Showing papers by "Colorado State University published in 2002"

Stabilization mechanisms of soil organic matter: Implications for C-saturation of soils

Abstract: The relationship between soil structure and the ability of soil to stabilize soil organic matter (SOM) is a key element in soil C dynamics that has either been overlooked or treated in a cursory fashion when developing SOM models. The purpose of this paper is to review current knowledge of SOM dynamics within the framework of a newly proposed soil C saturation concept. Initially, we distinguish SOM that is protected against decomposition by various mechanisms from that which is not protected from decomposition. Methods of quantification and characteristics of three SOM pools defined as protected are discussed. Soil organic matter can be: (1) physically stabilized, or protected from decomposition, through microaggregation, or (2) intimate association with silt and clay particles, and (3) can be biochemically stabilized through the formation of recalcitrant SOM compounds. In addition to behavior of each SOM pool, we discuss implications of changes in land management on processes by which SOM compounds undergo protection and release. The characteristics and responses to changes in land use or land management are described for the light fraction (LF) and particulate organic matter (POM). We defined the LF and POM not occluded within microaggregates (53–250 μm sized aggregates as unprotected. Our conclusions are illustrated in a new conceptual SOM model that differs from most SOM models in that the model state variables are measurable SOM pools. We suggest that physicochemical characteristics inherent to soils define the maximum protective capacity of these pools, which limits increases in SOM (i.e. C sequestration) with increased organic residue inputs.

The CloudSat mission and the A-train: a new dimension of space-based observations of clouds and precipitation

Abstract: CloudSat is a satellite experiment designed to measure the vertical structure of clouds from space. The expected launch of CloudSat is planned for 2004, and once launched, CloudSat will orbit in formation as part of a constellation of satellites (the A-Train) that includes NASA's Aqua and Aura satellites, a NASA–CNES lidar satellite (CALIPSO), and a CNES satellite carrying a polarimeter (PARASOL). A unique feature that CloudSat brings to this constellation is the ability to fly a precise orbit enabling the fields of view of the CloudSat radar to be overlapped with the CALIPSO lidar footprint and the other measurements of the constellation. The precision and near simultaneity of this overlap creates a unique multisatellite observing system for studying the atmospheric processes essential to the hydrological cycle. The vertical profiles of cloud properties provided by CloudSat on the global scale fill a critical gap in the investigation of feedback mechanisms linking clouds to climate. Measuring these profi...

Interpretation of recent Southern Hemisphere climate change

Abstract: Climate variability in the high-latitude Southern Hemisphere (SH) is dominated by the SH annular mode, a large-scale pattern of variability characterized by fluctuations in the strength of the circumpolar vortex. We present evidence that recent trends in the SH tropospheric circulation can be interpreted as a bias toward the high-index polarity of this pattern, with stronger westerly flow encircling the polar cap. It is argued that the largest and most significant tropospheric trends can be traced to recent trends in the lower stratospheric polar vortex, which are due largely to photochemical ozone losses. During the summer-fall season, the trend toward stronger circumpolar flow has contributed substantially to the observed warming over the Antarctic Peninsula and Patagonia and to the cooling over eastern Antarctica and the Antarctic plateau.

Soil organic matter, biota and aggregation in temperate and tropical soils - Effects of no-tillage

Abstract: The long-term stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) in tropical and temperate regions is mediated by soil biota (e.g. fungi, bacte- ria, roots and earthworms), soil structure (e.g. aggregation) and their interactions. On average, soil C turnover was twice as fast in tropical com- pared with temperate regions, but no major differences were observed in SOM quality between the two regions. Probably due to the soil mineralogy dominated by 1:1 clay minerals and oxides in tropical regions, we found a higher aggregate stability, but a lower correlation between C contents and aggregate stability in tropical soils. In addition, a smaller amount of C associated with clay and silt particles was observed in tro- pical versus temperate soils. In both tropical and temperate soils, a general increase in C levels (≈ 325 ± 113 kg C·ha -1 ·yr -1 ) was observed under no-tillage compared with conventional tillage. On average, in temperate soils under no-tillage, compared with conventional tillage, CH4 uptake (≈ 0.42 ± 0.10 kg C-CH4·ha -1 ·yr -1

Entertainment—Education and Elaboration Likelihood: Understanding the Processing of Narrative Persuasion

