Alternatives to the Gypsy Moth Eradication Program in Michigan

Responding to questions of what the gypsy moth, Porthetria dispar, would do in Michigan forests, a computer simulation model was constructed. The model consisted of three subunits: a submodel of gypsy moth population dynamics, a submodel of forest growth and a submodel of tree defoliation and mortality. Several different policies were simulated for an 80 year period. The eradication policy now employed in Michigan failed due to survival of small portions of the population. Allowing the gypsy moth to become established in Michigan forests and then responding by spraying when defoliation is visible provided a policy with the least economic and environmental cost

Fourlined Plant Bug (Hemiptera: Miridae), a Reappraisal: Life History, Host Plants, and Plant Response to Feeding

Phenology of the fourlined plant bug, Poecilocapsus lineatus, is presented for southcen- tral Pennsylvania; life history and habits are re-examined. Although breeding was previously thought to occur only on woody plants, we found that nymphs develop on numerous herbs. An extensive list of hosts, more than 250 species in 57 families, is compiled from the literature and the authors\u27 observations; preferences are noted for plants in the Labiatae, Solanaceae, and Compositae. Damage consists of lesions on foliage, the size and shape of the spots varying with leaf texture, pubescence, and venation. Plant response to feeding is immediately visible, the lesions seeming to appear simultaneously with insertion of the bug\u27s stylets. Histolysis of plant tissues, the most rapid response to mind feeding yet reported, is attributed to a potent lipid enzyme whose active constituents are under investigation

The definition and specification of the near earth environmental criteria for spacecraft thermal design

The variation of the earth's thermal and albedo radiation received by a near-earth orbiting space vehicle or space payload as a result of temporal variation of the earth atmosphere is discussed. A statistical study of current satellite data for determining probability distributions is proposed. With these distributions the thermal designer can define confidence levels on predicted temperature ranges which are compatible with engineering models for use in design, failure probabilities, and spacecraft cost estimates. Use of the distributions in environmental criteria guidelines is also considered

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in organic systems

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are potential contributors to plant nutrition and pathogen suppression in low input agricultural systems, although individual species of AMF vary widely in their functional attributes. Recent studies at HRI and elsewhere have suggested that in some agricultural systems inoculum of AMF is substantially lower under conventional management relative to that under organic management. Further studies have suggested that conventional management selects AMF communities with limited benefits to their plant hosts relative to those in organic systems. There is a need to investigate the generality of these findings, and their implications for the productivity of organic systems, particularly during the period following conversion to organic management. The current project was designed to pull together existing understanding of the role, and potential role, of AMF in organic systems, and to identify sites and develop methods for use in a subsequent research programme. The project had three objectives: 01 To deliver a literature review covering current knowledge of the role of AMF in conventional and organic agricultural systems. The review considered the ways in which management influences the structure and functioning of AMF communities, including their contributions under conventional and organic management, and recommendations for future research needs. 02 To establish the extent of differences in AMF inoculum between organic and conventional systems, covering a range of management practices. Paired organic and conventional fields at 12 sites from across England were selected to investigate the relationships between management, AMF communities and soil chemistry. Organic and conventionally managed soils showed no significant difference in soil chemical properties (Organic C, total N, total P, extractable P, K, Mg). However, organically managed soils had greater AMF spore numbers and root colonisation potential, and therefore higher AMF inoculum potential, than conventionally managed soil. The relative difference in AMF spore numbers between organic and conventionally managed fields increased with time since conversion. Differences in AMF inoculum potential between organic and conventionally managed fields, and between farm sites, could not be related to differences in soil chemistry. 03 To develop a method suitable for characterising AM fungus communities in soil libraries, based on 18S rRNA terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) T-RFLP was shown to provide a rapid semi-quantitative method for analysis of AMF community diversity. However it was clear that primers currently used to amplify AMF are selective and do not allow diversity of the whole AMF community to be determined. Additionally these primers amplify contaminant fungi which need to be removed from the T-RFLP profile prior to analysis. However, contaminant diversity was shown to be low. The project has identified sites and techniques which could be valuable in future research to study the role of AMF under organic management. The study has also highlighted a number of key areas in which further research is needed in order to harness AMF to improve sustainability and productivity of organic and other agricultural systems. In particular, there is a need to determine the extent to which AMF diversity varies between organic and conventional management, the rate and mechanisms by which AMF diversity increases following conversion to organic production, the relationships between AMF diversity and crop nutrition/ pathogen control, and the soil factors controlling the effectiveness of AMF inoculum

Electromagnetic Scattering by Cylinders - An Introduction

Investigating electromagnetic scattering by cylinders using Rayleigh-Gans theor

Technology Transfer in Forest Pest Management: A Case History

The current approach being used in the spruce budworm technology transfer program for the Lake States is described. During 1981-1982, we concentrated on needs assessment surveys and the development and packaging of materials in five areas: general manual, chemical control handbook, silviculture handbook, instruction manual for remote sensing workshops, and technical reports on budworm impact on spruce-fir stands. We present a list of factors that researchers and technology transfer specialists should consider when plan- ning a research and technology transfer program in forest pest management

Keys and Notes on the Buprestidae (Coleoptera) of Michigan

The distribution and dates of adult activity for Michigan buprestids are discussed. Keys to the genera and species, as well as host information are presented for 116 species and one subspecies. Information on collecting techniques, illustrations of genitalia of 14 species, and scanning electron micrographs of certain structures useful in species identification are presented and discussed. In addition, Pachyschelus confusus, a new species, is described from bush clover

Michigan\u27s Cooperative Forest Pest Management Program, A Team Approach to Improving Forest Management

A forest management team was organized in the late 1970\u27s by cooperative efforts of Michigan\u27s universities. the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and the USDA Forest Service.The goals were to devise new technologies, transfer available technology, and service and management alternatives to forest land managers in Michigan. The program throughout has emphasized forest management rather than pest management for prevention and control of pests. Dissemination of pest management information has been of importance and new research results have gone directly to land managers for immediate use. The team participates in forest compartmental reviews and helps prescribe management plans for land parcels, thus providing for preventative pest management. Services and management recommendations are provided mostly through forest pest specialists located in the field. They feed back results and problems to researchers and extension specialists of the team for further input. Preventive management information used by by local managers in recent years has nearly paid the cost of the program. Plans are to broaden the team effort by cooperating with organizations and in adjacent states through a computer network system and by other means

Non-thermal X-ray Emission: An Alternative to Cluster Cooling Flows?

We report the results of experiments aimed at reducing the major problem with cooling flow models of rich cluster X-ray sources: the fact that most of the cooled gas or its products have not been found. Here we show that much of the X-ray emission usually attributed to cooling flows can, in fact, be modeled by a power-law component which is indicative of a source(s) other than thermal bremsstrahlung from the intracluster medium. We find that adequate simultaneous fits to ROSAT PSPCB and ASCA GIS/SIS spectra of the central regions of ten clusters are obtained for two-component models that include a thermal plasma component that is attributable to hot intracluster gas and a power-law component that is likely generated by compact sources and/or extended non-thermal emission. For five of the clusters that purportedly have massive cooling flows, the best-fit models have power-law components that contribute $\sim$ 30 % of the total flux (0.14 - 10.0 keV) within the central 3 arcminutes. Because cooling flow mass deposition rates are inferred from X-ray fluxes, our finding opens the possibility of significantly reducing cooling rates.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, emulateapj style. Accepted for publication in Ap