Pacific Northwest United States Research Articles

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.

Parts-Per-Million Carbonate Mineral Quantification with Thermogravimetric Analysis-Mass Spectrometry.

Mitigating the deleterious effects of climate change requires the development and implementation of carbon capture and storage technologies. To expand the monitoring, verification, and reporting (MRV) capabilities of geologic carbon mineralization projects, we developed a thermogravimetric analysis-mass spectrometry (TGA-MS) methodology to enable quantification of <100 ppm calcite (CaCO3) in complex samples. We extended TGA-MS calcite calibration curves to enable a higher measurement resolution and lower limits of quantification for evolved CO2 from a calcite-corundum mixture. We demonstrated <100 ppm carbonate mineral quantification with TGA-MS for the first time, an outcome applicable across earth, environmental, and materials science fields. We applied this carbonate quantification method to a suite of Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) well cuttings recovered in 2009 from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's Wallula #1 Well. Our execution of this new combined calcite and calcite-corundum calibration curve TGA-MS method on our CRBG sample suite indicated average carbonate contents of 0.050 wt % in flow interiors (caprocks) and 0.400 wt % in interflow zones (reservoirs) in the upper 1250 m of the Wallula #1 Well. By advancing our knowledge of continental flood basalt-hosted carbonates in the mafic subsurface and reaching new TGA-MS quantification limits for carbonate minerals, we expand MRV capabilities and support the commercial-scale deployment of carbon mineralization projects in the Pacific Northwest United States and beyond.

Widespread and increasing near-bottom hypoxia in the coastal ocean off the United States Pacific Northwest

The 2021 summer upwelling season off the United States Pacific Northwest coast was unusually strong leading to widespread near-bottom, low-oxygen waters. During summer 2021, an unprecedented number of ship- and underwater glider-based measurements of dissolved oxygen were made in this region. Near-bottom hypoxia, that is dissolved oxygen less than 61 µmol kg−1 and harmful to marine animals, was observed over nearly half of the continental shelf inshore of the 200-m isobath, covering 15,500 square kilometers. A mid-shelf ribbon with near-bottom, dissolved oxygen less than 50 µmol kg−1 extended for 450 km off north-central Oregon and Washington. Spatial patterns in near-bottom oxygen are related to the continental shelf width and other features of the region. Maps of near-bottom oxygen since 1950 show a consistent trend toward lower oxygen levels over time. The fraction of near-bottom water inshore of the 200-m isobath that is hypoxic on average during the summer upwelling season increases over time from nearly absent (2%) in 1950–1980, to 24% in 2009–2018, compared with 56% during the anomalously strong upwelling conditions in 2021. Widespread and increasing near-bottom hypoxia is consistent with increased upwelling-favorable wind forcing under climate change.

Toward Sustaining Web-Based Senior Center Programming Accessibility With and for Older Adult Immigrants: Community-Based Participatory Research Cross-Sectional Study.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many community-based organizations serving Asian Americans pivoted to provide web-based care and social services. Asian American community leaders in the United States Pacific Northwest, including Asian Health & Service Center expressed that there are older immigrant adults who experienced backlash from discrimination, fear, and anxiety owing in part to anti-Asian hate and isolation, including from infection precautions. Pivoting supported staying safe from COVID-19 transmission and anti-Asian hate crimes. This study aims to examine the readiness of diverse groups of older Asian American immigrant adults (Chinese, Koreans, and Vietnamese) to use a web-based senior center, including technology access and telehealth use, and to identify the psychosocial health impacts that a web-based senior center could be positioned to meet. A community-based participatory research approach was used to conduct a cross-sectional survey study in an Asian-based health and service center in 2022. We selected surveys from the National Institutes of Health-supported PhenX Toolkit. Analyses were performed using R software. There was an 88.2% (216/245) response rate. Overall, 39.8% (86/216) of participants were Chinese, 25% (54/216) were Korean, and 24.5% (53/216) were Vietnamese. There were significant group differences in mobile data plans (P=.0005). Most had an unlimited mobile data plan (38/86, 44% Chinese; 39/54, 72% Koreans; 25/53, 47% Vietnamese). Significant group differences existed regarding whether they started using a new electronic device to communicate with friends or family after the COVID-19 outbreak (P=.0005); most were Korean participants (31/54, 57%). For written text and audio or video apps, most Chinese participants used WeChat (65/85, 76%; 57/84, 68%, respectively), most Koreans used KakaoTalk (49/54, 91%; 49/54, 91%, respectively), and most Vietnamese used Facebook Messenger for written text (32/50, 64%) and Apple Face Time (33/50, 66%) or Facebook Messenger (31/50, 62%) for audio or video. Significant group differences existed regarding whether to try telehealth (P=.0005); most Vietnamese expressed that they would never consider it (41/53, 77%). Significant group differences existed regarding how well they were able to concentrate (χ22=44.7; P<.0001); Chinese participants reported a greater inability (median 5, IQR 4-6). With regard to difficulties in life experiences (χ22=51; P<.0001), the median was 6 (IQR 5-7) for the Vietnamese group. Significant group differences existed in having had a family/household member's salary, hours, and contracts reduced (P=.0005) and having had a family/household member or friend fallen physically ill (P=.0005)-most Vietnamese (15/53, 28%) and Korean participants (10/53, 19%). To build an efficacious, web-based senior center with web-based care and social service options, more older adults need access to the internet and education about using technology-enabled communication devices. Addressing the unique psychosocial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on each group could improve health equity. The strength of the participating older adults was observed and honored.

