Regulation of seed number and female incitation of mate competition by a pH-dependent proteinaceous inhibitor of pollen grain germination in Leucaena leucocephala

Summary Leucaena leucocephala generally produces pods with more than 7–9 seeds. This is regulated by the stigmatic inhibition of pollen grain germination when the pollen grains are less than a critical number in the stigma. This number-dependent inhibition of pollen grain germination is effected by a pH-dependent proteinaceous inhibitor active at the stigmatic pH. Only when the pollen grains in the stigma exceed the critical number, they inactivate the inhibitor by collectively raising the stigmatic pH and thus overcoming the inhibition. The adaptive significance of such pre-fertilization mechanism for the female in inciting mate competition among the pollen grains is discussed. The evolution of en masse pollen grain dispersal units is explained as a sexual selection strategy by males in response to such stigmatic inhibition by females.     

Resource utilization of sympatric and experimentally allopatric cutthroat trout and Dolly Varden charr

Summary Resource utilization by cutthroat trout (CT) and Dolly Varden charr (DV) was studied 8 years after experimental transfers from sympatry had established reproducing allopatric populations in two nearby fishless lakes. Allopatric DV significantly increased their utilization of shallow-dwelling zoobenthos, and increased their vertical distribution in comparison to that in sympatry. In contrast, allopatric CT showed little change in the proportions of major prey types utilized, and, if anything, restricted their vertical distribution in comparison to that in sympatry. The results can be explained by the hypothesis that the resource use of DV is strongly influenced by interspecific competition from CT, whereas CT largely remains unaffected by this interaction. An alternative hypothesis, that lake differences can explain the differences in resource use between sympatry and allopatry, was evaluated by comparing food resource availability and other biotic and abiotic characteristics of the three study lakes. None of these could account for the shift in resource use by DV between sympatry and allopatry, but lake differences may explain why allopatric CT showed a restricted habitat use in comparison with their sympatric donor stock. The results of this whole-lake transfer experiment are consistent with earlier reported field and laboratory studies, and suggest that the aggressive dominance of CT is the most important mechanism by which DV are displaced from littoral and near-surface habitats in sympathy with CT.     

The effects of external electric field on the electron transport system of spinach chloroplasts

Since the thylakoid membranes of an active chloroplast are constantly exposed to the electric fields generated by the electron transport system inside the membranes, we have studied the effects of pretreating chloroplasts of spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves with an external AC (alternating current) electric field on their electron transport system. It was found that a few minutes electric field pretreatment (333 V cm^-1 across chloroplast samples), especially at low frequency, irreversibly inhibited the activity of photosystem II (PSII), but under certain conditions, stimulated that of photosystem I (PSI). From the measurements of fluorescence from PSII, we ascribe the inhibition to a lesion close to its reaction center P680, leading to increased dissipation of excitation energy to heat. The effect on PSI was investigated by the reduction of its reaction center, P700 by various artificial donors. We suggest that the stimulative effect can be attributed to a positive shift of the surface charge density of thylakoid membranes that brings about an increase in the accessibility of exogenous electronegative donors.     

Chromosomal location of genes conditioning low amylose content of endosperm starches in rice,Oryza sativa L.

Summary Eight dull mutants that lower the amylose content of rice endosperm as well as waxy mutant and a cultivar with common grains were crossed in a diallele manner. The amylose content of F₁ and F₂ seeds was determined on the basis of single grain analysis. It was concluded that the low amylose content of dull mutants is under monogenic recessive control. Alleles for low amylose content are located at five loci designated as du-1, du-2, du-3, du-4 and du-5. These loci are independent of wx locus located on chromosome 6. The five du loci have an additive effect in lowering the amylose content. Two loci, du-1 and du-4, were found to be located on chromosomes 7 and 4, respectively.     

The X-ray induced G2 arrest in mouse eggs: a maternal effect involving a lack of polypeptide phosphorylation

Summary In some strains of mice, eggs when X irradiated during the pronuclear stage, undergo a mitotic block in the G₂ phase of the first cell cycle and cleave when the second division takes place in controls. The importance of this effect varies considerably with the strain and depends exclusively on the maternal genotype. In previous work, two-dimensional electrophoresis showed that eggs blocked at the one-cell stage after irradiation, undergo the same modifications in polypeptide synthesis as two-cell controls of the same age, except at the time of normal first mitosis, where three polypeptide sets of 30, 35 and 45 kDa appear only in cleaving controls. In the present study, we have found phosphorylations in dividing controls, on polypeptides of 30, 35 and 45 kDa. These phosphorylations are not seen in blocked irradiated eggs.     

