Grass greenness flush can influence breeding phenology and fertility in equatorial thoroughbred mares in the absence of photoperiod variation

Reproductive phenology is an important trait subjected to natural selection. Current horses in America belong to the Palearctic original populations after being introduced by European colonizers. Photoperiod variation is the main environmental factor for the adjustment of reproductive timing in horses, but is absent in equatorial areas. Here we hypothesize that seasonality of green‐grass availability may influence breeding phenology in equatorial regions. We used data of 929 services to mares from 2006 to 2011 in a thoroughbred equine exploitation in Ecuador that experienced strong grass seasonality. Actual births could not be used to infer natural phenology because they were influenced by management decisions. Instead, we used variations in the probability of pregnancy after a service as a measure of the natural tendency of mares to show breeding phenology. We found that although managers tended to schedule pregnancies in two periods within the year, mares were more prone to become pregnant after the increase in grass greenness that takes place at the beginning of the year (February). Our finding has potential applications to improve the success of services and the welfare of animals, by providing green‐grass stimuli in the appropriate season.     

Modelling the Phenological Relationships of Questing Immature Ixodes Ricinus (Ixodidae) Using Temperature and NDVI Data

All active stages of the tick Ixodes ricinus were collected monthly at two sites in northern Spain between the years 2000 and 2007. We used percentile accumulation of the active stage in the environment to evaluate simple and coherent correlations between accumulation of the active stages of larvae and nymphs and medium‐resolution MODIS satellite‐derived information on the climate, including monthly and accumulated temperature and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This framework is not intended to predict the actual abundance of ticks in the field as a measure of the hazard to humans, but to provide a basic structure for addressing the phenology of the tick in its geographic range. We demonstrated that the accumulation of larval ticks in the active stage is a sigmoid function of the accumulated temperature from the beginning of the calendar year. We also demonstrated that the accumulated temperature necessary to recruit nymphs from the questing larval stage is a function of the changes in accumulated larvae and nymphs and the accumulated temperature and NDVI recorded by the Aqua sensor. The low p‐values obtained in the regressions confirmed that such recruitment can be calculated using time intervals to estimate, for example, the beginning of the questing period or the time of the year when a population peak can be expected. The comparison among predicted and actual accumulated temperatures between larvae and nymph recruitment had an averaged error of ±20 days in one complete year. The use of accumulated temperature and NDVI proposed in this study opens up the re‐evaluation of reports on the phenology of the tick in Europe. This framework is intended to evaluate the same correlations along the tick's range and predict its phenological patterns in areas of pathogen transmission risk for humans.     

兴隆山自然保护区华北珍珠梅物候期对水热条件的响应

华北珍珠梅(Sorbaria kirilowii)为蔷薇科珍珠梅属植物,具有抗病虫害等生态价值,是兴隆山自然保护区内主要的灌木种。本研究通过对甘肃省兴隆山国家级自然保护区内华北珍珠梅2004-2007年及2012-2015年9种物候特征的观察,分析了华北珍珠梅各物候期的变化趋势以及各物候期与月平均气温和月降水量的相关关系。结果表明,华北珍珠梅的春季物候期多数呈现推迟趋势,而秋季物候期主要呈现提前趋势,整个生长季的时间每年缩短达15.49d。华北珍珠梅物候期的变化趋势与月平均气温和月降水量具有密切的相关关系,其中开花期和果实膨大期与4月份的平均气温间呈显著的负相关关系(P0.05),发芽期与2月份降水量,抽枝期与5月份降水量以及果实膨大期与7月份降水量均呈显著负相关关系(P0.05),而果实成熟期与10月份降水量呈显著的正相关关系(P0.05)。因此,受水热条件影响的华北珍珠梅生长季的缩短不仅会降低其生长繁殖,也会减少灌木层的郁闭度,不利于生活在灌木层的动物,如濒危物种马麝(Moschus sifanicus)等的栖息。     

杜英,桤木等菇木树种的生长节律

采用标准地调查和标准株定位观察对人工菇木林杜英,桤木等树种进行了连续５年的年生长量调查和２年的物候期观察及年生长周期的测定。经调查测试结果表明,在相同环境条件下,各树种的物候与生长有关。叶芽萌动早的树种生长快年生长期长,而林木的年生长周期和幼林期的长短因不同而异,如桤木,银荆造林头１￣２年生长很快,第２年就有部分植株开花进入性成熟,标志进入成年期,而马褂木,麻栎等树种造林后第５年,枝高生长还呈直线     

雪莲的生殖生态学研究 Ⅰ.生境、植物学及物候学特性

本研究对生长在新疆天山１号冰川附近高山带的雪莲,从生境土壤的理化性质、气象因子等方面进行了统计和分析,并对其植物学及物候学特性进行了较详细的观察和分析,结果表明：雪莲为多年生一次开花结实的草本植物,生育年龄为５～６ａ,其生长的土壤环境极为严酷,植株营养器官及繁殖器官的形态特征、生长发育及繁殖的节律是与其特殊的气候条件相适应的。     

Comparison of different strategies for cotton insect pest management in Africa

Anticipating the direction for change in the current cotton insect pest management system in francophone African countries, different pest management strategies were investigated to reduce cotton protection costs and to improve overall pest control decision-making at the farmer level. Four strategies aimed at timing and limiting insecticide applications, were designed to fit the semiliterate level of farmers and pest profiles. Strategy 1 focused on using control thresholds early in the season, Strategy 2 on reducing the dosage in mixtures, while Strategies 3 and 4 were associated with the use of single active ingredients instead of mixtures. These strategies were assessed at the main research station Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire, and were shown to be effective when compared with the current protection programme. The number of treatments and the amount of insecticides applied was reduced while achieving equal or better pest control and yields. The strategies proved to be safer to some beneficial arthropods. Their cost-effectiveness needs to be assessed in more detail at farm level to select the most financially attractive strategy.     

