Martin Dančák

Distribution, biological activities, metabolism, and the conceivable function of cis-zeatin-type cytokinins in plants

Cytokinins (CKs) are plant hormones affecting numerous developmental processes. Zeatin and its derivatives are the most important group of isoprenoid CKs. Zeatin occurs as two isomers: while trans-zeatin (transZ) was found to be a bioactive substance, cis-zeatin (cisZ) was reported to have a weak biological impact. Even though cisZ derivatives are abundant in various plant materials their biological role is still unknown. The comprehensive screen of land plants presented here suggests that cisZ-type CKs occur ubiquitously in the plant kingdom but their abundance might correlate with a strategy of life rather than with evolutionary complexity. Changing levels of transZ and cisZ during Arabidopsis ontogenesis show that levels of the two zeatin isomers can differ significantly during the life span of the plant, with cisZ-type CKs prevalent in the developmental stages associated with limited growth. A survey of the bioassays employed illustrates mild activity of cisZ and its derivatives. No cis↔trans isomerization, which would account for the effects of cisZ, was observed in tobacco cells and oat leaves. Differences in uptake between the two isomers resulting in distinct bioactivity have not been detected. In contrast, cisZ and transZ have a different metabolic fate in oat and tobacco. Analysis of a CK-degrading enzyme, cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX), reveals that Arabidopsis possesses two isoforms, AtCKX1 expressed in stages of active growth, and AtCKX7, both of which have the highest affinity for the cisZ isomer. Based on the present results, the conceivable function of cisZ-type CKs as delicate regulators of CK responses in plants under growth-limiting conditions is hypothesized.

Scale-dependent biases in species counts in a grassland

. Numbers of plant species were recorded in species-rich meadows in the Bile Karpaty Mts., SE Czech Republic, with the aim to evaluate the sampling error made by well-trained observers. Five observers recorded vascular plants in seven plots ranging from 9.8 cm2 to 4 m2 independently and were not time-limited. In larger plots a discrepancy of 10–20% was found between individual estimates, in smaller plots discrepancy increased to 33%, on average. The gain in observed species richness by combining records of individual observers (in comparison with the mean numbers estimated by single observers) decreased from the smallest plot (27–82% for two to five observers) to the largest one (13–25%). However, after misidentified and suspicious records were eliminated, the gain was much lower and became scale-independent; two observers added 12% species, on average, and the increase by combining species lists made by three or more observers was negligible (3% more on average). It is concluded that most discrepancies between individual observers were caused by misidentification of rare seedlings and young plants. We suggest that in species-rich meadows plants should be recorded by at least three observers together and that they should consult all problematic plant specimens together in the field, to minimize errors.

A new technique for inventory of permanent plots in tropical forests: a case study from lowland dipterocarp forest in Kuala Belalong, Brunei darussalam

This paper describes a new technique for inventory of permanent plots in tropical forests and presents the results of its application in a 1 ha permanent plot in a lowland dipterocarp forest at Kuala Belalong, Ulu Temburong National Park, Brunei Darussalam. The technique is based on mapping of positions of tree individuals in three-dimensional space with a high accuracy. Measuring set consists of a distance measuring device (laser rangefinder) and a electronic compass supplying data to a field computer with specialized software (Field-Map®). This method is faster and more exact than methods based on Cartesian grids established in the field. As an example, inventories from 2000 and 2007 of the plot mentioned are compared concerning presence, taxonomical identity and diameter at breast height (dbh) of all tree individuals with dbh ≥ 5 cm. The structural and diversity properties of the forest show similar patterns to the other two permanent plots in Kuala Belalong. In 2007, 1 318 trees were found, out of which 116 were new individuals (i.e. exceeded the 5 cm dbh limit since 2000), 13 were dead individuals. 120 trees died since 2000 (9.2 % of the trees recorded in 2000). Total basal area was 39.18 m2 (0.2 m2 were dead individuals). Growth dynamics has distinct spatial patterns: about half of the plot shows fast dbh increment in 2000–2007 and appearance of numerous new trees; the other half displays stagnation. This is probably due to topographic conditions and partly to the gap dynamics (several dominant trees have fallen there since 2000). Concerning the taxonomic composition, 47 families were recorded, the dominant ones in terms of basal area being Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Sapotaceae and Burseraceae (sorted in decreasing order). The Dipterocarp family accounts for about 40 % of the total dbh. The most frequent ones were trees of Euphorbiaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Myrtaceae, Burseraceae and Anacardiaceae. However, this census concerns mainly trees with dbh ≥ 10 cm, while the rest (dbh 5 –10 cm) remained partly undetermined until 2007.

