The relation between dispersal and survival of Lobesia botrana larvae and their density in vine inflorescences

Dispersal and survival of Lobesia botrana Den. & Schiff. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) larvae in a simulated first generation and the relationship with their density on vine inflorescences were studied under field conditions. Artificial infestations with neonate larvae were conducted at densities of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 individuals per vine inflorescence. Larvae had a considerable dispersal capacity on the vine espalier and were able to reach several inflorescences around those artificially infested. Dispersal downwards (63.1%) was significantly more frequent than upwards (36.9%), probably because larvae move down the vine plant using silk threads. However, the fact that there was upwards dispersal provides evidence that larvae are capable of active locomotion upwards on the vine plant structure. Mean distances covered by larvae ranged between 10 and 30 cm, with a maximum as far as 45 cm. The longest displacements were not associated with the downward dispersal. The maximum distance covered by larvae was positively correlated with larval density. Mean distance and larval density were not correlated, but mean distances covered at high larval densities were significantly higher than at low densities. At higher larval densities, the proportion of larvae which established in the artificially infested inflorescences decreased whereas the proportion of dispersing individuals increased. However, as a result of the balance between establishment and dispersal, larval survival did not differ significantly among larval densities (26–44%). The results obtained suggest that larval dispersal must be taken into account when preimaginal stages are sampled to determine whether damage thresholds are reached in an integrated pest management program.     

云南省沼气及其综合利用发展预测与分析

云南省气候适宜,农村有机废弃物丰富,是以展沼气的理想区域．沼气综合利用前景广阔,沼气发酵系统与农业相结合,能使农业的发展容能源、经济、社会和生态效益为一体,有力地促进农村经济的发展,是我国农业奔小康的理想途径之一．针对云南省沼气发展现状,在对沼气及其综合利用发展预测与分析的基础上,对云南省发展沼气提出一些看法     

花背蟾蜍摄食生态的研究

花背蟾蜍摄食生态的研究周立志宋榆钧（东北师范大学生命科学学院,长春１３００２４）ＡＳｔｕｄｙｏｆＦｅｄｉｎｇＥｃｏｌｏｇｙｏｆＢｕｆｏｒａｄｄｅｉ．ＺｈｏｕＬｉｚｈｉ,ＳｏｎｇＹｕｊｕｎ（ＣｏｌｅｇｅｏｆＬｉｆｅＳｃｉｅｎｃｅ,ＮｏｒｔｈｅａｓｔＮｏ...     

Are all distributions of risk with the same 95thpercentile equally acceptable?

When evaluating a probabilistic health risk assessment, say at a hazardous waste site, risk managers need a risk management policy that distinguishes an acceptable distribution of risks to individuals in a population from an unacceptable one. If a risk manager decides that the distribution of risk for the status quo is unacceptable, then a risk assessor needs a way to compute cleanup targets, i.e., the risk assessor needs a policy statement against which to estimate distributions of exposure point concentrations which, if engineered at a site, will achieve an acceptable distribution of risk. Some regulatory agencies base acceptability on whether the 95^th percentile of the risk distribution falls at or below a given value, without considering the behavior of the rest of the distribution. As regulatory agencies adopt risk management policies for use with probabilistic risk assessments, we recommend that they base their new policies on two simultaneously binding constraints‐one on an upper percentile and one on the arithmetic mean of the distribution of risk‐in addition to other non‐risk criteria.     

Informing the Green Consumer: The Debate Over the Use and Abuse of Environmental Labels

Third-party environmental labeling programs continue to develop around the world. They are being increasingly challenged at the policy level, however; by a well-organized industry opposition claiming that the labels do not identify environmentally superior goods and are subject to abuse as protectionist trade barriers. Ecolabels' effectiveness in the marketplace still has not been empirically proven, although industry interest remains high and in certain cases labels appear to have influenced product design. There is little empirical evidence labels have acted as trade barriers, and negotiations within the World Trade Organization are stalemated. The International Organization for Standardization is developing standards for ecolabeling programs that may influence their status under intemational trade law. The Forest Stewardship Council, a nongovernmental umbrella group certifying sustainably harvested timber; remains the leader in this sector of resource labels. Intense industry interest in environmental labels likely arises out of fear that labels will be used as protectionist nontarifftrade barriers and, more important that label criteria will be adopted as the basis for government public procurement programs.     

