Southern Michigan Research Articles

The LTAR Cropland Common Experiment at the Kellogg Biological Station.

The Kellogg Biological Station Long-term Agroecosystem Research site (KBS LTAR) joined the national LTAR Network in 2015 to represent a northeast portion of the North Central Region, extending across 76,000 km2 of southern Michigan and northern Indiana. Regional cropping systems are dominated by corn (Zea mays)-soybean (Glycine max) rotations managed with conventional tillage, industry-average rates of fertilizer and pesticide inputs uniformly applied, few cover crops, and little animal integration. In 2020, KBS LTAR initiated the Aspirational Cropping System Experiment as part of the LTAR Common Experiment, a co-production model wherein stakeholders and researchers collaborate to advance transformative change in agriculture. The Aspirational (ASP) cropping system treatment, designed by a team of agronomists, farmers, scientists, and other stakeholders, is a five-crop rotation of corn, soybean, winter wheat (Triticum aestivum), winter canola (Brassicus napus), and a diverse forage mix. All phases are managed with continuous no-till, variable rate fertilizer inputs, and integrated pest management to provide benefits related to economic returns, water quality, greenhouse gas mitigation, soil health, biodiversity, and social well-being. Cover crops follow corn and winter wheat, with fall-planted crops in the rotation providing winter cover in other years. The experiment is replicated with all rotation phases at both the plot and field scales and with perennial prairie strips in consistently low-producing areas of ASP fields. The prevailing practice (or Business as usual [BAU]) treatment mirrors regional prevailing practices as revealed by farmer surveys. Stakeholders and researchers evaluate the success of the ASP and BAU systems annually and implement management changes on a 5-year cycle.

Finding the beat: A partnership to address the relationship between a music program and health among youth who have experienced trauma.

Expertise on treating trauma and traumatic stress sequelae has been siloed in the mental health professions, although somatic psychotherapies and adjuncts to treatment are gaining attention. Alternative and accessible interventions are needed, especially for youth who have experienced trauma. Lost Voices is a community-based group providing trauma-informed music therapy to youth who have experienced trauma in southern Michigan. The purpose of this program evaluation was to use a community-based participatory research approach to create a thoughtful partnership between an academic partner and a nonprofit organization in order to evaluate the outcomes of a music therapy intervention currently being delivered by professional musicians to youth who have experienced trauma. This program evaluation used semistructured interviews with 19 key stakeholders (e.g., youth participants, facility staff, musicians) from two residential youth programs in southern Michigan. A total of four themes were identified from the interviews, including (a) processing emotion, (b) building trust, (c) self-expression, and (d) future orientation. Subthemes included individual story and coping within the theme processing emotion, a focus on outside role models and peer connection within the theme building trust, the fun aspect of the intervention and confidence as part of the theme self-expression, and future orientation encompassed the motivation that youth participants gained as well as forward thinking. This program evaluation provides data to help build the evidence for alternative mental health treatments that specifically reach those impacted by a lack of access and availability of treatments due to social determinants of health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A century of wild bee sampling: historical data and neural network analysis reveal ecological traits associated with species loss.

We analysed the wild bee community sampled from 1921 to 2018 at a nature preserve in southern Michigan, USA, to study long-term community shifts in a protected area. During an intensive survey in 1972 and 1973, Francis C. Evans detected 135 bee species. In the most recent intensive surveys conducted in 2017 and 2018, we recorded 90 species. Only 58 species were recorded in both sampling periods, indicating a significant shift in the bee community. We found that the bee community diversity, species richness and evenness were all lower in recent samples. Additionally, 64% of the more common species exhibited a more than 30% decline in relative abundance. Neural network analysis of species traits revealed that extirpation from the reserve was most likely for oligolectic ground-nesting bees and kleptoparasitic bees, whereas polylectic cavity-nesting bees were more likely to persist. Having longer phenological ranges also increased the chance of persistence in polylectic species. Further analysis suggests a climate response as bees in the contemporary sampling period had a more southerly overall distribution compared to the historic community. Results exhibit the utility of both long-term data and machine learning in disentangling complex indicators of bee population trajectories.

