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Bellasio C, Lundgren MR. The operation of PEPCK increases light harvesting plasticity in C 4 NAD-ME and NADP-ME photosynthetic subtypes: A theoretical study. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2024; 47:2288-2309. [PMID: 38494958 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
The repeated emergence of NADP-malic enzyme (ME), NAD-ME and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) subtypes of C4 photosynthesis are iconic examples of convergent evolution, which suggests that these biochemistries do not randomly assemble, but are instead specific adaptations resulting from unknown evolutionary drivers. Theoretical studies that are based on the classic biochemical understanding have repeatedly proposed light-use efficiency as a possible benefit of the PEPCK subtype. However, quantum yield measurements do not support this idea. We explore this inconsistency here via an analytical model that features explicit descriptions across a seamless gradient between C4 biochemistries to analyse light harvesting and dark photosynthetic metabolism. Our simulations show that the NADP-ME subtype, operated by the most productive crops, is the most efficient. The NAD-ME subtype has lower efficiency, but has greater light harvesting plasticity (the capacity to assimilate CO2 in the broadest combination of light intensity and spectral qualities). In both NADP-ME and NAD-ME backgrounds, increasing PEPCK activity corresponds to greater light harvesting plasticity but likely imposed a reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. We draw the first mechanistic links between light harvesting and C4 subtypes, providing the theoretical basis for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bellasio
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Applied Crop Ecophysiology, School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Chemistry, Biology ond Biotechnology, Università Degli Studi Di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
- Department of Biology, University of the Balearic Islands, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Gao W, Dai D, Luo H, Yu D, Liu C, Zhang N, Liu L, You C, Zhou S, Tu L, Liu Y, Huang C, He X, Cui X. Habitat differentiation and environmental adaptability contribute to leaf size variations globally in C 3 and C 4 grasses. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 937:173309. [PMID: 38782268 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The grass family (Poaceae) dominates ~43 % of Earth's land area and contributes 33 % of terrestrial primary productivity that is critical to naturally regulating atmosphere CO2 concentration and global climate change. Currently grasses comprise ~11,780 species and ~50 % of them (~6000 species) utilize C4 photosynthetic pathway. Generally, grass species have smaller leaves under colder and drier environments, but it is unclear whether the primary drivers of leaf size differ between C3 and C4 grasses on a global scale. Here, we analyzed 34 environmental variables, such as latitude, elevation, mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, and solar radiation etc., through a comparatively comprehensive database of ~3.0 million occurrence records from 1380 C3 and 978 C4 grass species (2358 species in total). Results from this study confirm that C4 grasses have occupied habitats with lower latitudes and elevations, characterized by warmer, sunnier, drier and less fertile environmental conditions. Grass leaf size correlates positively with mean annual temperature and precipitation as expected. Our results also demonstrate that the mean temperature of the wettest quarter of the year is the primary control for C3 leaf size, whereas C4 leaf size is negatively correlated with the difference between summer and winter temperatures. For C4 grasses, phylogeny exerts a significant effect on leaf size but is less important than environmental factors. Our findings highlight the importance of evolutionarily contrasting variations in leaf size between C3 and C4 grasses for shaping their geographical distribution and habitat suitability at the global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuchao Gao
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Dachuan Dai
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Huan Luo
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Dongli Yu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Ning Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Lin Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Chengming You
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Shixing Zhou
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Lihua Tu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Yang Liu
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Congde Huang
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China
| | - Xinhua He
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia; Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
| | - Xinglei Cui
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Engineering Research Centre for Southwest Forest and Grassland Fire Ecological Prevention, College of Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China; National Forestry and Grassland Administration Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Ecological Safety on the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River & Forestry Ecological Engineering in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu, Sichuan 611130, China.
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Franks PJ, Herold N, Bonan GB, Oleson KW, Dukes JS, Huber M, Schroeder JI, Cox PM, Jones S. Land surface conductance linked to precipitation: Co-evolution of vegetation and climate in Earth system models. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17188. [PMID: 38462677 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Vegetation and precipitation are known to fundamentally influence each other. However, this interdependence is not fully represented in climate models because the characteristics of land surface (canopy) conductance to water vapor and CO2 are determined independently of precipitation. Working within a coupled atmosphere and land modelling framework (CAM6/CLM5; coupled Community Atmosphere Model v6/Community Land Model v5), we have developed a new theoretical approach to characterizing land surface conductance by explicitly linking its dynamic properties to local precipitation, a robust proxy for moisture available to vegetation. This will enable regional surface conductance characteristics to shift fluidly with climate change in simulations, consistent with general principles of co-evolution of vegetation and climate. Testing within the CAM6/CLM5 framework shows that climate simulations incorporating the new theory outperform current default configurations across several error metrics for core output variables when measured against observational data. In climate simulations for the end of this century the new, adaptive stomatal conductance scheme provides a revised prognosis for average and extreme temperatures over several large regions, with increased primary productivity through central and east Asia, and higher rainfall through North Africa and the Middle East. The new projections also reveal more frequent heatwaves than originally estimated for the south-eastern US and sub-Saharan Africa but less frequent heatwaves across east Europe and northeast Asia. These developments have implications for evaluating food security and risks from extreme temperatures in areas that are vulnerable to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Franks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas Herold
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Gordon B Bonan
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Keith W Oleson
- National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Dukes
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Matthew Huber
- Department of Earth, Atmosphere and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Julian I Schroeder
- Cell and Developmental Biology Department, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Peter M Cox
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Simon Jones
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Davies JM, Smith BA, Milic A, Campbell B, Van Haeften S, Burton P, Keaney B, Lampugnani ER, Vicendese D, Medek D, Huete A, Erbas B, Newbigin E, Katelaris CH, Haberle SG, Beggs PJ. The AusPollen partnership project: Allergenic airborne grass pollen seasonality and magnitude across temperate and subtropical eastern Australia, 2016-2020. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 214:113762. [PMID: 35779617 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Allergic rhinitis affects half a billion people globally, including a fifth of the Australian population. As the foremost outdoor allergen source, ambient grass pollen exposure is likely to be altered by climate change. The AusPollen Partnership aimed to standardize pollen monitoring and examine broad-scale biogeographical and meteorological factors influencing interannual variation in seasonality of grass pollen aerobiology in Australia. METHODS Daily airborne grass and other pollen concentrations in four eastern Australian cities separated by over 1700 km, were simultaneously monitored using Hirst-style samplers following the Australian Interim Pollen and Spore Monitoring Standard and Protocols over four seasons from 2016 to 2020. The grass seasonal pollen integral was determined. Gridded rainfall, temperature, and satellite-derived grassland sources up to 100 km from the monitoring site were analysed. RESULTS The complexity of grass pollen seasons was related to latitude with multiple major summer-autumn peaks in Brisbane, major spring and minor summer peaks in Sydney and Canberra, and single major spring peaks occurring in Melbourne. The subtropical site of Brisbane showed a higher proportion of grass out of total pollen than more temperate sites. The magnitude of the grass seasonal pollen integral was correlated with pasture greenness, rainfall and number of days over 30 °C, preceding and within the season, up to 100 km radii from monitoring sites. CONCLUSIONS Interannual fluctuations in Australian grass pollen season magnitude are strongly influenced by regional biogeography and both pre- and in-season weather. This first continental scale, Southern Hemisphere standardized aerobiology dataset forms the basis to track shifts in pollen seasonality, biodiversity and impacts on allergic respiratory diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia; Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Office of Research, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Beth Addison Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Bradley Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre Immunity and Infection Control, Centre for Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Herston, 4006, Queensland, Australia
| | - Pamela Burton
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Benedict Keaney
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Edwin R Lampugnani
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Don Vicendese
- The Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia; The Department of Mathematics and Statistics, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Danielle Medek
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Queensland, 4215, Australia
| | - Alfredo Huete
- School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, 2007, Australia
| | - Bircan Erbas
- School of Public Health, LaTrobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, 3086, Australia
| | - Edward Newbigin
- School of Biosciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Constance H Katelaris
- Department of Immunology, Campbelltown Hospital, Campbelltown, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia; School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2751, Australia
| | - Simon G Haberle
- The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Paul J Beggs
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, 2109, Australia
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Munroe SEM, McInerney FA, Guerin GR, Andrae JW, Welti N, Caddy-Retalic S, Atkins R, Sparrow B. Plant families exhibit unique geographic trends in C4 richness and cover in Australia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0271603. [PMID: 35994485 PMCID: PMC9394836 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have analysed the relationship between C4 plant cover and climate. However, few have examined how different C4 taxa vary in their response to climate, or how environmental factors alter C4:C3 abundance. Here we investigate (a) how proportional C4 plant cover and richness (relative to C3) responds to changes in climate and local environmental factors, and (b) if this response is consistent among families. Proportional cover and richness of C4 species were determined at 541 one-hectare plots across Australia for 14 families. C4 cover and richness of the most common and abundant families were regressed against climate and local parameters. C4 richness and cover in the monocot families Poaceae and Cyperaceae increased with latitude and were strongly positively correlated with January temperatures, however C4 Cyperaceae occupied a more restricted temperature range. Seasonal rainfall, soil pH, soil texture, and tree cover modified proportional C4 cover in both families. Eudicot families displayed considerable variation in C4 distribution patterns. Proportional C4 Euphorbiaceae richness and cover were negatively correlated with increased moisture availability (i.e. high rainfall and low aridity), indicating they were more common in dry environments. Proportional C4 Chenopodiaceae richness and cover were weakly correlated with climate and local environmental factors, including soil texture. However, the explanatory power of C4 Chenopodiaceae models were poor, suggesting none of the factors considered in this study strongly influenced Chenopodiaceae distribution. Proportional C4 richness and cover in Aizoaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Portulacaceae increased with latitude, suggesting C4 cover and richness in these families increased with temperature and summer rainfall, but sample size was insufficient for regression analysis. Results demonstrate the unique relationships between different C4 taxa and climate, and the significant modifying effects of environmental factors on C4 distribution. Our work also revealed C4 families will not exhibit similar responses to local perturbations or climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E. M. Munroe
