Biological control (“Biocontrol”) is the use of living organisms to suppress pest populations. Insect predators and parasitoids are important biocontrol agents (also known as natural enemies) in garden systems. Studies have examined the relative attractiveness of garden plants to insect natural enemies in other areas of the United States, but...
Bees, like humans, have food preferences. While there may be a diversity of plants to forage from in a landscape, bees may preferentially visit specific flowering plants. Nectar and pollen are the primary resources bees collect from flowers. Bees might collect nectar from many different plants, but they can be...
“Leafcutter bee” is the nickname for bees in the family Megachilidae. Like the name suggests, some bees in this family cut portions of leaves as nesting material. Leafcutters, however, are not limited to leaves alone! Some use mud, resin, sticks, pebbles, or petals in their nest construction. Megachile montivaga (the...
To improve our understanding of the abundance and diversity of bacterial microbes in garden soils, we collected soil samples from 40 gardens across Central Oregon and the Willamette Valley. We included gardens with different management practices and, within a garden, we sampled soil from beds with different crops. We found...
Over three years (2017-2019), we surveyed 24 gardens in urban and peri-urban regions across Portland. The gardens varied in size, the types of plants grown, and in the landscapes that surrounded them. All gardens were privately owned, except for one demonstration garden managed by Master Gardeners. We collected bees three...
Russet Burbank, Shepody, Frontier Russet, and Ranger Russet potatoes were tested for their response under furrow irrigation to PAM-treated irrigation water. The use of PAM was associated with an increase in US Number One tubers for Russet Burbank and Shepody varieties.
In this article, we provide a brief overview of generative artificial intelligence and large language models. We then propose eight critical questions that libraries should ask when exploring this technology and its implications for their communities. We argue that libraries have a unique role in facilitating informed and responsible use...
This paper explores the use of sonification, the conversion of data into sound, to convey the significance of SARS-COV-2 and its global impact. It emphasizes sonification as a valuable tool for making complex data accessible, particularly in high school education. Sonification, an interdisciplinary field, leverages the human auditory system's pattern...