John A. Byers

Bio: John A. Byers is an academic researcher from Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The author has contributed to research in topics: Bark beetle & Sex pheromone. The author has an hindex of 45, co-authored 124 publications receiving 5592 citations. Previous affiliations of John A. Byers include United States Department of Agriculture & University of California, Berkeley.

Potential of Mass Trapping for Long-Term Pest Management and Eradication of Invasive Species

Abstract: Semiochemical-based pest management programs comprise three major approaches that are being used to provide environmentally friendly control methods of insect pests: mass trapping, "lure and kill," and mating disruption. In this article, we review the potential of mass trapping in long-term pest management as well as in the eradication of invasive species. We discuss similarities and differences between mass trapping and other two main approaches of semiochemical-based pest management programs. We highlight several study cases where mass trapping has been used either in long-term pest management (e.g., codling moth,Cydiapomonella (L.); pink bollworm,Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders); bark beetles, palm weevils, corn rootworms (Diabrotica spp.); and fruit sies) or in eradication of invasive species (e.g., gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.); and boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman). We list the critical issues that affect the efÞcacy of mass trapping and compare these with previously published models developed to investigate mass trapping efÞcacy in pest control. We conclude that mass trapping has good potential to suppress or eradicate low-density, isolated pest populations; however, its full potential in pest management has not been adequately realized and therefore encourages further research and development of this technology.

Chemical ecology of bark beetles

Abstract: The purview of chemical ecology and the recent criticisms of improper application of theory to bark beetle phenomena is briefly discussed. Seven levels of research in chemical ecology are presented as well as their relationship to research on bark beetles. The biology and chemical ecology of several pest bark beetles from North America and Europe are discussed in regard to host tree selection theories of random landing on trees or attraction to semiochemicals. The diversity and similarities of pheromone components among species are presented in relation to their biosynthesis from host tree precursors and in relation to the ecological implications of de novo or precursor syntheses. Individual variation in biosynthesis of, response to, and release of pheromones is discussed. Olfactory perception of semiochemicals at both the electrophysiological and behavioral levels is presented. Orientation to semiochemicals during walking and flying is discussed with reference to the significance of dose-response curves for determining a compound's functionality in short- or long-range communication. The regulation of attack density, termination of the aggregation, mechanisms of attack spacing, and recognition of host suitability are presented in the context of an individual's avoidance of intra- and interspecific competition. Finally, a brief summary of topics where our understanding of the chemical ecology of bark beetles and their associates is poorly known is presented.

Potential of "lure and kill" in long-term pest management and eradication of invasive species.

Abstract: "Lure and kill" technology has been used for several decades in pest management and eradication of invasive species. In lure and kill, the insect pest attracted by a semiochemical lure is not "entrapped" at the source of the attractant as in mass trapping, but instead the insect is subjected to a killing agent, which eliminates affected individuals from the population after a short period. In past decades, a growing scientific literature has been published on this concept. This article provides the first review on the potential of lure and kill in long-term pest management and eradication of invasive species. We present a summary of lure and kill, either when used as a stand-alone control method or in combination with other methods. We discuss its efficacy in comparison with other control methods. Several case studies in which lure and kill has been used with the aims of long-term pest management (e.g., pink bollworm, Egyptian cotton leafworm, codling moth, apple maggot, biting flies, and bark beetles) or the eradication of invasive species (e.g., tephritid fruit flies and boll weevils) are provided. Subsequently, we identify essential knowledge required for successful lure and kill programs that include lure competitiveness with natural odor source; lure density; lure formulation and release rate; pest population density and risk of immigration; and biology and ecology of the target species. The risks associated with lure and kill, especially when used in the eradication programs, are highlighted. We comment on the cost-effectiveness of this technology and its strengths and weaknesses, and list key reasons for success and failure. We conclude that lure and kill can be highly effective in controlling small, low-density, isolated populations, and thus it has the potential to add value to long-term pest management. In the eradication of invasive species, lure and kill offers a major advantage in effectiveness by its being inverse density dependent and it provides some improvements in efficacy over related control methods. However, the inclusion of insecticides or sterilants in lure and kill formulations presents a major obstacle to public acceptance.

Host-Tree Chemistry Affecting Colonization in Bark Beetles

Abstract: Bark beetles (order Coleoptera: family Scolytidae) comprise a taxonomic group of species that look similar although they differ widely in their ecology and biochemical adaptations to host trees. This diversity of bark beetle biology, in which each species is adapted to only one or a few host-tree species, has probably resulted from natural selection due to the great variety of trees and their biochemicals. It also is likely that each species of tree has coevolved various chemicals to defend against the herbivorous selection pressures of bark beetles and other insects (Erlich and Raven, 1965; Feeny, 1975; Cates, 1981; Berryman et al., 1985). Host-plant chemicals can be attractive, repellent, toxic, or nutritious to bark beetles and have effects on: (1) finding and accepting the host tree (host selection and suitability); (2) feeding stimulation and deterrence; (3) host resistance; (4) pheromone/allomone biosynthesis and communication; and (5) attraction of predators, parasites, and competitors of bark beetles.

