Population Cycles of the Autumnal Moth in Fennoscandia

Author(s):  
Miia Tanhuanpää ◽  
Kai Ruohomäki

Most species of insect herbivores are restricted to low densities, but some display large-scale density fluctuations, including periodic outbreaks (Faeth 1987, Mason 1987, Hanski 1990, Hunter 1995). The tendency to reach high densities has been related to certain life history traits (Hunter 1991, 1995, Tammaru and Haukioja 1996). However, all populations of a given outbreaking species do not necessarily display high densities. In those cases, outbreaks are frequently more pronounced in populations in physically severe and marginal habitats (Wallner 1987, Myers and Rothman 1995). The autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata (Borkhausen) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is an example of a species with both outbreaking and nonoutbreaking populations. In mountain birch [Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii (Orlova) Hämet-Ahti] forests of northern and mountainous Fennoscandia (hereafter northern populations), E. autumnata displays fluctuations with a statistically significant periodicity of 9-10 years (Tenow 1972, Haukioja et al. 1988, Bylund 1995). During outbreaks, forests may be totally defoliated and trees may even die over large areas (Tenow 1972, Lehtonen and Heikkinen 1995). In more southern parts of the species' Holarctic distribution (hereafter southern populations), outbreaks are absent and populations remain at low densities. Cycles of northern E. autumnata populations vary in their amplitude (Tenow 1972). Outbreak densities that produce conspicuous defoliation are typically reached in only some areas, and often in different areas during successive peaks (Tenow and Bylund 1989). Empirical data indicate a fairly regular pattern of fluctuations, that is synchronous on a regional scale, also in populations with moderate or low peak densities (Bylund 1997). Thus, there are two main questions regarding population regulation of northern and mountainous E. autumnata—what causes the cycles, and what causes spatial variations in outbreak severity? In southern populations, the main question is what prevents outbreaks? Larvae of E. autumnata hatch early in spring at the time of birch bud break. Birches (Betula spp.) are the main host plants, although larvae are able to feed on many deciduous trees and shrubs (Seppänen 1970).

Oecologia ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vidar Selås ◽  
Olav Hogstad ◽  
Göran Andersson ◽  
Ted von Proschwitz

1978 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 226-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Grishchuk

I would like to describe in a few words work which was done by Zeldovich and myself. It gives some restrictions on the amplitude of possible very large-scale density fluctuations mentioned by Peebles. the main question investigated in this work is the following. What can be said, using known observational data and some general hypotheses, about structure of the Universe beyond the region accessible for observation at the present epoch? in fact we consider density fluctuations (as well as rotational perturbations and gravitational waves) with wavelengths larger than the horizon. We use the observational fact that the quadrupole-type anisotropy of the microwave background radiation is absent at the level of δT/T < 10−4. It is interesting to know if it may happen that, at the present epoch, there exists a significant density of perturbations (say, with the dimensionless amplitude of the order of 10−1) which we do not even suspect because the corresponding wavelength is very long and therefore direct observation of the entire perturbation is not possible. Such a direct observation will be possible only in the remote future when the horizon becomes equal to the corresponding wavelength. To answer the question we make a natural but very important assumption. Namely, we assume that the harmonic perturbations of different wavelengths are not correlated in any particular way. Otherwise, they might fit together in such a way that all perturbations (and, therefore, δT/T) would be especially small within the horizon while significant perturbations could take place just beyond the horizon. A situation of this kind would imply that an observer at the Earth occupies a unique position in the Universe. We assume, on the contrary, that all observers are equivalent. All of them, even causally unconnected observers, could detect similar restrictions on the anisotropy of the microwave background, δT/T < 10−4. Nevertheless, the question still exists whether small perturbations unnoticeable by every observer within his horizon can represent different parts of a significant long wavelength limit. the main result of this investigation can be formulated in the following way. the observational data on δT/T in combination with the natural hypothesis on the statistical independence of different harmonics leads to the conclusion that in the Universe there are no significant (i.e. with the amplitude exceeding δT/T) density fluctuations on any spatial scale larger than the horizon. (The paper will be published in Astr. Zh. U. S. S. R. j November-December, 1977.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7782
Author(s):  
Wenjing Zeng ◽  
Yongde Zhong ◽  
Dali Li ◽  
Jinyang Deng

