Emission of oilseed rape volatiles after pollen beetle infestation; behavioural and electrophysiological responses in the parasitoid <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phradis morionellus</Emphasis>

Summary. The pollen beetle, Meligethes aeneus, is an important pest of oilseed rape, Brassica napus. Larvae of this species feed only in the buds and flowers of Brassicaceae. One important natural enemy of this beetle is the parasitoid Phradis morionellus that attacks larvae in buds and flowers and also feeds on the flowers. The preferences for odours of non-infested and infested rape were tested for both starved and fed parasitoids in Y-tube olfactometer experiments. The volatile blend released from pollen beetle-infested and non-infested flowering rape and from pollen beetle larvae was identified and quantified. Gas chromatography-electroantennodetection analyses were performed with female P. morionellus. Parasitoids in both treatment groups preferred infested rape, but the proportion of responding female P. morionellus was significantly lower for the group that was starved. Six of the 20 volatiles identified were released at higher rates from infested rape than from non-infested. None of these compounds was found in pollen beetle larvae headspace. P. morionellus antennae detected both major and minor components in the volatile blend. The volatiles released at a significantly higher rate from infested rape and detected by P. morionellus antennae were (Z)-3-hexenylacetate, (Z)-3-hexenol, 3-butenyl isothiocyanate and (E,E)-α-farnesene.     

三江平原典型湿地的土壤植物总硫及水中硫酸盐的分布特征

以三江平原的3种主要沼泽类型——小叶樟沼泽、乌拉苔草沼泽、毛果苔草沼泽为研究对象,对其土壤和植物中的总硫质量分数及水中硫酸盐质量分数进行分析。3种沼泽土壤总硫质量分数的顺序为小叶樟沼泽(622.4 mg/kg)<乌拉苔草沼泽(820.5 mg/kg)<毛果苔草沼泽(1022.4 mg/kg);植物总硫质量分数的顺序为小叶樟(1638.5 mg/kg)<乌拉苔草(1796.9 mg/kg)<毛果苔草(1892.8 mg/kg);水中硫酸盐的质量分数为小叶樟沼泽(1.69 mg/kg)<乌拉苔草沼泽(1.81 mg/kg)<毛果苔草沼泽(2.00 mg/kg)。并探讨了典型湿地生态系统中硫质量分数的影响因素。     

天津市核技术应用及环境影响

论述了天津市核技术的发展与应用，放射性污染源对环境辐射影响，放射性污染源存在的主要问题及原因分析，并就核技术辐射环境管理提出了建议。     

Canopy structure versus physiology effects on net photosynthesis of mountain grasslands differing in land use

The present paper aims at investigating how changes in canopy structure and species physiology associated with the abandonment of mountain meadows and pastures affect their net photosynthesis. For this purpose, a multi-layer vegetation–atmosphere transfer (VAT) model is employed, which explicitly takes into account the structural and functional properties of the various canopy components and species. Three sites differing in land use are investigated, a meadow, a pasture and an abandoned area. Model simulations agree reasonably with measured canopy net photosynthetic rates, the meadow featuring the highest daily net photosynthesis, followed by the pasture and, finally, the abandoned area. A detailed process analysis suggests this ranking to be mainly due to bulk canopy physiology, which decreases from the meadow to the pasture and the abandoned area, reflecting species composition and species-specific photosynthetic capacities. Differences between the canopies with regard to canopy structure are found to be of minor importance. The amounts of green, photosynthetically active plant matter are too similar at the three sites to be a major source of variation in net photosynthesis. Large differences exist between the canopies with regard to the amount of photosynthetically inactive phytoelements. Even though a model analysis showed them to be potentially important, most of them are accumulated close to the ground surface, where they exert little influence on canopy net photosynthesis.     

Molecular receptive ranges of olfactory receptor neurones responding selectively to terpenoids, aliphatic green leaf volatiles and aromatic compounds, in the strawberry blossom weevil Anthonomus rubi

Summary. An important question in insect-plant interactions is which of the numerous plant compounds contribute to the perception of odour qualities in herbivorous insects and are likely to be used as cues in host-searching behaviour. In order to identify which plant-produced volatiles the strawberry blossom weevil Anthonomus rubi detects, we have used electrophysiological recordings from single olfactory neurones linked to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. We here present 15 receptor neurone types specialised for naturally produced compounds present in the host and nonhost plants and two types for two aggregation pheromone components. The active compounds were terpenoids, aromatic and aliphatic esters, alcohols and aldehydes, some of which are induced by feeding activity of the weevils. The neurones were characterised by a strong response to one or two primary odorants and weaker responses to a few others having similar chemical structure. With one exception, the molecular receptive range of each neurone type was within one chemical group. Enantiomers of linalool separated on a chiral column activated two neurone types with different enantioselectivity. Inhibition by linalool of another neurone type, excited by α-pinene, indicated an additional mechanism for coding the information about this compound. Altogether, detection of 54 compounds by olfactory receptor neurones is shown, of which 40 have been chemically identified in this study. Thus A. rubi has the ability to detect a large number of odorants that may be used in host selection behaviour.     

