Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:36:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 2071657 bytes, checksum: 8a43f082ad29541577608649eac7bf13 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-07-20 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The present work aimed to study the morphophysiological behavior of two grapevine rootstocks Vitis vinifera x Vitis rotundifolia VR 043-43 and Vitis riparia, as affected by different stressful conditions. Initially, four types of flask sealing were tested: 1) transparent PVC plastic film; 2) rigid polypropylene closure (TN); 3) rigid polypropylene closure with one (TMF1) or two (TMF2) 10 mm holes, covered with 0.22 μm pore membranes, associated to sucrose concentrations (0; 10; 20, and 30 g.L-1). The experiment followed a completely randomized design in a 4 x 4 factorial scheme. After 60 days, the following characteristics were evaluated: number of leaves, leaf area (mm2), aerial shoot length (cm), root length (cm), contents of chlorophylls a, b, total and carotenoids, final medium volume (mL), and fresh dry weight (g). The effect of ethylene upon morphogenesis was also evaluated by adding the promoter (ACC) or the ethylene inhibitor (STS) to the culture medium (1/2MS; 1/2MS + 10 µM STS and 1/2MS + 3 µM ACC). For that, the following characteristics were used: number of leaves, number of internodes, leaf area, shoot length, root system length, aerial fresh mass, root fresh mass, investment percentage in mass for the aerial part and root, content of chlorophylls a, b, total and carotenoids, accumulated ethylene (at 7; 14; 21; 28; 35; 42; 49, and 56 days after explant inoculation), dry mass of shoots, dry mass of roots, and anatomical aspects. Inductive and non-inductive medium to hyperhydricity, combined with five irradiance levels were also tested. The interaction between sucrose concentrations up to 20 g.L-1 and type of sealing (TMF1 and TMF2), positively influenced in the growth parameters of in vitro propagated plants, though conferring higher survival rates when acclimatized to ex vitro conditions. The total chlorophyll content, number of leaves, leaf area, shoot length, and fresh and dry masses were significantly reduced when both cultivars were grown in ACC-supplemented medium. Hyperhydric shoots presented typical features, such as stomata deformation and increase in leaf blade width, moreover when cultured under higher irradiance levels. Higher irradiances also led to a marked photoinibition in in vitro cultured plants. / O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar o comportamento morfofisiológico de dois porta-enxertos de videiras, Vitis vinifera x Vitis rotundifolia VR 043-43 e Vitis riparia, quando cultivadas sob condições de estresse in vitro, para isso foram realizados três espxperimentos distintos. No primeiro foi avaliado o efeito de quatro tipos de vedações: 1) filme plástico de PVC transparente; 2) tampa rígida de polipropileno autoclavável sem orifício (TN); 3) tampa rígida de polipropileno com um (TMF1) ou dois (TMF2) orifícios de 10 mm, cobertos por membranas de 0,22 μm de poro, permeáveis às trocas gasosas, associadas à concentrações de sacarose (0; 10; 20 e 30 g.L-1), em experimento fatorial 4 x 4, em Delineamento Inteiramente Casualizado (DIC). Após 60 dias de cultivo, foram avaliadas as características número de folhas, área foliar (mm2), comprimento da parte aérea das plantas (cm), comprimento do sistema radicular (cm), teores de clorofila a, b, totais e de carotenóides, volume final do meio de cultivo (mL) e massa seca das plantas (g). No segundo experimento foi estudado o efeito do etileno sobre o comportamento morfofisiológico dessas videiras pela adição do promotor (ACC) ou do inibidor (STS) de etileno no meio de cultivo (1/2MS; 1/2MS + 10 µM de STS e 1/2MS + 3 µM de ACC). Para tal, foram avaliadas as seguintes características: número de folhas, número de entrenó, área foliar, comprimento da parte aérea, comprimento do sistema radicular, massa fresca da parte aérea, massa fresca da raiz, porcentagem de investimento em massa para a parte aérea e raiz, determinação de clorofilas a, b, totais e carotenóides, mensuração de etileno acumulado (aos 7; 14; 21; 28; 35; 42; 49 e 56 dias após inoculação dos explantes - DAI), massa seca da parte aérea, massa seca da raiz, análises anatômicas (microscopia de luz e microscopia eletrônica de varredura). Por último, foi montado um experimento do tipo fatorial 5 x 2, sendo cinco níveis de irradiâncias e dois meios de cultivo, com objetivo de valiar o comportamento de plantas hiperídricas e plantas normais de videiras em distintas irradiâncias. A interação entre as concentrações de sacarose até 20 g.L-1 e as vedações TMF1 e TMF2, permeáveis às trocas gasosas, infuenciou positivamente nos parâmetros fisiológicos de crescimento das plantas propagadas in vitro, conferindo-as características favoráveis à aclimatização ex vitro. O conteúdo de clorofilas totais, número de folhas, área foliar, comprimento da parte aérea, massas frescas e secas foram significativamente reduzidos quando ambas as cultivares foram desenvolvidas em meio de cultivo contendo ACC, assim como aumento na altura das estruturas anatômicas das folhas e deformações nos estômatos. Plantas induzidas à hiperidricidade apresentaram características morfofisiológicas alteradas em relação às normais, sendo que elevados níveis de irradiâncias induziram alterações em ambas as plantas. Níveis elevados de irradiância favorecem a fotoinibição em videiras cultivadas in vitro.

