不同尺度中国大陆灵长目物种丰富度的地理格局及其与环境因子和人类活动的关系

物种丰富度的分布格局及其成因有多种假说,其中生态假说中能量假说、生境异质性假说和气候假说目前被广泛接受.本文通过代表不同假说的26个环境变量,同时也利用人口密度、农田牧场面积表征人类活动强度,分别在100 km×100 km、200 km×200 km和400 km×400 km尺度上,基于特征值的空域滤波模型的方法分析中国大陆灵长类物种丰富度与环境因子和人类活动之间的关系.结果表明,在所有分析的空间尺度上,中国大陆灵长类物种丰富度呈现纬度梯度格局,即由南向北逐渐递减.其中,华南区的滇西南山地省和滇南边地省是物种最为丰富的区域,东北区、华北区、蒙新区和青藏区大部分地区基本上没有分布.在不同空间尺度上,虽然影响中国大陆灵长类物种丰富度大尺度格局的主要因素不相一致,但环境能量假说(以潜在蒸发散表示)和气候假说(以年均温度表示)相互作用,共同影响中国大陆灵长类物种丰富度大尺度地理分布格局.当表征人类活动相关的指标和环境因子一起分析时,结果表明人类活动强度对灵长类物种丰富度地理格局有影响,这对加强灵长类物种保护有参考意义.     

物种分布宽度对种子植物物种丰富度垂直分布格局及"中间膨胀效应"的影响

物种丰富度的垂直分布格局是生态学研究的重要课题之一.文章以云南楚雄地区为例探讨物种分布宽度对种子植物物种丰富度垂直分布格局及"中间膨胀效应"的影响.利用大尺度的物种分布数据建立物种分布数据库,同时结合地形信息,分析了研究区域内物种丰富度的海拔分布格局以及"中间膨胀效应"对该格局的影响.在此基础上,探讨了物种分布宽度对楚雄地区种子植物物种丰富度垂直分布格局及"中间膨胀效应"的影响.结果表明,随着海拔的升高,物种丰富度先增加,后下降,呈单峰分布格局.物种分布宽度的相互重叠,即"中间膨胀效应"对物种多样性的垂直分布格局具有显著影响.随着物种分布宽度的增加,"中间膨胀效应"以及各物种组对物种丰富度垂直分布格局的影响均呈显著增加趋势,这说明"中间膨胀效应"和物种丰富度的垂直分布格局更多地取决于分布宽度较大的物种.     

太行山森林群落物种多样性空间格局及其影响因素

探索物种多样性的地理分布格局一直是生物地理学和宏观生态学的核心议题之一.以太行山为研究区域,基于309个植物群落的野外调查数据,分析不同生活型植物物种多样性随海拔和纬度的变化规律及其影响因素.结果显示：（1）太行山森林群落以草本植物物种多样性占绝对优势,而乔木植物的均匀度指数最高;（2）随海拔的升高,物种丰富度指数和多样性指数呈显著上升趋势,其中草本植物和乔木植物与总物种变化趋势一致,灌木植物无显著变化,而均匀度指数则无明显的海拔格局;（3）在纬度格局方面,随纬度的升高群落总物种和草本植物的丰富度指数呈先减后增的变化趋势,草本植物的物种多样性指数和均匀度指数均呈增加的趋势,而灌木植物和乔木植物无明显的纬度格局;（4）地形因素中的海拔因子和气候因素中的年平均温度因子是影响群落物种丰富度的关键因子,且不同生活型植物的主要影响因子有一定差异,而干扰因子对各生活型物种丰富度的影响均不显著.方差分解结果显示地形、气候和干扰因子整体上对群落物种丰富度具有较高的解释率,对草本、灌木、乔木和所有物种的总解释率分别是61.6%、32.9%、40.6%和50.5%,其中气候因子和地形因子是影响不同生活型物...     

