The vital importance of nature to people, and of people to the future of that nature, is self‐evi... more The vital importance of nature to people, and of people to the future of that nature, is self‐evident. The understanding of those linkages is, nonetheless, being critically transformed and enriched by research that transcends the barriers between ecology and other traditional disciplines. Such studies are not new, but the dramatic growth in their number and influence is, and reflects the growing need for such work in rapidly changing times and circumstances. People and Nature is founded upon a recognition of these developments, and of the need of authors and readers for a journal that is focussed on them.
The motivation and opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary, cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research involving ecology and related disciplines has blossomed in recent years (from this point on, we use interdisciplinary research as a catch‐all also including cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research, while recognising that these can refer to markedly different things). It is increasingly understood that knowledge of the interactions between people and nature is crucial to both. There is a need to sustain and foster creative dialogues between ecology and a host of other disciplines in order to elaborate understandings of people and nature that are both critical and applied in scope. This means dialogues across the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. People and Nature is a venue (and invitation) for disciplinary engagements that encompass, for example, economics, geography, history, law, literature, medicine, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology, as well as other related disciplines.
1. National and international assessments are increasingly highlighting the unsustainable use of ... more 1. National and international assessments are increasingly highlighting the unsustainable use of earth's natural resources in the face of population increase, growing material affluence and global change. In all likelihood, the use and degradation of natural resources will continue. 2. In contrast to resource depletion, the concept of natural capital emphasises how the environment is an asset to be managed, to ensure that the benefits which flow from it are sustained for future generations. These benefits are the ecosystem goods and services upon which all people rely for their continued survival and well-being both now and, ideally, in perpetuity. 3. Despite their importance, the evidence-base and quantitative understanding of links between biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem services are insufficient to allow informed use and management. Moreover, the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services are insufficiently mainstream to influence decisions that currently favour the production of food and fibre rather than less tangible services such as climate regulation, air and water purification, pollination or the contributions of environment to health. 4. There are specific challenges to ecological science in this interdisciplinary endeavour: specifically, to develop frameworks for identifying and monitoring natural capital; to parameterise factors affecting ecosystem services and their resilience to change; to integrate the complexity of ecological systems into ecosystem service valuation; and to characterise the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services in different management and policy scenarios. 5. Synthesis and applications. The five papers in this Special Profile exemplify just some of the leading work through which ecologists in the UK are contributing nationally and internationally to these needs, stemming from the UK National Ecosystem Assessment -the first national scale exercise of its type in the world. We expect a major, worldwide increase in work on ecosystem services and natural capital in future as decisions on ecosystem use of management are squeezed increasingly between the needs of exploitation and protection.
Geographically separate populations of winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.) were sampled in heath... more Geographically separate populations of winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.) were sampled in heather habitats on the Orkney Isles in order to investigate the prevalence of virus pathogens. Reoviruses were isolated in 11 of the 13 winter moth populations sampled, with 3 novel species being detected. Two species of Cypoviridae (CPV) were isolated, Operophtera brumata CPV18 and O. brumata CPV19, with one host population suVering 46% infection prevalence of OpbuCPV19. A third virus, O. brumata Reovirus (OpbuRV), was isolated from both winter moth and a hymenopteran parasitoid wasp, Phobocampe tempestiva, which is abundant in these populations. This was identi-Wed as a non-occluded reovirus, which was clearly able to infect and persist in both the lepidopteran and the hymenopteran host. The genomes of the three viruses were characterised using gel electrophoresis and the virus structure was investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The relationship of these viruses with a baculovirus that also infects winter moth, OpbuNPV, was investigated, as well as the association of OpbuRV with P. tempestiva. The detection of such viruses is discussed with reference to studies of similar viruses in other lepidopteran and hymenopteran host systems.
... in their environment such as sun set, or in response to visual or olfactory information from ... more ... in their environment such as sun set, or in response to visual or olfactory information from ... repeatedly evolved such elongate sensilla, presumably in order to facilitate the detection of sex ... Few fig wasps have evolved alternative means of increasing the surface area of the sensilla ...
The majority of studies on the regulation of insect populations by entomopathogenic fungi have be... more The majority of studies on the regulation of insect populations by entomopathogenic fungi have been in the context of pest control, whereas there has been little research into how they may impact on natural populations of insects. The Adonis Blue (Polyommatus ...
Blood-feeding ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks, transmit many disease agent... more Blood-feeding ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks, transmit many disease agents. Their control relies on large-scale, repeated use of chemical pesticides. An alternative, targeted and environmentally friendly approach is to develop anti-ectoparasite vaccines. We describe a vaccine to control ticks that targets an 'exposed' tick saliva antigen and cross-reacts with 'concealed' tick midgut antigens. Ticks feeding on immunised animals induced a cutaneous inflammatory response and increased antibody titer, while engorged ticks died following damage to their midgut. This dual action, acting at the feeding site and in the midgut, offers a self-sustaining strategy for ectoparasite control boosted by natural infestations.
