粘土矿物对烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚的吸附行为

烷基酚聚氧乙烯醚(APEOn)是一类重要的非离子表面活性剂,广泛地应用于工业、农业和日常生活中.近年来,由于其生物代谢产物被证实具有较大的毒性,因此引起人们广泛关注.文章使用自然界广泛存在的天然蒙脱土对APEOn类物质NP9、NP10、TX-100进行吸附,该技术可为使用粘土矿物去除此类污染物提供理论依据.研究结果表明:APEOn在蒙脱土上有较高的吸附量,吸附等温线为S型,符合Langmuir-Freundlich吸附模型,吸附量大小为NP9>NP10>TX-100.温度对吸附的影响较大,在小于40 ℃时,升高温度吸附量减小,而当温度超过40 ℃时,升高温度则有利于吸附的进行.pH值对吸附的影响较小.吸附动力学拟合结果表明,APEOn在蒙脱土上的吸附符合假二级反应动力学,在初始质量浓度为300 mg·L-1时,NP9、NP10、TX-100的吸附速率常数分别为0.377、0.126、0.085 g·mg-1·min-1.解吸实验表明,在纯水中APEOn从蒙脱土上的解吸率并不大,但在乙醇溶液中,解吸率大大提高.     

pH值对有机蒙脱土吸附苯酚的影响

利用十六烷基三甲基溴化铵(HDTMA)改性的蒙脱土来处理含酚废水,了解pH值对有机蒙脱土吸附苯酚的影响．结果表明：不论是酸性还是碱性含酚水溶液,加入有机蒙脱土后其pH值都趋向中性,因此,有机蒙脱土对酸碱具有良好的缓冲能力．在相同pH条件下,吸附在有机蒙脱土上苯酚的数量随着其改性量的提高而增加．在碱性条件下,被有机蒙脱土吸附的苯酚可以发生解吸,pH值愈高,有机蒙脱土吸附的苯酚数量愈少,因此,吸附在有机蒙脱上上的苯酚在碱性条件下是不稳定的．通过碱再生有机蒙脱土又能吸附水溶液中的苯酚,但是其吸附苯酚的能力有所下降．     

干旱区灰钙土和风沙土对Zn的吸附与解吸特性

以自然土壤灰钙土和风沙土作为试验供试土壤,研究了Zn在两种土壤样品中的吸附-解吸特性.结果表明:(1)当平衡液中Zn浓度较低时,土壤对Zn的吸附量随浓度的增加而增加,但增加速度较慢;平衡液中Zn浓度继续增加时,吸附量增加速率变大(曲线斜率逐渐增大),由于灰钙土有机质、碳酸钙、p H等高于风沙土,所以灰钙土对Zn的吸附量大于风沙土;(2)在实验设定的浓度范围内,Langmuir模型、Freundlich模型对实验数据的拟合线性相关均极显著,但总体来看Freundlich型吸附等温线方程适合描述土壤对Zn吸附过程;(3)两种土壤的高碳酸钙及有机质含量导致土壤吸附的Zn不容易被解吸,所以两种土壤的解吸量都很少,且灰钙土p H(8.65)大于风沙土(8.17),则风沙土解吸量大于灰钙土,土壤吸附Zn的解吸率与土壤Zn吸附能力呈反比,Zn在风沙土中的解吸率比灰钙土大,所以Zn在沙土的迁移和扩散的风险比灰钙土大,二次函数最为适合模拟土壤中Zn的吸附量与解吸量之间的关系,且随着Zn吸附量的增大,两种土壤对重金属Zn的解吸率均呈现出先增大后减小的趋势.     

Sb(Ⅲ)在蒙脱土、高岭土和针铁矿表面的吸附:pH值和离子强度的影响

研究蒙脱土、高岭土和针铁矿在不同pH值与离子强度的条件下对Sb(Ⅲ)的吸附及解吸行为.结果表明,随pH值的升高,Sb(Ⅲ)的吸附减弱,离子强度对Sb(Ⅲ)在三种矿物表面的吸附影响较弱,而矿物表面吸附的Sb(Ⅲ)不易解吸.三种矿物对Sb(Ⅲ)的吸附能力差别较大,蒙脱土的吸附量远大于针铁矿和高岭土,针铁矿的吸附量稍高于高岭土.     

