Evaluation of indigenous entomopathogenic nematodes as potential biocontrol agents against popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Northern Italy

The natural presence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) has been investigated in the Piedmont region (Northern Italy) in areas infested by the Japanese beetle Popillia japonica. Thirty-nine out of 155 soil samples (25.2%) were positive for EPNs. Most of the samples contained only steinermatids (92.3%), 5.1% contained heterorhabditids, and one sample (2.6%) contained both genera. All the recovered isolates were identified at species level both morphologically and molecularly. Steinernema carpocapsae was the most abundant and it was mainly distributed in open habitats, such as perennial meadows, uncultivated soils, and cropland, characterized by sandy loam soil texture and acidic pH. Steinernema feltiae has been found associated mainly with closed habitats such as coniferous and deciduous woodland, characterized by sandy loam-texture and extremely acidic soil. The three isolates of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora were collected only in open habitats (perennial meadows and uncultivated fields) characterized by strongly acidic soils with sandy loam texture. The virulence of all EPN natural strains was evaluated by laboratory assays against P. japonica third-instar larvae collected during two different periods of the year (spring, autumn). The results showed that larval mortality was higher for pre-wintering larvae than post-wintering ones. The five more promising EPN isolates were tested in the semi-field assay in which H. bacteriophora natural strains have been shown to be more efficient in controlling P. japonica grubs. All of these results are finally discussed considering the use of these natural EPNs as biological control agents against P. japonica, within an eco-friendly perspective of management

Sexual reproduction vs. clonal propagation in the recovery of a seagrass meadow after an extreme weather event

Marine flowering plants can reproduce sexually and clonally, and the relative contribution of these two modes can be dependent on the environmental conditions. Zostera marina, a seagrass widely distributed in the northern hemisphere, can form annual and perennial meadows with different proportions of sexual versus clonal propagation depending on the environmental disturbance regime. We study the hypothesis that the contribution of sexual propagation varies during the recovery of a seagrass meadow. In this case study, we compare the proportion of sexual versus clonal propagation of a perennial Z. marina meadow before its disappearance due to winter storms and after recovery. Before disturbance, genotypic diversity was high, indicating frequent sexual reproduction events likely to create an abundant seed bank. Seedling germination allowed the population to recover after the extreme disturbance. As months passed, seedlings became rare and finally absent, giving place to adult shoots. In an advanced stage of colonization, the shoots colonized the area by vegetative growth, which lowered the genotypic diversity. Despite this reduction over time, the genotypic diversity of the new meadow is still high, demonstrating the importance of sexual reproduction in meadow recovery and persistence.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“Not in their front yard” The opportunities and challenges of introducing perennial urban meadows: A local authority stakeholder perspective

© 2017 The Authors The growing evidence base for the benefits for people and wildlife of nature-based solutions to managing urban green infrastructure lacks research investigating land manager perspectives on their implementation. To address this gap, we explored UK local authority manager perceptions of the challenges and opportunities of introducing perennial urban meadows to prioritise biodiversity and aesthetics. This was co-produced as an experiment in urban greenspaces with Luton Parks Service and Bedford Borough Council 2013–15. We conducted semi-structured interviews with the eight stakeholder managers involved to identify key factors impacting on the perceived feasibility of future urban meadow establishment in other areas. All managers identified three dominant factors (aesthetics and public reaction, locational context, and human resources and economic sustainability). Additional factors (local politics, communication, biodiversity and existing habitat and physical factors) varied in importance according to personal values and managerial role. Support for future meadow introduction and a desire to overcome the economic challenge of the disposal of meadow arisings were related to manager biocentricity. Managers were aware of changing public values leading to increasing acceptance of a messier urban aesthetic. They perceived perennial meadows as a realistic alternative to amenity mown grass that in specific contexts could increase local biodiversity and enhance aesthetics if implemented in consultation with the public and local councillors. Our findings have relevance for the wider implementation of such nature-based solutions to urban GI management: Changes in management practice such as the introduction of perennial meadows have significant political, strategic, economic and practical implications and cannot be viewed purely as a technical challenge

Food for pollinators: quantifying the nectar and pollen resources of urban flower meadows

Planted meadows are increasingly used to improve the biodiversity and aesthetic amenity value of urban areas. Although many ‘pollinator-friendly’ seed mixes are available, the floral resources these provide to flower-visiting insects, and how these change through time, are largely unknown. Such data are necessary to compare the resources provided by alternative meadow seed mixes to each other and to other flowering habitats. We used quantitative surveys of over 2 million flowers to estimate the nectar and pollen resources offered by two exemplar commercial seed mixes (one annual, one perennial) and associated weeds grown as 300m2 meadows across four UK cities, sampled at six time points between May and September 2013. Nectar sugar and pollen rewards per flower varied widely across 65 species surveyed, with native British weed species (including dandelion, Taraxacum agg.) contributing the top five nectar producers and two of the top ten pollen producers. Seed mix species yielding the highest rewards per flower included Leontodon hispidus, Centaurea cyanus and C. nigra for nectar, and Papaver rhoeas, Eschscholzia californica and Malva moschata for pollen. Perennial meadows produced up to 20x more nectar and up to 6x more pollen than annual meadows, which in turn produced far more than amenity grassland controls. Perennial meadows produced resources earlier in the year than annual meadows, but both seed mixes delivered very low resource levels early in the year and these were provided almost entirely by native weeds. Pollen volume per flower is well predicted statistically by floral morphology, and nectar sugar mass and pollen volume per unit area are correlated with flower counts, raising the possibility that resource levels can be estimated for species or habitats where they cannot be measured directly. Our approach does not incorporate resource quality information (for example, pollen protein or essential amino acid content), but can easily do so when suitable data exist. Our approach should inform the design of new seed mixes to ensure continuity in floral resource availability throughout the year, and to identify suitable species to fill resource gaps in established mixes

