UC Davis News: Environmental Sciences

Jared Diamond to Open International Genetic Diversity Symposium

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Evolutionary biologist and author Jared Diamond will present the opening keynote address for an international symposium on agricultural biodiversity, to be held Sept. 14-18 at the University of California, Davis.

The Harlan II International Symposium, the successor to a program held 11 years ago in Syria, is dedicated to the late crop evolutionist Jack R. Harlan. It will focus on the importance of using and conserving not just a diversity of species, but also genetic diversity within species.

In opening the symposium, Diamond will discuss whether environmental factors, rather than pure chance, led to the uneven distribution around the world of plant and animal species suitable for domestication and agricultural use. His public presentation on Sunday, Sept. 14, will begin at 6:15 p.m. in 123 Science Lecture Hall at UC Davis. Admission to the talk and the preceding reception will cost $50 per person.

Diamond maintains that the adoption of agriculture was "the most important event in the last 50,000 years of human history." As people developed the ability to cultivate crops and raise animals, they were able to produce a surplus of food, which fueled population growth and led to settled living, technology, social stratification and political centralization, he notes.

He points out that the societies with the greatest variety of plant species suitable for farming expanded earlier and farther than did societies in areas with the fewest farmable plant species -- and no animal species -- that were easily domesticated. For example, cultures in the Fertile Crescent, China, the Andes, and Meso-America -- the land between central Mexico and Nicaragua -- flourished, while cultures in areas such as Eastern North America and Highland New Guinea did not.

Diamond will question whether environmental factors in different regions predisposed wild animal and plant species in those areas to develop traits conducive to domestication.

A complete program for the Harlan II symposium is available online at: http://harlanii.ucdavis.edu/main/speakers_topics.htm. For fee information and a list of talks and tours, click on "registration" at the left of this page.

Among the speakers during the three-day symposium will be:

Monday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m. -- Robert Wayne, a UCLA biology professor and expert on canine genetics, will discuss what the analysis of the dog genome -- the entire collection of genes for the animal family that includes domestic dogs, wolves, foxes and coyotes -- tells about the evolutionary history of these animals and how the various species are related.

Monday, Sept. 15, 1:30 p.m. -- Doyle McKey, Universite de Montpellier II and the Center of Evolutionary and Functional Ecology, Montpellier, France, will discuss ecological approaches to crop domestication, using manioc, or cassava, as an example of how ecology can be integrated with genetics and ethnobiology -- the study of how people interact with the living environment -- to test plant-domestication scenarios.

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 9:30 a.m. -- Anthropologist Melinda Zeder, director of the archaeobiology program for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, will discuss her latest research on when and where in the world animals were first domesticated.

Tuesday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m. -- Keynote speaker Gary Nabhan, an ecologist and pioneer in the local-food movement from the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona, will compare the crop diversity found by plant explorer N.I. Vavilov between 1916 and 1936, with the remaining diversity that Nabhan found in the same areas in nine countries on five continents three quarters of a century later. Nabhan says that an understanding of how biodiversity in local agricultural systems has changed may help predict how well farmers may be able to adapt to rapid climate change, globalization, water scarcity, and weed or pest invasions.

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 8 a.m. -- M. Kat Andersen, a plant ecologist in UC Davis' Department of Plant Sciences and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, will discuss how Native Californians cultivated naturally occurring plants as sources of food even before the first Europeans arrived and how some of those practices are being applied in certain sectors of modern agriculture today.

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m. -- Dennis Hedgecock, a fisheries ecologist at the University of Southern California, will discuss the importance of conserving genetic resources in aquaculture, which he says is now the fastest-growing sector of global food production. He will discuss the challenges in both conserving and utilizing the planet's imperiled aquatic biodiversity, when faced with the threat of overfishing, species introductions, interactions of wild and farmed stocks, ocean warming and ocean acidification.

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. -- Charles Bamforth, the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Brewing Science at UC Davis, will discuss genetic resources of brewing yeast, which he says is the best example of the major advances that have been made in just a few decades in understanding the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of yeasts and other microorganisms.

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 11:30 a.m., -- James Lapsley, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Viticulture and Enology and chair of the Department of Science, Agriculture, and Natural Resources in UC Davis Extension, will talk about the introduction to California of Vitis vinifera, the grape species that includes most traditional European wine grapes. Lapsley is author of the book "Bottled Poetry," a history of California winemaking.

News media who would like to attend all or parts of the symposium free of charge should RSVP to Pat Bailey, News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu.

UC Davis Centennial Exhibition Opens With State Fair

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The University of California, Davis, launches its 100th birthday celebration this Friday, Aug. 15, at the California State Fair, with a featured exhibit on the university's contributions to science and society.

The UC Davis exhibition, titled "Dream Big," fills a 6,000-square-foot hall where fairgoers are invited to explore some of the university's work in five areas: food and agriculture, energy, environment, health, and community building and global understanding.

"I hope you'll join us in toasting our 100th year of doing what matters to California and to the world," Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said in a recent e-mail message to alumni and campus friends, encouraging them to visit the fair and the university, too, as the centennial celebration continues through the 2008-09 academic year.

The fair is set to run for 18 consecutive days, through Labor Day, Sept. 1, at Cal Expo in Sacramento. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Labor Day, and noon to 10 p.m. all other days.

Nearly a million people are expected to pass through the fair gates. UC Davis is stationing campus ambassadors in its air-conditioned pavilion, Expo Center 3, to show people around and answer questions.

Here is a glimpse of the exhibition:

From Farm to Fork -- UC Davis scientists have made great strides in tomato, grape and strawberry production, and fairgoers are invited to do the same -- in jigsaw puzzle fashion. Different puzzle pieces represent different traits, such as color, juiciness and sweetness, and mold and pest resistance.
You will find the puzzles in a mini metal silo, representing a campus landmark that harkens to UC Davis' founding as the University Farm.

A Clean Energy Future -- See the dramatic reduction in emissions from an alternative-fuel car. Fairgoers also can see a display of energy-saving lighting -- at the touch of a button.

A Sustainable Environment -- Learn about a professor's innovative approach to sustainability: a biodigester that converts food waste to energy. The exhibition features a whimsical replica that runs on tokens instead of food scraps. Bells and whistles go off on the cartoon-like biodigester, it shakes, and then voila! -- the lights switch on.
"We are making it come alive. And while we're making it fun, we are not losing sight of the importance," said design professor Tim McNeil, who joined some of his students and the university's centennial planning team in coming up with concepts for the state fair pavilion.

The exhibition's environment zone also includes the continuous showing of California Calamities, a three-dimensional movie about earthquakes, landslides and flooding.

The movie from the university's Keck CAVES, short for Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences, will turn you into a geological "insider." Your 3-D glasses will enable an underground tour during which you will venture into an earthquake fault and burrow into a levee, for example.

Longer, Healthier Lives -- Showcasing the university's medical breakthroughs, and different ways that caregivers are reaching out to the public with new treatments and healing strategies.
Much of today's medical research revolves around DNA -- and it takes center stage every afternoon when fairgoers are invited to make DNA necklaces: you swab your mouth to gather some skin cells, put the cells in a solution, put the solution into a vial, and put the vial on the necklace. Hours for this activity are 12:30 to 2 and 3:30 to 5 p.m.

The human brain also has a starring role in the exhibition. Look up to see flashing lights that simulate the firing of synapses. Down below, fairgoers can tackle puzzles and memory games that demonstrate the university's research into the mind.

