Worcester County Research Articles

Characterizing tree canopy loss using multi-source GIS data in Central Massachusetts, USA

Despite numerous ecosystem services provided by urban trees, they are continually threatened by combined natural disturbances, invasive species, development and negligent management practices. This research characterizes the amount and cause of tree loss in Worcester, Massachusetts, in the northeast United States, and neighbouring towns between 2008 and 2010 using multi-source remotely sensed imagery and historical land cover maps (1976–2009). Historical land-change analysis reveals that proportional forest cover loss in the Worcester County study area exceeds that of the state by 0.26% per year, 67% of which was driven by the expansion of low-density residential land use. Between 2008 and 2010, 2% of Worcester County’s tree canopy was lost to high- and low-density urban development (47% of the total loss), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) tree removal for Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) eradication (25%), timber harvest (15%) and ice storm damage (6%). The use of multi-source geographic information system (GIS) data to characterize tree canopy loss makes it a flexible and replicable method to monitor urban tree health.

The Politics of Resilience from a Practitioner's Perspective: An Interview with Helen Braithwaite OBE

Helen Braithwaite was appointed to the Resilience and Emergencies Division of the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) in February 2011. She is responsible for the Central area which covers 15 Local Resilience Forums. Prior to this Helen was the Head of the West Midlands Regional Resilience team. Helen has also worked for West Mercia Police in specialist operations and in the emergency planning departments of Hereford and Worcester County Council and Worcestershire County Council. In 2000 Helen was seconded to the Home Office and then Cabinet Office to lead the consultation process on new civil contingencies legislation, which resulted in the Civil Contingencies Act. Helen was awarded an OBE in June 2011.

Characterizing the potential distribution of the invasive Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis) in Worcester County, Massachusetts

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) (Anoplophora glabripennis) is an invasive insect pest that has established populations in Worcester County, Massachusetts as of 2008. ALB predominantly targets red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), which are prominent in New England hardwood forests, and Norway maple (Acer platanoides), which was planted in built environments as street trees in response to severe weather and invasive insect and pathogen disturbances. Mahalanobis Typicality models related presence locations of ALB presence-only locations in Worcester County towns from 2008 to 2012 to biotic, abiotic, and anthropogenic variables to predict the potential distribution of ALB and to determine locations most characteristic of infestation. k-fold cross-validation and a continuous Boyce Index were employed to validate model performance and to identify threshold values at which continuous models of typicality could be reclassified into categorical maps. Distance-to-roads (r2 = 0.19) and probability of maple presence (r2 = 0.13) were the most important predictor variables in the ALB model. Locations that were most consistently susceptible to ALB infestation had significant high maple presence (p < 0.001) and significant low distance-to-roads (p < 0.001) compared to the whole study area, suggesting that ALB in Worcester County, MA, prefers maple-dominant edge habitats at the current stage of invasion. The localized ALB potential distribution model was consistently accurate (Boyce Continuous Index = 0.84) despite the lack of absence locations and incomplete knowledge of ALB niche breadth in both native and invaded ranges. The results from this study could be used as a baseline for effective adaptive management policies that could help prioritize the need for early detection/eradication measures and address the potential ecological and social ramifications of the current ALB outbreak in Worcester County. It is hoped that the model employed could be further tested for future outbreaks as they are discovered in the USA.

