TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Endogenne zanieczyszczenia pszenicy przez gatunki rodzaju Aspergillus i Penicillium

The aim of this study was to analyse the endogenous mycobiota of superficially sterilised wheat grains with the focus on Aspergillus (including two teleomorphs) and Penicillium genera. The Slovak wheat samples (Triticum aestivum L.) were harvested in the season 2006. The total of 6 wheat samples grown under conditions of the conventional and 12 of the ecological farming system were inyestigated for the presence of mtcroscopical fungi. A total of 17 genera were recovered as members of the endogenous mycobiota on Di-chloran Rosę Bengal Chloramphenicol agar (DRBC) and Dichloran Yeast Extract 18 % Glycerol agar (DYSG). On DRBC were detected Aspergillus and Penicillium species only from the ecological agriculture, namely A. candidus, A. flavus, A. niger, Emericella nidulans, Eurotium amslelodami, E. chevalieri, Eurotium sp., Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. chrysogenum, P. corylophilum, P. crustosum, P. griseofulwm, P. viridi-catum and Penicillium sp. On DYSG were detected Eurotium species (E. amstelodami, E. chevalieri, E. repens, E. rubrum) and Penicillium species (P. griseofulvum, P. hordei) both from ecological and conventional agriculture. From the ecological wheat was isolated a wider spectrum of fungi on DYSG in comparison with the conventional agriculture, namely A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. sydowii, Emericella nidulans, E. amstelodami, E. chevalieri, E. repens, E. rubrum, Eurotium sp. P. aurantiogriseum, P. crustosum, P. solitum and Penicillium sp. The isolates of potentially toxigenic species of Aspergillus, Emericella and Penicillium were tested for their ability to produce particular toxic metabolites, ie mycotoxins in Mitro by means of a thin layer chromatography (TLC). Ali the tested isolates were obtained from the samples of ecological agriculture. Out of 18 screened isolates 11 produced at least one mycotoxin and a production was vague in 2 isolates. One iso-late (out of one) produced sterigmatocystin, 6 (out of 11) cyclopiazonic acid (production was vague in 2 isolates), and patulin 3 (out of 3). Conversely, none of potentially aflatoxinogenic isolates (Aspergillus flavus) tested in this study produced aflatoxins. Two isolates were tested for the production of ochratoxin A, Aspergillus niger did not produce ochratoxin A and in A. ochraceus production was unclear.Celem badań było rozpoznanie endogennych grzybów ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem rodzajów Aspergillus i Penicillium na ziarnach pszenicy poddanych powierzchownej sterylizacji. Próbki pszenicy (Triticum aestimm L.) pochodziły ze zbiorów z 2006 r. ze Słowacji. Sześć próbek pszenicy pochodziło z upraw konwencjonalnej, a dwanaście próbek z upraw ekologicznych. Rozpoznano 17 rodzajów endogennych grzybów wyhodowanych na DRBC (Dichloran Rosę Bengal Chloramphenicol agar) i DYSG (Dichloran Yeast Extract 18 % Glycerol agar). Gatunki z Aspergillus i Penicillium, tj.: A. candidus, A. Jlavus, A. niger, Emericella nidulans, Eurotium amstelodami, E. chevalieri, Eurotium sp., Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. chrysogenum, P. corylophilum, P. crustosum, P. griseofulvum, P. viridicatum i Penicillium sp. wykryte na DRBC pochodziły wyłącznie z upraw ekologicznych. Na DYSG stwierdzono gatunki z rodzaju Eurotium (E. amstelodami, E. chevalieri, E. repens, E. rubrum) oraz z rodzaju Penicillium (P. griseofulvum, P. hordei). Znajdowały się one na ziarnach z obu typów badanych upraw. Więcej gatunków grzybów wyizolowano DYSG z ziarna pochodzącego z upraw ekologicznych niż z ziarna pochodzącego z upraw konwencjonalnych. Były to: A. flavus, A. ochraceus, A. sydowii, Emericella nidulans, E. amstelodami, E. chevalieri, E. repens, E, rubrum, Eurotium sp. P. aurantiogriseum, P. crustosum, P. solilum i Penicillium sp. Wyizolowane gatunki z rodzajów Aspergillus, Emericella i Penicillium zbadano in vitro pod kątem produkcji toksycznych metabolitów, tj. mykotoksyn metodą chromatografii cienkowarstwowej (TLC). Wszystkie badane próbki pochodziły z upraw ekologicznych. Spośród 18 próbek wyizolowanych grzybów w 11 stwierdzono obecność przynajmniej jednej mykotoksyny. W 2 próbkach wyizolowanych grzybów obecność mykotoksyny była wątpliwa, w jednej stwierdzono obecność sterigmatocystyny, w 6 (spośród 11) odnotowano obecność kwasu cyklopiazonowego (obecność w dwóch próbkach była wątpliwa), a w 3 próbkach obecna była patulina. W żadnej z wyizolowanych próbek grzybów nie stwierdzono obecności aflatoksyn. Dwie próbki wyizolowanych grzybów zostały poddane testom na obecność ochratoksyny A. Aspergillus niger nie produkował ochratoksyny A, natomiast w próbkach A. ochraceus obecność ochratoksyny A była wątpliwa

