Kings Counties Research Articles

Burrowing Owls Require Mutualist Species and Ample Interior Habitat Space

Mitigating habitat loss of western burrowing owls (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) often involves relocation from California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) burrows to offsite nest boxes. Naval Air Station Lemoore (NASL), Kings and Fresno counties, California, initiated this approach to displace a regionally important population from airfield grasslands. We examined monitoring data of burrowing owls and fossorial mammals at NASL to assess mitigation options. Occupied nests increased by 33 (61%), with 47 nest box installations in 1997–2001, peaked at 87 in 1999, then declined by 50 through 2013. Although ≥13 nest boxes were occupied in 2000, none were occupied in 2003–2013. Within a 43.1 ha isolated grassland monitored for 13 years, nest site reuse in ground squirrel burrows averaged only 17% between any 2 consecutive years. Compared to the average density across grassland study areas, ground squirrel burrow systems/ha numbered 43% higher within 60 m of occupied nests and non-breeding-season burrows. Vegetation clearing to restore kangaroo rat (Dipodomys n. nitratoides) habitat preceded a 7.4-fold increase in ground squirrel burrow systems and a 4-fold increase in occupied nests, but drought-induced extirpation of ground squirrels eliminated occupied nests from the 43.1 ha grassland study area. Ground cover near occupied nests averaged 58% of the mean vegetation height and 67% of the mean percentage of bare ground in the field. Both nest sites and non-breeding-season burrows occurred >60 m interior to field edges 1.4 times more than expected. Non-breeding-season burrows averaged 328 m from same-year nest sites, and only 7% of non-breeding-season burrows were also used as nest sites. Mitigating habitat loss should be made more effective by fostering natural burrow construction by fossorial mammals on patches of short-stature vegetation that is sufficiently expansive to support breeding colonies of ≥12 pairs averaging ≥60 m from the field’s edge and a separation between non-breeding-season burrows and nest burrows minimally equal to mean nearest-neighbor distances among nests.

Reasonable Planning of King County's E-bus Replacement Plan

With the increasingly intensified global warming severe air pollutions, governments all over the world have begun or is right now looking for ways to fix the problem. Among all the solutions, sustainable urban transportation system is what many governments pay attention to because of their apparent contribution to the reduction in greenhouse gases emissions and pollutants. In this passage, we focus on the exact ecology impacts the promotion of e-buses will cause. On the other hand, the potential financial burdens the transitioning processes will bring are perceived by us in order to make a decent plan for the government to implement.For the first part of constructing the model to measure the ecology impact of transition in one area, we start with the identification of King County as a metropolitan area suitable for prediction. Then we collect information and data of its local bus fleet and e-bus transitioning plan, find out the exact number of each type of buses (diesel, hybrid and electric) around these years and the emissions of corresponding buses. We use both ARIMA and Least Squares Regression to predict the number these buses in the future until the year the local government aim to complete the plan but choose the result displayed by the better one. In this case, we obtain the data for emission of carbon dioxide, oxynitride and PM10 in each year and evaluate the ecological impact. At the same time, we predict the data for the emissions later if the bus fleet keep the same and observed over 90% of decline when we compare the value after transition to the control group.Afterwards, to estimate the financial cost, we identify the main parts involved in the processes of transitioning, classify them with one group of cost for long-term and the other for short-term---that is, changed as the plan is gradually implemented. We build models for each factor we identified and use Riemann Sum to unify the long-term and short-term costs. Based on the data we predict in problem one and from the local government’s website, we easily gain the financial implications of for about 50 million dollars in King County. Through the analysis of the government’s grant in other area, we roughly verify that 50 million dollars would be an acceptable cost.Finally, in our 10-year roadmap development, we explored further into the population distribution of King County and the existing traits for public transportation. Our starting point in this article is to classify the urban pattern into four types of bus operation routes, and then define the passenger flow from high to low. At the same time, we define the total number of vehicles that need to be replaced for different types to develop transportation replacement plans. Based on our assumptions, calculate the carrying capacity of each type of bus in line with the passenger flow. Eventually, it can be proven that the total carrying capacity of the bus meets the transportation needs of all King counties. Then apply to other regions.

