Using Geographic Information Systems to Identify Habitat for the Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) in Western New York

The Golden-winged Warbler (Vermivora chrysoptera) is a passerine species whose populations have decreased internationally by approximately 66 percent since the 1960s, and by approximately 50 percent in New York. Major causes for declines are from loss of shrubland habitat and through hybridization with the Blue-winged Warbler (Vermivora cyanoptera). This study utilized published data and expert opinion on Golden-winged Warbler (GWWA) habitat requirements to create habitat suitability models within the Western Finger Lakes Region of NY (NYSDEC Region 8) using a geographic information system. This region is an important area for migratory birds and is previously unstudied for GWWA. The concentration of potential GWWA habitat was identified within the central part of the study area, dubbed the “Central Band”, comprising of areas within Livingston, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, and Yates Counties. Sighting data from the Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s eBird Program (eBird) were utilized to test for the presence of GWWA within predicted habitat sites. BBS data were useful as an indicator of the model’s effectiveness, with two-thirds of BBS routes containing GWWA sightings intersecting predicted prime habitat sites. Cornell’s eBird sighting data were less effective as an indicator of the model’s accuracy, as available eBird data may contain spatial bias through under-reporting by fewer birders in areas of high habitat concentrations. This study also analyzed proximity of GWWA habitat to public and privately managed lands, offering specific locations where GWWA conservation plans, like NYSDEC’s Young Tree Initiative, could effectively be implemented with a focus on breeding bird habitat. GWWA habitat conservation is significant, as their habitat is also utilized by other species of conservation concern, such as American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) and Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus), making GWWA a type of umbrella species within early successional habitat

The BorrowBike

The BorrowBike is turning UP\u27s bike rental system from an inconvenient process to a hassle-free swipe of a card. BorrowBike\u27s smart lock and online web application streamlines the check-out process and allows bikes to be rented at any time of the day.https://pilotscholars.up.edu/egr_project/1025/thumbnail.jp

A century of weed change in New Zealand’s forage seed multiplication industry

International seed trading provides a significant introductory pathway for weed seeds, and many globally established weeds originated as contaminants in agricultural seed lots. Management of these trade systems helps minimize agricultural losses and is an important means of preventing future biological incursions. Forage crop seed lots could be considered higher risk than seed lots of arable and vegetable crops, as they have been found to have a higher percentage of contaminated seed lots. Two of the most commonly used temperate forage crops worldwide are perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens). New Zealand is one of the top producers of these crop seeds globally, and both species are commonly used in New Zealand pastures. Using historical and current seed lot analytical purity test results, we examined the frequency, identity and temporal changes of weed seeds found within agricultural seed lots of perennial ryegrass and white clover grown in New Zealand from 1912 to 2019. Overall, the percentage of contaminated forage seed lots decreased between approximately three to sixfold over the study period, indicating that herbicide availability, seed certification and improved crop management have been effective for weed control. However, we identified a handful of annual weed species that could become more problematic in the future, either because they showed an increasing presence trend in seed lots or were identified as the most common contaminants. In 2019, Vulpia bromoides was the most common contaminant in perennial ryegrass seed lots, and Chenopodium album was the most common in white clover seed lots. Sherardia arvensis and Poa annua, both significant species with an increasing presence trend, had the largest increases in perennial ryegrass seed lots over the study period. Conversely, Rumex acetosella had the largest presence decline for both crop species. There was a significant difference between the percentage of contaminant species that were grass weeds between study crops, where perennial ryegrass seed lots had approximately four times more grass species than white clover. Considering New Zealand trades crop seed with approximately half of the world’s countries and contributes substantially to the global supply of forage seed, our study provides a unique insight into changes of the weed spectrum throughout the seed for sowing system over the last century

Effects of holistic grazing management on milk production, weight gain, and visitation to grazing areas by livestock and wildlife in Laikipia County, Kenya

Background: Grazing is an important management tool for maintaining healthy ecosystems and improving rangelands productivity. However, its effectiveness for this purpose is dependent on timing and frequency of grazing, as well as the type of animal. Understanding the effects of grazing management on rangeland ecosystems is critical in ensuring sustainable use of grazing resources and enhanced livestock production. This study assessed the effects of holistic grazing on animal productivity and range use pattern in Laikipia County of Kenya. Results: The results revealed that the average milk yields (106 ± 20.1) of animals in holistic grazing areas (HGA) were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in traditional grazing areas (TGA) (101 ± 20.1).Weight gain of animals in HGA was significantly (0.13 ± 0.01) higher as compared to those in TGA (0.07 ± 0.01). The number of livestock grazing was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in HGA (74 ± 10 %) than those in TGA (57 ± 10 %). In addition, the number of wildlife grazing was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in HGA (74 ± 18 %) than in TGA (32 ± 18 %). Conclusions: The results indicate that holistic grazing management has the potential to improve animal performance, as well as condition of range areas as evident in the preference shown by frequent visits to HGA by both livestock and wildlife

