A preliminary study on the effects of a transgenic corn event on the non-target pest Dalbulus maidis (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

The inclusion of the cry gene in corn may produce direct effects on non-target pests. Our research was focused on the relationship between Bt corn germplasm, expressing the cry1F protein to control the fall armyworm [Spodoptera frugiperda (Noctuidae)], and a non-target pest, the corn leafhopper [Dalbulus maidis (Cicadellidae)]. The aim of this contribution was to elucidate if Bt corn plants have influence on the oviposition preference of the leafhopper and to evaluate the effect of the transgenic plant on the hatching rate of egg. Female corn leafhoppers were released in cages each containing two potted plants in the V2 stage: a Bt germplasm and the corresponding isogenic hybrid. Laid eggs were counted and the number of hatched nymphs recorded. D. maidis females oviposited and laid more eggs in Bt plants. The egg hatching rate was negatively affected by the Bt germplasm. In addition, a field study was conducted in order to determine the abundance of D. maidis adults in Bt corn and the corresponding non-Bt isoline. Two corn plots sown with the same germplasms as used in the laboratory bioassays were sampled weekly. In the field, the population of the corn leafhopper was higher in the Bt corn plot than in the non-Bt isoline. Possible hypotheses for the differences in abundance of the vector in the field are: a) that pleiotropic effects of Bt corn could attract adults; b) the existence of a possible direct competition between the corn leafhopper and the target pest in order to utilize the whorls of corn plants as refuge and feeding sites, so the high populations of the vector could be due to the large supply of healthy whorls in the transgenic plot; and/or c) a differential attack of natural enemies occurring in non-Bt plots.     

A new abundance estimate for Maui’s dolphin: What does it mean for managing this critically endangered species?

Hector’s dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori is found only in New Zealand waters. We carried out a population survey of the North Island subspecies Cephalorhychus hectori maui, also known as Maui’s dolphin. The total population size estimate is 111 individuals (95% confidence interval = 48-252). The small population size confirms its critically endangered IUCN status. A sustainable level of human-caused mortality for this population would be 0.16 (one dolphin every 6.4 years). This essentially means that fisheries bycatch, and where possible other human impacts, need to be eliminated to allow population recovery. A protected area has been created to reduce the threat from entanglement in fishing gear. Gillnet fishing is prohibited along a 210 nautical mile stretch of coastline. The main concerns are that gillnet fishing is still allowed inside harbours and trawling continues inside the protected area.     

Chaotic or deterministic development of nematode populations in pine forest humus incubated in the laboratory

Humus material from an old stand of Scots pine and from an open area clearcut 13–15 years ago was incubated in the laboratory. The incubations were started in different years and the differences in nematode faunal development between the years were compared with site characteristics. In all incubations there was an increase in total nematode abundance. The total number and diversity of nematodes were higher in humus from the forest than from the clearing. The results indicated that biotic control mechanisms were much weaker in the humus from the clearcut area, where a strong dominance of Acrobeloides nanus occurred in most incubations. The differences in faunal development between years were rather large. A certain pattern of unpredictability indicated that the nematode fauna was a rather labile component of the community of soil organisms in a pine forest soil.     

泥沙磨蚀作用对微塑料老化破碎的影响

泥沙磨蚀作为侵蚀迁移过程中典型作用力之一，可加速微塑料老化破碎，进而影响其在土壤环境中的富集和迁移特征，但泥沙磨蚀影响微塑料老化破碎的作用机理尚不明确。以侵蚀事件频繁且微塑料污染严重的黄土高原王东沟小流域为研究区域，采集多年覆膜的玉米地土壤，对比分析风干原土、泥沙浸润静置，和含沙量为560 kg·m-3，800 kg·m-3和930 kg·m-3三种含沙量震荡磨蚀等多种处理下对微塑料的老化破碎影响，并采用激光红外成像系统分析不同处理下微塑料的丰度、类型和形态特征。研究结果表明：(1) 研究区土壤微塑料以聚氨酯 (Polyurethane，PU)、聚四氟乙烯 (Polytetrafluoroethylene，PTFE)、橡胶 (Rubber，RB) 为主，多为直径10~50 μm 的碎片状。(2) 风干原土处理中微塑料的平均面积最大 (5 234 μm2)，泥沙浸润静置处理下微塑料的平均丰度最小 (2 067 n·kg-1)，而泥沙磨蚀处理下微塑料的平均丰度最大 (14 400 n·kg-1)，且平均面积最小 (2 868 μm2)。(3) 三种含沙量磨蚀作用下微塑料的平均丰度和面积存在显著差异，其中，平均丰度表现为：中含沙量 (18 300 n·kg-1) > 低含沙量(13 730 n·kg-1) > 高含沙量 (8 667 n·kg-1)，而平均面积表现为：低含沙量 (3 932 μm2) > 中含沙量 (2 472 μm2) > 高含沙量 (2 099 μm2)。总之，本研究表明泥沙磨蚀作用可显著增加微塑料丰度，减小其面积，而微塑料的平均丰度在中含沙量磨蚀强度下达到最大值，且不同微塑料类型对泥沙磨蚀作用的敏感程度不同，为侵蚀环境下土壤微塑料的破碎迁移风险评估提供理论参考。     

