UC Blogs
How Jumping Spiders Communicate
Those jumping spiders certainly can jump.Last summer we spotted what appeared to be the red-backed jumping spider, Phidippus johnsoni (famiiy...
A jumping spider, probably Phidippus johnsoni, eyes the photographer. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
UC ANR's vice president opens the door for input
UC Agriculture and Natural Resources is soliciting input from Californians as the organization - which seeks and disseminates solutions to critical problems facing agriculture, natural resources and youth development - wrestles with budget reductions, wrote UC ANR vice president Barbara Allen-Diaz in a commentary published today in AgAlert.
"I look forward to working with you and to hearing your ideas on priorities for research innovations, priorities in your area that need science-based solutions, and ideas on strengthening our partnership in the years to come," Allen-Diaz wrote.
Allen-Diaz said UC ANR is concerned about the impact of recent budget reductions on the number of UC ANR specialists and advisors, which is currently at its lowest number in more than 60 years.
"We are also challenged by our aging work force," she said. "We expect half of our current specialists and advisors to retire in the next six to eight years. We are carefully planning for replacing these positions, and determining the specialties and locations to best serve the needs of California. This planning must be informed by our various clienteles."
New tool to fight Asian citrus psyllid
Redlands Daily Facts
Amid dire predictions for the regional citrus industry, researchers are using another weapon: a natural enemy from the Punjab called Tamarixia radiata.
"The Asian citrus psyllid is about 1/8 inch long, and this wasp is even smaller," said Tom Shea, UC Cooperative Extension staff research associate.
Shea estimated that one female wasp may kill 300 Asian citrus psyllid nymphs in her lifetime. The psyllid itself is not a serious problem, he said, but it is a carrier for Huanlongbing, a citrus disease which has ruined much of the citrus industry in Florida. HLB has been discovered in five states, including a recent discovery in Texas. To date it has not been found in California.
Cruise to uncover climate change
Tree rings. Ice core records. Cave stalactites. All of these things tell the story of Earth’s history and climate. Now, a UC Davis researcher and others are expanding on that story from the ocean’s point of view. They just returned from scouring the seafloor — digging deep into layer upon layer of mud — to uncover centuries of climate data from beneath the ocean floor.
UC Davis geophysicist Gary Acton is one of 34 international scientists that set sail from the Azores Islands on Nov. 17 aboard the drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution. They finished their Mediterranean voyage on Jan. 17, docking in Lisbon, Portugal.
“The climate change recovered at one of the drill sites will be dedicated to providing the most complete marine record of climate change over the past 2 million years of Earth’s history,” said Acton.
The vessel is run by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program and has the unique ability to core into the deepest reaches of the ocean. The IODP Expedition 339 targeted thick sediment drifts that accumulated from warm, salty water—called Mediterranean Outflow Water—flowing from the Mediterranean through the Strait of Gibraltar. The researchers drilled, sampled and analyzed the sediment to understand the influence that the MOW water mass has on climate, sea level change and the environment.
“A fascinating aspect of these sediments is their ability to record subtle changes in environmental conditions through measurable changes,” said Acton.
Made heavy by its high salt content, the MOW’s warm waters plunge over 3,000 feet—a drop greater than that of Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall—into the Atlantic Ocean. It scours the rocky seafloor, coursing along the margins of Spain and Portugal. Passing Scotland and heading toward Norway, the MOW becomes part of the global conveyor belt that overturns the oceans and circulates water and heat around the globe. Along its journey, sand, silt, clay and microorganisms are deposited along the continental margin as thousands of layers of mud, eventually building into sediment drifts. Each layer contains information about Earth’s history.
“My goal is to reconstruct centennial-scale changes in climate and in Earth’s magnetic field for a time period spanning the past 400,000 years,” said Acton. “Only thick, rapidly deposited sedimentary units like those we are coring provide that ability. They are virtual prehistoric observatories.”
During the expedition, the scientists sailed more than 1,200 nautical miles, drilled 19 holes in 7 different locations, and collected 681 sediment cores—equal to about three miles of mud and sand. Now that the researchers have returned to their homes, they will continue to collaborate as they sift through the data.
“Part of the true value of participating on an expedition like this is the incredible amount of science that can be completed, particularly when scientists with a variety of expertise are confined to a 471-foot-long ship and asked to work 12-hour shifts for two months,” said Acton. “That may seem an odd thing to do over the holidays, but we were all thrilled to be a part of this expedition and to have the chance to continue to work together following the cruise.”
Euphorbias-Plants of Interest
Have any euphorbias growing at your house? You know those strange prickly, very leggy things with few leaves and maybe red or orange flowers. Euphorbia milii or Crown of Thorns probably came zipping to mind at that description. Many folks think euphorbias are only that! No so; many euphorbias are indeed prickly, but others are smooth, fleshy stemmed plants with the occasional tufts of small leaves.
Many euphorbias are listed as succulents while other varieties are not. Some are cactus-like while others such as the Christmas poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima, can grow leggy up to 10 feet or taller. A number of euphorbias have a group of brightly colored bracts which are commonly referred to as the flowers; the true flowers are inconspicuous – the “flowers” of the poinsettias which we love for the showiness of flower and size are merely the bracts.
Euphorbia milii are one of my favorite house plants. If we lived in the San Diego area, these plants would be living outside in rich, porous soil in containers or in the ground itself either trained on a trellis or small frame work. The most common bract colors are red, orange, and pink. If you are lucky, you can find colors of white and pink with an orange splash. Talking with the owner of the Great Petaluma Desert some years back, I was amazed to find that he was able to propagate all colors of the crown of thorns –except the white. For some strange reason, that particular plant is very difficult to start from cuttings.
Say you are interested in euphorbias but don’t care to get full of scratches. Never fear, there are plenty of species of the family ready to call your garden home! How about Euphorbia obesa or baseball plant. Considered a succulent, it is a house plant or indoor/outdoor container plant. A solid, fleshy, gray-green sphere or short cylinder growing to 8 inches in height, with brownish striping and brown dots that resemble the stitching on a baseball. The only requirements for growth are good drainage, bright light, warmth, no sudden temperature changes, and keeping watering to a minimum. Believe me about the watering, too much and the thing keels over as though shot! I had to kill off 2 of them before getting the message.
Growing any euphorbia in the house successfully means understanding the light and temperature requirements of these plants. Grow them almost anywhere in the house and they will survive; put them in a window where there is sunlight, but no real direct sun and where they are near a window with no coverings between the plants at night. This is because they want warm days and cold nights, just like their native lands such as India and various parts of Africa.
When looking for euphorbias in the succulent section of your favorite nursery, check the plants carefully. If you don’t check, you may grab cacti in error. How to tell the difference when the desired plant has thorns? Look closely as the thorn attachment area; if you see a pad-like area (called an areole) that looks fuzzy with a number of thorns coming out, you’re holding a cactus. No pad and 1 or 2 thorns emerging at the same place, you have a euphorbia.
Go to a cactus and succulent sale or show to see the variety and wonder of the euphorbia world. I dare you to walk away empty-handed; I know I can’t!
Almonds a' Bloomin'
Almond pollination season in California traditionally begins around Valentine's Day. This year, however, thanks to the unseasonably warm weather,...
Benicia resident Gordon Hough stops to check for honey bees at the Benicia State Park. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Delicate almond blossoms exuding "perfume" at Benicia State Park. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
An ant crawls on an almond blossom in Benicia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)