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Disturbance And Plant Succession In The Mojave And Sonoran Deserts Of The American Southwest, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Disturbances such as fire, land clearing, and road building remove vegetation and can have major influences on public health through effects on air quality, aesthetics, recreational opportunities, natural resource availability, and economics. Plant recovery and succession following disturbance are poorly understood in arid lands relative to more temperate regions. This study quantitatively reviewed vegetation reestablishment following a variety of disturbances in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of southwestern North America. A total of 47 studies met inclusion criteria for the review. The time estimated by 29 individual studies for full reestablishment of total perennial plant cover was 76 years. Although …

Wheat Cultivar-Specific Disease Synergism And Alteration Of Virus Accumulation During Co-Infection With Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus And Triticum Mosaic Virus, Satyanarayana Tatineni, Robert A. Graybosch, Gary L. Hein, Stephen N. Wegulo, Roy French

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Triticum mosaic virus (TriMV), the type member of the newly proposed Poacevirus genus, and Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), the type member of Tritimovirus genus of the family Potyviridae, infect wheat naturally in the Great Plains and are transmitted by wheat curl mites. In this study, we examined the ability of these viruses to infect selected cereal hosts, and found several differential hosts between TriMV and WSMV. Additionally, we examined the interaction between WSMV and TriMV in three wheat cultivars at two temperature regimens (19 and 20 to 26°C), and quantified the virus concentration in single and double infections …

Lake Mead National Recreation Area Vegetation Monitoring And Analysis: Final Project Report, Scott R. Abella, Margaret N. Rees

Vegetation Monitoring

Vegetation Monitoring and Analysis at Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NRA) was funded by the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, Lower Colorado River Multi-Species Conservation Program, and Lake Mead NRA base-funds. This Cooperative Task Agreement was awarded to the Public Lands Institute (PLI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) on September 30, 2006 with the term ending December 31, 2009, as modified. The primary purpose of this Task Agreement was to work within an interagency framework towards the accomplishment of three main vegetation management objectives. These three goals were to: (1) inventory, research …

Growing Alfalfa For Wildlife, Don Ball

Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference

Alfalfa has long been recognized as a superb forage crop, which is why it is widely grown for dairy cattle, horses, sheep, and many other types of domesticated forage-consuming animals. Reasons for its popularity include wide adaptation, excellent nutritive value, good yield potential, perennial growth habit, a long growing season, and the fact that (in association with Rhizobium bacteria) it is a nitrogen-fixing legume that does not require periodic applications of nitrogen fertilizer.

Crop Updates 2010 - Crop Specific, Hugh J. Beckie, Wallace Cowling, T. N. Khan, K. Adhikari, K. Siddique, J. Garlinge, L. Smith, S. Morgan, C. Boyd, Ian Pritchard, Chris Veitch, Alan Harris, Tony Leonforts, Murray Blyth, Shari Dougal, Kristy Hobson, Ben Curtis, Doug Sawkins, D. Stephens, Ciara Beard, Kith Jayasena, Kazue Tanaka, Anne Smith, Brenda Coutts, Roger Jones, Jean Galloway, Pip Payne, Tess Humphreys, William Macleod, Ravjit Khangura, M. Aberra, H. Mian, Geoff Thomas, Dusty Severtson, Peter Mangano, Monica Kehoe, Madeline A. Tucker, Neil Barker, Robert Loughman, Larisa Cato, Ken Quail, Mohammad Amjad, Mark Seymour, Justin Kudnig, Mark Thompson, Anton Mannes, Michael Uttley, Chris Fletcher, Andrew Etherton, Nick Joyce, Kate Light, Peter Hamblin, Michael Lamond, Alan Meldrum, Wayne Parker, Steve Penny Jr, Sarah Ellis, Brenda Shackley, Christine Zaicou, Shajahan Miyan, Darshan Sharma, Ben Curtis, Greg Shea, Bevan Buirchell, David Harris, Bob French

Crop Updates

This session covers twenty four papers from different authors:

PLENARY

1. Challenges facing western Canadian cropping over the next 10 years, Hugh J Beckie, Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon,

Saskatchewan

CROP SPECIFIC

Breeding

2. The challenge of breeding canola hybrids – new opportunities for WA growers, Wallace Cowling, Research Director, Canola Breeders Western Australia Pty Ltd

