Dual Mechanisms of Salinity Tolerance in Wheat Germplasm Lines W4909 and W4910.

Soil salinity adversely affects plant growth and development, reducing the yield of most crops, including wheat. The highly salt-tolerant wheat germplasm lines W4909 and W4910 were derived from a cross between two moderately salt-tolerant lines, the Chinese Spring (CS)/ disomic addition line AJDAj5 (AJ) and the Ph-inhibitor line (Ph-I) derived from CS/. Molecular markers for gene introgressions in W4909 and W4910 were not reported.

Variation in reproductive photosynthetic compensation of distinct germplasm varieties of a native rangeland grass, following floral defoliation.

Understanding plant ecophysiological functioning is critical in formulating effective ecologically based strategies to conserve and enhance resiliency and resistance in sagebrush steppe, as well as improving their restoration following degradation by interactive effects of climate change, wildland fire and invasive annual grasses. Recent research has shown increased reproductive photosynthesis following floral defoliation can be important to reproductive potential, yet how this is expressed in plant material selected for different functional attributes is unknown. To address this, we measured photosynthetic gas exchange in clipped and unclipped basal florets and flag leaves of two germplasms of the native perennial bunchgrass, bluebunch wheatgrass, var.

Lambs Grazing With Adult Ewes Prefer Forbs With High-Nutrient Content in Native Grasslands Dominated by and .

Grazing livestock in grasslands face the challenge of obtaining sufficient nutrition due to uneven distribution of plant species and fluctuating vegetation productivity and nutrient levels. In northern China, and are the dominant perennial species in native grasslands, but they provide limited nutrition compared to forbs with higher crude protein (CP) content. While dietary ingredients can affect the nutritional intake of grazing livestock, the influence of different grazing strategies on dietary selection remains unclear.

Using Empirical Performance Data to Source Bluebunch and Snake River Wheatgrass Plant Materials to Restoration Sites in the Eastern Great Basin, USA.

To infer adaptation of plant material, restoration practitioners often consider only surrogate geographic or climatic information. However, empirical biomass data could assist in deciding what material to use where. To test this approach, we transplanted seven bluebunch wheatgrass (BBWG; ) and five Snake River wheatgrass (SRWG; ) populations to three sites ranging from low to high precipitation (LPPT, MPPT, and HPPT).

Transplanted sagebrush "wildlings" exhibit higher survival than greenhouse-grown tubelings yet both recruit new plants.

Background: Land uses such as crop production, livestock grazing, mining, and urban development have contributed to degradation of drylands worldwide. Loss of big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) on disturbed drylands across the western U.S.

Nitrogen and phosphorus additions alter foliar nutrient concentrations of dominant grass species and regulate primary productivity in an Inner Mongolian meadow steppe.

Excessive nitrogen (N) inputs shift grassland productivity from nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) limitation. However, how plant nutrient concentrations and stoichiometric dynamics at community and species level responding to variable soil N and P availability, and their roles in regulating net primary productivity in meadow steppe remain unclear. To address this issue, we carried out an experiment with fifteen treatments consisting of factorial combinations of N (0, 1.

Do plant-soil feedbacks promote coexistence in a sagebrush steppe?

Recent studies have shown the potential for negative plant-soil feedbacks (PSFs) to promote stable coexistence, but have not quantified the stabilizing effect relative to other coexistence mechanisms. We conducted a field experiment to test the role of PSFs in stabilizing coexistence among four dominant sagebrush steppe species that appear to coexist stably, based on previous work with observational data and models. We then integrated the effects of PSF treatments on focal species across germination, survival, and first-year growth.

Using Genomic Selection to Develop Performance-Based Restoration Plant Materials.

Effective native plant materials are critical to restoring the structure and function of extensively modified ecosystems, such as the sagebrush steppe of North America's Intermountain West. The reestablishment of native bunchgrasses, e.g.

