Rural depopulation and recent landscape changes in a Mediterranean region: Consequences to the breeding avifauna

We studied the vegetational and avifaunistic changes following rural depopulation in an area covering 2,600 ha north of Montpellier (Southern France). The study area is covered by a mosaic of Mediterranean habitats that includes cultivation, grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands and is representative of the natural features present and of the human usage practiced so far in this part of the Mediterranean. We sampled the vegetation and the bird fauna in the same 193 census plots in 1978 and in 1992. At both the habitat and landscape scales the cover of woody plants increased significantly. Open habitats tend to disappear. As a consequence the abundance of open-habitat bird species decreased significantly whereas the abundance of forest birds increased significantly. These changes favor a pool of forest species widespread in western Europe and reduce habitat availability for open habitat and shrubland species. Many of the latter are Mediterranean species whose distribution in Western Europe could become reduced under current landscape dynamics. Our observation of more woodlands and their typical birds and of less open habitats and their associated avifauna is not consistent with the traditional worry shown by the public and the managers about the regression of forests and woodlands in the Northern Mediterranean as a consequence of fire.     

《蒙古秘史》中的野生食用植物研究

经考证,在《蒙古秘史》中的植物古蒙古名称中,有山荆子、稠李、地榆、鹅绒委陵菜、葱、山韭、山丹和野韭等８种野生食用植物。植物区系及地理分布的研究表明,这些植物在十二世纪蒙古人所采集的地点,即现在的蒙古国肯特山脉地区仍有广泛分布。从民族植物学的研究看,它们在蒙古族民间被用于代粮、野菜、茶用、药用和调味品,比过去的利用有了很大的发展,已成为独特的植物利用文化。本文不仅对蒙古学研究能够提供可靠的依据,而且对寻找新的食用植物种类及其开发利用研究也提供了一些基本资料。     

An investigation of uncertainty in field habitat mapping and the implications for detecting land cover change

Land cover data for landscape ecological studies are frequently obtained by field survey. In the United Kingdom, temporally separated field surveys have been used to identify the locations and magnitudes of recent changes in land cover. However, such map data contain errors which may seriously hinder the identification of land cover change and the extent and locations of rare landscape features. This paper investigates the extent of the differences between two sets of maps derived from field surveys within the Northumberland National Park in 1991 and 1992. The method used in each survey was the Phase 1 approach of the Nature Conservancy Council of Great Britain. Differences between maps were greatest for the land cover types with the smallest areas. Overall spatial correspondence between maps was found to be only 44.4%. A maximum of 14.4% of the total area surveyed was found to have undergone genuine land cover change. The remaining discrepancies, equivalent to 41.2% of the total survey area, were attributed primarily to differences of land cover interpretation between surveyors (classification error). Differences in boundary locations (positional error) were also noted, but were found to be a relatively minor source of error. The implications for the detection of land cover change and habitat mapping are discussed.     

Dynamics ofRhizoctonia solani (black scurf) in successive potato crops

The position of plants withRhizoctonia solani sclerotia (black scurf) on progeny tubers was mapped for an experimental field at Haren where potatoes were grown continuously and in rotation with other crops for five successive years, and for another field at Borgercompagnie with a 12 frequency of potatoes during three potato crops. Initially, the distribution of plants with black scurf on both fields was rather dense and homogeneous. In the following years the distribution became heterogeneous and patchy. The local decline ofR. solani AG 3 (the common potato pathogen) in Haren was apparently caused by an unknown factor selectively suppressingR. solani AG 3, while simultaneouslyR. solani AG 5 increased in mass. This AG 5 type proved to be an inferior competitor of AG 3 on the potato plant in a laboratory experiment. The specificR. solani antagonistVerticillium biguttatum did not play a role. A similar factor could have reduced the formation of black scurf in the experimental field at Borgercompagnie, whereV. biguttatum was also too infrequent to account for the decline.R. solani AG 5 was not present here and could not indicate the presence of a selective factor against AG 3.     

