Combined effects of sediment and lead (PbCl<Subscript>2</Subscript>) on the demography of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachionus patulus</Emphasis> (Rotifera: Brachionidae)

We studied the response of Brachionus patulus to different concentrations of the heavy metal Pb in the presence and absence of sediments. We conducted acute (LC₅₀) and chronic (life table demography and population growth) toxicity tests using sediment levels of 0, 30 and 280 mg l⁻¹ (=0, 17 and 170 NTU) and Pb at 0, 0.06 and 0.6 mg l⁻¹. Experiments were conducted at 20 ± 1°C on a horizontal shaker and algal food (Chlorella vulgaris) was added at a density of 1.0 × 10⁶ cells ml⁻¹. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀ ± 95% Confidence intervals) of PbCl₂ for B. patulus was 6.15 ± 1.08 mg l⁻¹. Age-specific survivorship and fecundity curves showed increase in turbidity level resulted in decreased survival and offspring production of the rotifers. Increase in Pb concentration too had a negative effect on the survival and reproductive output of B. patulus. Statistically, average lifespan, life expectancy at birth, gross and net reproductive rates and the rate of population increase were all significantly influenced by the concentration of Pb, turbidity level as well as the interaction of Pb concentration × turbidity level. Rotifers exposed to 170 NTU did not grow regardless of the heavy metal concentration in the medium. Similarly, B. patulus exposed to 0.6 mg l⁻¹ Pb did not survive beyond 10 days regardless of the turbidity level in the medium. The rate of population increase of B. patulus derived from the growth experiments was negative in all treatments containing Pb as low as 0.06 mg l⁻¹ or turbidity level as low as 17 NTU. In treatments containing Pb or sediments, there existed no relation between the egg ratio and the population density. Guest editors: S. S. S. Sarma, R. D. Gulati, R. L. Wallace, S. Nandini, H. J. Dumont and R. Rico-Martínez Advances in Rotifer Research     

Natural mortality factors of Leucoptera coffeella (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) on Coffea arabica

The natural mortality of the coffee leafminer, Leucoptera coffeella (Guérin-Méneville) was investigated in three strata of coffee plant canopy for three seasons through construction and analysis of ecological life tables. Mortality of the leafminer was similar on all thirds of the canopy. Total mortality of immature stages was 95%, with 38.5, 43.8 and 12.7% occurring during egg, larval, and pupal stages. Rainfall killed 39.3% of eggs and larvae, and together with egg inviability (16.3%) and Vespidae (11.3%), were the highest mortality factors. Six wasp parasitoids caused 8% of larval mortality. Egg and larva were the critical stages. Variation in mortality was primarily associated with egg inviability, rainfall, and parasitism by Horismenus sp. (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Physiological disturbances during molting and metamorphosis also contributed for fluctuations in mortality of the leafminer. Tactics of integrated pest management to enhance natural mortality of the leafminer while conserving or augmenting the action of natural enemies are discussed.     

薇甘菊(Mikania micrantha)天敌——安婀珍蝶(Actinote anteas （Doubleday & Hewitson）)实验种群生命表

为了研究安婀珍蝶（Actinote anteas（Doubleday ＆ Hewitson））能否在广东省室温下顺利繁殖以及探讨其繁殖的最适温度,研究通过观察建立了室温和恒温下的实验种群生命表.在温度18～35 ℃之间,相对湿度85%左右时,安婀珍蝶从第1代到第4代的种群趋势指数分别为22.78、34.28、12.53、19.47;其内禀增长率rm分别为0.0287、0.0308、0.0250、0.0282,表明在室温下安婀珍蝶实验种群的世代繁殖力较高.在14～26 ℃下的实验种群生命表中,安婀珍蝶23 ℃时,内禀增长率rm为0.0401,最高,说明23 ℃是安婀珍蝶的繁殖最适温度.这些都为安婀珍蝶能否在广东地区顺利建立稳定的种群提供了理论的依据.     

民勤绿洲边缘地下水位变化对植物种群生态位的影响

在民勤绿洲边缘,利用空间区域不同地下水位(湖区8～12m,泉山区15～17m,坝区20～23m)和时间序列(1984～1992年)民勤沙井子地区地下水位下降(7.45～11.65m)梯度,研究地下水位下降对荒漠植物种群生态位的影响。结果表明:空间区域地下水位下降,植物种群生态位宽度均减小,种群退化;时间序列地下水位下降,白刺种群在扩展,其它植物种群在退化。白刺种群生态位宽度在民勤绿洲边缘荒漠植物群落中最大,是该区的建群种。由于白刺种群在地下水位7.45～11.65m范围内扩展,民勤绿洲生态环境治理中地下水位达到该范围是一个主要目标。     

烟草和香芋上斜纹夜蛾的自然种群生命表

应用作用因子生命表方法,组建烟草和香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾Spodoptera litura（Fabricius）自然种群生命表,分析作用因子对斜纹夜蛾种群数量的控制作用。结果表明,2005和2006年烟草和香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾种群的增长倍数均以香芋高于烟草。无论烟草还是香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾,均以“捕食及其它”的排除作用控制指数最大。如排除所有天敌等作用因子的作用,2005年烟草上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长31．2029和50．0371倍,香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长29．3492和41．2873倍;2006年烟草上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长33．1421和75．4167倍,香芋上第2、3代斜纹夜蛾自然种群趋势指数将分别增长31．5357和70．5355倍。说明天敌等自然作用因子对斜纹夜蛾种群数量有较为明显的控制作用,而烟草上的自然作用因子的作用要强于香芋上的自然作用因子。     