旱泉沟流域次生植被不同恢复阶段的多样性特征

采用TWINSPAN和DCA对旱泉沟流域次生植物群落进行了数量分类和排序,将植物群系划分为不同的群落类型,显示出植被群落的分布格局。在此基础上,应用物种丰富度、Simpson优势度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数分别研究不同植被群落类型物种多样性。通过各种指数对比,得出以下结论：①植被被划分为7个群落类型,代表了植被恢复的不同阶段;②对于特定的研究区域茶树沟,制约植被群落类型、植物种分布格局的主要因素是水分和热量;③从阶段Ⅰ到阶段Ⅶ,Simpson优势度指数,乔木、灌木、草本基本持平,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数为乔木〈灌木〈草本,Pielou均匀度指数,乔木〉草本〉灌木,物种丰富度逐渐升高。群落的物种组成和空间结构逐渐复杂化,并趋于稳定。     

中国种子植物物种丰富度的大尺度分布格局及其与地理因子的关系

地理因子对物种多样性空间分布格局的影响具有重要意义.文章利用大尺度的物种分布数据以及地理信息,结合GIS和数理统计方法,探讨了中国种子植物物种丰富度的空间分布格局及其与地理因子的关系.结果表明,从南到北,研究区域内物种丰富度总体上呈递减趋势;在经度梯度上,从东到西,物种丰富度呈递增趋势,这可能与其它地理因子的影响有关;在排除其它因子影响的情况下,物种丰富度随着面积的增加,呈递增趋势.但在其它地理因子的综合影响下,面积的影响作用被掩盖或弱化.物种丰富度随着海拔变幅的增加,呈显著递增趋势;物种丰富度与纬度变幅、经度变幅之间不存在显著的(偏)相关性.总体上,纬度、面积和海拔变幅均显著影响物种丰富度的分布格局,但相对而言,面积和纬度起着更为重要的影响.相对海拔变幅而言,海拔变幅与纬度之比值能更好地反映"生境异质性"效应,说明,海拔梯度的"纬度效应"值得关注.     

Changes in distribution patterns of weed species richness in agricultural lands on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau under climate change北大核心CSCD

农田杂草是阻碍农业生产的主要因素之一.明确农田杂草丰富度分布格局对农业生产管理具有重要意义.以青藏高原农田杂草为研究对象,利用物种分布模型探讨基于县域尺度的农田杂草物种丰富度分布格局及其未来(2050s)的变化,利用逐步回归筛选影响物种丰富度的环境因子,基于传统最小二乘法(OLS)和地理加权回归模型(GWR)分析环境因子对农田杂草物种丰富度的影响,并对两种分析方法进行比较.结果显示:(1)分布在青藏高原的农田主要杂草有51科284种,其中59种单子叶杂草、222种双子叶杂草、135种一年生杂草和149种多年生杂草.青藏高原农田杂草物种丰富度呈由西向东递增的变化规律,物种丰富度中心(丰富度值为167-194)主要集中在一江两河、河湟谷地和川西北等地区;(2)全球气候变化背景下,未来(2050s)青藏高原农田杂草物种丰富度整体呈由东南向西北方向增加的趋势,其中SSP1-2.6情境下最多增加43种,SSP5-8.5情境下最多增加49种;(3)GWR模型优于OLS,其结果表明青藏高原农田杂草物种丰富度的主要驱动因子是最冷季平均温、太阳辐射和最干月降水量,上述变量对杂草丰富度的影响存在明显的空间差异性,其中最冷季平均温由南向北逐渐从负向影响转变为正向影响.太阳辐射整体在青藏高原东部边缘等地区对农田杂草丰富度起正向的影响,在藏东南、青藏高原北部边缘等地区起负向的影响.最干月降水量对整个研究区域起负向影响,并表现出影响力由南向北逐步递增的趋势.上述结果表明青藏高原农田杂草物种丰富度调查不足,实际观测到的丰富度值明显低于当前气候下潜在的丰富度值,存在低估现象.当前气候背景下的农田杂草物种丰富度中心分布地区在未来仍是重点监管对象,且未来青藏高原部分地区作物可能面临新的杂草入侵风险.建议未来研究应注重于青藏高原粮食主产区农田杂草群落结构和功能调查、杂草和作物种间关系、耕地尺度上丰富度驱动因子分析等方面,为区域杂草管理和防治提供充分科学依据.(图6表2参53)     

