Search Results (102)

Almond cultivation in the Mediterranean basin is driven by Spanish production, which has combined innovation in cultivation techniques with research on varietal improvement, releasing self-compatible and late-flowering varieties that are better suited to areas prone to spring frosts. The growing demand for almonds has also influenced the Italian nut market, pushing growers towards almond cultivation even in areas that historically have no full vocation due to certain climatic constraints, such as cold winters and spring frosts, which are now less severe and less frequent as a result of climate changes, such as along the Latium coastline in Central Italy. In this new regional context, an almond collection orchard was set up in late 2017 in the rural environment of the municipality of Tarquinia (province of Viterbo) to test the local adaptation of commercial almond cultivars. Phenological observations and data acquisition were conducted for three consecutive growing seasons (2022–2024) and referred to eight cultivars introduced in the orchard: namely Genco, Guara, Lauranne Avijour, Penta, Soleta, Supernova, Tuono, and Vialfas. Each accession was monitored for phenological and ecophysiological traits, plant vigor and yield, yield efficiency, and nut and kernel traits. The trial proved that Lauranne, Penta, and Vialfas, due to their late flowering, were able to avoid possible damage from the spring cold recorded in 2023, while Supernova, Penta, and Genco, with an average yield over the three-year period of 2.51 ± 1.53, 2.44 ± 1.07 and 2.69 ± 1.42 kg plant⁻¹, respectively, showed a higher average yield than the other cultivars tested. Full article

Indian mock strawberry (Duchesnea indica, syn. Potentilla indica), a clonal invasive plant native to Asia, has rapidly spread in Europe, where its ecological adaptation allows it to thrive under varying environmental conditions. It is mostly found in urban habitats such as lawns, parks, and urban and peri-urban forests, where it thrives in various plant communities. It can become dominant in certain communities, indicating its competitive advantage over native plants. Due to similar habitat preferences, it often coexists with the native species Glechoma hederacea, with which it shares other characteristics such as clonal growth. This study investigates the effects of light, nutrients, and competition on the growth, morphology, and physiology of D. indica. A controlled pot experiment exposed plants to combinations of sunlight and shade, optimal and increased nutrient levels, and competitive scenarios with the native plant G. hederacea. The plant traits of biomass, leaf and ramet number, stolon and flower production, leaf greenness, the photosynthetic efficiency of Photosystem II, and stomatal conductance were assessed. Results revealed that light and nutrient availability significantly enhanced growth metrics. In shaded conditions, D. indica adapted with elongated petioles and increased specific leaf area. Competition significantly reduced growth, with G. hederacea outperforming D. indica. These findings highlight the complex interplay between abiotic and biotic factors in influencing invasive species impact, providing essential insights for ecosystem management. Full article

Amberboa moschata (L.) DC. (Asteraceae) is an endangered species, listed in the Red Book of Plants of the Republic of Armenia. The restricted extent of occurrence and habitat degradation necessitate conservation measures of this species, not only in the wild but also through ex situ cultivation. This study examines the comprehensive morpho-phenological, karyological, palynological, eco-physiological, and ornamental characteristics of A. moschata in the context of ex situ conservation. A. moschata plants cultivated ex situ demonstrated high adaptive traits, undergoing a full development cycle and experiencing less water stress compared to wild populations. The diploid cytotype has been found for the species to be 2n = 32, the karyotype is asymmetric, with chromosomes, 0.77–1.91 µm in size. The average pollen fertility of A. moschata is high, 96.7–96.9% in both natural and cultivated samples. A scale of decorativeness was developed, which includes 15 characteristics of the plant, providing an objective means to assess its visual appeal. The scale can be useful for integrating A. moschata into various landscaping schemes. Under cultivation, the total ornamental period lasts approximately 98 days, with the peak ornamental effect observed during the flowering phase, which spans 68–70 days. The study recommends A. moschata for inclusion in living collections in botanical gardens and for use in ornamental gardening and landscaping as part of its ex situ conservation strategy. A map, original photographs, and tables illustrate the article. Full article