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Francesca A. McInerney
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Greg R. Guerin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Jake W. Andrae
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nina Welti
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Urrbrae, South Australia, Australia
| | - Stefan Caddy-Retalic
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Rachel Atkins
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ben Sparrow
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Addison-Smith B, Milic A, Dwarakanath D, Simunovic M, Van Haeften S, Timbrell V, Davies JM. Medium-Term Increases in Ambient Grass Pollen Between 1994-1999 and 2016-2020 in a Subtropical Climate Zone. FRONTIERS IN ALLERGY 2022; 2:705313. [PMID: 35387005 PMCID: PMC8974679 DOI: 10.3389/falgy.2021.705313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Grass pollen is the major outdoor trigger of allergic respiratory diseases. Climate change is influencing pollen seasonality in Northern Hemisphere temperate regions, but many aspects of the effects on grass pollen remain unclear. Carbon dioxide and temperature rises could increase the distribution of subtropical grasses, however, medium term shifts in grass pollen in subtropical climates have not yet been analysed. This study investigates changes in grass pollen aerobiology in a subtropical city of Brisbane, Australia, between the two available monitoring periods, 1994-1999 and 2016-2020. Potential drivers of pollen change were examined including weather and satellite-derived vegetation indicators. The magnitude of the seasonal pollen index for grass showed almost a three-fold increase for 2016-2020 over 1994-1999. The number and proportion of high and extreme grass pollen days in the recent period increased compared to earlier monitoring. Statistically significant changes were also identified for distributions of CO2, satellite-derived seasonal vegetation health indices, and daily maximum temperatures, but not for minimum temperatures, daily rainfall, or seasonal fraction of green groundcover. Quarterly grass pollen levels were correlated with corresponding vegetation health indices, and with green groundcover fraction, suggesting that seasonal-scale plant health was higher in the latter period. The magnitude of grass pollen exposure in the subtropical region of Brisbane has increased markedly in the recent past, posing an increased environmental health threat. This study suggests the need for continuous pollen monitoring to track and respond to the possible effects of climate change on grass pollen loads.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Addison-Smith
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Andelija Milic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Divya Dwarakanath
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Marko Simunovic
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Shanice Van Haeften
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Victoria Timbrell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, Centre for the Environment, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.,Office of Research, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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The Dingo Barrier Fence: Presenting the case to decommission the world's longest environmental barrier in the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. Biol Futur 2021; 73:9-27. [PMID: 34807433 DOI: 10.1007/s42977-021-00106-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The longest environmental barrier in the world is Australia's 5614 km Dingo Barrier Fence. The structure was completed in the 1950s, designed to facilitate the eradication of the country's apex predator and cultural keystone species the dingo (Canis dingo) from sheep (Ovis aries) grazing areas to the south-east of the continent. The fence and its support systems now present an immense obstacle to ecological restoration in Australia's arid zone, preventing traditional management practices, and are hazardous to all terrestrial wildlife in the immediate vicinity. The barrier presents a worst-case scenario for animal-generated seed dispersal patterns over the wider region and limits genetic transfer. Plummeting biodiversity inside the fence line and increasing pressures of climate change have left this region highly vulnerable to ecological collapse. Concurrently, sheep numbers have contracted over 75% in the arid zone since 1991, due to market forces and climate change, while demand for ethically produced goods such as predator-friendly meat production and organic produce is increasing. Decommissioning the Dingo Barrier Fence, moving the stock protection zone south and diversifying land use would not impact significantly on the current livestock production. It offers a sound economic alternative for the region, with the potential for regeneration of 82 million hectares of land, a scale encouraged for inclusion in the global initiative the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030). This would restore connectivity across the region, including vital access to the waters of the Murray Darling Basin. This would provide mitigation for the effects of climate change, new markets in organic and sustainable industries, and support ecological and cultural renewal.
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Mwangi FW, Gardiner CP, Walker G, Hall TJ, Malau-Aduli BS, Kinobe RT, Malau-Aduli AEO. Growth Performance and Plasma Metabolites of Grazing Beef Cattle Backgrounded on Buffel or Buffel- Desmanthus Mixed Pastures. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11082355. [PMID: 34438812 PMCID: PMC8388787 DOI: 10.3390/ani11082355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 07/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Pasture quality and digestibility decline during the dry season resulting in weight loss or marginal weight gains of grazing cattle in the seasonally dry subtropics of northern Australia. Oversowing grass with legume pastures has shown potential to improve pasture quality and cattle weight gain. This study aimed to evaluate the change in steers’ weight gain and plasma metabolites in response to grazing buffel grass pastures oversown with Desmanthus spp. (Desmanthus), a tropical legume adapted to cracking clay soils, compared to buffel-grass-only pastures. Results showed that Desmanthus at a low botanical composition had no effect on weight gain and plasma metabolites, although pasture yield and stocking rate were 443 kg/ha and 9.5% higher, respectively. Since the productivity of grazing systems depends on cattle annual weight gain and stocking rate, the practical implication of this study is that Desmanthus may improve the profitability of beef production in the dry tropics of northern Australia by improving pasture-carrying capacity with no adverse effect on cattle health status and growth performance. Abstract Dietary crude protein and dry matter digestibility are among the major factors limiting feed intake and weight gain of cattle grazing native and improved pastures in the subtropics of Northern Australia during the dry season. Incorporating a suitable legume into grasses improves pasture quality and cattle weight gain, but only a limited number of legume pastures can establish and persist in cracking clay soils. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of Desmanthus inclusion in buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris) pastures on the plasma metabolite profile and growth performance of grazing beef cattle during the dry season. We hypothesised that backgrounding steers on buffel grass-Desmanthus mixed pastures would elicit significant changes in plasma glucose, bilirubin, creatinine, non-esterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate, resulting in higher liveweight gains than in steers on buffel grass only pastures. Four hundred tropical composite steers were assigned to buffel grass only (n = 200) or buffel grass oversown with Desmanthus (11.5% initial sward dry matter) pastures (n = 200) and grazed for 147 days during the dry season. Desmanthus accounted for 6.2% sward dry matter at the end of grazing period. Plasma metabolites results showed that changes in β-hydroxybutyrate, creatinine, bilirubin, glucose and non-esterified fatty acids were within the expected normal range for all the steers, indicating that with or without Desmanthus inclusion in the diet of grazing steers, animal health status was not compromised. It was also evident that Desmanthus inclusion in buffel grass pastures had no impact on the plasma metabolite profile, liveweight and daily weight gain of grazing steers. Therefore, our tested hypothesis of higher changes in plasma metabolite profile and higher liveweight gains due to backgrounding on low-level buffel grass-Desmanthus mixed pastures does not hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felista W. Mwangi
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (G.W.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Christopher P. Gardiner
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (G.W.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Glen Walker
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (G.W.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Trevor J. Hall
- Hallmark Rural Consulting, 75 Love Road, Vale View, QLD 4352, Australia;
| | - Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Robert T. Kinobe
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (G.W.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (G.W.); (R.T.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-747-815-339
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Skippington J, Manne T, Veth P. Isotopic Indications of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Paleoenvironmental Changes at Boodie Cave Archaeological Site, Barrow Island, Western Australia. Molecules 2021; 26:2582. [PMID: 33925244 PMCID: PMC8124622 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents the first application of mammal tooth enamel carbonate stable isotope analysis for the purpose of investigating late Pleistocene-early Holocene environmental change in an Australian archaeological context. Stable carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios were analyzed from archaeological and modern spectacled hare wallaby (Lagorchestes conspicillatus) and hill kangaroo (Osphranter robustus) tooth enamel carbonates from Boodie Cave on Barrow Island in Western Australia. δ18O results track the dynamic paleoecological history at Boodie Cave including a clear shift towards increasing aridity preceding the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum and a period of increased humidity in the early to mid-Holocene. Enamel δ13C reflects divergent species feeding ecology and may imply a long-term shift toward increasing diversity in vegetation structure. This study contributes new data to the carbonate-isotope record for Australian fauna and demonstrates the significant potential of stable isotope based ecological investigations for tracking paleoenvironment change to inter-strata resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Skippington
- Archaeology, School of Social Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
| | - Tiina Manne
- School of Social Science, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Peter Veth
- Archaeology, School of Social Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;
- Australian Centre for Excellence in Biodiversity and Heritage, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia
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10
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Munroe SEM, McInerney FA, Andrae J, Welti N, Guerin GR, Leitch E, Hall T, Szarvas S, Atkins R, Caddy-Retalic S, Sparrow B. The photosynthetic pathways of plant species surveyed in Australia's national terrestrial monitoring network. Sci Data 2021; 8:97. [PMID: 33795698 PMCID: PMC8016977 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-021-00877-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The photosynthetic pathway of plants is a fundamental trait that influences terrestrial environments from the local to global level. The distribution of different photosynthetic pathways in Australia is expected to undergo a substantial shift due to climate change and rising atmospheric CO2; however, tracking change is hindered by a lack of data on the pathways of species, as well as their distribution and relative cover within plant communities. Here we present the photosynthetic pathways for 2428 species recorded across 541 plots surveyed by Australia's Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN) between 2011 and 2017. This dataset was created to facilitate research exploring trends in vegetation change across Australia. Species were assigned a photosynthetic pathway using published literature and stable carbon isotope analysis of bulk tissue. The photosynthetic pathway of species can be extracted from the dataset individually, or used in conjunction with vegetation surveys to study the occurrence and abundance of pathways across the continent. This dataset will be updated as TERN's plot network expands and new information becomes available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E M Munroe
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia.
