Delayed dispersal as a potential route to cooperative breeding in ambrosia beetles

Xyleborini are a species-rich tribe of ambrosia beetles, which are haplodiploid and typically mate among siblings within their natal brood chamber. Several characteristics of this tribe would predict the evolution of higher levels of sociality: high genetic relatedness within galleries due to inbreeding, high costs of dispersal and the potential benefit of cooperation in brood care within the natal gallery (e.g. by fungus gardening, gallery extension, offspring feeding and cleaning). However, information on the social system of these beetles is very limited. We examined the potential for cooperative breeding in Xyleborinus saxeseni by monitoring dispersal in relation to brood size and composition. Results show that adult female offspring delay dispersal despite dispersal opportunities, and apparently some females never disperse. The females’ decision to stay seems to depend on the presence of eggs and dependent siblings. We found no indication that female offspring reproduce in their natal gallery, as colonies with many mature daughters do not contain more eggs than those with few or no daughters. There is a significant positive relationship between the number of females present and the number of dependent siblings (but not eggs), which suggests that cooperative brood care of female offspring raises colony productivity by improving survival rates of immatures. Our results suggest that cooperative breeding is likely to occur in X. saxeseni and possibly other xyleborine species. We argue that a closer look at sociality within this tribe may yield important information on the factors determining the evolution of cooperative breeding and advanced social organization.     

西南地区干旱规律与节水农业发展问题

除西藏以外的中国西南地区人口、耕地和农林牧渔总产值分别占全国的19.2%、19.1%和14.9%,是我国十分重要且潜力巨大的农产品生产基地。干旱是制约本区农业发展的重要因素。文章分析了西南地区的干旱特征,揭示出该区季节性干旱严重、区域性干旱突出、干旱类型多、连旱频率大的干旱规律,提出对农业生产危害最严重的干旱类型是春旱、夏旱和伏旱。从自然和经济开发的角度,分析了该区干旱的主要成因是降雨分布不均、水资源可利用率低、水土流失严重和水利工程滞后。在此基础上,提出了提高降雨利用率、提高水资源开发程度及大力发展生物节水技术的对策,特别是农业结构调整、抗旱作物选用、节水农耕农艺技术和发展经济植物篱(埂)等生物节水技术。     

科学施肥与农业生产可持续发展

化肥的施用，实现了农业的增产，一百多年来为解决中国人民的温饱问题做出了重大贡献。肥料仍然是粮食安全的重要保障。但不合理施用化肥造成环境污染和食品安全问题，使人们产生了对化肥的错误认识。文章认为必须树立起科学施肥的观念，努力提高化肥利用率，形成有机、无机肥料合理配合使用的格局，促进农业生产可持续发展。此外，还认为应加强肥料市场管理，使之有法可依，并能迎接入世的挑战。     

信息技术在农田施肥管理中的应用

综述了目前国外精准农业的主要技术理论,着重围绕其在农田施肥管理中的应用,讨论基于GPS、GIS应用的农田施肥管理系统的开发和应用,提出精准农业技术理论在我国农田施肥管理中的应用设想。     

衡阳市动物疫情现状分析与防治对策

分析了衡阳市动物疫情现状,探讨了影响动物疫病发生的社会因素、人为因素和客观因素,结合衡阳市的具体情况,提出了与国际接轨的动物防治目标和对策.着重从政策、法律、经济、技术等方面阐述如何搞好动物防疫工作,提出了搞好动物防疫工作的重要性.     

生态农业产业链应对农产品贸易绿色壁垒的策略与途径

加入WTO以来，我国农产品不断受到“绿色壁垒”的困扰，农产品出口和农业综合开发均受到较大影响。文章从牛态农业建设的角度分析了绿色贸易壁垒对我国农产品出口贸易的影响，提出我国农产品冲破绿色贸易壁垒的几点建议，认为只有构筑现代生态农业产业链，在良性循环为基础的生态农业模式基础上，适应现代农业规模化、专业化、产业化、商品化的发展趋势，才能突破“绿色贸易壁垒”，拓展世界农产品绿色市场。可以在大型或多样化的企业形成良性循环的生态农业产业链，也可以由不同企业间或公司＋农户联合形成生态农业产业链，并结合运用传统农业精华和现代科技手段，提高农业标准化水平，规避绿色壁垒，确保农业良好综合效益的实现。     

芜湖市郊土壤污染对土壤动物群落结构的影响

研究表明，芜湖市郊农田土壤动物群落的组成与数量随污染程度的加重而减少，土壤动物密度也呈同样的变化趋势，特别是中小型土壤动物，优势类群数量发生较大消长，常见类群和稀有类群的组成逐渐减少．多样性指数H与重金属污染程度之间关系因受到季节的影响而变得复杂：冬季和初夏污染较重样地优势类群数量减少，群落均匀性指数E增加而优势度指数C减小，多样性指数H较高；而春季处于过渡阶段，某些类群(如螨类)数量爆发，C增高，H较小．土壤动物群落密度一类群指数DG随污染加重而减小．受到重金属污染的农田土壤动物的表聚性减弱，甚至出现逆分布现象．图1表4参15     

辽东山区微型小流域“特色农业”开发──以清源县大石沟村为例

本文立足于辽东山区微型小流域的地域空间,以经营开发“特色农业”为主线,着眼于山区小流域的特产资源的培育与开发。通过资源培育和对初级产品的深加工,将山区小流域的资源优势转化为产品优势和商品优势,从而实现山区流域经济运行的良性循环。     

Filling the Gaps in the Risks vs. Benefits of Mammalian Adult-Cell Cloning: Taking Bernard Rollin's Philosophy Its Next Step

A critique is made of Bernard Rollin's examination of the ethics of cloning adult mammalian cells. The primary concern is less to propound an anticloning or procloning position than to call for full exploration of the ethical complexities before a rush to judgment is made. Indeed, the ethical examination in question rushes toward an ethical position in such a way that does not appear consistent with Rollin's usual methodology. By extending this methodology – which entails full weighing of benefits and costs – it becomes apparent that there are real potential risks to this type of cloning in both animals and humans, besides the possible benefits, and that the scientific, political, philosophical, and broader academic communities should explore these risks and benefits extensively. Rollin's usual methodological call for hesitation before risks would translate into hesitation before the ethical risks of adult mammalian cell cloning instead of his paper's curiously laissez-faire stance.