Pub Date : 2025-08-20DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152823
Bei-Bei Fan , Azim Mallik , Si-Nan Wang , Jia-Qi Zhang , Jian-Yi Wang , Zhao-Jun Bu
Allelopathic interactions with microorganisms likely govern plant community assembly, yet their effects on spore germination of Sphagnum, a critical carbon-sequestering genus, remains unknown. Using a hummock sphagnum, S. fuscum and a hollow sphagnum, S. squarrosum, we tested the effects of three phenolic compounds and their mixture common in peatland water on spore germination with and without microorganisms. Both individual and mixture of phenolic compounds increased Sphagnum spore viability. In presence of microorganisms, the viability of S. fuscum spores reduced from 44 to 36 % when cultivated in ultrapure water but it was increased from 52 to 63 % in peat water. Phenolic compounds had inhibitory effect on microbial biomass with stronger effect in peat water (mixture of phenolics) than in individual phenolic compounds. The two Sphagnum species showed different response to allelopathy and microorganisms. While both species showed bet-hedging strategy, the hummock species maintained low and hollow species maintained high germinability. We conclude that Sphagnum-derived phenolics can maintain spore viability by inhibiting microorganisms. We suggest that the inhibitory effect of allelochemicals on microorganisms can be an important mechanism for maintaining viable spore bank in peatlands.
{"title":"The interactive effect of phenolics and microorganisms on Sphagnum spore viability and germination","authors":"Bei-Bei Fan , Azim Mallik , Si-Nan Wang , Jia-Qi Zhang , Jian-Yi Wang , Zhao-Jun Bu","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152823","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152823","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Allelopathic interactions with microorganisms likely govern plant community assembly, yet their effects on spore germination of <em>Sphagnum</em>, a critical carbon-sequestering genus, remains unknown. Using a hummock sphagnum, <em>S. fuscum</em> and a hollow sphagnum, <em>S. squarrosum</em>, we tested the effects of three phenolic compounds and their mixture common in peatland water on spore germination with and without microorganisms. Both individual and mixture of phenolic compounds increased <em>Sphagnum</em> spore viability. In presence of microorganisms, the viability of <em>S. fuscum</em> spores reduced from 44 to 36 % when cultivated in ultrapure water but it was increased from 52 to 63 % in peat water. Phenolic compounds had inhibitory effect on microbial biomass with stronger effect in peat water (mixture of phenolics) than in individual phenolic compounds. The two <em>Sphagnum</em> species showed different response to allelopathy and microorganisms. While both species showed bet-hedging strategy, the hummock species maintained low and hollow species maintained high germinability. We conclude that <em>Sphagnum</em>-derived phenolics can maintain spore viability by inhibiting microorganisms. We suggest that the inhibitory effect of allelochemicals on microorganisms can be an important mechanism for maintaining viable spore bank in peatlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152823"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144895602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-17DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152822
Yanfeng Chen , Qianli Zhang , Qian Liu , Hongmin Li , Chen Gong , Lan Zhang , Lingwei Zhang , Huiliang Liu
The increasing frequency and intensity of drought events due to climate change pose significant challenges to plant growth. However, it remains unclear whether drought priming during early growth stages can enhance plant resilience and mitigate the adverse effects of severe drought stress. To address this, we conducted an experiment on the desert ephemeral plant Erodium oxyrhinchum to examine its photosynthesis and growth responses to drought priming in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. The field experiment included two treatments: (1) drought priming applied twice at the seedling stage followed by severe drought stress at the reproductive stage, and (2) adequate irrigation at the seedling stage followed by severe drought stress at the reproductive stage. Our results showed that drought priming significantly reduced stomatal conductance during the full leaf expansion stage, but enhanced net photosynthesis at the initial flowering stage. Compared to the control, drought-primed plants exhibited lower intercellular CO₂ concentrations at both the full leaf expansion and initial flowering stages, along with increased stomatal limitation and intrinsic water use efficiency. Additionally, drought priming significantly elevated superoxide dismutase activity and soluble sugar accumulation at the initial flowering stage. Throughout the plant’s life cycle, free proline and soluble sugar concentration initially increased and then declined, with both superoxide dismutase activity and soluble sugar concentration remaining significantly higher at the initial flowering stage under drought priming. These findings indicate that drought priming enhances stress tolerance by activating protective metabolic mechanisms, reducing transpiration, and improving both water use and photosynthetic efficiency. Finally, drought-primed plants not only exhibited greater resilience to severe drought stress but also demonstrated compensatory growth, leading to increased individual total biomass and reproductive output. Therefore, drought priming may serve as a promising strategy for sustaining plant growth under extreme drought conditions and offers valuable insights for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.