Abstract: The impact of entertainment—education messages on beliefs, attitudes, and behavior is typically explained in terms of social cognitive theory principles. However, important additional insights regarding reasons why entertainment—education messages have effects can be derived from the processing of persuasive content in narrative messages. Elaboration likelihood approaches suggest that absorption in a narrative, and response to characters in a narrative, should enhance persuasive effects and suppress counterarguing if the implicit persuasive content is counterattitudinal. Also, persuasion mediators and moderators such as topic involvement should be reduced in importance. Evidence in support of these propositions are reviewed in this article. Research needed to extend application of these findings to entertainment—education contexts, to further develop theory in the area of persuasion and narrative, and to better account for other persuasive effects of entertainment narrative, such as those hypothesized in cultivation theory, are discussed.

Towards robust regional estimates of CO2 sources and sinks using atmospheric transport models.

Abstract: Information about regional carbon sources and sinks can be derived from variations in observed atmospheric CO2 concentrations via inverse modelling with atmospheric tracer transport models. A consensus has not yet been reached regarding the size and distribution of regional carbon fluxes obtained using this approach, partly owing to the use of several different atmospheric transport models. Here we report estimates of surface-atmosphere CO2 fluxes from an intercomparison of atmospheric CO2 inversion models (the TransCom 3 project), which includes 16 transport models and model variants. We find an uptake of CO2 in the southern extratropical ocean less than that estimated from ocean measurements, a result that is not sensitive to transport models or methodological approaches. We also find a northern land carbon sink that is distributed relatively evenly among the continents of the Northern Hemisphere, but these results show some sensitivity to transport differences among models, especially in how they respond to seasonal terrestrial exchange of CO2. Overall, carbon fluxes integrated over latitudinal zones are strongly constrained by observations in the middle to high latitudes. Further significant constraints to our understanding of regional carbon fluxes will therefore require improvements in transport models and expansion of the CO2 observation network within the tropics.

Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands.

Abstract: The invasion of woody vegetation into deserts, grasslands and savannas is generally thought to lead to an increase in the amount of carbon stored in those ecosystems. For this reason, shrub and forest expansion (for example, into grasslands) is also suggested to be a substantial, if uncertain, component of the terrestrial carbon sink1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. Here we investigate woody plant invasion along a precipitation gradient (200 to 1,100 mm yr-1) by comparing carbon and nitrogen budgets and soil δ13C profiles between six pairs of adjacent grasslands, in which one of each pair was invaded by woody species 30 to 100 years ago. We found a clear negative relationship between precipitation and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content when grasslands were invaded by woody vegetation, with drier sites gaining, and wetter sites losing, soil organic carbon. Losses of soil organic carbon at the wetter sites were substantial enough to offset increases in plant biomass carbon, suggesting that current land-based assessments may overestimate carbon sinks. Assessments relying on carbon stored from woody plant invasions to balance emissions may therefore be incorrect.

Free radical scavenging properties of wheat extracts.

Abstract: Three hard winter wheat varieties (Akron, Trego, and Platte) were examined and compared for their free radical scavenging properties and total phenolic contents (TPC) Free radical scavenging properties of wheat grain extracts were evaluated by spectrophotometric and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectrometry methods against stable 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryhydrazyl radical (DPPH*) and radical cation ABTS*+ (2,2'-azino-di[3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulfonate]) The results showed that the three wheat extracts differed in their capacities to quench or inhibit DPPH* and ABTS*+ Akron showed the greatest activity to quench DPPH radicals, while Platte had the highest capacity against ABTS*+ The ED50 values of wheat extracts against DPPH radicals were 060 mg/mL for Akron, 71 mg/mL for Trego, and 095 mg/mL for Platte under the experimental conditions The trolox equivalents against ABTS*+ were 131 +/- 044, 108 +/- 005, and 191 +/- 006 micromol/g of grain for Akron, Trego, and Platte wheat, respectively ESR results confirmed that wheat extracts directly reacted with and quenched free radicals The TPC were 4879 +/- 9278 microg gallic acid equivalents/g of grain No correlation was observed between TPC and radical scavenging capacities for DPPH* and ABTS*+ (p = 015 and p > 05, respectively)

Immunity-Related Genes and Gene Families in Anopheles gambiae

Abstract: We have identified 242 Anopheles gambiae genes from 18 gene families implicated in innate immunity and have detected marked diversification relative to Drosophila melanogaster. Immune-related gene families involved in recognition, signal modulation, and effector systems show a marked deficit of orthologs and excessive gene expansions, possibly reflecting selection pressures from different pathogens encountered in these insects' very different life-styles. In contrast, the multifunctional Toll signal transduction pathway is substantially conserved, presumably because of counterselection for developmental stability. Representative expression profiles confirm that sequence diversification is accompanied by specific responses to different immune challenges. Alternative RNA splicing may also contribute to expansion of the immune repertoire.