The Emotional Impact of Sensitive Topics: An Autoethnographic Account of an Ovarian Cancer Research

Growing evidence suggests that qualitative research about sensitive topics is emotional work with varied unanticipated risks for researchers. This autoethnographic essay adds to the extant literature by discussing the complexities added when the research topic is sensitive, and the researcher has not personally experienced the topic under study. I reflect on and analyze epiphanies in my research with 28 ovarian cancer survivors in northwest Ohio and southern Michigan in the United States, including how I processed the death of some participants. I suggest that practicing active listening, reflexivity, and flexibility can help manage limitations of a research project of this nature; however, these strategies can complicate the emotional vulnerability of the researcher and further limit the research. Implications of the study include a need for researchers seeking to study ovarian cancer or other sensitive topics to proactively incorporate flexibility and reflexivity into every phase of the research process and avoid making decisions for participants. Additionally, this research suggests to healthcare practitioners to understand the varied influences on the ovarian cancer experience, including guilty feelings and fear of death or disease recurrence, and acknowledge these during counseling sessions and at follow-up visits to help validate women’s experiences and open avenues for support.

Assessing habitat connectivity of rare species to inform urban conservation planning.

Urbanization is commonly associated with biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. However, urban environments often have greenspaces that can support wildlife populations, including rare species. The challenge for conservation planners working in these systems is identifying priority habitats and corridors for protection before they are lost. In a rapidly changing urban environment, this requires prompt decisions informed by accurate spatial information. Here, we combine several approaches to map habitat and assess connectivity for a diverse set of rare species in seven urban study areas across southern Michigan, USA. We incorporated multiple connectivity tools for a comprehensive appraisal of species-habitat patterns across these urban landscapes. We observed distinct differences in connectivity by taxonomic group and site. The three turtle species (Blanding's, Eastern Box, and Spotted) consistently had more habitat predicted to be suitable per site than other evaluated species. This is promising for this at-risk taxonomic group and allows conservation efforts to focus on mitigating threats such as road mortality. Grassland and prairie-associated species (American Bumble Bee, Black and Gold Bumble Bee, and Henslow's Sparrow) had the least amount of habitat on a site-by-site basis. Kalamazoo and the northern Detroit sites had the highest levels of multi-species connectivity across the entire study area based on the least cost paths. These connectivity results have direct applications in urban planning. Kalamazoo, one of the focal urban regions, has implemented a Natural Features Protection (NFP) plan to bolster natural area protections within the city. We compared our connectivity results to the NFP area and show where this plan will have an immediate positive impact and additional areas for potential consideration in future expansions of the protection network. Our results show that conservation opportunities exist within each of the assessed urban areas for maintaining rare species, a key benefit of this multi-species and multi-site approach.

Could hybridization increase the establishment success of the biological control agent Aphalara itadori (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae) against invasive knotweeds?

Intraspecific hybridization between distinct populations could increase the fitness and adaptive potential of biological control agents that often have low genetic diversity and can be inbred due to long-term laboratory rearing often at small population sizes. Hybridization can also alter host preference and performance when the parental insect populations are adapted to different host plants. We investigated the effects of hybridization between two populations (Northern and Southern) of the psyllid, Aphalara itadori, that have different fitness on three invasive knotweed species (Japanese, giant, and Bohemian). Fecundity, host choice, and developmental success of second-generation reciprocal hybrids and the parental psyllid populations were compared on the three knotweed species in multiple-choice tests. Hybridization did not increase fecundity. All three knotweed species were accepted for oviposition without preference by the Southern and the two hybrid psyllid populations. The northern psyllid population laid the most eggs on Bohemian knotweeds but those were maladaptive choices since almost all eggs failed to develop. The developmental success of the parental psyllid populations was highest on the knotweed species they were originally collected from, on Japanese knotweed of the Southern psyllids and giant knotweed of the Northern psyllids. Hybrids had intermediate or higher survival on given knotweed hosts compared to their parents. These results can inform release tactics of A. itadori in different regions especially where there appear to be climatic and/or host mismatches such as in Michigan. In southern Michigan, based on climate the Northern psyllid population should be released. However, the most common knotweed species in the region are Bohemian and Japanese knotweeds that do not support the development of the Northern psyllids. In this case, hybrids that may carry cold adaptations of the Northern psyllids but have better developmental success on the prevailing knotweed species may be considered for release to increase establishment success.