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia.
| | - Francesca A McInerney
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Jake Andrae
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Nina Welti
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Greg R Guerin
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Emrys Leitch
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Tony Hall
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Steve Szarvas
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Urrbrae, South Australia, 5064, Australia
| | - Rachel Atkins
- School of Physical Sciences and the Sprigg Geobiology Centre, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Stefan Caddy-Retalic
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Ben Sparrow
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
- Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network (TERN), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
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11
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The causes and effects of indigenous C 4 grass expansion into a hyper-diverse fynbos shrubland. Oecologia 2021; 195:421-433. [PMID: 33464386 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04842-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The cool season rainfall at our study site should favour C3 rather than C4 grasses. There are, however, several locations where C4 grasses have become dominant, suggesting that rainfall seasonality is not a constraint on distribution. Here, we explored the limitations on C4 grass distribution in a fynbos shrubland. Using δ13C values of SOM, we determined when these grasses had established. We also looked at the role of roads as conduits for establishment and asked what impact these grasses may have on fynbos species richness. We then conducted a field experiment designed to examine the extent to which soil moisture, nutrient availability, and competition with fynbos for resources influence the establishment and growth of the grasses. Finally using aerial photography, we explored the role of changes in land use on distribution. Our results showed that the establishment is recent, that roads may be acting as conduits, and that with establishment, there is a reduction in fynbos species richness and diversity. Disturbance and removing below-ground competition for resources open the system to establishment in wetter areas. This study is the first to look at the potential for C4 grasses expanding into cool season rainfall shrublands such as in Western Australia and South Africa. What is interesting about these results is that C4 grasses can establish and dominate in a cool season rainfall regime. Rather than temperature of the growing season, it is competition for resources from fynbos that prevents these grasses from encroaching.
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12
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Rudov A, Mashkour M, Djamali M, Akhani H. A Review of C 4 Plants in Southwest Asia: An Ecological, Geographical and Taxonomical Analysis of a Region With High Diversity of C 4 Eudicots. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:546518. [PMID: 33304357 PMCID: PMC7694577 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.546518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Southwest Asia is climatically and topographically a highly diverse region in the xeric belt of the Old World. Its diversity of arid habitats and climatic conditions acted as an important area for the evolution and diversification of up to 20 (of 38 known) independent Eudicot C4 origins. Some of these lineages present unique evolutionary strategies like single-cell functioning C4 and C3-C4 switching mechanisms. The high diversity of C4 taxa in Southwest (SW) Asia is also related to the presence of seven phytogeographic zones including the Irano-Turanian region as a center of diversification of many Caryophyllales lineages and the Somali-Masai region (Southern Oman and Yemen) as a center of diversification for C4 Monocots. Nevertheless, the C4 flora of SW Asia has not received detailed attention. This paper presents a comprehensive review of all known C4 species in the area based on a literature survey, own floristic observations, as well as taxonomic, phylogenetic and herbarium data, and δ13C-isotope ratio analysis. The resulting checklist includes a total number of 923 (861 native, of which 141 endemic, and 62 introduced) C4 species, composed of 350 Eudicots and 509 Monocots, most of which are therophytic and hemicryptophytic xerophytes with pluriregional and Irano-Turanian distribution. Two hundred thirty-nine new δ13C-isotope ratios of C4 and C3 plants, as well as some taxonomic changes are presented. An analysis of the distribution of the three main C4 plant families (Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae, and Cyperaceae) in the region in relation to climatic variables indicates that the increase of C4 species follows more or less a latitudinal gradient similar to global patterns, while separate taxonomic groups seem to depend on specific factors as continentality (Chenopodiaceae), average annual temperature (Cyperaceae), and the presence of summer precipitation (Poaceae). An increase of C4 Eudicots in W-E direction even in similar longitudinal belts is explained by a combination of edaphic and climatic conditions. The provided data should encourage a deeper interest in the evolution of C4 lineages in SW Asia and their adaptation to ecological and climatical conditions and awaken interest in the importance of local C4 crops, the conservation of threatened C4 taxa, and awareness of human impacts on the rapid environmental changes in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Rudov
- Halophytes and C4 Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Marjan Mashkour
- Archéozoologie, Archéobotanique: Sociétés, Pratiques et Environnements (AASPE/ UMR7209)—CNRS (Centre national de Recherche Scientifique) et MNHN (Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle), Paris, France
| | - Morteza Djamali
- Institut Méditerranéen de Biodiversité et d’Ecologie (IMBE/UMR7263), Aix Marseille Univ, Avignon Univ, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Hossein Akhani
- Halophytes and C4 Plants Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Sciences, School of Biology, College of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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13
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Mwangi FW, Charmley E, Gardiner CP, Malau-Aduli BS, Kinobe RT, Malau-Aduli AEO. Diet and Genetics Influence Beef Cattle Performance and Meat Quality Characteristics. Foods 2019; 8:E648. [PMID: 31817572 PMCID: PMC6963535 DOI: 10.3390/foods8120648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive review of the impact of tropical pasture grazing, nutritional supplementation during feedlot finishing and fat metabolism-related genes on beef cattle performance and meat-eating traits is presented. Grazing beef cattle on low quality tropical forages with less than 5.6% crude protein, 10% soluble starches and 55% digestibility experience liveweight loss. However, backgrounding beef cattle on high quality leguminous forages and feedlot finishing on high-energy diets increase meat flavour, tenderness and juiciness due to improved intramuscular fat deposition and enhanced mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. This paper also reviews the roles of stearoyl-CoA desaturase, fatty acid binding protein 4 and fatty acid synthase genes and correlations with meat traits. The review argues that backgrounding of beef cattle on Desmanthus, an environmentally well-adapted and vigorous tropical legume that can persistently survive under harsh tropical and subtropical conditions, has the potential to improve animal performance. It also identifies existing knowledge gaps and research opportunities in nutrition-genetics interactions aimed at a greater understanding of grazing nutrition, feedlot finishing performance, and carcass traits of northern Australian tropical beef cattle to enable red meat industry players to work on marbling, juiciness, tenderness and overall meat-eating characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felista W. Mwangi
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Edward Charmley
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Private Mail Bag Aitkenvale, Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Christopher P. Gardiner
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Bunmi S. Malau-Aduli
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia;
| | - Robert T. Kinobe
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (R.T.K.)
| | - Aduli E. O. Malau-Aduli
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia; (F.W.M.); (C.P.G.); (R.T.K.)
