This study was designed to examine effects of cattle grazing on undeveloped, cold-water spring water quality, vegetation cover and composition, insect family richness, and channel morphology. As early as 1991, regulatory agency interest in nonpoint source pollution surfaced as a major issue for management of grazing animals on California rangelands.
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Community Involvement Needed in Monitoring Sudden Oak Death in California
A method for monitoring the spread of the SOD epidemic is needed, and the opportunity exists to monitor SOD by enlisting the help of the local communities in affected areas. The California Oak Mortality Task Force has been formed with the aim of bringing together public agencies, non-profit organizations, and private interests to address the issue of elevated levels of oak mortality in California.
Read full articleHabitat Fragmentation Limits Pollen Availability and Acorn Production in Blue Oak
Although the negative consequences of habitat fragmentation in forested landscapes are becoming better understood, we still know remarkably little about the effects of tree removal on the pollination dynamics of the remaining trees. Oaks and many other trees of temperate regions worldwide are wind-pollinated and require the transfer of pollen from neighboring trees to produce seed. When pollen is released into the air, the density of pollen grains declines rapidly with increasing distance from the source. Isolated oak trees may therefore receive insufficient pollen, and acorn numbers may be reduced.
Read full articleIntegrating Information at State, Regional and Local Scales
Watersheds are landscape mosaics; therefore, watershed structure and function is dependent on scale. Temporal and spatial scales influence the inferences we can make about landscape patterns and processes. Spatial scale is the dimension of an object or process characterized by both grain and extent. Grain is defined as the finest level of spatial resolution possible with a given data set and extent is the size of a study area. The scale at which watershed measurements are taken influences our ability to detect spatial patterns. Biotic and abiotic processes vary in their operating scale.For example, anadromous fish are affected by stream and ocean environments. In contrast, native minnows are influenced by processes that occur within a stream or tributary.
Read full articleAssessing Potential Hardwood Loss in the Northern Sacramento Valley
The human population of the northern Sacramento Valley is forecast to more than double by the year 2040. This implies that additional land in the region will be under increasing development pressure for urban and rural residential uses. If this pattern of development is projected beyond the 15- to 20-year time frames of local-area plans, significant oak woodland acreage will be affected.
Read full articleDetecting Large Scale Change Using LandSat Satellite Imagery and GIS
Oaks ‘n’ Folks – Volume 12, Issue 1 – February, 1997 Change detection is the process of identifying changes in land cover over time. As human and natural forces continue to alter the landscape,various public agencies are finding it increasingly
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