Fate of the soil seed bank of giant ragweed and its significance in preventing and controlling its invasion in grasslands

Giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida, L. henceforth referred to as GR), an annual non‐native invasive weed, may cause health problems and can reduce agricultural productivity. Chemical control of GR in grasslands may have irreversible side effects on herbs and livestock. In an attempt to propose a solution to the harmful effects of GR on grasslands, this study explores the fate of its soil seed bank (SSB) and considers the physical control of its SSB reduction. By studying GR distributed in grasslands of the Yili Valley, Xinjiang, China, we measured the spatial and temporal changes in seed density, seed germination, dormancy, and death. We analyzed seed germination, dormancy, and death following different storage periods. The study analyzed population characteristics over time, including seed fate, and examined physical control methods for reducing the SSB density. The SSB of GR occurs in the upper 0–15 cm of soil in grasslands. Seed density in the SSB decreased by 68.1% to 82.01% from the reproductive growth period to the senescence period. More than 98.7% of the seeds were rotten, eaten, germinated, dispersed, or died within one year after being produced. The seed germination rate of the SSB decreased with the number of years after invasion. When stored for 0.5 or 3.5 years, seed germination rates fell by 40%, during which time seed death rate increased by almost 40%. When GR was completely eradicated for two consecutive years, the SSB and population densities decreased by >99%. The vast majority of GR seeds germinated or died within one year; the germination rate decreased significantly if the seeds were stored dry at room temperature for a long time. Newly produced seeds are the main source of seeds in the SSB. Therefore, thoroughly eradicating GR plants for several years before the seeds can mature provides an effective control method in grasslands.     

Wildfires in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania: Burned areas,underlying causes and management challenges

The Eastern Arc Mountains are one of the most important ecosystems that conserve biodiversity in the world. These ecosystems are threatened by the increasing occurrence of wildfires. Nevertheless, there is inadequate information useful for the development of effective strategies to prevent or respond to future fires. This paper analyses the current extent of dry season fires, underlying causes and the effectiveness of the fire management strategy being implemented in and around the Uluguru Nature Forest Reserve (UNFR) between 2016 and 2021. Differenced Normalised Burn Ratio derived from Landsat satellite images was applied to determine the extent of burned areas, and focus group discussions were held to determine the underlying causes of fires and the extent of implementation of fire management strategies. About 2% (472 ha) of reserved UNFR and 5% (2,854 ha) of unreserved forests were burned in 2017. Some of the fires impacted on 60% (370 ha) of the grassy Lukwangule plateau, which is home to a fire‐sensitive endemic species. The underlying causes of fires varied spatially across the mountains but generally, fire escaping from farm preparation and hunting activities were found to be the most prevalent. On average, survey participants perceived that fire management strategy objectives were achieved by only 29% mainly constrained by a shortage of financial and human resources. Our findings suggest that ignitions and fire spread in UNFR could be prevented or controlled through sustainable funding of fire management activities and the effective engagement of local communities in the management of the reserve.     

Parental care in the Small Tree Finch Camarhynchus parvulus in relation to parasitism and environmental factors

The parental food compensation hypothesis suggests that parents may compensate for the negative effects of parasites on chicks by increased food provisioning. However, this ability differs widely among host species and may also depend on ecological factors such as adverse weather conditions and habitat quality. Although weed management can improve habitat quality, management measures can bring about a temporary decrease in food availability and thus may reduce parents’ ability to provide their nestlings with enough energy. In our study we investigated the interaction of parasitism and weed management, and the influence of climate on feeding rates in a Darwin’s tree finch species, which is negatively impacted by two invasive species. The larvae of the invasive parasitic fly Philornis downsi ingest the blood and body tissues of tree finch nestlings, and the invasive Blackberry Rubus niveus affects one of the main habitats of Darwin’s tree finches. We compared parental food provisioning of the Small Tree Finch Camarhynchus parvulus in parasitized and parasite‐free nests in three different areas, which differed in invasive weed management (no management, short‐term and long‐term management). In a parasite reduction experiment, we investigated whether the Small Tree Finch increases food provisioning rates to nestlings when parasitized and whether this ability depends on weed management conditions and precipitation. Our results provide no evidence that Small Tree Finches can compensate with additional food provisioning when parasitized with P. downsi. However, we found an increase in male effort in the short‐term management area, which might indicate that males compensate for lower food quality with increased provisioning effort. Furthermore, parental food provisioning was lower during rainfall, which provides an explanation for the negative influence of rain on breeding success found in earlier studies. Like other Darwin’s finches, the Small Tree Finch seems to lack the ability to compensate for the negative effects of P. downsi parasitism, which is one explanation for why this invasive parasite has such a devastating effect on this host species.     

