Spray application of 5­azacytidine on established plant seedlings was tested for its demethylating efficiency, as it represents a novel method for plant experimental demethylation with a potentially lower negative impact on plant development compared to the traditional application of the demethytaling agent through germination of seeds in its solution. Further, the 5­azacytidine spray application was used in practice to erase the epigenetic memory in offspring of Taraxacum brevicorniculatum plants from different competitive conditions. The impact of parental competition on the juvenile phenotype was estimated by measuring growth related traits, while the experimental demethylation allowed for evaluating the significance of DNA methylation marks in bioticaly induced transgenerational effects in T. brevirorniculatum.

Biodiversity, ecosystems, industry and human health are threatened by invasive plant species. The costs of mitigating damages run into billions of pounds per annum. Fundamental to the control of invasive plant species is an ability to predict which species will become invasive. Yet identification of predictive differences between invasive and non-invasive species has proven difficult to pinpoint. In this thesis I identify several weaknesses within published literature, and using field experiments and meta-analyses we address these to find consistent predictors of invasiveness amongst plants. Specifically, I recognize that predictors of invasiveness can be identified by studying plant species in the native range because species may undergo phenotypic and demographic changes following naturalization (Chapters 2 – 5). I also recognize the importance of comparing globally invasive and non-invasive species, and the importance of accounting for phylogenetic relationships so as not to inflate or conceal differences (Chapters 2 – 4). Finally, I investigate whether particular analyses are more appropriate for investigating life history and demographic differences (Chapter 5). This thesis comprises an introductory chapter (Chapter 1), four data chapters (Chapters 2 - 5) and a general discussion (Chapter 6). Chapters 2 and 3 compare life history traits of plant species known to be invasive elsewhere, with their exported but non-invasive sympatric relatives in the native range. Chapter 4 utilizes Population Projection Matrices held within the COMPADRE Plant Matrix Database, to compare demographic projections of stable and transient dynamics of invasive and non-invasive plants; and Chapter 5 compares ten metrics, derived from Population Projection Matrices, of seven invasive species between the native and invaded range to determine if there are demographic or life history differences that facilitate invasion, and to identify those analyses that are most likely to reveal such differences. I find reproductive capacity to be a predictor of invasiveness, and that analyses of transient dynamics are more likely than analyses of projected stable dynamics to reveal demographic or life history differences between invasive and non-invasive species or populations of plants. I discuss these findings in the context of invasive risk assessment protocols and highlight future research opportunities.

Although Mauritia flexuosa (Arecaceae) plays a pivotal role in the ecology and economy of the Amazon, and occurs in a variety of habitats, little is known about the influence of habitat on the reproductive biology of this palm. My dissertation focuses on the reproductive biology of M. flexuosa in three habitats in Roraima, Brazil: undisturbed forest, undisturbed forest-savanna ecotone, and savanna disturbed by plantations of the exotic tree, Acacia mangium. First, I calculated sex ratios and linked precipitation patterns with phenology. Sex ratios were female-biased. Precipitation was negatively associated with flowering, and positively associated with fruiting. Habitat appears to have no significant influence on phenology of M. flexuosa, although short-term climate variation may affect phenology of this species. Second, I examined floral biology, observed floral visitors, and performed exclusion experiments to determine the pollination system of M. flexuosa. Fruit set did not differ significantly between the visitor exclusion treatment and the control, but was significantly lowest in the wind + visitor exclusion treatment, suggesting that this dioecious palm is anemophilous, independent of habitat. Third, I identified the abiotic and biotic factors explaining variation in fruit mass, seed mass, seed number per fruit, and total fruit yield among habitats. Soil moisture and flooding during the wet season were the best predictors of fruit and seed output. The number of leaves, diameter at breast height, and height were all accurate predictors of reproductive output, but crown volume did not accurately predict fruit yields. Results re-evaluate traditional assumptions about wind-pollination in the tropics, and highlight abiotic and biotic factors responsible for variation in reproductive output of M. flexuosa, with implications for effective management of this palm. Finally, I interviewed harvesters and vendors to document the traditional knowledge and market dynamics of the fruit of M. flexuosa, buriti. Traditional knowledge corroborated results from scientific studies. Vendors argued that the price of buriti must increase, and must fluctuate with varying supply. With appropriate economic incentives to vendors/harvesters, Roraima may expand its market infrastructure for buriti, effectively stimulating the regional economy and practicing sustainable harvesting.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a germinaÃÃo de sementes e o estabelecimento de plÃntulas de Libidibia ferrea em funÃÃo do peso de semente, temperatura e luz. As sementes de L. ferrea foram separadas em trÃs classes de peso (leves, mÃdias e pesadas) e foram realizados em laboratÃrio os bioensaios de temperatura e luz, alÃm do experimento de sombreamento em casa de vegetaÃÃo. Para o experimento em laboratÃrio, o crescimento da parte aÃrea de plÃntulas apresentou melhor desempenho sob a ausÃncia de luz e se desenvolveu melhor à temperatura de 25 e 30ÂC, enquanto a raiz se desenvolveu melhor apenas sob 30ÂC. Para o sombreamento, sementes mÃdias e sementes pesadas apresentaram plÃntulas mais vigorosas sob sombreamento de 50% e 70%. Conclui-se que as sementes pesadas (> 0,12 g) apresentam melhor desempenho germinativo e produzem plÃntulas mais vigorosas. / The aim of this work was to study the seed germination and seedling establishment of Libidibia ferrea depending on the seed weight, temperature and light. Seeds of L. ferrea were classified into three weight classes (light, medium and heavy) and were carried out temperature and light bioassay in laboratory, beyond the shading experiment in greenhouse. For the laboratory experiment, the shoot growth of seedlings showed better performance in the absence of light and it is best developed at 25 and 30ÂC, while the root has just developed better under 30ÂC. Medium and heavy seeds showed more vigorous seedlings under 50% and 70% shade. It was concluded that the heavy seeds (> 0.12 g) have better germination performance and produced more vigorous seedlings.

