Relating genetic variation of ecologically important tree traits to associated organisms in full-sib aspen families

Knowledge on phenological, morphometric, and phytochemical variation of local progenies of European aspen (Populus tremula, L.) is limited. The goal of this study was to characterize variation in growth and ecologically important leaf properties in aspen full-sib families in relation to interacting organisms (mycorrhiza, endophytes, and insects) and to determine whether these interactions were affected by soil application of a systemic fungicide. In local progenies, within-family variation of neutral molecular genetic markers (nuclear microsatellites) was higher than between families. Significant variation in growth, production of phenolic defensive compounds and other phytochemical leaf traits was found between families. Phenolic compounds showed clear negative correlation with generalist herbivores, but did not result in negative trade-off with biomass production. Differences in mycorrhizal colonization were not found among full-sib families and application of a systemic fungicide suppressed neither mycorrhizal colonization nor infestation with insects. However, a strong suppression of endophytes occurred, whose long-term consequences may require attention when fungicides are used in agroforestry plantations.     

Larval performances and life cycle completion of the Siberian moth, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dendrolimus sibiricus</Emphasis> (Lepidoptera: Lasiocampidae), on potential host plants in Europe: a laboratory study on potted trees

The Siberian moth, Dendrolimus sibiricus, Tschtv. is the most harmful defoliator of coniferous forests in North Asia. The pest has already spread over the Urals and continues moving westwards. Recently, it has been recommended for quarantine in member countries by European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). The performances of the pest on coniferous species planted in Europe were assessed on a range of potted trees corresponding to the spectrum of economically important conifers in the EU: European larch Larix decidua, Norway spruce Picea abies, Scots pine Pinus sylvestris, European black pine Pinus nigra, and the North American species: Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii and grand fir Abies grandis. Larvae showed a potential to survive and complete the development on all these host tree species. Favorable hosts were grand fir, European larch, and Douglas fir that allowed higher survival, better larval development, and as a result, yielded heavier pupae and adult moths with higher longevity. Black pine was a poor host but, however, could still support larval and pupal development. Norway spruce and Scots pine had an intermediate behavior. If accidentally introduced to Europe, the Siberian moth may become especially damaging in forest stands predominated by European larch and by the North American firs. Norway spruce and especially the two-needle pines will be less prone to intensive defoliation by this species. The fact that the pest may damage the range of economically important coniferous species should be taken into account in the pest risk assessment for Europe and also for North America where the Siberian moth occurrence is considered likely.     

A landscape and policy perspective on forest conversion: Long-tailed tit (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aegithalos caudatus</Emphasis>) and the allocation of deciduous forests in southern Sweden

As resources allocated specifically for conservation are limited, there is a need to ensure conservation policy initiatives lead to effective conservation outcomes. In this study, we investigated the potential conservation benefits from alternative spatial allocations of old deciduous stands to a landscape dominated by coniferous production forests owned primarily by non-industrial private forest owners. As a target species, we used the long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus), a species associated with deciduous forests and known to be sensitive to isolation. We used a previously published model based on empirical data on the occurrence of this species, to assess the probability of occurrence of the bird in a 4,000 km² area in southern Sweden for which we possess detailed spatial GIS data (kNN data) of tree species composition and age. We assessed alternative scenarios where old deciduous forest was allocated with or without respect to distance from existing old deciduous forests. Due to the long-tailed tit’s habitat requirement increasing the amount of old deciduous forests close to existing habitats was the most effective strategy. However, the potential advantages of this strategy may in fact be overturned in favor of the other scenarios if ownership structures and probable uptake rates of policy initiatives are also considered. If a policy initiative is targeted toward owners with properties in close proximity to existing suitable habitat, when compared to if all forest owners are targeted, a higher proportion of owners is needed to participate in order to achieve the same degree of habitat creation for the species. Here, we discuss the potential benefits for effective conservation policy formulation from integrating spatially explicit datasets and detailed ecological knowledge with land-ownership structures and policy uptake scenarios.     

