Pacific Northwest Research Articles

An ecosystem approach to mentoring research faculty in schools of nursing: The pacific northwest interdependence mentoring model

BackgroundMentoring can facilitate faculty career development and retention. Given ongoing challenges in academic nursing (e.g., shrinking number of experienced mentors), it is necessary to revisit and improve upon existing mentoring models and practices to support current and future nurse researchers. PurposeTo describe the development of a new faculty-to-faculty research mentoring model. MethodsConstruction of a model describing mentoring needed by research-focused nurse faculty based on analysis of the literature alongside the authors’ personal experiences. FindingsThe Pacific Northwest Interdependence Mentoring Model (PIMM) describes academic nursing as an ecosystem that fosters caring, trust, solidarity, equity, openness, and interdependent relationships among research faculty, administration, institutions, and funding sources. DiscussionAlthough mentoring environments differ in unique strengths, weaknesses, mission, culture, and values, the PIMM’s approach could be applicable for many schools of nursing and beyond to support the growth of the nursing discipline.

Evaluating streamflow and temperature effects on Bull Trout migration and survival with linear spatial capture–recapture models

AbstractObjectiveIn the U.S. Pacific Northwest, climate change is increasing air temperatures, decreasing warm season (April–September) streamflow, and increasing cool season (October–March) streamflow. Warmer water temperatures may alter conditions for migratory coldwater fishes like the Bull Trout Salvelinus confluentus. Consequently, an understanding of Bull Trout migration and survival is critical for species conservation and restoration. In the Salmon River basin, Idaho, 1992 and 1993 transpired to be two of the most opposing extreme years among the past three decades for warm season water temperature and streamflow. These extremes provided a unique opportunity to retrospectively compare Bull Trout survival and migration under potential climate change scenarios.MethodsWe evaluated prespawning and postspawning migrations and survival of fluvial Bull Trout that were radio‐tagged and tracked from 1992 to 1994. We used a Cormack–Jolly–Seber linear spatial capture–recapture model to simultaneously model the migration and survival of radio‐tagged prespawn (n = 58) and postspawn (n = 23) Bull Trout among weeks and river reaches with streamflow, water temperature, and habitat covariates.ResultMost individual prespawning migrations were similar among tagged fish, whereas postspawn fish adopted multiple migration and overwintering strategies. Movements of prespawn Bull Trout were larger when (1) weekly average daily maximum streamflow increased and (2) weekly average daily maximum water temperature increased. The model estimated that at least 52% of spawners survived to spawning, and mean weekly prespawning apparent survival was higher in the low‐streamflow year (1992) than in the year with higher and more variable streamflow (1993). Survival of 1992–1994 fish during the 38‐week postspawning period was intermediate to that in the prespawning period. Detections of prespawn Bull Trout were generally higher at sites with more complex habitats, less large woody debris, and fewer undercut banks.ConclusionWe found that the prespawn life stage can represent a shorter time frame (14–18 weeks) with increased mortality compared to the longer postspawning period (38 weeks). Bull Trout apparent survival increased with lower streamflow variability, indicating that expected future changes in climate may adversely affect Bull Trout.

Spotlights and shadows: linguistic and cultural (in)visibility among transnational students in an international baccalaureate school

ABSTRACT Illumination choices are specific, poignant, and frequently a product of design. Theatrical pioneer Max Reinhart stated, “The art of lighting a stage consists of putting light where you want it and taking it away from where you don’t want it.” This quote articulates an intentional choice regarding what and who is given focus on the stage and what is (un)intentionally left in the shadows. In this study, the stage is a diverse International Baccalaureate school in the Pacific Northwest, and the actors are 33 linguistically and culturally diverse high schoolers. Using data from virtual interviews, we discuss which aspects of their transnational identities and practices students perceived to be visible (i.e. in the spotlight) and invisible (i.e. in the shadows). We conclude with a call to action, stressing the importance of student input and diverse experiences so teachers and administrators can better support them on an ever evolving, transnational stage.

