Waves of larch budmoth outbreaks in the European alps. (1/32)
Spatially extended population models predict complex spatiotemporal patterns, such as spiral waves and spatial chaos, as a result of the reaction-diffusion dynamics that arise from trophic interactions. However, examples of such patterns in ecological systems are scarce. We develop a quantitative technique to demonstrate the existence of waves in Central European larch budmoth (Zeiraphera diniana Gn.) outbreaks. We show that these waves travel toward the northeast-east at 210 kilometers per year. A theoretical model involving a moth-enemy interaction predicts directional waves, but only if dispersal is directionally biased or habitat productivity varies across the landscape. Our study confirms that nonlinear ecological interactions can lead to complex spatial dynamics at a regional scale. (+info)Seasonal and perennial changes in the distribution of water in the sapwood of conifers in a sub-frigid zone. (2/32)
An analysis was made of progressive changes in patterns of cavitation in the sapwood of three species of conifer (Larix kaempferi, Abies sachalinensis, and Picea jezoensis) that were growing in a sub-frigid zone. In all three conifers, all tracheids of the newly forming outermost annual ring were filled with water or cytoplasm during the period from May to August. However, many tracheids in the transition zone from earlywood to latewood lost water in September, presumably through drought-induced cavitation. Cavitated tracheids tended to be continuously distributed in a tangential direction. Subsequently, some earlywood tracheids of the outermost annual ring lost water during the period from January to March. This was associated with freeze-thaw cycles. In the second and third annual rings from the cambium of all three conifers, the lumina of most tracheids in the transition zone from earlywood to latewood contained no water. In contrast, some latewood tracheids near the annual ring boundary and many earlywood tracheids retained water in their lumina. The third annual ring had more cavitated tracheids than the second annual ring. Our observations indicated that cavitation progressed gradually in the tracheids of the conifers and that they were never refilled once cavitation had occurred. The region involved in water transport in conifers did not include the entire sapwood and differed among annual rings. (+info)Spatially quantitative control of the number of cotyledons in a clonal population of somatic embryos of hybrid larch Larix x leptoeuropaea. (3/32)
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Many conifer embryos, both in natural seeds and in clonal populations of somatic embryos, display variability in the number of cotyledons. In hybrid larch, Larix x leptoeuropaea (synonymous with L. x marschlinsii Coaz), such variability has previously been reported in somatic embryos, together with a decrease in the average cotyledon number when benzyladenine (BA) is applied exogenously. Described here is a spatially quantitative study with the aim of throwing some light on the way cotyledon number is determined, and hence the mechanism of cotyledon formation. METHODS: Stock cultures of embryogenic tissue were maintained and later made embryogenically active by standard methods. Development through cotyledon formation was followed by optical microscopy with quantitative measurement of embryo diameter and number of cotyledons. SEMs of representative stages and cotyledon numbers were done for purposes of illustration in this account. Existing mathematics of waveforms on a disc were cast into a form suitable to compare with the quantitative data. RESULTS: The number of cotyledons is linearly related to the diameter of the apical surface of the embryo (which approximates a circular disc) at the time of first appearance of the cotyledon primordia. This linearity is a constant-spacing phenomenon between adjacent primordia. Addition of BA to the medium restricts the range of apical diameters without changing inter-cotyledon spacing. Slope/intercept ratio of the linear plot matches expectation for initiation of cotyledon pattern as a harmonic waveform on a circular disc. CONCLUSIONS: The entire pattern of cotyledon primordia arises as a single entity coordinated by a mechanism with wave-forming properties. This is explicable by diverse mechanisms, especially either mechanical buckling ('biophysical') or reaction-diffusion kinetics ('physicochemical'). (+info)Tree growth and competition in a Betula platyphylla-Larix cajanderi post-fire forest in central Kamchatka. (4/32)
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Fire is the dominant disturbance in central Kamchatka boreal forests, yet patterns and mechanisms of stand recovery have not been investigated. METHODS: Measurements were made of 1433 stems > or =1.3 m height and annual radial increments of 225 randomly selected trees in a 0.4-ha plot of a 53-year-old fire-origin mixed-species stand to examine the spatio-temporal variation in establishment, growth, size inequality and the mode of competition among individual trees. Growth variations were related to tree size, age and local interference with neighbours. KEY RESULTS: Betula platyphylla formed the main canopy following a fire in 1947, with Larix cajanderi and Pinus pumila progressively reinvading the lower tree and shrub stratum. Most B. platyphylla originated from sprouts in small patches (polycormons) during the first 15 post-fire years. Betula platyphylla had normal distributions of diameter and age classes, but negatively skewed height distribution, as expected from shade-intolerant, pioneer species. Larix cajanderi had fewer tall and many short individuals. The smaller and younger B. platyphylla grew disproportionately more in diameter than larger trees from 1950 to 1975, and hence stem size inequalities decreased. The reverse trend was observed from 1995 to 2000: larger trees grew more, indicating an increasing asymmetry of competition for light. Betula platyphylla had steady diameter growth in the first 25 post-fire years, after which the growth declined in smaller trees. Neighbourhood analysis showed that the decline resulted from increased competition from taller neighbours. CONCLUSIONS: The observed growth patterns suggest that mode of interactions altered during stand development from early stages of weak competition for soil resources released by fire to later stages of asymmetric competition for light. Asymmetric crown competition started later than reported in other studies, which can be attributed to the lower stem density leaving much space for individual growth, greater relative importance of below-ground competition in this site of nutrient-poor volcanic soil, and the vegetative origin of B. platyphylla. Larix cajanderi growing under B. platyphylla had steady diameter growth during the first 20 years, after which growth declined. It is suggested that early succession fits the tolerance model of succession, while inhibition dominates in later stages. (+info)Fate of a larch unedited tRNA precursor expressed in potato mitochondria. (5/32)