3. Chickpea 2009 crop variety testing of germplasm developed by DAFWA/CLIMA/ICRISAT/COGGO alliance. Khan, TN1,3, Adhikari, K1,3, Siddique, K2, Garlinge, J1, Smith, L1, Morgan, S1 and Boyd, C1 1Department …

Crop Updates 2010 - Genetically Modified Crops, Nutrition And Soils, James Fisher, Désirée Futures, Peter Tozer, Mike Jackson, John Moore, Jamees Neilsen, Geoff Anderson, Wen Chen, Richard Bell, Paul Blackwell, Allan Herbert, Stephen Davies, Ross Brennan, Mike Bolland, James Easton, Ryan Guthrie, Rowan Madderm, Robert Belford, Wal Anderson, Ian Edwards, Reg Lunt, Bill Bowden, Nigel Metz, Peter Newman, Breanne Best, Chris Gazey, Joel Andrew

Crop Updates

GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS

1. Evaluation of the environmental and economic impact of Roundup Ready® canola in the Western Australian crop production system, James Fisher and Désirée Futures, York, Western Australia, Peter Tozer, PRT Consulting, Armidale NSW

2. Controlling wild radish (Raphanus raphanistrum) in Roundup Ready®¹ Canola: Outcomes from the Nufarm 2009 Roundup Ready small plot trial Program, Mike Jackson, Nufarm Australia Limited

3. Weed strategies for glyphosate tolerant crops, John Moore, Department of Agriculture and Food

4. Results of the 2009 Western Australia Roundup Ready® canola trials, Dr James Neilsen, Canola Systems …

Crop Updates 2010 - Weeds, Lorinda Hunt, Andrew Blake, Catherine Borger, Glen Riethmuller, Abul Hashem, Harmohinder Dhammu, David Nicholson, Vince Lambert, Russell Quartermaine, Roberto Busi, Todd Gaines, Sudheesg Manalil, Stephen Powles, Aik Cheam, Siew Lee, Peter Newman, Greg Doncon, Steve Davies, Michael Walsh, John Moore, Murray Gillespie, Sally Peltzer, Alex Douglas

Crop Updates

This session covers eighteen papers from different authors:

Herbicides

1. Herbicide control of slender iceplant, Lorinda Hunt, and Andrew Blake Department of Agriculture and Food

2. Herbicide tolerance of saltbush and bluebush, Lorinda Hunt, and Andrew Blake Department of Agriculture and Food

3. Chemical control of windmill grass, Catherine Borger, Glen Riethmuller and Abul Hashem, Department of Agriculture and Food

4. Use high water rates when applying pre-seeding herbicides to fields with high stubble density, Catherine Borger and Abul Hashem, Department of Agriculture and Food

5. Herbicide tolerance of lupins – influence of soil type and …

First Report Of Two Curtoviruses In Spinach And Common Beet In Arizona, Claudia Nischwitz

All Current Publications

No abstract provided.

Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration Using Innovative Field Methods, Dale A. Devitt, Michael Young, Matthew S. Lachniet, Jeremy Koonce, Amanda Wagner, Brian M. Bird, J. Healey

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

37 PowerPoint slides Convener: Franco Biondi, UNR & Michael Young, DRI Session 4: Ecological Change and Water Resources Abstract: -Climate change models predict a decline in precipitation over the next few decades throughout much of the southwest. -Such change has the potential to shift water uptake dynamics of phreatophytes -If groundwater pumping also occurs, the impact of climate change could be exacerbated. -A better understanding of the forces that drive the coupling and decoupling of phreatophytes to groundwater is needed.

Design And Status Of The Elevationl Transect And Monitoring Systems For Nevada’S Nsf Epscor Climate Change Research Program, Brian M. Bird, Scotty Strachan, David B. Simeral, Richard L. Jasoni

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

15 PowerPoint slides Convener: Franco Biondi, UNR & Michael Young, DRI Session 4: Ecological Change and Water Resources Abstract: -Current status of Transects -Sheep Range Transect (5 sites) fully permitted through Fish and Wildlife Service. -Site access agreement acquired from the Long Now Foundation for Snake Range (sites 1, 2 and 3). -Snake Range site 4 access granted through the Nevada Land Conservatory. -Waiting for site permit approval on sites 8,9 and 6,7 from BLM and GBNP respectively. -Tower installed at North Las Vegas UWCC for testing of sensors and communications. -Installation of towers will begin winter 2010 at lower …

Biotic Responses To Climate Change In The Great Basin And Mojave Desert: Vegetation, David Charlet, Patrick Leary

