Em ambientes florestais, a luz é o recurso que com mais frequência limita o crescimento, a sobrevivência e a reprodução em plantas. Assim, a variação na disponibilidade de luz no sub-bosque influencia a composição local de espécies lenhosas, que se segregam em diferentes nichos de luz de acordo com suas preferências e tolerâncias, conferidas através de suas adaptações e plasticidade fenotípica. Os atributos das espécies atuais, além de serem adaptados ao ambiente onde vivem, são um legado de seus ancestrais, motivo pelo qual espécies mais próximas filogeneticamente, com frequência compartilham atributos semelhantes e, por consequência, ocupam nichos similares, padrão conhecido como conservação filogenética. Estudos recentes mostram que atributos funcionais relacionados à captação de luz teriam se diversificado através de diferentes grupos filogenéticos, conferindo a estes capacidades distintas para a conquista de novos ambientes de luz. Nosso trabalho teve como objetivo detectar a presença de padrões filogenéticos na distribuição e nas respostas ecofisiológicas de oito espécies lenhosas co-ocorrentes e de seus respectivos clados em um sub-bosque florestal, a partir da comparação do nicho de luz e do desempenho de plantas juvenis em resposta ao gradiente luminoso existente. Assim nossas hipóteses são de que 1) as espécies filogeneticamente próximas tem maior semelhança em estratégias adaptativas do que espécies filogeneticamente distantes; 2) a amplitude de nicho e 3) a plasticidade de atributos em resposta à luz aumentam em clados mais derivados. Os resultados apresentados aqui mostraram uma maior similaridade entre as espécies mais relacionadas do que entre aquelas que são filogeneticamente distantes, sugerindo conservação filogenética do nicho. Quanto à amplitude de nicho, também há uma influência filogenética, porém, contrário ao esperado, os clados mais antigos apresentaram um nicho mais amplo. Para a plasticidade dos atributos os resultados aqui apresentados mostram que não há padrões filogenéticos na plasticidade das respostas de espécies e clados estudados, sugerindo o efeito de outros fatores sobre a plasticidade das plantas, como efeitos ontogenéticos ou estresse ambiental. / In forest environments, light is the resource that most often limits the growth, survival and reproduction in plants. Thus, the variation in light availability, regarded as one of the most important resources for woody plants in the understory, results in differences in species composition, which segregate in different light niches according to their preferences and tolerances, conferred by their adaptations and phenotypic plasticity. Extant plant traits are not only adapted to the present environment, they are also a legacy from their ancestors and, for that reason, phylogenetically related species often share similar attributes and consequently occupy similar niches, pattern known as phylogenetic conservatism. Recent studies show that functional traits related to the capture of this resource have diversified across different phylogenetic groups, giving them distinct abilities to occupy new light environments. The present study aimed to detect the presence of phylogenetic patterns in species distribution along a light gradient and in ecophysiological responses of eight co-occurring woody species and their respective clades in a forest understory. This was accomplished by comparing the light niche of juvenile plants in response to the existing light gradient, as well as their physiological plasticity in response to understory light variations. We hypothesized that (1) phylogenetic related species have greater similarity of adaptive strategies, and consequently of their niche, than more distantly related ones; and that (2) the niche breadth is wider and (3) traits plasticity is greater in more recent than in more basal clades. The results presented here showed that there is a greater niche similarity between closely related species than between those that are phylogenetically distant, suggesting niche conservatism. Regarding to niche amplitude, there is also a phylogenetic influence but, contrary to our expectations, the older clades showed a greater niche breadth. For plasticity of selected plant traits, results showed no phylogenetic pattern for the studied species and clades, suggesting that other factors act on the phenotypic plasticity of plants, such as ontogenetic effects and/or environmental stress.