Across the Street and Across the Globe -- Newspaper headlines show the contributions that UC Davis experts make to our economy and society.
Areas of study are exemplified by samples from a variety of campus collections -- for example, a 1908 graduation dress from the Design Museum; art from the Nelson Gallery and the C.N. Gorman Museum; and artifacts from music, theater and dance. Also included are recent ceramic projects from the Art-Science Fusion Program.

Much more about UC Davis can be learned from NewsWatch videos showing continuously around the "Dream Big" hall. The television segments, produced by the university for KVIE-TV, showcase UC Davis research and other news.

A live video feed shows the happenings at the livestock nursery, which is run by UC Davis.

Everything in the exhibition is intended to encourage the public to spend some time at the university. "The idea is, we're making a difference in your community, so come visit ours," said Assistant Vice Chancellor Bob Segar, who leads the centennial organizing team.

The exhibition launches a yearlong celebration of 100 years of UC Davis history -- dating from the 1908-09 academic year when the first students came to live on campus.

After the state fair, the celebration comes home to the Davis campus for the 2008-09 academic year -- and the arrival of the Centennial Class of new freshmen and transfer students.

Instruction is set to begin Thursday, Sept. 25, one day after the chancellor's Fall Convocation.

The convocation is scheduled from 10 to 11 a.m. Sept. 24 in Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. This year's theme is "A Century of Doing What Matters," with speakers representing faculty, staff, students, alumni and the community.

The centennial celebration continues with the Fall Festival, Oct. 10-15. Highlights include the grand opening of the Davis campus's newest academic buildings, the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science; and the unveiling of Centennial Walk, a new pathway across the campus's historic Quad.

The weekend of Oct. 11-12 includes an Academic Showcase; the homecoming football game against Southern Utah under the new lights at Aggie Stadium; and a street fair hosted by the Davis Chamber of Commerce, recognizing the university's ties to the city of Davis and the larger region.

On the Net:

UC Davis Centennial: http://centennial.ucdavis.edu
California State Fair: http://www.bigfun.org

Experts: UC Davis Centennial Exhibit

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The University of California, Davis, is hosting a centennial exhibition at the California State Fair this summer to showcase the university's expertise in the sciences, arts and society. The state fair, at Cal Expo in Sacramento, is open Aug. 15-Labor Day, Sept. 1. The following experts are available to comment on the five areas highlighted in UC Davis' "Dream Big" exhibit in the 6,000-square-foot hall.

From farm to fork
A clean energy future
A sustainable environment
Longer, healthier lives
Across the street and across the globe

FROM FARM TO FORK

A TASTIER, HARDIER STRAWBERRY -- Douglas Shaw, a professor of plant sciences, is an authority on the genetics and breeding of strawberries and other small fruits. His research focuses on developing new and improved strawberry varieties that produce high-quality fruit, can be efficiently harvested and are resistant to various environmental stresses. He also works to develop more efficient methods for breeding, testing and selecting plants that are propagated for commercial strawberry production. Shaw also studies how strawberry flavor and color are inherited. UC Davis has a long history in strawberry breeding. Approximately 60 percent of the world's strawberries are now produced using one of the 12 varieties developed and released by UC Davis. Contact: Douglas Shaw, Plant Sciences, (530) 752-0905, dvshaw@ucdavis.edu. (He will be in and out of the office doing fieldwork, but will respond to inquiries when possible.)

LOW CARBON DIET -- Gail Feenstra, food systems analyst at the UC Davis Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI) and the statewide UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, is collaborating with other campus researchers on an analysis of a reduced carbon footprint diet -- a life cycle assessment that measures energy and carbon emissions/green house gases from farm to fork. She and the "food carbon footprint" team are calculating the energy and carbon emissions for specific food items, starting with rice and tomatoes, two Yolo County crops. "We want to measure the global warming potential of regional diets," Feenstra said. Contact Gail Feenstra at (530) 752-8408, or (530) 574-4794, gwfeenstra@ucdavis.edu.

NUTRITION AND FITNESS -- Liz Applegate, a nationally renowned expert on nutrition and fitness, is a faculty member in the nutrition department and the director of sports nutrition. Applegate consults frequently for U.S. Olympic athletes and is the team nutritionist for the Oakland Raiders football team. She is on the editorial board of the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a member of the Sports and Cardiovascular Nutritionists, a practice group of the American Dietetic Association. Applegate also writes the popular Fridge Wisdom nutrition column for Runners World magazine and has authored six books on nutrition. Contact: Liz Applegate, Nutrition, (530) 752-6682, eaapplegate@ucdavis.edu.

RICE PRODUCTION HERE AND EVERYWHERE -- Jim Hill, associate dean for international programs in UC Davis' College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and a UC Cooperative Extension specialist, is an international authority on how rice crops are grown. His work focuses not only on increasing rice productivity but also on improving the environmental effects of rice-farming methods. In collaboration with the California Rice Commission, Ducks Unlimited, and others, he has conducted research on winter-flooding to enhance waterfowl habitat. He recently spent three years at the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines, coordinating irrigated-rice research and outreach efforts throughout Asia's rice-production areas. Contact: Jim Hill, Agronomy and Range Science, (530) 752-3458 or (530) 754-9600, jehill@ucdavis.edu.

SUSTAINABILITY VIA GENETIC ENGINEERING AND ORGANIC FARMING -- Pamela Ronald and Raoul Adamchak are co-authors of "Tomorrow's Table: Organic Farming, Genetics and the Future of Food," published in April 2008 by Oxford University Press. Together, they are exploring the juncture where genetic engineering and organic farming can meet to ensure environmentally sustainable food production.

Ronald is a professor in UC Davis' Department of Plant Pathology. Her laboratory has genetically engineered rice for resistance to diseases and flooding. Her work has been published in Science, Nature and other scientific periodicals and has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Le Monde and on National Public Radio. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She also writes a blog at http://pamelaronald.blogspot.com/.

Adamchak has grown organic crops for 20 years, part of that time as a partner in Full Belly Farm, a private 150-acre organic vegetable farm. He has inspected more than 100 organic farms as an inspector for California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) and served as a member and president of that group's board of directors. He is now coordinator of the Market Garden at UC Davis' Student Farm. Contacts: Pam Ronald, Plant Pathology, (530)752-1654, or on her cell phone, (530)219-4618, pcronald@ucdavis.edu; Raoul Adamchak, Plant Sciences, (530) 752-7655, rwadamchak@ucdavis.edu.

FOOD AND CULTURE -- UC Davis English professor Timothy Morton can discuss how food consumerism originated during the Romantic movement of 1790-1830. Morton says much of the Western food culture today -- ranging from picnics and restaurants to drinking mineral water and practicing vegetarianism -- stemmed from 200 years ago. Morton is particularly interested in relationships between culture and the natural and global environment, with emphasis on food studies. He edited "Cultures of Taste/Theories of Appetite: Eating Romanticism" (2004) and wrote "The Poetics of Spice: Romantic Consumerism and the Exotic" (2000) and "Shelley and the Revolution in Taste: The Body and the Natural World" (1994). His forthcoming book, "Ecology Without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics," talks about food and Romantic cultural legacies today. Contact: Timothy Morton, English, tbmorton@ucdavis.edu.

