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We review the evidence of how organisms and populations are currently responding to climate change through phenotypic plasticity, genotypic evolution, changes in distribution and, in some cases, local extinction. Organisms alter their gene expression and metabolism to increase the concentrations of several antistress compounds and to change their physiology, phenology, growth and reproduction in response to climate change. Rapid adaptation and microevolution occur at the population level. Together with these phenotypic and genotypic adaptations, the movement of organisms and the turnover of populations can lead to migration toward habitats with better conditions unless hindered by barriers. Both migration and local extinction of populations have occurred. However, many unknowns for all these processes remain. The roles of phenotypic plasticity and genotypic evolution and their possible trade-offs and links with population structure warrant further research. The application of omic techniques to ecological studies will greatly favor this research. It remains poorly understood how climate change will result in asymmetrical responses of species and how it will interact with other increasing global impacts, such as N eutrophication, changes in environmental N : P ratios and species invasion, among many others. The biogeochemical and biophysical feedbacks on climate of all these changes in vegetation are also poorly understood. We here review the evidence of responses to climate change and discuss the perspectives for increasing our knowledge of the interactions between climate change and life. Fil: Peñuelas, Josep. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Sardans, Jordi. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Estiarte, Marc. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Ogaya, Romà. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Carnicer, Jofre. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España. University of Groningen. Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies. Community Ecology and Conservation Ecology Group; Países Bajos Fil: Coll, Marta. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Barbeta, Adria. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Rivas Ubach, Albert. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Llusià, Joan. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Garbulsky, Martín Fabio. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina Fil: Filella, Iolanda. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Jump, Alistair S.. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas. Unit d; España. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España. University of Stirling. School of Natural Sciences. Biological and Environmental Sciences; Reino Unido

Plants produce and emit a large variety of volatile organic compounds that play key roles in interactions with abiotic and biotic environments. One of these roles is the attraction of animals (mainly insects) that act as vectors of pollen to ensure reproduction. Here we update the current knowledge of four key aspects of floral emissions: (1) the relative importance and interaction of olfactory signals and visual cues, (2) the spatial and temporal patterns of emission in flowers, (3) the attractive and defensive functions of floral volatiles and their interference, and (4) the effects of global change on floral emissions and plant–pollinator interactions. Finally, we propose future lines of research in this field that need to be addressed or investigated further.

MONTES (>Woodlands>) was a multidisciplinary international field campaign aimed at measuring energy, water and especially gas exchange between vegetation and atmosphere in a gradient from short semi-desertic shrublands to tall wet temperate forests in NE Spain in the North Western Mediterranean Basin (WMB). The measurements were performed at a semidesertic area (Monegros), at a coastal Mediterranean shrubland area (Garraf), at a typical Mediterranean holm oak forest area (Prades) and at a wet temperate beech forest (Montseny) during spring (April 2010) under optimal plant physiological conditions in driest-warmest sites and during summer (July 2010) with drought and heat stresses in the driest-warmest sites and optimal conditions in the wettest-coolest site. The objective of this campaign was to study the differences in gas, water and energy exchange occurring at different vegetation coverages and biomasses. Particular attention was devoted to quantitatively understand the exchange of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) because of their biological and environmental effects in the WMB. A wide range of instruments (GC-MS, PTR-MS, meteorological sensors, O3 monitors,. .) and vertical platforms such as masts, tethered balloons and aircraft were used to characterize the gas, water and energy exchange at increasing footprint areas by measuring vertical profiles. In this paper we provide an overview of the MONTES campaign: the objectives, the characterization of the biomass and gas, water and energy exchange in the 4 sites-areas using satellite data, the estimation of isoprene and monoterpene emissions using MEGAN model, the measurements performed and the first results. The isoprene and monoterpene emission rates estimated with MEGAN and emission factors measured at the foliar level for the dominant species ranged from about 0 to 0.2mgm-2h-1 in April. The warmer temperature in July resulted in higher model estimates from about 0 to ca. 1.6mgm-2h-1 for isoprene and ca. 4.5mgm-2h-1 for monoterpenes, depending on the site vegetation and footprint area considered. There were clear daily and seasonal patterns with higher emission rates and mixing ratios at midday and summer relative to early morning and early spring. There was a significant trend in CO2 fixation (from 1 to 10mgCm-2d-1), transpiration (from1-5kgCm-2d-1), and sensible and latent heat from the warmest-driest to the coolest-wettest site. The results showed the strong land-cover-specific influence on emissions of BVOCs, gas, energy and water exchange, and therefore demonstrate the potential for feed-back to atmospheric chemistry and climate. •We present a multidisciplinary biosphere-atmosphere field campaign.•We measured a gradient from semi-desertic shrublands to wet temperate forests.•A wide range of instruments and vertical platforms were used.•Land cover strongly influenced emissions of BVOCs and gas, energy and water exchange.•Vegetation has strong potential for feed-back to atmospheric chemistry and climate. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd., We are indebted to the Spanish government projects CONSOLIDER INGENIO MONTES (CSD2008-00040), and CGL2010-17172 and the Catalan government project SGR2009-458. NCAR is sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation. The research was also partially funded by the Italian Ministry for Research and University under the project CarboItaly (FISR funds). RS was partially supported by a postdoctoral grant from Fundación Ramón Areces.

Accurately assessing terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP) is crucial for characterizing the climate-carbon cycle. Remotely sensing the photochemical reflectance index (PRI) across vegetation functional types and spatiotemporal scales has received increasing attention for monitoring photosynthetic performance and simulating GPP over the last two decades. The factors confounding PRI variation, especially on long timescales, however, require the improvement of PRI understanding to generalize its use for estimating carbon uptake. In this review, we summarize the most recent publications that have reported the factors affecting PRI variation across diurnal and seasonal scales at foliar, canopy and ecosystemic levels; synthesize the reported correlations between PRI and ecophysiological variables, particularly with radiation-use efficiency (RUE) and net carbon uptake; and analyze the improvements in PRI implementation. Long-term variation of PRI could be attributed to changes in the size of constitutive pigment pools instead of xanthophyll de-epoxidation, which controls the facultative short-term changes in PRI. Structural changes at canopy and ecosystemic levels can also affect PRI variation. Our review of the scientific literature on PRI suggests that PRI is a good proxy of photosynthetic efficiency at different spatial and temporal scales. Correcting PRI by decreasing the influence of physical or physiological factors on PRI greatly strengthens the relationships between PRI and RUE and GPP. Combining PRI with solar-induced fluorescence (SIF) and optical indices for green biomass offers additional prospects. Fil: Zhang, Chao. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; España. Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales; España Fil: Filella, Iolanda. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; España. Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales; España Fil: Garbulsky, Martín Fabio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. ; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Producción Animal. Cátedra de Forrajicultura; Argentina Fil: Peñuelas, Josep. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas; España. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; España. Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales; España

Severe droughts strongly impact photosynthesis (GPP), and satellite imagery has yet to demonstrate its ability to detect drought effects. Especially changes in vegetation functioning when vegetation state remains unaltered (no browning or defoliation) pose a challenge to satellite-derived indicators. We evaluated the performance of different satellite indicators to detect strong drought effects on GPP in a beech forest in France (Hesse), where vegetation state remained largely unaffected while GPP decreased substantially. We compared the results with three additional sites: a Mediterranean holm oak forest (Puéchabon), a temperate beech forest (Hainich), and a semi-arid grassland (Bugacpuszta). In Hesse, a three-year reduction in GPP following drought was detected only by the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) also detected this drought effect, but only after normalization for absorbed light. In Puéchabon normalized PRI outperformed the other indicators, while the short-term drought effect in Hainich was not detected by any tested indicator. In contrast, most indicators, but not PRI, captured the drought effects in Bugacpuszta. Hence, PRI improved detection of drought effects on GPP in forests and we propose that PRI normalized for absorbed light is considered in future algorithms to estimate GPP from space.

