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Emmanuel Desouhant - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Editorial overview: Behavioural ecology: Behavioural ecology of insects: current research and potential applications
    Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2018
    Co-Authors: Eric Wajnberg, Emmanuel Desouhant
    Abstract:

    Why has the use of insects as biological models in behavioural ecology been so successful? The first reason is, without question, their diversity. Class Insecta contains the largest number of species in Animalia [1]. They have colonized all terrestrial ecosystems and present a huge diversity of life history traits and behaviours that makes them fascinating organisms to answer the key historical question in behavioural ecology, that is, what is the adaptive value of observed behaviours in different environments? The second reason is their size. Thanks to their small size, and thus to our ability to rear them easily in many cases, insects always were — and still are — wonderful biological models for running laboratory experiments. Over the years, this has enabled us to address important questions related to animal behavioural ecology, leading us both to verify experimentally existing model predictions and to foster further theoretical developments. Such a strong dialogue between theoretical and experimental work on insects has greatly contributed to the development of our current knowledge of behavioural ecology in general. Since the 70s, studies on the behavioural ecology of insects have tried to understand the adaptive value of decision-making processes adopted by individuals in different environmental contexts. One striking example concerns the optimal decisions adopted by reproductive animals. This is the case, for example, for the optimal clutch size and the optimal sex ratio females should lay, or the optimal time foraging animals should remain on patches of resources. In this respect, insect parasitoids are one the most studied guilds of insects, leading to a large number of important findings (see e.g. [2–4]). This classical approach is always fruitful, and determining the adaptive value of behaviour is always at the core of this Scientific field [5]. In the Special Issue, three papers illustrate such a classical approach, and develop new ideas and concepts on nutritional ecology, mate choice and polyem-bryony. Raubenheimer and Simpson present an integrative approach — nutritional geometry — that brings together two historical disciplines: foraging and feeding. Nutritional geometry allows us to model graphically and elegantly the interactions between different diet components and their effects across several levels, including physiology and ecology, on individual behaviour and reproductive success. Such a promising approach, which has yet to be used in the field in insects, should allow us to integrate all facets of nutritional activity in animals. Another classical question in behavioural ecology is sexual selection and particularly mate choice. Kelly presents recent research on the identification of factors — both intrinsic and extrinsic — of the females explaining variation in their mate preference for sexually selected traits in males. Eric Wajnberg is a population biologist, specialized in population genetics, behavioural ecology, statistical modelling and biological control. For over thirty years, he developed several Scientific Programmes leading to better understand what are the most important behavioural traits involved in the efficacy of insect parasitoids to control crop pests in biological control Programmes. Theoretical approaches are developed — mainly using Monte Carlo simulations and Genetic Algorithms — and experiments are conducted in order to verify the predictions obtained. The main traits studied are (1) those involved in progeny and sex allocation (sex ratio), (2) locomotory mechanisms involved in discovering hosts (video tracking), (3) patch exploitation strategies, etc. He is the editor-in-chief of the international journal BioControl and has published more than 10 books on insect ecology and biological control.

Eric Wajnberg - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Editorial overview: Behavioural ecology: Behavioural ecology of insects: current research and potential applications
    Current Opinion in Insect Science, 2018
    Co-Authors: Eric Wajnberg, Emmanuel Desouhant
    Abstract:

    Why has the use of insects as biological models in behavioural ecology been so successful? The first reason is, without question, their diversity. Class Insecta contains the largest number of species in Animalia [1]. They have colonized all terrestrial ecosystems and present a huge diversity of life history traits and behaviours that makes them fascinating organisms to answer the key historical question in behavioural ecology, that is, what is the adaptive value of observed behaviours in different environments? The second reason is their size. Thanks to their small size, and thus to our ability to rear them easily in many cases, insects always were — and still are — wonderful biological models for running laboratory experiments. Over the years, this has enabled us to address important questions related to animal behavioural ecology, leading us both to verify experimentally existing model predictions and to foster further theoretical developments. Such a strong dialogue between theoretical and experimental work on insects has greatly contributed to the development of our current knowledge of behavioural ecology in general. Since the 70s, studies on the behavioural ecology of insects have tried to understand the adaptive value of decision-making processes adopted by individuals in different environmental contexts. One striking example concerns the optimal decisions adopted by reproductive animals. This is the case, for example, for the optimal clutch size and the optimal sex ratio females should lay, or the optimal time foraging animals should remain on patches of resources. In this respect, insect parasitoids are one the most studied guilds of insects, leading to a large number of important findings (see e.g. [2–4]). This classical approach is always fruitful, and determining the adaptive value of behaviour is always at the core of this Scientific field [5]. In the Special Issue, three papers illustrate such a classical approach, and develop new ideas and concepts on nutritional ecology, mate choice and polyem-bryony. Raubenheimer and Simpson present an integrative approach — nutritional geometry — that brings together two historical disciplines: foraging and feeding. Nutritional geometry allows us to model graphically and elegantly the interactions between different diet components and their effects across several levels, including physiology and ecology, on individual behaviour and reproductive success. Such a promising approach, which has yet to be used in the field in insects, should allow us to integrate all facets of nutritional activity in animals. Another classical question in behavioural ecology is sexual selection and particularly mate choice. Kelly presents recent research on the identification of factors — both intrinsic and extrinsic — of the females explaining variation in their mate preference for sexually selected traits in males. Eric Wajnberg is a population biologist, specialized in population genetics, behavioural ecology, statistical modelling and biological control. For over thirty years, he developed several Scientific Programmes leading to better understand what are the most important behavioural traits involved in the efficacy of insect parasitoids to control crop pests in biological control Programmes. Theoretical approaches are developed — mainly using Monte Carlo simulations and Genetic Algorithms — and experiments are conducted in order to verify the predictions obtained. The main traits studied are (1) those involved in progeny and sex allocation (sex ratio), (2) locomotory mechanisms involved in discovering hosts (video tracking), (3) patch exploitation strategies, etc. He is the editor-in-chief of the international journal BioControl and has published more than 10 books on insect ecology and biological control.

Pe O'connell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • IAHS decade on Predictions in Ungauged Basins (PUB), 2003-2012: Shaping an exciting future for the hydrological sciences
    Hydrological Sciences Journal, 2003
    Co-Authors: M. Sivapalan, K Takeuchi, Sw Franks, Vk Gupta, H Karambiri, V Lakshmi, X Liang, Jj Mcdonnell, Em Mendiondo, Pe O'connell
    Abstract:

    Drainage basins in many parts of the world are ungauged or poorly gauged, and in some cases existing measurement networks are declining. The problem is compounded by the impacts of human-induced changes to the land surface and climate, occur-ring at the local, regional and global scales. Predictions of ungauged or poorly gauged basins under these conditions are highly uncertain. The IAHS Decade on Predictions in Ungauged Basins, or PUB, is a new initiative launched by the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS), aimed at formulating and implementing appropriate science Programmes to engage and energize the Scientific community, in a coordinated manner, towards achieving major advances in the capacity to make predictions in ungauged basins. The PUB Scientific programme focuses on the estimation of predictive uncertainty, and its subsequent reduction, as its central theme. A general hydrological prediction system contains three components: (a) a model that describes the key processes of interest, (b) a set of parameters that represent those landscape properties that govern critical processes, and (c) appropriate meteorological inputs (where needed) that drive the basin response. Each of these three components of the prediction system, is either not known at all, or at best known imperfectly, due to the inherent multi-scale space-time heterogeneity of the hydrological system, especially in ungauged basins. PUB will therefore include a set of targeted Scientific Programmes that attempt to make inferences about climatic inputs, parameters and model structures from available but inadequate data and process knowledge, at the basin of interest and/or from other similar basins, with robust measures of the uncertainties involved, and their impacts on predictive uncertainty. Through generation of improved understanding, and methods for the efficient quantification of the underlying multi-scale heterogeneity of the basin and its response, PUB will inexorably lead to new, innovative methods for hydrological predictions in ungauged basins in different parts of the world, combined with significant reductions of predictive uncertainty. In this way, PUB will demonstrate the value of data, as well as provide the information needed to make predictions in ungauged basins, and assist in capacity building in the use of new technologies. This paper presents a summary of the science and implementation plan of PUB, with a call to the hydrological community to participate actively in the realization of these goals.

Peter Diem - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

R. M. Bonnet - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Address by ESA's director of Scientific Programmes
    Space Science Reviews, 1995
    Co-Authors: R. M. Bonnet
    Abstract:

    This is an extremely exciting time for those involved in heliospheric research. Ulysses is now at 60 degrees south of the solar equator, rapidly approaching the first-ever passage above the Sun’s polar regions. To date, the mission has proceeded extremely well. The spacecraft has performed as intended with the exception of a few minor problems that are under control. All experiments are performing without fault and have returned essentially continuous measurements since launch. Thanks are due to the ESA spacecraft operations team at JPL in this regard.