Layers of nocturnal insect migrants at high-altitude: the influence of atmospheric conditions on their formation

• 1 Radar studies of nocturnal insect migration have often found that the migrants tend to form well‐defined horizontal layers at a particular altitude.
• 2 In previous short‐term studies, nocturnal layers were usually observed to occur at the same altitude as certain meteorological features, most notably at the altitudes of temperature inversion tops or nocturnal wind jets.
• 3 Statistical analyses are presented of 4 years of data that compared the presence, sharpness and duration of nocturnal layer profiles, observed using continuously‐operating entomological radar, with meteorological variables at typical layer altitudes over the U.K.
• 4 Analysis of these large datasets demonstrated that temperature was the foremost meteorological factor that was persistently associated with the presence and formation of longer‐lasting and sharper layers of migrating insects over southern U.K.

     

不同生境三种杜鹃属植物花特征比较

生境影响植物花部特征的分化.为探究不同人为干扰强度生境是否影响杜鹃花特征分化和资源分配,以及不同颜色杜鹃花分布情况,该研究以百里杜鹃保护区高、中、低人为干扰强度生境的马缨杜鹃、迷人杜鹃和露珠杜鹃为实验材料,采用五点取样法统计不同生境杜鹃花的植株数量,游标卡尺测量花部特征,光学显微镜统计花粉数,海洋光谱仪测定花色的反射光...     

柑橘大实蝇成虫的翅载和额外负载能力

对柑橘大实蝇Bactrocera (Tetradacus) minax (Enderlein)的有效管理受阻于对其成虫运动行为的较少的认识。通过测定其成虫翅载能力和忍受额外负载重量的能力, 从而确定其成虫所携带不同的额外负载的电子标签重量对其正常起飞的影响程度, 为制作合适的昆虫谐波雷达的电子标签提供技术参数。其雌雄成虫的翅载能力并没有随着成虫个体重量增加而降低, 也没有因为性别不同而存在差异。成虫经过正常取食和饥饿（只喂清水）变化处理, 其成虫平均净载重量约为11 mg。来自网室成虫忍受额外负载试验结果表明, 成虫额外负载7.3 mg重量或为占其自身体重大约23%重量对于其向上起飞行为有较少或没有直接的影响。结果进一步表明, 在确定昆虫谐波雷达技术跟踪其成虫携带的电子标签适合性时, 选择的电子标签的重量不能超过7.3 mg。     

Pyrazole amino acids: hydrogen bonding directed conformations of 3‐amino‐1H‐pyrazole‐5‐carboxylic acid residue

A series of model compounds containing 3‐amino‐1H‐pyrazole‐5‐carboxylic acid residue with N‐terminal amide/urethane and C‐terminal amide/hydrazide/ester groups were investigated by using NMR, Fourier transform infrared, and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction methods, additionally supported by theoretical calculations. The studies demonstrate that the most preferred is the extended conformation with torsion angles ? and ψ close to ±180°. The studied 1H‐pyrazole with N‐terminal amide/urethane and C‐terminal amide/hydrazide groups solely adopts this energetically favored conformation confirming rigidity of that structural motif. However, when the C‐terminal ester group is present, the second conformation with torsion angles ? and ψ close to ±180° and 0°, respectively, is accessible. The conformational equilibrium is observed in NMR and Fourier transform infrared studies in solution in polar environment as well as in the crystal structures of other related compounds. The observed conformational preferences are clearly related to the presence of intramolecular interactions formed within the studied residue. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dispersal in the Glanville fritillary butterfly in fragmented versus continuous landscapes: comparison between three methods

1. Habitat fragmentation may lead to natural selection on dispersal rate and other life‐history traits. Both theoretical analyses and empirical studies suggest that habitat fragmentation may select either for increased or decreased dispersal depending on the traits of the species and the characteristics of the landscape. 2. Dispersal and movement rates in Glanville fritillary butterflies (Melitaea cinxia) originating from a continuous landscape in China and from a highly fragmented landscape in Finland were compared using three different methods. 3. The methods included replicated mark‐release‐recapture (MRR) experiments conducted in the natural environments in China and Finland, tracking with harmonic radar of captive‐reared but free‐flying butterflies in a common environment in the field, and replicated common garden experiments in a large outdoor population cage. 4. The results were largely consistent, showing that butterflies from the more continuous landscape in China had a lower movement rate than butterflies originating from the fragmented landscape in Finland. Butterflies originating from newly‐established populations in Finland moved significantly longer distances than butterflies originating from old populations in Finland or from China, demonstrating significant intra‐specific variation in dispersal rate in Finland. These results are consistent with model predictions for the Glanville fritillary. 5. The tracking experiment revealed a result that would have been impossible to obtain with MRR experiments: movement rate was influenced by a significant interaction between population origin (China vs. Finland) and ambient air temperature.     

