Effects of natural pyrethrum and synthetic pyrethroids on the tiger mosquito,Aedes albopictus (skuse) and non-target flower-visiting insects in urban green areas of Padua,Italy

Abstract

The tiger mosquito is a key vector of several human diseases and is considered a public health concern worldwide. The implementation of strategies aimed at maximizing mosquito control without affecting non-target insect groups is of major importance. In a field trial, we tested the efficiency of a natural pyrethrum-based vs. a synthetic pyrethroid-based insecticide in reducing tiger mosquito population and how they affect the diversity of non-target flower-visiting insects in green urban areas. Only the pyrethroid insecticide was effective in reducing mosquito abundance, although its effects disappeared nine days after application. The two adulticides did not significantly affect the diversity of flower-visiting insects, probably because of their large body size and the difference in flying and foraging activity. To effectively control mosquito populations while preventing intoxication of non-target flower-visiting insects, adulticide applications should be applied early in the morning and only on bushes and trees. Results from our small-scale applications cannot be extrapolate when larger areas are treated.     

Influence of different forest conversion strategies on ground vegetation and tree regeneration in pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus sylvestris</Emphasis> L.) stands: a case study in NE Germany

The conversion of anthropogenic into more natural, self-regenerating forests is one of the major objectives of forestry throughout Europe. In this study, we present investigations on permanent plots with different silvicultural treatment in NE German pine stands. Management of old-growth pine stands on acidic and nutrient-poor sandy sites differs in fencing, thinning, and planting of certain tree species. The investigations were carried out on the community, population, and individual level of the pine forest ecosystems. Thus, vegetation changes, size and height of tree populations, and height increment of tree individuals were observed over a time span of 6 years. Special attention was paid to short-lived tree species such as, e.g., Frangula alnus and Sorbus aucuparia, as well as to Fagus sylvatica as one of the most typical forest tree species of Central Europe. Vegetation changes are interpreted as a consequence of natural regeneration of formerly degraded forest sites, involving an increase in nutrient availability. High browsing pressure can be considered as a key factor for the inhibition of tree seedlings and growth of saplings. Some Sorbus aucuparia individuals, however, succeeded in growing out of the browsing height also in unfenced stands. Few found specimens of Fagus sylvatica proved that this species is able to establish spontaneously on these relatively dry, acidic sites under continental climate influence. Such natural regeneration processes, also including spontaneous rejuvenation of trees, can be integrated into silviculture as passive forest conversion management. An active management like thinning of stands, planting of trees, and fencing can accelerate forest conversion with regard to height growth and species number of trees.     

Biodegradation of humic substances by microscopic filamentous fungi: chromatographic and spectroscopic proxies

Purpose

The study of interactions between humic substances (HSs) and soil filamentous fungi is the key to understanding the sustainable soil functioning. The present work aims to examine the decomposition of HSs by filamentous dark-pigmented fungus Alternaria alternatа under the laboratory conditions and to determine the effect of easily assimilable organic carbon on this process. Analyzing such polydisperse substances like HSs by a complex integrated methodology makes it possible to explore the data on their decomposition by microorganisms.

Materials and methods

To achieve the aforementioned goals, we used chromatographic and spectroscopic approaches: low-pressure size-exclusion and hydrophobic interaction chromatography accompanied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. To determine the effect cometabolism conditions produced on HS decomposition, two types of carbon substrates were added to the nutrient media: easily assimilable organic carbon (standard 0.3% or reduced 0.03% sucrose content) and hardly assimilable organic carbon (HSs), as well as their combinations. Five HS samples of different organic matter origin have been inspected: potassium humates (HPs) and humic acids (HAs) from coal, peat, and lignosulfonate. Correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) were calculated for comprehensive data analysis.