Synergistic interactions between entomopathogenic micro-organisms can potentially be exploited to... more Synergistic interactions between entomopathogenic micro-organisms can potentially be exploited to improve biological control of invertebrate pests but empirical data at the population level describing multiple-pathogen transmission dynamics is lacking. We examined how co-inoculation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk) and the baculovirus Panolis flammea nucleopolyhedrovirus (PaflNPV) in an experimental field population of Lepidopteran Mamestra brassicae larvae impacted on viral transmission dynamics. We determined how the presence of Btk influenced primary and secondary PaflNPV transmission. When Btk was co-inoculated with PaflNPV, there was increased proportional viral mortality in primary transmission studies compared to plots with virus alone. A delay of up to 4days between applications of Btk and PaflNPV did not impact on primary viral mortality, indicating that a lag between inoculations was unlikely to affect the biocontrol potential of the two pathogens. Viral yie...
Insect baculoviruses can survive between epidemics as infectious particles external to the host. ... more Insect baculoviruses can survive between epidemics as infectious particles external to the host. Many pathogens persist in reservoirs, i.e., microhabitats where survival is enhanced, for example due to protection from the degrading eVects of UV irradiation. However, the probability of infecting new susceptible hosts is usually reduced. Persistence of pathogens and their movement in and out of reservoirs is an important, albeit little understood, aspect of insect pathogen ecology. This study investigated interactions between the behaviour of infected insect hosts, virus distribution and plant species on the persistence of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) nucleopolyhedrovirus. Habitat inXuenced the persistence of infectious baculovirus in the Weld: virus on Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and oak (Quercus robur) in forested areas retained more infectivity than virus on heather (Calluna vulgaris) in an unshaded habitat. Plant species per se did not directly aVect the persistence of virus on the foliage of potted seedlings. Virally infected insects had altered behaviour and moved down plants relative to control insects, whereas in other systems larvae show height-seeking behaviour. Consequently, the majority of virus particles were distributed on plant stems. In two experiments (one using winter moth NPV and one Mamestra brassicae NPV) virus persisted better on plant stems relative to foliage. Neonate larvae were shown to be able to acquire infections from tree stems contaminated with a low level of virus. These data suggest that plant stems may be important reservoirs for between-year persistence of this pathogen. The observed virus-induced changes in host behaviour in winter moth could enhance the viral persistence by increasing the deposition of occlusion bodies in these reservoirs. 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
There is increasing evidence that populations of microparasites vary genotypically at a variety o... more There is increasing evidence that populations of microparasites vary genotypically at a variety of spatial scales, including within host individuals. Understanding this fine-scale structuring of microparasite populations requires descriptions of the relative fitness of individual genotypes isolated from natural mixed infections. Here we examine whether differences between virus genotypes isolated from a single host individual translate into phenotypic differences, and discuss the processes by which such variation might be maintained. Twenty-five genotypic variants of a nucleopolyhedrovirus (Baculoviridae) have been identified and purified from a single pine beauty moth (Panolis flammea) larva. The phenotypes of four genotypes were compared. Genotypes differed in three phenotypic traits, each predicted to be an important component of fitness: pathogenicity, speed of kill and yield. Variation in pathogenicity was described by seven-fold differences in LD 50 and by differences in the slopes of the fitted doseresponse curves. Mean speed of kill of the genotypes differed by up to 36 h. Two genotypes produced 65% higher yields, over and above any differences predicted by a significant intra-genotypic relationship between yield and speed of kill. Inter-genotypic trade-offs between virus phenotypic traits, which could promote the co-existence of genotypes, were not found. Mechanisms that may promote the co-existence of competing virus genotypes are discussed.
The vital importance of nature to people, and of people to the future of that nature, is self‐evi... more The vital importance of nature to people, and of people to the future of that nature, is self‐evident. The understanding of those linkages is, nonetheless, being critically transformed and enriched by research that transcends the barriers between ecology and other traditional disciplines. Such studies are not new, but the dramatic growth in their number and influence is, and reflects the growing need for such work in rapidly changing times and circumstances. People and Nature is founded upon a recognition of these developments, and of the need of authors and readers for a journal that is focussed on them.
