Stoichiometry of C:N:P in the Roots of Alhagi sparsifolia Is More Sensitive to Soil Nutrients Than Aboveground Organs

The stoichiometry of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C:N:P) among leaves, stems, and roots reflects trade-offs in plants for acquiring resources and their growth strategy. The widely distributed plant Alhagi sparsifolia is an ideal species to study the ecological stoichiometry in different organs in response to the availability of nutrients and water in the desert ecosystem. However, which response of organs is most sensitive to environmental conditions is still unclear. To answer this question, we collected samples of plants and soils including not only aboveground leaves and stems, but also underground roots and soils from a wide range of arid areas during the growing season. The C, N, P, C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios in leaves, thorns, stems, and roots were derived to explore their relationship as well as their response mechanisms to nutrients and water spanning 1 m deep in the soil. The results showed that the order of N concentration was leaves > thorns > stems > roots, that the concentration of P in the leaves, thorns, and stems was similar, and that their values were higher than those in the roots. First, the C:N ratios in the leaves and stems were significantly positively correlated with the ratio in roots. The C:N ratios in each organ showed a significant relationship with the soil alkali hydrolyzable nitrogen (SAN) above a depth of 60 cm. In addition to SAN, soil available phosphorus (SAP) and soil organic carbon (SOC) affect the C:N ratio in the roots. Second, the C:P and N:P ratios in aboveground organs showed no correlations with the ratios in roots. The C:P and N:P ratios in the leaves and thorns have no relationship with soil nutrients, while the C:P ratio in roots was influenced by SAN and SOC in all soil layers. Finally, the N:P ratios in roots were also affected by nutrients in different soil depths at 0–20 and 60–80 cm. These results illustrate that the roots were more sensitive to soil nutrients than the aboveground parts. Our study of ecological stoichiometry also suggests a novel systematic approach for analyzing the sensitivity of responses of an organ to environmental conditions.Fil: Yin, Hui. Xinjiang University; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zheng, Hongwei. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zhang, Bo. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Tariq, Akash. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Lv, Guanghui. Xinjiang University; ChinaFil: Zeng, Fanjiang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Graciano, Corina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Ethnoveterinary Study of Medicinal Plants in a Tribal Society of Sulaiman Range

The aims of the present study were (i) to document ethnoveterinary plants and their formulation techniques in an unexplored region of Pakistan and (ii) to select candidate medicinal plants with high consensus factor and fidelity value for further in vitro investigation. A total of 60 informants were interviewed using semistructured questionnaire. A total of 41 plants belonging to 30 families were used to treat livestock ailments in study area. Mostly leaves (47%) were used in recipes formulation mostly in the form of decoction. Gastrointestinal infections were found more common and majority of the plants were used against cow (31) and buffaloes (24) ailments. Recovery time of majority of the recipes was three to four days. Informant consensus factor (Fic) results have shown a high degree of consensus for gastrointestinal, respiratory, and reproductive (0.95 each) ailments. Fidelity level (FL) results showed that Asparagus gracilis ranked first with FL value 93% followed by Rumex hastatus ranked second (91%) and Tinospora cordifolia ranked third (90%). Aged farmers and nomads had more traditional knowledge as compared to younger ones. Plants with high Fic and FL values could be further investigated in vitro for the search of some novel bioactive compounds and young generation should be educated regarding ethnoveterinary practices