Local site conditions, not landscape context, influence restored plant communities within urban contexts

Restoration outcomes are variable, which impairs our ability to plan projects, meet goals, and predict restoration outcomes. Understanding the drivers of this variation is an important research need, especially within urban ecosystems, which support altered abiotic and biotic conditions and face higher rates of loss and degradation than non‐urban areas. Despite the importance of urban areas for restoration, research and practice have largely focused on non‐urban areas. It is unclear if we can extend current knowledge from restoration ecology to urban systems. Here, we surveyed 30 urban prairie restoration plantings across southern Michigan. We collected plant community and site condition data (e.g. soil attributes) and we quantified landscape context as the percentage of urban land surrounding each site. Variation in plant community composition among restorations was related primarily to site‐level factors, such as soil compaction, texture, and water‐holding capacity, rather than landscape context. Non‐prairie species were structured primarily by the local site conditions. There was an increase in non‐prairie richness for sites that experienced warmer local climate conditions, while there was a decrease in non‐prairie richness for sites where soils were less compacted, sandier, and had elevated water‐holding capacity. Prairie species richness responded oppositely. Overall, our study revealed specific factors structuring restoration outcomes in urban contexts and illustrated the importance of local site conditions, not surrounding landscape context, for shaping plant community composition. Restoration practices developed in non‐urban areas should be extended to urban contexts to better understand the impact of local site conditions on plant community development.

Chemically Enabled CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery in Multi-Porosity, Hydrothermally Altered Carbonates in the Southern Michigan Basin

Chemically Enabled CO2-Enhanced Oil Recovery in Multi-Porosity, Hydrothermally Altered Carbonates in the Southern Michigan Basin

Field releases of the exotic parasitoid Trissolcus japonicus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) and survey of native parasitoids attacking Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in Michigan.

An adventive population of the exotic parasitoid wasp, Trissolcus japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), discovered in Michigan in 2018, is a promising biological control agent of the invasive Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae). Following its discovery, field releases of Tr. japonicus were conducted over 2 yr in southern Michigan, to test how release size or release frequency impacts establishment. Sentinel eggs of H. halys and of the native Podisus maculiventris (Say) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) were used alongside yellow sticky cards to monitor parasitoids. In 2019 and 2020, 7,200 Tr. japonicus were released at 16 sites. Monitoring between 2019 and 2021 yielded only 49 individuals. The captures suggest reproductive activity and overwintering success in the field but do not allow for evaluation of best release methods. Parasitism by native parasitoids was below 7%, which is similar to other states and unlikely to provide sufficient control of H. halys. The placement of sentinel eggs or sticky traps either in the lower or middle canopy of trees did not influence parasitoid capture rates. Frozen and fresh H. halys sentinel eggs were attacked at the same rate, but more native parasitoids emerged from frozen eggs. We did not find signs of nontarget effects on P. maculiventris thus parasitism rates overall were very low. These results could indicate dispersal of Tr. japonicus from the release sites or slow population growth. The latter may be due to the relatively low densities of H. halys in Michigan or may stem from the small founding size of our laboratory colony.

Revisiting the timing of Saginaw lobe ice retreat and implications for drainage adjustments across southern Michigan, USA

Understanding the behavior of paleo-ice sheets in response to past climate change and land surface processes can provide insights into the interplay between the atmosphere, ocean surface, and the cryosphere, which helps update current climate models and understand landscape evolution. The timing of the advancement and retreat of ice lobes along Quaternary ice sheet margins and their link to ocean surface temperature fluctuation are of particular interest. The Saginaw lobe along the southern margin of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) was bound by the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes. It flowed out of Saginaw Bay, across Lower Michigan, and into northern Indiana. All three of these lobes retreated across the region asynchronously, with the Saginaw lobe retreating first. The asynchronous behavior of the lobes allowed the Lake Michigan and Huron-Erie lobes to overprint and alter landscapes once occupied by Saginaw lobe ice.Lacustrine sediments within the Sturgis Moraine, deposited during the Saginaw lobe retreat in extreme southwestern Michigan, yielded optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of 30.1 ± 1.8, 28.7 ± 1.5 and 25.2 ± 1.9 ka. An additional radiocarbon date (22.22 ± 0.8 cal ka) was measured from bryophytes sampled near the base of an ice-walled lake plain atop the moraine. These dates indicate that deglaciation of the Saginaw lobe could have been underway in southwestern Michigan between ∼ 30 and 22 ka, while ice margins of the Huron-Erie and Lake Michigan lobes were further south in Indiana and Illinois. The new dates indicate that southwestern Michigan may have witnessed ice-free conditions four thousand years earlier than previously thought. Moreover, the paleo-hydrological analyses of southwestern Michigan using detailed surficial geology mapping, Lidar-based longitudinal and terrace profiles along meltwater channels, and OSL data indicate that meltwater originating from the Saginaw—Huron-Erie interlobate area drained westward across the Saginaw lobe terrain between ∼ 18.0 to 14.6 Ka ago. The findings call for revisiting the current understanding of the timing and behavior of the southern margins of the LIS and the Holocene landscape evolution in Michigan.

