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Leaf phenology refers to the timing of leaf life cycle events and is essential to our understanding of the earth system as it impacts the terrestrial carbon and water cycles and indirectly global climate through changes in surface roughness and albedo. Traditionally, leaf phenology is described as a response to higher temperatures in spring and lower temperatures in autumn for temperate regions. With the advent of carbon ecosystem models however, we need a better representation of seasonal cycles, one that is able to explain phenology in different areas around the globe, including tropical regions, and has the capacity to predict phenology under future climates. We propose a global phenology model based on the hypothesis that phenology is a strategy through which plants reach optimal carbon assimilation. We fit this 14 parameter model to five years of space borne data of leaf area index using a Bayesian fitting algorithm and we use it to simulate leaf seasonal cycles across the globe. We explain the observed increase in leaf area over the Amazon basin during the dry season through an increase in available direct solar radiation. Seasonal cycles in dry tropical areas are explained by the variation in water availability, while phenology at higher latitudes is driven by changes in temperature and daylength. We explore the hypothesis that phenological traits can be explained at the biome (plant functional group) level and we show that some characteristics can only be explained at the species level due to local factors such as water and nutrient availability. We anticipate that our work can be incorporated into larger earth system models and used to predict future phenological patterns.

Color stability and mouth feel quality are two of the most important aspects of red wine quality. Anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins are responsible for these attributes and it has been shown that weather conditions during the growing season and grape maturity can effect these components in wine. However, investigations into proanthocyanidin development are for the most part incomplete. Although it is known that weather affects vine metabolism, it has not clearly understood how phenolics are affected by temperature and heat summation. It is generally believed that the wines made with riper grapes improve in flavor and mouth feel as a result of an "improvement" in skin tannin "ripeness". The idea of "tannin ripeness" is usually used in the wine industry to explain this phenomenon, however, no scientific explanation for this concept has been given. The objective of this project was threefold: I) Monitor phenolic development in Pinot noir grapes over three consecutive growing seasons and determine how anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin development in grapes was affected by heat summation, II) investigate the transfer of grape phenolics into wine during fermentation and maceration and III) understand how grape maturity affected wine composition with a specific focus on proanthocyanidin structure. In this study, anthocyanin and proanthocyanidin development in Vitis vinifera L. cv. Pinot noir grapes (Pommard clone) were monitored for three consecutive vintages (2001-2003). Five cluster samples (x5 replicates) were collected for analysis each week beginning approximately 4 weeks prior to veraison and continued through commercial harvest. Weather information (temperature and heat summation) showed that the growing seasons became increasingly warmer from 2001 to 2003. By harvest time, 2003 had the highest concentration of proanthocyanidins in seeds (per berry weight) in comparison with the other two vintages. Similarly, proanthocyanidins in skins had the highest concentration in 2003 (per berry weight). However, there was not difference in the concentration of flavan-3-ol monomers in seeds (per berry weight) between the three vintages. Anthocyanins were not significantly different over the three vintages. There was some relationship between the concentration of some proanthocyanidin components in grape seeds and fresh seed weight. Information of grape and wine phenolics was compared with each year's temperature. The results suggested that changes in temperature and heat summation between vintages are associated with changes in proanthocyanidin content in grapes and wine. The data indicates that it is possible to predict proanthocyanidins in wine based upon early grape analysis. However, the anthocyanin content in grapes did not correlate with either weather or the anthocyanin content in wine. The concentration of seed and skin proanthocyanidins in grapes were compared with the proportions of seed and skin proanthocyanidins found in wine. Based upon proanthocyanidin extraction from seeds and skin during winemaking, a formula to predict proanthocyanidin content in wine based upon grape analysis at harvest and veraison was developed. From this formula, Pinot noir wine contained 7.8% of the proanthocyanidins from seed and 19% of the proanthocyanidins from skin analyzed from grapes at harvest, and 3.6% of the seed proanthocyanidin and 9.7% of the skin proanthocyanidin present in grapes analyzed at veraison. Based upon the analyses of this study, coupled with several informal sensory studies conducted on wine, the results of this thesis do not support the notion that "tannin ripeness" is due to structural changes in proanthocyanidin that occur during fruit ripening. Furthermore, this thesis suggests that "tannin ripeness" is not due to differential extraction of seed and skin proanthocyanidins as a result of fruit ripening. / Graduation date: 2005

Seasonal phenology and mating frequency of moths in the genus Dioryctria found sympatrically in north Okanagan Valley, British Columbia seed orchards were assessed. Female moths in the abietella, auranticella, ponderosae and schuetzeella species groups were trapped in Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine and interior spruce stands. Most species were univoltine based on one peak of flight activity per season. There is evidence that the abietella group are bivoltine in this region. Females in the abietella and auranticella groups are polyandrous; ponderosae and schuetzeella females are monandrous. The sole abietella species, D. abietivorella, recorded in British Columbia can have substantial economic impacts on seed production in commercial seed orchards. Factors influencing reproductive behaviour, longevity and fecundity of D. abietivorella were investigated. Females are synovigenic and have an income-breeding mating strategy. Reproductive behaviours are delayed post-eclosion and signalling receptivity by females coincides with egg maturation, increasing with age. Female D. abietivorella experience trade-offs between reproduction and longevity. / Ecology

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Oregon State University, 1988. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-102). Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2008. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 49 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 37-45).

