Responses to canopy openings in architectural development of saplings in eight deciduous broadleaved tree species

ArticleCANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH-REVUE CANADIENNE DE RECHERCHE FORESTIERE. 31(8):1336-1347(2001)journal articl

VEGETATION OF FRESH WATER SWAMPY AREAS IN WEST AND CENTRAL KALIMANTAN

Vegetation types in fresh water swampy areas: Mandor in West Kalimantan and Lahei in Central Kalimantan, were compared.There were three types: kerangas, kerangas shrub and peat swamp forest. Kerangas forests in both areas had similar flora in some extent.That of peat swamp was very different from kerangas though both vegetations distributed in adjacent area

Plastic changes of leaf mass per area and leaf nitrogen content in response to canopy openings in saplings of eight deciduous broad-leaved tree species

The original publication is available at www.springerlink.comArticleECOLOGICAL RESEARCH. 20(1):17-23(2005)journal articl

Distribusi Vertikal Dan Horizontal Asplenium Nidus L. Di Taman Nasional Gunung Halimun, Jawa Barat [Vertical and Horizontal Distributions of Asplenium Nidus L. in Gunung Halimun National Park, West Java]

The study was carried out on August 2000 to July 2001, in 1-ha permanent plot, near Cikaniki Research Station, in Halimun Mountain National Park, West Java.The results shows that, from 1 ha (100 sub plots, each 10x10 m size) studied there were 388 individual numbers of Asplenium nidus L. with some variation on rosette leaves size. The individual numbers of A. nidus were greater at host plant stem with diameter class distribution between 1.3-9.9 cm (45,6%), and than percentages value were decreased in the larger of host plant stem diameter class. Also the individual numbers of A. nidus were greater at under 5 m height position above ground, that is 252 (65,1%).There were no correlation between host plant height (tree trunk height) and A. nidus height position above ground.However there were little linear correlation between rosette leaves size with stem diameter of host plant(Y=1.5586x+317.37 and R =0.0211), and little linear correlation between rosette leaves size with host plant height(Y=2.8241x+304.63, and R =0.0226), but there were no significant increased for both. It was assumed the effects of microclimate(temperature, humidity, light, and rainfall) to distribution of A. nidus as well as horizontal or vertical distribution

DISTRIBUSI VERTIKAL DAN HORIZONTAL Asplenium nidus L. DI TAMAN NASIONAL GUNUNG HALIMUN, JAWA BARAT

The study was carried out on August 2000 to July 2001, in 1-ha permanent plot, near Cikaniki Research Station, in Halimun Mountain National Park, West Java.The results shows that, from 1 ha (100 sub plots, each 10x10 m size) studied there were 388 individual numbers of Asplenium nidus L. with some variation on rosette leaves size. The individual numbers of A. nidus were greater at host plant stem with diameter class distribution between 1.3-9.9 cm (45,6%), and than percentages value were decreased in the larger of host plant stem diameter class. Also the individual numbers of A. nidus were greater at under 5 m height position above ground, that is 252 (65,1%).There were no correlation between host plant height (tree trunk height) and A. nidus height position above ground.However there were little linear correlation between rosette leaves size with stem diameter of host plant(Y=1.5586x+317.37 and R =0.0211), and little linear correlation between rosette leaves size with host plant height(Y=2.8241x+304.63, and R =0.0226), but there were no significant increased for both. It was assumed the effects of microclimate(temperature, humidity, light, and rainfall) to distribution of A. nidus as well as horizontal or vertical distribution

Structure of Musashi1 in a complex with target RNA: the role of aromatic stacking interactions

Mammalian Musashi1 (Msi1) is an RNA-binding protein that regulates the translation of target mRNAs, and participates in the maintenance of cell ‘stemness’ and tumorigenesis. Msi1 reportedly binds to the 3′-untranslated region of mRNA of Numb, which encodes Notch inhibitor, and impedes initiation of its translation by competing with eIF4G for PABP binding, resulting in triggering of Notch signaling. Here, the mechanism by which Msi1 recognizes the target RNA sequence using its Ribonucleoprotein (RNP)-type RNA-binding domains (RBDs), RBD1 and RBD2 has been revealed on identification of the minimal binding RNA for each RBD and determination of the three-dimensional structure of the RBD1:RNA complex. Unique interactions were found for the recognition of the target sequence by Msi1 RBD1: adenine is sandwiched by two phenylalanines and guanine is stacked on the tryptophan in the loop between β1 and α1. The minimal recognition sequences that we have defined for Msi1 RBD1 and RBD2 have actually been found in many Msi1 target mRNAs reported to date. The present study provides molecular clues for understanding the biology involving Musashi family proteins

Damage to tropical forests caused by cyclones is driven by wind speed but mediated by topographical exposure and tree characteristics

Each year, an average of 45 tropical cyclones affect coastal areas and potentially impact forests. The proportion of the most intense cyclones has increased over the past four decades and is predicted to continue to do so. Yet, it remains uncertain how topographical exposure and tree characteristics can mediate the damage caused by increasing wind speed. Here, we compiled empirical data on the damage caused by 11 cyclones occurring over the past 40 years, from 74 forest plots representing tropical regions worldwide, encompassing field data for 22,176 trees and 815 species. We reconstructed the wind structure of those tropical cyclones to estimate the maximum sustained wind speed (MSW) and wind direction at the studied plots. Then, we used a causal inference framework combined with Bayesian generalised linear mixed models to understand and quantify the causal effects of MSW, topographical exposure to wind (EXP), tree size (DBH) and species wood density (ρ) on the proportion of damaged trees at the community level, and on the probability of snapping or uprooting at the tree level. The probability of snapping or uprooting at the tree level and, hence, the proportion of damaged trees at the community level, increased with increasing MSW, and with increasing EXP accentuating the damaging effects of cyclones, in particular at higher wind speeds. Higher ρ decreased the probability of snapping and to a lesser extent of uprooting. Larger trees tended to have lower probabilities of snapping but increased probabilities of uprooting. Importantly, the effect of ρ decreasing the probabilities of snapping was more marked for smaller than larger trees and was further accentuated at higher MSW. Our work emphasises how local topography, tree size and species wood density together mediate cyclone damage to tropical forests, facilitating better predictions of the impacts of such disturbances in an increasingly windier world

Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences

Non peer reviewe

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