The ‘Coal Measures’ of Grand Ledge, Michigan, USA

Abstract The best-exposed natural bedrock outcrops in Michigan's southern peninsula are Upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) sandstone ledges underlain by silts, clays, and coals in classic midcontinent ‘cyclothem’ stratigraphy, exposed along the Grand River in the city of Grand Ledge. Native Americans used the underclay in pottery; later commercial mining was the basis for clay-products factories. In the 1800s, the ledges provided a picturesque setting for a resort economy. Among the beneficiaries of repurposed quarries (now parks) are generations of Michigan geoscience students. A trip to Grand Ledge is often the first geology field experience for many students and plays an important role in the professional development of practising geoscientists and geoscience educators in Michigan. After an announcement of plans to expand the city's water treatment plant, adjacent to the cyclothem exposure, geologists from academia, government, and industry united to support preservation of the outcrops. City officials, previously unaware of the geoheritage value of the rocks exposed in their parks, are willing to work with geoscientists to preserve the site. This experience underscored the importance of documenting the geoheritage of the Grand Ledge area and establishing relationships with those who have oversight of these ‘greatest outcrops’ to ensure their preservation for future generations.

Factors affecting yellow pan trap captures of the emerald ash borer biocontrol agents Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) and Spathius galinae Belokobylskij & Strazanac (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): Implications for monitoring establishment and seasonal abundance

Yellow pan traps are frequently used to monitor establishment of hymenopteran parasitoids introduced for biological control of the invasive ash pest, emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). To evaluate and improve their efficacy as a monitoring tool, we conducted field studies during 2016–2019 in southern Michigan where the introduced hymenopteran larval parasitoids, Tetrastichus planipennisi Yang (Eulophidae) and Spathius galinae (Braconidae) Belokobylskij & Strazanac are established. Our objectives were to describe parasitoid seasonal abundance, identify host tree variables that might influence parasitoid capture numbers (i.e., number of adults captured) and capture rates (i.e., number of positive traps per collecting period), and compare parasitoid trap captures to parasitized EAB larval densities. Yellow pan trap capture numbers and rates of both species were low for most study sites and years. Captures of both parasitoid species occurred throughout the growing season and neither showed a consistent trend in seasonal abundance. Emerald ash borer infested trees with suppressed or intermediate crown classes had higher T. planipennisi capture numbers and rates than dominant or codominant crown classes. During some years, T. planipennisi capture rates increased with decreasing tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and T. planipennisi capture numbers increased with increasing numbers of epicormics sprouts on host trees. Spathius galinae captures had no significant relationship with host tree variables but low overall capture numbers, due to its more recent introduction, may have prevented detection of any relationships. Tetrastichus planipennisi adult capture numbers were positively related to previous year’s densities of T. planipennisi parasitized larvae dissected from trees. Spathius galinae capture numbers were not correlated with parasitized EAB larval densities. We discuss the relevance of our findings to improve yellow pan trap efficacy for monitoring introduced EAB larval parasitoids.

