Stellar Reaction Rates for ^(28)Si

Stellar rates for the reactions ^(27)Al(p,-y)^(28)Si and ^(24)Mg(ɑ,-y)^(28)Si have been calculated from new cross- section data for these reactions. The contributions to the interaction rates, (σv)_(py) and (σv)_(ay), and to the corresponding photodisintegration rates, λ_(yp) and λ_(ya), from the excited states of ^(27)Al, ^(24)Mg, and ^(28)Si are discussed. The calculated interaction rates, N_A(σv), are listed for temperatures from 0.1 X 10^9º to 5.0 X 10^9° K; two- and four-parameter fits are given for N_A(σv) as a function of temperature

Construction, assembly and testing of the ATLAS hadronic end-cap calorimeter

The construction and assembly of the four wheels of the ATLAS hadronic end-cap calorimeter and their insertion into the two end-cap cryostats are described. The results of the qualification tests prior to installation of the two cryostats in the ATLAS experimental cavern are reviewed

Ecological forecasting—21st century science for 21st century management

Natural resource managers are coping with rapid changes in both environmental conditions and ecosystems. Enabled by recent advances in data collection and assimilation, short-term ecological forecasting may be a powerful tool to help resource managers anticipate impending near-term changes in ecosystem conditions or dynamics. Managers may use the information in forecasts to minimize the adverse effects of ecological stressors and optimize the effectiveness of management actions. To explore the potential for ecological forecasting to enhance natural resource management, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) convened a workshop titled "Building Capacity for Applied Short-Term Ecological Forecasting" on May 29—31, 2019, with participants from several Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well as all mission areas within the USGS. Participants broadly agreed that short-term ecological forecasting—on the order of days to years into the future—has tremendous potential to improve the quality and timeliness of information available to guide resource management decisions. Participants considered how ecological forecasting could directly affect their agency missions and specified numerous critical tools for addressing natural resource management concerns in the 21st century that could be enhanced by ecological forecasting. Given this breadth of possible applications for forecast products, participants developed a repeatable framework for evaluating potential value of a forecast product for enhancing resource management. Applying that process to a large list of forecast ideas that were developed in a brainstorming session, participants identified a small set of promising forecast products that illustrate the value of ecological forecasting for informing resource management. Workshop outcomes also include insights about important likely obstacles and next steps. In particular, reliable production and delivery of operational ecological forecasts will require a sustained commitment by research agencies, in partnership with resource management agencies, to maintain and improve forecasting tools and capabilities.https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr2020107

Seventy-Five Years of Vegetation Treatments on Public Rangelands in the Great Basin of North America

Land treatments occurring over millions of hectares of public rangelands in the Great Basin over the last 75 years represent one of the largest vegetation manipulation and restoration efforts in the world. The ability to use legacy data from land treatments in adaptive management and ecological research has improved with the creation of the Land Treatment Digital Library (LTDL), a spatially explicit database of land treatments conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The LTDL contains information on over 9,000 confirmed land treatments in the Great Basin, composed of seedings (58%), vegetation control treatments (24%), and other types of vegetation or soil manipulations (18%). The potential application of land treatment legacy data for adaptive management or for retrospective analyses of effects of land management actions on physical, hydrological, and ecological patterns and processes is considerable and just beginning to be realized. © 2016The Rangelands archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact [email protected] for further information