Establishment of native tropical timber trees in monoculture and mixed-species plantations: Small-scale effects on tree performance and insect herbivory

Plantations of native timber species established on former pasture are a potential strategy to reduce the logging pressure on remnant natural forests in the tropics. Such plantations may help to mitigate or reverse the negative impacts of land degradation, and they may contribute to the long-term livelihood of livestock farmers. Planting native trees is, however, perceived as a risky activity due to limited knowledge of their performance and due to marked losses of newly established seedlings attributed to insect pests. Our study focuses on the small-scale effects of environmental heterogeneity, tree diversity and insecticide treatment on the performance of three native Central American timber species two years after establishment, and on damage inflicted by insect herbivores. Growth, survival and herbivore leaf damage were quantified for Anacardium excelsum (Anacardiaceae), Cedrela odorata (Meliaceae) and Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae) planted in an experiment in Panama as (1) monocultures, (2) mixed stands, and (3) mixed stands protected by insecticides. Our study revealed that small-scale effects can have a substantial impact on the success of timber trees planted on former pasture. Growth performance and survival of the three species was strongly affected by small-scale environmental heterogeneity, which was expressed as significant differences in growth and survival among different plantation plots at the same study site. Establishment of trees in mixed stands did not have significant effects on tree survival and growth compared to pure stands, although it reduced herbivore pressure in one of the studied tree species. All tree species grew best and suffered lowest leaf damage when protected by insecticides, indicating a general influence of insect herbivory on growth of newly established trees. In contrast to growth performance, survival was not significantly affected by different management practices or herbivory. The large variability among plots in tree survival and growth, and also in the effects of management practices such as planting design and insecticide treatment, emphasizes the importance of small-scale environmental heterogeneity on tree survival and growth.     

A case of habitat complementation in forest pests: Pine processionary moth pupae survive better in open areas

Little attention has been given to the relevance of habitat complementation concept to the population dynamics of insect herbivores. Late instar larvae of the pine processionary moth (PPM) Thaumetopoea pityocampa move in late winter from pine stands, their feeding habitat, to neighbouring habitats where they pupate until next summer. They search for sunny exposed soil which they can find in open areas. We investigated the effect of both forest cover and soil origin, with three matching types (pine stand, broadleaved stand and open area) on the survival of PPM pupae. The microclimatic soil variables which significantly differentiated cover types and soil origins were the maximum temperature and the mean relative humidity in spring, soon after pupation has occurred. A significant effect of the cover type, but not of the soil origin, was detected on the proportion of dead, emerged or diapausing pupae. Open areas were more suitable for pupae survival than forest covers (pine or broadleaved stands), due to warmer and more humid soil conditions. In this study, we provide one of the first examples of habitat complementation for an insect herbivore, as PPM population can benefit from the combination of pine habitats for the feeding of larvae with open habitats for pupation. The presence of broadleaved stands next to pine stands might also represent an ecological trap for PPM pupae, as broadleaved habitats may turn to be less suitable for pupae survival in spring when the apparition of leaves creates cooler conditions.     

嫁接核桃的栽培与管理

核桃多用种子或嫁接繁殖,嫁接后2 a～3 a挂果,4 a～5 a进入丰产期,实生苗需8 a～10 a挂果,15 a进入丰产期.核桃营养丰富、用途广泛、价值高、需求量大,价格稳升,栽培前景十分好,栽培技术与管理是关键.     

Conservation-oriented forestry and early successional saproxylic beetles: Responses of functional groups to manipulated dead wood substrates

New conservation-oriented forestry aims to maintain intact populations of forest organisms by improving the conservation value of managed forests and providing protected areas. We tested the conservation value of treatments of dead wood for assemblages of early successional saproxylic beetles. In nine areas in northern Sweden, we selected one clear-cut, one mature managed forest and one reserve. In 2001-2002, we placed three blocks of spruce logs, each containing control, burned and shaded logs and a high stump (“snag”) at each site. Saproxylic beetles emerging from the dead wood were collected using emergence traps and beetles flying close to it were collected using flight-intercept traps. After one year of exposure, assemblage composition was examined, with respect to nutritionally-defined functional groups, red-listed species and fire-favoured species. Experimental snags were most complementary to control logs, supporting different assemblages of cambium consumers and fungivores and supporting more red-listed individuals. Burned logs supported depauperate assemblages, particularly with respect to cambium consumers, while shading of logs affected assemblages of fungivores, but only on clear-cuts. Despite containing less dead wood, managed forests provided valuable habitat, supporting similar assemblages of saproxylic beetles to reserves. Most functional groups were less abundant on clear-cuts than in older forests, but fire-favoured species were more common on clear-cuts, suggesting that clear-cuts may support assemblages of species associated with natural disturbances, if suitable substrates are available. Utilization of logs by saproxylic beetles changes over time, so long-term monitoring of our experimental logs will determine their lifetime conservation value.     