Maternal SARS-COV-2 infection and prematurity: the Southern Michigan COVID-19 collaborative

Objective COVID-19 has been reported to increase the risk of prematurity, however, due to the frequent absence of unaffected controls as well as inadequate accounting for confounders in many studies, the question requires further investigation. We sought to determine the impact of COVID-19 disease on preterm birth (PTB) overall, as well as related subcategories such as early prematurity, spontaneous, medically indicated preterm birth, and preterm labor (PTL). We assessed the impact of confounders such as COVID-19 risk factors, a-priori risk factors for PTB, symptomatology, and disease severity on rates of prematurity. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of pregnant women from March 2020 till October 1st, 2020. The study included patients from 14 obstetric centers in Michigan, USA. Cases were defined as women diagnosed with COVID-19 at any point during their pregnancy. Cases were matched with uninfected women who delivered in the same unit, within 30 d of the delivery of the index case. Outcomes of interest were frequencies of prematurity overall and subcategories of preterm birth (early, spontaneous/medically indicated, preterm labor, and premature preterm rupture of membranes) in cases compared to controls. The impact of modifiers of these outcomes was documented with extensive control for potential confounders. A p value <.05 was used to infer significance. Results The rate of prematurity was 8.9% in controls, 9.4% in asymptomatic cases, 26.5% in symptomatic COVID-19 cases, and 58.8% among cases admitted to the ICU. Gestational age at delivery was noted to decrease with disease severity. Cases were at an increased risk of prematurity overall [adjusted relative risk (aRR) = 1.62 (1.2–2.18)] and of early prematurity (<34 weeks) [aRR = 1.8 (1.02–3.16)] when compared to controls. Medically indicated prematurity related to preeclampsia [aRR = 2.46 (1.47–4.12)] or other indications [aRR = 2.32 (1.12–4.79)], were the primary drivers of overall prematurity risk. Symptomatic cases were at an increased risk of preterm labor [aRR = 1.74 (1.04–2.8)] and spontaneous preterm birth due to premature preterm rupture of membranes [aRR = 2.2(1.05–4.55)] when compared to controls and asymptomatic cases combined. The gestational age at delivery followed a dose-response relation with disease severity, as more severe cases tended to deliver earlier (Wilcoxon p < .05). Conclusions COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for preterm birth. The increased preterm birth rate in COVID-19 was primarily driven by medically indicated delivery, with preeclampsia as the principal risk factor. Symptomatic status and disease severity were significant drivers of preterm birth.

Model-based assessment and mapping of total phosphorus enrichment in rivers with sparse reference data

Water nutrient management efforts are frequently coordinated across thousands of water bodies, leading to a need for spatially extensive information to facilitate decision making. Here we explore potential applications of a machine learning model of river low-flow total phosphorus (TP) concentrations to support landscape nutrient management. The model was trained, validated, and then applied for all rivers of Michigan, USA to identify potential drivers of nutrient variation, predict alteration in nutrient concentrations from minimally disturbed conditions, and explore reach-specific sensitivity to riparian agricultural change. A boosted regression tree model of low-flow TP concentrations trained on natural and anthropogenic landscape predictors accounted for 53 % of variation in cross-validation data, had good accuracy, little bias, and plausible relationships between predictors and response. Percent riparian agricultural cover accounted for the greatest root mean square error reduction in the modeled response (33.2 %), followed by riparian soil permeability (12.9 %), watershed slope (9.6 %), and percent urban cover (9.6 %). An apparent non-linear relationship between TP concentrations and percent riparian agricultural cover suggested steep positive increases in stream TP concentrations between 10 and 30 % upstream riparian agricultural cover. Predicted minimally disturbed TP concentrations were spatially variable and ranged from 7.0 to 48.5 μg/L, with the highest concentrations in watersheds draining low-permeability lake plain soils. Comparison of minimally disturbed predictions to those from the early 2000s suggested that much of northern Michigan existed close to the reference condition, while southern Michigan streams were often substantially enriched. Our predicted values of minimally disturbed condition generally agreed with previous studies but offer greater geographic specificity. Expanded application of machine learning modeling with landscape predictor data have great potential to inform stream nutrient strategy development in settings with sparse reference data.

A novel schistosome species hosted by Planorbella (Helisoma) trivolvis is the most widespread swimmer's itch-causing parasite in Michigan inland lakes.

