Southeast USA Research Articles

Police officer perspectives on intellectual disability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine police officer perceptions about persons with intellectual disabilities. Design/methodology/approach – In this study, 188 officers from three police districts in the Southeast USA were surveyed using a modified Social Distance Questionnaire. Findings – Results indicate that the majority of police officers surveyed had little or no training with regard to disabilities and that most are willing to interact socially with individuals with intellectual disabilities. Further, this study found that female officers had significantly greater positive attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities than male respondents and that white respondents were more knowledgeable about these individuals than those from minority backgrounds. Research limitations/implications – While these results are significant, it should be noted that the number of female and minority participants was relatively low. Practical implications – The paper includes recommendations for professional development for police officer and criminal justice training programs. Social implications – As individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities are increasingly integrated into society, their vulnerability to mishandling by the criminal justice system and police officers intensifies. This paper allows police officers and those within the field of criminal justice an opportunity to examine perceptions as they seek to understand how police and general societal perceptions impact the way that people interact with persons with intellectual disabilities. Originality/value – This paper fulfills a need to examine attitudes of police officers toward citizens with intellectual disabilities in the communities in which they live. These attitudes often affect the way that police officers interact with citizens and identify additional training needs to better prepare officers for diverse individuals they may will encounter.

Harvest management affects biomass composition responses of C4 perennial bioenergy grasses in the humid subtropical USA

AbstractElephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) and energycane (Saccharum spp. hybrid) are high‐yielding C4 grasses that are attractive biofuel feedstocks in the humid subtropics. Determining appropriate harvest management practices for optimal feedstock chemical composition is an important precursor to their successful use in production systems. In this research, we have investigated the effects of harvest timing and frequency on biomass nutrient, carbohydrate and lignin composition of UF1 and cv. Merkeron elephantgrasses and cv. L 79‐1002 energycane. Biomass properties under increased harvest frequency (twice per year) and delayed harvest (once per year after frost) were compared with a control (once per year prior to frost). There were no differences between elephantgrass entries in structural carbohydrates; however, elephantgrasses had greater structural hexose concentration than energycane for single‐harvest treatments (avg. 398 vs. 366 mg g−1), a trait that is preferred for biofuel production. Delayed harvest of energycane decreased structural hexose compared with the control (374 vs. 357 mg g−1) because nonstructural components accumulated in energycane stem as harvest was delayed. Frequent defoliation (2X) increased N, P, and ash concentrations (75% for N and P and 58% for ash) in harvested biomass compared with single‐harvest treatments. We conclude that multiple harvests per year increase the harvest period during which feedstock is available for processing, but they do not result in optimal feedstock composition. In contrast, extending the period of feedstock supply by delaying a single harvest to after first freeze did not negatively affect cell wall constituent properties, while it increased length of the harvest period by ~30 days in the southeast USA.

Bicycling and walking in the Southeast USA: Why is it rare and risky?

Abstract Although the Southeast USA region of the United States has warm weather and relatively flat terrain, bicycling and walking for transportation are less prevalent in the region than in the rest of the United States. Moreover, these modes have higher rates of traffic crashes and fatalities in the Southeast USA than elsewhere. We examine factors that may contribute to this outcome, including urban sprawl, historical development patterns, policies, goals, legislation, infrastructure, and funding for active transportation. We find that the Southeast USA has undergone population growth following a distinct pattern, resulting in denser population in rural areas, and less dense population in urban areas, than the rest of the nation. Over the long term, the Southeast USA underwent a specific pattern of growth between 1940 and 1980 (the heyday of automobile-oriented development): the region transitioned from mostly rural to slightly over half urban, in terms of population. State and local policies and funding also play a role in the current status of active transportation in the Southeast USA. We conclude that while some emerging trends are promising, such as the adoption of Complete Streets policies, the Southeast USA faces unique challenges due to the patterns by which development has occurred there.