纳米铁去除水体中镉的反应动力学、吸附平衡和影响因素

镉(Cd)具有致癌、无生物降解性和生物累积性特点,日益严重的镉环境污染问题已引起人们广泛关注。纳米铁是一种能有效去除多种有机和无机污染物的吸附剂。采用批实验方式研究纳米铁(nZVI)吸附镉的动力学和去除效率,可为深入研究纳米铁在重金属Cd污染修复的可行性方面提供理论支撑。利用透射电镜和扫描电镜等对实验室合成的纳米铁颗粒进行了表征,结果表明,纳米铁颗粒平均BET比表面积为49.16 m~2·g~(-1),粒径为20—40 nm。探讨了多种影响因素对纳米铁颗粒吸附镉的影响,如溶液pH、反应时间、初始浓度和纳米铁投加量。同时研究了Cd2+的准一级和二级反应动力学,应用Freundlich、Langmuir和Temkin等温吸附模型进行平衡吸附研究。结果表明,纳米铁对水溶液中镉吸附是化学吸附。颗粒内扩散模型表明粒内扩散不是控制反应速率的唯一步骤。吸附动力学研究表明,nZVI吸附Cd2+过程符合准二级反应动力学模型。平衡吸附数据能够很好地符合Langmuir、Freundlich和Temkin模型(r~20.95)。通过Langmuir模型获得室温下吸附剂单层Cd吸附量为256.4 mg·g~(-1)。在pH 7和(25±1)℃条件下,纳米铁能够有效吸附镉。当nZVI颗粒投加量为1.00 g·L~(-1),Cd~(2+)初始质量浓度为74.51 mg·L~(-1)时,24 h之内,Cd2+去除率达到98.62%。纳米铁可作为一种用于水体镉去除的非常有应用前景的材料。     

水稻土团聚体中Cu~(2+)的解吸动力学特征

用磁力搅拌法和平衡吸附法研究了水稻土的原土和团聚体颗粒吸附态Cu2+的解吸动力学特征.结果表明,原土和团聚体颗粒Cu2+的解吸率大小顺序为粗粉砂级粉砂级原土砂粒级粘粒级,与其有机质、游离氧化铁、氧化铝含量大小顺序相反.Cu2+解吸过程可分为快、慢两个解吸阶段,快解吸阶段属于非专性吸附态Cu2+的解吸,慢解吸阶段属于专性吸附松结合态Cu2+的解吸.用一级动力学方程、E lovich方程和双常数方程模拟Cu2+的解吸过程,相关性均达显著水平.磨细后的原土Cu2+的解吸速率和解吸进度均大于4个粒组团聚体颗粒.Cu2+的解吸速率和解吸量与土壤表面Cu2+的吸附形态有关.     

砖红壤对Cr(Ⅵ)吸附-解吸反应动力学研究

研究了表面覆盖度、H2PO-4等因素对砖红壤吸附Cr(Ⅵ)反应动力学的影响,以及土壤与Cr(Ⅵ)反应时间对表面吸附态C r(Ⅵ)解吸量的影响,还对土壤吸附Cr(Ⅵ)机理进行了初步探讨.在所研究的pH值范围内,砖红壤对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附量随离子强度增加而减少,这表明砖红壤吸附Cr(Ⅵ)机理中存在静电吸附.动力学实验表明,当Cr(Ⅵ)初始浓度较高时(0.1 mmo.ll-1),吸附反应速率开始比较快,持续约5m in,随后逐渐减缓.而当Cr(Ⅵ)初始浓度较低时(0.05 mmo.ll-1),土壤对其吸附速率十分迅速,5m in内的吸附量占总吸附量的96%以上.该结果表明,表面覆盖度越低,吸附反应速率越快.H2PO-4的存在将降低吸附反应速率和吸附量.H2PO-4对土壤表面吸附态Cr(Ⅵ)的解吸反应动力学也表现出双速率特征,即开始比较迅速而随后逐渐变缓.当延长土壤对Cr(Ⅵ)的吸附时间后,Cr(Ⅵ)吸附量虽然没有增加,但其解吸量却减少,这说明吸附态Cr(Ⅵ)滞留在土壤表面期间,其结合形态向难解吸态方向发生了转变.     

