Xerophilic Research Articles

An arid house for a xerophilic bug <i>Nysius huttoni</i>

With sensors and microprocessors becoming more affordable all the time it is now possible to build inexpensive environmental regulators for small insect colony boxes We designed and built a humidity regulator for xerophilic (dryloving) Nysius bugs Poorly ventilated insect rearing boxes can have an overly elevated humidity that can promote unwanted fungal growth especially if there is live plant material involved Air conditioned laboratories can have very low ambient humidity but the ideal humidity for an insect colony may be intermediate Direct and accurate measurement and control of humidity is now possible electronically using sensors and a fan to pump dry air into a humid space in a controlled fashion to regulate the humidity The potential exits for different sensors to be used to monitor different environmental variables and to trigger equipment to respond when an environmental threshold is reached Environmental control methods can be simple or elaborate depending on the colony requirements and budget A clock and memory card can be added to the microprocessor to record sensor data and event triggers This method has been successfully used to rear the wheat bug Nysius huttoni

Effect of irrigation and organic fertilization on oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) in forest nursery

The aim of the paper was to determine the effect of microirrigation and organic fertilization on the structure of assemblages of oribatid mites in Silver birch and Scots pine cultivations under conditions of mulching with forest ectohumus. Investigations were conducted at Forest Nursery BiaA‚e BA‚ota, Forest District in Bydgoszcz (Poland). Separate experiments in Scots pine and S. birch stands were established in 2003; the single plot area measured 4 m2 and contained 4 rows (4 m long). The soil samples for mites were taken twice a year (in May and October of 2003 and 2004). A total of 39 oribatid mite species were found in forest nursery cultivations of both tree species. Irrigation was found to be the factor which determined the mean number of species per sample in both plantations, as well as the density of oribatids, which were more numerous in S. birch stands than in that of Scots pine. Eurybionthic populations of oribatids – Oppiella nova, Oribatula tibialis and Tectocepheus velatus – were the most numerous in the study sites.Most of the species preferred specific ecological conditions which were created by high seedlings of S. birch which is characterized by abundant leaf-fall. Only the xerophilous Scutovertex sculptus was more abundant in Scots pine cultivation. Key words: Forest nursery, irrigation, organic fertilization, mulching, oribatid mites.

Xerophilic Moulds Isolated from Salted and Unsalted Dried Fish from Traditional Markets in Jakarta

A study was carried out on the mycoflora of utz salted (30 samples) and salted (30 samples) dried fish sold at traditional markets in Jakarta and vicinity. Only the moulds growing directly on the surface on the fish were isolated. The isolates were identified until the species level using the common suitable recommended media. For examination of their xerophilic features DG18% Agar was used. The species isolated from both kind of samples belong to the genera Absidia, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Doratomuces, Fusarium, Moniliella, Mucor, Neurospora/Chrysonilia, Nigrospora, Rhizopus, Sordaria, and Syncephalastrum. The strong xerophilic isolates belong to the species Aspergillus awainori, Asp. carbonarius, Asp. glaucus, Asp. tamarii, and Eurotium glaucus.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE STEM LEAF ANATOMY OF THE THREE WILD RICE SPECIES IN CHINA

The results of study on the anatomy of the stem leaf of Oryza sativa L. f. spontanea Roschev.,O. officinalis Wall. and O. meyeriana Baill. in China indicated that O. sativa L. f. spontanea had full lysigenous space in the internodes,large lysigenous space in the mid rib of the leaf,and the lysigenous path in the large vascular bundles of the leaf.Its mesophyll cells were arranged compactly and its cell walls were much inwardly folded.In the lysigenous space in the internodes of O. officinalis remained some membranes. O. meyeriana had neither large lysigenous space in the internodes and leaf mid rib nor the lysigenous path in the large vascular bundles of the leaf.The results mentioned above showed that the three wild rice species having different anatomical structures adapted to growing in the water-grown and high solar-radiation ecotype of the swamp-land, the wet and little-sunlight ecological conditions of the mountain valley and the xerophilous and shady ecological environment, respectively.The authors believe that these differences among the stem leaf anatomical structures of the three wild rice species, such as the feature of lysigenous space of the internodes and the blades, the characteristic feature of the bulliform cell and the structure of the vascular bundles in the leaf, the stomatal character and the distribution of the papillae on the leaf surface, might be used as the initiative anatomical evidence for the identification of the three wild rice species in China.

Wawella octospora sp. nov., a xerophilous and coprophilous member of the xylariaceae

Wawella octospora sp. nov., a xerophilous and coprophilous member of the xylariaceae

Two new species of Chrysosporium

Chrysosporiumfastidium sp.nov. and C. xerophilum sp.nov. isolated from Australian prunes, are described. Both are xerophilic.

Xerophilous Adaptations in Mosses

Xerophilous Adaptations in Mosses