Optimal investment in sons and daughters when parents do not know the sex of their offspring

Optimal parental investment usually differs depending on the sex of the offspring. However, parents in most organisms cannot discriminate the sex of their young until those young are energetically independent. In a species with physical male–male competition, males are often larger and usually develop sexual ornaments, so male offspring are often more costly to produce. However, Onthophagus dung beetles (Coleoptera; Scarabaeidae) are highly dimorphic in secondary sexual characters, but sexually monomorphic in body size, despite strong male–male competition for mates. We demonstrate that because parents provide all resources required by their offspring before adulthood, O. atripennis exhibits no sexual size dimorphism irrespective of sexual selection pressure favoring sexual dimorphism. By constructing a graphic model with three fitness curves (for sons, daughters, and expected fitness return for parents), we demonstrate that natural selection favors parents that provide both sons and daughters with the optimal amount of investment for sons, which is far greater than that for daughters. This is because the cost of producing small sons, that are unable to compete for mates, is far greater than the cost of producing daughters that are larger than necessary. This theoretical prediction can explain sexual dimorphism without sexual size dimorphism, widely observed in species with crucial parental care such as dung beetles and leaf-rolling beetles, and may provide an insight into the enigmatic relationship between sexual size dimorphism and sexual dimorphism.     

Chronic parasitic infection alters reproductive output in deer mice

Parasitized animals may alter their life histories to minimize the costs of parasitism. Organisms are predicted to decrease investment in current reproduction when parasitism has the greatest impact on current reproductive ability. In contrast, if parasitism decreases residual reproductive value, hosts should increase current reproductive investment, referred to as fecundity compensation or terminal investment. In mammalian hosts, parasitic infection most often leads to reductions in current host reproduction, perhaps attributable to the emphasis on parasites that are unlikely to impact the host’s residual reproductive value. In this study, the life history response of a rodent, Peromyscus maniculatus, to infection with a parasite that should strongly impact the residual reproductive value of its host (Schistosomatium douthitti, Trematoda) was examined. Infection decreased survival for hosts exposed to a high dose of parasites and was chronic in survivors, confirming that infection had strong impacts for the residual reproductive value of the host. As predicted, infected mice increased their reproductive output, producing litters of greater mass due to heavier offspring. However, this increased output was observed after a greater delay to begin breeding in infected mice and was not observed in animals that suffered early mortality. The deer mouse S. douthitti system may provide a rare example of fecundity compensation in mammals.     

农业综合开发投资不足的理性预期分析

为解决农业综合开发投资不足的问题,根据理性预期理论研究了投资预期不足的制度原因。与农业资源开发的巨大资金需求、农业可持续发展需求、提高农业综合生产能力的要求及提高国际竞争力相比,农业综合开发投资明显不足,投资预期不高是农业综合开发投资不足的重要原因,投资预期不足的制度原因是收益低、风险高,农业公共财政制度缺位,分级财政投资体制所产生的贫困地区财政紧张、土地产权制度和农村社会保障制度及金融制度缺陷等。应从建立健全农业公共财政制度框架下的农业综合开发投资机制及开展土地产权等农业基础制度创新和改革金融制度等方面健全农业综合开发投资预期机制。     

长江产业带投资条件比较与综合分等评价

将长江干流沿江地区建设成具有强大经济实力的国家级产业密集带是９０年代国家调整宏观经济发展布局的重大战略举措。在大规模投资开发过程中如何按照各地投资环境特点，选择最佳的投资区位和适宜的投资方向是十分重要的。本文选取了能基本反映研究地区投资环境状况的基础设施条件，经济发展水平，科教发达程度，主要资源赋存和区域环境质量５类因素共１４项指标，以产业带范围内的４０个地市为地域单元，对产业带内部的投资环境条件     

环境投资的定量考核探讨

环境投资占国民生产总值的比例是国际上普遍采用的衡量和评价各国环境与经济持续发展程度的重要指标，为控制我国日趋严重的环境形势，应加强对考核指标的研究，拓宽筹集资金的渠道，扩大环境投资的比例。     

论对外引资中的环境管理

对外引资中的环境管理是尚未引起人们充分重视的严重问题，这一问题解决得好坏将直接影响对外引资工作的健康发展。本文论述了强化对外引资中环境管理的必要性，提出了强化管理的原则、目标以及对策。     

关中灌区农户生产投资与水费承受力研究

2000-2005年连续6年对陕西关中九大灌区800个定点农户进行入户跟踪问卷调查,结果表明,2000-2005年不计入农业税关中九大灌区平均年农业投资为4605.8元/hm²,计入农业税为5313.0元/hm²;2000-2005年农业毛收入从2000年9754.2元/hm²上升至2005年的17371.4元/hm²,6年增长了78.1%,农业净收入从2000年4944.3元/hm²上升至2005年的11317.4元/hm²,6年增长率超过了一倍。2000-2005年九大灌区水费投资平均值为854.9元/hm²,占农业投资的18.56%;2000-2005年灌区水费投资平均值逐年增长,而水费占农业投资、水费占毛收入、水费占净收入、人均水费占人均总净收入比例、人均耕地面积呈逐年下降的趋势。最后就目前农村生产中存在的问题提出了几点看法。     

公路建设项目环保投资核算研究

对公路建设项目环保投资的组成、机理和计量方法作了详细的论述，并以实例作了进一步说明。为建设项目的环境经济分析方法补充了一个新的内容，也为项目决策提供了更有利的支持。     

重视沿海地区控制工业污染出现的新问题

沿海地区对外开放１５年来，外资、合资、集体、个体企业在工业结构中的比重明显增加。它们均要求有良好的投资环境，依靠社会办企业。新兴工业多集中在城镇附近，厂址不少选在较关键的须加强环境保护的地区，如自然保护区，水源保护区等附近。在此情况下，必须按社会主义市场经济规律征收资源费和排污费等；须加强环境规划，建立环境管理系统，有效控制污染源；为保证受损环境得到恢复，必须加强环境建设和环境投资。     

生态价值的整体性研究

生态价值的自然基础是生态系统,生态系统、生态系统功能和能值衡量都具有整体性特征.生态价值的主体意识体现着人类的需求,生态恢复和生态消费需要社会整体的规划和管理.生态价值的自然基础和主体需要决定了它的整体性特征,速对宏微观经济发展都具有重要的指导意义.