Localized effects of neighborhood park exposure on mental illness mortality in the Pacific Northwest United States

Most studies on the mental health effect of greenspace assumed a constant effect of greenspace exposure over the entire study region. We expanded upon literature by hypothesizing spatial disparities in the effect of greenspace exposure on mental illness mortality across census tracts in Oregon (OR) and Washington (WA). Mental illness mortality was calculated using death register data with coordinates of residence over 13 years (2006-2018). Neighborhood park exposure was evaluated as the total area of parks in each census tract. Results indicated that the impact of park areas on mental illness mortality varied across census tracts in OR (Relative Risk=0.985, 95% credible interval=[0.950, 1.020] ‒ 1.030 [0.990, 1.072]) and WA (0.992 [0.952, 1.034] ‒ 1.013 [0.980, 1.048]). These estimates shifted overall fixed effect RRs (OR: 0.976 [0.958, 0.994]; WA: 0.976 [0.956, 0.996]). Protective effects were more likely in areas between Olympia, WA and Portland, OR. The urban-rural contrasts were explained by patients’ preference, differential greenspace accessibility, and limited park supply in national and state forests. This research highlights the disparity in greenspace effect on mental illness mortality and calls for integrating local effect variability into mental health outcomes-greenspace studies.

New species and new combinations in the genus Paraisaria (Hypocreales, Ophiocordycipitaceae) from the U.S.A., supported by polyphasic analysis.

Molecular phylogenetic and chemical analyses, and morphological characterization of collections of North American Paraisaria specimens support the description of two new species and two new combinations for known species. P.cascadensissp. nov. is a pathogen of Cyphoderris (Orthoptera) from the Pacific Northwest USA and P.pseudoheteropodasp. nov. is a pathogen of cicadae (Hemiptera) from the Southeast USA. New combinations are made for Ophiocordycepsinsignis and O.monticola based on morphological, ecological, and chemical study. A new cyclopeptide family proved indispensable in providing chemotaxonomic markers for resolving species in degraded herbarium specimens for which DNA sequencing is intractable. This approach enabled the critical linkage of a 142-year-old type specimen to a phylogenetic clade. The diversity of Paraisaria in North America and the utility of chemotaxonomy for the genus are discussed.

Utility Planning for Distribution-Optimized Electric Vehicle Charging: A Case Study in the United States Pacific Northwest

Utility Planning for Distribution-Optimized Electric Vehicle Charging: A Case Study in the United States Pacific Northwest

“We are Not All Named Maria”: Building Transnational Identities in a United States International Baccalaureate High School

ABSTRACT In this study, we use discursive analytic tools to understand how transnational high school students in one suburban high school in the United States Pacific Northwest describe their social and academic experiences in school. The majority of the students from this study were born in the United States and therefore do not fit with the traditional, geographically based conception of transnational. However, we argue that they experience cultural, social, and linguistic transnationalism in a variety of ways, and that their alignment with these complex identities influences their day-to-day interactions in school. We examine how these youth used language to position themselves racially and linguistically relative to others in their school community, and the figured worlds they drew on in the process. We find that 15 students expressed the complexity of their experiences as both insiders and outsiders in this school, sometimes engaging—and other times rejecting— the identities others ascribed to them.