A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE

THE CAR OF TOMORROW -- UC Davis transportation expert Daniel Sperling is an international authority on the feasibility of alternative car and truck fuels, such as biofuels and electricity, and the security of our existing transportation-fuels system. Sperling is a UC Davis professor of civil engineering and of environmental science and policy, and founding director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS-Davis). He regularly advises national and international policymakers and industry leaders on transportation technology assessment, energy and environmental aspects of transportation, and transportation policy. Contact: Daniel Sperling, ITS-Davis, (530) 752-7434, dsperling@ucdavis.edu.

LIGHTING'S BRIGHT FUTURE -- Michael Siminovitch, director of the UC Davis California Lighting Technology Center and a professor of design, can talk about how efficient lighting systems can lead to energy savings. He has been designing such systems for the past two decades, including the Berkeley Lamp, which uses one-quarter the energy of traditional lamps, and an innovative fluorescent lighting system. The state fair exhibit includes a display of energy-saving lighting -- at the touch of a button. The lighting center conducts both cooperative and independent activities with lighting manufacturers, electric utilities and the design and engineering professional communities. Many new lighting designs and systems are on display at the center's Davis laboratories. Contact: Michael Siminovitch, CLTC, (530) 754-7616, mjsiminovitch@ucdavis.edu.

PLUG-IN HYBRID VEHICLES -- Andrew Frank, professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering at UC Davis, is recognized as the father of "plug-in" gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. Unlike commercially available hybrid vehicles, a plug-in hybrid can recharge its batteries from a domestic power supply. For short, everyday journeys, the vehicles can operate almost entirely on battery power, reducing fuel costs and emissions. The new Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Center at UC Davis, established in January, is helping policymakers, energy suppliers and automakers learn how consumers will use plug-in hybrids. The Plug-in Hybrid Center has $3 million in funding from the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program and $1.8 million from the California Air Resources Board. The center is directed by research anthropologist Tom Turrentine. Contacts: Andrew Frank, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, (530) 752-8120, aafrank@ucdavis.edu; Tom Turrentine, Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Research Center, tturrentine@ucdavis.

A SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT

TURNING GARBAGE INTO BIOGAS -- UC Davis bioenvironmental engineer Ruihong Zhang sees a vast untapped energy resource in yard clippings, household table scraps and other biodegradable materials: converting that garbage into enough energy to keep the lights burning in thousands of California homes. Zhang is building a prototypical anaerobic digester, part of a $4 million project funded by the California Energy Commission and industry partners. A fanciful simulation of Zhang's biodigester is a centerpiece of the state fair's centennial exhibit. Contact: Ruihong Zhang, Biological and Agricultural Engineering, (530) 754-9530, rhzhang@ucdavis.edu (available by phone or e-mail Aug. 15-16 and Aug. 25- Sept. 1; available only by e-mail Aug. 17-24).

VIRTUAL REALITY IN EARTH SCIENCES --The W.M. Keck Center for Active Visualization in the Earth Sciences (Keck CAVES) at UC Davis allows researchers to step inside their data in a three-dimensional virtual reality environment. A unique collaboration between geologists and computer scientists means that researchers can not just look at their data in a new way, but handle it, carry out "virtual experiments" and get results in real time. The state fair exhibit includes the continuous screening of a Keck CAVES 3-D movie -- complete with loaner 3-D glasses -- that takes fairgoers on an underground geological tour. The campus facility is currently being used for studies of the deep interior of the Earth, examining surface features of the Earth and Mars, and for new ways to look at rocks and fossil specimens. The scientists have also collaborated with the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance on a multimedia stage production, COLLAPSE, presented in 2007. The facility was established with a grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation and is also funded by the National Science Foundation. Contact: Louise Kellogg, Geology, (530) 754-6673, Kellogg@geology.ucdavis.

SUSTAINABLE FARMING PRACTICES REDUCE POLLUTION -- California is the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the U.S., of which eight percent of carbon dioxide and 59 percent of nitrous oxide emissions are from agricultural activities. The adoption of subsurface drip irrigation, which decreases water use and cuts greenhouse gas emissions, is increasing in the Central Valley but still is less than 15 percent of all irrigation, according to Will Horwath, J.G. Boswell Endowed Chair in Soil Science at UC Davis. Horwath can talk about how subsurface drip irrigation limits the water delivery to a small area, which reduces the activity of soil microorganisms and processes related to trace gas emissions. He is coordinator of a 20-year sustainable agriculture farming systems project and hopes that results on the economics of drip irrigation will help growers evaluate the benefits of alternative irrigation systems. Contact Horwath at (530) 754-6029, wrhorwath@ucdavis.edu.

LONGER, HEALTHIER LIVES

THE WAR ON PAIN -- Scott Fishman, M.D., is an internationally recognized expert in pain management and author of the 2000 book, "The War on Pain." As a professor of anesthesiology, and past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, Dr. Fishman can discuss the various measures physicians can now use, including everything from new drugs and technologies to alternative medicine, to provide relief for those suffering from chronic pain. Contact Dr. Fishman through Charlie Casey, senior public information officer, office (916) 734-9048, pager (916) 762-3047, charles.casey@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

OVERCOMING DISTANCE FOR SPECIALTY CARE -- Thomas Nesbitt, M.D., M.P.H., can speak about the advances that telecommunications technology has made to improve access to and the delivery of specialty care services to rural and medically underserved communities throughout the state. UC Davis physicians have conducted more than 14,000 video consultations since 1997 and are leading a statewide and national effort to expand telemedicine services to even more rural and remote clinics and hospitals. Contact Dr. Fishman through Charlie Casey, senior public information officer, office (916) 734-9048, pager (916) 762-3047, charles.casey@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

KEEPING KIDS MENTALLY HEALTHY -- Robert Hendren, D.O., executive director, UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, can speak about the pharmacological management and treatment of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, including autism, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorders and impulse control disorders. He can discuss leading edge-research that is under way at UC Davis, as well as discuss controversial approaches to treatment, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Contact Dr. Hendren through Phyllis Brown, senior public information officer, office (916) 734-9023, pager (916) 762-3047, cell (916) 730-1496, phyllis.brown@ucdmc.ucdavis.edu.

BETTER BODIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY -- Carolyn de la Pe񡬠a UC Davis assistant professor of American studies, can talk about the history of quack products that promise better bodies and the relationship between energy devices and legitimate/illegitimate medical practices. According to de la Pe񡬠early 20th century attitudes about using technology to release latent energy and reverse physical decline have carried over to today. She can talk about how Americans work out key cultural myths about our physical capabilities through popular culture such as in comic book heroes. De la Pe񡧳 book, "The Body Electric: How Strange Machines Built the Modern American," was published in 2003. Contact: Carolyn de la Pe񡬠American Studies, (530)752-8965, ctdelapena@ucdavis.edu.

AIR POLLUTION, CLIMATE AND HEALTH -- Anthony Wexler, director of the UC Davis Air Quality Research Center, studies the chemical and physical nature of air pollution. He is co-director of an $8 million U.S. EPA research grant to study air pollution in California's huge San Joaquin Valley, where bad air causes the nation's highest rates of asthma in children. He also studies how tiny airborne particles contribute to global climate change. Contact: Anthony Wexler, Air Quality Research Center, office (530) 754-6558, cell (530) 574-8813, aswexler@ucdavis.edu (available through August 28).