Mass balance modeling of arsenic processes in cropland soils

This study delineated the mathematical forms for the reactions involved in the mass balance of As in cropland soils. Even mathematically simplified, many model parameters are required to define the reactive processes involved. Example simulations were conducted based on the range of parameter values and initial conditions derived from published literature. The outcomes showed that the As inputs due to fertilizers and irrigation water caused total As content of the root zone to gradually increase over time. The plant uptake and leaching were equally important as pathways for removal of the added As. In turn, the dissolution kinetics of the mineral phase and the distribution coefficient of the adsorbed phase affected the availability of the As for plant uptake and leaching. Parameters based on laboratory-derived data on the dissolution of As mineral phase, mineralization and oxidation of As(III), and the As plant uptake however appeared to overestimate the As transformations in soils. While the development of mathematical model was a straightforward process, its application to realistic situations was hindered by difficulties of defining model parameter values with confidence. Current knowledge on the processes and reactions of As transformation in the soil–plant system is inadequate to calibrate or validate the model. Studies are needed to understand the kinetics of soil As mineral dissolution and precipitation and the dynamics of root growth and As uptake by plant in soils.     

九寨沟主要植物群落生物量的空间分布

研究了九寨沟自然保护区主要植物群落的生物量以及生物量在九寨沟的空间分布格局 ,并用群落的总生物量量度不同群落在九寨沟陆生生态系统中的相对重要性 .在野外实地调查中 ,采取皆伐法测定了乔木群落林下层以及灌丛和草甸群落的地上部分生物量 ;对样方中乔木的胸径、树高进行了测量 ,利用经验公式估算乔木层的生物量 .研究结果表明 ,所有群落中生物量最大的为亚高山暗针叶林 ,平均为 380thm-2 左右 ,总生物量亦占了整个九寨沟生物量总量的 90 %以上 ,为九寨沟陆地生态系统中最重要的植物群落 ;高山草甸和流石滩植被生物量最小 ,平均为 1thm-2以下 .整个九寨沟的总生物量约为 8.3× 10 6t,平均生产力大于 5 .89thm-2 a-1.垂直分布上 ,生物量一般随海拔的升高而增加 ,在halt=30 0 0m以上达到最大值 ,之后则随海拔的升高而急剧下降 ,这种分布格局与土壤、气候、人类干扰等各种环境因素密切相关 .与全国平均水平相比 ,九寨沟几乎所有类型的群落的平均生物量都要高于全国同类群落的平均水平 .图 3表 4参 18     

亚高山30a人工针叶林物种多样性的定量分析

探讨了川西地区不同海拔梯度上,30a亚高山人工针叶林乔,灌,草各层物种多样性的变化规律,并运用逐步多元回归分析方法,分析了不同立地条件下土壤因子与针叶林群落乔,灌,草各层物种多样性指数之间的关系,结果显示：30a人工针叶林灌木层和草本层多样性指数明显高于乔木层;随着海拔的升高,灌木层和草木层物种的多样性指数逐渐降低,在halt2700m处多样性最丰富,乔木物种多样性则呈现为“低→高→低”的变化趋势,符合“中间高度膨胀（mid-altitude bulge)模式,土壤因子对30a人工恢复针叶林多样性的影响主要是体现在灌木层和草本层的变化,而对乔木层物种多样性的影响不明显,土层厚度,土壤容重,石砾含量,枯枝落叶的贮量,CaO含量以及有机质的C／N比值等土壤因子与灌木层和草本层物种多样性之间存在线性相关关系,分层建立了物种数,Simpson指数,ShannonWiener指数,Menhinick指数以及Brillouin指数与相关土壤因子的回归模型。     

Potential allelopathic effect of Pinus halepensis in the secondary succession: an experimental approach

Summary. Recent economic and social changes in north Mediterranean regions have led to an important rural depopulation. Consequently, meadows developed on abandoned agricultural lands (characterized by high species richness) undergo reforestation. These former fields are mainly colonized by Pinus halepensis Miller, which is known to synthetize a wide range of secondary metabolites, among these, some could influence plant succession through allelopathy. The allelopathic potential of P. halepensis, was tested against two target species (Lactuca sativa L. and Linum strictum L.) with aqueous extracts obtained from different organs (root and needle) taking into account the individual age (±10, ±30 and > 60 years old). Root and needle extracts affected differently germination and growth of the two target species, the responses varying with concentration of extracts, age and organs tested. The strongest inhibitory effect was observed on the germination and growth of L. strictum, exposed to needle extracts of young P. halepensis (±10 years old), and root extracts of older P. halepensis (> 30 years old). These extracts contained several phenolic acids (e.g. 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and p-coumaric acid), which are known as allelochemicals and their concentrations vary with age and organ tested. Hence, P. halepensis could influence secondary succession through the release of potential allelochemicals in the environment by leaf leachates or root exudates.     

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids on three trophic levels – evidence for toxic and deterrent effects on phytophages and predators

Summary. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) present a model system in the investigation of tritrophic interactions mediated by plant secondary compounds. However, their toxicity for insect herbivores has never been experimentally proven. Here, we demonstrate the toxic effects of a PA on growth and survival of the eri silk moth Philosamia ricini. In a feeding experiment, larvae of this generalist herbivore fed with an artificial PA diet gained weight significantly slower than control animals, and died as pupae. We suggest that derivatives of the ingested PA N-oxide damage developmental functions during metamorphosis. A tracer test with [¹⁴C]senecionine N-oxide revealed that the caterpillars lack adaptations that would prevent conversion of the chemical into the pro-toxic free base. In contrast, the PA adapted leaf beetle Longitarsus anchusae accumulates PAs as N-oxides. We tested the purpose of sequestration in this species as defence against predators. Through a series of prey choice experiments with three carabid predator species, chemically non-protected bark beetle pupae were chosen almost uniformly over L. anchusae pupae. In a following choice test with one of these predators, artificially PA-treated mealworm segments deterred the predator from feeding. Overall the study corroborates the immediate toxic effect of PAs on non-adapted herbivores and the protective effect that adapted insects may gain by sequestering them. It thereby underlines the potential for PAs to play a central role in multitrophic interactions between plants, phytophages and their predators.