Spatiotemporal trends in temperature and precipitation for Prince Edward Island over 1971–2020

Climate change has been attracting significant attention in Canada lately. This study investigates spatiotemporal air temperature and precipitation changes by developing high-resolution (i.e., 1 m × 1 km grid) climate maps from 1971 to 2020. The climate monitoring data are collected and synthesized from various sources, and then used to develop high-resolution climate maps with state-of-the-art spatial interpolation methods. The error metrics results show that the inverse distance weighting method performs the best for air temperature and precipitation and thus is used in this study. Significant temporal trends show that the annual mean temperature increased by 0.03 °C/year in western and eastern Prince Edward Island (PEI), covering 62.75% of PEI area. Similarly, the annual precipitation has decreased by around 4.8 mm/year in Prince County and eastern parts of Queens and Kings Counties, covering 62.81% of PEI area. In growing season, temperature has increased by 0.05 °C/year and precipitation is decreased by 2.1 mm/year in Prince County. This information illustrates the dynamics of temperature and precipitation toward the changing climate.

Potential Impacts of Different Occupational Outdoor Heat Exposure Thresholds among Washington State Crop and Construction Workers and Implications for Other Jurisdictions.

Occupational heat exposure is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality among outdoor workers. We sought to descriptively evaluate spatiotemporal variability in heat threshold exceedances and describe potential impacts of these exposures for crop and construction workers. We also present general considerations for approaching heat policy-relevant analyses. We analyzed county-level 2011–2020 monthly employment (Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages) and environmental exposure (Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM)) data for Washington State (WA), USA, crop (North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 111 and 1151) and construction (NAICS 23) sectors. Days exceeding maximum daily temperature thresholds, averaged per county, were linked with employment estimates to generate employment days of exceedances. We found spatiotemporal variability in WA temperature threshold exceedances and crop and construction employment. Maximum temperature exceedances peaked in July and August and were most numerous in Central WA counties. Counties with high employment and/or high numbers of threshold exceedance days, led by Yakima and King Counties, experienced the greatest total employment days of exceedances. Crop employment contributed to the largest proportion of total state-wide employment days of exceedances with Central WA counties experiencing the greatest potential workforce burden of exposure. Considerations from this analysis can help inform decision-making regarding thresholds, timing of provisions for heat rules, and tailoring of best practices in different industries and areas.

Associations between neighborhood built environment, residential property values, and adult BMI change: The Seattle Obesity Study III

ObjectiveTo examine associations between neighborhood built environment (BE) variables, residential property values, and longitudinal 1- and 2-year changes in body mass index (BMI). MethodsThe Seattle Obesity Study III was a prospective cohort study of adults with geocoded residential addresses, conducted in King, Pierce, and Yakima Counties in Washington State. Measured heights and weights were obtained at baseline (n = 879), year 1 (n = 727), and year 2 (n = 679). Tax parcel residential property values served as proxies for individual socioeconomic status. Residential unit and road intersection density were captured using Euclidean-based SmartMaps at 800 m buffers. Counts of supermarket (0 versus. 1+) and fast-food restaurant availability (0, 1–3, 4+) were measured using network based SmartMaps at 1600 m buffers. Density measures and residential property values were categorized into tertiles. Linear mixed-effects models tested whether baseline BE variables and property values were associated with differential changes in BMI at year 1 or year 2, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, home ownership, and county of residence. These associations were then tested for potential disparities by age group, gender, race/ethnicity, and education. ResultsRoad intersection density, access to food sources, and residential property values were inversely associated with BMI at baseline. At year 1, participants in the 3rd tertile of density metrics and with 4+ fast-food restaurants nearby showed less BMI gain compared to those in the 1st tertile or with 0 restaurants. At year 2, higher residential property values were predictive of lower BMI gain. There was evidence of differential associations by age group, gender, and education but not race/ethnicity. ConclusionInverse associations between BE metrics and residential property values at baseline demonstrated mixed associations with 1- and 2-year BMI change. More work is needed to understand how individual-level sociodemographic factors moderate associations between the BE, property values, and BMI change.

