The Rise of Public Networks for Economic Inclusion: Strategic Dilemmas Experienced by Flemish SSE-Organizations

In this article, we summarize the dominant experiences, discussions, and judgments of Flemish SSE-organizations joining emerging public multi-actor networks to tackle the socio-economic challenge of economic inclusion. Based on a longitudinal qualitative research track combining case-study research, focus group research and action research (i.e. pilot studies), we recently find out that the initial enthusiasm, willingness and interest of SSE-organizations to participate has gradually been replaced by emerging feelings of cautiousness, disappointment, and frictions. When considering the dominant underlying classical rational management paradigm of these networks, we can better understand the precise nature and origin of these growing frictions. As such, emerging strategic network paradigms seem to provoke serious dilemmas. Based on our research results these frictions relate to (i) the reasons for being invited to participate, (ii) the meaning of related concepts (i.e. quality, professionalism, and innovation), (iii) the assumed disturbance of competition, and (iv) the pressure of isomorphic management model

Marking Drosophila suzukii (Diptera : Drosophilidae) with fluorescent dusts

The marking of Drosophila suzukii can be an important instrument for studying the ecology and behaviour of this economically important fruit pest, aiding the development of new Integrated Pest Management (IPM) tools or strategies. There is, however, a need for a cost-effective methodology that provides an easily detectable and stable mark. Whereas fluorescent pigment powders are often used in entomological research, the pigments (series, dyes), application techniques, or doses need to be evaluated for each studied species in terms of their efficacy and possible adverse effects on the performance of the insect. The effectiveness of different application techniques and dyes (RadGlo® TP-series) and their effect on the survival of adult D. suzukii were investigated in the laboratory. Furthermore, the influence of the marking on the behaviour of the flies was examined in laboratory trap assays (olfaction) and a field recapture study (general orientation). The persistence and detectability of the marks was evaluated both on living flies (for different application techniques) and dead flies under trapping/storage conditions. The use of fluorescent powders to mark D. suzukii flies yielded a clearly detectable and highly persistent mark, without any adverse effects on the survival and behaviour of the flies

Survey study on fruit pollination practices and their impact on honeybee health in the Flemish region (2012-2013)

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine if there is a difference in honeybee mortality between bees that are used for pollination or come into contact with commercial fruit plantations on the one hand, and bees that never forage on commercial fruit plantations at the other hand. Therefore we conducted a survey amongst Flemish beekeepers. Results: The majority of surveyed beekeepers (>60%) indicated that their bees come into contact with commercially grown fruit. However, no significant differences in colony losses between different beekeeper groups with a different ‘fruit contact status’ were obtained. Different contact distances to commercially grown fruit, or differences between beekeepers who had or who had not delivered pollination services were not found to be significant factors in predicting colony loss rates. Also specific foraging history on apple (in which a preflowering treatment with the neonicotinoid imidacloprid was allowed and common practice in Flemish pome fruit growing at the timing of this survey) did not significantly correlate with higher colony losses. On the other hand, for several other factors including presence of Varroa and Nosema, significant correlations with colony losses were found.Conclusions: Based on the data of this survey study no detrimental effects of commercially fruit production and its current crop protection schedules on fruit crop foraging/pollinating honeybees could be identified.Keywords: honeybee, survey, mortality, fruit, pollination, foragin

Improving the detection of rare native fish species in environmental DNA metabarcoding surveys

The presence of threatened or endangered species often strongly influences management and conservation decisions. Within the Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia, the presence of threatened native fish affects the management and allocation of water resources. These decisions are currently based on traditional fisheries data and a predictive MaxEnt model. However, it is important to verify the model's predictive power given the implication it may have, but this requires methods with a high detection sensitivity for rare species. Although the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding achieves a higher detection sensitivity compared with traditional methods, earlier surveys in the MDB have shown that the highly abundant and invasive common carp (Cyprinus carpio) can reduce detection probabilities for rare species. Consequently, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) blocking primer designed to block the amplification of carp eDNA could increase the detection probabilities for rare native species while simultaneously reducing the required sampling effort and survey costs. Although PCR blocking primers are often used in ancient DNA and dietary studies, no aquatic eDNA metabarcoding study to date has evaluated the potential benefits of using PCR blocking primers. A laboratory and field‐based pilot study was used to address this knowledge gap and assess the impact of a blocking primer on the detection probabilities of native species and the minimum sampling effort required. Results showed that the inclusion of the blocking primer increased the detection probabilities for native species by 10–20% and reduced the minimum required sampling effort by 25–50%. These findings provide important insights into possible methods for optimizing eDNA metabarcoding surveys for the detection of rare aquatic species

Challenges for CFD modeling of drift from air assisted orchard sprayers

Plant protection products (PPP) play an important role in providing high crop yields by minimizing risks associated with the occurrence of pests. Some of the sprayed material may however move beyond the intended target and results in drift to non-target objects. Modeling approaches help to understand, characterize and minimize spray drift using computer simulations rather than fiel

Growth of brown trout in the wild predicted by embryo stress reaction in the laboratory

Laboratory studies on embryos of salmonids, such as the brown trout (Salmo trutta), have been extensively used to study environmental stress and how responses vary within and between natural populations. These studies are based on the implicit assumption that early life-history traits are relevant for stress tolerance in the wild. Here we test this assumption by combining two datasets from studies on the same 60 full-sib families. These families had been experimentally produced from wild breeders to determine, in separate samples, (i) stress tolerances of singly kept embryos in the laboratory and (ii) growth of juveniles during 6 months in the wild. We found that growth in the wild was well predicted by larval size of their full sibs in the laboratory, especially if these siblings had been experimentally exposed to a pathogen. Exposure to the pathogen had not caused elevated mortality among the embryos but induced early hatching. The strength of this stress-induced change of life history was a significant predictor of juvenile growth in the wild: the stronger the response in the laboratory, the slower the growth in the wild. We conclude that embryo performance in controlled environments can be useful predictors of juvenile performance in the wild