Article
Environmental Studies
Barry Middleton, Laura Norman
Summary: Research has shown that since the late 1800s, pinyon-juniper woodland in the western U.S. has increased in density and area, encroaching into former grassland areas. The San Carlos Apache Tribe is working towards restoring their tribal woodlands back to historical conditions, focusing on converting juniper woodland back into a more open savanna landscape. Active restoration efforts have shown success in returning woodland canopy cover to levels similar to those measured in 1935.
Article
Geography, Physical
Gonzalo Jimenez-Moreno, R. Scott Anderson, Vera Markgraf, Spencer E. Staley, Peter J. Fawcett
Summary: A recent study analyzed pollen from sediment cores obtained from Stoneman Lake in Arizona, revealing the paleoenvironmental history of the region over the past 130,000 years. The study identified MIS5e as the warmest period and the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as the coldest period. The research also suggests that there may be an increase in P. edulis and Juniperus forest species in the near future. The study highlights the significant role of orbital-scale climate changes in controlling environmental changes in the area.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Abdelkader Dermane, Leila Bendifallah, Denis Michez, Thomas J. Wood
Summary: This study presents a list of Andrena genus species in western Algeria, identifying 56 species including one new for Algeria's fauna. It also analyzed the preliminary pollen preferences of the most common Andrena species in Algeria for the first time, with seven polylectic and 12 oligolectic species identified. This work provides a baseline for future studies on Andrena diet and is one of the first studies on the floral preferences of North African bees.
ANNALES DE LA SOCIETE ENTOMOLOGIQUE DE FRANCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Helen W. Beeson, Scott W. Mccoy
Summary: The timing, rates, and spatial patterns of elevation change in the Sierra Nevada are analyzed in this study using fluvial geomorphology measures and landscape evolution modeling. The results suggest that westward-draining rivers in the Sierra Nevada are in a disequilibrium state due to significant down-to-the-west tilting in the last 11 million years. The study also finds that surface uplift from late Cenozoic tilting appears to have been similar along strike and heavily modulated by lithology and drainage area exchange.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
H. W. Beeson, S. W. McCoy
Summary: The author responded to Gabet's criticisms and defended their interpretation of migrating knickpoints in the Sierra and their estimates of surface uplift. They used systematic topographic analysis and various methods to identify consistent trends of uplift timing and magnitude along the length of the range. Although pinpointing the timing of the most recent tectonic event is challenging, they argue that the uncertain estimate is valuable for understanding the tectonic history of the Sierra.
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Cornelia Rasmussen, Randall B. Irmis, Roland Mundil, Morgan F. Schaller, John Geissman, William G. Parker, Christopher J. Lepre, Paul E. Olsen
Summary: This study examines the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation in Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona, using data from the Colorado Plateau Coring Project. The research suggests a possible correlation between the Manicouagan impact event and the Adamanian-Revueltian biotic turnover event, but establishing a causal relationship between the two remains challenging. Additionally, the study finds that the climate became drier, which may have contributed to the biotic turnover event.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geology
Marton Szabo, Manuel Brazidec, Vincent Perrichot, Imre Szenti, Akos Kukovecz, Attila Osi
Summary: This paper describes three new species of wasps from the recently re-discovered ajkaite amber in Hungary, providing valuable information for understanding the fossil record of the Cretaceous period.
CRETACEOUS RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Aaron Conley, Samantha E. Ramirez, Jason W. Ricketts, Richard P. Langford, Terry L. Pavlis, Matthew T. Heizler
Summary: The rocks exposed in the southern Indio Mountains provide an important geologic record of the transition from Laramide contraction to Rio Grande rift extension. A combination of geologic mapping, sedimentological and structural analysis, and geo-thermochronology has revealed a series of rock deformations and sedimentation events in western Texas, shedding light on its geological history and tectonic characteristics.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Aaron Conley, Samantha E. Ramirez, Jason W. Ricketts, Richard P. Langford, Terry L. Pavlis, Matthew T. Heizler
Summary: Rocks in the southern Indio Mountains have recorded the transition from Laramide compression to Rio Grande rift extension, providing important geological information. The study combines various methods to analyze the timing and nature of this transition in western Texas, serving as a valuable comparison to the well-studied tectonic and erosional history of New Mexico and Colorado.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Aaron Conley, Samantha E. Ramirez, Jason W. Ricketts, Richard P. Langford, Terry L. Pavlis, Matthew T. Heizler
Summary: Rocks in the southern Indio Mountains record the transition from Laramide compression to Rio Grande rift extension. The geologic mapping and analysis demonstrate the presence of folded and faulted Mesozoic rocks deformed during Laramide compression, tilted Eocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks filling a paleo valley, and Miocene conglomerate deposited within a rift half-graben. The timing and nature of this transition provide important insights into the tectonic history of western Texas and its comparison with neighboring regions.
Review
Zoology
Amber Bass, Karen Needham, Andrew M. R. Bennett
Summary: Vespa crabro is reported as an adventive species in British Columbia, Canada for the first time, with DNA barcoding confirming its identity. Vespa simillima and Vespa soror were also identified through DNA barcoding in the study. No evidence of established populations of these species in the province was found.
Article
Zoology
A. P. Ranjith, Dharma Rajan Priyadarsanan
Summary: The Indo-Australian braconine genus, Nedinoschiza Cameron, 1911, is reported for the first time from the Indian subcontinent. A new species, N. indica Ranjith sp. nov., is described and illustrated with a taxonomic key for the extant Nedinoschiza species. The generic diagnosis of Nedinoschiza is revised along with the illustrations of two species, N. seminigra (Szepligeti) and N. pinguis Papp.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
A. T. Steelquist, G. E. Hilley, I Lucchitta, R. A. Young
Summary: The timing of the Colorado River system integration is crucial for understanding the landscape evolution in the southwestern United States. This study reevaluated the age of fluvial gravels on the Shivwits Plateau to determine the presence of clasts from south of the Grand Canyon, with results suggesting that the canyon may have existed prior to the deposition of the gravels. Additionally, analysis supports a post-Miocene deposition age of about 5.4 million years, challenging previous constraints on the timing of Grand Canyon incision.
Article
Plant Sciences
Stephen J. Tulowiecki
Summary: Pawpaw in western NYS is mainly found in warm and dry climates, with slightly acidic and deep soil. The study utilized an ensemble of small models approach to model the distribution, showing a high ability to identify pawpaw presences.
Article
Forestry
Rachel K. Brooks, Daniel Omdal, Samuel Brown, Collin J. Marshall, Joseph M. Hulbert, Marianne Elliott, Gary Chastagner
Summary: The recent discovery of the invasive fungus Cryptostroma corticale in Seattle, Washington, USA is concerning due to its potential impact on both trees and human health. The fungus, which causes sooty bark disease, has been found to be well-distributed throughout western Washington, with a high detection rate in mature bigleaf maple trees. Although signs of the disease were rarely observed on individual trees, the overall condition of the bigleaf maples surveyed was considered healthy. Increased awareness of this fungus and the disease it causes can inform management strategies and highlight the need for further research.