Immunomodulatory effects of a probiotic combination treatment to improve the survival of Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) larvae against infection by Vibrio coralliilyticus

IntroductionThe culture of Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) is of significant socio-economic importance in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and other temperate regions worldwide, with disease outbreaks acting as significant bottlenecks to the successful production of healthy seed larvae. Therefore, the current study aims to describe the mechanisms of a probiotic combination in improving the survival of C. gigas larvae. Specifically, we investigate changes in C. gigas larval gene expression in response to V. coralliilyticus infection with or without a pre-treatment of a novel probiotic combination.MethodsTreatment groups consisted of replicates of Pacific oyster larvae exposed to a) a combination of four probiotic bacteria at a total concentration of 3.0 x 105 CFU/mL at 18 hours post-fertilization (hpf), b) pathogenic V. coralliilyticus RE22 at a concentration of 6.0 x 103 CFU/mL at 48 hpf, and c) the probiotic combination at 18 hpf and V. coralliilyticus RE22 at 48 hpf. RNA was extracted from washed larvae after 72 hpf, and transcriptome sequencing was used to identify significant differentially expressed genes (DEGs) within each treatment.ResultsLarvae challenged with V. coralliilyticus showed enhanced expression of genes responsible for inhibiting immune signaling (i.e., TNFAIP3, PSMD10) and inducing apoptosis (i.e., CDIP53). However, when pre-treated with the probiotic combination, these genes were no longer differentially expressed relative to untreated control larvae. Additionally, pre-treatment with the probiotic combination increased expression of immune signaling proteins and immune effectors (i.e., IL-17, MyD88). Apparent immunomodulation in response to probiotic treatment corresponds to an increase in the survival of C. gigas larvae infected with V. coralliilyticus by up to 82%.DiscussionThese results indicate that infection with V. coralliilyticus can suppress the larval immune response while also prompting cell death. Furthermore, the results suggest that the probiotic combination treatment negates the deleterious effects of V. coralliilyticus on larval gene expression while stimulating the expression of genes involved in infection defense mechanisms.

Improving Earth System Model Selection Methodologies for Projecting Hydroclimatic Change: Case Study in the Pacific Northwest

AbstractThe rapid expansion of Earth system model (ESM) data available from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) necessitates new methods to evaluate the performance and suitability of ESMs used for hydroclimate applications as these extremely large data volumes complicate stakeholder efforts to use new ESM outputs in updated climate vulnerability and impact assessments. We develop an analysis framework to inform ESM sub‐selection based on process‐oriented considerations and demonstrate its performance for a regional application in the US Pacific Northwest. First, a suite of global and regional metrics is calculated, using multiple historical observation datasets to assess ESM performance. These metrics are then used to rank CMIP6 models, and a culled ensemble of models is selected using a trend‐related diagnostics approach. This culling strategy does not dramatically change climate scenario trend projections in this region, despite retaining only 20% of the CMIP6 ESMs in the final model ensemble. The reliability of the culled trend projection envelope and model response similarity is also assessed using a perfect model framework. The absolute difference in temperature trend projections is reduced relative to the full ensemble compared to the model for each SSP scenario, while precipitation trend errors are largely unaffected. In addition, we find that the spread of the culled ensemble temperature and precipitation trends includes the trend of the “truth” model ∼83%‐92% of the time. This analysis demonstrates a reliable method to reduce ESM ensemble size that can ease use of ESMs for creating and understanding climate vulnerability and impact assessments.

Utility of in situ ion‐exchange membranes to assess nutrient availability, productivity, and fertilizer response of coastal Douglas‐fir of the Pacific Northwest

