No description available.

No description available.

Tyrimų tikslas - Nustatyti beržynų atsikūrimo galimybes plynose kirtavietėse. Darbo objektas – Šiaulių miškų urėdijos 4 ir 6 metų amžiaus plynos kirtavietės Lc, Ld, Ud, Pcn ir Pdn augavietėse. Metodai – Beržo žėlinių kiekybiniai tyrimai atlikti stačiakampėse apskaitos aikštelėse, kurios atidėtos vadovaujantis miško atkūrimo ir įvesimo nuostatais. Tyrimai atlikti kiekvienoje augavietėje atliekant bent po 3 pakartojimus. Apskaitos aikštelėse nustatytas žėlinių tankis, o išmatavus aukštį, žėliniai suskirstyti į 4 aukštumo grupes: iki 0,5 m aukščio, nuo 0,5 iki 1,0 m aukščio, nuo 1,0 iki 1,5 m aukščio ir virš 1,5 m aukščio. Nustatytas žolinės dangos agresyvumo laipsnis žėlimui ir suskirstytas į 6 grupes. Gretimo medyno įtaka nustatyta atidedant apskaitos aikšteles 15, 35, 55 metrų atstumu nuo vakariniame kirtavietės pakraštyje esančio medyno. Žėliniai vertinti pagal augimo vieta: ruoštoje ar neruoštoje dirvoje. Nustatyta atsikūrimo galimybė skirtingose augavietėse, dirvos paruošimo, konkuruojančios augalijos įtaka žėlinių tankiui ir gyvybingumui. Gyvybingumas nustatytas pagal miško atkūrimo ir įveisimo nuostatus. Rezultatai – Palankiausios sąlygos natūraliam žėlimui nustatytos Lc ir Pcn augavietėse. Nustatyta vakariniame kirtavietės pakrašyje esančo medyno sudėties įtaka žėlinių tankiui. Didėjant beržo kiekiui minėtų medynų sudėtyje, žėlinių tankis didėja. Optimaliausias atstumas, nuo vakariniame kirtavietės pakraštyje esančio medyno, yra 35 metrai. Išaiškinta teigiama dirvos... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The aim of our investigation – To determine abilities of birch regeneration in clear cut areas. The object of investigation - 4 and 6 age clear cut areas in Lc, Ld, Ud, Pcn Pdn forest sites of Šiauliai State Forest Enterprise. Methods – Quantitative research of birch seedlings was carried out in rectangular sample plots according to the methodology of statute of reforestation and afforestation with 3 repetition in each forest site. There were determined: density of seedlings, height (seedlings were classified in 4 groups: up to 0,5 m; from 0,5 m to 1,0 m; from 1,0 m to 1,5 m and more than 1,5 meter in height), shading degree of herbal plants for birch regeneration was classified in 6 groups. Smaple plots were set out in 15, 35 and 55 meters from the edge of western side stand for detemination the influence of it. Besides, it was determine the influence of soil preparation, possibilities of birch regeneration in different forest sites, shading plants influence on vitality and density of birch seedlings. Results – it was determined that the most favorable conditions for birch regeneration was in Lc and Pcn forest sites. The higher content of birch in adjacent stand caused the higher density of birch seedlings in clear cut areas. The most optimum distance for birch regeneration was 35 meters from the adjacent western side stand. Besides, it was determined the positive influence of soil preparation on birch seedlings density (unprepared soil had 25 % less seedlings)... [to full text]

Call number: LD2668 .P7 1975 B76

The objective of this research was to characterize the seawater transport and its effect on the transverse tensile strength of a carbon/vinylester composite. The moisture contents of neat vinylester and unidirectional carbon/vinylester composite panels immersed in seawater were monitored until saturation. A model for moisture up-take was developed based on superposition of Fickian diffusion, and Darcy’s law for capillary transport of water. Both the predicted and measured saturation times increased with increasing panel size, however the diffusion model predicts much longer times while the capillary model predicts shorter time than observed experimentally. It was also found that the saturation moisture content decreased with increasing panel size. Testing of macroscopic and miniature composite transverse tensile specimens, and SEM failure inspection revealed more fiber/matrix debonding in the seawater saturated composite than the dry composite, consistent with a slightly reduced transverse tensile strength. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

No description available.