Multi-decadal decline in reef fish abundance and species richness in the southeast USA assessed by standardized trap catches

Reef fish species naturally fluctuate in abundance over various temporal and spatial scales, but recent broad-scale declines in abundance have been observed worldwide and attributed to various anthropogenic influences. We used 25 years of fishery-independent trap data (N = 11,237 trap hauls) to examine the spatial and temporal variability in temperate reef fish abundance along the southeast coast of the USA, a relatively understudied region with many economically important reef fish species. Overall, 441,298 individuals from 118 species were caught in the trap survey. Number of species and total number of individuals caught in the trap survey declined over the 25 years, but when separated, nontargeted fish species declined more than fishery-targeted species. For instance, traps caught a median of 18 nontargeted individuals and a median of 2–3 nontargeted reef fish species in the early 1990s, but by the 2010s, traps caught a median of fewer than three nontargeted individuals and a median of one nontarget species. Using generalized additive models, we found that the catch of fishery-targeted and nontargeted species was positively related to bottom water temperature, while depth influenced nontargeted and fishery-targeted species in opposite ways. The substantial and consistent decline in nontargeted fish species suggests that more research and management attention should be given to these often ignored species. These results suggest that the temperate reef fish community in the southeast USA is influenced by more than just fishing, perhaps including invasive species (e.g., lionfish Pterois volitans), decadal-scale environmental variability, or climate change.

Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 67:15-29 (2016) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01349 Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures Dagmar Budikova1,*, Leonardo Chechi2 1Department of Geography-Geology, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790-4400, USA 2Agronomy, Universidade federal da Fronteira Sul (Federal University of South Border), Erechim, RS 99700-000, Brazil *Corresponding author: dbudiko@ilstu.edu ABSTRACT: A growing amount of evidence points to a notable linkage between the changing Arctic cryosphere and weather in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. Recent studies propose a series of mechanisms that make plausible the connection between Arctic amplification/sea ice decline and extreme weather. Using composite analyses, this study examines associations between the frequency of occurrence of boreal summer daily extreme surface air temperatures across North America and simultaneous mean Arctic sea ice concentration (SIC) conditions during the period 1979-2013. Four distinct regions show coherent relationships including large sections of the eastern USA, Canada and the Canadian Arctic, central North America, southeast USA, and the west coast from southern Canada to Alaska. Across the eastern USA and Canada, as well as in western North America, the connections are principally shaped by low ice conditions with an expected decline in the incidence of cool nights/days and an increase in the incidence of warm nights/days. The ice-temperature relationships observed in the other regions are mostly shaped by high ice conditions. Synoptic analyses indicate the associations to be reflected in mean summer surface air temperature (SAT) and surface anomaly flows, as well as in the 500 and 200 hPa geopotential height flow and mean zonal wind anomaly patterns. Areas with the greatest atmospheric flow modifications have been generally associated with regions that display most notable extreme temperature frequency modifications. KEY WORDS: Arctic ice · Summer extreme temperature · North America Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Budikova D, Chechi L (2016) Arctic sea ice and warm season North American extreme surface air temperatures. Clim Res 67:15-29. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01349 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 67, No. 1. Online publication date: January 12, 2016 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2016 Inter-Research.

Yield potential of spring-harvested sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) depends on autumn planting time

Sugar crops grown for biofuel production provide a source of simple sugars that can readily be made into advanced biofuels. In the mild climate of the southeastern USA, sugar beet can be grown as a winter crop, providing growers with an alternative crop that is complementary to existing summer crops. Experiments evaluated autumn planting dates from September to December on the yield of five varieties of sugar beet harvested in the spring. A linear relationship existed between sugar beet canopy width and thermal time. Plant canopy diameter increased <50% between February and May for September-planted beets, while the November-planted beets increased 180–230% during this same interval. The earlier diversion of energies to root production in September-planted beets relative to November-planted beets was reflected in yield. Sugar beet yield increased with increasing thermal time (Tbase=3°C) and season length. The earliest planted beets in the autumn had the highest yields, with average yields ranging from 71 to 118tha−1 in the spring. The lowest harvested yields (42–69tha−1) were produced when beets were planted in late-December 2012 and mid-November 2013. Yields were variable, but equivalent to summer production in Midwest USA. There were no detectable differences in planting dates or among varieties for sugar content in the sugar beets, with Brix averaging 16.1%. One of the potential limitations of autumn-planted sugar beet production in the Southeast USA is the minimum winter temperatures; beets planted in late autumn were stressed with cold temperatures in the early winter. Additional research is needed to evaluate cold tolerance on the various stages of sugar beet growth.

