Cecília Sérgio

Specialized cheating of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis by an epiparasitic liverwort

Many non–photosynthetic vascular plants in 10 diverse families obtain all of their carbon from fungi, but in most cases the fungi and the ultimate sources of carbon are unknown. In a few cases, such plants have been shown to be epiparasitic because they obtain carbon from neighbouring green plants through shared mycorrhizal fungi. In all such cases, the epiparasitic plants have been found to specialize upon narrow lineages of ecto– or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Here we show that a non–vascular plant, the non–photosynthetic liverwort Cryptothallus mirabilis, is epiparasitic and is specialized on Tulasnella species that form ectomycorrhizae with surrounding trees at four locations in England, France and Portugal. By using microcosm experiments we show that the interaction with Tulasnella is necessary for growth of Cryptothallus, and by using labelling experiments we show that 14CO2 provided to birch seedlings is transferred to Cryptothallus by Tulasnella. This is one of the first documented cases of epiparasitism by a non–vascular plant and of ectomycorrhizal formation by Tulasnella. These results broaden the emerging association between epiparasitism and mycorrhizal specialization into a new class of plants and a new order of fungi.

Distribution of trace metals in moss biomonitors and assessment of contamination sources in Portugal.

A biomonitoring survey using the moss species [Hypnum cupressiforme Hedw. and Scelopodium touretii (Brid.) L. Kock] was performed in the whole territory of Portugal, in order to evaluate the atmospheric deposition of the following elements: Cd. Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. The concentrations of the same elements were also obtained in two types of soil samples, collected under the moss and in nearby plots without any plant coverage, and relationships between moss and soil concentrations was investigated using the multivariate statistical method of Co-inertia Analysis. Also, relationships between concentrations in moss and several anthropogenic, geologic, pedologic and environmental parameters were screened using the same method of Co-inertia Analysis. Higher concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were found in areas of higher population density, with higher gasoline consumption, while higher values of Fe and Cr occur in the driest region, with lower plant coverage, indicating strong contamination by resuspended soil particles. Results also show good agreement between moss and soil contents, even for elements with high contribution of anthropogenic sources. The spatial pattern in Portugal of element contents in mosses were also detected and discussed in relation to local contamination sources.

New national and regional bryophyte records, 33

ub lis he d by M an ey P ub lis hi ng ( c) B rit is h B ry ol og ic al S oc ie ty Bryological Note New national and regional bryophyte records, 33 L T Ellis, H Bednarek-Ochyra, R Ochyra, B Cykowska, M V Dulin, T Ezer, R Kara, J R Flores, G M Suarez, C Garcia, A Martins, C Sergio, R Garilleti, M Kirmaci, E Agcagil, L E Kurbatova, M Lebouvier, B Papp, E Szurdoki, D A Philippov, V Plasek, T Pocs, M Sabovljevic, J Sawicki, M Sim-Sim, P Szucs, A Bidlo, J Vaňa, B Vigalondo, F Lara, I Draper, V M Virchenko, G J Wolski Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK, Laboratory of Bryology, Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow, Poland, Institute of Biology, Komi Science Centre UB RAS, Komi, Russia, Nigde University, Faculty of Science, Department of Biology, Nigde, Turkey, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Institucion Miguel Lillo, Tucuman, Argentina, Universidade de Lisboa, Museu Nacional de Historia Natural e da Ciencia, Lisboa, Portugal, Departamento de Botanica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Valencia, Burjasot, Spain, Adnan Menderes Universitesi, Fen Edebiyat Fakultesi, Biyoloji Bolumu, Kepez-Aydin, Turkey, Komarov Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, CNRS UMR 6553, Universite de Rennes 1, France, Botanical Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary, 12 I.D. Papanin Institute for Biology of Inland Water RAS, Nekouz, Russia, Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Department of Botany, Eszterhazy Karoly College, Hungary, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Serbia, Department of Botany and Nature Protection, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, Museu Nacional de Historia Natural, Jardim Botânico, Lisboa, Portugal, Department of Forest Site Diagnosis and Classification, University of West Hungary, Sopron, Hungary, Department of Botany, Charles University, Praha, Czech Republic, Departamento de Biologia (Botanica), Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain, Department of Lichenology and Bryology, Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine, Deptartment of Geobotany and Plant Ecology, University of Łodź, Poland

Application of GIS in plant conservation programmes in Portugal

A plant conservation programme is a complex process that requires several sets of studies. The relationships between plant location and its environment play an important role. Nowadays, the use of a GIS constitutes an essential complement for these studies that allows the incorporation of space and the analysis of these ecological interactions. GIS is being used at the Lisbon University Botanical Garden as a tool for conservation programmes on several plant groups and situations. Four case studies are presented in this work: (1) comparing ecological patterns between local and regional scale for the endangered bryophyte Bruchia vogesiaca Schwaegr.; (2) selecting protected areas according to habitat suitability—the case of endangered Portuguese bryophytes; (3) analysing the impact of the alien Carpobrotus edulis (L.) N. E. Br. on endemic plant species at the Berlengas Natural Reserve; and (4) ecogeographical survey for selection of sites for seed collection in order to guarantee a representative sample of the existing genetic diversity. Finally, this work discusses how the implementation of a GIS can help to optimise results and fieldwork effort.

