Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project

Abstract Terrestrial environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques have been proposed as a means of sensitive, non-lethal pollinator monitoring. To date, however, no studies have provided evidence that eDNA methods can achieve detection densities on par with traditional pollinator surveys. Using a large-scale dataset of eDNA and corresponding net surveys, we show that eDNA methods enable sensitive, species-level characterization of whole bumble bee communities, including rare and critically endangered species such as the rusty pathed bumble bee (RPBB; Bombus affinis ). All species present in netting surveys were detected within eDNA surveys, apart from two rare species in the socially parasitic subgenus Psithyrus (cuckoo bumble bees). Further, for rare non-parasitic species, eDNA methods exhibited similar sensitivity relative to traditional netting. Relative to flower eDNA samples, sequenced field negative controls resulted in significantly lower rates of Bombus detection, and these detections were likely attributable to high rates of background eDNA on environmental surfaces. Lastly, we found that eDNA-based frequency of detection across replicate surveys was strongly associated with net-based measures of abundance across site visits. We conclude that the method is cost-effective and highly scalable for semi-quantitative characterization of at-risk bumble bee communities, providing a new approach for improving our understanding of species habitat associations.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges for local health departments (LHDs). This study examines how stay-at-home orders impacted the provision of essential public health services and subsequent increased use of online health communication by LHDs for rural populations in Appalachian Kentucky during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey to gather information about provision of essential public health services was administered to five LHDs representing 13 counties between June 2020 and December 2020. Additionally, demographic and health-outcome data from LHD, state health department, and CDC websites were reviewed, alongside health communications posted on LHD social media pages. Using these data, the authors conducted descriptive analyses to assess how essential public health services and health communications were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Appalachian Kentucky, limited internet access was identified by all LHDs as the most common barrier for clients of essential public health services. During stay-at-home orders, the use of telehealth increased participation rates for programs that support parents for optimal growth and development of children. Additionally, social media was the most preferred media source by all LHDs to communicate with the local population to promote health education. By using publicly available data and conducting interviews with LHDs, alongside examination of the health information they posted online, the study is able to characterize the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on providing essential public health services-successes and challenges. Expanding use of telehealth for essential public health services and increased access to online health communication improves access to care and information for rural populations in Appalachian Kentucky.

Obstacle, adventure and endurance competitions in challenging or remote settings are increasing in popularity. A literature search indicates a dearth of evidence-based research on the organisation of medical care for wilderness competitions. The organisation of medical care for each event is best tailored to specific race components, participant characteristics, geography, risk assessments, legal requirements, and the availability of both local and outside resources. Considering the health risks and logistical complexities inherent in these events, there is a compelling need for guiding principles that bridge the fields of wilderness medicine and sports medicine in providing a framework for the organisation of medical care delivery during wilderness and remote obstacle, adventure and endurance competitions. This narrative review, authored by experts in wilderness and operational medicine, provides such a framework. The primary goal is to assist organisers and medical providers in planning for sporting events in which participants are in situations or locations that exceed the capacity of local emergency medical services resources.

SummaryThere have been many studies on the effects of tillage on erosional losses from soil, but rarely have soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) losses been quantified simultaneously during a single erosion event. We applied a simulated rainfall event (70 mm hour−1) to plots within a gently sloping field (6%) in Ohio, USA, on which maize (C4) cultivation had replaced C3 vegetation several decades earlier. The plots were under different tillage management: (i) no till (NT100) for 42 years; (ii) NT100 plots from which 50% (NT50) or (iii) 100% (NT0) of crop residues were removed annually for 8 years; (iv) NT100 plots tilled 24 hours previously (TNT); and (v) conventional tillage (CT) for 28 years. Relationships between SOC, N and P concentrations and natural abundance 13C : 15N stable isotope values in the topsoils and sediments suggested that eroded SOC and TN were associated with the erosion of soil organic matter, whilst P losses were driven by the transport of the mineral fraction. Stable 13C isotope analyses revealed that tillage and residue removal both increased the proportion of older (C3), rather than new (C4, maize‐derived), SOC in eroded sediments. This study therefore demonstrated that a single tillage event after 42 years of continuous no‐till caused larger erosional fluxes than 8 years of continuous removal of all maize residues, and that long‐term conventional tillage resulted in the loss of a greater amount of older (> 28 years) SOC in eroded sediments, compared with continuous NT management.

