Multiple drivers of large-scale lichen decline in boreal forest canopies

Thin, hair-like lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, Usnea) form conspicuous epiphyte communities across the boreal biome. These poikilohydric organisms provide important ecosystem functions and are useful indicators of global change. We analyse how environmental drivers influence changes in occurrence and length of these lichens on Norway spruce (Picea abies) over 10 years in managed forests in Sweden using data from >6000 trees. Alectoria and Usnea showed strong declines in southern-central regions, whereas Bryoria declined in northern regions. Overall, relative loss rates across the country ranged from 1.7% per year in Alectoria to 0.5% in Bryoria. These losses contrasted with increased length of Bryoria and Usnea in some regions. Occurrence trajectories (extinction, colonization, presence, absence) on remeasured trees correlated best with temperature, rain, nitrogen deposition, and stand age in multinomial logistic regression models. Our analysis strongly suggests that industrial forestry, in combination with nitrogen, is the main driver of lichen declines. Logging of forests with long continuity of tree cover, short rotation cycles, substrate limitation and low light in dense forests are harmful for lichens. Nitrogen deposition has decreased but is apparently still sufficiently high to prevent recovery. Warming correlated with occurrence trajectories of Alectoria and Bryoria, likely by altering hydration regimes and increasing respiration during autumn/winter. The large-scale lichen decline on an important host has cascading effects on biodiversity and function of boreal forest canopies. Forest management must apply a broad spectrum of methods, including uneven-aged continuous cover forestry and retention of large patches, to secure the ecosystem functions of these important canopy components under future climates. Our findings highlight interactions among drivers of lichen decline (forestry, nitrogen, climate), functional traits (dispersal, lichen colour, sensitivity to nitrogen, water storage), and population processes (extinction/colonization)

Plant functional traits have globally consistent effects on competition.

Phenotypic traits and their associated trade-offs have been shown to have globally consistent effects on individual plant physiological functions, but how these effects scale up to influence competition, a key driver of community assembly in terrestrial vegetation, has remained unclear. Here we use growth data from more than 3 million trees in over 140,000 plots across the world to show how three key functional traits--wood density, specific leaf area and maximum height--consistently influence competitive interactions. Fast maximum growth of a species was correlated negatively with its wood density in all biomes, and positively with its specific leaf area in most biomes. Low wood density was also correlated with a low ability to tolerate competition and a low competitive effect on neighbours, while high specific leaf area was correlated with a low competitive effect. Thus, traits generate trade-offs between performance with competition versus performance without competition, a fundamental ingredient in the classical hypothesis that the coexistence of plant species is enabled via differentiation in their successional strategies. Competition within species was stronger than between species, but an increase in trait dissimilarity between species had little influence in weakening competition. No benefit of dissimilarity was detected for specific leaf area or wood density, and only a weak benefit for maximum height. Our trait-based approach to modelling competition makes generalization possible across the forest ecosystems of the world and their highly diverse species composition.We are especially grateful to the researchers whose long-term commitment to establish and maintain forest plots and their associated databases made this study possible, and to those who granted us data access: forest inventories and permanent plots of New Zealand, Spain (MAGRAMA), France, Switzerland, Sweden, US and Canada (for the provinces of Quebec provided by the Ministère des Ressources Naturelles du Québec, Ontario provided by OnTAP’s Growth and Yield Program of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador), CTFS (BCI and LTER-Luquillo), Taiwan (Fushan), Cirad (Paracou with funding by CEBA, ANR-10-LABX-25-01), Cirad, MEFCP and ICRA (M’Baïki) and Japan. We thank MPI-BGC Jena, who host TRY, and the international funding networks supporting TRY (IGBP, DIVERSITAS, GLP, NERC, QUEST, FRB and GIS Climate). G.K. was supported by a Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Program (Demo-Traits project, no. 299340). The working group that initiated this synthesis was supported by Macquarie University and by Australian Research Council through a fellowship to M.W.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature1647