The recreation opportunity spectrum (ROS) has been widely recognized as an effective tool for the inventory and planning of outdoor recreational resources. However, its applications have been primarily focused on forest-dominated settings with few studies being conducted on all land types at a regional scale. The creation of a ROS is based on physical, social, and managerial settings, with the physical setting being measured by three criteria: remoteness, size, and evidence of humans. One challenge to extending the ROS to all land types on a large scale is the difficulty of quantifying the evidence of humans and social settings. Thus, this study, for the first time, developed an innovative approach that used night lights as a proxy for evidence of humans and points of interest (POI) for social settings to generate an automatic ROS for Hunan Province using Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis. The whole province was classified as primitive (2.51%), semi-primitive non-motorized (21.33%), semi-primitive motorized (38.60%), semi-developed natural (30.99%), developed natural (5.61%), and highly developed (0.96%), which was further divided into three subclasses: large-natural (0.63%), small natural (0.27%), and facilities (0.06%). In order to implement the management and utilization of natural recreational resources in Hunan Province at the county (city, district) level, the province’s 122 counties (cities, districts) were categorized into five levels based on the ROS factor dominance calculated at the county and provincial levels. These five levels include key natural recreational counties (cities, districts), general natural recreational counties (cities, districts), rural counties (cities, districts), general metropolitan counties (cities, districts), and key metropolitan counties (cities, districts), with the corresponding numbers being 8, 21, 50, 24, and 19, respectively.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 649
Author(s):  
Arne Døssing ◽  
Eduardo Lima Simoes da Silva ◽  
Guillaume Martelet ◽  
Thorkild Maack Rasmussen ◽  
Eric Gloaguen ◽  
...  

Magnetic surveying is a widely used and cost-efficient remote sensing method for the detection of subsurface structures at all scales. Traditionally, magnetic surveying has been conducted as ground or airborne surveys, which are cheap and provide large-scale consistent data coverage, respectively. However, ground surveys are often incomplete and slow, whereas airborne surveys suffer from being inflexible, expensive and characterized by a reduced signal-to-noise ratio, due to increased sensor-to-source distance. With the rise of reliable and affordable survey-grade Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and the developments of light-weight magnetometers, the shortcomings of traditional magnetic surveying systems may be bypassed by a carefully designed UAV-borne magnetometer system. Here, we present a study on the development and testing of a light-weight scalar field UAV-integrated magnetometer bird system (the CMAGTRES-S100). The idea behind the CMAGTRES-S100 is the need for a high-speed and flexible system that is easily transported in the field without a car, deployable in most terrain and weather conditions, and provides high-quality scalar data in an operationally efficient manner and at ranges comparable to sub-regional scale helicopter-borne magnetic surveys. We discuss various steps in the development, including (i) choice of sensor based on sensor specifications and sensor stability tests, (ii) design considerations of the bird, (iii) operational efficiency and flexibility and (iv) output data quality. The current CMAGTRES-S100 system weighs ∼5.9 kg (including the UAV) and has an optimal surveying speed of 50 km/h. The system was tested along a complex coastal setting in Brittany, France, targeting mafic dykes and fault contacts with magnetite infill and magnetite nuggets (skarns). A 2.0 × 0.3 km area was mapped with a 10 m line-spacing by four sub-surveys (due to regulatory restrictions). The sub-surveys were completed in 3.5 h, including >2 h for remobilisation and the safety clearance of the area. A noise-level of ±0.02 nT was obtained and several of the key geological structures were mapped by the system.


SEG Discovery ◽  
2000 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
JEREMY P. RICHARDS

ABSTRACT Large-scale crustal lineaments are recognized as corridors (up to 30 km wide) of aligned geological, structural, geomorphological, or geophysical features that are distinct from regional geological trends such as outcrop traces. They are commonly difficult to observe on the ground, the scale of the features and their interrelationships being too large to map except at a regional scale. They are therefore most easily identified from satellite imagery and geophysical (gravity, magnetic) maps. Lineaments are believed to be the surface expressions of ancient, deep-crustal or trans-lithospheric structures, which periodically have been reactivated as planes of weakness during subsequent tectonic events. These planes of weakness, and in particular their intersections, may provide high-permeability channels for ascent of deeply derived magmas and fluids. Optimum conditions for magma penetration are provided when these structures are placed under tension or transtension. In regions of subduction-related magmatism, porphyry copper and related deposits may be generated along these lineaments because the structures serve to focus the ascent of relatively evolved magmas and fluid distillates from deep-crustal magma reservoirs. However, lineament intersections can only focus such activity where a magma supply exists, and when lithospheric stress conditions permit. A comprehensive understanding of regional tectono-magmatic history is therefore required to interpret lineament maps in terms of their prospectivity for mineral exploration.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 1099-1116
Author(s):  
Gerald A. Lehmacher ◽  
Miguel F. Larsen ◽  
Richard L. Collins ◽  
Aroh Barjatya ◽  
Boris Strelnikov

