April-June 2006 California Agriculture Table of Contents

April-June 2006 California Agriculture Table of Contents

COVER: During the last half century, Lake Tahoe has lost 30% of its famed clarity. Scientists report new findings on the major culprits — sediments and excess nutrients. An editorial overview reviews the lake’s history, and news stories explore clarity models, Sagehen reserve and weed control. Shown is Emerald Bay and the southwest shore of Lake Tahoe.

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Issue date: Apr-Jun 2006

Logo for California Agriculture 60th birthday

Editor’s note: The first issue
of California Agriculture —
a four-page, black-and-white, newsprint tabloid — was published in December 1946.
In honor of the magazine’s 60th anniversary, we will be publishing excerpts from past decades throughout the year.

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News

Editorial overview
Goldman
Science a decisive factor in restoring Tahoe clarity

Restoring clarity :
Introduction
Models clarify Tahoe clarity loss
Lake Tahoe: From research to policy

Letters
Market incentives,
readers interests,
grape harvest

Research update
UC’s Sagehen reserve is California’s newest experimental forest

Weed control helps prevent erosion into Lake Tahoe

50 years ago in
California Agriculture.
LINK

News releases
Current
Archive

Important Tahoe
clarity links

Dateline UC Davis
The waters of Lake Tahoe are warming up at almost twice the rate of the world's oceans, probably as a consequence of global climate change, according to a new study released by UC Davis scientists on Dec. 20.

Facts about Lake Tahoe

USGS site Lake Tahoe Clearinghouse
Information on this page was gathered from the Stream and Ground-Water
Monitoring Program, Lake Tahoe Basin, Nevada and California (pdf format fact sheet), also available.

Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee (LTFAC)
How the LTFAC was formed
The Secretary of Agriculture established an advisory committee, chartered
under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) on July 17, 1998.
The Lake Tahoe Federal Advisory Committee is made up of citizens concerned
with the environmental and economic health of the Lake Tahoe Region.

Table of Contents: April-June 2006

Research and reviews

Restoring clarity:
the search for Tahoe solutions

Local air pollutants threaten Lake Tahoe’s clarity
Gertler et al.
In a review of measurement and modeling studies, air plumes did not carry significant amounts of nitrogen pollutants and ozone from the Bay Area to Tahoe.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Biotic diversity interfaces with urbanization in the Lake Tahoe Basin
Manley et al.
The first comprehensive survey of Lake Tahoe biodiversity found many native species in urban forests, but reduced diversity in highly developed areas.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Nutrients flow from runoff at burned forest site in Lake Tahoe Basin
Miller et al.
Reductions in nutrient-rich organic material on fire-suppressed forest understories may ultimately improve downstream water quality.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Erosion control reduces fine particles in runoff to Lake Tahoe
Grismer, Ellis
In rainfall simulations at erosion-control and untreated sites, volcanic soils yielded more particles that threaten Tahoe’s clarity than granitic soils.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Mechanical mastication thins Lake Tahoe forest with few adverse impacts
Hatchett, Hogan, Grismer
Concerns about soil compaction and erosion following mastication appear to be unfounded; the resulting woodchip mulch protects soil during rain..
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Yellow starthistle continues its spread in California
Pitcairn et al.
A review of prior studies, a new county survey and an abundance map by township demonstrate the noxious weed’s startling spread during the past century.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Well-placed bat houses can attract bats to Central Valley farms
Long, Kiser, Kiser
Bat houses on structures with shade or morning sun, and within one-quarter mile of water, were most often occupied by bat colonies, which could help boost insect control.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

New crop coefficients developed for high-yield processing tomatoes
Hanson, May
Yields of Central Valley tomatoes have improved 50% without increasing water needs; new crop coefficients based on 4 years of field data were developed.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT PDF

Fall foliar sprays prevent boron-
deficiency symptoms in grapes
Christensen, Beede, Peacock
Vineyard boron deficiencies occur in certain soils on the San Joaquin Valley’s east side, Sierra foothills and North Coast; fall foliar sprays are an effective remedy.
ABST RACT | FULL TEXT PDF

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