Highwater Mark Collection after Post Tropical Storm Dorian and Implications for Prince Edward Island, Canada

Prince Edward Island (PEI), Canada has been experiencing the consequences of a rising sea level and intense storms on its coasts in recent years. The most recent severe event, Post Tropical Storm Dorian (Dorian), began impacting Prince Edward Island on 7 September 2019 and lasted for over 20 h until the morning of 8 September 2019. The measurement of highwater marks (HWM) from the storm was conducted between 25 September and 25 October 2019 using a high precision, survey grade methodology. The HWM measured included vegetation lines, wrack lines, beach, cliff, and dune morphological features, and tide gauge data at 53 locations in the Province along coastal areas that are exposed to high tides, storm surge, high winds, and wave runup. Photos were taken to provide evidence on the nature of the HWM data locations. The data reveal that Dorian caused extensive coastal floods in many areas along the North and South Coast of Prince, Queens and Western Kings Counties of Prince Edward Island. The floods reached elevations in excess of 3.4 m at some locations, posing threats to local infrastructure and causing damage to natural features such as sand dunes in these areas. The HWM data can provide useful information for community and emergency response organizations as plans are developed to cope with the rising sea level and increased frequency of highwater events as predicted by researchers. As Dorian has caused significant damage in several coastal areas in PEI, better planning using an enhanced storm forecasting and coastal flood warning system, in conjunction with flood stage values, could possibly have reduced the impacts of the storm in the impacted areas. This could help enhance public understanding of the potential impacts in local areas and how they can prepare and adapt for these events in the future.

Unfolding Events in Space and Time: Geospatial Insights into COVID-19 Diffusion in Washington State during the Initial Stage of the Outbreak

The world witnessed the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The first case of COVID-19 in the United States of America (USA) was confirmed on 21 January 2020, in Snohomish County in Washington State (WA). Following this, a rapid explosion of COVID-19 cases was observed throughout WA and the USA. Lack of access to publicly available spatial data at finer scales has prevented scientists from implementing spatial analytical techniques to gain insights into the spread of COVID-19. Datasets were available only as counts at county levels. The spatial response to COVID-19 using coarse-scale publicly available datasets was limited to web mapping applications and dashboards to visualize infected cases from state to county levels only. This research approaches data availability issues by creating proxy datasets for COVID-19 using publicly available news articles. Further, these proxy datasets are used to perform spatial analyses to unfolding events in space and time and to gain insights into the spread of COVID-19 in WA during the initial stage of the outbreak. Spatial analysis of theses proxy datasets from 21 January to 23 March 2020, suggests the presence of a clear space–time pattern. From 21 January to 6 March, a strong presence of community spread of COVID-19 is observed only in close proximity of the outbreak source in Snohomish and King Counties, which are neighbors. Infections diffused to farther locations only after a month, i.e., 6 March. The space–time pattern of diffusion observed in this study suggests that implementing strict social distancing measures during the initial stage in infected locations can drastically help curb the spread to distant locations.

Occurrence and Extent of Boscalid Resistance in Populations of Alternaria alternata from California Pistachio Orchards.

