Salix

Previous studies on the palynoflora from the Lavanttal Basin show that it contains a rich assemblage of spores and gymnosperm
pollen. Present and ongoing investigations of dispersed angiosperm pollen suggest a high diversity within this group, and due
to the excellent preservation of the material, some rare pollen types are recognised. The Magnoliales to Fabales pollen record
documented here contains 30 different taxa. Only a few pollen types are assigned to Magnoliids (four taxa); these are rare in
the pollen record. Similarly, the Commelinids comprise five taxa and are also rare. Most of the angiosperm pollen originates
from Eudicots (21 taxa). Of the angiosperm taxa documented here, Magnolia, Carex, Ranunculaceae, Platanus, Trochodendron,
Buxus, Cercidiphyllum, Daphniphyllum, Distylium, Fortunearia, Parrotia, Parthenocissus, Vitis, Euphorbia, Salix and Papilionoideae
are recorded for the first time from the Lavanttal Basin. This also includes the first fossil pollen record of Trochodendron
worldwide and the first reliable pollen record of Daphniphyllum. Several of the taxa described here had a wide Northern
Hemispheric distribution from the Eocene until the end of the Miocene. Also, key relatives of the fossil taxa are presently
confined to humid warm-temperate environments, suggesting a very mild climate during the middle Miocene (Sarmatian) of
the Lavanttal area. Some of the taxa encountered also support previous observations that the sediments of the Lavanttal Basin
accumulated in a lowland wetland environment. This is based on pollen from aquatic taxa thriving in lakes, streams and
swamps, and pollen from terrestrial plant taxa occupying margins of lakes and streams, backswamps, floodplains, river plains
and hummocks. Other angiosperm pollen clearly originates from plants thriving on drier substrates, reflecting various
vegetation units of the mixed evergreen/deciduous broad-leaved/conifer forests surrounding the wetland basin.

Sap flow of four shrub willow varieties was measured to study their potential use as an evapotranspiration (ET) cover on the Solvay wastebeds to reduce deep percolation and leaching of chloride. Stem and stand-level sap flow and crop coefficients (K(c)) were different among four willow varieties measured between early June and mid November 2006. Diameter and cross sectional area had a significant impact on stand level sap flow. Peak stand-level sap flow of 7 mm d(-1) occurred in June, due to coupling of the willow with the atmosphere, and not in July or August when peak LAI was measured. The coupling also resulted in high K(c) values of 3 in June and above 2 in October with an average of 1.1-1.3 for the entire season. Our measurements confirmed the potentials of shrub willow in ET cover applications in the northeastern USA. Total transpiration for the growing season ranged between 494 mm and 533 mm, which was about 45% of the precipitation in 2006. Our calculations showed a signific...

The mycoparasite Sphaerellopsis filum (teleomorph Eudarluca caricis) was applied simultaneously with Melampsora larici-epitea on to willow leaf discs using eight concentrations of conidia. Inoculum densities were quantified and the numbers of uredinia of the rust, pycnidia and conidia of S. filum and rust spores produced per leaf disc were measured 13 d after inoculation (first assessment). Higher S. filum inoculum densities resulted in more rust uredinia being infected, but did not reduce the number of uredinia produced. The ratios of infected rust pustules: S. filum conidia applied were in a range of 0.25-0.31 when less than 20 S. filum spores were inoculated on to a leaf disc (0.95 cm2). Suppressive effects of S. filum on rust spore production were more obvious in the second assessment, carried out 23 d after inoculation. Inoculum densities of S. filum were significantly (P < 0.001) correlated with the frequency of uredinia infected (% variance accounted for [VAF] = 85.8), the number of S. filum pycnidia (% VAF = 81.4), S. filum spores produced (% VAF = 72.3) and rust spore production (% VAF = 48.6). Rust spore production was significantly (P < 0.001) negatively correlated with the frequency of uredinia infected (% VAF = 51.1), the number of S. filum pycnidia (% VAF = 42.0) and the number of S. filum spores produced (% VAF = 40.6). The best correlation was found between the number of pycnidia and the number of S. filum spores produced (% VAF = 88.8).