Patterns of silver eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) sex ratio in a catchment

Abstract –  Changes in the numbers and size-class structure of European silver eels, Anguilla anguilla , in the River Frémur (France) were examined over a 9-year period after installation of downstream eel passes. The number of silver eels migrating downstream peaked in 1999, then decreased strongly and steadily after 2000, reaching relatively low levels. At the same time, a gradual shift in the silver eel sex ratio from a dominance of males (size from 270 to 442 mm, age from 3 to 6 years) to females (size from 366 to 1112 mm, age from 4 to 9 years) was recorded. Possible explanations for the escapement patterns observed are environmental sex determination and the installation of eel passes on the main hydraulic engineering structures in 1992 and 1996.     

Improving management for higher reproduction accelerates genetic improvement in closed herd of swine

The present study compared responses to selection at different conception rates and litter sizes at weaning in a simulated closed herd in a swine breeding program. The base population consisted of 10 males and 50 females, and 10 generations of selection was practiced by using individual phenotype or best linear unbiased prediction of breeding values for a trait with heritability (h²) of either 0.2 or 0.5. The probability of conception in a single mating was assumed to be 0.8, 0.9 or 1.0. Litter size at weaning was sampled randomly from a normal distribution with mean 8, 10 or 12 and variance 8.1225. Genetic response increased by approximately 6% for h² = 0.2 and approximately 5% for h² = 0.5 at generation 10 when conception rate was increased from 0.8 to 1.0. However, litter size at weaning did not affect response to selection. In conclusion, improving conception rate by environmental management increases genetic response indirectly in a breeding program of a closed swine herd.     

Effects of straw and silicon soil amendments on some foliar and stem-base diseases in pot-grown winter wheat

Four foliar and two stem-base pathogens were inoculated onto wheat plants grown in different substrates in pot experiments. Soils from four different UK locations were each treated in three ways: (i) straw incorporated in the field at 10 t ha⁻¹ several months previously; (ii) silicon fertilization at 100 mg L⁻¹ during the experiment; and (iii) no amendments. A sand and vermiculite mix was used with and without silicon amendment. The silicon treatment increased plant silica concentrations in all experiments, but incorporating straw was not associated with raised plant silica concentrations. Blumeria graminis and Puccinia recondita were inoculated by shaking infected plants over the test plants, followed by suitable humid periods. The silicon treatment reduced powdery mildew ( B. graminis ) substantially in sand and vermiculite and in two of the soils, but there were no effects on the slight infection by brown rust ( P. recondita ). Phaeosphaeria nodorum and Mycosphaerella graminicola were inoculated as conidial suspensions. Leaf spot caused by P. nodorum was reduced in silicon-amended sand and vermiculite; soil was not tested. Symptoms of septoria leaf blotch caused by M. graminicola were reduced by silicon amendment in a severely infected sand and vermiculite experiment but not in soil or a slightly infected sand and vermiculite experiment. Oculimacula yallundae (eyespot) and Fusarium culmorum (brown foot rot) were inoculated as agar plugs on the stem base. Severity of O. yallundae was reduced by silicon amendment of two of the soils but not sand and vermiculite; brown foot rot symptoms caused by F. culmorum were unaffected by silicon amendment. The straw treatment reduced severity of powdery mildew but did not detectably affect the other pathogens. Both straw and silicon treatments appeared to increase plant resistance to all diseases only under high disease pressure.     

Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia within the 19th century miasmatic landscape

When contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) was first detected on a farm north of Melbourne, at Bundoora, in 1858, the predominant theory of miasma was being challenged by contagionist theories of disease transmission. This well‐documented case was recorded during a period of change in the scientific assessment of disease and therefore affords an exploration of what aspects of the landscape were considered important for livestock health at the time. Although the introduction, vaccination programs and eventual eradication of CBPP on mainland Australia has been well explored, scholars have neglected this aspect of the disease's history. By comparing 19th century records of farmland with how the site appears today, it is also possible to highlight the limited information provided by contemporary texts, while at the same time developing an appreciation of the ways in which the perception of the rural landscape has changed. This differing perception has implications for the utilisation of these sources for veterinary and environmental historians seeking to understand the mid‐19th century agricultural landscape and how it relates to animal health.     