Em ambientes florestais, a luz é o recurso que com mais frequência limita o crescimento, a sobrevivência e a reprodução em plantas. Assim, a variação na disponibilidade de luz no sub-bosque influencia a composição local de espécies lenhosas, que se segregam em diferentes nichos de luz de acordo com suas preferências e tolerâncias, conferidas através de suas adaptações e plasticidade fenotípica. Os atributos das espécies atuais, além de serem adaptados ao ambiente onde vivem, são um legado de seus ancestrais, motivo pelo qual espécies mais próximas filogeneticamente, com frequência compartilham atributos semelhantes e, por consequência, ocupam nichos similares, padrão conhecido como conservação filogenética. Estudos recentes mostram que atributos funcionais relacionados à captação de luz teriam se diversificado através de diferentes grupos filogenéticos, conferindo a estes capacidades distintas para a conquista de novos ambientes de luz. Nosso trabalho teve como objetivo detectar a presença de padrões filogenéticos na distribuição e nas respostas ecofisiológicas de oito espécies lenhosas co-ocorrentes e de seus respectivos clados em um sub-bosque florestal, a partir da comparação do nicho de luz e do desempenho de plantas juvenis em resposta ao gradiente luminoso existente. Assim nossas hipóteses são de que 1) as espécies filogeneticamente próximas tem maior semelhança em estratégias adaptativas do que espécies filogeneticamente distantes; 2) a amplitude de nicho e 3) a plasticidade de atributos em resposta à luz aumentam em clados mais derivados. Os resultados apresentados aqui mostraram uma maior similaridade entre as espécies mais relacionadas do que entre aquelas que são filogeneticamente distantes, sugerindo conservação filogenética do nicho. Quanto à amplitude de nicho, também há uma influência filogenética, porém, contrário ao esperado, os clados mais antigos apresentaram um nicho mais amplo. Para a plasticidade dos atributos os resultados aqui apresentados mostram que não há padrões filogenéticos na plasticidade das respostas de espécies e clados estudados, sugerindo o efeito de outros fatores sobre a plasticidade das plantas, como efeitos ontogenéticos ou estresse ambiental. / In forest environments, light is the resource that most often limits the growth, survival and reproduction in plants. Thus, the variation in light availability, regarded as one of the most important resources for woody plants in the understory, results in differences in species composition, which segregate in different light niches according to their preferences and tolerances, conferred by their adaptations and phenotypic plasticity. Extant plant traits are not only adapted to the present environment, they are also a legacy from their ancestors and, for that reason, phylogenetically related species often share similar attributes and consequently occupy similar niches, pattern known as phylogenetic conservatism. Recent studies show that functional traits related to the capture of this resource have diversified across different phylogenetic groups, giving them distinct abilities to occupy new light environments. The present study aimed to detect the presence of phylogenetic patterns in species distribution along a light gradient and in ecophysiological responses of eight co-occurring woody species and their respective clades in a forest understory. This was accomplished by comparing the light niche of juvenile plants in response to the existing light gradient, as well as their physiological plasticity in response to understory light variations. We hypothesized that (1) phylogenetic related species have greater similarity of adaptive strategies, and consequently of their niche, than more distantly related ones; and that (2) the niche breadth is wider and (3) traits plasticity is greater in more recent than in more basal clades. The results presented here showed that there is a greater niche similarity between closely related species than between those that are phylogenetically distant, suggesting niche conservatism. Regarding to niche amplitude, there is also a phylogenetic influence but, contrary to our expectations, the older clades showed a greater niche breadth. For plasticity of selected plant traits, results showed no phylogenetic pattern for the studied species and clades, suggesting that other factors act on the phenotypic plasticity of plants, such as ontogenetic effects and/or environmental stress.