Puccinellia (puccinellia ciliata) and tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) often show ecological zonation in saline landscapes, with puccinellia occurring in less elevated more saline/waterlogged locations, and tall wheatgrass occurring in more elevated less saline/waterlogged locations. The aims of this study were to: (a) characterize the observed ecological zonation at a field site, (b) quantify the effects of variables likely to explain growth differences of the two plants in glasshouse experiments, and (c) identify and compare anatomical and physiological mechanisms that explain these zonation patterns. At an experiment in the field near Kojonup (0522824E, 6244579N), puccinellia was found to colonise the lower more severely salinised and waterlogged zones of the landscape, with tall wheatgrass occupying the higher less affected zones. These differences in zonation were clearly associated with variance in soil salinity and water-table depth. Glasshouse experiments in soil revealed that low pH values, low calcium concentrations and variation in salinity alone did not explain the ecological zonation observed in the field. However, there was a substantial difference in the responses of the two plant species to waterlogging in combination with salinity. Puccinellia grew better under saline waterlogged conditions than tall wheatgrass, which was associated with better regulation of Na+ and K+ under saline/waterlogged conditions than in tall wheatgrass. Under non-saline conditions, waterlogging (hypoxia) decreased shoot weights in puccinellia by 15% and in tall wheatgrass by 20%. Similar growth results were obtained in nutrient solution culture, where waterlogging was simulated by lowering the oxygen in solutions through bubbling with N2 gas. Under saline hypoxic conditions, puccinellia, compared to tall wheatgrass, showed increased growth and maintenance of selectivity of K+ over Na+ across adventitious roots. Solution experiments revealed adaptive traits responsible for conveying better growth and ion maintenance present in puccinellia, but not tall wheatgrass, such as inducement of a barrier to radial oxygen loss in the basal regions of adventitious roots (not previously reported in the literature for puccinellia), formation of root aerenchyma and packing of cortical cells and suberin deposition in hypodermal and endodermal root cell layers. These results should assist in targeting pasture species, and predicting their growth response, in saline and waterlogged landscapes. Further work on examining the genetic material of puccinellia is warranted in order to identify genes that could be transferred into crop plants to convey salt and waterlogging tolerance.

[Truncated abstract] Establishment of vegetation and ecosystem functioning is central to the mitigation of environmental impacts associated with mining operations. This study investigated the ecophysiological functioning of mature plants in natural vegetation and applied this knowledge to diagnose problems affecting plant health and causes of poor plant cover at a mine-rehabilitation site. Ecophysiological parameters, including plant water relations and mineral nutrition, were studied in conjunction with soil physical, hydraulic and chemical properties. The natural ecosystem at the study location in the Great Sandy Desert is characterised by sand dunes and interdunes with distinct plant communities on each. One of the most notable features of the vegetation is the presence of large Corymbia chippendalei trees high on the dunes and relatively small scattered shrubs in the interdunes. Triodia grasses (spinifex), dominate the vegetation in both habitats but different species occur in each; T. schinzii is restricted entirely to the dunes, and T. basedowii occurs only in the interdunes. It was hypothesised that the deep sandy dunes afford greater water availability but lower nutrient supply to plants in this habitat compared with those occurring in the lower landscape position of the interdunes. Water-relations parameters (leaf water potentials, stomatal conductance, d13C) revealed that dune plants, particularly woody species, displayed higher water status and water use than closely related and often congeneric plants in the interdunes. Nutrient concentrations in soils were significantly higher in the interdunes, but concentrations in foliage were similar for related species between habitats. It is concluded that the dunes provide a greater store of accessible water than the soil profile in the interdunes. ... Following an experimental wetting pulse equivalent to a summer cyclone event, A. ancistrocarpa plants displayed significant increases in stomatal conductance, leaf water potential and sap velocity in lateral roots within three days of irrigation at the natural site and two days at the rehabilitation site. Secondary sinker roots originating from distal sections of lateral roots were evidently supplying water to maintain hydraulic function in laterals, thus enabling a fast pulse response. This was accentuated at the rehabilitation site where roots were confined closer to the surface. These results indicate that plants at the rehabilitation site are more dependent on small pulses of water and have less access to deep reserves than plants at the natural site. It is concluded that high runoff losses and insufficient soil depth are major factors contributing to plant water stress, and combined with the direct impacts of erosion, are largely responsible for plant death and ultimately poor plant cover. These issues can be alleviated if cover soil depth is increased to more than 0.5 m and slope angles are reduced to <12o. This study demonstrates the value of an ecophysiological approach for diagnosing problems affecting plant establishment at mine-rehabilitation sites. Furthermore, it has provided recommendations that will improve the rehabilitation strategy and lead to the development of a well vegetated, resilient ecosystem on a stable and non-polluting land form.

