Large carbon release legacy from bark beetle outbreaks across Western United States

Warmer conditions over the past two decades have contributed to rapid expansion of bark beetle outbreaks killing millions of trees over a large fraction of western United States (US) forests. These outbreaks reduce plant productivity by killing trees and transfer carbon from live to dead pools where carbon is slowly emitted to the atmosphere via heterotrophic respiration which subsequently feeds back to climate change. Recent studies have begun to examine the local impacts of bark beetle outbreaks in individual stands, but the full regional carbon consequences remain undocumented for the western US. In this study, we quantify the regional carbon impacts of the bark beetle outbreaks taking place in western US forests. The work relies on a combination of postdisturbance forest regrowth trajectories derived from forest inventory data and a process‐based carbon cycle model tracking decomposition, as well as aerial detection survey (ADS) data documenting the regional extent and severity of recent outbreaks. We find that biomass killed by bark beetle attacks across beetle‐affected areas in western US forests from 2000 to 2009 ranges from 5 to 15 Tg C yr^?1 and caused a reduction of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) of about 6.1–9.3 Tg C y^?1 by 2009. Uncertainties result largely from a lack of detailed surveys of the extent and severity of outbreaks, calling out a need for improved characterization across western US forests. The carbon flux legacy of 2000–2009 outbreaks will continue decades into the future (e.g., 2040–2060) as committed emissions from heterotrophic respiration of beetle‐killed biomass are balanced by forest regrowth and accumulation.     

黄曲条跳甲对毒死蜱敏感性差异的生化机制

采用生物测定方法测定黄曲条跳甲Phyllotreta striolata(F.)2个室内试验种群(蔊菜试验种群、上海青试验种群)和1个田间自然种群对毒死蜱的LC50值。结果表明,蔊菜试验种群对毒死蜱的LC50值最低,为30.3459mg.L-1;田间自然种群对毒死蜱的LC50值最高,为77.8448mg.L-1,与蔊菜试验种群相比的敏感性指数为0.39。对不同种群黄曲条跳甲乙酰胆碱酯酶(AChE)、羧酸酯酶(CarE)、谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶(GSTs)的活性测定结果表明,黄曲条跳甲田间自然种群AChE活性最低,与菜试验种群、上海青试验种群相比,差异极显著(P>0.01);田间自然种群GSTs活性最高,与蔊菜试验种群、上海青试验种群相比,差异极显著(P>0.01);黄曲条跳甲蔊菜试验种群CarE活性最低,田间自然种群CarE活性最高,二者差异极显著(P>0.01);说明黄曲条跳甲对毒死蜱的敏感性下降可能与AChE活性的降低,与CarE、GSTs的活性提高有一定的关系。     

Influence of the larval environment on performance and adult body size of the wood-boring beetle Phoracantha semipunctata

Large body size confers a reproductive advantage to adults of the wood‐boring beetle Phoracantha semipunctata (F.) (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae: Phoracanthini). Larvae of this species feed subcortically in stressed and dying eucalypt trees and logs. We evaluated the influence of the larval environment on larval performance and adult body size by manipulating the post‐felling age of host logs (from freshly cut to 2‐weeks‐old) and the density of colonizing neonates (low density with minimal competition for resources vs. high density with intense competition). Adult beetles emerged in greater numbers from logs that had been subjected to the aging treatment which reduced bark moisture content and favored colonization by neonates. Survival was greatest in larger logs having lower densities of neonates, but was greatly diminished in all treatments by mortality during pupation. Development time varied from 2 months to more than a year and was shortest in smaller logs having high densities of larvae. The size of adult beetles emerging from a log was not influenced by larval density, but was positively correlated with the age of logs when the neonates colonized, and log size. These findings suggest that the optimal developmental conditions for P. semipunctata larvae, in terms of larval performance and adult body size, are available in large, aged host logs having low densities of larvae. Manipulation of the larval environment in this study resulted in a considerable variation in adult body size, but large individuals were relatively more common in the wild population that was the source of neonates for the experiment. Potential body size may have been constrained by our use of only one host species and a narrow range of log dimensions.     

Contributions to the knowledge of subterranean trechine beetles in southern China’s karsts: five new genera (Insecta,Coleoptera, Carabidae,Trechinae)

Recent discoveries reveal that southern China’s karsts hold the most diverse and morphologically modified subterranean trechine beetles in the world, albeit the first troglobitic blind beetle was only reported in the early 1990’s. In total, 110 species belonging to 43 genera of cavernicolous trechines have hitherto been recorded from the karsts of southern China, including the following five new genera proposed below: Shiqianaphaenops Tian, gen. n., to contain two species: Shiqianaphaenops majusculus (Uéno, 1999) (= Shenaphaenops majusculus Uéno, 1999, comb. n.), the type species from Cave Feng Dong, Shiqian, Guizhou, and Shiqianaphaenops cursor (Uéno, 1999) (= Shenaphaenops cursor Uéno, 1999, comb. n.), from Cave Shenxian Dong, Shiqian, Guizhou; and the monotypic Dianotrechus Tian, gen. n. (the type species: Dianotrechus gueorguievi Tian, sp. n., from Cave Dashi Dong, Kunming, Yunnan), Tianeotrechus Tian & Tang, gen. n. (the type species: Tianeotrechus trisetosus Tian & Tang, sp. n., from Cave Bahao Dong, Tian’e County, Guangxi), Huoyanodytes Tian & Huang, gen. n. (the type species: Huoyanodytes tujiaphilus Tian & Huang, sp. n., from Longshan, Hunan) and Wanhuaphaenops Tian & Wang, gen. n. (the type species: Wanhuaphaenops zhangi Tian & Wang, sp. n., from Cave Songjia Dong, Chenzhou, Hunan).     

