Small but smart: the interaction between environmental cues and internal state modulates host-patch exploitation in a parasitic wasp

The reproductive success of insect parasitoids depends on two activities, searching for hosts to obtain immediate fitness rewards (offspring) and searching for food to extend life span and enhance future reproductive opportunities. Models suggest that to deal with this trade-off and to cope with the variability of the resources they depend on, parasitoids should simultaneously integrate information originating from three distinct sources: host and food availabilities in the environment (environmental information) and the metabolic reserves of the parasitoid (internal information). We tested whether, in the parasitic wasp Venturia canescens, these three types of information are perceived simultaneously and interact during host-patch exploitation. Experiments were performed with strains originating from two different geographical locations and with individuals of the two reproductive modes, arrhenotoky and thelytoky. We hypothesised that there would be differences between modes of reproduction as they thrive in different ecological conditions. Our results show that metabolic state, food availability and the number of ovipositions performed simultaneously modulate patch residence time in V. canescens of both populations and reproductive modes. Unfed wasps left their host patch earlier than fed ones. The tendency to leave the patch increased with an increasing probability of finding food. Our study confirms that globally, each oviposition increases the patch-leaving tendency (decremental mechanism). This effect was modulated by both the metabolic reserves and food availability, and the relationship depended on the geographic origin of populations. Individuals of one of the populations switched from a decremental to an incremental patch-leaving mechanism depending on the presence or absence of food in the vicinity. Differences between reproductive modes in the responses to environmental cues can be explained by the different ecological conditions they live in.     

Persistence of Forest Birds in the Costa Rican Agricultural Countryside

Abstract:  Understanding the persistence mechanisms of tropical forest species in human-dominated landscapes is a fundamental challenge of tropical ecology and conservation. Many species, including more than half of Costa Rica's native land birds, use mostly deforested agricultural countryside, but how they do so is poorly known. Do they commute regularly to forest or can some species survive in this human-dominated landscape year-round? Using radiotelemetry, we detailed the habitat use, movement, foraging, and nesting patterns of three bird species, Catharus aurantiirostris , Tangara icterocephala , and Turdus assimilis , by obtaining 8101 locations from 156 individuals. We chose forest birds that varied in their vulnerability to deforestation and were representative of the species found both in forest and human-dominated landscapes. Our study species did not commute from extensive forest; rather, they fed and bred in the agricultural countryside. Nevertheless, T. icterocephala and T. assimilis , which are more habitat sensitive, were highly dependent on the remaining trees. Although trees constituted only 11% of land cover, these birds spent 69% to 85% of their time in them. Breeding success of C. aurantiirostris and T. icterocephala in deforested habitats was not different than in forest remnants, where T. assimilis experienced reduced breeding success. Although this suggests an ecological trap for T. assimilis , higher fledgling survival in forest remnants may make up for lower productivity. Tropical countryside has high potential conservation value, which can be enhanced with even modest increases in tree cover. Our findings have applicability to many human-dominated tropical areas that have the potential to conserve substantial biodiversity if appropriate restoration measures are taken.     

Estimating the Effect of Protected Lands on the Development and Conservation of Their Surroundings

Abstract:  The fate of private lands is widely seen as key to the fate of biodiversity in much of the world. Organizations that work to protect biodiversity on private lands often hope that conservation actions on one piece of land will leverage the actions of surrounding landowners. Few researchers have, however, examined whether protected lands do in fact encourage land conservation nearby or how protected lands affect development in the surrounding landscape. Using spatiotemporal data sets on land cover and land protection for three sites (western North Carolina, central Massachusetts, and central Arizona), we examined whether the existence of a protected area correlates with an increased rate of nearby land conservation or a decreased rate of nearby land development. At all sites, newly protected conservation areas tended to cluster close to preexisting protected areas. This may imply that the geography of contemporary conservation actions is influenced by past decisions on land protection, often made for reasons far removed from concerns about biodiversity. On the other hand, we found no evidence that proximity to protected areas correlates with a reduced rate of nearby land development. Indeed, on two of our three sites the development rate was significantly greater in regions with more protected land. This suggests that each conservation action should be justified and valued largely for what is protected on the targeted land, without much hope of broader conservation leverage effects.     

基于遥感的泾河流域植被覆盖格局分析

以MODIS遥感影像数据为数据源,应用遥感和GIS技术对泾河流域植被覆盖格局进行分析。结果表明:(1)泾河流域植被覆盖类型以退化草地和草地为主,二者占流域总面积的53.30%;地面覆盖程度较高的森林、疏林仅占流域总面积的9.83%,流域植被覆盖程度较低。(2)受自然环境条件和人类活动的影响,退化草地、稀疏灌丛、郁闭灌丛和疏林破碎化程度较为严重,对地面覆盖程度最低的退化草地除集中分布于流域北部外,主要零散分布于流域中、南部,其斑块形状复杂多样,数量最多,应成为流域植被恢复的重点。(3)各植被覆盖类型的斑快数量组成以小斑块所占比例最大,最小斑块比率均在50.0%以上;森林的斑块面积多样性最大,草地的斑块面积多样性最小。     