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14
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Ollivier QR, Maher DT, Pitfield C, Macreadie PI. Winter emissions ofCO2,CH4, and N2O from temperate agricultural dams: fluxes, sources, and processes. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Quinn R. Ollivier
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Geelong Victoria Australia
| | - Damien T. Maher
- Southern Cross Geoscience Southern Cross University Lismore New South Wales 2480 Australia
| | - Chris Pitfield
- Corangamite Catchment Management Authority Colac Victoria 3250 Australia
| | - Peter I. Macreadie
- Centre for Integrative Ecology School of Life and Environmental Sciences Deakin University Geelong Victoria Australia
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15
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Suybeng B, Charmley E, Gardiner CP, Malau-Aduli BS, Malau-Aduli AEO. Methane Emissions and the Use of Desmanthus in Beef Cattle Production in Northern Australia. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9080542. [PMID: 31404998 PMCID: PMC6719241 DOI: 10.3390/ani9080542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary An in-depth review of Australia’s tropical beef cattle production system is presented with emphasis on the use of Desmanthus, a tropical legume, as a nutritional supplementation strategy for the abatement and mitigation of methane emissions. It also identifies current knowledge gaps in in vivo methane emissions research. Abstract The Australian beef industry is a major contributor to the economy with an estimated annual revenue generation of over seven billion dollars. The tropical state of Queensland accounted for 48% of Australian beef and veal production in 2018. As the third biggest beef exporter in the world, Australia supplies 3% of the world’s beef exports and its agricultural sector accounts for an estimated 13.2% of its total greenhouse gas emissions. About 71% of total agricultural emissions are in the form of methane and nitrous oxide. In this review, an overview of the carbon footprint of the beef cattle production system in northern Australia is presented, with emphasis on the mitigation of greenhouse gases. The review also focuses on the tropical legume, Desmanthus, one of the more promising nutritional supplements for methane abatement and improvement of animal growth performance. Among the review’s findings is the need to select environmentally well-adapted and vigorous tropical legumes containing tannins that can persistently survive under the harsh northern Australian conditions for driving animal performance, improving meat quality and reducing methane emissions. The paper argues that the use of appropriate legumes such as Desmanthus, is a natural and preferred alternative to the use of chemicals for the abatement of methane emanating from tropical beef cattle production systems. It also highlights current gaps in knowledge and new research opportunities for in vivo studies on the impact of Desmanthus on methane emissions of supplemented tropical beef cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bénédicte Suybeng
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Edward Charmley
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Private Mail Bag Aitkenvale, Australian Tropical Sciences and Innovation Precinct, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Christopher P Gardiner
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Bunmi S Malau-Aduli
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia
| | - Aduli E O Malau-Aduli
- Animal Genetics and Nutrition, Veterinary Sciences Discipline, College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD 4811, Australia.
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16
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Frumkin A, Comay O. The last glacial cycle of the southern Levant: Paleoenvironment and chronology of modern humans. J Hum Evol 2019; 160:102609. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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17
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Qiao X, Li Q, Yin H, Qi K, Li L, Wang R, Zhang S, Paterson AH. Gene duplication and evolution in recurring polyploidization-diploidization cycles in plants. Genome Biol 2019; 20:38. [PMID: 30791939 PMCID: PMC6383267 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1650-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 463] [Impact Index Per Article: 92.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The sharp increase of plant genome and transcriptome data provide valuable resources to investigate evolutionary consequences of gene duplication in a range of taxa, and unravel common principles underlying duplicate gene retention. RESULTS We survey 141 sequenced plant genomes to elucidate consequences of gene and genome duplication, processes central to the evolution of biodiversity. We develop a pipeline named DupGen_finder to identify different modes of gene duplication in plants. Genes derived from whole-genome, tandem, proximal, transposed, or dispersed duplication differ in abundance, selection pressure, expression divergence, and gene conversion rate among genomes. The number of WGD-derived duplicate genes decreases exponentially with increasing age of duplication events-transposed duplication- and dispersed duplication-derived genes declined in parallel. In contrast, the frequency of tandem and proximal duplications showed no significant decrease over time, providing a continuous supply of variants available for adaptation to continuously changing environments. Moreover, tandem and proximal duplicates experienced stronger selective pressure than genes formed by other modes and evolved toward biased functional roles involved in plant self-defense. The rate of gene conversion among WGD-derived gene pairs declined over time, peaking shortly after polyploidization. To provide a platform for accessing duplicated gene pairs in different plants, we constructed the Plant Duplicate Gene Database. CONCLUSIONS We identify a comprehensive landscape of different modes of gene duplication across the plant kingdom by comparing 141 genomes, which provides a solid foundation for further investigation of the dynamic evolution of duplicate genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Qiao
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Qionghou Li
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Hao Yin
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Kaijie Qi
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Leiting Li
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Runze Wang
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Shaoling Zhang
- Centre of Pear Engineering Technology Research, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China
| | - Andrew H. Paterson
- Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30605 USA
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18
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Discriminating between C3, C4, and Mixed C3/C4 Pasture Grasses of a Grazed Landscape Using Multi-Temporal Sentinel-1a Data. REMOTE SENSING 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/rs11030253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In livestock grazing environments, the knowledge of C3/C4 species composition of a pasture field is invaluable, since such information assists graziers in making decisions around fertilizer application and stocking rates. The general aim of this research was to explore the potential of multi-temporal Sentinel-1 (S1) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) to discriminate between C3, C4, and mixed-C3/C4 compositions. In this study, three Random Forest (RF) classification models were created using features derived from polarimetric SAR (polSAR) and grey-level co-occurrence textural metrics (glcmTEX). The first RF model involved only polSAR features and produced a prediction accuracy of 68% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.49. The second RF model used glcmTEX features and produced prediction accuracies of 76%, 62%, and 75% for C3, C4, and mixed C3/C4 grasses, respectively. The glcmTEX model achieved an overall prediction accuracy of 73% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.57. The polSAR and glcmTEX features were then combined (COMB model) to improve upon their individual classification performances. The COMB model produced prediction accuracies of 89%, 81%, and 84% for C3, C4, and mixed C3/C4 pasture grasses, and an overall prediction accuracy of 86% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.77. The contribution of the various model features could be attributed to the changes in dominant species between sampling sites through time, not only because of climatic variability but also because of preferential grazing.
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19
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Zhou H, Helliker BR, Huber M, Dicks A, Akçay E. C 4 photosynthesis and climate through the lens of optimality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:12057-12062. [PMID: 30401739 PMCID: PMC6255158 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1718988115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
CO2, temperature, water availability, and light intensity were all potential selective pressures that determined the competitive advantage and expansion of the C4 photosynthetic carbon-concentrating mechanism over the last ∼30 My. To tease apart how selective pressures varied along the ecological trajectory of C4 expansion and dominance, we coupled hydraulics to photosynthesis models while optimizing photosynthesis over stomatal resistance and leaf/fine-root allocation. We further examined the importance of nitrogen reallocation from the dark to the light reactions. We show here that the primary selective pressures favoring C4 dominance changed through the course of C4 evolution. The higher stomatal resistance and leaf-to-root ratios enabled by C4 led to an advantage without any initial difference in hydraulic properties. We further predict a reorganization of the hydraulic system leading to higher turgor-loss points and possibly lower hydraulic conductance. Selection on nitrogen reallocation varied with CO2 concentration. Through paleoclimate model simulations, we find that water limitation was the primary driver for a C4 advantage, with atmospheric CO2 as high as 600 ppm, thus confirming molecular-based estimates for C4 evolution in the Oligocene. Under these high-CO2 conditions, nitrogen reallocation was necessary. Low CO2 and high light, but not nitrogen reallocation, were the primary drivers for the mid- to late-Miocene global expansion of C4 We also predicted the timing and spatial distribution for origins of C4 ecological dominance. The predicted origins are broadly consistent with prior estimates, but expand upon them to include a center of origin in northwest Africa and a Miocene-long origin in Australia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhou
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104;
| | - Brent R Helliker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Matthew Huber
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Ashley Dicks
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Erol Akçay
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
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20
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Fox DL, Pau S, Taylor L, Strömberg CAE, Osborne CP, Bradshaw C, Conn S, Beerling DJ, Still CJ. Climatic Controls on C4 Grassland Distributions During the Neogene: A Model-Data Comparison. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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21