Avian community response to pine flatwoods management

Across the southeastern United States, changing disturbance regimes threaten the integrity of pine flatwoods, reducing their suitability as habitat for a variety of avian species, many of which are considered of conservation priority. Prescribed burning and roller chopping are management practices widely used in pine flatwoods to control shrubs and increase the growth of herbaceous vegetation. However, the impacts these treatments have on this system and its associated avian communities are largely unknown. We examined the effects of prescribed burning and roller chopping on pine flatwoods avian communities using a paired sample approach. Avian communities were compared between treated (e.g., burned) and untreated areas. We considered abundance and richness of all birds, but also groups of conservation concern, and those likely impacted by seasonal management practices (e.g., breeding and non-breeding categories, and woodland, successional-scrub, and grassland guilds). Dormant season burning resulted in decreases in avian species richness and abundance within the non-breeding, overwintering community. In situations where the maintenance or enhancement of this avian group is desired, growing season burning appears beneficial and should be used in preference to dormant season burning. Growing season burning benefited breeding avian communities, resulting in increases in species richness and abundance within this group. Dormant season roller chopping had no effect on species richness or abundance of any avian category or guild. Increases in abundance within breeding avian communities were observed following growing season roller chopping and a roller chopping/burning combination. Grazing, did not mediate the effects of prescribed burning or roller chopping on avian species richness or abundance. The use of dormant season burning is likely inappropriate in situations where conservation and management of non-breeding, overwintering species is a priority. The use of growing season roller chopping appears to provide a potential treatment alternative in situations where positive effects on breeding species are desired. Overall, maintenance of avian abundance and richness may be best achieved through the diverse application of prescribed burning and roller chopping based on season, frequency, and space.     

Einfluss unterschiedlicher n-versorgung des winterweizens auf die populationsdynamik von getreide-thysanopteren

In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurde anhand von Felduntersuchungen im Rahmen des IOSDV sowie ergänzenden Laborversuchen der Einfluss einer Stickstoff-Dügung auf ökologische und physiologische Charakteristika von Winterweizen untersucht. Die Stufen der N-Versorgung korrespondierten mit der Thysanopteren-Abundanz. Als richtungsbestimmende Einflussgrösse für das Populationsgeschehen der Thysanopteren konnten die mikroklimatischen Bedingungen im Bestand nachgewiesen werden. Eine erhöhte N-Düngung modifizierte die Bestandesdichte und führte zu einer höheren Luftfeuchte im Bestand als außerhalb des Bestandes. Aus den Daten der Feldbeobachtungen zum Mikroklima und zur Thysanopteren-Abundanz konnte die große Bedeutung der Luftfeuchtigkeit und Temperatur für die Populationsdichte der Thysanopteren nachgewiesen werden. Die Ursache für dieses Populationsgeschehen wurde in Laborversuchen analysiert. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchungen belegten, daß in einem eng begrenzten Bereich zwischen 70 und 80% Luftfeuchtigkeit die Populationsentwicklung begünstigt wird. Außerhalb dieses Bereiches kam es zu populationsbegrenzenden Effekten. Die mikroklimatischen Bedingungen im Winterweizenbestand zur Zeit des Schossens sind entscheidend für die Thysanopteren-Abundanz des Jahres. In the present work the influence of N-supply on ecological and physiological characteristics of winter wheat was examined in cooperation with IOSDV by field and laboratory experiments. The steps of N-supply were corresponding with the density of Thysanoptera. The investigation has shown, that the influence of microclimatic conditions was the trend determining variable of the population characteristics. An increased N-supply changed the density of plant formation and led to an increase of humidity in the population. It was demonstrated in the field experiments that the humidity had a regulating effect on population density. In laboratory experiments the development of the population was favoured in the small range between 70 and 80% humidity. Outside of this range a decrease of population density was observed. The microclimatic conditions in winter wheat during the time of shooting are determining the density of Thysanoptera for a year.     

