Rock glacier and protalus rampart inventory in Las Salinas river basin, Central Andes of Argentina

This paper presents a detailed rock glacier and protalus rampart inventory from Las Salinas river basin, an arid subtropical mountain hydrological system (between 31°02’ and 31°22’ S latitude) located in the northern sector of the Central Andes of Argentina, where permafrost and cryogenic processes prevail. The inventory is based on a geomorphological characterization by means of optical remote sensing and field description data. The study region covers 630 km2, with 3.25% of the area containing 405±8.2 rock glaciers and protalus ramparts in total, of which 231±2.5 are considered protalus rampart and 49±2 are considered active, 61±1 inactive and 64±3 fossil rock glaciers. Frequency ratio and logistic regression were used as statistical methods to determine the relationship between the distribution of these periglacial landforms and different geological, morphometric and climatic variables as elevation, potential incoming solar radiation, slope, aspect and lithology. Results show that elevation, lithology, and aspect are the most influencing factors for the occurrence of active rock glaciers. According to rock glaciers and protalus ramparts distribution, the permafrost occurrence probability is above 3690 m a.s.l. (current and high periglacial environment). However, some inactive rock glaciers and protalus rampart were found below this elevation, thus between 3300 and 3690 m a.s.l. the landscapes are dominated by an unstable periglacial environment.

Hydrological processing of salinity and nitrate in the Salinas Valley agricultural watershed

Regime shifts of major salinity constituents (Ca, Mg, Na, K, SO4, Cl, HCO3, and NO3) in the lower Salinas River, an agricultural ecosystem, can have major impacts on ecosystem services central to continued agricultural production in the region. Regime shifts are large, persistent, and often abrupt changes in the structure and dynamics of social-ecological systems that occur when there is a reorganization of the dominant feedbacks in the system. Monitoring information on changes in the system state, controlling variables, and feedbacks is a crucial contributor to applying sustainability and ecosystem resilience at an operational level. To better understand the factors driving salinization of the lower Salinas River on the central coast of California, we examined a 27-year record of concentrations of major salinity constituents in the river. Although limited in providing an understanding of solute flux behavior during storm events, long-term “grab sampling” datasets with accompanying stream discharges can be used to estimate the actual history of concentrations and fluxes. We developed new concentration–discharge relationships to evaluate the dynamics of chemical weathering, hydrological processes, and agricultural practices in the watershed. Examinations of long-term records of surface water and groundwater salinity are required to provide both understanding and perspective towards managing salinity in arid and semi-arid regions while also enabling determination of the influence of external climatic variability and internal drivers in the system. We found that rock weathering is the main source of Ca, Mg, Na, HCO3, and SO4 in the river that further enables ion exchange between Ca, Mg, and Na. River concentrations of K, NO3, and Cl were associated with human activities while agricultural practices were the major source of K and NO3. A more direct anthropogenic positive trend in NO3 that has persisted since the mid-1990s is associated with the lag or memory effects of field cropping and use of flood irrigation. Event to inter-year scale patterns in the lower Salinas River salinity are further controlled by antecedent hydrologic conditions. This study underscores the importance of obtaining long-term monitoring records towards understanding watershed changes-of-state and time constants on the range of driving processes.

Identified Resistance in Lettuce Germplasm to Verticillium Wilt Caused by Verticillium dahliae

Since its appearance in 1995, Verticillium wilt of lettuce has spread through the Salinas River Valley, where nearly 60% of California's lettuce acreage is located. A replicated field trial was conducted to assess various modern and heirloom lettuce (Lactuca sativa) cultivars, plant introductions, and L. virosa lines for resistance to Verticillium wilt. Based on horticultural type, lettuce plants were destructively sampled at harvest maturity and assessed for the incidence of Verticillium wilt. Of the L. sativa cultivars, only the iceberg type displayed pronounced foliar symptoms of stunting and wilting. Disease incidence based on root symptoms ranged from 0% to 100%, with continuous variation found across and within lettuce types. Most cos, crisphead, and leaf cultivars exhibited 20% or greater disease incidence. Butter cultivars exhibited the lowest disease incidence among the major lettuce types examined, and Latin and Batavia type cultivars exhibited the lowest disease incidence overall. Disease progression was further monitored for 10 select lettuce cultivars for 2 weeks past harvest maturity. Disease intensity increased over the 2-week period for some cultivars, demonstrating the need to assess plants for Verticillium wilt past harvest maturity to avoid misclassifying plants. The L. sativa plant introduction lines tested, predominantly stem and oil-seed horticultural types, were quite susceptible and exhibited distinct symptoms of wilt and defoliation, possibly due to their elongated growth habit. The variation in disease incidence among the L. virosa lines tested was discontinuous, with discrete differences in susceptibility. Overall, the results reflected trends found in previous greenhouse and field trials.