Urban biodiversity is essential for enhancing liveability for both humans and wildlife by providing a range of ecosystem services. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness among citizens, particularly schoolchildren, about the significance of biodiversity in urban environments. To this end, an Open-Air Laboratory was established in an urban park of an Italian Mediterranean city (Livorno), where natural vegetation flourishes. This initiative engaged schoolchildren in experimental campaigns to collect ecophysiological data on local wild woody species. Specifically, the students were tasked with identifying various wild woody species and, under the guidance of researchers, recording specific leaf ecophysiological traits, such as leaf mass per area, leaf pigments, and chlorophyll fluorescence. The results, which highlighted seasonal variations in leaf ecophysiological traits and interspecific differences, were analysed in relation to the environmental conditions documented by the schoolchildren. This analysis revealed distinct plant strategies for coping with winter and summer stressful periods. The methodology employed in this project, which involved schoolchildren in research activities, not only fostered environmental awareness among young participants but also serves as a pilot model for public engagement in scientific research. Full article

Satureja rechingeri is a valuable medicinal plant, but its growth can be significantly impacted by water deficit stress. To investigate the effects of biochar (BC) and hydroretentive polymers (HPs) on various eco-physiological traits of savory under a water deficit, an experiment was conducted over two consecutive cropping seasons (2017–2019). A randomized complete block design with a split-plot factorial arrangement and three replications was used. The treatments consisted of three levels of irrigation (95 ± 5, 75 ± 5, and 55 ± 5% FC), which were applied to the main plots, and combinations of two levels of biochar and two levels of HPs, which were applied to subplots. The results show that a water deficit reduced the relative water content (RWC), chlorophyll content, and dry matter yield of the shoots. Furthermore, the activity of catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and malondialdehyde (MDA) increased in two-year-old plants. The MDA content significantly decreased by 15.6% in the second year compared to in the first year under a water deficit. The application of HPs caused a decrease of 26.4%, 32.5%, and 27.5% in POD, CAT, and APX enzyme activities, respectively, compared to their control levels. In the biochar treatment, there was a significant reduction in the activity of POD, APX, and CAT in the leaves. Full article

To enhance the plantation performance of Swietenia humilis Zucc., a threatened precious woody species from the dry tropics of Latin America, this study examined its morpho-physiological responses to variations in nutrient and light availability. We established a nursery trial with factorial treatments: three levels of fertilization (4, 6, and 8 g L⁻¹ of substrate using a controlled-release fertilizer, CRF, 18-6-12) and two shade intensities (60% and 40%), alongside a full sun treatment. The field performance of nursery-raised plants was evaluated under two site conditions (with and without mechanical soil preparation) over 48 months. In the nursery, S. humilis exhibited diverse morpho-physiological characteristics influenced by the studied factors, with optimal growth observed at 6 g of the CRF and 40% shade. Mechanical soil preparation significantly improved plant survival, reducing mortality risk by 99.16% and increasing survival probability to nearly 75%. Height growth was also enhanced, being 2.5 times greater in the prepared site compared to that in the unprepared one. S. humilis showed acclimatization in the field, producing new foliage with high chlorophyll content. In conclusion, nursery management and soil site preparation influence the field performance of S. humilis. These findings have practical implications for improving the management of S. humilis in plantations across the dry tropics. Full article

Veteran trees are important elements in forests, as well as urban and suburban areas, and represent part of our cultural heritage. However, increasing age also brings a reduction in vitality. Information on tree physiological vitality can be gained by examining ecophysiological traits, such as photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and leaf water potential. Here, we assess the effects of age on the photosynthesis and water status of 600-year-old pedunculate oak trees (Quercus robur L.) by comparing them with neighbouring 25-year-old trees. While gas exchange measurements indicated lowered photosynthesis in old trees, their maximum rates of Rubisco carboxylation and electron transport were similar to younger trees, suggesting that biochemical limitations to photosynthesis are not the reason behind their reduced vitality. Moreover, there was no difference in light-adapted and dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence between old and young trees. In contrast, stomatal conductance (under unlimited soil water availability) was lower, indicating increased stomatal limitations to photosynthesis in veteran trees. On the other hand, high water potential during mild summer drought conditions indicated better access to soil water in old trees, while stomatal conductance in old trees was higher than in young trees at night. A reduced ability to open and close stomata may be one of the reasons for the observed decline in veteran tree vitality, with a lowered ability to regulate stomatal conductance resulting in reduced carbon gain and unnecessarily high water loss. Full article

