Riparian defoliation by the invasive green alder sawfly influences terrestrial prey subsidies to salmon streams

Invasive species in riparian forests are unique as their effects can transcend ecosystem boundaries via stream‐riparian linkages. The green alder sawfly (Monsoma pulveratum) is an invasive wasp whose larvae are defoliating riparian thin‐leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) stands across southcentral Alaska. To test the hypothesis that riparian defoliation by this invasive sawfly negatively affects the flow of terrestrial prey resources to stream fishes, we sampled terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage, their subsidies to streams and their consumption by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Invasive sawflies altered the composition of terrestrial invertebrates on riparian alder foliage and as terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Community analyses supported these findings revealing that invasive sawflies shifted the community structure of terrestrial invertebrates between seasons and levels of energy flow (riparian foliage, streams and fish). Invasive sawfly biomass peaked mid‐summer, altering the timing and magnitude of terrestrial prey subsidies to streams. Contrary to our hypothesis, invasive sawflies had no effect on the biomass of native taxa on riparian alder foliage, as terrestrial prey subsidies, or in juvenile coho salmon diets. Juvenile coho salmon consumed invasive sawflies when most abundant, but relied more on other prey types selecting against sawflies relative to their availability. Although we did not find effects of invasive sawflies extending to juvenile coho salmon in this study, these results could change as the distribution of invasive sawflies expands or as defoliation intensifies. Nevertheless, riparian defoliation by these invasive sawflies is likely having other ecological effects that merits further investigation.     

First evidence of spawning migration by goldfish (Carassius auratus); implications for control of a globally invasive species

Goldfish (Carassius auratus) was one of the first fishes to be domesticated and has been widely introduced across the globe, but is now considered one of the world's worst invasive aquatic species. Surprisingly, there is a dearth of information on its spatial and temporal movement patterns, which hampers the development of effective control programmes. We examined the movement patterns of an introduced population of C. auratus in a south‐western Australian river using passive acoustic telemetry. The study population had a high residency index within the array (i.e. proportion of all days at liberty that, on average, each fish was detected by a receiver) with fish being detected on 64% of days. The individuals were also reasonably mobile, travelling a mean of 0.30 km (linear river kilometres).day^‐1 within the array, and one fish moved 231.3 km over the 365‐day study period (including 5.4 km in a 24 hr period). Importantly, C. auratus displayed significant seasonal movement patterns including a clear shift in habitats during its breeding period with most mature individuals being detected in an off‐channel wetland during that time. The results of this study strongly suggest that C. auratus undertook a spawning migration into a lentic habitat. These results have important implications for developing control programmes for the species, such as targeting connections to off‐channel lentic systems during its breeding period.     

Five-year survey uncovers extensive diversity and temporal fluctuations among fusarium head blight pathogens of wheat and barley in Brazil

We conducted a five-year survey (2011–2015) of barley and wheat fields in Paraná state, Brazil, obtaining 754 Fusarium isolates from spikes with fusarium head blight (FHB)-symptoms. Multilocus genotyping and TEF-1α gene sequence analyses confirmed the dominance of the F. graminearum species complex (FGSC, 75.7%), but F. poae (11.5%), as well as F. avenaceum and related members of the F. tricinctum species complex (FTSC, 8.1%) appeared as substantial contributors to FHB. Within the FGSC, F. graminearum of the 15-ADON genotype was dominant (63%), followed by F. meridionale of the NIV genotype (23.1%), F. cortaderiae of the NIV (7%) or 3-ADON (2.6%) genotypes, and F. austroamericanum (3.8%) of the 3-ADON genotype. Substantial variation in pathogen composition was observed across years, with F. poae and F. meridionale frequencies significantly elevated in some years. Most F. poae strains produced DAS, diANIV, and butenolide, but not neosolaniol, T-2, or HT-2. All FTSC species produced moniliformin. Enniatin production was widespread among FTSC species, with the single F. acuminatum strain found to be the strongest producer of enniatins. Our findings confirm FGSC as a major contributor to FHB and expand considerably our knowledge of the presence, frequency, and conditions under which other pathogens may emerge, altering the spectrum of toxins that may accumulate in grain.     

