Biology, herbivory, and host specificity of Antiblemma leucocyma (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae) in Brazil

Miconia calvescens DC. (Melastomataceae) is an invasive tree considered one of the greatest threats to natural ecosystems of Hawaii and other Pacific islands. The potential for using the defoliator Antiblemma leucocyma (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) as a biological control agent of M. calvescens was evaluated in the native habitat of the insect in Brazil. Impact assessment in the field showed that 37.2% of leaves presented damage by A. leucocyma, and among damaged leaves, 1.5-51.9% of the leaf area (16.3% on average) was affected. Damage was found in young to fully expanded leaves (28-915 cm² in area). Individual A. leucocyma developing as third through sixth instars in the laboratory consumed an average of 1348 cm² of M. calvescens leaf material in about 11 days. Populations of A. leucocyma in the field were heavily impacted (up to 83% parasitism) by a braconid parasitoid. Observations in the field and single- and two-host choice tests in the laboratory indicated that A. leucocyma has a narrow host range restricted to M. calvescens. Usefulness of this herbivore for biological control in Hawaii appears low, however, because of its probable susceptibility to generalist parasitoids.     

Effects of Land-Use Change on Carbon Stocks in Switzerland

We assessed how consequences of future land-use change may affect size and spatial shifts of C stocks under three potential trends in policy—(a) business-as-usual: continuation of land-use trends observed during the past 15 years; (b) extensification: full extensification of open-land; and (c) liberalization: full reforestation potential. The build-up times for the three scenarios are estimated at 30, 80 and 100 years, respectively. Potential C-stock change rates are derived from the literature. Whereas the business-as-usual scenario would cause marginal changes of 0.5%, liberalization would provoke a 13% increase in C stocks (+62 MtC). Gains of 24% would be expected for forests (+95 MtC), whereas open-land C stock would decrease 27% (−33 MtC). Extensification would lead to a C stock decrease of 3% (−12 MtC). Whereas forest C is expected to increase 12% (+36.5 MtC) at high elevations, stocks of open-land C would decline 38.5% (−48.5 MtC). Most affected are unfavorable grasslands, which increase in area (+59%) but contribute only 14.5% to the C stocks. C sinks would amount to 0.6 MtC y⁻¹ assuming a build-up time of 100 years for the liberalization scenario. C stocks on the current forest area are increasing by 1 MtC y⁻¹. The maximal total C sink of 1.6 MtC might thus suffice to compensate for agricultural greenhouse gases (2004: 1.4 Mt CO₂–C equivalents), but corresponds only to 11–13% of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission in Switzerland. Thus, even the largest of the expected terrestrial C stocks under liberalization will be small in comparison with current emissions of anthropogenic greenhouse gases.     

我国医疗技术管理中引入医疗技术评估的路径探讨

2015年以来,在简政放权的大环境下,我国医疗技术管理面临着从重审批的分级分类管理向重监管转型的挑战和机遇,亟需探索建立更加科学合理的医疗技术管理体系。使用医疗技术评估的科学工具和手段是在医疗技术管理领域国际通行的理念和做法。本文梳理了我国医疗技术管理政策沿革,介绍了国际典型代表英国医疗技术管理的过程和方法,并为完善我国医疗技术管理提供了几条政策建议。     

综合医院住院医师规范化培训管理实践与探索

国家对住院医师规范化培训项目越来越重视,芜湖市第二人民医院紧随政策导向,贯彻实施住院医师规范化培训。通过以芜湖市第二人民医院住院医师规范化培训管理实践为例,介绍住院医师规范化培训背景、现状及管理实践,为持续改进培训管理工作提供参考。     

生态系统服务价值评估研究进展——国外学者观点

生态系统服务的价值评估是目前生态学研究热点和存在较多争议的领域之一。争论的焦点主要集中在生态系统服务货币化评估的必要性和有效性。通过对大量文献的检索,较为系统地总结了国外学者的观点,特别是引起诸多争论的主要原因：一是由于生态系统本身的复杂性,各项服务之间存在着相互依赖的关系,使生态系统服务的分类本身就缺乏严格的标准,同时存在着时间和空间上复杂的尺度转换问题,从而使生态系统服务的价值评估容易出现重复计算;二是由于经济学方法本身存在着一定的局限性,对于不同的评估对象和评估目标往往需要选取不同的评估方法,每一种生态系统服务通常可以有几种不同的评估方法,评估结果在很大的程度上依赖于选择的不同方法．从而使得到的结果间缺乏可比性;三是由于生态系统不同于经济系统。有时用经济学方法对生态系统进行评估时往往很难反映出自然系统的价值,特别是当人类对生态系统服务的偏好随着时间和新信息的出现而发生变化时,可能会出现更大的差异。今后的研究应当着力于上述困难的解决,以便使生态系统的评估结果更加客观可信,为生态补偿机制建立和生态系统管理等提供有力支撑。     

Associations between abundances of free‐roaming gamebirds and common buzzards Buteo buteo are not driven by consumption of gamebirds in the buzzard breeding season

Releasing gamebirds in large numbers for sport shooting may directly or indirectly influence the abundance, distribution and population dynamics of native wildlife. The abundances of generalist predators have been positively associated with the abundance of gamebirds. These relationships have implications for prey populations, with the potential for indirect impacts of gamebird releases on wider biodiversity. To understand the basis of these associations, we investigated variation in territory size, prey provisioning to chicks, and breeding success of common buzzards Buteo buteo, and associations with variation in the abundances of free‐roaming gamebirds, primarily pheasants Phasianus colchicus, and of rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and field voles Microtus agrestis, as important prey for buzzards. The relative abundance of gamebirds, but not those of rabbits or voles, was weakly but positively correlated with our index of buzzard territory size. Gamebirds were rarely brought to the nest. Rabbits and voles, and not gamebirds, were provisioned to chicks in proportion to their relative abundance. The number of buzzard chicks increased with provisioning rates of rabbits, in terms of both provisioning frequency and biomass, but not with provisioning rates for gamebirds or voles. Associations between the abundances of buzzards and gamebirds may not be a consequence of the greater availability of gamebirds as prey during the buzzard breeding season. Instead, the association may arise either from habitat or predator management leading to higher densities of alternative prey (in this instance, rabbits), or from greater availability of gamebirds as prey or carrion during the autumn and winter shooting season. The interactions between gamebird releases and associated practices of predator control and shooting itself require better understanding to more effectively intervene in any one aspect of this complex social‐ecological system.     

A global invasion by the thrip,Frankliniella occidentalis: Current virus vector status and its management

Western flower thrip, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), is among the most economically important agricultural pests globally, attacking a wide range of vegetable and horticultural crops. In addition to causing extensive crop damage, the species is notorious for vectoring destructive plant viruses, mainly belonging to the genera Orthotospovirus, Ilarvirus, Alphacarmovirus and Machlomovirus. Once infected by orthotospoviruses, thrips can remain virulent throughout their lifespan and continue transmitting viruses to host plants when and wherever they feed. These irruptive viral outbreaks in crops will permanently disrupt functional integrated pest management systems, and typically require a remedial treatment involving insecticides, contributing to further development of insecticide resistance. To mitigate against this continuing cycle, the most effective management is early and comprehensive surveillance of the pest species and recognition of plant viruses in the field. This review provides information on the pest status of F. occidentalis, discusses the current global status of the viruses vectored by this thrip species, examines the mechanisms involved in transmitting virus‐induced diseases by thrips, and reviews different management strategies, highlighting the potential management tactics developed for various cropping systems. The early surveillance and the utilization of potential methods for control of both F. occidentalis and viruses are proposed.