Is Vigna radiata suitable for the revegetation of fly ash landfills?

The present article briefly describes the concerns regarding the suitability of Vigna radiata L. for the revegetation of fly ash landfills.     

Early detection of Agrilus planipennis: investigations into the attractive range of the sex pheromone (3Z)-lactone

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a highly destructive primary pest of ash (Fraxinus sp., Oleaceae) trees outside of its native range. Ash is an important component of many ecosystems and its loss would be detrimental to both the economy and the environment. The present study aimed to improve our understanding of the effectiveness of green sticky prism traps baited with host kairomone and insect pheromone lures for A. planipennis and to collect data for modelling the range of attraction of the pheromone (3Z)-dodecen-12-olide [(3Z)-lactone]. Traps were deployed over a single flight season in urban locations of Ontario, Canada, with low densities of EAB. Traps were placed in pairs of trees separated by not more than 25 m. All traps contained the host kairomone, (3Z)-hexenol, with the remaining half in each pairing additionally baited with (3Z)-lactone pheromone. Both lure types were highly effective in capturing EAB, with >90% detection rates overall. However, traps baited with the lactone pheromone and host volatile lures doubled trap captures of EAB over distances of at least 25 m from the nearest traps baited with only host volatiles. Although the baseline detection rate of traps containing (3Z)-hexenol alone is not significantly reduced compared with traps containing (3Z)-lactone, the overall trap effectiveness is significantly increased when (3Z)-lactone is present. The implications for the use of (3Z)-lactone at 3 mg per septum dose in an early warning trapping system are discussed. Trap layout methods and risk-based analysis models can now be further refined by including these data about the attractive range of lures and their behaviour in different plot environments.     

上海公园水体夏季浮游植物群落与环境因子的关系

为了解公园水体浮游植物群落状况,分析浮游植物物种分布和环境因子之间的关系,揭示浮游植物物种对生态环境的需求,于2008年7月和9月对上海市11个公园水体浮游植物群落进行了调查,对获得的浮游植物数据和环境因子数据进行典范相关分析(CCA),并绘制了物种与环境因子关系的二维排序图。结果表明：调查期间共鉴定出浮游植物384种,隶属于8门,浮游植物密度范围为2.01×10⁵～57.60×10⁵ cells·L^-1;群落组成以蓝藻、裸藻、硅藻和绿藻为主,主要优势种有细微颤藻、无常蓝纤维藻、尾裸藻、颗粒直链藻、梅尼小环藻、普通小球藻、四尾栅藻等;7月影响浮游植物分布的主要环境因子依次为铵态氮、溶解氧、水温和总磷,而9月的pH值、水温、溶解氧、透明度和总氮含量对浮游植物的分布产生影响较大;其中,透明度和浮游动物量是影响隐藻、甲藻和硅藻藻类生物量的主要环境因子,而蓝藻、裸藻、绿藻主要受水体氮磷营养盐浓度和溶解氧的影响。     

A novel approach to biological control with entomopathogenic nematodes: Prophylactic control of the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa

Generally, microbial control agents such as entomopathogenic nematodes are applied in a curative manner for achieving pest suppression; prophylactic applications are rare. In this study, we determined the ability of two Steinernema carpocapsae strains (All and Hybrid) to prophylactically protect peach trees from damage caused by the peachtree borer, Synanthedon exitiosa, which is a major pest of stone fruit trees in North America. In prior studies, the entomopathogenic nematodes S. carpocapsae and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora caused field suppression when applied in a curative manner to established S. exitiosa populations. In our current study, nematodes were applied three times (at 150,000–300,000 infective juveniles/tree) during September and October of 2005, 2006, and 2007. A control (water only) and a single application of chlorpyrifos (at the labeled rate) were also made each year. The presence of S. exitiosa damage was assessed each year in the spring following the treatment applications. Following applications in 2006, we did not detect any differences among treatments or the control (possibly due to a low and variable S. exitiosa infestation of that orchard). Following applications in 2005 and 2007, however, the nematode and chemical treatments caused significant damage suppression. The percentage of trees with S. exitiosa damage in treated plots ranged from 0% damage in 2005 to 16% in plots treated with S. carpocapsae (Hybrid) in 2007. In control plots damage ranged from 25% (2005) to 41% (2007). Our results indicate that nematodes applied in a preventative manner during S. exitios’s oviposition period can reduce insect damage to levels similar to what is achieved with recommended chemical insecticide treatments.     