Changes in the native flora of Worcester County, Massachusetts1

I analyzed changes in the native flora of Worcester County, Massachusetts, between the mid-1900s and the early 2000s in relation to changes in land use and climate. I also identified genera and families in which declines and apparent losses were particularly high. Current floristic data came from a recent survey of the county and historical data were obtained largely from herbarium collections, especially a county-wide survey from the 1930s to the 1950s. Climate data came from records collected in Worcester beginning in 1950, and land use data came originally from aerial photographs taken in 1951, 1971, 1985, 1999 and 2005. Average daily temperatures increased by 0.15 °C per decade between 1950 and 2011. The most prominent land use changes during this period were an increase in disturbed land and a decrease in fields and pastures. Extent of forests declined slightly, though forest maturity increased. Northern species decreased relative to southern species, presumably reflecting climatic changes. Losses of northern species were most evident in the southernmost towns in their ranges and were more pronounced than gains of southern species. This difference in behavior of northern and southern species presumably reflects the fact that range extensions depend on dispersal mechanisms, which can be slow, whereas range retractions reflect unsuitability of conditions, which occurs more quickly. Species of disturbed sites increased and species of fields declined, consistent with patterns of habitat change. Several families and genera had high rates of species loss or decline, and some of these, including the Orchidaceae, Ophioglossaceae, Orobanchaceae and Violaceae, have shown high rates of loss or decline elsewhere in the Northeast. Some of these changes may be tied to succession or to active eradication efforts. Two declining families (Orchidaceae, Ophioglossaceae) have juvenile stages dependent on fungi. Changes in climate, patterns of land use and other factors are likely to continue and perhaps accelerate, leading to further changes in the flora and posing challenges for conservation of biodiversity.

The impact of tree cover loss on land surface temperature: A case study of central Massachusetts using Landsat Thematic Mapper thermal data

Land surface temperature (LST) variability results from diversity in urban surface materials over space and time such that locations with impervious urban cover experience higher temperature and larger temperature variation compared to non-impervious cover. There is growing awareness that warmer temperatures in urban locations negatively impact city residents by increasing heat related death and energy usage during heat waves. However, little previous work investigates the linkages between urban tree cover loss events related to invasive species eradication and urban heat trends. This paper examines the variation in LST using Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper (TM) thermal imagery in Worcester County, Massachusetts where over 30,000 trees were removed since 2008 to eradicate the invasive Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB), most of which existed in urban residential areas. Throughout the study area a 10% loss in tree canopy cover caused a 0.7 °C increase in LST whereas a 10% increase in sub-canopy impervious surface area exposed due to tree loss caused 1.66 °C increase in LST. The Burncoat and Greendale neighborhoods in northern Worcester experienced a combined 48% tree cover loss from 2008 to 2010 due to ALB eradication and an average relative LST increase of 2.4 °C (range 0.6–4.1 °C). Given that areas with an increase in exposed impervious surface produce greater temperature increases than areas of tree loss, future tree replanting efforts may focus on locations that reduce exposed impervious surfaces.

Effect of Tide Level and Time of Day on Detection Rate and Abundance of Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris) in a Mid-Atlantic Tidal Marsh System

Obligate marsh bird detection rates during surveys are affected by the time of day and the tide level, but previous research on both factors has produced conflicting results and no research has been conducted in east coast tidal marshes. Relative abundance and detection rate of Clapper Rails (Rallus longirostris) were compared between morning and evening surveys at high, medium, and low tide levels in Worcester County, Maryland, during 2006. The detection rate of Clapper Rails was greatest in the morning at the medium tide level ( = 0.69, SE = 0.14, F5,40 = 5.87, P = 0.001). Morning surveys ( = 1.2, SE = 0.14) resulted in a greater relative abundance of Clapper Rail detections compared to evening surveys ( = 0.8, SE = 0.12, F1,195 = 5.31, P = 0.022), and surveys done at medium tide level ( = 1.3, SE = 0.17) resulted in greater relative abundance than those conducted at low ( = 0.8, SE = 0.15) or high levels ( = 0.7, SE = 0.15, F2,195 = 6.56, P = 0.002). The results suggest that surveys should be conducted in the morning at medium tide to maximize detection rate of Clapper Rails. The detection rate of obligate marsh birds during surveys is affected by time and tide level so additional research is necessary to determine how these variables affect the detection rate of marsh birds other than Clapper Rails.

Environmental ascription in Worcester County, MA: toxic pollution and education outcomes

As a replication and extension of two previous studies [Pastor, M. Jr., Sadd, J., and Morello-Frosch, R., 2004. Reading, writing and toxics: children's health, academic performance, and environmental justice in Los Angeles. Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy, 22 (2), 271–290, Lucier, C., et al., 2011. Toxic pollution and school performance scores: environmental ascription in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana. Organization & Environment, 24 (4), 421–441], the current study seeks to expand on the growing literature linking environmental inequality and disparities in educational outcomes among vulnerable populations by identifying the environmental determinants of variation in school performance in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Our findings show that schools rating lower in school performance were more likely to be located in more polluted areas, and that these schools had higher percentages of low-income and minority students. Our newly introduced, more targeted measure of toxicity is significant in all three equations in the present study. It is important to note that these significant impacts are found in a county that has much lower levels of overall pollution than in the sites studied previously. That is, the effect of toxins is significant even where pollution levels are modest.

