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Extensive Field Studies (extensive + field_studies)
Selected AbstractsRevision of the subgenus Wichuraea (M.Roemer) Baker of BomareaMirbel (Alstroemeriaceae)FEDDES REPERTORIUM, Issue 3-4 2003A. Hofreiter The subgenus Wichuraea of Bomarea (Alstroemeriaceae) was last revised by Baker (1888) as part of his revision of the genus Bomarea. Since then the number of validly published names has increased from seven to recently 50, indicating an urgent need for further revision. Extensive field studies in Peru (A. Hofreiter) and depth investigation of herbarium material have led to new insights into the subgenus. As a result a number of Bomarea species formerly placed under Wichuraea are relocated to another subgenus, a large number of names are placed into synonymy and one species, Bomarea vargasiiHofreiter sp. nova, and one subspecies, Bomareaandimarcana subsp. andimarcanaHofreiter comb. nov. und B. andimarcana subsp. densifoliaHofreiter comb. nov., are newly described. A key to the 16 species is given. Field studies revealed that even taxonomically valuable characters can be remarkably variable, even within a single population. This has demonstrably resulted in a high degree of taxa instability in the group. The typical habit and its variability, preferred habitats and the geographical distribution of each species is presented. Revision der Untergattung Wichuraea (M.Roemer) Baker der Gattung BomareaMirbel (Alstroemeriaceae) Die Untergattung Wichuraea wurde zuletzt von Baker (1888) als Teil der Revision von Bomarea (Alstroemeriaceae) revidiert. Seit dieser Zeit hat die Zahl gültig veröffentlichter Namen von sieben auf 50 zugenommen. Eine Revision erscheint deshalb dringend erforderlich. Die Grundlage für diese Arbeit wurde bei ausführlichen Feldstudien in Peru (A. Hofreiter) und umfangreichen Analysen von Herbarmaterial gelegt. Durch die vorliegende Revision wird die Anzahl der Arten auf 16 reduziert. Ein Teil der bisher zu Wichuraea gestellten Arten gehört zu einer anderen Untergattung, ein weiterer Teil der Namen muss in die Synonymie verwiesen werden. Eine Art, Bomarea vargasiiHofreiter sp. nova, und eine Unterart, Bomarea andimarcana subsp. andimarcanaHofreiter comb. nov. und B. andimarcana subsp. densifoliaHofreiter comb. nov., werden neu beschrieben. Feldstudien ergaben eine hohe Variabilität der Merkmale, selbst innerhalb einer Population. Dies hat z. B. allein bei Bomarea dulcis zu 14 Synonymen geführt. Für jede Art werden die typische Wuchsform und deren Variabilität, die bevorzugten Standorte und die geographische Verbreitung dargestellt. [source] The Venturesome Economy: How Innovation Sustains Prosperity in a More Connected World,JOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 1 2009Amar Bhidé Many observers have warned that the next stage of globalization,the offshoring of research and development to China and India,threatens the foundations of Western prosperity. But in this article, the author explains why the doomsayers are likely to be wrong. Using extensive field studies on venture capital-backed businesses to examine how technology is really used to create value in modern economies, this article explains how and why scientific advances abroad generally contribute to prosperity at home, and why trying to maintain the U.S. lead by subsidizing more research or training more scientists is likely to do more harm than good. When breakthrough ideas have no borders, a nation's capacity to exploit cutting-edge research regardless of where it originates is the key to its economic competitiveness. "Venturesome consumption",that is, the willingness and ability of businesses and consumers to use products and technologies derived from scientific research in the most effective ways,is far more important than having a share of the research. And for this reason, well-developed and "venturesome" economies like the U.S. benefit disproportionately from scientific innovations abroad. To cite just one example discussed at length in this article, the success of Apple's iPod owes much to technologies that were developed largely in Asia and Europe. The proven ability of the United States to remain at the forefront of the global "innovation game" reflects the contributions of many players,not just a few brilliant scientists and engineers, but literally millions of U.S. entrepreneurs, managers, financiers, salespersons, and, to a very large degree, U.S. consumers. As long as their venturesome spirit remains alive and well, advances abroad should not be feared but welcomed. [source] Systematics of the Nasa poissoniana group (Loasaceae) from Andean South AmericaBOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY, Issue 3 2009TILO HENNING The monophyletic Nasa poissoniana group (Loasaceae, subfamily Loasoideae) is revised on the basis of extensive field studies, observations in cultivation and the revision of herbarium specimens. A core of taxa has been considered as closely allied on the basis of morphology in the past, but several additional taxa have been recognized as allied to this group on the basis of molecular data. One species, N. raimondii, formerly placed in the N. stuebeliana group, is now transferred to the N. poissoniana complex as a result of the molecular findings. Nasa poissoniana ssp. glandulifera is described as new to science on the basis of morphologically divergent collections of N. poissoniana from two northern departments of Peru. Numerous new localities, often far from the previously known distribution area, are reported for several species. The N. poissoniana group has its centre of diversity in the inner Andean valleys of southern Peru, quite unlike all other groups of Nasa, with centres of diversity in the Amotape,Huancabamba Zone in northern Peru and southern Ecuador. Descriptions, drawings and a distribution map and key to all taxa are provided, and detailed information on habitat and distribution is given for each species. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 161, 278,301. [source] Malformation of True Bug (Heteroptera): a Phenotype Field Study on the Possible Influence of Artificial Low-Level RadioactivityCHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY, Issue 4 2008Cornelia Hesse-Honegger Abstract The results of extensive field studies on the malformation of Western European true bugs (Heteroptera) are reviewed. More than 16,000 individuals were collected over two decades, and subjected to detailed visual inspection. Various types of disturbances were found and illustrated in detail. Depending on country, region, as well as local influences, severe disturbances and high degrees of malformation were noticed, especially in the sphere of nuclear-power installations in Switzerland (Aargau), France (La Hague), and Germany (Gundremmingen). Malformation reached values as high as 22 and 30% for morphological (MD) and total disturbance (TD), respectively. This is far above the values expected for natural populations (ca. 1%) or those determined for true bugs living in biotopes considered as relatively ,intact' (1,3%). A detailed chi-square test of the malformation data obtained for 650 true bugs from 13 collection sites near the nuclear-reprocessing plant La Hague showed a highly significant correlation (p=0.003) between malformation and wind exposure/local topography. Similar observations were made for other study sites. Currently, our data are best rationalized by assuming a direct influence between the release of anthropogenic radionuclides such as tritium (3H), carbon-14 (14C), or iodine-131 (131I), constantly emitted by nuclear-power and nuclear-reprocessing plants, as well as by Chernobyl and bomb-testing fallout, which is rich in caesium-137 (137Cs) and other long-lived noxious isotopes that have entered the food chain. The present work supports the growing evidence that low-level radiation, especially in the form of randomly scattered ,hot' , - and , -particles, mainly transported via aerosols, puts a heavy burden on the biosphere in general, and on true bugs in particular. These insects could, thus, serve as sensitive ,bio-indicators' for future studies. [source] | ||||||||||