The tannery industry is a major source of anthropogenic chromium (Cr) contamination due to the large amounts of solid waste produced and its problematic management. The unique composition of tannery waste, usually high concentrations of Cr and other metals as well as organic matter and nutrients, makes it a great risk for soil and water environment but also a possible effective fertilizer for n...

Aim It has been proposed that co-invasion with ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi is a common mechanism by which non-indigenous trees overcome symbiont limitation, yet virtually all prior evidence has come from a single plant family, the Pinaceae. We tested the co-invasion hypothesis by examining the EM fungal communities associated with a specialized host, Alnus glutinosa (black alder), and a generali...

Changes in levels of abscisic acid (ABA) and cytokinin activity in the xylem sap of willow (Salix viminalis, L.) were followed throughout two growth cycles.Growth in spring was preceded by decreasing levels of ABA and an increase in cytokinin activity. The onset of dormancy was associated with low levels of cytokinins and high contents of ABA. A second peak of ABA was found in July which was no...

We investigated species divergence, present and past gene flow, levels of nucleotide polymorphism, and linkage disequilibrium in two willows from the plant genus Salix. Salix belongs together with Populus to the Salicaceae family; however, most population genetic studies of Salicaceae have been performed in Populus, the model genus in forest biology. Here we present a study on two closely relat...

Arsenic (As) is a toxic element for plants and one of the most common anthropogenic pollutants found at contaminated sites. Despite its severe effects on plant metabolism, several species can accumulate substantial amounts of arsenic and endure the associated stress. However, the genetic mechanisms involved in arsenic tolerance remains obscure in many model plant species used for land decontami...

Salix L. is the largest genus in the family Salicaceae (450 species). Several classifications have been published, but taxonomic subdivision has been under continuous revision. Our goal is to establish the phylogenetic structure of the genus using molecular data on all American willows, using three DNA markers. This complete phylogeny of American willows allows us to propose a biogeographic fra...

WRKY proteins are the zinc finger transcription factors that were first identified in plants. They can specifically interact with the W-box, which can be found in the promoter region of a large number of plant target genes, to regulate the expressions of downstream target genes. They also participate in diverse physiological and growing processes in plants. Prior to this study, a plenty of WRKY...

Background and Purpose: Most projections of the global energy use predict that biomass will be an important component of primary energy sources in the coming decades. Short rotation plantations have the potential to become an important source of renewable energy in Europe because of the high biomass yields, a good combustion quality as solid fuel, ecological advantages and comparatively low bio...

Bioenergy crops provide a form of renewable energy, contributing to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Short rotation coppice (SRC) bioenergy crops, including willow (Salix spp.) and poplar (Populus spp.) are planted commercially in the UK and more widely across Europe for use in heat and power generation [1] often on set-aside or arable agricultural land. However, available data on yield ...