Analyzing the pattern and causes of phenotypic and genetic variation within and among populations might help to understand life history variability in plants, and to predict their responses to changing environmental conditions. Here we compare phenotypic variation and genetic diversity of the widespread herb Plantago coronopus across Europe, and evaluate their relationship with environmental an...

Despite increasing evidence that plant intra- and inter-specific diversity increases primary productivity, and that such effect may in turn cascade up to influence herbivores, there is little information about plant diversity effects on plant anti-herbivore defenses, the relative importance of different sources of plant diversity, and the mechanisms for such effects. For example, increased plan...

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most significant cereal crops, about 3 billion people, nearly half the world's population; depend on rice for survival and it offers up to 80% of daily energy intake in most of the Asian countries. Knowledge of the distribution, extent and pattern of genetic variation is useful for estimation of any possible loss of genetic diversity and its role in breeding...

Mouteh Refuge covers an area of 200,000 hectars situated in the northwest of Meymeh and southwest of Delijan. Minimum and maximum of altitude are 1800 and 3000 m, respectively. The Refuge presents a variety of habitats, including stony slopes, pedimont plains, alluvial plains, salt marshes, saline rivers and springs.A total of 580 species and subspecific taxa were identified based on plant samp...

Sponges stand out among sessile marine animals in the great variety of collaborative associations in which they participate. When intimately associated organisms represent taxa with very different characteristics, the ways in which they might benefit each other are readily apparent. For example, non-sponge partners can provide mobility (e.g. decorator crabs, Stachowicz & Hay 2000), solid stable...

BACKGROUND Denitrification is an important ecosystem service that removes nitrogen (N) from N-polluted watersheds, buffering soil, stream, and river water quality from excess N by returning N to the atmosphere before it reaches lakes or oceans and leads to eutrophication. The denitrification enzyme activity (DEA) assay is widely used for measuring denitrification potential. Because DEA is a fun...

The first plant glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) have been isolated more than 20 years ago based on their specific expression pattern and/or modulation by several biotic and abiotic factors. This superfamily is characterized by the presence of a glycine-rich domain arranged in (Gly)(n)-X repeats. The presence of additional motifs, as well as the nature of the glycine repeats, groups them in differe...