{"title":"Drought priming enhances photosynthesis and growth of the ephemeral plant Erodium oxyrhinchum","authors":"Yanfeng Chen , Qianli Zhang , Qian Liu , Hongmin Li , Chen Gong , Lan Zhang , Lingwei Zhang , Huiliang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152822","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152822","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The increasing frequency and intensity of drought events due to climate change pose significant challenges to plant growth. However, it remains unclear whether drought priming during early growth stages can enhance plant resilience and mitigate the adverse effects of severe drought stress. To address this, we conducted an experiment on the desert ephemeral plant <em>Erodium oxyrhinchum</em> to examine its photosynthesis and growth responses to drought priming in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. The field experiment included two treatments: (1) drought priming applied twice at the seedling stage followed by severe drought stress at the reproductive stage, and (2) adequate irrigation at the seedling stage followed by severe drought stress at the reproductive stage. Our results showed that drought priming significantly reduced stomatal conductance during the full leaf expansion stage, but enhanced net photosynthesis at the initial flowering stage. Compared to the control, drought-primed plants exhibited lower intercellular CO₂ concentrations at both the full leaf expansion and initial flowering stages, along with increased stomatal limitation and intrinsic water use efficiency. Additionally, drought priming significantly elevated superoxide dismutase activity and soluble sugar accumulation at the initial flowering stage. Throughout the plant’s life cycle, free proline and soluble sugar concentration initially increased and then declined, with both superoxide dismutase activity and soluble sugar concentration remaining significantly higher at the initial flowering stage under drought priming. These findings indicate that drought priming enhances stress tolerance by activating protective metabolic mechanisms, reducing transpiration, and improving both water use and photosynthetic efficiency. Finally, drought-primed plants not only exhibited greater resilience to severe drought stress but also demonstrated compensatory growth, leading to increased individual total biomass and reproductive output. Therefore, drought priming may serve as a promising strategy for sustaining plant growth under extreme drought conditions and offers valuable insights for vegetation restoration in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152822"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-16DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152820
Baoyu Liu , Huiling Liang , Xiujiao Zhang , Hai Ren , Manlian Wang , Hui Tang , Xue Zhao , Dafeng Hui , Chenghua Deng
Global climate change has intensified the impacts of persistent and intermittent droughts on karst plants, especially on endangered and medicinal species, but research in this area remains limited. This study investigated the effects of two types of droughts, i.e., persistent drought–rehydration (PD-R) and cyclic mild/moderate drought–rehydration (CD-R), on Illicium difengpi, an endangered medicine plant native to the karst regions in China, using two-years-old seedlings. Key physiological variables were measured throughout the experimental period. The leaf relative water content and predawn water potential of the species rapidly recovered to the control levels after rehydration. However, photosynthesis-related variables—including net photosynthetic rate (Pn), effective PSII quantum yield (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), chlorophyll concentration (Chl a+b), Chl a/b ratio—were positively correlated with soil moisture content (SM) but negatively correlated with drought cycles, leading to increasing decline with increased drought severity and frequency. Consequently, these variables failed to fully recover during the rehydration phase following severe drought or multiple CD-R cycles. Malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation significantly increased during severe drought and the third CD-R cycle. Catalase (CAT) activity increased progressively with drought intensity under PD-R (60–291 %), while CD-R induced significant increases of 28–68 % (mild) and 44–170 % (moderate). Proline (Pro) and soluble proteins (SP) elevated significantly only under severe persistent drought stress, showing no significant change under CD-R. This study demonstrates that: (i) I. difengpi exhibits strong post-drought water recovery; (ii) drought damage increases with severity and frequency; (iii) CAT plays a key role in antioxidant defense, while Pro and SP primarily respond to severe or multiple drought cycles. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the physiological response of I. difengpi to persistent and intermittent drought.
