Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mating Disruption of Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in Cabbage: Reduction of Mating and Suppression of Larval Populations

An 8.1-ha field of 2-wk-old cabbage within an area of general cabbage production received a single treatment with 8100 m of a continuous-rope formulation of a 70:30 mixture of (Z)-11-hexadecenal and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol acetate, two components of the sex pheromone of the female diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). Captures of males in synthetic pheromone-baited traps, mating of laboratory-reared sentinel females, and the mated status of native moths taken from the plots demonstrated suppression of mating activity by the pheromone treatment relative to that in the control area for 9 wk. Cabbage in this farm was planted sequentially. Fifteen insecticide treatments were applied during production of the block of cabbage, planted 13 d before the pheromone-treated cabbage, and 13 applications were made to the adjacent (control) block of cabbage planted 3 d after that in the pheromone plot. Two insecticide treatments were applied to plants in the pheromone-treated block to control diamondback moth larvae resident at the time of the pheromone application, and one spray was applied to this block 10 wk later at harvest. Cabbage at the extreme perimeter of the pheromone-treated area was damaged heavily by diamondback larvae; however, larval and pupal counts throughout most of this plot remained comparable to those in the control area. Cabbage at the interior of the pheromone area was graded as U.S. no. 1 quality. The results indicate that mating disruption can be used to protect cabbage from diamondback moth if pheromones are applied to areas of at least 8.1 ha with some supplemental application of insecticide.
Morphometric differences between rice and water-oats population of the striped stem borer moth, Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

The striped stem borer moth, Chilo suppressalis, has two major host plants; rice, Oryza sativa, and the water-oats, Zizania latifolia. It has been suggested that there is reproductive isolation between the populations feeding on rice (rice population) and water-oats (water-oats population). We compared the morphological characteristics of the two populations using multi variate analyses based on eight genital and ten non-genital traits in male adults. Body size differed between the two populations as shown previously. However the results of a principal component analysis (PCA) based on genital traits showed a proportional difference between the two populations, but not on the non-genital traits. This shows the existence of a morphological difference in the genitalia of male adults between the populations. We also conducted a discriminant function analysis (DFA) based on seven genital and five non-genital traits. The discriminant function obtained could classify the two populations with 94.3% accuracy. Another discriminant function using only four genital traits also could distinguish the two populations with 88.6% accuracy. DFA would be of use in the practical forecasting of occurrence.
Trichoderma spp. as elicitors of wheat plant defense responses against Septoria tritici

Abstract Leaf blotch of wheat is a widespread and highly active disease that affects wheat production. In addition to the use of chemicals and proper cultivation methods, microbial antagonists are used to control plant pathogens. Trichoderma spp. stimulate a systemic induced response in plants. Therefore, the efficacy of Trichoderma spp. against wheat leaf blotch was evaluated under greenhouse conditions. The susceptible plants were sprayed with Septoria tritici conidiospores. In order to select an efficient method of pretreatment with Trichoderma spp. , leaf spraying and seed coating with 14 isolates were tested in 2003 and 2004. The extent of leaf necrosis area and pycnidial coverage was estimated. Antagonism was assessed by the capacity of each Trichoderma spp. isolate to restrict the progress of leaf blotch, 21 days after inoculation. Of the two methods, seed coating was more efficacious against leaf blotch than leaf spraying. Amongst the 14 isolates tested, the isolate prepared from T. harzianum (Th5) produced the highest level of protection. None of the treatments caused changes in plant stem diameter or dry weight. Trichoderma spp. did not get into leaves while S. tritici was present, even in asymptomatic leaf extracts. In addition, the leaf apoplast antifungal proteolytic activity was measured in plants 7, 15, and 22 days after sowing. This antifungal action decreased in plants only inoculated with S. tritici, but increased in those grown from seeds coated with the T. harzianum (Th5) isolate. This increase conferred resistance to the susceptible wheat cultivar. The endogenous germin-like protease inhibitor coordinated the proteolytic action. These results suggest that T. harzianum stimulates a biochemical systemic induced response against leaf blotch.
The Cephalocarida and Crustacean Phylogeny

