Critique and transformation: On the hypothetical nature of ecosystem service value and its neo-Marxist, liberal and pragmatist criticisms

Ecosystem service valuation (ESV) attempts to transform the opposition of human economic necessity and ecological conservation by valuing the latter in terms of the services rendered by the former. However, despite a number of ESV-inspired sustainability initiatives since the 1990s, global ecological degradation continues to accelerate. This suggests that ESV has fallen far short of its goals of sustainable social transformation—a failure which has generated considerable criticism. This paper reviews three prominent lines of ESV criticism: 1) the neo-Marxist criticism, which emphasizes the “fictitious” character of ecosystem commodities; 2) the liberal criticism through Friedrich Hayek\u27s concept “scientistic objectivism”; and 3) the pragmatist criticism of “value monism”. Although each form of criticism provides insight into the limitations of ESV, all share ESV\u27s inability to discern what kind of social transformation is possible. Unable to provide an account of their own immersion in social and historical context, these approaches operate in the hypothetical. In light of these shortcomings, this paper advances a critical theory approach, which we contend provides conceptual tools uniquely well-suited to more adequately address the question of social transformation

Moishe Postone and the Critique of Traditional Marxism: Helplessness and the Present Moment of the Great Acceleration

This chapter situates Moishe Postone\u27s critique of traditional Marxism in relation to the present moment of the Great Acceleration. We engage a close reading of Postone reinterpretation of Marx\u27s mature theory of capital with specific focus on the linkage between economic growth and ecological degradation, and how this linkage is necessary connected to social domination in modern capitalist society. Postone\u27s Marxian theory is significant because, as we demonstrate, it allows one to grasp societally induced environmental degradation following WWII in a critical and reflexive manner. The chapter concludes by discussing the growing sense of helplessness that defines the present moment of the Great Acceleration

Designing Dual-Purpose Management Strategies for Sheep Production and Pollinators in Dryland Pastures

Development of novel grazing management practicesfor both livestock production and pollinator health is becoming increasingly crucial in pasture-based farming systems. The effect of pasture type and spring closing dates on lamb liveweight gain, pasture production, botanical composition, bloom density and bee visitation was monitored over 2 years at the Oregon State University in Corvallis. Total annual dry matter yield (DMY) of diverse pastures in 2020/2021 was 8.8 t DM ha-1 and this was greater (P-1) and legume pastures (6.6 t DM ha-1). In successive years, lambs grew faster in legume pastures (287, 215 g per head d-1) than diverse (207, 151 g per head d-1) and simple pastures (204, 132 g per head d-1 ). However, spring liveweight production (kg ha1 day-1) from pastures did not differ due to lower stocking density of legume pastures as compared to other two pasture mixtures. Bloom density (flower/m2) and bee visitation (bees/min-1 m2) were 25 and 40 times greater, respectively, with legume than simple pastures. Bloom density for diverse pastures were also relatively low, being 5.7 times lower than the legume pastures. Our findings indicated that diversification of pastures with forbs greatly increased pasture productivity, while legume pastures provided the highest pollinator benefit without penalizing lamb liveweight production in spring

Oregon Bee Atlas: native bee findings from 2018

The Oregon Bee Atlas is a new volunteer-led effort to characterize the bee fauna of Oregon State by collecting, preparing, and databasing native bee species and capturing plant host records. In 2018, volunteers collected 11,044 bee specimens across 33 Oregon counties, representing 179 unique bee species, and 32 unique bee genera. Specimens were collected from a total of 310 unique flowering plant genera, resulting in one of the largest state-level databases of bee-host plant interactions. Volunteers produced valuable occurrence records for species poorly known for the State, and species of conservation concern. The 2018 efforts constitute a proof-of-concept of a specimen-focused volunteer native bee survey

Integrative Genomics Reveals the Genetics and Evolution of the Honey Bee’s Social Immune System