For a long time studies were focused on searching optimal conditions of germination of individual species. During the last few years studies have started to search for a relationship between germination and various species characteristics. Most of them, however, use only one temperature during germination tests. Very few studies use more than one temperature during the germination tests. In the last years studies started also to compare germination between rare and common species, but these studies compare just a few species. There are no studies which would compare germination on broader range of species. Aim of this study was to indentify which factors are determing germination of species and to find relationships between germination and characteristics of rare species (n=62). Another aim was to find out differences in germination of pairs (n=24) of closely related rare and common species. To test the germination I have chosen a methodology with several consecutive temperatures. Throughout the time of testing , the seeds were placed either in light or in dark. The dataset was processed by linear regression. The results show that germination requirements of species are determinet by time of flowering, weight of seeds, dispersal mode, species requirements for soil humidity and nutrients and type of...

In general, yield reduction in most dryland maize growing areas of South Africa occur because seasonal rainfall distribution is erratic with annual variation that cannot be predicted accurately. Cultivar selection, planting date and plant density are other factors that consistently affect maize yield. Long growing season maize cultivars are higher yielding, particularly under conditions of good moisture and nutrient supply. However, as both moisture and nutrient availability becomes more limiting, yield tends to decline. Short growing season maize cultivars could yield more than long season counterparts because they can maximize the growing season and potentially reach the critical flowering stage before traditional midsummer droughts occur. The short growing season maize cultivars, which have only recently been developed, have traits, which can address the problem of reduced yield, which is ascribed to midsummer drought. There has been no previous effort to evaluate the effects of planting dates and plant densities on yield and yield components of these short and ultra-short growth period maize cultivars. This prompted research in the 2004/05 growing season. One field experiment was conducted at each of two selected areas (Bethlehem&Potchefstroom) in the “Maize Triangle” of South Africa. The aim was to evaluate the response of short and ultra-short growth period maize cultivars to planting dates and plant densities at two localities with distinct environmental conditions. The effects of planting date, plant density and cultivar on yield and yield components were investigated. Both yield and yield components were affected by planting date, plant density and cultivar at both localities. At both localities early and optimum planting dates as well as low and optimum plant densities promoted increases in yield components, which contributed to increased grain yield. As for the cultivars, PAN6017 proved to be the most consistent since it out-performed other cultivars in terms of both vegetative growth, yield components and grain yield at both localities. At both localities, plant height, leaf area index and dry matter yield were affected by both planting date and plant density, with optimum planting date and optimum plant density contributing to highest yield components and yield. PAN 6017 was superior to the other cultivars at all planting dates and plant densities at both localities. In order to make findings from a study such as this applicable to the “Maize Triangle”, more research on short and ultra-short growth period maize cultivars should be conducted over a wider range of locations and seasons. / Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / M Inst Agrar / unrestricted

