Functional diversity and coexistence of carnivorous and noncarnivorous plants in wet, species-rich savannas

1. Trait differences among plant species can favor species coexistence. The role that such differences play in the assembly of diverse plant communities maintained by frequent fires remains unresolved. This lack of resolution results in part from the possibility that species with similar traits may coexist because none has a significant fitness advantage and in part from the difficulty of experimental manipulation of highly diverse assemblages dominated by perennial species. 2. We examined a 65-year chronosequence of losses of herbaceous species following fire suppression (and subsequent encroachment by Pinus elliottii) in three wet longleaf pine savannas. We used cluster analysis, similarity profile permutation tests and k-R cluster analysis to identify statistically significant functional groups. We then used randomization tests to determine if the absence of functional groups near pines was greater (or less) than expected by chance. We also tested whether tolerant and sensitive species were less (or more) likely to co-occur by chance in areas in savannas away from pines in accordance with predictions of modern coexistence theory. 3. Functional group richness near pines was lower than expected from random species extirpations. Wetland perennials with thick rhizomes and high leaf water content, spring-flowering wetland forbs (including Drosera tracyi), orchids, Polygala spp., and club mosses were more likely to be absent near pines than expected by chance. C3 grasses and sedges with seed banks and tall, fall-flowering C4 grasses were less likely to be absent near pines than expected by chance. Species sensitive to pine encroachment were more likely to co-occur with other such species away from pines at two of the three sites. 4. Results suggest that herb species diversity in frequently-burned wet savannas is maintained in part by a weak fitness (e.g., competitive) hierarchy among herbs, and not as a result of trait differences among co-occurring species.

The PMT-driven p-coumaroylation of poplar lignins impacts lignin structure and improves wood saccharification

ABSTRACTTransgenic poplars (Populus tremula x Populus alba, clone INRA 717-1B4) were produced by introducing the Brachypodium distachyon Bradi2g36910 (BdPMT1) gene driven by the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) Cinnamate 4-Hydroxylase (AtC4H) promoter in the wild-type (WT) line and in a line overexpressing the Arabidopsis Ferulate 5-Hydroxylase (AtF5H). BdPMT1 encodes a transferase which catalyzes the acylation of monolignols by p-coumaric acid (CA). Several BdPMT1- OE/WT and BdPMT1-OE/AtF5H-OE transgenic lines were grown in the greenhouse and BdPMT1 expression in xylem was confirmed by RT-PCR. The analysis of the cell walls (CW) of poplar stems and of corresponding purified dioxan lignins (DL) revealed that the BdPMT1-OE lignins were as p-coumaroylated as the lignins of C3 grass straws. For some transformants, CA levels even reached about 11 mg/g CW and 66 mg/g DL, which by far exceeds those of Brachypodium or wheat samples. This unprecedentedly high p-coumaroylation of poplar lignins affected neither the poplar growth, nor the stem lignin content. By contrast, the transgenic lignins were structurally modified, with an increase of terminal units with free phenolic groups. Relative to controls, this increase argues for a reduced polymerization degree of BdPMT1-OE lignins and makes them more soluble in cold NaOH solution. The p-coumaroylation of poplar samples, up to the levels of C3 grasses, improved the saccharification yield of alkali-pretreated poplar CW. These results establish that the genetically-driven p-coumaroylation of lignins is a promising strategy to make wood lignins more susceptible to the alkaline treatments that can be used during the industrial processing of lignocellulosics.One-sentence summaryThe expression of a grass p-coumaroyl-CoA:monolignol transferase induces a high p-coumaroylation of poplar lignins and a better saccharification of alkali-pretreated poplar wood without growth penalty

Structure and histochemistry of sorghum caryopsis in relation to grain-filling

Anatomical and histochemical studies of ovary and caryopsis of sorghum reveal the importance of the chalazal complex in transporting nutrients from maternal sources to the filial diploid embryo and triploid endosperm. The presence of starch, protein, lipid, Ca, K, Mg, and Fe in various tissues at different stages of development can be revealed by a variety of histochemical techniques. Vascular supply ends at the base of the ovary and transport occurs through vascular parenchyma, pigment strand and nucellar projection where symplastic continuity is broken. Nutrients unloaded into an apoplastic placental sac then enter the endosperm and embryo through the aleurone transfer cells. The later possess characteristic wall ingrowth. The single layer of aleurone surrounding the endosperm may also help in transport during later stages of grain-filling. Grain-filling in C4 sorghum is compared with other C4 and C3 grasses showing the variety of strategies evolved to transport nutrients into filial tissues. Standardization of terminologies to describe the tissues of the crease region will help in further research and communication.