Alternaria late blight (ALB) caused by Alternaria spp. is an annual disease problem in California pistachio and requires repeated applications of fungicides to prevent significant losses of pistachio foliage and nut quality. From 2003 onward, the succinate dehydrogenase inhibiting fungicide boscalid has played a key role in ALB management. The development of boscalid resistance in A. alternata populations was monitored from 2005 to 2012 in pistachio producing areas in California. A total of 1,765 single-spore isolates, collected from commercial and experimental pistachio orchards with or without a history of boscalid exposure, were tested in a radial growth assay in agar media amended with the discriminatory dose of 10 µg/ml of boscalid. The frequency of boscalid-resistant isolates in 2005 was 12% but increased significantly and remained stable toward the end of the survey period. Most of the resistant isolates exhibited a high level of resistance (R) to boscalid with percent of mycelial growth inhibition (PGI) values between 0 and 50%, whereas significantly fewer isolates had an intermediate level (IR) of resistance (50 < PGI < 75%). The frequency of sensitive (S) isolates (75 < PGI < 100%) was generally the highest in orchards with no history of boscalid usage, whereas mean incidences of boscalid-resistant populations of Alternaria were 81, 92.4, 80.2, and 98%, in 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2012, respectively, in orchards that received a high number (at least three per season) of boscalid spray applications. In comparison, none to relatively low frequencies (0 to 12%) of resistance were observed in populations with no or limited exposure to Pristine, suggesting an air-movement of resistant spores through wind from treated to nontreated areas. In 2012, boscalid-resistant isolates were found practically in every sampled location in all counties, with the orchards in Fresno, Madera, Tulare, and King Counties being the locations with the highest frequencies of resistance (100%). Monitoring of A. alternata AaSDHB, AaSDHC, and AaSDHD mutations in 286 boscalid-resistant phenotypes identified 11 mutations, leading to amino acid substitutions in AaSDHB (seven mutations: H277Y/R/L, P230A/R, N235D/T), AaSDHC (one mutation: H134R), and AaSDHD (three mutations: D123E, H133R/P), with AaSDHB mutations being the most prevalent (80%) ones throughout the survey period. The majority of isolates carrying these mutations exhibited the R phenotype toward boscalid. The increased prevalence of boscalid resistance in populations of A. alternata is a likely contributing factor to the inability of pistachio farmers to successfully control ALB with Pristine. Other factors implicated in the rapid and widespread occurrence of A. alternata boscalid-resistant populations in California pistachios are further discussed.

Environmental and economic impacts of expanding electric vehicle public charging infrastructure in California′s counties

Plug-in electric Vehicles (PEVs) are believed to be one of the solutions to mitigate emissions from road transportation. Which types of factors are most effective at encouraging PEV adoption, and what magnitude of reduction in emissions could be achieved by expanding charging infrastructure as an influential factor on PEVs? To answer these questions, we developed a statistical model relating charging station infrastructure and other potential factors to PEV adoption rate in 58 California counties. We found that male buyers in households with fewer number of vehicles are more likely to purchase PEVs particularly in counties with more available public charging station per capita. Then we investigated the life-cycle petroleum use, emissions, and costs of light duty vehicles for a hypothetical scenario where existing public charging stations are expanded relative to total daily miles travelled in each county. We found under this scenario Modoc County experiences the largest reduction in life-cycle GHG emissions, by 0.035%, followed by Sierra and Mono counties. The smallest potential is found in counties with low response rate to expanded charging station infrastructure, led by Alpine, Del Norte, and King counties. For 20 counties, including Butte, San Joaquin, and San Francisco, the benefit-cost ratio is less than one, which means the investment and maintenance costs of new infrastructure have not been offset by operation and externality cost savings. For the rest of the counties, this scenario is found to be compatible. The results assist planners in assessing environmental and economic benefits of PEVs and optimizing infrastructural investments.

P143 Examining Nutrition Practices Across Early Childhood Education Programs in Two Rural Counties of California

Background Early childhood education (ECE) programs are important partners for childhood obesity prevention efforts. Despite signs of progress, racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic disparities in obesity rates still persist in California. Current understanding of obesity prevention strategies (e.g. nutrition practices) is limited across ECE programs in Tulare/ Kings counties of California. Objective To characterize nutrition practices of Child Care Centers (CCCs) and Family Child Care Homes (FCCHs). Study Design, Settings, Participants Study design was cross-sectional. Settings included licensed CCCs and FCCHs in Tulare/Kings counties. Participants included CCC Directors (N = 59) and FCCH Providers (N = 58). Measurable Outcome/Analysis Of the 701 nutrition practices surveys administered, 117 were completed and returned. Descriptive and chi-square analysis was conducted using SPSS. Results Results indicated statistically significant differences (P Conclusion Targeting nutrition interventions based on the childcare context (FCCH vs. CCC) is critical to the implementation of nutrition best practices. Overall, FCCH reported higher adherence to best practices as compared to CCC. This could be attributed to a higher participation of FCCHs in CACFP. A focus on nutrition education as well as participation in CACFP in ECE programs may help in obesity prevention efforts. Funding UC ANR.