{"title":"Physiological responses of Illicium difengpi to simulated persistent and intermittent droughts","authors":"Baoyu Liu , Huiling Liang , Xiujiao Zhang , Hai Ren , Manlian Wang , Hui Tang , Xue Zhao , Dafeng Hui , Chenghua Deng","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change has intensified the impacts of persistent and intermittent droughts on karst plants, especially on endangered and medicinal species, but research in this area remains limited. This study investigated the effects of two types of droughts, i.e., persistent drought–rehydration (PD-R) and cyclic mild/moderate drought–rehydration (CD-R), on <em>Illicium difengpi</em>, an endangered medicine plant native to the karst regions in China, using two-years-old seedlings. Key physiological variables were measured throughout the experimental period. The leaf relative water content and predawn water potential of the species rapidly recovered to the control levels after rehydration. However, photosynthesis-related variables—including net photosynthetic rate (P<sub>n</sub>), effective PSII quantum yield (ΦPSII), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), chlorophyll concentration (Chl a+b), Chl a/b ratio—were positively correlated with soil moisture content (SM) but negatively correlated with drought cycles, leading to increasing decline with increased drought severity and frequency. Consequently, these variables failed to fully recover during the rehydration phase following severe drought or multiple CD-R cycles. Malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation significantly increased during severe drought and the third CD-R cycle. Catalase (CAT) activity increased progressively with drought intensity under PD-R (60–291 %), while CD-R induced significant increases of 28–68 % (mild) and 44–170 % (moderate). Proline (Pro) and soluble proteins (SP) elevated significantly only under severe persistent drought stress, showing no significant change under CD-R. This study demonstrates that: (i) <em>I. difengpi</em> exhibits strong post-drought water recovery; (ii) drought damage increases with severity and frequency; (iii) CAT plays a key role in antioxidant defense, while Pro and SP primarily respond to severe or multiple drought cycles. These findings provide a preliminary understanding of the physiological response of <em>I. difengpi</em> to persistent and intermittent drought.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152820"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-15DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152818
Nathalie Loureiro , Jerônimo Sansevero
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Intraspecific variation of leaf traits in tree plantings of different ages in a tropical forest” [Journal Flora 325 (2025) 152700]","authors":"Nathalie Loureiro , Jerônimo Sansevero","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152818","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152818"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019226","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152821
Vanessa Negrão-Rodrigues , Paulo Bittencourt , Pablo Sanchez-Martinez , Lucy Rowland , Lion R. Martius , Patrick Meir , Manolo T. Quintilhan , José Roberto V. Aragão , Victor Brigatto , Vinicius D. Oliveira , Peter Groenendijk , Arlete A. Soares , Antônio Carlos da Costa , João Athaydes Silva Junior , Leandro Valle Ferreira , Grazielle Sales Teodoro
Water availability influences the distribution and functioning of tropical forests, yet there is uncertainty about how species will respond to future drier conditions. The longest throughfall exclusion experiment (TFE) in tropical forest, eSecaFlor, which run for 22 years, showed long term soil water reduction resulted in a new eco-hydrological state with minimal drought stress due to reduced biomass, requiring the re-evaluation of species functional adjustments under this new state. In this study, we investigated whether Eastern Amazon tree species in the eSecaFlor TFE adjust their functional traits in response to long-term soil water deficit and whether these adjustments differ across species. We selected 9 species that occur in the control and TFE plots and we measured functional traits related to leaf water status (predawn and midday water potential), leaf and wood economics (specific leaf area and wood density) and xylem anatomical traits related to hydraulic efficiency (vessel diameter and number, and hydraulic specific conductivity). We found that species did not adjust most of their traits in response to the TFE. However, we found species-specific adjustments in predawn water potential and wood density, but those adjustments were not unidirectional, with some species increasing and others decreasing their trait values. Because of limited adjustments, there was no shift in tree functional space caused by the TFE. Our study highlights the need to further study what mechanisms controls species-dependent drought responses and how the Amazon forest species community may be affected given drought responses of species is not uniform.
