The effects of phytase transgenic maize on the community components and diversity of arthropods

It is important to understand the effect of phytase transgenic (PT) maize on arthropod communities in natural ecosystems. In this study, a 2-year survey of arthropod community biodiversity in fields of PT maize (0 7 8) and non-genetically modified (RA119, non-GM) maize was performed using sweep-net sampling on the stems and leaves of the maize plants. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the individual number of herbivorous, predatory, neutral and parasitic groups in PT maize and non-GM maize. The species number of herbivorous group in PT maize was significantly lower than that in non-GM maize in 2013 (p < 0.05). The proportions of different arthropod groups were almost identical in the PT maize and non-GM maize in terms of both species and individual number. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H'), evenness index (J), dominance index (D), richness (S), and species abundance (N) between the two types of maize. The similarity coefficient of the arthropod community suggested that the arthropod community composition of PT maize was similar to that of non-GM maize. Furthermore, PT maize had no significant effect on the relative stability of the arthropod community. These results indicated that despite the presence of a relatively minor difference in arthropod community between the PT maize and non-GM maize, the PT maize had little effect on arthropod community biodiversity.     

Conserving plant genetic diversity for dependent animal communities

While population genetic diversity has broad application in species conservation, no studies have examined the community‐level consequences of this diversity. We show that population genetic diversity (generated by interspecific hybridization) in a dominant riparian tree affects an arthropod community composed of 207 species. In an experimental garden, plant cross type structured the arthropod community of individual trees, and among stands in the wild, plant genetic diversity accounted for nearly 60% of the variation in arthropod diversity. While previous experimental garden studies have demonstrated the effects of plant genotype on arthropod communities, our study extends these findings from individual trees in an experimental garden to natural stands of cottonwoods where plant population genetic diversity was a significant factor structuring arthropod diversity. These findings argue that the preservation of genetic diversity in a dominant species is far more important than previously realized, and may be particularly important in hybridizing systems.     

Arthropod phylogeny inferred from partial 12SrRNA revisited: monophyly of the Tracheata depends on sequence alignment

A new hypothesis on arthropod evolution published by Ballard et al. (1992), based on partial 12SrRNA sequences, is re-analysed using the same data, but using different alignments. It is argued that there is no reason to reject monophyly of the Euarthropoda, Mandibulata and Tracheata.     

Studies on the population dynamics of a thistle-feeding lady beetle,Henosepilachna pustulosa (Kôno) in a cool temperate climax forest

Population Ecology -     

Distribution patterns of flora and fauna in southern Chilean Coastal rain forests: Integrating Natural History and GIS

Knowledge of species richness centers is necessary for the design of conservation areas. In this study, we present a GIS analysis of two years of field data on animal and plant diversity distributions in evergreen, coastal rain forests of southern Chile (39°30′–41°25′ S). Despite their high endemism, these forests have remained largely unprotected. Field records were complemented with data from museum collections and scientific literature. We used selected environmental variables (evapotranspiration, altitude) and, in some cases, forest types as predictors of species distributions. Our study focused on the distribution of forest bryophytes, vascular plants, soil invertebrates, amphibians and birds. We generated distributional maps for each taxa based on their field records in the study area, complemented by natural history information, except in the case of bryophytes and soil invertebrates. In general, species richness was lower at 600 m elevation or above for all the taxa studied. Species richness tends to increase in the northern sector of the study area. We observed a greater richness of vascular plants near rivers and streams, and noted important floristic differences between west and east-facing slopes of the Coastal Range, with more species in the oriental side. Because species in high altitude forests are not a subset of those found at lower elevations, we propose that conservation strategies should prioritize the protection of the entire altitudinal gradient of the southern Coastal Range, especially in the more diverse oriental and northern sectors.     

涝渍害对稻飞虱及其节肢类天敌生态位关系的影响

尝试将生态位理论应用到分析环境条件变异和人类干扰活动对天敌和猎物关系的影响，通过与非涝渍稻田对比分析，发现涝渍害综合作用对稻飞虱及其节肢类天敌的时间生态位，空间生态位以及时间一空间生态位均产生深刻的影响，涝渍害的作用使节肢类天敌和稻飞虱空间生态位宽度普遍缩小，使涝渍地各物种间空间生态位重叠亦普遍减小；使除稻红瓢虫和球腹蛛外的天敌时间生态位宽度扩大；各天敌和中性昆虫与飞虱的空间一时间生态位重叠亦普遍缩小，还讨论了这种影响的机制及改良的生态对策。