Sexually Transmitted Disease Partner Services Costs, Other Resources, and Strategies Across Jurisdictions to Address Unique Epidemic Characteristics and Increased Incidence

Sexually transmitted disease (STD) partner services (PS) are a core component of STD programs. Data on costs are needed to support PS programming. In Washington State STD PS programs, disease intervention specialists (DIS) conduct telephone-based interviews and occasional field visits, offer expedited partner therapy to heterosexuals with gonorrhea or chlamydia, and promote human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, preexposure prophylaxis, and HIV care. We conducted activity-based microcosting of PS, including: observational and self-reported time studies and interviews. We analyzed cost, surveillance, and service delivery data to determine costs per program outcomes. In King, Pierce, and Spokane counties, respectively, DIS allocated 6.5, 6.4, and 28.8 hours per syphilis case and 1.5, 1.6, and 2.9 hours per gonorrhea/chlamydia case, on average. In 2016, each full-time DIS investigated 270, 268, and 61 syphilis and 1177, 1105, and 769 gonorrhea/chlamydia cases. Greater than 80% of syphilis cases in King and Pierce were among men who have sex with men versus 38% in Spokane. Disease intervention specialists spent 12% to 39% of their time actively interviewing cases and notifying partners (clients), and the remaining time locating clients, coordinating and verifying care, and managing case reports. Time spent on expedited partner therapy, HIV testing, and referrals to HIV treatment or preexposure prophylaxis, was minimal (<5 minutes per interview) at locations with resources outside PS staff. Program cost-per-interview ranged from US $527 to US $2210 for syphilis, US $219 to US $484 for gonorrhea, and US $164 to US $547 for chlamydia. The STD PS resource needs depended on epidemic characteristics and program models. Integrating HIV prevention objectives minimally impacted PS-specific program costs. Results can inform program planning, future budget impact, and cost-effectiveness analyses.

Survey of the pathogen of Alternaria late blight reveals different levels of carboxamide fungicide resistance on the main pistachio producing regions of California

Alternaria late blight (ALB), caused mainly by the fungal pathogen Alternaria alternata, is an important pistachio disease that causes severe tree defoliation and fruit shell staining. Its control relies on multiple fungicide sprays, including carboxamide fungicides. In 2015, we surveyed 35 orchards representing nine pistachio producing counties of California to determine the current situation of Alternaria resistance to four widely used carboxamide fungicide active ingredients. This survey showed that isolates collected in the northern (Tehama, Glenn and Colusa counties) and southern (Tulare, Kings and Kern counties) Central Valley presented higher frequencies of carboxamide resistance than isolates collected from orchards in the central region (Fresno, Madera and Merced counties). The number of carboxamide usages in a year is the main factor determining elevated resistance. By extracting the A. alternata DNA and sequencing the carboxamide target genes, we evaluated the prevalence of specific molecular alterations (mutations) associated with carboxamide fungicide resistance. Finally, we identified cross-resistance patterns among different carboxamide fungicides, leading to recommendations about combinations to avoid.

Ownership characteristics and crop selection in California cropland

Land ownership is one of the primary determinants of how agricultural land is used, and property size has been shown to drive many land use decisions. Land ownership information is also key to understanding food production systems and land fragmentation, and in targeting outreach materials to improve agricultural production and conservation practices. Using a parcel dataset containing all 58 California counties, we describe the characteristics of cropland ownership across California. The largest 5% of properties — with “property” defined as all parcels owned by a given landowner — account for 50.6% of California cropland, while the smallest 84% of properties account for 25% of cropland. Cropland ownership inequality (few large properties, many small properties) was greatest in Kings, Kern and Contra Costa counties and lowest in Mendocino, Napa and Santa Clara counties. Of crop types, rice properties had the largest median size, while properties with orchard trees had the smallest median sizes. Cluster analysis of crop mixes revealed that properties with grapes, rice, almonds and alfalfa/hay tended to be planted to individual crops, while crops such as grains, tomatoes and vegetables were more likely to be mixed within a single property. Analyses of cropland ownership patterns can help researchers prioritize outreach efforts and tailor research to stakeholders' needs.

