Digital Commons Network^™

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes Winter 2010, Scott R. Abella, E. Cayenne Engel

Mojave Applied Ecology Notes

Native species interactions with red brome (Bromus rubens), undergraduate and graduate programs at UNLV, what’s growing in the greenhouse?

2010 Wildflower Of The Year: Wild Ginger, Asarum Canadense, W. John Hayden

Biology Faculty Publications

Wild ginger is a low herbaceous plant. The stem consists of a branched creeping rhizome at or just below the soil surface. Soft-hairy leaves arise in pairs annually from rhizome branches. Petioles can be up to 20 cm long, elevating the 7—25 mm wide kidney-shaped leaf blades above the forest floor. Small flowers appear in the spring shortly after the leaves have expanded. Typically, one must push the leaves aside in order to glimpse the jug-like flowers. A single flower stalk appears between the paired leaf bases, but it is short and barely lifts the flower above the soil surface. …

Abundance Of Ssr Motifs And Development Of Candidate Polymorphic Ssr Markers (Barcsoyssr_1.0) In Soybean, Qijian Song, Gaofeng Jia, Youlin Zhu, David Grant, Rex T. Nelson, Eun-Young Hwang, D. L. Hyten, P. B. Cregan

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) genetic markers, also referred to as microsatellites, function in map-based cloning and for marker-assisted selection in plant breeding. The objectives of this study were to determine the abundance of SSRs in the soybean genome and to develop and test soybean SSR markers to create a database of locus-specific markers with a high likelihood of polymorphism. A total of 210,990 SSRs with di-, tri-, and tetranucleotide repeats of five or more were identified in the soybean whole genome sequence (WGS) which included 61,458 SSRs consisting of repeat units of di- (≥10), tri- (≥8), and tetranucleotide (≥7). Among …

A New Species Of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) From Turkey, Ergi̇n Hamzaoğlu, Ahmet Aksoy, Ümi̇t Budak

Turkish Journal of Botany

Silene bayburtensis Hamzaoğlu & Aksoy sp. nov. is described as a new species from Bayburt province (Turkey). The specimen was collected on a calcareous steppe, in 2 localities, at an altitude between 1700 and 1750 m. The new species is similar to Silene pharnaceifolia Fenzl. The differences between the species are discussed.

New Morphological Characters For Some Erysimum (Brassicaceae) Species, Bi̇rol Mutlu

Turkish Journal of Botany

Trichome shapes were investigated on the outer and inner surfaces of fruit valves of 43 species of Erysimum L., 20 of which are endemic to Turkey, by light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Five species, Erysimum sorgerae Polatschek., E. huber-morathii Polatschek, E. cheiri (L.) Crantz, E. repandum L. and E. vuralii Yild. were identified, in which there are trichomes on the inner surface of fruit valves, which was determined for the first time in these species. Two morphological distinct types of trichomes were observed on the inner surfaces of the fruit valves of E. huber-morathii and E. repandum, …

Twenty-Four New Records For The Freshwater Algae Of Turkey, Tuğba Ongun, Kemal Çeli̇k, Ari̇f Gönülol

Turkish Journal of Botany

Twenty-four new records for freshwater algae of Turkey were determined in a study conducted from February 2007 to January 2009 in Çaygören Reservoir, Balıkesir, Turkey. Among these, 3 were Cyanobacteria, 3 Euglenophyta, 15 Chlorophyta, 1 Charophyta, 1 Heterokontophyta, and 1 was Dinophyta.

Response Of Photosynthesis In The Leaves Of Cucumber Seedlings To Light Intensity And Co2 Concentration Under Nitrate Stress, Xiaoyu Yang, Xiufeng Wang, Min Wei

Turkish Journal of Botany

The effects of 2 nitrate levels, 14 (CK) and 140 mmol L^{-1} (T), on the leaf gas exchange variables of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Xintaimici) seedlings grown in hydroponic culture were investigated. Photosynthetic light- and CO_{2}-response curves from CK and T seedlings were determined and used for the analysis of photosynthetic capacity. The results showed that nitrate stress resulted in a significant reduction of net photosynthesis of T seedlings compared with CK. At the same time, the apparent quantum yield, light-saturated net photosynthesis, carboxylation efficiency, and CO_{2}-saturated net photosynthesis in nitrate-stressed cucumbers also decreased significantly with the increase of …