蒙脱土协同新生MnO_2对甲基橙模拟废水的脱色研究

研究了蒙脱土协同新生MnO2对甲基橙的吸附脱色性能,结果表明:蒙脱土能够明显地改善新生MnO2在水中的分散性与吸附性,大大提高了新生MnO2对甲基橙的吸附能力,脱色率的提高是二者协同作用的结果.该复合吸附剂具有较快的吸附速度,吸附动力学数据能很好地符合Lagergren二级速率方程.溶液pH值是影响染料脱色的最主要因素,在pH 7及常温条件下,当新生MnO2/蒙脱土的比例为40 mg/1.0g, 甲基橙的浓度为20 mg·l-1, 吸附50 min时,甲基橙的去除率可达96.5%.     

石灰性褐土中柠檬酸对土壤Cu(Ⅱ)、Cd(Ⅱ)吸附-解吸的影响

通过室内培养和吸附-解吸实验,研究了不同柠檬酸含量土壤对Cu2+、Cd2+吸附-解吸的影响.结果表明,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随加入柠檬酸量的增加而明显增加,达到峰值后(柠檬酸含量为0.5 mmol.kg-1),吸附量随柠檬酸含量的增加而下降,即Cu2+的吸附曲线呈峰型.在低柠檬酸含量时,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量受Cd2+浓度影响较小,但随柠檬酸含量的增加,在低铜浓度处理(Cu2+浓度为600 mg·L-1,Cu600)下,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随Cd2+浓度的增大而增大,但在高浓度铜处理(Cu2+浓度为1000 mg·L-1,Cu1000)下,土壤对Cu2+的吸附量随Cd2+浓度的增加而减少.Cu2+的解吸量随柠檬酸含量的增加而总体上降低;相同柠檬酸含量下,Cu600处理下,Cd2+浓度为10 mg·L-1(Cd10)条件下Cu2+解吸量明显低于无Cd2+(Cd0)和Cd2+浓度为1 mg·L-1(Cd1)条件下.而Cu1000处理下,Cd2+的浓度对Cu2+解吸量的影响较小.Cd2+吸附量随柠檬酸含量的增加无明显变化,但随Cu2+浓度的增加下降明显,其中无Cu2+处理Cd2+吸附量极显著地高于Cu600和Cu1000处理,而Cu600和Cu1000处理间差异不显著,且土壤对Cd2+的吸附随镉添加量增加而增加;Cd2+的解吸量随柠檬酸含量的增加先增大后保持稳定,在柠檬酸含量为0.5 mmol.kg-1时达到最大,Cu600处理的Cd2+的解吸量显著地高于Cu1000处理.     

岩溶区石灰性土壤对Cd~(2+)吸附的解吸特性及滞后效应

采用一次平衡法对Cd~(2+)在岩溶区典型石灰性土壤(棕色石灰土和黑色石灰土)中的解吸特性及滞后效应进行研究.结果表明,Cd~(2+)在两种石灰性土壤中的解吸量及解吸率均随初始Cd~(2+)浓度和吸附量的增加而增大,解吸量与吸附量呈极显著二次幂函数关系;Cd~(2+)于两种土壤中的解吸率均较小,分别为4.64%—28.93%(棕色石灰土)和2.27%—10.02%(黑色石灰土),显然黑色石灰土对Cd~(2+)的固持性较好.Linear模型是描述Cd~(2+)在2种石灰性土壤中解吸等温模型的最佳方程.Cd~(2+)吸附-解吸等温线不重合,解吸等温线明显滞后于吸附等温线,表明滞后效应的存在.基于Freundlich系数、Cd~(2+)分配系数及吸附量与解吸量间的差异3种方法计算滞后指数,计算结果表明,石灰土中Cd~(2+)初始浓度越高则解吸滞后程度越大,且黑色石灰土中Cd~(2+)的滞后程度略高于棕色石灰土.     

Representation of the world's biophysical conditions by the global protected area network

Protected areas (PAs) are often implemented without consideration of already existing PAs, which is likely to cause an overrepresentation of certain biophysical conditions. We assessed the representativeness of the current PA network with regard to the world's biophysical conditions to highlight which conditions are underprotected and where these conditions are located. We overlaid terrestrial and marine PAs with information on biophysical conditions (e.g., temperature, precipitation, and elevation) and then quantified the percentage of area covered by the PA network. For 1 variable at a time in the terrestrial realm, high temperature, low precipitation, and medium and very high elevation were underrepresented. For the marine realm, low and medium sea surface temperature (SST), medium and high sea surface salinity (SSS), and the deep sea were underrepresented. Overall, protection was evenly distributed for elevation across the terrestrial realm and SST across the marine realm. For 2 variables at a time, cold and very dry terrestrial environments had mostly low protection, which was also the case for low SST and low and medium SSS across most depths for marine environments. Low protection occurred mostly in the Sahara and the Arabian Peninsula for the terrestrial realm and along the Tropic of Capricorn and toward the poles for the marine realm. Although biodiversity measures are of prime importance for the design of PA networks, highlighting biophysical gaps in current PAs adds a frequently overlooked perspective. These gaps may weaken the potential of PAs to conserve biodiversity. Thus, our results may provide useful insights for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers to establish a more comprehensive global PA network.     