东南太平洋茎柔鱼资源丰度灰色预测研究

茎柔鱼(Dosidicus gigas)是东南太平洋头足类中个体最大、资源最丰富的种类之一,经济价值高,已成为我国远洋渔业的重要组成部分。准确的资源丰度预测有利于资源的合理开发和利用。本研究基于2003~2015年东南太平洋茎柔鱼生产统计数据以及其产卵场环境、气候因子资料,使用相关性分析和灰色系统方法,建立东南太平洋茎柔鱼资源丰度的预报模型。结果显示,2月产卵场海表面温度(Sea surface temperature, SST)、3月产卵场叶绿素a浓度(Chl a)、12月太平洋年代气候震荡(Pacific decadal oscillation, PDO)和10月厄尔尼诺指数(Oceanic Nino index, ONI)与茎柔鱼资源丰度具有较好的相关性。比较多种预报模型发现,基于2月SST、12月PDO和10月ONI的GM(1, 4)模型有较好的预测效果,其准确率达到85%以上,可用于东南太平洋茎柔鱼资源丰度的预测。     

西施舌挂养实验海区的浮游生物调查

渔排立体挂养贝类可以充分利用海域的养殖空间,摄食天然饵料减少养殖成本。为探究西施舌(Coelomactraantiquata)挂养实验海区的生物环境,于2011年7～10月对实验区不同水层(1m、2m和3m)进行浮游生物调查研究,同时测定各水层温度、盐度等数据。实验结果表明:实验海区8月份温度最高,为29.40±0.54℃,同时浮游植物生物量最大,丰度达162.2×104cell/m3,多样性指数达到3.45,均匀度为0.79,共鉴定浮游植物23种,其中硅藻门18种,甲藻门5种,中肋骨条藻(Skeletonema costatum)为优势种。浮游动物13种,其中原生动物4种,桡足类12种,枝角类1种,微刺哲水蚤(Canthocalanus pauper)为优势种。不同水深浮游生物丰度的关系是1m>2m>3m。4个月的盐度变化不大。海区生态环境较适合西施舌幼贝生长。     

厚皮甜瓜叶面积预测模型研究

[目的]探讨厚皮甜瓜叶面积快速准确的非破坏性测定方法。[方法]以长香玉、秋月、激情3个品种为材料,测量叶长、叶宽、叶基到叶尖的距离及缺刻指标等叶片形态特征指标和叶片面积。[结果]叶面积与叶长、叶宽、叶长×叶宽及缺刻指标之间存在显著的相关关系;通过模型拟合和优选,得到了以大小变量B·C、缺刻变量A·E(1/2)/F和丰缺度变量D-C预测厚皮甜瓜叶面积的数学模型为S=0.660 5B·C-1.953 A·E(1/2)/F+3.001(D-C)+6.806,模型拟合的决定系数R2为0.974 3、均方根误差RMSE为8.487;模型外部验证结果,相关系数r为0.985 3、均方根误差RMSE为8.789。[结论]在预测模型之中导入缺刻和丰缺度变量,可以提高预测叶面积的准确度、增加模型的适应性,此模型可以应用于厚皮甜瓜叶面积的非破坏性测定。     

Change in avian abundance predicted from regional forest inventory data

An inability to predict population response to future habitat projections is a shortcoming in bird conservation planning. We sought to predict avian response to projections of future forest conditions that were developed from nationwide forest surveys within the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program. To accomplish this, we evaluated the historical relationship between silvicolous bird populations and FIA-derived forest conditions within 25 ecoregions that comprise the southeastern United States. We aggregated forest area by forest ownership, forest type, and tree size-class categories in county-based ecoregions for 5 time periods spanning 1963–2008. We assessed the relationship of forest data with contemporaneous indices of abundance for 24 silvicolous bird species that were obtained from Breeding Bird Surveys. Relationships between bird abundance and forest inventory data for 18 species were deemed sufficient as predictive models. We used these empirically derived relationships between regional forest conditions and bird populations to predict relative changes in abundance of these species within ecoregions that are anticipated to coincide with projected changes in forest variables through 2040. Predicted abundances of these 18 species are expected to remain relatively stable in over a quarter (27%) of the ecoregions. However, change in forest area and redistribution of forest types will likely result in changed abundance of some species within many ecosystems. For example, abundances of 11 species, including pine warbler (Dendroica pinus), brown-headed nuthatch (Sitta pusilla), and chuck-wills-widow (Caprimulgus carolinensis), are projected to increase within more ecoregions than ecoregions where they will decrease. For 6 other species, such as blue-winged warbler (Vermivora pinus), Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), and indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea), we projected abundances will decrease within more ecoregions than ecoregions where they will increase.