Cancer and Employment Issues: Perspectives from Cancer Patient Navigators.

Among individuals diagnosed with cancer, 40% are working-age adults who will face numerous challenges in returning to work, yet oncology providers report limited guidance and uncoordinated communication processes in addressing patients' work-related issues. Cancer patient navigators are uniquely positioned to fill this care and communication gap due to their focus on both practical matters and clinical care. This cross-sectional study utilized survey methodology to collect quantitative and qualitative data from 58 cancer patient navigators to (1) identify patients' cancer and employment issues that commonly challenge navigators and (2) identify the necessary training navigators felt would allow them to more effectively help patients deal with cancer and employment issues. Participants from the southeast USA were invited to complete a paper survey while in attendance at a statewide cancer patient navigator conference or online via the state comprehensive cancer coalition's cancer patient navigator listserv. Results suggest financial burdens, work and treatment conflicts, taking unpaid leave for cancer care, and working through treatment were common concerns among their patients. Navigators also identified employment, legal, government programs, and financial resources as important training and education topics that would help them address their clients' employment and cancer conflicts. Given the fact that employment issues remain one of the most common unmet need of survivors and the increasing presence of navigators across the USA, it is important to address the role of navigators in meeting patients' needs regarding cancer and employment and ensure they are provide with adequate training and resources.

A sod-based cropping system for irrigation reductions

AbstractCotton and peanut grown under irrigation make up over 769,000 ha in the Southeast USA. The consumptive use of water for irrigation has significantly impacted groundwater resources, spring flows and streamflows in many parts of this region, particularly during severe droughts. This situation is further complicated with extreme weather events and climate variability. In this study, we compare yields and water use in a non-irrigated sod-based rotation system (SBR; bahiagrass–bahiagrass–peanut–cotton) to an irrigated conventional rotation system (ICR; peanut–cotton–cotton). Root mass of oat cover crop following peanut or cotton in a SBR and ICR system was also measured. A soil water assessment model (SWAT) was used to simulate irrigation water demands over a 34 yr period (1980–2013) under different soil types to quantify water saving potential of SBR. The average peanut yield in ICR from 2002 to 2013 was 4509 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 4874 kg ha−1. Likewise the average cotton yield in ICR during the same period was 1237 kg ha−1, while that in SBR was 1339 kg ha−1. Oats had greater root mass in SBR than ICR. Simulation results indicate that crops in SBR consistently had substantially lower irrigation requirements (between 11 and 22 cm yr−1) than those in ICR in dry years. The water-saving potential of SBR varies positively with increasing sand content in soil.

North Atlantic right whale occurrence near wind energy areas along the mid-Atlantic US coast: implications for management

The distribution and seasonal patterns of the North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis, inform management decisions that mitigate anthropogenic threats. Based on data from visual surveys, much of the population migrates between winter calving grounds in coastal waters adjacent to the southeast USA and summer feeding and nursery grounds adjacent to the northeast USA. However, little is known about right whale occurrence along the mid-Atlantic US migratory corridor. A better understanding of right whale occurrence in this region is needed prior to off- shore wind energy development activities, which may increase mortality risks and chronic impacts on the population. We conducted an 11 mo passive acoustic survey along coastal North Carolina and Georgia near several wind energy areas to document the acoustic occurrence of right whales in the southern region of the mid-Atlantic US coast. Right whales were acoustically detected across all seasons, with peak seasonal presence occurring during autumn in the Georgia site and during winter in the North Carolina site. A secondary peak in presence also occurred dur- ing June and July in the Georgia site, when right whales were not expected to be in the area. Given the nearly year-round presence of right whales in the survey areas, these results may war- rant an evaluation of current management protocols in order to provide adequate protection to the population in the face of offshore energy development activities.