Results and discussion

Transformations of the investigated HSs under fungal cultivation lead to the increase in the low molecular weight fraction, rise of hydrophilic fraction, enlargement of absorbance ratio A₂₅₀/A₃₆₅, shortening of the emission wavelength of the humic-type fluorescence, and growth in the fluorescence quantum yield measured with excitation at 355 nm. A positive correlation was observed between the accumulation of fungal biomass and the degree of HS decomposition. PCA analysis confirms that the difference in the results of HS decomposition largely depends on the sucrose content and the nature of HSs. We divided all the HS samples into four groups according to the degree of HS decomposition: original HS solutions, HPs altered using fungal cultivation at 0.03% sucrose, HAs after fungal cultivation at 0.03% sucrose, and finally, HSs (both HPs and HAs) after fungal cultivation at 0.3% sucrose.

Conclusions

In the laboratory experiments, we showed that (1) the isolated HAs were more effectively degraded than the parent HPs, and this process was more pronounced at a reduced sucrose content, and (2) the decomposition of stable organic compounds (HSs) was activated by the easily assimilable carbon sources (especially 0.3% sucrose) being present. We assume that it is the easily assimilable organic carbon that most likely triggers the HS degradation working as the priming effect in natural environments.

     

Are forests potential landscape barriers for foraging bumblebees? Landscape scale experiments with Bombus terrestris agg. and Bombus pascuorum (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Habitat fragmentation is generally considered to have detrimental effects on insect movement and associated pollen flow between plant populations. Against this background the role of forests as potential barriers for foraging bumblebees of the species Bombus terrestris agg. and Bombus pascuorum was studied in different experiments. Bombus terrestris agg. workers were found foraging at distances of up to 2.2 km from their nests. B. terrestris agg. as well as B. pascuorum individuals crossed 600 m of forestland between floral mass resources (Phacelia tanacetifolia, Helianthus annuus), although in general a high degree of site fidelity was observed. B. pascuorum workers accepted artificial floral resources within the forest, whereas the minor use of resources below forest canopy observed for B. terrestris agg. possibly indicates a preference for direct forage flights, probably leading above the forest canopy. Our results warn against experiments with genetically modified crop species with potential bumblebee pollination (e.g. Brassica napus), in which an isolating effect of forests is assumed.     

Structural Influence on Photooxidative Degradation of Halogenated Phenols

The influence of structure on degradation of five halogenated phenols (XPs) by UV/H₂O₂ process was investigated. The combined influence of type or number of substituents and UV/H₂O₂ process parameters (pH and [H₂O₂]) on the degradation kinetics of 2-fluorophenol (2-FP), 2-chlorophenol (2-CP), 2-bromophenol (2-BP), 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP), and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (2,4,6-TCP) was studied using modified miscellaneous 3³ full factorial design and response surface modeling (RSM). Studied XPs obey first-order degradation kinetics within the investigated range of process parameters. Determined degradation rate constants (k _obs) were correlated with process and structural parameters by the quadratic polynomial models. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) demonstrated RSM models’ accuracy and showed that, in addition to pH and [H₂O₂], model terms related with the pollutant structure are highly influential. k _obs of mono-XPs follow the decreasing order 2-FP, 2-CP, and 2-BP, while CPs follow the decreasing order 2-CP, 2,4-DCP, and 2,4,6-TCP. Biodegradability (biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)₅/chemical oxygen demand (COD)) and toxicity (TU) were evaluated prior to the treatment and at the reference time intervals. The observed differences are correlated with the structural characteristics of studied XPs.     

Genetic variability and molecular evolution of arabis mosaic virus based on the coat protein gene sequence

Arabis mosaic virus (ArMV) is an important pathogen infecting a wide range of plant species worldwide. In the present study, we carried out exhaustive phylogenetic analyses based on the coat protein (CP) sequence of ArMV isolates originating from different host plants and geographic regions. Maximum-likelihood reconstruction revealed the presence of three distinct, well-supported phylogroups. BaTS analyses indicated that the diversity of ArMV isolates may be correlated with both host plant and geographic origin. Moreover, population genetic analyses showed significant differences in the level of genetic diversity among variants within ArMV that originated from rhubarb plants, as expected by quasispecies. Further analysis revealed that both selection and recombination are shaping the population structure of ArMV. In total 14 groups of residues were detected as coevolving for different amino acid properties.     

