—North American monilophyte (fern) and lycophyte richness patterns are examined at three taxonomic levels (species, genus, and family). We determine: (1) if fern richness patterns are associated with water and energy variables that are predicted by the productivity-diversity hypothesis and (2) whether the pattern or strength of the relationship varies with taxonomic level. We present species ri...

We assessed the impacts of hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) Moore) and subsoil liming (CaO amendments) on root and shoot growth of greenhouse-grown, first-year, northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedlings. Red oak seedlings and ferns were grown in reconstructed soil profiles of four common Pennsylvanian forest soils. When grown in the presence of hay-scented ferns, with or...

Increasing interest in non-timber forest products (NTFPs) has led to their greaterrecognition in sustainable forest management planning. This is evident in local resourcemanagement plans for the Robson Valley in east-central British Columbia, where publicinput shows strong support for the sustainable development of NTFP harvesting.However, information needed to develop sustainab...

Using a mixed culture of megaspores and microspores from I. coreana, we established high frequency sporophyte regeneration system. After 20 days of culturing in MS basal medium, microscopic examination showed significant morphological changes and the microspore released numerous small vesicles into the culture medium. Megaspores also showed dramatic morphological changes during its incubation t...

Jasmonate-mediated regulation of VOC emission has been extensively investigated in higher plants, however, only little is known about VOC production and its regulation in ferns. Here, we investigate whether the emission of VOCs from bracken fern Pteridium aquilinum is triggered by herbivory and if so - whether it is regulated by the octadecanoid signaling pathway. Interestingly, feeding of both...

Recent researches on the royal fern, Osmunda regalis, have documented a high incidence of post-zygotic mutational damage in a population growing in a river heavily polluted with paper processing wastes, whereas genetic studies of nearby populations in nonpolluted environments failed to detect mutational damage. Intensive genetic and cytogenetic studies of mutation in O. regalis indicates that n...

Ferns usually have relatively lower photosynthetic potential than angiosperms. However, it is unclear whether low photosynthetic potential of ferns is linked to leaf water supply. We hypothesized that there is an evolutionary association of leaf water transport capacity with photosynthesis and stomatal density in ferns. In the present study, a series of functional traits relating to leaf anatom...

Yu Shrike Zhang talks to Francesca Lake, Head of Open Access Publishing: Yu Shrike Zhang received his BE degree in biomedical engineering in 2008 from Southeast University, PR China and PhD degree in biomedical engineering in 2013 from Georgia Institute of Technology. He is currently an Instructor of Medicine and Associate Bioengineer in the Division of Engineering in Medicine at the Brigham an...

Plant species affect soil bacterial diversity and compositions. However, little is known about the role of dominant plant species in shaping the soil bacterial community during the restoration of sandy grasslands in Horqin Sandy Land, northern China. We established a mesocosm pots experiment to investigate short-term responses of soil bacterial diversity and composition, and the related soil pr...