Mobile crisis management teams provide crisis prevention and intervention services in community settings. The Appalachian Community Services crisis management program shows how such teams can be used to effectively serve rural communities.

Approximately 11% of the Southern Piedmont (1.8 million ha) is used for pasture and hay production, mostly under low-input management. Few studies have investigated in the region long-term nitrogen and carbon losses in surface runoff, which can be significant. We present 1999 to 2009 hydrologic and water quality data from a rotationally grazed, 7.8-ha, zero-order pasture (W1) near Watkinsville in the Georgia Piedmont. Annual rainfall was 176 to 463 mm below the long-term average (1240 mm) in 7 of the 11 yr. There were 20 runoff events during 86 mo of below-average rainfall (deficit period), compared with 54 events during 46 mo of nondeficit period. Mean event flow-weighted concentration (in mg L) was 0.96 for nitrate-nitrogen (NO-N), 0.97 for ammonium-nitrogen (NH-N), 3.70 for total nitrogen (TN), and 9.12 for total organic carbon (TOC) ( = 43-47; limited due to instrument problem). Nutrient loads (in kg ha per event) averaged 0.04 for NO-N, 0.03 for NH-N, 0.19 for TN, and 0.54 for TOC. Total loads for N and TOC were 6 to 11 times greater from nondeficit than from deficit periods. The observed N concentrations, while well below maximum drinking water standard limits, could pose risk for eutrophication, which can be stimulated at lower concentrations. However, the ability of headwater streams, such as the one downstream of W1, to reduce nutrient concentrations might partially alleviate this concern. The results of this study point to the need to use a long-term dataset that includes measurements made in drought and wet years when evaluating the efficacy of water quality standards.

Abstract Livestock grazing in paddocks of temperate regions during the dormant season affects soil surface hydrology and physical quality, thus, impacting its capacity to function. However, very few studies have dealt with these effects in temperate‐moist regions. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of grazing on these variables, with reference to soil hydrological and physical characteristics. Soil properties were measured in a paddock under rotational grazing during the growing season only (GR) and compared with those under grazing during the dormant season and rotational grazing during the growing season (DO). Soil series in both paddocks is Coshocton (fine loamy, mixed, active, mesic Aquultic Hapludalfs). Soil properties were studied for 0–5, 5–10 and 10–15 cm depths. In comparison with GR, DO had a smaller soil water sorptivity (36·2 vs 19·4 mm min−0·5), transmissivity (2·2 vs 0·6 mm min−1), equilibrium infiltration rate (4·8 vs 1·4 mm min−1) and cumulative infiltration in 3 h (865·6 vs 260·0 mm). In addition, GR had larger volumetric field moisture capacity (41·4 vs 39·3%), water stable aggregates (880 vs 830 g kg−1), coarse root (>1 mm) biomass (12·8 vs 7·2 mg cm−3), smaller penetration resistance (0·93 vs 1·42 MPa) and bulk density (1·24 vs 1·44 g cm−3). A small difference between GR and DO was observed in vane shear strength (130·3 vs 124·8 kPa), and no difference was found in aggregate's mean weight diameter. Soil properties differed among depths, and the effect of grazing decreased with increased depth. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The arrangement of soil particles, particle size, mineralogy, solute concentration, and bulk density affects electrical (σ) and thermal (λ) conductivities, which are key properties for estimating soil physical states, subsurface water and energy balances, and land-atmosphere interactions. The purpose of this study was to compare how σ and λ change as a function of water content for soils under different vegetation and with different properties. Soil samples were collected from selected field sites in Idaho, Texas, Colorado, Iowa, and Ohio and packed into cylinders at a density of 1.2 Mg m−3 and then wetted to predetermined water contents (θ) between 0.10 and 0.45 m3 m−3. A thermo-time domain reflectometer was used to determine σ and λ at each θ at room temperature. Soil and vegetation-influenced differences within a state were only occasionally statistically significant; however, differences between states were highly significant for both σ and λ. The λ decreased as the amount of sorbed water (related to soil-specific surface area) increased. The λ increased more rapidly at low water contents than did σ, but σ increased more rapidly at high water contents. Changes in σ and λ with water content are related to the changing tortuosity of the solid plus liquid phases versus only the liquid phase (including sorbed water). This study contributes toward improved understanding of soil thermal and electrical conductivities over a range of soils.

