Browsing by master's degree program "Kasvitieteen maisteriohjelma"

Woodland strawberry (Fragaria vesca) is a perennial herb in the Rosaceae family with dimorphic leaves, summer and winter leaves, adapted to seasonal climate. Woodland strawberry produces a new set of leaves in spring that are photosynthetically active throughout the summer season (summer leaves), and the leaves senescence in autumn when they are replaced by a new set of leaves (winter leaves). The winter leaves retain photosynthetic capacity under the snow cover throughout the winter season, which prolong the photosynthetic period of the species. With the world-wide climate warming, the thickness of winter snow is decreasing, which can affect overwintering and spring phenology of plants. This thesis focuses on springtime ecophysiology and phenology of the senescing winter leaves and the formation of new summer leaves of woodland strawberry genotypes of different European origin. The 15 different genotypes of woodland strawberry are from Iceland, Italy and Norway, and they originate from different environments that are geographically separated from each other, so the populations are genetically distinct. In this study, these genotypes were kept at two different overwintering sites, coastal site at the Åland islands with mild temperatures, and continental site in Lammi with a persistent snow cover. According to the results all 15 genotypes showed earlier development of the summer leaves and earlier senescence of winter leaves in the group with Åland as overwintering site than in the group with Lammi. Another important finding is that the first summer leaves produced in spring begun to senesce shortly after they are fully developed and were replaced by later formed summer leaves. Specifically, the dates of summer leaf formation, flowering and stolon production were advanced, and the dates of winter leaf senescence were also advanced. The value of different leaf types to chlorophyll fluorescence was also lower at the Åland site. Therefore, it can be concluded that overwintering conditions have an effect on the subsequent phenological development in spring. In the context of global climate change, the spring development of woodland strawberry will be earlier, and the senescence of winter leaves will also be earlier.

Wood development is a significant process with both financial as well as natural perspectives. Trees and wood are of highly significance in Finland where a huge part of the gross national income devises from the forestry area. Ecologically and commercially the Norway spruce (Picea abies) is one of the most common tree species in Europe. It covers about 30% of Finland's forest area. Norway spruce is frequently used in research to study many phenomena related specifically to the wood formation and lignification. The principal objective of my thesis work was to reveal an unknown step in the lignification process in developing xylem of Norway spruce, i.e. the initiation site(s) for lignification. To achieve this goal, the aim was to investigate the chemical identity of possible lignification initiation sites in the middle lamellae and cell corners of developing Norway spruce xylem, and to answer the question where in the cell wall soluble monolignols first emerge and lead to the start of lignin formation (polymerization). I was approaching this goal with immunolabeling technique for confocal microscopy and Raman spectroscopy to unravel this initiation site of lignification by using specific monoclonal antibodies for cell wall compounds and comparing the results with the initial lignin deposition sites. To detect the location/distribution of some important polysaccharides and lignin substructure for lignification initiation, monoclonal antibodies i.e. LM10, LM11, LM15, LM24 and antibody Dibenzodioxocin or DBD were applied for confocal microscopy and some monolignol specific spectra were applied for Raman microscopy. The xylan was detected by LM10 in secondary cell wall abundantly and few are in primary cell wall of Norway spruce. The LM11 against arabinoxylan was determined more in primary cell walls but less in secondary cell wall. The location of xyloglucan was identified in the middle lamellae, primary and secondary cell wall of Norway spruce by LM15. The LM24 against glycosylated xyloglucan was found in secondary cell walls, abundantly in cell corners but few in primary cell wall. The primary antibody Dibenzodioxocin or DBD for the lignin substructure revealed that these were present in the mature cells of secondary cell walls (S2 and S3 layers). The lignin substructures DBD were not found in youngest cells where secondary cell walls are absent. The developing xylem of Norway spruce was subjected Raman microscopy and which revealed the locations of cinnamyl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol and coniferyl aldehyde. The cinnamyl alcohol was abundantly found at cell corner and middle lamellae in most developing part of xylem. The coniferyl alcohol was determined only in developing xylem cell corners. The coniferyl aldehyde was observed at cell corners, middle lamella and primary cell walls of developing xylem. The coniferyl aldehyde was located more in mature cells than younger cells. So, the Confocal and Raman microscopy images revealed the possible bindings of monolignols to polysaccharide in young cell corners, cell wall layers and middle lamellae.