Logistic regression models for human-caused wildfire risk estimation: analysing the effect of the spatial accuracy in fire occurrence data

About 90% of the wildland fires occurred in Southern Europe are caused by human activities. In spite of these figures, the human factor hardly ever appears in the definition of operational fire risk systems due to the difficulty of characterising it. This paper describes two spatially explicit models that predict the probability of fire occurrence due to human causes for their integration into a comprehensive fire risk–mapping methodology. A logistic regression technique at 1 × 1 km grid resolution has been used to obtain these models in the region of Madrid, a highly populated area in the centre of Spain. Socio-economic data were used as predictive variables to spatially represent anthropogenic factors related to fire risk. Historical fire occurrence from 2000 to 2005 was used as the response variable. In order to analyse the effects of the spatial accuracy of the response variable on the model performance (significant variables and classification accuracy), two different models were defined. In the first model, fire ignition points (x, y coordinates) were used as response variable. This model was compared with another one (Kernel model) where the response variable was the density of ignition points and was obtained through a kernel density interpolation technique from fire ignition points randomly located within a 10 × 10 km grid, which is the standard spatial reference unit established by the Spanish Ministry of Environment, Rural and Marine Affairs to report fire location in the national official statistics. Validation of both models was accomplished using an independent set of fire ignition points (years 2006–2007). For the validation, we used the area under the curve (AUC) obtained by a receiver-operating system. The first model performs slightly better with a value of AUC of 0.70 as opposed to 0.67 for the Kernel model. Wildland–urban interface was selected by both models with high relative importance.     

Work quality and veneer value recovery of mechanised and manual log-making in Italian poplar plantations

In Italy, poplar plantations represent an important source of wood products, and especially of high-quality veneer logs. These plantations offer favourable conditions to the introduction of forest mechanisation, and especially easy access and industrial management. However, owners fear that mechanised log-making may cause value losses, due to poor length measurement, log surface damage and improper grading. This study compared the performance of manual and mechanised log-making on ten commercial operations, in order to determine the occurrence and the severity of possible value losses due to product degrade. The study found that length measurement errors are smaller for mechanised processing, while the frequency and severity of log surface damage are the same for both treatments. In three cases out of five, mechanised log-making extracted the same value from the stems as manual log-making: in the remaining two, differences were very small and went opposite directions. Significant differences were found between operators, stressing the importance of operator skills and motivation. In fact, the log-making specifications and the pricing structure applied to poplar processing are relatively simple and are unlikely to challenge the ability of personnel and equipment. At present, most Italian poplar growers are unaware of the potential offered by modern technology, whose intelligent use would boost value recovery and decrease harvesting cost. Significant benefits may derive from the introduction of optimised bucking, which may help shifting to a more articulated and rewarding product strategy.     

Modelling and mapping the suitability of European forest formations at 1-km resolution

Proactive forest conservation planning requires spatially accurate information about the potential distribution of tree species. The most cost-efficient way to obtain this information is habitat suitability modelling i.e. predicting the potential distribution of biota as a function of environmental factors. Here, we used the bootstrap-aggregating machine-learning ensemble classifier Random Forest (RF) to derive a 1-km resolution European forest formation suitability map. The statistical model use as inputs more than 6,000 field data forest inventory plots and a large set of environmental variables. The field data plots were classified into different forest formations using the forest category classification scheme of the European Environmental Agency. The ten most dominant forest categories excluding plantations were chosen for the analysis. Model results have an overall accuracy of 76%. Between categories scores were unbalanced and Mesophitic deciduous forests were found to be the least correctly classified forest category. The model’s variable ranking scores are used to discuss relationship between forest category/environmental factors and to gain insight into the model’s limits and strengths for map applicability. The European forest suitability map is now available for further applications in forest conservation and climate change issues.     

Preference and performance of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Plutella xylostella</Emphasis> (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) on canola cultivars

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is an important insect pest of canola, Brassica napus L., in Ardabil, Iran. Host plant resistance is an essential component of integrated management of P. xylostella. We investigated the preferences and performance of P. xylostella on nine commercial cultivars of canola, namely Zarfam, RGS003, Adder, Okapi, Opera, Hyola401, Ebonite Option500 and Elite under greenhouse conditions at 23 ± 1°C, 50 ± 5% RH and 14L:10D. In free-choice situation, oviposition was lowest on Opera (23.5) and highest on Zarfam (44.7). In the life table study, fecundity of new generation female moths was lowest on Opera (95.4) and highest on Adder (145.7). Survival from egg to adult was significantly lower on Opera, Option500 and Hyola401 than on other tested cultivars. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r _m) and population growth rate (λ) were lowest on Opera and highest on Zarfam. The generation time (T) was shortest on Zarfam (17.2 days) and longest on Hyola401 (19.9 days) whereas doubling time (DT) was longest on Opera (3.9 days) and shortest on Zarfam (3.0 days). Our results clearly suggest that Opera was the most resistant host among the tested cultivars and has the potential to be used in the integrated management of P. xylostella.     