Quantitative composition of the defensive secretion ofBledius species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Oxytelinae) is adapted to naturally occurring predators

Summary The adaptation of defensive secretions to their target organisms was examined for the abdominal gland secretions ofBledius furcatus, B. spectabilis andB. arenarius. Therefore the target organisms of the secretion of theseBledius species (i.e. their predators) had to be identified. At the collection sites examined these were the earwigLabidura riparia, the antCataglyphis bicolor, the flyLispe candicans, different carabids of the generaPogonus, Dichirotrichus, Dyschirius, Bembidion andCalathus and the wading birdsHaematopus ostralegus andCalidris alba. The secretion of the abdominal glands contains the toxin ptoluquinone dissolved in either-dodecalactone and 1-undecene (B. furcatus andB. spectabilis) or in octanoic acid and octyloctanoate (B. arenarius). The ratio of these solvents is species-specific. Application experiments using some of the natural insect predators (L. riparia, C. bicolor, Pogonus, Di. gustavii, Dyschirius) revealed that these solvent ratios provided a more effective deterrent than other possible ratios. Thus by combining the solvents in certain ratios, the capability of cuticular penetration and therefore the effectiveness of the defensive secretions are adapted to their natural targets.     

Democracy versus development: New urban debates

The politics of development includes subtexts of choice, as underpinned by community consensus (or lack of it), against the larger backdrop of a liberal democracy, with its intricate power structures that influence the choice of concepts and often lead to complicity rather than consent. A dilemma exists between the understanding of field-level practitioners and that of academics, whose understandings of progress differ. Progress can (and often does) imply long-term change across generations whereas development is often more a matter of crisis management and delivering tangible results to end-users. This makes it a bone of contention across political systems, irrespective of local or global dynamics. Development can emerge as a tool to be wielded for power and further political mileage at the expense of progress. Progress cannot be studied as a counterpoint to development as the sense of history is often missing in development interventions. Development tends to be piecemeal as its very logic often stems from the rationale of power. This is not to suggest, however, that development is only about politics; it is definitely more than the politics of everyday life and involves all of civil society that requires its critical and immediate attention. In this sense, it has become a priority for politicians with an underlying agenda designed to out-manouevre dissent and all statements of protest.     

A framework to measure the wildness of managed large vertebrate populations

As landscapes continue to fall under human influence through habitat loss and fragmentation, fencing is increasingly being used to mitigate anthropogenic threats and enhance the commercial value of wildlife. Subsequent intensification of management potentially erodes wildness by disembodying populations from landscape-level processes, thereby disconnecting species from natural selection. Tools are needed to measure the degree to which populations of large vertebrate species in formally protected and privately owned wildlife areas are self-sustaining and free to adapt. We devised a framework to measure such wildness based on 6 attributes relating to the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of vertebrates (space, disease and parasite resistance, exposure to predation, exposure to limitations and fluctuations of food and water supply, and reproduction). For each attribute, we set empirical, species-specific thresholds between 5 wildness states based on quantifiable management interventions. We analysed data from 205 private wildlife properties with management objectives spanning ecotourism to consumptive utilization to test the framework on 6 herbivore species representing a range of conservation statuses and commercial values. Wildness scores among species differed significantly, and the proportion of populations identified as wild ranged from 12% to 84%, which indicates the tool detected site-scale differences both among populations of different species and populations of the same species under different management regimes. By quantifying wildness, this framework provides practitioners with standardized measurement units that link biodiversity with the sustainable use of wildlife. Applications include informing species management plans at local scales; standardizing the inclusion of managed populations in red-list assessments; and providing a platform for certification and regulation of wildlife-based economies. Applying this framework may help embed wildness as a normative value in policy and mitigate the shifting baseline of what it means to truly conserve a species.     