Thesis (M.S.)--Rhodes University, 2003. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on June 9, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. 110-122).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-09Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:16:47Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 leiva_m_me_botib.pdf: 524607 bytes, checksum: 6be14091f581fd60f9bd4d9666b997c7 (MD5) / A dispersão de sementes é uma parte essencial da biologia reprodutiva das plantas, na qual a zoocoria é a principal forma de dispersão em florestas tropicais. Isto revela sua extrema importância para a regeneração e manutenção das florestas, sendo que os marsupiais podem agir como dispersores efetivos de plantas neotropicais através da ingestão de sementes. O objetivo deste estudo foi determinar as espécies de marsupiais ocorrentes e as espécies de plantas utilizadas como recurso em um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, localizado nos arredores do município de Botucatu, SP. O presente estudo também objetivou estudar a viabilidade e o comportamento germinativo das sementes após a passagem pelo sistema digestivo destes animais. Os marsupiais foram capturados de agosto de 2008 a julho de 2009 com armadilhas do tipo alçapão e de interceptação e queda. Suas fezes foram coletadas diretamente das armadilhas, durante o manuseio do animal ou ainda após a manutenção em cativeiro por 24 horas. Depois as amostras fecais foram triadas em laboratório. Foram realizados testes de germinação de sementes com dois tratamentos: (1) sementes retiradas das fezes e (2) sementes retiradas dos frutos maduros. O teste de tetrazólio foi aplicado para verificar a viabilidade das sementes de Piper amalago que não germinaram. Foi caracterizada a fenologia reprodutiva de 14 espécies vegetais utilizadas pelos marsupiais, sendo que quatro estavam presentes nas fezes. O período de maior disponibilidade de frutos prevaleceu dentro da estação chuvosa. Foram encontradas 11 espécies vegetais presentes nas amostras fecais dos marsupiais, sendo parte de plantas pioneiras. O marsupial Didelphis albiventris foi a espécie mais abundante e os frutos mais consumidos por ele foram as piperáceas: Piper hispidinervum (36% das amostras), seguido de Piper aduncum (19%) e Piper amalago (17%)... / Seed dispersal is an essential stage on plant reproductive biology, and zoochory is the main process of dispersion in tropical rain forests. Therefore, seed dispersal is very important to forest conservation and regeneration, and the marsupials may act as seed dispersers of neotropical plants by ingesting seeds. The main goal of this study was to determine the marsupial species as well as their food plants occurring in a semi-deciduous seasonal forest fragment located near the city of Botucatu, SP. This study also investigated seed viability and germination after passage through the marsupial guts. The animals were collected from August to July 2008 by using live and pitfall traps. Their feces were collected from traps, during animal handling or when the animals were kept in captivity for 24 hours. In the laboratory, seeds were removed from feces. Germination tests were carried out following two treatments: (1) seeds from feces and (2) seeds removed from mature fruits. The tetrazolium test was applied on nongerminated seeds of Piper amalago to determine their viability. The reproductive phenology of 14 plant species used by marsupials was also recorded, from which four were observed in the marsupial’s feces. Most fruits were available to the marsupials during the rainy season. A total of 11 plant species were found in the feces samples, and some of them was consisted of pioneering plants. Didelphis albiventris was the predominant marsupial species, and fruits of Piper hispidinervum (36%), Piper aduncum (19%) and Piper amalago plants (17%) were preferably consumed. The germination tests were carried out considering those plant species with high abundances on feces: P. aduncum, P. amalago, P. hispidinervum and Psidium guajava. The passage of P. amalago, P. aduncum and P. guajava seeds through the D. albiventris gut did not change the germination percentage when comparing with... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do ácido salicílico (AS) aplicado em pós-colheita de amora-preta, acerola, couve manteiga, espinafre e rosas sobre a conservação e a indução de resistência. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente ao acaso, com quatro repetições e os tratamentos foram baseados nas concentrações das soluções com AS 0,0; 0,5; 1,0; 1,5; e 2,0 mM. As culturas foram imersas nas soluções com os diferentes tratamentos e após armazenadas a 8°C. Para as frutas (amora-preta e acerola) as avaliações realizadas foram perda de massa da matéria fresca, teores de sólidos solúveis totais (SST), acidez titulável (AT), ácido ascórbico e incidência de podridões. Nos intervalos de 24, 48, 96 e 192 horas após a aplicação dos tratamentos, retirou-se amostras de frutos para determinação de proteínas totais, antocianinas, flavonóides e atividade das enzimas fenilalanina amônia-liase (FAL), quitinases e β-1,3-glucanase. Tais análises foram realizadas para todos os tratamentos, com exceção de quitinase e β-1,3-glucanase, sendo estas avaliações feitas somente para frutos tratados com 2,0 mM e a testemunha. Para as hortaliças (couve manteiga e espinafre) as avaliações foram perda de massa da matéria fresca, podridões, teor