Beyond the ‘wow factor’? Climate resilient green infrastructure for people and wildlife

Covid-19 and COP26 both amplified calls from the environment sector for greater support for greenspace management globally. As the future of our planet and population is threatened by a global pandemic, escalating mental health challenges and the interrelated climate and biodiversity crises, there is a growing awareness of the potential for the intersecting roles of greenspace (GS), green infrastructure (GI) and nature-based solutions (NBS) to meet the myriad socio-economic and ecological of modern society (Frantzeskaki, 2019; Venkataramanan et al., 2020). Unfortunately, their potential to address these challenges remains undervalued by many, and thus underfunded, (Mell, 2021). Presenting examples of ‘research into action’, we advocate greenspace management to maximise benefits for people and wildlife. We draw on research from UK to consider how and why different people react to landscapes of varying aesthetic and biodiversity quality (Hoyle et al. 2017a), proposing an alternative approach to biodiversity-friendly greenspace management under austerity. Next, we emphasise the urgency of ‘futureproofing’ places to adapt to changing climate, demonstrating the public acceptability of climate-ready urban GI (Hoyle, 2021). Finally, we discuss how socio-cultural variables and values impact on preferences. We illustrate the benefits of co-creating local NBS with reference to ‘Futureproofing Luton’, a live project engaging diverse partners in the co-production of an educational arboretum-meadow. We propose alternative options open to all natural and built environment and public health professionals to support knowledge exchange promoting more sustainable forms of urban development. Although framed within a UK context, the processes of engagement, best practice exchange, and more effective dialogue, are meaningful across Europe and beyond

Impressionistic, technocratic, and modernistic naturalism : perceptions of aesthetics in naturalistic design

Naturalistisk design har blivit en trend i planteringar. Tidigare studier på människors uppfattningar av stilen har sällan delat in deltagare i kulturella eller socioekonomiska grupper. Det här arbetet syftar till att undersöka hur människor med olik ekonomisk och kulturell bakgrund uppfattar naturalistisk design, för att bidra i frågan om hur framtidens planteringar kan minska risken att genom estetik exkludera människor med låg socioekonomisk status eller tillhörande minoritetskulturer. En identifiering och tolkning av gestaltningselement från de tre naturalistiska inriktningarna; impressionistisk, teknokratisk och modernistisk, samt från två tidigare genomförda fallstudier har utförts för att ställas i relation till varandra. En sammanställning av dessa gestaltningselement indikerade att människor från områden med låg socioekonomisk status eller tillhörande minoritetskulturer föredrar planteringar med bland annat starkt rumsskapande element. För att svara på vilken inriktning som innehar flest av de föredragna gestaltningselementen, gjordes en sammankoppling mellan naturalismens inriktningar och olika gruppers preferenser, vilket gav indikationer på att den impressionistiska inriktningen bör vara bäst lämpad att applicera i gestaltning av offentliga planteringar för att tilltala människor från områden med låg socioekonomisk status eller tillhörande minoritetskultur. Komplement med teknokratisk eller modernistisk naturalism bör dock inte väljas bort, och vidare studier i ämnet skulle kunna visa på starkare samband mellan människors uppfattningar och planteringar inom de tre naturalistiska inriktningarna.Naturalistic design has become a trend of planting. Previous studies on people’s perceptions of the style have rarely categorized participants by cultural or socioeconomic characteristics. This thesis aims to examine how people with different economic and cultural backgrounds perceive naturalistic design, to contribute to the matter of how future plantings can reduce the risk of excluding people with low socioeconomic status or of minority cultures. An interpretation of aesthetic components from the three naturalistic strands; impressionistic, technocratic, and modernistic, as well as an interpretation of components from two previous studies have been carried out to be put in relation to one another. A synthesis of these components indicated that people from areas with low socioeconomic status or of a minority culture prefer plantings with, amongst others, elements of spatial composition. To answer to which strand possesses most of these components, an interconnection was made between the naturalistic strands and different groups’ preferences, which indicated that the impressionistic strand would be most suited to apply in design of public plantings to appeal to people from areas with low socioeconomic status or of a minority culture. However, complements of technocratic or modernistic design should not be disregarded, and more research into the matter might show stronger correlations between people’s perceptions and plantings within the three strands

