Recovery of Gambel oak after fire in central Utah

The height of oak ( Quercus gambelii Nutt.) stems was measured on several fire scars within the Uinta National Forest and vicinity and compared with the height of oak stems on adjacent, nonburned areas. A significant relationship exists between the recovery rate of oak after fire and elevation, with the recovery rate being greatest at low elevations. A trend also exists showing that recovery tends to be greater on south to westerly exposures than on north to easterly exposures.     

Seasonal activity pattern of Columbian ground squirrels in the Idaho primitive area

Data were gathered concerning the seasonal activity pattern of a population of Columbian ground squirrels ( Spermophilus columbianus ) in the Idaho Primitive Area. Adult females were significantly more active in June of all years than were adult males. A relationship between ground squirrel activity and temperature is postulated in which the squirrels alter their activity so as to avoid high temperatures and possible heat stress.     

Influence of precipitation and temperature on ring, annual branch increment, and needle growth of White Fir and Douglas-fir in central Utah

The study evaluates growth variations in mixed stands of Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and White Fir ( Abies concolor Hoopes) from the Bighorn Ranch in northern Sanpete County, Utah. The study area lies 26 km southwest of Thistle, Utah. Tree-ring width, annual branch growth and needle length for the period 1970–1976 were obtained from Douglas-Fir and White Fir individuals distributed along an altitudinal and moisture gradient. Elevation ranged from 2257 m to 2500 m above sea level. Temperature and precipitation are shown to exert a significant influence on needle and annual branch growth and width of the annual rings. It was found that multiple correlation coefficients were always larger than the simple correlation coefficients. This suggests that the trees are responding to both temperature and precipitation. Annual branch growth is shown to be positively correlated with ring width and needle length. The influence of precipitation on growth is synchronized with 1 October–1 June precipitation. Best growth occurs in cool, moist years and at lower elevations.     

Comparison of two roadside survey procedures for dwarf mistletoes on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho

Two roadside surveys were conducted for dwarf mistletoes parasitizing lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir on the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho. One survey used variable-radius plots located less than 150 m from roads. The 2nd survey used variable-radius plots established at 200-m intervals along 1600-m transects run perpendicular to the same roads. Estimates of the incidence (percentage of trees infected and percentage of plots infested) and severity (average dwarf mistletoe rating) for both lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir dwarf mistletoes were not significantly different for the 2 survey methods. These findings are further evidence that roadside-plot surveys and transect-plot surveys conducted away from roads provide similar estimates of the incidence of dwarf mistletoes for large forested areas.     

Biomass of fifty conifer forests and nutrient exports associated with their harvest

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} Biomasses of climax Rocky Mountain forests studied ranged from less than 50 to more than 300 tons/ha. Total biomass was approximately 1.5 times the biomass of normally merchantable boles. When compared with conventional bole harvest, the nutrient exports associated with harvest of all aboveground parts in these stands would apparently be at least three times higher for nitrogen, six times higher for phosphorus, four times higher for potassium, and three times higher for calcium.        

Analysts’ Dynamic Decisions: Timeliness versus Accuracy

For analysts there is a tradeoff between the accuracy and the timeliness of their forecasts. Prior literature heavily investigates analyst forecast accuracy. Few papers investigate the importance of timeliness. To our best knowledge, there are no empirical papers to date to investigate the dynamic interplay between these key characteristics. We show that if analysts experience a period of high accuracy relative to their peers, they subsequently focus more on the timeliness of their forecasts in the subsequent period and thus issue their forecasts earlier than they did in the prior period. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Amyloid precursor protein and its homologues: a family of proteolysis-dependent receptors

The Alzheimer’s amyloid precursor protein (APP) belongs to a conserved gene family that also includes the mammalian APLP1 and APLP2, the Drosophila APPL, and the C. elegans APL-1. The biological function of APP is still not fully clear. However, it is known that the APP family proteins have redundant and partly overlapping functions, which demonstrates the importance of studying all APP family members to gain a more complete picture. When APP was first cloned, it was speculated that it could function as a receptor. This theory has been further substantiated by studies showing that APP and its homologues bind both extracellular ligands and intracellular adaptor proteins. The APP family proteins undergo regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP), generating secreted and cytoplasmic fragments that have been ascribed different functions. In this review, we will discuss the APP family with focus on biological functions, binding partners, and regulated processing.     

Stem cells find their niche.

The concept that stem cells are controlled by particular microenvironments known as 'niches' has been widely invoked. But niches have remained largely a theoretical construct because of the difficulty of identifying and manipulating individual stem cells and their surroundings. Technical advances now make it possible to characterize small zones that maintain and control stem cell activity in several organs, including gonads, skin and gut. These studies are beginning to unify our understanding of stem cell regulation at the cellular and molecular levels, and promise to advance efforts to use stem cells therapeutically.     

Site and stand characteristics related to white pine blister rust in high-elevation forests of southern Idaho and western Wyoming

Successful infection of white pine species by white pine blister rust (WPBR) is contingent upon environmental conditions that are favorable to the spread and development of Cronartium ribicola . Site and stand factors related to this process have been studied elsewhere within the distribution of the disease, but few studies have concentrated on the high-elevation white pine forests of southern Idaho and western Wyoming. We found that mean summer precipitation, average tree diameter, and elevation were the most important variables in 3 logistic regression models of WPBR presence and intensity. The models were tested on a randomly chosen portion of our data set. The model with 9 variables correctly predicted categories of low-, moderate-, and high-disease incidence in 79% of cases. The 2 models with fewer variables had lower predictive efficiencies but were more parsimonious and generally easy to measure. The ability to use easily measured or remotely sensed site and stand characteristics to predict WPBR spread or intensification could be an important asset to land managers who need to decide where to focus disease mitigation efforts and predict disease effects on water quality, wildlife habitat, recreation potential, and other land-management activities.     

Occurrence of ticks on mule deer in central Utah

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