Advanced techniques for modeling avian nest survival

Abstract: Estimation of avian nest survival has traditionally involved simple measures of apparent nest survival or Mayfield constant-nest-survival models. However, these methods do not allow researchers to build models that rigorously assess the importance of a wide range of biological factors that affect nest survival. Models that incorporate greater detail, such as temporal variation in nest survival and covariates representative of individual nests represent a substantial improvement over traditional estimation methods. In an attempt to improve nest survival estimation procedures, we introduce the nest survival model now available in the program MARK and demonstrate its use on a nesting study of Mountain Plovers (Charadrius montanus Townsend) in Montana, USA. We modeled the daily survival of Mountain Plover nests as a function of the sex of the incubating adult, nest age, year, linear and quadratic time trends, and two weather covariates (maximum daily temperature and daily precipitation) during a six-year stud...

Riverine landscapes: taking landscape ecology into the water

Abstract: SUMMARY 1. Landscape ecology deals with the influence of spatial pattern on ecological processes. It considers the ecological consequences of where things are located in space, where they are relative to other things, and how these relationships and their consequences are contingent on the characteristics of the surrounding landscape mosaic at multiple scales in time and space. Traditionally, landscape ecologists have focused their attention on terrestrial ecosystems, and rivers and streams have been considered either as elements of landscape mosaics or as units that are linked to the terrestrial landscape by flows across boundaries or ecotones. Less often, the heterogeneity that exists within a river or stream has been viewed as a ‘riverscape’ in its own right. 2. Landscape ecology can be unified about six central themes: (1) patches differ in quality (2) patch boundaries affect flows, (3) patch context matters, (4) connectivity is critical, (5) organisms are important, and (6) the importance of scale. Although riverine systems differ from terrestrial systems by virtue of the strong physical force of hydrology and the inherent connectivity provided by water flow, all of these themes apply equally to aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and to the linkages between the two. 3. Landscape ecology therefore has important insights to offer to the study of riverine ecosystems, but these systems may also provide excellent opportunities for developing and testing landscape ecological theory. The principles and approaches of landscape ecology should be extended to include freshwater systems; it is time to take the ‘land’ out of landscape ecology.

Using Social Exchange Theory to Distinguish Procedural from Interactional Justice

Abstract: Organizational justice researchers have long debated the distinction between procedural and interactional justice. Recently, several researchers have proposed that procedural and interactional just...

A Single P450 Allele Associated with Insecticide Resistance in Drosophila

Abstract: Insecticide resistance is one of the most widespread genetic changes caused by human activity, but we still understand little about the origins and spread of resistant alleles in global populations of insects. Here, via microarray analysis of all P450s in Drosophila melanogaster, we show that DDT-R, a gene conferring resistance to DDT, is associated with overtranscription of a single cytochrome P450 gene, Cyp6g1. Transgenic analysis of Cyp6g1 shows that overtranscription of this gene alone is both necessary and sufficient for resistance. Resistance and up-regulation in Drosophila populations are associated with a single Cyp6g1 allele that has spread globally. This allele is characterized by the insertion of an Accord transposable element into the 5' end of the Cyp6g1 gene.

Mathematical modeling of watershed hydrology.

Abstract: Mathematical modeling of watershed hydrology is employed to address a wide spectrum of environmental and water re- sources problems. A historical perspective of hydrologic modeling is provided, and new developments and challenges in watershed models are discussed. These include data acquisition by remote sensing and space technology, digital terrain and elevation models, chemical tracers, geographic information and data management systems, topographic representation, upscaling of hydrologic conservation equa- tions, spatial variability of hydraulic roughness, infiltration and precipitation, spatial and temporal scaling, model calibration, and linking with water quality models. Model construction, calibration, and data processing have received a great deal of attention, while model validation, error propagation, and analyses of uncertainty, risk, and reliability have not been treated as thoroughly. Finally, some remarks are made regarding the future outlook for watershed hydrology modeling.