Achieving Open Access to Conservation Science

Conservation science is a crisis discipline in which the results of scientific enquiry must be made available quickly to those implementing management. We assessed the extent to which scientific research published since the year 2000 in 20 conservation science journals is publicly available. Of the 19,207 papers published, 1,667 (8.68%) are freely downloadable from an official repository. Moreover, only 938 papers (4.88%) meet the standard definition of open access in which material can be freely reused providing attribution to the authors is given. This compares poorly with a comparable set of 20 evolutionary biology journals, where 31.93% of papers are freely downloadable and 7.49% are open access. Seventeen of the 20 conservation journals offer an open access option, but fewer than 5% of the papers are available through open access. The cost of accessing the full body of conservation science runs into tens of thousands of dollars per year for institutional subscribers, and many conservation practitioners cannot access pay‐per‐view science through their workplace. However, important initiatives such as Research4Life are making science available to organizations in developing countries. We urge authors of conservation science to pay for open access on a per‐article basis or to choose publication in open access journals, taking care to ensure the license allows reuse for any purpose providing attribution is given. Currently, it would cost $51 million to make all conservation science published since 2000 freely available by paying the open access fees currently levied to authors. Publishers of conservation journals might consider more cost effective models for open access and conservation‐oriented organizations running journals could consider a broader range of options for open access to nonmembers such as sponsorship of open access via membership fees. Obtención de Acceso Abierto a la Ciencia de la Conservación     

Sexual Predators,Energy Development,and Conservation in Greater Yellowstone

Abstract: In the United States, as elsewhere, a growing debate pits national energy policy and homeland security against biological conservation. In rural communities the extraction of fossil fuels is often encouraged because of the employment opportunities it offers, although the concomitant itinerant workforce is often associated with increased wildlife poaching. We explored possible positive and negative factors associated with energy extraction in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE), an area known for its national parks, intact biological diversity, and some of the New World's longest terrestrial migrations. Specifically, we asked whether counties with different economies—recreation (ski), agrarian (ranching or farming), and energy extractive (petroleum)—differed in healthcare (gauged by the abundance of hospital beds) and in the frequency of sexual predators. The absolute and relative frequency of registered sex offenders grew approximately two to three times faster in areas reliant on energy extraction. Healthcare among counties did not differ. The strong conflation of community dishevel, as reflected by in‐migrant sexual predators, and ecological decay in Greater Yellowstone is consistent with patterns seen in similar systems from Ecuador to northern Canada, where social and environmental disarray exist around energy boomtowns. In our case, that groups (albeit with different aims) mobilized campaigns to help maintain the quality of rural livelihoods by protecting open space is a positive sign that conservation can matter, especially in the face of rampant and poorly executed energy extraction projects. Our findings further suggest that the public and industry need stronger regulatory action to instill greater vigilance when and where social factors and land conversion impact biological systems.     

Comparison of the insecticidal effects of water extracted and intact aromatic plants onAcanthoscelides obtectus,a bruchid beetle pest of kidney beans

Summary Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) is one of the most damaging pests of kidney beans,Phaseolus vulgaris L. worldwide. However, aromatic plants from the families Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae and Poaceae can protect kidney beans by direct or delayed insecticidal effect, through increased adult mortality and inhibition of beetle reproduction (both oviposition and adult emergence). The efficiency of hydrodistillated and intact plants fromThymus vulgaris andT. serpyllum, Mentha piperata, Rosmarinus officinalis, Satureia hortensis, Eucalyptus globulus, Laurus nobilis, Origanum vulgare, andCymbopogon nardus was compared. For both extracts,Origanum vulgare had the best effect. The insecticidal effect was induced by more than the essential oils because no significant difference was noticed between distilled and intact plants extract. Inhibition of reproduction was particularly important. These results suggest that lipidic as well as non lipidic, allelochemicals, such as phenolics, or non-protein amino-acids, or flavonoids may be involved in the toxicity of aromatic plants to this beetle.     