Abstract A33: Pizza and pasta consumption levels in relation to lycopene and other antioxidant nutrients status among a low-income population in Southeast USA

Abstract Purpose: Lycopene is regarded as a promising antioxidant, potentially protective against chronic diseases such as certain cancers. Unlike other antioxidant nutrients, lycopene mostly comes from tomato based processed foods, rather than from fresh vegetables and fruits. Herein we examine whether foods rich in lycopene offer a full spectrum of antioxidant nutrients needed for chronic disease prevention. Methods: Serum levels of lycopene and other antioxidant nutrients were measured in a representative cross-sectional sample of low-income Blacks (n=189) and Whites (n=183) age 40-79 years participating in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS). Dietary intakes of lycopene, other nutrients, and individual foods were ascertained via a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Results: Pizza and pasta showed the strongest correlation with dietary lycopene (adjusted for age and total calories, R spearman = 0.54, P&amp;lt;0.0001), and were the only food sources significantly correlated with serum lycopene (adjusted for age and LDL-cholesterol, R spearman = 0.14, P=0.007). Across pizza and pasta consumption tertiles, estimated dietary lycopene intake increased from 4147±305 to 4983±287 to 8208±301 mcg (P&amp;lt;.0001) per day while serum lycopene concentrations were 27.8±1.3, 32.7±1.3 and 32.0±1.2 mcg (P=.01). There were no significant differences in key socio-demographic and lifestyle variables, except for slightly younger age in the highest tertile. Total caloric intake increased substantially with tertiles of consumption of pizza and pasta, rising from 1965±18 to 2294±114 to 3242±114 kcal (P&amp;lt;.0001). Adjusted for age and total calories, the consumption of protein, saturated fat, and trans fat were increased significantly at tertile 3 compared to tertile 1 and tertile 2 (e.g., saturated fat rose from 27.5±0.7 to 27.9±0.7 to 32.1±0.7 g, P&amp;lt;.0001), whereas fiber and sugar intake levels did not differ significantly across the tertiles. For micronutrients, the sodium and sodium to potassium ratio were much higher in tertile 3 than those in tertile 1 and tertile 2 (e.g., sodium tertile levels were 4179±90, 4095±85, 4635±89 mg, P&amp;lt;.0001). The majority of other antioxidant nutrients' intake levels, however, did not vary across tertiles, or even decreased significantly with higher intake of pizza and pasta (e.g., folate declined from 310.3±8.3 to 302.6±7.8 to 270.8±8.2 mcg, P=.003). Similarly, serum concentrations of other major antioxidants either did not change significantly or even decreased across tertiles of pizza and pasta (e.g., serum concentrations of carotene declined from 16.8±1.4 to 12.8±1.4 to 10.3±1.4 µg/dl, P=.0005). Conclusion: In the current study, pizza and pasta were shown to be the main contributors to dietary lycopene and predictive of serum lycopene levels. Pizza and pasta as consumed by the SCCS participants, however, may offer less antioxidation protection than expected based on their lycopene content alone, since such meals provide higher calories, more unhealthy fat and less overall antioxidants. Citation Format: Yuan Eva Zhou, Maciej S. Buchowski, David G. Schlundt, William J. Blot, Margaret K. Hargreaves. Pizza and pasta consumption levels in relation to lycopene and other antioxidant nutrients status among a low-income population in Southeast USA. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirteenth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2014 Sep 27-Oct 1; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2015;8(10 Suppl): Abstract nr A33.

Neogene echinoids from the Cayman Islands, West Indies: regional implications

The first fossil echinoids are recorded from the Cayman Islands. A regular echinoid, Arbacia? sp., the spatangoids Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus Wright and Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark), and the clypeasteroid Clypeaster sp. are from the Middle Miocene Cayman Formation. Test fragments of the mellitid clypeasteroid, Leodia sexiesperforata (Leske), are from the Late Pleistocene Ironshore Formation. Miocene echinoids are preserved as (mainly internal) moulds; hence, all species are left in open nomenclature because of uncertainties regarding test architecture. All Miocene taxa are recorded from single specimens apart from the 27 assigned to Brissus. Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark) is compared to a species from the Oligocene of the south-east USA. Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus is close in gross morphology to a taxon from the Miocene of Malta. Leodia sexiesperforata is identified from fragments with confidence, being the only extant Antillean sand dollar with elongate ambulacral petals that is limited to carbonate substrates. The Miocene echinoids of Grand Cayman, although of limited diversity, are mainly comprised of genera common in comparable mid-Cenozoic carbonate environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Transient stochastic downscaling of quantitative precipitation estimates for hydrological applications