The phytosanitary risks posed by seeds for sowing trade networks

When successful, the operation of local and international networks of crop seed distribution or “seed systems” ensures farmer access to seed and impacts rural livelihoods and food security. Farmers are both consumers and producers in seed systems and benefit from access to global markets. However, phytosanitary measures and seed purity tests are also needed to maintain seed quality and prevent the spread of costly weeds, pests and diseases, in some countries regulatory controls have been in place since the 1800s. Nevertheless, seed contaminants are internationally implicated in between 7% and 37% of the invasive plant species and many of the agricultural pests and diseases. We assess biosecurity risk across international seed trade networks of forage crops using models of contaminant spread that integrate network connectivity and trade volume. To stochastically model hypothetical contaminants through global seed trade networks, realistic dispersal probabilities were estimated from quarantine weed seed detections and incursions from border security interception data in New Zealand. For our test case we use contaminants linked to the global trade of ryegrass and clover seed. Between 2014 and 2018 only four quarantine weed species (222 species and several genera are on the quarantine schedule) warranting risk mitigation were detected at the border. Quarantine weeds were rare considering that average import volumes were over 190 tonnes for ryegrass and clover, but 105 unregulated contaminant species were allowed in. Ryegrass and clover seed imports each led to one post-border weed incursion response over 20 years. Trade reports revealed complex global seed trade networks spanning >134 (ryegrass) and >110 (clover) countries. Simulations showed contaminants could disperse to as many as 50 (clover) or 80 (ryegrass) countries within 10 time-steps. Risk assessed via network models differed 18% (ryegrass) or 48% (clover) of the time compared to risk assessed on trade volumes. We conclude that biosecurity risk is driven by network position, the number of trading connections and trade volume. Risk mitigation measures could involve the use of more comprehensive lists of regulated species, comprehensive inspection protocols, or the addition of field surveillance at farms where seed is planted

Weed seed contamination in imported seed lots entering New Zealand

Imports of seeds for sowing are a major pathway for the introduction of contaminant seeds, and many agricultural weeds globally naturalised originally have entered through this pathway. Effective management of this pathway is a significant means of reducing future plant introductions and helps minimise agricultural losses. Using a national border inspection database, we examined the frequency, origin and identity of contaminant seeds within seed for sowing shipments entering New Zealand between 2014-2018. Our analysis looked at 41,610 seed lots across 1,420 crop seed species from over 90 countries. Overall, contamination was rare, occurring in 1.9% of all seed lots. Among the different crop types, the arable category had the lowest percentage of seed lots contaminated (0.5%) and the forage category had the highest (12.6%). Crop seeds Capsicum, Phaseolus and Solanum had the lowest contamination rates (0.0%). Forage crops Medicago (27.3%) and Trifolium (19.8%) had the highest contamination rates. Out of 191 genera recorded as contaminants, Chenopodium was the most common. Regulated quarantine weeds were the rarest contaminant type, only occurring in 0.06% of seed lots. Sorghum halepense was the most common quarantine species and was only found in vegetable seed lots. Vegetable crop seed lots accounted for approximately half of all quarantine species detections, Raphanus sativus being the most contaminated vegetable crop. Larger seed lots were significantly more contaminated and more likely to contain a quarantine species than smaller seed lots. These findings support International Seed Testing Association rules on maximum seed lot weights. Low contamination rates suggest industry practices are effective in minimising contaminant seeds. Considering New Zealand inspects every imported seed lot, utilises a working sample size 5 times larger than International Seed Testing Association rules require, trades crop seed with approximately half of the world's countries and imports thousands of crop seed species, our study provides a unique overview of contaminant seeds that move throughout the seed for sowing system

Barrister News, 1968 Winter, V. 15 No. 2

New Law Center, New Professors, Red Mass, Library Donations, Law Wives, Who's Who Selections, Student Bar Elections, Dean's List, Last Look at Old Law Schoo

Barrister News, 1968 Winter, V. 15 No. 2

New Law Center, New Professors, Red Mass, Library Donations, Law Wives, Who's Who Selections, Student Bar Elections, Dean's List, Last Look at Old Law Schoo

Meeting high-risk patient pain care needs through intensive primary care: a secondary analysis

Objective Chronic pain disproportionately affects medically and psychosocially complex patients, many of whom are at high risk of hospitalisation. Pain prevalence among high-risk patients, however, is unknown, and pain is seldom a focus for improving high-risk patient outcomes. Our objective is to (1) evaluate pain frequency in a high-risk patient population and (2) identify intensive management (IM) programme features that patients and providers perceive as important for promoting patient-centred pain care within primary care (PC)-based IM.Design Secondary observational analysis of quantitative and qualitative evaluation data from a multisite randomised PC-based IM programme for high-risk patients.Setting Five integrated local Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare systems within distinct VA administrative regions.Participants Staff and high-risk PC patients in the VA.Intervention A multisite randomised PC-based IM programme for high-risk patients.Outcome measures (a) Pain prevalence based on VA electronic administrative data and (b) transcripts of interviews with IM staff and patients that mentioned pain.Results Most (70%, 2593/3723) high-risk patients had at least moderate pain. Over one-third (38%, 40/104) of the interviewees mentioned pain or pain care. There were 89 pain-related comments addressing IM impacts on pain care within the 40 interview transcripts. Patient-identified themes were that IM improved communication and responsiveness to pain. PC provider-identified themes were that IM improved workload and access to expertise. IM team member-identified themes were that IM improved pain care coordination, facilitated non-opioid pain management options and mitigated provider compassion fatigue. No negative IM impacts on pain care were mentioned.Conclusions Pain is common among high-risk patients. Future IM evaluations should consider including a focus on pain and pain care, with attention to impacts on patients, PC providers and IM teams

Appendix 4 - Supplemental material for New Mining Concessions Could Severely Decrease Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Ecuador

<p>Supplemental material, Appendix 4 for New Mining Concessions Could Severely Decrease Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Ecuador by Bitty A. Roy, Martin Zorrilla, Lorena Endara, Dan C. Thomas, Roo Vandegrift, Jesse M. Rubenstein, Tobias Policha, Blanca Ríos-Touma and Morley Read in Tropical Conservation Science</p