The antimicrobial activity of honey against common equine wound bacterial isolates

Delayed healing associated with distal limb wounds is a particular problem in equine clinical practice. Recent studies in human beings and other species have demonstrated the beneficial wound healing properties of honey, and medical grade honey dressings are available commercially in equine practice. Equine clinicians are reported to source other non-medical grade honeys for the same purpose. This study aimed to assess the antimicrobial activity of a number of honey types against common equine wound bacterial pathogens. Twenty-nine honey products were sourced, including gamma-irradiated and non-irradiated commercial medical grade honeys, supermarket honeys, and honeys from local beekeepers. To exclude contaminated honeys from the project, all honeys were cultured aerobically for evidence of bacterial contamination. Aerobic bacteria or fungi were recovered from 18 products. The antimicrobial activity of the remaining 11 products was assessed against 10 wound bacteria, recovered from the wounds of horses, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Eight products were effective against all 10 bacterial isolates at concentrations varying from <2% to 16% (v/v). Overall, the Scottish Heather Honey was the best performing product, and inhibited the growth of all 10 bacterial isolates at concentrations ranging from <2% to 6% (v/v).Although Manuka has been the most studied honey to date, other sources may have valuable antimicrobial properties. Since some honeys were found to be contaminated with aerobic bacteria or fungi, non-sterile honeys may not be suitable for wound treatment. Further assessment of gamma-irradiated honeys from the best performing honeys would be useful.     

Effects of landscape complexity on the ecological effectiveness of agri-environment schemes

Agricultural intensification is a major cause for biodiversity loss. It occurs at field scales through increased inputs and outputs, and at landscape scales through landscape simplification. Agri-environment schemes (AES) of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aim at reducing biodiversity loss by promoting extensification of agricultural practises mostly at field scales. We present a conceptual model for the relationship between landscape complexity and ecological effectiveness of AES based on (a) non-linear relationships between landscape complexity and abundance and diversity at field scales and (b) four possible interactive scenarios between landscape- and field scale effects on abundance and diversity. We then evaluated whether and how effectiveness of AES interacted with landscape-scale effects of intensification along a landscape complexity gradient established in central Spain. Pairs of cereal fields with and without AES but with the same landscape context were selected in three regions differing in landscape complexity. Effectiveness of AES was measured as differences between paired fields in species richness and abundance of five target groups (birds, grasshoppers and crickets, spiders, bees and plants). Landscape metrics were measured in 500–m radius circular plots around field centres. Positive, negative and no effects of landscape complexity on effectiveness of AES were found, suggesting that effects of complexity on effectiveness of AES changes from positive to negative along gradients of landscape complexity. Effectiveness of AES for improving biodiversity was then constrained by landscape. Compulsory measures aimed at enhancing or maintaining landscape complexity would enhance the effectiveness of AES for preserving biodiversity in farmed landscapes. For M. Díaz: New address from October 2007: Instituto de Recursos Naturales, Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales–CSIC, Serrano 115, Madrid E-28006, Spain     

Landscape elements as potential barriers and corridors for bees, wasps and parasitoids

Habitat loss and fragmentation in agricultural landscapes lead to severe declines of abundance and richness of many insect species in the remaining isolated semi-natural habitats. We analysed possible barrier effects of large hedges and corridor effects of narrow grass strips that were hypothesized to affect foraging and dispersal of hymenopterans. We selected calcareous grasslands in the vicinity of Göttingen (Germany), which harbour high Hymenoptera diversity and are starting points for foraging and dispersal in the landscape. We installed pan traps to sample bees (i) on the grasslands; (ii) on grassland edges behind adjacent hedges (potential barriers) and without hedges; (iii) on grass strips in 100 m distance to the grassland, which were connected or unconnected to the grassland; and (iv) unconnected (isolated) grass strips in 300 m and 750 m distance to test for corridor and isolation effects on abundance and species richness of foraging wild bees. Additionally we provided trap nests for bees, wasps and their parasitoids on the grasslands and the strips. Species abundance and richness declined with increasing isolation from grasslands for foraging solitary bees, trap-nesting bees, wasps and parasitoids, but not for foraging bumblebees. Hedges did not confine movement of foraging bees. We found no mitigating effects of (100 m) corridor strips on any of the observed groups. We conclude that conservation of semi-natural habitats as sources of bee and wasp diversity is important and that grass strips act as sinks rather than corridors when high quality patches are nearby.     