Wrapping Up Greenhouse Gas Emissions An Assessment of GHG Emission Reduction Related to Efficient Packaging Use: An Assessment of GHG Emission Reduction Related to Efficient Packaging Use

The use of packaging materials results in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through production and transport of materials and packaging and through end-of-life management. In this article, we investigate the potential reduction of GHGs that are related to packaging. For this purpose, we use the dynamic MATTER-MARKAL model in which the western European energy and materials system is modeled. The results show that GHGs related to packaging can technically be reduced by up to 58% in the period 1995–2030. Current European packaging directives will result in a 10% emission reduction. Cost-effective improved material management 1 that includes lightweighting, reusable packages, material recycling, and related strategies can contribute a 22% GHG emission reduction. An additional 13% reduction becomes cost effective when a GHG emission penalty of 100 euros per metric ton 2 (EUR/ton) is introduced (1 EUR 0.9 USD). Generally speaking, improved material management dominates the gains that can be achieved without a penalty or with low GHG emission penalties (up to 100 EUR/ton CO2 equivalent). By contrast, the reduction of emissions in materials production and waste handling dominate when high GHG penalties are applied (between 100 and 500 EUR/ton CO2 equivalent). Given the significant technical potential and the low costs, more attention should be paid to material efficiency improvement in GHG emission reduction strategies.     

Responses of the northern anchovy to the dynamics of the pelagic environment: identification of fish behaviours that may leave the population under risk of overexploitation

Northern anchovy Engraulis mordax , in an upwelling area off the west coast of Baja California, Mexico, had several strategies in response to chlorophyll a distribution and availability. When the pigment was scarce, northern anchovies practically disappeared from the area and they returned to coastal waters when it was abundant. The fish gathered in specific areas where low turbulence mixing and high concentrations of chlorophyll a existed. The northern anchovies, responding to food concentration in a stable environment, were probably vulnerable to overexploitation because they were highly concentrated. More than 80% of the total fish density, estimated by acoustics, was recorded in a reduced area. Northern anchovies may have been vulnerable to the purse‐seiner fleet because they were swimming at shallow depth; they were close to shore not far from the fleet's base and they were concentrated in an area where several fishing boats could catch them. Studying the responses of shoaling fishes to fluctuation in the pelagic environment, with the intention of identifying behaviours that may leave the stock highly vulnerable to fishing, may help guide their management.     

The side-effects of plant protection products used in olive cultivation on the hymenopterous egg parasitoid Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal

Abstract:  Six insecticides (Malathion, Quik, Cidial, Dimethoate, Actellic, Deltamethrin) and two mineral oils (Super misrona and Kemesol) are currently used to control the most important pests in Mediterranean olive cultivation (olive fly, olive moth and black scale). Potential side-effects of these compounds were tested on the egg parasitoid Trichogramma cacoeciae Marchal, following recommendations of the working group 'Pesticides and Beneficial Organisms' of the International Organization for Biological Control, West Palaearctic Regional Section (IOBC/WPRS). In the present study, three different types of test methods were carried out: (1) initial toxicity dose–response test on adult wasps; (2) initial toxicity test on pupae, using field recommended rates; and (3) persistent test on olive foliage to assess the duration of harmful activity. The six insecticides tested reduced parasitism by 80–95% and rated as moderately harmful at the field recommended doses. The two mineral oils reduced parasitism up to 25% and were therefore rated as harmless to the adult stage of the parasitoid. The results of the pupal test (parasitoid pupa inside the host egg) showed that Malathion was harmless; Quik, Actellic and Cidial were slightly harmful, while Dimethoate and Deltamethrin were moderately harmful. The results of the persistence test on olive foliage showed that Malathion, Quik and Actellic were slightly persistent, while Cidial, Dimethoate and Deltamethrin were moderately persistent.     

Changes in soil carbon with stand age – an evaluation of a modelling method with empirical data

Forest soils store a substantial amount of carbon, often more than the forest vegetation does. Estimates of the amount of soil carbon, and in particular estimates of changes in these amounts are still inaccurate. Measuring soil carbon is laborious, and measurements taken at a few statistically unrepresentative sites are difficult to scale to larger areas. We combined a simple dynamic model of soil carbon with litter production estimated on the basis of stand parameters, models of tree allometry and biomass turnover rates of different biomass components. This integrated method was used to simulate soil carbon as forest stands develop. The results were compared with measurements of soil carbon from 64 forest sites in southern Finland. Measured carbon stocks in the organic soil layer increased by an average of 4.7±1.4 g m^?2 a^?1 with increasing stand age and no significant changes were measured in the amount of carbon in mineral soil. Our integrated method indicated that soil carbon stocks declined to a minimum 20 years after clear‐cutting and the subsequent increase in the soil carbon stock (F/H ? 1 m) was 5.8±1.0 g m^?2 a^?1 averaged over the period to next harvesting (～125 years). Simulated soil carbon accumulation slowed down considerably in stands older than 50 years. The carbon stock measured (F/H ? 1 m) for the study area averaged 6.8±2.5 kg m^?2. The simulated carbon stock in soil was 7.0±0.6 kg m^?2 on average. These tests of the validity of the integrated model suggest that this method is suitable for estimating the amount of carbon in soil and its changes on regional scales.