{"title":"Amazonian trees functional adjustments to long term experimental drought are limited and species dependent","authors":"Vanessa Negrão-Rodrigues , Paulo Bittencourt , Pablo Sanchez-Martinez , Lucy Rowland , Lion R. Martius , Patrick Meir , Manolo T. Quintilhan , José Roberto V. Aragão , Victor Brigatto , Vinicius D. Oliveira , Peter Groenendijk , Arlete A. Soares , Antônio Carlos da Costa , João Athaydes Silva Junior , Leandro Valle Ferreira , Grazielle Sales Teodoro","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152821","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152821","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Water availability influences the distribution and functioning of tropical forests, yet there is uncertainty about how species will respond to future drier conditions. The longest throughfall exclusion experiment (TFE) in tropical forest, eSecaFlor, which run for 22 years, showed long term soil water reduction resulted in a new eco-hydrological state with minimal drought stress due to reduced biomass, requiring the re-evaluation of species functional adjustments under this new state. In this study, we investigated whether Eastern Amazon tree species in the eSecaFlor TFE adjust their functional traits in response to long-term soil water deficit and whether these adjustments differ across species. We selected 9 species that occur in the control and TFE plots and we measured functional traits related to leaf water status (predawn and midday water potential), leaf and wood economics (specific leaf area and wood density) and xylem anatomical traits related to hydraulic efficiency (vessel diameter and number, and hydraulic specific conductivity). We found that species did not adjust most of their traits in response to the TFE. However, we found species-specific adjustments in predawn water potential and wood density, but those adjustments were not unidirectional, with some species increasing and others decreasing their trait values. Because of limited adjustments, there was no shift in tree functional space caused by the TFE. Our study highlights the need to further study what mechanisms controls species-dependent drought responses and how the Amazon forest species community may be affected given drought responses of species is not uniform.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152821"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144858383","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152819
Jonatha de Sousa Reis , José Luiz Alves Silva , Douglas Rodrigues Ribeiro , Gustavo Viana de Freitas , Ana Paula Lima do Couto-Santos , Ligia Silveira Funch , Angela Pierre Vitória
Seasonality and trait variability influence leaf phenology's duration, intensity, onset, and end. Focusing on species instead of intraspecific variability may oversimplify forest dynamics and limit predictions of morphological-biochemical trait associations. Over two years, leaf flush, fall, and seven morpho-biochemical traits were quantified to explore functional traits related to leaf phenology and the contribution of inter- and intraspecific variability. The study involved 423 individuals of ten deciduous and 21 evergreen species in a seasonal evergreen and a semideciduous forest in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. In the seasonal semideciduous forest, deciduous species showed a seasonality of 0.74–1.02 in leaf flush and fall, compared to evergreens (0.23–0.66). Seasonality in leaf flush and fall was correlated in this forest, regardless of inter- and intraspecific variability. In contrast, leaf flush and fall did not differ between leaf habits in the seasonal evergreen forest. They were not correlated, which may indicate that drought resistance is a prevalent mechanism in this forest, resulting in longer leaf longevity and more continuous phenological patterns. Thickness, specific leaf area, and the carbon/nitrogen ratio were associated with leaf phenology and varied between forests and interspecific and intraspecific variations. Intraspecific variability contributed more to trait variance in the semideciduous forest, while interspecific variability and leaf habit were more influential in the seasonal evergreen forest. Our study highlights the importance of quantifying seasonality in leaf phenology for individuals, not only for species, for enhanced understanding of forest dynamics, particularly where seasonal abiotic factors impact community assembly.
