Five varieties of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa) were grown in the field in Imperial Valley, CA, USA in order to determine whether light conditions or harvest times influence cannabinoid content. A total of 16 cannabinoids were investigated in this study: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol (THC-d9), Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinolic acid (THC-a), Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabidiolic acid (CBD-a),...
Oomycetes are an important group of organisms with a variety of ecological roles similar to fungi. Although many are well-studied plant pathogens known for their devastating effects on agricultural systems, most are little-studied saprobes and parasites of plants and animals in nearly every ecosystem on earth. The advent of affordable...
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are plant symbionts that associate with the vast majority of terrestrial plants species. The AMF colonizes the plant roots by penetrating the root cortical cells, where the fungi exchanges mineral nutrients with the host plant for photosynthates. This association exists as a complex system in which...
Grasslands in the Pacific Northwest are characterized by seasonally wet, acidic soils that mainly support cool season grasses and a limited number of legume species. A major limitation to efficient animal production in grass-dominant pastures is the decline in the herbage growth rate and nutritional quality of forage from late...
In the area that is now Saguaro National Park East, grazing began in the 1880's. Because of the impact to the iconic saguaro cactus as well as all palatable plant species in the area, ecological damage in the park were determined to be so great that anti-grazing conservationists challenged the...
Marine heatwaves (“MHWs”) are discrete periods of anomalously warm ocean conditions that can lead to shifts in the distribution and abundance of marine organisms. Low-trophic level, pelagic forage species are frequently among those affected by MHWs, often resulting in considerable impacts upon their predators. In the North Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic...
Carnivores have disproportionate effects in ecological systems but understanding their exact influences on ecosystems is a matter of great complexity and debate. Predators directly impact prey by killing them, and indirectly by modifying their behavior in response to predation risk. Yet how species interact, both among members of a carnivore...
Beginning in 2020, the International Maritime Organization International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) required vessels to comply with new sulfur air emission standards in Sulphur Emission Control Areas (Baltic Sea, North Sea, and off the coasts of the US and Canada) by: 1) using 0.1% sulfur...
Since the discovery of penicillin in 1928, the fungal kingdom has remained a fertile source for the discovery of new, biologically active, natural products. Further, as natural products continue to be discovered from fungi, a deeper understanding of the critical role of specialized metabolism in fungal ecology is afforded. The...