AbstractDouglas‐fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] is the predominant forest plantation species in the Pacific Northwest (PNW), with site productivity and fertilizer response influenced by climate and soil variations. This study investigates the utility of in situ 12‐week supply measurements of nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), and phosphorus (P) to ion‐exchange resins (specifically Plant Root Simulator [PRS] probes) to estimate carbon (C):N ratios, soil nutrient contents (0–1 m), foliar nutrient concentrations, Douglas‐fir productivity (site index and basal area mean annual increment), and fertilizer volume response. PRS nutrient supply rates were correlated with N, Ca, and P soil nutrient contents (0–1 m), C:N ratios, and foliar nutrient concentrations. Low PRS NO3 supply rates (<25 mg N·m−2·burial period−1) were correlated with lower Douglas‐fir productivity and greater fertilizer volume response. PRS NO3 supply rates performed as well as total soil N contents and foliar N concentrations at estimating volume growth response to fertilizer. Twelve weeks after fertilization, PRS NO3, NH4, and Ca supply rates were significantly elevated compared to the unfertilized treatment. This research found that PRS probes were an effective in situ tool and are recommended for understanding N, Ca, and P nutrient availabilities, site productivity, and fertilizer response in Douglas‐fir plantations and for developing fertilizer prescriptions.

A novel hybrid beachgrass is invading U.S. Pacific Northwest dunes with potential ecosystem consequences

AbstractInvasive plants formed via hybridization, especially those that modify the structure and function of their ecosystems, are of particular concern given the potential for hybrid vigor. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, two invasive, dune‐building beachgrasses, Ammophila arenaria (European beachgrass) and A. breviligulata (American beachgrass), have hybridized and formed a new beachgrass taxa (Ammophila arenaria × A. breviligulata), but little is known about its distribution, spread, and ecological consequences. Here, we report on surveys of the hybrid beachgrass conducted across a 250‐km range from Moclips, Washington to Pacific City, Oregon, in 2021 and 2022. We detected nearly 300 hybrid individuals, or an average of 8–14 hybrid individuals per km of surveyed foredune. The hybrid was more common at sites within southern Washington and northern Oregon where A. breviligulata is abundant (75%–90% cover) and A. arenaria is sparse and patchy. The hybrid displayed morphological traits such as shoot density and height that typically exceeded its parent species suggesting hybrid vigor. We measured an average growth rate of 30% over one year, with individuals growing faster at the leading edge of the foredune, nearest to the beach. We also found a positive relationship between hybrid abundance and A. arenaria abundance, suggesting that A. arenaria density may be a controlling factor for hybridization rate. The hybrid showed similar sand deposition and associated plant species richness patterns compared with its parent species, although longer term studies are needed. Finally, we found hybrid individuals within and near conservation habitat of two Endangered Species Act‐listed, threatened bird species, the western snowy plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus) and the streaked horned lark (Eremophila alpestris strigata), a concern for conservation management. Documenting this emerging hybrid beachgrass provides insights into how hybridization affects the spread of novel species and the consequences for communities in which they invade.

Vicarious calibration of GEDI biomass with Landsat age data for understanding secondary forest carbon dynamics

The recovery of biomass in secondary forests plays a vital role in global carbon sequestration processes and carbon emission mitigation. However, accurately quantifying the accumulation rate of aboveground biomass density in these forests is challenging owing to limited longitudinal field data. An alternative monitoring strategy is characterizing the mean biomass at a single point in time across stands with a range of known ages. This chronosequence approach can also be used with remotely sensed data by combining biomass measured with platforms such as NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission with forest age strata provided by historic Landsat imagery. However, focusing on the low-biomass conditions common in newly regenerating forests will accentuate commonly observed over-prediction of low biomass values. We propose a vicarious calibration approach that develops a correction for GEDI’s biomass models in young forests, which may be mapped using Landsat time series, using an assumption that the aboveground biomass of newly cleared forests is zero. We tested this approach, which requires no additional local field data, in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, where extensive inventory data from the USDA Forest Service are available. Our results show that the calibration did not significantly improve the fit of predicted biomass as a function of age across 12 ecoregions (one-side t-test; p = 0.20), but it did significantly reduce bias for the youngest age groups with respect to reference data. Calibrated GEDI-based biomass estimates for < 20 year old forests were more accurate than 2006 IPCC defaults in most ecoregions (with respect to authoritative inventory estimates) and may represent a basis for refining carbon storage expectations for secondary forests globally.

