The impact of a tsunami can vary greatly across short distances due to differences in topography, building structures, concentration of economic activities in the inundation zone, and economic linkages beyond the inundation zone. This study takes these factors into account in an analysis of a potential tsunami on the West...
In-line, optical sensing has been developed for on-combine measurement and mapping of grain protein concentration (GPC). The objective of this study was to estimate changes in costs and net returns from using this technology for segregation of the dark northern spring (DNS) subclass of hard red wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)...
The presence of low-lying stratocumulus clouds and fog has been known to modify biophysical and ecological properties in coastal California where forests are frequently shaded by low-lying clouds or immersed in fog during otherwise warm and dry summer months. Summer fog and stratus can ameliorate summer drought stress and enhance...
Severity rating systems are fundamental to understanding the impacts of disturbance agents in forest stands. The balsam woolly adelgid (BWA), Adelges piceae (Ratzeburg) (Hemiptera: Adelgidae), is an invasive forest pest in North America that infests and causes mortality in true fir, Abies spp. There is currently no single system for...
Pumping water from coal seams decreases the pressure in the seam and in turn releases trapped methane; this is the most common and economic method of methane extraction. The water that is pumped out is known as "coal-bed methane water" (CBMW), which is high in sodium and other salts. In...
Forests play a critical role sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide, partially offsetting greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby mitigating climate change. Forest management, natural disturbances, and the fate of carbon in wood products strongly influence carbon sequestration and emissions in the forest sector. Government policies, carbon offset and trading programs, and sustainable...
Nearly all soils are comprised of mixtures of coarse and fine particles. Behavior under mechanical and thermal loading of soil is strongly influenced, and in some cases governed, by the ratio of coarse to fine particles. A better understanding of the fundamental behavior of soil mixtures will provide insight to...
Seismic design of wood-frame single-family dwellings’ (WFSFD) lateral force–resisting systems requires determination of the stiffness of horizontal diaphragms and shearwalls. During design, sizes and locations of shearwall openings are often changed, altering shearwall stiffness and loads and requiring a significant redesign effort. Rigid and tributary area method analyses are examined...
Surface irrigation systems that reuse water may deliver bacteria to produce destined for fresh consumption. Four irrigation systems delivered (1) well water free of Escherichia coli via subsurface drip irrigation, (2) canal water with moderate levels of E. coli via subsurface drip irrigation, (3) canal water with moderate levels of...
Intensive cultivation of native grassland for dryland agriculture continuously depleted soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrients. In 2010, we evaluated the influence of 80 yr of crop residue and nutrient management practices on SOC and N in 0- to 60-cm soil depth profiles in conventionally tilled winter wheat (Triticum aestivum...
Two myxozoan species were observed in the kidney of topsmelt, Atherinops affinis, during a survey of parasites of estuarine fishes in the Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve, California. Fish collected on 3 dates in 2012 and 2013 were sectioned and examined histologically. Large extrasporogonic stages occurred in the renal interstitium of...
Low-temperature combustion (LTC) engine concepts such as homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) offer the potential of improved efficiency and reduced emissions of NOₓ and particulates. However, engines can only successfully operate in HCCI mode for limited operating ranges that vary depending on the fuel composition. Unfortunately, traditional ratings such as...
The traditional winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–summer fallow (WW–SF) using conventional tillage (CT), the predominant cropping system in eastern Oregon, has increased soil erosion and depleted soil organic carbon (SOC). This research evaluates no-tillage (NT) systems designed to reduce these negative impacts on soil. In this long-term experiment (2004–2010), WW–SF...
Soil biodiversity through its delivery of ecosystem functions and attendant supporting ecosystem services—benefits soil organisms generate for farmers—underpins agricultural production. Yet lack of practical methods to value the long-term effects of current farming practices results, inevitably, in short-sighted management decisions. We present a method for valuing changes in supporting soil...
Silvicultural strategies such as thinning may minimize productivity losses from a variety of forest disturbances, including forest insects. This study analyzed the 10-year postthinning response of stands and individual trees in thinned white spruce (Picea glauca [Moench] Voss) plantations in northern Minnesota, USA, with light to moderate defoliation from eastern...
We identified a glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12) protein, XEG1, produced by the soybean pathogen Phytophthora sojae that exhibits xyloglucanase and β-glucanase activity. It acts as an important virulence factor during P. sojae infection but also acts as a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) in soybean (Glycine max) and solanaceous species,...
Tree biomass is typically estimated using statistical models. This review highlights five limitations of most tree biomass models, which include the following: (1) biomass data are costly to collect and alternative sampling methods are used; (2) belowground data and models are generally lacking; (3) models are often developed from small...
Climate change models are predicting increased frequency and severity of droughts in arid and semiarid environments, and these areas are responsible for much of the world's livestock production. Because cattle (Bos taurus) grazing can impact the abundance, distribution, and ecological function of native plant and animal communities, it is important...
Overcoming the financial barriers to energy-efficiency (EE) investments requires efforts to explicitly evaluate energy-related risks during the commercial loan underwriting. To support such efforts, the objective of this paper is to suggest a novel target-setting practice that borrowers and lenders collaboratively can use during the early stages of an energy-retrofit...
Most forest managers would agree that soils are a fundamental resource of forestlands, yet many planning and management decisions continue to be made without a detailed and spatially explicit understanding of this unique and vital resource. We discuss the value of soil data and interpretations in forest planning. We emphasize...