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

84 PowerPoint slides Convener: Franco Biondi, UNR & Michael Young, DRI Session 4: Ecological Change and Water Resources Abstract: -The Problem -To detect changes in vegetation as it responds to changes in climate, we must first know where the vegetation is now -GAP (Geographic Approach to Protection of Biodiversity) map --National project to map land cover throughout the US. --Nevada map (Edwards et al. 1996) -Southwest ReGAP map --Land cover map for southwestern US (Prior-Magee et al. 2007) to correct problems identified in GAP map

Geovisualization Of Ecological Data For Park Policy Support, Scott R. Abella, Haroon Stephen, Ross Guida

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

12 PowerPoint slides Convener: William Smith, UNLV Session 3: Policy, Decision Making, and Outreach Abstract: -Literature shows upward elevation shifts of biological species as a result of climate change -Effects of climate change expected to accelerate in coming decades -Concern both about species migrating out of parks and the potential inability of species to quickly adapt to the changing conditions within National Parks and other federal land boundaries

Research Poster: Eco-Hydrological Pathways Inferred From Stable Isotopes In A Pinus Ponderosa And Pinus Monophylla Woodland Of The Sheep Range, Southern Great Basin, Usa, Kelli Hoover, Simon Poulson, Franco Biondi, Jeffrey Underwood

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Vegetation Change In The Newberry Mountains Of Southern Nevada, Ross Guida, William J. Smith Jr., Scott R. Abella

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Physiological Responses Of Two Invasive Annual Grasses, Cheatgrass And Red Brome, In The Great Basin, L. Hernandez, R. Nowak, L. Salto

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Water Source Partitioning For Shrubland Transpiration Using Innovative Field Methods, Amanda Wagner, Dale A. Devitt, Michael Young, Matthew S. Lachniet, Jeremy Koonce, Brian M. Bird

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Research Poster: Biotic Responses To Climate Change In The Mojave Desert: Floristics, Patrick Leary, David Charlet

2010 Annual Nevada NSF EPSCoR Climate Change Conference

Research poster

Systematic Overrepresentation Of Dna Termini And Underrepresentation Of Subterminal Regions Among Sequencing Templates Prepared From Hydrodynamically Sheared Linear Dna Molecules, Sherri L. Schwartz, Mark L. Farman

Plant Pathology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Analysis of fungal genome sequence assemblies reveals that telomeres are poorly represented even though telomeric reads tend to be superabundant. We surmised that the problem might lie in the DNA shearing conditions used to create clone libraries for genome sequencing.

RESULTS: A shotgun strategy was used to sequence and assemble circular and linear cosmid DNAs sheared using conditions typical for a genome project. The DNA sheared in circular form assembled into a single sequence contig. However, the linearized cosmid produced an incomplete assembly because the two DNA termini, though greatly overrepresented in the clone library used for sequencing, were …

Very-Long-Chain Fatty Acids Are Involved In Polar Auxin Transport And Developmental Patterning In Arabidopsis, Françoise Roudier, Lionel Gissot, Frédéric Beaudoin, Richard Haslam, Louise V. Michaelson, Jessica Marion, Diana Molino, Amparo Lima, Liên Bach, Halima Morin, Frédérique Tellier, Jean-Christophe Palauqui, Yannick Bellec, Charlotte Renne, Martine Miquel, Marco Dacosta, Julien Vignard, Christine Rochat, Jennifer E. Markham, Patrick Moreau, Jonathan Napier, Jean-Denis Faure

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) are essential for many aspects of plant development and necessary for the synthesis of seed storage triacylglycerols, epicuticular waxes, and sphingolipids. Identification of the acetyl-CoA carboxylase PASTICCINO3 and the 3-hydroxy acyl-CoA dehydratase PASTICCINO2 revealed that VLCFAs are important for cell proliferation and tissue patterning. Here, we show that the immunophilin PASTICCINO1 (PAS1) is also required for VLCFA synthesis. Impairment of PAS1 function results in reduction of VLCFA levels that particularly affects the composition of sphingolipids, known to be important for cell polarity in animals. Moreover, PAS1 associates with several enzymes of …

Arabidopsis Rna-Dependent Rna Polymerases And Dicer-Like Proteins In Antiviral Defense And Small Interfering Rna Biogenesis During Turnip Mosaic Virus Infection, Hernan Garcia-Ruiz, Atsushi Takeda, Elisabeth J. Chapman, Christopher M. Sullivan, Noah Fahlgren, Katherine J. Brempelis, James C. Carrington