Em ambientes florestais, a luz é o recurso que com mais frequência limita o crescimento, a sobrevivência e a reprodução em plantas. Assim, a variação na disponibilidade de luz no sub-bosque influencia a composição local de espécies lenhosas, que se segregam em diferentes nichos de luz de acordo com suas preferências e tolerâncias, conferidas através de suas adaptações e plasticidade fenotípica. Os atributos das espécies atuais, além de serem adaptados ao ambiente onde vivem, são um legado de seus ancestrais, motivo pelo qual espécies mais próximas filogeneticamente, com frequência compartilham atributos semelhantes e, por consequência, ocupam nichos similares, padrão conhecido como conservação filogenética. Estudos recentes mostram que atributos funcionais relacionados à captação de luz teriam se diversificado através de diferentes grupos filogenéticos, conferindo a estes capacidades distintas para a conquista de novos ambientes de luz. Nosso trabalho teve como objetivo detectar a presença de padrões filogenéticos na distribuição e nas respostas ecofisiológicas de oito espécies lenhosas co-ocorrentes e de seus respectivos clados em um sub-bosque florestal, a partir da comparação do nicho de luz e do desempenho de plantas juvenis em resposta ao gradiente luminoso existente. Assim nossas hipóteses são de que 1) as espécies filogeneticamente próximas tem maior semelhança em estratégias adaptativas do que espécies filogeneticamente distantes; 2) a amplitude de nicho e 3) a plasticidade de atributos em resposta à luz aumentam em clados mais derivados. Os resultados apresentados aqui mostraram uma maior similaridade entre as espécies mais relacionadas do que entre aquelas que são filogeneticamente distantes, sugerindo conservação filogenética do nicho. Quanto à amplitude de nicho, também há uma influência filogenética, porém, contrário ao esperado, os clados mais antigos apresentaram um nicho mais amplo. Para a plasticidade dos atributos os resultados aqui apresentados mostram que não há padrões filogenéticos na plasticidade das respostas de espécies e clados estudados, sugerindo o efeito de outros fatores sobre a plasticidade das plantas, como efeitos ontogenéticos ou estresse ambiental. / In forest environments, light is the resource that most often limits the growth, survival and reproduction in plants. Thus, the variation in light availability, regarded as one of the most important resources for woody plants in the understory, results in differences in species composition, which segregate in different light niches according to their preferences and tolerances, conferred by their adaptations and phenotypic plasticity. Extant plant traits are not only adapted to the present environment, they are also a legacy from their ancestors and, for that reason, phylogenetically related species often share similar attributes and consequently occupy similar niches, pattern known as phylogenetic conservatism. Recent studies show that functional traits related to the capture of this resource have diversified across different phylogenetic groups, giving them distinct abilities to occupy new light environments. The present study aimed to detect the presence of phylogenetic patterns in species distribution along a light gradient and in ecophysiological responses of eight co-occurring woody species and their respective clades in a forest understory. This was accomplished by comparing the light niche of juvenile plants in response to the existing light gradient, as well as their physiological plasticity in response to understory light variations. We hypothesized that (1) phylogenetic related species have greater similarity of adaptive strategies, and consequently of their niche, than more distantly related ones; and that (2) the niche breadth is wider and (3) traits plasticity is greater in more recent than in more basal clades. The results presented here showed that there is a greater niche similarity between closely related species than between those that are phylogenetically distant, suggesting niche conservatism. Regarding to niche amplitude, there is also a phylogenetic influence but, contrary to our expectations, the older clades showed a greater niche breadth. For plasticity of selected plant traits, results showed no phylogenetic pattern for the studied species and clades, suggesting that other factors act on the phenotypic plasticity of plants, such as ontogenetic effects and/or environmental stress.