Mitochondrial DNA sequence, morphology and ecology yield contrasting conservation implications for two threatened buckmoths (Hemileuca: Saturniidae)

Taxa of conservation interest are frequently identified using morphological or ecological characters. These characters are assumed to represent evolutionary importance, population structure and/or phylogenetic relationships in such organisms. We tested this assumption using two species complexes of the moth genus Hemileuca (Saturniidae). Both have populations threatened by habitat loss and need conservation protection. Legislation protects one taxon with apparent ecological differences. We sequenced 624 base pairs of mtDNA from the COI gene for geographically distant populations of the Hemileuca maia species complex and the H. electra species complex. Resultant phylogenies contradict prior assumptions about relationships in both species complexes. The legislatively protected Bog Buckmoth is paraphyletic with widespread H. maia, and its use of a novel hostplant seems to be a local adaptation. Divergent morphology and hostplant use among H. electra subspecies are associated with modest genetic divergence (0.48%). However, a group of unrecognized populations that are morphologically similar and geographically close to H. electra electra have mtDNA that is divergent by an average of 4.1%. There is disagreement regarding prioritization of ecological divergence over neutral genetic distance in conservation. We place ecological variation in a phylogenetic context and recommend that exploration of genetic relationships be undertaken when populations are threatened. Adaptive ecological variation should be evaluated in a phylogenetic context to understand its conservation importance. This study illustrates the importance both of phylogenetic context and the use of independent characters in assessing biodiversity for conservation prioritization.     

谈园林植物病虫害防治

随着社会经济的发展,园林绿化工作取得了前所未有的成绩,园林植物的生态效益、经济效益、观赏效益日益凸现。与此同时,园林植物病虫害的发生也出现了复杂化、危险化的趋势,对绿地和风景区危害较大。病虫害常常导致园林植物生长衰弱和死亡,影响植物的生长、发育、繁殖及其观赏价值,甚至引起整株死亡,使绿化树种、风景林等林木大片衰败或死亡,从而造成重大的经济损失。在园林生态里,由于人类、植物、有害生物、环境条件和天敌等各组分之间存在着相当复杂的关系,所以其中任何一因子的变动,都会直接或间接地影响整个的城市园林生态系统。那么,在防治上要从生态学观点出发,在管理上创造不利于病虫害发生的条件,减少或不用化学农药,保护天敌,提高自然的控制能力,保持园林生态的稳定和可持续性发展。     

一种适合转基因棉CpTI和cry1A基因剂量测定的标准质粒的构建和应用

在转基因检测领域,标准质粒以容易获得、纯度高、成本低和稳定性好的优点逐渐被广泛应用,适合同时检测多个靶标基因的需求。本研究针对我国抗虫棉(Gossypium hirsutum L.)的主要外源基因类型,构建含有豇豆胰蛋白酶抑制剂基因(CpTI)、苏云金杆菌晶体杀虫蛋白基因(cry1A)和棉花内标准基因硬脂酰-酰基载体蛋白脱饱和酶基因(Sad1)的多靶标质粒pMD-CCS作为标准质粒,建立了CpTI和cry1A基因的实时荧光定量PCR方法。测定了我国9个抗虫棉品种中的CpTI和cry1A基因剂量,显示科棉3号等3个抗虫棉品种中CpTI基因的平均剂量为0.020~0.018拷贝/基因组,cry1A基因的平均剂量为1.377~2.136拷贝/基因组;鄂杂棉1号F₁等6个抗虫棉品种中cry1A基因的平均剂量为0.887~2.564拷贝/基因组,定量结果的标准差(SD)范围在0.001~0.149之间。结果说明,pMD-CCS适合作为标准物质用于抗虫棉中CpTI和cry1A基因的定量测定。     

北京平谷地区有机桃园主要害虫和天敌发生规律

为明确有机生产方式下桃园害虫和天敌数量变化,2004年在北京平谷区前芮营村有机桃园用性诱剂法和捕虫网法分别调查了3种主要害虫(梨小食心虫、苹小卷叶蛾和桃潜叶蛾)和4种主要天敌(龟纹瓢虫、异色瓢虫、七星瓢虫、小花蝽和草蛉)的发生规律。结果表明:3种害虫世代较明显,发生高峰集中;天敌数量逐渐积累,数量增加明显。     

云南油杉的害虫种类及其治理

云南油杉 Keteleeria evelyniana Mast.是西南地区主要用材林和风景林的一个树种,受多种害虫的危害,严重影响了生长和自然更新。通过多年的研究,已知为害该树种的害虫有4目10科16属17种。其中种实害虫3种,食叶害虫4种,枝梢害虫5种,刺吸害虫4种,蛀干害虫1种。作者对10种发生较普遍的害虫的发生规律和治理措施进行了不同程度的研究和探讨。为了便于识别,本文分别编制了成虫和幼虫检索表。