Bostonia. Volume 28

Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs

Quantifying relationships between phosphorus availability and mycorrhizal associations in wetland plants

Increasing evidence indicates that plant community structure and therefore ecosystem function are mediated by below-ground fungal communities that form intracellular associations with plant roots called mycorrhizal associations. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a type of mycorrhiza that colonize the plant host intracellularly but maintain hyphae outside the root cell for resource acquisition. The importance and function of AMF associations are well-documented in terrestrial ecosystems, but are less understood in aquatic or semi-aquatic systems. Phosphorus availability is the primary factor influencing mycorrhizal colonization and growth in terrestrial soils, with phosphorus-abundant soils leading to a decrease in mycorrhizal growth. However, the relationship between arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization and phosphorus supply in wetland systems is not well understood. Previous studies have examined this relationship, but have been limited by methodology and have indicated the need for studies closely mimicking natural conditions. To address this need, a field-based study was performed examining the mycorrhizal colonization of wetland plants growing in a natural wetland. Since field studies allow for only limited isolation and control of variables, a greenhouse study was also performed to isolate the impacts of phosphorus on mycorrhizal colonization in wetland plants. This study showed that phosphorus concentrations between 10 and 30 µg/L PO4-P are sufficient to alter mycorrhizal colonization in wetland plants, but the responses are species-specific. This variable impact on mycorrhizal colonization could induce species-specific responses in wetland plants, leading to shifts in community composition of wetland vegetation and ecosystem functioning

Mapping a New Socio-Political Landscape: British Columbia, 1871-1874

Historians have generally believed that the provincial legislature in post-Confederation British Columbia divided along “Island vs. Mainland” lines prior to the introduction of political parties. This myth is challenged in a study using political voting records and the computer-based methods of legislative roll-call analysis. A systematic re-examination of a traditional source, nineteenth-century newspapers, further supports a new interpretation: that in the inaugural period of Confederation an “Island vs. Mainland” schism did not exist in the B.C. legislature, but a “Rural vs. Urban” split was evident. The underlying divisive issue was adoption of the Canadian tariff.Les historiens ont cru en général que la législature provinciale de la Colombie- Britannique post-Confédération était partagée par une ligne de démarcation entre les représentants de l’île de Vancouver et ceux de la terre ferme avant l’arrivée des partis politiques. Ce mythe est contesté dans une étude fondée sur les documents électoraux politiques et les méthodes informatiques de l’analyse du vote législatif par appel nominal. Le réexamin systématique d’une source traditionnelle, les journaux du XIXe siècle, appuie également une nouvelle interprétation voulant qu’aucun schisme « île versus terre ferme » n’existait à la législature britannocolombienne durant la période inaugurale de la Confédération, mais qu’on y observait bel et bien une division « milieu rural versus milieu urbain ». La question divisive sous-jacente était l’adoption d’un tarif canadien

THE DERIVED DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION SCHEDULING SERVICES

Scientific irrigation scheduling is a technique for systematically determining the proper date and quantity of each irrigation in individual fields. This technique is presently being used by government agencies and private companies in the Western United States to assist farmers in planning irrigations. This paper presents the results of a case study of the regional economic effects of scheduling the A & B District in Idaho. The analysis indicated that substantial reductions in total water use resulted from implementation of the service. However, the acreage of scheduled irrigation actively was found to be sensitive to the cost of the service and the cost of irrigation water.Farm Management,