{"title":"Phenological seasonality and contribution of inter- and intraspecific variation to relationships with morpho-biochemical traits in seasonal Atlantic forests","authors":"Jonatha de Sousa Reis , José Luiz Alves Silva , Douglas Rodrigues Ribeiro , Gustavo Viana de Freitas , Ana Paula Lima do Couto-Santos , Ligia Silveira Funch , Angela Pierre Vitória","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152819","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Seasonality and trait variability influence leaf phenology's duration, intensity, onset, and end. Focusing on species instead of intraspecific variability may oversimplify forest dynamics and limit predictions of morphological-biochemical trait associations. Over two years, leaf flush, fall, and seven morpho-biochemical traits were quantified to explore functional traits related to leaf phenology and the contribution of inter- and intraspecific variability. The study involved 423 individuals of ten deciduous and 21 evergreen species in a seasonal evergreen and a semideciduous forest in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil. In the seasonal semideciduous forest, deciduous species showed a seasonality of 0.74–1.02 in leaf flush and fall, compared to evergreens (0.23–0.66). Seasonality in leaf flush and fall was correlated in this forest, regardless of inter- and intraspecific variability. In contrast, leaf flush and fall did not differ between leaf habits in the seasonal evergreen forest. They were not correlated, which may indicate that drought resistance is a prevalent mechanism in this forest, resulting in longer leaf longevity and more continuous phenological patterns. Thickness, specific leaf area, and the carbon/nitrogen ratio were associated with leaf phenology and varied between forests and interspecific and intraspecific variations. Intraspecific variability contributed more to trait variance in the semideciduous forest, while interspecific variability and leaf habit were more influential in the seasonal evergreen forest. Our study highlights the importance of quantifying seasonality in leaf phenology for individuals, not only for species, for enhanced understanding of forest dynamics, particularly where seasonal abiotic factors impact community assembly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152819"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mosses, as an essential component of the Hyrcanian Forest ecosystem, are influenced by various ecological factors. The current study aimed to investigate the role of habitat elements on the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidative enzymes activity in three native epiphytic moss species from the Neckeraceae family: Forsstroemia remotifolia, Homalia besseri, and Neckera complanata. The mosses were collected from the Hyrcanian Forest in Golestan Province, northern Iran, along three bands of an elevational transect with different climatic conditions. The results revealed that in H. besseri and F. remotifolia the metabolite concentrations and antioxidative enzyme activities were not correlated with elevation or associated climatic factors. Instead, they were strongly influenced by the characteristics of their host trees. Notably, the patterns of change in metabolites including chlorophyll a and b, soluble carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, and the activity of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase were similar in these two moss species, regardless of whether they were collected from low or high elevations. This similarity may be attributed to their common host tree, Parrotia persica. It appears that the host tree plays a significant role in shaping the mosses’ metabolite profiles particularly through traits such as bark thickness and pH. In contrast, the metabolite composition in N. complanata, including photosynthetic pigments, soluble proteins, flavonols, and SOD activity, was influenced by both the host tree and elevation. Moreover, N. complanata exhibited different responses to host tree features (bark thickness and pH) compared to H. besseri and F. remotifolia. This study concludes that host tree characteristics play a pivotal role in modulating the physiological responses of epiphytic mosses, revealing species-specific sensitivities to elevational gradients. The findings emphasize the intricate interaction between host bark traits and abiotic environmental factors in shaping moss metabolism within the Hyrcanian Forest ecosystem.