O Brasil, como país detentor da maior biodiversidade mundial de plantas, possui um importante papel no desenvolvimento de pesquisas que auxiliem ou viabilizem a identificação de sua diversidade vegetal, como o estudo de marcadores moleculares adequados a esta tarefa. Fabaceae, Lauraceae e Myrtaceae são as famílias mais importantes da Flora Brasileira por apresentarem grande diversidade de gêneros e espécies e serem consideradas de difícil identificação pela taxonomia tradicional. Tendo em vista o potencial do rbcL na identificação molecular de plantas, este trabalho propôs estudar a eficiência deste marcador em identificar gêneros e espécies das três principais famílias de árvores da Flora do Estado de São Paulo. Foi criado um banco de sequências de rbcL contendo 160 espécies, o qual foi testado quanto sua eficiência de identificação através de um teste cego contendo as sequências inteiras (maior que 400 pares de base) e as sequências de tamanho reduzido em 300, 200 e 100 pb. O teste cego também foi realizado no banco de sequências mundial Boldsystems. Para a análise dos resultados foi utilizado o programa BLAST que busca similaridades entre as sequências. Os resultados evidenciaram a viabilidade do método ao mostrar que o rbcL identificou 100% dos gêneros arbóreos de Fabaceae e Myrtaceae, porém não podemos dizer o mesmo para identificar gêneros de Lauraceae e nem em nível específico para qualquer uma das famílias, já o teste de identificação com as sequências reduzidas mostrou que a sequência de rbcL da espécie a ser analisada deve conter mais que 400 pares de base para não comprometer a correta identificação de gênero. / Brazil, as the country with the greatest biodiversity in the world, has an important role in the development of research to help or enables the identification of its plant diversity, such as the study of suitable molecular markers for this task. Fabaceae, Lauraceae and Myrtaceae are the most important families of the Brazilian Flora because they present a large diversity of genera and species and are considered difficult to identify by the traditional taxonomy. Considering the potential of rbcL in the molecular identification of plants, this work aims to study the efficiency of this marker in identifying genera and species of the three main tree families of São Paulo State\'s Flora. A rbcL sequence Bank containing 160 tree species was created in order to test its efficiency through a blind test with whole and reduced sequences using the BLAST program that searches for similarities between sequences. The blind identification test was also performed using the Boldsystems database. The results showed that the rbcL can´t be indicated to identify Lauraceae tree genera, but can be indicated to successfully identify tree genera of Fabaceae and Myrtaceae. The test identification with reduced sequences showed that the analized specie must have at least 400pb to not compromise the correct genera identification.

Students are less interested in science studies in this time. Yet, it is evolving and indispensable field (medicine, genetics). Various fields of biology students are evaluated differently. Botany is not very popular for students and often even for their teachers. More popular may be, for example, human biology, zoology and emerging fields such as genetics. Studying of plants isn't interesting for pupils, memories of learning about plants for them often spending hours with the botanical atlas without practical training in the field or on an excursion. There is a reason to writing this thesis about identification of angiosperms in high school. The thesis deals with different methods used for teaching identification of angiosperm plants at Prague high schools and their effectiveness. It compares the different methods used by teachers of these schools, focuses on with ways of testing plants cognition and the number of species that pupils should be able to recognize. The high school teachers' expectations are compared with the university teachers' expectations of the knowledge of incoming biology students. Effectiveness of teaching was tested by recognizing the required species. Students were asked to recognise the fresh plants. The success rate of students of teachers who use to teach different...

The flora of California has been studied as a whole, but with the exception of Yosemite Valley few specific areas in Tuolumne County have been investigated. The area chosen for this investigation was approximately forty acres of the lava flow known as Table Mountain. This forty acres is located in the southeast portion of the Omega Mine near Rawhide Flat, Tuolumne County, California. The decision to use this area for study was based on its relative freedom from man's influence and its accessibility. The Omega Vine belongs to the author and its use was restricted during the period of investigation

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Stem rust and Yellow rust diseases are the two major wheat fungal diseases causing considerable yield losses in Turkey and all around the world. There are studies which are carried out to identify and utilize resistance sources in order to obtain resistant lines of wheat. However, virulent pathotypes are continuously being important threats to wheat production and yield. For that reason, new approaches for rapid identification are needed. The aim of this study was to investigate and to understand the structural and functional differences between the resistant and sensitive durum wheat cultivars to the plant fungal diseases of stem and yellow (stripe) rusts. To aim this, forty durum wheat recombinant inbred lines (RILs), which were previously determined to be resistant or sensitive to stem and yellow rust diseases, were investigated by the noninvasive Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) Spectroscopy. Also, classification of the resistant and sensitive lines depending on the structural and functional differences has been attempted. The FTIR spectra for stem rust disease showed that, resistant durum wheat lines had a significant increase in the population of unsaturation in acyl chains of lipid molecules, an increase in lipid and in total protein content and also an increase in carboxylic acids and alcohols. For yellow rust disease, resistant lines had a significant increase in hydrogen bonding and they had also a more ordered membrane structure. In Principal Component Analysis for stem rust disease, according to 3700-650 cm-1 region, amide III band (1213-1273 cm-1 region) and C-H stretching region (3020- 2800 cm-1), the resistant and sensitive groups were separated successfully. For yellow rust disease, according to 3700-650 cm-1 region, Amide A and Amide III bands, the resistant and sensitive lines were grouped distinctly. FTIR spectroscopy provides a useful approach to determine the differences in molecular structure of durum wheat RILs regarding resistance of lines to fungal diseases. However, further research is still needed to ensure if the structural and functional differences in biomolecules of the samples could be used as molecular markers for discrimination of rust resistant materials from rust sensitive ones.