Sequestration of the Aβ Peptide Prevents Toxicity and Promotes Degradation In Vivo

An engineered protein prevents aggregation of the Aβ peptide and facilitates clearance of Aβ from the brain in a fruit fly model of Alzheimer's disease

A new species of Symplocos (Symplocaceae) from southern Ecuador

A new species from Ecuador, Symplocos limonensis, is here described and illustrated. It resembles S. clethrifolia but differs by having larger leaves with evident (i.e., not concealed) areoles on lower surface, sessile inflorescences, smaller white corollas, and fewer stamens. The species is only known from three collections in the Andean forests of Morona-Santiago Province in southern Ecuador

Phylogeny of the Neotropical legume genera Zygia and Marmaroxylon and close relatives

The Neotropical legume genera Zygia and Marmaroxylon have traditionally been considered closely related and are sometimes treated as congeners. They have been referred to the mimosoid tribe Ingeae based on their possession of flowers with basally fused stamen filaments. However, their systematic status and position have not been analysed in a phylogenetic context. This study provides the first molecular phylogeny of Zygia and Marmaroxylon and closely related mimosoid legume genera, particularly from the tribe Ingeae. DNA sequence data were derived from the nuclear external transcribed spacer (ETS) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS), and from the chloroplast psbA-trnH and trnL-trnF regions, and were analysed using Bayesian inference. In all, 29 species of Zygia and 7 species of Marmaroxylon were included in the study along with representative species from the closely related genera Abarema, Acacia s.str., Archidendropsis, Calliandra, Chloroleucon, Cojoba, Faidherbia, Havardia, Hydrochorea, Inga, Leucochloron, Macrosamanea, Pithecellobium, Pseudosamanea, Samanea, Senegalia, Vachellia and Zapoteca. The results show that neither Zygia nor Marmaroxylon are monophyletic as presently circumscribed. Furthermore, these two genera are not monophyletic together. None of the nine presently recognized sections of Zygia that contain more than one species are shown to be monophyletic. Two of the monospecific sections of Zygia, sect. Ingopsis (Z. inundata) and sect. Pseudocojoba (Z. sabatieri), were found in a clade together with species of Inga. Marmaroxylon ocumarense and M. magdalenae, previously treated as synonyms (as Zygia), are not conspecific, and are found in a clade with Macrosamanea and in a clade with species of Abarema and Hydrochorea, respectively. Our results also show the Inga alliance to be non-monophyletic. In correspondence with the results presented, all species referred to Marmaroxylon, except for M. ocumarense and M. magdalenae, are here included in Zygia, and Z. inundata is treated in Inga, in which genus it was first described

Phylogenetic relationships of the mimosoid Ingeae–Acacia complex (Fabaceae), based on plastid and nuclear data