区域尺度生物多样性维护功能综合评估方法与实证研究

生物多样性是区域可持续发展的基础,准确掌握区域尺度生物多样性维护功能空间格局,对于反映区域生态系统状态、变化和面临的威胁,以及选择保护策略均具有重要意义。利用区域生物量、地形地貌、气候和土地覆被因子,构建生物多样性维护功能综合评估模型,并以京津冀地区为研究区,对评估模型进行应用与验证。结果表明:(1)构建的评估模型能够反映研究区生物多样性维护功能空间格局。经模型评价,京津冀地区生物多样性维护功能高值区主要集中在燕山山区和太行山山区,低值区主要集中在坝上高原和平原地区,评估结果符合研究区实际。(2)研究区县域生物多样性和自然保护区物种多样性与模型评估结果间均存在显著相关关系。县域生物多样性指标中,物种特有性与模型评估结果之间相关性最高(r=0.699,P0.001),其次为生态系统类型多样性(r=0.680,P0.001)、稀有濒危物种丰富度(r=0.571,P0.001)、野生维管植物丰富度(r=0.544,P0.001)、外来物种入侵度(r=-0.437,P0.001)和野生高等动物丰富度(r=0.404,P0.001);自然保护区物种多样性与模型评估结果间呈显著对数相关(r=0.540,P0.001),约70%的自然保护区分布在生物多样性维护功能极重要和高度重要区。构建的评估方法能够从区域尺度和栅格水平反映生物多样性维护功能,从而为区域自然保护区建设和生态修复工作提供科学依据。     

全尺度人工湿地中植物多样性对生产力与多样性效应的影响

在中国东南部的全尺度复合垂直流人工湿地中开展2年的植物多样性实验,以研究植物多样性（包括植物物种丰富度和植物组成）对群落生产力与多样性效应（即互补效应、选择效应和净多样性效应）的影响及其产生机制。结果表明,2007年物种丰富度与群落生产力呈线形正相关,而2008年显著的单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.213x2＋3.455x＋15.192（R=0.215）。2008年物种丰富度与互补效应呈显著地线形负相关,而2007年呈单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.389x2＋6.974x-10.707（R=0.247）,而且2007年与2008年的互补效应与生产力都呈显著的正相关,表明互补效应对生产力的提高有重要作用。然而,2007年与2008年物种丰富度与选择效应之间均没有显著相关性,且选择效应与群落生产力之间也没有显著相关性,表明选择效应对生产力的提高作用不显著。2007年与2008年中物种组成对生产力、互补效应、选择效应与净多样性效应均有显著影响,说明人工湿地的植物配置对其生态系统功能的维持尤为重要。2008年物种丰富度与净多样性效应呈极显著地线形负相关,而2007年呈显著单峰格局,其关系式为：y=-0.329 x2＋5.968 x-12.659（R=0.234）,这种趋势主要是由于植物多样性-生态系统功能关系的影响因素（如物种的竞争力和生态位）在2年中有所变化。同时,2007年与2008年的多样性净效应与生产力都呈显著正相关关系,表明生产力与多样性净效应的变化趋势是同步的。与抽样效应假说不同的是,本实验中单种最高产物种（芦竹）在混种时没有表现出高产,主要是由于生长的分配、资源的竞争力与环境的变化等。     

湖南南岳衡山两栖动物物种多样性及其时空格局

研究物种丰富度以及时空分布格局对区域生物多样性保护具有重要意义。为掌握湖南南岳衡山国家级自然保护区两栖动物的物种组成与时空变化,分别于2018年4、6和8月,运用样线法对衡山观测样区及周围区域两栖动物的资源现状与栖息地利用现状进行实地调查。调查共记录到15种两栖动物,隶属于1目6科12属,其中国家二级保护物种1种、"三有"动物10种,占物种总数的73.3%。区域内两栖动物的物种多样性在时间及空间尺度上均存在显著差异。其中,生物多样性指数在6月最高;4种典型生境中观测到的物种数存在明显差异,农田物种多样性最丰富,为12种,其余依次为水塘(9种)、溪流(6种)、林地(3种)。此次衡山自然保护区两栖动物观测基本掌握了该地区两栖动物的物种多样性及其时空格局,在此基础上分析评估了该地区两栖动物生存面临的胁迫因素,并对两栖动物的保护和管理提出了相关建议。     