CRUSTACEAN phylogeny has in I ~~ trigued zoologists for almost one hundred years. Despite the long sustained interest, this problem still remains largely unclarified due to the fact that each subclass forms a sharp, clearly defined taxonomic unit. Initial observations (Sanders, 1955) on the newly described crustacean Hutchinsoniella macracantha seemed to disclose affinities with the more primitive representatives of the subclasses Branchiopoda, Malacostraca and Copepoda. In an effort to indicate crustacean phylogeny as well as to illustrate the affinities of the Cephalocarida with the extant subclasses of Crustacea, this second paper will compare the Paleozoic arthropods, particularly the Crustacea, with the crustacean subclass Cephalocarida, as exemplified by Hutchinsoniella. Subsequent to the original description, which was based on eight individuals, 320 additional specimens, representing all free-living stages of Hutchinsoniella macracantha, have been collected from Long Island Sound, and more recently, Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts by this investigator. On the basis of this material a few observations on the life history of Hutchinsoniella and some additional pertinent details on cephalocarid anatomy can now be discussed. These animals are found subtidally in soft mud where the benthic fauna is dominated by the polychaete Nephthys incisa and the lamellibranch Nucula proxima. A description of development from hatching to maturity will be presented in a subsequent paper. Recent studies reveal that Hutchinsoniella is a hermaphrodite with entirely separate functional ovaries and testes (manuscript in preparation). Individuals are ovigerous from June through September and carry two ovisacs each attached by a short stalk to the limb rudiments of the genital segment. Each ovisac contains a single embryo. Observations in the laboratory indicate that a female can bear only three broods or six embryos during the breeding season. This is a remarkably small recruitment for a marine invertebrate.
A revision of the nearctic species of the genus Trixoscelis Rondani (Diptera: Heleomyzidae: Trixoscelidinae)

Foster, George A. , and Wayne N. Mathis. A Revision of the Nearctic Species of the Genus Trixoscelis Rondani (Diptera: Heleomyzidae: Trixoscelidinae). Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, number 637, viii + 128 pages, 187 figures, 1 table, 2011.
Changes in heathland vegetation under goat grazing: effects of breed and stocking rate

Question: How are heathland vegetation dynamics affected by different goat grazing management? Location: Cantabrian heathlands in Illano, Asturias, northern Spain. Methods: During 4 years, vegetation dynamics (structural composition, canopy height and floristic diversity) were studied under three goat grazing treatments with three replicates: high stocking rate (11.7 goats ha -1 ) with a local Celtiberic breed, high stocking rate (15 goats ha -1 ) with a commercial Cashmere breed, and low stocking rate (6.7 goats ha -1 ) with the Cashmere breed. Results: The relative cover of woody plants, particularly heather species, decreased more whilst herbaceous cover increased more under local Celtiberic than under Cashmere breed grazing. Within Cashmere treatments, the cover and height of live shrubs decreased more and the herbaceous cover increased more under high than under low stocking rate. Redundancy analysis showed a significant effect of treatment x year interaction on floristic composition. Higher species richness was recorded under local goat grazing, but Shannon diversity index fell in the fourth year on these plots due to the dominance achieved by two grass species. Conclusions: Local Celtiberic goat grazing at such a high stocking rate (11.7 goats ha -1 ) hinders the development of sustainable systems on these heathlands, both in environmental and productive terms, due to the limitations in soil fertility. Nevertheless, Celtiberic goats could be useful for controlling excessive shrub encroachment and reducing fire hazard. Cashmere goat grazing at high stocking rate promoted the highest Shannon diversity by generating a better balance between woody and herbaceous plants, while shrub dominance was not altered under the low stocking rate.
Anatomy of an Apparent Year-Class Failure: The Early Life History of the 1983 Browns Bank Haddock Melanogrammus aeglefinus

Abstract We analyzed ichthyoplankton data from six cruises off southwest Nova Scotia, spanning the spawning and early life history period (February-June), to determine the stage(s) at which the apparent failure of the 1983 haddock year class occurred. Egg production over the season did not differ significantly from that expected, but the abundance of larvae was 1–2 orders of magnitude lower than in recent years. Instantaneous egg mortality rates (M) calculated from catch curves were very high: 0.21–0.54 for the six cruises. The lowest egg mortality rates (M = 0.21–0.22) occurred during peak spawning (April), but no surviving larvae were obtained from this period, which indicates sharply increased mortality at or near the point of hatch. There appeared to be a weak relationship between wind displacement and diffusion rate of the egg mass, but drift rates were low, and wind speeds generally below average during the study period. Temperatures in the upper 50 m over the spawning ground, where the eggs predomi.
Sampling effort and factors influencing the precision of estimates of tree species abundance in a tropical forest stand.

Stand inventories are indispensable in community and population studies, diversity and conservation assessments, and pattern search, representing the fi rst step towards understanding distribution and abundance variation of species in space. As species abundance descriptors are estimated through sampling, the precision of the estimates is important to assess data scope. In a 6.5-ha area of a semideciduous Atlantic forest, SE Brazil, we randomly located 100 plots of 10 10 m to sample trees with DBH 5 cm. We calculated the sampling error of estimates of density, frequency, dominance, and importance value index (IVI) for species with fi ve or more adult individuals, and determined the number of plots necessary not to exceed sampling errors of 20 %. Esenbeckia leiocarpa (Rutaceae), the most abundant species, was the only species for which sampling errors did not exceed 20 %. The most appropriate criterion for evaluation of the sampling suffi ciency for the inventory of the stand as a whole was the one based on the general sampling error of a set of the most abundant species. The estimates of density, frequency and IVI were infl uenced by the aggregation of individuals. The estimate of dominance had a greater infl uence of the basal area variation among individuals. Frequency had the greatest precision, dominance had the smallest, and density and IVI had intermediate precision.
Extra-pair paternity and mate-guarding behaviour in the brown thornbill