de vitamina C e clorofilas. Em intervalos de 24, 48, 96 e 192 horas após a aplicação dos tratamentos, determinou-se o teor de proteínas, fenóis totais, atividade da FAL e peroxidases. Para as rosas foram realizadas análises visuais de curvatura do pedúnculo, turgescência e escurecimento de pétalas. Ao final do experimento, avaliaram-se a perda de massa da matéria fresca, e teor de clorofilas nas folhas. Com intervalos de 24 horas, retirou-se uma amostra das pétalas para determinação de proteínas totais e atividade da FAL e peroxidases. Para amoras-pretas houve aumento do teor de proteínas e ativação da β-1,3-glucanase com a aplicação de AS. Os teores de antocianinas e flavonóides e a atividade da FAL, tiveram alterações no decorrer do experimento em função da aplicação de AS. Os tratamentos não foram significativos para perda de massa da matéria fresca, AT, SST, incidência de podridões, ácido ascórbico e atividade de quitinase para essa fruta. Para acerolas, a AT foi maior e os SST foram menores naquelas tratadas com AS. Os tratamentos não foram significativos para perda de massa da matéria fresca e ácido ascórbico de acerola. Houve redução da incidência de podridões em frutos com aplicação de AS, ativação das enzimas quitinases, β-1,3-glucanase e FAL e, aumento nos teores de antocianinas e flavonoides para acerola. Para couve manteiga a aplicação de AS manteve os teores de proteínas e fenóis totais em níveis mais elevados, e interferiu na atividade das peroxidases. Não houve significância para perda de massa da matéria fresca, teor de vitamina C, clorofilas, podridões e atividade de FAL. Para espinafre as maiores concentrações de AS diminuíram a perda de massa da matéria fresca e mantiveram os teores de proteínas mais elevados. Os tratamentos não interferiram no teor de clorofilas, fenóis totais, e atividade da peroxidases e FAL. Houve efeito nos teores de proteína totais, atividade da FAL e peroxidase nas hastes das rosas com a aplicação de solução contendo AS. As rosas tratadas com a maior concentração de AS mantiveram-se com as notas mais elevadas para curvatura de haste, turgescência e escurecimento de pétalas, ou seja, com melhor aspecto visual. / The aim of this work was to evaluate the salicylic acid (SA) effect applied in the blackberry, acerola, kale, spinach and roses postharvest for the conservation and resistance induction. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four replications and the treatments were based on the solutions concentrations with SA 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mM. The vegetable organs from the cultures were immersed in the solutions with different treatments and after it was stored at 8 °C. For the fruit (blackberry and acerola) the fresh matter weight losses, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), ascorbic acid and rot incidence were evaluated. During the intervals of 24, 48, 96 and 192 hours after treatment application, fruit samples were separated for total protein, anthocyanins, flavonoids and phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase enzymes activities were determinate. These analyzes were applied for all treatments, with the exception of chitinase and β-1,3-glucanase, which were evaluated only for fruits treated with 2.0 mM concentration and control treatment. For the vegetables (kale and spinach) the fresh mass losses, rot incidence, vitamin C and chlorophyll were evaluated. During the intervals of 24, 48, 96 and 192 hours after treatment application, the total protein, total phenols, phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and peroxidase enzimes were evaluated. For roses the peduncle curvature, turgescence and petals darkening were visual evaluated. When the experiment time finished, the fresh weight losses and the leaf chlorophyll content were evaluated. During 24 hour intervals, collected a petals sample to determine the total protein and PAL and peroxidase activities. For blackberries there was an increase of protein level and the β-1,3-glucanase activation with the application of SA. The anthocyanins and flavonoids contents and the PAL activity, had changes during the experiment due to the SA application. The treatments were not significant for fresh mass losses, TA, TSS, rot incidence, ascorbic acid and chitinase activities for this fruit. In the acerola, the TA was higher and TSS were lower in the fruit treated with SA. The treatments were not significant for fresh mass losses, of ascorbic acid content. There was a reduction in the fruit rots incidence with application of SA and an activation of chitinase, β-1,3-glucanase and PAL activity enzymes, and it increased anthocyanins and flavonoids contents for acerola. The SA application in the kale kept the protein and total phenol with higher levels and it interfere in the peroxidases activity. There was no significant treatment effect for fresh weight losses, vitamin C, chlorophyll, rot incidence and PAL activity. The highest SA concentrations decreased the fresh weight losses and they kept the higher proteins contents for spinach. The treatments did not affect the chlorophyll content, total phenolics and peroxidase and PAL activities.There wasn't treatment effect about total protein content, PAL and peroxidase activity in the roses stems. The rose treated with the highest SA concentration presented higher grade evaluation for peduncle curvature, turgescence and petals darkening, ie, the best visual aspect.