The BABAR detector

Abstract: BABAR, the detector for the SLAC PEP-II asymmetric e+e- B Factory operating at the upsilon 4S resonance, was designed to allow comprehensive studies of CP-violation in B-meson decays. Charged particle tracks are measured in a multi-layer silicon vertex tracker surrounded by a cylindrical wire drift chamber. Electromagentic showers from electrons and photons are detected in an array of CsI crystals located just inside the solenoidal coil of a superconducting magnet. Muons and neutral hadrons are identified by arrays of resistive plate chambers inserted into gaps in the steel flux return of the magnet. Charged hadrons are identified by dE/dx measurements in the tracking detectors and in a ring-imaging Cherenkov detector surrounding the drift chamber. The trigger, data acquisition and data-monitoring systems, VME- and network-based, are controlled by custom-designed online software. Details of the layout and performance of the detector components and their associated electronics and software are presented.

The influence of land-use change and landscape dynamics on the climate system: relevance to climate-change policy beyond the radiative effect of greenhouse gases.

Abstract: Our paper documents that land-use change impacts regional and global climate through the surface-energy budget, as well as through the carbon cycle. The surface-energy budget effects may be more important than the carbon-cycle effects. However, land-use impacts on climate cannot be adequately quantified with the usual metric of 'global warming potential'. A new metric is needed to quantify the human disturbance of the Earth's surface-energy budget. This 'regional climate change potential' could offer a new metric for developing a more inclusive climate protocol. This concept would also implicitly provide a mechanism to monitor potential local-scale environmental changes that could influence biodiversity.

Impact of several common tree species of European temperate forests on soil fertility

Abstract: The aim of the present work was to provide a synopsis of the scientific literature concerning the effects of different tree spe- cies on soil and to quantify the effect of common European temperate forest species on soil fertility. The scientific literature dealing with the tree species effect on soil has been reviewed. The composition of forest overstory has an impact on the chemical, physical and biolo- gical characteristics of soil. This impact was highest in the topsoil. Different tree species had significantly different effects on water ba- lance and microclimate. The physical characteristics of soils also were modified depending on the overstory species, probably through modifications of the soil fauna. The rates of organic matter mineralization and nitrification seem to be dependent on tree species. A coni- ferous species, Picea abies, had negative input-output budgets for some nutrients, such as Ca and Mg. This species promoted a higher soil acidification and a decrease in pH. Thus, it should not be planted in very poor soils in areas affected by acidic atmospheric deposi- tions. Nevertheless, the effect of the canopy species on soil fertility was rarely significant enough to promote forest decline. The impact of a tree species on soil fertility varied depending on the type of bedrock, climate and forest management. forest soils / tree species / fertility / sustainability / resiliency

Measuring and understanding carbon storage in afforested soils by physical fractionation

Abstract: Forested ecosystems have been identified as potential C sinks. However, the accuracy of measurement and understanding of the underlying mechanisms for soil organic C (SOC) storage in forested ecosystems needs to be improved. The objective of this study was to use aggregate and soil organic matter (SOM) fractionation techniques to identify SOC pools that preferentially stabilize SOC in the long term and elucidate SOC sequestration mechanisms in forested soils. At two sites (Wildlife area, Ohio and Kemptville, Ontario) representing two different soils (Hapludalf and Hapludoll), we sampled soils under agriculture, afforestation, and forest and separated them into aggregates. Different size classes of intra-aggregate particulate organic matter (iPOM) fractions were isolated by dqnsity flotation, dispersion, and sieving. At both sites, aggregation and whole SOC content were greater in the forested than in the agricultural ecosystems. The greater aggregation in forested ecosystems resulted in greater iPOM C concentrations, especially The iPOM C fractions associated with microaggregates (53-250 μm) and microaggregates occluded within macroaggregates (mM) (250-2000 μm). The sum of C in these fractions (microaggregate protected C) was 468 ± 29, 696 ± 171, 673 ± 70 g C m -2 in the agricultural, afforested, and forested soils at Kemptville, respectively. The difference in the microaggregate protected C between the agricultural and the afforested soils accounted, on average, for 20% of the difference in whole SOC stocks between the soils. We conclude, SOC is stabilized for a relatively longer term within microaggregates formed in afforested and forest systems. Therefore, we suggest a new fractionation scheme to isolate this microaggregate associated SOC for assessing the impact of land use, land management, and climate change on C storage.