No description available.

y-Aminonbutyric acid (GABA) is a ubiquitous non-protein amino acid found ill many plants and organisms. GABA accumulation in plants has previously been reported as result of stresses such as water deprivation, high salinity and temperature extremes. It is thought that GABA accumulates as a compatible solute in the cytoplasm where it becomes a major constituent of the free amino acid pool. GABA is synthesised from the decarboxylation of glutamate by glutamate decarboxylase (GDC). In some plants, GDC is activated by the lowering of the cytoplasmic pH and the presence of calmodulin and Ca²+ A calmodulin-induced activation of may be due to the physiological factors and environmental stimuli acting in concert leading to the synthesis and accumulation of GABA. The GABA content of Arabidopsis thaliana var. Columbia (L) Heynh leaves was found to increase by over 130% due to water deprivation. NaCl concentrations of up to 100 mM seemed to cause GABA accumulation due to a decrease in osmotic potential. Concentrations of NaCl above 100 mM probably caused GABA accumulation due to combined hyperosmosis and salt toxicity effects. The high levels of GABA in the leaves were maintained throughout a 24 h stress-application period, consistent with its role as compatible solute. The accumulation of GABA followed by its decline in the dark could be attributed to its rapid metabolism because of an active GABA shunt. This is in contrast to the absence of major variations in the amount of GABA in the light confirming its decreased role as a channel for the glutamate carbon and nitrogen under such conditions. A substantial increase in the GABA content was followed by a dramatic decrease in the last 12 h of incubation. This profile of GABA could support its proposed role as a temporary sink for nitrogen and carbon from glutamate during environmental stress. Glutamate decarboxylase appears to be encoded by a single gene in the genome of Arabidopsis. Sequence analysis reveals that the protein possesses what could be a carboxy-terminal, calmodulin- binding domain, which is consistent with other glutamate decarboxylases. The 30-amino acid peptide contains a TrpLysLys motif found in some calmodulin targets. The secondary structure predictions of this peptide suggest a potential to form an a- helix which is also consistent with proteins known calmodulin- binding domains. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1997.

In Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heyhn, the size of the pool of free proline increases up to 27-fold in response to osmotic stress. The magnitude of this accumulation is dependent upon the rate of imposition of the stress. Numerous reports have suggested a role for proline accumulation as a general adaptation to environmental stress. However, controversy surrounds the beneficial effect of proline accumulation in plants under adverse environmental conditions. Stress-induced proline accumulation in plants occurs mainly by de novo synthesis from glutamate. The final and only committed step of proline biosynthesis in plants is catalysed by Δ¹-pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase (P5CR). The sequence of an incomplete 999 bp cDNA encoding P5CR from A. thaliana was determined. This enabled a preliminary molecular study of the structure and function of both the gene and the corresponding enzyme. The 999 bp cDNA insert in the clone Y AP057 was sequenced on the sense and antisense strands following subcloning of four sub-fragments in appropriate orientations. Comparison with known plant P5CR sequences revealed that Y AP057 does not encode the first 23 N-terminal amino acids of P5CR from Arabidopsis. However, it does encode the remaining 253 amino acid residues of Arabidopsis P5CR The cDNA Y AP057 is complete on the 3' end as indicated by the presence of a poly(A) tail. The nucleotide sequence determined shows complete homology to the corresponding exons of the genomic copy of a bona fide gene encoding P5CR in A. thaliana (Verbruggen et al, 1993). The only difference observed between the sequence of Y AP057 and that of a cDNA sequenced by these workers is that polyadenylation was initiated seven nucleotides earlier in Y AP057 than in the sequence of the published cDNA. Genomic Southern analysis suggests the presence of only a single copy of the gene encoding P5CR in Arabidopsis. Restriction mapping and sequencing the ends of another incomplete Arabidopsis P5CR cDNA clone FAFJ25 (664 bp) indicated that the regions sequenced were completely homologous to the corresponding portions of Y AP057. Analysis of codon usage in the Arabidopsis gene encoding P5CR revealed it to closely resemble the consensus pattern of codon usage in A. thaliana. This suggests that the gene is moderately. expressed. Expression of the gene encoding P5CR in Arabidopsis is not likely to be subject to translational control. Although P5CR from A. thaliana has a fairly high composition of hydrophobic amino acid residues, it does not possess any stretches of hydrophobic amino acids of sufficient length to act as membrane-spanning domains or to anchor the enzyme in a membrane. Neither does it contain an N- terminal leader sequence capable of directing it to either the plastid or mitochondrion. The enzyme therefore appears to be cytosolic. The nucleic acid and deduced amino acid sequences of Arabidopsis P5CR were compared with those from·eleven other organisms for which P5CR sequences are currently available. Except among the three different plants examined, P5CR sequences displayed less identity at the amino acid level than at the nucleotide level. The deduced amino acid sequence of Arabidopsis P5CR exhibits high similarity to the corresponding genes and amino acid sequences of P5CR from soybean and pea. Lower but significant similarity was observed to the amino acid sequences of P5CRs from human, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the bacteria Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Thermus thermophilus, Mycobacterium leprae; Treponema pallidum and Methanobrevibacter smithii. Similarity was also observed to the translational product of a gene from Bacillus subtilis with high homology to the E. coli proC gene. However, construction of a phenogram indicating the relatedness of the various P5CR enzymes suggests that sequence analysis of this enzyme is not a good indicator of evolutionary relatedness of organisms from different biological kingdoms. Multiple alignment of the twelve known P5CR sequences indicated homology between the sequences across their entire lengths. Homology was particularly high in the C-terminal portions of the P5CRs studied. It is speculated that this region may be of importance in binding of the substrate Δ¹-pyrroline-S-carboxylate (P5C). Another region displaying high sequence conservation was found in the central portion of all P5CRs. All P5CRs studied, with the exception of PSCR from T. pallidum contained an N-terminal domain capable of binding a nicotinamide dinucleotide cofactor. Comparison of this region with consensus sequences for NADH and NADPH binding sites in proteins suggests that NADPH is the preferred reductant used by P5CRs from plants and human. In contrast, the N-terrninal domains of P5CRs from S. cerevisiae, M smithii, T. thermophilus and M leprae display greater similarity to a consensus NADH-binding site. The definite preference of plant P5CRs for NADPH in comparison with NADH suggests that P5CR may be involved in regulating the redox potential within plant cells and that this step in proline biosynthesis from glutamate may be of importance in overall metabolic regulation. Three amino acid residues are universally conserved in all P5CRs studied. All are found within blocks of high sequence similarity. These residues are likely to be of importance in the structure or catalytic mechanism of P5CR. A number of other residues are common to several of the enzymes examined. These may also be of importance in subsequent manipulation of Arabidopsis P5CR at the molecular level. Prediction of the putative secondary structures of A. thaliana, soybean, pea, human and E. coli indicated a high degree of similarity between the enzymes. This was particularly evident in the region of the putative P5C-binding domain. Considerable similarity exists in hydrophobicity profiles of P5CRs from these five organisms. Proline levels in reproductive organs of unstressed Arahidopsis plants were considerably higher than those in vegetative tissues. This suggests differential expression of enzymes involved in proline metabolism in these organs. In situ hybridisation studies indicated an increase in levels of mRNA transcripts encoding P5CR in stem tissues in response to water deprivation stress. Regulation of levels of mRNA transcript encoding P5CR in Arabidopsis therefore appears to be an osmotically sensitive process. Furthermore, this accumulation of transcript occurred in a tissue-specific manner. In particular, an increase in levels of transcript encoding P5CR was observed in the cortical parenchyma, phloem, vascular cambium and pith parenchyma in the vicinity of the protoxylem. The significance of these findings in contributing to a better understanding of the role of proline in adaptation to environmental stress is discussed. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1995.