Kurtturuusu (Rosa rugosa) on haitallinen vieraslaji Suomessa. Se on levinnyt alkuperäisiltä esiintymisalueiltaan Koillis-Aasiasta Itämeren ja Pohjanmeren rannikolle sekä Pohjois-Amerikan koillisosiin. Se uhkaa luonnon monimuotoisuutta erityisesti merenrannoilla. Suomessa kaikki hiekkarantojen ja dyynien luontotyypit ovat uhanalaisia ja kurtturuusu vaikuttaa erityisesti niiden ekosysteemeihin muodostamalla suuria tiheitä kasvustoja. Kurtturuusukasvustossa muut lajit vähenevät. Vieraslajilain nojalla kurtturuusun kasvattaminen on kielletty, mutta kasvatuskielto astuu voimaan vasta siirtymäajan jälkeen 1.6.2022. Kurtturuusu on suosittu koristepensas. Siitä on myös jalostettu uusia lajikkeita. Niiden kasvatusta kielto ei koske, koska niiden lisääntymiskyvyn on ajateltu olevan heikko. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää kurtturuusun levinneisyyttä Espoon rannoilla sekä tutkia sen lisääntymiskykyä. Tutkimuksessa kartoitettiin Espoon merenrantoja järjestelmällisesti maastossa havainnoiden ja etsittiin niiltä kurtturuusua. Kasvustojen ominaisuuksia tutkittiin ja selvitettiin morfologisten tuntomerkkien avulla, ovatko ne kurtturuusun perusmuotoa vai jotakin jalostettua lajiketta. Kasvustoista valittiin osa tarkempaa siementutkimusta varten. Siementen elinkykyä tutkittiin tetrazoliumtestin avulla ja kelluntakykyä vesiastioissa. Siementutkimuksessa selvitettiin, eroaako kurtturuusun perusmuodon ja jalostettujen lajikkeiden siementuotto tai siementen elinkyky toisistaan ja kuinka hyvin pähkylät kelluvat. Tilastollisina menetelminä käytettiin varianssianalyysiä ja t-testiä. Kurtturuusua kasvoi Espoon rannoilla runsaasti monenlaisilla kasvupaikoilla sekä istutettuna että villiytyneenä. Mantereella sitä oli enemmän kuin saaristossa. Villiytyneenä tai mahdollisesti villiytyneenä kasvoi vain muutamia kasvustoja jalostettuja kurtturuusulajikkeita. Istutettuina niitä oli enemmän. Kurtturuusun siementuotto vaikuttaa olevan suurempi perusmuodolla kuin jalostetuilla lajikkeilla. Perusmuoto tuotti myös keskimäärin enemmän elinkykyisiä siemeniä. Hajonta molemmissa ryhmissä oli kuitenkin suurta. Osa jalostetuista lajikkeita tuotti melko runsaastikin elinkykyisiä siemeniä, toiset taas hyvin vähän. Kurtturuusun pähkylät kelluivat hyvin. Tulokset tukevat käsitystä siitä, että jalostetut kurtturuusulajikkeet eivät olisi yhtä haitallisia kuin perusmuoto. Sekä perusmuodon että jalostettujen lajikkeiden siementuoton ja elinkyvyn hajonta oli kuitenkin suurta. Eri lajikkeiden eroja olisikin tarpeen selvittää järjestelmällisesti. Kurtturuusulla on hyvät edellytykset levitä veden välityksellä uusille kasvupaikoille, koska se kasvaa rannoilla ja sen siementen kelluntakyky on hyvä. Kurtturuusun kartoitus Espoossa auttaa sen torjunnan suunnittelussa myös muissa kaupungeissa.