Characterizing Substrate-Borne Vibrational Mating Signals Produced by Pear Psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Hemiptera: Psyllidae)

AbstractTactics that manipulate insect behavior are a component of many pest management strategies. Pheromone-based mating disruption is one such tactic widely used in agricultural systems, but few studies have assessed disrupting other mate communication mechanisms, such as acoustic signals. The most destructive pear pest in the Pacific Northwest USA, pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola) is believed to use acoustic signals to find mates, making it a candidate for this type of disruption. This species has two adult morphs, overwintering adults (winterforms) that emerge in the spring and subsequent generations (summerforms). Our study characterized the mating signals for both sexes and morphs of pear psylla, and assessed whether temperature and previous exposure to adult conspecifics altered signals and likelihood of signaling. While there are descriptions for acoustic signals of other psyllid species, this study provides the first evidence that C. pyricola communicates acoustically. The two sexes communicate via duetting; males signal to attract a female and the female signals back if she is receptive for mating. We showed that both morphotypes’ male signals contain a group of chirps followed by a trill, while females respond with chirps. Male signal trills differed significantly in frequency (Hz) between winterform and summerform psylla. The signal frequency among morphs also had a positive linear relationship with temperature, suggesting that dissimilarity in signals among morphs had some relationship to temperature. Males were more likely to signal when they had previous exposure to females compared to males without exposure to females. Our results provide new information on how pear psylla communicate acoustically for mating, advancing the potential to develop mating disruption strategies for integrated pest management (IPM).

Daily stream temperature predictions for free-flowing streams in the Pacific Northwest, USA

Supporting sustainable lotic ecosystems and thermal habitats requires estimates of stream temperature that are high in scope and resolution across space and time. We combined and enhanced elements of existing stream temperature models to produce a new statistical model to address this need. Contrasting with previous models that estimated coarser metrics such as monthly or seasonal stream temperature or focused on individual watersheds, we modeled daily stream temperature across the entire calendar year for a broad geographic region. This model reflects mechanistic processes using publicly available climate and landscape covariates in a Generalized Additive Model framework. We allowed covariates to interact while accounting for nonlinear relationships between temporal and spatial covariates to better capture seasonal patterns. To represent variation in sensitivity to climate, we used a moving average of antecedent air temperatures over a variable duration linked to area-standardized streamflow. The moving average window size was longer for reaches having snow-dominated hydrology, especially at higher flows, whereas window size was relatively constant and low for reaches having rain-dominated hydrology. Our model’s ability to capture the temporally-variable impact of snowmelt improved its capacity to predict stream temperature across diverse geography for multiple years. We fit the model to stream temperatures from 1993–2013 and predicted daily stream temperatures for ~261,200 free-flowing stream reaches across the Pacific Northwest USA from 1990–2021. Our daily model fit well (RMSE = 1.76; MAE = 1.32°C). Cross-validation suggested that the model produced useful predictions at unsampled locations across diverse landscapes and climate conditions. These stream temperature predictions will be useful to natural resource practitioners for effective conservation planning in lotic ecosystems and for managing species such as Pacific salmon. Our approach is straightforward and can be adapted to new spatial regions, time periods, or scenarios such as the anticipated decline in snowmelt with climate change.

Spatial and Temporal Variability in Stream Thermal Regime Drivers for Three River Networks During the Summer Growing Season.

Many cold-water dependent aquatic organisms are experiencing habitat and population declines from increasing water temperatures. Identifying mechanisms which drive local and regional stream thermal regimes facilitates restoration at ecologically relevant scales. Stream temperatures vary spatially and temporally both within and among river basins. We developed a modeling process to identify statistical relationships between drivers of stream temperature and covariates representing landscape, climate, and management-related processes. The modeling process was tested in 3 study areas of the Pacific Northwest USA during the growing season (May [start], August [warmest], September [end]). Across all months and study systems, covariates with the highest relative importance represented the physical landscape (elevation [1st], catchment area [3rd], main channel slope [5th]) and climate covariates (mean monthly air temperature [2nd] and discharge [4th]). Two management covariates (ground water use [6th] and riparian shade [7th]) also had high relative importance. Across the growing season (for all basins) local reach slope had high relative importance in May, but transitioned to a regional main channel slope covariate in August and September. This modeling process identified regionally similar and locally unique relationships among drivers of stream temperature. High relative importance of management-related covariates suggested potential restoration actions for each system.