Glutathione transferase activities toward herbicides used selectively in soybean

Using extracts from suspension-cultured cells of soybean (Glycine max cv. Mandarin) as a source of active enzymes, the activities of glutathione transferases (GSTs) catalysing the conjugation of 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB) and selective herbicides were determined to be in the order CDNB≫ fomesafen>metolachlor=acifluorfen>chlorimuron-ethyl. GST activities showed a thiol dependence in a substrate-specific manner. Thus, GST activities toward acifluorfen and fomesafen were greater when homoglutathione (hGSH), the endogenously occurring thiol in soybean, was used as the co-substrate rather than glutathione (GSH). Compared with GSH, hGSH addition either reduced or had no effect on GST activities toward other substrates. In the absence of enzyme, the rates of hGSH conjugation with acifluorfen, chlorimuron-ethyl and fomesafen were negligible, suggesting that rapid hGSH conjugation in soybean must be catalysed by GSTs. GST activities were subsequently determined in 14-day-old plants of soybean and a number of annual grass and broadleaf weeds. GST activities of the plants were then related to observed sensitivities to post-emergence applications of the four herbicides. When enzyme activity was expressed on a mg^-1 protein basis, all grass weeds and Abutilon theophrasticontained considerably higher GST activity toward CDNB than soybean. With fomesafen as the substrate, GST activities were determined to be in the order soybean≫Echinochloa crus-galli>Digitaria sanguinalis>Sorghum halepense=Setaria faberi with none of the broadleaf weeds showing any activity. This order related well to the observed selectivity of fomesafen, with the exception of A. theophrasti, which was partially tolerant to the herbicide. Using metolachlor as the substrate the order of the GST activities was soybean>A. theophrasti≫S. halepense>Amaranthus retroflexus>Ipomoea hederacea, with the remaining species showing no activity. GST activities toward metolachlor correlated well with the selectivity of the herbicide toward the broadleaf weeds but not toward the grass weeds. Acifluorfen and chlorimuron-ethyl were selectively active on these species, but GST activities toward these herbicides could not be detected in crude extracts from whole plants. © 1997 SCI     

Farmers’ perceptions of sorghum production constraints and Striga control practices in semi-arid areas of Tanzania

The objectives of this study were to investigate constraints affecting sorghum production and farmers' approaches of Striga management in the semi-arid regions of Tanzania. Focus group discussions based on a semi-structured questionnaire and observations following transect walks were used for data collection. Only 35%, 15%, and 10% of the farmers from Igunga, Kishapu, and Meatu districts, respectively, reported growing newly released varieties. The major constraints affecting sorghum production in the study areas included Striga infestation, drought, storage pests, damage by birds, a lack of access to improved varieties, and a lack of access to production inputs, such as fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Hand weeding, crop rotation, fallowing, intercropping, and organic manure application were the most common practices of farmers for reducing Striga infestations, but most farmers (79.7%) had little knowledge of the best recommended Striga management practices. About 65% of the farmers did not use fertilizers and herbicides for soil fertility improvement and weed management, respectively, creating favourable conditions for Striga infestation. A systematic breeding programme aiming at improving sorghum varieties for Striga resistance, including farmers' preferred traits, should be designed and implemented to increase the adoption of these new varieties by the farmers.     

Year-to-Year and Maturity Variation in Rainfed Soybean Yield by Planting Dates

The interactions on rainfed soybean yield among planting date,maturity,and year-to-year climate change were studied using CROPGRO-soybeanmodel.Simulations were based on 19 planting dates,maturity groupsⅢ,Ⅳ and V,30 years recorded weather data from Corbin,Suffolk,West Point in Virginia,USA.Yield was similar on early plantings and went down with late plantings.Both grand and year-to-year variation of soybean yield declined linearly with planting date.Year-to-year climate variation was dominant yield variation source in rainfed soybean production.Interaction occurred between planting date and maturity.Optimal planting dates for different sites lied within 130th-170th day of a year.Irrigation is recommended for profitable crops,especially in Corbin and West Point.     