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Taylor SH, Aspinwall MJ, Blackman CJ, Choat B, Tissue DT, Ghannoum O. CO2 availability influences hydraulic function of C3 and C4 grass leaves. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:2731-2741. [PMID: 29538702 PMCID: PMC5920307 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2018] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric CO2 (ca) has increased since the last glacial period, increasing photosynthetic water use efficiency and improving plant productivity. Evolution of C4 photosynthesis at low ca led to decreased stomatal conductance (gs), which provided an advantage over C3 plants that may be reduced by rising ca. Using controlled environments, we determined how increasing ca affects C4 water use relative to C3 plants. Leaf gas exchange and mass per area (LMA) were measured for four C3 and four C4 annual, crop-related grasses at glacial (200 µmol mol-1), ambient (400 µmol mol-1), and super-ambient (640 µmol mol-1) ca. C4 plants had lower gs, which resulted in a water use efficiency advantage at all ca and was broadly consistent with slower stomatal responses to shade, indicating less pressure on leaf water status. At glacial ca, net CO2 assimilation and LMA were lower for C3 than for C4 leaves, and C3 and C4 grasses decreased leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) similarly, but only C4 leaves decreased osmotic potential at turgor loss. Greater carbon availability in C4 leaves at glacial ca generated a different hydraulic adjustment relative to C3 plants. At current and future ca, C4 grasses have advantages over C3 grasses due to lower gs, lower stomatal sensitivity, and higher absolute water use efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel H Taylor
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
- Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, Lancaster, UK
| | - Michael J Aspinwall
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Drive, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Chris J Blackman
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
| | - Brendan Choat
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
| | - David T Tissue
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith NSW, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australia
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Price GJ, Ferguson KJ, Webb GE, Feng YX, Higgins P, Nguyen AD, Zhao JX, Joannes-Boyau R, Louys J. Seasonal migration of marsupial megafauna in Pleistocene Sahul (Australia-New Guinea). Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0785. [PMID: 28954903 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal two-way migration is an ecological phenomenon observed in a wide range of large-bodied placental mammals, but is conspicuously absent in all modern marsupials. Most extant marsupials are typically smaller in body size in comparison to their migratory placental cousins, possibly limiting their potential to undertake long-distance seasonal migrations. But what about earlier, now-extinct giant marsupial megafauna? Here we present new geochemical analyses which show that the largest of the extinct marsupial herbivores, the enormous wombat-like Diprotodon optatum, undertook seasonal, two-way latitudinal migration in eastern Sahul (Pleistocene Australia-New Guinea). Our data infer that this giant marsupial had the potential to perform round-trip journeys of as much as 200 km annually, which is reminiscent of modern East African mammal migrations. These findings provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for repetitive seasonal migration in any metatherian (including marsupials), living or extinct, and point to an ecological phenomenon absent from the continent since the Late Pleistocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilbert J Price
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Kyle J Ferguson
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Gregory E Webb
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Yue-Xing Feng
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Pennilyn Higgins
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, 227 Hutchison Hall Rochester, New York 14627, NY, USA
| | - Ai Duc Nguyen
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jian-Xin Zhao
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Renaud Joannes-Boyau
- Southern Cross GeoScience, Southern Cross University, Military Road, Lismore, New South Wales 2480, Australia
| | - Julien Louys
- Research Centre for Human Evolution, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
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23
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Lewis MC, West AG, O'Riain MJ. Isotopic assessment of marine food consumption by natural-foraging chacma baboons on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2017; 165:77-93. [PMID: 29076130 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Stable isotope analysis has been used to investigate consumption of marine resources in a variety of terrestrial mammals, including humans, but not yet in extant nonhuman primates. We sought to test the efficacy of stable isotope analysis as a tool for such studies by comparing isotope- and observation-based estimates of marine food consumption by a troop of noncommensal, free-ranging chacma baboons. MATERIALS AND METHODS We determined δ13 C and δ15 N values of baboon hair (n = 9) and fecal samples (n = 144), and principal food items (n = 362). These values were used as input for diet models, the outputs of which were compared to observation-based estimates of marine food consumption. RESULTS Fecal δ13 C values ranged from -29.3‰ to -25.6‰. δ15 N values ranged from 0.9‰ to 6.3‰ and were positively correlated with a measure of marine foraging during the dietary integration period. Mean (± SD) δ13 C values of adult male and female baboon hairs were -21.6‰ (± 0.1) and -21.8‰ (± 0.3) respectively, and corresponding δ15 N values were 5.0‰ (± 0.3) and 3.9‰ (± 0.2). Models indicated that marine contributions were ≤10% of baboon diet within any season, and contributed ≤17% of dietary protein through the year. DISCUSSION Model output and observational data were in agreement, both indicating that despite their abundance in the intertidal region, marine foods comprised only a small proportion of baboon diet. This suggests that stable isotope analysis is a viable tool for investigating marine food consumption by natural-foraging primates in temperate regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.,Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Adam G West
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - M Justin O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
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24
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Wang R, Ma L. Climate-driven C4 plant distributions in China: divergence in C4 taxa. Sci Rep 2016; 6:27977. [PMID: 27302686 PMCID: PMC4908390 DOI: 10.1038/srep27977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There have been debates on the driving factors of C4 plant expansion, such as PCO2 decline in the late Micocene and warmer climate and precipitation at large-scale modern ecosystems. These disputes are mainly due to the lack of direct evidence and extensive data analysis. Here we use mass flora data to explore the driving factors of C4 distribution and divergent patterns for different C4 taxa at continental scale in China. The results display that it is mean annual climate variables driving C4 distribution at present-day vegetation. Mean annual temperature is the critical restriction of total C4 plants and the precipitation gradients seem to have much less impact. Grass and sedge C4 plants are largely restricted to mean annual temperature and precipitation respectively, while Chenopod C4 plants are strongly restricted by aridity in China. Separate regression analysis can succeed to detect divergences of climate distribution patterns of C4 taxa at global scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renzhong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Linna Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing, 100093, China
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25
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Medek DE, Beggs PJ, Erbas B, Jaggard AK, Campbell BC, Vicendese D, Johnston FH, Godwin I, Huete AR, Green BJ, Burton PK, Bowman DMJS, Newnham RM, Katelaris CH, Haberle SG, Newbigin E, Davies JM. Regional and seasonal variation in airborne grass pollen levels between cities of Australia and New Zealand. AEROBIOLOGIA 2016; 32:289-302. [PMID: 27069303 PMCID: PMC4826055 DOI: 10.1007/s10453-015-9399-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Although grass pollen is widely regarded as the major outdoor aeroallergen source in Australia and New Zealand (NZ), no assemblage of airborne pollen data for the region has been previously compiled. Grass pollen count data collected at 14 urban sites in Australia and NZ over periods ranging from 1 to 17 years were acquired, assembled and compared, revealing considerable spatiotemporal variability. Although direct comparison between these data is problematic due to methodological differences between monitoring sites, the following patterns are apparent. Grass pollen seasons tended to have more than one peak from tropics to latitudes of 37°S and single peaks at sites south of this latitude. A longer grass pollen season was therefore found at sites below 37°S, driven by later seasonal end dates for grass growth and flowering. Daily pollen counts increased with latitude; subtropical regions had seasons of both high intensity and long duration. At higher latitude sites, the single springtime grass pollen peak is potentially due to a cooler growing season and a predominance of pollen from C3 grasses. The multiple peaks at lower latitude sites may be due to a warmer season and the predominance of pollen from C4 grasses. Prevalence and duration of seasonal allergies may reflect the differing pollen seasons across Australia and NZ. It must be emphasized that these findings are tentative due to limitations in the available data, reinforcing the need to implement standardized pollen-monitoring methods across Australasia. Furthermore, spatiotemporal differences in grass pollen counts indicate that local, current, standardized pollen monitoring would assist with the management of pollen allergen exposure for patients at risk of allergic rhinitis and asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul J Beggs
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bircan Erbas
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alison K Jaggard
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Bradley C Campbell
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Don Vicendese
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Fay H Johnston
- Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Ian Godwin
- School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alfredo R Huete
- Plant Functional Biology and Climate Change, University of Technology, Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Brett J Green
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Pamela K Burton
- Campbelltown Hospital and the School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, NSW, Australia
| | - David M J S Bowman
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Rewi M Newnham
- School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Constance H Katelaris
- Campbelltown Hospital and the School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Macarthur, NSW, Australia
| | - Simon G Haberle
- Department of Archaeology and Natural History, College of Asia and the Pacific, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ed Newbigin
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janet M Davies
- School of Medicine, Translational Research Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Xing S, Kang L, Xu Q, Fan Y, Liu W, Zhu C, Song Z, Wang Q, Yan J, Li J, Sang T. The Coordination of Gene Expression within Photosynthesis Pathway for Acclimation of C4 Energy Crop Miscanthus lutarioriparius. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:109. [PMID: 26904072 PMCID: PMC4746358 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 01/21/2016] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