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Environmental factors are important tools in constructing methane flux models and estimations. Among the abiotic factors, plants and their functional groups have been noted to have significant effect on methane fluxes for three reasons. First, the vegetation community compositions express their abiotic environmental factors that affect not only the plants, but also local methanogen and methanotroph communities. Second, the vegetation itself might produce methane emissions and have a direct effect on methane balance. Third, the plant functional groups and species have differences in their chemical and physical properties that support different methanogen communities and therefore have an indirect impact on methane fluxes. In this study, methane fluxes of different plant communities were observed during one growing season in northern boreal catchment area in Muonio. Study focuses to determine the link between methane fluxes and abiotic and biotic environmental factors in different vegetation types. Closed chamber technique was used to measure methane and carbon dioxide fluxes from 23 plots every two weeks in period of June-August. Environmental data, such as moisture, temperature species composition etc. were collected from the plots. Vegetation types for each plot were determined via ordination analysis. Linear mixed-effects regression model and generalized additive model were applied and compared to observe the relationships of methane and environmental factors in different vegetation types. Dataset was divided into four vegetation types in clustering analysis: wet fen, pine bog, spruce swamp and forest. The greatest amount (average 5959 µg/m²/h) and biggest range (standard deviation 5285 µg/m²/h) of methane emissions were observed on wettest fen-like study sites. Peatland types in general acted as net methane sources. The driest, forest-like vegetation type acted as a net methane sink. The amount (average -107 µg/m²/h) and range (standard deviation 117 µg/m²/h) of methane fluxes were very moderate in comparison to peatland types. These effects intensified towards the climax of growing season. The most significant environmental factors were mostly abiotic on driest study sites and the whole plant biomass was more significant biotic methane flux regulating factor than plant functional groups. On wetter study sites, the role of abiotic factors decreased, and plant functional group increased. Graminoids were linked to bigger methane emissions especially on wetter study sites. Forest mosses and different shrub types seemed to have a link with lower methane emissions or methane absorption. The effect of other plant functional groups on methane fluxes varied more, and their role remains unclear. None of the environmental factors could estimate the methane flux alone, and the methane budget seems to be a sum of multiple variables in each vegetation type. The role of plant functional groups varied in different vegetation types and was dependent on surrounding vegetation. More research is needed to get better tools to estimate methane balance and to understand the underlying mechanisms in climate and environmental change.

The above-ground surfaces of plants (the phyllosphere) are inhabited by a diverse variety of microbes that interact with the host plant affecting its health and growth. One of the predominant factors influencing the composition and formation of the phyllosphere microbial community is the species and genotype of the plant. In my thesis, I investigated whether three different Rubus species (R. arcticus, R. saxatilis, and R. chamaemorus) form similar phyllosphere microbial communities, and whether the genotype of the host plant has more impact on the community composition than the microbiota that the plants are exposed to. I also tested how different microbiota treatments would affect Rubus plant growth. The experiment was conducted with micropropagated plants of the three aforementioned Rubus species. The plants were treated with different microbiota collected from the leaves of wild plants of the three Rubus species and the growth of the plants was observed. The phyllosphere fungal and bacterial communities of the plants were sequenced from leaf samples and analyzed to inspect the overall diversity and difference of the communities (using Kruskal-Wallis test and PERMANOVA) and to identify possible core microbes within the Rubus species’ phyllosphere communities. I found that Rubus phyllosphere microbiota was dominated by bacteria classes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria, and fungal classes Eurotiomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Agaricomycetes, and Dothideomycetes. The host plant genotype had more significance on the composition of phyllosphere microbiota than the origin of the microbiota. The different microbiota treatments had no significant effect on the plant leaf growth. My thesis shows how host plant genotype influences the shaping of the phyllosphere communities as well as how transferable the microbial communities are between species from the same genus. Understanding of the phyllosphere microbiota can have potential applications in the promotion of plant health and fitness.

Climate change poses an ever-increasing threat on biodiversity as the global mean temperature rises causing changes in weather patterns. Species will have to adapt to the circumstances or follow their climatic niches across space to avoid decline and extinction. Many species are already threatened by extinction due to climate change. Understanding how species are reacting to rising temperatures can help us preserve biodiversity. Genetic adaptation is a long process and takes several generations to occur. A more immediate means to cope with variation is adjusting through phenotypic plasticity, which can help species cope with environmental changes in the short-term. Plasticity can help individuals maintain fitness in different environments and with fluctuating environmental conditions. Flowering phenology is a plastic trait which can have a large impact on reproductive success. Flowering is an important part of a plant’s life cycle as it can produce offspring with new combinations of genes. In this thesis I examine how temperature affects the flowering phenology of Hypericum species and how this thermal plasticity affects fitness. Populations of Hypericum perforatum, H. maculatum and H. montanum from different parts of their distribution across Europe were studied in greenhouse experiments. The plants were grown in four different temperature treatments (16/6°C, 20/10°C, 24/14°C, 28/20°C) and the timing of first flowering was monitored. Seed mass and flower count were recorded and used as measures of fitness. In general, the plants flowered later in the colder temperature treatments. The results differed between species: in H. maculatum the leading-edge populations were less plastic while in H. perforatum differences between areas were negligible. More plastic accessions produced more flowers due to earlier flowering. There was no effect on seed mass. The possible effects of plasticity on overall fitness highlight the need for detailed information on plasticity for predicting species response to climate change.