Les écosystèmes forestiers constituent le principal réservoir à long terme de carbone. Toutefois, les dynamiques saisonnières de productions de cette biomasse ligneuse, en relation avec l'assimilation du carbone par l'écosystème et les déterminants environnementaux, restent peu étudiées, limitant notre compréhension du cycle du carbone et particulièrement sa sensibilité aux changements actuels du climat. Cette thèse a pour objectif de comprendre les relations entre le processus de séquestration du carbone dans le bois en formation, la physiologie de l’arbre, l’assimilation du carbone par le peuplement, et les conditions environnementales du site. L’étude porte sur trois sites instrumentés d’une tour à flux avec un peuplement constitué principalement par, respectivement l’épicéa à Tharandt en 2016, le hêtre à Hesse en 2015-2017, et le chêne à Barbeau en 2016. La formation du bois a été suivis par prélèvement hebdomadaire de microcarottes contenant, le phloème, le cambium et le xylème en formation sur des arbres dominants sélectionnés dans l’empreinte de mesure de la tour. La productivité primaire brute a été estimée par Eddy-Covariance, et les variables climatiques mesurés grâce aux dispositifs de la tour. En premier, nous avons mis au point une nouvelle approche histologique, plus rapide et plus précise que la méthode précédemment publiée sur les résineux, pour quantifier la dynamique intra-annuelle de la séquestration du carbone dans le bois en formation, basée sur des mesures répétées de la densité apparente du xylème, et applicable également aux angiospermes. Dans le 2nd chapitre, nous avons montré que l’occurrence en même temps du développement de la canopée et de la reprise de l’activité cambiale pouvait ralentir la croissance radiale du xylème, et favoriser la formation d’un xylème à porosité élevée mais rapidement fonctionnel. Dans le 3ème chapitre, nous avons démontré que le plan ligneux détermine la coordination temporelle entre la croissance en taille et en biomasse du tronc au cours de la saison de végétation, la séquestration du carbone dans le bois en formation étant toujours décalée derrière la croissance radiale du tronc due aux processus internes de la xylogenèse, avec une tendance croissance du décalage temporel pour l’épicéa et le hêtre, mais une tendance décroissante chez le chêne. Le 4ème chapitre démontre que indépendamment du peuplement, la dynamique d'assimilation du carbone présentait une courbe en cloche symétrique culminant en Juin, tandis que la dynamique saisonnière de la séquestration du carbone variait entre les 3 espèces. Le peuplement de hêtres a concentré la séquestration du carbone dans le tronc en Mai-Juillet, tandis que les peuplements d'épicéa et de chênes ont plutôt culminé en Juin-Août et ont concentré cette séquestration vers la 2ème partie de la saison de végétation. Dans le 5ème chapitre, grâce à un suivi de trois ans des flux de carbone, de la croissance des arbres, et des facteurs environnementaux dans le peuplement de hêtres matures, nous avons montré que le classement du bilan de carbone annuel n'était pas maintenu d'une année à l'autre, avec l’assimilation de carbone annuel la plus élevée en 2017, mais la production de biomasse ligneuse la plus élevée en 2016. Cela suggère que l'allocation du carbone de l'assimilation à la séquestration dans la tige ne suit pas une simple règle d’allométrie. Enfin, nous avons observé que, parallèlement à la formation d'un nouveau xylème, la teneur en amidon augmentait également durant la formation du bois. Cela suggère que le stockage de carbone et la croissance du tronc étaient étroitement liés, avec une proportion plus importante chez le chêne que chez l’épicéa et le hêtre. Ainsi, cette thèse a permis d'améliorer nos connaissances sur la dynamique de l'allocation du carbone dans l'arbre, de l'assimilation au niveau des feuilles à la séquestration à long terme dans le bois, et d'explorer leur