ACROSS THE STREET AND ACROSS THE GLOBE

ECONOMICS OF TRANSPORTATION -- UC Davis economist Christopher Knittel can talk about transportation economics, especially how the various markets relate to transportation function. A specialist in the economics of industrial organization, Knittel teaches about the various transportation industries: automobile, airline and oil. He also can explain the dynamics between demand for various autos and government regulation of the industry, and how consumers make decisions on cars with better mileage when gasoline prices skyrocket. Contact: Christopher Knittel, Economics, (530) 752-3344, crknittel@ucdavis.edu.

RACE RELATIONS -- Professor Bill Ong Hing, who has appointments in the UC Davis School of Law and Asian American studies, is an expert in race relations, immigration law and history, and Asian American community issues. In "Deporting Our Souls: Values, Morality, and Immigration Policy," forthcoming from Cambridge University Press, Hing examines moral issues and immigration policy. In "Defining America Through Immigration Policy" (2004), Hing explores links between traditional racial concepts of who is a true American and how we enforce federal immigration policies. The professor says we have "de-Americanized" South Asian, Muslim and Arab immigrants. His other books include "To Be an American -- Cultural Pluralism and the Rhetoric of Assimilation" (1997). Contact: Bill Ong Hing, School of Law and Asian American Studies, (530) 754-9377, cell (415)846-2122 bhing@ucdavis.edu.

EMPLOYMENT IN THE 'NEW ECONOMY' -- Jobs scholar Vicki Smith, professor and chair of sociology, can talk about the changing nature of work, especially the rise in job insecurity in recent decades. She is the author of the 2008 book, "The Good Temp," which analyzes the temporary employment industry, and "Crossing the Great Divide: Worker Risk and Opportunity in the New Economy," published in 2001. Contact: Vicki Smith, Sociology, (530) 752-6170, vasmith@ucdavis.edu.

IMMIGRATION POLICY AND CIVIL RIGHTS -- Kevin Johnson, the Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law at UC Davis, is a nationally and internationally recognized expert on immigration and civil rights. Johnson is also dean of the School of Law and a professor of Chicana/o studies. His books include "Opening the Floodgates: Why America Needs to Rethink Its Borders and Immigration Laws" and "The 'Huddled Masses' Myth: Immigration and Civil Rights." He is co-editor of the Immigration Prof blog http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/immigration/ and a member of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama's Immigration Policy Group. Contact: Kevin Johnson, School of Law, (530) 752-0243, krjohnson@ucdavis.edu.

New Report Shows Tahoe 2007 Was Warm and Dry, With More Clarity

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

UC Davis' annual Lake Tahoe health report finds that the long-term warming trend first described by UC Davis last year continues, that 2007 was the 14th driest year on record, and that clarity improved over 2006.

Issued today, the "Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2008" says that the impact of smoke and ash from last summer's Angora Fire on the lake's clarity was small, though measurable. However, it cautions that it is too early to say what the impact from pollutants carried to the lake by streams and urban runoff in the burn area will be. A consortium of researchers is monitoring the long-term effects of the fire, which burned 3,100 acres at Lake Tahoe; the report says the fire's impact will not be known for several years.

The annual review is intended to give the public a better understanding of the changes occurring in the Tahoe Basin on a year-to-year basis and to place current conditions within a historical perspective.

This year's second annual report summarizes tens of thousands of scientific observations of lake weather, water conditions and aquatic life made since 1900. It includes the widely watched clarity report, which for decades has charted the legendary blue lake's decline in clarity.

Last year's inaugural State of the Lake Report bore the disturbing news that the climate in the Lake Tahoe Basin is warming up -- nights and lake waters are warmer, cold days are fewer and less precipitation falls as snow. While lake temperature declined slightly in 2007, the long-term signs of global warming remain.

In this year's report, UC Davis Tahoe researchers had better news about trends in lake clarity. Using the most recent Secchi depth data and applying a sophisticated statistical approach, they found that the historical rate of decline in clarity apparently slowed between 2001 and 2007. Researchers caution that this finding is tentative and future measurements could reverse the improved trend.

Geoffrey Schladow, director of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, writes in his introduction to the 2008 report, "The data in the Tahoe: State of the Lake Report reveal a unique record of trends and patterns -- the result of natural forces and human actions that operate over time scales ranging from days to decades."

He concludes, "These patterns tell us that Lake Tahoe is a complex ecosystem, and it behaves in ways we don't always expect."

The 60-page "Tahoe: State of the Lake Report 2008" is free and available online at http://terc.ucdavis.edu. Here are some of its specific findings.

Angora Fire

Why it matters: Fires in the Tahoe Basin have the potential to add large amounts of pollutants to the lake in the form of fine particles and unwanted nutrients that can reduce clarity and promote algae growth.
In 2007: Atmospheric inputs of smoke and ash were directly measured during the fire. Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on the lake was estimated to be 5.0 to 8.4 metric tons; phosphorus deposition was estimated at 0.4 to 0.8 metric tons. (One metric ton = 2,205 pounds). Although deposition during the fire was 2.5 to 7 times the normal summer rate, it represented only about 1 to 2 percent of the annual load from all sources.

Even so, the impact of the Angora Fire on sending pollutants to the lake by streams and urban runoff will not be known for several years. A consortium of researchers is monitoring these effects.

Clarity

Why it matters: Clarity remains the indicator of greatest interest about Lake Tahoe because it tracks changes in water quality and the community's efforts to restore clarity to historic levels.
In 2007: The lake was clear to an average depth of 70.1 feet, an improvement of 2.4 feet over 2006. The worst annual Secchi depth (the point below the lake surface at which a 10-inch white disk disappears from view) was 64 feet in 1997. When measurements began in 1968, the Secchi depth was 102.4 feet.

Meteorology

Why it matters: Warming air temperatures mean more rain and less snow, as well as earlier snowmelt.
In 2007: 2007 was the 14th driest year on record. Ten of the 12 months were drier than average. Precipitation at Tahoe City was 19.7 inches, two-thirds of normal. Snow represented 37.6 percent of total precipitation, down from 52 percent in 1910.

Fine particles and nutrients

Why it matters: Fine particles and nutrients affect clarity because particles scatter light and nutrients promote the growth of algae, which absorb light. Urban runoff and erosion are the primary source of these pollutants, but atmospheric deposition is also significant.
In 2007: Low amounts of rain and snow reduced runoff, so less phosphorus, nitrogen and particles entered the lake. During late June's Angora Fire, atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and phosphorus was 2.5 times normal levels, but still represented only 1 to 2 percent of the annual input of those nutrients from all sources. The fire had a negligible impact on lake clarity and algal biomass.

Algae and zooplankton

Why it matters: Algae (phytoplankton) and zooplankton (microscopic aquatic animals that graze on algae) influence the lake's food web, clarity and aesthetics.
In 2007: Algae concentrations on rocks around the shoreline were above average. Primary productivity (the rate at which algae produce biomass through photosynthesis) was the highest on record, at five times the 1959 level. Zooplankton concentrations were the lowest for the decade.

Deep mixing

Why it matters: Mixing (when Lake Tahoe's surface waters cool and sink downward) has profound impacts on lake ecology and water quality. Deep mixing brings nutrients to the surface, where they promote algae growth. It also moves oxygen to deep waters, supporting healthy aquatic life at all depths. The lake mixes to the bottom, on average, every three years.
In 2007: Lake Tahoe mixed all the way to the bottom in March 2007, the first deep mixing since 2001.

