Book Review of Entomology at the Land Grant University: Perspectives from the Texas A&M University Department Centenary Edited by Kevin M. Heinz, Raymond Frisbie, and Carlos Bogran

This book offers the texts of twenty-four presentations given in a series of mini symposia organized to commemorate the centennial of Texas A&M's Department of Entomology. Although not stated explicitly by the editors, the central theme for these symposia seems to be the contributions of the discipline of entomology to modern society. The presentations cover a wide range of topics dealing with the importance of insects in both natural ecosystems and agricultural systems; insects as models for scientific research; challenges associated with effective management of those species that are pests in systems designed for food and fiber production; and the role of entomology departments within academic institutions, particularly land-grant universities. The list of contributors to these symposia is impressive, as are the universities and other institutions they represent across the United States as well as in Europe and Africa.

The October 1998 Flood of the Upper Guadalupe River System, Central Texas

The October 1998 flood on the upper Guadalupe River system was produced by a 24-hour precipitation amount of 483 mm at one station, over 380 mm at several other stations, and up to 590 mm over five days, precipitation amounts greater than the 100-year storm as prescribed in Weather Bureau Technical Papers 40 (1961) and 49 (1964). This study uses slope-area discharge estimates and published discharge and precipitation data to analyze flow characteristics of the three major branches of the Guadalupe River on the Edwards Plateau. The main channel of the Guadalupe has a single large flood-control structure at Canyon Dam and five flood dams on the tributary Comal River. On the upper San Marcos River there are five detention dams that regulate 80% of its drainage. The Blanco River, which has no structural controls, generated a peak discharge of 2,970 m3/s from a 1,067 km2 basin. Downstream of Canyon Dam, the Guadalupe River generated a peak discharge greater than 3,000 m3/s from an area of 223 km2. The event exceeded the capacity of both the Comal River and San Marcos flood-control projects and produced spills that inundated areas greater than the 100-year floodplain defined by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Review of Deep Time and the Texas High Plains: History and Geology by Paul H. Carlson

This brief book is a history of the Lubbock Lake Landmark site, a nationally recognized archeological site located on the Texas southern High Plains on the north side of the city of Lubbock. The location has been the subject of intense investigations by archaeologists since 1939. Paul H. Carlson, a noted author and professor of history at Texas Tech University, states that his purpose was to go back through what John McPhee called "deep time" to show how the Lubbock Lake location was formed and was used by humans through time. He accomplishes this in five chapters.

Landscape-Genetic Analysis of Population Structure in the Texas Gray Fox Oral Rabies Vaccination Zone

In west-central Texas, USA, abatement efforts for the gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) rabies epizootic illustrate the difficulties inherent in large-scale management of wildlife disease. The rabies epizootic has been managed through a cooperative oral rabies vaccination program (ORV) since 1996. Millions of edible baits containing a rabies vaccine have been distributed annually in a 16-km to 24-km zone around the perimeter of the epizootic, which encompasses a geographic area >4 x 105 km2. The ORV program successfully halted expansion of the epizootic into metropolitan areas but has not achieved the ultimate goal of eradication. Rabies activity in gray fox continues to occur periodically outside the ORV zone, preventing ORV zone contraction and dissipation of the epizootic. We employed a landscape-genetic approach to assess gray fox population structure and dispersal in the affected area, with the aim of assisting rabies management efforts. No unique genetic clusters or population boundaries were detected. Instead, foxes were weakly structured over the entire region in an isolation by distance pattern. Local subpopulations appeared to be genetically non-independent over distances >30 km, implying that long-distance movements or dispersal may have been common in the region. We concluded that gray foxes in west-central Texas have a high potential for long-distance rabies virus trafficking. Thus, a 16-km to 24-km ORV zone may be too narrow to contain the fox rabies epizootic. Continued expansion of the ORV zone, although costly, may be critical to the long-term goal of eliminating the Texas fox rabies virus variant from the United States.

Assessment of Texas Medical Providers Concerning Rabies Vaccines

Rabies is an important zoonotic disease in Texas and thousands of people each year either request or require rabies prophylaxis because they have ‘high risk’ jobs or are exposed to the disease. After experiencing difficulty in receiving rabies prophylaxis from physicians, we conducted a survey of Texas medical providers to assess their knowledge of rabies vaccine procedures and their experience with rabies vaccines. Most providers in Texas (>95% of 297) rarely saw patients for rabies prophylaxis; therefore, providers have minimal, if any, experience with the procedures of acquiring and administering the vaccine. Providers varied greatly in their responses to our questions of where to acquire the vaccine, how and where to administer the vaccine, and where to acquire information about the vaccine. State and local health departments should target medical clinics and physician associations as outlets to disseminate information regarding rabies, rabies prophylaxis, and treatment.

A Land-Use and Water-Quality History of White Rock Lake Reservoir, Dallas, Texas, Based on Paleolimnological Analyses

White Rock Lake reservoir in Dallas, Texas contains a 150-cm sediment record of silty clay that documents land-use changes since its construction in 1912. Pollen analysis corroborates historical evidence that between 1912 and 1950 the watershed was primarily agricultural. Land disturbance by plowing coupled with strong and variable spring precipitation caused large amounts of sediment to enter the lake during this period. Diatoms were not preserved at this time probably because of low productivity compared to diatom dissolution by warm, alkaline water prior to burial in the sediments. After 1956, the watershed became progressively urbanized. Erosion decreased, land stabilized, and pollen of riparian trees increased as the lake water became somewhat less turbid. By 1986 the sediment record indicates that diatom productivity had increased beyond rates of diatom destruction. Neither increased nutrients nor reduced pesticides can account for increased diatom productivity, but grain size studies imply that before 1986 diatoms were light limited by high levels of turbidity. This study documents how reservoirs may relate to land-use practices and how watershed management could extend reservoir life and improve water quality.