EFFECTS OF RIVER OTTER ACTIVITY ON TERRESTRIAL PLANTS IN TROPHICALLY ALTERED YELLOWSTONE LAKE

Ecology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 1040-1052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie R. Crait ◽  
Merav Ben-David
Keyword(s):  
River Otter ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Yellowstone Lake

scholarly journals Influence of Bio-Pollution on Ecosystem Processes: The Impact of Introduced Lake Trout on Streams, Predators, and Forests in Yellowstone National Park

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 ◽  
pp. 69-77
Author(s):  
Jamie Crait ◽  
Merav Ben-David
Keyword(s):  
Lake Trout ◽  
Food Resource ◽  
Cutthroat Trout ◽  
Riparian Forests ◽  
Spawning Migration ◽  
River Otter ◽  
Yellowstone Lake ◽  
River Otters ◽  
Small Streams ◽  
The Impact

Recently an unauthorized introduction of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) to Yellowstone Lake was documented. Recent investigation at the University of Wyoming indicated that in-lake predation by lake trout on juvenile and sub-adult native Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) could negatively influence recruitment of cutthroat trout (Stapp and Hayward 2002). This may lead to significant reductions in numbers of spawning adult cutthroat if current management actions are ineffective or if they are not continuously pursued (Stapp and Hayward 2002). While lake trout invasion in Yellowstone Lake will likely have detrimental effects on in-lake communities and processes, a reduction in the native cutthroat trout population could potentially impact other aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems outside of Yellowstone Lake. Cutthroat trout in Yellowstone Lake annually migrate into tributary streams and rivers to spawn (Varley and Gresswell 1988), with runs up to 60,000 trout per season into small streams such as Clear Creek (Gresswell and Varley 1988). This spawning migration may significantly affect in­stream communities (cf. Power 1990) and alter nutrient cycling within tributary streams (Peterson et al. 1993) and in the adjacent riparian forests (Ben­David et al. 1998; Hilderbrand et al. 1999). Therefore, spawning cutthroat trout not only have trophic effects on their ecosystem but also act as "ecosystem engineers" (i.e., species that influence structure and function of ecosystems through non­trophic processes) because of their role in transporting large amounts of nutrients between ecosystems (Jones et al. 1994). Reductions in spawning adult cutthroat trout will likely alter in­stream processes. In addition, for piscivorous (fish­ eating) predators, a significant decline in the number of adult spawning cutthroat trout may reduce recruitment and survival, and it could threaten viability of predator populations. In this project we are investigating the importance of cutthroat trout to a representative fish­predator - the river otter (Lontra canadensis), and possible effects on terrestrial plants through nutrient transport by otters to latrine sites (Ben-David et al. 1998; Hilderbrand et al. 1999). We hypothesized that the spawning migration of cutthroat trout will result in transport of nutrients from lake to streams, and from streams to terrestrial forests, through the activity of river otters. Documentation of such transport will enable us to predict how trout predators and the terrestrial landscape will be affected following cutthroat trout declines. Specifically, we predicted that: 1. Spawning cutthroat trout will be seasonally a major food resource to river otters. 2. Spawning migrations of cutthroat trout and the resulting predation by river otters will create a flux of nitrogen (N) to riparian forests. 3. Tree-ring widths and stable nitrogen isotope values of tree-rings from river otter latrine sites will reflect temporal changes in cutthroat trout and otter abundance. 4. Future reductions in spawning cutthroat trout will lead to declines in number of otters.

Bioprospecting Cryptogams as Potential Source of Unique Biodynamic Phytochemicals with Diverse Pharmaceutical Applications

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brahma N. Singh ◽  
Garima Pandey ◽  
Prateeksha ◽  
J. Kumar
Keyword(s):  
Secondary Metabolites ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
New Drugs ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Therapeutic Drugs ◽  
Potential Source ◽  
Therapeutic Value ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Novel Structures

With the advent of green pharmaceuticals, the secondary metabolites derived from plants have provided numerous leads for the development of a wide range of therapeutic drugs; however the discovery of new drugs with novel structures has declined in the past few years. Cryptogams including lichens, bryophytes, and pteridophytes represent a group of small terrestrial plants that remain relatively untouched in the drug discovery process though some have been used as ethnomedicines by various tribes worldwide. Studies of their secondary metabolites are recent but reveal unique secondary metabolites which are not synthesized by higher plants. These compounds can have the potential to develop more potential herbal drugs for prevention and treatment of diseases The present article . deals with the secondary metabolites and pharmacological activities of cryptogams with an objective to bring them forth as potential source of biodynamic compounds of therapeutic value.

scholarly journals Adsorption, uptake and toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics: Effects on terrestrial plants and aquatic macrophytes

2021 ◽  
pp. 117183
Author(s):  
Alicia Mateos-Cárdenas ◽  
Frank N.A.M. van Pelt ◽  
John O’Halloran ◽  
Marcel A.K. Jansen
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Macrophytes ◽  
Terrestrial Plants

scholarly journals The Coevolution of Plants and Microbes Underpins Sustainable Agriculture

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1036
Author(s):  
Dongmei Lyu ◽  
Levini A. Msimbira ◽  
Mahtab Nazari ◽  
Mohammed Antar ◽  
Antoine Pagé ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Community ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Stress Resistance ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Plant Tissues ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Plant Host ◽  
Symbiotic Relationships ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Terrestrial Environments

Terrestrial plants evolution occurred in the presence of microbes, the phytomicrobiome. The rhizosphere microbial community is the most abundant and diverse subset of the phytomicrobiome and can include both beneficial and parasitic/pathogenic microbes. Prokaryotes of the phytomicrobiome have evolved relationships with plants that range from non-dependent interactions to dependent endosymbionts. The most extreme endosymbiotic examples are the chloroplasts and mitochondria, which have become organelles and integral parts of the plant, leading to some similarity in DNA sequence between plant tissues and cyanobacteria, the prokaryotic symbiont of ancestral plants. Microbes were associated with the precursors of land plants, green algae, and helped algae transition from aquatic to terrestrial environments. In the terrestrial setting the phytomicrobiome contributes to plant growth and development by (1) establishing symbiotic relationships between plant growth-promoting microbes, including rhizobacteria and mycorrhizal fungi, (2) conferring biotic stress resistance by producing antibiotic compounds, and (3) secreting microbe-to-plant signal compounds, such as phytohormones or their analogues, that regulate aspects of plant physiology, including stress resistance. As plants have evolved, they recruited microbes to assist in the adaptation to available growing environments. Microbes serve themselves by promoting plant growth, which in turn provides microbes with nutrition (root exudates, a source of reduced carbon) and a desirable habitat (the rhizosphere or within plant tissues). The outcome of this coevolution is the diverse and metabolically rich microbial community that now exists in the rhizosphere of terrestrial plants. The holobiont, the unit made up of the phytomicrobiome and the plant host, results from this wide range of coevolved relationships. We are just beginning to appreciate the many ways in which this complex and subtle coevolution acts in agricultural systems.

scholarly journals Potential for Mycorrhizae-Assisted Phytoremediation of Phosphorus for Improved Water Quality

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Jessica A. Rubin ◽  
Josef H. Görres
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Animal Health ◽  
Phosphorus Uptake ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Landscape Patterns ◽  
Cyanobacterial Blooms ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Source Reduction ◽  
Water Ecosystems

During this 6th Great Extinction, freshwater quality is imperiled by upland terrestrial practices. Phosphorus, a macronutrient critical for life, can be a concerning contaminant when excessively present in waterways due to its stimulation of algal and cyanobacterial blooms, with consequences for ecosystem functioning, water use, and human and animal health. Landscape patterns from residential, industrial and agricultural practices release phosphorus at alarming rates and concentrations threaten watershed communities. In an effort to reconcile the anthropogenic effects of phosphorus pollution, several strategies are available to land managers. These include source reduction, contamination event prevention and interception. A total of 80% of terrestrial plants host mycorrhizae which facilitate increased phosphorus uptake and thus removal from soil and water. This symbiotic relationship between fungi and plants facilitates a several-fold increase in phosphorus uptake. It is surprising how little this relationship has been encouraged to mitigate phosphorus for water quality improvement. This paper explores how facilitating this symbiosis in different landscape and land-use contexts can help reduce the application of fertility amendments, prevent non-point source leaching and erosion, and intercept remineralized phosphorus before it enters surface water ecosystems. This literature survey offers promising insights into how mycorrhizae can aid ecological restoration to reconcile humans’ damage to Earth’s freshwater. We also identify areas where research is needed.

scholarly journals Desiccation Tolerance as the Basis of Long-Term Seed Viability

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Galina Smolikova ◽  
Tatiana Leonova ◽  
Natalia Vashurina ◽  
Andrej Frolov ◽  
Sergei Medvedev
Keyword(s):  
Desiccation Tolerance ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Late Embryogenesis Abundant ◽  
Maturation Stage ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Complex Anatomy ◽  
Orthodox Seeds

Desiccation tolerance appeared as the key adaptation feature of photoautotrophic organisms for survival in terrestrial habitats. During the further evolution, vascular plants developed complex anatomy structures and molecular mechanisms to maintain the hydrated state of cell environment and sustain dehydration. However, the role of the genes encoding the mechanisms behind this adaptive feature of terrestrial plants changed with their evolution. Thus, in higher vascular plants it is restricted to protection of spores, seeds and pollen from dehydration, whereas the mature vegetative stages became sensitive to desiccation. During maturation, orthodox seeds lose up to 95% of water and successfully enter dormancy. This feature allows seeds maintaining their viability even under strongly fluctuating environmental conditions. The mechanisms behind the desiccation tolerance are activated at the late seed maturation stage and are associated with the accumulation of late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins, small heat shock proteins (sHSP), non-reducing oligosaccharides, and antioxidants of different chemical nature. The main regulators of maturation and desiccation tolerance are abscisic acid and protein DOG1, which control the network of transcription factors, represented by LEC1, LEC2, FUS3, ABI3, ABI5, AGL67, PLATZ1, PLATZ2. This network is complemented by epigenetic regulation of gene expression via methylation of DNA, post-translational modifications of histones and chromatin remodeling. These fine regulatory mechanisms allow orthodox seeds maintaining desiccation tolerance during the whole period of germination up to the stage of radicle protrusion. This time point, in which seeds lose desiccation tolerance, is critical for the whole process of seed development.

Global resorption efficiencies of trace elements in leaves of terrestrial plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Chen ◽  
Sasha C. Reed ◽  
Xiaotao Lü ◽  
Kongcao Xiao ◽  
Kelin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trace Elements ◽  
Terrestrial Plants

scholarly journals Searching for Molecules against Cancer in the Azores: Plants, Macroalgae, and Synthetic Compounds

Proceedings ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Maria do Carmo Barreto ◽  
Vera Lúcia Gouveia ◽  
Gonçalo Pereira Rosa ◽  
Ana Maria Loureiro Seca
Keyword(s):  
Marine Macroalgae ◽  
Terrestrial Plants ◽  
Synthetic Compounds ◽  
Azores Islands ◽  
The Rich

Pursuing the goal of finding active molecules against cancer using various approaches, wefocused on natural-based scaffolds in terrestrial plants and in marine macroalgae, taking advantageof the rich biodiversity of the Azores islands. [...]

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document