Individual and group characteristics affecting nest building in sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L. 1758)

Nest building relates to reproductive effort, sexual selection, intersexual conflict and cooperation and may be linked to individual phenotype and interindividual interactions. In particular, larger individuals having more energy reserves are expected to build more, larger nests, without having to trade intrasexual competition for cooperative nest building. Capture–mark–recapture and nest survey of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus L. 1758) were combined to assess the relationship between individuals and nesting activity on a spawning ground, throughout a breeding season, during which 202 nests were observed and 114 individuals were captured. On average, males and females stayed 8.33 ± 1.02 and 3.57 ± 1.04 days on the spawning ground, visited 2.26 ± 1.72 and 1.67 ± 1.17 nests and encountered 2.33 ± 2.13 mates for males and 2.29 ± 1.32 mates for females, respectively, and the number of mates encountered increased with the number of nests visited. Body size had no effect on the duration of presence on spawning ground, number of nests visited, number of individuals per nest and sex ratio on nest or nest volume. Bigger nests were found at the end of the season and were not necessarily built by more individuals. This work brings insights on the mating system and cooperative nest building in sea lamprey and may inform managers who want to estimate sea lamprey populations via nest surveys.     

A Call for More Nuanced Dialogues About Trophy Hunting

Reported effects of trophy harvest often are controversial. The subject is nuanced and many studies lack details necessary to place their results in context. Consequently, many studies are misunderstood or their conclusions misapplied. We propose that all dialogues about trophy hunting include a definition of how they use the term trophy, details of variables measured and why they were selected, and explanations of temporal and spatial scales employed. Only with these details can potential effects of trophy hunting be understood in context and used for management and policy decisions. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.     

耕作方式对潮土土壤团聚体微生物群落结构的影响

为探究不同耕作方式对潮土土壤团聚体微生物群落结构和多样性的影响,采用磷脂脂肪酸(PLFA)法测定了土壤团聚体中微生物群落。试验设置4个耕作处理,分别为旋耕+秸秆还田(RT)、深耕+秸秆还田(DP)、深松+秸秆还田(SS)和免耕+秸秆还田(NT)。结果表明:与RT相比,DP处理显著提高了原状土壤和>5 mm粒级土壤团聚体中真菌PLFAs量和真菌/细菌,为真菌的繁殖提供了有利条件,有助于土壤有机质的贮存,提高了土壤生态系统的缓冲能力;提高了5～2 mm粒级土壤团聚体中细菌PLFAs量,降低了土壤革兰氏阳性菌/革兰氏阴性菌,改善了土壤营养状况;提高了<0.25 mm粒级土壤团聚体中微生物丰富度指数。总的来说,深耕+秸秆还田(DP)对土壤团聚体细菌和真菌生物量有一定的提高作用,并且在一定程度上改善了土壤团聚体微生物群落结构,有利于增加土壤固碳能力和保持土壤微生物多样性。冗余分析结果表明,土壤团聚体总PLFAs量、细菌、革兰氏阴性菌和放线菌PLFAs量与土壤有机碳相关性较强,革兰氏阳性菌PLFAs量与总氮相关性较强。各处理较大粒级土壤团聚体微生物群落主要受碳氮比、含水量、pH值和团聚体质量分数的影响,较小粒级土壤团聚体微生物群落则主要受土壤有机碳和总氮的影响。     

基于遥感信息的黄土高原主要灌溉农业分布区生态安全特征

生态安全是区域经济社会可持续发展的重要保证。本研究基于2000—2018年间的遥感数据,系统分析了黄土高原4个主要灌溉农业分布区(银川平原、河套平原、汾河谷地和渭河平原)植被覆盖度(FVC)和遥感生态指数(RSEI)的变化特征。结果表明: 2000—2018年间,研究区FVC整体呈下降趋势,但4个不同灌溉农业分布区FVC变化趋势各异。研究区RSEI整体呈下降趋势,其中,银川平原和渭河平原的RSEI下降明显,分别下降0.06和0.07,河套平原的RSEI无明显变化,而汾河谷地的RSEI整体呈上升趋势。4个区域中,银川平原、汾河谷地的生态稳定性较差,河套平原的生态环境较稳定,而渭河平原的生态环境持续退化。研究结果对区域生态环境保护和农业可持续发展具有重要意义。     