Modern phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data have shown that the current classification of the Ingeae tribe (Caesalpinioideae, Fabaceae) do not always reflect evolutionary relationships. Many genera that are currently defined based on morphological characters do not constitute monophyletic groups and generic relationships within the tribe are not fully known. Moreover, the Ingeae tribe itself does not comprise a monophyletic group since the genus Acacia (tribe Acacieae) is nested among the ingoid species. We investigated phylogenetic relationships of the Ingeae−Acacia complex on a generic level. We put special emphasis on genera with a taxonomic history in Calliandra s.l., i.e. Calliandra s.s., Afrocalliandra, Sanjappa, Viguieranthus and Zapoteca, and also the genus Faidherbia, which has been shown to be closely related to these genera in previous phylogenetic studies. We included samples from 32 ingoid genera, samples of Acacia and Senegalia (tribe Acacieae), and Vachellia farnesiana, which was used for rooting the trees. Datasets included the nuclear ETS and ITS, and the plastid matK, trnL-trnF and ycf1 DNA regions and were analysed with Bayesian inference and Ultrafast Bootstrap. The results show that the species of the Ingeae−Acacia complex are resolved in three major clades. Calliandra s.s. together with Afrocalliandra (Clade 1) is the sister to all remaining species of Ingeae and Acacia (Clades 2 and 3). Clade 2 comprises Faidherbia, Sanjappa, Thailentadopsis, Viguieranthus and Zapoteca. Clade 2 and Clade 3 are sisters,  and thus the genera of Clade 2 are more closely related to each other and to the taxa of Clade 3, than to Calliandra s.s. and Afrocalliandra (Clade 1). The genera of Clades 1 and 2 all have the same type of pod, the typical “Calliandra-pod”, with Faidherbia being the only exception. Our results show that the “Calliandra-pod” is not a sign of evolutionary relationship within the Ingeae-Acacia complex. Rather this character evolved independently several times, also in clades outside of the Ingeae−Acacia complex. Another example is seen in the leaf structure within the Ingeae−Acacia complex. The possession of pinnate leaves defines the genus Inga (Clade 3) but is also present in the other two major clades (Clades 1 and 2) within the Ingeae−Acacia complex. It seems like the occurrence of pinnate leaves evolved at least three times within the Ingeae-Acacia complex. Another possibility is that the possession of pinnate leaves represents the ancestral state. However, within the mimosoids bipinnate leaves is the most common leaf morphology and the logical conclusion is that bipinnate leaves is the ancestral state. The most common polyad structure within the Ingeae−Acacia complex is 16-grained acalymmate polyads, but exceptions to this is present in Calliandra s.s., Afrocalliandra, Faidherbia and Acacia. Moreover, Calliandra s.s. is the only genus with calymmate polyads. Polyad structure could be useful for the generic classification of the Ingeae−Acacia complex but needs to be combined with other morphological characters. It seems likely that the ancestral state of polyad structure within the Ingeae-Acacia complex is acalymmate polyads and thus that the calymmate polyads seen in Calliandra are secondarily derived.  For supplementary material see files attached to this record.</p

Phylogenetic relationships of the mimosoid Ingeae–Acacia complex (Fabaceae), based on plastid and nuclear data

Modern phylogenetic analyses based on molecular data have shown that the current classification of the Ingeae tribe (Caesalpinioideae, Fabaceae) do not always reflect evolutionary relationships. Many genera that are currently defined based on morphological characters do not constitute monophyletic groups and generic relationships within the tribe are not fully known. Moreover, the Ingeae tribe itself does not comprise a monophyletic group since the genus Acacia (tribe Acacieae) is nested among the ingoid species. We investigated phylogenetic relationships of the Ingeae−Acacia complex on a generic level. We put special emphasis on genera with a taxonomic history in Calliandra s.l., i.e. Calliandra s.s., Afrocalliandra, Sanjappa, Viguieranthus and Zapoteca, and also the genus Faidherbia, which has been shown to be closely related to these genera in previous phylogenetic studies. We included samples from 32 ingoid genera, samples of Acacia and Senegalia (tribe Acacieae), and Vachellia farnesiana, which was used for rooting the trees. Datasets included the nuclear ETS and ITS, and the plastid matK, trnL-trnF and ycf1 DNA regions and were analysed with Bayesian inference and Ultrafast Bootstrap. The results show that the species of the Ingeae−Acacia complex are resolved in three major clades. Calliandra s.s. together with Afrocalliandra (Clade 1) is the sister to all remaining species of Ingeae and Acacia (Clades 2 and 3). Clade 2 comprises Faidherbia, Sanjappa, Thailentadopsis, Viguieranthus and Zapoteca. Clade 2 and Clade 3 are sisters,  and thus the genera of Clade 2 are more closely related to each other and to the taxa of Clade 3, than to Calliandra s.s. and Afrocalliandra (Clade 1). The genera of Clades 1 and 2 all have the same type of pod, the typical “Calliandra-pod”, with Faidherbia being the only exception. Our results show that the “Calliandra-pod” is not a sign of evolutionary relationship within the Ingeae-Acacia complex. Rather this character evolved independently several times, also in clades outside of the Ingeae−Acacia complex. Another example is seen in the leaf structure within the Ingeae−Acacia complex. The possession of pinnate leaves defines the genus Inga (Clade 3) but is also present in the other two major clades (Clades 1 and 2) within the Ingeae−Acacia complex. It seems like the occurrence of pinnate leaves evolved at least three times within the Ingeae-Acacia complex. Another possibility is that the possession of pinnate leaves represents the ancestral state. However, within the mimosoids bipinnate leaves is the most common leaf morphology and the logical conclusion is that bipinnate leaves is the ancestral state. The most common polyad structure within the Ingeae−Acacia complex is 16-grained acalymmate polyads, but exceptions to this is present in Calliandra s.s., Afrocalliandra, Faidherbia and Acacia. Moreover, Calliandra s.s. is the only genus with calymmate polyads. Polyad structure could be useful for the generic classification of the Ingeae−Acacia complex but needs to be combined with other morphological characters. It seems likely that the ancestral state of polyad structure within the Ingeae-Acacia complex is acalymmate polyads and thus that the calymmate polyads seen in Calliandra are secondarily derived.  For supplementary material see files attached to this record.</p