Meeting ecological and societal needs for freshwater

Abstract: Human society has used freshwater from rivers, lakes, groundwater, and wetlands for many different urban, agricultural, and industrial activities, but in doing so has overlooked its value in supporting ecosystems. Freshwater is vital to human life and societal well-being, and thus its utilization for consumption, irrigation, and transport has long taken precedence over other commodities and services provided by freshwater ecosystems. However, there is growing recognition that functionally intact and biologically complex aquatic ecosystems provide many economically valuable services and long-term benefits to society. The short-term benefits include ecosystem goods and services, such as food supply, flood control, purification of human and industrial wastes, and habitat for plant and animal life—and these are costly, if not impossible, to replace. Long-term benefits include the sustained provision of those goods and services, as well as the adaptive capacity of aquatic ecosystems to respond to future environmental alterations, such as climate change. Thus, maintenance of the processes and properties that support freshwater ecosystem integrity should be included in debates over sustainable water resource allocation. The purpose of this report is to explain how the integrity of freshwater ecosystems depends upon adequate quantity, quality, timing, and temporal variability of water flow. Defining these requirements in a comprehensive but general manner provides a better foundation for their inclusion in current and future debates about allocation of water resources. In this way the needs of freshwater ecosystems can be legitimately recognized and addressed. We also recommend ways in which freshwater ecosystems can be protected, maintained, and restored. Freshwater ecosystem structure and function are tightly linked to the watershed or catchment of which they are a part. Because riverine networks, lakes, wetlands, and their connecting groundwaters, are literally the “sinks” into which landscapes drain, they are greatly influenced by terrestrial processes, including many human uses or modifications of land and water. Freshwater ecosystems, whether lakes, wetlands, or rivers, have specific requirements in terms of quantity, quality, and seasonality of their water supplies. Sustainability normally requires these systems to fluctuate within a natural range of variation. Flow regime, sediment and organic matter inputs, thermal and light characteristics, chemical and nutrient characteristics, and biotic assemblages are fundamental defining attributes of freshwater ecosystems. These attributes impart relatively unique characteristics of productivity and biodiversity to each ecosystem. The natural range of variation in each of these attributes is critical to maintaining the integrity and dynamic potential of aquatic ecosystems; therefore, management should allow for dynamic change. Piecemeal approaches cannot solve the problems confronting freshwater ecosystems. Scientific definitions of the requirements to protect and maintain aquatic ecosystems are necessary but insufficient for establishing the appropriate distribution between societal and ecosystem water needs. For scientific knowledge to be implemented science must be connected to a political agenda for sustainable development. We offer these recommendations as a beginning to redress how water is viewed and managed in the United States: (1) Frame national and regional water management policies to explicitly incorporate freshwater ecosystem needs, particularly those related to naturally variable flow regimes and to the linking of water quality with water quantity; (2) Define water resources to include watersheds, so that freshwaters are viewed within a landscape, or systems context; (3) Increase communication and education across disciplines, especially among engineers, hydrologists, economists, and ecologists to facilitate an integrated view of freshwater resources; (4) Increase restoration efforts, using well-grounded ecological principles as guidelines; (5) Maintain and protect the remaining freshwater ecosystems that have high integrity; and (6) Recognize the dependence of human society on naturally functioning ecosystems.

Two sides to attitudinal commitment: The effect of calculative and loyalty commitment on enforcement mechanisms in distribution channels

Abstract: Previous conceptualizations of attitudinal commitment are extended by considering two very different components of a manufacturer’s attachment to an independent channel intermediary. Relying on commitment theory, a model is developed that describes how attitudinal commitment may reside in either the instrumental or the social strain of a manufacturer’s relationship with its distributor. For each strain, the developmental role played by key facets of the channel setting—relative dependence, pledges, and trust—are shown. Furthermore, the nature of the attachment bond is posited to motivate very different governance mechanisms as the distribution agreement is enforced by either social or contractual means. Empirical support for the model demonstrates that an expanded view of attitudinal commitment is important in understanding the complex nature of attachment in channel relationships.