Olfactory recognition of host-tree susceptibility by pine shoot beetles

Abstract: Storm-fallen Scots pines with broken roots and trees with severed tops exude wound oleoresin These trees are susceptible to bark beetles due to an injured vascular system that can not provide adequate oleoresin in order to resist new attacks by beetles [I] Once a tree is attacked, most bark beetles use pheromone attractants to locate mates and often to overcome tree resistance through a mass attack [I, 21 It would be clearly advantageous for bark beetles to have evolved sensory systems for efficiently locating their host and in recognizing whether a particular host was less resistant than most healthy trees However, little is known of how bark beetles select their host from among other plant and tree species [I], or what may attract the first individuals to a susceptible host We have investigated the semiochemical basis of the mass aggregation of pine shoot beetles, Tomicus piniperda, on storm-injured Scots pine We found that the beetle can recognize while still in flight a host tree and whether it is susceptible by means of olfaction of three plant monoterpenes evaporating from wound oleoresin Scots pine logs infested with males and females of T piniperda were tested in the forest of southern Sweden (Table 1, 1982) to determine their attractiveness to naturally swarming populations in the spring The resulting catches of beetles indicate that there was a strong attraction to volatiles released from logs

The Design and Analysis of Experiments

Abstract: THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF EXPERIMENTS. By Oscar Kempthorne. New York, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 1952. 631 pp. $8.50. This book by a teacher of statistics (as well as a consultant for \"experimenters\") is a comprehensive study of the philosophical background for the statistical design of experiment. It is necessary to have some facility with algebraic notation and manipulation to be able to use the volume intelligently. The problems are presented from the theoretical point of view, without such practical examples as would be helpful for those not acquainted with mathematics. The mathematical justification for the techniques is given. As a somewhat advanced treatment of the design and analysis of experiments, this volume will be interesting and helpful for many who approach statistics theoretically as well as practically. With emphasis on the \"why,\" and with description given broadly, the author relates the subject matter to the general theory of statistics and to the general problem of experimental inference. MARGARET J. ROBERTSON

Mechanisms of plant survival and mortality during drought: why do some plants survive while others succumb to drought?

Abstract: Summary Severe droughts have been associated with regional-scale forest mortality worldwide. Climate change is expected to exacerbate regional mortality events; however, pre- diction remains difficult because the physiological mechanisms underlying drought survival and mortality are poorly understood. We developed a hydraulically based theory considering carbon balance and insect resistance that allowed development and examination of hypotheses regarding survival and mortality. Multiple mechanisms may cause mortality during drought. A common mechanism for plants with isohydric

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology数据库介绍及实例

Abstract: 介绍了Kirk—Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology（化工技术百科全书）（第五版）电子图书网络版数据库，并对该数据库使用方法和检索途径作出了说明，且结合实例简单地介绍了该数据库的检索方法。

Insect-plant biology

Abstract: Half of all insect species are dependent on living plant tissues, consuming about 10% of plant annual production in natural habitats and an even greater percentage in agricultural systems, despite sophisticated control measures. Plants are generally remarkably well-protected against insect attack, with the result that most insects are highly specialized feeders. The mechanisms underlying plant resistance to invading herbivores on the one side, and insect food specialization on the other, are the main subjects of this book. For insects these include food-plant selection and the complex sensory processes involved, with their implications for learning and nutritional physiology, as well as the endocrinological spects of life cycle synchronization with host plant phenology. In the case of plants exposed to insect herbivores, they include the activation of defence systems in order to minimize damage, as well as the emission of chemical signals that may attract natural enemies of the invading herbivores and maybe exploited by neighbouring plants that mount defences as well.

Random walk models in biology.

Abstract: Mathematical modelling of the movement of animals, micro-organisms and cells is of great relevance in the fields of biology, ecology and medicine. Movement models can take many different forms, but the most widely used are based on the extensions of simple random walk processes. In this review paper, our aim is twofold: to introduce the mathematics behind random walks in a straightforward manner and to explain how such models can be used to aid our understanding of biological processes. We introduce the mathematical theory behind the simple random walk and explain how this relates to Brownian motion and diffusive processes in general. We demonstrate how these simple models can be extended to include drift and waiting times or be used to calculate first passage times. We discuss biased random walks and show how hyperbolic models can be used to generate correlated random walks. We cover two main applications of the random walk model. Firstly, we review models and results relating to the movement, dispersal and population redistribution of animals and micro-organisms. This includes direct calculation of mean squared displacement, mean dispersal distance, tortuosity measures, as well as possible limitations of these model approaches. Secondly, oriented movement and chemotaxis models are reviewed. General hyperbolic models based on the linear transport equation are introduced and we show how a reinforced random walk can be used to model movement where the individual changes its environment. We discuss the applications of these models in the context of cell migration leading to blood vessel growth (angiogenesis). Finally, we discuss how the various random walk models and approaches are related and the connections that underpin many of the key processes involved.