Chloroplasts in C3 grasses move in response to blue-light

Key message Brachypodium distachyonis a good model for studying chloropla st movements in the crop plants, wheat, rye and barley. The movements are activated only by blue light, similar to Arabidopsis. Abstract Chloroplast translocations are ubiquitous in photosynthetic organisms. On the one hand, they serve to optimize energy capture under limiting light, on the other hand, they minimize potential photodamage to the photosynthetic apparatus in excess light. In higher plants chloroplast movements are mediated by phototropins (phots), blue light receptors that also control other light acclimation responses. So far, Arabidopsis thaliana has been the main model for studying the mechanism of blue light signaling to chloroplast translocations in terrestrial plants. Here, we propose Brachypodium distachyon as a model in research into chloroplast movements in C3 cereals. Brachypodium chloroplasts respond to light in a similar way to those in Arabidopsis. The amino acid sequence of Brachypodium PHOT1 is 79.3% identical, and that of PHOT2 is 73.6% identical to the sequence of the corresponding phototropin in Arabidopsis. Both phototropin1 and 2 are expressed in Brachypodium, as shown using quantitative real-time PCR. Intriguingly, the light-expression pattern of BradiPHOT1 and BradiPHOT2 is the opposite of that for Arabidopsis phototropins, suggesting potential unique light signaling in C3 grasses. To investigate if Brachypodium is a good model for studying grass chloroplast movements we analyzed these movements in the leaves of three C3 crop grasses, namely wheat, rye and barley. Similarly to Brachypodium, chloroplasts only respond to blue light in all these species.

Drought Impacts on Grassland Productivity: The Role of Plant-Soil Feedbacks

Drought influences pasture productivity with potentially severe impacts on livestock. However, not all plant species are impacted equally indicating that plant community composition can be managed to improve resistance to drought. We conducted a plant-soil feedback (PSF) experiment to assess impacts of drought at the species and community level. We grew twelve plant species representing C3 and C4 grasses, forbs and legumes in monocultures and in 4-species mixtures (one from each functional group) in soils with a legacy of ambient or drought (5 years) conditions for two generations. We measured plant biomass in the second generation to calculate PSF. Species with positive PSF under drought are likely to be more resistant to drought than those with negative PSF. Under ambient rainfall PSFs were generally negative for C3 grasses, positive for C4, forbs and legumes. Drought promoted negative PSFs in C3 grasses and forbs, but positive PSFs were observed in C4 grasses and legumes. These results indicate that C3 grasses and forbs are likely to be sensitive to drought while C4 grasses and legumes will be less negatively impacted by drought due to changes in PSFs. PSFs at the community level were positive at the community level under ambient but shifted towards neutral under drought indicating that drought may destabilize plant communities. Our results indicate that presence of C4 grasses and legumes may reduce drought impacts providing a tool for future pasture management for healthy livestock production in Australian rangeland.

Towards a more detailed representation of high-latitude vegetation in the global land surface model ORCHIDEE (ORC-HL-VEGv1.0)

Simulation of vegetation–climate feedbacks in high latitudes in the ORCHIDEE land surface model was improved by the addition of three new circumpolar plant functional types (PFTs), namely non-vascular plants representing bryophytes and lichens, Arctic shrubs and Arctic C3 grasses. Non-vascular plants are assigned no stomatal conductance, very shallow roots, and can desiccate during dry episodes and become active again during wet periods, which gives them a larger phenological plasticity (i.e. adaptability and resilience to severe climatic constraints) compared to grasses and shrubs. Shrubs have a specific carbon allocation scheme, and differ from trees by their larger survival rates in winter, due to protection by snow. Arctic C3 grasses have the same equations as in the original ORCHIDEE version, but different parameter values, optimised from in situ observations of biomass and net primary productivity (NPP) in Siberia. In situ observations of living biomass and productivity from Siberia were used to calibrate the parameters of the new PFTs using a Bayesian optimisation procedure. With the new PFTs, we obtain a lower NPP by 31 % (from 55° N), as well as a lower roughness length (−41 %), transpiration (−33 %) and a higher winter albedo (by +3.6 %) due to increased snow cover. A simulation of the water balance and runoff and drainage in the high northern latitudes using the new PFTs results in an increase of fresh water discharge in the Arctic ocean by 11 % (+140 km3 yr−1), owing to less evapotranspiration. Future developments should focus on the competition between these three PFTs and boreal tree PFTs, in order to simulate their area changes in response to climate change, and the effect of carbon–nitrogen interactions.

Towards a more detailed representation of high-latitude vegetation in the global land surface model ORCHIDEE (ORC-HL-VEGv1.0)

To improve the simulation of vegetation-climate feedbacks in the high latitudes, three new circumpolar Plant Functional Types (PFTs) were added in the ORCHIDEE land surface model, namely non-vascular plants (NVPs) representing bryophytes and lichens, arctic shrubs, and arctic C3 grasses. Non-vascular plants are assigned no stomatal conductance, very shallow roots, and can desiccate during dry episodes and become active again during wet periods, which gives them a larger phenological plasticity compared to grasses and shrubs. Shrubs have a specific carbon allocation scheme, and differ from trees by their larger survival rates in winter, due to protection by snow. Arctic C3 grasses have the same equations than in the original ORCHIDEE version, but different parameter values, optimized from in-situ observations of biomass and NPP in Siberia. In situ observations of living biomass and productivity from Siberia were used to calibrate the parameters of the new PFTs using a Bayesian optimization procedure. With the new PFTs, we obtain a lower Net Primary Productivity (NPP) by 31 % (from 55° N), as well as a lower roughness length (−41 %), transpiration (+33 %) and a higher winter albedo (by 3.6 %) due to a larger snow cover. A simulation of the water balance and runoff and drainage in the high northern latitudes using the new PFTs results in an increase of fresh water discharge in the Arctic ocean by 11 % (+140 km−3 y−1), owing to less evapotranspiration. Future developments should focus on the competition between these three PFTs and boreal trees PFTs, in order to simulate their area changes in response to climate change, and the effect of carbon-nitrogen interactions.