UC Davis and many other research institutions and public agencies are working together to restore and preserve the Lake Tahoe ecosystem. Led by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the organizations are currently engaged in a comprehensive effort to develop and implement an unprecedented set of environmental management plans for the basin.

Jared Diamond to Speak at International Ag Biodiversity Symposium

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Noted evolutionary biologist and author Jared Diamond will deliver the opening keynote talk during an international symposium on agricultural biodiversity at UC Davis, to be held Sept. 14-17, as part of the campus's yearlong centennial celebration.

Diamond, a professor of geography at UCLA and author of the books "Collapse" and "Guns, Germs and Steel," will discuss the role that chance or destiny play in the local origins of agriculture. His talk will be the opening address on Sept. 14 for Harlan II: An International Symposium on Biodiversity in Agriculture: Domestication, Evolution and Sustainability.

Also presenting a keynote speech to the international gathering of scientists will be Gary Nabhan, an ecologist and expert in how different cultures use plants, as well as a pioneer of the local food movement. Nabhan, a professor at the University of Arizona's Southwest Center, will speak about the origins of food diversity on Sept. 16, during the symposium gala.

The conference is expected to draw more than 200 researchers with an interest in agricultural biodiversity -- the concept that it is critically important to make use of and conserve a variety of plant and animal species to maintain commercially viable agricultural operations.

The symposium will be held on campus, featuring international speakers who are at the forefront of their fields. Tours will follow to agricultural sites near Davis and in Northern California. The symposium is open to the public, but pre-registration is required. More information and registration is available online at http://Harlanii.ucdavis.edu.

The symposium is named in honor of the late evolutionary biologist and plant explorer Jack R. Harlan. It is coordinated by UC Davis' departments of Animal Science, Anthropology, Human and Community Development, and Plant Sciences; as well as the UC Genetic Resources Conservation Program of the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, with guidance from an international advisory committee.

Pacific Shellfish Ready to Invade Atlantic

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As the Arctic Ocean warms this century, shellfish, snails and other animals from the Pacific Ocean will resume an invasion of the northern Atlantic that was interrupted by cooling conditions three million years ago, predict Geerat Vermeij, professor of geology at the University of California, Davis, and Peter Roopnarine at the California Academy of Sciences.

Climate models predict a nearly ice-free Arctic Ocean by 2050. That will restore conditions that last existed during the mid-Pliocene era around three to 3.5 million years ago. Several north Pacific species have relatives in the north Atlantic, and the fossil record shows a lot of invasion from the Pacific to the Atlantic at that time, Vermeij said.

When cold conditions returned, the Arctic route was cut off, mostly by a lack of food. As the ice melts, productivity in the Arctic will rise and the northward march of the mollusks will resume where it left off three million years ago.

Vermeij and Roopnarine reviewed literature on mollusks found in the Bering and Chuckchi seas between Alaska and eastern Siberia. At least 77 molluscan lineages, about a third of the species of shallow-water shellfish in the Bering Sea, have the potential to spread to the Atlantic, they concluded.

Three factors drove the one-way traffic across the North Pole during the Pliocene, Vermeij said. The Bering and Chukchi seas are very productive, with abundant food; there is a net northward flow of water from the Pacific through the Bering Strait; and strong competition in the Bering Sea means bigger, tougher animals.

But the invaders will not wipe out native species, Vermeij said. The fossil record shows that invasions rarely lead to species extinction in marine environments, he said. Instead, the invasion will add new species and hybrids and increase competition in the North Atlantic.

"The composition and dynamics of north Atlantic communities will change," Roopnarine said. "But whether that will help or harm local fisheries is an open question. Humans may have to adapt as well."

In the paper, Vermeij and Roopnarine note that in the past, species expanded their ranges within and between oceans during warm periods.

"The interesting thing to me is that the fossil record has something to say about the consequences of global warming," Vermeij said.

The article is published in the Aug. 8 issue of the journal Science.

About UC Davis

The University of California is one of the world's foremost research and teaching institutions, and UC Davis, which celebrates its centennial this upcoming academic year, is the UC's flagship campus for environmental studies. UC Davis is a global leader in environmental studies relating to air and water pollution; water and land use; agricultural practices; endangered species management; invasive plants and animals; climate change; resource economics; information technology; and human society and culture. One in six of UC Davis' 1,500 faculty members specializes in an environment-related subject.

Research and Education at the California Academy of Sciences

The Academy is an international center for scientific education and research and is at the forefront of efforts to understand and protect the diversity of Earth's living things. The Academy has a staff of over 50 professional educators and Ph.D.-level scientists, supported by more than 100 Research and Field Associates and over 300 Fellows. It conducts research in 11 scientific fields: anthropology, aquatic biology, botany, comparative genomics, entomology, geology, herpetology, ichthyology, invertebrate zoology, mammalogy and ornithology.

Experts List: China and the 2008 Olympics

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

As the world is turning its attention to Beijing next week for the 2008 Summer Olympics, UC Davis experts are prepared to answer a wide variety of questions about the games and China. From nutrition to economics, and from track and field to Chinese culture, the following experts are available for comment on the international competition itself and the worldwide stage of China.

The games: Athletic performance, nutrition and psychology
Chinese culture, society and economics
Air pollution and the environment

THE GAMES: ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE, NUTRITION AND PSYCHOLOGY

TRACK AND FIELD -- Women's track and field coach Deanne Vochatzer served as head coach of the U.S. women's track and field team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. She is a consultant for Nike, the National High School Coaches Association and the U.S. Justice Department on alcohol and drug education for athletics, and has commentated for ESPN. She was the director of competition for the 2000 track and field Olympic trials in Sacramento and was inducted into the U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. She also recently served as running events manager for the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Contact: Deanne Vochatzer, Track, (530) 752-5057, dmvochatzer@ucdavis.edu.

BICYCLE DESIGN AND CYCLIST PERFORMANCE -- Maury Hull, a professor of mechanical and aeronautical engineering and a professor in the biomedical engineering program, directs ongoing cycling-related research programs at the UC Davis Biomechanical Engineering in Sports Laboratory. He studies ways to optimize cyclist performance and prevent knee injuries as well as bicycle design to optimize structural components and suspensions. His research has been sponsored by industry leaders Trek, Specialized, Shimano, GT and Rock Shox. He has also raced bicycles competitively for 20 years. In 2008, he received the inaugural award from Bicycling Magazine for Excellence in Applied Science Research. Contact: Maury Hull, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, (530) 752-6220 (office), (530) 795-4788 (home), mlhull@ucdavis.edu.

PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND TEAM DYNAMICS -- Paul Salitsky, a lecturer in exercise biology, studies the psychological aspects of sport and exercise. He has coached women's volleyball at the international, club and NCAA Division I level. Salitsky has conducted more than 350 clinics and workshops on the mental skills needed for performance success in 25 different sports. A certified consultant for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), Salitsky has been listed on the U.S. Olympic Committee's Sport Psychology Registry since 2000. Salitsky is also a mentor trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance and has been a coaching educator for more than 15 years. Contact: Paul Salitsky, Exercise Biology, (530) 752-3381, pbsalitsky@ucdavis.edu.