The Effect of Deer Browse on Sundial Lupine: Implications for Frosted Elfins

The effect of Odocoileus virginianus (White-tailed Deer) on Lupinus perennis (Sundial Lupine) was quantified for a site in Worcester County, MD. The reproductive output of Lupine protected by deer exclosures was compared with Lupine that received no protection from deer. Lupine in the exclosures had a higher likelihood of producing seed pods and produced a greater number of seed pods per inflorescence. The implications of these results on Callophrys irus (Frosted Elfins) are discussed.

The Prevalence of Leptospiral Antibodies in Free Roaming Cats in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Serosurveys of cats for exposure to or infection with leptospires have been published from other geographic areas, but none for cats in the United States in the past 4 decades. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the prevalence of leptospiral antibodies in a population of free roaming cats in Worcester County, (central) Massachusetts. Sixty-three free roaming cats presenting to a trap-neuter-return (TNR) program. Prospective study. Serum was collected from 63 free roaming cats presented to a university associated TNR. Microagglutination titers to Leptospira interrogans serovars Autumnalis, Hardjo, Bratislava, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Canicola, Pomona, and L kirshneri Grippotyphosa were determined. A total of 3 of 63 cats (4.8%) had a titer of 1 : 100 or greater to one or more serovars, with Autumnalis being the most common. None of the cats were seropositive to Hardjo, Grippotyphosa, or Canicola. These results are consistent with previously published seroprevalence rates in feral cats. Additional studies are required to determine the role of leptosporosis in clinical disease in the domestic cat.

Racial Discrimination and the Exercise of Peremptory Challenges

This study examines whether the prosecution is racially biased in exercising peremptory strikes in 14 murder cases in Baltimore County, Maryland and a related case in Worcester County. We were able to establish the race of 499 of 545 jurors and found that the prosecution was about twice as likely to strike African-Americans compared to whites.

Dung Beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) Communities of Eastern Maryland

We examined the species diversity and seasonal abundance of 19 species of dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae and Geotrupidae) in two ecotone habitats of Maryland's Eastern Shore. Specimens were collected over an eight-month period during 2009–2010 using standard pitfall trap transects of 200 m. In 2010, an additional survey of eight habitats in Wicomico and Worcester counties was conducted to obtain a more representative sample of the original dung beetle diversity. Habitat data, bait attraction, and collection methods are provided. This research is intended to be the first bioinventory of Maryland dung beetles for conservation research.

Epidemiological Evidence for Possible Radiation Hormesis from Radon Exposure: A Case-Control Study Conducted in Worcester, MA.

Data from a case-control study of lung cancer and residential radon exposure conducted in Worcester County, Massachusetts, are presented. Lung cancer risk was estimated using conditional logistic regression models that controlled for demographic, smoking, and occupational exposure covariates. Preliminary exploratory analyses using lowess smoothing revealed a non-linear association between exposure and the log odds of lung cancer. Radon exposure was considered by using linear spline terms in order to model this nonlinearity. The best fit of this linear spline model to these data predicted a shift from a positive to a negative slope in the log-odds of lung cancer at a radon concentration of 70 Bq m(-3). A statistically significant decrease in cancer risk with increased exposure was found for values ≤ 157 Bq m(-3) normalized to the reference exposure of 4.4 Bq m(-3), the lowest radon concentration measured(adjusted odds ratio (AOR) [95% CI] = 0.42 [0.180, 1.00], p = 0.049). This result is consistent with those reported elsewhere that considered radon exposure with cubic spline terms (Thompson, RE et al. 2008). Furthermore, this model predicts an AOR that is numerically less than 1.0 for radon exposures up to 545 Bq m(-3) versus the above baseline, reference exposure.