{"title":"Which habitat element has the critical impact on photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, and antioxidant defense in epiphytic mosses?","authors":"Tahereh A. Aghajanzadeh , Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Mousavi , Farshad Mohammadzadeh Gharegheshlagh , Afshin Fayyaz Movaghar","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152816","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152816","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mosses, as an essential component of the Hyrcanian Forest ecosystem, are influenced by various ecological factors. The current study aimed to investigate the role of habitat elements on the concentration of photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrates, antioxidant compounds, and antioxidative enzymes activity in three native epiphytic moss species from the Neckeraceae family: <em>Forsstroemia remotifolia, Homalia besseri</em>, and <em>Neckera complanata.</em> The mosses were collected from the Hyrcanian Forest in Golestan Province, northern Iran, along three bands of an elevational transect with different climatic conditions. The results revealed that in <em>H. besseri</em> and <em>F. remotifolia</em> the metabolite concentrations and antioxidative enzyme activities were not correlated with elevation or associated climatic factors. Instead, they were strongly influenced by the characteristics of their host trees. Notably, the patterns of change in metabolites including chlorophyll a and b, soluble carbohydrates, proteins, phenols, and the activity of antioxidative enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase were similar in these two moss species, regardless of whether they were collected from low or high elevations. This similarity may be attributed to their common host tree, <em>Parrotia persica.</em> It appears that the host tree plays a significant role in shaping the mosses’ metabolite profiles particularly through traits such as bark thickness and pH. In contrast, the metabolite composition in <em>N. complanata</em>, including photosynthetic pigments, soluble proteins, flavonols, and SOD activity, was influenced by both the host tree and elevation. Moreover, <em>N. complanata</em> exhibited different responses to host tree features (bark thickness and pH) compared to <em>H. besseri</em> and <em>F. remotifolia</em>. This study concludes that host tree characteristics play a pivotal role in modulating the physiological responses of epiphytic mosses, revealing species-specific sensitivities to elevational gradients. The findings emphasize the intricate interaction between host bark traits and abiotic environmental factors in shaping moss metabolism within the Hyrcanian Forest ecosystem.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152816"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144749382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Leaf variegation, characterized by multicolored patterns such as white, yellow, red, or purple hues, deviates from the uniform green coloration typical of most plants due to complex genetic, physiological, and structural mechanisms. It can arise from stable genetic mutations or transient environmental influences and is broadly classified into structural and pigment-based types. Mechanistically, variegation is further divided into four categories based on chlorophyll absence, internal air spaces, epidermal structure, or localized pigment expression. Genetic studies in model species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, tobacco, rice, and tomato have revealed that mutations affecting chloroplast biogenesis and pigment biosynthesis often underlie variegated phenotypes. In addition to its ornamental appeal, variegation plays critical physiological and ecological roles, influencing photosynthesis, photoprotection, thermoregulation, and plant-herbivore interactions. Pseudo-variegation, a visually similar but a non-genetic phenomenon induced by other organisms, can also confer adaptive advantages such as herbivore deterrence and environmental stress tolerance. Recent research highlights the importance of integrating molecular, anatomical, and ecological perspectives to fully understand the developmental and adaptive significance of leaf variegation in higher plants.