BIOMECHANICS, MOVEMENT PERFORMANCE AND INJURY PREVENTION -- David Hawkins, a biomechanist, studies what influences skeletal muscle performance and human movement. His work at the UC Davis Human Performance Laboratory aims to develop tools and training strategies that can assist people afflicted with various musculoskeletal disorders, as well as prevent injury and maximize athletic performance. He can talk about properties of biological tissues (i.e. bone, ligament, tendon and muscle) and how they respond to exercise and disuse. Contact: David Hawkins, Exercise Biology, (530) 752-2748, dahawkins@ucdavis.edu.

EQUINE CARE -- The husband-and-wife veterinary team of Jack Snyder and Sharon Spier will coordinate the equine veterinary facility for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The equestrian events, featuring approximately 280 competing horses, will be held at two venues in Hong Kong. Snyder and Spier will lead an international corps of 30 veterinarians, who will advise the veterinarians accompanying the horses. They will be prepared to evaluate lameness, treat injuries and even perform emergency surgeries. Snyder will be in charge of surgical procedures while Spier, an internal medicine specialist, will deal with infections and internal diseases. Contact, Jack Snyder, School of Veterinary Medicine, jrsnyder@ucdavis.edu; Sharon Spier, School of Veterinary Medicine, sjpier@ucdavis.edu.

LZR RACER SWIMSUIT -- You-Lo Hsieh teaches fiber science, polymer chemistry and clothing materials science at the senior and graduate levels. Hsieh is active in several graduate programs including Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry, Forensic Science and Textiles. Hsieh's research is in the area of fiber and polymer materials science including biopolymers (cellulose, chitosan, proteins and enzymes), nanofibers and nanoporous fibers, wetting and absorbent properties of porous materials, and functional polymers. She holds several U.S. and international patents. Contact: You-Lo Hsieh, Textiles and Clothing, (530) 752-0843, ylhsieh@ucdavis.edu.

CHINESE CULTURE, SOCIETY AND ECONOMICS

CHINESE CULTURE AND SOCIETY -- Sheldon Lu is a professor of comparative literature who can talk about the daily lives of contemporary Chinese as they make the transition from a socialist lifestyle to the new capitalist economy. Lu draws on Chinese literature, film, art, photography and video for scholarly insights into China in the 21st century. Contact: Sheldon Lu, Comparative Literature, (530) 754-8324, shlu@ucdavis.edu.

CHINA'S SOCIAL CHANGE -- As China transitions from a socialist system toward a globally connected market economy, the country is undergoing vast social changes, especially in regard to the equality of women. UC Davis sociologist Xiaoling Shu studies social stratification, gender, and social demography in China. Among her publications is research on changes in job and wage inequality among men and women in China. Her current research focuses on the impact of globalization on gender, marriage, family and sexual values in China. Contact: Xiaoling Shu, Sociology, (530) 752-2825, xshu@ucdavis.edu.

PACIFIC RIM TRADE AND POLICY -- Colin Carter, professor of agricultural and resource economics, is an expert on Pacific Rim trade and policy. Carter has most recently been investigating the implications of China's entry into the World Trade Organization and has been advising international organizations about the economic influence of China. Contact: Colin Carter, Agricultural and Resource Economics, (530) 752-6054, cacarter@ucdavis.edu.

ECONOMICS -- Wing Thye Woo, a professor of economics, is one of the world's leading experts on Asian economics. He concentrates on international and domestic macroeconomics, economic growth and comparative economic systems. Currently he is studying economic geography, fiscal decentralization, restructuring of state-owned enterprises and international capital flows. Woo has served as special adviser to former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, accompanying the secretary to a meeting with China's president in 1997. Contact: Wing Thye Woo, Economics, (202) 797-4370, wtwoo@ucdavis.edu.

BANKING, INVESTMENTS, ECONOMY -- Ning Zhu, associate professor of finance, specializes in behavioral finance, corporate finance and investments. He recently won the best paper award at the Cass School of Business's Emerging Markets Group Conference, where he presented his study, "Does Bank Ownership Increase Value: Evidence from China." Zhu is currently on a year-long sabbatical to serve as head of quantitative strategies for Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, but he will be available for comment. Contact: Ning Zhu, Graduate School of Management, (852) 9848-2096 (cell phone number in Hong Kong), nzhu@ucdavis.edu.

ART -- Katharine Burnett is an associate professor of art history and a faculty associate in the East Asian Studies Program. Her field of interest is in Chinese Art and Culture. She can talk about Chinese art and culture generally, as well as propaganda art and how the government has shaped the way the public understands its sense of history and culture since 1949 through propaganda poster art. Contact: Katharine Burnett, Art History, (530) 752-0105, kpburnett@ucdavis.edu.

AIR POLLUTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Thomas A. Cahill, a professor of physics and an emeritus professor of atmospheric sciences, has done work on Chinese pollution and aerosols since 1980, most recently in the massive National Science Foundation-sponsored ACE-Asia experiment of spring and summer, 2001. He and his students and colleagues have published several key papers on the impact of trans-Pacific air pollution on the U.S. Currently, he heads the DELTA Group (Detection and Evaluation of Long-range Transport of Aerosols, http://delta.ucdavis.edu) with ongoing programs in China, Australia, the Czech Republic, the Greenland ice cap, New York City, Lake Tahoe, and six more local programs in California. Contact: Thomas A. Cahill, Land, Air Water Resources, (530) 752-1120, tacahill@ucdavis.edu.

Delta Future: Expert Sources on New California Delta Report

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This week's unprecedented, science-based report recommending a peripheral canal as the best solution to the California Delta's ecological and economical problems was written by a multidisciplinary team from UC Davis and the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC).

The authors were Jay Lund, William Fleenor, William Bennett, Richard Howitt, Jeffrey Mount and Peter Moyle of UC Davis and Ellen Hanak, PPIC associate director and senior fellow.

Here are descriptions of, and contact information for, the Delta report authors. Color, high-resolution photos of authors are available from Sylvia Wright, swright@ucdavis.edu.

For more information about the new Delta report ("Comparing Futures of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta"), as well as the 2007 related report ("Envisioning Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta"), see:

Delta report of July 17, 2008: http://www.ppic.org
UC Davis news release of Feb. 7, 2007: "Deteriorating and Deadlocked, California's Delta Is a Disaster in Waiting" http://www-news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=8034

WATER SUPPLY AND DEMAND MANAGEMENT -- UC Davis professor Jay Lund specializes in the management of water and environmental systems, from California's large statewide system to local city and regional water systems. His research has included system optimization studies for California, the Columbia River, the Missouri River and several other systems -- as well as studies of climate change adaptation, water marketing, water conservation, water utility planning, and reservoir operations. He and his colleagues have developed computer models of how California's water system can adapt to changes in climate, infrastructure, water policies and droughts. Using one of those models, Lund said in 2003 that the landmark dam at Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is expendable. He served on the advisory committees for the 1998 and 2005 California Water Plan updates, is a former editor of the Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, and has authored or co-authored over 200 publications. Lund is the Ray B. Krone Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and an associate director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. Contact: Jay Lund, Civil and Environmental Engineering, (530) 752-5671, jrlund@ucdavis.edu, http://cee.engr.ucdavis.edu/faculty/lund/.

WATERSHEDS, RIVERS AND STREAMS -- UC Davis geology professor Jeffrey Mount specializes in the rivers of California and land-use impacts on watersheds, rivers and streams. His research and teaching interests include the conservation and restoration of large river systems; natural function of rainfall and snowfall in watersheds and floodplains; levee safety and floodplain management. He holds the Roy Shlemon Chair in Applied Geosciences at UC Davis, is the director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences, and chairs the CALFED Independent Science Board. He is author of California Rivers and Streams: The Conflict between Fluvial Process and Land Use (1995). Contact: Jeffrey Mount, Geology, (530) 752-7092, jfmount@ucdavis.edu.