GIS-Based Logistic Regression for Landslide Susceptibility Analysis in Western Washington State

The Oso landslide, one of the most recent disasters, occurred on March 22nd, 2014 in western Washington State. It caused significant property damage and killed over 40 people. As a result, a renewed interest has emerged for creating more accurate landslide susceptibility maps for this region. Research addressing landslide susceptibility within the north Puget Sound region of western Washington is lacking; therefore, this study develops a probabilistic GIS-based landslide susceptibility model for the north Puget Sound region. Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to create a landslide susceptibility map of Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, and King Counties. To predict probable areas of landslide occurrence, a landslide inventory map was prepared and fourteen topographic, geologic, environmental, and climatic predictor variables were considered. This research aims to assist in restructuring western Washington's landslide policies, and could serve as the first step in producing more accurate landslide susceptibility maps for the region.

First Report of Cytospora punicae Causing Wood Canker and Branch Dieback of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) in the United States.

Pomegranates (Punica granatum L.) are an expanding industry in the United States with California growing approximately 32,000 acres with a crop value of over $155 million (1). During June and July of 2012, we observed severe limb and branch dieback in pomegranate orchards cv. Wonderful located in Contra Costa, Kings, and Kern counties of California. Disease symptoms included yellowing of leaves, branch and limb dieback, wood lesions, and canker formation. Dark brown Cytospora-like cultures were consistently isolated from active cankers on potato dextrose agar (PDA) amended with 100 mg l-1 tetracycline hydrochloride. Three isolates (UCCE1223, UCCE1233, and UCCE1234) representative of each orchard were sub-cultured onto PDA and incubated at 22°C under fluorescent intermittent light (12 h light, 12 h dark). Fungal colonies had whitish mycelia that turned olive green to dark brown with maturity and formed globose and dark brown pycnidia after 12 days. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, allantoid, and (4) 4.5 to 5 (6) × (1) 1.5 (2) μm (n = 180). Pycnidia formed in culture measured (250) 350 to 475 (650) μm in diameter (n = 40). Identification of the isolates was confirmed by sequence comparison of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) of the rDNA and part of the translation elongation factor 1-α gene (EF1-α) with sequences available in GenBank. Consensus sequences of both genes of all isolates showed 99% homology to the species Cytospora punicae Sacc. (2). All sequences were deposited in GenBank (Accession Nos. KJ621684 to 89). Pathogenicity of the isolates was determined by branch inoculation. In December 2012, 3-year-old branches of P. granatum cv. Wonderful were inoculated by placing 5-mm-diameter mycelium plugs from the growing margin of 14-day-old PDA cultures in fresh wounds made with a 5-mm-diameter cork-borer. Eight branches per isolate were inoculated on eight different trees. Eight control branches were inoculated with non-colonized PDA agar plugs. Inoculations were covered with Vaseline and wrapped with Parafilm to retain moisture. Branches were harvested in August 2013 and examined for canker development and the extent of vascular discoloration spreading downward and upward from the inoculation point. Isolations from the edge of discolored tissue were conducted to fulfill Koch's postulates. C. punicae was re-isolated from 100% of the inoculated branches. Total length of vascular discoloration averaged 30.2 mm in branches inoculated with the three C. punicae isolates and 9 mm in the control branches. No fungi were isolated from the slightly discolored tissue of the controls. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. punicae as a fungal trunk pathogen of pomegranate trees in the United States.