Prognostic implications of cytogenetic aberrations in diffuse large B-cell lymphomas

A single institution series of 81 consecutive, cytogenetically analyzed, diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBL), the majority of which treated with anthracycline-containing combination chemotherapy, were reviewed retrospectively to investigate whether the karyotypic pattern or certain abnormalities correlate with survival. Clonal chromosome changes were found in 79 of the 81 cases. The prognostic impact of the following aberrations, all suggested in previous studies to be associated with either shorter or longer survival, were tested: 1q21-23 breakpoints, +2/dup(2p), +3/dup(3p), +5, +6, 6q21-25 breakpoints, monosomy 7/der(7p)/i(7q), trisomy 7, 14q11-12 breakpoints, monosomy 17/der(17p)/i(17q), trisomy 18, > 4 marker chromosomes, > 4 breakpoints, and > or = 10 abnormalities. Univariate analysis showed that a breakpoint at 1q21-23 or trisomy 6 was associated with a shorter survival. However, when adjusted for age, stage, performance status and lactate dehydrogenase level, none of the cytogenetic aberrations had an independent prognostic value. Thus, the present investigation provides no support for any of the above-mentioned abnormalities being of prognostic importance in DLBL

Dead wood availability in managed Swedish forests - Policy outcomes and implications for biodiversity

Dead wood is a critical resource for forest biodiversity and widely used as an indicator for sustainable forest management. Based on data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory we provide baseline information and analyze trends in volume and distribution of dead wood in Swedish managed forests during 15 years. The data are based on ≈30,000 sample plots inventoried during three periods (1994-1998; 2003-2007 and 2008-2012). The forest policy has since 1994 emphasized the need to increase the amount of dead wood in Swedish forests. The average volume of dead wood in Sweden has increased by 25% (from 6.1 to 7.6 m3 ha-1) since the mid-1990s, but patterns differed among regions and tree species. The volume of conifer dead wood (mainly from Picea abies) has increased in the southern part of the country, but remained stable or decreased in the northern part. Heterogeneity of dead wood types was low in terms of species, diameter and decay classes, potentially negatively impacting on biodiversity. Overall, we found only minor effects of the current forest policy since most of the increase can be attributed to storm events creating a pulse of hard dead wood. Therefore, the implementation of established policy instruments (e.g. legislation and voluntary certification schemes) need to be revisited. In addition to the retention of dead trees during forestry operations, policy makers should consider calling for more large-scale targeted creation of dead trees and management methods with longer rotation cycles. © 2016 The Authors.CODEN: FECMD</p