As a promising candidate for the second-generation C4 energy crop, Miscanthus lutarioriparius has well acclimated to the water-limited and high-light Loess Plateau in China by improving photosynthesis rate and water use efficiency (WUE) compared to its native habitat along Yangtze River. Photosynthetic genes were demonstrated as one major category of the candidate genes underlying the physiological superiority. To further study how photosynthetic genes interact to improve the acclimation potential of M. lutarioriparius, population expression patterns within photosynthesis pathway were explored between one mild environment and one harsh environment. We found that 108 transcripts in assembled transcriptome of M. lutarioriparius were highly similar to genes in three Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) photosynthesis pathways of sorghum and maize. Phylogenetic analyses using sorghum, maize, rice, and Arabidopsis genes of dark reaction identified 23 orthologs and 30 paralogs of M. lutarioriparius photosynthetic genes. These genes were also clustered into two kinds of expression pattern. 87% of transcripts in dark reaction were up-regulated and all 14 chloroplast-encoded transcripts in light reaction increased degradation in the harsh environment compared to the mild environment. Moreover, 80.8% of photosynthetic transcripts were coordinated at transcription level under the two environments. Interestingly, LHCI and PSI were significantly correlated with F-ATPase and C4 cycle. Overall, this study indicates the coordinated expression between cyclic electron transport (consisting of LHCI, PSI, and ATPase) and CO2-concentrating mechanism (C4 cycle) could account for photosynthesis plasticity on M. lutarioriparius acclimation potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shilai Xing
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Lifang Kang
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Qin Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Yangyang Fan
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Caiyun Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Zhihong Song
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Qian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Juan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
| | - Jianqiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of SciencesWuhan, China
| | - Tao Sang
- State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijing, China
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27
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Buxton DR, Fales SL. Plant Environment and Quality. FORAGE QUALITY, EVALUATION, AND UTILIZATION 2015. [DOI: 10.2134/1994.foragequality.c4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dwayne R. Buxton
- Field Crops Res. Unit and cluster scientist of U.S. Dairy Forage Res. Ctr., Agric. Res. Ser., USDA, Dep. of Agronomy; Iowa State Univ.; Ames IA 50011
| | - Steven L. Fales
- Dep. of Agronomy; Pennsylvania State Univ; University Park PA 16802
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28
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Sage RF, de Melo Peixoto M, Friesen P, Deen B. C4 bioenergy crops for cool climates, with special emphasis on perennial C4 grasses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2015; 66:4195-212. [PMID: 25873658 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
There is much interest in cultivating C4 perennial plants in northern climates where there is an abundance of land and a potential large market for biofuels. C4 feedstocks can exhibit superior yields to C3 alternatives during the long warm days of summer at high latitude, but their summer success depends on an ability to tolerate deep winter cold, spring frosts, and early growth-season chill. Here, we review cold tolerance limits in C4 perennial grasses. Dozens of C4 species are known from high latitudes to 63 °N and elevations up to 5200 m, demonstrating that C4 plants can adapt to cold climates. Of the three leading C4 grasses being considered for bioenergy production in cold climates--Miscanthus spp., switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), and prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata)--all are tolerant of cool temperatures (10-15 °C), but only cordgrass tolerates hard spring frosts. All three species overwinter as dormant rhizomes. In the productive Miscanthus×giganteus hybrids, exposure to temperatures below -3 °C to -7 °C will kill overwintering rhizomes, while for upland switchgrass and cordgrass, rhizomes survive exposure to temperatures above -20 °C to -24 °C. Cordgrass emerges earlier than switchgrass and M. giganteus genotypes, but lacks the Miscanthus growth potential once warmer days of late spring arrive. To enable C4-based bioenergy production in colder climates, breeding priorities should emphasize improved cold tolerance of M.×giganteus, and enhanced productivity of switchgrass and cordgrass. This should be feasible in the near future, because wild populations of each species exhibit a diverse range of cold tolerance and growth capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Murilo de Melo Peixoto
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Patrick Friesen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Bill Deen
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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29
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Kocacinar F. Photosynthetic, hydraulic and biomass properties in closely related C3 and C4 species. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2015; 153:454-466. [PMID: 24930487 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Revised: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
In plants, most water is absorbed by roots and transported through vascular conduits of xylem which evaporate from leaves during photosynthesis. As photosynthesis and transport processes are interconnected, it was hypothesized that any variation in water transport demand influencing water use efficiency (WUE), such as the evolution of C4 photosynthesis, should affect xylem structure and function. Several studies have provided evidence for this hypothesis, but none has comprehensively compared photosynthetic, hydraulic and biomass allocation properties between C3 and C4 species. In this study, photosynthetic, hydraulic and biomass properties in a closely related C3 Tarenaya hassleriana and a C4 Cleome gynandra are compared. Light response curves, measured at 30°C, showed that the C4 C. gynandra had almost twice greater net assimilation rates than the C3 T. hassleriana under each increasing irradiation level. On the contrary, transpiration rates and stomatal conductance were around twice as high in the C3 , leading to approximately 3.5 times higher WUE in the C4 compared with the C3 species. The C3 showed about 3.3 times higher hydraulic conductivity, 4.3 times greater specific conductivity and 2.6 times higher leaf-specific conductivity than the C4 species. The C3 produced more vessels per xylem area and larger vessels. All of these differences resulted in different biomass properties, where the C4 produced more biomass in general and had less root to shoot ratio than the C3 species. These results are in support of our previous findings that WUE, and any changes that affect WUE, contribute to xylem evolution in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferit Kocacinar
- Faculty of Forestry, Department of Forest Engineering, Division of Plant Physiology, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi, Kahramanmaraş, 46100, Turkey; Department of Bioengineering and Sciences, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi, Kahramanmaraş, 46100, Turkey
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30
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Stott P. Factors influencing the importation and establishment in Australia of the European hare (Lepus europaeus). AUST J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/zo14037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Hares were introduced into Australia early in the period of European settlement. This study examined historical issues of newspapers and other historical sources to ascertain the number of importations, the number of hares landed alive, their destinations, relevant habitat characteristics at the sites of the releases, and whether the propagules became established and spread. Forty shipments were identified, and one or more live hares were landed from 27 of those shipments, totalling ~86 live hares, and resulted in the establishment of 10 populations of hares. The climate and the grasses at the known release sites were suitable for Lepus europaeus and predators were rigorously suppressed, which, acting together with the wealth, power, influence, and determination of the proponents of the importations, made establishment of hares in Australia almost certain. However, 11 of the hares landed alive were almost certainly L. nigricollis, and the fates of seven of those hares are not known. There are populations of hares in Australia at sites suited to L. nigricollis but not L. europaeus on the basis of climate and availability of C4 grass types, and the taxonomic status of those hares should be examined.
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31
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Christin PA, Osborne CP. The evolutionary ecology of C4 plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2014; 204:765-81. [PMID: 25263843 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is a physiological syndrome resulting from multiple anatomical and biochemical components, which function together to increase the CO2 concentration around Rubisco and reduce photorespiration. It evolved independently multiple times and C4 plants now dominate many biomes, especially in the tropics and subtropics. The C4 syndrome comes in many flavours, with numerous phenotypic realizations of C4 physiology and diverse ecological strategies. In this work, we analyse the events that happened in a C3 context and enabled C4 physiology in the descendants, those that generated the C4 physiology, and those that happened in a C4 background and opened novel ecological niches. Throughout the manuscript, we evaluate the biochemical and physiological evidence in a phylogenetic context, which demonstrates the importance of contingency in evolutionary trajectories and shows how these constrained the realized phenotype. We then discuss the physiological innovations that allowed C4 plants to escape these constraints for two important dimensions of the ecological niche--growth rates and distribution along climatic gradients. This review shows that a comprehensive understanding of C4 plant ecology can be achieved by accounting for evolutionary processes spread over millions of years, including the ancestral condition, functional convergence via independent evolutionary trajectories, and physiological diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal-Antoine Christin
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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32
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Germination shifts of C3 and C4 species under simulated global warming scenario. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105139. [PMID: 25137138 PMCID: PMC4138113 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2014] [Accepted: 05/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Research efforts around the world have been increasingly devoted to investigating changes in C3 and C4 species' abundance or distribution with global warming, as they provide important insight into carbon fluxes and linked biogeochemical cycles. However, changes in the early life stage (e.g. germination) of C3 and C4 species in response to global warming, particularly with respect to asymmetric warming, have received less attention. We investigated germination percentage and rate of C3 and C4 species under asymmetric (+3/+6°C at day/night) and symmetric warming (+5/+5°C at day/night), simulated by alternating temperatures. A thermal time model was used to calculate germination base temperature and thermal time constant. Two additional alternating temperature regimes were used to test temperature metrics effect. The germination percentage and rate increased continuously for C4 species, but increased and then decreased with temperature for C3 species under both symmetric and asymmetric warming. Compared to asymmetric warming, symmetric warming significantly overestimated the speed of germination percentage change with temperature for C4 species. Among the temperature metrics (minimum, maximum, diurnal temperature range and average temperature), maximum temperature was most correlated with germination of C4 species. Our results indicate that global warming may favour germination of C4 species, at least for the C4 species studied in this work. The divergent effects of asymmetric and symmetric warming on plant germination also deserve more attention in future studies.