245 Drawing on Arts-Based Methodologies to Elicit Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) Children’s Experiences in Health Care

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Understand how prepubescent TGD children experience pediatric care with a dual purpose of informing clinical practice and presenting alternative methods for research with children. Centering their perspectives is critical to improving care for this age group, ultimately improving TGD health. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A participatory arts-based study involving drawing, photo elicitation, and narrative interviews with prepubescent TGD children (n=15) in the Pacific Northwest. Participants will make photos and draw a picture of their most recent pediatric visit. Participants guide the analysis and interpretation of their artwork, informing subsequent interviews. Interviews are coded and interpreted using inductive thematic analysis at the semantic level, and verified by participants and near-peer community partners. The combination of multiple data sources that represent both stimuli and verifiers of perceptions provide methodological triangulation. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Early pilot data with community partners suggest that TGD children do not feel sufficiently supported in pediatric settings, which impacts their sense of safety and agency in the clinical context. Findings will inform changes to clinical practice to improve gender affirmation for prepubescent children, positively impact child-caregiver relationships, and ultimately improve health care and wellbeing for TGD people. Observations related to the implementation of novel methodologies will inform future research practices intended to include younger children as active agents in the knowledge production process. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: There are missed opportunities to positively impact children’s health and caregiver-child relationships when gender affirming care is overlooked in the pediatric context. This study provides first-hand multi-media perspectives to inform improvements in prepubescent gender affirming pediatric care.

Disagreements in Geodetically Inferred Strain Rates in the Western US With Stress Orientations and Geologic Moment Rates

AbstractI employ an elasticity‐based method to invert a geodetically derived surface velocity field in the western US using for present‐day surface strain rate fields with uncertainties. The method uses distributed body forces in a thin elastic sheet and allows for discontinuities in velocity across creeping faults using the solution for dislocations in a thin elastic plate. I compare the strain rate fields with previously published stress orientations and moment rates from geological slip rate data and previous geodetic studies. Geologic and geodetic moment rates are calculated using slip rate and off‐fault strain rates from the 2023 US National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM) deformation models. I find that computed total geodetic moment rates are higher than NSHM summed moment rates on faults for all regions of the western US except the highest deforming rate regions including the Western Transverse Ranges and the northern and southern San Andreas Fault (SAF) system in California. Computed geodetic moment rates are comparable to the moment rates derived from the geodetically based NSHM deformation models in all regions. I find systematic differences in orientations of maximum horizontal shortening rate and maximum horizontal compressive stress in the Pacific Northwest region and along much of the SAF system. In the Pacific Northwest, the maximum horizontal stress orientations are rotated counterclockwise 40–90° relative to the maximum horizontal strain rate directions. Along the SAF system, the maximum horizontal stresses are rotated systematically 25–40° clockwise (closer to fault normal) relative to the strain rates.

Late Holocene high-resolution paleoenvironmental reconstruction from Beaver Lake in the northwest lowlands of the Olympic Peninsula, Washington (USA)

Fire is an essential component of the landscapes and forests of the Pacific Northwest, including the temperate rainforests of the Olympic Peninsula. Previous fire history reconstructions from the peninsula show that fire return intervals varied throughout the postglacial period, primarily in response to climatic changes and corresponding shifts in vegetation. However, much less is known about the fire history of the low-elevation forests of the Olympic Peninsula and the role of cultural fire regimes in these environments. The purpose of this study was to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental history of a low-elevation study site, Beaver Lake, located in the northwestern part of the peninsula. Using macroscopic charcoal, pollen, and sedimentological analyses of a ca. 3440-year-long record, we reconstructed a high-resolution record that shows fire activity was remarkably high during the late Holocene for an area considered part of a temperate rainforest. However, patterns of burning varied throughout the record, with the first third (ca. 3440 to 2350 cal yr BP) and last third (ca. 800 cal yr BP to the present day) recording much higher amounts of fire activity compared to the middle portion (ca. 2350 to 800 cal yr BP), which recorded very little fire activity. Larger and/or more severe fires that likely burned during multi-year droughts correlate with peaks in magnetic susceptibility and pollen trends that indicate substantial geomorphic responses and successional changes in forest structure following these events. Cooler temperatures and a wetter climate, indicated by nearby glacial advancements, may have staved off fire activity during the period of low fire activity. Cultural burning by the Indigenous tribes of the Olympic Peninsula likely contributed to the observed fire activity at Beaver Lake as nearby prairies were managed for resource procurement, indicated in particular by an increase in herbaceous morphotype charcoal during the past 800 years.