Optimizing The Physical And Nutritional Environment Of Unleached Root-Zones, Curtis B. Adams

Publications

Unleached root-zones represent an environmental ideal by eliminating wasteful leaching of nutrients and water. NASA grows plants in space in unleached root-zones, incorporating polymer-coated fertilizer (PCF) into a ceramic media (Turface or Profile). However, lack of growth productivity in space has led to the need for research to improve the nutritional and physical environment of the root-zone, which is the objective of this research. PCF types are diverse in release characteristics and the effects of temperature and substrate water content have not been well characterized. In spite of widespread use, studies on chemical properties and applied studies to verify soil …

Whole Genome Wide Expression Profiles Of Vitis Amurensis Grape Responding To Downy Mildew By Using Solexa Sequencing Technology, Jiao Wu, Yali Zhang, Huiqin Zhang, Hong Huang, Kevin M. Folta, Jiang Lu

School of Information Faculty Publications

Background: Downy mildew (DM), caused by pathogen Plasmopara viticola (PV) is the single most damaging disease of grapes (Vitis L.) worldwide. However, the mechanisms of the disease development in grapes are poorly understood. A method for estimating gene expression levels using Solexa sequencing of Type I restriction-endonuclease-generated cDNA fragments was used for deep sequencing the transcriptomes resulting from PV infected leaves of Vitis amurensis Rupr. cv. Zuoshan-1. Our goal is to identify genes that are involved in resistance to grape DM disease.

Results: Approximately 8.5 million (M) 21-nt cDNA tags were sequenced in the cDNA library derived from PV pathogen-infected …

Studies On Ecophysiological Responses Of Durum Wheat Genotypes Under Water Deficit Conditions., Ali Akbar Moayedi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Water is the main component in the make-up of plants and serves as the solvent, which transports minerals and dissolved carbohydrates throughout the plant. However, the ecological and physiological responses of plants to water limitation vary at different developmental stages and limits crop production and yield in crops. Therefore, investigation of the plant response to drought at its different developmental stages can be useful to overcome the negative effects of water stress in different plant growth stages. In addition, although, drought stress has been well documented as an effective parameter in decreasing crop production in arid and semi arid regions, …

A Study On Cell Suspension Cultures For Micropropagation And The Production Of Carpaine From Papaya (Carica Papaya L. Var. Eksotika)., Mohamad Fhaizal Mohamad Bukhori

Student Works (2010-2019)

Carica papaya L. is a member of Caricaceae family with four native genera. This fruit is economically important as in multi-purpose fruit produced for dessert and vegetable and is highly in demand for pharmaconomical trade particularly the plant compound as source of medicine. This species is a popular fruit crop in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is also one of the most widely grown fruits in Malaysia and is mainly cultivated in Johor, Perak and Selangor. The Eksotika papaya variety was introduced to the farmers in the late eighties and this resulted …

Phylloplanins: Novel Antifungal Proteins On Plant Leaf Surfaces, Ryan William Shepherd

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

Secreted surface proteins are an innate immune defense component employed by animals to inhibit invading microbes. Surface proteins have not been documented in plants, even though the aerial leaf surface, or phylloplane, is a major site of pathogen ingress. We have discovered novel proteins, termed phylloplanins, which accumulate on leaf surfaces of Nicotiana tabacum, and we have isolated the gene Phylloplanin that is unique in gene databases. Natural and E. coli-expressed phylloplanins inhibit spore germination and limit leaf infection by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina.

We investigated the site of phylloplanin biosynthesis using biochemical techniques. These techniques …

Factors Affecting The Spatial Distribution Of Black Mangrove On The Dredged-Material Or “Spoil” Islands In The Lower Laguna Madre Of Texas, Violet Yeager, Kenneth R. Summy, Frank W. Judd, Robert I. Lonard, Ruben A. Mazariegos, James H. Everitt, Michael R. Heep, Thomas Whelan

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Biology)

Research was conducted to evaluate the spatial distribution of black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) on the dredged-material or “spoil” islands of the Lower Laguna Madre of Texas. Aerial color-infrared (CIR) photographs revealed the presence of black mangrove stands on many of the islands located south of the Arroyo Colorado (a distributary of the Rio Grande which empties into the Laguna Madre), but failed to detect significant mangrove stands on islands located north of the Arroyo. Analysis of CIR photographs and supervised image classifications for individual islands suggested a concentration of black mangrove along western shorelines and relatively low interior areas of …