基于MODIS-EVI时间序列与物候特征的水稻面积提取

物候是植被生理生态过程与环境变化相互作用的体现,时间序列遥感数据的使用有助于揭示水稻物候特征。基于水稻物候特征建立一个可靠的水稻面积监测体系,及时、准确地监测水稻种植面积,对于粮食安全十分重要。本研究以中等分辨率成像光谱仪（Moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer, MODIS）为数据源,选择增强型植被指数（Enhanced vegetation index, EVI）,重构2019年和2020年EVI时间序列,提取水稻物候信息,并选择季节积分和生长季振幅两个指标,结合2019年单点EVI时间序列和水稻种植面积的统计数据,确定江苏省13个地级市水稻的季节积分和生长季振幅的阈值,并根据得到的阈值,提取2020年江苏省水稻种植面积。利用2020年水稻种植面积的统计数据和美国陆地卫星-8携带的陆地成像仪（Landsat8 operational land image, Landsat8 OLI）影像,对提取结果进行了精度验证。结果表明,水稻提取的总体精度为92.55%,Kappa系数为0.8463,水稻的制图精度为92.90%,用户精度为89.09%,与统计数据的一致性为93.90%,提取精度较高,在技术上具有可行性。该方法为大区域提取农作物种植面积提供了参考。     

The impact of phenology,exposure and instar susceptibility on insecticide effects on a chrysomelid beetle population

Direct topical impact of an insecticide spray on a population of a non-target leaf-eating beetle, Gastrophysa polygoni, was studied, and the relative importance of phenology, instar susceptibility and instar specific exposure was evaluated. Two insecticides, cypermethrin and dimethoate, were investigated. In the laboratory, topical toxicity to eggs, second-instar larvae and adults was recorded in dose-response experiments. The spatial distribution of larvae and eggs were measured in the field. Deposition of insecticide onto eggs, second-instar larvae and adult specimens was measured at different positions within the crop canopy by use of a dye tracer technique. A temperature-driven population model was constructed to simulate population development of all life stages in the field. The model was based on laboratory measures of growth and development at various temperatures. Mortality due to direct insecticide exposure was calculated as a function of population demography, spatial distribution of individuals, spatial deposition of the insecticide, and stage-specific susceptibility. Cypermethrin had the greatest impact, reducing population size by 19–32%. The life stages most sensitive to cypermethrin were the larval instars. As the population developed from eggs to larvae and imagines, the impact of one spraying first increased and then decreased according to the proportion of larvae in the population. Dimethoate had less effect on the population, i.e. 1·9–7·6% reduction. Dimethoate was most toxic to the egg stage, and consequently the effect on the population decreased as the proportion of eggs decreased due to hatching. The direct effect of insecticide spraying was significantly affected by all three factors investigated, i.e. phenology, life stage susceptibility and stage-specific exposure. The latter factor is composed of both spray flux at various spatial positions in the canopy and the ability of different life stages to retain spray droplets. © 1998 SCI     

Integrating space and time: a case for phenological context in grazing studies and management

In water-limited landscapes, patterns in primary production are highly variable across space and time. Livestock grazing is a common agricultural practice worldwide and a concern is localized overuse of specific pasture resources that can exacerbate grass losses and soil erosion. On a research ranch in New Mexico with average annual rainfall of 217 mm, we demonstrate with a quantitative approach that annual seasons vary greatly and examine foraging patterns in Angus-Hereford (Bos taurus) cows. We define five seasonal stages based on MODIS NDVI: pre-greenup, greenup, peak green, drydown and dormant, and examine livestock movements in 2008. Daily distance traveled by cows was greater and foraging area expanded during periods with higher precipitation. A regression model including minimum NDVI, rainfall and their interaction explained 81% of the seasonal variation in distance traveled by cows (P<0.01). Cows explored about 81 ha·d⁻¹ while foraging, but tended to explore smaller areas as the pasture became greener (greenup and peak green stages). Cows foraged an average of 9.7 h daily and spent more time foraging with more concentrated search patterns as pastures became greener. Our findings suggest that phenological context can expand the capacity to compare and integrate findings, and facilitate meta-analyses of grazing studies conducted at different locations and times of year.     

河西走廊藜麦C、N、P生态化学计量学特征对物候期的响应

藜麦（Chenopodium quinoa）是南美洲传统作物,具有极高的营养价值和较强的环境适应能力,但其在我国西北干旱区的适应性还有待深入研究。生态化学计量学是对有机体的元素组成（主要是C、N、P）及其关系进行研究的科学,能一定程度地反映有机体的特征及其与环境的关系。在河西走廊大田栽培条件下,本试验研究了藜麦主要物候期的碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）含量及其生态化学计量比的变化。结果表明：随物候期的变化,藜麦的有机碳（organic carbon,OC）含量变化不显著,而全氮（total nitrogen,TN）和全磷（total phosphorus,TP）含量则显著降低;各器官间的OC含量较稳定,而TN和TP含量差异显著且叶和穗较高。藜麦的C∶N、C∶P随物候期的变化呈升高趋势,N∶P则呈先降低后显著升高趋势;根和茎C∶N、C∶P较高而叶N∶P较高。物候期和器官显著影响藜麦的C、N、P含量和计量比,后者与藜麦的生长和物质积累速度显著相关。