Organic mulches compared to black plastic in organic strawberry production: effects on ground beetles

There were no significant differences in the numbers of ground beetle species or in the pooled numbers of beetles between the treatments in either season

The highest-energy cosmic rays

This paper begins with a pedagogical discussion of the propagation of cosmic rays and the showers produced when a cosmic ray primary hits the upper atmosphere. The paper focusses cosmic rays, with energy > 10^19 eV. Emphasis is placed on the shower properties that are relevant to the detection of cosmic rays by surface arrays and fluorescence telescopes. The two major experiments, AGASA and HiRes are described in some detail. Then the experimental results are reviewed. It is no surprise that more data will be needed. But it is also true that improved analysis and further data from HiRes can make significant improvements in the experimental situation.Comment: 43 pages, 38 figures, Taup 2003 proceeding

University Cities: A Strategic Resource of Small and Medium-Sized Cities in Europe

partially_open1noThis chapter is part of a book (Cities as Multiple Landscapes) published in the renowned series “Interdisziplinäre Stadtforschung” (interdisciplinary urban studies, see: http://www.campus.de/buecher-campus-verlag/reihen/interdisziplinaere_stadtforschung-97.html ) by the German publisher Campus who distributes the English books via Chicago University Press, so this book is intended for the US. market too.This chapter addresses the challenges posed in Europe to second-rank cit-ies by the university institutions located within their boundaries. The main thesis is that universities, while also having a key role in European nation-capital cities, like Rome or Berlin, or in world-class metropolises, like Paris and London, exert their driving force best in small and medium-sized cities. Here, universities can be new engines of cultural and economic landscapes. These engines are so powerful that the growth of many European cities and surrounding regions depend on how successful they are in attracting the key factors of university life: public investments in research and education, the best faculty staff, students, private entrepreneurs, and philanthropic actors. In addition, university cities may take advantage of a free and constant flow of communication activities directed both to selected audiences of investors and to the general public, generated by locally-based universities.openAve, GastoneAve, Gaston