Inorganic Carbon Analysis by Modified Pressure-Calcimeter Method

Abstract: Soil organic C (SOC) analyses using high temperature induction furnace combustion methods have become increasing popular because of advances in instrumentation. Combustion methods, however, also include C from CaCO 3 and CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 found in calcareous soils. Separate analysis of the inorganic C (IC) must be done to correct C data from combustion methods. Our objective was to develop a efficient and precise IC method by modification of the pressure-calcimeter method. We modified the method by using Wheaton serum bottles (20-mL and 100-mL) sealed with butyl rubber stoppers and aluminum tear-off seals as the reaction vessel and a pressure transducer monitored by a digital voltmeter. Our gravimetric IC determination of six soils showed a strong correlation when regressed against IC from the modified pressure-calcimeter method (slope of 0.99, r 2 = 0.998). The method detection limit (MDL) was 0.17 g IC kg -1 for the 20-mL serum bottles and the limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.30 g IC kg -1 . The 100-mL serum bottle had a MDL of 0.42 with a LOQ of 2.4 g IC kg -1 . When using a 100-mL Wheaton serum bottle as the reaction vessel with a 0.50-g sample size, soils containing up to 120 g IC kg -1 , which represent a 100 % CaCO 3 equivalent, can be analyzed within the V output range of the pressure transducer. Soil organic C determined by subtraction of IC from total C from combustion analysis correlated well with SOC determined by the Walkley-Black.

Substituted polypyridine complexes of cobalt(II/III) as efficient electron-transfer mediators in dye-sensitized solar cells.

Abstract: A number of cobalt complexes of substituted polypyridine ligands were synthesized and investigated as possible alternatives to the volatile and corrosive iodide/triiodide redox couple commonly used as an electron-transfer mediator in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The extinction coefficients in the visible spectrum are on the order of 10(2) M(-1) cm(-1) for the majority of these complexes, diminishing competition with the light-harvesting dye. Cyclic voltammetric studies revealed a dramatic surface dependence of the heterogeneous electron-transfer rate, which is surprisingly different for gold, carbon, and platinum electrodes. DSSCs were assembled using a mediator that consisted of a mixture of Co(II) and Co(III) complexes in a 10:1 ratio. DSSCs containing these mediators were used to characterize incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency and photoelectrochemical responses. The best performing of these mediators were identified and subjected to further study. As suggested by electrochemical results, gold and carbon are superior cathode materials to platinum, and no evidence of corrosion on any cathode material was observed. Addition of lithium salts to the mediator solution resulted in a dramatic improvement in cell performance. The observed Li(+) effect is explained in terms of the recombination of injected electrons in the photoanode with the oxidized mediator. The best mediator, based on tris(4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-dipyridyl)cobalt(II/III) perchlorate, resulted in DSSCs exhibiting efficiencies within 80% of that of a comparable iodide/triiodide-mediated DSSC. Due to the commercial availability of the ligand and the simplicity with which the complex can be made, this new mediator represents a nonvolatile, noncorrosive, and practical alternative as an efficient electron-transfer mediator in DSSCs.

Stratospheric Connection to Northern Hemisphere Wintertime Weather: Implications for Prediction

Abstract: The dynamical coupling between the stratospheric and tropospheric circulations yields a statistically significant level of potential predictability for extreme cold events throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere (NH) mid‐high latitudes on both month-to-month and winter-to-winter timescales. Pronounced weakenings of the NH wintertime stratospheric polar vortex tend to be followed by episodes of anomalously low surface air temperatures and increased frequency of occurrence of extreme cold events throughout densely populated regions such as eastern North America, northern Europe, and eastern Asia that persist for ;2 months. Strengthenings of the vortex tend to be followed by surface temperature anomalies in the opposite sense. During midwinter, the quasibiennial oscillation (QBO) in the equatorial stratosphere has a similar but somewhat weaker impact on NH weather, presumably through its impact on the strength and stability of the stratospheric polar vortex; that is, the easterly phase of the QBO favors an increased incidence of extreme cold events, and vice versa. The signature of the QBO in NH wintertime temperatures is roughly comparable in amplitude to that observed in relation to

Discovering Niche Markets: A Comparison of Consumer Willingness to Pay for Local (Colorado Grown), Organic, and GMO-Free Products

Abstract: Demand for value-added products is highly segmented among different types of consumers. In this article, we assess consumer preferences for local, organic, and GMO-free potatoes in order to discover their potential niche markets. We identify sociodemographic characteristics that affect consumer preferences and compare the effects of different attributes on consumers' willingness to pay. Results suggest that the attribute “Colorado grown” carries a higher willingness to pay than organic and GMO-free attributes.

