Age structure changes and extraordinary lifespan in wild medfly populations

The main purpose of this study was to test the hypotheses that major changes in age structure occur in wild populations of the Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) and that a substantial fraction of individuals survive to middle age and beyond (> 3-4 weeks). We thus brought reference life tables and deconvolution models to bear on medfly mortality data gathered from a 3-year study of field-captured individuals that were monitored in the laboratory. The average time-to-death of captured females differed between sampling dates by 23.9, 22.7, and 37.0 days in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 field seasons, respectively. These shifts in average times-to-death provided evidence of changes in population age structure. Estimates indicated that middle-aged medflies (> 30 days) were common in the population. A surprise in the study was the extraordinary longevity observed in field-captured medflies. For example, 19 captured females but no reference females survived in the laboratory for 140 days or more, and 6 captured but no reference males survived in the laboratory for 170 days or more. This paper advances the study of aging in the wild by introducing a new method for estimating age structure in insect populations, demonstrating that major changes in age structure occur in field populations of insects, showing that middle-aged individuals are common in the wild, and revealing the extraordinary lifespans of wild-caught individuals due to their early life experience in the field.     

Effects of Wolbachia on fitness of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Wolbachia pipientis is a widespread endosymbiont of insects and other arthropods exerting a wide range of biological effects on their hosts. A growing number of recent studies document the influence of Wolbachia on reproduction and lifespan of insect host species. However, little is known regarding effects of Wolbachia on the demographic traits of different host populations. Moreover, whether different Wolbachia strains exert different effects on fitness components of their hosts remains largely unknown. We studied the effects of (a) the Wolbachia strain wCer2 on fitness components of two laboratory lines of the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) and (b) two different Wolbachia strains (wCer2 and wCer4) on one of the Mediterranean fruit fly lines. Wolbachia infection (wCer2) shortens the egg‐to‐adult developmental duration of both C. capitata lines, although it prolongs embryonic development. In one of the two lines, egg‐to‐adult mortality increased. Wolbachia infection shortens adult lifespan (to a different extent in males and females) and reduces female fecundity. The different Wolbachia strains differentially affect both immature mortality and developmental duration, and adult longevity and female fecundity. Our findings demonstrate both differential response of two C. capitata lines to Wolbachia infection and differential effects of two Wolbachia strains on the same Mediterranean fruit fly line. Practical and theoretical implications of our findings are discussed.     

新疆濒危野生樱桃李的种群结构与动态

为了解野生樱桃李种群结构和种群生态现状,采用“空间序列代替时间变化”的方法,对新疆天然分布区内的野生樱桃李不同种群的径级结构、冠幅结构及株高结构进行了分析,运用静态生命表描述了野生樱桃李种群年龄结构的动态变化规律.结果表明,樱桃李天然种群的株高和冠幅结构呈现为一定的衰退趋势,冠幅在总体呈现为近乎对数型的衰减趋势;种群的径级结构趋于稳定型,但种群结构表现出较强的波动性,种群衰退风险较高;同时,不同样地种群因所处微环境等的差异,在径级、株高和冠幅结构上表现出一定差异.野生樱桃李种群的存活曲线接近于B1型(台阶型),说明幼龄的死亡率较高,且不同生活史时期的死亡率差异较大.新疆的野生樱桃李天然种群表现出一定的不稳定性,亟待补充低龄级的个体,并减少对成年树的砍伐破坏,从而为种群的保育和恢复提供保障.     

海南尖峰岭热带雨林方枝蒲桃的种群结构特征与动态分布

以海南尖峰岭60 hm²大样地中方枝蒲桃Syzygium tephrodes群落为研究对象,研究其种群结构特点和生长动态变化规律,并探究株间竞争强度及分布格局。结果表明：(1) 方枝蒲桃种群自然更新能力强,幼苗数量丰富,种群死亡率随径级增大波动增加或者波动下降而后在Ⅳ阶段极速递减,波动幅度在第Ⅳ至Ⅴ径级最明显,死亡率在Ⅳ级以后快速下降并趋于平稳。(2) 方枝蒲桃的存活曲线总体表现为Deevey-Ⅲ型,即早期死亡率高,一旦存活至某一年龄,死亡率较低。(3) 时间序列预测结果表明,在经历未来2、4、6龄级后,每个龄级的个体数量均有不同程度增加。综上所述, 方枝蒲桃种群幼龄个体死亡率高,但仍有一定的更新潜力。该研究为方枝蒲桃的园林应用和保护对策制定提供理论支持,建议应进一步加强生境保护,并采取适当的干预措施促进群落内种群稳定发展。     