Rapid,recurring, structured survey versus bioblitz for generating biodiversity data and analysis with a multispecies abundance model

A bioblitz inexpensively and quickly generates biodiversity data, but bioblitzes are often conducted with haphazard, unreplicated sampling. Results tend to be taxonomically, geographically, or temporally biased, lack metadata, and consist of lists of observed taxa that do not enable further analyses or correction for imperfect detection. A rapid, recurring, structured survey (RRSS) uses a structured sampling design and temporal and spatial replication to survey randomly selected sites on a conservation property. We participated in a loosely structured bioblitz and a subsequent RRSS at Big Canoe Creek Nature Preserve in Springville (St. Clair County), Alabama (USA) to compare observed richness derived from the 2 survey approaches. The RRSS data structure enabled us to fit models that accounted for imperfect detection to estimate abundances, occupancy probabilities, and habitat associations. The loosely structured bioblitz data could not be used in such models. We present a new integrated multispecies abundance model that we applied to avian RRSS data. Our model extension enables estimation for the community, employs data augmentation to estimate the number of undetected species, and incorporates covariates. The RRSS generated a more comprehensive and less biased list of observed taxonomic richness than the loosely structured bioblitz (e.g., 73 vs. 45 bird species and 104 vs. 63 insect families from the RRSS vs. loosely structured bioblitz, respectively). Models fit to the RRSS data identified seasonal patterns in avian community composition and allowed for estimation of habitat–occupancy relationships for insect taxa. The RRSS protocol has potential for broad transferability as a standardized, quick, and inexpensive way to inventory biodiversity and estimate ecological parameters while providing an outreach opportunity.     

Compliance with and ecosystem function of biodiversity offsets in North American and European freshwaters

Land-use change via human development is a major driver of biodiversity loss. To reduce these impacts, billions of dollars are spent on biodiversity offsets. However, studies evaluating offset project effectiveness that examine components such as the overall compliance and function of projects remain rare. We reviewed 577 offsetting projects in freshwater ecosystems that included the metrics project size, type of aquatic system (e.g., wetland and creek), offsetting measure (e.g., enhancement, restoration, and creation), and an assessment of the projects’ compliance and functional success. Project information was obtained from scientific and government databases and gray literature. Despite considerable investment in offsetting projects, crucial problems persisted. Although compliance and function were related to each other, a high level of compliance did not guarantee a high degree of function. However, large projects relative to area had better function than small projects. Function improved when projects targeted productivity or specific ecosystem features and when multiple complementary management targets were in place. Restorative measures were more likely to achieve targets than creating entirely new ecosystems. Altogether the relationships we found highlight specific ecological processes that may help improve offsetting outcomes.     

Some polyphagous Homoptera gain protection from their natural enemies by feeding on the toxic plantsSpartium junceum andErythrina corallodendrum (Leguminosae)

Summary Interactions were studied among alkaloid-containing legumes (Erythrina corallodendrum andSpartium junceum) and non-toxic plants (Citrus sinensis, Cucurbita moschata andEuphorbia tirucalli), several polyphagous homopterans,Aphis craccivora (Aphididae),Icerya purchasi, I. aegyptiaca (Margarodidae),Lepidosaphes ulmi (Diaspididae) andPlanococcus citri (Pseudococcidae), and some major natural enemies of these homopterans. Significant reductions in survival due to negative effects of alkaloid containing as compared with non-alkaloidal plants were recorded for the predatorsRodolia cardinalis andChilocorus bipustulatus, but not forCryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae),Chrysoperla carnea (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) andSympherobius sanctus (Neuroptera: Sympherobiidae). The development time of the larvae or pupae ofR. cardinalis, C. carnea andS. sanctus was longer on the toxic plants than on the non-toxic ones. The percentage of parasitism ofA. craccivora collected from the non-alkaloidal plantsVicia palaestina andMelilotus albus was much higher than that onS. junceum. The parasitoid complexes ofA. craccivora differed between both plant groups. The nutritive value of honeydew ofI. purchasi andA. craccivora, as expressed by the life span ofEncyrtus infelix (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) adults, was also investigated. Life spans were significantly longer when the wasps fed on honeydew produced on non-alkaloidal plants (C. sinensis andPittosporum tobira) than on alkaloid containing plants whenI. purchasi — but notA. craccivora — was the producer. It is suggested that the chemical defense ofE. corallodendrum andS. junceum is exploited by polyphagous phytophages to reduce predation. In nature, population growth and density of four of the investigated homopterans are conspicuously high when they developed on the alkaloid containing plant species, and very low on non-alkaloid plants. The efficiency of their natural enemies may be reduced by sequestration of alkaloids (or other toxic plant compounds) or their transfer into excreted honeydew. Therefore it is assumed that a generalist phytophagous homopteran may be protected from its natural enemies, although at different rates of efficiency, if it can safely sequester the host allelochemical when it develops on toxic species within its host range.