Two New Lichen Species from the Delmarva Peninsula

Abstract. This report validates the discovery of a new Lecanora species from Assateague Island National Park, Worcester County, MD and Cladonia robbinsii Evans from Wicomico County, MD on the lower eastern shore of the Delmarva Peninsula. The C. robbinsii was found along a woodland road and sandy, sterile overhang in a loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., forest. Lecanora rugosella Zahlbr. was collected on the bark of an Acer sp. and together with Cladonia robbinsii, are reported as two new lichen species from the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

Vulnerability-Based Spatial Sampling Stratification for the National Children’s Study, Worcester County, Massachusetts: Capturing Health-Relevant Environmental and Sociodemographic Variability

BackgroundThe National Children’s Study is the most ambitious study ever attempted in the United States to assess how environmental factors impact child health and development. It aims to follow 100,000 children from gestation until 21 years of age. Success requires breaking new interdisciplinary ground, starting with how to select the sample of > 1,000 children in each of 105 study sites; no standardized protocol exists for stratification of the target population by factoring in the diverse environments it inhabits. Worcester County, Massachusetts, like other sites, stratifies according to local conditions and local knowledge, subject to probability sampling rules.ObjectivesWe answer the following questions: How do we divide Worcester County into viable strata that represent its health-relevant environmental and sociodemographic heterogeneity, subject to sampling rules? What potential does our approach have to inform stratification at other sites?ResultsWe developed a multivariable, vulnerability-based method for spatial sampling consisting of two descriptive indices: a hazards/stressors exposure index (comprising three proxy variables), and an adaptive capacity/sociodemographic character index (five variables). Multivariable, health-relevant stratification at the start of the study may improve detection power for environment–child health associations down the line. Eighteen strata capture countywide heterogeneity in the indices and have optimal relative homogeneity within each. They achieve comparable expected birth counts and conform to local concepts of space.ConclusionThe approach offers moderate to high potential to inform other sites, limited by intersite differences in data availability, geodemographics, and technical capacity. Energetic community engagement from the start promotes local stratification coherence, plus vital researcher–community trust and co-ownership for sustainability.

Effects of Long Piers on Birds in Tidal Wetlands

ABSTRACT As human development continues in coastal areas, shoreline properties adjacent to expansive tidal marsh habitat are increasingly used for access to coastal waterways via long piers (&gt;30 m) over marsh habitat. These tidal wetlands provide breeding and foraging habitat for many marsh birds, which may be affected by the human disturbance associated with long piers. Our objectives were to determine the effect of long piers over vegetated tidal marshes on the relative abundance and species richness of marsh birds. We completed combined passive and callback surveys in tidal marsh habitat at 22 sites with long piers and 24 sites without long piers, May‐July 2005–2006 in Worcester County, Maryland, USA. Pier sites had lower relative abundance and species richness of obligate marsh birds than nonpier sites. Pier sites had a greater relative abundance of gulls, terns, herons, and egrets than nonpier sites. Pier sites had fewer species of herons and egrets than at nonpier sites. The presence of long piers had no affect on facultative marsh birds. Long pier density was negatively related to obligate marsh bird relative abundance and species richness, and facultative marsh bird species richness, whereas it was positively related to the relative abundance and species richness of gulls and terns. Herons and egrets relative abundance and species richness were not related to long pier density. Obligate marsh birds were negatively affected by long piers, whereas herons, egrets, gulls, and terns appeared to benefit from perching opportunities. Based on the negative effects of long piers on obligate marsh birds, management should focus on reducing the presence and density of long piers in tidal marshes by requiring the removal of existing long piers, or reducing or eliminating permits for construction of new long piers.

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Application of Virtual Globes in Education

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Application of Virtual Globes in Education

Bird Feeders and the Spatial Distribution of Ticks on a Residential Lawn in Worcester County, Massachusetts

Abstract In order to assess the effect of bird feeders on the distribution of ticks on a residential lawn, ticks collected beneath bird feeders were compared to similar control areas on a residential property in Worcester County, MA. Host-seeking ticks were sampled from August 8, 2005 to July 25, 2007 by dragging with white flannel cloth. All ticks were counted and removed from the cloth. Sampling was conducted 38 times. A total of 12 ticks (larvae and nymphs) was collected. Significantly more ticks were collected from under the bird feeders (n = 10) than the control areas (n = 2).