Snail Grazing Facilitates Growth Of A Bloom-Forming Alga, Michele Guidone, Carol S. Thornber, Emily Field

Biology Faculty Publications

Herbivory often has a negative effect on plants. However, there is a growing number of examples, primarily in terrestrial ecosystems, where herbivory causes an increase in plant size, growth rate, and/or reproductive output. In marine ecosystems, the positive effects of herbivores on macroalgae are not as well studied, although limited evidence exists for herbivore-induced increases in macroalgal growth rates via 2 mechanisms: nutrient addition via grazer defecation, and epiphyte removal. In this study, we examined the effects of grazing by the mud snail Ilyanassa obsoleta on Ulva lactuca, the dominant bloom-forming macroalga in many New England estuaries. We found …

The Effect Of Drying And Submersion Pretreatment On Adventitious Shoot Regeneration From Hypocotyl Explants Of Flax (Linum Usitatissimum L.), Mustafa Yildiz, Sebahatti̇n Özcan, Cansu Telci̇ Kahramanoğullari, Si̇bel Day, Hande Özat

Turkish Journal of Botany

Hypocotyl explants of 3 flax cultivars were cultured for adventitious shoot regeneration in 3 different ways. Two pretreatment applications were compared with the routinely applied conventional regeneration protocol of culturing explants directly on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 1 mg L^{-1} 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.02 mg L^{-1} naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). In the first pretreatment application, explants kept in a sterile cabin under an air flow for 30 min were immersed in MS solution containing 1 mg L^{-1} BAP and 0.02 mg L^{-1} NAA for 15 min; then pretreated explants were cultured on MS medium without any growth regulators …

Comparison Of The Epiphytic Lichen Communities Growing On Various Tree Species On Mt. Uludağ (Bursa, Turkey), Şule Öztürk, Şaban Güvenç

Turkish Journal of Botany

A total of 48 epiphytic lichen species were found on the various tree species (Abies nordmanniana (Stev.) Spach subsp. bornmuelleriana (Mattf.) Coode & Cullen, Fagus orientalis Lipsky, and Pinus nigra Arnold. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe) that formed communities on the north-west, extending from 1300 to 1600 m altitudes, of Mt. Uludağ in Bursa. Twenty-five epiphytic lichen species that occur on more than 4 sample trees were statistically analysed. The most frequent species were Pseudevernia furfuracea L. (Zopf.), Hypogymnia tubulosa (Schaer.) Hav., Parmelia sulcata Taylor, Lecanora chlarotera Nyl., and Evernia prunastri (L.) Ach., in descending order. Indicator species for Fagus orientalis …

Palynological Observations On The Genus Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae) From North-East Anatolia (Turkey), Zafer Türkmen, Serdar Makbul, Kami̇l Çoşkunçelebi̇, Osman Beyazoğlu

Turkish Journal of Botany

Pollen morphology of the 13 taxa of Scorzonera L. (Asteraceae) from Turkey was investigated by using light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). As a result of LM and SEM observations, it was found that the pollen types are generally isopolar, radially symmetric, triangular in polar view, and lophate, with lophae ornamentations that are echinate-perforate and an exine thickness ranging from 6.99 to 11.82 µm. The present study found that the lacunae ornamentation of S. laciniata subsp. laciniata and S. tomentosa is perforate-microrugulate, that of S. suberosa and S. cinerea is perforate-microreticulate, that of S. pseudolanata is perforate-psilate, and that …

Four New Records For The Benthic Diatoms (Genera Cocconeis, Seminavis, Synedra, And Trachysphenia) From The Aegean Sea, Fatma Sabanci, Tufan Koray

Turkish Journal of Botany

Cocconeis pseudomarginata W.Greg., Seminavis robusta Danielidis & D.G.Mann, Synedra gaillonii (Bory) Ehrenb. var. macilenta (Grunow) H.Perag., and Trachysphenia australis Petit var. rostellata Hust. from Bacillariophyceae were reported for the first time from Turkish coastal waters. Additionally, Synedra gaillonii var. macilenta and Trachysphenia australis var. rostellata were the first records at variety level for Mediterranean coasts. Morphological characteristics of these species were given in detail, and information on their distribution was provided.