The impact of development on coastal ecological processes within the coastal zone is often noted as being of ecological concern, due to the suggested destabilization of dune systems as a result of construction activities and post construction impacts such as stormwater disposal, trampling and other artificial influences on, in particular, the plant ecology of the frontal dune systems. Given that the stability of frontal dune systems along the Kwa Zulu Natal north coast is often attributed to the maintenance of vegetation and seral progression on such systems, the identification of changes in dune plant communities that may arise from the influence of proximal or adjacent activities was sought to be identified. Utilising data collected from a number of sites in the Kwa Dukuza Municipal area, the classification and ordination of environmental and botanical species information collated over approximately 6 months was undertaken. The results of this investigation indicate that: Species composition differs in terms of richness and abundance in the three frontal dune vegetation zones sampled. 2 3 4 5 Some species occur in all three zones and others are confined to one zone only. Bearing and the associated influence of wind, the slope and length of the beach, and the steepness ofthe dune face all influence the species composition at any particular site The influence of anthropogenic activities on dune synusia is such that human influence on one species may disrupt associations between species and may result in attenuation or '" reversal of seral movement. Anthropogenic impacts influences species composition at different sites by causing some species to decline abundance or disappear from a site and others to invade or oust established species. In Zone I the species that appears to be most affected by human activity is Gazania rigens, which appears to dominate in sites of high human activity, at the expense of Sporobolus virginicus. In Zone IT under high human activity species such as Cynanchum obtusifolium, Rhoicissus digitata and Sporobolus virginicus dominate, while the woody species Mimusops caffra and Eugenia capensis, as well as the liane Gloriosa superba appear to decline or be ousted from this Zone. In Zone Ill, Asystasia gangetica, is a dominant species where low to moderate human impacts are encountered, while where human impacts are high, species common to Zone I, such as G rigens may become prevalent, ousting A gangetica and grasses such as S virginicus may be ousted by more competitive species such as Stenotaphrum secundatum. It is thus concluded that human activities in and around the frontal dune system may be influential in re-inforcing aeolian impacts on sites with bearings affected by strong prevailing winds. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal,Durban, 2004.