Susceptibility of the Mexican bean beetle <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epilachna varivestis</Emphasis> Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) to endemic isolates of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Beauveria bassiana</Emphasis> (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae)

Entomopathogenic fungi represent excellent candidates for biological insecticides. Among the many entomopathogenic fungi, Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) is one of the most promising species. Here, we report the results of infection studies performed using four B. bassiana native isolates (Bb37, Bb38, Bb40, and Bb45) compared with the commercial product Mycotrol^® (strain GHA) on adult Mexican bean beetle Epilachna varivestis Mulsant (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), one of the most important pests of bean production in Mexico. First, single concentration (1 × 10⁸ conidia mL^?1) assays were carried out using all isolates applied using an immersion method. Examinations at 10 days after inoculation indicated that isolates Bb37, Bb38, and Bb40 significantly reduced adult survival, causing 60–75% mortality compared to the commercial strain GHA (33%) and control (29%). Second, using two selected isolates (Bb37 and Bb40), the mean lethal concentration values (LC₅₀) were estimated for third instar larvae and adult E. varivestis. The LC₅₀ values for Bb37 and Bb40 isolates decreased 5.26-fold and 3.19-fold, respectively, in third instars compared with adults. However, such difference for Bb40 isolate was not significant. Finally, an experiment, to compare the median survival time (MST) values between third instar and adult E. varivestis, was conducted using Bb37 and Bb40 at 1 × 10⁹ conidia mL^?1. MST values were significantly reduced against larvae (87 and 100 h) compared with adults (130 and 134 h) by Bb37 and Bb40, respectively. We conclude that native isolates of B. bassiana represent an important alternative for the control of E. varivestis. However, to demonstrate its effectiveness under field conditions, detailed studies are needed.     

The toxicity of selected acaricides against five stored product mites under laboratory assay

In laboratory tests, the toxicity of acaricides targeted against house dust mites was tested on five species of stored product mites (Acarus siro, Aleuroglyphus ovatus, Carpoglyphus lactis, Lepidoglyphus destructor, and Tyroborus lini). The formulations of benzyl-benzoate, benzyl-benzoate/permethrin/pyriproxyfen, and neem were diluted in water and applied to filter paper in an unventilated chamber. The mortality of mites was observed after 24 h of exposure to acaricide-impregnated filter paper. All of the tested acaricides were toxic to all of the mite species. There were significant differences in mortality among the species and the acaricides. Benzyl-benzoate/permethrin/pyriproxyfen was the most effective, followed by benzyl-benzoate and neem. L. destructor (LD₅₀ 0.01–0.11 μg) was the most sensitive mite species, followed by A. siro (LD₅₀ 0.04–0.12 μg), T. lini (LD₅₀ 2–21 μg), A. ovatus (LD₅₀ 3–18 μg), and C. lactis (LD₅₀ 4–64 μg). Based on the highly toxic effects of the tested acaricides against the stored product mites, the acaricides should be considered as a potential tool in the control of stored product mites, although next screening is necessary.     

Curing and degradation processes of cement-bonded particleboard by supercritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> treatment

This study examined the effects of supercritical CO₂ treatment on the curing and degradation of cementbonded particleboard (CBP). Significant correlations were found between the supercritical CO₂ treatment and mechanical properties during both curing and degradation processes. Internal bond (IB) strength, modulus of rupture (MOR), and modulus of elasticity (MOE) values of CBP achieved their maximums by supercritical CO₂ treatment in 30 min. These conditions indicated that supercritical CO₂ treatment accelerates the curing process rapidly and enhances the mechanical properties of the CBP. However, these values decreased in treatment from 60 min to 10 days and had a negative effect on board performance, indicating that supercritical CO₂ treatment over a longer time span leads to degradation of the CBP. Furthermore, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermal gravimetry (TG-DTG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation clarified that the mechanisms of degradation are directly affected by the mineralogical composition of the system, in par ticular, by the calcium carbonate content as caused by carbonation.