The motivation and opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary, cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research involving ecology and related disciplines has blossomed in recent years (from this point on, we use interdisciplinary research as a catch‐all also including cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research, while recognising that these can refer to markedly different things). It is increasingly understood that knowledge of the interactions between people and nature is crucial to both. There is a need to sustain and foster creative dialogues between ecology and a host of other disciplines in order to elaborate understandings of people and nature that are both critical and applied in scope. This means dialogues across the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. People and Nature is a venue (and invitation) for disciplinary engagements that encompass, for example, economics, geography, history, law, literature, medicine, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology, as well as other related disciplines.
1. National and international assessments are increasingly highlighting the unsustainable use of ... more 1. National and international assessments are increasingly highlighting the unsustainable use of earth's natural resources in the face of population increase, growing material affluence and global change. In all likelihood, the use and degradation of natural resources will continue. 2. In contrast to resource depletion, the concept of natural capital emphasises how the environment is an asset to be managed, to ensure that the benefits which flow from it are sustained for future generations. These benefits are the ecosystem goods and services upon which all people rely for their continued survival and well-being both now and, ideally, in perpetuity. 3. Despite their importance, the evidence-base and quantitative understanding of links between biodiversity, ecosystem function and ecosystem services are insufficient to allow informed use and management. Moreover, the concepts of natural capital and ecosystem services are insufficiently mainstream to influence decisions that currently favour the production of food and fibre rather than less tangible services such as climate regulation, air and water purification, pollination or the contributions of environment to health. 4. There are specific challenges to ecological science in this interdisciplinary endeavour: specifically, to develop frameworks for identifying and monitoring natural capital; to parameterise factors affecting ecosystem services and their resilience to change; to integrate the complexity of ecological systems into ecosystem service valuation; and to characterise the synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services in different management and policy scenarios. 5. Synthesis and applications. The five papers in this Special Profile exemplify just some of the leading work through which ecologists in the UK are contributing nationally and internationally to these needs, stemming from the UK National Ecosystem Assessment -the first national scale exercise of its type in the world. We expect a major, worldwide increase in work on ecosystem services and natural capital in future as decisions on ecosystem use of management are squeezed increasingly between the needs of exploitation and protection.
Geographically separate populations of winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.) were sampled in heath... more Geographically separate populations of winter moth (Operophtera brumata L.) were sampled in heather habitats on the Orkney Isles in order to investigate the prevalence of virus pathogens. Reoviruses were isolated in 11 of the 13 winter moth populations sampled, with 3 novel species being detected. Two species of Cypoviridae (CPV) were isolated, Operophtera brumata CPV18 and O. brumata CPV19, with one host population suVering 46% infection prevalence of OpbuCPV19. A third virus, O. brumata Reovirus (OpbuRV), was isolated from both winter moth and a hymenopteran parasitoid wasp, Phobocampe tempestiva, which is abundant in these populations. This was identi-Wed as a non-occluded reovirus, which was clearly able to infect and persist in both the lepidopteran and the hymenopteran host. The genomes of the three viruses were characterised using gel electrophoresis and the virus structure was investigated using transmission electron microscopy. The relationship of these viruses with a baculovirus that also infects winter moth, OpbuNPV, was investigated, as well as the association of OpbuRV with P. tempestiva. The detection of such viruses is discussed with reference to studies of similar viruses in other lepidopteran and hymenopteran host systems.
... in their environment such as sun set, or in response to visual or olfactory information from ... more ... in their environment such as sun set, or in response to visual or olfactory information from ... repeatedly evolved such elongate sensilla, presumably in order to facilitate the detection of sex ... Few fig wasps have evolved alternative means of increasing the surface area of the sensilla ...
The majority of studies on the regulation of insect populations by entomopathogenic fungi have be... more The majority of studies on the regulation of insect populations by entomopathogenic fungi have been in the context of pest control, whereas there has been little research into how they may impact on natural populations of insects. The Adonis Blue (Polyommatus ...
Blood-feeding ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks, transmit many disease agent... more Blood-feeding ectoparasites, such as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks, transmit many disease agents. Their control relies on large-scale, repeated use of chemical pesticides. An alternative, targeted and environmentally friendly approach is to develop anti-ectoparasite vaccines. We describe a vaccine to control ticks that targets an 'exposed' tick saliva antigen and cross-reacts with 'concealed' tick midgut antigens. Ticks feeding on immunised animals induced a cutaneous inflammatory response and increased antibody titer, while engorged ticks died following damage to their midgut. This dual action, acting at the feeding site and in the midgut, offers a self-sustaining strategy for ectoparasite control boosted by natural infestations.
