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Lazarus Dies, Lazarus Lives Again
By Jesse Kireyev, History ‘21
Each of these photos captures a landscape in slow degradation. Berryessa, for all the wintergreen beauty that it holds, has experienced horrifying fires numerous times over the past few years. The natural bridge that dominates the landscape of its namesake park in Santa Cruz now remains alone, at risk of collapsing like its sibling did, forever leaving the shoreline empty of its beauty. This risk only grows as sea levels rise and as human interaction puts it at greater risk. The salt flats of the Dead Sea used to be covered in water — now nature struggles to fill the few remaining pools as the sea rapidly shrinks. Captured in these three horizons are the struggles of nature to sustain itself despite the present beauty. For all the tranquility of the Ansel Adams-esque lines jutting forth from the foreground, a great and slow war is playing itself out in the back, often hidden to the gazing eye of the unaware viewer. The horizons both serve as a reminder of the danger that lurks in our future, as well as the distant (and perhaps unreachable) hope of resurrection in the face of annihilation.
1. Berryessa Foothills, Solano, California.
Storm clouds move over the fields and lush wetlands, both morphing into the mountains hugging Lake Berryessa. Just a few months prior, the mountains had been scorched by the dizzying flames of the LNU Lightning Complex Fire, a fire whose smoke blotted out the sun for weeks in two of the largest metropolitan areas in America. The ebb-and-flow of the surroundings give us a stark reminder of just how fast a place can be destroyed and can flourish once again from the ashes. Canon EOS 5D Mark III. April, 2021.
2. West Cliff, Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, California.
Pelicans and seagulls huddle together as they hunt for fish and fight the buffeting winds. The remainders of the natural bridges, which once dominated the state beach, still serve as a helpful vantage point for the seabirds. Locals hope that this vantage point can survive, even as climate change puts the bridge at greater risk every year. Canon EOS 630, Kodak Tri-X 400TX 35mm film. June, 2017.
3. Dead Sea Salt Flats, Masada, Israel.
The salt flats are all that is left of the once sea-filled expanse below Masada. A combination of climate change and human changes to the environment are driving the evaporation of the Dead Sea, which at current rates is expected to be gone in the next three decades. Sony a700. December, 2018.
“Let’s Take a Deep Breath”: Managing Hypertension by Bridging the Clinic-Home Healthcare Gap
Independent Project Findings
By Harsh Sharma, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, ’13
Author’s Note:
“I wrote this paper to share my independent project takeaways with everyone who is interested in, or a part of, the healthcare field. This project taught me a lot about what we can do to help our patients get the most out of the clinic they go to. As you gain experiences in the medical field, think about the services your organization offers and how you can use your skills to enhance those services to the next level!”
Abundance Estimates And Vegetation Preferences Of The Suisun Song Sparrow In The Interior And Along Edges Of Impounded Wetlands
By Debi Fanucchi, Oscar Garzon, Julia F. Herring, and Kevin M. Ringelman
ABSTRACT
The Suisun Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia maxillaris) is a subspecies of Song Sparrow that is endemic to the Suisun Marsh of California. It is listed as a state species of special concern by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife due to its restricted range, small breeding population, and susceptibility to encroaching human development. The Suisun Marsh ecosystem is highly altered, and is comprised of both natural tidal wetlands and impounded wetlands that are cut off from the natural tidal cycle. Suisun Song Sparrows are believed to prefer natural tidal wetlands, but there is a lack of information on sparrow densities and habitat associations in impounded wetlands. To address this knowledge gap, we examined the abundance and habitat preferences of Suisun Song Sparrows in an impounded and heavily managed wetland complex. We conducted surveys at seven sites within interior managed (impounded) wetlands, and seven sites along edges between tidal and impounded wetlands. We found significantly more birds in interior sites than at edge sites, but within edge habitat, abundances were higher on the tidal side of the levee. We found that Song Sparrows used tall vegetation in greater proportion than its abundance, and specifically preferred bulrush and common reed as calling perches. Interior sites contained relatively less of this preferred vegetation than edge sites, suggesting that beneficial habitat heterogeneity in interior sites, and/or deleterious edge effects along the dikes may be important drivers of abundance. In the face of sea-level rise and shifting conservation priorities, many managed wetlands are expected to be converted back into fully tidal systems, and our results provide an important baseline for future research on the effects of tidal restoration.
Vector and Disease Management Research to Reduce the Effects of Pierce’s Disease in California’s Vineyards
By Natalie Swinhoe, Anthropology and Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity, 2015
Pierce’s Disease in grapevines is a major threat to California’s viticultural economy. Caused by the bacterial strain Xylella fastidiosa, the disease blocks water transfer in the xylem of stems, leading to water stress and eventual death. Until the 1990s, the only carriers for the disease were native Blue-Green Sharpshooters, Graphocephala atropunctata. However, between 1994 and 2000, a devastating outbreak occurred in Southern California, destroying more than 1000 acres of vineyards (Ringenberg et al., 2014). This epidemic was caused by a new nonnative vector- the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, Homalodisca vitripennis (Tumber et al, 2013). Compared to the Blue-Green Sharpshooter, the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter has a much greater capacity to spread Pierce’s Disease because it can fly further and feed on a larger variety of plant parts (Alston et al., 2013, Baccari and Lindow, 2010).
Learning from Drought in California: Past and Present
By Marisa Sanchez, Molecular and Cellular Biology, ’15
The most current drought in California is considered to be one of the worst droughts in the past century, and many wonder if this severity is due to climate change. However, California has had a long history of unpredictable weather fluctuations, and is familiar with severe droughts. Many droughts can have devastating effects, particularly in the agricultural industry and the hydropower industry. Most Californians have also experienced the effects of a drought first-hand, such as having enforced water rationing. Even though, California’s history has shown that most droughts have devastating effects, droughts can also great learning experiences.