Changes in spatial distribution pattern during the larval stage of the fall webworm,Hyphantria cunea drury (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae)

Summary The changes in spatial distribution pattern during larval stage of the fall webworm,Hyphantria cunea were quantitatively investigated in the field experimental populations. The female adult deposits eggs as a cluster and the hatchlings make a compact colonial-web. In this period, the all-or-none type mortality which is characteristic in gregarious insect species was occasionary recognized before spinning a compact colonial-web. Once making a compact colonial-web, the larvae feed the leaves in the colonial-web up to about 5th instar. In this period, the movement of larvae occurred due to the local food shortage in a colonial-web and the expansion of colonial-web. As the larvae developed, the colonial-web was separated into several small groups. These larvae began to disperse about 5th instar. In this period, the local food shortage seems to be an important trigger for the larval dispersal. The mean concentration of larvae on leaves abruptly decreased, and finally the larvae became solitary at the 6th or 7th instars. The dispersal process in later larval stage is not necessarily due to the complete food shortage. The dispersal prior to the occurrence of food shortage may be a safety mechanism to protect the larvae from the food shortage.     

Density dependence of Anaphes sordidatus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) parasitism on eggs of Listronotus oregonensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Listronotus oregonensis (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) oviposits in carrot leaves and the larvae feed in carrot roots. Its eggs are parasitized by Anaphes sordidatus (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) throughout its oviposition period. This parasitoid is the major biotic mortality factor for L. oregonensis. Parasitism by A. sordidatus was studied for three years in sequentially sown plots of carrots, Daucus carota var. sativa. Over the scason, significantly fewer L. oregonensis eggs were oviposited in later sown carrots than in earlier sown carrots because oviposition started later in late sown plots of carrots. A positive temporal density-dependent relationship was observed each year between parasitism rates and host densities. This positive density dependence occurred in early and mid-summer for earlysown carrots where host density reached 1–2 host eggs per plant but disappeared in late summer when host density decreased while parasitism remained high. Latesown carrots had low host egg density (0.2 host egg per plant) and contributed little to the total number of eggs. In these late sown plots, parasitism increased rapidly to over 80% but no density dependence was observed. Spatially, few statistically significant regressions were found but all indicated a positive spatial density-dependence. Most non-significant regressions occurred because the range of egg density was too small between plots for a given date.     

A spatial panel statistical analysis on cultivated land conversion and chinese economic growth

The conflict between cultivated land protection and economic development has become increasingly acute in recent years. Despite, intensive researches made on this conflict, little attention has been paid to the spatial correlation of variables. In view of this, the paper introduces the spatial panel regression model to estimate, and test whether the relationship between economic growth and cultivated land conversion conforms to Kuznets curve. Research results show that the area of converted cultivated land in China exhibits strong spatial auto-correlation; the spatial panel model with time effect and fixed effect is more stable and significant than conventional panel mode, and that the relationship between economic growth and cultivated land conversion agrees with the inverted U-shape of Kuznets curve, with inflection point occurring when average per capita GDP reaches ¥31330.93 (calculated at comparable price of 1999). On the basis of analysis, it is suggested that the government, with a view to developing economy alongside protecting cultivated land, should attach more importance to land use and planning in the future, pay more attention to the spatial correlation of cultivated land planning in adjacent areas and make greater efforts to increase the input–output ratio of land.     

Comparing the plant virus spread patterns of non-persistently transmitted virus and persistently transmitted virus using an individual-based model

To compare the spread patterns between two types of plant viruses, non-persistent virus (NPV) and persistent virus (PV), we developed a spatially-explicit individual-based model. Our probability-based model is driven by the actions of insect vectors that are affected by interactions with host plants and plant viruses, considering both biological and behavioral components of their relationship. As a model system, we used potato virus y and potato leafroll virus, respectively for NPV and PV, potato for host plant, and Myzus persicae for the insect vector; empirical results from previous studies were acquired and adjusted to be used as our parameter values. Our simulation results showed that initial infection of PV in the field resulted in over 1.3 times greater number of insect vectors while causing approximately 7 times greater number of virus-infected plants compared to NPV by the end of simulation. Furthermore, spatial analysis showed that PV-infected plants showed greater aggregation in the field, forming larger patches compared to NPV-infected plants. Our results demonstrated the importance of host plant and insect vector manipulation by plant viruses as well as biological properties such as infectious period in the insect on the difference in overall spread pattern.     

格网尺度下青海玛多县土地利用及生态系统服务价值空间自相关分析

开展黄河源区土地利用和生态系统服务价值空间量化评估,对于保障黄河流域生态安全具有重要意义。以黄河源区玛多县为例,基于3 km×3 km网格单元,应用空间自相关方法构建生态系统服务价值评价模型,定量评价了2015年玛多县土地利用/覆被空间自相关格局特征,可视化表达了玛多县生态系统服务价值空间信息。结果表明: 在3 km×3 km格网尺度下,不同覆盖度草地覆盖范围广阔;水域网格占总网格数的42.9%,在玛多县西北部分布密集;建设用地呈东北-西南走向的“线条式”分布;未利用土地体现为西南多、东北少的分布格局。在空间上,玛多县土地利用类型网格之间相互影响,表现为正相关性和聚集分布。水域的全局Moran I和局部Moran I值均最大,空间聚集性最强,局部连片度较高。建设用地的全局Moran I和局部Moran I值分别为0.293和0.127,空间自相关性最弱,在小范围内呈聚集特点。2015年,玛多县生态系统服务价值(ESV)为938.87亿元,网格的ESV平均值为3.20×10⁷元,最大值为19.96×10⁷元,水域分布网格是ESV的高值区。玛多县ESV分布格局整体上呈显著的空间正向自相关,ESV在网格之间为聚集分布。不同土地利用类型ESV网格总体呈高高、低低聚集,在局部零星为高低、低高聚集。可采取的国土空间规划与用途管制策略包括:水域、未利用土地采用强调生态溢出价值的“集中连片式”保护模式,高、中、低覆盖度草地采取主次分明、划区管理的“组团式”生态治理模式,建设用地在“廊道式”分布格局中采取小范围集约化开发利用模式。     

大熊猫与同域动物在海拔分布上的生态位分化

大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）是中国的特有物种,其成功放归可能受放归地气候、栖息地、同域动物等多种因素的影响。本研究在野外调查的基础上,基于生态位理论等方法,探讨了栗子坪国家级自然保护区大熊猫与其大中型同域动物的空间关系。调查结果表明,该保护区内大熊猫同域动物共20种,分别属于2纲5目,其中东洋型分布物种占优势（30%）。大熊猫同域动物分布海拔显著低于大熊猫的分布海拔（P＜0.05）,大熊猫分别与灵长目等5个目的动物在海拔分布上均存在显著的生态位分化（P＜0.001）。灵长目动物在空间分布上与大熊猫分布相异,而其他目的动物与大熊猫空间分布类似。偶蹄目动物痕迹数量占比最高（54.14 %）,而食肉目的小熊猫与大熊猫样线共同遇见率达到了43.75%。本研究结果表明,该地大熊猫同域动物较为丰富,在海拔分布上与大熊猫存在生态位分化。该研究可为圈养大熊猫的放归提供参考依据。