Abstract. Four mesosphere–lower thermosphere temperature and turbulence profiles were obtained in situ within ∼30 min and over an area of about 100 by 100 km during a sounding rocket experiment conducted on 26 January 2015 at Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska. In this paper we examine the spatial and temporal variability of mesospheric turbulence in relationship to the static stability of the background atmosphere. Using active payload attitude control, neutral density fluctuations, a tracer for turbulence, were observed with very little interference from the payload spin motion, and with high precision (<0.01 %) at sub-meter resolution. The large-scale vertical temperature structure was very consistent between the four soundings. The mesosphere was almost isothermal, which means more stratified, between 60 and 80 km, and again between 88 and 95 km. The stratified regions adjoined quasi-adiabatic regions assumed to be well mixed. Additional evidence of vertical transport and convective activity comes from sodium densities and trimethyl aluminum trail development, respectively, which were both observed simultaneously with the in situ measurements. We found considerable kilometer-scale temperature variability with amplitudes of 20 K in the stratified region below 80 km. Several thin turbulent layers were embedded in this region, differing in width and altitude for each profile. Energy dissipation rates varied between 0.1 and 10 mW kg−1, which is typical for the winter mesosphere. Very little turbulence was observed above 82 km, consistent with very weak small-scale gravity wave activity in the upper mesosphere during the launch night. On the other hand, above the cold and prominent mesopause at 102 km, large temperature excursions of +40 to +70 K were observed. Simultaneous wind measurements revealed extreme wind shears near 108 km, and combined with the observed temperature gradient, isolated regions of unstable Richardson numbers (0<Ri<0.25) were detected in the lower thermosphere. The experiment was launched into a bright auroral arc under moderately disturbed conditions (Kp∼5).


2018 ◽  
Vol 611 ◽  
pp. A89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yueh-Ning Lee ◽  
Patrick Hennebelle

Context. Understanding the origin of the initial mass function (IMF) of stars is a major problem for the star formation process and beyond. Aim. We investigate the dependence of the peak of the IMF on the physics of the so-called first Larson core, which corresponds to the point where the dust becomes opaque to its own radiation. Methods. We performed numerical simulations of collapsing clouds of 1000 M⊙ for various gas equations of state (eos), paying great attention to the numerical resolution and convergence. The initial conditions of these numerical experiments are varied in the companion paper. We also develop analytical models that we compare to our numerical results. Results. When an isothermal eos is used, we show that the peak of the IMF shifts to lower masses with improved numerical resolution. When an adiabatic eos is employed, numerical convergence is obtained. The peak position varies with the eos, and using an analytical model to infer the mass of the first Larson core, we find that the peak position is about ten times its value. By analyzing the stability of nonlinear density fluctuations in the vicinity of a point mass and then summing over a reasonable density distribution, we find that tidal forces exert a strong stabilizing effect and likely lead to a preferential mass several times higher than that of the first Larson core. Conclusions. We propose that in a sufficiently massive and cold cloud, the peak of the IMF is determined by the thermodynamics of the high-density adiabatic gas as well as the stabilizing influence of tidal forces. The resulting characteristic mass is about ten times the mass of the first Larson core, which altogether leads to a few tenths of solar masses. Since these processes are not related to the large-scale physical conditions and to the environment, our results suggest a possible explanation for the apparent universality of the peak of the IMF.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (16) ◽  
pp. 5203-5219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Rousset ◽  
Florian De Boissieu ◽  
Christophe E. Menkes ◽  
Jérôme Lefèvre ◽  
Robert Frouin ◽  
...  

Abstract. Trichodesmium is the major nitrogen-fixing species in the western tropical South Pacific (WTSP) region, a hot spot of diazotrophy. Due to the paucity of in situ observations, remote-sensing methods for detecting Trichodesmium presence on a large scale have been investigated to assess the regional-to-global impact of this organism on primary production and carbon cycling. A number of algorithms have been developed to identify Trichodesmium surface blooms from space, but determining with confidence their accuracy has been difficult, chiefly because of the scarcity of sea-truth information at the time of satellite overpass. Here, we use a series of new cruises as well as airborne surveys over the WTSP to evaluate their ability to detect Trichodesmium surface blooms in the satellite imagery. The evaluation, performed on MODIS data at 250 m and 1 km resolution acquired over the region, shows limitations due to spatial resolution, clouds, and atmospheric correction. A new satellite-based algorithm is designed to alleviate some of these limitations, by exploiting optimally spectral features in the atmospherically corrected reflectance at 531, 645, 678, 748, and 869 nm. This algorithm outperforms former ones near clouds, limiting false positive detection and allowing regional-scale automation. Compared with observations, 80 % of the detected mats are within a 2 km range, demonstrating the good statistical skill of the new algorithm. Application to MODIS imagery acquired during the February-March 2015 OUTPACE campaign reveals the presence of surface blooms northwest and east of New Caledonia and near 20∘ S–172∘ W in qualitative agreement with measured nitrogen fixation rates. Improving Trichodesmium detection requires measuring ocean color at higher spectral and spatial (<250 m) resolution than MODIS, taking into account environment properties (e.g., wind, sea surface temperature), fluorescence, and spatial structure of filaments, and a better understanding of Trichodesmium dynamics, including aggregation processes to generate surface mats. Such sub-mesoscale aggregation processes for Trichodesmium are yet to be understood.


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