PCB 4043 Lecture Notes - Lecture 38: On The Origin Of Species, Biopesticide, Bacillus Thuringiensis
Document Summary
What do ecologists study? the processes that determine nutrient flow, community diversity, and population size. Evolution is very fast, and it is something that ecologist must always be aware of. Pink bollworms they are a major pest of cotton; the larvae are the most problematic. How are infestations controlled? (3 ways) traps with pheromones, irradiation, and chemical insecticides. Chemical insecticides they are a very effective way of killing pink bollworms, however, not only are they toxic to humans and certain arthropods, the pink bollworms evolve resistance. Bollgard cotton it is genetically modified to produce its own biological insecticide. With the help of the cadherin gene, which deletes portions of the bt toxin; those who had the cadherin gene passed it along to their offspring. Eutrophic (stickleback fish) when water receives large inputs of nutrients, stimulating plant growth; over time this leads to deoxygenation which causes a rapid decline in marine animals.