平湖意蜂与普通意蜂王浆腺的比较

对平湖意蜂(下称平蜂)与普通意蜂(下称普蜂)进行比较表明:1～16日龄工蜂的王浆腺宽度、长度及王浆腺小体数目,两者差异不显著;10日龄工蜂王浆腺活性,平蜂比普蜂高61.1%,两者差异极显著;20日龄工蜂王浆腺,平蜂还具有一定的活性,但普蜂的王浆腺已经完全退化。     

A comparison of green lanes and field margins as bumblebee habitat in an arable landscape

There have been major changes in agricultural practice over the past 50 years. The increasing efficiency of arable production has led to larger field sizes with the associated removal of many hedgerow field boundaries. This, together with high input farming practices, has had a deleterious effect on the quality of the rural landscape as a wildlife habitat. This study focuses on green lanes, that is, trackways bounded on both sides by hedgerows, and the adjacent field margins of arable crops and examines each habitat to determine their relative resource value to bumblebees. The vegetation communities within 15 green lane sites and those of the adjacent field margins were recorded, and subsequent analysis showed that species richness was significantly higher within the green lanes. Bee numbers were recorded at each site during 10 visits, both along the inside of green lane hedges and the outside of the opposite hedge on the field margins of the arable crops. At each visit the flower abundance of 10 plant groups was recorded for each habitat type. The results show that bumblebee abundance was significantly higher within the green lane habitat than on the field margins and that this difference was directly related to the abundance of flowers within the habitat.     

Ecological and life-history traits predict bee species responses to environmental disturbances

The ability to predict the responses of ecological communities and individual species to human-induced environmental change remains a key issue for ecologists and conservation managers alike. Responses are often variable among species within groups making general predictions difficult. One option is to include ecological trait information that might help to disentangle patterns of response and also provide greater understanding of how particular traits link whole clades to their environment. Although this “trait-guild” approach has been used for single disturbances, the importance of particular traits on general responses to multiple disturbances has not been explored. We used a mixed model analysis of 19 data sets from throughout the world to test the effect of ecological and life-history traits on the responses of bee species to different types of anthropogenic environmental change. These changes included habitat loss, fragmentation, agricultural intensification, pesticides and fire. Individual traits significantly affected bee species responses to different disturbances and several traits were broadly predictive among multiple disturbances. The location of nests - above vs. below ground - significantly affected response to habitat loss, agricultural intensification, tillage regime (within agriculture) and fire. Species that nested above ground were on average more negatively affected by isolation from natural habitat and intensive agricultural land use than were species nesting below ground. In contrast below-ground-nesting species were more negatively affected by tilling than were above-ground nesters. The response of different nesting guilds to fire depended on the time since the burn. Social bee species were more strongly affected by isolation from natural habitat and pesticides than were solitary bee species. Surprisingly, body size did not consistently affect species responses, despite its importance in determining many aspects of individuals’ interaction with their environment. Although synergistic interactions among traits remain to be explored, individual traits can be useful in predicting and understanding responses of related species to global change.     

棉花抗虫核不育系-中抗A组合优势及昆虫传粉研究

用中棉所12与美国双隐性核雄性不育系(ms5ms6)回交, 培育了主要以中棉所12为遗传背景的双隐性核不育系, 然后通过杂交转育将抗棉铃虫Bt基因转入到该不育系中, 选育出抗虫双隐性核雄性不育系-中抗A((农科鉴字125号); 此不育系综合性状好, 高抗棉铃虫, 所配杂交组合优势明显, 增产替力大; 同时研究了中抗A蜜蜂辅助传粉的制种效     

吉林省蜜蜂产业发展调研报告

吉林省蜜粉源、蜂种和科技资源丰富,扶贫成效显著,适合大力发展养蜂产业。通过对吉林省境内蜂产业调研,基本掌握了蜂群饲养、养殖户、蜂业组织发展、蜂产品企业、授粉产业发展等情况,对现存问题进行分析和探讨。     

蜜蜂授粉对向日葵结子率的影响

试验结果表明,蜜蜂采集强度与饱子率呈现正相关;采集蜂数量从209只上升到326只时,向日葵的饱子率也从42.17%提高到78.77%;向日葵的饱子率与距离蜂场的远近也有明显的相关性;花盘直径大小与蜜蜂授粉次数的大小有关;在距蜂场1 300 m时,其饱子率可达64.87%以上,距离加大时饱子率则下降。为了保证向日葵的产量和质量,在向日葵种植面积占耕地面积10%左右情况下,对向日葵进行蜜蜂授粉时,蜂场之间距离不宜超过2 600 m。     

LED养蜂照明光源研究

[目的]为养蜂场所设计一种红色照明灯,用于夜间、暗室内取蜜或观察管理蜂群。[方法]分析蜜蜂与人视觉器官的视觉生物学特性,采用发光波长在650～780 nm的高亮度红光LED来作为光源,并举例红光LED头灯的设计,对头灯光源的波长和亮度进行了详细分析。[结果]LED光源的适宜照度为3～10 cd/m2。基于蜜蜂对红色光呈现色盲的生物学特性,以红光LED为光源的LED灯,作为养蜂场的照明灯具,使蜂群不受或少受惊扰,有效减少蜂群的飞遗损失。[结论]结合现代电子技术,顺应蜂群的生理特征,研发出合理先进的蜂具。