Canopy thinning,not agricultural history,determines early responses of wild bees to longleaf pine savanna restoration

Longleaf pine savannas are highly threatened, fire‐maintained ecosystems unique to the southeastern United States. Fire suppression and conversion to agriculture have strongly affected this ecosystem, altering overstory canopies, understory plant communities, and animal populations. Tree thinning to reinstate open canopies can benefit understory plant diversity, but effects on animal communities are less well understood. Moreover, agricultural land‐use legacies can have long‐lasting impacts on plant communities, but their effects on animal communities either alone or through interactions with restoration are unclear. Resolving these impacts is important due to the conservation potential of fire‐suppressed and post‐agricultural longleaf savannas. We evaluated how historical agricultural land use and canopy thinning affect the diversity and abundance of wild bees in longleaf pine savannas. We employed a replicated, large‐scale factorial block experiment in South Carolina, where canopy thinning was applied to longleaf pine savannas that were either post‐agricultural or remnant (no agricultural history). Bees were sampled using elevated bee bowls. In the second growing season after restoration, thinned plots supported a greater bee abundance and bee community richness. Additionally, restored plots had altered wild bee community composition when compared to unthinned plots, indicating that reduction of canopy cover by the thinning treatment best predicted wild bee diversity and composition. Conversely, we found little evidence for differences between sites with or without historical agricultural land use. Some abundant Lasioglossum species were the most sensitive to habitat changes. Our results highlight how restoration practices that reduce canopy cover in fire‐suppressed savannas can have rapid benefits for wild bee communities.     

Assessing influence in biofuel production and ecosystem services when environmental changes affect plant–pest relationships

Climate change is currently affecting both biodiversity and human activities; land use change and greenhouse gas emissions are the main drivers. Many agricultural services are affected by the change, which in turn reflects on the basic provisioning services, which supply food, fibre and biofuels. Biofuels are getting increasing interest because of their sustainability potential. Jatropha curcas gained popularity as a biodiesel crop, due to its ease of cultivation even in harsh environmental conditions. Notwithstanding its high economic importance, few studies are available about its co‐occurrence with pests of the genus Aphthona in sub‐Saharan Africa, where these insects feed on J. curcas, leading to relevant economic losses. Using ecological niche modelling and GIS post‐modelling analyses, we infer the current and future suitable territories for both these taxa, delineating areas where J. curcas cultivations may occur without suffering the presence of Aphthona, in the context of future climate and land use changing. We introduce an area‐normalized index, the ‘Potential‐Actual Cultivation Index’, to better depict the ratio between the suitable areas shared both by the crop and its pest, and the number of actual cultivations, in a target country. Moreover, we find high economic losses (~?50%) both in terms of carbon sequestration and in biodiesel production when J. curcas co‐occur with the Aphthona cookei species group.     

Sustainable intensification of crop residue exploitation for bioenergy: Opportunities and challenges

Crop residue exploitation for bioenergy can play an important role in climate change mitigation without jeopardizing food security, but it may be constrained by impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, and market, logistic and conversion challenges. We explore opportunities to increase bioenergy potentials from residues while reducing environmental impacts, in line with sustainable intensification. Using the case study of North Rhine‐Westphalia in Germany, we employ a spatiotemporally explicit approach combined with stakeholder interviews. First, the interviews identify agronomic and environmental impacts due to the potential reduction in SOC as the most critical challenge associated with enhanced crop residue exploitation. Market and technological challenges and competition with other residue uses are also identified as significant barriers. Second, with the use of agroecosystem modelling and estimations of bioenergy potentials and greenhouse gas emissions till mid‐century, we evaluate the ability of agricultural management to tackle the identified agronomic and environmental challenges. Integrated site‐specific management based on (a) humus balancing, (b) optimized fertilization and (c) winter soil cover performs better than our reference scenario with respect to all investigated variables. At the regional level, we estimate (a) a 5% increase in technical residue potentials and displaced emissions from substituting fossil fuels by bioethanol, (b) an 8% decrease in SOC losses and associated emissions, (c) an 18% decrease in nitrous oxide emissions, (d) a 37% decrease in mineral fertilizer requirements and emissions from their production and (e) a 16% decrease in nitrate leaching. Results are spatially variable and, despite improvements induced by management, limited amounts of crop residues are exploitable for bioenergy in areas prone to SOC decline. In order to sustainably intensify crop residue exploitation for bioenergy and reconcile climate change mitigation with other sustainability objectives, such as those on soil and water quality, residue management needs to be designed in an integrated and site‐specific manner.     