An increase in livestock density increases forage nutritional value but decreases net primary production and annual forage nutritional yield in the alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Pasture biomass and quality are dependent on herbivore grazing andprecipitation, but the responses of vegetation to the interactive effects ofclimate and grazing regimes remain unclear. We conducted an eight-yearsheep grazing experiment with 4 stocking rates (0, 3.5, 5.5, and 7.5 sheep/ha) inan alpine meadow of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. The above-ground netprimary productivity (ANPP) and forage nutritional value (FNV) of four dominantspecies (Poa annua, Kobresia humilis, Astragalus adsurgens and Potentillafruticosa) were measured during a wet year (360 mm rainfall) and a droughtyear (216 mm rainfall). The FNV was used as indicator of forage quality and wascalculated from the crude protein (CP) content, in vitro true dry matterdigestibility (IVTD), metabolic energy (ME) yield, and neutral detergent fiber(NDF) content of the plant. The stocking rate explained a minimum of 76% ofthe variations of ANPP, and the precipitation sub-additive effect for ANPPranged from 5% to 12%. The interaction of sheep stocking rate and precipitationaffected ANPP of the 4 species, except for P. fruticosa. The FNV of the pastureincreased with increasing grazing pressure, but ANPP and forage nutritionalyield (FNY) decreased. In calculating FNY, the increase in FNV did notcompensate for the decrease in ANPP. In non-grazed plots, the CP yielddeclined sharply (18%-55%) in response to drought, but there was no effecton ME yield. The interaction between stocking rate and precipitation affected forage quality of the 4 plant species differently. The grassland ANPP and FNYcould be maintained at a grazing intensity of 3.5 sheep/ha in wet and dry years.Our results highlight that stocking density affects pasture ANPP and FNV, and iscontingent on rainfal

Ethnomedicine use in the war affected region of northwest Pakistan

BACKGROUND: North-West of Pakistan is bestowed with medicinal plant resources due to diverse geographical and habitat conditions. The traditional use of plants for curing various diseases forms an important part of the region’s cultural heritage. The study was carried out to document medicinal plants used in Frontier Region (FR) Bannu, an area affected by the “War on Terror”. METHODS: Fieldwork was carried out in four different seasons (spring, autumn, summer and winter) from March 2012 to February 2013. Data on medicinal plants was collected using structured and semi-structured questionnaires from 250 respondents. The voucher specimens were collected, processed and identified following standard methods. RESULTS: Of the 107 species of ethnomedicinal plants reported, fifty percent species are herbaceous. The majority of the reported species were wild (55%) but a substantial proportion are cultivated (29%). For most of the plant species (34%), leaves are the most commonly used part in the preparation of ethnomedicines. The most common use of species is for carminative purposes (14 species), with the next most common use being for blood purification (11 species). The main methods used in the preparation of ethnomedicinal recipes involves grinding and boiling, and nearly all the remedies are taken orally along with ingredients such as water, milk or honey for ease of ingestion. Traditional healers prepare plant remedies using one or more plants. There was a significant correlation (r(2) = 0.95) between the age of local people and the number of plants known to them, which indicates that in the coming 20 years, an approximate decrease of 75% in the indigenous knowledge may be expected. CONCLUSION: Traditional medicines are important to the livelihoods of rural communities in the region affected by the Global war on Terrorism. The medicinal recipes are indigenous; however, there is a threat to their future use on account of rapid modernization and terrorist activities. Documentation of medicinal plants and recipes may help in the conservation of the regional indigenous medicinal knowledge for future generations and to provide a baseline for further studies

Role of Glycine max in improving drought tolerance in Zanthoxylum bungeanum

Intercropping may improve community stability and yield under climate change. Here, we set up a field experiment to evaluate the advantages of cultivating Z anthoxylum bungeanum with Capsicum annum, and Z. bungeanum with Glycine max as intercrops, compared with cultivating Z. bungeanum in monoculture. Effects of extreme drought stress conditions on morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits of the three crop species cultivated in the three contrasting planting systems were compared. Results showed that extreme drought conditions induced negative impacts on Z. bungeanum grown in monoculture, due to reduced growth and metabolic impairment. However, limited stomatal conductance, reduced transpiration rate (Tr), and increased water use efficiency, carotenoid content, catalase activity, and accumulation of soluble sugars in Z. bungeanum indicated its adaptive strategies for tolerance of extreme drought stress conditions. Compared with cultivation in monoculture, intercropping with C. annum had positive effects on Z. bungeanum under extreme drought stress conditions, as a result of improved crown diameter, leaf relative water content (LRWC), net photosynthetic rate, and proline content, while intercropping with G. max under extreme drought stress conditions increased net CO2 assimilation rates, LRWC, Tr , and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. In conclusion, Z. bungeanum has an effective defense mechanism for extreme drought stress tolerance. Intercropping with G. max enhanced this tolerance potential primarily through its physio-biochemical adjustments, rather than as a result of nitrogen fixation by G. max.Fil: Li, Zilong. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine; ChinaFil: Tariq, Akash. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Cele National Station of Observation and Research for Desert-Grassland Ecosystems; ChinaFil: Pan, Kaiwen. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Graciano, Corina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Sun, Feng. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Song, Dagang. Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; ChinaFil: Olatunji, Olusanya Abiodun. Fujian Normal University; Chin

