Using conservation plans and bird monitoring to evaluate ecological effects of management: An example with fuels reduction activities in southwest Oregon

Increasingly, regional conservation plans are using information about how animals respond to changes in habitat characteristics to provide guidelines for management. However, the ability of these plans to effectively guide management remains largely untested. To test a regional bird conservation plan developed by Partners in Flight, we compared bird abundance in untreated stands to that of stands where shrub cover had been reduced to lower the risk of fire. We used these data to evaluate whether birds identified as focal species in the conservation plan increased or decreased in abundance as a result of the treatments. Over a two-year period, two of 12 Partners in Flight oak woodland and chaparral focal species were more abundant at treated units in both years; no species were consistently less abundant at treated units in both years. These results suggest small-scale (7–42 ha) treatments are consistent with the objectives identified in the Partners in Flight regional conservation plan because they benefited species associated with edges, but did not have negative effects on shrub-associated species. We suggest that this is a result of the small size of treatments and the retention of shrub patches in treated areas. An alternative explanation is that the bird/habitat relationships used to develop the conservation plans do not apply in this study area. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the correlations between habitat characteristics and bird abundance with the information in the conservation plans. In all but one case, the direction of the correlation agreed with information in the conservation plan. This project illustrates that even though the ability of conservation plans to predict the ecological effects of management activities may be limited, they can play an important role in interpreting the results of ecological monitoring.     

Metabolism of fenitrothion by organophosphorus-resistant and -susceptible house flies, Musca domestica L

The metabolism of fenitrothion was investigated in highly resistant (Akita-f) and susceptible (SRS) strains of the house fly, Musca domestica L. The Akita-f strain was 3500 times more resistant to fenitrothion than the SRS strain. Fenitrothion, topically applied to the flies, was metabolized in vivo far faster in the Akita-f strain than in the SRS strain. In vitro studies revealed that fenitrothion was metabolized by a cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system and glutathione S-transferases. The former oxidase system metabolized fenitrothion in vitro into fenitrooxon and 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol as major metabolites, and into 3-hydroxymethyl-fenitrothion and 3-hydroxymethyl-fenitrooxon as minor metabolites. Glutathione S-transferases metabolized fenitrothion into desmethylfenitrothion. The cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenase system and glutathione S-transferases of the resistant Akita-f strain had 1.4 to 2.2 times and 9.7 times, respectively, as great activities as those of the susceptible SRS strain. These results suggest the importance of glutathione S-transferases in fenitrothion resistance in the Akita-f strain.     

Terpenoids and their anti-HIV-1 activities from Excoecaria acerifolia

Five new diterpenoids named excocarinols A–E (1–5) including three pimaranes, one cleistanthane, and one nor-beyerane, together with nine known compounds, were isolated from the EtOAc extract of the Chinese ethnodrug Gua-jing-ban (Excoecaria acerifolia Didr.). Their structures were elucidated by the analysis of spectroscopic data including 1D, 2D NMR and HR-MS. The anti-HIV-1 bioassay on the diterpenoids showed that excocarinol A (1) exhibited moderate anti-HIV-1 activity with EC₅₀ 5.58 μM and SI (Selection Index) over 112.71.     

Moisture-dependent physical properties of jatropha seed (Jatropha curcas L.)

The study was conducted to investigate some moisture-dependent physical properties of jatropha seed namely, seed dimension, 1000 seed mass, surface area, sphericity, bulk density, true density, angle of repose and static coefficient of friction against different materials. The physical properties of jatropha seed were evaluated as a function of moisture content in the range of 4.75–19.57% d.w. The average length, width, thickness and 1000 seed mass were 18.65 mm, 11.34 mm, 8.91 mm and 741.1 g, respectively at moisture content of 4.75% d.w. The geometric mean diameter and sphericity increased from 12.32 to 12.89 mm and 0.66 to 0.67 as moisture content increased from 4.75 to 19.57% d.w., respectively. In the same moisture range, densities of the rewetted jatropha seed decreased from 492 to 419 kg m⁻³, true density increased from 679 to 767 kg m⁻³, and the corresponding porosity increased from 27.54 to 45.37%. As the moisture content increased from 4.75 to 19.57% d.w., the angle of repose and surface area were found to increase from 28.15° to 39.95° and 476.78 to 521.99 mm², respectively. The static coefficient of friction of jatropha seed increased linearly against the surfaces of three structural materials, namely plywood (44.12%), mild steel sheet (64.15%) and aluminum (68.63%) as the moisture content increased from 4.75 to 19.57% d.w.     

滇金丝猴栖息地植物多样性研究

采用路线调查与标准地调查相结合的方法,结合历史资料,对滇金丝猴栖息地的野生植物资源进行了实地野外调查研究,分析了植物多样性及其受威胁状况。结果表明:(1)栖息地具有丰富的植物物种多样性,有维管束植物217科789属3533种(含亚种、变种),其中,国家重点保护野生植物有117种;(2)该区植物区系成分具有复杂性、多样性,明显偏重于温带性质、且植物区系起源古老,有中国特有分布属90个,其中,古特有属59个;(3)该区具有丰富的植被类型,包括4个植被型组,10个植被型,47个群系,具有较高的保护和科研价值。同时针对栖息地植物多样性受威胁状况,提出了植被恢复、生态移民及社区共管是保护植物多样性的有效措施。     