Basic Technology and Recent Trends in Agricultural Formulation and Application Technology

Recent requirements of the pesticide industry have become much severer, and pesticides (formulated products) are required to satisfy higher safety to both human beings and the environment, higher biological efficacy, lower price, and labor-saving. This review explains the outline of basic pesticide formulation technology, followed by recent advances in developing new formulations and application technologies. Labor-saving formulations and application technologies, environmental load reduction technologies, and user-friendly formulations and application technologies are elucidated.     

引江济淮工程菜子湖线有机磷农药分布特征及生态风险评价

选取引江济淮工程重要的输水线之一菜子湖线为研究区域,检测分析了12种有机磷农药(organophosphorus pesticides, OPPs)在沿线水和沉积物中的污染水平、分布特征及生态环境风险,以更好地评估引江济淮工程菜子湖线水域农药类环境激素的污染及生态风险情况。结果表明：水体中OPPs的总质量浓度为112.8～1 781.4 ng/L,主要以溴硫磷、三硫磷和灭线磷为主;沉积物中OPPs的总浓度范围为290.33～13 105.25 ng/g,主要以灭线磷、治螟磷和毒虫畏为主。相对于我国其他水域,引江济淮工程菜子湖线水和沉积物中OPPs的主要污染物类别差异较大。水体中OPPs生态风险评估结果表明,溴硫磷、三硫磷和毒虫畏在菜子湖线全域均表现出较高生态风险(RQ>1),C、D、H和K这4个站点OPPs风险较高(RQ>10 000),敌敌畏和治螟磷在大部分水域表现出中等(0.1相似文献   

Leaf stoichiometry of Leontopodium lentopodioides at high altitudes on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,China

Altitude affects leaf stoichiometry by regulating temperature and precipitation, and influencing soil properties in mountain ecosystems. Leaf carbon concentration(C), leaf nitrogen concentration(N),leaf phosphorous concentration(P), and their stoichiometric ratios of Leontopodium lentopodioides(Willd.)Beauv., a widespread species in degraded grasslands, were investigated to explore its response and adaptation strategy to environmental changes along four altitude gradients(2500, 3000, 3500, and 3...     

基于ESV对塔里木河流域生态环境问题成因的重新认识

塔里木河流域是我国全球变化及研究生物多样性保护的重要区域 ,也是孕育南疆各族人民的“母亲河”。随着中上游绿洲尤其是人工绿洲的形成和发展 ,中下游生态环境遭到严重破坏 ,原始胡杨林濒临灭绝 ,春旱、夏洪、盐碱、风沙是流域普遍存在的自然灾害 ,给人类的生存和社会的发展带来了巨大的危害。这些生态环境问题由来已久 ,许多专家学者对此从不同角度进行了分析。本文基于生态系统生态服务价值理论 ,对塔里木河的功能进行了重新定位 ,从一个新的角度分析了塔里木河流域生态环境问题的成因 ,并提出了相应的建议     

环境因素对芸苔链格孢生长发育的影响

研究结果表明,芸苔链格孢(Alternaria brassicae)在0—35℃下均可萌发,最适温度15—20℃。菌丝在0—30℃下均能生长,最适温度20—25℃;孢子及菌丝的致死温度为50℃,10分钟。该菌对湿度要求较严格,相对湿度在90％以上时孢子才能萌发,最适相对湿度为98％;病菌在相对湿度达93％时可以侵染,98％以上最适。脱落后孢子曝露在室内(相对湿度约63％)经1小时萌发率下降32.4％,4小时下降80％。耐旱能力较差。一般情况下紫外光能促进该菌产孢,但是对某些菌系的促进作用不明显。过长的紫外光照射对该菌产孢不利,照射160分钟孢子萌发率下降近80％。麦芽糖、蔗糖为该菌的最佳碳源;硝态氮、有机氮是该菌的良好氮源。pH值为4—6时有利于分生孢子萌发,强酸、强碱对分生孢子萌发有抑制作用。     

中国西部河谷型城市环境质量评价

本文首先采用灰色系统评价方法、空气污染综合指数等方法对中国西部河谷型城市大气、地表水、噪声环境质量进行了客观评价。其次,分析了近年来中国西部河谷型城市环境变化的趋势。最后,提出了改善城市环境质量的若干建议。虽然中国西部部分河谷型城市的环境质量近年来大有改善,但总体上仍然较差。其中,TSP污染十分突出,部分城市的酸雨也日益严重,各主要河流的污染没有明显改善的迹象。