No description available.

<div>Anthropogenically driven global change is disrupting ecosystems and habitats of many plant species, straining the ability of native species to survive and reproduce. The overarching goal of this research was to holistically work towards restoration of a threatened tree species by connecting research from different disciplines. In order to do so, the threatened butternut tree (<i>Juglans cinerea</i>) and its hybrids were used as a case study. Hybridization can incorporate stress tolerance in plants and could be a potential restoration tool. Evidence in some wild butternut populations indicates that naturalized hybrids of butternut with Japanese walnut (<i>Juglans ailantifolia</i>) may be more tolerant to butternut canker disease (BCD) than butternut, but this has not been formally tested. Thus, chapter 2 examined potential BCD tolerance within and between unadmixed and hybrid butternut inoculated with two BCD fungal isolates. Differences in canker growth were observed by fungal isolate, which could help to explain some differences in BCD severity found among butternut populations. Smaller and fewer cankers and greater genetic gains were detected in hybrid families, demonstrating that hybrids warrant further evaluation as a possible breeding tool for developing BCD-resistant butternut trees.</div><div>However, even with increased disease tolerance, hybrids must possess similar ecophysiological tolerances to their native progenitor to be an effective replacement. Butternut is extremely cold hardy, but Japanese walnuts are native to a warmer ecosystem, indicating potential disparities in extreme temperature tolerances between the two species and their hybrids. Thus, samples from mature trees were subjected to cold and heat treatments to compare relative extreme temperature tolerances within butternut and between butternut, Japanese walnut, and their hybrids. Within butternut, trees from colder areas exhibited less cold damage than those from warmer areas. Differences in heat damage among provenances occurred but did not follow a clear trend. Butternut exhibited greatest cold tolerance, Japanese walnut exhibited greatest heat tolerance, and hybrids were intermediate. Thus, the utility of hybrids for restoration could be limited at the extremes of the species’ distributions.</div><div>A second, but different type of freeze test was conducted for chapter 4 using seedlings to gain a more nuanced understanding of cold tolerance within butternut and between butternut and its hybrids. No survival or damage differences were detected in butternut provenances, although seedlings from the coldest provenances experienced more delayed budbreak at the two warmest treatments than those from warmer provenances. Interspecific differences were not observed in dieback but were detected in survival and budbreak. The hybrids had greater survival than butternut from warmer provenances at the lowest temperature treatment (-38 °C), but given that temperatures that low are extremely unlikely to occur in those provenances, it is not anticipated to give the hybrids an advantage if planted in those areas. However, the hybrids’ earlier budbreak could limit the success of restoration with these hybrids in the coldest extents of butternut’s range. </div><div>If hybrids, as well as genetically modified (GM) trees, are successfully developed for effective disease tolerance and to serve as an ecologically suitable replacement, success of restoration using hybrids will ultimately depend on those directly responsible for replanting efforts. A survey was administered to land managers in 46 organizations in Indiana to gauge perceptions of hybrid and GM trees, as well as current use of hybrid trees. Land managers had stronger concern for ecological, rather than economic, issues. Agreement was highest for using hybrid and GM trees for “conservation and restoration of at-risk species”, “timber production”, and “non-timber products (fruit, syrup, etc.)”. However, perceptions varied by characteristics, such as concern type, age, and the type of land they managed. Ecological concern and the type of land being managed most strongly predicted current hybrid use. Overall, results indicate the majority of land managers in Indiana would likely be agreeable to recommendations towards using hybrids. However, most nonetheless had strong ecological concerns about their suitability as a native replacement. It is important to note, though, that consistent with the results of previous studies, great variation was seen within the performance and characteristics of the butternut hybrids in chapters 2-4. Thus, it may be possible with careful selection and breeding to harness this variation to develop disease tolerant and ecologically similar hybrids acceptable to land managers.</div>