Showing papers on "Lygodium published in 2016"

Oviposition choice and larval performance of Neomusotima conspurcatalis on leaflet types of the invasive fern, Lygodium microphyllum

Abstract: Lygodium microphyllum (Cavanilles) R Brown (Lygodiaceae), Old World climbing fern, invades wildlands in central and southern Florida, USA, and causes considerable habitat disturbance. Efforts to develop an effective biological control strategy have focused on several folivorous insects and a leaf-galling mite from southeast Asia and Australia. Neomusotima conspurcatalis Warren (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is a foliage-feeding moth that specializes on Lygodium species. First released in 2008, N. conspurcatalis successfully established in Florida and is dispersing throughout the L. microphyllum-invaded range. We investigated whether N. conspurcatalis display any preference (oviposition or larval feeding) between two leaflet morphologies, i.e., fertile spore-producing vs. sterile leaflets. Furthermore, we examined whether oviposition and no-choice diets on either fern leaflet type conferred any possible selective advantages (e.g., weight, emergence success) to the offspring. Finally, we analyzed leaf nitrogen and carbon content and leaf volatiles to gauge differences between the leaflet types. In choice and no-choice scenarios, larvae consume approximately the same amount of leaf area and display no preference between fertile and sterile leaflets. However, females deposited significantly more eggs on fertile than on sterile leaflets. Oviposition choice had no effect on larval development times, pupal weights, or successful eclosure. Nitrogen and carbon content did not differ between fertile and sterile samples, but sterile leaflets contain more 1-octen-3-ol, which may act as an herbivory deterrent. The propagule attack imposed by N. conspurcatalis feeding on fertile leaflets is unlikely to provide adequate control, but could be beneficial as part of a suite of biological control agents and other control methods.

Optical evaluation of the shading properties of climbing fern Lygodium japonicum used as thermal buffering green wall plant

Abstract: Recently, thermal properties of the landscaped rooftops and walls have attracted the interest of researchers because of the potential to minimize energy consumption in urban areas and to aid summer-time thermal control. For this reason the creation of a plant-based shade for walls or above buildings is highly important. In this paper we evaluate using Lygodium japonicum, one of the many ferns and fern allies traditionally used in Japanese gardening, as a component of thermal-buffering green walls. Lygodium japonicum, the only climbing fern species in Japan, is fast-growing, adheres easily to walls and has a climbing nature. A simple thermal analysis of the sun-shading effect of Lygodium canopy suggested that local surface temperature above the ceramic tiles placed on the rooftop of a building can be buffered (lowered in daytime and maintained relatively warm at night) by the presence of leafy climbing ferns covering the tiles, possibly due to the reflection and absorbance of solar radiation. Furthermore, the presence of the plants may also slow the night-time release of heat from the building surface. Because plants installed on tall walls or on the tops of buildings are not easily accessed for manual care, we performed a real-time routine monitoring and control of plant growth status using various optical sensors that could be automated and monitored remotely for large-scale applications. For this purpose, the optical properties of a Lygodium canopy under solar incident light have been determined. In order to evaluate the natural shading and growing properties of a green canopy, the incident solar radiation spectrum (J), leaf canopy-filtered light spectrum (transmittance, T) and leaf-reflectivity spectrum ® were measured. By reading the reflectivity spectrum, concomitant chlorophyll fluorescence signals (F) from Lygodium leaves were also detected at 760 nm, which corresponds to the O2-A Fraunhofer line. Our data suggests that the daily change in photosynthetic status (P) can be traced by monitoring the change in relative F in relation to the estimated heat loss (H) and measured J, R, and T using a series of practical equations designed to roughly estimate the gross photosynthetic response within the plant canopy. Using our equations, the photosynthetic capacity in the plant canopy structure could be simply simulated and predictable by optical sensors.

Antibacterial activity of some ethno-botanically important ferns of Southern Assam, India

Abstract: Pteridophytes form an important part of the biodiversity of this blue green planet. It has been agreed by recent workers that pteridophytic population of India is about 10% of the total pteridophytic flora of the world. Besides showing economic values towards food and fodder, indicators, bio fertilizers, insect repellents etc. quiet a large number of pteridophytic species are used by different communities as medicine and folk medicines. They treat cuts and wounds and many other diseases with leaf extract/rhizome extract of pteridophytes. The tribal people of Barak Valley area of Southern Assam, are using different species of pteridophytes to cure various diseases. In the present communication, total 21 species of common pteridophytes were enumerated from Barak Valley. The ethnobotanical importance of these species as reported by different authors were reviewed and presented in tabulated form. Further, frond extract of these species were tested against five potentially pathogenic microorganisms. The result showed that 10 species have antibacterial activity against one or more organisms while the remaining 11 species did not show any activity against any of the test organisms. The ferns showing antibacterial activity are Adiantum capillus-veneris, Asplenium nidus, Cyathea brunoniana, Cyathea gigantea, Dipteris wallichii, Drynaria quercifolia, Lygodium japonicum, Lygodium flexuossum, Pityrograma calomelanos, and Pteris biaurita.