Summary Rainfall fields are heavily thresholded and highly intermittent resulting in large areas of zero values. This deforms their stochastic spatial scale-invariant behavior, introducing scaling breaks and curvature in the spatial scale spectrum. To address this problem, spatial scaling analysis was performed inside continuous rainfall features (CRFs) delineated via cluster analysis. The results show that CRFs from single realizations of hourly rainfall display ubiquitous multifractal behavior that holds over a wide range of scales (from ≈1 km up to 100’s km). The results further show that the aggregate scaling behavior of rainfall fields is intrinsically transient with the scaling parameters explicitly dependent on the atmospheric environment. These findings provide a framework for robust stochastic downscaling, bridging the gap between spatial scales of observed and simulated rainfall fields and the high-resolution requirements of hydrometeorological and hydrological studies. Here, a fractal downscaling algorithm adapted to CRFs is presented and applied to generate stochastically downscaled hourly rainfall products from radar derived Stage IV (∼4 km grid resolution) quantitative precipitation estimates (QPE) over the Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx) domain in the southeast USA. The methodology can produce large ensembles of statistically robust high-resolution fields without additional data or any calibration requirements, conserving the coarse resolution information and generating coherent small-scale variability and field statistics, hence adding value to the original fields. Moreover, it is computationally inexpensive enabling fast production of high-resolution rainfall realizations with latency adequate for forecasting applications. When the transient nature of the scaling behavior is considered, the results show a better ability to reproduce the statistical structure of observed rainfall compared to using fixed scaling parameters derived from ensemble mean analysis. A 7-year data set of 50 hourly realizations of downscaled Stage IV rainfall fields at 1 km resolution for the IPHEx domain is publicly available from iphex.pratt.duke.edu . The value of the downscaled products is demonstrated through hydrological simulations of two distinct storm events in the Southern Appalachians, a winter storm that caused multiple landslides and a summer tropical event that caused flashfloods. The simulations are forced by the entire span of plausible fractally downscaled rainfall fields at two distinct resolutions (1 km and 250 m). The results show very good skill against the observed streamflow, especially with regard to the timing and peak discharge of the hydrograph, and the accuracy is enhanced by increasing the target downscaling resolution from 1 km to 250 m. Probabilistic simulations of both events capture the observed behavior indicating that the proposed CRF-based stochastic fractal interpolation provides a generalized framework for producing fast and reliable probabilistic forecasts and their associated uncertainty for extreme events and risk management of hydrometeorological hazards, as well as long-term hydrologic modeling.

Optimal ensemble size of ensemble Kalman filter in sequential soil moisture data assimilation

AbstractThe ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) has been extensively applied in sequential soil moisture data assimilation to improve the land surface model performance and in turn weather forecast capability. Usually, the ensemble size of EnKF is determined with limited sensitivity experiments. Thus, the optimal ensemble size may have never been reached. In this work, based on a series of mathematical derivations, we demonstrate that the maximum efficiency of the EnKF for assimilating observations into the models could be reached when the ensemble size is set to 12. Simulation experiments are designed in this study under ensemble size cases 2, 5, 12, 30, 50, 100, and 300 to support the mathematical derivations. All the simulations are conducted from 1 June to 30 September 2012 over southeast USA (from −90°W, 30°N to −80°W, 40°N) at 25 km resolution. We found that the simulations are perfectly consistent with the mathematical derivation. This optical ensemble size may have theoretical implications on the implementation of EnKF in other sequential data assimilation problems.

Characterization of pollution transport into Texas using OMI and TES satellite, GIS and in situ data, and HYSPLIT back trajectory analyses: implications for TCEQ State Implementation Plans