Use of Ethnomedicinal Plants by the People Living around Indus River

The objective of present study was to document and preserve ethnomedicinal knowledge use to treat different human ailments by traditional healers of Dera Ismail Khan region, Pakistan. Field work was conducted between February 2012 and January 2013 using semistructured questionnaires. Data was collected from 120 traditional healers through questionnaire survey. Traditional healers in the study area use 70 plant species mostly herbs (57%) for ethnomedicinal and other purposes. The highest FIC values (0.80) were obtained each for gastrointestinal and kidney problems followed by respiratory infections (0.72) and skin infections (0.73). There was a significant correlation (r2=0.950;  p<0.01) between the age and traditional knowledge of respondent. Direct matrix ranking indicated Morus alba and Dalbergia sissoo as highly multipurpose and threatened species in the study area. The results showed high dependency of local inhabitants on medicinal plants in meeting their primary health care needs. Moreover, the traditional knowledge has been restricted to elder people. Protection measures should be taken in order to conserve precious multipurpose species that are facing overexploitation. Medicinal plants treating major ailments in the region may be subjected to phytochemical and pharmacological investigations for the identification of bioactive compounds

Coordinated Patterns in the Allocation, Composition, and Variability of Multiple Elements Among Organs of Two Desert Shrubs Under Nitrogen Addition and Drought

Nutrient allocation closely correlates plant functional traits and development to ecosystem supply services. Desert shrubs maintain the stability of desert ecosystems, whereas the knowledge of how they coordinate nutrients among organs is still limited when responding to differing nitrogen (N) and water regimes. Here we investigated the allocation, composition, and variability of nine elements within organs of Alhagi sparsifolia and Calligonum caput-medusae seedlings under various N addition (0, 3, 6, and 9 gN m−2 year−1) and water regimes (drought versus well-watered). Results showed that plant species identity, organ type, and nitrogen and water treatments significantly affected the concentrations of nine elements independently and interactively (P < 0.05). N addition significantly improved elemental allocation to roots of drought-stressed A. sparsifolia seedlings, whereas N addition of 9.0 gN m−2 year−1 exerted adverse influence on C. caput-medusae. Photosynthetic organs contained more macronutrients, such as N and potassium (K), whereas trace metals accumulated in roots, such as iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn). Soil elemental concentrations were weakly correlated with those in plants. Macroelements in all organs show less variability (coefficient of variation). Coarse root Fe and stem K contents constituted hub traits in plant element networks (PENs) of A. sparsifolia and C. caput-medusae seedlings, respectively, and may play a key role in plant adaptation in desert environments. The looser PEN of A. sparsifolia implied its stronger adaptability than C. caput-medusae. Desert shrubs can coordinate the allocation of multiple elements within and among organs in response to changes in water and N in the environment.Fil: Zhang, Zhihao. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Chai, Xutian. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; ChinaFil: Tariq, Akash. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zeng, Fanjiang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; ChinaFil: Graciano, Corina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Li, Xiangyi. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Gao, Yanju. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Ullah, Abd. Cele National Station Of Observation And Research For Desert-grassland Ecosystems; China. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de Chin