Stress modifiers are recognized as biostimulants providing beneficial effects on various plant species. However, the specific potential of modulators such as melatonin, chitosan, humic acid, and selenium in enhancing the resistance of ajwain (Carum copticum L.) plants to water scarcity remains an open question. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a randomized, field block-designed factorial experiment over two years (2022–2023) to compare the effectiveness of these biostimulants in mitigating the impact of water shortage on ajwain plants. This study involved three irrigation regimes: 100% field water capacity (FC100%—unstressed), 75% irrigation deficit (FC75%—moderate) and 50% irrigation deficit (FC50%—severe), and four modifier treatments (melatonin, chitosan, humic acid, selenium), plus untreated controls. Plant growth, seed yields, essential oil production, as well as eco-physiological traits were studied to assess the efficacy of these compounds as stress modulators. Water regimes and stress modifier applications, as a single factor or in synergy, significantly affected plant physiology and seed yield, highlighting the importance of sustainability in agricultural practices. Compared to FC100%, biological and seed yield, chlorophyll, and nutrient content decreased under FC75% and FC50%, while essential oil production, proline, soluble sugars, flavonoids, phenols and antioxidant enzymatic activity increased. Notably, regardless of the type of modulator used, the application of these modifiers improved all physiological attributes under moderate and severe irrigation deficits. Among the involved compounds, melatonin induced the most pronounced effects, leading to higher biological and seed yield, essential and fixed oil production, relative leaf water content, chlorophyll and nutrient concentration, and antioxidant activity. Our results demonstrate that such compounds effectively function as stress modulators against water scarcity in ajwain plants by preserving specific eco-physiological traits and promoting water saving. These findings provide valuable insights into their use as a nature-based solution for addressing water stress in sustainable agriculture and climate change challenges. Full article

A plant species can have diverse hydraulic strategies to adapt to different environments. However, the water transport divergence of co-occurring species in contrasting habitats remains poorly studied but is important for understanding their ecophysiology adaptation to their environments. Here, we investigated whole-branch, stem and leaf water transport strategies and associated morphology traits of 11 co-occurring plant species in Yuanjiang valley-type savanna (YJ) with dry–hot habitats and Xishuangbanna tropical seasonal rainforest (XSBN) with wet–hot habits and tested the hypothesis that plants in YJ have a lower water transport efficiency than co-occurring species in XSBN. We found high variation in whole-branch, stem and leaf hydraulic conductance (K_shoot; K_stem and K_leaf) between YJ and XSBN, and that K_stem was significantly higher than K_leaf in these two sites (K_stem/K_leaf: 16.77 in YJ and 6.72 in XSBN). These plants in YJ with significantly lower K_shoot and K_leaf but higher sapwood density (WD) and leaf mass per area (LMA) showed a lower water transport efficiency regarding less water loss and the adaptation to the dry–hot habitat compared to co-occurring species in XSBN. In contrast, these co-occurring plants in XSBN with higher K_shoot and K_leaf but lower WD and LMA tended to maximize water transport efficiency and thus growth potential in the wet–hot habitat. Our findings suggest that these co-occurring species employ divergent hydraulic efficiency across YJ and XSBN so that they can benefit from the contrasting hydraulic strategies in adaptation to their respective habitats. Full article