鄂尔多斯高原地区昆虫物种多样性研究

鄂尔多斯高原有特殊生境类型,本文研究了该地区的昆虫物种多样性变化及影响因素,得到以下结果：（1）利用巴氏罐诱法得到昆虫标本约5159号,其他无脊椎动物标本291号,鞘翅目为优势昆虫类群,其数量占昆虫标本总数的45．8％,其中拟步甲和步甲个体数量较多,占所有甲虫总数92．8％;（2）根据甲虫的物种多样性和丰富度的特点将4个调查地点分为两组：一组为以荒漠灌丛为主的杭锦旗和植被类型多样化的石灰庙,物种多样性指数,丰富度和个体数量较高;另一组为以人工植被区为主的石龙庙和新街镇,物种均匀度指数较高;（3）主成分排序（PCA）可以将该地区的甲虫群落分为人工植被区和荒漠植被区2种类型,反映降水和植被类型是决定甲虫群落组成的关键因素;（4）降水梯度对甲虫物种多样性有很大影响,物种多样性指数,均匀度指数与降水梯度呈显著的正相关关系;个体数量与降水梯度呈显著的负相关关系;物种的丰富度与降水梯度没有相关关系。以上结果表明,在鄂尔多斯高原地区,只有减少人为干扰,加强保护脆弱的原有植被,才能保护特有的昆虫种类;只有大力开展固沙造林植草,才能改善环境,提高该地区的昆虫物种多样性。     

Behavioral interactions between three birch aphid species and Adalia bipunctata larvae

First and fourth instars of three birch aphid species were exposed to first and fourth instars of Adalia bipunctata (L.), the most common aphid predator on silver birch, Betula pendula Roth, in northern California. Defensive behavior differed by aphid species. Euceraphis betulae (Koch) (Eb), the most successful escapee, was highly mobile and frequently walked away from coccinellid larvae. Betulaphis brevipilosa Börner (Bb), a flat, sessile species, was the least successful aphid at actively escaping from A. bipunctata larvae, but could passively escape detection when coccinellid larvae walked over nymphs and did not perceive them. Active escape behavior was much safer for aphids than passive avoidance of detection. Both instars of Eb and fourth instars of Callipterinella calliptera (Hartig) (Cc) escaped from coccinellid larvae more frequently when approached from the front, apparently using vision for pre-contact detection of A. bipunctata. These aphids avoided physical contact with larger predators more often than with smaller predators. Level of predation by A. bipunctata on these three aphid species is dependent upon types of aphid defense.

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Résumé Des larves de premier et troisième stades de 3 espèces de pucerons du bouleau: Betulaphis brevipilosa, Callipterinella calliptera et Euceraphis betulae ont été exposées aux attaques des larves du premier et du quatrième stades d'Adalia bipunctata, prédateur le plus fréquent de pucerons sur Betula pendula en Californie du Nord. Le comportement défensif dépend beaucoup de l'espèce de puceron. E. betulae, qui s'échappe avec le plus de succès, est très mobile et s'écarte fréquemment des larves agressives de coccinelles. B. brevipilosa, espèce plate, sessile, a le moins de succès dans la protection active contre les attaques des larves de A. bipunctata, mais elle peut échapper passivement à la détection des larves de coccinelles qui ne peuvent pas les discerner lorsqu'elles circulent parmi les larves de pucerons. E. betulae (aux deux stades) et C. calliptera (au quatrième) échappent le plus aux larves de coccinelles qui attaquent de front, ce qui laisse supposer que la vision permet de détecter A. bipunctata avant le contact. Le succès des larves de coccinelles varie selon les stades du puceron et de la coccinelle. Les possibilités d'obtention de niveaux de prédation élevés de ces 3 pucerons par A. bipunctata dépend du type de protection du puceron.

     

印楝素乳油对黄曲条跳甲种群控制作用评价

在生命表方法分析的基础上。建立了害虫累积为害量指标,用以描述和比较某一时间段内害虫动态持续为害力大小．应用该指标分析印楝素乳油对黄曲条跳甲(Phyllotreta striolata(F.))种群控制作用,结果表明,对成虫显著的忌避作用是其对种群控制的主要机理．印楝素0．50ml·L^-1对成虫的忌避率为83．75％,种群趋势指数I值降为0．3354,干扰作用控制指数为0．0863．采用田间试验获得的结果,避免了室内测定的空间限制,因而是评价异源植物次生化合物对害虫忌避作用的主要依据．该指标在以害虫控制为目标的动态研究中具有较好的应用前景．