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Plants respond to virus infections by activation of RNA-based silencing, which limits infection at both the single-cell and system levels. Viruses encode RNA silencing suppressor proteins that interfere with this response. Wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana is immune to silencing suppressor (HC-Pro)-deficient Turnip mosaic virus, but immunity was lost in the absence of DICER-LIKE proteins DCL4 and DCL2. Systematic analysis of susceptibility and small RNA formation in Arabidopsis mutants lacking combinations of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) and DCL proteins revealed that the vast majority of virus derived small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were dependent on DCL4 and RDR1, although full antiviral defense …

Genome Sequencing And Analysis Of The Model Grass Brachypodium Distachyon, John Vogel, David Garvin, Todd C. Mockler, Jeremy Schmutz, Dan Rokhsar, Michael Bevan

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Three subfamilies of grasses, the Ehrhartoideae, Panicoideae and Pooideae, provide the bulk of human nutrition and are poised to become major sources of renewable energy. Here we describe the genome sequence of the wild grass Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium), which is, to our knowledge, the first member of the Pooideae subfamily to be sequenced. Comparison of the Brachypodium, rice and sorghum genomes shows a precise history of genome evolution across a broad diversity of the grasses, and establishes a template for analysis of the large genomes of economically important pooid grasses such as wheat. The high-quality genome sequence, coupled …

Gender And Species Use In Amazonian Home Gardens: The Social And Economic Context Of Biodiversity Conservation, Leigh Ann West, David S. Salisbury, Ana I. Ríos-Sanchez, Jorge Vela Alvarado

Geography and the Environment Poster Presentations

Home gardens, “the peridomestic area belonging to the household where members plant and/or tend useful plants” (Perrault-Archambault and Coomes 2008), are found throughout the world. However, their use and importance vary from region to region. In the Peruvian Amazon, owners use home gardens for a domestic supply of foods, craft materials, medicines, condiments, and shade (Miller and Nair 2006). With this wide range in function, reflected in species content, home gardens are very biodiverse.

Home garden biodiversity may be increasingly important in a rapidly changing Amazonia (Betts et al. 2008). Thus, the sociocultural and economic factors contributing to home garden …

Implications Of The Plastid Genome Sequence Of Typha (Typhaceae, Poales) For Understanding Genome Evolution In Poaceae, Mary M. Guisinger, Timothy W. Chumley, Jennifer V. Kuehl, Jeffrey L. Boore, Robert K. Jansen

All Faculty Scholarship for the College of the Sciences

Plastid genomes of the grasses (Poaceae) are unusual in their organization and rates of sequence evolution. There has been a recent surge in the availability of grass plastid genome sequences, but a comprehensive comparative analysis of genome evolution has not been performed that includes any related families in the Poales. We report on the plastid genome of Typha latifolia, the first non-grass Poales sequenced to date, and we present comparisons of genome organization and sequence evolution within Poales. Our results confirm that grass plastid genomes exhibit acceleration in both genomic rearrangements and nucleotide substitutions. Poaceae have multiple structural rearrangements, including …

Genetic Variation At Nuclear Loci Fails To Distinguish Two Morphologically Distinct Species Of Aquilegia, Elizabeth A. Cooper, Justen B. Whittall, Scott A. Hodges, Magnus Nordborg

Biology

Aquilegia formosa and pubescens are two closely related species belonging to the columbine genus. Despite their morphological and ecological differences, previous studies have revealed a large degree of intercompatibility, as well as little sequence divergence between these two taxa [1,2]. We compared the inter- and intraspecific patterns of variation for 9 nuclear loci, and found that the two species were practically indistinguishable at the level of DNA sequence polymorphism, indicating either very recent speciation or continued gene flow. As a comparison, we also analyzed variation at two loci across 30 other Aquilegia taxa; this revealed slightly more differentiation among taxa, …

Genetic Variation In Past And Current Landscapes: Conservation Implications Based On Six Endemic Florida Scrub Plants, Eric S. Menges, Rebecca W. Dolan, Robert Pickert, Rebecca Yahr, Doria R. Gordon