We used multilocus DNA fingerprinting to assess parentage in the brown thornbill, Acanthiza pusilla, a socially monogamous Australian passerine. Extra-pair paternity was uncommon (6.2% of 178 offspring; 11.9% of 67 broods) and there was no evidence of intra-specific brood parasitism. Extra-pair paternity was limited because pairs spent more time together when females were fertile and males were able to evict intruding males before they could approach the female. Males were responsible for the close proximity of partners during the fertile period. Mate guarding therefore appears to be a male tactic aimed at preventing female infidelity rather than a cooperative behaviour of the pair aimed at preventing extra-pair copulations and/or female harassment. Females did not attempt to escape male guarding and were rarely observed to solicit copulations from intruding males. Nevertheless, females paired to smaller and younger males were more likely to cuckold their mates than females paired to larger and older males. This suggests that females may be more likely to seek or accept extra-pair matings when paired to small, young males or that old, large males are better at preventing their mates from engaging in extra-pair copulations. We found that male age but not male size influences mate-guarding behaviour. Older males tended to respond more aggressively to intruders. We therefore speculate that the relationship between male size/age and extra-pair paternity in brown thornbills may arise because female thornbills prefer large males as mates but are unable to express this preference as easily when paired to older males.
Requirements for marine protected areas to conserve the biodiversity of rocky reef fishes

1.This study describes spatial patterns in the biodiversity (species, assemblages) of rocky reef fishes at a spatial scale relevant to management, and compared the outcomes for this biodiversity from alternative procedures for selecting marine protected areas (MPAs) and from the selection of MPAs for fisheries-related objectives. 2.The study area included 104 species in two assemblage types; 36 species and 14 species occurred only in one or two locations respectively. 3.MPAs selected by hotspot richness, greedy richness complementarity, and summed irreplaceability included similar percentages of species and significantly more species than randomly selected MPAs. A combined species-assemblage selection ensured representation of assemblage diversity. Representation of all species and assemblage types required 92% of locations. 4.MPAs chosen using density of all fishes or density of exploitable fishes as selection criteria included fewer species (than MPAs selected using species identity) and the percentage of species accumulated did not differ from a random selection. 5.Use of an established MPA as the seed for an expanded network was inefficient, leading to additional locations being required and an accumulation of species that did not differ from a random selection. 6.The smallest MPA network that fulfilled multiple management objectives (representation of assemblage diversity and majority of species, population viability, support for fisheries, connectivity) required 30% of the surveyed locations. 7.This study concluded that: MPAs selected without the benefit of data on intra-habitat variation in species assemblages will be unrepresentative; the upper range of currently promoted targets for MPA establishment (i.e. 30%) should be regarded as a minimum for biodiversity conservation; MPAs selected for fisheries-related reasons may not provide expected benefits for the remainder of the fish assemblage. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Post-Fledgling Survival of the Cooperatively Breeding Puff-Throated Bulbul (Alophoixus Pallidus)

Abstract. In the tropics, passerines are expected to have survival rates higher than those in temperate zones, though their post-fledging survival has rarely been quantified. Furthermore, because of increased care by adults, cooperative breeding species should have even higher rates of juvenile survival, but few data are available on such species also. Over three breeding seasons we examined factors relating to post-fledging survival of the cooperatively breeding Puff-throated Bulbul (Alophoixus pallidus) in an evergreen forest in northeastern Thailand. These factors included the presence of helpers, fledgling age, sex, body mass prior to fledging, date of fledging within a year, and variation by year. The probability of surviving the 8-week period of dependency was 0.61 ± 0.09 (SE), higher than most reports from the temperate zone. Survival probability was strongly associated with age though not with the presence of helpers. Weekly survival was lowest during the first week post-fledging (0.73 ± 0.08), while average weekly survival during the 7 subsequent weeks was constant at 0.97 ± 0.01. The other factors tested appeared to have little or no effect on survival. Understanding factors influencing post-fledgling survivorship provides insights to this limiting life-history stage, which is typically characterized by high mortality and affects population dynamics. The survivorship of fledglings we report adds to the body of evidence that the post-fledgling survivorship of tropical passerines is generally higher than that of temperate-zone species. However, fledglings from cooperative breeders may not experience significantly higher survivorship than those from noncooperatively breeding birds in the same system.
DNA RELATEDNESS AND CHEMOTAXONOMIC FEATURE OF AEROBIC BACTERIOCHLOROPHYLL-CONTAINING BACTERIA ISOLATED FROM COASTS OF AUSTRALIA

