Tick hazard in the South Downs National Park (UK): species, distribution, key locations for future interventions, site density, habitats.

Background: South Downs National Park (SDNP) is UK's most visited National Park, and a focus of tick-borne Lyme disease. The first presumed UK autochthonous cases of tick-borne encephalitis and babesiosis were recorded in 2019-20. SDNP aims to conserve wildlife and encourage recreation, so interventions are needed that reduce hazard without negatively affecting ecosystem health. To be successful these require knowledge of site hazards. Methods: British Deer Society members submitted ticks removed from deer. Key potential intervention sites were selected and six 50 m2 transects drag-sampled per site (mostly twice yearly for 2 years). Ticks were identified in-lab (sex, life stage, species), hazard measured as tick presence, density of ticks (all life stages, DOT), and density of nymphs (DON). Sites and habitat types were analysed for association with hazard. Distribution was mapped by combining our results with records from five other sources. Results: A total of 87 Ixodes ricinus (all but one adults, 82% F) were removed from 14 deer (10 Dama dama; three Capreolus capreolus; one not recorded; tick burden, 1-35) at 12 locations (commonly woodland). Five key potential intervention sites were identified and drag-sampled 2015-16, collecting 623 ticks (238 on-transects): 53.8% nymphs, 42.5% larvae, 3.7% adults (13 M, 10 F). Ticks were present on-transects at all sites: I. ricinus at three (The Mens (TM); Queen Elizabeth Country Park (QECP); Cowdray Estate (CE)), Haemaphysalis punctata at two (Seven Sisters Country Park (SSCP); Ditchling Beacon Nature Reserve (DBNR)). TM had the highest DOT at 30/300 m2 (DON = 30/300 m2), followed by QECP 22/300 m2 (12/300 m2), CE 8/300 m2 (6/300 m2), and SSCP 1/300 m2 (1/300 m2). For I. ricinus, nymphs predominated in spring, larvae in the second half of summer and early autumn. The overall ranking of site hazard held for DON and DOT from both seasonal sampling periods. DBNR was sampled 2016 only (one adult H. punctata collected). Woodland had significantly greater hazard than downland, but ticks were present at all downland sites. I. ricinus has been identified in 33/37 of SDNPs 10 km2 grid squares, Ixodes hexagonus 10/37, H. punctata 7/37, Dermacentor reticulatus 1/37. Conclusions: Mapping shows tick hazard broadly distributed across SDNP. I. ricinus was most common, but H. punctata's seeming range expansion is concerning. Recommendations: management of small heavily visited high hazard plots (QECP); post-visit precaution signage (all sites); repellent impregnated clothing for deerstalkers; flock trials to control H. punctata (SSCP, DBNR). Further research at TM may contribute to knowledge on ecological dynamics underlying infection density and predator re-introduction/protection as public health interventions. Ecological research on H. punctata would aid control. SDNP Authority is ideally placed to link and champion policies to reduce hazard, whilst avoiding or reducing conflict between public health and ecosystem health.

Up on the roof and down in the dirt: Differences in substrate properties (SOM, potassium, phosphorus and pH) and their relationships to each other between sedum and wildflower green roofs.

In urban areas green roofs provide important environmental advantages in regard to biodiversity, storm water runoff, pollution mitigation and the reduction of the urban heat island effect. There is a paucity of literature comparing different types of green roof substrates and their contributions to ecosystem services or their negative effects. This study investigated if there was a difference between sedum and wildflower green roof substrate properties (soil organic matter (SOM), potassium (K) and phosphorus (P) concentrations and pH values) of 12 green roofs in the city of Brighton & Hove. One hundred substrate samples were collected (50 from sedum roof substrates and 50 from wildflower roof substrates) and substrate properties were investigated using standard protocols. Comparisons were made between substrate characteristics on both types of roof substrate with a series of multiple linear regressions. Sedum roofs displayed significantly higher values of SOM, P and pH. There were significant positive relationships between SOM and K concentrations, SOM and P concentrations, pH and K concentrations and pH and P concentrations on sedum roofs. This study concluded that sedum roof substrates are more favourable for plant water use efficiency and also contained a significantly higher percentage of SOM than wildflower roofs. However, higher concentrations of P in sedum roof substrates may have implications in regard to leachates.

Comparison between volatile emissions from transgenic apples and from two representative classically bred apple cultivars.

