In natural grasslands, C
plant dominance increases with growing season temperatures and reflects distinct differences in plant growth rates and water use efficiencies of C
vs. C
photosynthetic ...pathways. However, in lawns, management decisions influence interactions between planted turfgrass and weed species, leading to some uncertainty about the degree of human vs. climatic controls on lawn species distributions. We measured herbaceous plant carbon isotope ratios (δ
C, index of C
/C
relative abundance) and C
cover in residential lawns across seven U.S. cities to determine how climate, lawn plant management, or interactions between climate and plant management influenced C
lawn cover. We also calculated theoretical C
carbon gain predicted by a plant physiological model as an index of expected C
cover due to growing season climatic conditions in each city. Contrary to theoretical predictions, plant δ
C and C
cover in urban lawns were more strongly related to mean annual temperature than to growing season temperature. Wintertime temperatures influenced the distribution of C
lawn turf plants, contrary to natural ecosystems where growing season temperatures primarily drive C
distributions. C
cover in lawns was greatest in the three warmest cities, due to an interaction between climate and homeowner plant management (e.g., planting C
turf species) in these cities. The proportion of C
lawn species was similar to the proportion of C
species in the regional grass flora. However, the majority of C
species were nonnative turf grasses, and not of regional origin. While temperature was a strong control on lawn species composition across the United States, cities differed as to whether these patterns were driven by cultivated lawn grasses vs. weedy species. In some cities, biotic interactions with weedy plants appeared to dominate, while in other cities, C
plants were predominantly imported and cultivated. Elevated CO
and temperature in cities can influence C
/C
competitive outcomes; however, this study provides evidence that climate and plant management dynamics influence biogeography and ecology of C
/C
plants in lawns. Their differing water and nutrient use efficiency may have substantial impacts on carbon, water, energy, and nutrient budgets across cities.
•Research suggests residents seek to ‘fit in’ via establishing particular aesthetics.•This explanation does not meaningfully grapple with back yards, which are more hidden.•Lawns and nitrogen cycling ...processes were not different between front and back yards.•Yards however had more species of vegetation in back yards than front yards.•Social norms may be reducing biodiversity.
We hypothesize that lower public visibility of residential backyards reduces households’ desire for social conformity, which alters residential land management and produces differences in ecological composition and function between front and backyards. Using lawn vegetation plots (7 cities) and soil cores (6 cities), we examine plant species richness and evenness and nitrogen cycling of lawns in Boston, Baltimore, Miami, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, Los Angeles (LA), and Salt Lake City (SLC). Seven soil nitrogen measures were compared because different irrigation and fertilization practices may vary between front and backyards, which may alter nitrogen cycling in soils. In addition to lawn-only measurements, we collected and analyzed plant species richness for entire yards—cultivated (intentionally planted) and spontaneous (self-regenerating)—for front and backyards in just two cities: LA and SLC. Lawn plant species and soils were not different between front and backyards in our multi-city comparisons. However, entire-yard plant analyses in LA and SLC revealed that frontyards had significantly fewer species than backyards for both cultivated and spontaneous species. These results suggest that there is a need for a more rich and social-ecologically nuanced understanding of potential residential, household behaviors and their ecological consequences.
•Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play key roles in global burn relief.•Collaboration is needed to comprehensively catalogue NGO burn relief activities.•World Health Organization Emergency ...Medical Teams coordinate disaster response.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have been instrumental in the treatment of traumatic injuries, including burns, particularly in low- and middle-income counties. The purpose of this project was to catalogue burn injury related NGO activities, describe coordinated efforts, and provide insight to burn health care professionals seeking volunteer opportunities.
Eligible burn NGOs were identified through internet searches, literature reviews, and social media. The organizations’ websites were reviewed for eligibility and contact was attempted to confirm details. Global health organizations, including the World Health Organization, were consulted for their viewpoints.
We identified 27 unique NGOs working in the area of burn care in African countries, all with differing missions, capacities, recruitment methods, and ability to respond to disaster. We also describe 14 global NGOs, some of which accept volunteers. Some NGOs were local, while others were headquartered in western countries.
To our knowledge, this is the first effort towards the establishment of a Burn-NGO catalogue. Challenges included: frequent shifts in geographical regions supported, lack of collaboration among organizations, availability of public information, and austere environments. We invite collaborators to assist in the creation of a comprehensive, interactive and complete catalogue.
The phenotype of schizophrenia, regardless of etiology, represents the most studied psychotic disorder with respect to neurobiology and distinct phases of illness. The early phase of illness ...represents a unique opportunity to provide effective and individualized interventions that can alter illness trajectories. Developmental age and illness stage, including temporal variation in neurobiology, can be targeted to develop phase-specific clinical assessment, biomarkers, and interventions. We review an earlier model whereby an initial glutamate signaling deficit progresses through different phases of allostatic adaptation, moving from potentially reversible functional abnormalities associated with early psychosis and working memory dysfunction, and ending with difficult-to-reverse structural changes after chronic illness. We integrate this model with evidence of dopaminergic abnormalities, including cortical D1 dysfunction, which develop during adolescence. We discuss how this model and a focus on a potential critical window of intervention in the early stages of schizophrenia impact the approach to research design and clinical care. This impact includes stage-specific considerations for symptom assessment as well as genetic, cognitive, and neurophysiological biomarkers. We examine how phase-specific biomarkers of illness phase and brain development can be incorporated into current strategies for large-scale research and clinical programs implementing coordinated specialty care. We highlight working memory and D1 dysfunction as early treatment targets that can substantially affect functional outcome.
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