Long-term carbon sink in Borneo's forests halted by drought and vulnerable to edge effects

Less than half of anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions remain in the atmosphere. While carbon balance models imply large carbon uptake in tropical forests, direct on-the-ground observations are still lacking in Southeast Asia. Here, using long-term plot monitoring records of up to half a century, we find that intact forests in Borneo gained 0.43 Mg C ha−1 per year (95% CI 0.14–0.72, mean period 1988–2010) in above-ground live biomass carbon. These results closely match those from African and Amazonian plot networks, suggesting that the world’s remaining intact tropical forests are now en masse out-of-equilibrium. Although both pan-tropical and long-term, the sink in remaining intact forests appears vulnerable to climate and land use changes. Across Borneo the 1997–1998 El Niño drought temporarily halted the carbon sink by increasing tree mortality, while fragmentation persistently offset the sink and turned many edge-affected forests into a carbon source to the atmosphere.The existence of a pan-tropical forest carbon sink remains uncertain due to the lack of data from Asia. Here, using direct on-the-ground observations, the authors confirm remaining intact forests in Borneo have provided a long-term carbon sink, but carbon net gains are vulnerable to drought and edge effects.

Hybridization drives evolution of apomicts in Rubus subgenus Rubus: evidence from microsatellite markers

Background and Aims Rubus subgenus Rubus is a group of mostly apomictic and polyploid species with a complicated taxonomy and history of ongoing hybridization. The only polyploid series with prevailing sexuality is the series Glandulosi , although the apomictic series Discolores and Radula also retain a high degree of sexuality, which is influenced by environmental conditions and/or pollen donors. The aim of this study is to detect sources of genetic variability, determine the origin of apomictic taxa and validate microsatellite markers by cloning and sequencing. Methods A total of 206 individuals from two central European regions were genotyped for 11 nuclear microsatellite loci and the chloroplast trn L- trn F region. Microsatellite alleles were further sequenced in order to determine the exact repeat number and to detect size homoplasy due to insertions/deletions in flanking regions. Key Results The results confirm that apomictic microspecies of ser. Radula are derived from crosses between sexual series Glandulosi and apomictic series Discolores , whereby the apomict acts as pollen donor. Each apomictic microspecies is derived from a single distinct genotype differing from the parental taxa, suggesting stabilized clonal reproduction. Intraspecific variation within apomicts is considerably low compared with sexual series Glandulosi , and reflects somatic mutation accumulation. While facultative apomicts produce clonal offspring, sexual species are the conduits of origin for new genetically different apomictic lineages. Conclusions One of the main driving forces of evolution and speciation in the highly apomictic subgenus Rubus in central Europe is sexuality in the series Glandulosi . Palaeovegetation data suggest that initial hybridizations took place over different time periods in the two studied regions, and that the successful origin and spread of apomictic microspecies of the series Radula took place over several millennia. Additionally, the cloning and sequencing show that standard evaluations of microsatellite repeat numbers underestimate genetic variability considering homoplasy in allele size.

Field methods for sampling tree height for tropical forest biomass estimation

Abstract Quantifying the relationship between tree diameter and height is a key component of efforts to estimate biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. Although substantial site‐to‐site variation in height–diameter allometries has been documented, the time consuming nature of measuring all tree heights in an inventory plot means that most studies do not include height, or else use generic pan‐tropical or regional allometric equations to estimate height. Using a pan‐tropical dataset of 73 plots where at least 150 trees had in‐field ground‐based height measurements, we examined how the number of trees sampled affects the performance of locally derived height–diameter allometries, and evaluated the performance of different methods for sampling trees for height measurement. Using cross‐validation, we found that allometries constructed with just 20 locally measured values could often predict tree height with lower error than regional or climate‐based allometries (mean reduction in prediction error = 0.46 m). The predictive performance of locally derived allometries improved with sample size, but with diminishing returns in performance gains when more than 40 trees were sampled. Estimates of stand‐level biomass produced using local allometries to estimate tree height show no over‐ or under‐estimation bias when compared with biomass estimates using field measured heights. We evaluated five strategies to sample trees for height measurement, and found that sampling strategies that included measuring the heights of the ten largest diameter trees in a plot outperformed (in terms of resulting in local height–diameter models with low height prediction error) entirely random or diameter size‐class stratified approaches. Our results indicate that even limited sampling of heights can be used to refine height–diameter allometries. We recommend aiming for a conservative threshold of sampling 50 trees per location for height measurement, and including the ten trees with the largest diameter in this sample.

Functional Traits in a Species-Rich Grassland and a Short-Term Change in Management: Is There a Competition-Colonization Trade-Off?