马尾松针叶中挥发性成分的鉴定及其对马尾松毛虫的触角电位反应

马尾松Ｐｉｎｕｓ ｍａｓｓｏｎｉａｎａ针叶的挥发物由溶剂提取和真空蒸馏制得。用气相色谱和气相色谱－质谱，由挥发物中鉴定出了２０种成分。它们主要是单萜烯、单萜烯醇、单萜烯乙酸酯和倍半萜烯。用正常和剪除触角的雌蛾研究针叶挥发物在马尾松毛虫Ｄｅｎｄｒｏｌｉｍｕｓ ｐｕｎｃｔｕｔａｓ产卵场所选择中的作用。试验表明正常雌蛾在针叶上的产卵量要比剪除触角的高得多。触角电位（ＥＡＧ）研究表明无论是交配的还是未交配     

Plant species diversity of homegardens of Cuba and its significance for household food supply

The cultivation of different plants in homegardens for self-sufficiency has a long tradition in Cuba, but knowledge about homegardens in Cuba is small. To analyse this more deeply, cultivated plants of 31 homegardens were surveyed in three villages in eastern Cuba in 2001. Two of the study villages were located in a humid area with an annual precipitation of about 2200 mm. The third village was situated in a semiarid area with about 450 mm precipitation. The plants studied in the homegardens included those for human consumption such as fruits, vegetables, tubers and cereals as well as spices and medicinal plants. In total, 101 different plant species were found with an average number of 18 to 24 species per homegarden for the three villages. A broad range of species was found in all villages, because irrigation is used under semiarid conditions, which lead to a relative high similarity in species composition between the villages. But, also differences due to the climatic situation became evident, particularly with the medicinal plants. In general, homegarden production provided a broad and diverse basis for self-sufficiency of the households. Although homegarden production showed to be only a small source of income, it is particularly important because of low-paid outside work and minimal food provision of the state.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Insect inhabitants of old larval galleries of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Saperda populnea</Emphasis> (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) in Bulgaria

The complex of insect inhabitants of old larval galleries of Saperda populnea (L.) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) was studied during the period 2000–2003 in 18 localities in Bulgaria. As a result, 32 insect species were reared from old S. populnea galls: Metopoplax origani (Kolenati) (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae), Malachius sp. (Coleoptera: Malachiidae), Agrilus pratensis pratensis (Ratzeburg) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Xylocleptes bispinus (Duftschmidt) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), Crossocerus cetratus (Shuckard), Crossocerus megacephalus (Rossi), Crossocerus nigritus (Lepeletier & Brullé), Crossocerus acanthophorus (Kohl), Passaloecus brevilabris Wolf, Passaloecus gracilis (Curtis), Psenulus schencki (Tournier), Solierella compedita compedita (Piccioli), Trypoxylon figulus figulus (Linnaeus), Trypoxylon fronticorne fronticorne Gussakovskij (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae), Cleptes schmidti Linsenmaiser, Trichrysis cyanea (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), Clistopyga incitator (Fabricius), Ctenochira sanguinatoria (Ratzeburg), Liotryphon crassisetus (Thomson), Nemeritis fallax (Gravenhorst), Mesochorus georgievi Schwenke, Campoletis sp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), Charmon extensor (Linnaeus) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Eupelmus urozonus Dalman (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), Perilampus aeneus (Rossius) (Hymenoptera: Perilampidae), Trichiocampus grandis (Lepeletier) (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae), Janus luteipes (Lepeletier) (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), Cydia corollana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Fiebrigella brevibucca (Duda) (Diptera: Chloropidae), Eustolomyia hilaris (Fallén) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae), Senotaina sp. (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) and Heringia vitripennis (Meigen) (Diptera: Syrphidae). Amongst them, 27 species were established as new inhabitants of old S. populnea galls. Five species (C. schmidti, N. fallax, M. georgievi, P. aeneus and J. luteipes) were recorded for the first time in Bulgaria. The dwellers of old S. populnea galls belong to the following ecological groups: insects using galls as a place to develop (3 species); insects nidificating in empty galls (10 species); insects using old galls as a pupating place (1 species); insects using empty galls as overwintering shelters (3 species); predators and parasites of primary dwellers of empty galls (13 species); or insects with uncertain ecological status (2 species).     

The Role of Mangroves in Retaining Penaeid Prawn Larvae in Klang Strait,Malaysia

The mangrove-fringed Klang Strait, Malaysia, retains approximately 65 billion penaeid prawn larvae annually prior to their settlement in coastal nursery grounds. This phenomenon appears to be due principally to tidal currents and lateral trapping in mangrove-fringed channels, the wind playing an insignificant role.     

Evaluation of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner as an alternative control of small hive beetles, Aethina tumida Murray (Coleoptera: Nitidulidae)

Small hive beetles, Aethina tumida Murray, are parasites and scavengers of honeybee colonies, Apis mellifera L., and have become an invasive species that can cause considerable damage in its new distribution areas. An effective subspecies of Bacillus thuringiensis Berliner (=Bt) would provide an alternative to chemical control of this pest. Therefore, we tested three different Bt strains [B. thuringiensis, var. aizawai (B401^®), B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Novodor^®) and B. thuringiensis var. San Diego tenebrionis (Jackpot^®)] and Perizin^® (3.2% coumaphos), each applied on combs with a pollen diet fed to pairs of adult beetles. This evaluates the products for the suppression of successful small hive beetle reproduction. While none of the tested Bt strains showed a significant effect on the number of produced wandering larvae, we could confirm the efficacy of coumaphos for the control of small hive beetles. We further show that it is also efficient when applied with a lower concentration as a liquid on the combs. We suggest the continued search for efficient Bt strains naturally infesting small hive beetles in its endemic and new ranges, which may become a part of the integrated management of this pest.