EARLY SPRING FLOWERING IN NOVA SCOTIA: AN EXTREME SPRING IS REFLECTED IN ADVANCED FLOWERING

Twenty species of herbaceous plants and four non-amentiferous shrubs were found in flower in March-April in Nova Scotia during the spring of 2012. Plants were observed primarily in Kings and Antigonish Counties, with several observations from Inverness County. The precocious flowering is attributed to an abnormally warm late winter and spring (February-March) in which climate normals for monthly average temperature were exceeded by a minimum of 1.2°C in February (Tracadie) to a maximum of 8.5°C in March (Kentville). Flowering was an average of 17 days earlier than herbarium records in the largest regional herbaria (ACAD, NSAC). Proportional contribution to the early flowering guild was greater for exotic species which featured weedy families not represented in the native group. These observations of spring climate conditions and flowering phenology are consistent with regional climate change associated with milder and earlier springs.Key Words: climate change, Nova Scotia, phenology, spring flowering, exotic range expansion.

FIRST REPORT OF LASIODIPLODIA CITRICOLA ASSOCIATED WITH STEM CANKER OF PEACH IN CALIFORNIA, USA

In July 2009 and October 2012, stems of young peach (Prunus persica) trees with cankers from Kings, Fresno and Yuba Counties, respectively, in California were submitted to our diagnostic laboratory. The cankered areas were discoloured brown in comparison with the creamy healthy bark and covered with gum galls. More than 30 trees were killed in Fresno and Kings Counties, and 6 trees in Yuba County. Scraping the cankers revealed large black pycnidia and brown discoloured wood. A fungus consistently isolated from the cankers was identified as Lasiodiplodia citricola based on morphological characteristics (Abdollahzadeh et al., 2010) and analyses of ITS, and TEF-1α gene regions. The sequence showed high identity (ITS, 100%; TEF-1α, 99%) with reference sequence (isolate: IRAN 1522C = CBS 124707, ex-type of L. citricola; accession Nos.: ITS, GU945354; TEF-1α, GU945340; β- tubulin, not available) for L. citricola (Abdollahzadeh et al., 2010). Sequences were deposited to GenBank (isolates: 7F93, 7F94 and 7F95. Accession Nos.: ITS, KC357262–KC357264; TEF-1α, KC357268–KC357270; β-tubulin, KC357265–KC357267). Pathogenicity of L. citricola in P. persica variety nectarina cv. Summer Fire was tested using three isolates. Ten two-year-old branches for each isolate were inoculated. Inoculations were made in late Oct. 2012 as described by Chen et al. (2013). Lesion length was measured 3 weeks after inoculation. The three isolates of L. citricola produced 60–67-long lesions within 3 weeks, while wounds were covered with callus tissue in the control inoculations. L .citricola was reisolated from the inoculated branches and no fungus was re-isolated from the control branches. These results indicate the pathogenicity of L. citricola to P. persica.

Identifying sources of groundwater nitrate contamination in a large alluvial groundwater basin with highly diversified intensive agricultural production

Groundwater quality is a concern in alluvial aquifers underlying agricultural areas worldwide. Nitrate from land applied fertilizers or from animal waste can leach to groundwater and contaminate drinking water resources. The San Joaquin Valley, California, is an example of an agricultural landscape with a large diversity of field, vegetable, tree, nut, and citrus crops, but also confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs, here mostly dairies) that generate, store, and land apply large amounts of liquid manure. As in other such regions around the world, the rural population in the San Joaquin Valley relies almost exclusively on shallow domestic wells (≤150 m deep), of which many have been affected by nitrate. Variability in crops, soil type, and depth to groundwater contribute to large variability in nitrate occurrence across the underlying aquifer system. The role of these factors in controlling groundwater nitrate contamination levels is examined. Two hundred domestic wells were sampled in two sub-regions of the San Joaquin Valley, Stanislaus and Merced (Stan/Mer) and Tulare and Kings (Tul/Kings) Counties. Forty six percent of well water samples in Tul/Kings and 42% of well water samples in Stan/Mer exceeded the MCL for nitrate (10mg/L NO3-N). For statistical analysis of nitrate contamination, 78 crop and landuse types were considered by grouping them into ten categories (CAFO, citrus, deciduous fruits and nuts, field crops, forage, native, pasture, truck crops, urban, and vineyards). Vadose zone thickness, soil type, well construction information, well proximity to dairies, and dominant landuse near the well were considered. In the Stan/Mer area, elevated nitrate levels in domestic wells most strongly correlate with the combination of very shallow (≤21 m) water table and the presence of either CAFO derived animal waste applications or deciduous fruit and nut crops (synthetic fertilizer applications). In Tulare County, statistical data indicate that elevated nitrate levels in domestic well water are most strongly associated with citrus orchards when located in areas with a very shallow (≤21 m) water table. Kings County had relatively few nitrate MCL exceedances in domestic wells, probably due to the deeper water table in Kings County.