Transport of pollution from remote sources into the state of Texas has been shown by modeling techniques, satellite, and in situ data. Attaining a better understanding of the impact (i.e., temporally) of remote pollution sources will provide a more robust/quantifiable basis for State Implementation Plans (SIPs) that govern air quality. Utilizing Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and in situ data for ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory Model (HYSPLIT), we assess whether high-pollution events in Texas are primarily sourced locally (i.e., within Texas) or remotely. We focus on TES and OMI dates that exemplify high O3 and NO2, over Texas’s lower troposphere from August 5, 2006, to June 21, 2009. For all dates and altitudes, 4-day back trajectory analyses, exemplified by high TES O3, show that remotely sourced from the Gulf of Mexico, Southeast USA, Midwest USA, Northeast USA, the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Mexico to Texas. The only exception is air at 1 km on July 22, 2006, which shows that air at this altitude is sourced within Texas. Throughout half of the eastern portion of Texas, TES shows O3 enhancements in the boundary layer and OMI shows O3 and NO2 enhancements via tropospheric column profiles (O3 between 75 and 90 ppbv; NO2 ≥5.5 molecules cm−2). These enhancements complement the HYSPLIT 4-day trajectory analyses, which gives further indication that they are influenced by transport from remote sources. Dates with co-located satellite and in situ data (e.g., August 2, 2005) further exemplify the need to consider satellite and in situ data and modeling data/forecasts when creating SIPs for compliance with Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality air quality standards. Despite the fact that quantifying local versus remote sources is in its early stages, Texas has become increasingly compliant with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations. Environmental Systems Research Institute’s ArcGIS exemplifies the noticeable decrease in the number of days that locales in Texas exceed EPA’s limit for O3. From 2005 to 2009, population standard deviation and standard error of the mean, and true sample deviation of the sample mean for O3 and NO2, at all 16 monitoring sites distributed throughout Texas, are temporally consistent and small—reinforcing the reliability of in situ data as they are consistent throughout. This investigation has global implications for regions within countries that enforce air quality mandates. Such governing bodies should consider utilizing data assimilation (of in situ data) for air quality prediction as a part of the governmental process that produces such laws. This could potentially keep regions more accountable for emissions both locally and far from high source points.

Shopping environment preferences of Hispanic consumers in the U.S.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and begin to validate a scale to assess the shopping environment preferences of Hispanic consumers in the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The sample consists of 160 Hispanic consumers attending a Hispanic festival in the southeast USA. A questionnaire contained items to measure shopping environment preferences and scales to measure materialism, hedonic shopping motivations, and perceived discrimination. Findings – The findings suggest a second-order model where three factors (familiarity, price, and experience) load onto a single second-order construct of shopping environment preferences. The result is a scale consisting of three factors permitting the exploration of the retail environmental preferences of Hispanic consumers in the USA. Practical implications – The study develops a scale that can be applied by US retailers to gain additional knowledge of their Hispanic consumers, thus enabling strategies to be developed that potentially enhance their engagement in retail environments. Originality/value – Given the size of this segment and its increasing impact on the retail market, surprisingly, Hispanic consumers in the USA have received relatively little research attention.

Does decadal climate variation influence wheat and maize production in the southeast USA?

Linking decadal variability with short-term variability could be potentially exploited for improving seasonal climate forecasting for assisting crop management decisions. The objective of this study was to explore whether there are decadal variations in wheat (winter crop) and maize (summer crop) production and whether these decadal variations correlate with any known variations of climate. Over one hundred years of wheat and maize yields were simulated using process-based crop models with dynamically downscaled daily reanalysis data over four locations in the southeast USA. Using wavelet and cross-wavelet analysis, we found that winter crop yields were dominated by 10- and 22-year decadal oscillations; the decadal variations of winter crop yields were driven by decadal variations of winter temperature and spring precipitation; no decadal variations were detected for summer crop yields and summer precipitation and temperature. Cross-wavelet analysis showed that the decadal variations of winter crop yields were correlated with indices of the annual Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation (AMO), the annual Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the winter North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Therefore, this knowledge of decadal climate variability could potentially be leveraged to predict winter seasonal yields of crops.