Yard Age, Cultivar Susceptibility, and Spring Pruning Practices as Risk Factors for Overwintering of Podosphaera macularis on Hop

Hop powdery mildew, caused by Podosphaera macularis, may be initiated by sexual or asexual spores of the pathogen, but only asexual reproduction has been reported in the Pacific Northwest United States. In this region, overwintering is via bud perennation, leading to "flag shoots" the following season. We expanded on previous research and analyzed 766 location-years of flag shoot data from Oregon hop yards collected from 2014 to 2020, examining potential risk factors of yard age, cultivar susceptibility to powdery mildew, pruning method (mechanical means or not), and pruning thoroughness. Bayesian logistic regression models were fitted to estimate the probability of flag shoot presence or absence. We found little evidence to support yard age as a significant risk factor for flag shoot presence, as the 95% credible interval for the parameter associated with yard age was consistently centered around 0 in each of our models. However, cultivar susceptibility to powdery mildew, spring pruning method, and spring pruning thoroughness were associated with increases in the probability of observing a flag shoot. Although yard age was not an important risk factor, there was an interrelationship between yard age, pruning method, and pruning thoroughness that suggests second-year yards may indirectly be at an elevated risk for flag shoot development because these yards are less often pruned using mechanical methods. Our research further identifies yards that are most at risk for overwintering of P. macularis and reinforces the importance of thorough pruning in yards with an elevated risk for possessing a flag shoot. [Formula: see text] The author(s) have dedicated the work to the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 “No Rights Reserved” license by waiving all of his or her rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law, 2023.

Rethinking 21st Century Fisheries Management: posthuman multispecies livelihoods approach

The sustainability paradigm in fisheries management is held legitimate to ensure food security and the ability for future generations. Conventional management principles and scientific methods may objectify data and nonhuman subjects in these practices. This paper introduces posthuman philosophies to Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM), and it explore the case of the Columbia sea lion in the Pacific Northwest United States. We offer a multispecies livelihoods perspective as an applied approach to wildlife-human conflict by adhering to the biocultural hierarchies of the region. An era of ecological rehabilitation should focus on coadaptation between human and nonhuman peoples, including that of the Columbia sea lion. Our findings are supported by a 12-month multispecies ethnographic design. They provide robust insight to the phenomenology of salmon-sea lion-human relations. A posthuman multispecies livelihoods approach offers a way forward for fisheries governance and contends that the rights, welfare, and agency of nonhuman individuals and their habitats must be foregrounded.

Integration of Distributed Streamflow Measurement Metadata for Improved Water Resource Decision-Making

Streamflow data are critical for monitoring and managing water resources, yet there are significant spatial gaps in our federal monitoring networks with biases toward large perennial rivers. In some cases, streamflow monitoring exists in these spatial gaps, but information about these monitoring locations is challenging to obtain. Here, we present a streamflow catalog for the United States Pacific Northwest that includes current and historical streamflow monitoring location information obtained from 32 organizations (other than the U.S. Geological Survey), which includes 2661 continuous streamflow gaging locations (22% are currently active) and 30,557 discrete streamflow measurements. A stakeholder advisory board with representatives from organizations that operate streamflow monitoring networks identified metadata requirements and provided feedback on the Streamflow Data Catalog user interface. Engagement with the water resources community through this effort highlighted challenges that water professionals face in collecting and managing streamflow data so that data are findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR). Over 60% of the streamflow monitoring locations in the Streamflow Data Catalog are not available online and are thus not findable through web search engines. Providing organizations technical assistance with standard measurement procedures, metadata collection, and web accessibility could substantially increase the availability and utility of streamflow information to water resources communities.