Various aspects of global environmental change affect plant photosynthesis, the primary carbon input in ecosystems. Thus, accurate methods of measuring plant photosynthesis are important. Remotely sensed spectral indices can monitor in detail the green biomass of ecosystems, which provides a measure of potential photosynthetic capacity. In evergreen vegetation types, however, such as Mediterranean forests, the amount of green biomass changes little during the growing season and, therefore, changes in green biomass are not responsible for changes in photosynthetic rates in those forests. This study examined the net photosynthetic rates and the diametric increment of stems in a Mediterranean forest dominated by Quercus ilex using three spectral indices (NDVI, EVI and PRI) derived from MODIS sensors. Average annual EVI accounted for 83% of the variability of the diametric increment of Q. ilex stems over a 10-yr period. NDVI was marginally correlated with the diametric increment of stems. This study was the first to identify a significant correlation between net photosynthetic rates and radiation use efficiency at the leaf level using PRI derived from satellite data analyzed at the ecosystem level. These results suggest that each spectral index provided different and complementary information about ecosystem carbon uptake in a Mediterranean Q. ilex forest. Fil: Garbulsky, Martín Fabio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas A la Agricultura; Argentina. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Produccion Animal. Cátedra de Forrajicultura; Argentina Fil: Peñuelas, Josep. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Ogaya, Roma. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España Fil: Filella, Iolanda. Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas. Centre de Recerca Ecologica I Aplicacions Forestals; España

We studied the daily patterns in the rates of terpene emissions by the montane holm oak, Quercus ilex, in three typical days of winter and three typical days of summer in Montseny, a natural park near Barcelona, and related them to the air concentrations of terpenes, ozone and NO2. Terpene emission rates were about 10 times higher in summer than in winter. Emissions virtually stopped in the dark. In both seasons, rates of terpene emissions were well correlated with light, air temperature and relative humidity. Rates of emissions were also correlated with stomatal conductance and the rates of transpiration and photosynthesis. Almost all the individual terpenes identified followed the same pattern as total terpenes. The most abundant terpene was α-pinene, followed by sabinene + β-pinene, limonene, myrcene, camphene and α-phellandrene. Atmospheric terpene concentrations were also about 10 times higher in summer than in winter. A significant diurnal pattern with maxima at midday was observed, especially in summer. The increase by one order of magnitude in the concentrations of these volatile isoprenoids highlights the importance of local biogenic summer emissions in these Mediterranean forested areas which also receive polluted air masses from nearby or distant anthropic sources. Atmospheric concentrations of O3 and NO2 were also significantly higher in summer and at midday hours. In both seasons, concentrations of O3 were significantly correlated with concentrations of terpenes and NO2 in the air and with rates of terpene emission.

11 páginas, 6 figuras , 1 tabla., Host recognition is a key process in oligolectic bees but the mechanisms through which they find and recognize appropriate pollen host plant are not entirely clear. Hoplitis adunca is a monolectic bee collecting pollen only from Echium spp. (Boraginaceae). We aimed to test whether Echium vulgare floral scent plays a major role in the attraction of H. adunca females, and to identify components of E. vulgare scent that may be involved in this specific attraction. We used a combination of behavioral and chemical (GC/GC–MS, PTR-MS) analyses. In order to identify the chemical cues likely to be involved in the specific attraction of H. adunca, we compared the scent of fresh flowers, nectar, pollen, and whole plants of E. vulgare and Anchusa officinalis, another Boraginaceae, which does not attract H. adunca. H. adunca females were attracted to the scent of E. vulgare flowers when offered against a blank or against the scent of A. officinalis flowers. However, H. adunca females were not attracted to the scent of A. officinalis flowers when offered against a blank. The emission spectra of the two plant species differed markedly, as did the emission spectra of various flower components (pollen, nectar and whole flowers) within a species. Pollen presented a low volatile release, but emitted significantly higher amounts of mass 55 (butanal, 1,3-butadiene, or other volatiles of molecular mass 54), and mass 83 (hexanal, hexenols, hexenyl acetate, or other volatiles of molecular mass 82) in E. vulgare than in A. officinalis. Nectar produced a particular emission spectrum with high emission rates of masses 109 and 123. Mass 109 may likely correspond to 1,4-benzoquinone, a volatile specifically measured in E. vulgare in parallel studies to this one. The flower emission spectrum was mainly a combination of the pollen and the nectar scents, although it also contained additional volatile compounds such as those of mass 63 or mass 81. As for terpenes, E. vulgare emitted limonene, longicyclene, junipene, trans-caryophyllene and a-humulene, that were not detected in A. officinalis, and the most emitted monoterpenes were a-pinene, junipene and limonene whereas the most emitted terpenoid by A. officinalis was a-pinene. After identifying these chemical cues, olfactory/behavioural assays with specific volatiles and combinations of volatiles are necessary to understand the chemical interactions of the H. adunca-E. vulgare system., This research was supported by Spanish MEC grants CGL-2006-04025/BOS, CGL2010-17172, and Consolider-Ingenio Montes CSD2008-00040, the European Science Foundation “VOCBAS” program, and a Catalan government SGR2009-458 grant.

17 páginas, 11 figuras, 2 tablas., Traditional remote sensing techniques allow the assessment of green plant biomass, and therefore plant photosynthetic capacity. However, detecting how much of this capacity is actually realized is a more challenging goal. Is it possible to remotely assess actual carbon fluxes? Can this be done at leaf, canopy and ecosystem scales and at different temporal scales? Different approaches can be used to answer these questions. Among them, the Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) derived from narrow-band spectroradiometers is a spectral index increasingly being used as an indicator of photosynthetic efficiency. We examined and synthesized the scientific literature on the relationships between PRI and several ecophysiological variables across a range of plant functional types and ecosystems at the leaf, canopy and ecosystem levels and at the daily and seasonal time scales. Our analysis shows that although the strength of these relationships varied across vegetation types, levels of organization and temporal scales, in most reviewed articles PRI was a good predictor of photosynthetic efficiency or related variables with performances at least as good as the widely used NDVI as indicator of green biomass. There are possible confounding factors related to the intensity of the physiological processes linked to the PRI signals, to the structure of the canopies and to the illumination and viewing angles that warrant further studies, and it is expected that the utility of PRI will vary with the ecosystem in question due to contrasting environmental constraints, evolutionary strategies, and radiation use efficiency (RUE; the ratio between carbon uptake and light absorbed by vegetation) variability. Clearly, more research comparing ecosystem responses is warranted. Additionally, like any 2-band index that is affected by multiple factors, the interpretation of PRI can be readily confounded by multiple environmental variables, and further work is needed to understand and constrain these effects. Despite these limitations, this review shows an emerging consistency of the RUE–PRI relationship that suggests a surprising degree of functional convergence of biochemical, physiological and structural components affecting leaf, canopy and ecosystem carbon uptake efficiencies. PRI accounted for 42%, 59% and 62% of the variability of RUE at the leaf, canopy and ecosystem respective levels in unique exponential relationships for all the vegetation types studied. It seems thus that by complementing the estimations of the fraction of photosynthetically active radiation intercepted by the vegetation (FPAR), estimated with NDVI-like indices, PRI enables improved assessment of carbon fluxes in leaves, canopies and many of the ecosystems of the world from ground, airborne and satellite sensors., This work was funded by grants from the Catalan Government (SGR2009-458) and the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CGL2006-04025/BOS, CGL2010-17172/BOS and Consolider–Ingenio MONTES CSD 2008-00040)

Aim The controls of gross radiation use efficiency (RUE), the ratio between gross primary productivity (GPP) and the radiation intercepted by terrestrial vegetation, and its spatial and temporal variation are not yet fully understood. Our objectives were to analyse and synthesize the spatial variability of GPP and the spatial and temporal variability of RUE and its climatic controls for a wide range of vegetation types.

