Patch Size and Tree Species Influence the Number and Duration of Bird Visits in Forest Restoration Plots in Southern Costa Rica

Efforts to restore tropical forest in abandoned pasture are likely to be more successful when bird visitation is promoted because birds disperse seeds and eat herbivorous arthropods that damage leaves. Thus, it is critical to understand bird behavior in relation to different restoration strategies. We measured the likelihood of visitation, number of visits, and duration of visits for all birds and for Cherrie's Tanager ( Ramphocelus costaricensis ), a common seed disperser, in five sizes of forest restoration patches planted with four tree species in southern Costa Rica. We predicted that the largest patches, and the tree species with the greatest canopy cover, would be visited most frequently and have the longest visits because we assumed that these patch types had the greatest food resources and the lowest predation risk. We found that birds were more likely to visit large patches and the tree species with the highest canopy cover ( Inga edulis ). Birds visited Inga trees more often and stayed in Inga and Erythrina poeppigiana trees for longer periods of time than in other tree species. We found similar results for Cherrie's Tanagers. Thus, we identified two factors, tree species and patch size, which may be manipulated in restoration projects to increase bird visitation.     

The tolerance of the lucerne flea, Sminthurus viridis (Collembola: Sminthuridae), to currently registered pesticides in Australia

Sminthurus viridis (lucerne flea) is a major crop and pasture pest throughout southern regions of Australia that experience a Mediterranean type climate. It is particularly problematic at the establishment phase, and chemicals are currently the main option available to farmers for their control. Few studies have assessed the currently registered pesticides for the control of S. viridis , and rates of application are generally similar to the frequently co-occurring red-legged earth mite, Halotydeus destructor , despite few comparisons between species for their susceptibility being made. Here, we examine the response of S. viridis to six pesticides (α-cypermethrin, bifenthrin, omethoate, methidathion, chlorpyrifos and phosmet) and then directly compare them with H. destructor . S. viridis displayed similar dose–response curves for bifenthrin, omethoate, chlorpyrifos and phosmet. It had greater sensitivity to methidathion and greater tolerance to α-cypermethrin. S. viridis was found to be significantly more tolerant than H. destructor to all pesticides tested, with the exception of chlorpyrifos. This indicates that rates of application for control of S. viridis should be greater than H. destructor and that the organophosphates are likely to provide the most effective control of this pest.     

两种生境条件下6种牧草叶绿素含量及荧光参数的比较

昆仑山前山牧场海拔较高, 策勒绿洲海拔相对较低, 两者生境差异较大。以昆仑山前山牧场和策勒绿洲边缘两种不同生境条件下生长的6种牧草: 冰草(Agropyron cristatum)、无芒雀麦(Bromus inermis)、矮生高羊茅(Festuca elata)、披碱草(Elymus dahuricus )、红豆草(Onobrychis pulchella)及和田大叶(Medicago sativa var. luxurians)为试验材料, 研究了不同生境条件下牧草叶片叶绿素含量及叶绿素荧光动力学参数的变化情况。结果显示: (1)在两种生境条件下, 昆仑山前山牧场生境生长的牧草叶绿素a、叶绿素b、总叶绿素的含量明显较高, 生长在策勒绿洲生境的牧草品种叶绿素a/b值较高; (2)昆仑山前山牧场生境牧草最大荧光、光系统II (PSII)最大光化学效率、PSII潜在活性和单位面积反应中心的数量的值明显高于策勒绿洲生境品种, 而初始荧光、单位反应中心吸收的光能、单位反应中心捕获的能量、单位反应中心耗散的能量、荧光诱导曲线初始斜率值则低于策勒绿洲生境品种。因此, 两种生境下环境因子发生了改变, 对牧草产生综合的胁迫作用; 策勒绿洲生境明显对牧草生长产生了抑制, 策勒绿洲生境牧草的色素含量降低以及PSII的机构遭到损坏, 导致反应中心一部分失活或裂解, 剩余有活性的反应中心的效率增加, 昆仑山生境则相对比较适宜牧草生长; 两种生境不同牧草叶绿素含量和叶绿素荧光参数的变化幅度不同。     

黑河流域山区牧坡草地土壤呼吸的时间变化及水热因子影响

采用LI600-09土壤呼吸室和LI-600便携式光合作用测量系统,在生长季节对黑河流域山区牧坡草地土壤呼吸速率进行了连续观测,研究不同环境条件下土壤CO₂释放速率及其对气候和土地利用变化的反馈作用.结果表明,牧坡草地土壤呼吸速率的日变化规律为夜间土壤呼吸速率较低,最低值在5～10月份,分别出现在7:00、6:30、5:30、5:00、6:00和7:00,此后开始升高,达到最大值的时间分别为15:00、14:30、14:30、13:30、14:00和15:00,在16:00～18:30又逐渐下降,整个过程呈单峰曲线;土壤呼吸速率日均值介于0.31～6.98μmol·m^-2·s^-1.土壤呼吸速率7、8月份最高,5月与9月份次之,月与10月份基本一致,整个过程的变化趋势呈单峰曲线形式.土壤呼吸速率与温度呈显著指数关系,与土壤含水量呈显著乘幂关系.     