Cercarial dermatitis (‘swimmer's itch’; SI), characterized by small itchy bumps caused by schistosome parasites of birds and mammals, is a common problem in Michigan. Research on avian schistosomes began nearly 100 years ago in Michigan inland lakes, yet scientists are still uncovering basic biological information including the identification of local snail and parasite species that cause SI. Previous research primarily focused on lakes in the northern half of Michigan's lower peninsula, although SI occurs throughout the state. We surveyed snails and snail-borne trematodes in lakes across Michigan's lower peninsula and used quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of filtered water samples to identify parasites to the species level, including a recently discovered parasite species that uses the snail Planorbella (Helisoma) trivolvis as its intermediate host. Most SI mitigation efforts have focused on a parasite species hosted by the snail Lymnaea catescopium ( = Stagnicola emarginata); however, lymnaeid snails and their associated schistosome species were largely restricted to northern lakes. In contrast, P. trivolvis and its associated parasite species were common in both northern and southern Michigan lakes. A third schistosome species associated with physid snails was also present at low levels in both northern and southern lakes. These results indicate that the recently discovered parasite species and its planorbid snail intermediate host may be more important drivers of Michigan SI than previously thought, possibly due to increased definitive host abundance in recent decades. These results have potentially important implications for SI mitigation and control efforts.

Projected stream fish community risk to climate impacts in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States

Climate change is expected to alter stream fish habitat potentially leading to changes in the composition and distribution of fish communities. In the Northeastern and Midwestern United States we identified the distribution and characteristics of those fish communities most and least at risk of experiencing changes in climate which deviate from the climate they are associated with. We classified stream fish communities based on a suite of climate and environmental variables with multivariate regression trees under both recent and future conditions based on eight climate models. Our findings showed that some areas, such as the majority of the Illinois, Wisconsin, and Iowa), have high levels of risk of change in stream class, while much of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, Southern Michigan, and the Atlantic Coast are at relatively low risk. Stream class shifts ranged from over 75% of segments lost (associated with cooler temperatures) to gains of over 40% (associated with warmer temperatures). Common warmwater species such as green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus), bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) are expected to have the largest net gains in associated stream classes, while species associated with cooler streams such as Southern redbelly dace (Chrosomus erythrogaster), slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), and Eastern blacknose dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) were expected to experience the largest proportional losses. By pairing our climate risk predictions with other stressors such anthropogenic land use, habitat fragmentation, and water quality impairment, we identified opportunities for preservation (low risk due to all threats), restoration (low risk due to climate, high risk due to other stressors), and adaptation (high climate risk with low risk from other stressors). Understanding which communities are at risk due to climate change will aid in developing adaptation strategies to help sustain them in the future.

A roadmap for ladybird conservation and recovery.

Ladybirds (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) provide services that are critical to food production, and they fulfill an ecological role as a food source for predators. The richness, abundance, and distribution of ladybirds, however, are compromised by many anthropogenic threats. Meanwhile, a lack of knowledge of the conservation status of most species and the factors driving their population dynamics hinders the development and implementation of conservation strategies for ladybirds. We conducted a review of the literature on the ecology, diversity, and conservation of ladybirds to identify their key ecological threats. Ladybird populations are most affected by climate factors, landscape composition, and biological invasions. We suggest mitigating actions for ladybird conservation and recovery. Short-term actions include citizen science programs and education, protective measures for habitat recovery and threatened species, prevention of the introduction of non-native species, and the maintenance and restoration of natural areas and landscape heterogeneity. Mid-term actions involve the analysis of data from monitoring programs and insect collections to disentangle the effect of different threats to ladybird populations, understand habitat use by taxa on which there is limited knowledge, and quantify temporal trends of abundance, diversity, and biomass along a management-intensity gradient. Long-term actions include the development of a worldwide monitoring program based on standardized sampling to fill data gaps, increase explanatory power, streamline analyses, and facilitate global collaborations.