Lagrangian numerical simulations of canopy air flow effects on maize pollen dispersal

A three-dimensional Lagrangian random flight model was constructed for numerical simulations of maize pollen dispersion. The model simulates the paths of tracer particles which are interpreted as individual pollen grains, with particle motion determined by the mean flow and a stochastic turbulent velocity. The Lagrangian approach was chosen because it can be extended to complex flow regimes. The capacity of the model to simulate measured patterns of pollen deposition was tested by comparing simulations to measurements for a small maize canopy isolated within a large field of soybeans near Ames, Iowa, USA in August 2003. For this application, measurements from a single point meteorological observation were used to generate a surface layer wind profile over the maize canopy and surrounding soybean field. The method used to construct the wind field included development of internal boundary layers as the airflow passed from one canopy surface to another. The dispersion model produced spatial patterns of particle deposition that included the sharp near-source deposition gradient consistent with observations. The model tended to over-predict particle deposition near the source field and under-predict deposition at greater distances. Inclusion of the effect of the roughness difference between the maize canopy and the surrounding soybean canopy on the flow field was found to be essential for simulation accuracy. Agreement with observations improved considerably by including an approximation for vertical motions induced by changes in surface cover. These results indicate that the Lagrangian random flight model provides a realistic simulation of pollen dispersal from an isolated maize canopy. A more complete hydrodynamic model should be explored to better represent the influence of surface inhomogeneities on winds and turbulence.     

Experimental evaluation of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss predation on longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae

Laboratory and in‐stream enclosure experiments were used to determine whether rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss influence survival of longnose dace Rhinichthys cataractae. In the laboratory, adult rainbow trout preyed on longnose dace in 42% of trials and juvenile rainbow trout did not prey on longnose dace during the first 6 h after rainbow trout introduction. Survival of longnose dace did not differ in the presence of adult rainbow trout previously exposed to active prey and those not previously exposed to active prey ( = 0.28, P = 0.60). In field enclosures, the number of longnose dace decreased at a faster rate in the presence of rainbow trout relative to controls within the first 72 h, but did not differ between moderate and high densities of rainbow trout (F_2,258.9 = 3.73, P = 0.03). Additionally, longnose dace were found in 7% of rainbow trout stomachs after 72 h in enclosures. Rainbow trout acclimated to the stream for longer periods had a greater initial influence on the number of longnose dace remaining in enclosures relative to those acclimated for shorter periods regardless of rainbow trout density treatment (F_4,148.5 = 2.50, P = 0.04). More research is needed to determine how predation rates will change in natural environments, under differing amounts of habitat and food resources and in the context of whole assemblages. However, if rainbow trout are introduced into the habitat of longnose dace, some predation on longnose dace is expected, even when rainbow trout have no previous experience with active prey.     

Predictive mapping for management and conservation of seagrass beds in North Carolina

An Erratum has been published for this article in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 12(2), 2002 577

• 1. This research extends techniques of predictive mapping from their application in terrestrial environments to marine landscapes by investigating the relationship between seagrass and hydrodynamics in Core Sound, North Carolina, USA.
• 2. An empirically derived logistic multiple regression model and a Boolean logic suitability model were used to produce several predictive map products, including: susceptibility of seagrasses to storms, probability of seagrass cover, and suitability of areas for restoration of seagrasses. A visual comparison between these maps and conventional seagrass polygon maps allows for a discussion of ‘field’ versus ‘object’ mapping, and the ramifications for management based on different cartographic techniques.
• 3. The predictive method used here showed that only a small portion (19%) of the seagrass bed in the study area would be expected to have a high probability of seagrass coverage. The majority of the seagrass habitat in the study area was predicted to have less than 50% probability of seagrass cover. In addition, 16% of the nearly 2000 ha of seagrass within the study area were predicted to be highly susceptible to acute storm events. Moreover, using a conservative set of site selection criteria, only 7% of the study area encompassed by seagrass habitat was predicted to have a high probability of successful restoration if injured.
• 4. This method provides for an inexpensive way to scale‐up from high‐resolution data to a coarser scale that is often required for conservation and management.

Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mid-infrared absorption properties of green wood

There is a lack of quantitative data on the penetration depth and the amount of energy absorbed by green wood under infrared (IR) radiation. This lack of knowledge is a potential barrier to the development of IR heating as an alternative to soaking as a means of warming logs prior to peeling in the manufacture of plywood. Experimental measurements of normal hemispherical spectral reflectance and transmittance over the range 550–5,500 cm^?1 wavenumbers on four wood species, beech, birch, Douglas-fir and spruce have brought new knowledge on mid-infrared absorption properties of green wood and removed some uncertainties. For instance, it is not possible to deliver energy deeper than up to 0.3 mm below the wood surface because 70–90 % of all incident IR radiation on the wood surface is absorbed in this layer. Some wood features, such as surface quality, the presence of knots and of free water in wood (the latter two having a more significant effect) influence the amount of energy absorbed. These results illustrate that IR radiation can heat the surface layers, but then heat penetrates deeper into the inside layers of wood by conduction.