Reconstructed drought history, north-central Great Basin, 1600-1982 [abstract]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): Tree-ring chronologies, developed from cores from Pinyon pines growing on climatically sensitive sites in the north-central Great Basin, have been used to reconstruct precipitation and drought histories of the area from A.D. 1600 to 1982. Analysis of these hydrologic time series helps to place current climatic conditions into the perspective of the past 383 years (since 1600). ... The years 1934 and 1959 were the first and fourth driest while 1934 had the lowest July Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) of the reconstructed records. Nevertheless, the decade of the 1930's is only the seventh driest since 1600; the decade 1953-1962 ranks as the second driest. The driest non-overlapping decade since 1600 was 1856-1865. Interestingly, the second wettest decade was 1932-1941. An examination of 30-year mean precipitation data shows that the driest 30-year period was 1871-1900; 1931-1960 ranks as the fourth driest. The current 30-year period (1951-1980) ranks twelfth.

Holocene climate and El Nino history as recorded in the sediments of northern coastal Peru [abstract, table, and references]

EXTRACT (SEE PDF FOR FULL ABSTRACT): The history of the El Nino phenomena is recorded in both the fluvial and coastal sediments of northern Peru. The fluvial record was presented at the 1987 PACLIM Workshop and is discussed in detail elsewhere (Wells, 1987). However, the number of radiocarbon dated El Nino events has increased since Wells (1987) was published; this data is presented in Table 1.

吉林哈尼湖钻孔5000年来的植被演替与气候变化

重建古气候、古环境已成为当今全球变化研究的热点。5000以来是人类有文字记录的历史时期，其气候与植被变化与人类活动十分密切，对这一时期的气候变化的研究，具有重要的理论意义。 植被的状况可以在相当大的程度上反映气候的状况。孢子和花粉由于其个体小、产量高和易于保存而成为植被演替和古气候、古环境研究的重要手段之一。 孢粉组合的变化可以很好地反映植被的演替，吉林地区地层沉积比较稳定，本文选取哈尼湖钻孔360-0cm（5112－0aBP）的沉积物进行孢粉分析，共采取样品85个，平均时间分辨率约为60年。样品中花粉含量非常丰富，种类以乔木为主，其百分含量多在80%以上，最高可达96%，根据花粉组成在钻孔上的变化，结合花粉沉积率进行样品的分析，自下而上可分为4个花粉组合带，进而得出5000年以来该区气候演化大致可分为4个阶段：阶段1（5112－3784aBP），阔叶类乔木占优势，湿生及水生草本比较丰富，气候温暖湿润;阶段2（ 3784 －1380aBP）针叶类乔木占优势，湿生及水生草本消失，气候变凉干;阶段3（ 1380 －994aBP），以松为主的针叶类仍占绝对优势，喜温湿的灌木草本含量持续下降，说明气候继续变冷变干;阶段 4（ 994－0aBP），植物种类比较丰富，湿生植物的沉积率明显增高，气候变的更加湿润。

Reducing sea turtle bycatch in trawl nets: a history of NMFS turtle excluder device (TED) research

Thirty-six years ago, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service began research on how to reduce mortality of sea turtles, Chelonioidea, in shrimp trawls. As a result of efforts of NMFS and many stakeholders, including domestic and foreign fishermen, environmentalists, Sea Grant agents, and government agencies, many trawl fisheries around the world use a version of the turtle excluder device (TED). This article chronicles the contributions of NMFS to this effort, much of which occurred at the NMFS Mississippi Laboratories in Pascagoula. Specifically, it summarizes the impetus for and results of major developments and little known events in the TED research and discusses how these influenced the course of subsequent research.

Changes in frost frequency and desert vegetation assemblages in Grand Canyon, Arizona

The effect of decreasing frost frequency on desert vegetation was documented in Grand Canyon by replication of historical photographs. Although views by numerous photographers of Grand Canyon have been examined, 400 Robert Brewster Stanton and Franklin A. Nims views taken in the winter of 1889-1890 provide the best information on recent plant distribution. In Grand Canyon, where grazing is limited by the rugged topography, vegetation dynamics are controlled by climate and by demographic processes such as seed productivity, recruitment, longevity and mortality. The replicated photographs show distribution and abundance of several species were limited by severe frost before 1889. Two of these, brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) and barrel cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus), have clearly expanded their ranges up-canyon and have increased their densities at sites where they were present in 1890. In 1890, brittlebush was present in warm microhabitats that provided refugia from frost damage. Views showing desert vegetation in 1923 indicate that Encelia expanded rapidly to near its current distribution between 1890 and 1923, whereas the expansion of Ferocactus occurred more slowly. The higher frequency of frost was probably related to an anomalous increase in winter storms between 1878 (and possibly 1862) and 1891 in the southwestern United States.