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

If genetic variation is often positively correlated with population sizes and the presence of nearby populations and suitable habitats, landscape proxies could inform conservation decisions without genetic analyses. For six Florida scrub endemic plants (Dicerandra frutescens, Eryngium cuneifolium, Hypericum cumulicola, Liatris ohlingerae, Nolina brittoniana, and Warea carteri), we relate two measures of genetic variation, expected heterozygosity and alleles per polymorphic locus (APL), to population size and landscape variables. Presettlement areas were estimated based on soil preferences and GIS soils maps. Four species showed no genetic patterns related to population or landscape factors. The …

Ethylene Receptors Function As Components Of High-Molecular-Mass Protein Complexes In Arabidopsis, Yi-Feng Chen, Zhiyong Gao, Robert J. Kerris, Wuyi Wang, Brad M. Binder, G. Eric Schaller

Dartmouth Scholarship

Background: The gaseous plant hormone ethylene is perceived in Arabidopsis thaliana by a five-member receptor family composed of ETR1, ERS1, ETR2, ERS2, and EIN4. Methodology/Principal Findings: Gel-filtration analysis of ethylene receptors solubilized from Arabidopsis membranes demonstrates that the receptors exist as components of high-molecular-mass protein complexes. The ERS1 protein complex exhibits an ethylene-induced change in size consistent with ligand-mediated nucleation of protein-protein interactions. Deletion analysis supports the participation of multiple domains from ETR1 in formation of the protein complex, and also demonstrates that targeting to and retention of ETR1 at the endoplasmic reticulum only requires the first 147 amino acids …

Meloidogyne Spp. Infecting Ornamental Plants In Florida, J. A. Brito, R. Kaur, R. Cetintas, J. D. Stanley, M. L. Mendes, Thomas O. Powers, D. W. Dickson

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

A total of 206 root samples were collected from ornamental plants growing in ornamental nurseries and various landscapes in Florida. Isozyme phenotypes, especially esterase (EST) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) were the main methods used to identify the root-knot nematode species. When needed, the morphology of female perineal patterns, morphometric characters and mitochondrial DNA were used to aid in the identification. Six Meloidogyne spp., M. arenaria , M. floridensis , M. graminis , M. incognita , M. javanica and M. mayaguensis were found infecting ornamental plants in Florida. As previously reported EST activity was of highest diagnostic value to identify Meloidogyne …

Crystal Structure Of A Virus-Encoded Putative Glycosyltransferase, Yi Xiang, Ulrich Baxa, Ying Zhang, Alasdair C. Steven, Gentry L. Lewis, James L. Van Etten, Michael G. Rossmann

James Van Etten Publications

The chloroviruses (family Phycodnaviridae), unlike most viruses, encode some, if not most, of the enzymes involved in the glycosylation of their structural proteins. Annotation of the gene product B736L from chlorovirus NY-2A suggests that it is a glycosyltransferase. The structure of the recombinantly expressed B736L protein was determined by X-ray crystallography to 2.3-Å resolution, and the protein was shown to have two nucleotide-binding folds like other glycosyltransferase type B enzymes. This is the second structure of a chlorovirus-encoded glycosyltransferase and the first structure of a chlorovirus type B enzyme to be determined. B736L is a retaining enzyme and belongs …

Importance Of Myxomycetes In Biological Research And Teaching, Harold W. Keller, Sydney E. Everhart

Department of Plant Pathology: Faculty Publications

Myxomycetes, the true slime molds, are highlighted in research and teaching that emphasizes various stages of the life cycle as experimental models. Past and current phylogenetic classifications of Myxomycetes on the tree of life are presented. Life cycle stages are illustrated, described, and discussed. Simple laboratory demonstrations and experiments are described that include spore germination, spore release, and moist chamber cultures utilizing organic matter from various microhabitats. Novel compounds isolated from fruiting bodies and plasmodia of 22 myxomycete species are tabulated, some of which exhibit biological activity that function as antibiotics, antimicrobials, and are cytotoxic to cancer cells. Aeroallergens include …

Resource Management Plan: Calamus Reservoir, Nebraska Great Plains Region, Bureau Of Reclamation

United States Bureau of Land Management: Staff Publications

The Calamus Reservoir Resource Management Plan (RMP) serves as a guidance document for land and resource management at the Calamus Reservoir and Kent Diversion Dam project areas. Calamus Reservoir and Kent Diversion Dam are components of the features and facilities constructed as part of the North Loup Division. This RMP has been developed cooperatively between the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (Commission). The Commission manages both Calamus Reservoir and Kent Diversion Dam for Reclamation under a long term lease agreement.

The RMP provides information regarding project characteristics, land and water use, cultural resources, endangered …