Status of Swainson's Warbler on the Delmarva Peninsula

Swainson's Warbler is among the forest-bird species of highest conservation concern in the eastern United States. Recent publications include conflicting accounts of the species' breeding status at the northern limit of its range on the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland and Delaware. To clarify this ambiguity, we reviewed and compiled the peninsula's published locality records. Three conclusions are evident from our analysis: 1) despite reports to the contrary, Swainson's Warbler continues to persist in two disjunct areas within the Pocomoke River watershed: Great Cypress Swamp in Maryland and Delaware, and Hickory Point Swamp in Worcester County, MD; 2) sporadic breeding-season records suggest small scattered breeding sites in other parts of the watershed, especially in the upper Nassawango Creek in Wicomico County, MD; and 3) further effort is warranted to better identify and delineate regularly occurring breeding areas in unexplored areas of the Pocomoke and adjacent Nanticoke watersheds. Because the long-term viability of the peninsula's population is uncertain, we believe the species' current legal status as State Endangered in Maryland and Delaware remains warranted.

A non-lethal method to estimate CYP1A expression in laboratory and wild Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar)

Expression of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) has been used as a biomarker for possible exposure to contaminants such as PCBs and dioxins in teleost fish. Using a quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR) and a non-lethal gill biopsy, we estimated levels of CYP1A mRNA expression in Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar). Groups of ten Atlantic salmon juveniles (48–76 g) received an intraperitoneal injection of 50 μg g − 1 β-naphthoflavone (BNF) or vehicle. Their gill tissues were repeatedly sampled by non-lethal biopsies on day 0, 1, 2 and 7. Control fish expressed basal levels of CYP1A over the duration of sampling. BNF-treated salmon demonstrated similar levels of CYP1A to control fish at day 0 and higher levels over the course of each additional sampling point. Gill biopsies from wild salmon sampled from Millers River (South Royalston, Worcester County, MA, USA), known to contain PCBs, showed significantly higher CYP1A levels over an uncontaminated reference stream, Fourmile Brook (Northfield, Franklin County, MA, USA). We conclude that gill biopsies coupled with Q-RT-PCR analysis is a valuable tool in environmental assessment of wild Atlantic salmon populations and has the potential to be applied to other populations of fish as well.

Boston's ballparks &amp; arenas

From the South End Grounds to Fenway Park, from Boston Garden to Gillette Stadium, the history of sports in Boston has been tied to the parks and arenas in which the teams have met and the athletes competed. Beloved but abandoned sites such as the Huntington Avenue Grounds, Braves Field, and the Garden are recalled by Boston fans with the same fondness Brooklynites feel for Ebbets Field, while contemporary stadiums maintain the region's proud athletic tradition. This is the first book to tell the story of sports in Boston through the stories of these venues. Foulds gives pride of place to the region's nine best-known sites, with numerous anecdotes about such fabled teams as the Red Sox, Bruins, and Celtics along the way. But he also considers parks that have been all but forgotten, such as the Worcester County Fairgrounds, once an official National League ballpark despite the presence of a tree in left field, or Lincoln Park, the former home of black baseball in Boston. And in addition to such milestones as the first World Series and the achievements of the great Cy Young, he also recalls the Hub's support for soccer, tennis, lacrosse and, of course, the Boston Marathon. In this illustrated history, Foulds documents the variety and vibrancy of Boston sports for over a century. This history, he shows, is firmly grounded in the stories of the sites where the games have been played. Sites include: Nine Wonders of the Boston Sports World: South End Grounds, Huntington Avenue Grounds, Fenway Park, Braves Field, Boston Arena, Boston Garden, FleetCenter, Foxboro Stadium, Gillette Stadium The Forgotten Parks: Dartmouth Street Grounds, Congress Street Grounds, Worcester County Agricultural Fairgrounds, Sam Mark's Stadium, Balmoral Park, Lincoln Park Pressed Into Service: Harvard Stadium, Revere Beach Bicycle Tracks, Malden Stadium, GE Field, Everett Stadium, Boston College Alumni Stadium, Walter Brown Arena, Volpe Center, Bowditch Field, Olympic venues, and stadiums in Lynn and Lowell.