Risk assessment for non‐crop hosts of pea enation mosaic virus and the aphid vector Acyrthosiphon pisum

Abstract Viral insect‐borne plant pathogens have devastating impacts in agroecosystems. Vector‐borne pathogens are often transmitted by generalist insects that move between non‐crop and crop hosts. Insect vectors can have wide diet breadths, but it is often unknown which hosts serve as pathogen reservoirs and which non‐crop host harbours the highest density of vectors. In the Pacific Northwest USA, the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) is a key virus vector in pulse crops. Despite pea aphid having a large number of potential non‐crop plant hosts occuring in the region, no reservoir has yet been identified for the economically‐costly pathogen Pea Enation Mosaic Virus (PEMV). We addressed these issues by linking field surveys of an aphid vector and plant virus with statistical models to develop risk assessments for common non‐crop legumes; in 2018, we completed a 65‐site survey where aphids were surveyed in weedy legumes within and outside dry pea fields. We quantified the abundance of pea aphids on 17 hosts, and plant tissue was tested for PEMV. Relatively high densities of A. pisum were found in habitats dominated by hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), which was the only legume other than cultivated dry pea where PEMV was detected. Our results indicate that V. villosa is a key alternative host for PEMV, and that pest management practices in this region should consider the distribution and abundance of this weedy host in viral disease mitigation efforts for pulses.

An Antiracism Community-Based Participatory Research With Organizations Serving Immigrant and Marginalized Communities, Including Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders in the United States Pacific Northwest: Qualitative Description Study With Key Informants.

Asian American (AA) community leaders, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NH/PI) community leaders, and allies in the United States Pacific Northwest expressed concern that there are families and children from AA communities and NH/PI communities who experience and witness acts of xenophobia and racism. This can cause racial trauma. The long-time practice of aggregating AA and NH/PI data contributes to erasure and makes it challenging to advance health equity, such as allocating resources. According to AAPI Data's long-awaited report in June 2022, there are over 24 million AAs and 1.6 million NHs/PIs in the United States, growing by 40% and 30%, respectively, between 2010 and 2020. Philanthropic investments have not kept up with this substantive increase. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine emphasized the need for effective partnerships to advance the health and well-being of individuals and communities in antiracism and system-level research. The aim of this community-based participatory research qualitative description study was to identify perceptions and experiences regarding racial discrimination, race-based stress, and racial trauma; intergenerational healing and resiliency; and sharing the body with science from key informants of an academic and community partnership to inform antiracism coalition work. This partnership includes academic researchers and community leaders from community-based organizations and a health care organization serving immigrant and marginalized communities, including AAs and NHs/PIs in the United States Pacific Northwest. In total, 10 key informants joined 1 of 2 participatory group discussions via videoconference for 2 hours in 2022. We used a semistructured and open-ended group interview guide. A qualitative participatory group-level assessment was conducted with the key informants and transcribed. Interpretations and meanings of the main points and the main themes were reflected upon, clarified, and verified with the key informants in real time. The field note-based data transcripts were manually coded using conventional content analysis. Reflexivity was used. There were 6 main themes: prejudice plus power in racism definition and working in solidarity to counter lateral oppression/false sense of security, microaggression as multilayers, "not assimilationist by nature" and responding differently to white superiority, intergenerational- and identity-related trauma, what is healing among People of Color and through a lens of resiliency and intergenerational connection and knowledge, and mistrust and fear in the research and health care systems surrounding intentions of the body. The themes highlight the importance of internal and intergenerational healing from racial trauma and the need for solidarity among communities of color to combat white supremacy and colonization. This work was foundational in an ongoing effort to dismantle racism and uplift the community voice through a cross-sector academic and community partnership to inform antiracism coalition work.

Canola rotation effects on soil water and subsequent wheat in the Pacific Northwest USA

AbstractFarmers in Mediterranean climate regions are increasingly growing canola (Brassica napus L.) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)‐based systems to break soil‐borne pathogen disease cycles, control weeds, and enhance crop marketing opportunities. A 6‐year rainfed cropping systems experiment was conducted near Ritzville, Washington USA from 2015 to 2021. The objective was to compare performance of winter and spring canola, winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack) (WT), and winter wheat (WW) and measure their effects on soil water dynamics and subsequent performance of spring wheat (SW). Overwinter soil water gain in canola stubble was significantly reduced compared to water gain in WT and WW stubble. The more winter precipitation, the greater the differences in soil water among treatments in early spring. There was a trend in all years for diminished overwinter soil water gain in canola stubble. Averaged over years, grain yield of SW was 1940, 2340, and 2210 kg/ha grown on canola, WT, and WW stubble, respectively (p = 0.045). Coefficients of determination from regression analysis conducted each year showed a high correlation between water content in the 180 cm profile in early spring and SW grain yield, except in one year of extreme drought. This paper provides a first report in a Mediterranean climate region of decline in wheat grain yield after canola versus after a cereal crops, primarily due to reduced overwinter soil water storage.