Drivers of seedling establishment success in dryland restoration efforts.

Restoration of degraded drylands is urgently needed to mitigate climate change, reverse desertification and secure livelihoods for the two billion people who live in these areas. Bold global targets have been set for dryland restoration to restore millions of hectares of degraded land. These targets have been questioned as overly ambitious, but without a global evaluation of successes and failures it is impossible to gauge feasibility.

Soil extracellular enzyme activities and the abundance of nitrogen-cycling functional genes responded more to N addition than P addition in an Inner Mongolian meadow steppe.

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability in soils commonly limit belowground biological processes in terrestrial ecosystems. Soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) and microbial functional groups play critical roles in soil biological processes and nutrient cycling, yet their response to nutrient addition are poorly understood. To address this issue, we applied six fertilization treatments composed of combinations of N (0, 1.

Understory Vegetation Change Following Woodland Reduction Varies by Plant Community Type and Seeding Status: A Region-Wide Assessment of Ecological Benefits and Risks.

Woodland encroachment is a global issue linked to diminished ecosystem services, prompting the need for restoration efforts. However, restoration outcomes can be highly variable, making it difficult to interpret the ecological benefits and risks associated with woodland-reduction treatments within semiarid ecosystems. We addressed this uncertainty by assessing the magnitude and direction of vegetation change over a 15-year period at 129 sagebrush ( spp.

Intra- and inter-observer reliability of combined segmental measurement techniques for predicting immediate post-deployment intraluminal tracheal stent length in dogs.

This study evaluated segmental measurement techniques for predicting immediate post-deployment intraluminal tracheal stent length in dogs with naturally occurring tracheal collapse. Radiographs of 12 client-owned dogs that underwent intraluminal tracheal stent placement were retrospectively reviewed. Tracheal lengths were divided into 1, 2, 3, or 4 equal segments.

A new perspective on trait differences between native and invasive exotic plants.

Functional differences between native and exotic species potentially constitute one factor responsible for plant invasion. Differences in trait values between native and exotic invasive species, however, should not be considered fixed and may depend on the context of the comparison. Furthermore, the magnitude of difference between native and exotic species necessary to trigger invasion is unknown.

Temperature and functional traits influence differences in nitrogen uptake capacity between native and invasive grasses.

Performance differences between native and exotic invasive plants are often considered static, but invasive grasses may achieve growth advantages in western North America shrublands and steppe under only optimal growing conditions. We examine differences in N uptake and several morphological variables that influence uptake at temperatures between 5 and 25 °C. We contrast two native perennial grasses in western North America: Elymus elymoides and Pseudoroegneria spicata; two invasive annual grasses: Bromus tectorum and Taeniatherum caput-medusae; and one highly selected non-native perennial grass: Agropyron cristatum.

Immobilizing nitrogen to control plant invasion.

Increased soil N availability may often facilitate plant invasions. Therefore, lowering N availability might reduce these invasions and favor desired species. Here, we review the potential efficacy of several commonly proposed management approaches for lowering N availability to control invasion, including soil C addition, burning, grazing, topsoil removal, and biomass removal, as well as a less frequently proposed management approach for lowering N availability, establishment of plant species adapted to low N availability.

Photosynthetic and growth responses of zea mays L and four weed species following post-emergence treatments with mesotrione and atrazinet.

We compared photosynthesis and growth of Zea mays L (corn) and four weed species, Setaria viridis (L) Beauv (green foxtail), Echinochloa crus-galli (L) Beauv (barnyardgrass), Abutilon theophrasti Medic (velvetleaf), and Amaranthus retroflexus L (redroot pigweed), following foliar applications with atrazine, mesotrione, or a combination of atrazine and mesotrione in two greenhouse experiments. Plant responses to the three herbicide treatments were compared with responses of untreated plants (control). Photosynthesis on day 14 and dry mass of Z mays was not reduced by any of the herbicide treatments.