Lepiota Rubella Bres., An Unusual Tropical American Agaric From Turkey, Mustafa Işiloğlu, Roy Watling, Hayrüni̇sa Baş Sermenli̇

Turkish Journal of Botany

No abstract provided.

Safety Evaluations Of The Cry1ia1 Protein Found In The Transgenic Potato 'Spuntag2', Hector Quemada, Kelly Zarka, Walter Pett, Gurling Bothma

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The transgenic potato 'SpuntaG2' (Solanum tuberosum), which is resistant to potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella), was subjected to protein safety evaluations including protein equivalency tests for the Cry1Ia1 protein from 'SpuntaG2' and bacterially produced Cry1Ia1, toxicity and allergenicity evaluations of Cry1Ia1 protein, and compositional equivalency of 'SpuntaG2' compared with non-transgenic 'Spunta'. Western blot analysis and biological activity assays showed molecular and functional equivalency between 'SpuntaG2'-derived Cry1Ia1 protein and bacteria-derived Cry1Ia1 protein. Comparison of the Cry1Ia1 amino acid sequence to known amino acid sequences revealed no significant homology to known toxins or known allergens. Acute toxicity studies using rodents were used …

La Producción De Las Fresas Utilizando El Túnel Alto, Daniel Rowley, Brent Black, Dan Drost

All Current Publications

Las fresas locales y frescas son siempre un favorito en los mercados de productores y en los puestos ambulantes. Las fresas crecen mejor en las temperaturas alrededor de 70 a 75˚ F (21 a 24˚ C). Los inviernos fríos y los veranos calientes solo dejan una temporada de fresas muy corta. Se diseñan los invernaderos para mantener temperaturas óptimas para el crecimiento y se las puede usar para cultivar las fresas durante todo el año. Sin embargo, los invernaderos son muy costosos para construir y operar. Los túneles altos son relativamente baratos para construir, con algunos diseños costando menos de …

Estimation Of Effective Plant Area Index For South Korean Forests Using Lidar System, D. A. Kwak, W. K. Lee, Menas Kafatos, Y. Son, H. K. Cho, S. H. Lee

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) systems can be used to estimate both vertical and horizontal forest structure. Woody components, the leaves of trees and the understory can be described with high precision, using geo-registered 3D-points. Based on this concept, the Effective Plant Area Indices (PAIe) for areas of Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis), Japanese Larch (Larix leptolepis) and Oak (Quercus spp.) were estimated by calculating the ratio of intercepted and incident LIDAR laser rays for the canopies of the three forest types. Initially, the canopy gap fraction (GLiDAR) was generated by extracting the LiDAR data reflected from the canopy surface, or …

Joint Fire Science Program – Lake Mead National Recreation Area Revegetating Burned Arid Lands: Identifying Successful Native Species Using Trait And Competition Analysis: Quarterly Progress Report, Time Period: October 1 — December 31, 2009, Margaret N. Rees

Fire Science

• Article accepted for publication in Journal of Arid Environments.

• Recharged irrigation gel packs for outplanting and watered seed plots at Goodsprings site.

• Completed full year of seed granivory trials at Goodsprings site.

• Presented information on this Task Agreement to 4th International Fire Ecology and Management Congress.

• Maintained nursery plots and added installment of nitrogen treatment.

Mir319a Targeting Of Tcp4 Is Critical For Petal Growth And Development In Arabidopsis, Anwesha Nag, Stacey King, Thomas Jack

Dartmouth Scholarship

In a genetic screen in a drnl-2 background, we isolated a loss-of-function allele in miR319a (miR319a¹²⁹). Previously, miR319a has been postulated to play a role in leaf development based on the dramatic curled-leaf phenotype of plants that ectopically express miR319a (jaw-D). miR319a¹²⁹ mutants exhibit defects in petal and stamen development; petals are narrow and short, and stamens exhibit defects in anther development. The miR319a¹²⁹ loss-of-function allele contains a single-base change in the middle of the encoded miRNA, which reduces the ability of miR319a to recognize targets. Analysis of the expression patterns of the …