9 páginas, 5 figuras, 2 tablas., 1. Abandonment of grasslands is a major threat for the conservation of biodiversity in Europe. The response of butterflies towards secondary succession has been studied in northern temperate grasslands, but always by comparing sites at different seral stages. 2. Here, we present a trajectory study based on the monitoring of butterflies from a series of abandoned grasslands in northeast Spain. One additional meadow was traditionally managed for the whole 8-year sampling period and provided a useful control. Both general changes at the community level and species population trends were documented through standardised transect counts. 3. The increase in turf height was neither accompanied by an increase in butterfly diversity nor by consistent trends in body size, dispersal ability and host-plant specialization. However, there was a significant decrease in habitat specialization, consistent with the hypothesis that richness in generalist herbivores is more dependent on biomass production than on plant richness. The number of generations decreased, in line with the hypothesis that species living in habitats subjected to greater disturbance need higher reproductive rates. 4. Butterfly communities underwent substantial changes, as indicated by composition similarity and species population trends. Grassland specialists were forced to disperse from the abandoned meadows and search for refugial habitats, allowing the establishment of new populations in the contiguous managed meadow. 5. Our study shows that grassland abandonment had immediate strong effects on butterflies, acting as an excellent indicator of habitat change. It also points out to the substitution of grassland specialists by common butterflies, less important for conservation purposes., The Butterfly Monitoring Scheme in Catalonia is funded by the Departament de Medi Ambient i Habitatge de la Generalitat de Catalunya. We also thank the Spanish Government (grant CGL2006-04025/BOS and grant Consolider Montes CSD2008-00040) and the Catalan Government (grant SGR2005-00312) for the financial help.

13 páginas., The Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI), an index based on leaf reflectance at 531 nm, has been found suitable for tracking variations in photosynthetic activity from leaf to ecosystem levels. This suitability has been attributed to PRI correlation with xanthophyll interconversion and photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency. However, other pigments and factors may be involved in such relationships. We studied the relationship between PRI and xanthophylls and other carotenoids in saplings of two widely distributed evergreen species (Scots pine and Holm oak) submitted to experimentally changing light conditions in a field experiment. PRI was strongly correlated with the de-epoxidation state of xanthophylls (DEPS, an expression of the relative concentration of the three xanthophyll cycle pigments), but also with carotenoids/chlorophyll ratio and β-carotene/chlorophyll ratio in both species. However, following momentary decreases in light due to clouds, PRI changed following the DEPS changes, while the carotenoids/chlorophyll ratio remained constant. The results show that PRI was able to reveal short-term changes in de-epoxidation state, i.e. the signal of xanthophyll interconversion, but it also tracked long-term changes in carotenoids/chlorophyll. Carotenoids other than xanthophylls, e.g. β-carotene, are also related to photoprotective processes, thus also making PRI effective as a measure of changes in photosynthetic light-use efficiency in response to stress on a long-term level.

We followed the diurnal cycles of isoprenoid emissions from Quercus ilex seedlings under drought and after re-watering. We found that Quercus ilex, generally considered a non-isoprene emitter, also emitted isoprene although at low rates. The emission rates of isoprene reached 0.37 ± 0.02 nmol m−2 s−1 in controls, 0.15 ± 0.03 nmol m−2 s−1 under drought and 0.35 ± 0.04 nmol m−2 s−1 after re-watering, while emission rates of monoterpenes reached 11.0 ± 3.0, 7.0 ± 1.0 and 23.0 ± 5.0 nmol m−2 s−1, respectively. Emission rates recovered faster after re-watering than photosynthetic rate and followed diurnal changes in irradiance in controls and under drought, but in leaf temperature after re-watering.

The estimation of the carbon balance in ecosystems, regions, and the biosphere is currently one of the main concerns in the study of the ecology of global change. Current remote sensing methodologies for estimating gross primary productivity are not satisfactory because they rely too heavily on (i) the availability of climatic data, (ii) the definition of land-use cover, and (iii) the assumptions of the effects of these two factors on the radiation-use efficiency of vegetation (RUE). A new methodology is urgently needed that will actually assess RUE and overcome the problems associated with the capture of fluctuations in carbon absorption in space and over time. Remote sensing techniques such as the widely used reflectance vegetation indices (e.g. NDVI, EVI) allow green plant biomass and therefore plant photosynthetic capacity to be assessed. However, there are vegetation types, such as the Mediterranean forests, with a very low seasonality of these vegetation indices and a high seasonality of carbon uptake. In these cases it is important to detect how much of this capacity is actually realized, which is a much more challenging goal. The photochemical reflectance index (PRI) derived from freely available satellite information (MODIS sensor) presented for a 5-year analysis for a Mediterranean forest a positive relationship with the RUE. Thus, we show that it is possible to estimate RUE and GPP in real time and therefore actual carbon uptake of Mediterranean forests at ecosystem level using the PRI. This conceptual and technological advancement would avoid the need to rely on the sometimes unreliable maximum RUE.

Due to their antimicrobial effects and their potential role as carbon sources, plant volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions play significant roles in determining the characteristics of the microbial communities that can establish on plant surfaces. Furthermore, epiphytic microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, can affect plant VOC emissions in different ways: by producing and emitting their own VOCs, which are added to and mixed with the plant VOC blend; by affecting plant physiology and modifying the production and emission of VOCs; and by metabolizing the VOCs emitted by the plant. The study of the interactions between plant VOC emissions and phyllospheric microbiotas is thus of great interest and deserves more attention.

Background The phyllospheric microbiota is assumed to play a key role in the metabolism of host plants. Its role in determining the epiphytic and internal plant metabolome, however, remains to be investigated. We analyzed the Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) profiles of the epiphytic and internal metabolomes of the leaves and flowers of Sambucus nigra with and without external antibiotic treatment application. Results The epiphytic metabolism showed a degree of complexity similar to that of the plant organs. The suppression of microbial communities by topical applications of antibiotics had a greater impact on the epiphytic metabolome than on the internal metabolomes of the plant organs, although even the latter changed significantly both in leaves and flowers. The application of antibiotics decreased the concentration of lactate in both epiphytic and organ metabolomes, and the concentrations of citraconic acid, acetyl-CoA, isoleucine, and several secondary compounds such as terpenes and phenols in the epiphytic extracts. The metabolite pyrogallol appeared in the floral epiphytic community only after the treatment. The concentrations of the amino acid precursors of the ketoglutarate-synthesis pathway tended to decrease in the leaves and to increase in the foliar epiphytic extracts. Conclusions These results suggest that anaerobic and/or facultative anaerobic bacteria were present in high numbers in the phyllosphere and in the apoplasts of S. nigra. The results also show that microbial communities play a significant role in the metabolomes of plant organs and could have more complex and frequent mutualistic, saprophytic, and/or parasitic relationships with internal plant metabolism than currently assumed. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12870-016-0767-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Summary In this work we analyzed the degradation of floral scent volatiles from Brassica nigra by reaction with ozone along a distance gradient and the consequences for pollinator attraction. For this purpose we used a reaction system comprising three reaction tubes in which we conducted measurements of floral volatiles using a proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-TOF-MS) and GC-MS. We also tested the effects of floral scent degradation on the responses of the generalist pollinator Bombus terrestris. The chemical analyses revealed that supplementing air with ozone led to an increasing reduction in the concentrations of floral volatiles in air with distance from the volatile source. The results revealed different reactivities with ozone for different floral scent constituents, which emphasized that ozone exposure not only degrades floral scents, but also changes the ratios of compounds in a scent blend. Behavioural tests revealed that floral scent was reduced in its attractiveness to pollinators after it had been exposed to 120 ppb O3 over a 4.5 m distance. The combined results of chemical analyses and behavioural responses of pollinators strongly suggest that high ozone concentrations have significant negative impacts on pollination by reducing the distance over which floral olfactory signals can be detected by pollinators.

Land surface phenology from time series of satellite data are expected to contribute to improve the representation of vegetation phenology in earth system models. We characterized the baseline phenology of the vegetation at the global scale from GEOCLIM-LAI, a global climatology of leaf area index (LAI) derived from 1-km SPOT VEGETATION time series for 1999-2010. The calibration with ground measurements showed that the start and end of season were best identified using respectively 30% and 40% threshold of LAI amplitude values. The satellite-derived phenology was spatially consistent with the global distributions of climatic drivers and biome land cover. The accuracy of the derived phenological metrics, evaluated using available ground observations for birch forests in Europe, cherry in Asia and lilac shrubs in North America showed an overall root mean square error lower than 19 days for the start, end and length of season, and good agreement between the latitudinal gradients of VEGETATION LAI phenology and ground data.; La teledetección debe contribuir a mejorar la representación de la fenología en los modelos climáticos. En este estudio se ha caracterizado la fenología típica de la vegetación a escala global mediante GEOCLIM-LAI, una climatología del índice de área foliar (LAI) calculada a partir de series temporales en el periodo 1999-2010 de datos SPOT VEGETATION a 1-km de resolución espacial. A partir de la calibración con observaciones in situ, el inicio y fin de la estación de crecimiento se han definido como la fecha para la cual el LAI alcanza, respectivamente, el 30% y 40% de la amplitud de su ciclo anual. Los patrones espaciales de la fenología de satélite muestran una gran consistencia con la distribución espacial de cubiertas vegetales y factores climáticos. La comparación con medidas in situ para las fenofases correspondientes al inicio, fin y duración de la estación de crecimiento de abedul común en Europa, cerezo en Asia y lilo en Norte América muestra errores medios menores de 19 días, y un gran acuerdo en el gradiente latitudinal de la fenología observada in situ y estimada a partir de series temporales LAI VEGETATION.

Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have multiple atmospheric implications and play many roles in plant physiology and ecology. Among these VOCs, growing interest is being devoted to a group of short-chain oxygenated VOCs (oxVOCs). Technology improvements such as proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry are facilitating the study of these hydrocarbons and new data regarding these compounds is continuously appearing. Here we review current knowledge of the emissions of these oxVOCs by plants and the factors that control them, and also provide an overview of sources, sinks, and concentrations found in the atmosphere. The oxVOCs reviewed here are formic and acetic acids, acetone, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, methanol, and ethanol. In general, because of their water solubility (low gas–liquid partitioning coefficient), the plant-atmosphere exchange is stomatal-dependent, although it can also take place via the cuticle. This exchange is also determined by atmospheric mixing ratios. These compounds have relatively long atmospheric half-lives and reach considerable concentrations in the atmosphere in the range of ppbv. Likewise, under non-stressed conditions plants can emit all of these oxVOCs together at fluxes ranging from 0.2 up to 4.8 μg(C)g−1(leaf dry weight)h−1 and at rates that increase several-fold when under stress. Gaps in our knowledge regarding the processes involved in the synthesis, emission, uptake, and atmospheric reactivity of oxVOCs precludes the clarification of exactly what is conditioning plant-atmosphere exchange—and also when, how, and why this occurs—and these lacunae therefore warrant further research in this field.

The exchanges of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) between soils and the atmosphere are poorly known. We investigated VOC exchange rates and how they were influenced by soil moisture, temperature and the presence of plant roots in a Mediterranean forest soil. We measured VOC exchange rates along a soil moisture gradient (5%–12.5%–20%–27.5% v/v) and a temperature gradient (10°C–15°C–25°C–35°C) using PTR-MS. Monoterpenes were identified with GC-MS. Soils were a sink rather than a source of VOCs in both soil moisture and temperature treatments (−2.16 ± 0.35 nmol m−2 s−1 and −4.90 ± 1.24 nmol m−2 s−1 respectively). Most compounds observed were oxygenated VOCs like alcohols, aldehydes and ketones and aromatic hydrocarbons. Other volatiles such as acetic acid and ethyl acetate were also observed. All those compounds had very low exchange rates (maximum uptake rates from −0.8 nmol m−2 s−1 to −0.6 nmol m−2 s−1 for methanol and acetic acid). Monoterpene exchange ranged only from −0.004 nmol m−2 s−1 to 0.004 nmol m−2 s−1 and limonene and α-pinene were the most abundant compounds. Increasing soil moisture resulted in higher soil sink activity possibly due to increases in microbial VOCs uptake activity. No general pattern of response was found in the temperature gradient for total VOCs. Roots decreased the emission of many compounds under increasing soil moisture and under increasing soil temperature. While our results showed that emission of some soil VOCs might be enhanced by the increases in soil temperature and that the uptake of most soil VOCs uptake might be reduced by the decreases of soil water availability, the low exchange rates measured indicated that soil-atmosphere VOC exchange in this system are unlikely to play an important role in atmospheric chemistry.

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) play several important roles on tropospheric chemical composition. Biogenic VOCs (BVOCs) are the largest source of NMVOCs (non-methane VOCs), accounting for the release of up to 10% of total C fixed by plants in photosynthesis. As isoprene is often the dominant source of atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) detected using satellite sensors, it is often correlated directly to satellite HCHO observations without accounting for other HCHO sources. Here we investigate the importance of quantifying monoterpene emissions when linking remotely sensed HCHO vertical columns to terrestrial BVOCs emissions at four different ecosystems in NE Spain where monoterpene-isoprene emissions ratios are known to be unusually high. Average HCHO yield for present monoterpenes was approximately 29% compared to 45% for isoprene. Including monoterpene HCHO yield contributions in total atmospheric HCHO concentrations improved correlations from R2 of 0.35 to 0.66 and R2 of 0.56 to 0.89 when comparing OMI HCHO and MODIS PRI satellite with HCHO field measurements, respectively.

Daily, weekly, and seasonal patterns of O3, NOx x and VOCs and their relationship to meteorological conditions were studied in a semi-urban site near Barcelona by means of five-day long campaigns that included weekend and labor days in December, March, June, and October. The plant protection thresholds for ozone and NO2 were exceeded, respectively, on all the studied days in summer and on all the studied days. Ozone formation was predominantly local and relied on photochemical processes with VOCs playing a controlling role. Formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, methanol, toluene, isoprene, and acetone (in this order) presented the highest O3 formation potential during the studied periods. These results highlight the important role in O3 formation played by VOC species such as acetaldehyde, methanol, and acetone, that all have a significant biogenic component. Thus, these VOCs must be taken into account in the discussion of any ozone abatement strategy.

Butterfly assemblages were used to characterize and evaluate the conservation value of the main habitat types in the Aiguamolls de l’Emporda Natural Park (north-eastern Spain), an important protected wetland area on the Mediterranean coast. Butterfly data were obtained from a number of transects walked as part of the Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, which uses a standardized methodology for monitoring butterflies. A Mantel test indicated a strong association between habitat types and the composition of butterfly assemblages and a principal component analysis ordinated individual butterfly species along a gradient from woodland to open areas, thereby indicating various degrees of shade tolerance. In addition, cluster analysis distinguished two main groups of habitats based on the similarities of their butterfly fauna: woodland and bramble clumps and a group of three different kinds of grasslands (traditionally hay meadows, pastures, and alfalfa fields). Hay meadows flooded in winter (the so-called closes ) appeared always as the highest ranked habitat in terms of conservation evaluation: they have more butterflies and a slight tendency to harbor more and generally rarer species. This conclusion coincides with that of previous investigations that have indicated that the most diverse and rare plant communities in the whole Natural Park are present in the closes , and highlights the importance of traditionally managed hay meadows for wildlife. However, these hay meadows – one of the rarest habitats in the Mediterranean region – are in alarming decline and have become the most threatened habitat in this protected area: no longer profitable, we believe that the future of the closes will depend ultimately on the existence of agri-environmental schemes.

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a signalling compound with a key role in both stress and development in plants, and is reported to elicit the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Here we studied the dynamics of such emissions and the linkage with photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance. We sprayed JA on leaves of the Mediterranean tree species Quercus ilex and measured the photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductances, and emissions and uptake of VOCs using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry and gas chromatography after a dark-light transition. Jasmonic acid treatment delayed the induction of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance by approx. 20 min, and decreased them 24 h after spraying. Indications were found of both stomatal and nonstomatal limitations of photosynthesis. Monoterpene emissions were enhanced (20-30%) after JA spraying. Jasmonic acid also increased methyl salicylate (MeSa) emissions (more than twofold) 1 h after treatment, although after 24 h this effect had disappeared. Formaldehyde foliar uptake decreased significantly 24 h after JA treatment. Both biotic and abiotic stresses can thus affect plant VOC emissions through their strong impact on JA levels. Jasmonic acid-mediated increases in monoterpene and MeSa emissions might have a protective role when confronting biotic and abiotic stresses.

Heat stress resistance of foliar photosynthetic apparatus was investigated in the Mediterranean monoterpene-emitting evergreen sclerophyll species Quercus ilex. Leaf feeding with fosmidomycin, which is a specific inhibitor of the chloroplastic isoprenoid synthesis pathway, essentially stopped monoterpene emission and resulted in the decrease of the optimum temperature of photosynthetic electron transport from approximately 38°C to approximately 30°C. The heat stress resistance was partly restored by fumigation with 4 to 5 nmol mol−1 air concentrations of monoterpene α-pinene but not with fumigations with monoterpene alcohol α-terpineol. Analyses of monoterpene physicochemical characteristics demonstrated that α-pinene was primarily distributed to leaf gas and lipid phases, while α-terpineol was primarily distributed to leaf aqueous phase. Thus, for a common monoterpene uptake rate, α-terpineol is less efficient in stabilizing membrane liquid-crystalline structure and as an antioxidant in plant membranes. Furthermore, α-terpineol uptake rate (U) strongly decreased with increasing temperature, while the uptake rates of α-pinene increased with increasing temperature, providing a further explanation of the lower efficiency of thermal protection by α-terpineol. The temperature-dependent decrease of α-terpineol uptake was both due to decreases in stomatal conductance, gw, and increased volatility of α-terpineol at higher temperature that decreased the monoterpene diffusion gradient between the ambient air (FA) and leaf (FI; U = gw[FA − FI]). Model analyses suggested that α-pinene reacted within the leaf at higher temperatures, possibly within the lipid phase, thereby avoiding the decrease in diffusion gradient, FA − FI. Thus, these data contribute to the hypothesis of the antioxidative protection of leaf membranes during heat stress by monoterpenes. These data further suggest that fumigation with the relatively low atmospheric concentrations of monoterpenes that are occasionally observed during warm windless days in the Mediterranean canopies may significantly improve the heat tolerance of nonemitting vegetation that grows intermixed with emitting species.

We used tobacco Bel-W3 biomonitoring data and ozone flux modelling (WINDEP model) with the aim of developing the absorbed dose–response relationship, and comparing this approach with the most commonly used AOT40 (the sum of hourly ozone concentrations above a cut-off of 40 ppb during daylight hours, when global radiation exceeds 50 W m−2) in the estimation of exposure–damage curves. Leaf damage values were more related to OAD15 days, potential (potential ozone absorbed dose calculated over 15 consecutive days) than to AOT40 in all the studied stations. An OAD15 days, potential of 180 mg m−2 was found to be the threshold for damage to the most sensitive species in this region under well watered conditions. The results show the applicability of the flux approach for risk assessment at the local scale, the improvement of the ozone damage estimation when the potential absorbed dose is modelled and used instead of just the ozone exposure, and finally, the possibilities opened by the use of biomonitoring networks.

Summary • Here we aimed to assess the photo and oxidative stress linked to the Mediterranean summer conditions characterized by drought, heat and high irradiance, and to find possible optical signals of such changes. • Foliar reflectance was measured in parallel to leaf water content, gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, extent of oxidative stress, and mechanisms of photo- and antioxidative protection in leaves of the evergreen Phillyrea angustifolia (Oleaceae) plants exposed to Mediterranean field spring-summer conditions. • Relative leaf water content (RWC) of nonirrigated plants (WS) decreased from 82 to 50% after 48 d without rain, and net photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductances decreased c. 90%, but there was no photo- and oxidative damage. The amounts of the photoprotector zeaxanthin and of the antioxidant a-tocopherol increased up to threefold. The b-carotene concentration decreased to 50%. The reflectance indices WI (water index), PRI (photochemical reflectance index), and BPI (brown pigment index) followed the changes in water content, photosynthetic rates, and oxidant status, respectively. • These results show that severe drought leads to oxidative stress in field-grown P. angustifolia plants, highlights the significance of photo- and antioxidative protection for the survival of drought-stressed plants, and indicates that the changes in oxidant status may be assessed by leaf reflectance (brown pigment index, BPI).

We studied the interspecific and intraspecific variation in the development of water stress and in the use of different water and nitrogen sources during the spring (wet season) and summer (dry season) in a shrub community in NE Spain. We measured shoot water potentials, stable deuterium isotopic composition (delta D) of xylem sap, leaf mass per area, leaf N and C concentrations, gas exchange, leaf delta(13)C, and leaf delta(15)N of the dominant species (Quercus coccifera, Arbutus unedo, Pistacia lentiscus, Erica multiflora, Globularia alypum). The delta D, the delta(13)C and the shoot water potential values showed diurnal, seasonal, intraspecific and interspecific variation in the source and use of water. There was also seasonal, intraspecific and interspecific variation in the foliar delta(15)N and N concentrations. In summer, some species (A. unedo, P. lentiscus and E. multiflora) presented significantly different delta D values in morning and afternoon measurements likely indicating that they used different sources of water during the day, and a dual root system in these species. We conjecture that dew may be one of these water sources. Species predawn water potential was negatively correlated with species xylem water delta D. There was also a positive correlation between delta(13)C and delta D in P. lentiscus, species for which we took additional samples from nearby sites. These results suggest that the access to water from greater depths allowed the maintenance of more favourable plant water supply. Multivariate principal component analysis based on the studied hydrological and isotope variables clearly separated the seasons (wet spring and dry summer) and the species. The species resulted separated according to their evolutionary history (Pre-Mediterranean and Mediterranean) and the associated root and functional traits. These results show water (and nitrogen) partitioning among coexisting species of the same functional type (Mediterranean woody shrubs). They also show the great intraspecific plasticity of responses to resource availability.

We measured the stable deuterium isotopic composition of xylem sap, the shoot predawn and midday water potentials, and the leaf δ13C of Mediterranean shrubs Pistacia lentiscus, Globularia alypum and Rosmarinus officinalis in a south-oriented transect from a large (12 m tall) Aleppo pine tree, Pinus halepensis. We aimed to study the possibility of hydraulic lift from the deep roots of this pine tree to the shallow soil layers and its influence on these neighbour shrubs. These same traits were also studied in several individuals of the shrub Pistacia lentiscus growing with different types of neighbours: just shrubs, a small (3 - 4 m) pine tree, and the above mentioned large pine tree. The greater the distance from P. halepensis the plants grew, the higher xylem water δD, the lower the soil water content, and, the lower the predawn and midday water potentials were found. These results suggest the existence of an hydraulic lift from deep roots to shallow soil in this big tree. Further indication of this existence is provided by the improved water status of P. lentiscus (higher water potentials and δD, and lower δ13C and, therefore, lower water use efficiencies) when growing close to the big pine in comparison with the same shrub species growing close to small pines or just surrounded by other shrubs. Moreover, all these trends occurred in the dry summer season, but disappeared in the wet spring season.

We studied the tree access to deep water sources and the possibility of hydraulic lift from the deep roots of a Pinus nigra tree to the shallow soil layers in a Mediterranean forest of NE Spain. We also studied the use of hydraulically lifted water by neighboring trees, shrubs, and sprouts. We enriched the roots of a large P. nigra (10 m tall) with deuterium by accessing them from a below ground cave. During the next 3 days we measured stable deuterium isotopic composition of xylem sap, shoot predawn and midday water potentials, and the leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N of the P. nigra tree, neighboring Quercus ilex ballota trees and sprouts , and Juniperus oxycedrus shrubs. The study was conducted both in dry summer and in wet spring. In summer, deuterated water absorbed by deep roots of P. nigra appeared in the stem water of neighboring plants and in surface soil. The most δD -enriched plant xylem sap was found in the enriched P. nigra tree, followed by the Q. ilex sprouts, the small Q. ilex trees and the surface soil (15 cm). All these trends disappeared in the wet spring season, when HDO only slightly appeared in the surface soil. The results show that the studied P. nigra tree accesses deep water source and conducts hydraulic lift in this Mediterranean forest in dry summer but not necessarily in wet spring.

The emerging consistency of the relationship between biochemical, optical, and odorous signals emitted by plants and ecosystems offers promising prospects for continuous local and global monitoring of the energetic status of plants and ecosystems, and therefore of their processing of energy and matter.

Altres ajuts: Programes Copernicus, le Pôle Thématique Surfaces Continentales THEIA, GIOBIO (32-566) i LONGLOVE (32-594). Land-surface modelling would benefit significantly from improved characterisation of the seasonal variability of vegetation at a global scale. GEOCLIM, a global climatology of leaf area index (LAI), fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (FAPAR)-both essential climate variables-and fraction of vegetation cover (FCOVER), is here derived from observations from the SPOT VEGETATION programme. Interannual average values from the GEOV1 Copernicus Global Land time series of biophysical products at 1-km resolution and 10-day frequency are computed for 1999 to 2010. GEOCLIM provides the baseline characteristics of the seasonal cycle of the annual vegetation phenology for each 1-km pixel on the globe. The associated standard deviation characterises the interannual variability. Temporal consistency and continuity is achieved by the accumulation of multi-year observations and the application of techniques for temporal smoothing and gap filling. Specific corrections are applied over cloudy tropical regions and high latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere where the low number of available observations compromises the reliability of estimates. Artefacts over evergreen broadleaf forests and areas of bare soil are corrected based on the expected limited seasonality. The GEOCLIM data set is demonstrated to be consistent, both spatially and temporally. GEOCLIM shows absolute differences lower than 0.5 compared with MODIS (GIMMS3g) climatology of LAI for more than 80% (90%) of land pixels, with higher discrepancies in tropical and boreal latitudes. ECOCLIMAP systematically produces higher LAI values. The phenological metric for the date of maximum foliar development derived from GEOCLIM is spatially consistent (correlation higher than 0.9) with those of MODIS, GIMMS3g, ECOCLIMAP and MCD12Q2 with average differences within 14 days at the global scale.

The main objective of this study is to determine if the pollination vector influences the potential floral emissions of flowering plants. We hypothesized that flowers pollinated by insects would emit significantly higher amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and would present a higher diversity of these compounds than flowers pollinated by wind. The floral emissions of fifteen entomophilous species and eleven anemophilous species were captured by dynamic headspace sampling under field conditions and analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. We searched for differences in the emission profiles between anemophilous and entomophilous flowers by considering the effects of phylogeny in our analysis. The floral emissions from the two groups were significantly different. Entomophilous species presented highly diverse emissions in both magnitude of emission rates and richness of compounds depending on the species, but overall, the flowers from entomophilous species had much higher VOC emission rates and VOC richness, both for terpenes and benzenoid compounds, than those from anemophilous species (two orders of magnitude higher emissions). The data thus confirm that the presence of intensely scented flowers with complex scents is strongly related to biotic pollination.

The available data on climate over the past century indicate that the earth is warming. Important biological effects, including changes of plant and animal life cycle events, have already been reported. However, evidence of such effects is still scarce and has been mostly limited to northern latitudes. Here we provide the first long-term (1952–2000) evidence of altered life cycles for some of the most abundant Mediterranean plants and birds, and one butterfly species. Average annual temperatures in the study area (Cardedeu, NE Spain) have increased by 1.4 °C over the observation period while precipitation remained unchanged. A conservative linear treatment of the data shows that leaves unfold on average 16 days earlier, leaves fall on average 13 days later, and plants flower on average 6 days earlier than in 1952. Fruiting occurs on average 9 days earlier than in 1974. Butterflies appear 11 days earlier, but spring migratory birds arrive 15 days later than in 1952. The stronger changes both in temperature and in phenophases timing occurred in the last 25 years. There are no significant relationships among changes in phenophases and the average date for each phenophase and species. There are not either significant differences among species with different Raunkiaer life-forms or different origin (native, exotic or agricultural). However, there is a wide range of phenological alterations among the different species, which may alter their competitive ability, and thus, their ecology and conservation, and the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Moreover, the lengthening of plant growing season in this and other northern hemisphere regions may contribute to a global increase in biospheric activity.

We show here additional biological evidence of the alteration in global biogeochemistry by human activities during the twentieth century. The mineral concentration of herbarium specimens of 24 species of vascular plants and three species of bryophytes collected in North and East regions of Spain have substantially changed throughout the twentieth century. While V, a proxy tracer of oil pollution, exponentially increased in the last decades, other metals such as Cr, Ba, Sr, Al, Fe, Pb, Cd and Ti increased up to 1960-1970 and started to decrease in 1985-1995, when environmental legal regulations started to be effective. Multivariate principal component analysis showed an overall change in plant elemental concentrations throughout the different decades of the century and a clear separation of vascular plants and bryophytes. Likely important consequences for ecosystem structure and functioning and even for human health may be expected from these changes in mineral concentration.

The emission of floral terpenes plays a key role in pollination in many plant species. We hypothesized that the floral phyllospheric microbiota could significantly influence these floral terpene emissions because microorganisms also produce and emit terpenes. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the effect of removing the microbiota from flowers. We fumigated Sambucus nigra L. plants, including their flowers, with a combination of three broad-spectrum antibiotics and measured the floral emissions and tissular concentrations in both antibiotic-fumigated and non-fumigated plants. Floral terpene emissions decreased by ca. two thirds after fumigation. The concentration of terpenes in floral tissues did not decrease, and floral respiration rates did not change, indicating an absence of damage to the floral tissues. The suppression of the phyllospheric microbial communities also changed the composition and proportion of terpenes in the volatile blend. One week after fumigation, the flowers were not emitting b-ocimene, linalool, epoxylinalool, and linalool oxide. These results show a key role of the floral phyllospheric microbiota in the quantity and quality of floral terpene emissions and therefore a possible key role in pollination.

Summary We present a unifying model for isoprene emission by photosynthesizing leaves based on the hypothesis that isoprene biosynthesis depends on a balance between the supply of photosynthetic reducing power and the demands of carbon fixation. We compared the predictions from our model, as well as from two other widely used models, with measurements of isoprene emission from leaves of Populus nigra and hybrid aspen (Populus tremula × P. tremuloides) in response to changes in leaf internal CO2 concentration (Ci) and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) under diverse ambient CO2 concentrations (Ca). Our model reproduces the observed changes in isoprene emissions with Ci and PPFD, and also reproduces the tendency for the fraction of fixed carbon allocated to isoprene to increase with increasing PPFD. It also provides a simple mechanism for the previously unexplained decrease in the quantum efficiency of isoprene emission with increasing Ca. Experimental and modelled results support our hypothesis. Our model can reproduce the key features of the observations and has the potential to improve process-based modelling of isoprene emissions by land vegetation at the ecosystem and global scales.

Summary Additional biological evidence is presented for the alteration of biogeochemical cycles by human activities. The leaf δ15N and the concentrations of nutrients in herbarium specimens of 24 species of vascular plants and 3 species of bryophytes collected in northern and eastern regions of Spain have substantially changed throughout the XX century. In the second half of the century, when anthropogenic nitrogen fixation and mobilization started to increase rapidly, leaf δ15N values started to decrease strongly, indicating that additional anthropogenic nitrogen is being retained in Spanish terrestrial ecosystems. The concentration of nutrients in vascular plants did not present any clear pattern, but there were increasing concentrations of N and other nutrients (P, K, and S) in the last decades in bryophytes, which are usually better biomonitors of airborne chemicals than vascular plants. Important consequences for ecosystem structure and functioning such as enhancement of the carbon sink or changes in community biodiversity and species distribution may be expected from this increase in eutrophication.

Leaf mineral concentrations of co-occurring Erica arborea, Juniperus communis and Myrtus communis were measured at bimonthly intervals throughout a year in a natural CO2 spring and in a nearby control site with similar soil chemistry in a Mediterranean environment. There were different responses to the elevated [CO2] (c. 700 m LL ‐1 ) of the spring site plants depending on the element and the species. In the CO2 spring site K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, Fe, and Ti leaf concentrations and the ratio C/N showed significant greater values in at least one or two of the three species. Leaf S concentration were greater in all three species. Leaf concentrations of N, Sr, Co, and B were lower in at least one or two species, and those of C and Ba were lower in all the three studied species near the CO2 spring. P, Na, Zn, Si, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pb, Mo, V and Cd leaf concentrations and the specific leaf area (SLA, measured in Myrtus communis) did not show any consistent or significant pattern in response to the elevated [CO2 ]o f the spring site. There was a slight trend towards maximum concentrations of most of these elements during autumn‐winter and minimum values during the spring season, especially in Myrtus communis. Multivariate principal component analyses based on the leaf elemental concentrations clearly differentiated the two sites and the three species. Lower concentrations at the spring site were not the result of a dilution effect by increased structural or nonstructural carbon. In contrast to most experimental studies of CO2 enrichment, mainly conducted for short periods, several of these elements had greater concentrations in the CO2 spring site. Nutrient acclimation and possible causes including decreased nutrient export, increased nutrient uptake capacity, photosynthetic down-regulation, Mediterranean water stress, and higher H2S concentration in the spring site are discussed.

A severe drought that took place in Spain and other Mediterranean countries in 1994 produced a dieback of Quercus ilex trees on south-facing conglomerates but only minor defoliations in trees on north-facing schists. The foliar Δ13C of damaged trees continued to decrease in the next two wet years probably indicating increasing water use efficiency, and their δ15N continued to increase indicating progressive ecosystem N saturation and/or N losses whereas there were no significant changes in undamaged trees. Pre-drought Δ13C values were reached in the third year after the drought, but δ15N values did not yet recover. Another co-occurring small tree, Phyllyrea latifolia, did not show any damage and gained dominance in the most affected stands.

We studied carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition (δ13C and δ15N) in sunlit leaves of four dominant species (Rosmarinus officinalis L., Stipa parviflora L., Juniperus thurifera L. and Pinus halepensis L.) in a characteristic gradient of water and nitrogen availability produced by relief and micrometeorology in a subdesertic valley of central-NE Spain. Minimum values of δ13C were found at the foothills, and higher values were found both in the valley and on the top of the hill where water availability was lower. However, different species (functional groups) presented different δ13C values in the same valley. The lowest values of δ15N were found on the top of the hill and the highest ones in the valley, where N losses would thus be higher. In general, when growing together, trees showed 2 % higher values for δ13C as well as for δ15N than shrubs and grasses. The specific responses show that they use different available water and nitrogen resources within small catchments. For this ecosystem type, C and N isotope analyses are sensitive enough to resolve fine spatial and functional patterns even over a very short distance (100 m), where topography generates great gradients in microclimate, hydrology, soil physical conditions, vegetation and biogeochemistry.

Evaluation of visual symptoms of ozone damage was conducted in the network of bioindicator rural stations of Catalonia (NE Spain) every 14 days from May to October. Damage rates of ozone (and consequently, ozone biomonitoring capacity of bioindicators) were found to vary highly in time and space depending on the local environmental and meteorological conditions. Lower ozone damage to foliage was produced when meteorological conditions favour stomata resistance. Modulatory effects of meteorological conditions need to be considered in biomonitoring and when modeling plant ozone doses and damage.

We studied the variations in different physiological parameters associated with UV-B radiation defense: UV-B radiation absorbance, UV-visible spectral reflectance, carotenoids concentration, leaf thickness, SLW (specific leaf weigth) and trichome density in Quercus ilex growing at 200 and 1200 m and Rhododendron ferrugineum growing at 2200 m. We examined the role of these parameters as protection mechanisms in an altitudinal gradient of increasing UV radiation in northern Catalonia and in sun and shade leaves. The concentration of UV-B radiation absorbing pigments was 15% higher in sun leaves of Q. ilex at 1200 m than in those from 200 m altitude. Sun leaves of R. ferrugineum presented concentrations three times higher than those of Q. ilex. Reflectance ranged between 5% (in the region 300–400 nm) and 12% (in the region 280–300 nm). The variation of reflectance with altitude followed an inverse trend respect to absorbance in the 280–300 nm region, with higher values the lower the altitude, but in the 300–400 nm region, reflectance of the lower site was the lowest. In both species and altitudes sun leaves presented higher concentrations of UV-B radiation absorbing pigments and UV reflectance than shade leaves. Quercus ilex trees of the higher location presented higher NDPI (Normalized Difference Pigment Reflectance Index) values, indicating higher carotenoids/chlorophyll a ratio. Actual measurements of carotenoid/chlorophyll a ratio confirmed this pattern. The photochemical reflectance index (PRI) presented higher values the higher the location indicating lower photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency. Specific leaf weight (SLW) and leaf thickness were larger in Q. ilex trees of higher location than in those of lower location. In both sites, sun leaves also presented larger SLW values than shade leaves. Adaxial leaf hair density in sun leaves was significantlly higher in the lower location. UV absorption and linked morphological traits (SLW, leaf thickness measured in Q. ilex) presented the larger differences among studied plants at different altitudes and seem to be the dominant UV protecting mechanisms.

Saplings of Phillyrea latifolia, Pistacia lentiscus and Quercus ilex were witheld watering for 7 days, followed by reirrigation. Incident photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD), leaf temperature, net photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, and photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (ΔF/F'm) were measured three times during the day. The watered plants had higher photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductances, ΔF/F'm and ETR than non-watered plants. However, watered plants were mildly water stressed as shown by low ratio of variable to maximal fluorescence (Fv/Fm) and high non-photochemical fluorescence quenching (qN). Their ΔF/F′m was low in the morning and increased in the evening, following the variations in PPFD. Watered plants of Q. ilex had lower photosynthetic activity, stomatal conductance and photosynthetic radiation use efficiency than Ph. latifolia and P. lentiscus , and, conversely, reached the highest ΔF/F′m and ETR. This seems to indicate a different relationship between photosynthetic activity and electron transport rate in Q. ilex compared to the other two species. Ph. latifolia and P. lentiscus appeared to be better adapted to severe drought than Q. ilex .

We developed a method to estimate live fine fuel moisture (LFFM) by ground-based, high-resolution plant reflectance measurements in the visible and near infrared regions. NDVI and WI (R970/R900) were the reflectance indices used because they provided the best estimation of LFFM. The performance of the method was evaluated (1) by measuring monthly plant reflectance and LFFM in adult plants growing in the field, and (2) in a desiccation experiment carried out with potted seedlings in a plastic tunnel. The species studied in the field site consisted of two deep-rooted shrubs (Arbutus unedo and Quercus coccifera), two shallow-rooted shrubs (Cistus albidus and C. monspeliensis), and one grass (Brachypodium retusum). The species studied in experimental conditions were two trees (Pinus halepensis and Q. ilex), and six shrubs (Arbutus unedo, Q. coccifera, C. albidus, C. monspeliensis, Phillyrea angustifolia, and Pistacia lentiscus). During desiccation, the 970 nm trough tended to disappear (consequently, the WI increased), and the reflectance in the red increased (consequently, the NDVI decreased). The two reflectance indices NDVI and WI were significantly correlated with LFFM when all the species were considered together and within most of the individual species, both in the field and in potted seedlings. We propose a method consisting of a simple radiometer measuring plant reflectance at 680, 900, and 970 nm, that could speed up the measurement of LFFM, and that could be useful in wildfire risk evaluation.

A field study was conducted from May to October 1995 to assess ozone (O3) phytotoxicity in Catalonia (NE Spain) by determining a percentage value of leaf area injured by ozone on three tobacco cultivars, Bel-W3, Bel-C and Bel-B as bioindicators. Colorimetric parameters were also determined in an effort to have an objective assessment of ozone injury. The study was conducted simultaneously on eight sites where ozone levels and several meteorological parameters were continuosly monitored. Two sets of plants were used at each site. The first one was composed of six plants of each cultivar which were changed every two weeks while the second one involved two plants of each cultivar which were kept in the plots throughout the whole experimental period. Open Top Chambers were also used to test the response of the three cultivars to ozone under controlled conditions. The ozone levels correlated well with ozone injury on the Bel-W3 cultivar but not as well on the other two cultivars. The ozone levels did not fully account for all the observed injury. The response of tobacco plants to ozone concentrations and therefore its biomonitoring capacity depended also on different environmental conditions linked to stomatal behaviour such as temperature, humidity, wind or altitude. These environmental conditions had some effects on the intensity of Ozone injury. Ozone concentrations accumulated over a threshold of 60 ppb (AOT60) when VPD was below 1 KPa. Correlated well with the ozone injury and best explained the intensity tobacco injury symptoms. For large plants growing throughout the whole period of study, Bel-C was the best indicator cultivar for AOT60 over the 3 days prior to the last ozone injury assessment. The colorimetric parameters were indicators of seasonal changes but they were not good ozone damage indicators. It is concluded that tobacco cultivars were good bioindicators but meteorological and other environmental factors need to be considered in there use as biomonitors.

We studied the reflectance spectra of the emergent aquatic vegetation of Searsville Lake in coastal central California using a high spectral resolution hand-held spectroradiometer with the aim of assessing spectral indices as indicators of photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency. The photochemical reflectance index (PRI), defined as (R 531 − R 570 )/(R 531 + R 570 ), was strongly correlated with the ratio of secondary and protective pigments to chlorophyll a and with epoxidation state (EPS) of the xanthophyll cycle pigments (violaxanthin + 0.5 antheraxanthin)/(violaxanthin + antheraxanthin + zeaxanthin), and therefore, with photosynthetic radiation-use efficiency (PRUE) (measured as mol CO 2 mol −1 photons). This reflectance-based measure seems to be useful as a remote index of aquatic vegetation photosynthetic function and physiological status. These results extend and reinforce previous studies conducted in terrestrial vegetation that indicate a functional relationship between PRI, EPS, and PRUE at leaf and canopy scales.

Water Index WI (R900/R970) was used for the estimation of plant water concentration (PWC) by ground-based, reflectance measurements. Reflectance and PWC were measured for adult plants growing in the field throughout an annual cycle and in potted seedlings submitted to progressive desiccation. The species studied were characteristicly Mediterranean: Pinus halepensis, Quercus ilex, Quercus coccifera, Arbutus unedo, Cistus albidus, Cistus monspeliensis, Phillyrea angustifolia, Pistacia lentiscus and Brachypodium retusum . WI was significantly correlated with PWC when all the species were considered together, and with almost all the species considered individually, especially when a wider range of PWC was obtained by extreme dessication of experimental plants. The correlations increased when normalizing WI by NDVI. The wavelength of the trough corresponding to water absorption band tended to shift from 970-980 nm to lower wavelengths 930-950 nm with decreasing PWCs. Infrared measurement of plant temp...

This Letter presents new data validating the use of the photochemical reflectance index PRI (R570-R531)/(R570 + R531) to assess photosynthetic- radiation-use-efficiency under mild water stress. Gas exchange, fluorescence and the PRI of leaves from the Mediterranean trees Quercus ilex and Phillyrea latifolia growing in the field were followed from spring to summer 1996 in central Catalonia (NE Spain). The same variables were measured in seedlings of these two species and Pistacia lentiscus submitted to progressive drying after witholding irrigation. Except for severely drought damaged plants, significant relations of the reflectance index PRI with fluorescence yield of the photosystem II (Delta F/F' m), non photochemical fluorescence quenching ( qN ) and photosynthetic radiation use efficiency (PRUE) were found, thus indicating a functional relation among these parameters. A simple portable radiometer measuring ground level reflectance at narrow bands centred at 531 and 570nm could instantaneously...

We studied the effects of a soil salinity gradient (0.8-1.9 dS m -1 ECa) on spectral reflectance of 10 genotypes of barley (Holdeum vulgare L.) to determine the efficacy of reflectance as tool for assessing the responses of barley to salinity. NDVI [normalized difference vegetation index, (R900 nm - R680 nm)/1R9oo nm + R680 nm) and WI (water index, R970 nm/ R900 nm) were the reflectance indices used. In response to increasing salinity, near infrared reflectance decreased and visible reflectance increased, thereby lowering NDVI from 0.85 to 0.4, in parallel with decreases in biomass (from 2500-500 g m -2 ) and yield (from 900-50 g m -2 ). NDVI was, thus, a good indicator of biomass and yield. WI increased from 0.73 to 0.96, δT (canopy temperature minus air temperature) increased from - 2 to 7°C, and 13 C discrimination (Δ 13 C) in mature kernels decreased from 19 to 14.5 with increasing salinity levels. WI was, thus, related to crop water status response to salinity. NDVI and WI were, therefore, useful for measuring agronomic responses of barley to salinity.