海南省万宁市野生荔枝资源种群特征研究

野生荔枝是荔枝(Litchi chinensis Sonn.)进行品种改良与创新的重要基因库,该研究通过对海南万宁自然保护区内、外野生荔枝资源进行实地调查,并用空间分布格局、种群径级结构、静态生命表、存活曲线等方法进行比较分析,以揭示野生荔枝种群在保护区内、外的分布规律及其种群动态趋势,为野生荔枝资源的保护提供依据。结果表明:(1)海南万宁自然保护区内、外野生荔枝种群均为聚集分布,且非自然保护区聚集程度比自然保护区的聚集程度更为明显。(2)径级结构分析发现,自然保护区内野生荔枝种群结构为增长型,种群生命期望值整体上基本随径级增加呈递减趋势,存活曲线呈近直线型,说明自然保护区内的野生荔枝种群处于相对稳定的状态;而自然保护区外的野生荔枝种群为衰退型。(3)群动态预测结果也显示,自然保护区内外的野生荔枝种群的动态变化指数(Vpi′)以及随机干扰风险极大值均趋于零,但自然保护区外的值均大于区内,说明保护区外受到的敏感性比自然保护区内更强,即保护区外野生荔枝种群的生存环境已受到严重的人为干扰威胁。研究认为,在自然保护区外,野生荔枝种群幼树的严重缺失不仅与野生荔枝种群自身的更新机制有关,更重要的是生存环境的破坏和人为砍伐导致野生荔枝种群结构发生变化,野生荔枝林面积下降。     

海南省东方市野生龙眼种群动态特征研究

野生龙眼是龙眼(Dimocarpus longan)的野生群体,是龙眼进行品种改良与创新的重要基因库。该研究对海南省东方市的野生龙眼资源进行实地调查,并从种群径级结构、静态生命表、存活曲线等方面进行了分析。结果表明:(1)东方市的野生龙眼所处群落的植被类型可以分为季雨林、热带雨林以及季雨林与热带雨林过渡带。(2)三种植被类型下野生龙眼种群大小依次为热带雨林过渡带季雨林。(3)三种植被类型下野生龙眼的存活曲线均趋于Deevey-Ⅱ型,种群各径级的死亡率基本接近。(4)数量变化动态指数表明季雨林、热带雨林区的野生龙眼种群为稳定型;过渡带的野生龙眼种群为增长型且趋于稳定。(5)时间序列预测分析表明,在未来的2、4个龄级后,季雨林下的野生龙眼种群从Ⅴ龄级之后的个体数呈现出增加的趋势,而热带雨林和过渡带是在Ⅳ级之后。从野生龙眼种群的整个发展阶段来看,目前三种植被类型下的野生龙眼幼年个体数相对丰富,种群维持有较充足的后备资源,中树、大树阶段的个体数能在现有基础上得到补充。继续保持现有野生龙眼种群分布的植株和生境斑块且采取有效保护措施,东方市的野生龙眼种群能有较好的恢复潜能。该研究的创新之处在于从不同植被类型下来分析东方市的种群动态结构,为处在不同植被类型的野生龙眼资源的种群特征提供了理论依据。     

稻纵卷叶螟（Cnaphalocrocis medinalis（Güenée））在水稻品种上的半自然种群生命表参数及对植株含糖量的影响

在排除天敌情况下,用生命表方法比较了稻纵卷叶螟在5个常用栽培水稻品种扬粳9538、淮稻9号、扬辐粳8号、扬稻6号和汕优63上的半自然种群生命表。结果表明,取食淮稻9号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最低,表现为较强的抗耐性;扬辐粳8号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最高;各品种间稻纵卷叶螟不同虫期的存活率、♀／♂、蛹重、产卵量、卷叶率有一定差异;稻纵卷叶螟为害后,植株内可溶性糖含量品种间无明显差异,但不同品种与对照（未接虫）相比含量有增有减;还原糖含量品种间差异显著。     

稻纵卷叶螟(Cnaphalocrocis medinalis(Gene))在水稻品种上的半自然种群生命表参数及对植株含糖量的影响

在排除天敌情况下,用生命表方法比较了稻纵卷叶螟在5个常用栽培水稻品种扬粳9538、淮稻9号、扬辐粳8号、扬稻6号和汕优63上的半自然种群生命表。结果表明,取食淮稻9号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最低,表现为较强的抗耐性;扬辐粳8号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最高;各品种间稻纵卷叶螟不同虫期的存活率、♀/♂、蛹重、产卵量、卷叶率有一定差异;稻纵卷叶螟为害后,植株内可溶性糖含量品种间无明显差异,但不同品种与对照(未接虫)相比含量有增有减;还原糖含量品种间差异显著。     

稻纵卷叶螟(Cnaphalocrocis medinalis(Güenée))在水稻品种上的半自然种群生命表参数及对植株含糖量的影响

在排除天敌情况下,用生命表方法比较了稻纵卷叶螟在5个常用栽培水稻品种扬粳9538、淮稻9号、扬辐粳8号、扬稻6号和汕优63上的半自然种群生命表。结果表明,取食淮稻9号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最低,表现为较强的抗耐性;扬辐粳8号的稻纵卷叶螟种群趋势指数最高;各品种间稻纵卷叶螟不同虫期的存活率、♀/♂、蛹重、产卵量、卷叶率有一定差异;稻纵卷叶螟为害后,植株内可溶性糖含量品种间无明显差异,但不同品种与对照(未接虫)相比含量有增有减;还原糖含量品种间差异显著。