Phosphorous application improves drought tolerance of phoebe zhennan

Phoebe zhennan (Gold Phoebe) is a threatened tree species in China and a valuable and important source of wood and bioactive compounds used in medicine. Apart from anthropogenic disturbances, several biotic constraints currently restrict its growth and development. However, little attention has been given to building adaptive strategies for its conservation by examining its morphological and physio-biochemical responses to drought stress, and the role of fertilizers on these responses. A randomized experimental design was used to investigate the effects of two levels of irrigation (well-watered and drought-stressed) and phosphorous (P) fertilization treatment (with and without P) to assess the morphological and physio-biochemical responses of P. zhennan seedlings to drought stress. In addition, we evaluated whether P application could mitigate the negative impacts of drought on plant growth and metabolism. Drought stress had a significant negative effect on the growth and metabolic processes of P. zhennan. Despite this, reduced leaf area, limited stomatal conductance, reduced transpiration rate, increased water use efficiency, enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities, and osmolytes accumulation suggested that the species has good adaptive strategies for tolerating drought stress. Application of P had a significant positive effect on root biomass, signifying its improved water extracting capacity from the soil. Moreover, P fertilization significantly increased leaf relative water content, net photosynthetic rate, and maximal quantum efficiency of PSII under drought stress conditions. This may be attributable to several factors, such as enhanced root biomass, decreased malondialdehyde content, and the up-regulation of chloroplast pigments, osmolytes, and nitrogenous compounds. However, P application had only a slight or negligible effect on the growth and metabolism of well-watered plants. In conclusion, P. zhennan has a strong capability for drought resistance, while P application facilitates and improves drought tolerance mostly through physio-biochemical adjustments, regardless of water availability. It is imperative to explore the underlying metabolic mechanisms and effects of different levels of P fertilization on P. zhennan under drought conditions in order to design appropriate conservation and management strategies for this species, which is at risk of extinction.Fil: Tariq, Akash. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Pan, Kaiwen. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Olatunji, Olusanya A.. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Graciano, Corina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Li, Zilong. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Sun, Feng. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Sun, Xiaoming. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Song, Dagang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Chen, Wenkai. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zhang, Aiping. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Wu, Xiaogang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zhang, Lin. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Mingrui, Deng. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Xiong, Qinli. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Liu, Chenggang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de Chin

Drought priming improves tolerance of Alhagi sparsifolia to subsequent drought: a coordinated interplay of phytohormones, osmolytes, and antioxidant potential

Perennial trees are often stressed by drought more than once during their life cycle. Our study exposed three-month-old Alhagisparsifolia, with (drought-primed) or without (nonprimed) prior drought stress to subsequent drought for two months, aiming to reveal whether pre-exposure to drought could enhance seedling resistance to subsequent drought and investigated possible underlying mechanisms. Root biomass, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll a, and carotenoids were significantly higher in drought-primed than nonprimed seedlings. They also had reduced concentrations of malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and superoxide anions (O2•−), indicating relief from oxidative stress. This relief was associated with a coordinated upregulation of enzymes scavenging O2•−and H2O2, particularly superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), and the maintenance of the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) redox pool and enzymatic activities (ascorbate peroxidase, mono- and dehydroascorbate reductase, and glutathione reductase), leading to the better regulation of reactive oxygen species. The failure of nonprimed seedlings to upregulate the SOD, CAT, and AsA-GSH cycles nevertheless made the seedlings susceptible to oxidative stress. The increased levels of strigolactones, jasmonic acid, and abscisic acid in drought-primed seedlings reveal their roles in subsequent stress. They also displayed higher gibberellic acid and indole acetic acid. A principal component analysis showed that the seedlings responded differently to drought if they had previously suffered a drought, mainly due to a higher capacity for pigment protection, oxidative scavenging, osmolytes, and anti-stress hormones. Our study provides insights into the benefits of stress memory induced in seedlings by early drought priming as a strategy for overcoming subsequent stress.Fil: Ullah, Abd. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Tariq, Akash. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Zeng, Fanjiang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de ChinaFil: Asghar, Muhammad Ahsan. Centre for Agricultural Research; HungríaFil: Sardans, Jordi. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centre de Recerca Ecológica I Aplicacions Forestals; EspañaFil: Graciano, Corina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Instituto de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; ArgentinaFil: Ali, Iftikhar. Columbia University; Estados UnidosFil: Peñuelas, Josep. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Centre de Recerca Ecológica I Aplicacions Forestals; Españ