Irrigation and cultivar effect on flax fiber and seed yield in the Southeast USA

Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) is a potential winter crop for the Southeast USA that can be grown for both seed and fiber. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of irrigation on flax straw, fiber, and seed yield of fiber-type and seed-type cultivars at different flax growth stages. The study was conducted during the winter growing seasons of 2010/2011, 2011/2012, and 2012/2013 near Florence, SC. Four fiber-type cultivars and one seed-type cultivar were grown with and without irrigation for two years. The four fiber-types were evaluated for straw and fiber yield in the third year. Soil water was monitored to trigger irrigations. Irrigation was applied before all four harvests in 2010/2011, before only the last harvest in 2011/2012, and was not applied in 2012/2013. Straw harvests were made at the onset of flowering, 10 days past the onset of flowering, 20 days past the onset of flowering, and when seeds were mature. Seed harvests were made at the end of the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 growing seasons. In 2010/2011, plots had to be replanted in February so crop development was delayed. Irrigation increased straw yield at the last three harvests in that year. In the other two years, when planting occurred at normal times in the fall, irrigation did not influence straw or fiber yield. Irrigation had no significant effect on seed yield. The fiber-type cultivars did not differ for straw or fiber yield. At the onset of flowering harvest, the seed-type cultivar had similar fiber content to the fiber-type cultivars. The fiber-type cultivars had higher fiber content in later harvests. The results support previous research in that fiber-type cultivars appear viable for production as fiber winter crops in the region. The results also suggest that high straw yielding seed-type cultivars could be used, especially in systems with early straw harvests.

Nutrient Effects on Belowground Organic Matter in a Minerogenic Salt Marsh, North Inlet, SC

Soil organic matter, roots, rhizomes, and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission rates were examined in minerogenic marshes of the North Inlet Estuary, a system dominated by sediment depositional processes and typical of the Southeast USA. Three marsh sites were sampled: a long-term nutrient enrichment experiment at Goat Island; the high marsh, low marsh, and creekbank of Crab Haul Creek, a fringing marsh that only receives drainage from a forested watershed; and three creekbank locations in Debidue Creek, which receives drainage from a residential and golf course development situated at its headwaters. Goat Island responses to 12 years of nutrient fertilization were an increase in soil organic matter (OM), an increase in number of rhizomes, enlarged rhizome diameters, and increased CO2 emission rates. At soil depths of 10–20 cm, all Debidue creekbank locations had significantly more rhizomes than the reference Crab Haul creekbank. The rhizome diameters at the mid and upper Debidue creekbank locations were significantly larger than the Debidue mouth and reference Crab Haul creekbank. The upper Debidue and the Crab Haul creekbanks had similar soil percent OM, which was significantly greater than the mid Debidue, which was greater than the Debidue mouth. CO2 emission rates at the fertilized Goat Island plots were similar in magnitude to the upper Debidue and significantly greater than the Goat Island control plots and the reference Crab Haul Creek. Inputs of sediment in marshes dominated by depositional processes may buffer the system from adverse effects of nutrient exposure, while increases in soil OM and rhizomes in response to nutrients may contribute to peat formation.

Evaluating changes in stream fish species richness over a 50-year time-period within a landscape context

Worldwide, streams and rivers are facing a suite of pressures that alter water quality and degrade physical habitat, both of which can lead to changes in the composition and richness of fish populations. These potential changes are of particular importance in the Southeast USA, home to one of the richest stream fish assemblages in North America. Using data from 83 stream sites in North Carolina sampled in the 1960’s and the past decade, we used hierarchical Bayesian models to evaluate relationships between species richness and catchment land use and land cover (e.g., agriculture and forest cover). In addition, we examined how the rate of change in species richness over 50 years was related to catchment land use and land cover. We found a negative and positive correlation between forest land cover and agricultural land use and average species richness, respectively. After controlling for introduced species, most (66 %) stream sites showed an increase in native fish species richness, and the magnitude of the rate of increase was positively correlated to the amount of forested land cover in the catchment. Site-specific trends in species richness were not positive, on average, until the percentage forest cover in the network catchment exceeded about 55 %. These results suggest that streams with catchments that have moderate to high (>55 %) levels of forested land in upstream network catchments may be better able to increase the number of native species at a faster rate compared to less-forested catchments.

Using narrative inquiry to understand persistently disciplined middle school students

Educators’ persistent disciplining of a small group of students positions them as “frequent flyers.” This identity prevents educators from developing an understanding that could enable them to reengage these students. Using the methodology of interpretive biography positioned within narrative inquiry and using a Gestalt-based analysis, this study presents the case narratives of three persistently disciplined students from one urban middle school in the southeast USA. Examining the central tensions of each case led to a richer and more comprehensive narrative of each student, reflecting his or her complex motivations and desires. Viewing students as the whole people reflected in these narratives rather than through the deficit-oriented lens that labels students as frequent flyers can shift educators’ practices to better support the learning of all students.