Trade‐offs among management objectives in mature Douglas‐fir forests of the Pacific Northwest

AbstractMature conifer‐dominated forests are an important component of the Pacific Northwest landscape, and the conservation of species associated with late‐successional forests has been a primary management focus in these forests for decades. Increasingly, these forests are also valued as carbon stores, with considerable climate change mitigation potential. However, there are also increasing concerns about the effects of climate change, particularly drought, on late‐successional forests. Despite the complexity of balancing these diverse management concerns, few studies have examined the compatibility of biodiversity conservation, carbon storage, and drought adaptation. We used a spatially and temporally synchronous empirical dataset from mature Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) stands representing three alternative management strategies, passive management (“unmanaged”), thinning, and retention harvest, to examine trade‐offs among management objectives related to drought adaptation, carbon storage, and the conservation of early‐successional and late‐successional forest songbirds. Although previous studies have evaluated drought adaptation in Douglas‐fir, none have focused on mature stands. Therefore, we also examined tree resistance and resilience to the 2001 drought. Trees in retention harvest stands displayed significantly higher drought resistance and resilience than trees in thinned or unmanaged stands, but no differences were observed between trees in the latter two management conditions, potentially due to the long (average of 22 years) period between treatment and drought in our thinned stands. Despite this, thinned stands provided a better multiobjective compromise than unmanaged or retention harvest stands in our trade‐off analysis. Across all mature stands, trade‐offs were largest for objective combinations that involved early‐ or late‐successional forest birds. While our analysis supports the consistency of managing late‐successional forest birds and carbon storage, trade‐offs between early‐successional birds and carbon storage were much larger. Given projected changes in climate, the substantial trade‐offs that we observed between drought adaptation and late‐successional forest birds are notable and imply that achieving these two objectives will be challenging at the stand scale. Our results suggest that a diversity of management approaches, incorporating both active management and reserve‐based strategies, may be necessary to foster a combination of drought adaptation, carbon storage, and biodiversity conservation goals in these forests.

Complete genome sequence of vaccinium-associated virus C, a new member of the family Totiviridae from Vaccinium floribundum.

Blueberries (Vaccinium sp.) are a major crop grown in the Pacific Northwest region. Currently, there are at least 17 known viruses that infect blueberry plants, and some of them cause a wide range of symptoms and economic losses. A new virus, vaccinium-associated virus C (VaVC) (family Totiviridae, genus Totivirus) was identified in an imported blueberry accession from the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon. The complete genomic sequence of VaVC was determined, but the biological significance of VaVC is unknown and requires further study. Additional Vacciniumsp. accessions should be screened to investigate the incidence of this new virus.

Prescribed fire placement matters more than increasing frequency and extent in a simulated Pacific Northwest landscape