PERINATAL FOAL MORTALITY ASSOCIATED WITH A HERPESVIRUS

An outbreak of perinatal foal mortality associated with a herpesvirus is described. Twenty two foals either were still-born, or died soon after birth, or were weak and soon developed severe respiratory signs, or were normal at birth and developed respiratory symptoms 18 to 24 hours later. Elevated temperatures, heart and respiratory rates were constant features. The animals were severely leucopaenic, and showed an absolute neutropaenia. At autopsy the lungs were enlarged, and showed varying degrees of aeration and moderate to severe oedema and congestion. Histopathology showed an acute focal necrotising bronchiolitis with the presence of intranuclear eosinophilic inclusion bodies. Herpesvirus was recovered from 9 foals in cell culture and identified by electron microscopy.     

Molecular evolution of tomato black ring virus and de novo generation of a new type of defective RNAs during long-term passaging in different hosts

Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) is a worldwide-distributed RNA virus infecting a wide range of different host plants, including crop species, trees, shrubs, and weeds. Here, we investigated the molecular evolution of TBRV and its adaptability to different plant species. The TBRV-Pi isolate was used to generate five independent evolution lineages serially passaged in either quinoa, tobacco, or tomato plants. After 15 passages, the genetic variability present in all the lineages was characterized for the movement (MP) and coat (CP) coding cistrons. We addressed two main questions: to what extent does the amount of genetic variability in the TBRV genome depend on the host species, and are there host species-specific adaptive mutations? Overall, 201 different nucleotide substitutions emerged during the evolution experiment, with some of them appearing multiple times in different lineages; two of them (one in CP and one in MP) were unique for a particular host plant. We have shown that the degree of genetic differentiation depends on the host species in which the virus evolved, and that positive selection is operating upon certain residues, particularly in CP. Moreover, we have characterized new types of defective RNAs that arose during the TBRV-Pi evolution in tobacco. Furthermore, this is the first report of a defective RNA from the RNA2 of TBRV.     

Genetic variability and evolutionary dynamics of tomato black ring virus population

Tomato black ring virus (TBRV) is an important pathogen infecting a wide range of plant species worldwide. Phylogenetic studies of TBRV have already been conducted, although limited by the use of short genomic regions or a reduced amount of isolates. In the present study, we carried out an exhaustive phylogenetic and population genetic analysis based on the coat protein gene (CP) sequence of 57 TBRV isolates originating from different host plants and European geographic regions (47 isolates from Poland, 8 from Lithuania, one from the UK, and one from Hungary). Moreover, the selective pressure acting on particular codons and coevolution of amino acid residues in the CP were analysed. The results clearly showed that the TBRV population is being shaped by recombination and both positive and purifying selection. The analyses revealed that the placement of TBRV isolates in the phylogenetic trees was nonrandom, with isolates clustering according to host plant families and geographic origin.     

Evaluation of biological quality of protein concentrates from different vegetable protein sources

The quality of protein concentrates coming from conventional and non-conventional vegetable sources was evaluated. The protein quality was assessed by the multi-point assay RPV. Whole body weight gain, weight gain corrected for the gastrointestinal content (G.I.), total body nitrogen and total liver nitrogen were used as response parameters. The various protein sources ranked differently depending upon the response parameters utilized, but a great majority of the sources had a good nutritional value (over 0.5). The gastrointestinal content is one of the principal factors responsible for the differences found. However, even after correcting for the G.I. content, some differences remained. For the various protein sources, the nitrogen deposition in the liver correlates satisfactorily with the whole body nitrogen deposition, if in the calculation of the regression line, the data for faba bean and tobacco were omitted (respectivelyr=0.610 andr=0.925). On the whole, these data indicate that most plant protein concentrates in suitable combinations and properly processed, may become a promising alternative to animal proteins.