A life cycle assessment of end-of-life computer monitor management in the Seattle metropolitan region

A life cycle assessment was performed on the management of waste computer monitors from King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties in Washington State considering four options for the final destination of the monitors; reuse, recycling, sanitary landfilling, or hazardous waste landfilling. The system was interpreted in two ways; comparing the disposal of a single cathode ray tube (CRT) and liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor and the expected regional change in monitor disposals between 2008 and 2010. The results were separated into two scenarios, one in which credit was given for the avoidance of primary material production in response to the generation of recyclables and one where credit was not given. The effect of avoiding primary material production was large enough to change the impact assessment results from a system that consumed energy, contributed to global warming, and generated air emissions to one that produced energy, reduced global warming, and was a sink of air emissions. LCD monitor disposal had lower impacts than CRT monitor disposal in all impact categories except for the management of mercury. This translates into a reduction of the impact or an increase in the benefit for each impact category, except the management of mercury, for the system from 2008 to 2010 due to changing composition of the monitor disposal stream from CRT to LCD technology.

Public health impacts of climate change in Washington State: projected mortality risks due to heat events and air pollution

Illness and mortality related to heat and worsening air quality are core public health concerns associated with climate change projections. We examined the historical relationship between age- and cause-specific mortality rates from 1980 through 2006 and heat events at the 99th percentile of humidex values in the historic period from January 1, 1970 to December 31, 2006 in the greater Seattle area (King, Pierce and Snohomish counties), Spokane County, the Tri-Cities (Benton and Franklin counties) and Yakima County; the relative risks of mortality during heat events were applied to population and climate projections for Washington State to calculate number of deaths above the baseline (1980–2006) expected during projected heat events in 2025, 2045 and 2085. Three different warming scenarios were used in the analysis. Relative risks for the greater Seattle area showed a significant dose-response relationship between heat event duration and daily mortality rates for non-traumatic deaths for persons ages 45 and above, typically peaking at four days of exposure to humidex values above the 99th percentile. The largest number of projected excess deaths in all years and scenarios for the Seattle region was found for age 65 and above. Under the middle warming scenario, this age group is expected to have 96, 148 and 266 excess deaths from all non-traumatic causes in 2025, 2045 and 2085, respectively. We also examined projected excess deaths due to ground-level ozone concentrations at mid century (2045–2054) in King and Spokane counties. Current (1997–2006) ozone measurements and mid-twenty-first century ozone projections were coupled with dose-response data from the scientific literature to produce estimates overall and cardiopulmonary mortality. Daily maximum 8-h ozone concentrations are forecasted to be 16–28% higher in the mid twenty-first century compared to the recent decade of 1997–2006. By mid-century in King County the non-traumatic mortality rate related to ozone was projected to increase from baseline (0.026 per 100,000; 95% confidence interval 0.013–0.038) to 0.033 (95% CI 0.017–0.049). For the same health outcome in Spokane County, the baseline period rate of 0.058 (95% CI 0.030–0.085) was estimated increase to 0.068 (95% CI 0.035–0.100) by mid-century. The cardiopulmonary death rate per 100,000 due to ozone was estimated to increase from 0.011 (95% CI 0.005–0.017) to 0.015 (0.007–0.022) in King County, and from 0.027 (95% CI 0.013–0.042) to 0.032 (95% CI 0.015–0.049) in Spokane County. Public health interventions aimed at protecting Washington’s population from excessive heat and increased ozone concentrations will become increasingly important for preventing deaths, especially among older adults. Furthermore, heat and air quality related illnesses that do not result in death, but are serious nevertheless, may be reduced by the same measures.