L'introgression est un processus fréquent et qui a d'importantes conséquences évolutives. L'objectif de ce travail était de tester un modèle neutre d'introgression chez des épicéas du Plateau tibétain et des régions voisines. Le travail a permis de mettre en évidence que la direction de l'introgression pouvait être prédite par la dynamique passée des populations d'arbres, et que l'importance de cette introgression était inversement proportionnelle à l'intensité des échanges génétiques au sein de l'espèce invasive, grâce à la comparaison de la structure génétique basée sur des marqueurs chloroplastiques (à hérédité paternelle) et mitochondriaux (à hérédité maternelle). / Introgression is a widespread phenomenon with potentially profound evolutionaryconsequences. Recently, significant progress in our understanding of introgression hasbeen made with the development of a neutral model. This model predicts that, whenone species invades an area already occupied by a related species, introgression ofneutral genes takes place mainly from the local species towards the invading ones. Inaddition, following a contact between two hybridizing species, the model predicts thatintrogression should be particularly frequent for genome components experiencinglittle gene flow. However, to date, there was no empirical example available, in whichone species expanded into the range of a closely related one and two markers withcontrasted rates of gene flow had been studied for both species. Only in such a casecould the two predictions outlined above be tested simultaneously. In addition, basedon these two predictions, species delimitation should be more efficient when usingmolecular markers experiencing high rates of gene flow. The present thesis was designed to test the hypotheses of this model. The biologicalmodel used was conifers, a group in which introgression and hybridization arecommon because of incomplete reproductive isolation. The species investigatedbelong to the genus Picea (spruce). We focused on two species complexes,represented by monographic clades in a phylogenetic study using the chloroplast genematK. All species studied occur in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) and adjacenthighlands. The phylogeography of these species complexes was reconstructed usingorganelle markers (mitochondrial DNA, mtDNA and chloroplast DNA, cpDNA). Inconifers, mtDNA and cpDNA have contrasted modes of inheritance. The former ismaternally inherited, transmitted by seeds experiencing little gene flow while thelatter is paternally inherited, transmitted by both pollen and seeds experiencing highlevels of gene flow. Therefore, uniparentally inherited mtDNA and cpDNA markersexperience different rates of gene flow in such a group, providing an ideal model to test the relationship between rates of gene flow, introgression and species delimitation.Two mtDNA fragments (nad1intron b/c; nad5 intron1) and three cpDNA fragments(ndhK-C；trnL-trnF；trnS-trnG) were sequenced for nine species belonging to thePicea asperata and P. likiangensis species complex.(1) Nine mtDNA and nine cpDNA haplotypes were detected in 459 individualsfrom 46 natural populations in five species of P. asperata complex. As found in mostconifer species studied so far, low variation is present in the two mtDNA intronsalong with a high level of differentiation among populations (GST = 0.90). In contrast,higher variation and lower differentiation among populations was found at cpDNAmarkers (GST = 0.56). The cpDNA, although far from being fully diagnostic, is morespecies-specific than mtDNA: four groups of populations were identified usingcpDNA markers, all of them related to species or groups of species, whereas formtDNA, geographical variation prevails over species differentiation. A literaturereview shows that mtDNA variants are often shared among related conifer species,whereas cpDNA variants are more species-specific. Hence, increased intraspecificgene flow appears to decrease differentiation within species but not among species.[...]

Linking environmental variation to population dynamics is necessary to understand and predict how the environment influences species abundances and distributions. I used demographic, environmental and trait data of forest herbs to study effects of spatial variation in environmental factors on populations as well as environmental change in terms of effects of forest succession on field layer plants. The results show that abundances of field layer species during forest succession are correlated with their functional traits; species with high specific leaf area increased more in abundance. I also found that soil nutrients affect vegetative and flowering phenology of the forest herb Actaea spicata. The effect of nutrients shows that a wider range of environmental factors than usually assumed can influence plant phenology. Moreover, local environmental factors affected also the demography of A. spicata through effects on vital rates. An abiotic factor, soil potassium affecting individual growth rate, was more important for population growth rate than seed predation, the most conspicuous biotic interaction in this system. Density independent changes in soil potassium during forest succession, and to a lesser extent plant population size dependent seed predation, were predicted to alter population growth rate, and thereby the abundance, of A. spicata over time. Because these environmental factors had effects on population projections, they can potentially influence the occupancy pattern of this species along successional gradients. I conclude that including deterministic, as opposed to stochastic, environmental change in demographic models enables assessments of the effects of processes such as succession, altered land-use, and climate change on population dynamics. Models explicitly incorporating environmental factors are useful for studying population dynamics in a realistic context, and to guide management of threatened species in changing environments.