Soil moisture level and substrate type determine long-term seed lifespan in a soil seed bank

Aims Seeds are usually classified as short- or long-term persistent. It is still hardly understood how environmental conditions influence seed persistence. The study aimed to monitor the long-term effects of different moisture and substrate on seed persistence. Methods Seeds of three Rumex species buried in autumn 2009 in combinations of moisture and substrate were exhumed in spring 2015 and 2021 to test their persistence in the soil after 5.5 and 11.5 years, respectively. Long-term persistence data were compared with data from previous short-term experiment for the same species and environmental conditions reported in Abedi et al. (Plant Soil 374:485-495, 2014). Results No seeds of R. acetosa were found viable after 1.5 years. Seeds of R. acetosella retained viability after 11.5 years mostly in dry-loam (~ 60%) and moist-sand (~ 25%) test conditions and moisture levels were identified as the main driver. R. maritimus retained ≥ 80% viability in moist and wet test conditions and > 40% in the dry test conditions. Conclusions For one (R. acetosella) of the three investigated species, the classification of soil seed bank type depended on environmental conditions, emphasizing the need to introduce a more detailed classification scheme for soil seed persistence and to include the information about extrinsic parameters in databases. However, in the other two species with transient (R. acetosa) and long-term persistent (R. maritimus) seed banks, there are rather intrinsic parameters that affect seed viability. Hence, both site-specific environmental factors as well as seed germination traits need full consideration in the classification of future soil seed bank studies

Solution of hydrogen in accident tolerant fuel candidate material: U₃Si₂

Hydrogen uptake and accommodation into U 3 Si 2 , a candidate accident-tolerant fuel system, has been modelled on the atomic scale using the density functional theory. The solution energy of multiple H atoms is computed, reaching a stoichiometry of U 3 Si 2 H 2 which has been experimentally observed in previous work (reported as U 3 Si 2 H 1.8 ). The absorption of hydrogen is found to be favourable up to U 3 Si 2 H 2 and the associated volume change is computed, closely matching experimental data. Entropic effects are considered to assess the dissociation temperature of H 2 , estimated to be at ∼800 K – again in good agreement with the experimentally observed transition temperature

Impact of hydrogen absorption on crystal structure and magnetic properties of geometrically frustrated Nd₂Ni₂In

Nd2Ni2In orders antiferromagnetically at TN = 8K.Apossible first-ordertype of the phase transition can be related to the frustrated lattice of the Shastry–Sutherland type.The transition does not shift in mag- netic field but turns into aferromagnetic transition in magnetic fieldsexceeding 0.3 T.Powder neutron diffraction determined the magnetic structure with Nd moments oriented mutually perpendicular along the directions of the (110) type. Large change of magnetic entropy in weak magnetic fields leads to a giant magnetocaloric effect. Reversible hydrogen absorption in pressures of several bar leads to the hydride Nd2Ni2InH~7 achieved through the sequence of intermediate hydrides. The highest hydride has an orthorhombic distortion and volume expansion exceeding 23%.It is antiferromagnetic below TN ~ 3 K

Hydrogen absorption in RE₂T₂In compounds

RE2T2In compounds (RE = rare earth, T is a late transition metal) were found, depending on the composition, absorbing different amounts of H. Several types of reaction of crystal structure have been found. Mere volume expansion, analogous to U2T2X compounds, was found e.g. in Tb2Pd2In, allowing to accommodate up to 2 H atoms/f.u. (one formula unit comprises 2 RE atoms). More dramatic structure modifications are required, to keep the H–H spacing higher than 2.1 Å, for higher H absorption. One type of reaction is amorphization, observed in La2Pd2In. Other type was observed in Nd2Ni2In, undergoing an orthorhombic distortion and forming four different H sites. The volume expansion exceeds 23%