Surface runoff from cropland frequently has high concentrations of nutrients and herbicides, particularly in the first few events after application. Grassed waterways can control erosion while transmitting this runoff offsite, but are generally ineffective in removing dissolved agrochemicals. In this study, we routed runoff from one tilled (0.67 ha) and one no-till watershed (0.79 ha) planted to corn (Zea mays L.) into parallel, 30-m-long grassed waterways. Two 46-cm-diam. filter socks filled with composted bark and wood chips were placed 7.5 m apart in the upper half of one waterway and in the lower half of the other waterway to determine if they decreased concentrations of sediment and dissolved chemicals. Automated samplers were used to obtain samples above and below the treated segments of the waterways for two crop years. The filter socks had no significant effect (P <or= 0.05) on sediment concentrations for runoff from the no-till watershed, but contributed to an additional 49% reduction in average sediment concentration compared with unamended waterways used with the tilled watershed. The filter socks significantly increased the concentrations of Cl, NO(3)-N, PO(4)-P, SO(4), Ca, K, Na, and Mg in runoff from at least one watershed, probably due to soluble forms of these ions in the compost. The estimated additional amounts of these ions contributed by the socks each year ranged from 0.04 to 1.2 kg, thus were likely to be inconsequential. The filter socks contributed to a significant (P <or= 0.05) additional reduction in dissolved glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] (5%) and alachlor [2-chloro-N-(2,6-diethylphenyl)-N-(methoxymethyl)acetamide] (18%) concentrations for the tilled watersheds, but this was insufficient to reduce alachlor concentrations to acceptable levels.

Paper mills generate large amounts of solid waste consisting of fibrous cellulose, clay, and lime. Paper mill sludge (PMS) can improve reclamation of surface-coal mines where low pH and organic-carbon levels in the spoil cover material can inhibit revegetation. When applied at high rates, however, PMS may adversely impact the quality of surface runoff. Therefore, we applied PMS at 0, 224, and 672 dry Mg ha(-)(1) to 22.1 x 4.6-m plots at a recently mined site and monitored runoff for a total of 13 mo. The zero-rate plots served as controls and received standard reclamation consisting of mulching with hay and fertilization at planting. Compared to the control plots, PMS reduced runoff fourfold to sixfold and decreased erosion from 47 Mg ha(-1) to <1 Mg ha(-1). Most of the reduction occurred in the 2.5 mo before the plots were planted. Flow-weighted average dissolved oxygen concentrations in runoff from plots at the 224 and 672 Mg ha(-1) rates, however, were much lower (</=0.4 vs. 8.2 mg L(-1)) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) was much higher for the 672 Mg ha(-1) rate plots than the control plots during the pre-plant period (7229 vs. 880 mg L(-1)). There were few noteworthy differences in water quality among treatments post-planting, but plant dry-matter yields were greater for the PMS plots than for the controls. The 672 Mg ha(-1) rate did not increase COD or nutrient loads compared to the 224 Mg ha(-1) rate and may have more persistent beneficial effects by increasing soil organic carbon levels and pH to a greater extent.