No abstract

Abstract.  1. To persist in a highly fragmented environment, such as the intensively used agricultural landscapes of Europe, species may need to successfully disperse between sub‐populations. This paper describes a capture – mark – resight experiment to investigate movement and dispersal patterns of the flightless bush cricket species Pholidoptera griseoaptera.2. Movement parameters showed little difference between juveniles and imagos as well as between males and females. Both developmental stages and sexes moved considerable distances, were cap\able of crossing habitat boundaries, and showed successful inter‐patch dispersal through the agricultural matrix.3. The results suggest that P. griseoaptera exhibits movement behaviours that compensate for its inability to fly. It was concluded that the good dispersal ability exhibited by animals of both sexes and developmental stage is an important factor allowing P. griseoaptera to persist in fragmented agricultural landscapes.

Combined geomorphological and geophysical approaches were used to perform a hazard assessment of potential periglacial debris flow. Possible debris flow initiation zones were identified within a GIS‐based model and located based on geomorphic attributes which contribute the most to this type of instability. In permafrost‐affected alpine environments, these include the extent and location of ground ice and permafrost. In a potential debris flow‐starting zone in the Upper Engadine (moraine/debris rock glacier complex Boval) two‐dimensional electrical resistivity surveys were used to detect the presence/absence of permafrost and to estimate active‐layer depth. The results show that the moraine complex represents a periglacial debris reservoir which consists of frozen and unfrozen debris. The ice‐bonded part of the moraine is largely protected from sudden destabilisation and retrogressive erosion can be assumed to be limited. However, future degradation or loss of permafrost in the lower parts of the debris rock glacier would increase the amount of erodible debris and generally reduce mechanical stability. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Twelve novel polymorphic microsatellite loci are presented for the dark bush cricket, Pholidoptera griseoaptera. All loci are polymorphic, with up to 37 alleles per locus. These microsatellites will be useful tools for studying the influence of landscape structure and land use intensity in agricultural landscapes on genetic diversity within and among populations of P. griseoaptera.