274 research outputs found

    Rio Mimbres Acequia Systems: An Oral History

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    This volume contains transcripts of interviews with various residents collected during the 1993 field phase of the survey of acequia systems in the Mimbres Valley. As noted in Volume 1, additional interviews were conducted with other residents, but were not recorded. Accordingly, no transcript of these interview sessions cannot be included here. The individuals interviewed, as well as the abbreviated names appearing in these transcripts, included John VonTress (JVT, age 57), Regis McSherry (RM, age 67), Sam Grijalva (age 73), Charles Disert (age 84), and Horace Bounds (HB, age 90). Vesta McSherry, appearing as VM in transcripts, provided additional information in the Regis McSherry interview. The narrative that results from compiling these quotations provides information about acequia systems extending back in time to approximately 1925. The actual transcripts are prefaced with excerpts from conversations with different individuals. These excerpts are organized according to specific topics pertaining to the construction, operation, and maintenance of floodwater irrigation systems in the Mimbres Valley. Topics include (1) water duty, (2) irrigation methods, (3) changes in crop production strategies, (4) the role of fatiga, ditch maintenance and the office of mayordomos, (5) derechos and rotation cycles, (6) characteristics and problems with ditches, and (7) sharecropping. Out of these quotations emerges a clearer picture of the problems associated with floodwater irrigation systems, as well as a detailed indication of the variety of solutions developed by local irrigators. The transcripts themselves deserve one further comment. Portions of the interview with Horace Bounds were adversely affected by what might be termed a major malfunction in the recording equipment. Words and phrases appearing in brackets are my reconstruction of the gist of the conversation and should not be considered direct quotations. Similar brackets appear in other interviews where I have inserted words or phrases to clarify what was being discussed.https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/cswr_dig_books/1004/thumbnail.jp

    Ulysses at 100

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    The year 2022 marked the 100th anniversary of the publication of Ulysses. The following reflections express different sentiments and thoughts about the novel that gave T. S. Eliot “all the surprise, delight, and terror that I can require.

    Adaptive Radiation in Mediterranean Cistus (Cistaceae)

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    lineage consists of 12 species primarily distributed in Mediterranean habitats and is herein subject to analysis. lineages), which display asymmetric characteristics: number of species (2 vs. 10), leaf morphologies (linear vs. linear to ovate), floral characteristics (small, three-sepalled vs. small to large, three- or five-sepalled flowers) and ecological attributes (low-land vs. low-land to mountain environments). A positive phenotype-environment correlation has been detected by historical reconstructions of morphological traits (leaf shape, leaf labdanum content and leaf pubescence). Ecological evidence indicates that modifications of leaf shape and size, coupled with differences in labdanum secretion and pubescence density, appear to be related to success of new species in different Mediterranean habitats.

    Modeling body size evolution in Felidae under alternative phylogenetic hypotheses

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    The use of phylogenetic comparative methods in ecological research has advanced during the last twenty years, mainly due to accurate phylogenetic reconstructions based on molecular data and computational and statistical advances. We used phylogenetic correlograms and phylogenetic eigenvector regression (PVR) to model body size evolution in 35 worldwide Felidae (Mammalia, Carnivora) species using two alternative phylogenies and published body size data. The purpose was not to contrast the phylogenetic hypotheses but to evaluate how analyses of body size evolution patterns can be affected by the phylogeny used for comparative analyses (CA). Both phylogenies produced a strong phylogenetic pattern, with closely related species having similar body sizes and the similarity decreasing with increasing distances in time. The PVR explained 65% to 67% of body size variation and all Moran's I values for the PVR residuals were non-significant, indicating that both these models explained phylogenetic structures in trait variation. Even though our results did not suggest that any phylogeny can be used for CA with the same power, or that “good” phylogenies are unnecessary for the correct interpretation of the evolutionary dynamics of ecological, biogeographical, physiological or behavioral patterns, it does suggest that developments in CA can, and indeed should, proceed without waiting for perfect and fully resolved phylogenies

    Merging paleobiology with conservation biology to guide the future of terrestrial ecosystems

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    Conservation of species and ecosystems is increasingly difficult because anthropogenic impacts are pervasive and accelerating. Under this rapid global change, maximizing conservation success requires a paradigm shift from maintaining ecosystems in idealized past states toward facilitating their adaptive and functional capacities, even as species ebb and flow individually. Developing effective strategies under this new paradigm will require deeper understanding of the long-term dynamics that govern ecosystem persistence and reconciliation of conflicts among approaches to conserving historical versus novel ecosystems. Integrating emerging information from conservation biology, paleobiology, and the Earth sciences is an important step forward on the path to success. Maintaining nature in all its aspects will also entail immediately addressing the overarching threats of growing human population, overconsumption, pollution, and climate change.Peer reviewe

    Evolution of Competitive Ability: An Adaptation Speed vs. Accuracy Tradeoff Rooted in Gene Network Size

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    Ecologists have increasingly come to understand that evolutionary change on short time-scales can alter ecological dynamics (and vice-versa), and this idea is being incorporated into community ecology research programs. Previous research has suggested that the size and topology of the gene network underlying a quantitative trait should constrain or facilitate adaptation and thereby alter population dynamics. Here, I consider a scenario in which two species with different genetic architectures compete and evolve in fluctuating environments. An important trade-off emerges between adaptive accuracy and adaptive speed, driven by the size of the gene network underlying the ecologically-critical trait and the rate of environmental change. Smaller, scale-free networks confer a competitive advantage in rapidly-changing environments, but larger networks permit increased adaptive accuracy when environmental change is sufficiently slow to allow a species time to adapt. As the differences in network characteristics increase, the time-to-resolution of competition decreases. These results augment and refine previous conclusions about the ecological implications of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits, emphasizing a role of adaptive accuracy. Along with previous work, in particular that considering the role of gene network connectivity, these results provide a set of expectations for what we may observe as the field of ecological genomics develops

    Climate Change and the Future of California's Endemic Flora

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    The flora of California, a global biodiversity hotspot, includes 2387 endemic plant taxa. With anticipated climate change, we project that up to 66% will experience >80% reductions in range size within a century. These results are comparable with other studies of fewer species or just samples of a region's endemics. Projected reductions depend on the magnitude of future emissions and on the ability of species to disperse from their current locations. California's varied terrain could cause species to move in very different directions, breaking up present-day floras. However, our projections also identify regions where species undergoing severe range reductions may persist. Protecting these potential future refugia and facilitating species dispersal will be essential to maintain biodiversity in the face of climate change
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