The species richness of grasslands generally cannot be fully restored after changes in management. Some species with small statures and basal leaf rosettes can be lost forever. The same species, however, seem to possess the traits necessary for successful re-colonization – they produce small, easily dispersable seeds, numerous seedlings and have lasting seed banks. We tested the hypothesis that plants in species-rich grasslands can be characterized by a negative correlation between their competitive ability and potential for generative regeneration, i.e. by a competition-colonization trade-off. An analysis of the traits of 95 grassland species supported this hypothesis. We then conducted a manipulative experiment in three different meadow communities in the Bílé Karpaty Mts. The experiment involved characterizing species traits during periods of different grassland management regimes in the years 1997–2000 and comparing these with the original management regime, which was restored between 2000 and 2003. We found out that the hypothesis only holds true for the pooled dataset for all three communities. When the individual meadow communities were analyzed separately, plant traits other than those responsible for the competition-colonization trade-off appear to be characteristic of responsive species, e.g. shoot lifespan or phenology. Our results imply that despite the general trade-offs found in large comparative studies, the plant response in a specific community is constrained by the local species pool.

New insights into variation, evolution and taxonomy of fairy lanterns (Thismia, Thismiaceae) with four new species from Borneo

Fairy lanterns (Thismia Griff.) is a genus of poorly known mycoheterotrophic plants with unclear infrageneric classification. Commonly used approaches that utilize just a single or few traits in higher-level taxonomy lead to an apparently artificial system. In this contribution, four new species from Sarawak, northern Borneo, are described and illustrated. Thismia acuminata, T. laevis and T. nigra belong undoubtedly to section Sarcosiphon. Thismia viridistriata exhibits a high morphological variability with some individuals fitting section Scaphiophora based on the presence of a column on the top of the mitre, but otherwise perfectly matching the morphological characteristic of section Sarcosiphon. Five-locus (SSU, ITS, LSU, matR, atpA) phylogeny inference revealed paraphyly or polyphyly in the studied infrageneric taxa and showed that the importance of some traits traditionally used in Thismia taxonomy was overestimated. Most of the markers provide comparable phylogenetic signal; LSU performs best and is highly recommended for further phylogenetic studies. On the other hand, ITS is hypervariable and thus informative only within (sub)sections, as well as on intraspecific level, as proven in T. viridistriata with two distinct ITS (and also LSU and matR) alleles and two morphotypes within a small geographic area, which leads to an assumption of strong reproductive isolation even among nearby populations. For delimitation of species, the key trait appears to be the structure of the connective and any of the molecular markers used here.

Thismia kelabitiana (Thismiaceae), a new unique Fairy Lantern from Borneo potentially threatened by commercial logging

Thismia kelabitiana, a new unique species from the Sarawak state of Malaysia in the island of Borneo is described and illustrated. This new species is not similar to any species of Thismia described so far especially by having a unique form of mitre and outer perianth lobes deeply divided into 8–10 acute lobes and forming striking fringe around perianth tube opening. The species appears to be critically endangered due to ongoing logging activities in the region. It may potentially become a surrogate species for lower montane forests of the region and thus help protect them against further destruction.

Height-diameter input data and R-code to fit and assess height-diameter models, from 'Field methods for sampling tree height for tropical forest biomass estimation' in Methods in Ecology and Evolution

1. Quantifying the relationship between tree diameter and height is a key component of efforts to estimate biomass and carbon stocks in tropical forests. Although substantial site-to-site variation in height-diameter allometries has been documented, the time consuming nature of measuring all tree heights in an inventory plot means that most studies do not include height, or else use generic pan-tropical or regional allometric equations to estimate height. 2. Using a pan-tropical dataset of 73 plots where at least 150 trees had in-field ground-based height measurements, we examined how the number of trees sampled affects the performance of locally-derived height-diameter allometries, and evaluated the performance of different methods for sampling trees for height measurement. 3. Using cross-validation, we found that allometries constructed with just 20 locally measured values could often predict tree height with lower error than regional or climate-based allometries (mean reduction in prediction error = 0.46 m). The predictive performance of locally-derived allometries improved with sample size, but with diminishing returns in performance gains when more than 40 trees were sampled. Estimates of stand-level biomass produced using local allometries to estimate tree height show no over- or under-estimation bias when compared with estimates using measured heights. We evaluated five strategies to sample trees for height measurement, and found that sampling strategies that included measuring the heights of the ten largest diameter trees in a plot outperformed (in terms of resulting in local height-diameter models with low height prediction error) entirely random or diameter size-class stratified approaches. 4. Our results indicate that even remarkably limited sampling of heights can be used to refine height-diameter allometries. We recommend aiming for a conservative threshold of sampling 50 trees per location for height measurement, and including the ten trees with the largest diameter in this sample.