江苏省陆栖濒危脊椎动物物种丰富度及分布格局

采用实地调查与资料收集相结合的方法,以县(市)为基本地理单元建立江苏省陆栖濒危脊椎动物二元分布数据库;基于GIS技术,研究濒危动物物种丰富度格局;依据地理单元中物种组成的相似程度进行聚类分析,探讨江苏省濒危动物相似性分布格局。结果显示,江苏省陆栖濒危脊椎动物共有35科62属83种;西南部丘陵山区、盐城、连云港及启东地区濒危物种丰富度较高,江苏中部地区(主要为泰州和淮安)濒危物种丰富度较低,这与江苏省生物多样性分布热点基本一致,濒危物种丰富度与总物种丰富度之间呈极显著正相关关系(P<0.01,n=73),Pearson相关系数为0.869;依据物种组成相似性,当组间距离分别为23.8、20.6、18.8时,江苏省73个基本单元可聚为3、4、5组,该聚类结果表明江苏省陆栖濒危脊椎动物分布受自然地理亚区、地形地貌以及人为活动的共同影响。     

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.     

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 palaeo-hydrogeological model for arsenic contamination in southern and south-east Asia

An argument is presented in which areas of natural arsenic contamination of modern groundwaters throughout Asia have a common origin. Arsenic originally accumulated in oceanic ferro-manganoan sediments of the eastern Palaeo-Tethys. This was further concentrated through oceanic crustal extinction in what later became the south-east Chinese accreted mineralised terrain. Proto-Himalayan uplift of this area created the palaeo-drainage systems of the Ganges – Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Mekong, and Red Rivers, with consequent headwater erosion of arsenic-rich sediments. Their downstream deposition as immature and easily redistributed Neogene sandstones, silts, and iron-rich clays has created secondary and tertiary reservoirs of adsorbed and authigenic arsenic, from which the current arsenic-rich groundwaters have evolved. Considering river basins within the above palaeo-hydrogeological framework provides a basis for assessing the risk of arsenic in groundwater basins of south and south-eastern Asia.     

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.     

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.     

Cost‐effective conservation of an endangered frog under uncertainty

How should managers choose among conservation options when resources are scarce and there is uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of actions? Well‐developed tools exist for prioritizing areas for one‐time and binary actions (e.g., protect vs. not protect), but methods for prioritizing incremental or ongoing actions (such as habitat creation and maintenance) remain uncommon. We devised an approach that combines metapopulation viability and cost‐effectiveness analyses to select among alternative conservation actions while accounting for uncertainty. In our study, cost‐effectiveness is the ratio between the benefit of an action and its economic cost, where benefit is the change in metapopulation viability. We applied the approach to the case of the endangered growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), which is threatened by urban development. We extended a Bayesian model to predict metapopulation viability under 9 urbanization and management scenarios and incorporated the full probability distribution of possible outcomes for each scenario into the cost‐effectiveness analysis. This allowed us to discern between cost‐effective alternatives that were robust to uncertainty and those with a relatively high risk of failure. We found a relatively high risk of extinction following urbanization if the only action was reservation of core habitat; habitat creation actions performed better than enhancement actions; and cost‐effectiveness ranking changed depending on the consideration of uncertainty. Our results suggest that creation and maintenance of wetlands dedicated to L. raniformis is the only cost‐effective action likely to result in a sufficiently low risk of extinction. To our knowledge we are the first study to use Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis to explicitly incorporate parametric and demographic uncertainty into a cost‐effective evaluation of conservation actions. The approach offers guidance to decision makers aiming to achieve cost‐effective conservation under uncertainty.     

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.