Biostimulants contribute to the physiological growth of plants by enhancing the quality characteristics of fruit without harming the environment. In addition, biostimulants applied to plants strengthen nutritional efficiency, abiotic stress tolerance, and fruit biochemical traits. We investigated the effectiveness of specific organic biostimulants. Five treatments were tested: (1) control (H₂O, no biostimulants); (2) Magnablue + Keyplex 350 (Mgl + Kpl350); (3) Cropobiolife + Keyplex 120 (Cpl + Kpl120); (4) Keyplex 120 (Kpl120); and (5) Magnablue + Cropobiolife + Keyplex 120 (Mgl + Cpl + Kpl120) on the mineral uptake and physiology in black chokeberry (Aronia) plants, as well as the quality of their berries. The different treatments were applied to three-year-old chokeberry plants, and the experimental process in the field lasted from May to September 2022 until the harvest of ripe fruits. Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) revealed that the fifth treatment significantly increased concentrations of P, Ca, and K. Additionally, the fifth treatment enhanced photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), water-splitting efficiency (Fv/Fo) in PSII, and the performance index (PI) of both PSI and PSII in chokeberry leaves. Improvements in photosynthesis, such as CO₂ assimilation (A), transpiration (E), and water-use efficiency (A/E), were also noted under biostimulant applications. Upon harvesting the ripe fruits, part of them was placed at room temperature at 25 °C, while the rest were stored at 4 °C, RH 90% for 7 days. The cultivation with biostimulants had beneficial effects on the maintenance of flesh consistency, ascorbic acid concentration, and weight of berries at 4 and 25 °C, especially in the 5th treatment. Moreover, the total antioxidant capacity, anthocyanin concentration, and total phenols of the berries were notably higher in the third and fifth treatments compared to the control. These data suggest that selecting appropriate biostimulants can enhance plant yield and fruit quality by potentially activating secondary metabolite pathways. Full article

The Biome-BGC model is a classic forest ecosystem carbon cycle model driven by remote sensing and plant trait data, and it has been widely applied in various regions of China over the years. However, does the Biome-BGC model have good applicability in all regions of China? This question implies that the rationality of some applications of the Biome-BGC model in China might be questionable. To quantitatively assess the overall spatial applicability of the Biome-BGC model in China’s vegetation ecosystems, this study selected ten representative forest and grassland ecosystem sites, all of which have publicly available carbon flux data. In this study, we first used the EFAST method to identify the sensitive ecophysiological parameters of the Biome-BGC model at these sites. Subsequently, we calibrated the optimal values of these sensitive parameters through a literature review and the PEST method and then used these to drive the Biome-BGC model to simulate the productivity (including GPP and NEP) of these ten forest and grassland ecosystems in China. Finally, we compared the simulation accuracy of the Biome-BGC model at these ten sites in detail and established the spatial pattern of the model’s applicability across China. The results show that the sensitive ecophysiological parameters of the Biome-BGC model vary with spatial distribution, plant functional types, and model output variables. After conducting parameter sensitivity analysis and optimization, the simulation accuracy of the Biome-BGC model can be significantly improved. Additionally, for forest ecosystems in China, the model’s simulation accuracy decreases from north to south, while for grassland ecosystems, the accuracy increases from north to south. This study provides a set of localized ecophysiological parameters and advocates that the use of the Biome-BGC model should be based on parameter sensitivity analysis and optimization. Full article

The environmental risk assessment (ERA) of plant protection products (PPPs) is commonly conducted for a number of standard laboratory species, though its scope includes all species, especially those that are vulnerable or endangered. This begs the question of how the eco-physiological and life history traits of those data-rich species compare to those of less documented species. This paper investigates the utility of a database of such traits, the Add-my-Pet collection of Dynamic Energy Budget theory, for the ERA of North American birds. We identified 72 bird species in the collection that have a federal listing status or are otherwise of interest for the ERA of PPPs and compared their eco-physiological and life history traits in relation to body size, feeding guild, and taxonomic identity to those of 446 terrestrial Holarctic birds, as well as those of standard lab species, notably the northern bobwhite, mallard, and zebra finch. The properties of standard lab species generally align with those of a similar taxonomy and size, with the notable exception of the relatively high reproductive capacity of the northern bobwhite and mallard due to the unique properties of laboratory study data. In addition, taxonomy appears to be a better predictor of eco-physiological traits than feeding guild. We conclude that, to identify representative species for the ERA of PPPs, more traits need to be included, such as those directly linked to the likelihood of exposure and those related to reproductive behavior. Full article