New national and regional bryophyte records, 31

New national and regional bryophyte records, 31 L T Ellis, A Alegro, H Bednarek-Ochyra, R Ochyra, A Bergamini, A Cogoni, P Erzberger, P Górski, N Gremmen, H Hespanhol, C Vieira, L E Kurbatova, M Lebouvier, A Martinčič, A K Asthana, R Gupta, V Nath, R Natcheva, A Ganeva, T Özdemir, N Batan, V Plášek, R D Porley, M Randić, J Sawicki, W Schroder, C Sérgio, V R Smith, P Sollman, S Ştefănuţ, C R Stevenson, G M Suárez, B Surina, G Uyar, Z Modrič Surina The Natural History Museum, UK, University of Zagreb, Croatia, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland, Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy, Berlin, Germany, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poland, Diever, The Netherlands, Universidade do Porto, Portugal, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, Université de Rennes 1, France, 12 Ljubljana, Slovenia, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, India, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Bulgaria, Karadeniz Technical University, Turkey, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Cerca dos Pomares, Portugal, Public Institution, Croatia, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland, Ludwigsstadt, Germany, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa, St Anna Parochie, The Netherlands, Institute of Biology Bucharest of Romanian Academy, Romania, Norfolk, UK, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Argentina, University of Primorska, Slovenia, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Turkey, Natural History Museum Rijeka, CroatiaDetermination of development priority of information system subsystems is a problem that warrants resolution during information system development. It has been proven, previously, that this problem of information system development order is in fact NP-complete, NP-hard, and APX-hard. To solve this problem on a general case we have previously developed Monte-Carlo randomized algorithm, calculated complexity of this algorithm, and so on. After previous research we were able to come into possession of digraphs that represent real-world information systems. Therefore, in this paper we will empirically analyze Monte-Carlo algorithm to determine how the algorithm works on real-world examples. Also, we will critically review the results and give some possible areas of future research as well.

New national and regional bryophyte records, 28

Fil: Suarez, Guillermo Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Tucuman; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman; Argentina

New national and regional bryophyte records, 22

folium and S. recurvum have similar ranges and ecology. In S. angustifolium the stem leaves are more triangular and rarely erose while the branch leaves are narrower and more strongly 5-ranked (McQueen & Andrus, 2006). Sphagnum recurvum also has narrower and more distinctly 5-ranked branch leaves than S. flexuosum, as well as a much more strongly differentiated stem cortex. In S. flexuosum the branch leaves are only slightly recurved when dry whereas in S. recurvum they are sharply recurved (McQueen & Andrus, 2006). Until now, none of these species of the European S. recurvum complex has been identified in the Azores.

New national and regional bryophyte records, 30

ub lis he d by M an ey P ub lis hi ng ( c) B rit is h B ry ol og ic al S oc ie ty Bryological Notes New national and regional bryophyte records, 30 L T Ellis, H Bednarek-Ochyra, B Cykowska, R Ochyra, C Garcia, C Sergio, M Lebouvier, P Manolaki, E Giannouris, C Kadis, I Markova, B Papp, E. Szurdoki, D F Peralta, V Plasek, R Ristow, M Sabovljevic, M Sim-Sim, V R Smith, E Tsakiri, J Vaňa, V M Virchenko, O O Barsukov Department of Botany, The Natural History Museum, London, UK, Laboratory of Bryology, Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, Universidade de Lisboa, Museu Nacional de Historia Natural, Jardim Botânico and Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Rua, Lisboa, Portugal, CNRS UMR 6553, Universite de Rennes 1, France, Department of Biology, University of Patras, Greece, Bohemian Switzerland National Park Administration, Pražska 52, CZ-407 46 Krasna Lipa, Czech Republic, Botany Department, Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest, Hungary, Instituto de Botânica, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Department of Biology and Ecology, University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Parque da Ciencia Newton Freire Maia, Pinhais, Parana, Brazil, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Botany and Botanical Garden, University of Belgrade, Serbia, Universidade de Lisboa, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal/Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Faculdade de Ciencias da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal, Department of Botany, University of Stellenbosch, Republic of South Africa, Department of Botany, School of Biology, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece, Department of Botany, Charles University, Czech Republic, Department of Lichenology and Bryology, Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, Kiev, Ukraine

New national and regional bryophyte records, 15

1. Anomobryum julaceum (P.Gaertn., B.Mey. & Scherb.) Schimp. Contributors: H. Bednarek-Ochyra and R. Ochyra Îles Crozet: ÎLE DE LA POSSESSION: beginning of southern tributary of the river leading to Cirque de la Chaloupe, north of Grotte du Geographe, 46u259S 51u509E, 260 m a.s.l., rock in stream, associated with Bryum argenteum var. muticum, B. dichotomum, Blindia magellanica and Bucklandiella didyma, 20 February 1979, Bell 2505B (AAS, KRAM). Anomobryum julaceum is essentially a pan-Holarctic disjunct oreophyte which often penetrates into the tropics where it is fairly frequent at high elevations in the mountains, including Central and South America (Ochi, 1980), Africa (Ochi, 1972) and Malesia (Koponen & Norris, 1984; Eddy, 1996). In the temperate and polar regions of the Southern Hemisphere the species is almost absent and so far it has been recorded only once from Subantarctic Marion Island in the Prince Edward Islands archipelago in the Kerguelen Province of the Subantarctic (Ochi, 1972; Ochyra, personal observations). Nonetheless, this record makes A. julaceum a bipolar species with numerous intermediate stations in tropical mountains. Here, its range is expanded to the Îles Crozet archipelago in the same phytogeographical province of the Subantarctic which is situated over 1000 km to the east from the Prince Edward Islands. The moss was found to grow on rock in a stream, apparently in a moist habitat as evidenced by rather many cyanobacteria, intermixed with Bryum argenteum Hedw. var. muticum Brid.

New national and regional bryophyte records, 32

Ditrichum gracile was recorded in the locality Samarske stijene in the Velika Kapela Mt for first time in Croatia. Ditrichum gracile occured within forests of common spruce belonging to the community Hyperico grisebachii - Piceetum on the forest floor, forming distinct patches of several square decimetres. The plants were of typical appearance, medium to robust, in reddish green to purplish black, rarely green patches.