Social organisms combat pathogens through individual innate immune responses or through social immunity—behaviors among individuals that limit pathogen transmission within groups. Although we have a relatively detailed understanding of the genetics and evolution of the innate immune system of animals, we know little about social immunity. Addressing this knowledge gap is crucial for understanding how life-history traits influence immunity, and identifying if trade-offs exist between innate and social immunity. Hygienic behavior in the Western honey bee, Apis mellifera, provides an excellent model for investigating the genetics and evolution of social immunity in animals. This heritable, colony-level behavior is performed by nurse bees when they detect and remove infected or dead brood from the colony. We sequenced 125 haploid genomes from two artificially selected highly hygienic populations and a baseline unselected population. Genomic contrasts allowed us to identify a minimum of 73 genes tentatively associated with hygienic behavior. Many genes were within previously discovered QTLs associated with hygienic behavior and were predictive of hygienic behavior within the unselected population. These genes were often involved in neuronal development and sensory perception in solitary insects. We found that genes associated with hygienic behavior have evidence of positive selection within honey bees (Apis), supporting the hypothesis that social immunity contributes to fitness. Our results indicate that genes influencing developmental neurobiology and behavior in solitary insects may have been co-opted to give rise to a novel and adaptive social immune phenotype in honey bees.York University Librarie

Oregon Bee Atlas: Wild bee findings from 2019

The Oregon Bee Atlas is a new volunteer-led effort to characterize the bee fauna of Oregon State by collecting, preparing and databasing specimens of wild bee species and their plant host records. In 2019 volunteers submitted 25,022 bee specimens across all Oregon counties, representing 224 unique bee species and 45 unique bee genera. Specimens were collected from a total of 352 unique flowering plant genera, resulting in the largest contemporary state-level database of bee-host plant interactions. Volunteers produced valuable occurrence records for species poorly known for the state, and species of conservation concern. The 2019 data builds on the efforts of 2018 in demonstrating the power of a specimen-focused, volunteer wild bee survey

Oregon Bee Atlas: Wild bee findings from 2019

The Oregon Bee Atlas is a new volunteer-led effort to characterize the bee fauna of Oregon State by collecting, preparing and databasing specimens of wild bee species and their plant host records. In 2019 volunteers submitted 25,022 bee specimens across all Oregon counties, representing 224 unique bee species and 45 unique bee genera. Specimens were collected from a total of 352 unique flowering plant genera, resulting in the largest contemporary state-level database of bee-host plant interactions. Volunteers produced valuable occurrence records for species poorly known for the state, and species of conservation concern. The 2019 data builds on the efforts of 2018 in demonstrating the power of a specimen-focused, volunteer wild bee survey

2020 pest management guide for tree fruits : Hood River, The Dalles, White Salmon, Rogue Valley

This guide provides tree fruit growers with the latest information on pesticides and herbicides for fruit trees. People who grow apples, pears and cherries can learn application rates and recommendations for each stage of tree growth.Published January 2020. A more recent revision exists. Facts and recommendations in this publication may no longer be valid. Please check for up-to-date titles in the OSU Extension Service Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Ecological Adaptation of Diverse Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Populations

BACKGROUND: Honey bees are complex eusocial insects that provide a critical contribution to human agricultural food production. Their natural migration has selected for traits that increase fitness within geographical areas, but in parallel their domestication has selected for traits that enhance productivity and survival under local conditions. Elucidating the biochemical mechanisms of these local adaptive processes is a key goal of evolutionary biology. Proteomics provides tools unique among the major 'omics disciplines for identifying the mechanisms employed by an organism in adapting to environmental challenges. RESULTS: Through proteome profiling of adult honey bee midgut from geographically dispersed, domesticated populations combined with multiple parallel statistical treatments, the data presented here suggest some of the major cellular processes involved in adapting to different climates. These findings provide insight into the molecular underpinnings that may confer an advantage to honey bee populations. Significantly, the major energy-producing pathways of the mitochondria, the organelle most closely involved in heat production, were consistently higher in bees that had adapted to colder climates. In opposition, up-regulation of protein metabolism capacity, from biosynthesis to degradation, had been selected for in bees from warmer climates. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our results present a proteomic interpretation of expression polymorphisms between honey bee ecotypes and provide insight into molecular aspects of local adaptation or selection with consequences for honey bee management and breeding. The implications of our findings extend beyond apiculture as they underscore the need to consider the interdependence of animal populations and their agro-ecological context