{"title":"The secrets of variegated leaves: Molecular to physiological and ecological insights","authors":"Anjali Bhardwaj , Dipti Agarwal , Upma Bhatt , Sunita Parihar , Vineet Soni","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152815","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152815","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leaf variegation, characterized by multicolored patterns such as white, yellow, red, or purple hues, deviates from the uniform green coloration typical of most plants due to complex genetic, physiological, and structural mechanisms. It can arise from stable genetic mutations or transient environmental influences and is broadly classified into structural and pigment-based types. Mechanistically, variegation is further divided into four categories based on chlorophyll absence, internal air spaces, epidermal structure, or localized pigment expression. Genetic studies in model species such as <em>Arabidopsis thaliana</em>, tobacco, rice, and tomato have revealed that mutations affecting chloroplast biogenesis and pigment biosynthesis often underlie variegated phenotypes. In addition to its ornamental appeal, variegation plays critical physiological and ecological roles, influencing photosynthesis, photoprotection, thermoregulation, and plant-herbivore interactions. Pseudo-variegation, a visually similar but a non-genetic phenomenon induced by other organisms, can also confer adaptive advantages such as herbivore deterrence and environmental stress tolerance. Recent research highlights the importance of integrating molecular, anatomical, and ecological perspectives to fully understand the developmental and adaptive significance of leaf variegation in higher plants.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152815"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144766589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152814
Genise Luz de Oliveira , Maria Gracimar Pacheco de Araújo , Fred Stauffer
Oenocarpus mapora, commonly known as “bacabinha,” is a culturally and economically important palm in the Amazon region, especially due to its use in the production of “vinho de bacaba,” a traditional beverage made from its fruit pulp. This study describes the ontogenetic development of the gynoecium through to the mature fruit, based on morphological, anatomical, and histochemical analyses. Individuals were monitored in the field over a three-year period, and samples at different floral and fruit developmental stages were examined using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and morphometry. The results confirm that the gynoecium is unilocular, uniovulate, and pseudomonomerous, with no anatomical evidence of carpel fusion—an important insight for the comparative floral morphology of the genus Oenocarpus. Fruits were analyzed in three developmental stages and showed that key structural features, such as mechanical tissues in the pericarp, differentiate early and are maintained throughout maturation, forming a continuous protective matrix around the seed. The fruit is classified as a pyrene-type drupe with a complex (cocosoid-arecoid) endocarp, lignified and composed of fibers adhering to the seed. An elongated embryo with a functional haustorial region was also observed in the mature fruit, evidenced by starch accumulation in the cotyledonary tissues. These early-formed structures reflect adaptive strategies for seed protection and dispersal. The findings offer novel insights into the developmental patterns of the genus and provide valuable information for propagation, cultivation, and conservation strategies involving Amazonian palms.
mapora，俗称“bacabinha”，在亚马逊地区是一种重要的文化和经济棕榈，特别是因为它被用于生产“vinho de bacaba”，这是一种由其果肉制成的传统饮料。本研究基于形态学、解剖学和组织化学分析，描述了雌蕊的个体发育直到成熟的果实。在三年的时间里，对田间个体进行了监测，并使用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜和形态计量学对不同花期和果实发育阶段的样品进行了检查。结果证实雌蕊是单眼的、单排卵的、假单瓣的，没有心皮融合的解剖学证据——这是对酒果属比较花形态的重要认识。对三个发育阶段的果实进行了分析，结果表明，果皮中的机械组织等关键结构特征在早期分化，并在整个成熟过程中保持不变，在种子周围形成连续的保护基质。果实被分类为比利果型核果，具有复杂的内果皮（cocosoid-arecoid），木质化，由纤维粘附在种子上。在成熟果实中还观察到一个具有功能吸器区的细长胚，其证据是淀粉在子叶组织中积累。这些早期形成的结构反映了种子保护和传播的适应性策略。这些发现为该属的发育模式提供了新的见解，并为涉及亚马逊棕榈树的繁殖、栽培和保护策略提供了有价值的信息。
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Pub Date : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.flora.2025.152805
Hasan Balabandi , Kambiz Abrari Vajari , Naghi Shabanian
The deciduous-broadleaved oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) forests in Hyrcanian region have been logged under different silvicultural systems. In this study, we aim to investigate the influences of the three silvicultural systems including single-tree selection, shelterwood systems and control (unlogged) on the oriental beech tree traits in a broad-leaved forest. A total of 90 beech trees in overstorey were randomly sampled in each applied systems(n = 270), then their crown dimensions and some morphological as well as chemical compounds of leaves were measured. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the impact of different silvicultural systems on all beech tree traits and we found significantly greater basal area, height, volume, crown length and crown width for beech trees under both single-tree selection system and control site(P ≤ 0.01), compared with shelterwood system. The higher values of leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf fresh weight, specific leaf area and leaf perimeter of beech trees were measured in forest managed by single-tree selection system (P ≤ 0.01). Some chemical elements showed significant differences among silvicultural systems, as the highest mean value of N, C, chlorophyll a, and chlorophyll b was observed in the leaf of beech tree in forest managed under single-tree selection system (P ≤ 0.01, P ≤ 0.05), which might be related to nutrient availability in forest. Regression analysis showed that height/diameter ratio and some beech tree traits including DBH, crown width, crown surface area, crown volume were significantly negatively correlated for three silvicultural systems (p = 0.000). In general, uneven-aged silvicultural system including the single-tree selection system, result in variations in beech tree structure that may affect the tree growth and timber quality within beech forest in Hyrcanian region. This is something that must be taken into account when designing forestry projects.