Effects of food limitation and temperature on cladocerans from a tropical Brazilian lake

Food limitation was tested in the laboratory by individual growth and reproduction of two cladoceran species, Ceriodaphnia richardi and Daphnia gessneri, from the shallow tropical Brazilian Lake Monte Alegre. The cladocerans were fed cultivated green alga Scenedesmus spinosus in concentrations of 0.20, 0.10, 0.05, and 0.025 mg C l⁻¹. Higher biomass and growth rates occurred in the two highest-food concentrations; the two lowest ones negatively affected clutch size and first reproduction. The threshold food concentration is lower than 0.025 mg C l⁻¹ and the incipient limiting level is a value between 0.10 and 0.20 mg C l⁻¹. The largest species, D. gessneri, was more sensitive to low food concentrations. The effects of low and high temperatures (19 and 27°C) were evaluated by life table experiments with three cladocerans from the lake—Daphnia ambigua, D. gessneri, and Moina micrura—with no food limitation (1 mg C l⁻¹ of S. spinosus). Higher population growth rates for the three species were found at 27°C; better performance in most life table parameters was observed for the former two species at the highest temperature, D. gessneri being the most sensitive to the lowest temperature. There are indications that temperature is an important abiotic factor that constrains populations of cladocerans for a short period in winter in the lake, when temperature decreases to 18–19°C. However, its influence cannot be separated from a biotic factor such as food, whose effect is stronger in the cool season, when concentrations are lower and contribution of inedible algae is relatively higher.     

Population life-cycle and stand structure in dense and open stands of the introduced tall herb <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heracleum mantegazzianum</Emphasis>

Populations of the introduced Heracleum mantegazzianum consist of dense central stands, which gradually give way to open stands towards the margins. To analyse whether open stands are due to unsuitable conditions or represent the invading front for further spread, we studied life-cycle, population dynamics, stand structure and soil conditions of open and dense stands over two transition periods. Populations decreased during the first interval but increased after the extremely dry and warm summer of 2003 during the second interval. Open stands had shorter generation times, lower height, smaller proportions of small individuals and were less in equilibrium with the environment than dense stands. In open stands, growth to higher stages was most important, while in dense stands delayed development (self-loops) had a strong effect on population growth; stasis and fecundity contributed most to the difference in λ between stand types. By petiole extension H. mantegazzianum may raise its leaves just above the resident vegetation. Therefore, younger stages develop faster in open stands, whereas strong competition by conspecific adults leads to longer generation times and a higher proportion of small individuals in dense stands. Disturbance due to extreme climatic conditions in summer 2003 equalised population dynamics of both stand types. Life-cycle variation between stand types makes it difficult to infer simple management rules. However, our data suggest that small and/or open stands of H. mantegazzianum may eventually serve as initials for further spread after land-use changes, whereas dense stands are stable and may represent sources of propagules.     

Reinstatement of traditional mowing regimes counteracts population senescence in the rare perennial Primula vulgaris

Question: Traditional management of grassland verges or ditch banks included mowing as a way to provide additional harvesting of hay. Nowadays, such sites are often left unmanaged, as mowing verges is no longer profitable in modern agricultural systems. Are vulnerable plant species able to withstand competition with the surrounding vegetation and maintain viable populations under these circumstances? How do they respond to reinstatement of traditional mowing regimes? Location: Oedelem, northwestern Belgium. Methods: To investigate the effect of reinstatement of the rare perennial Primula vulgaris, demography and adult plant performance were monitored in a grassland verge between 1999 and 2003 under different mowing regimes. Year transitions between life stages were analysed with matrix population models. To disentangle the contributions of the deviations in different life stage transitions to the variation in overall population growth rate, life table response experiments were used. Results: Both management and year had a strong impact on demographic traits of P. vulgaris. If plots were left unmanaged, lower plant performance and declining population growth rates were observed. While population growth rates differed significantly between mowing regimes, mowing of plots only in July did not differ from mowing in July and October in terms of vegetative and reproductive output of adults. Mowing twice a year appeared to be most efficient in increasing population growth rate both by raising recruitment and growth of individuals into large reproductive adults. Conclusions: Large P. vulgaris populations show a good ability to recover from recent abandonment of traditional management regimes. By mowing twice a year, managers are able to target vital rates that are most influential: growth and flowering of adult individuals.     

采伐对红松种群结构与动态的影响

红松是我国长白山阔叶红松林的主要建群种,受森林采伐的影响,种群数量急剧下降,现已被列为国家二级保护植物。通过绘制种群静态生命表、生存函数、存活曲线和径级分布图,研究原始林,15%择伐、40%择伐和皆伐后恢复的天然次生林内,红松种群结构和动态的变化规律。结果表明:(1)采伐干扰对红松种群的波动周期影响不大,15%的择伐强度可以提高红松种群的生存期望。(2)原始林和15%择伐林内红松种群存活曲线均为DeeveyⅡ型,种群处于稳定期;40%择伐林内存活曲线介于DeeveyⅡ型和DeeveyⅢ型之间,种群由稳定期向成熟期过渡;皆伐林内存活曲线为DeeveyⅠ型,种群处在增长期。(3)原始阔叶红松林林、15%择伐林和40%择伐林内,红松种群径级结构均呈稳定的倒J型,且在幼树阶段均存在生长更新的停滞现象;与原始林相比,15%择伐林内幼树比例略有下降;40%择伐林和皆伐迹地,随采伐强度的增加,幼树比例明显增大。(4)方差分析表明,4个种群的生存过程差异较大,采伐干扰对红松种群生存过程的影响达到显著水平。