微藻源生物刺激剂的制备及在设施农业中的应用

化肥和农药的过量使用导致的农业面源污染已经成为我国环境污染的重要组成部分,对农业绿色高效安全生产及设施农业带来了巨大挑战。寻找新型的传统化肥替代品、提高化肥使用效率及保护生态环境是亟待解决的重大问题。生物刺激剂是具有调控植物生长作用的成分和(或)微生物的统称,用于农业生产,可改善土壤理化性质与群落微生物,能促进作物的代谢与生长,增强对营养物质的吸收和利用,提升作物抗逆能力及提高作物产量与产品品质。微藻体内具有结构新颖、功能独特的天然活性物质,是制备新型生物刺激剂的理想来源。微藻用于环境治理的同时,可获得足量的微藻生物质来制备生物刺激剂,从而达到治理环境、降低成本及提质增效的目的。就微藻源生物刺激剂的定义及功能、微藻全细胞和天然活性物质生物刺激剂的制备、应用效果及对植物和土壤的作用原理进行综述,以期为微藻源强效生物刺激剂的规模化制备及农业生产应用奠定理论基础和提供生产实践指导。     

黄土高原降水年内分布差异对旱作果园蒸散特征的影响

天然降水是雨养农业区水文循环的主要驱动因子,在一定程度上决定着土壤水分生态环境,从而影响作物的蒸散特征。本研究通过分析静宁地区历年降水年内分布特征,明确了降水的集中趋势,在2018和2019年田间定位试验基础上,探究土壤水分随降水发生的变化过程以及果园蒸散特征对降水年内分布差异的响应规律。结果表明: 试验区历年降水集中度较高,集中期多分布在7和8月,8月所占比例达75%,且各年降水集中期出现的早晚变化较大。土壤水分对降水的响应主要集中在0～40 cm土层,深层水分只有在大雨量和连续性降水出现时才会发生明显变化。同为丰水年的情况下,2018年降水集中度高,集中期早,时间短,果树日耗水强度呈单峰结构,变幅较大;2019年降水分布均匀,集中期滞后,日耗水强度呈双峰结构,变幅小,大峰靠后。果树最大需水期历时长,2018年大雨的集中分布无法满足后期果树生理需水,果实产量受损,降水利用效率较2019年下降30.2%。黄土高原地区在苹果树幼果生长期往往会出现短暂干旱,影响果实品质,需加强该时段的水分管控。     

黄土高原生物结皮对SCS-CN模型初损率的影响

水文模型是水文过程研究的有效工具,初损率(λ)是径流模型SCS-CN模型的参数,对模拟流域水文过程具有重要意义。为了确定生物结皮对λ的影响,提高该模型在黄土高原生物结皮广泛分布的退耕地的预测精度,本研究以陕西省定边县鹰窝山涧流域不同盖度的生物结皮坡面为对象,采用模拟降雨试验,分析土壤潜在最大入渗量(S)与实际入渗量(F)的关系,以及生物结皮盖度对λ的影响,并修订了λ;在此基础上,采用陕西省安塞县纸坊沟流域生物结皮径流小区的模拟降雨试验数据校验了参数修订后的模型。结果表明: 生物结皮坡面S与F的关系式为: S/F=2.5×60/T(其中T为降雨历时);模型参数λ与生物结皮盖度(C_BSC)呈极显著负相关关系,二者关系式为: λ=0.0791×e^{(-0.015×C_BSC}),R²=0.60;较λ取标准值,依生物结皮盖度修订λ后,SCS-CN模型Nash效率系数提高338.7%,合格率提升16.1%。研究结果为黄土高原生物结皮坡面λ的确定提供了科学依据,对准确评估黄土高原退耕还林(草)工程的水文效应具有重要意义。     

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.     

Larval host plants of two lizard beetles in the genus Tetraphala (Coleoptera,Erotylidae, Languriinae,Languriini) from Taiwan,with a host plant list of Languriini

Lizard beetles (Erotylidae, Languriinae, Languriini) are known as stem borers of plants and contain agricultural pests and endangered species, but their species–host plant associations have been poorly documented. Here we investigated the larval host plants of two species of the genus Tetraphala Strum, T. collaris (Crotch) and Tetraphala sp. occurring in Taiwan. Females of T. collaris excavated living leafstalks and stems of the herbaceous dicot, Sambucus chinensis (Adoxaceae) using their mandibles for oviposition. We observed the eggs and early-instar larvae inside and nearby oviposition holes and late-instar larvae inside stems, suggesting that T. collaris uses living leafstalks and stems of S. chinensis as oviposition substrate and the larvae tunnel into stems with feeding on the tissues. Similarly, females of Tetraphala sp. excavated living leafstalks of the fern, Pteris wallichiana (Pteridaceae) using their mandibles for oviposition. We observed the eggs and early-instar larvae inside and nearby oviposition holes. When reared in laboratory, a larva reached adulthood inside the leafstalk. These results indicated that Tetraphala sp. uses living leafstalks of Pt. wallichiana as oviposition substrate and the larvae complete their development within. This study revealed that the genus Tetraphala contains both fern- and dicot-users during larval period. Further study is needed to clarify the evolutionary process of host plant use of languriines. Additionally, the host plant list of Languriini is provided.