FRESHWATER AND ANADRAMOUS FISH -- Peter Moyle is a professor of fish biology at UC Davis and the foremost expert on native freshwater and anadromous fishes (such as salmon) of California. He can discuss their declines and the environmental impacts that are responsible, such as droughts, water diversions and alien species. Moyle has worked on fish and ecological issues in the San Francisco Estuary, the San Joaquin River and the Sierra Nevada since the 1970s. He was head of the Delta 145 Native Fishes Recovery Team and a member of the Science Board for the CALFED Ecosystem Restoration Program. He has authored or coauthored more than 160 scientific papers and five books, including Inland Fishes of California (2002). He is an associate director of the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences. Contact: Peter Moyle, Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology, (530) 752-6355, pbmoyle@ucdavis.edu.

FISH ECOLOGY -- William Bennett is a professional researcher in fish ecology with the John Muir Institute of the Environment at UC Davis. His research has focused primarily on understanding the population dynamics of fishes in the San Francisco Estuary and near-shore marine (salt-water) environments in California. He has worked extensively with the Interagency Ecological Program and the CALFED Bay-Delta program to investigate the delta smelt and striped-bass populations in the San Francisco Estuary. His work with the Pacific Estuarine Ecosystem Indicator Research Consortium has focused on tidal-marsh goby populations. He has also studied the relative influences of fishing intensity and climate change on the near-shore rockfish fishery. Contact: Bill Bennett, John Muir Institute of the Environment, (530) 754-9354, wabennett@ucdavis.edu.

WATER QUALITY -- William Fleenor is a professional research engineer in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UC Davis. Fleenor uses field data collection and computer models to examine how physical properties of water influence water quality. From the water temperature of reservoir releases to water chemistry in stratified water systems, hydrodynamics play a large part in the resulting water quality. Fleenor develops models to examine hydrodynamic influences in lakes, reservoirs and estuaries. He has been involved with numerous hydrodynamic and water-quality research projects in the Delta and is currently the project manager for two water-quality modeling efforts funded by the CALFED Bay-Delta program. Contact: William Fleenor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, (530) 752-5669, wefleenor@ucdavis.edu.

WATER ECONOMICS AND MARKETS -- Richard Howitt is a professor and department chair of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Davis. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in resource economics, economic theory and operations research. His current research interests include constructing disaggregated economic modeling methods based on maximum entropy estimators, testing the allocation of water resources by market mechanisms, and developing empirical dynamic stochastic methods to analyze changes in investments and institutions. He serves on advisory boards for the California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Academy of Sciences. Contact: Richard Howitt, Agricultural and Resource Economics, (530) 752-1521, howitt@primal.ucdavis.edu.

CALIFORNIA WATER POLICY -- Ellen Hanak is a senior fellow and associate director of research at the Public Policy Institute of California. She is an expert on the economics of natural-resource management and agricultural development. At PPIC, she has launched a research program on water policy and has published reports and articles on water marketing, water and land-use planning, water conservation and management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Other areas of expertise include infrastructure finance and climate change. Before joining PPIC in 2001, she held positions with the French agricultural research system, the President's Council of Economic Advisers and the World Bank. The PPIC is a private, nonprofit independent research group focused on the forces shaping California's future. Contact: Linda Strean, PPIC Media Affairs, (415) 291-4412, mobile (415) 867-9159, strean@ppic.org.

Experts Call for New Program of Long-Term Ag Research

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Long-term agricultural research is key to meeting U.S. demands for the three "Fs" -- food, fuel and fiber -- according to a USDA-led investigation that includes a UC Davis faculty member.

The study calls for the creation of a national Long-Term Agricultural Research (LTAR) program that includes growers, conservationists and other interested parties. Titled "Long-term Agricultural Research: A Research, Education, and Extension Imperative," it is published in the current edition of the peer-reviewed journal BioScience.

"Our project concluded that new types of agricultural research are critical for sustaining the environment and strengthening local communities," said Louise Jackson, a co-author of the study and a professor in the UC Davis Department of Land, Air and Water Resources.

"It's important that long-term research have a good connection with local and regional land users and that research trials or long-term monitoring take place not only on research stations, but also in growers' fields and in nearby natural reserves."

Jackson is an affiliate of the campus' Agricultural Sustainability Institute (ASI), as well as a member of the UC Davis Sustainable Agriculture Farming Systems project team that has been comparing Central Valley crop rotations and sustainable farming practices since 1988. Their long-term projects are located at UC Davis' Russell Ranch Sustainable Agriculture Facility, a part of the ASI.

Institute director Tom Tomich noted that the researchers' call for a new federal, long-term research agenda is similar to the ASI's strategic research and education priorities for agriculture, resources and the environment, including the integration of agricultural systems at the farm/ranch and landscape levels.

"We're poised to do this work," said Tomich. "In California, as in most of the U.S., agricultural production systems are usually managed as independent units, with little regard for the entire agricultural landscape."

Jackson noted that agencies like the California state departments of Conservation and Food and Agriculture are interested in agricultural landscape research.

"This larger research model includes a much broader context for agricultural research," she said. "That's very exciting!"

Summer Reading From UC Davis Authors

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

From physics to poetry, professors at UC Davis publish 100 or so new books every year. Many of the latest titles -- including the dozen that follow -- would enrich any summer reading list.

"A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World"

Economics professor Gregory Clark's latest work, "A Farewell to Alms: A Brief Economic History of the World," spent a short time at No. 17 on Amazon's bestseller list, just below the diet book "Skinny Bitch" at No. 16. For a 440-page economics treatise, that is a lofty height indeed. Clark's book earned admiring write-ups in the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Time and the New York Review of Books, among other major publications. It will change how you think about wealth disparities among nations -- and put the current U.S. economic straits into historical perspective.

"The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction"

A look back at the Great Depression can put $4-a-gallon gas in a new perspective. Eric Rauchway, professor of history, has published the only concise history of the Depression and New Deal on the market. "The Great Depression and the New Deal: A Very Short Introduction" is part of Oxford University Press' 195-title "Very Short Introductions" series. At a highly readable 160 pages, the book tells the story of one of history's great policy revolutions. Rauchway is also the author of "Blessed Among Nations: How the World Made America" and "Murdering McKinley: The Making of Theodore Roosevelt's America." He writes an online column for The New Republic and has contributed to Slate and The American Prospect.

"A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca"

Gas prices may keep us closer to home this summer, but we can still enjoy vicarious adventures -- like the one that Andr鳠Res鮤ez, an associate professor of history, recounts in "A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de Vaca." The critically acclaimed book tells the story of 300 conquistadores who set out from Spain in 1528 to colonize what is now Florida. Only four survived. Carolyn See of the Washington Post compared the book to "Moby Dick" and "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre." Publishers Weekly called it "a marvelous addition to the corpus of survival and adventure literature."

"Back on the Fire: Essays"

If day trips to the Sierra are part of your summer "homecationing" plans, bring along poet Gary Snyder's latest book of essays, "Back on the Fire: Essays." Inspired by the Sierra foothills where Snyder makes his home, the essays include meditations on cave art, the Maidu coyote myth, haiku, the making of families, and Allen Ginsberg's death. The slim volume also makes the case for a more balanced attitude toward land and forest preservation. Snyder, a professor emeritus of English, is one of the best-known poets of his generation. He has won the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize.

