Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing, exposing large carbon and nitrogen stocks for decomposition. Gaseous carbon release from Arctic soils due to permafrost thawing is known to be substantial, but ...growing evidence suggests that Arctic soils may also be relevant sources of nitrous oxide (N₂O). Here we show that N2O emissions from subarctic peatlands increase as the permafrost thaws. In our study, the highest postthaw emissions occurred from bare peat surfaces, a typical landform in permafrost peatlands, where permafrost thaw caused a fivefold increase in emissions (0.56 ± 0.11 vs. 2.81 ± 0.6 mg N₂O m−2 d−1). These emission rates match those from tropical forest soils, the world’s largest natural terrestrial N₂O source. The presence of vegetation, known to limit N₂O emissions in tundra, did decrease (by ∼90%) but did not prevent thaw-induced N₂O release, whereas waterlogged conditions suppressed the emissions. We show that regions with high probability for N₂O emissions cover one-fourth of the Arctic. Our results imply that the Arctic N₂O budget will depend strongly on moisture changes, and that a gradual deepening of the active layer will create a strong noncarbon climate change feedback.
The availability of light within the tree canopy affects various leaf traits and leaf reflectance. We determined the leaf reflectance variation from 400 nm to 2500 nm among three canopy layers and ...cardinal directions of three genetically identical cloned silver birches growing at the same common garden site. The variation in the canopy layer was evident in the principal component analysis (PCA), and the influential wavelengths responsible for variation were identified using the variable importance in projection (VIP) based on partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Leaf traits, such as chlorophyll, nitrogen, dry weight, and specific leaf area (SLA), also showed significant variation among the canopy layers. We found a shift in the red edge inflection point (REIP) for the canopy layers. The canopy layers contribute to the variability in the reflectance indices. We conclude that the largest variation was among the canopy layers, whereas the differences among individual trees to the leaf reflectance were relatively small. This implies that within-tree variation due to the canopy layer should be taken into account in the estimation of intraspecific variation in the canopy reflectance.
The goal of this study was to investigate the variation in the leaf spectral reflectance and its association with other leaf traits from 12 genotypes among three provenances of origin (populations) ...in a common garden for Finnish silver birch trees in 2015 and 2016. The spectral reflectance was measured in the laboratory from the detached leaves in the wavelength range of visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 400–1000 nm) and shortwave infrared (SWIR, 1000–2500 nm). The variation among the provenance was initially visualized with principal component analysis (PCA) and a clear separation among the provenances was detected with the discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) depicting a less strong variation among the genotypes within the provenances. Wavelengths contributing to the separation of the genotypes and provenances were identified from the contribution plot of DAPC and the red edge was strongly related to the differences. Chlorophyll content showed clear provenance variation and was associated with the separation among the genotypes and provenances in the DAPC space. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI705,750) and chlorophyll reflectance index (CRI) showed clear significance among the provenances, whereas NDVI670,780 showed no variation. The variation in the chlorophyll content and the CRI and red edge-based NDVI indices indicated seasonal variation as the chlorophyll content starts increasing in early June. The correlation of foliar chlorophyll content and the chlorophyll-related spectral indices for the discrimination of provenances and genotypes are reported for the first time in a naturally occurring tree species consecutively for two years.
In this work, differential ability of plant flavonol quercetin and plant isoflavone biochanin A to modulate oxidative stress and inhibit inflammation-related responses was investigated using human ...retinal pigment epithelial cells (RPE) at gene expression level. Quercetin protected cells from oxidative stress-induced cell death, whereas biochanin A had no statistically significant protective effects. Quercetin reduced the expression of cytokines IL-6 and IL-1β in cells treated with H2O2, and expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 were increased by quercetin treatment suggesting protective function against oxidative stress. Our data indicate that quercetin may protect cells by inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory factors such as IL-6, and by inducing the expression of ROS-catalyzing phase II proteins such as HO-1. Therefore, plant extracts rich in flavonol quercetin may be an interesting resource for functional food products and other foods targeted for reduced risks of age-related macular degeneration.
We investigated recent changes in spatial patterning of fen and bog zones in five boreal aapa mire complexes (mixed peatlands with patterned fen and bog parts) in a multiproxy study. Comparison of ...old (1940–1970s) and new aerial images revealed decrease of flarks (wet hollows) in patterned fens by 33–63% in middle boreal and 16–42% in northern boreal sites, as lawns of bog
Sphagnum
mosses expanded over fens. Peat core transects across transformed areas were used to verify the remote sensing inference with stratigraphic analyses of macrofossils, hyperspectral imaging, and age-depth profiles derived from
14
C AMS dating and pine pollen density. The transect data revealed that the changes observed by remote sensing during past decades originated already from the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA) between 1700–1850 CE in bog zones and later in the flarks of fen zones. The average lateral expansion rate of bogs over fen zones was 0.77 m y
−1
(range 0.19–1.66) as estimated by remote sensing, and 0.71 m y
−1
(range 0.13–1.76) based on peat transects. The contemporary plant communities conformed to the macrofossil communities, and distinct vegetation zones were recognized as representing recently changed areas. The fen-bog transition increased the apparent carbon accumulation, but it can potentially threaten fen species and habitats. These observations indicate that rapid lateral bog expansion over aapa mires may be in progress, but more research is needed to reveal if ongoing fen-bog transitions are a commonplace phenomenon in northern mires.
The unique adaptation of lichens to repeated cycles of drying and rehydration makes them ideal subjects for developing remote sensing methodologies for water content estimation. This laboratory-based ...study evaluates the suitability of simple ratios (SR) and normalized difference indices (NDI), from several spectral regions; visible to near infrared (VNIR, 400–1000 nm), short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1000–2500 nm) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 2500–5500 nm) in the water content estimation of seven lichen species. The utilization of a wide wavelength range and several different lichen species allowed the evaluation of the robustness of the water content indices. Our results show that although there was high variability between different lichen species in their spectral responses to increasing water content, the best indices predicted water content accurately for the combination of species (RMSE 16.3%, 10.3% and 13.9% for the test set, in the VNIR, SWIR and MWIR regions, respectively). Generally the NDI indices were found to be slightly better than the SR indices. We also demonstrate the capability of imaging spectroscopy in creating detailed heat maps of the water content with these indices.
•Spectral changes caused by water are dependent on the lichen species.•SR and NDI indices can predict lichens water content accurately.•In the SWIR and MWIR regions, the best water content indices are species independent.•Spectral responses of lichens differ from plants in the VNIR region.•Hyperspectral imaging data can be used to create pixel-wise maps of water content.
Summary
Calamine accessions of the zinc/cadmium/nickel hyperaccumulator, Noccaea caerulescens, exhibit striking variation in foliar cadmium accumulation in nature. The Ganges accession (GA) from ...Southern France displays foliar cadmium hyperaccumulation (>1000 μg g−1 DW), whereas the accession La Calamine (LC) from Belgium, with similar local soil metal composition, does not (<100 μg g−1 DW). All calamine accessions are cadmium hypertolerant. To find out the differences between LC and GA in their basic adaptation mechanisms, we bypassed the cadmium excluding phenotype of LC by exposing the plants to 50 μm cadmium in hydroponics, achieving equal cadmium accumulation in the shoots. The iron content increased in the roots of both accessions. GA exhibited significant decreases in manganese and zinc contents in the roots and shoots, approaching those in LC. Altogether 702 genes responded differently to cadmium exposure between the accessions, 157 and 545 in the roots and shoots, respectively. Cadmium‐exposed LC showed a stress response and had decreased levels of a wide range of photosynthesis‐related transcripts. GA showed less changes, mainly exhibiting an iron deficiency‐like response. This included increased expression of genes encoding five iron deficiency‐regulated bHLH transcription factors, ferric reduction oxidase FRO2, iron transporters IRT1 and OPT3, and nicotianamine synthase NAS1, and decreased expression of genes encoding ferritins and NEET (a NEET family iron‐sulfur protein), which is possibly involved in iron transfer, distribution and/or management. The function of the IRT1 gene in the accessions was compared. We conclude that the major difference between the two accessions is in the way they cope with iron under cadmium exposure.
Significance statement
Both the cadmium hyperaccumulator and the cadmium excluder Noccaea caerulescens of the ‘cabbage’ family (Brassicaceae) can have a full capacity to accumulate cadmium under certain conditions, while exhibiting major differences in their transcriptome response. This study highlights the critical importance of understanding the mechanisms of metal accumulation in order to prevent the uptake of toxic metals and maintain proper metal homeostasis in crops cultivated in contaminated soils and also in the increasingly popular hydroponic systems.
•Hyperspectral and thermal lifetime imaging were used to assess spruce seed quality.•Viable, empty and infested seeds were resolved with high accuracy with both methods.•400–1000nm data was not as ...informative as 1000–2500nm and thermal decay data.•Classification of 93% accuracy was obtained using three wavelengths in SWIR range.•The results suggest that high-throughput spruce seed quality testing is possible.
The quality of seeds used in agriculture and forestry is tightly linked to the plant productivity. Thus, the development of high-throughput nondestructive methods to classify the seeds is of prime interest. Visible and near infrared (VNIR, 400–1000nm range) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1000–2500nm range) hyperspectral imaging techniques were compared to an infrared lifetime imaging technique to evaluate Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seed quality. Hyperspectral image and thermal data from 1606 seeds were used to identify viable seeds, empty seeds and seeds infested by Megastigmus sp. larvae. The spectra of seeds obtained from hyperspectral imaging, especially in SWIR range and the thermal signal decay of seeds following an exposure to a short light pulse were characteristic of the seed status. Classification of the seeds to three classes was performed with a Support Vector Machine (nu-SVM) and sparse logistic regression based feature selection. Leave-One-Out classification resulted to 99% accuracy using either thermal or spectral measurements compared to radiography classification. In spectral imaging case, all important features were located in the SWIR range. Furthermore, the classification results showed that accurate (93.8%) seed sorting can be achieved with a simpler method based on information from only three hyperspectral bands at 1310nm, 1710nm and 1985nm locations, suggesting a possibility to build an inexpensive screening device. The results indicate that combined classification methods with hyperspectral imaging technique and infrared lifetime imaging technique constitute practically high performance fast and non-destructive techniques for high-throughput seed screening.
Permafrost in the Arctic is thawing, exposing large carbon and nitrogen stocks for decomposition. Gaseous carbon release from Arctic soils due to permafrost thawing is known to be substantial, but ...growing evidence suggests that Arctic soils may also be relevant sources of nitrous oxide (N2O). Here we show that N2O emissions from subarctic peatlands increase as the permafrost thaws. In our study, the highest postthaw emissions occurred from bare peat surfaces, a typical landform in permafrost peatlands, where permafrost thaw caused a fivefold increase in emissions (0.56 ± 0.11 vs. 2.81 ± 0.6 mg N2O m-2 d-1). These emission rates match those from tropical forest soils, the world's largest natural terrestrial N2O source. The presence of vegetation, known to limit N2O emissions in tundra, did decrease (by ∼90%) but did not prevent thaw-induced N2O release, whereas waterlogged conditions suppressed the emissions. We show that regions with high probability for N2O emissions cover one-fourth of the Arctic. Our results imply that the Arctic N2O budget will depend strongly on moisture changes, and that a gradual deepening of the active layer will create a strong noncarbon climate change feedback.
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