Thirty-seven strains of aerobic bacteriochlorophyll (Bchl)-containing bacteria (ABB) isolated previously from the coasts of Australia were compared with the authentic ABB, Erthrobacter and Roseobacter. They were divided into four groups (GI-GIV) on the basis of cell color, absorption spectrum type of Bchl in the near infrared region and cell morphology. Furthermore, some members of GI and GII were separated genetically into 3 and 4 respectively based on the levels of DNA homology. Among the 37 strains tested, only strain OCh273, a strain of GIV, showed comparatively high DNA homologies (ca. 50%) with the type strains of Roseobacter spp. , and the other 36 strains showed low DNA homologies (1 to 12%) with the type strains of Erythrobacter longus and Roseobacter spp. The ubiquinone system of all strains was Q-10 and themajor cellular fatty acid (CFA) was C 18:1 acid except in five strains. The major CFA in four (OCh208, OCh229, OCh246 and OCh268) of the five strains was C 17:1 and that of the remaining strain (OCh492) was C 16:0 . The guanine plus cytosine contents of the DNA of the 37 test strains examined were from 53.0 to 74.8 mol%
YIELD RESPONSES OF WINTER (RABI) FORAGE CROPS TO IRRIGATION WITH SALINE DRAINAGE WATER

A field experiment in an alluvial sandy loam saline soil was conducted during the winter (rabi) season from 1997–98 to 1999–2000 at the Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, to study the effect of saline drainage water (EC=3.6 –7.4) on five (rabi) forage crops: oat (Avena sativa), rye grass (Lolium rigidum), senji (Indian clover) (Melilotus indica) berseem (Egyptian clover) (Trifolium alexandrinum) and shaftal (Persian clover) (Trifolium resupinatum). All the crops were established using canal water as pre-sowing irrigation and the various irrigation strategies were imposed subsequently. Irrigation with canal water resulted in a 115% increase in forage yield compared with the saline drainage water. The results suggested that alternate irrigation with saline drainage water increased the yields of all the forage crops compared with using saline drainage water only. Further, alternate irrigation, starting with canal water, was superior to alternate irrigation starting with saline drainage water because less salt was added in total. Oat produced the largest green-forage yield (32.3 t ha-1) in the first year while rye grass gave its maximum in the second (34.6 t ha-1) and third years (37.0 t ha-1). Persian clover performed better than did Egyptian clover in all the three years. Interaction between species and irrigation treatments was significant. In comparison with canal irrigation water, there was a 36 %, 42 %, 54 %, 68 %, and 85 % yield reduction in rye grass, oat, Persian clover, Egyptian clover and senji, respectively when only saline drainage water was used for irrigation reflecting their relative tolerances of salinity. Yields declined linearly for all crops with increases in the quantity of salt applied.
Effects of parasitic status and level of feeding motivation on the diet selected by sheep grazing grass/clover swards

An experiment was carried out to determine the effects of parasitic status and level of feeding motivation on the diet selected by sheep grazing perennial ryegrass/white clover swards. Twenty-four female Scottish Blackface weaned lambs were divided into four treatment groups each of six animals. Pre-grazing treatments were imposed to create two levels of feeding motivation, low (fed ad libitum) and high (0·60 of ad libitum diet) and two parasitic states, parasitized (daily dose of 2500 L3 Ostertagia circumcincta) and non-parasitized. Each treatment group was placed in one of four 0·35 ha field plots and allowed to graze a mixed grass/clover sward. Mean clover height was manipulated pre-grazing by cutting so that it was less than the mean grass height. This maximized the probability that clover in the diet of sheep was due to selection. No fertilizer was added to the sward in order to ensure that the nitrogen content of the clover was higher than that of the grass. Each treatment group was rotated around the four plots on a daily basis for 2 weeks. Sheep with a high feeding motivation strongly and significantly selected clover and had a higher proportion of clover in their diet compared with sheep with low feeding motivation. Parasitic status had no significant effect on the diet selection of sheep; but the level of parasitic burden within parasitized sheep was positively correlated with the proportion of clover in the diet. Parasitized sheep spent less time grazing each day and had lower daily herbage intakes compared with non-parasitized sheep. This was a result of a reduction in the duration of feeding bouts and not a reduced number of bouts per day. Sheep with the higher feeding motivation had a greater number of feeding bouts per day and this resulted in those animals having a greater daily herbage intake. Level of feeding motivation had greater effects on the diet selection of sheep than parasitic status. Sheep with a high feeding motivation are able to select strongly for clover in their diet when there is low overall clover availability and are capable of dramatically affecting the species composition of a sward. This has implications to the maintenance of a desired grass/clover ratio in grazed swards.