"Expectation Days"

Another distinguished UC Davis poet, Sandra McPherson, has published a collection of poems that speak to anyone who has gone through post-9/11 airport security, climbed a coastal cliff or lost a loved one. The book, "Expectation Days," was nominated for the 2007 Northern California Book Award in Poetry. A professor of English, McPherson is the recipient of a Guggenheim fellowship and an award in literature from the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. She was featured on the Bill Moyers television series, "The Language of Life."

"The Talented Women of the Zhang Family"

As the summer Olympics focus the world's attention on Beijing, Susan Mann's latest book illuminates a part of China that has been largely invisible: the lives of Chinese women in the 19th century. "The people you are about to meet lived and died a long time ago, but they left behind a treasure: beautiful copies of their own writings in woodblock print," Mann, a professor of history, writes in the book's prologue. "They did not want to be forgotten." In the pages of "The Talented Women of the Zhang Family," Mann ensures that they will not. She is internationally known for her pioneering work on the history of women in China.

"Chinese Modernity and Global Biopolitics: Studies in Literature and Visual Culture"

For scholarly insights into China in the 21st century, turn to "Chinese Modernity and Global Biopolitics: Studies in Literature and Visual Culture," by Sheldon Lu, professor of comparative literature. Lu draws on Chinese literature, film, art, photography and video to document the daily lives of contemporary Chinese as they make the transition from a socialist lifestyle to the new capitalist economy.

"Darkening Peaks: Glacier Retreat, Science, and Society"

No time like a Sacramento summer to think about global warming. Benjamin Orlove, a professor of environmental science and policy, has combined the perspectives of social and natural scientists from five continents as editor of the critically acclaimed new book, "Darkening Peaks: Glacier Retreat, Science, and Society." "Whatever your interest in glaciers, you will find this rich, broadly ranging volume exciting," writes Jared Diamond, author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel," in one of the book's many accolades.

"Gorilla Society: Conflict, Compromise, and Cooperation Between the Sexes"

Another vanishing entity -- the gorilla -- is the subject of Alexander Harcourt and Kelly Stewart's new book, "Gorilla Society: Conflict, Compromise, and Cooperation Between the Sexes." The husband-and-wife research team -- Harcourt is a professor of anthropology, Stewart is an anthropology research associate -- has synthesized decades of ecological and behavioral research into a fascinating explanation of gorilla life. Stewart is the author of one earlier book on gorillas, and the co-author of another. She and Harcourt have done extensive fieldwork with primates in Africa.

"Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics"

In the summer drought of 2001, the federal Bureau of Reclamation outraged farmers by shutting down the headgates of the Upper Klamath Basin in southern Oregon to conserve water for endangered species. It was the first time in U.S. history that the headgates of a federal irrigation project were closed in favor of conservation. The protests, vandalism and apocalyptic rhetoric that greeted the decision are the subject of a new book by law professor Holly Doremus, "Water War in the Klamath Basin: Macho Law, Combat Biology, and Dirty Politics." Written with a professor at the Chicago-Kent College of Law, the book offers a comprehensive look at the events leading up to the historic federal decision. It also discusses lessons for the future of water management and conservation in the arid West.

"The Entire Predicament"

For those who would rather escape into fiction, Lucy Corin has published her first book of short stories, "The Entire Predicament." One critic, writing in the Rain Taxi Review of Books, called the collection "fiercely strange" and "vivid and sharp." "You don't read these stories," the reviewer said. "You undergo them." An assistant professor of English, Corin has published short stories in numerous journals, including Ploughshares, the Iowa Review and the Mid-American Review. Her first novel, "Everyday Psychokillers: A History for Girls," was published in 2004, establishing her as an original voice in contemporary avant-garde fiction. Her colleague in the English department, novelist and professor Pam Houston, wrote the introduction to "The Entire Predicament."

"Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions"

Butterfly watching is a time-honored summer pastime. With the help of a new book by evolution and ecology professor Arthur Shapiro, you will be able to distinguish a West Coast lady from a golden oak hairstreak. Shapiro's superbly illustrated "Field Guide to Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions" discusses and identifies more than 130 species found in this region. Written for both beginning and experienced butterfly watchers, it includes tips on photography, butterfly-friendly gardening and more. The guide is part of the popular California Natural History Guide series. Shapiro is one of the nation's best-known professional lepidopterists.

UC Davis Strengthens Commitment to Sustainability

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

UC Davis is launching a major effort to strengthen its commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

Through the new Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability Initiative, a new office will coordinate universitywide efforts on sustainability, seed money will support new projects, and a new committee will advise the chancellor on sustainability.

The new office will help develop strategies to implement sustainability policies and "inspire the university community to embark on additional actions to be leaders for sustainability in higher education," according to a written proposal for the initiative.

"UC Davis is committed to caring for our environment and our resources," Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said in announcing the new initiative. "Our sustainability efforts now have dedicated leadership, a higher profile and a broader platform."

Sid England, director of environmental planning for the Davis campus for 18 years, will lead the new office. He emphasizes that it will coordinate universitywide activities, not replace them. "Everybody has a role in helping to make us successful at sustainability."

The new office is housed within the Office of Resource Management and Planning and includes the Davis campus's existing environmental planning function, sustainability and management of the Putah Creek Riparian Reserve.

The initiative includes a $100,000 "Green Fund" to provide seed money for important initiatives.

'Captive Audience' Premieres Tonight on KVIE: Challenges of the 21st Century Zoo Veterinarian

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today's zoo veterinarian serves as both doctor and defender, as UC Davis wildlife docs Ray Wack and Scott Larsen can testify. Wack and Larsen, the attending vets at the Sacramento Zoo, also serve on the faculty of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Wack and Larsen, and the challenges they face, are the focus of a documentary, "Captive Audience," that will premiere at 7 p.m., tonight, June 18, as a segment of "ViewFinder," on KVIE-TV, Sacramento's PBS station. (An encore airing is scheduled for 6 p.m., Sunday, June 22.) The show, produced by the UC Davis News Service, explores the important role that zoos are playing in wildlife conservation and how veterinarians and conservation experts are debating big questions about the issues:

Are zoos safe for both animals and humans?
Are they still places to educate and inspire?
Or, as some activists claim, are zoos cruel and unnecessary prisons for wild creatures?

Three zoos on the West Coast offer answers. They include the Sacramento Zoo and the San Francisco Zoo, which is still responding to last December's tiger escape when one teenage visitor was killed and his two companions injured.

News Service reporter Paul Pfotenhauer and freelance videographer Ken Zukin also visit Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo to see how it has made a major commitment to field conservation.

Wack and Larsen discuss how their role as zoo docs -- caring for animals and helping to manage zoos and their animal populations -- is growing more challenging and complicated each year.

Joining them in the video are Mark Schwartz, a nationally recognized conservation ecologist from UC Davis; Murray Fowler, a UC Davis professor emeritus of veterinary medicine widely regarded as the father of zoo medicine; and Jane Goodall, the world's foremost authority on chimpanzees.

For more information about "Captive Audience," including a Windows Media Player version of the program and video extras not aired as part of the documentary, visit http://www.ucdavis.edu.