Multidrug Pump Inhibitors Uncover Remarkable Activity of Plant Antimicrobials

Abstract: Plant antimicrobials are not used as systemic antibiotics at present. The main reason for this is their low level of activity, especially against gram-negative bacteria. The reported MIC is often in the range of 100 to 1,000 μg/ml, orders of magnitude higher than those of common broad-spectrum antibiotics from bacteria or fungi. Major plant pathogens belong to the gram-negative bacteria, which makes the low level of activity of plant antimicrobials against this group of microorganisms puzzling. Gram-negative bacteria have an effective permeability barrier, comprised of the outer membrane, which restricts the penetration of amphipathic compounds, and multidrug resistance pumps (MDRs), which extrude toxins across this barrier. It is possible that the apparent ineffectiveness of plant antimicrobials is largely due to the permeability barrier. We tested this hypothesis in the present study by applying a combination of MDR mutants and MDR inhibitors. A panel of plant antimicrobials was tested by using a set of bacteria representing the main groups of plant pathogens. The human pathogens Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium were also tested. The results show that the activities of the majority of plant antimicrobials were considerably greater against the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus megaterium and that disabling of the MDRs in gram-negative species leads to a striking increase in antimicrobial activity. Thus, the activity of rhein, the principal antimicrobial from rhubarb, was potentiated 100- to 2,000-fold (depending on the bacterial species) by disabling the MDRs. Comparable potentiation of activity was observed with plumbagin, resveratrol, gossypol, coumestrol, and berberine. Direct measurement of the uptake of berberine, a model plant antimicrobial, confirmed that disabling of the MDRs strongly increases the level of penetration of berberine into the cells of gram-negative bacteria. These results suggest that plants might have developed means of delivering their antimicrobials into bacterial cells. These findings also suggest that plant antimicrobials might be developed into effective, broad-spectrum antibiotics in combination with inhibitors of MDRs.

Landbird counting techniques: current practices and an alternative

Abstract: Counting techniques are widely used to study and monitor terrestrial birds. To assess current applications of counting techniques, we reviewed landbird studies published 1989–1998 in nine major journals and one symposium. Commonly used techniques fell into two groups: procedures that used counts of bird detections as an index to abundance (index counts), and procedures that used empirical models of detectability to estimate density. Index counts rely upon assumptions concerning detectability that are difficult or impossible to meet in most field studies, but nonetheless remain the technique of choice among ornithologists; 95% of studies we reviewed relied upon point counts, strip transects, or other index procedures. Detectability-based density estimates were rarely used and deserve wider application in landbird studies. Distance sampling is a comprehensive extension of earlier detectability-based procedures (variable-width transects, variable circular plots) and a viable alternative to index cou...

Consumer/Producer Links in Fair Trade Coffee Networks

Abstract: This article analyzes the multifaceted connections linking consumers and producers in expanding North/South Fair Trade coffee networks. I develop a commodity network framework that builds on the commodity chain tradition, integrating insights from cultural studies, actor–network theory, and conventions approaches. This framework illuminates how material and ideological relations are negotiated across production and consumption arenas. In the case of Fair Trade, progressive ideas and practices related to trust, equality, and global responsibility are intertwined with traditional commercial and industrial conventions. As I demonstrate, the negotiation of these divergent conventions shortens the social distance between Fair Trade coffee consumers and producers. I conclude that by re–linking consumers and producers, commodity network analysis provides a robust entre for academic inquiry and engagement in alternative food politics.

Antarctic climate cooling and terrestrial ecosystem response

Abstract: The average air temperature at the Earth's surface has increased by 0.06 °C per decade during the 20th century1, and by 0.19 °C per decade from 1979 to 19982. Climate models generally predict amplified warming in polar regions3,4, as observed in Antarctica's peninsula region over the second half of the 20th century5,6,7,8,9. Although previous reports suggest slight recent continental warming9,10, our spatial analysis of Antarctic meteorological data demonstrates a net cooling on the Antarctic continent between 1966 and 2000, particularly during summer and autumn. The McMurdo Dry Valleys have cooled by 0.7 °C per decade between 1986 and 2000, with similar pronounced seasonal trends. Summer cooling is particularly important to Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems that are poised at the interface of ice and water. Here we present data from the dry valleys representing evidence of rapid terrestrial ecosystem response to climate cooling in Antarctica, including decreased primary productivity of lakes (6–9% per year) and declining numbers of soil invertebrates (more than 10% per year). Continental Antarctic cooling, especially the seasonality of cooling, poses challenges to models of climate and ecosystem change.