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33
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Wu H, Guo Z, Guiot J, Hatté C, Peng C, Yu Y, Ge J, Li Q, Sun A, Zhao D. Elevation-induced climate change as a dominant factor causing the late Miocene C(4) plant expansion in the Himalayan foreland. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:1461-1472. [PMID: 24123607 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2013] [Accepted: 08/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
During the late Miocene, a dramatic global expansion of C4 plant distribution occurred with broad spatial and temporal variations. Although the event is well documented, whether subsequent expansions were caused by a decreased atmospheric CO2 concentration or climate change is a contentious issue. In this study, we used an improved inverse vegetation modeling approach that accounts for the physiological responses of C3 and C4 plants to quantitatively reconstruct the paleoclimate in the Siwalik of Nepal based on pollen and carbon isotope data. We also studied the sensitivity of the C3 and C4 plants to changes in the climate and the atmospheric CO2 concentration. We suggest that the expansion of the C4 plant distribution during the late Miocene may have been primarily triggered by regional aridification and temperature increases. The expansion was unlikely caused by reduced CO2 levels alone. Our findings suggest that this abrupt ecological shift mainly resulted from climate changes related to the decreased elevation of the Himalayan foreland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haibin Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 9825, Beijing, 100029, China
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34
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Schultz NL, Reid N, Lodge G, Hunter JT. Seasonal and interannual variation in vegetation composition: Implications for survey design and data interpretation. AUSTRAL ECOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nick L. Schultz
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Nick Reid
- Ecosystem Management, School of Environmental and Rural Science; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
| | - Greg Lodge
- Department of Primary Industries; Tamworth Agricultural Institute; Calala New South Wales Australia
| | - John T. Hunter
- School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences; University of New England; Armidale New South Wales Australia
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35
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de Siqueira Ferreira S, Nishiyama MY, Paterson AH, Souza GM. Biofuel and energy crops: high-yield Saccharinae take center stage in the post-genomics era. Genome Biol 2013; 14:210. [PMID: 23805917 PMCID: PMC3707038 DOI: 10.1186/gb-2013-14-6-210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Saccharinae, especially sugarcane, Miscanthus and sorghum, present remarkable characteristics for bioenergy production. Biotechnology of these plants will be important for a sustainable feedstock supply. Herein, we review knowledge useful for their improvement and synergies gained by their parallel study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savio de Siqueira Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Milton Yutaka Nishiyama
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Andrew H Paterson
- Plant Genome Mapping Laboratory, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Glaucia Mendes Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 748, 05508-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Montanari S, Louys J, Price GJ. Pliocene paleoenvironments of southeastern Queensland, Australia inferred from stable isotopes of marsupial tooth enamel. PLoS One 2013; 8:e66221. [PMID: 23776636 PMCID: PMC3680432 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Chinchilla Local Fauna is a diverse assemblage of both terrestrial and aquatic Pliocene vertebrates from the fluviatile Chinchilla Sand deposits of southeastern Queensland, Australia. It represents one of Australia's few but exceptionally rich Pliocene vertebrate localities, and as such is an important source of paleoecological data concerning Pliocene environmental changes and its effects on ecosystems. Prior inferences about the paleoenvironment of this locality made on the basis of qualitative observations have ranged from grassland to open woodland to wetland. Examination of the carbon and oxygen isotopes in the tooth enamel of marsupials from this site represents a quantitative method for inferring the paleoenvironments and paleoecology of the fossil fauna. Results from Chinchilla show that Protemnodon sp. indet. consumed both C3 and C4 photosynthesis plant types (mean δ13C = −14.5±2.0‰), and therefore probably occupied a mixed vegetation environment. Macropus sp. indet. from Chinchilla also consumed a mixed diet of both C3 and C4 plants, with more of a tendency for C4 plant consumption (mean δ13C = −10.3±2.3‰). Interestingly, their isotopic dietary signature is more consistent with tropical and temperate kangaroo communities than the sub-tropical communities found around Chinchilla today. Other genera sampled in this study include the extinct kangaroo Troposodon sp. indet. and the fossil diprotodontid Euryzygoma dunense each of which appear to have occupied distinct dietary niches. This study suggests that southeastern Queensland hosted a mosaic of tropical forests, wetlands and grasslands during the Pliocene and was much less arid than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaena Montanari
- American Museum of Natural History, Richard Gilder Graduate School, New York, New York, United States of America.
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Bustamante MMC, Nardoto GB, Pinto AS, Resende JCF, Takahashi FSC, Vieira LCG. Potential impacts of climate change on biogeochemical functioning of Cerrado ecosystems. BRAZ J BIOL 2013; 72:655-71. [PMID: 23011296 DOI: 10.1590/s1519-69842012000400005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cerrado Domain comprises one of the most diverse savannas in the world and is undergoing a rapid loss of habitats due to changes in fire regimes and intense conversion of native areas to agriculture. We reviewed data on the biogeochemical functioning of Cerrado ecosystems and evaluated the potential impacts of regional climate changes. Variation in temperature extremes and in total amount of rainfall and altitude throughout the Cerrado determines marked differences in the composition of species. Cerrado ecosystems are controlled by interactions between water and nutrient availability. In general, nutrient cycles (N, P and base cations) are very conservative, while litter, microbial and plant biomass are important stocks. In terms of C cycling, root systems and especially the soil organic matter are the most important stocks. Typical cerrado ecosystems function as C sinks on an annual basis, although they work as source of C to the atmosphere close to the end of the dry season. Fire is an important factor altering stocks and fluxes of C and nutrients. Predicted changes in temperature, amount and distribution of precipitation vary according to Cerrado sub-regions with more marked changes in the northeastern part of the domain. Higher temperatures, decreases in rainfall with increase in length of the dry season could shift net ecosystem exchanges from C sink to source of C and might intensify burning, reducing nutrient stocks. Interactions between the heterogeneity in the composition and abundance of biological communities throughout the Cerrado Domain and current and future changes in land use make it difficult to project the impacts of future climate scenarios at different temporal and spatial scales and new modeling approaches are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M C Bustamante
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Ecossistemas, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil.
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Liu MZ, Osborne CP. Differential freezing resistance and photoprotection in C3 and C4 eudicots and grasses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2013; 64:2183-2191. [PMID: 23599273 PMCID: PMC3654411 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ert075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Globally, C4 plants dominate hot, open environments, but this general pattern is underpinned by important differences in the biogeography of C4 lineages. In particular, the species richness of C4 Poaceae (grasses) increases strongly with increasing temperature, whereas that of the major C4 eudicot group Chenopodiaceae correlates positively with aridity. Freezing tolerance is a crucial determinant of biogeographical relationships with temperature and is mediated by photodamage and cellular disruption by desiccation, but little is known about differences between C4 families. This study hypothesized that there is a greater risk of freezing damage via these mechanisms in C4 Poaceae than Chenopodiaceae, that freezing protection differs between the taxonomic groups, and that freezing tolerance of species is linked to arid habitat preference. Chlorophyll fluorescence, water relations, and freezing injury were compared in four C3 and six C4 species of Poaceae and Chenopodiaceae from the same Mongolian flora. Contrary to expectations, freezing-induced leaf mortality and photodamage were lower in Poaceae than Chenopodiaceae species, and unrelated to photosynthetic pathway. The freezing resistance of Poaceae species resulted from constitutive protection and cold acclimation and an ability to protect the photosynthetic apparatus from photodamage. Freezing protection was associated with low osmotic potential and low tissue elasticity, and freezing damage was accompanied by electrolyte leakage, consistent with cell-membrane disruption by ice. Both Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae had the potential to develop cold acclimation and withstand freezing during the growing season, which conflicted with the hypothesis. Instead, freezing tolerance was more closely associated with life history and ecological preference in these Mongolian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Zhen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100093, China
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Colin P. Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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Kangaroo tooth enamel oxygen and carbon isotope variation on a latitudinal transect in southern Australia: implications for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Oecologia 2012; 171:403-16. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2425-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/19/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Liu H, Edwards EJ, Freckleton RP, Osborne CP. Phylogenetic niche conservatism in C4 grasses. Oecologia 2012; 170:835-45. [PMID: 22569558 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2337-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Photosynthetic pathway is used widely to discriminate plant functional types in studies of global change. However, independent evolutionary lineages of C(4) grasses with different variants of C(4) photosynthesis show different biogeographical relationships with mean annual precipitation, suggesting phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC). To investigate how phylogeny and photosynthetic type differentiate C(4) grasses, we compiled a dataset of morphological and habitat information of 185 genera belonging to two monophyletic subfamilies, Chloridoideae and Panicoideae, which together account for 90 % of the world's C(4) grass species. We evaluated evolutionary variance and covariance of morphological and habitat traits. Strong phylogenetic signals were found in both morphological and habitat traits, arising mainly from the divergence of the two subfamilies. Genera in Chloridoideae had significantly smaller culm heights, leaf widths, 1,000-seed weights and stomata; they also appeared more in dry, open or saline habitats than those of Panicoideae. Controlling for phylogenetic structure showed significant covariation among morphological traits, supporting the hypothesis of phylogenetically independent scaling effects. However, associations between morphological and habitat traits showed limited phylogenetic covariance. Subfamily was a better explanation than photosynthetic type for the variance in most morphological traits. Morphology, habitat water availability, shading, and productivity are therefore all involved in the PNC of C(4) grass lineages. This study emphasized the importance of phylogenetic history in the ecology and biogeography of C(4) grasses, suggesting that divergent lineages need to be considered to fully understand the impacts of global change on plant distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Liu
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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Biodiversity of Terrestrial Ecosystems in Tropical to Temperate Australia. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1155/2012/359892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
During the short period of annual foliage growth in evergreen plant communities, aerodynamic fluxes (frictional, thermal, evaporative) in the atmosphere as it flows over and through a plant community determine the Foliage Projective Covers and leaf attributes in overstorey and understorey strata. The number of leaves produced on each vertical foliage shoot depends on available soil water and nutrients during this growth period. The area of all leaves exposed to solar radiation determines net photosynthetic fixation of the plant community throughout the year. In turn, the species richness (number of species per hectare) of both plants and resident vertebrates is determined. The species richness of unicellular algae and small multicellular isopods in permanent freshwater lagoons in Northern Australia may possibly have been increased by radiation released from nearby uranium deposits. Evolution of new angiosperms probably occurred in refugia during periods of extreme drought. When favourable climates were restored, the vegetation expanded to result in high Gamma Biodiversity (number of plant species per region) but with each major plant community having essentially the same species richness (number of plant species per hectare). The probable effects of pollution and Global Warming on biodiversity in Australian ecosystems, that experience seasonal drought, are discussed.