基于地理探测器的中国农业生态效率时空分异及其影响因素

研究农业生态效率的时空分异及其影响因素对实现中国农业生态高质量发展具有重要意义。基于2000—2018年中国30个省/区/市的面板数据,采用超效率SBM模型测算省际农业生态效率,在时间序列、空间可视化及趋势面分析揭示农业生态效率时空演变规律的基础上,进一步利用地理探测器模型识别影响农业生态效率空间分异的主导因子及其交互作用。结果表明: 2000—2018年,中国农业生态效率整体呈现稳定上升的趋势,但仍然处于较低水平,存在较大提升空间;中国农业生态效率具有显著的空间分异特征,总体上呈现出东西部地区较高、而中部地区较低的空间分布格局;中国农业生态效率的空间分异受到农业资源禀赋、社会经济、自然生态环境等多种因素的影响,不同因子对农业生态效率空间分异的影响存在明显差异且因子间交互作用会增强其空间分异。综上,要关注农业生态效率时空分异的主导因子,并注重区域间的协同合作,以实现农业的高质量发展。     

Chitosan and silver nanoparticles are attractive auxin carriers: A comparative study on the adventitious rooting of microcuttings in apple rootstocks

Nanocarriers for encapsulation and sustained release of agrochemicals such as auxins have emerged as an attractive strategy to provide enhanced bioavailability and efficacy for improved crop yields and nutrition quality. Here, a comparative study was conducted on the effectiveness of chitosan-as a biopolymeric nanocarrier- and silver-as a metallic nanocarrier- on in vitro adventitious rooting potential of microcuttings in apple rootstocks, for the first time. Auxins indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) loaded silver (nAg) or chitosan nanoparticles (nChi) were synthesized. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy studies showed the spherical shape of the nanoparticles. The average particle size of IAA-nChi was 167.5 ± 0.1 nm while that of IBA-nChi was 123.2 ± 2.6 nm. The hydrodynamic diameter of the nAg-IAA and nAg-IBA particles were measured as 93.66 ± 5 nm and 71.41 ± 3 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses confirmed the encapsulation of IAA or IBA in the chitosan nanoparticles. Meanwhile, the characteristic peaks of IAA or IBA were detected on silver nanoparticles. In-vitro adventitious rooting of microcuttings of Malling Merton 106 (MM 106) was significantly higher both in chitosan and silver nanoparticles loaded with IAA or IBA (91.7%–62.5%) compared to free IAA or IBA applications (50.0%–33.3%), except for 2.0 mg L^–1 IBA (66.7%). However, the application of 2 mg L^–1 IBA and IBA-nChi at all concentrations caused an undesirable large callus development.     

Agro-waste derived compounds (flax and black seed peels): Toxicological effect against the West Nile virus vector,Culex pipiens L. with special reference to GC–MS analysis

The development of different approaches to use agricultural residues as a source of high value-added products, become a must, especially after the problems emerged due to their accumulation. This contribution demonstrates the potential of agricultural residues, Linuim usitatissium (flax seed) and Nigella sativa (black seed) peels, as raw materials for the production of bioactive products, botanical insecticides, against Cx. pipiens, with deep analysis to their chemical constituents by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, the larvicidal efficacies of the three crude extracts (methylene chloride, petroleum ether and methanol 70%) from the two plant waste peels were evaluated for the first time against the late third instar larvae of Cx. pipiens. Results indicated different lethal doses in larvae depending on the efficacy of organic solvent used. For both compounds methanol 70% extracts produced the highest dry yield. The most efficient solvent is petroleum ether in case of both flax and Black seed peels. Petroleum ether extract exhibited the highest toxicity against Cx. pipiens with an LC50 of 69.6383 ppm. The same results for black seed indicated that petroleum ether was the most efficient against Cx. pipiens with an LC50 of 40.7748 ppm. The study revealed for the first time the type of phytochemical constituents presents in peels of flax and black seeds using GC–MS analysis which revealed twenty-eight constituents among extracts of flax and black seed peels ranging from to 58.8711% to 99.99% of the total extracts. GC–MS profiling showed that a five constituents, 9-2-Methyl-Z, Z-3, 13 octadecadienol (terpenoid), 9,17-Octadecadienal, (Z)-, Nonanoic acid, 9-oxo-, methyl ester, 9,12-Octadecadienoic acid Z,Z and Octasiloxane, 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11,13,13,15,15-hexadecamethyl- have insecticidal activity beside many other biological activities as recorded from a variety of botanical extracts. While the constituents like Hexadecanoic acid, methyl ester and cis-9-Hexadecenal, both of them are larvicidal, cis-Vaccenic acid and 9-Oxononanoic acid showing only an insecticidal activity beside Undecanoic acid the mosquito repellent. The other six constituents Linoelaidic acid, Oleic Acid, Z-2-Octadecen-1-ol, 1-Methoxy-3-hydroxymethylheptane, Cis-11,14–Eicosadieonic acid-methyl ester and Heptasiloxane, 1,1,3,3,5,5,7,7,9,9,11,11,13,13-tetradecamethyl- are constituents of other plant extracts which showed as a whole an insecticidal activity.