sensibilité respective aux conditions climatiques. / Forest ecosystems are the major and most perennial terrestrial carbon pool. However, the seasonal dynamics of production of this woody biomass, in relation to the ecosystem carbon uptake remain poorly studied, limiting our understanding of the carbon cycle and particularly its sensitivity to current climate changes. This thesis aimed to better understand the underlying process of carbon sequestration within forming wood, as related to tree physiology, stand carbon assimilation and site environmental conditions. The study was conducted on three instrumented site with a flux tower, the stand is dominated respectively by spruce in Tharandt in 2016, by beech in Hesse in 2015-2017, and by oak in Barbeau in 2016. To monitor wood formation, wood samples containing phloem, cambial zone, and developing xylem were collected weekly on dominant trees within the tower footprint. Flux tower measurements were used to estimate the daily GPP of the stand, and record the climatic conditions. In the 1st chapter, we developed a novel histologic approach, to quantify the intra-annual dynamics of carbon sequestration in spruce forming wood. This approach, based on repeated measurements of xylem apparent density, is easier, faster, and more accurate than the previously available method, and is applicable also to angiosperm species. In the 2nd chapter, we showed that simultaneous occurrence of the canopy development and the resumption of cambial activity slowed down xylem radial growth, and might entail the formation of xylem with high porosity but functional at early growing season. In the 3rd chapter, we demonstrated that the tree-ring structure determined the temporal coordination between stem growth in size and in biomass along the growing season, with carbon sequestration in forming wood always lagging behind stem radial growth due to inner processes of xylogenesis. Indeed, we showed an increasing timelag ranging from ten days to nearly one month for spruce and beech, but a decreasing timelag from nearly three to one week for oak trees. In the 4th chapter, we observed that regardless of the stand, carbon assimilation followed a large and symmetric bell curve peaking in June, while seasonal dynamics of carbon sequestration differed among the three species. The beech trees concentrated carbon sequestration in stem in May-July, while the spruce and oak trees rather peaked in June-August, and completed stem growth towards the second part of the growing season. In the 5th chapter, based on a three-year monitoring of carbon fluxes, trees growth and environmental factors in the mature beech stand, we showed that ranking of annual carbon balance was not maintained from one year to another, with higher carbon assimilation during the hottest year, but higher woody biomass production in the wettest year. This suggests that allocation of carbon from assimilation to sequestration in stem is not following a simple allometric rule. In the last chapter, we observed that parallel to formation of a new xylem, starch content also increased in forming wood, suggesting that storage and stem growth were tightly connected along the growing season, with higher allocation to storage for sessile oak, compared to spruce and beech. This thesis has improved our knowledge about the dynamics of carbon allocation in the tree, from assimilation at the leaf level to long-term sequestration into the wood, and allowed to explore their respective sensitivity to climate conditions. A better quantification of the shift between stem growth in size and in biomass will require to disentangle the kinetics of cellulose and lignin deposition. However, our work contributed to a better understanding of the intra-annual dynamics of stem radial growth and carbon sequestration, which could help to improve modelling of forests net primary productivity, in the context of current global warming.