As climate change and agricultural landscapes continue to intensify concurrently, it is important to understand how we can conserve biodiversity in human-dominated landscapes now and in the future. There is some evidence that the presence of thermally buffered habitats such as patches of trees and other natural habitats can help organisms cope with increasingly common heat waves. It is therefore important to understand how temperature extremes can affect the fitness of organisms in agriculture, where the majority of natural habitat is often removed. In this study, we sought to examine how thermally buffered habitats can help mitigate the impacts of heat waves on songbirds in vineyards across California’s Napa Valley. We captured 55 breeding Western Bluebirds (Sialia mexicana) and Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), tracked their movements with GPS, and then examined how temperature and land cover within their home ranges influenced their body condition. We found that both species lost weight as temperatures increased, but the effects of temperature were mediated by the amount of vineyard and thermally-buffered habitat within their home ranges. Specifically, decreases in weight in response to temperature were diminished in areas with greater proportions of thermally-buffered habitat and lower proportions of vineyards. Together, our work suggests that maintaining and/or restoring natural habitats in agricultural landscapes could help buffer the effects of climate change on wildlife in human-dominated landscapes.
The resistome is the totality of the ancient genetic base of antibiotic-resistant genes among bacterial species. In the past, the resistome was wholly the subject of the natural world and the antibiotics that developed within it. However, ever since the use and misuse of antibiotics by humans began, the balance between the resistome and antibiotics has turned into a race between the emergence of highly antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” and the development of novel antibiotic compounds and antibiotic techniques. Among those superbugs that have become of human concern in recent years, Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important. This paper aims to outline a possible novel vesicle vaccine that is effective against MRSA, and additionally, the process by which the vaccine might be experimentally created.
Eutrophication is a widespread ecological issue affecting freshwater and marine ecosystems globally. California’s coastal regions are particularly vulnerable to eutrophication due to agricultural intensity and dense population centers, while various underlying abiotic factors drive the occurrence of eutrophication. This paper focuses on understanding the drivers and patterns of eutrophication in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, specifically emphasizing individual major algal growth predictors and their collective influence on total algae concentration. USGS water quality data from Van Sickle Island in Suisun Bay, California, collected from June 2020 to May 2023, was analyzed using multivariate linear regression analysis. The study found that the predictors of temperature and turbidity were positively related to chlorophyll concentration. Although considered a predictor, nitrate concentration showed a weaker correlation with chlorophyll. The analysis revealed that the monthly average data for each algae growth predictor best fit the relationship with chlorophyll. These findings suggest that turbidity may be the dominant factor influencing algal growth in the Suisun Bay estuary system, while nutrient availability, specifically nitrates, may not be a primary driver. The results highlight the need to consider waterbody temperature and turbidity as important variables in developing effective management and mitigation practices around eutrophication.
Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) expose students to five dimensions of scientific research: scientific methods, the process of discovery, the impact of the research, the need for experimental iteration, and the importance of collaboration. However, it is unclear whether the design of lab-based activities and the perceived experiences of students reliably reflect these dimensions. To begin to address this issue, we created a dimension map of 53 CURE proposals that were generated in a workshop for international undergraduate instructors. We then collaborated with First Year Seminar courses at UC Davis to survey students about how their CURE experiences impacted their perceptions of the learning outcomes associated with the specific CURE dimensions. We found that instructors’ proposals emphasized scientific practices and the importance of the research over other CURE dimensions. Student perceptions of CURE dimensions also showed the most gain in “Scientific Practices” in pre- vs. post-course surveys, as well as an increased scientific belonging. The parallel gaps in CURE design and student perceptions of learning outcomes strongly suggest that careful attention should be given to CURE design in order to achieve maximal impact for students.