Synergistic interactions between entomopathogenic micro-organisms can potentially be exploited to... more Synergistic interactions between entomopathogenic micro-organisms can potentially be exploited to improve biological control of invertebrate pests but empirical data at the population level describing multiple-pathogen transmission dynamics is lacking. We examined how co-inoculation of Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk) and the baculovirus Panolis flammea nucleopolyhedrovirus (PaflNPV) in an experimental field population of Lepidopteran Mamestra brassicae larvae impacted on viral transmission dynamics. We determined how the presence of Btk influenced primary and secondary PaflNPV transmission. When Btk was co-inoculated with PaflNPV, there was increased proportional viral mortality in primary transmission studies compared to plots with virus alone. A delay of up to 4days between applications of Btk and PaflNPV did not impact on primary viral mortality, indicating that a lag between inoculations was unlikely to affect the biocontrol potential of the two pathogens. Viral yie...
Insect baculoviruses can survive between epidemics as infectious particles external to the host. ... more Insect baculoviruses can survive between epidemics as infectious particles external to the host. Many pathogens persist in reservoirs, i.e., microhabitats where survival is enhanced, for example due to protection from the degrading eVects of UV irradiation. However, the probability of infecting new susceptible hosts is usually reduced. Persistence of pathogens and their movement in and out of reservoirs is an important, albeit little understood, aspect of insect pathogen ecology. This study investigated interactions between the behaviour of infected insect hosts, virus distribution and plant species on the persistence of the winter moth (Operophtera brumata) nucleopolyhedrovirus. Habitat inXuenced the persistence of infectious baculovirus in the Weld: virus on Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis) and oak (Quercus robur) in forested areas retained more infectivity than virus on heather (Calluna vulgaris) in an unshaded habitat. Plant species per se did not directly aVect the persistence of virus on the foliage of potted seedlings. Virally infected insects had altered behaviour and moved down plants relative to control insects, whereas in other systems larvae show height-seeking behaviour. Consequently, the majority of virus particles were distributed on plant stems. In two experiments (one using winter moth NPV and one Mamestra brassicae NPV) virus persisted better on plant stems relative to foliage. Neonate larvae were shown to be able to acquire infections from tree stems contaminated with a low level of virus. These data suggest that plant stems may be important reservoirs for between-year persistence of this pathogen. The observed virus-induced changes in host behaviour in winter moth could enhance the viral persistence by increasing the deposition of occlusion bodies in these reservoirs. 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
There is increasing evidence that populations of microparasites vary genotypically at a variety o... more There is increasing evidence that populations of microparasites vary genotypically at a variety of spatial scales, including within host individuals. Understanding this fine-scale structuring of microparasite populations requires descriptions of the relative fitness of individual genotypes isolated from natural mixed infections. Here we examine whether differences between virus genotypes isolated from a single host individual translate into phenotypic differences, and discuss the processes by which such variation might be maintained. Twenty-five genotypic variants of a nucleopolyhedrovirus (Baculoviridae) have been identified and purified from a single pine beauty moth (Panolis flammea) larva. The phenotypes of four genotypes were compared. Genotypes differed in three phenotypic traits, each predicted to be an important component of fitness: pathogenicity, speed of kill and yield. Variation in pathogenicity was described by seven-fold differences in LD 50 and by differences in the slopes of the fitted doseresponse curves. Mean speed of kill of the genotypes differed by up to 36 h. Two genotypes produced 65% higher yields, over and above any differences predicted by a significant intra-genotypic relationship between yield and speed of kill. Inter-genotypic trade-offs between virus phenotypic traits, which could promote the co-existence of genotypes, were not found. Mechanisms that may promote the co-existence of competing virus genotypes are discussed.
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Papers by Rosemary Hails
The motivation and opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary, cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research involving ecology and related disciplines has blossomed in recent years (from this point on, we use interdisciplinary research as a catch‐all also including cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research, while recognising that these can refer to markedly different things). It is increasingly understood that knowledge of the interactions between people and nature is crucial to both. There is a need to sustain and foster creative dialogues between ecology and a host of other disciplines in order to elaborate understandings of people and nature that are both critical and applied in scope. This means dialogues across the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. People and Nature is a venue (and invitation) for disciplinary engagements that encompass, for example, economics, geography, history, law, literature, medicine, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology, as well as other related disciplines.
The motivation and opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary, cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research involving ecology and related disciplines has blossomed in recent years (from this point on, we use interdisciplinary research as a catch‐all also including cross‐disciplinary, multidisciplinary, and transdisciplinary research, while recognising that these can refer to markedly different things). It is increasingly understood that knowledge of the interactions between people and nature is crucial to both. There is a need to sustain and foster creative dialogues between ecology and a host of other disciplines in order to elaborate understandings of people and nature that are both critical and applied in scope. This means dialogues across the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities. People and Nature is a venue (and invitation) for disciplinary engagements that encompass, for example, economics, geography, history, law, literature, medicine, philosophy, politics, psychology, and sociology, as well as other related disciplines.