Leaf Longevity,Construction, and Maintenance Costs of Three Mangrove Species Under Field Conditions

This study assessed the effect of leaf age on construction cost (CC) in the mangrove species Avicennia germinans, Laguncularia racemosa, and Rhizophora mangle growing in their natural habitat. Leaf osmolality values were species-specific, the highest in A. germinans (1 693 mmol kg^–1) and the lowest in L. racemosa (1 270 mmol kg^–1). In the three species, contents of chlorophyll (a+b) (Chl_a+b) and nitrogen (N) per unit of leaf area were maximal in adult leaves and tended to decline with age. Leaf mass to leaf area ratio (LMA) and ash content increased during leaf ageing. Similarly, as leaves aged, a significant increase in leaf construction cost per leaf area (CC_a) was observed, while per leaf mass (CC_m) it remained almost constant, suggesting a sustained production of leaf compounds as leaves became older. CC was positively correlated with LMA and heat of combustion (Hc) per leaf area, suggesting differences among species in the quantity and composition of expensive compounds. Leaf half lifetime (t_0.5) showed contrasting values in the three mangrove species (60, 111, and 160 d in L. racemosa, R. mangle, and A. germinans, respectively). Overall, L. racemosa was the species with less expensive leaves to construct while leaves of A. germinans and R. mangle had the highest CC_m and CC_a, respectively. Leaf longevity was positively correlated with the ratio between CC and maximum photosynthetic rate (P _max), clearly showing the existence of a balance between leaf costs and benefits.     

粉煤灰基质-草坪砖栽培环境对坪草生长的影响

为了解决停车场、甬路、渠坝与草坪争地的矛盾,增加城市绿地面积,在已研究粉煤灰草坪基质最佳混合比例的基础上,进一步探讨草坪砖作为草坪栽培环境(砖孔内填人粉煤灰混合基质,简称砖孔环境)的肥力效应与生物效应。为了对比分析,特此设置了土孔环境(在土壤中挖取与草坪砖形状和容积相同的孔并填入粉煤灰混合基质)与土灰环境(在粉煤灰混合基质中按照草坪砖孔模式划出同样大小的圈)种植黑麦草作为对照。研究结果表明：坪草N、K、Na、Cu、Zn等含量以砖孔环境最高,土灰环境和土孔环境较低,差异显著,说明砖孔环境能为植物生长提供较多的养分元素;砖孔环境中的坪草含有的Fe、Cu、Zn浓度远高于坪草最佳需求量,今后不再需要补充铁肥、铜肥和锌肥。试验还表明砖孔环境的蒸散率最小,基质含水量最大,基质势最高,持续供水能力强,抗旱效果十分明显。砖孔环境与土孔环境中的草坪草屑累积量差异不显著,但均比土灰环境中的高,且差异显著。夏季高温期砖孔环境中的草坪质量显著高于土孔环境和土灰环境中的草坪质量。     

温湿度对桃小食心虫成虫生殖力的影响

在实验室内观察研究桃小食心虫Carposina niponensis Walsingham越冬代成虫在一系列温度和湿度下的生殖能力。结果表明,环境温度和相对湿度显著影响食心虫成虫寿命、交尾和产卵。从19℃到29℃,雌成虫寿命随温度升高而缩短。适宜成虫交尾和产卵的温度为23～26℃,相对湿度为80%～100%。     

Pollen germination and pollen tube growth in Fraxinus pennsylvanica

With regard to adaptation of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) to ecological conditions in Croatia, pollen germination and pollen tube length after 2, 4 and 6 hours were examined in vitro at 10, 15, 20 and 25°C during two years 2001 and 2002. Narrow leaved ash (F. angustifolia Vahl) pollen served as a control in 2002. The year, time and temperature, and the interaction between time and temperature were significant for both germination percentage and pollen tube length. Interactions year × temperature and year × time were significant for pollen tube length only. The highest germination percentage (17.86% in 2001 and 19.40% in 2002) of green ash pollen was at 15°C after 6 hours. The pollen tube length was greatest at 20°C (393.46 μm) in 2001 and 25°C (899.50 μm) in 2002 after 6 hours. Narrow leaved ash pollen had the highest germination percentage (19.22%) at 20°C after 6 hours and was significantly reduced at 25°C. The pollen tube length was greatest at 25°C (518.90 μm) after 6 hours. It can be concluded that green ash pollen has satisfactory germination in ecological conditions in Croatia and that the optimum temperature for pollen germination is higher than 20°C.     

Isolation of Pollutant (Pine Needle Ash)-Responding Genes from Tissues of the Seaweed Ulva Pertusa

Genetic responses of the seaweed Ulva pertusa to pine needle ash have been compared using differential display technique. The tissue viability was assessed to evaluate the stress level with triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Total RNA, from tissues treated in seawater containing ash, was reverse transcribed and amplified by PCR with arbitrary primers. The genetic fragments responding to the stress were selectively isolated from agarose gel and sequenced with a DNA auto sequencer. According to sequence analysis, an ash-inducible gene (342 bp) and an ash-suppressed gene (1690 bp) were identified as hypothetical proteins.