对海卡尼亚地区落叶阔叶东方山毛榉（Fagus orientalis L.）森林在不同的造林制度下进行了采伐。本研究旨在探讨单树选择、防护林制度和不伐制对阔叶林东方山毛榉树木性状的影响。在每个施用系统中，随机抽取90棵山毛榉树（n = 270），测量其树冠尺寸和叶片的一些形态和化学成分。方差分析（ANOVA）表明，不同造林制度对山毛榉各性状的影响均显著高于防护林制度和对照立地（P≤0.01），单树制度和对照立地的山毛榉基材面积、高、体积、冠长和冠宽显著高于防护林制度。单树选育制林下山毛榉的叶长、叶宽、叶面积、叶鲜重、比叶面积和叶周长较高（P≤0.01）。部分化学元素在不同造林系统间存在显著差异，单树选择制度下山毛榉叶片中N、C、叶绿素a和叶绿素b的平均值最高（P≤0.01,P≤0.05），这可能与森林养分有效性有关。回归分析表明，3种造林体系的高径比与胸径、冠宽、冠表面积、冠积等部分性状呈显著负相关（p = 0.000）。一般来说，包括单树选择系统在内的不均匀树龄造林系统会导致山毛榉树木结构的变化，从而影响海卡尼亚地区山毛榉森林内的树木生长和木材质量。这是设计林业项目时必须考虑的问题。
{"title":"Evaluating the oriental beech (Fagus orientalis L.) trees traits under different silvicultural systems in broad-leaved forest","authors":"Hasan Balabandi , Kambiz Abrari Vajari , Naghi Shabanian","doi":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.flora.2025.152805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The deciduous-broadleaved oriental beech (<em>Fagus orientalis</em> L.) forests in Hyrcanian region have been logged under different silvicultural systems. In this study, we aim to investigate the influences of the three silvicultural systems including single-tree selection, shelterwood systems and control (unlogged) on the oriental beech tree traits in a broad-leaved forest. A total of 90 beech trees in overstorey were randomly sampled in each applied systems(<em>n</em> = 270), then their crown dimensions and some morphological as well as chemical compounds of leaves were measured. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed the impact of different silvicultural systems on all beech tree traits and we found significantly greater basal area, height, volume, crown length and crown width for beech trees under both single-tree selection system and control site(<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01), compared with shelterwood system. The higher values of leaf length, leaf width, leaf area, leaf fresh weight, specific leaf area and leaf perimeter of beech trees were measured in forest managed by single-tree selection system (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01). Some chemical elements showed significant differences among silvicultural systems, as the highest mean value of N, C, chlorophyll <em>a</em>, and chlorophyll <em>b</em> was observed in the leaf of beech tree in forest managed under single-tree selection system (<em>P</em> ≤ 0.01, <em>P</em> ≤ 0.05), which might be related to nutrient availability in forest. Regression analysis showed that height/diameter ratio and some beech tree traits including DBH, crown width, crown surface area, crown volume were significantly negatively correlated for three silvicultural systems (<em>p</em> = 0.000). In general, uneven-aged silvicultural system including the single-tree selection system, result in variations in beech tree structure that may affect the tree growth and timber quality within beech forest in Hyrcanian region. This is something that must be taken into account when designing forestry projects.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55156,"journal":{"name":"Flora","volume":"331 ","pages":"Article 152805"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144711768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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