短柄五加濒危趋势和致濒因素的初步分析

研究了短柄五加种群致濒的因素和机制 .1)通过环境筛分析 ,认为短柄五加种群在 5～ 8a和 11～ 12a两个年龄阶段受到强烈的环境筛过滤作用 ,这两个阶段可能是濒危的关键阶段 .2 )通过对短柄五加种群生物量增长过程中关键因子的分析 ,确定了影响种群生物量的主导生境因子 ,主要是群落类型、群落郁闭度和坡度、坡向等 .影响种群增长的主导生境因子的脆弱性 ,增大了短柄五加种群濒危的趋势 .3)通过对短柄五加种子生态及生殖生态的初步分析 ,认为种群实生苗更新失败是短柄五加种群濒危的重要因素 .4)放牧、采挖和对次生落叶阔叶林的砍伐等人类活动 ,加快了短柄五加种群濒危的速度 .图 1表 3参 11     

我国水电可持续发展的理性思考

我国是世界水能资源最为丰富的国家,但目前开发利用率仅为21%。当前我国正处于全面建设小康社会的重要战略机遇期,能源需求量持续增长,水电开发迎来了前所未有的发展机遇,但也面临水库移民、生态环境等难题。在对水库的温室气体排放、大型水电是否属于可再生能源、水库移民及库区可持续发展等问题进行分析研究的基础上,应用经济学的外部性理论对水电项目进行了政策分析,认为国家在政策上应大力鼓励支持开发水电,同时要加强严格监管,使其担负起所应承担的社会责任,促进地方经济持续发展和社会全面进步,并提出了水电开发与经济、社会、环境协调发展模式。     

Ecological and ethological characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sylvia</Emphasis> warbler colonies in patchy habitats on the courland spit,Baltic Sea

Territorial and nesting behavior of Sylvia warblers in a patchy environment has been studied. The results show that shortage of nesting sites and consequent high population density result in acute social strain. Under such conditions, changes are observed in species-specific forms of this behavior, which provide for the maximum possible realization of individual reproductive potential.     

喀斯特石漠化及其景观生态学研究展望

喀斯特石漠化是广泛分布于我国西南喀斯特地区的一种生态灾害,近30年来其扩展速度明显加快,严重制约了我国西南地区的经济发展和生态质量的提高。首先从概念、成因及防治等方面探讨了目前喀斯特石漠化的研究现状,并指出石漠化研究中的不足,主要表现为研究内容较片面,缺乏定量研究,标准不统一和缺乏景观水平上的研究。景观生态学有其特有的理论优势和方法体系,若利用景观生态学的理论和研究方法来研究石漠化,可以解决目前石漠化研究中的某些相关问题。最后,在此基础上,从景观生态学的角度出发,展望了喀斯特石漠化未来研究的4个方向,即景观格局变化、景观异质性及其分区、石漠化过程空间动态模拟和生物多样性.     

江苏省能源负荷控制途径研究

江苏省2010年、2015年和2020年的能源负荷预测结果表明,在江苏省经济维持GDP年递增率10％的高速发展条件下．必须使单位GDP能源消耗年降低率接近或不小于9．09％,才能成功降低江苏的能源负荷。为此提出以生态工业的理论为指导,从转变节能的工程意识、着重开展技术节能、发展提升产业集群、开展工业系统代谢过程模拟技术研究、发展循环经济实现产品生命周期节能等5个方面分析,以达到节能工作模式和思路根本转变,并提出了江苏省节能降耗的具体实施途径。     

农村多水塘系统景观结构对非点源污染中氮截留效应的影响

多水塘系统在滞留和降解农业面源污染中发挥着巨大作用.不同景观结构特征的多水塘系统对农业面源污染的截留率也存在差异.本文针对多水塘系统的功能及特点,选择4个不同景观结构的小流域作为研究区域,分析降雨前后多水塘系统水环境的变化特征及其对氮元素的截留情况,并揭示其截留率与水塘系统景观结构之间的关系.结果表明:(1)雨前水塘水体中总氮(TN)浓度的变化范围在1. 32～6. 32 mg·L~(-1)之间,雨后TN质量浓度增加到2. 8～16. 99 mg·L~(-1)之间,其中,硝氮(NO_3~--N)占TN的质量分数为20%～74%;(2)多水塘系统对TN、NO_3~--N和氨氮(NH_4~+-N)的平均截留率分别为50. 09%、48. 71%和52. 75%;(3)小流域1中的水塘系统对氮的截留率最低,平均次降水过程中小流域2中的水塘系统对氮的截留量最低,仅为56. 10kg,远低于小流域4中水塘系统对氮的截留量324. 43kg;(4)多水塘系统对氮的截留率受到水塘个数、面积及水塘与水塘之间沟渠密度的影响,其中沟渠密度对氮截留率的影响最大.本研究结果可为农村多水塘系统的管理及规划提供科学依据.