We resumed mowing in two plots of ca. 100 m2 in an abandoned meadow dominated by Brachypodium pinnatum on the slope of Monte Generoso (Switzerland). We monitored species composition and hay yield using point quadrats and biomass samples. Species frequencies changed little during 10 yr (1988-1997) while hay yields showed large fluctuations according to mean relative humidity in April-June. We pe...

Multipotent stem or progenitor cells undergo a sequential series of binary fate decisions, which ultimately generate the diversity of differentiated cells. Efforts to understand cell fate control have focused on simple gene regulatory circuits that predict the presence of multiple stable states, bifurcations and switch-like transitions. However, existing gene network models do not explain more ...

Neonicotinoid insecticides are commonly-used as seed treatments on flowering crops such as oilseed rape. Their persistence and solubility in water increase the chances of environmental contamination via surface-runoff or drainage into areas adjacent to the crops. However, their uptake and fate into non-target vegetation remains poorly understood. In this study, we analysed samples of foliage co...

Population genetic structure is a key parameter in evolutionary biology. Earlier comparative studies have shown that genetic structure depends on species ecological attributes and life-history traits, but species phylogenetic relatedness had not been accounted for. Here we reevaluate the relationships between genetic structure and species traits in seed plants. Each species is characterized by ...

A prerequisite for the evolutionary stability of pollinating seed-consuming mutualisms is that each partner benefits from the association. However, few studies of such mutualism have considered the benefit gained by the pollinators. Here, we determined how the pollinating seed-predators ensure the provisioning of their offspring in the recently discovered mutualism between Rheum nobile and Brad...

Embryogenesis in flowering plants is controlled by a complex interplay of genetic, biochemical, and physiological regulators. LEAFY COTYLEDON2 (LEC2) is among a small number of key transcriptional regulators that are known to play important roles in controlling major events during the maturation stage of embryogenesis, notably, the synthesis and accumulation of storage reserves. LEC2 overexpres...

In the Drosophila central nervous system (CNS) glial cells are known to be generated from glioblasts, which produce exclusively glia or neuroglioblasts that bifurcate to produce both neuronal and glial sublineages. We show that the genesis of a subset of glial cells, the subperineurial glia (SPGs), involves a new mechanism and requires Notch. We demonstrate that the SPGs share direct sibling re...

Frugivores are thought to influence plant recruitment by creating initial seed deposition templates. However, post-deposition processes (e.g., predation) may obscure these initial patterns. Few studies have examined successive life-history stages of animaldispersed plants to evaluate how initial frugivore seed deposition influences early life stages of plant recruitment. We addressed this issue...

Leaves from mature Griffonia supficifolia plants were examined for the presence of leaf lectins possessing sugar binding specificities similar to the four known seed lectins (GS-I, GS-II, GS-III, GS-IV). Three (GS-I, -II, -IV) of the four known G. sinpIicifofia seed lectins were present in the leaves. Leaf G. simplicifolia lectins I and IV were similar to the respective seed lectins. Leaf GS-II...

Most of us, scientists and laymen alike, are deeply fascinated by old-growth forest. We travel to places like the Tongass National Forest in Alaska or the Biatowieža National Park in Poland to enjoy the sight of forests left to their own devices, with their majestic trees, intriguing structure and rare wildlife. For us, the fascination arises from a mixture of interest, aesthetic pleasure and m...