Efficacy of control measures for European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica L.) in Saskatchewan.

Introduced to Saskatchewan in the 1930s as a potential shelterbelt species, European buckthorn is now a prominent understory shrub in riparian woodland and shrub communities around Saskatoon. Locally, the Meewasin Valley Authority (MVA) is actively controlling buckthorn as part of its mandate to conserve natural heritage resources of the South Saskatchewan River Valley, with the goal of restoring the natural biodiversity of remnant patches of native vegetation. European buckthorn is normally dioecious, and MVA has chosen to treat only fruiting stems in an attempt to limit seed production. Two control techniques have been used. In one treatment, glyphosate was applied to stems after cutting; alternatively Garlon 4 Dow AgroSciences herbicide (active ingredient triclopyr) was applied as a chemical girdle directly to the stems using a streamline basal bark spray method. To date, more than 347,000 fruiting stems of buckthorn have been treated. Results indicate good initial progress in limiting seed production in dense buckthorn sites, but at a high cost. Although seed eradication is not a practical short-term goal for the Saskatoon buckthorn population, chemical girdling can substantially and strategically reduce seed and effectively limit spread. Field-tested strategies to reduce costs and improve efficiencies are discussed.

Sensitivity of Mediterranean woody seedlings to copper, nickel and zinc.

The restoration of heavy metal contaminated areas requires information on the response of native plant species to these contaminants. The sensitivity of most Mediterranean woody species to heavy metals has not been established, and little is known about phytotoxic thresholds and environmental risks. We have evaluated the response of four plant species commonly used in ecological restoration, Pinus halepensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Juniperus oxycedrus, and Rhamnus alaternus, grown in nutrient solutions containing a range of copper, nickel and zinc concentrations. Seedlings of these species were exposed to 0.048, 1 and 4 microM of Cu; 0, 25 and 50 microM of Ni; and 0.073, 25 and 100 microM of Zn in a hydroponic silica sand culture for 12 weeks. For all four species, the heavy metal concentration increased in plants as the solution concentration increased and was always higher in roots than in shoots. Pinus halepensis and P. lentiscus showed a higher capacity to accumulate metals in roots than J. oxycedrus and R. alaternus, while the allocation to shoots was considerably higher in the latter two. Intermediate heavy-metal doses enhanced biomass accumulation, whereas the highest doses resulted in reductions in biomass. Decreases in shoot biomass occurred at internal concentrations ranging from 25 to 128 microg g-1 of Zn, and 1.7 to 4.1 microg g( -1) of Cu. Nickel phytoxicity could not be established within the range of doses used. Rhamnus alaternus and J. oxycedrus showed higher sensitivity to Cu and Zn than P. halepensis and, especially, P. lentiscus. Contrasted responses to heavy metals must be taken into account when using Mediterranean woody species for the restoration of heavy metal contaminated sites.

Natural abundance carbon isotope composition of isoprene reflects incomplete coupling between isoprene synthesis and photosynthetic carbon flow.

Isoprene emission from leaves is dynamically coupled to photosynthesis through the use of primary and recent photosynthate in the chloroplast. However, natural abundance carbon isotope composition (delta(13)C) measurements in myrtle (Myrtus communis), buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), and velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) showed that only 72% to 91% of the variations in the delta(13)C values of fixed carbon were reflected in the delta(13)C values of concurrently emitted isoprene. The results indicated that 9% to 28% carbon was contributed from alternative, slow turnover, carbon source(s). This contribution increased when photosynthesis was inhibited by CO(2)-free air. The observed variations in the delta(13)C of isoprene under ambient and CO(2)-free air were consistent with contributions to isoprene synthesis in the chloroplast from pyruvate associated with cytosolic Glc metabolism. Irrespective of alternative carbon source(s), isoprene was depleted in (13)C relative to mean photosynthetically fixed carbon by 4 per thousand to 11 per thousand. Variable (13)C discrimination, its increase by partially inhibiting isoprene synthesis with fosmidomicin, and the associated accumulation of pyruvate suggested that the main isotopic discrimination step was the deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase reaction.