While most risk assessments contrast a transgenic resistant to its isogenic line, an additional comparison between the transgenic line and a classically bred cultivar with the same resistance gene would be highly desirable. Our approach was to compare headspace volatiles of transgenic scab resistant apple plants with two representative cultivars (the isogenic 'Gala' and the scab resistance gene-containing 'Florina'). As modifications in volatile profiles have been shown to alter plant relationships with non-target insects, we analysed headspace volatiles from apple plants subjected to different infection types by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Marked differences were found between healthy and leafminer (Phyllonorycter blancardella) infested genotypes, where emissions between the transgenic scab resistant line and the two cultivars differed quantitatively in four terpenes and an aromatic compound. However, these modified odour emissions were in the range of variability of the emissions recorded for the two standard cultivars that proved to be crucial references.

Terpene-mediated parasitoid host location behavior on transgenic and classically bred apple genotypes.

Terpene-mediated interactions between transgenic or classically bred apple genotypes and associated insects were investigated. Apple genotypes were either resistant or susceptible to Venturia inaequalis that causes apple scab. They were subjected to infestation by Phyllonorycter leafminers and/or inoculation with V. inaequalis. Apple leaf extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to quantify squalene, a triterpene known to mediate host location by Pholetesor parasitoids that are specialized on leafminers. Squalene contents in leafminer-infested leaves differed between the transgenic apple scab resistant line and a classically bred cultivar sharing the same resistance gene. This resistant cultivar showed an increase in squalene contents from healthy to leafminer-infested leaves. This was not the case in the transgenic resistant line. However, there was also no increase in the susceptible isogenic cultivar. Behavioral bioassays with parasitoid females also reflected these findings. Hence, alterations in leaf chemistry and corresponding responses of the parasitoid are apparent among classically bred cultivars, rather than in the genetically modified resistant line.

13C-labelling patterns of green leaf volatiles indicating different dynamics of precursors in Brassica leaves.

To investigate the dynamics of precursor compounds of green leaf volatiles (GLV)s and other biogenic compounds released by mechanically damaged Brassica oleracea leaves, plants were exposed for two consecutive 16h light phases to highly enriched (13)CO(2). Analysis by GC-MS indicated (1) biogenic compounds released upon wounding, (2) a different labelling pattern between and (3) within compounds, and (4) evidence for spatial heterogeneity of the precursor pool extrapolated from points (1)-(3). First, GLVs comprised C(5) and C(6) molecules, with the GLV pentenyl acetate being reported here for the first time from higher plants. Second, the labelling pattern found in most GLVs indicates a low turnover of the precursor alpha-linolenic acid. Moderate labelling of dimethyldisulphide indicates a connection to an active plastidic methyl pool closely connected to CO(2) fixation, and very weak labelling of terpenes indicates a constitutive monoterpene pool. Third, not all GLVs exhibit similarly strong labelling patterns (hexenyl acetate vs. hexyl acetate), indicating different precursors. As the labelling patterns of alcohol and acetate moieties in the esters differ, with only the former being strongly labelled, the precursor of the acetate moiety, acetyl-CoA, is likely to derive from a different cellular pool to that used in chloroplastic fatty acid synthesis, or was rapidly synthesised after the end of labelling. Fourth, the exceptionally high relative abundance of labelled GLV and the low concentration of unlabelled molecules are likely to occur because recently synthesized alpha-linolenic acid is bound in lipids that are organised in distinct areas, or are chemically different from the older lipids. They must be preferentially used as precursors.

How two different host species influence the performance of a gregarious parasitoid: host size is not equal to host quality.

1. Hyssopus pallidus Askew (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) is a gregarious ectoparasitoid of the two tortricid moths species Cydia molesta Busck and C. pomonella L. (Lepidoptera, Tortricidae). It paralyses and parasitizes different larval instars of both species inside the apple fruit, which leads to the death of the caterpillar. 2. We assessed the influence of host species characteristics and host food on the performance of the parasitoid female in terms of clutch size decisions and fitness of the F(1) generation. 3. A comparison of clutch size revealed that female parasitoids deposited similar numbers of eggs on the comparatively smaller C. molesta hosts as on the larger C. pomonella hosts. The number of parasitoid offspring produced per weight unit of host larva was significantly higher in C. molesta than in C. pomonella, which is contrary to the general prediction that smaller hosts yield less parasitoid offspring. However, the sex ratio was not influenced by host species that differed considerably in size. 4. Despite the fact that less host resources were available per parasitoid larva feeding on C. molesta caterpillars, the mean weight of emerging female wasps was higher in the parasitoids reared on C. molesta. Furthermore, longevity of these female wasps was neither influenced by host species nor by the food their host had consumed. In addition we did not find a positive relationship between adult female weight and longevity. 5. Parasitoid females proved to be able to assess accurately the nutritional quality of an encountered host and adjust clutch size accordingly. These findings indicate that host size is not equal to host quality. Thus host size is not the only parameter to explain the nutritional quality of a given host and to predict fitness gain in the subsequent generation.