In higher plant mitochondria, post-transcriptional C to U conversion known as editing mostly affects mRNAs. However, three tRNAs were also shown to be edited. Among them, three editing sites were identified in larch mitochondrial tRNA(His). We have previously shown that only the edited version can undergo maturation in vitro. In this paper, we introduced via direct DNA uptake the edited or unedited version of larch mitochondrial trnH into isolated potato mitochondria and expressed them under the control of potato mitochondrial 18 S rRNA promoter. As expected, the edited form of larch mitochondrial tRNA(His) precursor was processed in the isolated organelles. By contrast, no mature tRNA(His) was detected when using the unedited version of trnH. However, precursor molecules could be characterized by reverse transcription-PCR. These data demonstrate that the potato mitochondrial editing machinery is not able to recognize these "foreign" editing sites and confirm that these unedited tRNA precursor molecules are not correctly processed in organello. As a consequence, the fate of these RNA precursor molecules is likely to be degradation. Indeed, we detected by PCR two 3'-end truncated precursor RNAs. Interestingly, both RNA species exhibit poly(A) tails, a hallmark of degradation in plant mitochondria. Taken together, these data suggest that, in plant mitochondria, a defective unedited RNA precursor that cannot be processed to give a mature stable tRNA, is degraded through a polyadenylation-dependent pathway. (+info)New labdane diterpenes from the stem bark of Larix laricina. (6/32)
Two new labdane diterpenes, cis-19-hydroxyabienol (1) and 8alpha-hydroxy-12Z,14-labdadien-19-al (2), along with another labdane described for the first time in the genus Larix, 19-acetoxy-13S-hydroxy-8(17),14-labdadiene (3) and a stilbene, 3-methoxy-3,3',5'-trihydroxystilbene (4), were isolated from the stem bark of Larch (Larix laricina). Their structures were established by standard chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compounds 2 and 3 were shown to be moderately cytotoxic against A-549, DLD-1 and normal skin fibroblast cell lines, WS1. Compound 1 was found to be selectively active against colon carcinoma cell lines, DLD-1. (+info)1200 years of regular outbreaks in alpine insects. (7/32)
The long-term history of Zeiraphera diniana Gn. (the larch budmoth, LBM) outbreaks was reconstructed from tree rings of host subalpine larch in the European Alps. This record was derived from 47513 maximum latewood density measurements, and highlights the impact of contemporary climate change on ecological disturbance regimes. With over 1000 generations represented, this is the longest annually resolved record of herbivore population dynamics, and our analysis demonstrates that remarkably regular LBM fluctuations persisted over the past 1173 years with population peaks averaging every 9.3 years. These regular abundance oscillations recurred until 1981, with the absence of peak events during recent decades. Comparison with an annually resolved, millennium-long temperature reconstruction representative for the European Alps (r=0.72, correlation with instrumental data) demonstrates that regular insect population cycles continued despite major climatic changes related to warming during medieval times and cooling during the Little Ice Age. The late twentieth century absence of LBM outbreaks, however, corresponds to a period of regional warmth that is exceptional with respect to the last 1000+ years, suggesting vulnerability of an otherwise stable ecological system in a warming environment. (+info)Ophiostoma breviusculum sp. nov. (Ophiostomatales, Ascomycota) is a new species in the Ophiostoma piceae complex associated with bark beetles infesting larch in Japan. (8/32)
A new species of the Ophiostoma piceae-complex was isolated from bark beetles and the insect galleries of Larix kaempferi in Japan. This species was described as Ophiostoma breviusculum. The fungus was morphologically similar to O. piceae and O. quercus. However the average length of the perithecial necks and synnemata were shorter than for O. piceae and O. quercus. Synnemata morphological characteristics also differentiated O. breviusculum from the other species of the Ophiostoma piceae-complex isolated from conifers. Mating tests demonstrated that this fungus did not produce perithecia with O. floccosum, O. piceae and O. quercus. In phylogenetic trees using rDNA ITS O. breviusculum was placed in a clade with O. canum, O. piceae and O. subalpinum, but when using beta-tubulin it was placed into a separate clade. (+info)'Larix' is a genus of coniferous trees, also known as larch, which are characterized by their deciduous needles and produce seeds in resin-filled cones.
"Larix" is not a medical term. It is the genus name for a group of trees commonly known as larches, which belong to the family Pinaceae. These deciduous conifers are native to the cooler temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. They are known for their needle-like leaves and cone-bearing fruits.
While not directly related to human health or medicine, certain compounds derived from plants in the Larix genus have been studied for potential medicinal properties. For example, extracts from larch bark have been investigated for their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound-healing effects. However, it is important to note that these studies are still in the preliminary stages, and more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be drawn about the medicinal applications of Larix species.
Pinaceae, also known as the pine family, is a group of coniferous trees and shrubs primarily found in the Northern Hemisphere, characterized by their needle-shaped leaves, woody cones, and typically monoecious reproductive structures.
I apologize for any confusion, but "Pinaceae" is not a medical term. It is a taxonomic category in botany, referring to the pine family of coniferous trees and shrubs. This family includes familiar plants such as pines, firs, spruces, and hemlocks.
If you have any medical terminology or concepts that you would like me to define or explain, please let me know!