinity gradient were investigated. METHODS: Scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations were conducted to obtain qualitative and quantitative characteristics of alternate intervessel pits in A. marina and scalariform intervessel pits in Rhizophora mucronata. Wood samples from three to six trees were collected at seven and five sites for A. marina and R. mucronata, respectively, with considerable differences between sites in soil water salinity. KEY RESULTS: Vestured pits without visible pores in the pit membrane were observed in A. marina, the mangrove species with the widest geographical distribution on global as well as local scale. Their thick pit membranes (on average 370 nm) and minute pit apertures may contribute to reduced vulnerability to cavitation of this highly salt-tolerant species. The smaller ecological distribution of R. mucronata was in accordance with wide pit apertures and a slightly higher pitfield fraction (67 % vs. 60 % in A. marina). Nonetheless, its outer pit apertures were observed to be funnel-shaped shielding non-porous pit membranes. No trends in intervessel pit size were observed with increasing soil water salinity of the site. CONCLUSIONS: The contrasting ecological distribution of two mangrove species was reflected in the geometry and pit membrane characteristics of their intervessel pits. Within species, intervessel pit size seemed to be independent of spatial variations in environmental conditions and was only weakly correlated with vessel diameter. Further research on pit formation and function has to clarify the large variations in intervessel pit size within trees and even within single vessels.     

镉胁迫对白骨壤幼苗钾钠镁吸收与分配的影响

采用砂基栽培,研究重金属镉(Cd)不同胁迫浓度(0、0.5、5、25、50、100和150mg·L-1)和胁迫时间(45和90 d)对红树植物白骨壤幼苗钾钠镁吸收与分配的影响.结果表明:白骨壤各器官对Cd的吸收和累积均表现为随Cd胁迫浓度上升而增加,随胁迫时间增加而增加的趋势;进入植物体内的Cd主要富集在根部,其次是凋落子叶,在150 mg·L-1浓度下分别占累积总量的66.9％和16.3％,这对减少Cd对植物全株的危害具有积极意义.受Cd胁迫影响90 d后,根和茎中Na含量呈上升趋势,叶和子叶中呈下降趋势;根和子叶中K含量呈下降趋势,茎和叶中变化不明显;Cd胁迫90 d后各器官(根、茎、叶和子叶)中Mg含量均低于对照,且与Cd含量呈显著负相关.     

汞胁迫对白骨壤(Avicennia marina)幼苗生理生态的影响

为了解红树植物的重金属抗性机制,对白骨壤(Avicennia marina)幼苗进行不同浓度Hg2+(1、5、10、50、100 mg·L-1)的胁迫实验,测定并分析了Hg2+胁迫对白骨壤幼苗叶片的光合作用和抗氧化酶活性的影响.结果表明:叶片净光合速率随着胁迫时间的延长而降低,高浓度(≥150 mg·L-1)Hg2+胁迫下叶片的净光合速率低于中低浓度胁迫,且高浓度胁迫的叶片净光合速率在48 h后快速下降;叶片净光合速率与胞间二氧化碳浓度呈极显著负相关,叶绿素含量随Hg2+浓度的增加而降低.气孔导度在不同浓度胁迫下反应不同,低浓度Hg2+对白骨壤幼苗光合的影响可能是气孔因素,中高浓度Hg2+对白骨壤幼苗光合作用的抑制主要是非气孔因素.低浓度Hg2+胁迫,白骨壤幼苗叶片SOD、POD活性升高,表现了一定的抗逆性,而高浓度表现为抑制作用,基本在100 mg·L-1 Hg2+胁迫下活性达到最低值.说明Hg2+可以抑制白骨壤叶片的光合活性,高浓度Hg2+胁迫削弱了白骨壤的活性氧清除能力,植物极易受到伤害.     

Coal Dust Pollution Effects on Wetland Tree Species in Richards Bay,South Africa

In this study, the effects of coal dust on four, sympatric, wetland tree species in Richards Bay Harbour were investigated. We tested the hypothesis that leaf micromorphology influenced dust accumulation and that coal dust occluded stomata and reduced photosynthetic performance of three mangroves, Avicennia marina, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza and Rhizophora mucronata, and a mangrove associate, Hibiscus tiliaceus. To investigate leaf micromorphology, leaf blade material of the four species was prepared following standard procedures and viewed under scanning electron microscopy. Gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were made at saturating light (>1000 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹) and high temperature (>25 °C) on leaves that were either covered or uncovered with coal dust. There was no evidence of occlusion of stomata by dust. Dust accumulation in A. marina and H. tiliaceus was exacerbated by the presence of a dense mat of trichomes on the undersurface of the leaves, as well as by the sticky brine secreted by salt glands in the former species.Coal dust significantly reduced CO₂ exchange, Photosystem II (PS II) quantum yield and electron transport rate (ETR) through PS II in A. marina and H. tiliaceus but not in the other two mangroves. Reduction in photosynthetic performance was attributed to reduction in light energy incident on the photosynthetic tissues.     

Development of six microsatellite loci for black mangrove (Avicennia germinans)

We developed six new microsatellite loci for the black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), an important member of wetland communities worldwide. Loci showed moderate to high polymorphism and a survey of four locations [Puerto Rico (Jobos Bay and Luquillo), Mexico, French Guyana] revealed clear regional (and local) population structure. All populations were genetically distinct and the two continental populations showed much higher diversity than the two insular Puerto Rican locations. These loci complement those recently published by Nettel et al. (2005 ) and promise to be valuable for characterizing local and regional population dynamics in the black mangrove.