Pelargonium flower-break and pelargonium line pattern viruses in the Netherlands; purification,antiserum preparation,serological identification,and detection in pelargonium by ELISA

Two viruses, detected frequently in the Netherlands in pelargonium, were identified by serology and test plant reactions. Antisera were prepared and an ELISA procedure was developed to detect the viruses in pelargonium.One of the viruses, PFBV-N, proved to be pelargonium flower-break virus. With the antiserum to PFBV-N, it could be detected reliably throughout the year inPelargonium zonale Springtime Irene.The other virus, PLPV-N, was serologically closely related to pelargonium line pattern virus (PLPV) and to pelargonium ring pattern virus (PRPV), as were an old virus isolate from Saturnus, collected in the Netherlands in 1971 (L128), and PLPV isolates from Yugoslavia (PLPV-Y) and Denmark (PLPV-D). There were only minor differences in host-plant reactions between the virus isolates. Based on these tests, PLPV and PRPV are considered as isolates of the same virus, for which, for practical reasons, the name pelargonium line pattern virus is proposed.PLPV could be reliably detected by ELISA inP. zonale Springtime Irene and Amanda throughout the year with only a few exceptions. InPelargonium peltatum Tavira, however, reslts were erratic due to uneven distribution of virus in the plant. Best results were obtained when petioles of fully expanded leaves were tested.     

论西部大开发中张掖市生态环境建设问题

张掖市长期受干旱、大风及沙尘暴影响,生态环境极为恶劣,制约着西部大开发建设进程。其存在的重要问题是:水资源匮乏,植被破坏严重,覆盖率低等;针对具体情况提出:改善水资源条件和恢复植被是张掖地区生态环境建设的重点。     

菌根与植被恢复

菌根不仅可促进植物的营养吸收、生长发育、抗病、抗逆,而且在保持良好的土壤结构、控制水土流失方面具有直接的作用。在我国西北许多地区,菌根菌与植物间的共生关系已被中断,要恢复该地区的植被,治本的方法应是重建植物与菌根菌的共生关系,形成健康的生态系统。文中还提出了菌根技术在植被恢复中的应用策略。     

中国风水侵蚀交错区分布特征分析

风水侵蚀交错带的研究 ,对景观、土地覆盖 /土地利用、全球变化等研究具有重要意义。论文以GIS技术为支撑 ,定量计算出我国风水侵蚀带。在分布特征上 ,主要分布我国北方地区 ,其中以西部沙漠 ,北部山脉沿线为重 ,这种分布与气候、地貌分界有明显联系。 49.6 %风水侵蚀复合带的降水量小于 2 0 0mm。风水侵蚀复合带的土地利用主要以草地为主 ,占 41.8% ,其次为耕地。两种类型的分布 ,草地以与其它土地利用类型交错分布为主 ;而耕地是有重心的分散分布。风水侵蚀复合带的总体侵蚀要强于全国水平。     

Predicting the spatial distribution of ground flora on large domains using a hierarchical Bayesian model

Accomodation of important sources of uncertainty in ecological models is essential to realistically predicting ecological processes. The purpose of this project is to develop a robust methodology for modeling natural processes on a landscape while accounting for the variability in a process by utilizing environmental and spatial random effects. A hierarchical Bayesian framework has allowed the simultaneous integration of these effects. This framework naturally assumes variables to be random and the posterior distribution of the model provides probabilistic information about the process. Two species in the genus Desmodium were used as examples to illustrate the utility of the model in Southeast Missouri, USA. In addition, two validation techniques were applied to evaluate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the predictions.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The Biology of the Larger Grain Borer, Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

After about 25 years of intensive research a substantial moment of information has accumulated on the basic biology of Prostephanus truncatus in stored products. This article reviews the literature on the geographical distribution, biotypes, symbiotic associations, mating and flight behaviour, oviposition, and development on both agricultural and non-agricultural hosts. The current knowledge about the nutritional biology (including the role of symbionts) and host finding behaviour (including the inter-linked roles of plant chemicals and the insect's own pheronones) are highlighted as research areas which deserve future attention. In addition, few studies have been conducted to determine the extent to which the biology of P. truncatus permits it to survive and reproduce in non-agricultural environments. These areas of study should be pursued as possible routes to providing more effective integrated pest managements strategies for the larger grain borer.