Teach-Back Method in Presenting Health Promotion Topics Program: Nursing Collaboration with the Micronesian Islander Community Organization and Micronesian Islander Parent Leaders

Background A Micronesian Islander-based nonprofit community organization and academic nursing partnership in the United States Pacific Northwest identified the need to use the Teach-Back method with the Micronesian Islander Parent Leaders (MIPLs) to address prevention of non-communicable diseases for health promotion outreach. MIPLs are well-respected community leaders and elders from diverse Island communities. The Teach-Back method verifies a person’s understanding of the health messages, reteaching or modifying messages if knowledge is not met, and is a strategy for health literacy. A health message communicator or presenter uses caring, plain, and respectful language and asks participants to repeat the health messages that they receive in their own words. The RE-AIM framework guided this community participatory scholarly project. The community participatory scholarly project aimed to implement and evaluate the Teach-Back method in presenting health promotion topics with MIPLs as a program. Project questions were: 1) How effective is the Teach-Back method in presenting health promotion topics as a program using a distance learning format? and 2) Is the Teach-Back method as a program acceptable for communicating health messages for MIPLs? Approach The project was implemented in 4 virtual sessions using the Teach-Back method in presenting health promotion topics. We used the Teach-Back Confidence and Commitment Scale, distance learning and open-ended items, and field notes and observations journal for evaluation. Participants used the Teach-Back Observation Tool to practice observing the presenter leveraging essential elements of the Teach-Back method. Findings MIPLs reported increased adoption and acceptance of the Teach-Back method to communicate health messages to their community and family members. Conclusion Health promotion topics identified by the group were presented using caring, respectful, plain language, and in a non-threatening manner as a vehicle to illustrate and evaluate using the established Teach-Back method tools

Managing Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Arid Columbia Basin Vineyards of the Pacific Northwest United States

<h3>Abstract</h3> <h3>Background and goals</h3> Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are root symbionts that help grapevines acquire nutrients from soil. Growers in many regions, including the Columbia River basin of Oregon and Washington, lack information needed to best manage AMF. Such lacking information includes understanding whether natural AMF populations are sufficient to ensure healthy colonization in new plantings, and what factors influence AMF in established plantings. <h3>Methods and key findings</h3> AMF colonization of grapevine fine roots was determined in 32 commercial vineyards and in a vineyard that was heavily infested by the northern root-knot nematode (NRKN, <i>Meloidogyne hapla</i>). Root colonization by AMF was as extensive in young vines (one- to two-years-old) as in older vines (&gt;15-years-old) examined in the survey, and was high throughout the season in the single vineyard trial. AMF colonization was greater overall in red wine grape cultivars than in white wine grape cultivars. AMF colonization correlated negatively with soil nitrate and leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations across vineyards, while arbuscules in roots correlated negatively with NRKN populations in soil. Both AMF and arbuscules in roots correlated negatively with NRKN populations per unit of fine root length at the beginning and end of the growing season in the heavily infested vineyard. <h3>Conclusions and significance</h3> Results suggest that AMF populations in soils of the Columbia River basin are ample to ensure high levels of grapevine root colonization, so inoculation is likely not needed when planting or replanting vineyards in the region. AMF colonization was reduced by high N and high populations of NRKN in soil.

Anthropogenic Contributions to the 2021 Pacific Northwest Heatwave

AbstractDaily maximum temperatures during the 2021 heatwave in the Pacific Northwest United States and Canada shattered century old records. Multiple causal factors, including anthropogenic climate change, contributed to these high temperatures, challenging traditional methods of attributing human influence. We demonstrate that the observed 2021 daily maximum temperatures are far above the bounds of Generalized Extreme Value distributions fitted from historical data. Hence, confidence in Granger causal inference statements about the human influence on this heatwave is low. Alternatively, we present a more conditional hindcast attribution study using two regional models. We performed ensembles of simulations of the heatwave to investigate how the event would have changed if it had occurred without anthropogenic climate change and with future warming. We found that global warming caused a ∼0.8°C–1°C increase in heatwave temperatures. Future warming would lead to a ∼5°C increase in heatwave temperature by the end of the 21st century.