Why Michigan? Why 1847? Four Slave Rescues

Why Michigan? Why 1847? Four Slave Rescues Déanda Johnson (bio) In 1847, Michigan was site of four incidents—the Crosswhite Affair, the Robert Cromwell Rescue, successful resistance to the Kentucky Raid in Cass County, and the failed plot to kidnap John Felix White—in which Southern slave owners and their emissaries came into the state and attempted to retrieve freedom seekers who had escaped on the Underground Railroad years before. During each of these attempts, the slave catchers were met by local residents who joined the efforts of the freedom seekers to fight their return to enslavement. These confrontations were not the first or the last of their kind but were representative of a growing “fugitive slave crisis.” Despite its complicated history with race and slavery, by 1847 Michigan was a well-established stop on the Underground Railroad. Largely owing to its geographic position, Michigan developed into an important destination for freedom seekers. Prohibitions against slavery within its boundaries dating back to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set it on the path to becoming a free state; there were no slaves in Michigan by the time of statehood in 1837. This fact was reinforced by the interracial antislavery activism of some of its residents who willingly assisted self-emancipators traveling through the area or, as in all the incidents explored in this issue, chose initially to remain. In large part, the willingness of many Michigan residents to protect freedom seekers emerged from settlement patterns in the state. The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 sparked a rapid migration of settlers into the southern counties of Michigan. In the beginning, this movement was dominated by migrants from New England and upstate New York. So many came that, for a time, Michigan became known as “the third New England.” This broader wave of settlement was soon supplemented by the arrival of Quakers from the South and other parts of the Northwest Territory. Smaller numbers of free [End Page 1] Blacks and freedom seekers also migrated. All these groups were inclined to oppose slavery.1 New Englanders, Quakers, and Blacks stood “in the forefront of abolitionism” as it developed across Michigan. By 1838, they had helped to create twenty antislavery societies in the state, including a statewide organization: the Michigan State Anti-Slavery Society. In the 1840s, these groups sponsored antislavery lecture tours, promoting abolitionism among ordinary citizens. A major example came when Black abolitionist Henry Bibb, himself a freedom seeker, moved audiences across southern Michigan from 1845 to 1846. By 1847, abolitionism in Michigan was reaching a mature stage. The Liberty Party, a political organization with a radical emancipationist platform by this time, had support in various parts of the state. The Signal of Liberty, an antislavery journal based in Ann Arbor, spread the antislavery message and reported on attempts to recapture freedom seekers in Michigan; it had a substantial circulation by 1847.2 This intensified antislavery sentiment brought the development of a significant Underground Railroad network to aid freedom seekers reaching Michigan. In part, this was the result of the arrival of key personalities in communities across the state. Guy Beckley moved from Vermont to Ann Arbor in 1839 and quickly became active in Michigan antislavery organizing, including helping establish the Signal of Liberty and coordinate local efforts to assist freedom seekers. The migration of Rev. Charles Osborn, a Quaker from North Carolina who had spent time in Ohio and Indiana before moving to Cass County in 1842, accelerated Underground Railroad work in that area. After an epidemic decimated her family in 1845, Laura Smith Haviland, once a Quaker, emigrated from New York and began helping freedom seekers who reached Adrian and even worked to rescue those still enslaved in the South. In 1847, a reward for her capture was offered from Tennessee. Threats against his life drove George DeBaptiste, a free man of color, from Madison, Indiana, to Detroit in 1846. A year later, he was joined by George Reynolds, an African American Underground Railroad operative also from Indiana, who had worked with Quaker Levi Coffin, the self-proclaimed “President of the Underground [End Page 2] Railroad.” Their arrival heightened the work of the Colored Vigilant Committee of...

Gradual Decline of Japanese Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) Populations in Michigan Follows Establishment of Ovavesicula popilliae (Microsporidia).

The purpose of this research was to document the incidence of Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), infection by the microsporidian pathogen, Ovavesicula popilliae Andreadis & Hanula (Microsporida: Pleistophoridae) while monitoring Japanese beetle populations at nine golf courses in Michigan from 1999 to 2018. We also compared the current distribution of the pathogen in Michigan to the known distribution in 1999. Beetles were sampled a total of seven different years, in three time periods: 1999-2000, 2005-2007, and 2015-2018. At these nine golf courses, O. popilliae infection rates of adults increased from 0.39% in 2000 to 29.5% in 2018, while Japanese beetle adult populations declined 73.2%, and Japanese beetle larval density declined 78.6% (from 1999 to 2018). In previous research, larval infection rates averaged at least twice the infection rates of adults, because all infections originate in the larval stage, and at least 75% of infected larvae die before pupation. This means that an adult infection rate of 29.5%, combined with previously observed 50% reductions in egg production by infected females, are consistent with the observed population declines. The current distribution of O. popilliae in southern Michigan was determined by sampling Japanese beetle larvae and adults at 38 sites in 2017 and 2018. Ovavesicula popilliae was found at 21 of 38 sites and in 16 of 21 counties, compared with two sites in one of 16 counties when it was first detected in Michigan in 1999 and 2000.

Native Villages of La Salle's Illinois Country

Native Villages of La Salle's Illinois Country