Nitrogen modulates the ozone response of Mediterranean wheat: Considerations for ozone risk assessment.

The experiment was conducted in an Open Top Chamber facility located in the Mediterranean basin to investigate how nitrogen (N) fertilization affects the response of wheat to ozone (O) exposure. The study considered the response of Artur Nick, a modern wheat cultivar commonly used in the area, to three O exposure levels (ambient and elevated ambient, +20 and +40 nL L O), and two N fertilization doses (100 and 200 kg ha). Measurements included leaf gas exchange, leaf chlorophyll content, leaf and grain N content, plant growth and yield parameters.

Foliar nitrogen uptake in broadleaf evergreen Mediterranean forests: Fertilisation experiment with labelled nitrogen.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in Mediterranean sclerophyllous forests of Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia, Q. ilex) in Spain often exceeds empirical critical loads established for ecosystem conservation. There are still uncertainties on the capacity of canopy retention and uptake of the atmospheric N deposited of these forests.

Differential patterns of within- and between-population genetically based trait variation in Lupinus angustifolius.

Background And Aims: Within-population genetic and phenotypic variation play a key role in the development of adaptive responses to environmental change. Between-population variation is also an essential element in assessing the evolutionary potential of species in response to changes in environmental conditions. In this context, common garden experiments are a useful tool to separate the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation.

Current ambient ozone levels mitigate the effect of Puccinia striiformis on wheat: Is Mediterranean wheat ready for pre-industrial background ozone levels?

Increasing surface ozone is a main concern for crop production in the Global Change framework, especially in the Mediterranean basin where climate conditions favor its photochemical formation. Meanwhile, increasing common crop diseases, such as yellow rust, one of the most important pathogens affecting global wheat production has been detected in the area in recent decades. However, the impact of O on the occurrence and impact of fungal diseases is scarcely understood.

Facilitated Adaptation as A Conservation Tool in the Present Climate Change Context: A Methodological Guide.

Climate change poses a novel threat to biodiversity that urgently requires the development of adequate conservation strategies. Living organisms respond to environmental change by migrating to locations where their ecological niche is preserved or by adapting to the new environment. While the first response has been used to develop, discuss and implement the strategy of assisted migration, facilitated adaptation is only beginning to be considered as a potential approach.

Ozone and Temperature May Hinder Adaptive Capacity of Mediterranean Perennial Grasses to Future Global Change Scenarios.

Climate warming is recognized as a factor that threatens plant species in Mediterranean mountains. Tropospheric ozone (O) should also be considered as another relevant stress factor for these ecosystems since current levels chronically exceed thresholds for plant protection in these areas. The main aim of the present study was to study the sensitivity of four Mediterranean perennial grasses to O and temperature based on plant growth, gas exchange parameters (photosynthesis-A, stomatal conductance-g, and water use efficiency-WUE), and foliar macro- (N, K, Ca, Mg, P, and S) and micronutrients (B, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, and Zn) content.

Population origin determines the adaptive potential for the advancement of flowering onset in L. (Fabaceae).

In the present framework of global warming, it is unclear whether evolutionary adaptation can happen quick enough to preserve the persistence of many species. Specifically, we lack knowledge about the adaptive potential of the different populations in relation to the various constraints that may hamper particular adaptations. There is evidence indicating that early flowering often provides an adaptive advantage to plants in temperate zones in response to global warming.

The Effects of Ozone on Visual Attraction Traits of (Geraniaceae) Flowers: Modelled Perception by Insect Pollinators.

Ozone (O) effects on the visual attraction traits (color, perception and area) of petals are described for , an endangered plant species. Plants were exposed to three O treatments: charcoal-filtered air (CFA), ambient (NFA) and ambient + 40 nL L O (FU+) in open-top chambers. Changes in color were measured by spectral reflectance, from which the anthocyanin reflectance index (ARI) was calculated.

Differential Evolutionary History in Visual and Olfactory Floral Cues of the Bee-Pollinated Genus (Campanulaceae).

Visual and olfactory floral signals play key roles in plant-pollinator interactions. In recent decades, studies investigating the evolution of either of these signals have increased considerably. However, there are large gaps in our understanding of whether or not these two cue modalities evolve in a concerted manner.

Circadian rhythm of a Silene species favours nocturnal pollination and constrains diurnal visitation.

Background and Aims Traits related to flower advertisement and reward sometimes vary in a circadian way, reflecting phenotypic specialization. However, specialized flowers are not necessarily restricted to specialized pollinators. This is the case of most Silene species, typically associated with diurnal or nocturnal syndromes of pollination but usually showing complex suites of pollinators.

Diel Variation in Flower Scent Reveals Poor Consistency of Diurnal and Nocturnal Pollination Syndromes in Sileneae.

The composition of flower scent and the timing of emission are crucial for chemical communication between plants and their pollinators; hence, they are key traits for the characterization of pollination syndromes. In many plants, however, plants are assigned to a syndrome based on inexpensive to measure flower traits, such as color, time of flower opening, and shape. We compared day and night scents from 31 Sileneae species and tested for quantitative and semi-quantitative differences in scent among species classified a priori as diurnal or nocturnal.