AbstractPrescribed fire has been increasingly promoted to reduce wildfire risk and restore fire‐adapted ecosystems. Yet, the complexities of forest ecosystem dynamics in response to disturbances, climate change, and drought stress, combined with myriad social and policy barriers, have inhibited widespread implementation. Using the forest succession model LANDIS‐II, we investigated the likely impacts of increasing prescribed fire frequency and extent on wildfire severity and forest carbon storage at local and landscape scales. Specifically, we ask how much prescribed fire is required to maintain carbon storage and reduce the severity and extent of wildfires under divergent climate change scenarios? We simulated four prescribed fire scenarios (no prescribed fire, business‐as‐usual, moderate increase, and large increase) in the Siskiyou Mountains of northwest California and southwest Oregon. At the local site scale, prescribed fires lowered the severity of projected wildfires and maintained approximately the same level of ecosystem carbon storage when reapplied at a ~15‐year return interval for 50‐year simulations. Increased frequency and extent of prescribed fire decreased the likelihood of aboveground carbon combustion during wildfire events. However, at the landscape scale, prescribed fire did not decrease the projected severity and extent of wildfire, even when large increases (up to 10× the current levels) of prescribed fire were simulated. Prescribed fire was most effective at reducing wildfire severity under a climate change scenario with increased temperature and precipitation and on sites with north‐facing aspects and slopes greater than 30°. Our findings suggest that placement matters more than frequency and extent to estimate the effects of prescribed fire, and that prescribed fire alone would not be sufficient to reduce the risk of wildfire and promote carbon sequestration at regional scales in the Siskiyou Mountains. To improve feasibility, we propose targeting areas of high concern or value to decrease the risk of high‐severity fire and contribute to meeting climate mitigation and adaptation goals. Our results support strategic and targeted landscape prioritization of fire treatments to reduce wildfire severity and increase the pace and scale of forest restoration in areas of social and ecological importance, highlighting the challenges of using prescribed fire to lower wildfire risk.

Replacing Settler Spaces: The Transformational Power of Indigenous Public Art

Similar to 19th-century steamship travel, 21st-century cruise ships link far-flung communities for visitors to the Pacific Northwest Coast. Contemporary Indigenous artists, like their ancestors before them, have transformed touristic curiosity into economic, educational and cultural opportunities for their communities. Public art has become an increasingly important site for engaging visitors who have only a few hours to spend on shore. This paper compares two public art projects—Juneau, Alaska’s Kootéeyaa Deiyí (Totem Pole Trail) and Vancouver, British Columbia’s Blanketing the City—to explore the multivalent ways in which public art expresses Indigenous sovereignty.

Insecticide efficacy and emergence timing of the Douglas-fir twig weevil.

The Douglas-fir twig weevil (Cylindrocopturus furnissi Buchanan) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) has recently emerged as a significant pest of Christmas trees grown in the Pacific Northwest United States. The larvae girdle and disfigure twigs, which adversely affects tree marketability. Trees produced for export are also routinely destroyed for phytosanitary reasons when C. furnissi is discovered at border crossings. Due to historically being a sporadic and benign pest on planted and natural Douglas-fir (Psuedotsuga menziesii), there is a lack of chemical management options. In laboratory experiments, we assessed the knockdown effects (ability to kill or incapacitate) of 4 insecticides commonly used on Christmas trees: one assay tested knockdown after direct contact for 24h, and the other assay tested knockdown after being allowed to feed on treated twigs with 2 days, 7 days, and 14 days residuals. Concurrently, we monitored temperature and adult C. furnissi emergence at a noble fir bough farm for 2 years to estimate the ideal degree-day window for applying insecticides. Bifenthrin and esfenvalerate knocked down all weevils on contact within just 4h, whereas chlorpyrifos and acephate failed to achieve 100% knockdown within 24h. Only acephate failed to knock down more weevils than the control (water) after feeding on treated twigs, regardless of the insecticide residue age. Degree-day modeling revealed a variable emergence window between the 2 years but 50% of adult emergence occurred between approximately 1,000-1,100degree days (1st January, 50 °F (10 °C), single sine). Future work should assess the resulting management recommendation: apply bifenthrin or esfenvalerate once annually just after 1,000 growing degree days for 2 or more years prior to harvest.

A 20-Year Ecotone Study of Pacific Northwest Mountain Forest Vulnerability to Changing Snow Conditions