Understanding the relationships between seed traits and germination responses is crucial for assessing natural regeneration, particularly in threatened ecosystems like the seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF). This study explored links between seed traits (mass, volume, moisture content, and dispersal type), germination responses (germinability, germination speed ($\overline{v}$), time to 50% of germination (T50), synchrony, and photoblastism), and physical dormancy (PY) in 65 SDTF species under experimental laboratory conditions. We found that species with smaller seeds (low mass and volume) had higher $\overline{v}$ and reached T50 faster than species with larger seeds. For moisture content, species with lower moisture content had higher germinability and reached the T50 faster than seeds with high moisture content. Abiotic dispersed species germinated faster and reached the T50 in fewer days. Most of the SDTF species (60%) did not present PY, and the presence of PY was associated with seeds with lower moisture content. As for photoblastism (germination sensitivity to light), we classified the species into three ecological categories: generalists (42 species, non-photoblastic), heliophytes (18 species, positive photoblastic, germination inhibited by darkness), and sciadophytes (5 species, negative photoblastic, light inhibited germination). This study intends to be a baseline for the study of seed ecophysiology in the SDTF. Full article

This study analyzed the capability of aerial RGB (red-green-blue) and hyperspectral-derived vegetation indices to assess the response of sweet maize (Zea mays var. saccharata L.) to different water and nitrogen inputs. A field experiment was carried out during 2020 by using both remote RGB images and ground hyperspectral sensor data. Physiological parameters (i.e., leaf area index, relative water content, leaf chlorophyll content index, and gas exchange parameters) were measured. Correlation and multivariate data analysis (principal component analysis and stepwise linear regression) were performed to assess the strength of the relationships between eco-physiological measured variables and both RGB indices and hyperspectral data. The results revealed that the red-edge indices including CI_red-edge, NDRE and DD were the best predictors of the maize physiological traits. In addition, stepwise linear regression highlighted the importance of both WI and WI:NDVI for prediction of relative water content and crop temperature. Among the RGB indices, the green-area index showed a significant contribution in the prediction of leaf area index, stomatal conductance, leaf transpiration and relative water content. Moreover, the coefficients of correlation between studied crop variables and GGA, NDLuv and NDLab were higher than with the hyperspectral indices measured at the ground level. The findings confirmed the capacity of selected RGB and hyperspectral indices to evaluate the water and nitrogen status of sweet maize and provided opportunity to expand experimentation on other crops, diverse pedo-climatic conditions and management practices. Hence, the aerially collected RGB vegetation indices might represent a cost-effective solution for crop status assessment. Full article

Antarctic flowering plants have become enigmatic because of their unique capability to colonize Antarctica. It has been shown that there is not a single trait that makes Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica so special, but rather a set of morphophysiological traits that coordinately confer resistance to one of the harshest environments on the Earth. However, both their capacity to inhabit Antarctica and their uniqueness remain not fully explained from a biological point of view. These aspects have become more relevant due to the climatic changes already impacting Antarctica. This review aims to compile and update the recent advances in the ecophysiology of Antarctic vascular plants, deepen understanding of the mechanisms behind their notable resistance to abiotic stresses, and contribute to understanding their potential responses to environmental changes. The uniqueness of Antarctic plants has prompted research that emphasizes the role of leaf anatomical traits and cell wall properties in controlling water loss and CO₂ exchange, the role of Rubisco kinetics traits in facilitating efficient carbon assimilation, and the relevance of metabolomic pathways in elucidating key processes such as gas exchange, nutrient uptake, and photoprotection. Climate change is anticipated to have significant and contrasting effects on the morphophysiological processes of Antarctic species. However, more studies in different locations outside Antarctica and using the latitudinal gradient as a natural laboratory to predict the effects of climate change are needed. Finally, we raise several questions that should be addressed, both to unravel the uniqueness of Antarctic vascular species and to understand their potential responses to climate change. Full article