一种高生产力和生态协调的亚热带针阔混交林——杉木火力楠混交林的研究

 通过八年杉木针阔混交林的综合定位研究,筛选出一种高生产力和生态协调的人工林一以8杉木2火力楠为优势的混交林。林分的蓄积量和乔木层贮存的能量分别比杉木纯林高13.7%和11.3%,杉木火力楠混交林提高了林分的光能利用率,改善了林内小气候;增加了林地有机质的含量;促进了土壤中有益微生物的繁衍和土壤理化性质的改良,提高了土壤肥力和蓄水保水能力;增强了林分对害虫自我抑制能力。     

The Tangled Bank: The maintenance of sexual reproduction through competitive interactions

The maintenance of sexual reproduction is discussed using a model based on the familiar Lotka-Volterra competition equations. Both the equilibrium and the stability conditions that allow a sexual population to resist invasion by a single asexual clone are considered. The equilibrium conditions give results similar to previous models: When the cost of sex, within phenotype niche width, and environmental variance are low, the sexual population coexists with the asexual clone and remains at a high density. However, the asexual clone is never completely excluded. Analysis of the stability conditions shows a different picture: The introduction of an asexual clone considerably reduces the stability of the community. However, owing to its larger total niche width, the sexual population exists partly in a “competitor-free space” where the asexual clone has almost no influence on the outcome of the interactions. Therefore the asexual clone is less stable than the sexual population and has a higher probability of extinction. In contrast, the sexual population does not become extinct, since the extreme phenotypes remain at a stable, though low, density, and the central phenotypes, where stability is low, are recreated every generation through recombination. I therefore conclude that the ecological conditions under which sexual reproduction is favored over asexual reproduction are fairly easily attained and are more general than previous analyses had suggested.     

On non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination and interpretation of the matorral vegetation in lowland Murcía

The plant-environment relationships in a range of matorral communities, having different rainfall conditions in semi-arid lowland habitats in Murcía, S.E. Spain, were examined using the non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination technique. Hypotheses on floristic variations were derived based on an interpretative strategy which involved a site configuration rotation, followed by stepwise multiple regression analysis. An environmental data set was used to isolate variables associated with site co-ordinate trends. Results showed that floristic variation in these communities was mainly determined by aspect induced radiation receipt. Besides, most environmental trends in the study areas were found to be oblique to original site ordination axes and configuration rotation seemed to be a prerequisite in quantitative interpretation. The interpretative strategy introduced in this study was effective. It enhanced straightforward, quantitative and objective interpretation whereby inductive inferences on environmental trends could be readily formulated.Abbreviations ARAD radiation receipt surrogate - DEPTH soil depth - DISTURB disturbance index - NMDS non-metric multidimensional scaling - NUT nutrient scalar - SLOPE slope angle - TEXTIN texture index     

Morphological dispersion of introduced Hawaiian finches: evidence for competition and a Narcissus effect

Summary Morphological analyses were conducted on finch species introduced to Oahu, Hawaii. As many as 25 species of finches representing four families (Emberizidae, Fringillidae, Ploecidae, Estrildidae) have been introduced to Oahu. Of these, 15 species currently have established wild populations. When compared with pools of 25 and 23 species introduced to Oahu, the 15 surviving species are morphologically overdispersed. This result is consistent with the hypothesis that competition has influenced the outcome of these introductions. We also tested the hypothesis that surviving introduced finches in one habitat (sugarcane fields) were morphologically overdispersed. When the seven surviving finch species found in sugarcane were compared with the pools of 25 and 23 species, they too were morphologically overdispersed. However, when the seven sugarcane species were compared with a species pool consisting of only the surviving 15 species found across Oahu, they were not morphologically overdispersed. This result suggests that morphological analyses of community structure based only on comparisons of assemblages of surviving species may be biased by a Narcissus effect.