Tolmeldajate elupaiganõudluste mitmekesisus poollooduslikes kooslustes

Many pollinating insect species have undergone serious declines in both abundance and extent in most European countries. Bumblebees, butterflies, and moths are excellent model organisms for studying environmental changes and the status of ecosystems. To mitigate the biodiversity loss of pollinating insects, it is important to increase our knowledge of the ecology of the species, to analyse the distributions and statuses of the species, and to study the causes of their declines in different landscapes and geographical ranges. The aim of the thesis was to evaluate the relative importance of patch and landscape factors for butterflies, day-active moths, and bumblebees in 22 forest-dominated landscapes in northeastern Estonia. The effects of habitat patch characteristics and the surrounding landscape composition and configuration on the species richness and abundance were analysed at various spatial scales. Additionally, the distribution and general habitat requirements of the indicator species Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) were assessed. The results of the study showed that the presence of forest in the surrounding landscape of the habitat patch appears to be favourable for butterfly diversity, whereas the presence of open communities, such as meadows and fields may negatively affect the species richness and abundance of butterflies. The proportions of meadow habitats and human settlements, in terms of flower-rich gardens, in the surrounding landscape appear to be favourable for bumblebee species richness. In contrast, the presence of forest and arable land in the surrounding landscape of the habitat patch may negatively affect the species richness and abundance of bumblebees. The results of the Clouded Apollo study showed that this specialist butterfly species has increased its abundance and distribution in Estonia during the last 30 years. The preferred habitats of this butterfly are dry riparian meadows in forested landscapes. Different insect groups can have different responses to different habitat and landscape factors. Therefore, a protection policy and management practice should not only consider the requirements of one insect group but also should offer a wider range of environmental conditions for several possible organism groups. It is important to ensure more diverse environmental conditions through a higher landscape heterogeneity for higher general diversity.Mitmed tolmeldajatest putukad nagu kimalased ja liblikad on pilkupüüdva välimusega ning suhteliselt kergesti liigini määratavad. Paljud liblika- ja kimalaseliigid on spetsialistid vajades teatud toidutaimi ja elupaiga struktuuri ning seetõttu kasutatakse neid keskkonnatingimuste indikaatoritena. Viimastel aastakümnetel on märgatud, et liblikate ja kimalaste arvukus on kahanenud, eriti spetisalistliikidel. Tolmeldajate mitmekesisuse säilitamiseks ja kaitse korraldamiseks on vaja uurida erinevate tolmeldajarühmade või indikaatorliikide levikut ja seda mõjutavaid tegureid, täiendada teadmisi nende ökoloogiast ja seostest elupaiga ning seda ümbritseva maastikuga. Antud uurimuse üheks eesmärgiks oli hinnata elupaiga ja seda ümbritseva maastiku mõju kimalaste, päevaliblikate ja päeval aktiivsete hämarikuliblikate liigirikkusele ning arvukusele. Selleks valiti 22 poollooduslikku niitu Ida-Virumaal, kus aastatel 2008 ja 2009 määrati uurimisaluste putukate liigiline koosseis, arvukus ja elupaika ning ümbritsevat maastikku kirjeldavad peamised parameetrid. Uurimuse teiseks eesmärgiks oli anda ülevaade Euroopas ohustatud päevaliblika mustlaik-apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) levikust Eestis perioodil 1878-2010. Täiendavalt analüüsiti liblika seoseid elupaiga ja seda ümbritseva maastikuga. Uurimistulemused näitasid, et kimalased ja liblikad reageerivad erinevalt elupaika ja seda ümbritsevat maastikku iseloomustavatele näitajatele. Elupaiga tasandil mõjutab kimalaste populatsioone elupaigalaigu siseala osatähtsus, mis stabiilsete ökoloogiliste tingimuste tõttu suurendab kimalaste liigirikkust. Maastiku tasandil võib kimalaste liigrikkusele ja arvukusele avaldada positiivset mõju suurem poollooduslike niitude ja õiterohkete aedade ning negatiivset mõju põldude ja metsa osatähtsus elupaika ümbritsevas maastikus. Seevastu päevaliblikate liigirikkusele ja arvukusele avaldab elupaika ümbritsevas maastikus positiivset mõju metsa osatähtusus. Metsaservad pakuvad varju, mitmekesisemaid toitumise ja mikroklimaatilisi tingimusi. Negatiivselt võib päevaliblikate liigirikkusele ja arvukusele mõjuda elupaika ümbritsevas maastikus avatud koosluste osatähtusus, mis suurendab tuule mõju liblikate lennuvõimele. Päeval aktiivsete hämarikuliblikate liigirikkusele ja arvukusele avaldab elupaika ümbritsevas maastikus positiivset mõju põldude, niitude ja metsa osatätsus. Seega tolmeldajate efektiivse kaitse korraldamisel ei tohiks arvestada ainult ühe putukarühma nõudlustega, vaid tuleks säilitada või luua mitmekesised keskkonnatingimused, mis tagab erinevate tolmeldajarühmade liigirikkuse. Uurimus mustlaik-apollost näitas, et perioodil 1878-2010 on liblikas oma leviala Eestis laiendanud, eriti just Kirde- ja Kagu-Eestis. Hoolimata poollooduslike niitude pindala vähemisest viimastel aastakümnetel, võib oletada, et Eestis on hetkel veel piisavalt sobilikke elupaiku nii mustlaik-apollole kui ka teistele tolmeldajatele. Kuna mustlaik-apollo on elupaiga spetsialist, siis võib liblikat käsitleda elupaiga kvaliteeti iseloomustava indikaatorliigina. Silmapaistva välimuse tõttu sobib mustlaik-apollo lipuliigiks poollooduslikes kooslustes tolmeldajate mitmekesisuse kaitsmisel