不同基肥对退化坡地及牧草产量和质量的影响

探讨了不同基肥组合处理对退化坡地的改造利用和对牧草生产的影响．在相同的肥水管理条件下,以“鸡粪＋牛粪＋石灰”的基肥组合（Ａ）处理退化坡地土壤,可使皇草、杂交狼尾草、矮象草和墨西哥玉米的年产量比“猪粪＋牛粪＋石灰”的组合（Ｂ）处理分别高出９．７％、１２．８％、４３．０％和９．９％,前者（Ａ）生产出的牧草的粗蛋白含量略高于后者（Ｂ）,粗纤维含量略低于后者,而粗灰分含量显著高于后者．     

Public health and carrageenan regulation: a review and analysis

The status of carrageenan in the regulatory sphere influences how and where it may be used, with implications for seaweed farmers, carrageenan manufacturers and consumers. Over the period 1935 to the present the status of carrageenan has been effected by changes in the regulatory environment that reflect new understandings about carrageenan, health and health risks as well as broader trade, social and political changes. This paper reviews regulatory progress from the 1930s to the present. It reflects, in particular, the shifting priorities in public health and their effects on the regulatory status of carrageenan. Four case studies of public controversies about carrageenan safety are discussed in relation to regulatory responses and their public health significance. It is concluded that current assessments of risk associated with carrageenan have, in some contexts, failed to take into account the full spectrum of safety assessments that have been carried out and the maturing of food additive regulations thereby allowing a myth of risk to continue.     

Conserving idealized landscapes: past history,public perception and future management in the New Forest (UK)

The New Forest is one of the most visited regions of Britain. It has recently been designated a National Park in recognition of its unique wood pasture ecosystems, a traditional land-use system, its magnificent scenery and recreational potential, and its biodiversity importance. The Forest’s highly prized Ancient and Ornamental (A&O) woodlands are a result of complex interactions among human activities of several kinds and the ecology of the dominant species–beech and oak—under the climate conditions of the last one to two millennia. Major changes in management practices over the 20th century, combined with the historical imprint of previous centuries of use, have set the A&O woodlands on a trajectory that means their nature and appearance will inevitably change over the coming decades. When the potential stresses that will be imposed by 21st century climate change are also considered, it will be challenging to find a management strategy to maintain A&O woodlands in their present form. Beech, which owes its current dominance largely to human disturbances of the woodland ecosystem, will be particularly stressed under future conditions. Future conservation policies, and hence management strategies, must be flexible as to the species composition and structure of future woodlands. However, the wide range of users and their different values add further complexity to forest management, and managers must also focus on issues of public perception. For example visitors idealize current landscapes, and this exerts a pressure to maintain the status quo as far as appearance is concerned that will be hard to achieve in practice. Management strategies will be greatly constrained unless conflicts about values and uses are resolved.     

The effect of concentrate supplementation on milk production and cow traffic in early and late lactation in a pasture-based automatic milking system

The objective of this experiment was to establish the effect of low-concentrate (LC) and high-concentrate (HC) supplementation in the early and late periods of lactation on milk production and cow traffic in a pasture-based automatic milking (AM) system. In total, 40 cows (10 primiparous and 30 multiparous) were randomly assigned to one of the two treatments. The experimental periods for the early and late lactation trials extended from 23 February to 12 April 2015 and 31 August to 18 October 2015, respectively (49 days in each trial period). The early lactation supplement levels were 2.3 and 4.4 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively, whereas the late lactation supplement levels were 0.5 and 2.7 kg/cow per day for LC and HC, respectively. Variables measured included milking frequency, milking interval, milking outcome and milking characteristics, milk yield/visit and per day, wait time/visit and per day, return time/visit and the distribution of gate passes. As the herd was seasonal (spring) calving, the experimental periods could not run concurrently and as a result no statistical comparison between the periods was conducted. There was no significant effect of treatment in the early lactation period on any of the milk production, milking characteristics or cow traffic variables. However, treatment did significantly affect the distribution of gate passes, with the HC cows recording significantly more gate passes in the hours preceding the gate time change such as hours 7 (P<0.01), 15 (P<0.05), 20, 21 (P<0.001), and 22 (P<0.05), whereas the LC treatment recorded significantly more gate passes in the hours succeeding the gate time change, such as time points 2 (P<0.01) and 10 (P<0.05). There was a significant effect of treatment in late lactation, with HC having a greater milk yield (P<0.01), milking duration and activity/day (P<0.05), while also having a significantly shorter milking interval (P<0.05) and return time/visit (P<0.01). The distribution of gate passes were similar to the early lactation period, with HC also recording a significantly greater number of gate passes during the early morning period (P<0.01) when visitations were at their lowest. Any decision regarding the supplementing of dairy cows with concentrates needs to be examined from an economic perspective, to establish if the milk production and cow traffic benefits displayed in late lactation outweigh the cost of the concentrate; thereby ensuring that the decision to supplement is financially prudent.