Biodiverse perennial meadows have aesthetic value and increase residents’ perceptions of site quality in urban green-space

We used photo-elicitation studies and a controlled perennial meadow creation experiment at ten urban green-spaces in southern England (five experimental sites and five control sites) to assess green-space visitors’ responses to urban meadows. Multiple meadows, which varied in their structural diversity (height) and plant species richness, were created at each experimental site. Photo elicitation demonstrated that meadows were generally preferred to herbaceous borders and formal bedding planting. Moreover, our experimental meadows had higher preference scores than a treatment that replicated mown amenity grassland, and meadow creation improved site quality and appreciation across a wide range of people. Meadows that contained more plant species and some structural diversity (i.e. were tall or of medium height) were most preferred. The magnitude of these preferences was lower amongst people that used the sites the most, probably due to a strong attachment to the site, i.e. sense of place. People with greater eco-centricity (i.e. those who used the countryside more frequently, had greater ability to identify plant species and exhibited more support for conservation) responded more positively to meadow vegetation. Crucially a wide range of respondents was willing to tolerate the appearance of meadows outside the flowering season, especially when provided with information on their biodiversity and aesthetic benefits and potential cost savings (from reduced cutting frequencies). Re-designing urban green-spaces and parks through the creation of species rich meadows can provide a win–win strategy for biodiversity and people, and potentially improve connections between the two

Refocusing educational leadership in an age of overshoot : embracing an education for sustainable development

This article argues that many of the aims and objectives of educational leadership need to be re-focused upon a largely neglected issue, that of an education for sustainable development (ESD). Research suggests that the concept of ESD - and particularly the interrelationships between environmental, social, and economic sustainabilities - is not fully appreciated by many school leaders, and yet this is an essential precondition for educational action. This article suggests one way in which this area might be conceptualised, and argues that an appreciation and development of more sustainable schools should lead to a refocusing of the work of educational leaders. Such refocusing would also present new challenges for educational leaders, for it will initiate debates about what constitutes a 'good society', about permissible levels of economic growth and consumption, about how to address current and future problems, and what actions need to be taken to achieve these

Improving urban grassland for people and wildlife

Access to nature is beneficial to human health. How can designed urban meadows help to enhance public well-being and urban biodiversity?Access to nature is beneficial to human health and well-being, yet over 80% of the UK population now live in urban areas and experience nature as “urban green infrastructure”, a mosaic of greenspaces including parks, gardens and semi-natural areas. As well as providing recreational, educational and aesthetic benefits these areas provide potential habitats for urban wildlife such as birds and insects, including important pollinators. However, a high proportion of urban greenspace is currently managed as close-mown amenity grass, with limited aesthetic interest or value to wildlife. Replacing some of this with designed urban meadows has been shown to enhance the value of individual greenspaces for both people and wildlife. Local authorities and other organisations that are responsible for management of public space are in a position to make this change

Rethinking lawns as prevalent elements of urban green spaces

The lawn is one of the most visible elements of urban green spaces and Western landscape styles. China has seen a dramatic increase in planted lawn areas. However, there is an urgent need for sustainable lawn alternatives (SLTs) in China due to serious threats to the urban environment from intensive lawn maintenance and cultural inadequacy of lawns. This thesis attempts to examine the reasons behind the historical context and current situation of lawns in China and offers suggestions for SLTs via a case study of Xi’an using transdisciplinary research framework from social-cultural and ecological perspectives. A historical study was performed on reasons of lawn development in Chinese cities and modern European and Chinese examples of lawn alternatives by reviewing literature and through field observation. Face-to-face interviews, questionnaires and observations were conducted to evaluate how stakeholders and park visitors perceive lawns and how this affects their decisions in designing, managing and using lawns and lawn alternatives. To identify how the design and management shape plant and pollinator diversity, biodiversity inventories were conducted. Finally, results from the three studies were analysed following a framework based on theories in landscape sustainability and ecosystem services. The results suggested that the Chinese people’s paradigm of lawns is influenced by westernisation and globalisation after the 1840s. Lawns evolve from changes in the relation-ship between humans and the environment. In classical Chinese gardens, groundcover species were used according to their ecological characteristics and suitability to site conditions. Lawns in Xi’an have the same core grass species as lawns used in geographically distant regions, contributing to lawn plant species homogenisation worldwide. Intensive maintenance negatively affected plant species diversity and native plant species, while in more planned green spaces, older and larger lawns harbour diverse plant species and native plant species. The aesthetic value and regulating services of lawns are mostly recognised by park visitors and stakeholders although lawns impair the provision of some regulating services for the intensive maintenance. Lawns fail to provide some culture services because of their limited accessibility and symbolism of Western culture. Pollination services can be provided if certain spontaneous native plant species are allowed to flower. Concrete suggestions for SLTs in China were proposed, although challenges that impinge the transition to SLTs were identified. Meanwhile, current social-cultural, environmental and economic conditions in China encourage their implementation. The thesis contributes to knowledge that addresses the mismatch between perceived and actual ecosystem services provided by lawns. The results can be used as references for design and management of SLTs in practice