Nocturnal windborne migration of ground beetles,particularly Pseudoophonus griseus (Coleoptera: Carabidae), in China

1 A network of light‐traps, an aerial net carried by kytoon (balloon) and two entomological radars were used to investigate whether ground beetles migrate nocturnally through China. The network‐wide, simultaneous sudden increase in light trap catches, and after subsequent decrease, indicated a seasonal long‐distance night migration of ground beetles, with Pseudoophonus griseus (Panzer) predominant, in August. 2 Aerial net trapping indicated that carabids were able to ascend to altitudes of at least 200 m and become windborne. Radar observations indicated that the migratory beetles formed high‐density layer concentrations at approximately 200–300 m. 3 These concentrations were coincident with the top of the temperature inversion and a wind speed maximum, which suggested that the carabids tended to select warm, fast moving air for their long‐distance migration. 4 The ground beetles orientated and displaced towards the downwind direction in southerly winds. Their air speed decreased as the tailwind increased and, thus, migrating beetles appeared to be conserving energy. 5 The mean ± SD displacement speed (ground speed) and air speed were 6.85 ± 1.73 m/s (n= 172) and 4.45 ± 1.54 m/s (n= 172), respectively. The duration of flight, estimated from the variation in area density derived from radar data, was approximately 9–10 h, indicating that the beetles might migrate hundreds of kilometres in a single flight.     

The gliding speed of migrating birds: slow and safe or fast and risky?

Aerodynamic theory postulates that gliding airspeed, a major flight performance component for soaring avian migrants, scales with bird size and wing morphology. We tested this prediction, and the role of gliding altitude and soaring conditions, using atmospheric simulations and radar tracks of 1346 birds from 12 species. Gliding airspeed did not scale with bird size and wing morphology, and unexpectedly converged to a narrow range. To explain this discrepancy, we propose that soaring‐gliding birds adjust their gliding airspeed according to the risk of grounding or switching to costly flapping flight. Introducing the Risk Aversion Flight Index (RAFI, the ratio of actual to theoretical risk‐averse gliding airspeed), we found that inter‐ and intraspecific variation in RAFI positively correlated with wing loading, and negatively correlated with convective thermal conditions and gliding altitude, respectively. We propose that risk‐sensitive behaviour modulates the evolution (morphology) and ecology (response to environmental conditions) of bird soaring flight.     

基于Voronoi图的群落优势树种种内种间竞争

在浙江天目山国家级自然保护区内,选择典型常绿阔叶林设置样地,样地大小100m×100m。用全站仪测定每株树木坐标(x,y,z)。首先,用优势度分析法确定群落优势树种。其次,提出基于Voronoi图的V_Hegyi竞争指数,并对Hegyi、APA和V_Hegyi三种竞争指数进行比较分析。最后,采用V_Hegyi竞争指数分析常绿阔叶林的种内、种间竞争关系。结果表明:常绿阔叶林群落共有11个优势树种即细叶青冈(Cyclobalanopsis myrsinaefolia)、青冈(Cyclobalanopsis glauca)、短尾柯(Lithocarpus brevicau-datus)、豹皮樟(Litsea coreana)、白栎(Quercus fabri)、天目木姜子(Litsea auriculata)、黄连木(Pistacia chinensis)、榉树(Zelkovaschneideriana)、杉木(Cunninghamia lanceolata)、枫香(Liquidambar formosana)和黄檀(Dalbergia hupeana)。比较分析认为,V_Hegyi竞争指数既克服了用固定半径圆确定竞争单元的尺度不统一缺陷,又可进行种内、种间竞争分析,并保持竞争排序的稳定性,因此是优于Hegyi和APA的更合适的竞争指数,所以选择V_Hegyi竞争指数进行优势树种竞争分析。常绿阔叶林优势树种的种内竞争比种间竞争激烈。种内竞争最激烈的优势树种细叶青冈、青冈和短尾柯与其它优势树种的种间竞争强度也是最高的。反之,种内、种间竞争都较弱的优势树种包括豹皮樟、白栎、天目木姜子、黄连木、榉树、杉木、枫香和黄檀。多数优势树种存在1个主要竞争树种,很少有超过3个以上的情形。细叶青冈是群落最占优势的树种,具有最强烈的种内竞争。同时,也是所有其它优势树种的最大竞争者。