Integrated weed management and weed species diversity

Les méthodes alternatives de gestion des mauvaises herbes, telles que la gestion intégrée, peuvent permettre la persistance de populations de mauvaises herbes sous un seuil économique déterminé. Une diversité accrue des espèces de mauvaises herbes peut aussi en résulter. Si la diversité ainsi que le nombre d'interactions écologiques augmentent, les espèces de mauvaises herbes devraient être considérées comme une communauté interactive plutôt que comme un ensemble disparate de cibles contre lesquelles lutter. Cet article de synthèse résume les méthodes d'évaluation de la diversité dans des systèmes non gérés, examine comment les techniques de gestion intégrée peuvent modifier la diversité des espèces de mauvaises herbes, et finalement, suggère des façons de développer des stratégies pour gérer la diversité des mauvaises herbes par la gestion intégrée de celles-ci. Les méthodes utilisées pour évaluer la diversité dans les systèmes naturels peuvent servir à évaluer la diversité des mauvaises herbes dans des systèmes alternatifs de gestion intégrée. Nous avons effectué des calculs préliminaires de diversité pour le labour réduit, l'utilisation modifiée des herbicides, les rotations culturales, la période critique d'intervention contre les mauvaises herbes, les techniques d'amélioration de la compétitivité des cultures et les méthodes de lutte alternatives. Plusieurs de ces techniques de gestion intégrée peuvent éventuellement résulter en des modifications de la diversité des espèces de mauvaises herbes. Nous avons examiné les effets potentiels de ces changements sur la diversité des mauvaises herbes à l'intérieur de six principaux éléments de l'écologie des communautés: la colonisation, la perturbation, l'environnement physique, les interactions inter- et intra-communautés, et la dynamique de ces communautés. Des occasions de développer des stratégies de gestion des communautés de mauvaises herbes existent à l'intérieur de chacun de ces éléments. Si la diversité pouvait être gérée tout en maintenant des rendements acceptables, certains bénéfices découlant de la présence des mauvaises herbes et non encore considérés pourraient être observés, tel que le prédisent les relations existant entre les plantes de communautés non gérées. De plus, l'objectif d'obtenir un système de production plus durable, tenant compte de la diversité des communautés de mauvaises herbes, pourrait être accompagné d'orientations vers une politique encourageant la biodiversité des agro-écosystèmes.Alternative practices for weed management, such as integrated weed management (IWM) may allow the persistence of weed populations below a given economic threshold. Increased species diversity of weeds also may result. If diversity increases, and the number of ecological interactions also increases, weed species should be viewed as an interactive community, rather than an unrelated set of targets for control. In this review we summarize how diversity is evaluated in unmanaged Systems, examine how IWM techniques may alter the diversity of weed species and suggest how strategies can be developed for managing weed diversity under IWM. Methods used to evaluate diversity in natural Systems may be used to evaluate weed diversity in alternative Systems of weed management. We made preliminary calculations of diversity for reduced tillage, modified herbicide use, crop rotation, critical period of weed control, techniques to improve crop competitiveness, and alternative control methods. Many of these IWM techniques potentially may result in changes in weed species diversity. We examined potential effects of these changes in weed diversity within six primary elements of community ecology: colonization, disturbance, the physical environment, interactions with other communities, community interactions and community dynamics. Opportunities to develop strategies of community management exist within each of these elements. If diversity could be managed while maintaining acceptable crop yields, some previously unrealized benefits of the presence of weeds could be seen, as predicted by relationships among plants of unmanaged communities. Moreover, the goal of producing a more sustainable System that incorporates the diversity of the weed community would be complemented by trends in policy towards encouraging biodiversity in agroecosystems

One-Stop Shop for Creating Open Educational Resources

Have you ever felt dissatisfied with the materials for your courses? We have a solution for you: create Open Educational Resources (OER)! OER are free, online teaching and learning materials that are licensed for instructors to use and customize in their courses. In this session, two faculty, a librarian, and an instructional designer with experience creating OER will guide attendees through activities to identify why and how OER can work for them. Attendees will brainstorm an OER for their course and learn about resources to help them turn their idea into a reality

Nucleon mass, sigma term and lattice QCD

We investigate the quark mass dependence of the nucleon mass M_N. An interpolation of this observable, between a selected set of fully dynamical two-flavor lattice QCD data and its physical value, is studied using relativistic baryon chiral perturbation theory up to order p^4. In order to minimize uncertainties due to lattice discretization and finite volume effects our numerical analysis takes into account only simulations performed with lattice spacings a5. We have also restricted ourselves to data with m_pi<600 MeV and m_sea=m_val. A good interpolation function is found already at one-loop level and chiral order p^3. We show that the next-to-leading one-loop corrections are small. From the p^4 numerical analysis we deduce the nucleon mass in the chiral limit, M_0 approx 0.88 GeV, and the pion-nucleon sigma term sigma_N= (49 +/- 3) MeV at the physical value of the pion mass.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, revised journal versio

Effects of wind velocity and slope on flame properties

The combined effects of wind velocity and percent slope on flame length and angle were measured in an open-topped, tilting wind tunnel by burning fuel beds composed of vertical birch sticks and aspen excelsior. Mean flame length ranged from 0.08 to 1.69 m; 0.25 m was the maximum observed flame length for most backing fires. Flame angle ranged from -46o to 50o. Observed flame angle and length data were compared with predictions from several models applicable to fires on a horizontal surface. Two equations based on the Froude number underestimated flame angle for most wind and slope combinations; however, the data support theory that flame angle is a function of the square root of the Froude number. Discrepancies between data and predictions were attributed to measurement difficulties and slope effects. An equation based on Byram\u27s convection number accounted for nearly half of the observed variation in flame angle (R 2 = 0.46). Byram\u27s original equation relating fireline intensity to flame length overestimated flame length. New parameter estimates were derived from the data. Testing of observed fire behavior under a wider range of conditions and at field scale is recommended