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Schmidt M, Thiombiano A, Zizka A, König K, Brunken U, Zizka G. Patterns of plant functional traits in the biogeography of West African grasses (Poaceae). Afr J Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2028.2011.01283.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Pinto H, Tissue DT, Ghannoum O. Panicum milioides (C(3)-C(4)) does not have improved water or nitrogen economies relative to C(3) and C(4) congeners exposed to industrial-age climate change. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2011; 62:3223-3234. [PMID: 21307386 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/err005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The physiological implications of C(3)-C(4) photosynthesis were investigated using closely related Panicum species exposed to industrial-age climate change. Panicum bisulcatum (C(3)), P. milioides (C(3)-C(4)), and P. coloratum (C(4)) were grown in a glasshouse at three CO(2) concentrations ([CO(2)]: 280, 400, and 650 μl l(-1)) and two air temperatures [ambient (27/19 °C day/night) and ambient + 4 °C] for 12 weeks. Under current ambient [CO(2)] and temperature, the C(3)-C(4) species had higher photosynthetic rates and lower stomatal limitation and electron cost of photosynthesis relative to the C(3) species. These photosynthetic advantages did not improve leaf- or plant-level water (WUE) or nitrogen (NUE) use efficiencies of the C(3)-C(4) relative to the C(3) Panicum species. In contrast, the C(4) species had higher photosynthetic rates and WUE but similar NUE to the C(3) species. Increasing [CO(2)] mainly stimulated photosynthesis of the C(3) and C(3)-C(4) species, while high temperature had no or negative effects on photosynthesis of the Panicum species. Under ambient temperature, increasing [CO(2)] enhanced the biomass of the C(3) species only. Under high temperature, increasing [CO(2)] enhanced the biomass of the C(3) and C(3)-C(4) species to the same extent, indicating increased CO(2) limitation in the C(3)-C(4) intermediate at high temperature. Growth [CO(2)] and temperature had complex interactive effects, but did not alter the ranking of key physiological parameters amongst the Panicum species. In conclusion, the ability of C(3)-C(4) intermediate species partially to recycle photorespired CO(2) did not improve WUE or NUE relative to congeneric C(3) or C(4) species grown under varying [CO(2)] and temperature conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harshini Pinto
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW 2753, Australia
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Rossouw L, Scott L. Phytoliths and Pollen, the Microscopic Plant Remains in Pliocene Volcanic Sediments Around Laetoli, Tanzania. PALEONTOLOGY AND GEOLOGY OF LAETOLI: HUMAN EVOLUTION IN CONTEXT 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9956-3_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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Abstract
Grasslands cover more than 20% of the Earth's terrestrial surface, and their rise to dominance is one of the most dramatic events of biome evolution in Earth history. Grasses possess two main photosynthetic pathways: the C(3) pathway that is typical of most plants and a specialized C(4) pathway that minimizes photorespiration and thus increases photosynthetic performance in high-temperature and/or low-CO(2) environments. C(4) grasses dominate tropical and subtropical grasslands and savannas, and C(3) grasses dominate the world's cooler temperate grassland regions. This striking pattern has been attributed to C(4) physiology, with the implication that the evolution of the pathway enabled C(4) grasses to persist in warmer climates than their C(3) relatives. We combined geospatial and molecular sequence data from two public archives to produce a 1,230-taxon phylogeny of the grasses with accompanying climate data for all species, extracted from more than 1.1 million herbarium specimens. Here we show that grasses are ancestrally a warm-adapted clade and that C(4) evolution was not correlated with shifts between temperate and tropical biomes. Instead, 18 of 20 inferred C(4) origins were correlated with marked reductions in mean annual precipitation. These changes are consistent with a shift out of tropical forest environments and into tropical woodland/savanna systems. We conclude that C(4) evolution in grasses coincided largely with migration out of the understory and into open-canopy environments. Furthermore, we argue that the evolution of cold tolerance in certain C(3) lineages is an overlooked innovation that has profoundly influenced the patterning of grassland communities across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika J Edwards
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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Firn J, House APN, Buckley YM. Alternative states models provide an effective framework for invasive species control and restoration of native communities. J Appl Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01741.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sage RF, Kocacinar F, Kubien DS. Chapter 10 C4 Photosynthesis and Temperature. C4 PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RELATED CO2 CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9407-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Chapter 8 Nitrogen and Water Use Efficiency of C4 Plants. C4 PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RELATED CO2 CONCENTRATING MECHANISMS 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-9407-0_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Paterson AH, Freeling M, Tang H, Wang X. Insights from the comparison of plant genome sequences. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2010; 61:349-72. [PMID: 20441528 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-042809-112235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The next decade will see essentially completed sequences for multiple branches of virtually all angiosperm clades that include major crops and/or botanical models. These sequences will provide a powerful framework for relating genome-level events to aspects of morphological and physiological variation that have contributed to the colonization of much of the planet by angiosperms. Clarification of the fundamental angiosperm gene set, its arrangement, lineage-specific variations in gene repertoire and arrangement, and the fates of duplicated gene pairs will advance knowledge of functional and regulatory diversity and perhaps shed light on adaptation by lineages to whole-genome duplication, which is a distinguishing feature of angiosperm evolution. Better understanding of the relationships among angiosperm genomes promises to provide a firm foundation upon which to base translational genomics: the leveraging of hard-won structural and functional genomic information from crown botanical models to dissect novel and, in some cases, economically important features in many additional organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H Paterson
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.
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Cerros-Tlatilpa R, Columbus JT. C3 photosynthesis in Aristida longifolia: Implication for photosynthetic diversification in Aristidoideae (Poaceae). AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2009; 96:1379-1387. [PMID: 21628285 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.0800265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Only a small percentage of plant species undergo C(4) photosynthesis. Despite its rarity, the C(4) pathway has evolved numerous times from C(3) ancestors, with as many as 18 independent origins in grasses alone. We report non-Kranz (C(3)) anatomy in Aristida longifolia, a species in a genus of ca. 300 species previously thought to possess only Kranz (C(4)) anatomy. Leaf blade transections of A. longifolia show widely spaced vascular bundles, nonradiate chlorenchyma, and few or no chloroplasts in cells of the sheaths surrounding the vascular bundle, all features indicative of C(3) photosynthesis. Carbon isotope ratios range from -27.68 to -29.71%, likewise indicative of C(3) photosynthesis. We also reconstruct the phylogeny of Aristidoideae, comprising Aristida, Sartidia (C(3)), and Stipagrostis (C(4)), using a sample of 11 species, including A. longifolia, and DNA sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region and the chloroplast rpl16 intron and trnL-trnF region. Sartidia and Stipagrostis resolve as sisters, and sister to this clade is Aristida. Aristida longifolia resolves as sister to the remaining species in the genus. C(3) photosynthesis is hypothesized to be ancestral in Aristidoideae, which means the C(4) pathway evolved twice in the subfamily-in Stipagrostis and early in the diversification of the Aristida clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa Cerros-Tlatilpa
- Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Claremont Graduate University, 1500 North College Avenue, Claremont, California 91711-3157 USA
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