Thermal optimality of net ecosystem exchange of carbon dioxide and underlying mechanisms

in New Phytologist (2012), 194

• It is well established that individual organisms can acclimate and adapt to temperature to optimize their functioning. However, thermal optimization of ecosystems, as an assemblage of organisms, has not ... [more ▼]

• It is well established that individual organisms can acclimate and adapt to temperature to optimize their functioning. However, thermal optimization of ecosystems, as an assemblage of organisms, has not been examined at broad spatial and temporal scales. • Here, we compiled data from 169 globally distributed sites of eddy covariance and quantified the temperature response functions of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), an ecosystem- level property, to determine whether NEE shows thermal optimality and to explore the underlying mechanisms. • We found that the temperature response of NEE followed a peak curve, with the optimum temperature (corresponding to the maximum magnitude of NEE) being positively correlated with annual mean temperature over years and across sites. Shifts of the optimum temperature of NEE were mostly a result of temperature acclimation of gross primary productivity (upward shift of optimum temperature) rather than changes in the temperature sensitivity of ecosystem respiration. • Ecosystem-level thermal optimality is a newly revealed ecosystem property, presumably reflecting associated evolutionary adaptation of organisms within ecosystems, and has the potential to significantly regulate ecosystem–climate change feedbacks. The thermal optimality of NEE has implications for understanding fundamental properties of ecosystems in changing environments and benchmarking global models. [less ▲]

Early Middle Ordovician evidence for land plants in Argentina (eastern Gondwana)

in New Phytologist (2010), 188

Vernalization-induced repression of FLOWERING LOCUS C stimulates flowering in Sinapis alba and enhances plant responsiveness to photoperiod.

in New Phytologist (2008), 178(4), 755-65

Of the Brassicaceae, Sinapis alba has been intensively studied as a physiological model of induction of flowering by a single long day (LD), while molecular-genetic analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana have ... [more ▼]

Of the Brassicaceae, Sinapis alba has been intensively studied as a physiological model of induction of flowering by a single long day (LD), while molecular-genetic analyses of Arabidopsis thaliana have disclosed complex interactions between pathways controlling flowering in response to different environmental cues, such as photoperiod and vernalization. The vernalization process in S. alba was therefore analysed here. The coding sequence of S. alba SaFLC, which is orthologous to the A. thaliana floral repressor FLOWERING LOCUS C, was isolated and the transcript levels quantified in different conditions. Two-week-old seedlings grown in noninductive short days (SDs) were vernalized for 1-6 wk. Down-regulation of SaFLC was already marked after 1 wk of cold but 2 wk was needed for a significant acceleration of flowering. Flower buds were initiated during vernalization. When vernalization was stopped after 1 wk, repression of SaFLC was not stable but a significant increase in plant responsiveness to 16-h LDs was observed when LDs followed immediately after the cold treatment. These results suggest that vernalization does not only work when plants experience long exposure to cold during the winter: shorter cold periods might stimulate flowering of LD plants if they occur when photoperiod is increasing, such as in spring. [less ▲]

Design of a versatile device for measuring whole plant gas exchanges in Arabidopsis thaliana

in New Phytologist (2004), 162(1), 223-229

Because of its small size and rosette growth habit, measuring gas exchanges in Arabidopsis thaliana is difficult with standard leaf cuvettes. Here, we designed a versatile system that is usable at the ... [more ▼]

Because of its small size and rosette growth habit, measuring gas exchanges in Arabidopsis thaliana is difficult with standard leaf cuvettes. Here, we designed a versatile system that is usable at the whole rosette level, as small as possible for fast and accurate measurements, but adaptable to plant size, and suitable for in situ measurements whatever the growing substrate of the plant. This cuvette is in two parts: the basic unit, which contains the sensors and is connected to the infra-red gas analyzer, and the clear chamber, where the rosette is enclosed. We made a set of three interchangeable chambers of different sizes to measure the rate of CO2 assimilation [A] of 26-, 33- and 40-d-old plants. The dependence of A to light irradiance and to intercellular CO2 concentration was recorded as typical response curves, which validate our device. Measurements were not only consistent in saturating conditions, but accurate CO2 exchange measurements in limiting conditions also reflected important physiological features related to plant ageing. [less ▲]

Ecological, morphological and allozymic differentiation between diploid and tetraploid knapweeds (Centaurea jacea) from a contact zone in the Belgian Ardennes

in New Phytologist (2000), 146(2), 281-290

In the northeastern part of Belgium, the Centaurea jacea complex shows extensive morphological variation and is represented by a diploid (2n = 22) and a tetraploid (2n = 44) cytotype. Polysomic ... [more ▼]

In the northeastern part of Belgium, the Centaurea jacea complex shows extensive morphological variation and is represented by a diploid (2n = 22) and a tetraploid (2n = 44) cytotype. Polysomic inheritance of allozyme markers in the tetraploids, suggesting autopolyploidy, is here demonstrated for the first time. In order to test whether the tno cytotypes occupy distinct habitats and possess different gene pools, patterns of allozymic and morphological variation were investigated in relation to ploidy level and site characteristics in 26 populations from the Belgian Ardennes. The two cytotypes showed a parapatric distribution, the diploids occurring at higher elevations (mostly above 500 m) than the tetraploids (mostly below 500 m). Three mixed populations were found near the contact zone of the two cytotypes. Within the mixed populations no triploid plant and no evidence for gene flow between cytotypes were found, despite widely overlapping flowering periods. The two cytotypes can be distinguished on the basis of morphological traits and enzymatic gene pools. The congruence of morphological and allozymic variation with chromosome numbers suggests a secondary contact between the two cytotypes with limited gene flow between them. The origin and persistence of the parapatric distribution are discussed. [less ▲]

Allozyme diversity and genetic structure in South - Western populations of Heather, Calluna vulgaris (L.) Hull

in New Phytologist (1997), 137