(1) Background: Global climate change is expected to significantly alter growing conditions along mountain gradients. Landscape ecological patterns are likely to shift significantly as species attempt to adapt to these changes. We evaluated the extent to which spatial (elevation and canopy cover) and temporal (decadal trend and El Niño–Southern Oscillation/Pacific Decadal Oscillation) factors impact seasonal snowmelt and forest community dynamics in the Western Hemlock–True Fir ecotone region of the Oregon Western Cascades, USA. (2) Methods: Tsuga heterophylla and Abies amabilis seedling locations were mapped three times over 20 years (2002–2022) on five sample transects strategically placed to cross the ecotone. Additionally, daily ground temperature readings were collected over 10 years for the five transects using 123 data loggers to estimate below-canopy snow metrics. (3) Results: Based on validation using time-lapse cameras, the data loggers proved highly reliable for estimating snow cover. The method reported fewer days of snow cover as compared to meteorological station-based snow products for the region, emphasizing the importance of direct under-canopy field observations of snow. Snow season variability was most significantly impacted temporally by cyclical ENSO/PDO climate patterns and spatially by differences in canopy cover within the ecotone. The associated seedling analysis identified clear sorting of species by elevation within the ecotone but reflected a lack of a long-term trend, as species dominance in the seedling strata did not significantly shift along the elevation gradient over the 20-year study. (4) Conclusions: The data logger-based approach provided estimates of snow cover at ecologically significant locations and fine enough spatial resolutions to allow for the study of forest regeneration dynamics. The results highlight the importance of long-term, understory snow measurements and the influence of climatic oscillations in understanding the vulnerability of mountain areas to the changing climate.

Landslide topology uncovers failure movements

The death toll and monetary damages from landslides continue to rise despite advancements in predictive modeling. These models’ performances are limited as landslide databases used in developing them often miss crucial information, e.g., underlying movement types. This study introduces a method of discerning landslide movements, such as slides, flows, and falls, by analyzing landslides’ 3D shapes. By examining landslide topological properties, we discover distinct patterns in their morphology, indicating different movements including complex ones with multiple coupled movements. We achieve 80-94% accuracy by applying topological properties in identifying landslide movements across diverse geographical and climatic regions, including Italy, the US Pacific Northwest, Denmark, Turkey, and Wenchuan in China. Furthermore, we demonstrate a real-world application on undocumented datasets from Wenchuan. Our work introduces a paradigm for studying landslide shapes to understand their underlying movements through the lens of landslide topology, which could aid landslide predictive models and risk evaluations.

Warmer autumns and winters could reduce honey bee overwintering survival with potential risks for pollination services

Honey bees and other pollinators are critical for food production and nutritional security but face multiple survival challenges. The effect of climate change on honey bee colony losses is only recently being explored. While correlations between higher winter temperatures and greater colony losses have been noted, the impacts of warmer autumn and winter temperatures on colony population dynamics and age structure as an underlying cause of reduced colony survival have not been examined. Focusing on the Pacific Northwest US, our objectives were to (a) quantify the effect of warmer autumns and winters on honey bee foraging activity, the age structure of the overwintering cluster, and spring colony losses, and (b) evaluate indoor cold storage as a management strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change. We perform simulations using the VARROAPOP population dynamics model driven by future climate projections to address these objectives. Results indicate that expanding geographic areas will have warmer autumns and winters extending honey bee flight times. Our simulations support the hypothesis that late-season flight alters the overwintering colony age structure, skews the population towards older bees, and leads to greater risks of colony failure in the spring. Management intervention by moving colonies to cold storage facilities for overwintering has the potential to reduce honey bee colony losses. However, critical gaps remain in how to optimize winter management strategies to improve the survival of overwintering colonies in different locations and conditions. It is imperative that we bridge the gaps to sustain honey bees and the beekeeping industry and ensure food and nutritional security.

Gamma-spectrometry measurements of filtration media from an Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor

Filtration media used to quantify particulate and gaseous releases have been collected from Hartlepool Power Station in the United Kingdom and measured using high-sensitivity gamma-spectrometry systems. Radionuclides that are relevant to the monitoring regime of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) have been detected. Results are reported and compared to detections recorded on the International Monitoring System (IMS). Time series activity plots have been produced and results interpreted with respect to known plant activities. The reported results improve the understanding of trace-level radionuclide emissions from Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) and aid interpretation of IMS measurements. This work is being performed as part of the Xenon Environmental Nuclide Analysis at Hartlepool (XENAH) collaboration between the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE, UK), EDF Energy (UK), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, US) and the Swedish Defence Agency (FOI, Sweden).