Investigating Nectar Rhythms In Squash (Cucurbita Pepo): Effects On Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera) Foraging Behavior., Samuel David Boyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Experiments were performed to investigate the influence of water availability on the diel patterns of nectar secretion (volume, concentration, sugar production) in male squash flowers as well as to discover what physical component of nectar honey bees use to trigger their time-memory. Squash plants were grown in the greenhouse and in the field under both constant and variable watering regimes. Throughout anthesis, nectar volume and sugar concentration were recorded. In the field, the temporal distribution of arrivals to squash was observed with and without blossoms present. In the greenhouse and in the field, squash flowers exhibit a consistent diel pattern …

Remote Sensing To Detect The Movement Of Wheat Curl Mites Through The Spatial Spread Of Virus Symptoms, And Identification Of Thrips As Predators Of Wheat Curl Mites, Abby R. Stilwell

Department of Entomology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The wheat curl mite (WCM), Aceria tosichella Keifer, transmits three viruses to winter wheat: wheat streak mosaic virus, High Plains virus, and Triticum mosaic virus. This virus complex causes yellowing of the foliage and stunting of plants. WCMs disperse by wind, and an increased understanding of mite movement and subsequent virus spread is necessary in determining the risk of serious virus infections in winter wheat. These risk parameters will help growers make better decisions regarding WCM management. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the capabilities of remote sensing to identify virus infected plants and to establish the potential …

Lucerne Guidelines For Western Australia Principles For Integrating A Perennial Pasture Into Broadacre Dryland Farming Systems, Diana Fedorenko, Perry Dolling, Christopher Loo, Tom Bailey, Roy Latta

Bulletins 4000 -

Lucerne, often regarded as the queen of forages, has been used in agriculture for centuries. In Western Australia, however, its potential has never been fully realised despite its well-documented ability to dewater soils and reduce groundwater recharge. Over the years adoption has been limited by a range of factors including pests and diseases, soil acidity, grazing management and economics. During the last decade research has addressed these issues, paving the way for much greater impact at the farm and catchment level.

Vitisnet: ‘‘Omics’’ Integration Through Grapevine Molecular Networks, Jerome Grimplet, Grant R. Cramer, Julie A. Dickerson, Kathy Mathiason, John Van Hemert, Anne Y. Fennell

Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Science Faculty Publications

Background: Genomic data release for the grapevine has increased exponentially in the last five years. The Vitis vinifera genome has been sequenced and Vitis EST, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic tools and data sets continue to be developed. The next critical challenge is to provide biological meaning to this tremendous amount of data by annotating genes and integrating them within their biological context. We have developed and validated a system of Grapevine Molecular Networks (VitisNet).

Methodology/Principal Findings: The sequences from the Vitis vinifera (cv. Pinot Noir PN40024) genome sequencing project and ESTs from the Vitis genus have been paired and the …

Remote Sensing Of Harmful Algal Blooms In The Mississippi Sound And Mobile Bay: Modelling And Algorithm Formation, Dan Martin Holiday

Dissertations

The incidence and severity of harmful algal blooms have increased in recent decades, as have the economic effects of their occurrence./The diatom Pseudo-nitzschia spp. caused fisheries closures in Mobile Bay during 2005 due to elevated levels of domoic acid. In the previous 4 years Karenia brevis counts of >5,000 cells L"1 have occurred in Mobile Bay and the Mississippi Sound. Population levels of this magnitude had previously been recorded only in 1996. Increases in human populations, urban sprawl, development of shoreline properties, sewage effluent and resultant changes in NP ratios of discharge waters, and decline in forest and marsh lands, …

In Planta "Green Engineering" Of Variable Sizes And Exotic Shapes Of Gold Nanoparticles: An Integrative Eco-Friendly Approach, Daniel Lee Starnes

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Manipulating matter at the nanoscale creates materials endowed with unique optoelectronic and physicochemical attributes. Among the noble metals, the properties of gold in "nano" can be manipulated by varying, their shapes and sizes. Gold nanoparticles find several applications in electronics, medicine and environmental reclamation. Emphasis has been on the “green synthesis” of nanogold to mitigate the hazardous implications stemmed from conventional nanogold synthesis. However, it is not known if the in planta synthesis of nanogold particles could be “green engineered” as well for generating desirable sizes and exotic shapes. In the present study, we used inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis …