The relationship between the reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate induced by defoliator and the growth and mortality of trees

Large scale herbivorous insect outbreaks can cause death of regional forests, and the events are expected to be exacerbated with climate change. Mortality of forest and woodland plants would cause a series of serious consequences, such as decrease in vegetation production, shifts in ecosystem structure and function, and transformation of forest function from a net carbon sink into a net carbon source. There is thus a need to better understand the impact of insects on trees. Defoliation by insect pests mainly reduces photosynthesis (source decrease) and increases carbon consumption (sink increase), and hence causes reduction of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC). When the reduction in NSC reaches to a certain level, trees would die of carbon starvation. External environment and internal compensatory mechanisms can also positively or negatively influence the process of tree death. At present, the research of carbon starvation is a hotspot because the increase of tree mortality globally with climate change, and carbon starvation is considered as one of the dominating physiological mechanisms for explaining tree death. In this study, we reviewed the definition of carbon starvation, and the relationships between the reduction of NSC induced by defoliation and the growth and death of trees, and the relationships among insect outbreaks, leaf loss and climate change. We also presented the potential directions of future studies on insect-caused defoliation and tree mortality.     

《昆虫知识》2010年第47卷第3期要目预告

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研究表明蝗虫走路不凭“感”觉靠“视觉”

一项新研究发现，蝗虫并不是靠“感觉”走路，而是依靠“视觉”精确定位自己的每一步，这表明人类可能低估了蝗虫的视觉导向系统。此前研究表明，昆虫大多靠触角等器官凭“感觉”行走或飞行，依靠视觉引导行走对于脑部较小的昆虫来说似乎过于高级。     

昆虫与寄主植物的适应性及协调进化

昆虫与寄主植物的适应性及协调进化钦俊德（中国科学院动物研究所北京１０００８０）昆虫和植物都是地球上起源很早的生物类群。从化石的证据来推断，它们至少在３亿多年前已生活在一起，在不同地域建立起密切关系的生物群落。它们中不同的种类为了自身的生存和发展，并根...     

山西省异爪蝗属二新种（直翅目：网翅蝗科）

本文记述在晋南地区采到的异爪蝗属二新种,黑条异爪蝗Euchorthippus nigiliineatus sp.nov.及曲线异爪蝗Eochorthippus sinucarinatus sp.nov.     

河南淅川始新世核桃园组兔类化石

这里记述了河南淅川核桃园组中两种始新世兔类:石皮沟壮兔 (Strenulagus shipigouensis gen. et sp. nov.) 和丹江卢氏兔 (Lushilagus danjiangensis sp. ov.).从这些原始兔类标本上似可证实:上前臼齿和臼齿的中央主尖分别相当于前尖(或并尖)和后尖;两者的舌侧沟(次沟)似乎不同源.兔类上臼齿上的外凹、釉质圆环和舌侧沟的出现,是与三角座和跟座之间沟的形变密切相关.     

延胡索分类的化学证据

东阳产延胡索与大连产齿瓣延胡索经成分分离和TLC、HPLC对比,发现延胡索以啊扑啡类生物碱如glaucine为主,而齿瓣延胡索则含corynoline类生物碱。根据生物碱的类型及含量比较,二者有明显差异,结合延胡索的植物形态和植化分类特征判断,将延胡索作为与齿瓣延胡索近缘的独立种处理较为合理,即为Corydalis yanhusuo W. T. Wang ex Z.Y. Su et C. Y. Wu